Chapter IX: United We Stand
Dedicated to Yato Acevedo; rest in peace
Tsubasa and Sanae were happy in Barcelona; Tooru and Wataru were talking on the phone; the ones living in Japan were fast asleep… And Kojiro was thinking about the things Rairyuu told him.
"Things are going from bas to worse; it seems Tsubasa, Taro and Ishizaki have been attacks, but at the same time, the Black Archangels have returned. Can we trust them?" –as you know, Hyuga has always been distrustful about everything although he doesn't seem so. He was still with that skeptic attitude, lying on his bed with the lights off, since it was easier for him to think in the dark. However, he couldn't find the connections between the Archangels and the Antiarchangels.
"Tsubasa and Santana. I get it, as I also understand Misaki-kun and Pierre; not for nothing they're rivals for the same dream. But, why did Santana attack Ishizaki, even if they almost don't know each other? And yet, I don't know who else is part of the Antiarchangels… But I have a hunch."
He also remembered that Rairyuu had told him something about Takeshi, Kazuki and Ken…'Cause friends are friends.
Ken was in Yokohama, Takeshi had decided to go on a trip to Mount Fuji and Kazuki (Rairyuu never called him by his nickname) was playing soccer in Kobe. All of them were A-OK, but none of them suspected anything about the secret Kojiro and the guy with the blond hair locks kept.
-At any rate, it'll be better to know what I'll fight; you never know what'll happen when you're the Archangel of Fire.
However, Kojiro began to think about that: Being the Archangel of Fire.
"Fire… Yeah right. The only thing that has fire in it out of my attack is my zodiacal sign. Out of that, I'm still the same… No. That isn't true. I stopped being the same Hyuga Kojiro of before when I was fifteen. Of course, at first I was simply the soccer team's captain and my greatest dream was to beat Tsubasa, but when the Archangel of Thunder attacked me, everything changed completely. Tsubasa was still my rival, but he was my ally at the very same time. I had to learn to control the powers that slept in me… And don't mention the battles. Luckily there were no fatalities. But all that looks like a child's play if I compare it with what's happening now; we're already grown-ups, and though our powers must be full of rust and dust, if I'm allowed a little comedy, we'll have to go back to how we were. For what I've heard, the Antiarchangels are way more powerful than us… And if fighting against Rairyuu and the others was hard, fighting against Santana and the new enemies must be asking to die."
Of course, he couldn't imagine what would happen in the next days, and he didn't realize when he fell asleep while he thought. But he began to dream. At first it was just crazy things, as usual, but then he saw someone with black, gargoyle-like wings … And a silhouette so feminine it scared. He saw himself fighting against someone whose face he couldn't see, but the gargoyle-winged being attacked him with such speed it seemed impossible… And he saw himself… DEAD.
He woke up in that instant, scared.
-What the heck…? Who was that demon-winged being? I don't like the looks of this –and Hyuga grabbed the phone, but thought it twice. He couldn't call someone whenever something bad happened.
"I have to stop calling people when something is about to happen. But, I didn't like one bit what I saw. In that case, should I call Tsubasa or not?"
But the urge of calling beat him, and he dialed the number; he knew it by heart. It rang one, two, three times, until a very familiar voice answered.
-Hola, casa de la familia Ozora. Habla Tsubasa. (Ozora Residence. Tsubasa speaking)
-Tsubasa, it's Hyuga.
-Hyuga-san… You already know what happened, I suppose.
-Yeah. Rairyuu called me. Nonetheless, I have a baaaaaad feeling.
-How's that? You're having a lot of feelings lately.
-I was asleep and I saw something that left me stunned in my dreams.
-What was it?
-A woman, or that's what I think, with wings like those of a gargoyle or a demon. Well, I don't want to bluff, but I saw myself fighting against someone I didn't recognize, and then the demon I saw attacked me and… it killed me.
-What? You saw yourself dead?
-Yeah… So be very careful if you see a woman with demon wings. And I think I said it clearly, didn't I?
-Loud and clear, Hyuga-kun.
A while later, and miserable with insomnia (and he actually slept for an hour or two Oo), Hyuga decided to take a walk around to clear his head. However, it was really cold for being in the middle of spring.
"I don't like this. We're in the middle of the spring and it's freezing cold… Or could it be that the Archangel of Ice is near?"
-Hyuga… Long time no see –said a voice behind him… A voice that angered the 'Tiger'.
-What are you doing here, Hino?
-That's not the way you usually greet a friend.
-I think I don't need to remind you that you're not my friend.
-Then, how many fingers you need to count your friends, Hyuga? You repel everyone. If you don't ward them off with your face, you do it with your way of being.
-How dare you… -and Hyuga tried to punch the Uruguayan-Japanese dude, but his punch hit an enormous round shield which had a sharp spike in the middle… A Shijin shield.
-Heh, you're so rash you don't see what you hit –Hino said, smiling eerily while Hyuga massaged his aching hand.
-What did you say?
-Vaya que eres bien idiota. (Sheesh, you're an idiot) Don't you see? I know you very well.
-How sure can you be of that?
-As sure as I'm an Antiarchangel, Hyuga Kojiro –and both the wings on his back and the black marks under Hino's eyes appeared
"An Antiarchangel! May no one be hurt, may no one notice it or remember it… May no one but Hino and I be involved in this."
You know how quick Hyuga's mind is, and luckily, the barrier appeared very quickly. Once it was complete, the tanned soccer player's wings and daggers appeared. The fight began, although you know who had a great disadvantage.
-I pity you, Hyuga. You're not even as strong as my pinkie.
-Don't ask for trouble… Fire Storm! –Hyuga attacked Hino, but his shield-weapon repelled the attack easily.
-Oh, por favooor… You call that an attack? I'll show you an attack. Armageddon! –Ryoma put two of his fingers between his eyebrows, concentrated and a dark blast flew out when he took his hand to a side as if he were shaking something invisible off. The attack hit Kojiro squarely, and he fell to the floor.
-Shoot… I'm still too stiff and Ryoma's too powerful… -he muttered, trying to stand up.
-You give up?
-You're forgetting who you're talking to? –and Kojiro dashed with a jump against Hino, who although tried to hide behind his shield couldn't avoid the Archangel of Fire's genius attack. How he did it? Well, Hyuga pretended he was going to attack from above, knowing that Hino would be unprotected on the underside, and when he looked ready to attack, he teleported and attacked the Antiarchangel's attack directly. Although he hit his head with the edge of the shield, he didn't even feel it.
Ryoma bit the dust, but he was smiling.
-Bravo, bravo, Hyuga. I gotta admit that was a very brainy attack. But, don't you feel something running down your scalp?
-What? –and Hyuga passed a hand over where he hit his head. He felt something warm running between his fingers.
"Blood… Then Hino's weapon isn't only the shield's spike, but the edge too… Didn't count with that, but I won't forget it."
Hyuga tottered two or three steps, pretending he was dizzy, while he ordered mentally to his body to heal his head's injury. Later, he swept himself and made Ryoma fall again. The Uruguayan-Japanese Antiarchangel's Shijin shield fell far away and Hyuga jumped over him.
-You're not that strong without your shield, right?
-You'd wish. Armageddon! –and the attack sent Hyuga flying, who in spite of everything regained stability in midair and countered with his Fire Storm. But as you know, our friends aren't still at the top of their power, and Hino deflected the attack with a punch.
-Well, I've calmed the urge to fight, Hyuga… See you later, alligator –and Hino disappeared. What's new in this? Nothing; Hyuga passed by the same thing that Tsubasa, Taro and Tooru did.
-I hate it when it happens… I have to recover my strength again… No matter the cost.
Up to now, the Antiarchangels didn't look too strong, since mind you, they were only in 'recon missions', as they'd say. However, the Archangels (White and Black) had fought with all their might, and it had been very hard for them, since they had just recovered their powers or they were remembering them.
Did the Antiarchangels have a weak point? Would there be a way to stop the horror Kuro was about to unleash?
They'd only be beaten if the White Archangels and the Black Archangels joined forces, Shiro told Natsuko.
Ishizaki had known it firsthand in his battle against Santana, where the Archangel of Darkness had helped him just in time.
And the others would confirm it very soon, or the outcome would end in death.
Meanwhile, Shinobu was in his stylish apartment, where he lived with his girlfriend. Both of them had their own rooms out of mere respect, but in that moment, he was looking out his window, with his iPod on.
"Why can't I sleep? There's something bothering me… But I don't know what it is" –thought the man, while he reduced the volume of the song he was listening. He checked the time; it was barely five o'clock in the morning.
-Gee, it's already a new day… I guess I'll have to begin it now.
-Shi-chan, can't you sleep? –asked his girlfriend thru the door, still sleepy.
-No, hon… Go to sleep; it's still too early –answered the Archangel of Chaos, opening the door.
-You try to sleep too; remember that you work at night.
-I know that, but there's something bothering me.
-Does it have something to do with the disco?
-No. It's something from my past.
-What is it?
-I can't tell you, hon.
-Well, if you insist –and after a short, sweet kiss, the woman went back to her bedroom.
-Thanks for understanding me, hon… -and in spite of that Shinobu decided to teleport to Vitalis; something bad was about to happen.
Once he appeared on the place's dance floor, Shinobu transformed into a fly so as not to activate the alarm.
"I know something's gonna happen, but where, and when?"
-So, Santana told me the truth… You have returned –said a voice very familiar for Shinobu, which came from behind the Archangel.
-Kuro… -and the fly turned into a human again, wings extended and seizing his whip.
-I can't still believe you let yourself be defeated by that idiot, the Kami no Tsukai… And I had made my effort to teach you everything.
-You're lying, Kuro; you didn't teach us everything and you know it.
-How sure can you be of that?
-Quite, ever since Tsubasa freed us from your evil influence.
-Tsubasa… Yes. The Kami no Tsukai hasn't changed his name for eternities… Well, that proves that fate and future are unchangeable –Kuro hissed, scratching its chin with one of its bony fingers.
-Is that some kind of joke?
-Answer me something. How do you think this present-day would be if you and the Kage no Tsukai would've won?
-For all I know, it would've been a nightmare. Only darkness and evil ruling in a deserted world… That doesn't attract me at all. Hear me well, Kuro. This world, and this present time is what we all want… All but you.
-You've turned bigheaded, Archangel of Chaos.
-No; I'm just being direct.
-Hs no one told you to obey your elders? –and the being in black sent an energy wave Shinobu couldn't evade.
-Hah, you're demanding respect… That's new. Beginning of the Ages!
-You think that will stop me… Tenebris Aeternam! –Kuro's cloak had turned into an immense gust of dark energy, swallowing Shinobu's attack.
"Kuro's more powerful than what I thought… If someone can help me, please do it now!" –Vitalis' young manager made his Black Archangel suit appear, ready to fight. However, Kuro didn't budge.
-What a waste of time… However, I swore you'd pay this with blood… Tenebris Aeternam!
-I don't make the same mistake twice. Beginning of the Ages! –Shinobu used his attack to deflect Kuro's and he immediately flew level with the floor, attacking Kuro with Chaos' Whip. Nonetheless, the attack didn't do anything.
-You're underestimating me, Archangel of Chaos… You know very well that your attack doesn't do anything to me.
-But this will! Shout of the Shadows! –Kai, with the Messenger of the Shadows' suit on, had arrived. The lad's attack had hit Kuro squarely, making it fly.
-Kai-kun!
-Sorry for getting here late… I was sleeping when I got the premonition.
-The Kage no Tsukai… The one whose fate was to make the Earth fall under…
-The cover of Darkness and all of that… Blah, blah, blah, yacketty-smacketty. I know I wasn't the Kage no Tsukai for more than a night, but I know your name, your game and I'm not going to let you do it, Kuro.
Cursing, Kuro stood up, and two katanas appeared out of nowhere in its hands.
-Don't say you didn't ask for it –in a commotion of fabric Kuro attacked Shinobu and Kai with its swords. The first one couldn't avoid the attack, but the latter shunned it easily.
-You're very quick… for being a rookie.
-Rookie… Maybe I am one, but I'm more than an Archangel. Don't take me too lightly.
-Why are you so sure of it?
-If I were an Archangel, don't you think you would've known me before? You didn't even know where I was and that was why you sent the Black Archangels to find me. Or you've lived for so long your brain's full of spider webs?
Kuro's answer was it attacking Kai, who could barely stop the attack with Charon's Sword. Kuro retreated and attacked again, but Kai wasn't so lucky this time; the katanas hurt Kai's left arm and side.
-Kai! –shouted Shinobu, flying to save the Messenger of the Shadows. –Kai-kun, are you gravely hurt?
-I dunno, but I'm far from giving up.
-You're quite injured, you know.
-This injuries are like the ones I got when we fought Tsubasa-kun and the others. Besides, I'm sure Kuro's not fighting with all its strength to avoid revealing itself. But there's more… -Kai chuckled quietly. –Kuro's not completely unharmed.
-What? –and Shinobu saw that Charon's Sword had pierced Kuro.
-Bravo, bravo… At last someone injures me, for the first time in my loooooong life… However, this is yours! –as if an invisible hand pushed it, Kai's sword flew towards the two men were, but Shinobu avoided the attack with Kai in his arms. The sword stuck on the floor, and the Black Guide disappeared.
-Kai-kun, are you OK? –asked Shinobu, lying on the floor of Vitalis.
-This injuries can be healed, I guess. How are you, Shinobu-san?
-Exhausted. I hadn't fought like that in a long time.
-Of course… I had never fought like that… Out of the only battle I had.
-Don't blame you.
-How do I heal my wounds?
-Just concentrate and see.
-OK –and the youngster concentrated on healing his wounds, just like the ex–D.J.
A while later, both of them teleported to their respective rooms, and neither Kai's little brother (Kai's older brother now lived alone), nor Shinobu's fiancée knew that both of them had been out of their rooms.
Shinobu fell on his bed, focused what remained of his energies to heal his lesions and fell asleep immediately.
"Bless this exhaustion…" –was the last thing he thought. Meanwhile, Kai pretended he was asleep when Yuu opened his door.
-Kai, wake up; you gotta go to school, brother.
-Tell me something I don't know –Kai answered, still pretending, and got up grudgingly.
Everyone in Europe was sleeping, and dawn broke in Japan. Kai and Daichi went to their respective schools. Shinobu slept, since his work began at sunset. Jinko went to the doctor's office to work in Taro's rehab, which was going well, but not well enough. Natsuko began to clean up the house early, as Koudai was about to arrive from Australia soon, and Rairyuu went to college. Genzo was still writing his story, but he wasn't still satisfied with what he wrote.
However, neither Jinko nor the others knew about Shinobu and Kai's battle against Kuro, but would soon know it, as well as Tooru and Kojiro's battle.
Even so… There was still one terrible thing about to be unleashed…
Jinko was supervising Misaki's exercises, although both of them were as quiet as church mice. She looked very tired, and he looked a little better, but he had dedicated the last night to recover his old powers.
-Did you know that Tsubasa's little brother know all what's happening? –said Taro, once again breaking the ice.
-No… Who told him?
-Well, Natsuko, Tsubasa and Daichi's mother told him everything, but it seems that Daichi, who is Tsubasa's little brother, already knew something, although I don't explain myself how or why.
-I thought Tsubasa-kun had made everyone swear to keep the secret.
-Don't exaggerate, Imawano-san. Tsubasa-kun just asked his mother not to tell anything to his father or brother. But Daichi knew something.
-Ah… -said Jinko, pensive. –Couldn't it be because Daichi knows something about you-know-who?
-I-know-who? What do you mean?
-The White Guide, Misaki-san.
-Could be.
-I'd be more worried for what's about to come.
-Why's that?
-You know it, Misaki-san. The Antiarchangels are no small matters; we've seem the power of two of them.
-Hey, you're right … You fought Santana and I against El Cid Pierre. However, I almost couldn't fight against him.
-I'm afraid that the Black Archangels couldn't help in that moment.
-Don't think so; Wataru helped me, although he sacrificed his crutches.
-Anyway, all of us will have to fight together; united we stand, or divided we'll fall –Jinko replied, her eyes more serious than ever.
-I can't agree more –said the honey-sweet Archangel of Water, at last making the ice-cold doctor smile for the very first time.