Disclaimer: Yoroiden Samurai Troopers is the property of Sunrise. Ronin Warriors is the property of Bandai Entertainment.
Trigger Warning: Mentions of multiple deaths, stabbing, blood
Author's Note: And here we are at Chapter 12. Hard to believe I'm posting this one. This was the last chapter I finished in full before the big rewrite (also known as the point where I changed the entire plot for the Five Realms and had to rework this story to make it work in the plot). I think I actually still have parts of the original chapter somewhere.
Anyway, this is the last of the OC character introductions. There's a lot that I want to say about him, but I can't go into details without giving away spoilers, so I'll just save it for next time.
One last thing - the next chapter clocks in at sixteen pages long, so I'm going to try my hardest, but there is a chance that it may not be posted on time. That said, I'm on summer vacation now, so I should be able to get it up on time no problem as long as I start uploading it earlier than Tuesday.
Enjoy, and please review!
The Wicked Knights
by Jake the Fearless Leader
Chapter Twelve
"Out of Time"
Night had fallen once again over the Nether Realm, bringing an end to what had been a very beautiful day - or at least, as beautiful as it ever got under a black sun. Diabolus City was filled with activity. Word on the street was that four bodies were discovered in Saura City that morning. While serial murder wasn't unusual in the Nether Realm, the circumstances surrounding each of these deaths were virtually unheard of. There was no blood found at any of the crime scenes. In fact, all four demons had seemingly been drowned within the same eight hour timespan. No one knew the identity of the culprit, either, which was just as odd. Any time multiple bodies were found, the killer usually bragged about their accomplishment. They were never exactly shy about what they had done. They didn't have to be in the Nether Realm. Murderers never had to face consequences for their actions. Rather, they were celebrated for their heinous deeds.
The Vesperum was overcrowded with the young citizens of Diabolus. An extremely popular local hangout, the club usually attracted a variety of adolescent and young adult clientele, good and evil alike. That night was no exception. One such client weaved his way through the crowd, listening to the gossiping and scheming. Almost all of the conversations revolved around the killings, some speaking about the attacks in awed voices while others sounded frightened. Meanwhile, the band that had been hired to perform had other things on their minds. The young man could hear them arguing about musical chords and roadies from halfway across the room. Finally, he spotted the girl he was searching for sitting alone at the bar. Her head was down, her dark green locks obscuring her face, but he still recognized her posture. She was on edge.
He walked over to the bar and sat down next to her. "Hey, Zion."
Zion lifted her gaze to look at him. "Aiden," she greeted. Her voice had been fairly monotone, but he knew her long enough to know when she was relived to see him.
"Is everything alright?" asked Aiden, raising his eyebrow as he looked at her.
"It depends on who you ask," she said, looking around.
"Yeah, these deaths are all anyone's talking about. Won't be long before the entire Nether Realm hears about it," noted Aiden as the bartender approached. He quickly ordered his usual drink.
Zion waited for the bartender to walk off to fill the order before speaking again. "We're going to have to tell Kayura and the Warlords."
"Why would we tell them about some demon killing other demons? It's not exactly news. This kind of thing happens every few days," said Aiden.
"It was different this time," Zion insisted, keeping her eyes on the bartender as he returned with Aiden's order. She didn't want to be overheard by the wrong people, and she didn't trust the staff here to keep their mouths shut.
"Different how?" Aiden inquired.
"It wasn't demon-on-demon violence, for starters," she answered.
"You're kidding?" Aiden lifted up his goblet. "Who else would kill a bunch of innocents?"
"Cye of the Torrent."
Aiden nearly choked on his drink. "What?!" he gasped. "Are you sure?"
"He wasn't wearing his armor, but I recognized his voice," Zion confirmed. She stared at him intensely. "I followed him the whole night, Aiden. I saw what he did to those demons. They never stood a chance."
"I can't believe this," he said softly. He understood her desire to keep their conversation quiet now. If it got out that a Ronin Warrior was responsible for the murders, their efforts to restore the Nether Realm could be ruined.
"We have to warn them, Aiden. Tonight, if… possible…"
She trailed off, seeing the suddenly intense look in Aiden's eyes. His focus had been drawn to the front entrance. Zion turned her head around. Several strange soldiers in mauve colored armor were forcing their way inside. Aiden glanced around at the back door near the stage that lead out to the back alley. More soldiers were entering through this door. It took several minutes for the club patrons to notice the commotion happening around them. Many were starting to panic as a teenage boy entered through the front door carrying a nodachi sword.
"Not good," muttered Zion, meeting Aiden's eyes as the two stood up.
The teenager, clad in blue jeans and a black leather jacket, worked his way to the center of the room, the murmuring crowd parting to let him through. He gestured at a couple of soldiers, instructing them to block the doors. Four soldiers hurried to comply as the boy turned to address the crowd.
"Good evening, folks. Sorry to disturb your evening, and I promise this won't take long. But until my errand is complete, no one is allowed to leave. So just behave yourselves, and we won't have to hurt you."
Aiden snorted. "Yeah, right. I don't believe that for a minute."
"Doesn't seem like the credible sort," agreed Zion. She kept her eyes locked on the stranger as he crossed over to speak with one of the waitstaff. "Can you see a way out of here?"
"The skylight," whispered Aiden, glancing quickly up at the roof.
"Go get help."
"No, I'm not leaving you here alone."
"We can't take them on our own. We need back up," Zion insisted.
The teenager turned around slowly, taking in the terrified faces around him. He was now facing those sitting at the bar, allowing Aiden and Zion to get a good look at his face. Wild blonde hair, pale purple eyes…
"I can practically taste the fear. Not to mention the bloodlust. Some of you really hope someone's gonna cause trouble," said Sage, smirking.
The two at the bar had frozen. Zion's expression hardened.
"Aiden, go. Get Kayura," she commanded.
Aiden didn't question her this time. He slipped back towards the closest wall and walked along it until he reached the stage. Grabbing a rope from the wings, he began to climb up towards the ceiling.
As the Ronins, the Warlords, and Kayura had taken the morning to get some much needed sleep, they didn't start working on a plan to rescue Sage and Cye until mid-afternoon. Still, by the time the sun had set, they had come up with a strategy that involved connecting the nine virtues given to each of the armors by the Ancient. Unfortunately, while they were all certain the idea would work, the problem that continued to plague them was how to find the Wicked Knights. They weren't exactly easy to track down, and breaking into Zankoku's fortress was out of the question. There was only one course of action they all agreed was guaranteed to work, but it wasn't exactly a plan they loved.
"Sit around and wait for them to come to us. Wow. Is that the best we can come up with?" said Sekhmet sarcastically.
"Well, at least we're trying, Sekhmet. Now, do you want to help, or would you rather continue to mock us?" demanded Kale.
"Arguing amongst ourselves won't solve anything," Kayura scolded the two.
"There has to be some way to find out where Sage and Cye are," Rowen pondered aloud.
"I can help you with that."
The seven jumped, startled, and turned to face the wooden doors of the War Room. A man with dark orange hair, brown eyes, and a pallid complexion decked out in dark clothes and a brown denim jacket was standing in the door frame. He was extremely skilled in the art of stealth, for none of them had even heard him approach from the hall. The Ronins weren't sure whether he was friend or foe, but Kayura and the Warlords shared sighs of relief.
"Damn it, Aiden! Didn't we tell you to warn us before you do that?" Sekhmet exclaimed.
Aiden smiled. "Sorry, old habits," he said, walking over to them.
"Ronins, this is Aiden, one of our informants," Kayura said. "Aiden, these are -"
"Three of the Ronin Warriors. Ryo of the Wildfire, Rowen of the Strata, and Kento of Hardrock," interrupted Aiden, looking at each teen as he said their names.
"So, you've heard of us," said Kento.
"Your reputation precedes you. Not to mention my partner and I got a glimpse of the five of you taking on the demon Talpa. If you hadn't defeated him, we never would have had the opportunity to introduce ourselves to Kayura and the Warlords," he explained.
"Which is when you became their informants," Rowen concluded.
"That's a pretty big risk for you, though, isn't it?" asked Ryo. "I mean, you're human."
Aiden smiled ruefully. "Actually, I'm not. Human, that is. I was once a long time ago, but now I'm an Alfirin. A vampire," he clarified, seeing their bewildered expressions.
The Ronins stared at him in shock. That was the absolute last thing they expected.
"I'm sorry, did you just say vampire?" Ryo questioned.
"They actually exist?" said Rowen incredulously.
"Oh, so you don't believe in vampires, but you do believe in demons from another dimension," snickered Sekhmet.
Rowen had to admit, he had a point.
"Wait, so, if you're really a vampire - you know, a bloodsucking creature of the night - then, how do we know we can trust you?" asked Kento, narrowing his eyes at Aiden. "No offense, but most of the stories about vampires paint them as bad people."
"Actually, the Alfirin cannot be classified as people," Dais explained. "They may retain the memories and personality of the person they were in life, but regardless of their outer appearance, they are still fiends at their very core."
"Doesn't exactly make a case for him being too reliable," said Kento. "If you think about it, wouldn't killing him be part of our job description as Ronin Warriors?"
"You could try, but you wouldn't get far. My kind can only be killed using a specific metal. Even the weapons of the Ronin Armors wouldn't be able to pierce my heart," Aiden told them.
"We could just use sunlight," said Kento.
"The Nether Realm's black sun doesn't harm us. That's why we can live here safely. We don't need to restrict ourselves to just going out at night," responded Aiden.
"Aiden's situation is… unique for his species," Kayura told the Ronins. "Several ancient texts reference an Alfirin of Scottish descent arriving in the Nether Realm, though he went by the name of Aodhán at the time."
"How ancient are we talking here?" asked Ryo.
"About two hundred fifty years, though I've been alive for just about five hundred. For my kind, that's pretty archaic. The Cewin tend to make sure we don't live that long," Aiden answered.
Kayura continued. "Anyway, according to these records, once arriving in the Nether Realm, Aodhán went into hiding. He rarely showed himself in public except to hunt, and whenever he was seen, it was in the company of a young woman who clearly wasn't of the same species. It was quite a while before he modernized his name."
"What made you decide to come here? Besides the obvious attraction of a sun that wouldn't burn you to a crisp?" wondered Kento.
At first, Aiden didn't respond. He seemed to be considering the question. "For the first two hundred years of my immortal life, I was an animal. Vicious, violent, bloodthirsty. I killed my family, their friends, their neighbors… and it exhilarated me."
"So, what changed?" Rowen questioned.
"Me," was his answer. "I changed. I attacked a little girl. Couldn't have been any older than seven or eight. Her people were enraged by her loss."
"Her people?" repeated Rowen.
"The Varya."
A sudden chill crept up Ryo's spine. He crossed his arms and tried to ignore it.
"They prayed to their gods to avenge her death. Their wish was granted, though not in the way they expected. See, when we become Alfirin, we lose our nassentar - our humanity, our sense of self. Without it, we have no morality. Makes our way of life very simple."
"The gods saved you, didn't they? Gave you back your humanity," said Ryo with absolute certainty.
Aiden nodded. "You have no idea what it's like, to wake up one morning and suddenly remember what it's like to be human. I wallowed in self-pity for centuries. Even finding the love of my life couldn't snap me out of it. And then, I saw the five of you. Young teenagers with their whole lives ahead of them, preparing to throw it all away for the good of the Mortal Realm. That was when I realized what I wanted to do with the rest of my immortal life - follow your example and do what I knew was right. And from that day forward, Zion and I have dedicated our lives to fighting the good fight against the forces of evil, starting with acting as spies for Kayura and the Warlords during their restoration efforts."
"Speaking of which, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?" asked Kale.
"There's trouble in Diabolus, at the Vesperum. A bunch of soldiers came in and started blocking off the exits. Zion stayed behind to keep an eye on things while I escaped," Aiden informed the group.
"Okay, but it's just a bunch of tin cans. You're a vampire! You probably could have wiped the floor with 'em," said Kento.
"The soldiers weren't the reason I came to get back up," said Aiden. "They were being lead by a teenage boy. One of you, actually. Sage of the Halo."
"Aiden, are you sure it was Sage?" asked Kayura.
"We got a good look at his face. It's him," he confirmed.
"Why would Zankoku send him to start trouble at some nightclub?" pondered Dais.
"For kicks, maybe," Sekhmet suggested.
"We need to get moving. If we don't hurry, everyone in that club is dead. The last thing we need is another rogue Ronin dropping more bodies," said Aiden.
The group of seven looked at him with similar expressions of confusion.
"What are you talking about?" asked Rowen slowly.
"So you haven't heard yet." Aiden sighed. "Last night, four demons were killed in Saura City. Drowned." He directed that particular information at Kayura, watching carefully as her face blanched. "Zion saw it go down. She followed him all night. He wasn't wearing his armor, but she recognized him, anyway. It was Cye of the Torrent."
"I was afraid you were gonna say that," muttered Dais, raising a hand to rub at his eyes.
"No, there has to be some kind of mistake," Ryo insisted. "Cye's the gentlest guy I know. He'd never do that."
"Zion doesn't make mistakes," said Aiden sternly. "I get that you want to have faith in your friend, but you can't ignore the fact that he's taken innocent lives. And believe me, that changes a person. It's not something you just forget or get over. Everything I've done, the good that I've accomplished? It can't erase the bad. The faces of all those I killed will haunt me forever."
The three Ronins were silent, struggling to understand what they were hearing. Kayura and the Warlords recovered from the shock of the news faster than the three teens.
"So, now what?" asked Sekhmet, looking around at his comrades.
"There's not much we can do," Kale said solemnly. "If Torrent's that far gone, then there might not be any way to save him. We shouldn't waste our time on a lost cause."
"Wait, are you telling us that we should just give up? Cye is our friend! We can't just leave him like this!" exclaimed Kento, glaring angrily at the Warlord of Darkness.
"It's not ideal, I agree, but he's crossed a line. There's no coming back from that," explained Kale patiently.
"Aiden did," Kento pointed out.
"Because of the Lord of the Afterlife, not some sort of epiphany on my part, I can assure you," said Aiden.
"Look, it's not as bad as it seems. There's still time to get to Halo and stop him before it's too late," said Sekhmet.
"So we save one and sacrifice the other? That's almost as bad as losing them both."
"Rowen's right. I don't care what Cye's done. I'm not just gonna abandon him!" agreed Ryo.
"As important as this discussion is, I think it would be best if we saved it for another time," interrupted Dais.
Kayura picked up the Ancient's Staff. "Yes, we can worry about Cye after we've intercepted Sage. This might be our one and only shot, so let's take it."
She headed out of the War Room without looking back. Aiden, the Ronins, and the Warlords quickly followed her out.
The situation at the Vesperum was becoming more serious. The manager had come out of the back room to greet the Ronin Warrior of Light (or rather, the Wicked knight of Dawn, as he'd introduced himself) before sending a bunch of waiters into the back. When they returned, they were dragging several young girls with white translucent wings. Fairies. Zion could only guess the reason the children had been captured. Fairy dust was potent, but only when used for good. As she watched, the soldiers began tying ropes around the girls. Her fists clenched at her sides. She had to find a way to distract them until Aiden arrived with their allies.
Taking a deep breath, Zion stepped forward and called out, "Sage of the Halo!"
Sage turned to face her, confused and intrigued. He hadn't expected to be recognized outside of his armor.
"You have to let those fairies go," she declared.
"Sorry, girl. Not gonna happen," smirked Sage, taking a couple steps towards her.
Zion refused to let him intimidate her. "What's happened to you?" she asked.
Sage didn't answer her. He was looking at her curiously. He recognized this young woman. He had seen her before. The night that Rowen and Ryo had rescued him, Kento, and Cye from Talpa, he couldn't sleep. He had left their encampment and gone for a short walk to clear his head. That was when he'd spotted a girl with dark green hair in the distance. He'd watched as she shifted her form, becoming a silver wolf.
"If I were you, I'd worry less about what happened to me… and more about what's about to happen to you… werewolf."
Zion resisted the urge to correct him. To understand the difference between an Isilwen and a lycan, she'd have to explain about Lady Silena. There was no way he had the patience to listen to such a lengthy story.
"Alright, get away from her!"
Sage spun around to face the stage. Where the band had been earlier now stood a human girl. She appeared to be about eighteen or possibly even nineteen years of age. She was wearing a pair of light blue jeans, brown boots, a white halter top, and a pale yellow cardigan. Her dirty blonde hair had been pulled back into a high ponytail, and she was glaring at him with hazel eyes. How she'd managed to sneak past the soldiers was anyone's guess.
"And who the hell are you?" Sage demanded.
The girl stared at him, surprised. "Seriously? You mean there's actually someone in this screwed-up place who doesn't know?" She chuckled. "That's comforting. I thought I was wearing a sign or something."
"Answer the question, if you want to live," he snapped.
"First things first, explain what exactly you were going for here when you got dressed this morning. Danny Zuko, Jesse Katsopolis? Because you are no Travolta or Stamos," the girl quipped. Seeing his unamused expression, she sighed and indicated herself with both hands. "The name's Annie. And you are?"
"Your death."
"Charming," smiled Annie, unfazed by his menacing tone. "Got a first name that goes with that."
"I'd tell you, but you won't be around long enough to use it," Sage said. He stepped away from Zion, his full attention on the newcomer.
"Hey, now, easy. We don't have to do this the hard way. I mean, there's always…" She trailed off, thinking about the alternatives. "Okay, yeah, hard way it is."
"You really think you can take me on?" Sage jeered. "I'm not just some random warrior. I am one of Lord Zankoku's Wicked Knights, favored by the element of light. No matter how much experience you have in combat, you won't survive a fight with me. I'm stronger, faster, smarter -"
"Blah, blah, blah," Annie interrupted. "Look, I get it, okay. You're basically evil incarnate."
Sage snickered. This girl was pretty amusing. "I like your spunk. You'll need it for when I start ripping your guts out."
"Bring it on," challenged Annie.
A soldier advanced on her, but the girl swiftly unsheathed her dagger and stabbed it in the chest. The strike was fairly effective, causing the armored being to collapse in a puddle of purple ooze. Sage gestured to the other soldiers, warning them to stay back as he raised the Halo Sword menacingly. He wanted to face her alone.
They rushed each other simultaneously. Annie opened with a roundhouse kick aimed at Sage's jaw. He saw her telegraph the move, however, and dodged it. He swung his blade and created a shallow cut on her elbow. The girl gasped in pain, but did not let it slow her down. She used her dagger to parry his next strike, cutting it a little too close for comfort. Sage kept up his ruthless assault. Annie was able to keep up a solid defense, but she knew it wouldn't last. Thinking quickly, she ducked down and swung herself between his legs. From this new angle, she was able to spot an abandoned table and three chairs nearby. She dashed over and grabbed one of the chairs, breaking off the back of it to use as a makeshift shield.
Sage slashed at her again. This time, Annie was prepared. She raised the back of the chair to parry the hit, then struck back with her dagger. This time, she managed to hit him, nicking his cheek and drawing blood. The Wicked Knight growled, enraged. He smashed the hilt of his blade into her hand. Annie's wrist snapped, and she cried out, dropping the piece of wood she was calling a shield. He took advantage of the moment to disarm her and toss the dagger across the room. It landed in front of Zion, who quickly retrieved it, for all the good it would do.
Annie pushed herself passed the pain, as she'd been taught to do during her training. She threw all her strength into a single punch with her good hand, knocking both of them to the ground in the process. This simple act caused Sage to drop his weapon. She didn't take the time to give herself a pat on the back for the successful maneuver, instead slugging him again with the hopes of disorienting him. It didn't work, though, and she quickly found herself struggling to free herself as his hand wrapped around her throat. Sage pushed himself back to his feet, bringing the girl up with him. He had no interest in strangling her to death. Instead, he threw her back into the middle of the dance floor. Annie landed roughly, choking as she adjusted to being able to breathe again.
"That's enough," said Sage. He reclaimed his weapon from the ground. "This is the end for you. It's been fun, but I'm more than ready to see what makes you tick."
Annie pushed herself to her feet, breathing heavily. "So, what are you waiting for, an open invitation?" she quipped. "If you're gonna kill me, do it already."
Sage sneered at her cruelly. He knew, without a doubt, that she wouldn't get away from him. Not this time.
As he approached her, Annie stood completely still, waiting. She had to time this right.
He was practically on top of her, his sword arm rearing back for a fatal blow. She was ready for it, ducking just in time. She smacked his arm away with her good hand and kneed him in the stomach to force him to back off. Sage recovered in seconds and backhanded her, sending her sprawling to the ground.
"There's no need for you to make this harder than it has to be," he said.
"One thing you should know about me - I hate to lose," said Annie, pushing herself back to her feet.
"So, you really think you can beat me?" Sage chuckled, approaching her slowly. "That's not going to happen. As I told you before, you're going to die. Right here, right now. All because you picked a fight with the wrong person."
She tried to move back, to get away and regroup. He didn't let her. Sage grabbed the girl's broken wrist, a wicked grin on his face when she screamed. He took a moment to feel the emotions running rampant within him - the girl's pain, her fear - before driving the Halo Sword straight through her torso.
Annie gasped. Her eyes widened in surprise. She glanced down at the sword as he ripped it out of her. Her good hand went to the wound, coming back coated a dark red. In the next moment, she collapsed. Sage stood triumphantly over her, watching her hazel eyes as the light within them dimmed.
A range of emotions filled the girl in those final moments - shock, agony, anger, fear, sorrow, regret. They all seemed to hit him at the same time, fast and furious, before slowly fading away. Soon, all that remained was a hollow feeling…
As long as he lived, Sage would never forget that emptiness.
Zion's unoccupied hand clenched into a fist. She felt as helpless as she had the previous night, watching Torrent drown those demons. Zion glanced down at the dagger still in the girl's hand, this time acknowledging the type of metal that was used to craft the blade.
"Sage!"
He impassively looked over to his left at the summons, seeing that the Ronins, the Warlords, Kayura, and Aiden had suddenly appeared in the crowd. A swift glance towards the back door revealed that the soldiers were gone, and there were two large puddles of purple gunk where they once stood. Their destruction wasn't a huge loss, just inconvenient.
The group moved forward towards the dance floor, but froze when they spotted the scene before them. The Ronins stared at the fallen girl, aghast. The Warlords were momentarily stunned, but managed to quickly recover, directing fierce glares at the Wicked Knight. Kayura cringed, visibly upset as she took in the blood coating the Halo Sword. Aiden crossed immediately over to where Zion was standing.
"Guess we were too late," he said. "Any clue who she was?"
Zion nodded. "One of the Cewin."
Aiden looked over at her, surprised. Zion ignored his reaction, lost in her own thoughts. She recalled the day that Lady Silena had spoken of the duty of the Cewin, and the destiny that would now unfold.
When a Cewin falls in battle, another will be chosen to serve…
"Oh, God," whispered Rowen.
Ryo broke his gaze away from the dead girl, his blue eyes meeting his friend's lavender ones. "Sage… what did you do?"
The Wicked Knight of Dawn didn't respond for a long moment. Then, he cracked a fiendish smirk.
"Exactly what I'm about to do to you."