Disclaimer: Yoroiden Samurai Troopers is the property of Sunrise. Ronin Warriors is the property of Bandai Entertainment.

Author's Note: 4 more chapters left. I don't really have anything to say here, so I'll let you get right to reading the chapter.

Enjoy, and please review.

The Wicked Knights
by Jake the Fearless Leader

Chapter Sixteen
"Infiltration Mission"

Compared to the strange incident with the waterspout, the rest of the evening was uneventful. Ryo and Kento went to join their friends for dinner, and though hesitant, Sage allowed them into the room. The two Ronins told Strata about current events while Halo concentrated on remaining in control. And in the library, Kayura finally located a scroll written by a renowned Empath that discussed various aspects of her power, including her own personal struggles with how to properly channel her gift. It had to hold the answer they were looking for. While she continued to research, the three Warlords decided to join Aiden and Zion as they patrolled the four cities.

The next morning, Sage insisted on going to breakfast with the rest of the castle's residents. Kayura and Aiden both agreed that it was a good idea to try. After all, if it turned out he couldn't handle it, his friends and allies were all there to help him. Fortunately, that wasn't necessary. Sage struggled a little as empathic waves of loathing and misery hit him, but they were less than before, not as overwhelming; because they were mingling with the caring concern and camaraderie of Ryo, Rowen, and Kento. It allowed the Warrior of Light to maintain his focus and stay in control of himself.

The group made their way into the War Room after breakfast for a strategy meeting. Now that Sage had been rescued, they had to figure out what they were going to do next. The only thing they knew for sure was Zankoku's goal. Halo had filled them in on the demon's obsession with becoming the ruler of all the realms. Everyone acknowledged that he couldn't be allowed to succeed, but that was about all they agreed on.

"Don't lose hope just yet. We are going to figure this out," said Kayura.

"How?" asked Kale. "We're down a Ronin Warrior, and we have no idea what Zankoku is actually planning."

"We will get Cye back. I don't know how, but we're gonna save him," Ryo said.

Aiden sighed. "I know you want to believe that, Ryo, but —"

"No!" Ryo exclaimed. "I told you I'm not giving up on him. I'm not gonna let Cye destroy himself. It isn't his fault."

"That doesn't excuse his actions. We can't ignore the fact that he's taken innocent lives," said Aiden sternly.

"It's a lot worse than you think," said Sage quietly.

They all turned to look at the Empath. This was the most he'd spoken since leaving his room that morning.

"What do you mean?" asked Rowen.

Sage shifted uncomfortably. He was beginning to feel self-conscious with all their eyes on him. It wasn't a sensation he was familiar with, and he really didn't like it.

"Zankoku had Melaina making a tonic for us. He said it was to help keep our powers under control. I never drank it, but… Cye's been relying on it," he explained.

"Did anyone tell you what was in it?" asked Sekhmet curiously.

"Pure evil, supposedly."

"What?" gasped Ryo, alarmed.

"He had to be lying. It's not like it's possible to liquify evil," Kento said.

Zion's expression turned pensive. She glanced over at Sekhmet. "Do you think Zankoku might have gotten his hands on Wraith blood?" she asked.

"Perhaps, but I don't see how. Wraiths aren't exactly common to the Nether Realm," Sekhmet replied.

"What's a Wraith?" asked Rowen.

"A monstrous creature born of ill will. They thrive on the wickedness in a person's heart," explained Aiden. "Potions made with their blood are said to corrupt the drinker to their very core."

"Huh. That could explain why Torrent's hair is changing color," said Dais thoughtfully.

"Is there any way to reverse the effects?" asked Kayura.

Zion shook her head. "I wouldn't know. Not many potions are made with Wraith blood," she said.

"I might be able to concoct something, but I'd need to have the original tonic to study," said Sekhmet.

"Cye would have a vial of it on him. He doesn't go anywhere without it," said Sage.

"That's good. We can grab both Cye and the tonic at the same time," said Kento enthusiastically.

"It's not going to be that easy," warned Dais.

"Maybe not, but we're still going to do it," said Ryo.

"We are?" Rowen questioned.

Ryo nodded. His eyes were gleaming with determination. "I'm done sitting around here while Zankoku uses Cye to do his dirty work. It's time to go on the offensive."

"You want to infiltrate Zankoku's stronghold?" The Warlord of Darkness shook his head. "No, absolutely not."

"Kale's right. We can't just go barging in, half-cocked. We need a strategy. We need time to prepare," added Aiden.

"Actually, I agree with Ryo," interjected Kayura. Everyone shot her looks of disbelief, which she ignored. "We're not getting anywhere by playing it safe. If we're going to save Cye, then we need to take action."

No one said anything. Of course, they didn't have to. She knew how they all felt about this. Ryo, Kento, and Sekhmet agreed with her. Rowen, Sage, and Dais knew she was right, though they had their concerns. Kale and Aiden wanted to keep protesting, but knew better than to question her. Zion didn't have a strong opinion about either option, seeing the pros and cons of both.

Finally, Sekhmet spoke. "So, what's the plan?"

"We have a general idea of where Zankoku and the Fae are located, but we don't know anything about the place. Our first priority should be finding out everything we can about their their security so we can find a way inside without them knowing we're there," said Rowen.

"Good luck with that," muttered Sage knowingly.

"I suppose you'd know that place inside and out," Kale said.

Sage nodded. "The security system is really high tech. Zankoku prides himself on knowing exactly what's going on within the castle at all times. Getting past it is going to take a miracle."

"So, we'll just bust our way in," said Kento.

"Not a very complex plan, is it?" Zion quipped.

"No security is foolproof. There has to have a blindspot somewhere, and that's what we want to take advantage of," said Dais.

"Maybe if we were dealing with the guards, but a computer is harder to trick. We're going to have to disable it," said Rowen. "And to do that, we'll have to locate the control panel."

"Then, that needs to be our first priority," said Kayura. She had no idea what a computer or a control panel were, but she assumed Strata knew what he was talking about.

"We can't just go in through the front door. We're gonna need another way inside," Ryo pointed out.

"Sage, is there an entrance from the roof?" asked Aiden.

"There are several towers, but the East Tower is the only one that's likely to be complete deserted. That's where they keep the Lightning Rod," Sage answered.

"The Lightning Rod? Sounds like a torture device," noted Sekhmet.

"Zankoku used it on Cye. That's how his telepathy awoke," confirmed Sage.

"Makes sense," Zion said. "Binding spells can be tricky. They're extremely useful, but easily broken under the right circumstances."

"Did they torture you, too?" Ryo asked, concerned.

Halo cringed, gripping his arm. He tried not to think about the pain of the whip. "I could feel what that thing was doing to Cye through the armor link. I tried to free myself so I could go help him. Rochelle didn't like that."

"Ah, man. That sucks, dude," said Kento sympathetically.

There was silence for a moment. Ryo, Rowen, and Kento were absolutely livid. Just thinking about what their friends had been put through was enough to infuriate them. However, they knew that if they didn't control their anger, it could negatively effect Sage. The last thing any of them wanted was to overwhelm him again.

"We still need to come up with an effective plan of attack," said Kale, getting them back on track. "Unless, of course, we'd rather give up on this insane notion."

"We're going to have to face Zankoku and the Fae eventually, Kale. Might as well get it over with," said Sekhmet.

"How are we going to find our way around?" pondered Dais. "We won't do Torrent any good if we just end up getting lost once we're inside."

"Think you could guide us, Sage? We could use your help, but I don't want you to push yourself before you're ready," said Ryo.

"Maybe… I don't know," replied Sage honestly.

"Hey, no pressure. If you start to lose it again, we'll be right there with you," Rowen said reassuringly.

The Ronin of Grace looked around at the faces of his friends and allies. He really wasn't sure if he was ready to go back to Zankoku's castle after everything that had happened. But Cye needed them. Nothing else mattered.

Sage nodded. "I'll do it."

They waited until nightfall, when the black and golden sky of the Nether Realm turned a deep mossy green. It never really got dark in this realm, so they couldn't use it to hide in the shadows. However, that wasn't what they were looking to take advantage of. No, what the heroes were counting on was the simple fact that even demons needed a full eight hours sleep.

Finding Zankoku's stronghold didn't take very long. Even if Sage hadn't pointed it out, the castle wasn't exactly hard to spot. Tall and brown, it stood out against the barren landscape of the Western Lands. Sage warned them not to get too close before they'd disabled the security system. Heeding his advice, they stayed a good distance back as they circled the perimeter and tried to find the control panel. It took several minutes, but Zion's keen eyes eventually caught sight of a gleaming metallic box hidden beneath the dirt. Uncovering it revealed a pretty basic setup of colorful wires, glowing brightly as electrical currents flowed through them. She quietly alerted the others and gathered them together.

"So far, so good. Cutting these should disable the security system," muttered Rowen, carefully looking over the wires.

"Kale will take care of that. You should get going," said Kayura.

Ryo nodded. "Yeah, right."

They'd decided to break up into two groups. Kayura, Aiden, and the Warlords would remain outside to disable the security system and keep watch. Meanwhile, the Ronins and Zion would enter the castle.

"Remember the plan. Get in, find Torrent, and get out," instructed Kale.

"And stay alert. Don't get caught," Aiden warned.

Zion reassured him with a kiss, then turned to follow the Ronins as they began to make their way towards the castle, Sage in the lead. Kale swiftly unsheathed his blade and sliced through the colored wires. The only noticeable change was that the wires had stopped glowing. He assumed that meant it had worked. Strata had insisted that cutting the wires would take out the security system, so the Warlord of Darkness was just going to have to hope for the best.

The Ronins and Zion managed to get close to the castle without any alarms blaring or soldiers spotting them. Sage silently pointed to the tower they were going to be entering through. Rowen nodded and summoned an orb to surround the five. Using the power of the Strata Armor, he flew them all up into the air and threw the tower window. He dispersed the bubble once their feet had safely touched the floor.

Sage and Zion made their way for the doors, but the other three Ronins stayed where they were. Their gazes had fallen upon the remains of the Lightning Rod.

"Oh, God, is that what the Fae used to torture Cye?" said Kento, disgusted.

"How'd it get destroyed?" asked Rowen.

Sage looked back at his friends. "It overloaded when Cye's telepathy awoke," he responded.

Ryo's fingers clenched into fists at his side. He didn't trust himself to speak.

Zion opened the door slightly. She pressed her ear to the crack she'd created, listening for any strange sounds or voices. Not hearing anything, she dared opening the door enough to allow her to stick her head out and look around.

"The coast is clear," she announced in a whisper.

The Ronin leader nodded. "Let's find Cye and get out of here," he said.

"Right behind you, Ryo," Rowen agreed.

Together, the five slipped out of the tower room and swiftly made their way down the stairs. Once they made it to the corridor, Sage took the lead once more. He knew exactly where the soldiers would be patrolling, so he took care to avoid those corridors, even if it meant going out of their way. Halo had a couple ideas of where Cye would be. If he wasn't in the throne room, then he was probably in the private quarters Zankoku had given them that first night. Going straight to the throne room was suicidal. Even if the demon wasn't in there, someone would be around. It was never empty. That was why Sage was heading for the residential wing first. The soldiers were told never to patrol there, and the likelihood of running into Zankoku or one of the Fae at this time of night was minimal at best.

Unfortunately, they ran into trouble as soon as they hit the entrance hall. Sage hadn't anticipated this. The entrance to the castle was guarded, sure, but from the outside. There were never soldiers in the entrance hall itself except during the changing of the guard. But Zankoku had apparently tightened security within the past forty-eight hours, meaning that the four Ronins and Zion suddenly found themselves face-to-face with half a dozen soldiers. They were stationed at four different points in the hall — two at the the entrance, two at the the double doors leading to the throne room, one at the dungeon door, and one at the residential wing.

The soldiers stared at the intruders, momentarily stunned.

"Damn it," growled Ryo, readying for a fight.

That seemed to snap the soldiers out of their shock, for they charged at the five. Kento struck first, landing a punch straight at the soldier coming at him, sending it sprawling to the ground. He pivoted to take out a second one while the other Ronins and Zion sprung into action. In seconds, the rest of the soldiers were taken out.

"Come on. Someone may have heard that," muttered Sage. He dashed through into the residential wing, the others on his heels.

The five made their way through the twisting corridor. Zion's senses were on high alert, which was how she heard the sound of footsteps before the teens did.

"Stop. Listen," she beckoned in a voice barely above a whisper.

The Ronins did as they were told. Now that they weren't distracted on getting away from the entrance hall, they could hear the approaching enemy.

"How much you wanna bet that's more soldiers?" said Rowen.

"What now?" asked Kento.

"Split up. Find a place to hide. Don't get caught," Ryo ordered.

Up ahead, the corridor forked into three paths. Ryo and Kento rounded the left corner while Sage and Rowen went right. Zion continued down the straight path until she reached a door at the end of the hall. Finding it unlocked, she swiftly ducked into the room and quietly shut the door behind her. She stayed completely still and listened, but couldn't hear a thing. Satisfied that she hadn't been followed, Zion turned away from the door.

The Isilwen found herself in a surprisingly cozy study. The walls were a deep burgundy, which matched the decorative area rug that rested on the wooden floor. The wall behind the desk displayed an ornate stained glass window depicting thorns surrounding an eight pointed star with arrows on each tip - the emblem of Chaos. A dark wooden bookshelf stood against the wall to the right of the window. The wall on the left featured a display case filled with various dark artifacts — skulls, athames, chalices, talismans, and the like. In front of the window was an antique desk and matching chair, both made of the same wood as the bookshelf. Upon the desk were several folded up parchment papers and an ancient black leather bound book, which lay open.

Curiosity got the better of her. Zion slowly approached the desk. She gazed down at the open book, turning it around so that she didn't have to read it upside down. On one page was the image of a statue depicting a wheel with an ankh carved on one side and a skull on the other.

Her eyes widened in shock. "By the gods," she whispered.

Fearing what she would see, Zion closed the book to reveal it's title. In Teccelma ó Maranwe. Her sharp eyes flicked over to the folded parchment paper. There were four of them, all depicting various maps. Above each of the maps were the names Fireya, Malrauk, Silvrenthiel, and Naragol. On the map of Malrauk there was a circle made in scarlet ink.

"He's looking for the Maranwe Statues. This is bad," muttered Zion.

There was no time to waste. She had to warn Kayura and the Warlords what Zankoku was planning. But she couldn't just abandon the Ronins here on their own. She was going to have to track them down, provided she could navigate the castle on her own.

"And here I thought curiosity only killed the cat."

Startled, Zion whirled around. Standing in the doorframe was the Wicked Knight of Tsunami. He looked different than the last time she had seen him. A couple nights ago, his hair was light auburn with black streaks. Now, it looked more black with light auburn streaks. He was dressed causally again, sporting a cerulean ruffled shirt covered by a black gothic vest, charcoal ankle banded pants, and black pirate boots.

"Cye of the Torrent," she acknowledged in a wary greeting.

"Wrong, it's the Wicked Knight of Tsunami," Cye snapped. He stepped into the room, leaving the door wide open behind him. "I'd ask who you are, but I already know. You're the wolf girl who works with Kayura and the Warlords. Let me guess, they sent you here to figure out our master plan? Should have just turned them down. Because coming here was pretty stupid. Suicidal, even." The teenager took another step closer to her. "I'm sure you can guess what I'm gonna have to do now that you've learned the truth."

Zion met his gaze with an equally fierce one of her own. She wasn't afraid of him. "Your friends are here, Cye. I came here with them."

"Of course you did," he scoffed, shaking his head, "which means you're going to try to convince me to go back with you. By all means, go for it. 'You're a Ronin Warrior. Your friends care about you. It's not too late to change back —'"

"It is too late."

Cye stared at her, taken aback.

"Your friends may want to save you, but I know better. I was there that night in Saura. I saw what you did. You're too far gone. And you've been consuming Wraith Blood. We figured out that it's being mixed into your tonic. It's corrupted you far more than the combination of your telepathy and the Nether Realm ever could have. You're evil. Rotten to the core. There's no coming back from that. Not now, not ever. You're no different than Zankoku. Certainly not worth saving."

A tense silence followed Zion's speech. Cye's face had become dark, the glare in his eyes a murderous one. For a moment, she thought that he would strike at her. She braced herself mentally for the possibility. But then he cracked a grin and chuckled.

"At least one of you gets it," he said. "Maybe I'll let you live, at least long enough to pass that message along to the Ronins."

"It'd be pointless," Zion told him.

She moved away from the desk and slowly sidestepped until her back was to the bookshelf instead. He followed her movement, never turning away from her or breaking their eye contact.

"Then, I'm just going to have to do it myself," Cye sneered. He summoned his new trident.

Zion eyed the weapon warily. "That's not the Torrent Spear."

"You're right, it's brand new… and eager to draw a little blood," said the Wicked Knight as his irises flickered a crimson red.

"Cye, stop!"

The two turned towards the door. The four Ronin Warriors were standing just beyond the threshold of the study. Cye smirked.

"Looks like the calvary has arrived," he quipped. "Shame. If you'd been just a second or two later, you'd have seen quite the show."

Sage flinched visibly as Rowen and Kento exchanged worried looks.

Ryo stepped forward. "We're taking you home," he said.

"I am home."

"No, Cye. You don't belong here, no matter what Zankoku's told you. Your place is with us, with your family," said Ryo.

"Is that what you think?" Cye's expression hardened. "Hate to break it to you, Wildfire, but I don't give a damn about any of you. In fact, I'm hoping to be the one who sends you straight to Hell."

"You're not a killer, Cye," Kento said.

"Hmm, I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you," the Wicked Knight smirked.

Sage groaned, grabbing his chest with his right hand. Rowen quickly placed a steadying hand on his shoulder.

"Sage, you okay?" asked Rowen, alarmed.

"No… I don't think so," grunted Halo. A flood of dark emotion was filling him. It was becoming harder to concentrate.

"Cye, please, you have to come with us. We don't have a lot of time," pleaded Ryo.

"You really are thick. I told you I'm not leaving. I am the Wicked Knight of Tsunami, Lord Zankoku's right-hand man."

"You wouldn't be acting like this if we were back home," stated Kento.

"Perhaps you're right," Cye acquiesced with a shrug. "If I had become aware of my power in the Mortal Realm, things might have been different. But instead, my power awoke here in the Nether Realm. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. I'm pretty happy with the way things turned out."

"We're not. We want our friend back," insisted Ryo.

"Well, that's not going to happen. Because I'm never going back," declared Cye.

"Cye, come on —" Kento started.

"But, hey, this won't be a total waste. Like I told this bitch before you butted in, I'm itching to test out my new trident. So, how 'bout I start with her, and then one of you can go next. After all, ladies first, right?" Cye let out a soft cackle, pointing the trident directly at Zion.

Ryo, Rowen, and Kento protested, trying to get Cye to listen to reason, but Sage barely heard a word they said. He could practically feel his blood boiling. A barrage of intense feelings were inside of him — anger, hatred, perverse pleasure… He was practically drowning in them.

In one swift motion, Sage slammed his elbow into Rowen's torso. Strata groaned and gripped the sore spot. Fortunately, their sub-armors protected them from getting too winded whenever they were punched in the gut.

The blonde backed away from the group. There was a wild gleam in his eyes. "You still don't get it. Do you actually think a few kind words are going to convince me to turn against Lord Zankoku? Don't make me laugh."

"Sage?" questioned Ryo, concerned.

"What's going on here?" Kento asked.

Cye lowered his trident, genuinely confused.

"You're just a bunch of pathetic, sentimental fools," Sage continued. "When I think of how we used to be friends… It makes me sick."

Zion gasped softly. "Empathic Channeling. He's picking up on Cye's emotional state."

"You know, I'm doing you a favor. You don't have what it takes to survive in the world we're going to create," sneered Sage.

"Come on, Sage, snap out of it!" urged Rowen, stepping towards him.

The Warrior of Light let out a furious grunt and swung his fist, aiming to punch Rowen's cheekbone. Strata saw his friend telegraph the move, though, and was able to catch the fist in the palm of his hand. He didn't flinch, and he didn't look away, silently willing his friend to feel his care and concern. Slowly, the look in Sage's pale purple eyes shifted, becoming less frenzied and more abashed.

"Are you back?" asked Rowen softly.

"I… I think so," Sage whispered. He lowered his fist.

Rowen moved his hand to grip Sage's shoulder reassuringly. "Just hang in there, buddy. We'll get you through this."

Sage gave his friend a tiny nod. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to regain his composure.

"Gentlemen."

The Ronins whirled around, startled by the unexpected voice. Zion, having already noticed his presence, narrowed her eyes. Cye smirked wickedly.

Lord Zankoku entered the room. He glanced casually around his private study, observing it's occupants. If he was surprised to see any of them in there, he didn't show it.

"And lady," Zankoku amended, acknowledging Zion with a tip of his head. "I hope we're all playing nice. I'd hate to have to put my foot down." He turned to face the Ronins and gave them an almost welcoming grin. "Ryo of the Wildfire, Rowen of the Strata, and Kento of Hardrock. I can't tell you how thrilling it is to finally meet you boys."

"You're Zankoku?" asked Ryo brusquely.

"Lord Zankoku," the demon corrected, "and you three are becoming quite the thorns in my side. Disabling my security, sneaking into my private study?" He sighed and shook his head. "And then, there's the little matter of you trying to take my Cye back to the Mortal Realm against his will. I gotta say, I'm a bit disappointed in all of you."

"'Your Cye?'" gaped Kento, aghast.

"The only one forcing him to do anything against his will is you," said Rowen angrily.

"Careful, Ronins," warned Zion. She didn't think it wise to anger the demon lord.

Zankoku smiled cordially. "Well, I can see this isn't going to be resolved right now, so why don't we call it a night, hmm? I've got quite a bit of work to do, and you kids look like you're exhausted. Go back to wherever it is you've been hiding out, get a good night's sleep, and we can resume this little conversation at a later date. Perhaps Lady Kayura and the Warlords can join us next time."

"If you think we're just gonna leave Cye here, you're out of your mind," spat Ryo.

"Watch your mouth, boy. It's one thing to say that sort of thing to the Fae, but I will not tolerate disrespect from anyone. Keep it up, and I'll cut out your tongue," threatened Zankoku.

Ryo glared at the demon, but didn't speak again. Satisfied, Zankoku looked over at his Wicked Knight.

"Time for bed, Cye. I'll see you in the dining hall for breakfast tomorrow morning," he said.

Cye didn't move. He was staring coldly at Ryo, his trident gripped tightly in his hand. For a moment, it appeared as though he was about to defy Zankoku and attack the Ronin leader.

"Don't make me say it again, young man," the demon scolded.

With a glance at his lord, the Knight of Tsunami complied with the order. But as he passed by Ryo, he paused.

"Mark my words, Wildfire. Next time we meet, you die."

Cye moved away, stalking out of the study. Zankoku watched him go for a moment before turning to address the heroes.

"I trust you can see yourselves out. Feel free to use the front door. My guards won't stop you. Keep in mind, however, that I will not show you this hospitality again." Zankoku stepped into the room and waved his arm dramatically towards the corridor. "It's been a pleasure, Ronin Warriors. Until we meet again.

Left with no other choice, the Ronins and Zion filed out of the study and headed back down the corridor from whence they came. They had barely turned the corner when they heard the study door click shut.

"Well, that was a bust," groaned Kento. "Now what are we gonna do?"

"First things first, we need to get out of here," said Rowen, glancing worriedly at Sage's pale and drawn features.

"Right, and then we will need to come up with a new strategy," said Zion.

"For saving Cye?" asked Ryo.

She shook her head. "No, not for that. I know what Zankoku's planning. If we don't stop him, the realms are doomed."