Disclaimer: Yoroiden Samurai Troopers is the property of Sunrise. Ronin Warriors is the property of Bandai Entertainment.
Author's Note: This is it, everyone. The final chapter of buildup. After this, it's just the climax and the resolution, which means the story will conclude a week from Friday. It's a little bittersweet for me, after all this time planning this one. But let's not linger on that. After all, the best is yet to come, so let's get to it.
Enjoy, and please review.
The Wicked Knights
by Jake the Fearless Leader
Chapter Seventeen
"Plans and Preparations"
"He wants to harness the power said to reside within the Maranwe Statues."
It was dawn, and the group were gathered in the War Room to discuss the latest development. Zion was sitting at the table with Kayura, Rowen, Ryo, and Dais. Kento and Sekhmet stood next to the table, leaning with their arms crossed on the backs of their chairs. Kale stood at Kayura's left side. Aiden stood against the back wall, arms crossed as he kept his eyes on Zion. Sage was sitting in the corner of the room, farthest away from everyone. His eyes were tightly closed, and he was breathing deeply, focusing on maintaining control over his power.
"The Maranwe Statues? I thought they were just a myth," muttered Sekhmet.
"So did I, but apparently we were both wrong," said Zion.
"What are the Maranwe Statues?" asked Rowen.
"Ancient artifacts created eons ago. According to the tale my mother told me, the statues can alter the destiny of the realm they reside in," the Warlord of Venom explained.
"And the book you found?" Dais questioned the young woman.
"In Teccelma ó Maranwe. Within those pages is information about each of the five statues. Where they're located, how to activate them —" said Zion.
"Wait, five statues?" interrupted Ryo.
"So, each realm has it's own Maranwe Statue," stated Aiden.
"And now Zankoku has the means of taking over all five," Kale said.
Zion shook her head. "I'm not concerned about one of the realms. Zankoku won't stand a chance against the Kabel and the Primordials. But he could take the other four fairly easily."
"He already has a foothold here in the Nether Realm. If he's able to take the Mortal Realm, hundreds of demons would willingly join him. He wouldn't even need to activate the statue here," said Dais.
"The same goes for Naragol," Sekhmet said.
"That just leaves Silvrenthiel," muttered Aiden.
"Zankoku is going to hit the Mortal Realm first, so that's where we need to focus our attention," said Kayura. "Zion, did you happen to have an opportunity to read any of the text? It would be helpful if we knew exactly how long we have to come up with a plan to stop him."
"No, there wasn't enough time before I was interrupted. But I do know that a very specific ritual is required to activate the Maranwe Statues. It's hard to conceive, but if Zankoku is considering this path, then he must be confident that he can fulfill the necessary requirements," said Zion.
"What happens when the statues are activated?" Rowen asked her.
"Activating those statues is catastrophic. No one can change the course of Fate, not without there being severe consequences. Time will stop for the entire realm, and nearly every living thing will be wiped out. For those who are left alive, their way of life will be altered forever. They will not be able to resist their new Fate and will accept it without question."
"So, if Zankoku were to declare himself the ruler of the Mortal Realm…" began Ryo.
"Then, the surviving citizens of the Mortal Realm would willingly become his subjects," Zion concluded with a nod.
"Okay, so we just have to stop them from doing this ritual thing, right?" Kento said. "No problem! It can't be any worse than trying to stop Talpa from getting our armors."
"Kento, we got our butts kicked the first time," Rowen reminded him.
"Yeah, but only because we didn't know about the White Armor yet," said Kento.
"Hardrock's right about one thing. We need to intervene before the ritual can be completed," said Kale. He ran a hand through his hair. "Of course, that's no small feat, given what we're up against."
"You really think the Fae are stronger?" Kento asked the Warlord skeptically.
"They are. Stronger than the Warlords… stronger than us," Sage uttered quietly.
The group fell silent. If anyone knew what the Sinister Fae were capable of, it would be the Warrior of Light.
"We should also keep in mind that it's not just the Fae we'll be fighting. Torrent will be there, too," said Sekhmet.
"And for some reason, he's fixated on you, Ryo," said Rowen, looking over at the Ronin leader.
Ryo shrugged. "I did insult Zankoku in front of him. And I'm the one with the Inferno. Makes me a bigger threat, if we can summon it"
"The reason doesn't matter," said Aiden. "He wants you dead, simple as that."
"It's not what he wants. If I could just talk to him —"
"You've already tried that," stated Kale.
Ryo slammed his fist on the table, standing up. "Then, I'll try again! And I'll keep trying for as long as it takes! We just have to get Cye to listen. It worked with Sage."
"Sage wasn't consuming Wraith blood, and he was already on the verge of losing his sanity," Zion reminded him.
Sage shifted and gripped his arms so tight, his fingernails would've been cutting into his skin if he wasn't wearing sub-armor. Based on the look he got from Aiden, his actions hadn't gone unnoticed.
"There has to be some way to get through to him," insisted Kento.
"It might be possible to talk some sense into him once we're back home," said Rowen thoughtfully.
"If we do have to go to the Mortal Realm, it'll be because we want to intercept Zankoku. Torrent will be the least of our concerns if that statue is activated," said Kale firmly.
"We should start working on a plan. There's no telling when Zankoku will make his move, so we need to be as prepared as possible," Dais said, shifting the subject back to their primary concern.
"In that case, I think I have an idea," said Kayura, "but it's not perfect. There are a lot of different factors involved, and much of it is situational, depending on who he decides to bring with him. You're all probably going to say I'm crazy for even suggesting it."
"Right now, crazy's sounding pretty good," quipped Sekhmet.
Kayura gave the Warlord of Venom a small smile, grateful for the encouragement. She took a deep breath and proceeded to explain what she had in mind.
When morning came, Zankoku summoned Cye and the Fae to meet him in the throne room. There was no time to waste. The demon knew that the Ronins' new friend must have figured out what he was intending to do with the Maranwe Statues. While he doubted they'd be able to thwart him, even with the help of Kayura and the Warlords, he wasn't going to take any chances. It was time to put his plan into motion, which meant informing his underlings of their roles.
"Listen carefully because I won't be repeating myself. The gate to the Mortal Realm will open at precisely noon. That's when we will pass through; the rest of the troops will follow later. Now, I know what you're thinking. 'What if we run into trouble and need the backup?' Well, that's not gonna happen. Any one of you on your own can easily take out three warriors in mystical armor. There's no point in adding any more fuel to the fire, as it were."
"What about their allies?" questioned Rochelle.
"Why do you think we're executing the plan in broad daylight?" responded Zankoku pointedly. "Now, once we're in the Mortal Realm, we'll be splitting up. Rochelle, Aviva, Melaina, you three will come with me. We will make for the nearest city. Clara and Cye will head straight for the location of the statue. Remember, you two are the key. Without you, this whole thing falls apart. I need the two of you to stay on the task, you get me? Focus on the ritual. Nothing else matters."
Clara cast the Wicked Knight a sideways glance. He met her gaze with a smirk.
"Alright, you all have your marching orders. Take the rest of the morning and make all the necessary preparations. Be ready for a quarter to noon." Zankoku clapped his hands together. "Ladies, you're dismissed. Cye, stay."
The Fae bowed and made their way out of the throne room. Cye watched them go, his gaze only returning to the demon lord once the door closed behind the four.
"I just love it when a plan comes together," said Zankoku with a satisfied grin. "It's exciting when hard work pays off. Not to mention very rewarding."
"Shouldn't I be getting ready, too?" asked Cye.
"Oh, yes, absolutely. That's why I asked you to stay," Zankoku replied.
"I don't understand."
Zankoku moved towards him. "Consider what's about to happen. You will be returning to the Mortal Realm for the first time since your telepathy awoke. And even with the tonic, you've struggled to control it."
Cye rolled his eyes. "With the old tonic, yeah, but the new one —"
"— is untested," Zankoku interrupted. "I don't want to experiment with it during combat. You could collapse again. We can't afford that, Cye. I'd much rather fortify you, mentally and physically. By the time we're done, all the realms will know just how strong a warrior you are." The demon was standing right in front of the Wicked Knight now. "When I think of how far you've come, all you have yet to accomplish…" Zankoku placed a hand on the teen's shoulder. "I couldn't have asked for a better servant."
Cye grinned, pleased with the compliment. "You can always count on me, my liege."
"That's what I like to hear," said Zankoku, pulling his hand away. "Now, let's get you ready for the big event."
"What do I need to do? Drink a different potion? Sacrifice a couple virgins? I'll try anything. Whatever it takes," Cye said eagerly.
Zankoku chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "You'll find out soon enough, young kelpie."
The Wicked Knight froze. It felt as though his heart had skipped a beat. For a moment, Zankoku had sounded exactly like…
"My dad used to call me that. All the time. I haven't heard it in years." He laughed softly. "We were out on the Hagi Sea one day, when I was five or maybe six, and I saw something in the water. I thought it looked like a fox with a tail like a dolphin's. Obviously, that wasn't what I saw, but Dad never corrected me. He just said it was probably curious about us. That was the first time he called me his little kelpie."
The demon watched him carefully, his expression disgruntled. This wasn't good. If Cye still had fond memories of his father, in spite of all the Wraith blood he'd been consuming, it wouldn't take much for one of the Ronins to sway him back to their side, especially once he was in the Mortal Realm.
How much longer was that man going to keep him waiting?
"Eye on the prize, Cye," he reminded gently.
"Right," the Wicked Knight responded, coming out of his reverie. "Preparing for the invasion. I'm all over it."
"Good because I need you on your toes out there. It's always wise to expected the unexpected," said Zankoku.
"Like the Ronins and the Warlords interrupting the ritual?" suggested Cye.
Zankoku nodded. "Precisely."
At that moment, the doors to the throne room were thrown open as though they were blasted by a fierce wind. Zankoku and Cye turned to face it as an intimidating figure stalked into the room. He was tall and skeletally thin, with a pallid complexion. His ash brown hair was short, but shaggy and had a greasy look to it as thought it hadn't been washed in a month. His golden-green eyes were sharp and cold as they surveyed the scene before him. The Wicked Knight felt a sudden urge to back away from this man, that's how noxious his very presence was.
"I have been summoned by a Lord Zankoku," the man said in a monotonous tone.
"You must be Draven," said Zankoku, stepping forward to greet his guest. "You're a tad late. I was beginning to think you weren't coming."
"I nearly didn't."
Zankoku frowned, displease by his brusqueness. "Oh, I see…"
"My time is very precious, and I do not like it to be wasted. However, your subordinate insisted that this would be worth my while." Draven's eyes trailed over to the Wicked Knight as he spoke. "It would appear the Nether Spirit was correct."
Cye shifted anxiously under his gaze. There was something about this guy he really didn't like.
"Naturally. I wouldn't have sent for you if it wasn't of the utmost importance," said Zankoku.
"I could feel it the moment I entered the room. This boy is a Ronin Warrior," croaked Draven.
"Not anymore," Cye corrected indignantly.
"He works for me now. This is Cye, my Wicked Knight of Tsunami. He is the one who bears the Armor of Torrent," introduced Zankoku.
"So, you want me to infuse a former Ronin Warrior with Shadow Magic," said Draven.
"What I want is for you to eradicate every last trace of goodness that remains within him. You can do that, can't you?"
Draven scoffed, sounding offended. "Such a task is menial for a Black Caster of my caliber."
"Good. Then, we shouldn't have any trouble," said Zankoku with a cordial grin.
"Not so fast. My services do not come cheap. Even for such a simple task, it will cost you," stated Draven.
"I'm sure we can work out something that will be to your satisfaction, not to worry," said Zankoku.
The Black Caster nodded before turning back to the teenager. He moved closer to Cye with his arm outstretched. The Wicked Knight instinctively took a step back away from him.
"Hold still, boy," Draven scolded gruffly. "I need to get a general sense of what I'm working with before we begin. Otherwise, I might as well just leave."
Cye took a deep breath and steadied his nerves. There was no reason to fear what was coming. Whatever this guy was going to do, it would remove the lingering weakness within him. That was what Zankoku wanted. More importantly, it was what he wanted.
Awakening to his telepathy power allowed him to see how twisted living beings really were. Even the most virtuous demons only cared about themselves, unwilling to risk their own skins to stop the forces of evil from taking over. They were spineless cowards. Cye knew the humans weren't any better. He'd seen first hand how mean kids his own age could be. Zankoku was actually going pretty easy on them, simply rewriting their destinies. Granted, most would die, but those who lived would be part of the new world order. If it were up to Cye, he'd wipe them all off the face of the planet.
Draven placed the tips of his fingers on the Wicked Knight's forehead. Cye flinched at the cold touch, but otherwise didn't move. The Caster's eyes closed, and he took several deep breaths. There was silence for a minute or so. Then, Draven opened his golden-green eyes.
"Sea breeze… mixed with the smell of rot." The man smirked crookedly. "You've been drinking Wraith blood."
"It's mixed in with the tonic we use to control his telepathy," explained Zankoku.
"I see. In that case, this won't take very long at all," said Draven. He closed his eyes once more and intoned, "Morina suleya. Hloita elwenya."
Blacken his soul. Poison his heart.
Cye barely had a chance to register that he knew the spell's translation before it hit him. In an instant, his body convulsed as black and crimson energy surrounded him, taking the appearance of lightning. His sea green eyes rolled back, and his eyelids fluttered. A soft moan escaped his partially opened lips.
Satisfied, Draven turned to face Zankoku.
"It is done," he said. "His body will need a moment to adjust. Shadow Magic can be a bit of a shock to the system. Mundanes are… fragile."
"Oh, don't I know it," chuckled Zankoku.
"And yet, the human spirit has a power that's uniquely it's own," the Black Caster continued as though the demon hadn't spoken. "Which is why I urge you to exercise caution, Lord Zankoku. Be careful with him. The monk known as the Ancient One created the nine armors with the best humanity has to offer. Now, the virtue belonging to the Torrent Armor is dormant. You have me to thank for that. My spell will keep it suppressed. However, that doesn't mean it will last. The nine armors are linked. If even one of the Ronins tries to link his armor with this boy's, the virtue will respond. And when it does, the combined virtues will cancel out my spell… and the Wraith blood. I think you know what happens then."
"I can imagine," nodded Zankoku. "I'll take your warning into consideration."
Draven nodded stiffly. "Now, about my payment."
"Ah, yes, of course. Name your price," Zankoku encouraged.
"You might regret that offer. What I desire is —"
Draven suddenly cut off with a wet gurgle, his golden-green eyes widening. Zankoku stared at the Black Caster in confusion. Slowly, Draven glanced down at his own body. The demon followed his line of sight to the three pieces of black metal poking through his chest. His grey shirt was already darkening around the wounds. Within moments, pink and frothy water spewed out of the Black Caster's mouth as though he were a fountain. The metallic points were quickly ripped out of his torso, and Draven collapsed, dead.
"He talked too much."
Cye was standing just behind the Black Caster's body, his new trident in his right hand. It was clear just by looking at him how effective the spell had been. The teenager's hair was completely black now, his bangs tipped with a silvery blue ombre. His normally sea green eyes had turned scarlet. His complexion was practically white, he was so pale. The Wicked Knight stared down at Draven with a blank expression, but then he glanced up at the demon and grinned maliciously.
"This is an improvement, wouldn't you say?"
Zankoku smirked as he laughed. Nearly all the pieces were in place.
Soon, very soon, the Mortal Realm would be his.
Kayura sat calmly, staring at each of her comrades. The expressions of the Ronins, Warlords, Aiden, and Zion varied from nonplussed to outright flabbergasted. She gave them a minute to absorb what she told them before speaking again.
"I think this plan will work. It's our best chance at success." She paused again. "I know it sounds risky."
"I wouldn't call it 'risky,'" said Sekhmet hesitantly.
"'Suicidal' would be a better word for it," said Kale.
Kayura looked at Warlord of Darkness. "This isn't the first time we've put our lives on the line," she said.
"And I have no problem doing so again, but we have no guarantee that your plan will actually work, Kayura," he argued.
"Yeah, we pulled off a lot of crazy stunts in the battle with Talpa, but this has got to be the most dangerous idea I've ever heard," said Rowen.
Kento shrugged. "We could always charge Zankoku head on with paintball guns."
Sage cast him a withering look. Ryo lifted his hand up to rub his eyes.
"Never mind," sighed Rowen.
"What exactly are paintball guns?" asked Zion.
"It doesn't matter," Dais interrupted. "The fact is we'd all like a plan that doesn't involve any risk, but we don't have that luxury. I'm with Kayura. If we work together, we can pull this off."
"Well, if Dais is on board, then so am I," said Sekhmet.
"Good, because we need to present a united front. There's a very real chance that we're going to need the Inferno Armor. Ryo, that's going to put you on the front lines for this fight," Kayura stated.
"Fine, no problem. But back when we were first getting used to the Inferno absorbing our armor power, it left us pretty exhausted. The five of us are used to it, but you guys…" Ryo trailed off.
"Oh, yeah, I remember that day when our armors were used to form the Inferno," said Sekhmet. "That sucked."
"In that case, we should only rely on the White Armor as a last resort," said Kale.
"The staff can also provide the power necessary to summon the Inferno Armor," Kayura explained. "It might be the best option, given what we're going up against."
"I don't disagree with the plan, but it mostly relies on us confronting them all together. What are we going to do if they've split up?" questioned Aiden.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. We won't be able to plan for every contingency," Kayura said.
"She's right, Aiden. There is only so much we can do to prepare," said Zion.
"It's a shame we don't know Zankoku's weakness," stated Dais. "If we did, we could exploit it somehow."
Kayura nodded. "I know, I was thinking the same thing. I'm confident the plan will work without it, but there's no denying it would be better if we had a way of getting Zankoku out of the way, or at least a means of distracting him."
"Did you notice anything, Sage? Did he say anything about you having to protect him from something specific?" asked Rowen.
"No, he can generate a force field around himself," said Sage, shaking his head.
"A force field? That's interesting. Indicates he's vulnerable to attack," said Zion.
"Okay. So, we just got to get close and nail him with everything we got," said Sekhmet.
"Which will only work until the force field repels us," Kale said. "And for all we know, it doesn't just repel attacks, but reflect them, meaning we'd end up getting hit by our own attacks."
"I'm starting to think Kento's paintball gun plan was a good idea," said Ryo, sighing.
"Least the force field wouldn't be able to send paintballs back at us," Hardrock laughed.
The orb on the staff began to glow softly. Everyone's eyes were instantly drawn to where it lay against the table next to Kayura's seat.
"Why's it doing that?" asked Sekhmet.
The last of the Ancient's clan frowned as she picked it up. "It's a warning. A gate to the Mortal Realm has been opened," she informed them.
"So Zankoku's making his move," concluded Kale. "We're out of time."
"Good. I'm ready for a little action," said Kento.
"I didn't think he'd be launching his assault so soon," said Zion. "That must mean he already has what he needs to perform the ritual. Or he knows where he can find them, which doesn't make me feel any better."
"Uh, them? Exactly what does this ritual require?" asked Rowen, alarmed.
"Forget about the ritual. We have a new problem," Dais stated, staring pointedly at Aiden. "It's currently midday in the Mortal Realm. I think you know what that means."
Aiden nodded. "Sunlight. I won't be able to to go with you."
"Usually, whenever a gate is opened between the Nether Realm and the Mortal Realm, it creates unnatural cloud cover," said Sekhmet.
"We can't risk it," Zion rebutted. "Aiden and I will stay back. The rest of you should get going."
"No, Zion, you should go with them," Aiden protested.
"It's been ages since I've been in combat. I wouldn't be of much help," said Zion matter-of-factly.
"That's not true, and you know it," said Aiden.
"There's no time to argue about this. They need to get moving, now," Zion said, nodding at their allies.
"She's right. There's no time to lose," agreed Kayura. She looked over at the Warlords and the Ronins. "Everyone ready?"
"I think we're about as ready as we're gonna get," said Rowen.
"We can do this," Sekhmet said confidently.
Kayura rose from the table. From her pocket, she pulled out the orb she had inherited from Anubis and donned her sub-armor. "Whatever happens, just stick to the plan."
"What about Cye?" asked Ryo as he, Rowen, and Dais got to their feet.
Kayura met the Ronin leader's eyes. "If you have the opportunity to confront him, take it. Otherwise, don't deviate."
The Warrior of Fire looked conflicted, like he wanted to argue with her. But he simply nodded. "Alright."
"Everything's going to be fine," said Kayura reassuringly, placing a hand on Wildfire's shoulder. "I promise, we'll save him."
"We should go," Kale said.
"Yeah, okay. I'll summon a gate," agreed Kayura, and she lead the Ronins and Warlords out of the War Room.