"Ronin Warriors: The Final Victor"

By Onikage

Scroll Six: Genesis

"HOLY SHIT!!" cried Kento from the tree branches above the other Ronins. Ryo shot his eyes skyward. He blinked, head snapping upward. "What's wrong?!" he voiced the question that they had all been thinking loudly. The hair on the back of Wildfire's neck stood straight on end, almost afraid of what it might be as he waited for Hardrock to answer. "OH MAN! You guys need to see this!!" Kento turned his head away from his friends below him and back to the dark crimson horizon. Dark power danced wildly across the skies over the northern mountains and the air was heavy with its evil energy. Ryo choked on a gasp as he saw the skies across the valley. "Shit... I figured that they would at least wait..." he thought aloud.

"Since when does Talpa wait?" Sage murmured thoughtfully. Sai squinted his sea blue eyes at the lighted sky. The sun was now gone, but the light that radiated from the mountains equaled that of a dusky sunset. His face fell as the faint silhouette of the castle appeared in the dark clouds. "... At least he's away from the city this time," Sai breathed in relief.

"How long do you think we have?" Rowen asked.

"... Three days. Three days before those gates start popping up like weeds, then this place will be crawling with soldiers," Sage replied. There was a flash of fuchsia colored lightning across the sky above them, nearly hitting the trees they were in. "Fuck me! That almost hit us!" Kento yelped.

Ryo's head snapped to where the lightning bolt hit in the forest. Something besides its color triggered his senses. Noticing this look, the others froze, eyeing him in askance.

"They're here," he whispered, then fell from the branches as silently as possible. The others followed him without question, thoroughly vexed by the expression on their leader's face. They recognized that look and things would be getting pretty violent soon. "Ryo?" Kento began.

"Sh!" Wildfire held up an armored hand as he listened intently to the suddenly quiet forest. Sage's violet eyes narrowed. "Hear that?" he whispered.

"Hear what?" Kento whispered. Sage unsheathed his star no-dachi,

"Exactly... Ryo," he warned. Wildfire removed his weapons from their place upon his back, his eyes darting around the clearing wildly. "I know, I know!" Sai held his yari to him defensively as he felt a chill run through him, his eyes darted wildly from the trees to the ground. Something had let its presence be known. An overwhelming aura engulfed the Ronins, nearly choking them in their stupor. "... What... What is that?!" Sai whispered.

"Trouble..." Rowen snarled. Each raised their weapons cautiously and eyed the trees uncertainly .

A translucent figure detached itself from the darkness, its body disfiguring the images of the plantlife behind it as if they were looking through water. A long, serpentine body, back decorated with large spikes and heavy ridges slithered toward them slowly, its body resolving into a terrifying monster before their eyes. Hooded membranes slid open, exposing large, ancient, golden eyes that were the only light in the ominous darkness, and seemed to stare at them, as if waiting for something.

Ryo drew back slowly as the snake-like monster began to circle them cautiously. "Dude, that is one big ass snake..."

Venom dripped from its fangs; earth and mud clung to its curving claws and scaly body. It crouched on clawed feet in enormous coils, its scaled sides gleaming in the dim light of the Dynasty. "Watch it guys... This ain't yer normal garden snake," Rowen warned in a whisper.

The creature's bladed tail swiped at the nearest Ronin, Kento. "Geez! What the hell is that thing?!" he shrieked, leaping back, arms waving to keep his balance.

"Thunder... bolt... CUT!" Sage screamed, unwilling to wait for an answer.

The silvery black monster slithered out of the way of the sure-kill with ease and lunged at Sage, teeth bared. He barely dodged the swiping claws, and he landed on his back, face twisted in pain and slightly disoriented. The long blue tongue flickered in between its scaly lips before its jaw detached to swallow the smaller human whole. "SAGE!" Sai leapt upon the snake monster's back and drove his yari into its hard skull, giving the Warrior of Light enough time to roll away from the monster. An ear splitting shriek erupted from the creature as it attempted to throw Torrent from its back. Sai gritted his teeth as he dodged the sharp talons. The beast quaked beneath him as Kento hit it with his sure-kill, stunning it briefly. Torrent removed the smaller dagger from his back and slashed at its eyes, hoping to blind it. "SAI! Look out!" Torrent looked up to late as the scaled claw grabbed him around the torso, much like a child with a doll.

The twisted creature enclosed its hand around Sai, feeling the bones break upon the immense pressure. As his cries filled the air, the monstrosity flung him into Ryo as he leapt up to save his comrade. They landed into the ground, sliding several feet into the tree.

The scaled lips peeled back from the silvery teeth, it's eyes flickering. "Pitiful mortals..." it snarled. Kento flipped away from the oncoming tail and caught himself on a branch, "That thing can talk?!"

"Who cares! Just kill it!!" Rowen snapped and fired a stream of several arrows into its belly. Several managed to penetrate the hardened skin, and blood as thick as mud oozed out of the openings melting the arrows instantly. "Fools... I am a god!" Rowen snarled and aimed for its eyes, "Arrow Shock Wave!!"

The arrow flew with the speed of light and sunk into its right eye. Kento's lips curled into a smile and charged the beast, tetsubo drawn. "Go back to hell!!" With all his strength, he drove his weapon into the beast's belly. Blood began to flow like water, splattering into Hardrock's eyes. Cursing loudly, he fell to the ground, clawing at his eyes in agony.

"Kento!!" Sage threw his no-dachi aside and rushed at Kento, pushing him out of the way just as the beast fell to the ground, forcing the tetsubo out it's spined back. The serpent lifted its head and dragged its body across the ground towards Ryo. It pointed at him with one bloodied and mauled talon and spat out, "You... Hariel's armor will-ARGH!"

The beast convulsed and in a flash of light, it disappeared revealing a smaller creature, a young woman. She stood wearily on her thrashed legs, dark blood flowing freely from them. Ryo stared at her nude form, completely stunned by her mysterious beauty and the incredible power that emanated from her. Finally having the strength to, she pulled Hardrock's weapon from her breast with a snarl and tossed it away. She then lifted her head, her golden eyes, one with a hole where an eye should be, burned into Ryo.

A wry smile curled onto her dark red lips. "... Talpa... will rise again... Then the Kurai will be free once... more." Her long black hair wildly disarrayed in the slight breeze whipping about her bare, slender form. Ryo, snapping out of his reverie at her statement, snarled at her, "Who are you?!" The woman warrior's evil smile grew.

"... Managi..." And in a burst of black flames, she vanished.

Ryo and Rowen stood ready, their bodies quivering with fatigue and only the sounds of Kento's cries were heard. Ryo fell to his knees, finally taking notice of the gigantic gash on his abdomen.

"Kento! Kento!" Sage yelled over the young man's cries. Kento continued to claw at his eyes, the poison burning his sockets as if someone had taken hot pokers and driven them into his eyes. His screams worsened and Halo grew more and more frightened. The face plate muffled his screams some what. Sage tore Kento's helmet off and gasped at the amount of blood trickling down his cheeks. "Oh my god..." Sage grasped Hardrock's face in his hands and concentrated hard.

A warm green glow emitted from Halo's body and slowly entered Kento. The healing light poured in and out of Hardrock. He could feel a coolness overcome the burning sensation in his eyes and cried out as the pain increased for a brief second, then it was gone. Sage pulled his hands away from his bloody face and fell against the tree, exhausted. "... Damn, I forgot about the... energy drain..." Kento whimpered as he attempted to open his eyes. Sage covered them and took in a deep breath, "Kento... you... gotta keep your eyes shut..."

"Forget that! Where's Sai?!" he snapped. Ryo propped him in his lap and placed his hands on his forehead. He gasped. "He's like ice!" Rowen darted toward them, removing his helmet, then Sai's. Suddenly, Sai's armor vanished and his normal clothes replaced the mystical armor. Kento felt his way toward them, "Ro', what's wrong with him?!" he demanded worriedly. Rowen kept silent and worked quickly, checking the boy's pulse, then slowly feeling along his abdomen and rib cage. "... His ribs are crushed, weak pulse... He's still breathing surprisingly..." Rowen replied. Ryo pulled his hands away from Sai's head, they were sticky with blood. Sage lifted himself, as heavy as his body seemed, toward Sai and performed the same thing as he did on Kento, before passing out from exhaustion.

Sai's brow wrinkled before his eyes opened. "... God... what the hell..." he murmured when he sat up. "Sai, you okay?" Kento asked.

"I feel like shit..." Ryo smirked and helped him to his feet. He swayed for a moment and Rowen caught him before he fell to his knees. "Oh... Lit'le tipsy..." he murmured. Ryo spun his katanas onto his back. "Rowen, get Sage... He'll be out for hours and it's too dangerous out here."

"Ugh... No I won't..." Sage murmured. "Just took a little nap... I'm fine."

"Well, Sage is up, but what do we do about Kento?" Rowen asked. Kento rubbed his eyes roughly and tried to open them. "... Ow, geez! You guys start walkin'. I'll follow... some how." Ryo hefted a weak Sai onto his back and looked up at the sky. It had grown black and cloudy. Bolts of electricity zapped across the sky, claps of loud thunder following shortly after, then the heavens let loose a powerful shower upon the valley below.

*****

Mia sat impatiently next to Cale on the sofa as they all waited for Ryo and the others to return. She had forgotten how much these little patrols of theirs made her worry. After a while she had gotten used to it, but now that there had been several years of peace, it was picking at her mind like a sharp thorn. The room was unbearably silent which made the waiting all the more torturesome. She didn't notice Cale's hand moving to lay gently on her shoulder and jumped as soon as he touched her. "Lady Mia, calm down, will you? I'm sure that Wildfire and the others are fine. They are together, after all," he said gently and put his arm around her. Mia flushed as she felt everyone's eyes on her, looking at her like she had lost her mind. "S-sorry..."

"Lady Mia, Cale is right. You have nothing to worry about. They have Inferno and bedsides, it's too soon for Talpa to invade this world just yet. He's still quite weak..." Anubis reassured. Mia sighed and looked down at her lap, "I-I know..."

"Masaki-san?" Megami began. "Just how long is this 'vacation' of ours supposed to last? We still have school to finish and our families'll get worried after a while..." Kaos turned his head away from the window, smiling at her gently. "... You don't have to worry about that. When you return home no one will even notice that you were gone for long, but in truth you will be gone for many weeks, months even..." He turned his attention toward Kayura. "You did remember to make the barrier, didn't you, Lady Kayura?"

"Of course. It activated only hours ago," she replied. Domo sat up from the floor and looked at her straight in the eye. "What are you guys talking about??"

"Yeah. Hey, Red. Does this have anything to do with you saying that we'll be going to a place 'where time has no meaning'?" Anubis frowned slightly from where he sat on the couch beside Kayura who tended to his arm. "... Don't call me 'Red'," he grumbled. "Yes, that is to what I was referring. Time will seem to flow regularly her, but in fact it's just quicker than the outside world..." Tori nodded,

"Okay... Huh?" Anubis let out an exasperated sigh.

"If one month passes here, it would only be a moment outside the barrier. Today is what, the first of the month? When you return home, most likely only a week would have passed..."

"Oh..."

"... Looks like will have our hands full when we get back. I don't think I can remember all of the stuff I learned in school..." Megami groaned, remembering the math test she missed earlier that day. Sakura sat up,"Okay... so why are we here exactly? We know the whole shebang with the giant floating head overlord and the Inferno, but..." she stopped and pulled out the light blue crystal shard, "what are these for?"

"Yeah... My best guess is that they make great paperweights," Nasake snorted.

"... The story behind these runes is long and our time is relatively short, so I will be as brief as possible," Kaos began, not looking away from the outside.

"In the beginning, Darkness covered everything. There was no life or death, right or wrong, good or evil, it was just dark. The gods, with one motion, divided the Darkness, and Light was created. From the nothingness, they created the sphere of rock we call Earth. It was a barren globe, completely blank on the outside and hollow on the inside. The gods descended down onto the planet and burrowed themselves deep into the Earth from different corners of the globe. When they met, the collision created the heated center and Fire was made. Erupting out of the ground, deep trenches were made and they spat the seven seas of blue Water. The gods were very pleased with their work and began to dance to rejoice. They danced in great circles. Faster and faster they danced until their motions created swift gusts of Wind. Swirling and turning, the clouds shaded their tired forms as they fell to the ground laughing.

Laying down, by the seas and rivers, they gazed up at the sky. It was empty and still, as was their world around them. They then had an idea. With the Earth and Water they fashioned seven creatures: the phoenix, the minotaur, the serpent, the wolf, the white tiger, the raven, and Man. Man would inhabit the Earth and as for the six others, they were the guardians of the elements created. To Man, these six creatures were sacred to the life around them; they kept the fires burning, the waters flowing, the wind blowing, the light and the darkness to alternate, creating day and night, and the dirt fertile for their food. Man gave these creatures names: Rekka, Kongo, Suiko, Korin, Tenku, and Kurai, and they worshipped them.

Eons passed and Man grew more ambitious and forgot about their guardians. The only one that grew bitter from neglect and disrespect was the Darkness guardian, the raven, Kurai. Kurai went to the gods and begged for them to punish Man for their crimes. The gods ignored his pleas and Kurai became vengeful. He released the plagues upon the Mortal World: Hate, Greed, Pestilence, Hunger, and War. The gods, upon Kurai's wrath, struck him down from the Heavens and into the inferno prison, Hell. Kurai begged the other five guardians to set him free, but none would listen. Since then, Kurai has sought revenge on the gods, the guardians, and Man. The gods knew that he would try and escape, so they locked the remaining five guardians into the runes you now hold and sent them the ends of the Earth as a seal... Some how, the runes were moved and the seal has weakened, thusly the rise of Talpa and many other demons to disturb the balance of peace... Over time they had created a gap between space and time to create the Nether Realm and it has been a battle ground for demon lords and Man over thousands of years..."

"... I had always wondered how our world was created," Cale murmured. Anubis sighed,

"Aye... Now it's in the hands of Talpa once more. The only gate to it is in this valley and we have sealed it to prevent his further entry to the Mortal World." Sakura sat up,

"So is it like a place where all the evil spirits dwell or something?... Are you all ghosts or what?" Sekhmet laughed softly.

"No... Lady Kayura, Anubis, Cale, Dais, and myself are very much alive like you, although we aren't exactly human." He saw the confused looks on the girls' faces and shook his head, "Let us just say that we live in what you humans call 'faerie-tale land'-"

"Sekhmet! Don't refer to home by that name," Dais groaned, "It makes us sound like we're faerie godmothers..." Sekhmet rolled his eyes and continued,

"Anyway... spirits, ghosts, demons, faeries, imps, elves, trolls, gnomes, dwarves, you name it, it's there. The five of us 'rule over'... or should it say 'ruled over' this world. Anubis is of the North, Cale the East, Dais the South, and I watch the West. Lady Kayura is the priestess of the Nether Realm; she's our Ancient in that world, whereas Kaos is the Ancient in this one."

"... Dude, so you guys are like kings... Cool," Megami smirked.

"I wanna see this Nether Realm of yours," Tori smiled. "Bet it's better than this godforsaken rock we call Earth." Her face had quickly changed to a frown.

"Don't say such things about your home. At least you still have yours..." Anubis said in a stern, but saddened voice. Tori looked up at Anubis. His eyes had lost their proud glint and in its place was an indescribable emotion that she could not quite figure out completely. The room then fell silent as each of the former warlords felt his words sink in. Their home was gone and even if they could reclaim their world, rebuilding the lost empire looked hopeless. "... Sorry..." she whispered and turned away from Anubis.

Then there was a loud bang from the front door and a most recognizable voice could be heard arguing. "Dammit Rowen! I know who she was!!" Kento stormed into the living room, his face slightly red with rage. The other Ronins followed in suit, soaking wet from the storm. Ryo set Sai on the couch beside Anubis and Kayura. The boy had passed out halfway home. Sage took one look at Anubis' shoulder and ignored the fight between Rowen and Kento. As for the two other Ronins, they looked like they had been at it for a while. Rowen's face was less angry than Kento's; it just looked irritated. Kento's, however, was getting more angry every moment.

"Don't jump to conclusions, Kento!! She could have very well been something else the Dynasty pulled out of Hell!!"

"Oh come ON, Rowen! She was a warlord and you know it! How else could she have known about Hariel's white armor or be so sure that Talpa will rise again?!" Kento was about ready to punch Rowen in the jaw. He would have done it too had it not been for Sekhmet intervening. "Stop it the both of you!" He stepped in between both young men, glaring at the both of them. Kento looked darkly up at Sekhmet. The taller Ronin did not move from his place. It was clearly obvious who was the stronger man, had Kento decided to resist. Sekhmet was a living, breathing wall of muscle, and compared to Hardrock, the former snake king could easily crush the younger man.

"Now, Hardrock... Tell me exactly what happened. Torrent and Halo look like shit!" Sekhmet exclaimed. Sage looked up from his work, "Thanks, Sekh..." he grumbled. Kento sat down and blinked his eyes, they were still stinging from the poison, but at least he could see. "We were on patrol and I was up in a tree lookin' over at the northern mountains... Talpa's on the move. The sky over there's all red and fulla lightning. The clouds have all ready spread over the valley and it's raining like crazy... The guys came up ta look and then there was this pink lightning strike. Scared the fuck outta me. Ryo here got all quiet and got out of the tree. We followed him and then there was this giant snake thing. Claws, lotsa teeth... sharp teeth, scales like stone, spines that could cut the air in two... 'One big ass snake' as Ryo put it... Sage attacked it first, then everything went to hell! Sai was caught by the monster and it crushed him. I took a couple a whacks at it. Ro' blinded it, but that was after it started talkin'! Finally, I stabbed it and its blood got in my eyes. That shit, oh my god-"

"Hardrock get to the bloody point..." Anubis sighed. He grumbled to himself because he knew how long-winded Hardrock would get. "Okay, okay! Anyway, I was in pain, but from what the guys told me, the snake thing turned into this babe. Looked like Sakura only... not human. Said something to Ryo about Hariel's armor, but she screamed and didn't finish. Ryo was all, like 'Who are you?!'. The chick said her name was 'Managi' or somethin'. But man!! She almost killed us!! Only a warlord could have that much power and know all about Hariel and Talpa... And who the fuck is this 'Kurai'??" Sekhmet shook his head and leaned down close to Kento. So much that he etched backwards to give himself breathing room. "Never mind that! Are you positive that you heard correctly?! Managi?"

"Yeah! Dude, I don't forget names! Especially if she tried to kill us!!"

"Are you sure?!" he yelled.

"YES!!!" Kayura stood up,

"Sekhmet! Calm down! Why all the fuss over a name?!" The Ronin of Piety ran his hands roughly though his hair. "Gods... I thought she was dead!" He then turned on his heel and up to his room. "Sekhmet!!" Mia called up after him.

"No. Let him be..." Kaos ordered. "Now, Kento... What did Managi say exactly?"

"I'm not too sure... Ask Ryo... All I heard were names..."

Ryo looked up from Sai's sleeping form. Torrent was exhausted from the battle and Ryo tried desperately to keep him warm. The air outside has grown considerably cold. "Managi said to me something about the Inferno... then she told us before she vanished: '... Talpa... will rise again... Then the Kurai will be free once... more.' I have no idea who this Kurai dude is, but it can't be good."

Kaos sighed. The grandfather clock beside the fireplace struck eleven. "For now... Let us all turn in for the night."

"But what about-" Kento began. Kaos held up a hand,

"Kento... please. Get some rest... That goes for all of you as well. Cale, Dais? Would you help Sai and Sage... They seem to be... out of it..."

"Of course..." Kaos looked over at the five very confused and astonished girls. Megami and Sakura looked up from Sai. They watched Cale lift the boy over his shoulders. Domo had Sage's arm draped over her back and steadied him as he tried to stand. Dais assisted her, "No, no, I've got him-"

"I can help-"

"Kento, Rowen, and Ryo... See to it that the girls find their rooms, please?"

"Sure..." Kaos then looked at all of them silently, then without another word, he ascended the stairs for the night.

Until next we meet....