"Ronin Warriors: The Final Victor"
By Onikage
Scroll Twenty-Seven: Chrysanthemum Covered Gravestone
Part Two of Three
Talpa cackled darkly as Domo continued to struggle. "I almost miss the feeling of air in my lungs," he sneered when Domo began to loose consciousness. Her eyes flared emerald briefly attempting to blast free of his iron grip. Talpa caught her hand and crushed it in his grip. "Stop struggling," he taunted softly. He tightened his hold around her neck sharply. Blood bubbled past her clenched teeth just as he sight went black.
=Thunderbolt Cut!!=
The sure-kill slammed into Talpa, knocking the unconscious summoner from his grasp. A snarl left him has he saw Halo catch her swiftly. He would pay dearly for that.
=Snake Fang Strike!=
Although that would have to wait...
Sage ducked under an icy blast from the giant oni, now known as Yang. He frowned. They really should have expected two instead of the one that they previously fought. Ying and Yang? Come on. Sage carefully unfastened the jeweled clasp of Domo's holy cloak and loosened her breastplate slightly, just so she would be able to breathe. "Domo-sama, come on, wake up!" he called as he healed the surprisingly minor damage to her throat. She was lucky. He only choked her instead of breaking her neck like he feared. Domo began to cough madly as Sage turned her on to her stomach, letting the blood leave her airways. She gasped and pulled herself up, still clutching her throat. "Ooh... Shoulda... s-seen THAT... coming," she coughed. "Thought that was a little... too ea-easy."
"If only- LOOK OUT!" he shouted and tackled her to the ground before a barrage of energy arrows bombarded them. One sank into his leg and hissed as it vanished. Sage snarled and turned to their attacker. Violet eyes met dark teal ones framed by a mane of ivory hair: Fou-Lu. "Go help them. I got this..." Domo raised her eyebrow.
"I'm not your average damsel in distress, Halo," she snipped. "I can hold my own," she added throwing a ball of pure energy into Fou-Lu. Despite all other efforts from before when they fought Talpa, this had a unique effect. Sage's mind clicked. Why was he emitting more dark energy than Talpa? Fou-Lu responded before he had a chance to dwell on the thought at hand. "I was wondering when you were going to show up," Sage spat to him and jumped into the air before Fou-Lu incinerated the spot with another teal heated blast.
"... Someone has to keep thee busy," Fou-Lu smiled. Sage stiffened, unable to find the darker meaning to his cryptic response. His eyes narrowed at the warlord before a heated duel began, with Korin's summoner keeping Fou-Lu on his guard. No one ever said that the good guys ALWAYS had to fight fairly.
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"NIUUGHHH!"
"Go, my child!" Talpa laughed and put himself well out of the reach of the other Ronins to watch. His task was done... for now. Beneath the mask, his smile widened as all six summoner runes burned brightly from the backs of Yang's hands to the top of his head. Yang batted several of the Ronins out of the air as if they were flies while ignoring the much weaker sure- kills of the summoners. Suiko's aqua blue rune burned brightly on the right as well as Kongo's on the left. Yang slammed his palms into the ground erupting a wave of earth and water energy burrowing through the frozen earth toward Hardrock and Torrent. Fitting that they fall submissive to their own element. Between sure-kill and physical blows, it was only a matter of time before Wildfire summoned Inferno. Talpa could hardly wait. He hadn't had this much entertainment in centuries.
Yang snatched a fallen tree and hurled it at Cale and Dais who effective dodged it before it embedded halfway into the veranda. The actual house though remained undamaged. Dais' heart began to thud rapidly more than it all ready was. That tree had landed a little too close to the bedrooms where Mia and the children may have been hiding. He hoped that Whiteblaze had enough sense to lead them to the cellar or better yet away from the house all together. He remembered Kaos telling him of an abandoned shrine a few miles away from the house. Ancients of yore had used it to guard the gate between the Nether and the Mortal Realms. Any place would be safer than here. Yet he did not want to take the chance that Whiteblaze may have not. (I've got to lead it away somehow...) he thought. "Cale!! Get it to follow you!"
"ME?!" the younger Ronin sputtered.
"We've got to get it away from the house!!"
"Just how do we do that?!" He felt a strong gust of wind blow past him as Nasake them with incredible speed. In less than two hard leaps she had gained enough air to catch the trioed gaze of Yang. Nasake bombarded his face with arrows, blinding it in two out of the three eyes thoroughly pissing him off. An earth-shattering wail halted all combat briefly. Black blood ran running rivers down his face and corroded the ground where vegetation would fail to grow ever again. Yang knocked back Hardrock, Torrent, and Strata in its attempt to chase down the lightning quick Tenku. Dais nodded in approval as she managed to lead it away from the house.
"That'll work..." and followed.
"Nasake!!" Tori exclaimed as her friend and Yang vanished into the woods, leaving a clear path of destruction in their wake. Yang was rather quick, despite his size, much faster than his twin sister Yin. "How the hell it that fast?!" she snapped loudly.
"This time it has all six runes!" Kayura yelled to her as she followed her from behind. Kayura blew past her without any effort. Before Tori could even gauge what happened, a blue heat slammed into her chest knocking the wind out of her and into the ground. The exclamations of what sounded like Anubis and Strata filled her ringing ears before it was cut off completely by the sound of her own screams as a boot dug into her stomach.
"What does it take to destroy you?!" a woman snarled and grasped her by the hair. Tori coughed and looked up at the woman. She bore a striking resemblance to her. Tori spat out a mouthful of spit and blood with a look of disapproval. She didn't want to sound arrogant to herself, but there was a clear difference between the two. (Anger issues, always frowning, jealous out the ASS... Yep, I'm definitely WAY cuter...) "... You must be Zeal," she groaned as the warlord tightened her grip around her hair. "PMS much?" She was greeted with the back of an armored hand to her face. "Shut it, whore."
"Make me, bitch." Tori cried out as another blow landed into her chest breaking several ribs.
Anubis felt his throat dry at the familiar figure. He turned his head to Strata as they dashed. "Go on ahead! Wildfire needs you!"
"What about them?!" Anubis ran faster.
"... Leave that to me."
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Sage felt his arms begin to burn as he held Fou-Lu's heated sword at bay with his own. He was struggling with both arms when the warlord only used one. Fou-Lu used his other to block each and every blast Domo threw at him. This demon's skill was astounding. Sage threw his whole body into his weapon and managed to push Fou-Lu away long enough for him to at least have a split second or two of how to handle this. "... Something troubles ye, Halo?" Fou-Lu asked.
"Yeah, you."
"What about me?"
"Just who the hell are you?!" Sage demanded and once again found himself in another stalemate blade lock with him. Fou-Lu smiled from the cover of his helmet.
"I think you know the answer to that..." Sage snarled again.
"Answer me this," he spat and sent a blast of light from his weapon, sending Fou-Lu skidding across the ground on his back. Fou-Lu stood wearily. His eyes flashed from teal to dark violet briefly. A deep and familiar chuckle started from his throat. Something in Halo's mind suddenly clicked.
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Rekka was not sure what exactly made the horrible cracking noise as her spine connected with the trunk of another large tree, yet the pain quickly diverted her attention elsewhere. The angry female snarled. She ran her fingers through Tori's hair again and twisted the long strands, sharply yanking her head back. Tori flinched as she felt a hot blade lightly glide over her throat and its searing heat burning the flesh. Zeal smiled upon seeing deep red blood trickling down her neck, and wanted so badly to take the dagger and slice her slender neck, but instead she drove her dagger into her shoulder. Tori let loose a cry that shattered the eerie silence in the forest as Zeal thrust the blade deeper into her. Tori felt the weapon exit out the back of her shoulder blade, and the bones being splintered by Zeal's wrenching of the blade in excruciating positions. Blood gushed out of the openings like water rushing through a broken dam, never seeming to stop, and the flow continuing on and on. Zeal grinned as she yanked her weapon free of Tori's shoulder, hearing her scream once more. "... I bet you screamed louder as he thrust in and out of you," she snarled softly, face darkening. "Did you enjoy it? Did you enjoy the feeling as he tore into you like a damp parchment!?" Tori gazed helplessly up at the infuriated woman, clueless to what or whom she was talking about.
"What... What the hell are you... talking a-about?!" she choked out.
"You lying little whore!" she snarled and threw Tori into the ground. Zeal's heel connected with her temple causing her to fly into a fallen tree. "Do not play innocent with me! You are the filthy little plaything that seduced him!!"
"A-anubis?-" the blood pouring from her throat halted her and she began to cough up large amounts of the thick copper tasting fluid. Zeal looked down at her in disgust. "Pitiful..." She kicked her in the gut, making her scream louder.
"ZEAL!!"
Zeal whipped her head to the right and saw Anubis standing in full body armor, his eyes burning with anger and rage. She just smiled and sunk her boot into Tori's abdomen again. "There you are... I was afraid I would have to let her live long enough for her to tell me where you were! Now I can kill this little rodent... Pity. I wanted to torture her some more." Anubis hurled his kusari-gama at her. Shattering the ground, Zeal had managed to leap out of the way. "You have lost your touch, darling," she purred. Anubis felt his stomach turn as he remembered how they used to be in love, or what he thought for a while.
"Away with you... I do not have time to waste on the Devil's temptress!" He hurled his kusari-gama into her chest with a sickening crack. Zeal stumbled, wiping the blood that had begun to ooze from her lips. Another growl emanated from her throat as her lips curled darkly."... Feh... This is only the beginning, dear Anubis... MY mission has been completed all ready. Enjoy the lovely belated engagement gift," she laughed and vanished in a burst of blue flames.
Tori struggled to sit up. She wiped the blood from her gold glossed lips with a snarl. "Bitch... surprised me," she hissed. It hurt to breathe. Anubis set his weapon down and lifted her gently into his lap.
"You idiot! Didn't I tell you to be careful?!" he snapped.
"Yes, thank you, Anubis! I can breathe just fine with the blood filling my lungs," she heaved with a frown. Anubis banished his weapon as he stood.
"Little one, do me the favor of shutting up. Save your energy and air..." he said sternly. Tori caught the hint of fear in his voice and obeyed. Anubis saw the color draining from her face and frowned. Where was Halo?
A forest green blur careened past them and crashed into several trees, destroying the large trunks. Anubis shot his head in the direction it came from.
"SAGE!!" Domo exclaimed before having a knee planted harshly into her stomach. She crumpled to the ground coughing. Wisps of ivory flowed surprisingly gently beneath the black helmet. Anubis' eyes narrowed further at the Dark Warlord of Death. Fou-Lu stood above Domo and merely shook his head before lifting her up by her hair.
"I was expecting more from ye, Korin... We shall finish this at a later morrow... if you survive..." he whispered harshly into her ear.
"It's a... date," she hissed. Fou-Lu made a small laugh and dropped her to the ground before Halo had a chance to retaliate. "Bleached blonde jerk off," Domo spat and wiped the blood from her forehead as she stood. She caught sight of Anubis holding a very pale Rekka.
"What the fuck did you do to my friend!?!" she demanded and ran up to them surprisingly quickly with that nasty limp. She practically ripped Tori out of Anubis' arms. "'Ri-san! Red!!" she called. "Wake up you ho!!" she snapped slapping Tori's cheeks a little less than gently. Bronze eyes fluttered open, then Tori frowned.
"I heard you. Stop... yelling," she heaved.
"What happened?"
"Anubis psycho girlfriend wailed on me... cause she thinks I'm boinkin' him," she whispered with a slight blush. Domo smirked.
"Are youuu?"
"Fuck you..." Tori spat with a blush. "No way!" She fell into a fit of coughing just as Sage pulled himself out of the bushes.
"Halo!" Anubis called and lifted the slightly smaller man to his feet by the back of his armor. "You look like hell," Anubis added.
"This coming from the man with the shiner," Sage grimaced. "We've got to stop, Ryo..."
"What?"
"The armor of Inferno... if he uses it on that demon, then-"
"Tori!! TORI!" Domo exclaimed. "Sage!!"
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Talpa chuckled as he watched the white armored Ryo dart around madly trying desperately to dodge Yang's ice attacks. "Like a white lab rat," he laughed from his spectator's spot on a cliff. A cold breeze came from behind. "Is it done?" Talpa asked.
"Aye..." Fou-Lu answered. He looked down and watched Wildfire's futile attempts.
"... All this waiting is boring me," Zeal snapped as she appeared out of the air from above them. Fou-Lu looked up.
"What is the matter? Haven't ye had enough amusement all ready?"
"... It isn't any fun killing in a rush... Anubis saw to that, but if you are talking about the little task from earlier," she began and slid her arm around Fou-Lu's, "... It was like a roll in the bed with Raiko: over way too quickly." Talpa chuckled.
"If things go as planned, that will change, my dear," he said in a silken tone.
"What about Managi, my lord?" Zeal asked.
"... She has regained her memory... She is of no use to me now... I banished her into the abyss for Badamon to deal with..." he replied emptily. Zeal froze in shock. He was so affectionate to her. She was the only one to actually make him laugh without using anything but her personality. It wasn't making sense...
"Something amiss, my lady?" Fou-Lu asked.
"Hm? Oh, I was... thinking about what will happen when Wildfire destroys that ugly thing..."
"Why don't we get a better view?" Talpa suggested.
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"WHAT?!" Anubis exclaimed as Sage revived Tori as best as he could. "Are you positive, Halo?!"
"It's a theory," he replied.
"What the hell does that mean!?"
"Will you two shut up?!" Domo snapped.
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Ryo spun the swords of Fervor wildly, too tired to properly dodge the blasts anymore. His less than graceful swings were barely keeping him from getting burned by the icy breath. He could tell that Yang was weakening too. Funny, Yin fought a lot harder than her brother and she still had power to spare. Yang looked like it was ready to collapse at any moment. One blast finally slid past his defenses, knocking him roughly into the wall of the cliff from where Talpa and his minions had been watching unbeknownst to him. That was it.
"Okay! Now I'm mad," Ryo spat and flung the swords sharply to his sides. Glancing quickly to his right and left, making sure that the others were safely out of the way before he went postal. His armored body began emitting a searing heat, melting the frost and snow around him instantly. Yang regarded him numbly and continued to attack; however, his blast melting to nothing before they even reached their target.
"'Bout damn time!! GEEZ!" Hardrock shouted from the cover of stone. Ryo smirked. He was always to damn impatient, then again, Ryo loved the chills that ran up his spine when the cheers of the others urged him on. He would only feel more powerful and then felt that he could do anything. Ryo's eyes began to blaze with white fire.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tori and Domo racing towards them a look of terror on their faces. They seemed to be screaming something. The heat of the armor dulled all of his senses. He couldn't make anything out the more the power grew. Whatever it was it could wait...
Anubis and Sage tackled the two summoners into the ground as they saw Ryo's chest heave in once before he shrieked the release of Inferno's ballistic power. In a flash of white light, Yang was reduced to a smoking pile of mass in a matter of seconds.
Ryo fell to one knee as the heat resided. He was only able to take one breath of relief before screams of agony met his ears. He snapped his head up to find Rekka and Korin clutching their skulls in pain as the writhed in agony on the ground. The cries of his comrades barely registered with the others. What had happened? Their bodies blazed with their corresponding colors wildly. Ryo rushed over to Anubis and Halo as they attempted to calm the wails of pain from the two friends. He couldn't stem the stab of horror in his stomach that the demise of Yang was causing this... No. Not Yang. It was what he had that was now gone.
"Thank you ever so much, Wildfire!!!" Talpa cried as he descended to the smoking clearing below. Fou-Lu and Zeal followed just as smugly. Ryo whipped around and armed himself, still knowing that he was still very weak.
"You have no idea what you all have accomplished for me!" he continued and extended his hand to Zeal. She presented a dagger to him and he took it in a surprisingly normal hand: one of flesh. Ryo regarded the hand with shock. "You seem surprised, Wildfire..." With one quick motion he opened his palm and slashed it. Red blood began to flow from the opening.
"N-no," was the only thing that left Kayura's lips. Talpa turned to her.
"Oh, yes, my dear... With the Ancient now gone, I am the soul 'protector' of this realm," he sneered.
"Whaaaaat?! NO!" Kento argued and gestured a defiant hand to Lady Kayura. "Hello? She's an Ancient too!!"
"Half. She is HALF Ancient, Hardrock..." Kayura froze. "Oh? You didn't know?" She shook her head silently with wide eyes as she backed away slowly.
"H-how?" she gasped.
"Very simple... That stupid monk defeated me a thousand years ago and broke up my armor using those runes of your summoners," Talpa began and gestured to the now unconscious females. "He was missing one unfortunately for him, so he used himself as a-"
"Yeah, yeah, get to the point!" Rowen shouted just as the girls were reviving.
"Mn? What happened?" Nasake murmured.
"What's he talking about, Sai?" Sakura asked. Anubis lifted Tori to her feet. She was wide-awake when she caught Zeal out of the corner of her eye.
"... I had the option of retrieving the armor OR... destroying the runes and the seal. Since Kaos was apart of that seal... they BOTH had to die... Wildfire saw to aiding me with those confounded shards with Inferno. Why not use the power that defeated me before to free me now?" he finished
"B-both?" Cale began softly, fear shoving aside his thudding heart that was all ready lodged into his throat. Zeal fingered the edge of her spear with a grin.
"Yes, both," she cooed. "I wanted to kill the others too, but... that would be just cruel..." she chuckled.
A low rumble began slight, before it shook the earth violently, knocking everyone to the ground. Kento gripped Megami to his chest as the ground broke down below them. He took to the air along with the others. "This is NUTS!!"
"LOOK!" Domo pointed to Fou-Lu. The ground was stationary only where he stood. Talpa and Zeal took to the air in shock.
"What do you think you are doing, Fou-Lu?!" Talpa demanded.
Anubis batted away large shrapnel of stone flying towards him, Tori, and Wildfire. His eyes widened in shock as the dark red and black armor shattered in a blast of purple light from Fou-Lu's body. Pieces of the helmet glittered into the ever-growing chasm as it swallowed tree after tree until it stopped. Jet hair of an incredible length spilled out from the helmet as ivory vanished the way of crimson horns. Teal eyes shifted to violet as dark clouds loomed overhead, blocking out all light. Day became night in a matter of seconds and the only light was the light from the Ronin armors and the intensity of Fou-Lu's power. Wildfire gasped at the familiar man that hovered over the dark abyss. "... Holy god," Ryo breathed.
"Not... quite, Wildfire," he said darkly. "I told you that you couldn't stop me," he chuckled.
"Kurai..." Sage breathed.
"Very good, Halo. You are brighter than you appear..."
"Fou-Lu... Now I remember where that name came from. Fou-Lu means 'un holy one' in my native tongue," Anubis murmured aloud.
"A little late for that, Red," Tori spat. Anubis frowned and opened his mouth to retort when he saw her eyes glaze over from a soft bronze to a wild ruby. She pushed past Wildfire and Anubis. Korin, Kongo, Suiko, and Tenku followed in suit. Kurai smiled.
"Brothers, sisters... My heart swells that we are all together again," he said. Domo's eyes narrowed.
"What heart?" she spat in a voice that was not her own.
"Why are you here? Let these mortals be. They have changed since we banished you," Rekka's voice said gently from Tori's lips. Kurai's eyebrows lifted.
"War, hunger, hate, betrayal, pestilence are still present. Humans fight each other over simple material things. Half of them believe in no god or gods at all," he said.
"That is your doing, dear brother," Kongo snapped. "They appeared when you started your vendetta." Kurai's eyes darkened. The shard from his staff began to glow faintly.
"You think you can defeat me? I feed off of all the despair, hate, and greed of these mortals you wish to protect. It was not so back then... It has be a LONG time saving," he smiled darkly. Tenku snarled and shot a beam of sapphire light into him followed by Kongo, and the Suiko. Kurai grunted and laughed bitterly.
"I can see that the lack of faith has weakened you all," he continued. Rekka then shot a strong beam.
"Amaranthine will take care of that," Rekka replied.
"Ah, his dark twin... The monk spoke of it..."
"The monk found it," Korin smiled wryly. Kurai's eyes flashed. They were right, he was still weak.
"It still won't be enough," he spat as he felt his strength draining. His presence was fading back into the Nether Realm.
"We shall see," Korin spat before a blinding light sent him through the air and into a portal. Rekka looked up as it closed.
"It won't hold him forever."
"Do you think he can use it?" Suiko asked Rekka looking back down in the direction of Wildfire.
"Kaos gave him the power once..." Tenku replied.
"I think our older brother, Jidai will be pleased," Kongo said. Tenku looked down at the Ronins as they stared in awe.
"Let us go... They're becoming restless," he sighed as the light around Nasake faded. Suiko sighed heavily.
"Big brother Kurai's really mad, huh, Rekka-sama?"
"... Very... Let's go," he said softly.
Korin looked down at Halo silently, then turned her gaze toward Wildfire and Anubis. "Before they were elders... they're still so young..."
Megami blinked and looked around. "WOW! Look at the size of this hole!!!"
"I'm flying!!" Sakura gasped. "How'd we get up here?!"
"Dunno, but Kurai and Talpa are gone," Domo pointed out.
"Chickens..." Megami muttered. "I want my rematch, TALPA!! YOU HEAR ME!?" she yelled up at the dark sky. "Hey, the moon's out!"
"It was just morning!" Sakura exclaimed.
"CALE!!!" Dais called after him as the former warlord ran back in the direction of the house. He saw that Rekka was not far behind him...
By Onikage
Scroll Twenty-Seven: Chrysanthemum Covered Gravestone
Part Two of Three
Talpa cackled darkly as Domo continued to struggle. "I almost miss the feeling of air in my lungs," he sneered when Domo began to loose consciousness. Her eyes flared emerald briefly attempting to blast free of his iron grip. Talpa caught her hand and crushed it in his grip. "Stop struggling," he taunted softly. He tightened his hold around her neck sharply. Blood bubbled past her clenched teeth just as he sight went black.
=Thunderbolt Cut!!=
The sure-kill slammed into Talpa, knocking the unconscious summoner from his grasp. A snarl left him has he saw Halo catch her swiftly. He would pay dearly for that.
=Snake Fang Strike!=
Although that would have to wait...
Sage ducked under an icy blast from the giant oni, now known as Yang. He frowned. They really should have expected two instead of the one that they previously fought. Ying and Yang? Come on. Sage carefully unfastened the jeweled clasp of Domo's holy cloak and loosened her breastplate slightly, just so she would be able to breathe. "Domo-sama, come on, wake up!" he called as he healed the surprisingly minor damage to her throat. She was lucky. He only choked her instead of breaking her neck like he feared. Domo began to cough madly as Sage turned her on to her stomach, letting the blood leave her airways. She gasped and pulled herself up, still clutching her throat. "Ooh... Shoulda... s-seen THAT... coming," she coughed. "Thought that was a little... too ea-easy."
"If only- LOOK OUT!" he shouted and tackled her to the ground before a barrage of energy arrows bombarded them. One sank into his leg and hissed as it vanished. Sage snarled and turned to their attacker. Violet eyes met dark teal ones framed by a mane of ivory hair: Fou-Lu. "Go help them. I got this..." Domo raised her eyebrow.
"I'm not your average damsel in distress, Halo," she snipped. "I can hold my own," she added throwing a ball of pure energy into Fou-Lu. Despite all other efforts from before when they fought Talpa, this had a unique effect. Sage's mind clicked. Why was he emitting more dark energy than Talpa? Fou-Lu responded before he had a chance to dwell on the thought at hand. "I was wondering when you were going to show up," Sage spat to him and jumped into the air before Fou-Lu incinerated the spot with another teal heated blast.
"... Someone has to keep thee busy," Fou-Lu smiled. Sage stiffened, unable to find the darker meaning to his cryptic response. His eyes narrowed at the warlord before a heated duel began, with Korin's summoner keeping Fou-Lu on his guard. No one ever said that the good guys ALWAYS had to fight fairly.
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"NIUUGHHH!"
"Go, my child!" Talpa laughed and put himself well out of the reach of the other Ronins to watch. His task was done... for now. Beneath the mask, his smile widened as all six summoner runes burned brightly from the backs of Yang's hands to the top of his head. Yang batted several of the Ronins out of the air as if they were flies while ignoring the much weaker sure- kills of the summoners. Suiko's aqua blue rune burned brightly on the right as well as Kongo's on the left. Yang slammed his palms into the ground erupting a wave of earth and water energy burrowing through the frozen earth toward Hardrock and Torrent. Fitting that they fall submissive to their own element. Between sure-kill and physical blows, it was only a matter of time before Wildfire summoned Inferno. Talpa could hardly wait. He hadn't had this much entertainment in centuries.
Yang snatched a fallen tree and hurled it at Cale and Dais who effective dodged it before it embedded halfway into the veranda. The actual house though remained undamaged. Dais' heart began to thud rapidly more than it all ready was. That tree had landed a little too close to the bedrooms where Mia and the children may have been hiding. He hoped that Whiteblaze had enough sense to lead them to the cellar or better yet away from the house all together. He remembered Kaos telling him of an abandoned shrine a few miles away from the house. Ancients of yore had used it to guard the gate between the Nether and the Mortal Realms. Any place would be safer than here. Yet he did not want to take the chance that Whiteblaze may have not. (I've got to lead it away somehow...) he thought. "Cale!! Get it to follow you!"
"ME?!" the younger Ronin sputtered.
"We've got to get it away from the house!!"
"Just how do we do that?!" He felt a strong gust of wind blow past him as Nasake them with incredible speed. In less than two hard leaps she had gained enough air to catch the trioed gaze of Yang. Nasake bombarded his face with arrows, blinding it in two out of the three eyes thoroughly pissing him off. An earth-shattering wail halted all combat briefly. Black blood ran running rivers down his face and corroded the ground where vegetation would fail to grow ever again. Yang knocked back Hardrock, Torrent, and Strata in its attempt to chase down the lightning quick Tenku. Dais nodded in approval as she managed to lead it away from the house.
"That'll work..." and followed.
"Nasake!!" Tori exclaimed as her friend and Yang vanished into the woods, leaving a clear path of destruction in their wake. Yang was rather quick, despite his size, much faster than his twin sister Yin. "How the hell it that fast?!" she snapped loudly.
"This time it has all six runes!" Kayura yelled to her as she followed her from behind. Kayura blew past her without any effort. Before Tori could even gauge what happened, a blue heat slammed into her chest knocking the wind out of her and into the ground. The exclamations of what sounded like Anubis and Strata filled her ringing ears before it was cut off completely by the sound of her own screams as a boot dug into her stomach.
"What does it take to destroy you?!" a woman snarled and grasped her by the hair. Tori coughed and looked up at the woman. She bore a striking resemblance to her. Tori spat out a mouthful of spit and blood with a look of disapproval. She didn't want to sound arrogant to herself, but there was a clear difference between the two. (Anger issues, always frowning, jealous out the ASS... Yep, I'm definitely WAY cuter...) "... You must be Zeal," she groaned as the warlord tightened her grip around her hair. "PMS much?" She was greeted with the back of an armored hand to her face. "Shut it, whore."
"Make me, bitch." Tori cried out as another blow landed into her chest breaking several ribs.
Anubis felt his throat dry at the familiar figure. He turned his head to Strata as they dashed. "Go on ahead! Wildfire needs you!"
"What about them?!" Anubis ran faster.
"... Leave that to me."
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Sage felt his arms begin to burn as he held Fou-Lu's heated sword at bay with his own. He was struggling with both arms when the warlord only used one. Fou-Lu used his other to block each and every blast Domo threw at him. This demon's skill was astounding. Sage threw his whole body into his weapon and managed to push Fou-Lu away long enough for him to at least have a split second or two of how to handle this. "... Something troubles ye, Halo?" Fou-Lu asked.
"Yeah, you."
"What about me?"
"Just who the hell are you?!" Sage demanded and once again found himself in another stalemate blade lock with him. Fou-Lu smiled from the cover of his helmet.
"I think you know the answer to that..." Sage snarled again.
"Answer me this," he spat and sent a blast of light from his weapon, sending Fou-Lu skidding across the ground on his back. Fou-Lu stood wearily. His eyes flashed from teal to dark violet briefly. A deep and familiar chuckle started from his throat. Something in Halo's mind suddenly clicked.
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Rekka was not sure what exactly made the horrible cracking noise as her spine connected with the trunk of another large tree, yet the pain quickly diverted her attention elsewhere. The angry female snarled. She ran her fingers through Tori's hair again and twisted the long strands, sharply yanking her head back. Tori flinched as she felt a hot blade lightly glide over her throat and its searing heat burning the flesh. Zeal smiled upon seeing deep red blood trickling down her neck, and wanted so badly to take the dagger and slice her slender neck, but instead she drove her dagger into her shoulder. Tori let loose a cry that shattered the eerie silence in the forest as Zeal thrust the blade deeper into her. Tori felt the weapon exit out the back of her shoulder blade, and the bones being splintered by Zeal's wrenching of the blade in excruciating positions. Blood gushed out of the openings like water rushing through a broken dam, never seeming to stop, and the flow continuing on and on. Zeal grinned as she yanked her weapon free of Tori's shoulder, hearing her scream once more. "... I bet you screamed louder as he thrust in and out of you," she snarled softly, face darkening. "Did you enjoy it? Did you enjoy the feeling as he tore into you like a damp parchment!?" Tori gazed helplessly up at the infuriated woman, clueless to what or whom she was talking about.
"What... What the hell are you... talking a-about?!" she choked out.
"You lying little whore!" she snarled and threw Tori into the ground. Zeal's heel connected with her temple causing her to fly into a fallen tree. "Do not play innocent with me! You are the filthy little plaything that seduced him!!"
"A-anubis?-" the blood pouring from her throat halted her and she began to cough up large amounts of the thick copper tasting fluid. Zeal looked down at her in disgust. "Pitiful..." She kicked her in the gut, making her scream louder.
"ZEAL!!"
Zeal whipped her head to the right and saw Anubis standing in full body armor, his eyes burning with anger and rage. She just smiled and sunk her boot into Tori's abdomen again. "There you are... I was afraid I would have to let her live long enough for her to tell me where you were! Now I can kill this little rodent... Pity. I wanted to torture her some more." Anubis hurled his kusari-gama at her. Shattering the ground, Zeal had managed to leap out of the way. "You have lost your touch, darling," she purred. Anubis felt his stomach turn as he remembered how they used to be in love, or what he thought for a while.
"Away with you... I do not have time to waste on the Devil's temptress!" He hurled his kusari-gama into her chest with a sickening crack. Zeal stumbled, wiping the blood that had begun to ooze from her lips. Another growl emanated from her throat as her lips curled darkly."... Feh... This is only the beginning, dear Anubis... MY mission has been completed all ready. Enjoy the lovely belated engagement gift," she laughed and vanished in a burst of blue flames.
Tori struggled to sit up. She wiped the blood from her gold glossed lips with a snarl. "Bitch... surprised me," she hissed. It hurt to breathe. Anubis set his weapon down and lifted her gently into his lap.
"You idiot! Didn't I tell you to be careful?!" he snapped.
"Yes, thank you, Anubis! I can breathe just fine with the blood filling my lungs," she heaved with a frown. Anubis banished his weapon as he stood.
"Little one, do me the favor of shutting up. Save your energy and air..." he said sternly. Tori caught the hint of fear in his voice and obeyed. Anubis saw the color draining from her face and frowned. Where was Halo?
A forest green blur careened past them and crashed into several trees, destroying the large trunks. Anubis shot his head in the direction it came from.
"SAGE!!" Domo exclaimed before having a knee planted harshly into her stomach. She crumpled to the ground coughing. Wisps of ivory flowed surprisingly gently beneath the black helmet. Anubis' eyes narrowed further at the Dark Warlord of Death. Fou-Lu stood above Domo and merely shook his head before lifting her up by her hair.
"I was expecting more from ye, Korin... We shall finish this at a later morrow... if you survive..." he whispered harshly into her ear.
"It's a... date," she hissed. Fou-Lu made a small laugh and dropped her to the ground before Halo had a chance to retaliate. "Bleached blonde jerk off," Domo spat and wiped the blood from her forehead as she stood. She caught sight of Anubis holding a very pale Rekka.
"What the fuck did you do to my friend!?!" she demanded and ran up to them surprisingly quickly with that nasty limp. She practically ripped Tori out of Anubis' arms. "'Ri-san! Red!!" she called. "Wake up you ho!!" she snapped slapping Tori's cheeks a little less than gently. Bronze eyes fluttered open, then Tori frowned.
"I heard you. Stop... yelling," she heaved.
"What happened?"
"Anubis psycho girlfriend wailed on me... cause she thinks I'm boinkin' him," she whispered with a slight blush. Domo smirked.
"Are youuu?"
"Fuck you..." Tori spat with a blush. "No way!" She fell into a fit of coughing just as Sage pulled himself out of the bushes.
"Halo!" Anubis called and lifted the slightly smaller man to his feet by the back of his armor. "You look like hell," Anubis added.
"This coming from the man with the shiner," Sage grimaced. "We've got to stop, Ryo..."
"What?"
"The armor of Inferno... if he uses it on that demon, then-"
"Tori!! TORI!" Domo exclaimed. "Sage!!"
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Talpa chuckled as he watched the white armored Ryo dart around madly trying desperately to dodge Yang's ice attacks. "Like a white lab rat," he laughed from his spectator's spot on a cliff. A cold breeze came from behind. "Is it done?" Talpa asked.
"Aye..." Fou-Lu answered. He looked down and watched Wildfire's futile attempts.
"... All this waiting is boring me," Zeal snapped as she appeared out of the air from above them. Fou-Lu looked up.
"What is the matter? Haven't ye had enough amusement all ready?"
"... It isn't any fun killing in a rush... Anubis saw to that, but if you are talking about the little task from earlier," she began and slid her arm around Fou-Lu's, "... It was like a roll in the bed with Raiko: over way too quickly." Talpa chuckled.
"If things go as planned, that will change, my dear," he said in a silken tone.
"What about Managi, my lord?" Zeal asked.
"... She has regained her memory... She is of no use to me now... I banished her into the abyss for Badamon to deal with..." he replied emptily. Zeal froze in shock. He was so affectionate to her. She was the only one to actually make him laugh without using anything but her personality. It wasn't making sense...
"Something amiss, my lady?" Fou-Lu asked.
"Hm? Oh, I was... thinking about what will happen when Wildfire destroys that ugly thing..."
"Why don't we get a better view?" Talpa suggested.
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"WHAT?!" Anubis exclaimed as Sage revived Tori as best as he could. "Are you positive, Halo?!"
"It's a theory," he replied.
"What the hell does that mean!?"
"Will you two shut up?!" Domo snapped.
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Ryo spun the swords of Fervor wildly, too tired to properly dodge the blasts anymore. His less than graceful swings were barely keeping him from getting burned by the icy breath. He could tell that Yang was weakening too. Funny, Yin fought a lot harder than her brother and she still had power to spare. Yang looked like it was ready to collapse at any moment. One blast finally slid past his defenses, knocking him roughly into the wall of the cliff from where Talpa and his minions had been watching unbeknownst to him. That was it.
"Okay! Now I'm mad," Ryo spat and flung the swords sharply to his sides. Glancing quickly to his right and left, making sure that the others were safely out of the way before he went postal. His armored body began emitting a searing heat, melting the frost and snow around him instantly. Yang regarded him numbly and continued to attack; however, his blast melting to nothing before they even reached their target.
"'Bout damn time!! GEEZ!" Hardrock shouted from the cover of stone. Ryo smirked. He was always to damn impatient, then again, Ryo loved the chills that ran up his spine when the cheers of the others urged him on. He would only feel more powerful and then felt that he could do anything. Ryo's eyes began to blaze with white fire.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tori and Domo racing towards them a look of terror on their faces. They seemed to be screaming something. The heat of the armor dulled all of his senses. He couldn't make anything out the more the power grew. Whatever it was it could wait...
Anubis and Sage tackled the two summoners into the ground as they saw Ryo's chest heave in once before he shrieked the release of Inferno's ballistic power. In a flash of white light, Yang was reduced to a smoking pile of mass in a matter of seconds.
Ryo fell to one knee as the heat resided. He was only able to take one breath of relief before screams of agony met his ears. He snapped his head up to find Rekka and Korin clutching their skulls in pain as the writhed in agony on the ground. The cries of his comrades barely registered with the others. What had happened? Their bodies blazed with their corresponding colors wildly. Ryo rushed over to Anubis and Halo as they attempted to calm the wails of pain from the two friends. He couldn't stem the stab of horror in his stomach that the demise of Yang was causing this... No. Not Yang. It was what he had that was now gone.
"Thank you ever so much, Wildfire!!!" Talpa cried as he descended to the smoking clearing below. Fou-Lu and Zeal followed just as smugly. Ryo whipped around and armed himself, still knowing that he was still very weak.
"You have no idea what you all have accomplished for me!" he continued and extended his hand to Zeal. She presented a dagger to him and he took it in a surprisingly normal hand: one of flesh. Ryo regarded the hand with shock. "You seem surprised, Wildfire..." With one quick motion he opened his palm and slashed it. Red blood began to flow from the opening.
"N-no," was the only thing that left Kayura's lips. Talpa turned to her.
"Oh, yes, my dear... With the Ancient now gone, I am the soul 'protector' of this realm," he sneered.
"Whaaaaat?! NO!" Kento argued and gestured a defiant hand to Lady Kayura. "Hello? She's an Ancient too!!"
"Half. She is HALF Ancient, Hardrock..." Kayura froze. "Oh? You didn't know?" She shook her head silently with wide eyes as she backed away slowly.
"H-how?" she gasped.
"Very simple... That stupid monk defeated me a thousand years ago and broke up my armor using those runes of your summoners," Talpa began and gestured to the now unconscious females. "He was missing one unfortunately for him, so he used himself as a-"
"Yeah, yeah, get to the point!" Rowen shouted just as the girls were reviving.
"Mn? What happened?" Nasake murmured.
"What's he talking about, Sai?" Sakura asked. Anubis lifted Tori to her feet. She was wide-awake when she caught Zeal out of the corner of her eye.
"... I had the option of retrieving the armor OR... destroying the runes and the seal. Since Kaos was apart of that seal... they BOTH had to die... Wildfire saw to aiding me with those confounded shards with Inferno. Why not use the power that defeated me before to free me now?" he finished
"B-both?" Cale began softly, fear shoving aside his thudding heart that was all ready lodged into his throat. Zeal fingered the edge of her spear with a grin.
"Yes, both," she cooed. "I wanted to kill the others too, but... that would be just cruel..." she chuckled.
A low rumble began slight, before it shook the earth violently, knocking everyone to the ground. Kento gripped Megami to his chest as the ground broke down below them. He took to the air along with the others. "This is NUTS!!"
"LOOK!" Domo pointed to Fou-Lu. The ground was stationary only where he stood. Talpa and Zeal took to the air in shock.
"What do you think you are doing, Fou-Lu?!" Talpa demanded.
Anubis batted away large shrapnel of stone flying towards him, Tori, and Wildfire. His eyes widened in shock as the dark red and black armor shattered in a blast of purple light from Fou-Lu's body. Pieces of the helmet glittered into the ever-growing chasm as it swallowed tree after tree until it stopped. Jet hair of an incredible length spilled out from the helmet as ivory vanished the way of crimson horns. Teal eyes shifted to violet as dark clouds loomed overhead, blocking out all light. Day became night in a matter of seconds and the only light was the light from the Ronin armors and the intensity of Fou-Lu's power. Wildfire gasped at the familiar man that hovered over the dark abyss. "... Holy god," Ryo breathed.
"Not... quite, Wildfire," he said darkly. "I told you that you couldn't stop me," he chuckled.
"Kurai..." Sage breathed.
"Very good, Halo. You are brighter than you appear..."
"Fou-Lu... Now I remember where that name came from. Fou-Lu means 'un holy one' in my native tongue," Anubis murmured aloud.
"A little late for that, Red," Tori spat. Anubis frowned and opened his mouth to retort when he saw her eyes glaze over from a soft bronze to a wild ruby. She pushed past Wildfire and Anubis. Korin, Kongo, Suiko, and Tenku followed in suit. Kurai smiled.
"Brothers, sisters... My heart swells that we are all together again," he said. Domo's eyes narrowed.
"What heart?" she spat in a voice that was not her own.
"Why are you here? Let these mortals be. They have changed since we banished you," Rekka's voice said gently from Tori's lips. Kurai's eyebrows lifted.
"War, hunger, hate, betrayal, pestilence are still present. Humans fight each other over simple material things. Half of them believe in no god or gods at all," he said.
"That is your doing, dear brother," Kongo snapped. "They appeared when you started your vendetta." Kurai's eyes darkened. The shard from his staff began to glow faintly.
"You think you can defeat me? I feed off of all the despair, hate, and greed of these mortals you wish to protect. It was not so back then... It has be a LONG time saving," he smiled darkly. Tenku snarled and shot a beam of sapphire light into him followed by Kongo, and the Suiko. Kurai grunted and laughed bitterly.
"I can see that the lack of faith has weakened you all," he continued. Rekka then shot a strong beam.
"Amaranthine will take care of that," Rekka replied.
"Ah, his dark twin... The monk spoke of it..."
"The monk found it," Korin smiled wryly. Kurai's eyes flashed. They were right, he was still weak.
"It still won't be enough," he spat as he felt his strength draining. His presence was fading back into the Nether Realm.
"We shall see," Korin spat before a blinding light sent him through the air and into a portal. Rekka looked up as it closed.
"It won't hold him forever."
"Do you think he can use it?" Suiko asked Rekka looking back down in the direction of Wildfire.
"Kaos gave him the power once..." Tenku replied.
"I think our older brother, Jidai will be pleased," Kongo said. Tenku looked down at the Ronins as they stared in awe.
"Let us go... They're becoming restless," he sighed as the light around Nasake faded. Suiko sighed heavily.
"Big brother Kurai's really mad, huh, Rekka-sama?"
"... Very... Let's go," he said softly.
Korin looked down at Halo silently, then turned her gaze toward Wildfire and Anubis. "Before they were elders... they're still so young..."
Megami blinked and looked around. "WOW! Look at the size of this hole!!!"
"I'm flying!!" Sakura gasped. "How'd we get up here?!"
"Dunno, but Kurai and Talpa are gone," Domo pointed out.
"Chickens..." Megami muttered. "I want my rematch, TALPA!! YOU HEAR ME!?" she yelled up at the dark sky. "Hey, the moon's out!"
"It was just morning!" Sakura exclaimed.
"CALE!!!" Dais called after him as the former warlord ran back in the direction of the house. He saw that Rekka was not far behind him...