SailorStar9: Figured you guys wanted this chapter out and I'm making up for lost time. So here it is. This is Chapter 7. Read and review.

Disclaimers: Nothing here are mine, well, except the plot.

Chapter 7: Splitting the Stone


While Ryo was awakening Cye, Mia and Sage headed off to find the Warrior of Earth, aka Kento.

Mia shut an eye once the car exited the mountain tunnel.

"Mount Daisetsu, the highest peak in Hokkaido." the older woman exclaimed in awe as the said mountain came into view. "Isn't it so mysterious?"

"They do say it's the garden of the gods." Sage remarked, unamused.

"Yes." Mia agreed. "And I'm sure Kento is safe and protected by these gods."

"We can't say for sure." Sage commented, shutting his eyes again. "The only Goddess we revere is Athena."

Mia gave him a frown, "We should be able to rescue Kento without a problem. He's protected in this beautiful garden of gods after all."

"Is this your premonition?" Sage asked.

"It's not a premonition." Mia retorted. "It's woman's intuition."

Unknown to the two, they were being watched by a pack of wolves.


"This mountain huh?" Cale mused.


"Looks like we're walking from here on." Mia remarked when she noticed the front wheel was stuck.

"Mia, you have to stay here." Sage instructed as he stepped out of the car.

"What?" Mia turned to the blonde.

"Leave Kento to me." Sage told her. "I'll track him down myself."

"Hold on." Mia protested. ""I'm not just here to play chauffeur. I'm going too."

"You'll only get in my way." Sage told her sternly. "It'll be best if you head back."

With that, he jumped up onto a cliff.

"Sage, do you even know where Kento is?" Mia called out.

"It would be faster to search from scratch than have you around." Sage replied.

"Sage!" Mia protested out loud as the Warrior of Light took off on his own. "What's the matter with you? There's no time to waste."

Her ranting stopped when she noticed dark clouds clamoring over the sky.

"Those clouds..." she muttered. "Maybe Sage is right after all."

Before long, a massive snowstorm struck the mountain.

"This is no ordinary blizzard." Mia remarked as she walked through the snow storm. Suddenly, she heard wolves barking. Moments later, Sage jumped into the picture to save her.

After quickly dispatching the wolves, the bearer of the Halo armor stood before the non-fighter, protecting her from the wolves that had already stood up.

"Sage." Mia breathed in relief.

"Talpa's henchmen are here." Sage blurted out a warning.

The pack of wolves growled at them.

"Run!" Sage pulled Mia into a sprint as the wolves chased after them.

Sage barely fought off the wolves before the two halted to a stop, the wolf pack close after them.

"There are too many." Mia gasped in horror.

"That doesn't mean I can't handle them." Sage retorted as the wolves surrounded them.

Just then, a golden and comforting aura appeared from nowhere. The wolves cowered under the powerful Cosmo before their expressions changed from life-threatening to obedience. (A/N: If you're wondering how Athena's aura got there, remember she was praying in the previous episode.)

"Athena..." Sage gasped, sensing the very familiar aura.

Cale smirked as he watched from afar. Raising his sword, he struck down on the snow-covered ground, slicing the snow into two and causing a snow slide.

"Avalanche!" Sage snapped, pulling Mia to safety as the snow slide came thundering down on them.

"Seems like we're being followed after all." Sage remarked. "I suppose you're not heading back."

"Of course not." Mia retorted. "Let's find where Kento is."

Sage of the Halo, I'm impressed that you avoided that avalanche. Cale smirked. You'll die by my hand, but only after you lead me to Hardrock.


"Do you think Kento is in this rock?" Sage asked, once they arrived in front of a huge stone surrounded by ofudas.

"Yes." Mia replied. "When I was checking on local legends, this was the only place that seemed like the 'Throne of Gods'."

"You're probably right about that." Sage agreed.

"Kento's lying dormant in here, protected by the gods." Mia commented.

"And then there's Talpa who has no fear of these gods." Sage added.

Cale's evil laughter was heard and the pair turned to the Warlord of Corruption.

"Halo," Cale pointed his clawed hand at the pair. "Now I know where Kento of Hardrock is. You can go to hell with him."

"Get back!" Sage pushed Mia out of harm's way.

"Armor of Halo, Tao Rei!" and Sage droned on his armor.

"Who does he think he is?" Cale smirked as he jumped down.

"Even with your armor, you're no match for me." he mocked.

"You're Cale, Warlord of Corruption." Sage commented.

"Halo, I've come to place the fear of darkness in you." Cale pointed out.

"We have to get to Kento." Mia remarked.

"I know." Sage told her and jumped up.

"My 'Thunderbolt Cut' will awaken Kento of Hardrock right now!" he declared, stabbing his sword into the stone, but the rock repelled his attack, causing Sage to fall back to the snowy ground.

He's not ready to use that technique yet. Mia thought in horror.

Cale laughed and unsheathed his sword, "I'll show you how a real warrior fights."

With one sweep of his sword, he flung the Warrior of Light away. Sage jumped and landed on his feet.

"Kento of Hardrock huh?" Cale mused, pressing his hand against the rock. "Guess I'll have to finish you off here."

"What?" Sage gasped as Cale drove his sword into the rock.

"Kento!" Sage exclaimed in horror.

"Look my sword is alive." Cale smirked as his blade slowly entered the rock.

"Hardrock is dead. Understand you little pests?" the Warlord laughed. "Now its time for me to finish you off."

"What?" Sage demanded as Mia cowered behind him.

Cale said nothing and jumped to attack him. Before long, the two were engaged in a sword-to-claw fight.

"Come on! Come on!" Cale taunted as Sage retreated step by step until they reached the edge of a waterfall.

"Sage! Watch out!" Mia screamed when Sage jumped to avoid Cale's attack, causing the blonde to land on the edge of the cliff. The cliff gave way and the two fell down into the water.

Cale smirked as he looked over the waterfall, "You can both die together."

"Mount Daisetsu is the garden of the gods huh?" he added. "Halo, looks like both you and Hardrock have been forsaken by your gods."


Deep inside the rock, Kento was in suspended animation.


Back with Sage and Mia, the two had fallen in a cavern behind the waterfall.

The Ancient's image appeared before them.

Sage of the Halo,listen to me carefully. Kento of Hardrock is in need of your strength. But that rock cannot be broken by force alone. Sage of the Halo, now is the time to realize your full power with the 'Thunderbolt Cut'. But to acquire it, you must achieve your full concentration. You must not allow your spirit to be distracted until then. May Athena guide you.

After that, the Ancient disappeared.

"What was that voice?" Sage wondered as he got up.

"Sage, I heard a strange voice." Mia reported as she too got up. "I'm sure we went down those waterfalls."

"The 'Thunderbolt Cut'" Sage mused. "I need to concentrate my body and spirit."

"Did you hear the same voice?" Mia inquired as Sage walked out.

Meanwhile, Cale's sword had completely entered the rock and was heading for Kento.

"There's someone watching over the Ronin Warriors." Mia noted.

"In order to save Kento, there's only the 'Thunderbolt Cut'." Sage remarked. "Of the armor of Halo."

"Mia?" he blinked when the older woman ran out.

"Sage, you have to achieve the 'Thunderbolt Cut'." Mia told him. "Cale is surely searching through these rocks. I'll distract Cale."

"It's too dangerous." Sage objected.

"What are you talking about?" Mia asked. "You should be thinking only of rescuing Kento. Sage oyu must meditate before Cale discovers you."

"Mia..." Sage muttered.

"Only you can save Kento now." Mia nodded.

"I understand." Sage replied.

"Leave it to me." Mia gave him a thumbs-up and she went out.


The Ancient appeared once more, Sage of the Halo, you must be in tuned with the 'Thunderbolt Cut'. But to acquire it, you must achieve the concentration of the highest level. You must not allow your spirit to be distracted until then.

After running up the cliff, Mia shouted into the mountains, "Warlord of Corruption, Cale. We will not be defeated. The Ronin Warriors will regroup and they will defeat Talpa, the Emperor of Doom. You will know the power of justice."

Her rant was cut short when she noticed the Ancient standing afar.

"That's..." she gasped, recognizing the staff from Chapter 2. "The staff that dispelled Talpa's hold over the city. He's the one helping Sage master the 'Thunderbolt Cut'."

"Wait, please wait!" she called out as the Ancient walked off. She ran off after him, but the Ancient disappeared from sight as if he was a ghost.

"This blizzard again." Mia gasped, stopping in her tracks as the snow storm blew again.

"This way?" she blinked as Cale appeared on top of her, before disappearing and showing himself before her. The Warlord finally showed himself behind her. With a strike of his claw, he struck Mia down.

"I heard your touching speech." Cale mocked.

"Why don't you show yourself?" Mia demanded.

Then she turned as Cale appeared behind her, stunned when he placed his claw at her throat.

"Did you do this to distract me from Halo?" the Warlord asked.


What is this disturbing feeling I am getting? Sage frowned.


Mia screamed as she was dropped from the top of the waterfall, hanging by a rope.


What? Sage thought, a vision of Mia almost drowning by the waterfall entered his head. Mia...

"I know you're hiding somewhere." Cale called out. "Come show yourself."

"No Sage!" Mia screamed. "Just think of saving Kento."

"Hardrock should be almost dead now." Cale smirked, looking back at the rock Kento was sleeping in.

"Halo, show yourself!" he shouted at the waterfall.

"I'm all right!" Mia tried to assure the Warrior of Light. "Just think of Kento and the others."

"My dear fellow..." Cale hissed, showing his claw. "Sage of Halo. I've had enough."

Raising his claw, he summoned the darkness.

"The darkness should come to you!" he declared, summoning the cold winds, freezing the waterfall, with Mia inside it.


"That's enough!" Sage called, his kanji appearing on his forehead. "I'm not going to let her die."

That said, he cut through the frozen waterfall with his light ray and bursting Mia out.

"What?" Cale turned to see Sage carrying Mia over his shoulder, his sword glowing a green light.

"This light..." Sage blinked at the sparkles of light that emitted from his blade. "There's light within this darkness."

"My sword shines and is being reflected about." he noted, after landed on a ledge.

"So, you finally show up." Cale sneered. "I'll take your life this time."

Another sword-to-claw battle ensued but this time, Sage had the upper hand. Cale was blasted off by Sage's light.

"Thunderbolt Cut!" the bearer of Halo unleashed his upgraded attack, not on Cale, but on the rock Kento was sleeping in.

"Wake up Kento! He shouted, thrusting his shining blade into the stone. The light reached the asleep Kento and the fourth Ronin Warrior awoke.

"Your resurrection of Hardrock failed." Cale laughed, jumping onto the spilt that Sage created. "But you'll meet again in the land of the dead."

Just then, the rock trembled.

"This can't be..." Cale gasped in realization.

"What?" he exclaimed, jumping up as orange light emerged from the crack and his sword returned to the Warlord's hand.

Kento let out a loud cry as he climbed out of the rock, the said stone splintered into smithereens.

Cale was blown away by the blast.

"Kento." Sage smiled in relief as the fourth Ronin Warrior emerged from the light.

"That was pretty wild." Kento smirked.

"I'll be more careful next time." Sage joked.

"A little more gentle please." Kento kidded.


SailorStar9: Wee, Kento's revived. Rowen's the last one. Read and review.