SailorStar9: With Chapter 20 uploaded, this is Chapter 21 of this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.
Disclaimers: Nothing here are mine, well, except the plot.
Chapter 21: Saber-Stryke's Deadly Challenge
Later that night...
"Your sword sure took a beating." Kento gawked, Mai's scans revealed the battered form of the Swords of Wildfire."
"It's the ballistic power." Mia explained.
"We didn't expect this." Rowen admitted.
"So, what does this mean?" Sage inquired. "Can Ryo still use his sword, or not?"
"Well..." Mia started.
"Just say it, Mia." Ryo insisted.
"If you continue to fight in your armor like this, the Swords of Wildfire will eventually fail you." Mai answered.
"Fail?" Kento echoed.
"It was with me when I first fought a Soldier of Doom." Ryo recalled. "And when I rescued Rowen from space. And when we charged into Talpa's castle. The sword battled with me all the way. To think that... to think that I can't use it anymore. Why?"
"Ryo, that sword struck down Talpa." Sage reminded. "As long as demons exist, that sword will serve us."
"Ryo, I'm sure we can find a way for you to master the white armor." Rowen assured.
"I'm sorry." Ryo whispered. "It's just..."
"The Armor of Wildfire and the sword are one." Athena spoke. "The armor has gotten stronger, but the swords remain the same."
"I get it." Rowen realized what the Goddess of Wisdom was implying. "There has to be a sword that's suited to the white armor."
"Yes." Mia agreed. "There's got to be. I'll check my grandfather's data once again."
"You think there's really a sword like that?" Kento wondered.
"You shouldn't be doubtful, considering Mia's looking so hard." Yuli chided.
"Isn't that it?" Cye voiced, Mia having sent Yuli to bed. "Mia, could you go back a bit?"
"That looks like it." Mia back-stepped. "I'll access it with the keyword. This is it." she pulled out a picture of the Swords of Fervor.
"That double-edged sword could be suited to Ryo." Sage agreed.
"It's call the Swords of Fervor." Mia read off the notes. "Possessing a tremendous spirit, this swords is known for its fury. In the end, it is sealed away deep in a chasm at Aokigahara, and protected by a powerful spiritual barrier."
"Protected by a spiritual barrier?" Sage blinked. "This Sword of Fervor sure sounds hopeful."
"That would be good." Ryo concurred.
"Ryo, I'm sure of this." Mia insisted.
"All right." Rowen decided. "Let's head to Aokigahara tomorrow."
Just then, Whiteblaze growled when he sensed Blackblaze's presence, the black tiger was perched on the open window.
"Whiteblaze!" Athena gaped, ducking as the white tiger pounced to the balcony to engage the black tiger.
"Get down!" Sage warned, the two beasts taking the fight indoors.
"We'll split up and trap him." Ryo shot off after Whiteblaze, the two tigers running through the mansion, before resuming their fight on the roof.
"What the hell's with this black tiger?" Ryo wondered, having followed the two warring tigers to the roof with Sage and Kento.
"That's no ordinary tiger." Sage realized.
"Whiteblaze!" Ryo warned, the two battling tigers were now fighting on ground-level.
"Don't push it, Whiteblaze." Kento cautioned, the three teens jumping from the roof.
"This tiger was sent from the netherworld." Ryo realized, recognizing the aura Blackblaze emitted.
"Return to your master." Athena instructed Blackblaze, her Holy Cosmo easily counteracting Blackblaze's aura.
With a deep growl in acknowledgment, Blackblaze vanished in a trail of purple smoke.
The next morning...
"We'll enter the forest in about two kilometers." Rowen instructed, playing navigator. "Just drive straight there."
"We've been fighting a lot lately." Kento noted.
"That's how enticing it is." Cye reasoned. "That white armor."
"Those demons of the netherworld will surely close in on us." Sage stated. "What's wrong?" he spotted Athena's slight frown, the Goddess having picked up on Saber-Stryke's presence.
"Nothing," the younger girl replied. "I just had a feeling we were being watched."
"I hope we're going the right way." Sage noted, the group was now trekking up a slope, with Rowen bringing up the rear.
"Don't worry." Rowen assured. "Just up ahead."
"Well..." Mia stopped in her tracks. "It's near here. The shadow in the late afternoon."
"See anything, Kento?" Ryo asked, the Warrior of Hardrock having taken to the trees earlier to get a better vantage look.
"Lots of trees from what I can see." Kento peered from a high branch. "I don't see anything. Look at the shadow of this tree." he then spotted the shadow of the tree he was standing on.
"You guys, come quickly!" Yuli hurried over to the crevice on the ground. "It's really deep."
"What's that light?" Cye's eyes immediately centered on the pair of blades stuck in the earth, surrounded by a triangular energy barrier.
"That's it." Ryo gasped.
"Let's go north and check it out." Rowen nodded.
"Swords." Yuli gaped as the group climbed down. "I see two swords."
"These are the Swords of Fervor that go with the white armor?" Ryo was the first to reach the bottom.
"They look the same as the ones on the computer." Mia remarked.
"We'll have to do something about that shield." Sage pointed out.
"I'll see how powerful it is." Kento lifted up a boulder and tossing it at the barrier.
"It's guarded by tremendous energy." Cye winced, the rock was destroyed by the forcefield.
"We should armor up and blast through it." Kento suggested.
"Wait." Rowen objected. "We don't go with brute force."
"Then, how do we get it?" Kento wondered.
The group then blinked in muted awe as Athena tamed the crackling energy with her Cosmo, the Nike Staff she wielded in her right hand was pointed at the energy barrier, before the shield defused as the energy supporting it was nullified.
On cue, Ryo leapt over the stone holding the swords in place and pulled the blades free.
"What's the matter, Ryo?" Kento blinked, confused by their leader's lack of response.
"These swords..." Ryo hissed. "These swords possess no power. These swords are..." he stabbed the replicas on the ground in frustration.
"Fakes." Sage breathed as the swords shattered.
"Looks like you've wasted your time." Saber-stryke mocked, appearing in front of the group with Blackblaze. "The group who defeated Talpa."
"Who are you?" Ryo demanded.
"A swordsman from the netherworld." Saber-stryke answered. "Saber-stryke. I hereby challenge you." he drew the Swords of Fervor from Blackblaze's back. "These are the Swords of Fervor. The swords you have are copies of the Swords of Fervor that I created with my power. If you can defeat me, I will graciously hand over these swords."
"All right." Kento glared. "We accept your challenge. Armor of Hardrock!"
Taking Kento's cue, the other four Ronin Warriors donned on their armor.
"Watch that sword." Sage warned, taking on Saber-stryke.
"See the power of the swords as they shine in my hands." Saber-stryke declared. Ejecting energy from both blades, he reduced the cave to rubble. "Why don' you draw your swords, Wildfire?" he questioned.
"Damn it." Ryo cursed, resting a hand on one of his swords' hilts.
Meanwhile, Whiteblaze was once again fighting Blackblaze.
"Come at me, Saber-stryke." left with no choice, Ryo drew his swords.
"I will take the white armor in order to defeat my enemy Talpa." Saber-stryke announced.
"Are you saying Talpa's alive?" Ryo questioned.
"After the humiliation of the wound to my chest, I have the right to defeat Talpa." Saber-stryke insisted.
"No, Ryo." Mia protested. "You can't use your sword anymore."
Athena's energy barrier deflected the black lightning Blackblaze shot at the non-combatants.
"Don't underestimate our power." Kento retorted, Whiteblaze knocking Blackblaze off.
"Power of the armor, go to Ryo." Rowen took the charge, the four Ronin Warriors willed their power to Ryo.
Expelling the Wildfire armor, the Armor of Inferno attached itself to Ryo.
"So, that's the white armor that defeated Talpa." Saber-stryke noted.
"I'll show you the force of the Ultra-Ballistic power." Ryo readied his attack stance.
"I will stand up to your attack." Saber-stryke was confident in being able to repel the attack.
"Flare Up Now!" Ryo released his attack, only to have his blades shattered by the attack. "It couldn't handle it." the Wildfire Warrior gasped.
"The white armor shall be mine." Saber-stryke bore down on Ryo, the Swords of Fervor raised.
Whiteblaze jumped in, taking the attack, one of the swords slicing his side.
"The white tiger is a match for my Blackblaze." Saber-stryke admitted. "I shall leave you for now." he re-sheathed both swords. "To honor the courage of your tiger. But Wildfire, I will not show such mercy again." laughing, he vanished with Blackblaze, just as Whiteblaze collapsed from his gaping wound.
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.
