SailorStar9: With Chapter 21 uploaded, this is Chapter 22 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 22: Whiteblaze's Sacrifice


Later that evening...

Ryo, Yuli and Mia watched as Athena used her Cosmo to heal Whiteblaze.

"I'm so sorry, Whiteblaze." Ryo muttered. "It was because I was careless in choosing my battles. I'll be sure to avenge this." he promised.


Outside, by the lake...

"Saber-stryke will certainly be back." Rowen reasoned. "He wants to take the white armor, after all."

"On the other hand, we want to take those swords he has." Cye pointed out.

"If you can't fight with his sword, we're not to do well in terms of armor." Kento noted.

"If we could use the power of the white armor, we would be able to defeat Saber-stryke." Sage remarked.

"Fighting to take Saber-stryke's swords is really the easy part." Rowen corrected. "Ryo's pretty distraught over Whiteblaze. If he lets his emotions take over, he doesn't have a chance. The white armor is our only ace. If we're careless, we might even lose the white armor to him."

"It may be tough for Ryo, but he'll have to put his emotions aside." Cye agreed.

"At least until we can take those swords, while we do what we can to protect the armor." Rowen stated.


"What's up, Rowen?" Ryo asked, the Warrior of Strata entering the cabin. "You look intense."

"Ryo," Rowen started. "I want you to leave the matter of the swords to us. He's not the type of opponent that we can beat without a plan. I understand how you feel about what happened to Whiteblaze, but we all feel the same. Ryo, I want you to set aside your emotions, for your sake."

"Rowen," Ryo pushed the youngest Ronin Warrior aside and ran out.

"Ryo, where are you going?" Rowen gasped.

"Leave him be." Athena spoke, still concentrating on Whiteblaze's wound. "This is a mental hurdle he himself must overcome."


That night...

The still healing Whiteblaze was called out to battle by Blackblaze's challenging roar.

Both tigers meeting on opposite sides of the ridge, they jumped at each other, taking the fight to the ground.

Blackblaze pounced on Whiteblaze, both tigers rolling off the side of the cliff onto the road.

Whiteblaze then jumped on Blackblaze, both tigers meeting in mid-air where Whiteblaze pulled out one of the Swords of Fervor with his mouth.

Blackblaze retaliated by swiping Whiteblaze off with his paw to the other tiger's neck.

"Whiteblaze!" Ryo, having discovered Whiteblaze had left the room, went after the white tiger. "You didn't..." he gasped, seeing the single blade in Whiteblaze's mouth. "You got me one of the swords." he took the sword from Whiteblaze. "That looks bad." he realized, spotting the dripping blood on the road. "Whiteblaze!" he gaped when the tiger fell to his side. "You big dummy." he hugged the injured tiger. "I'm sorry. I'll make you pay."

"Wildfire." Saber-stryke stated. "We each have a Sword of Fervor. Now we have an evenly matched fight. But these weapons don't like being separated. If you want to avenge your tiger, you will have to defeat me and take this other sword."

"Whiteblaze, I won't let your sacrifice be in vain." Ryo promised. "Armor of Wildfire!" he donned on his armor.

"Ryo!" Rowen called out, leading the other armored-up Ronin Warriors to the scene.

"We've come to back you up, Ryo." Sage informed.

"This is my fight." Ryo insisted. "Stay out of it."

"You sure that's the right move?" Saber-stryke questioned. "You think you can beat me alone?"

"Whiteblaze!" the other Ronin Warriors were alerted by Yuli's worried exclaim.

"He's so badly hurt." Mai gasped, the two non-combatants moving aside to let Athena invoke her healing prowess on the white tiger.

"I can't just watch." Kento growled, the four Ronin Warriors seeing their de facto leader being pummeled like a rag-doll "At this rate, he's..."

"Wildfire, sorry, but you will not be able to defeat me now." Saber-stryke stated plainly. "Take my blow and die." he charged up his Sword of Fervor. "Winged Angel of Death!" he released his tornado of energy.

Realizing that their leader was in trouble, the four Ronin Warriors willed their armors' powers to Ryo, allowing to don the Armor of Inferno.

"Had enough?" Saber-stryke landed on the ground, the out-surge of energy nullified his attack.

"Let's fight, Saber-stryke." Ryo stood in his new armor. "I'll show you the ballistic power of this armor."

"I've waited for this, white armor." Saber-stryke readied for the next face-off.

"Ultra-Ballistic Flare Up Now!" Ryo released his attack.

"Winged Angel of Death!" Saber-stryke, too, fired his attack. "The swords have chosen you." he admitted, Ryo having claimed both Swords of Fervor, before he collapsed face-first on the ground. "Blackblaze," he addressed the armored black tiger "I am not your master anymore. It is now with that boy with the armor. I'm sure he will realize my wish. I hope you understand. I'm leaving Athena to you." with that, he breathed his last and vanished.

Blackblaze roared and reignited Whiteblaze's life-force with his own.


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