Chapter 16
Enter the Corrupted World
Danzo stepped into the portal with Team Crimson and hurried through the corridors of the castle. Together they returned to the room where Danzo confronted his brother in the Nero Demando armor. They had managed to clear the first painting and returned to the real world, only to enter the other painting where they saw the mirror Danzo saw. It was now responding to the Elixir in Danzo's pocket, and its reflection is growing eerier by the minute.
"Wait here, I'll be back," he said, and stepped through the mirror.
Danzo felt like Alice in Wonderland, as he searched through this strange dimension. At last he found the Philosopher's Stone and took it with him. Several Youma emerged to attack him, but Danzo was prepared as he cut them all down with careful timing. But as Danzo returned from the Mirror world, his friends were relieved to see him again.
"I've got the two items that will serve as the key to the Youma Realm," he said.
Homura and Team Crimson all smiled happily at him. They knew that it was time to stop the Youma invasion before it ever happened.
"We should hurry, Madara's getting restless," Yomi warned them.
The others nodded in agreement, and returned to the cathedral of the castle. When they arrived the surge of evil was reacting to the power of the Elixir. It was starting to activate. Everyone landed in a crouch and rose up to their feet, slowly. There was the portal to the Youma Realm, now wide open for everyone to enter or exit at will. When they saw the portal, Danzo looked at it carefully.
"This is it! The gate to the Youma realm!" he called.
Team Crimson gripped their hands together, and soon prepared for the jump into the Youma Realm, after Danzo placed the Philosopher's Stone into the key slot. The gate was now opened, and the six friends plunged into the point of no return.
Far off on Shinobi Island, Lord Hanzo stood silently looking into the distance. He saw dark storm clouds gathering above the ocean beyond.
"Dear Kagura, what's happening?" he asked himself.
He could see that the person his granddaughter Asuka mentioned would be fighting a brutal battle with Madara himself. A-no-holds-barred, winner-take-all contest with no handicaps whatsoever. All Hanzo could do was to head to the Mikagura Shrine, to be with his wife Sayuri.