Chapter 17

Showdown with Nightmare

Danzo and Team Crimson had now entered the Youma Realm, and together began their search for Madara's throne room.

"You sure we'll find a way to beat Madara?" Hikage asked.

"Trust me, we will," Danzo replied with a confident smirk.

They now moved carefully through the youma realm, and Yomi saw that it looked like the inside of a living creature. The Youma didn't take kindly to trespassers, but they were all defeated by the heroes quite easily. Soon Danzo and Team Crimson found themselves inside a chamber filled with red Kanji depicting the area around them. They all looked around cautiously until they heard someone calling to him.

"What the hell?" gasped Homura.

It was Tina, and she looked like she was in trouble.

"Danzo! Help me!" she cried.

"Tina!" Shouted Danzo, and he ran towards her.

Mirai however was suspicious.

"Danzo wait! You're walking into a trap!" she called to him.

But Danzo didn't care, he had to save Tina. Team Crimson followed him towards Tina, but they were soon ensnared into the trap.

"What now!?" Mirai shouted.

"Like you said, we walked into a trap!" Danzo said to the gunslinger.

Everyone readied their weapons, and saw that the blob-like youma, called Nightmare had found them.

"Tina, stay back! We got this!" Danzo said to the other blonde.

Mirai was a bit annoyed at this, but she had to agree with Danzo. Homura set the room a light with her Crimson Mode, as she drew her Engetsuka.

"I'll keep this room lit up with my super form!" she said.

Danzo and the rest of Team Crimson had to act fast, by attacking the final core of Nightmare. They hit it with everything they got, Danzo with his swords Alduin and Sato, as well as his guns. Yomi struck out with her sword, wrist-cannons, and grenades. Mirai fired her weapons at the core as well, while Hikage and Haruka kept the black oozing goo from melting their clothes off. Homura was maintaining her Crimson form for as long as she could to keep the room lit up, but then she began to realize that Tina's acting made her believe that she was playing them for fools.

"Danzo, be careful! I think this Tina chick isn't what you think she is!" she called.

And she was right. Danzo suddenly got blasted from behind by Tina's lightning that she sent from her own fingertips. This caused Danzo to collapse to the ground. Danzo struggled to his feet, as Team Crimson rushed to his side. They now knew that Homura was right. Tina had allowed them to play right into her hands.

"You fools, You're all so easy," Tina said gloating down at them.

"Tina… you?" Danzo gasped.

"Humans… What sweets. You should know better than to trust a stranger," she cackled menacingly.

"You manipulative BITCH!" screamed Homura, as her Crimson Mode exploded.

"When we're through with this slimeball, you're next!" agreed Mirai.

"Your presence has become a hindrance to my master's bloody scheme. Now DIE!" Tina shouted, and started to laugh maniacally.

Not wanting to be struck again, Danzo and team Crimson quickly jumped out of the way of Tina's lightning attacks, and continued to focus on Nightmare. With the room lit up again, they all struck at the last core of their fore with unrelenting fury. At long last, Nightmare screamed in it's final death throes and ultimately faded away. The Kanji symbols faded around them, as Homura reverted to her regular form. Suddenly the room began to shake violently, and beams of light burst from Nightmare's dying form. Danzo and Team Crimson quickly dodged the energy blasts, but one of them struck a stone stalactite that began falling towards Tina. Danzo ran as fast as he could, and jumped at Tina, who was about to be crushed to death, sending them sprawling on the ground as the stalactite crashed behind them.

"Danzo!" the five girls cried out.

As the Dust settled around them, they saw Danzo lying on top of Tina, who was surprised to see that she had been saved by him. They saw Danzo rising up on to his feet and walk off, as Tina also stood up to wonder why she had been saved.

"Why'd he save her?" Yomi asked curiously.

Danzo brushed the dust off of his clothes and started to walk off with Team Crimson.

"Wait Danzo! Why did you save my life?" Tina asked.

Danzo slowly glanced back at her.

"Because you look like my mother," he said quietly.

Tina and Team Crimson were shocked at what they heard. They knew that from the picture Danzo kept in his office, it was his mother's face that was upon it. Mirai wanted to kill Tina for tricking them, but Homura restrained her from doing so.

"Now get out of our sight. The next time we meet, it won't be like this," he told Tina, and started walking away.

Team Crimson couldn't believe what Danzo said to Tina.

"Danzo, please. I'm sorry for-" Tina tried to say, but she was interrupted by him turning furiously at her and pointing Silver-Moon at her.

"Don't come any closer you monster!" he snapped enraged at the bewitching temptress.

Tina stopped instantly, her eyes still filled with shame.

"You may look like my mother but you're nowhere close to her! You have no soul! You have the face butt you'll never have her fire!" Danzo shouted furiously at her.

Team Crimson could see that Danzo was even more angry than before, as he lowered his gun, and stormed off to find and kill Madara. They quickly followed him so that he would not lose control of his anger again. Once they had left, Tina was feeling conflicted by what she saw, until Madara appeared behind her.

"You too have failed me, Tina. You know the rules," he said.

Danzo and Team Crimson knew they had to carry on, but they couldn't believe what happened to them, when Tina betrayed them to Madara.

"Once Madara's dead, She'll have my permission to die!" Danzo said furiously at them.

Homura was now feeling even more conflicted as she tried to tell Danzo that having a thirst for blood would make Asuka and Yumi ashamed of him.

"My mother died because of Madara, and I know why. He made Tina look like her so as to toy with my emotions! Now let's go find him, and put a stop to his plans!" Danzo said as he marched away.