Ryo woke up in a cold sweat. Looking around, he remembered that he was in Mia's house and in his bedroom. He got up and walked outside on to the balcony. He sees a shadow amongst the trees. Feeling a negative energy from the shadow, Ryo transforms into his subarmor.
"Who are you and what do you want?" Ryo shouted alarming the other Ronins down stairs.
"My name is Gyaku and I will not let you get away with murder."
"Murder?" Ryo said puzzled
"Yes, you killed Emperor Talpa. That crime must not go unpunished. Dark Star Poison Strike!"
Ryo smash into a tree; a limb from the tree went straight through his right side. He pushed himself off the limb and fell to the ground wincing in pain. He stood up, to see another attack waiting for him. Ryo hit the ground for the second time.
"Ryo!" they said as they ran up there to help their friend.
"He will die rather or not you interfere with my planes." Gyaku left with these final words, "He will die."
"Ryo, Ryo are you ok?" Rowan said with a concerned look of despair.
Ryo looks up at them; their image becomes blurry and fainted out.
"Come on, we need to get him inside quickly." Rowan said with concern.
"What happen to Ryo, Sage?"
"He was hit by an energy blast and apparently more than once."
"How bad is he, Mia?" Kento looked at her with a look of desperation.
"Lets get him upstairs so I can see how bad he is."
An hour later Mia came out of his room with a look that left the guys dreading what she would say. She was trembling so bad that it was noticeable and you could hear fear and doubt in her voice when she spoke.
"He has been poisoned by the attack. He has also lost a lot of blood from the wound on his side. If, if he makes it through the night then he might live."
She fell to the ground crying. Cye and Kento took Mia downstairs and Sage stood by the door. Rowan went inside to see Ryo.
"Ryo, I'm so sorry that I was not there to protect you." Rowan said with sorrow as he sat down on Ryo's bed.
"It's ok; I didn't want you guys to get hurt. You know that there is only one way to get rid of this poison, right. We need to go to the volcano where my armor receives its power." Ryo said very weakly.
"How will it affect you?" Rowan asked with a hint of anxiety behind it.
"Rowan, it would not hurt to try what I am asking of you. Please don't make me beg you to take me there." Ryo pleaded with his friend.
"I'll talk it over with the guys and get their opinion on this." Rowan said as he got up from the bed and started walking towards the door.
"We don't have time, Rowan!" Ryo said as he fell unconscious.
"I need the others to back you up on this, not just me." Rowan said with a tinge of shame behind his words.