Chapter 19

Old Masters

I followed the girl feebly as I helped Yoshimori stand and vice versa. She looked back at me and smiled, her long purple hair flowing behind her as she lead us through the battlefield forest. She spun around her long sniper rifle around in the air, so quickly it was only a blur. Bullets would fly out of the blur and hit the nearby, enemy ayakashi dead between the eyes.

"We are almost to safety sweeties." Derra said. She turned to us and she pointed the gun back.

"Oh, my dear. I thought you were dead. You shouldn't really lie about such important things." A man said, looking down as he approached.

Derra smirked, "You guardians all had the stupid habit of fighting your enemies one at a time, but you're the one I wouldn't have expected to be that stupid."

"Oh, death brings about wisdom. It also brings sadness. If you have known Lacrimosa, you would have known." The man said, still shrouded in darkness.

"We…. Need to get away." I managed to choke out. Yoshimori shook his head.

"There are people fighting for our safety, the least we can do is stay and help…" Yoshimori said, wiping away the blood from his mouth. I looked at him worriedly and he gave me a reassuring smile.

"Everything will be fine." Yoshimori said.

"No it won't, the look you gave me was the one my father gave me before he offered me to the devil." I said.

"Don't worry, Sen. We'll get out of this, and we can have as many cakes as we want after." Yoshimori said.

"Really, really, cakes…. You're talking about cakes. Pitiful humans, always thinking that they can do whatever they want!" the figure shouted. The trees suddenly started crumpling up into shrunken masses of bark. The leaves floating through the air incinerated and turned to ash on the ground. The sky became an eerie purple….

"You always had a temper, Cereza-Sempai." Derra said. The shadows faded and Cereza-Torina stood in the moonlight, fuming at Derra.

"Pitiful, pitiful humans! Why do you protect them, we are so much better than them!" Cereza shouted.

Derra shrugged, "Cuz they needed our help to fight you." Cereza glared at Derra.

"No matter, even if the boy is half ayakashi, or if the other is a kekkaishi, they aren't deserving of a guardian's assistance." Cereza said, stepping forward slowly.

Derra turned the sniper rifle into a hand cannon gun with dual barrels and pointed it at Cereza.

"Ex-Guardian, don't you remember? I was 'killed'."" Derra said.

Suddenly the forest went silent, other than the battling ayakashi around us.

I heard a loud crash beside me and immediately tried to help Yoshimori stand. Gen had collapsed as well. I stood up, barely keeping myself standing. I heard gunshots break the eerie silence and I fell to the ground. I held my shoulder, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Be careful now Derra, you don't want to hurt the people you're protecting." Cereza said, smirking. Derra turned and her eyes widened.

"Kitty! I hurt you! Oh, no… um… I don't have healing abilities!" Derra panicked. I rolled my eyes.

"Don't shoot her again; she just puts up a shield that sends them ricocheting away." I said. Derra nodded and drew the other weapon on her back. She spun them in the air and they transformed into large, ornate claymores. She dashed forward, swinging down one of the blades with a single hand.

Cereza stood there as the shield absorbed the blow. Suddenly, the shield imploded, sending Derra flying into a tree. Derra stumbled to her feet.

"You should have continued your training under Tsurosa; you surely would have been strong enough to defeat me then." Cereza-Torina said. Derra smirked.

"I wasn't trying to defeat you, just plotting as usual." Derra said. Cereza scoffed.

"Pitiful excuse." She said, and she began walking forward slowly again. Suddenly, I saw the gleam of a trip wire before Cereza's feet crack in half and I immediately covered Yoshimori with my body. A large explosion went off behind me and I braced for the burning.

"You really think I'd let you burn kitty?" Derra said, standing in front of the flames, absorbing the flames into her body.

"Having control of fire naturally makes you fireproof." She said, smiling. I sighed and sat down next to Yoshimori, ready to protect him at the cost of my life.

The area suddenly shook and a large force field pushed away the fire. Cereza stood angrily in the center of the burned carnage, angrily glaring at Derra.

"Imbecile! You've assured your downfall!" She shouted. Just as she dashed forward, a large icicle rose from the ground and hit her away. Cereza flew into a tree and stumbled out of the debris.

"I apologize for being late; the ayakashi pets were a bit uncomfortable coming with." A girl with short cut white hair said. She looked back at me and gave me a smile, sweet smile. Her eyes were like snow, they made everything seem like it wasn't trying to kill me. The only eyes that are better are Yoshimori's.

She turned around, her oversized striped sleeves flying around as she spun around.

"You forgiven for being late, you did manage to come with perfect timing, like always Amara." Derra said, greeting her companion.

"Of course, what kind of ayakashi would I be if I couldn't do at least that for my friends?" Amara said. Her outfit is so childish it's hard to take her seriously. Blue and purple striped jacket with yellow shorts with overall straps; purple and blue striped stockings too.

"Of course, you watch too much anime Amara." Derra said.

"Of course but I can't say anything about them or this would have to be a crossover…." Amara said, "But I will say this, I am one hell of an Ice Queen!"

"Ugh..." Derra sighed. Amara smiled and shot a beam of ice at Cereza without looking. Cereza froze solid expect for her head. Amara skipped over merrily to the frozen opponent.

She smiled at Cereza.

"You know, I never like you. Enjoy dying again." Amara said with a smile as the ice collapsed and crushed Cereza into a bloody pull.

"You three are sure a varied group…" I remarked. "The transgender, flamboyant, fire controlling sharpshooter; the lazy, but strong and easily-angered, chainsaw wielder; and the anime otaku sadistic Ice Queen." I finished.

They smiled at me, "Of course, but I don't know if Emerix has finished clearing a way yet. The lesser ayakashi seem to be cleared, but I realize he would be in trouble if he runs into one of the guardians or revived ones." Derra said.

"Revived ones? Am I revived? I didn't know I died…" I turned and saw a lady in a dark black dress standing in our path. Her dark hair fell gently onto her shoulders as she smiled at us, as if expecting an answer to her question.

"You did die… and it was my fault." I turned and saw Linzang and Leo catching up to us. "I was ordered to kill you if I wanted to see my lover again."

"I don't understand the concept of… love, but I do have an important question for you all. Do you want to make a deal with a demon?" She asked kindly. Now I remember who this is, it's Lady Kagami…. The assistant teacher.

"No…" Derra said, I saw her mumble to herself. A Demon? One of the few things strong enough to combat guardian level ayakashi….

"Well then, I have no choice but to follow the orders of my master." Kagami said, walking forward gracefully.

"Until I have collected his soul, I am not allowed to stray from this from very far. That puts me as a disadvantage. But I could still easily destroy you small fry without much effort." Kagami said.

"A demon…" Amara said…

"Don't say it, she's not even a butler…" Derra said. Amara nodded.

"But it would have been a perfect time too…" Amara complained.

I managed to move Gen and Yoshimori out of the way and sit underneath the protection of a thick, burn free tree. I watched the fight from behind it, hoping we wouldn't get involved.

"Gen!" I heard two voices shout out simultaneously. I turned and saw a site for sore eyes.

"Hiba…. Atora…"

A/N does anyone know which anime Amara is referencing. Just for fun, she will reference a different Anime in each chapter after her appearance, this chapter. Cookies for those who can name it without looking at other peoples answers.

Hope you enjoyed,

Anonymous Anime Fan