Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Requiem of Summer ❯ Chapter Twenty ( Chapter 20 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Heavy rain poured on the streets of Tokyo. Lightning flashed every second. Screams of panic and cries of fear echoed throughout the night. Rapid, heavy footsteps could be heard as the people tried to get away from the destruction. A soldier grabbed a woman by the throat. She struggled helplessly against the strong hold he had on her, eyes wide with panic. With one swift movement, a blade sliced through the armor, cutting the soldier in half. A putrid odor smelling of human flesh filled her nostrils as smoke rose from the defeated soldier. The woman looked to her right and saw Cale, clad in his armor, holding his sword in his hand. Instead of feeling gratitude, she was more scared than she was before. The armor that the man had on wasn’t any better than the soldier’s.

Cale looked at the woman and noticed the fear that was still present on her features. He sighed and put away his sword. “I’m not here to hurt you,” he reassured her. “Are you hurt?” The woman didn’t say anything but shook her head. “Good. You need to get out of here.” He didn’t have to tell her twice. She ran in the opposite direction before anything else appeared.

“Smooth. Real smooth,” Sekhmet said sarcastically. “You never were any good with the ladies, were you?”

Cale glared at his comrade. “Now is not the time to make jokes,” he said in a hard voice. “Were you able to take care of your section of the city?”

The Warlord of Venom let out a laugh. “Who do you take me for? Of course I did. Those weaklings were no match for my venomous attack.”

The ground shook violently underneath the men’s feet. The pair looked over and saw chains clinging to the surrounding buildings. They raced through the city, their speed too quick for the human eye to notice. After zigzagging through the debris, they found Kayura standing in the center of littered Dynasty armor. The chains and scythe retracted. It was the first time she used the armor’s attack. She was pleased that things went as well as they did.

“I am assuming that your areas are well taken care of,” she asked as she looked at the two men. “Were there a lot of them?” She had to make sure things went as planned.

“Everything is good on my end,” Dais said, emerging from the darkness. “Unfortunately, a child got sight of me killing one of the soldiers. I had to use my illusions to create a peaceful image to calm him.”

Kayura nodded. “We can’t do much here. We need to assist the Ronins if we want to keep the peace here.” She raised the Ancient staff and created the portal that led to their world. One by one they entered the cyclone and got sucked up by the force. “Be on your guard! I’m sure the place has changed since we last saw it!”

Sekhmet covered his mouth with his hands. He never really got used to traveling by portal. It was making his insides turn in an unpleasant way. They finally saw the end and landed on their feet. Horrible memories struck them as they stared at the dark castle before them. Kayura swallowed hard, remembering the horrible ordeal she went through. Being brainwashed by Talpa left a bad taste in her mouth.

She waved her hand and led the others to the castle gates. Luckily she remembered a certain area that had a small hole in the wall. No one said a word as they followed the dark-haired warrior. Once they managed to get in, they breathed a sigh of relief. The area, dismal and bleak, hadn’t changed since they left. To the right, there were soldiers standing at attention by the castle walls.

“And to think we were one of them at one point,” Cale whispered in disgust. “Mere puppets to be played with and then tossed aside as trash.”

“This is true, but we all have seen the light,” Kayura said softly. “We bettered ourselves and now we are here to do what is right.”

Sekhmet wouldn’t go as far as to say he bettered himself. The Warrior of Venom was still the least sane out of the bunch.

Dias placed a hand on Kayura’s armored shoulder. The woman looked up at the silver-haired warrior in question. “There is an opening over there,” he said in her ear. He pointed his finger over by the furthest wall. Only two soldiers could be seen: an easy thing to get rid of.

Kayura motioned Cale over to her and explained the situation. The blue-haired man was quick on his feet and sliced both soldiers in half, not giving them any time to make a noise. Somewhat satisfied with his work, he waved his hand over to his comrades, indicating that the coast was clear. They all hurried through a small door and into the castle. The unpleasant atmosphere made Kayura uneasy. She once walked down these halls as a servant of the Dynasty. Sekhmet nudged her, snapping her out of her stupor. She glanced at the snake-eyed man, who pointed down the hall.

“I sense movement,” Sekhmet said simply. “Do you think we should check it out?”

“No. It could be one of the subordinates,” Dais answered. He looked annoyed for some reason. Maybe it was because he knew that Sekhmet knew better. “We need to stay hidden until we find the Ronins.”

The Warrior of Venom sighed in agitation. “You are really starting to annoy me, Dais. Always trying to please Kayura here.”

Kayura didn’t see it, but Dais’ cheeks flushed with color. His eyes narrowed at the green-haired man next to him, who had a smug look on his face. “I’m here to serve the last of the Ancient. That is all.” His tone was hard and cold.

“It is true,” Kayura chimed in. “He has been a great help maintaining the peace.” She smiled at him, but her smile disappeared when she heard whispering and low groaning.

Cale narrowed his eyes to get a better look down the darkened hall. Thanks to his armor, he could see in the dark better than the others. Two figures were coming their way. One was holding the other up for support. A loud crashing noise echoed throughout the hall, making the figures go into a different room to the left.

Curious as to what was going on, Cale sprinted to the other side of the hall and peeked into the room. It was a large library. One girl had black hair that was just past her shoulder. From the looks of it, she was badly hurt. She leaned her body forward as she sat on the carpeted floor. The girl next to her had brown hair that was just a little bit longer than her friend’s, and her yellow shirt was stained with blood. They looked like normal humans. Her friend was struggling to speak; a pained expression was clearly on her face.

The staff of the Ancient started to glow as Kayura also peeked inside the room. She couldn’t prevent her gasp fast enough when she saw the two women. The two of them stopped what they were doing and looked over at the Warlords. With their nerves on end, they just sat where they were. They couldn’t move even if they wanted to.

“W… what do… we do, Hana?” The brunette stammered. The intense fear she was experiencing was getting in the way of her speech.

The Warlord of Venom’s ears perked up when he heard the name. He stepped forth into the room, causing the brunette to shake even more. “Are you Hana? Cye of the Torrent’s girl?” he asked in a low voice.

Everyone looked at him puzzled and then back at the two women.

Hearing Cye’s name made Hana look at the strange warrior. The burning pains in her arms were intensifying to the point that they started to shake. “And what if I am?” she asked through clenched teeth. She was in no state to battle if the situation turned for the worst, but at the same time she was tired and irritated.

Relief washed over Kayura as she, too, stepped into the room. That was why the staff reacted the way it did. She ushered everyone in and closed the door to the library.

“We are allies of your friends,” she said in a serene voice. “We have come to rescue you.” Kayura’s blue eyes wandered over to the red patches on Hana’s shoulders and arms. “You are hurt. Sekhmet, can you help her?”

Sekhmet was taken aback by the question. He was never really asked to help someone in need. He took out one of his six swords and looked at the dark-haired woman who was panting on the floor. “My venom can heal her, yes.”

Natsumi’s eyes flew open at the word “venom.” She got to her feet with shaky legs and stood over her friend protectively. “N… no. I won’t let you near her.”

“You dare challenge me?” Sekhmet demanded as he stepped closer. “Watch what you say, girl.” A hard slap hit him in the back of the head. He turned his head and glared at the attacker. Dais was eyeing him very carefully.

“If… you touch her… I’ll make… your life hell,” Hana panted.

Kayura knelt down in front of Hana. The woman’s face was cherry-red and sweat was dripping from her forehead. The red patches on her arms started to spread to her chest. “You don’t need to worry. Let him tend to your wounds, then we’ll explain everything,” she said gently. Hearing the angelic tone in the younger woman’s voice made Hana’s nerves settle. She nodded her head in understanding.

“W… wait,” Natsumi stammered. She looked at Hana. “How do we know if we can trust them? For all we know, they could poison us and take us to that evil man.” A chuckle emanated from deep within Kayura’s throat, which made Natsumi’s anxiety even worse. “What’s so funny?”

A smile graced Kayura’s lips as she looked at Natsumi. The deep blue pools of her eyes made the brunette relax a bit. The younger woman who was holding the golden staff gave off a warm aurora, something Natsumi hadn’t felt in a long time.

“You are a smart girl,” Kayura commented as she made her way to the Warlord of Venom. She held out her armored hands, cupping them underneath the tip of the sword. Yellow liquid slowly dripped into her open palms, creating a small puddle. “But as I said before, we mean you no harm.” Gracefully, she made her way back to Hana. She slowly knelt down and held out her hands, containing the liquid. “Please. It’ll help you.”

Hana glanced one last time at the girl in front of her, noticing a pleading look in her eyes. She then looked up at the other warriors, who all nodded their heads in agreement. Taking in a deep breath, she allowed Kayura to pour the substance into her mouth. Her eyes closed tightly, the bitterness of the venom making it hard to swallow. And yet, just like the woman had said, the burning sensation evaporated from her body, replacing it with warmth.

Natsumi’s eyes grew wide when the red patches that had marked Hana’s skin slowly started to disappear. She looked over at Sekhmet, who had a smug look on his face.

Hana let out a breath through her parted lips and looked at Kayura. A smile broke out across her chapped lips. “Thank you,” she said softly. “I feel much better.”

“I’m glad. I don’t know what I would have told Cye if you died on us,” Kayura smiled.

“Can you heal Natsumi, too? She was badly beaten,” Hana asked.

The brunette shook her head rapidly. “I’ll be okay,” she said. “It doesn’t hurt as much anymore.”

Kayura nodded in understanding. “You did what we asked. Now I’ll explain things to you both.”

It was hard recalling all the events that had passed. Kayura went on to explain how the Warlords, along with herself, became tools for Talpa, how she found out that she was the last of her clan, the people who protected the mortal world. The four of them were trying to restore the Neither Realm into a more peaceful place.

Both women listened to the story intensely. Hana looked down at her own two hands as Kayura continued. Evil always seemed to suck people into the darkness where their thoughts weren’t their own. Was it ever going to end? Or would they have to keep facing these hardships each time evil poked its head out?

“We have to find the others and my father,” Natsumi said eagerly. “That person is using my dad as a tool.” Everyone looked at the brunette. “He was awful to me. He beat me and called me useless, but he’s still my father and we can’t let him get absorbed.”

“Natsumi…” Hana looked solemnly at her friend.

“Yes. We must go,” Dais agreed. “Time is running out. We need to end this once and for all.”

Everyone nodded in unison. Cale slowly opened the door and peered down the hall. The coast was clear on either side. He motioned everyone out and together they headed down the hall.

 

Trying not to get caught didn’t quite work out for the Ronin Warriors. Each clad in their respectable armor, they fought off an army of soldiers. They managed to get past the wall to the castle’s courtyard. The enemy knew they had arrived and sent his welcoming party; one by one armors were getting slashed and smoke rose into the chilled air. Yuli, Mia, Take, and Aika were close together on the sidelines, White Blaze as their protector. Yuli rooted the men on as Aika watched the battle unfold in front of her. It terrified her knowing that they were in such a dangerous place. She took a step back and bumped into something solid. Mia turned around and noticed that one of the soldiers had managed to sneak up on them. The soldier groaned, making Aika scream. A hand reached out to grab her, but the Jewel of Life, hanging around her neck, reacted. A bright light emanated from the red jewel, making the soldier scream in agony. Smoke sizzled out of the armor, which then fell to the ground, empty. Aika looked at the jewel and then at Yuli.

“I told you it would protect you,” he grinned. “That jewel has the power to defeat the Dynasty.”

“That was with Talpa, Yuli,” Mia said worrisomely. “I don’t know if it will work on Taikoku.” She watched as Kento used his attack on a horde of soldiers. “We can only pray that it does.”

“And if it doesn’t?” Take asked, pulling his niece closer to him. “I doubt the boys can go on for much longer.”

Mia gave the older man a small smile. “They are used to this, I’m afraid.”

“Fury of Wildfire!”

Ryo’s swords lit up, destroying soldiers with his attack. He looked over at his comrades who each were dealing with their own group. The soldiers kept coming from out of nowhere. It was going to take longer to find the girls at this rate. He looked in front of him and punched one straight in the middle of its face. After slicing through five more soldiers, he stopped. He noticed a girl standing on the top of the wall.

She almost looked like Kayura, with the breast plate covering her chest. She had golden gauntlets on and two big silver metal fans in each hand. Her long pink hair danced in the breeze as she looked down at the battle. Her brows furrowed as a smirk appeared on her lips.

“Ronin Warriors!” she called out in a soprano voice. “It’s nice to see all of you together! It really warms my heart seeing such teamwork!”

Cye looked up and immediately felt rage. That same woman was back, the same woman who helped in capturing Hana and Natsumi. Kodoku met Cye’s gaze and licked her glossy pink lips.

“Who’s that?” Rowen asked as he took a step forward to get a better look. “She looks like Kayura.”

“That’s what I thought, too,” Ryo agreed. “But it’s not her. I don’t know who she is.”

“I see you are all confused,” she said as she jumped down to the ground gracefullly. “Cye knows who I am, don’t you?” Cye didn’t say a word. He swallowed the bile that rose in his throat. He knew he was no match for her attack. “Not saying a word, smart man. My name is Kodoku, servant of Lord Taikoku. I’m here for revenge, you see. One of your dear women killed my twin brother.”

“What?” Ryo asked. He knew it couldn’t have been Natsumi. It had to have been Hana.

“But that’s enough explanation. It’s time to bring you to Lord Taikoku,” Kodoku said, holding out her fans. “Watch the dance of beauty!” She leaped into the air in one swift motion. “Floral Waltz!” Pink petals surrounded her before she brought the fans downward, making the petals go toward their target.

Before Cye could warn the others, the petals hit, rendering them all motionless. Sharp shocks coursed through their bodies while the sharp edges of the petals dug into their armors. Cye cursed as he tried to pick up his head. A hard fist came into contact with his face. Kodoku threw Cye against the wall, pressing down hard against his chest with her boot. She opened one of her fans and slapped him across the face with it. The heavy metal knocked his helmet off his head. Grabbing his hair with her hand, she pulled his face closer to hers. She pulled back her fist and punched him once more. White Blaze roared angrily as he charged at her. An annoying expression was etched on her features as she took one of her fans and blew the petals toward the gigantic cat. He tried to get up, but was held down by the sharp electric shocks.

“No… White Blaze,” Yuli said as he tried to go after his feline friend. Mia placed a hand on his shoulder, preventing him from going anywhere.

Kento yelled as a petal caught his cheek, making a clean cut. “What is… this shit?!”

More laughter echoed through the area. “Soldiers! You may leave now! These men are mine,” Kodoku smirked.

“Not if I have anything to do about it!”

Everyone turned their attention to the source of the voice. Hana was standing there with Kayura and the others. She glared hard at the pink-haired woman who had Cye by the hair. Kokoku glared at Hana, blood boiling in her veins. She was the one who killed her brother.

The female warrior released Cye, not taking her eyes off Hana. “So, you are the tramp that killed my dear brother,” she said with venom in her voice.

“You mean the filthy rat? Then yes,” Hana sneered back. She knew she was no match for Kodoku and her powers. She also knew that she didn’t have armor to protect herself, but she didn’t really care. All she cared about was getting her revenge for Cye getting hurt again. Purple aurora surrounded her body as the two women faced off.

The metal fans flew open in Kodoku’s hands. “Want to dance?” Heavy wind picked up as the pink petals surrounded her.

Hana just stood there, not fazed at all. “I’m not really a dancer. Do you like birds?”

“Birds are dirty animals,” Kodoku frowned. “They leave their filth all over the place.”

“Hmm. Too bad, because the bird I was talking about never dies,” Hana said nonchalantly.

The two women stared at each other, waiting for someone to make their first move.

“Burning Phoenix Strike!”

“Floral Waltz!”

As if on cue, the two unleashed their attacks at the same time. Hana’s phoenix aimed right for its opponent while the flower petals aimed for theirs. The petals cut through Hana’s flesh while some of them rested on her body, causing waves of electricity to go through her. She screamed as she fell to her knees. Kodoku held her fans in front of her as the phoenix made contact. The metal started to melt as the attack continued on. Finally the barrier broke and the attack hit Kodoku right in the chest plate. The plate cracked and fell heavily to the ground.

“Fucking bird!” Kodoku screamed before spitting up blood.

Hana laughed weakly before collapsing to the ground. Natsumi ran toward her fallen friend. The petals finally dissolved off everyone, but the after effects were still lingering.

“My, my, what a mess we have here.” A cold voice that was wrapped with silk entered the area. Taikoku walked slowly into the yard with Jaaku and Aric by his side. He wasn’t wearing his golden robes anymore. Now he was fully clad in black armor. Sharp spikes were at attention on his shoulders. The front of the armor had a triangle symbol in the center of the chest. To his left, Aric was in a fashionable robe of silver and black. In his hand was a sword. “Kodoku, you have done well.”

“I… live to serve you, my lord,” the pink-haired warrior said, pleased with the compliment.

An evil smirk curled up at the corners of his mouth. “I’m glad to hear that, my dear, because now is the time for you to join me, physically.”

“What?” She looked on in horror as Taikoku’s long fingers stroked her pale cheek before devouring her lips in a kiss. Her body started to melt as her spirit got absorbed.

Take covered Aika’s eyes as he watched the gruesome scene of melted flesh. It was different from when his wife was being taken. He licked his lips as he felt his power increase tenfold. What a feeling it was to be back on top. He looked over at Jaaku, who only nodded, accepting his fate. His lord went over to him and repeated the process.

The Warlords looked on in horror.

“He’s getting too strong,” Kayura whispered as fear licked up her spine. What were they going to do now?

“Oh, hell no,” Sekhmet said as he stepped forward. “This dick is not going to overthrow us!” He got out his six swords and connected them to make a whip. “I’ll show you the power of the armors! Snake Fang Strike!” The attack headed straight for Taikoku, but the evil lord grabbed the attack in his hand. “What the hell?!”

“Nice try. I see there is more armor for me to take,” Taikoku grinned. “Let’s all get started then.” Black lightning sizzled from his fingertips. “You need to chill for a bit. Shadow Bind!” The black lightning shot forth, pinning the Warlords and Kayura to the wall. They each struggled, but the bind was too strong. Satisfied with his work, he looked over at Hana and Natsumi. “Say, Aric, isn’t that the woman who told your daughter to betray you?”

Aric’s wild eyes spotted Hana on the floor. “It is. I’ll have to deal with her,” he said in a monotone voice. He gripped the hilt of the sword and advanced over to the two women.

Natsumi saw her father and got to her feet, trying to fight back the fear that stabbed her in the gut. “Father! You have to stop this… please. He’s using you. He’s going to absorb you, too!”

“Again with the disobedience,” Aric said through clenched teeth. “When will you learn?!” He hit her with the butt of the sword, knocking her to the ground. “When I tell you to speak, you speak!” He kicked her hard in the stomach before advancing over to Hana.

Ryo yelled Natsumi’s name as he crawled toward the three of them. He wasn’t going to let her father get away with his actions.

“This girl is the problem. I must get rid of her.” He pointed the tip of the sword down at the girl on the ground. “No more will she be a nuisance.”

“No! Hana!” Cye cried as he tried to get up. “Leave her alone!”

“Say goodbye!” The tip drove down, but instead of hitting the main target, it struck Natsumi in the abdomen. Blood seeped through the wound as the brunette slid off the sword and onto the ground. Yells of horror came from Ryo as he cried for her to get up. Aric stared down at his bleeding daughter, eyes wide. “W… What? Why?!”

Natsumi coughed, blood spilling from the corners of her mouth. “She’s… my friend. I… had… to… protect…her…”

Tears fell down Hana’s cheeks as she dragged her body over to her friend. “No. You’ll be okay… please…” She grabbed Natsumi’s hand which was losing its warmth. “Sage can heal you. Just don’t die on me! I can’t lose another person I love!”

Natsumi only smiled before closing her eyes. Yells of distress could be heard echoing throughout the area.

Kayura looked on from where she was being bound. Please, Ancient. Don’t let this good soul leave us. I’m begging you. The staff that was lying on the floor glowed, creating a soft golden light around Natsumi’s body.

“What is this?” Aric asked as he tried to touch it. Once his fingers came in contact with the light, a shock struck him. “Why can’t I get near my daughter? Taikoku, do something.”

“I’m actually pretty good. Things are starting to get boring for me. You see, Aric, your daughter was right. I only used you because you were incredibly insane and the negative energy you produced was overflowing. I had to get my hands on it somehow. That’s why I used your daughter as bait. She was actually baited for a lot of people, but I digress. I wanted you to finish off the pesky power woman over there, but you failed to do that. I’m afraid I can’t wait any longer. The mortal world is being taken over by soldiers as we speak.” He gracefully strode over to the older man. “It’s time for me to reach my maximum power.”

He grabbed Aric’s face in his hands and sucked the life source from his body. Skin melted on the ground as a shadow surrounded the evil lord. Everyone watched in horror. The final battle was about to begin.