Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Requiem of Summer ❯ Chapter Twenty One ( Chapter 21 )

Everyone helplessly looked at the sight before them. Taikoku was completely covered from head to toe in a dark shadow. Memories of Talpa flooded the Ronins’ minds as they remembered how the emperor grew to such a terrifying height. However, unlike his brother, Taikoku remained at his normal size. His yellow eyes glowed, his pupils nonexistent as he felt his power surge through his veins. The feeling overwhelmed him as he laughed.

“This is bullshit!” Kento screamed as he struggled to move. His limbs refused to listen to his brain as he cursed up a storm. He turned his head and saw Hana lying next to the unconscious Natsumi. She was helpless with no protection if Taikoku decided to attack. “Fuck!”

“Try to stay calm,” Sage advised. He was lying next to Cye, who was doing his best to stay calm. The painful shocks were slowly disappearing from his body. “The excitement will only make things worse.”

Kento clenched his teeth harder, making his bottom jaw hurt. “Fat chance!”

Sage sighed when he noticed that Ryo was slowly getting to his feet. His legs shook underneath him as the Warrior of Wildfire struggled for composure. The rage that was building within him made the shocks from the previous attack feel like nothing .He watched as the darkness evaporated from Taikoku’s body, leaving him glowing in a gray aurora.

The dark lord looked at his armored palm and clenched his hand tightly into a fist. The corners of his mouth curled into an evil grin as he looked up at the dark gray sky. “Splendid,” he said in a smooth voice. “I haven’t felt this good in centuries!” He pointed one of his swords up to the sky, causing heavy lighting to appear from the clouds. Red Dynasty doors appeared in various places throughout the Nether Realm. “Go forth, my soldiers! Go to the mortal world and wreak havoc!”

Mia watched in complete horror as hordes of armored suits entered the doors and out of sight. “No… this is bad,” Mia said in a low voice. She couldn’t do anything to help. The only thing she could do was stay by Aika and her uncle’s side to make sure nothing bad happened. The world was once again in the hands of the Ronin Warriors.

“Mia, we have to help them,” Yuli said as he looked up at the older woman. “I can distract them or something.” He knew a couple of moves from his kendo club. Surely he could figure something out.

“Absolutely not,” Mia said with a firm shake of her head. “I’m not having you go out there when the enemy is at his peak. I’m sorry, Yuli, but you are just going to have to stay here.”

The teen didn’t like the answer he received. He was able to do more when Talpa was around and he was only eight at the time. His brown eyes glanced over at Aika and saw tears streaming down her cheeks. Her eyes were wide, filled with fear and uncertainty. He walked over to her and placed a hand on her small shoulder, squeezing it for comfort.

Taikoku looked over at the standing Ronin before him, the grin not leaving his thin lips. “I see you have arisen,” he said, almost in a mock tone. “You are a brave one, I’ll give you that.”

Tiger-blue eyes looked over at the unconscious brunette. Rage fueled him as he snapped his head to the center, eyes narrowing at the silver-haired man in front of him. The pure hatred that he felt made the bitter bile from his stomach rise in this throat. “I will not allow you to win!”

“Ha! I’ve heard that one before,” Taikoku laughed. “You are no match for me, little boy.” In a blink of an eye, Taikoku was holding Ryo back with his own two swords. The two grunted as they used their strength against one another. “Did I strike a nerve?” With one swift move, the blade of his sword stuck the center of Ryo’s armor, causing him to fly backward.

Ryo hit the wall hard, coughing as he hit the ground. Tiny pieces of stone fell onto him as he struggled to get up again.

“You can’t do this alone, Ryo!” Rowen called out as he got to his feet. “You need our powers to form the Inferno Armor or else this battle is over!”

“Yes! I want to see this armor that you possess!” Taikoku urged eagerly. It was the prize he was looking for. The one thing he wanted to get his greedy hands on.

Kayura, who was still bound against the wall, looked at the rising warriors to her left. “Please be careful,” she warned. “If he gets his hands on the white armor, we have no hope left.”

Ryo panted heavily as he gripped his swords tightly within his hands. He knew Kayura was right, but at the same time, he was no match for the powerful being in front of him. The world beneath them was already in a state of chaos thanks to the additional soldiers that were sent there. They had no time to waste if they wanted to save their world. He looked over at his girlfriend, and a stabbing pain hit him straight in the heart. He had to save her.

“Let’s make a deal,” Ryo said as he stepped forward, his nerves wracking inside his body. He wasn’t sure if his plan would work. “Release my friends from their prison and let them heal the girl. If you do that, then I’ll show you my armor.”

Intrigued by the proposition, Taikoku took a moment to think things through. Yes. His greed for more power and his curiosity about the white armor was pressing heavily against his brain. The love for a good challenge was also showing its face. He looked over at the unconscious girl and then to the Warlords, who were trapped against the far wall.

“Very well,” he said as he snapped his fingers, making the dark bounds disappear from its prisoners. “I’ll take you up on that offer. Just don’t disappoint me.”

Ryo didn’t show any emotion. Kayura ran to his side, placing both hands on each side of his armored shoulders. “Guard Sage as he heals Natsumi,” he told her in a whisper.

“Sekhmet’s venom has healing properties,” she replied in almost a whisper. “Let Halo aid you while we take care of Natsumi.” She saw the hesitation on the man’s face. “He was able to heal Hana when we were inside the castle. We have no time to waste. The Ancient staff is protecting her body from further damage, but it won’t last long.” He nodded in understanding, relief washing over him just a bit. “But, Ryo, please be careful.”

A small smile appeared on his lips before he stepped aside and maneuvered over to his comrades. Kayura just stood there, looking at the Warrior of Wildfire’s back with a worried expression. She then turned her attention over to Sekhmet.

The Ancient staff’s glow slowly faded, making the girl’s body vulnerable. “Sekhmet, you know what to do,” she said. “Time is against us now.”

Hana, who was by her friend’s side, moved away so the Warlord could do his business. Tears still continued to fall uncontrollably. Natsumi’s skin started to go paler as the time ticked. She protected her from Aric’s attack. After all they had gone through, Natsumi couldn’t go. The venom dripped from the tip of Sekhmet’s sword and onto the open wound that was gushing with blood. The flesh made a sizzling sound as the bleeding stopped.

“Will she be okay?” Hana asked eagerly.

Dais walked over and knelt in front of her. She looked at him and noticed that he had an eye patch over one of his eyes. The expression on his face was gentle and calm. “Your friend will be okay. We got to her just in time. The venom is traveling through her body as we speak,” he said reassuringly.

Hana broke out into sobs, happiness and relief overflowed within her. “Thank you…”

Ryo stood before his friends, his expression hard and unwavering. No words were exchanged between the men. Each of them knew what they had to do as they each concentrated on their powers. Orbs of orange, green, and blue surrounded each one of them. Ryo stood his ground as the orbs shot into the air and flew towards him.

The armor of Wildfire burst into cherry petals, revealing the Inferno Armor. Surrounded by darkness, pieces of the armor separated and attached itself to Ryo. Flames surrounded him as everything came together. Black Blaze, the Inferno Armor’s protector, appeared donning the same armor, swords on each side of the animal. Grabbing the handles of each sword, Ryo stood tall.

Once the transformation was complete, Taikoku stared in wonderment at the sight before him. Excitement ran through him as his lips curled into a smirk. Ryo had no time to waste as he clashed the blades of his swords together. The dark lord did the same as the two sprinted for one another. Fire and lightning met with great force, causing mini explosions here and there.

It was like history was repeating itself. The scenario that was happening before everyone’s eyes was just how the final battle with Talpa went. It was said that history does intend to repeat itself, and this was proof.

Ryo connected the two swords together by the bottom of the handles. Jumping up from where he stood, he raised his weapon over his head. “Rage of Inferno!” He brought the weapon down, creating fire spears that aimed toward their target. Taikoku deflected the attack easily, causing the flames to go in different directions. Ryo looked on in shock, his mouth hanging.

“That’s the power of the Inferno?” he asked, not amused. “It’s a weak attack, if you ask me.” He took one step and narrowed his eyes. “Let me show you what a real attack looks like.” His swords started to glow black, lightning crackling at the side of the blades. He swung his arms in a circle, creating a black looking tornado. “Shadow Twister of Darkness!”

The twister of energy shot forth, engulfing Ryo’s body into its center. Electric shocks from the lightning ran through his armored body from the tips of his fingers down to his toes. He screamed in agony as he was spun around at a high speed. The attack finally weakened and disappeared, dropping Ryo to the hard surface below. Immobilized, he lay on the concrete.

“Shit! Ryo!” Kento called as he ran over to his fallen leader. His face was battered and bruised; the white armor had some cracks here and there. He glared at the man who did the damage, his pulse racing with anger.

“My, my. That was too quick even for my taste,” Taikoku said nonchalantly. He was enjoying the looks of hatred from everyone, his pride swelling.

Hana looked at the silver-haired man and then at her friends. The battle was hopeless if even the Inferno Armor was no match. Her face dropped when she saw her uncle and sister at the sidelines. She slowly got to her feet and raced over to them. What were they doing in a place like this? She couldn’t imagine the thoughts that were going through her little sister’s head.

“What are you guys doing here?” she asked in a whisper when she got close enough to them. “It’s too dangerous.”

“We brought them along because we didn’t want them being taken,” Yuli answered. “They took you and Natsumi, so we didn’t want to take any chances.”

Hana looked at Mia in disbelief. It was a very risky thing to do. She turned her attention to Aika when she felt a hand on her bare arm. “Aika?”

The young teen moved in closer, not letting go of her older sister’s arm. Her fears were at their peak, all the nerve endings at attention. The body heat from her sister was slowly settling her anxiety. She did fear Hana at one point, but that was because she didn’t know what was going on, an instinct that many people had when they didn’t understand something. But after seeing her sister fight to protect her, the fear disappeared. Now she wanted to stay close to Hana, knowing that she would be safe.

“I won’t let them harm you,” Hana said as she wrapped a protective arm around her sister’s tiny frame. “They would have to get through me first.”

Rowen watched as Ryo got back onto his feet, stumbling a bit as he continued to attack. Blow after blow was sent to him, sending him flying back against the stone wall. “He needs more power,” Rowen said. He looked over at the Warlords, who were still tending to Natsumi. He limped over; his right ankle throbbed with each step he took. He took a tumble when he was wrestling with a soldier. “Can you guys lend Ryo some of your power? Ours is not enough, but if you guys add your power to the armor, we might stand a chance.”

It wasn’t a bad idea. With their unified powers, the Inferno’s attack could overcome that of Taikoku’s. The signs of obedience, piety, serenity, and love appeared on each of their foreheads, creating an energy ball that surrounded them. Like with the other Ronins, their power shot forth, merging with the white armor.

The new added power fueled the Inferno. Newfound strength surged through Ryo. He glared at his opponent, raising his connected swords once again. Seeing this move, the dark lord went into his own battle stance.

“Rage of Inferno!”

“Shadow Twister of Darkness!”

The two attacks clashed, lightning pushing against fire. Everyone felt the immense power through their armors. It was incredible. The two attacks started to intertwine with one another, causing a huge storm sphere. Taikoku yelled as he added more power to his blast, making the twister break through the fire and back at Ryo. Once again, he was attacked within the cyclone, his armor cracking even more. The whirlwind cleared, dropping him onto the concrete.

“Even with the added power of the Warlords, it still wasn’t enough,” Cye said in almost a defeated tone. Things weren’t looking too good for them. He moved his beaten up body over to Hana and the others. A sigh escaped through his bloodied lips.

Hana looked up at the one she loved, her heart aching at the sight of his bruised face. She placed a hand on the side of his face, wishing that everything would go back to normal. She hated herself for being weak and not being able to do anything. Was all her training for naught? The anger in Ryo’s voice echoed throughout the area. He told Kento and Sage to stay back, that this was his fight. The stubbornness was in full force. Then an idea struck her brain. The merging technique that she and Kento practiced came into play. She could use her powers and add them to Ryo’s. It wasn’t a perfect technique, but it was the least she could do.

The heavy wind blew her dark hair in all directions as she looked up at Cye in the eyes, determination showing in hers. “I’m going to use the merging technique,” she said bluntly. “It could help in battle.”

Cye didn’t really know too much about the technique that Hana and Kento had practiced on. The only thing he did know was that after she performed it, it left her drained of energy. Anxiety knocked on the back of his head. He wanted to object to the whole thing, but he knew her stubbornness would get in the way. At the same time, they were running out of ideas and having Ryo getting pummeled to the ground multiple times had to stop.

He took a deep breath through his nostrils and then slowly out through his parted lips. He placed his hands on both sides of his girlfriend’s face. “I know I can’t make you change your mind, so please be careful,” he said with concern on his face.

Hana smiled and nodded before turning toward the battlefield. What she didn’t realize was that Kento and Rowen were both attacking Taikoku head on. Kento raised his weapon, calling out his attack.

“Iron Rock Crusher!”

The ground beneath everyone started to shake as the Earth attacked the dark lord. Unfortunately, it did little damage. Dark lightening sparked from Taikoku’s blades as he aimed it right at Kento’s chest. The Bearer of Hardrock shot back and hit the stone wall, collapsing to the ground.

“Kento!” Hana yelled and was about to run over to him when Aika caught her wrist. She looked over and saw Aika place the Jewel of Life into her hand. “What is that?”

Aika looked up at her sister, worry plagued her features. “Yuli gave it to me. It has some sort of power to it. Maybe it will give you a boost,” she explained. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll stay with Uncle Take and Cye.”

Hana wrapped her fingers around the red jewel and smiled. “I’ll make sure we are victorious.” She sprinted over to Kento, placing a hand on his battered body, kneeling beside him.

“Guess… that… didn’t… work…” he groaned as he looked up at his friend.

Hana gave a small smile. “Apparently not. Don’t do anything else. I’m going to do the merge with Ryo.” Kento looked at her wearily. “Don’t worry. Aika gave me this jewel. She said it will give me a boost.”

Kento looked at the jewel and remembered how it protected Ryo during their final battle with Talpa. “Please be careful,” he whispered.

“I will,” she said and got to her feet. She walked over to Ryo who was just about to make another attack. Taikoku looked bored, and that irritated her. He was most definitely egging them on. She placed her hand on her friend’s shoulder, stopping him from committing suicide. “Ryo, stop for a second. I have a plan.”

The Bearer of Wildfire looked at her in question, half annoyed and half curious. His patience was low. “What kind of plan?

“Let me merge with you. It’s the technique that Kento has been helping me with,” she explained. She could see the doubt in Ryo’s eyes. “If I add some of my power to you, I’m sure we can defeat him.” She didn’t want to tell him that the technique was still not totally perfect, knowing that would make him worry more. “Plus Aika gave me this jewel.” Hana showed him the red stone.

Ryo inhaled through his nostrils. “What do I need to do? “

“What you need to do is relax your body. Clear you mind of all thoughts,” Hana explained. “It will feel uncomfortable for a little bit, but try to keep your mind and boy at ease.”

Ryo looked over at Taikoku who seemed to be listening in on their conversation. His smile grew larger as he looked Ryo in the eyes, increasing the rage that was coursing through him. He looked back at Hana. He didn’t really have much of a choice.

“Fine,” he said as he relaxed his arms at his side. He closed his eyes and tried to do what Hana had instructed. It was a hard thing to do with everything that was going on around them.

Hana took a deep breath in through her nose and exhaled out through her mouth. She closed her eyes, as well, letting the power overcome her. Her body started to feel light, as if her body became a hallow shell, nothing but power in the center. She opened her eyes and placed a hand on Ryo’s armored chest. Her body slowly sank into his, feeling the fire that burned within him.

Ryo’s eyes flung open as he placed a hand over his chest. His breathing became labored as he realized that Hana was no longer in front of him. Fear struck him as he gasped for breath. It felt like he was being smothered to death. It felt like someone was stomping on his lungs as his heart pounded within his ribcage. He bit his lower lip until it bled as Hana’s transparent body separated from his.

She fell to the ground hard, also gasping for much needed oxygen. Kento raced to their sides. He helped Hana up and looked at Ryo whose forehead was dripping with sweat.

“Very interesting,” Taikoku said as he crossed his arms over his armored chest. “I didn’t know that girl had the ability to do that. She would make an excellent addition to this kingdom.”

Hana’s ears perked up and her head snapped to the dark lord’s direction, fury in her eyes. “I’ve had about enough of you! Shut the fuck up before I come over there and rip your heart out and stomp on it like a bug!”

Kento grabbed Hana by the shoulders and turned to her to him. “Leave him,” he said and turned to Ryo. “It’s going to feel like your soul is being crushed, but you need to go past that. Try again. This time I’ll be here.” The Bearer of Hardrock watched the process unfold once again. Ryo fell to his knees as he ground the back of his teeth. “Clear the mind, Ryo. Don’t slip up!”

A groan escaped through his parted lips as he struggled to stand up. He grasped both swords in his hands. “S… stay back, Kento. Hana… when I unleash… my attack… add yours to it,” he panted. Kento did as instructed. “Taikoku! Draw your… swords!”

A chuckle vibrated deep within the silver-haired man’s throat, his yellow eyes filled with amusement. “You really like being tossed around, don’t you? I didn’t think you were a masochist.”

“Shut up and draw!” Ryo snarled, his impatience were already past the breaking point.

“Very well. I’ll see to it that you have a safe trip to the other world.”

Everyone held their breath. This was the last chance they were going to get. Anxiety pumped through them all. Aika clung to Cye as she looked on. Black Blaze roared mightily as he stood in front of Yuli, Mia, and Take. Sage and Rowen were over by Natsumi’s stilled form with the Warlords. Kayura closed her eyes and prayed to her ancestors for this tactic to work. She couldn’t bear losing the mortal world.

“Rage of Inferno!”

“Shadow Twister of Darkness!”

The two attacks clashed once again in a mighty surge of power. All eyes were on Ryo’s attack, which only had the power of fire. Kento stood where he was, his fingers crossed that he would see a difference. His eyes slowly widened when a hint of purple laced around the flames, causing the inferno to push toward Taikoku. Surprised by the outcome, he pushed more of his power into the attack. Ryo stumbled backward, not letting his attack waver. His breathing started to labor again; pain started to pierce through him. The wounds he received previously were opening back up.

“I can’t do this for much longer,” Ryo grunted.

Hana, whose soul was connected to Ryo’s, started to panic. She didn’t know what else to do. Her power was only making a little bit of a difference. She held onto the jewel tightly, remembering what Aika said about it having power. “Please, help us…”

Ryo struggled on his feet as the dark attack kept pushing forward. Suddenly, a warm, calming sensation enveloped him as a flow of yellow aurora appeared with his attack and Hana’s. The yellow ribbons encased the two attacks and surged through the darkness, hitting its target dead center. Taikoku yelled as his armor dissolved from his body. The attack incinerated him, leaving nothing left when the attack cleared.

The dark, looming clouds about them lightened. Ryo dropped his swords and fell to his knees. Hana’s body separated and collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Kento raced over and picked her up. A sigh of relief escaped from his lips when he noticed her rising chest.

“It’s over,” Rowen said as he and Sage helped Ryo up. “We did it.”

“Yes,” Kayura agreed with a smile on her face. “However, we still need to take care of the mess that is happening in your world. I’m afraid the soldiers are still there.”

“Well, let’s get going,” Kento said. “We have to put Hana somewhere so she can rest.”

“When we get back, we’ll go to my place,” Mia offered. “That way you guys can take care of what needs to be done in the city.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Dais said. “We’ll assist you.”

Kayura raised her staff and the portal opened up. Everyone took one last glance at the area before heading back down to the mortal world.