Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Requiem of Summer ❯ Chapter Twenty Two ( Chapter 22 )

By the time help got to the city, the place was completely destroyed. Plenty of buildings met their end; pieces of wall were still crumbling to the surface. Bodies were flung under the debris, on the cars, on the street. Those were the unfortunate ones. Luckily for the Warlords, most of the soldiers had died due to Taikoku’s defeat; the soldiers’ connection to him was deeper than they thought. But some, perhaps his latest victims, still hung on by a thread.

Cale and Sekhmet swung their swords in different directions, the steel clanging against the iron armor. The putrid odor from the defeated soldiers lingered in the air. The stench was stuck in Cale’s nostrils, his stomach wrenching. It was a sign of weakness to him. A soldier appeared at his side, making him even more irritable. He cursed under his breath and chopped his head off with a single solid swing.

Dais was scouting the area to see if anyone was still alive under the debris. He wasn’t having any luck. Kayura, on the other hand, found a little girl around the age of five. The black-haired, brown-eyed girl was in an alleyway behind some metal trashcans. Her clothes were torn and dirty. The girl screamed and cowered when she saw Kayura. The young woman looked at the scared child solemnly.

“It’s okay,” Kayura said in a gentle voice. She knelt down so she was at eye level with the little girl. “I won’t hurt you. I’m here to help you.” The girl looked into Kayura’s blue depths. The calmness they had soothed her nerves. The girl stood and maneuvered shakily around the trashcans. Kayura extended her arms out, encouraging the girl to come to her. With slow steps, she went into the young woman’s arms. “Do you know if your mommy and daddy got away?”

The girl shook her head and buried her face into Kayura’s chest, tears starting to leak from her eyes. The hand on her back started to slowly move up and down. It broke Kayura’s heart knowing that the little girl’s parents could be dead somewhere. She heard heavy footsteps coming toward them from behind. She took hold of her weapon and was about to attack when she noticed that Dais was standing behind her.

He looked down at the child in her arms. “I didn’t find any survivors,” he whispered. “What do we do about the girl?”

Kayura looked down at the trembling form in her arms. “We need to find somewhere to drop her off. Her memory needs to be erased, too.”

“Hopefully all the soldiers have been eradicated,” the one-eyed warrior said. “I’m not going to lie; I’m getting pretty tired of fighting.”

“That’s part of your virtue. You thrive in peaceful environments,” Kayura commented. She picked up the child and looked at her friend. “Let’s go find the others. Hopefully we can leave here and tend to the others back at Mia’s.”

Dais only nodded his head as he escorted the girls out of the alleyway, keeping watch for any attackers that might have been lurking around the corners. The three of them finally met up with the other two warriors in the downtown area. The little girl clung hard to Kayura when she saw all the men clad in their respectable armor. Sekhmet gave the kid a disapproving frown while Cale just rolled his eyes at the eyesore. They traveled further down into a different part of the city. There was a police station a few blocks away.

Kayura transformed into her civilian clothes. She knelt down and smiled at the girl. “You’ll be safe now,” she whispered. She stood up and held the Ancient’s staff above the child’s head. A yellow ray beamed down, creating a flow of warm sensations. The child looked at Kayura in confusion and then at her surroundings.

“Where am I?” she asked. “Where’s my mom and dad? Who are you?” she asked in a small voice.

Kayura had to fight the tears that threatened to break free. She took the girl’s hand and led her to the police station. “They will help you in there, okay?” The little girl looked up and noticed the police symbol on the building. “Good luck.” The dark-blue haired woman watched her go up the stone steps and into the building.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to find Dais at her side. He was wearing jeans and a plain black tee. “You didn’t go with her?”

Kayura shook her head at the question. “I can’t get involved. If I went with her, they would have questioned me. It was best this way.” It felt like a sharp tool was chiseling away at her heart. It wasn’t fair to the innocent. She swallowed the lump that had formed in the middle of her throat. “Let’s go. I’m sure Sekhmet can help with some of the healing at Mia’s.”

Dais nodded and the two of them walked over to where the others were waiting.

Most of the injuries weren’t that bad, so Sage was more than capable of taking care of it. It suited Sekhmet just fine as he relaxed on the sofa, watching the news on the television. Hana woke up five hours after they arrived at Mia’s. Cye stayed with her for most of her slumber. Her body ached a little bit and told Sage not to worry about her. Kento and Rowen were relaxing in the rooms that they normally occupied when they stayed at the mansion. The only two who weren’t up and about were Natsumi and Ryo.

Ryo’s body took many blows and was in the process of recuperating. Thanks to Sekhmet, Sage didn’t need to tend to Natsumi. The wound in her abdomen was healing nicely. According to Dais, the sword missed any vital organs. All she needed was rest.

Take was helping Mia in the kitchen when Hana made her way down the stairs, one step at a time. She saw Sekhmet, who was passed out on the couch, the other Warlords nowhere in sight. Her uncle noticed her and hurriedly brought her a glass of iced cold water. He handed her the cool glass with a smile on his lips. She gladly accepted the water and took a large, satisfying gulp. The icy cool feeling of the liquid felt good as it traveled down her dry throat.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered as she gave the empty glass back to him. “You and Aika got brought into this mess. I put you all in danger. Worst of all, Aunt Jun is gone.” Tears brimmed at the bottom of her eyes as she looked at the floor. Things weren’t supposed to end up this way.

Take shook his head. “It’s no one’s fault, Hana. You have beaten yourself up enough already. The thing about all this is that we know what you were up against. We got to learn more about you. Unfortunately, Jun was too blinded by her views to see what was actually behind the veil. You can’t go around blaming yourself for every single thing that has happened. Do freak mistakes happen? Yes, but you have to know that you did your best to prevent them.” He placed a hand on her small shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Aika is in the dining room with Yuli. You two should go for a walk.” He gave her a warm smile before walking out of the room.

Her uncle was always good with words and making people feel better. Hana was grateful to him. Taking his suggestion, she made her way to the dining room, where Aika and Yuli were. The two teens were sitting at the table playing some sort of card game. Aika had more cards on her side than Yuli did. The creaking of the flooring made them turn their heads toward Hana’s direction

“I’m sorry to disturb your game,” Hana apologized as she made her way to the table. “I was just wondering if you wanted to take a walk with me, Aika. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

Aika looked at Yuli and then back to her older sister. “No. It’s fine,” she said as she placed the cards that were in her hand on the table’s surface.

“She was winning, anyway,” Yuli commented. “I didn’t really stand a chance.” Aika smiled at Yuli before getting out of her chair.

The two girls walked out of the house. There was a nice breeze that was passing by. The sun had already said its goodnight, and the half-moon smiled down at them. Hana looked up into the star-filled sky, taking in a deep breath through her nose. The two didn’t say anything to one another as they headed down the dirt path. Hana took a quick glance at the teen next to her, wondering if she was traumatized from the ordeal she went through. The memory of her sister clinging to her for safety during the battle with Taikoku made her heart swell. Was it crazy to feel happy that her sister wanted her to protect her from danger? Her sister cleared her throat, which brought Hana out of her reverie.

“You know… I wanted to apologize,” Aika said softly, not taking her eyes off the path. “I got scared when I saw your power for the first time. I didn’t know what to do or even what was going on, so I panicked. If I hadn’t run away, Auntie might still be with us.”

Hana stopped mid-step. Aika was blaming herself, too? “You did nothing wrong,” Hana said. “It was a natural reaction. I would have done the same thing.”

The teen’s shoulders started to shake. “I thought you were a monster. Every word that Auntie ever said about you ran through my head. I thought she was right and that I was being foolish. I hated myself.” All the mixed emotions that were finally coming out were making her stomach spin. She sniffed as she continued, small rivers ran down her cheeks. “Then I saw how you tried to protect me and Uncle Take. You were upset, too, when that man killed Auntie. When you and Natsumi got captured, I was told about what happened years ago. Uncle Take… believed in you.”

The dark-haired woman clenched a fist in front of her. “My power is like a curse. Too many bad things had happened because of it. The evil spirit that possessed me hasn’t left entirely. It’s like she’s still mocking me. She was the reason why the family fell apart and diminished. I should be the one to apologize. You should never have been exposed to something so terrifying and dark.” She felt a hand on her arm, causing her to look down.

“You saved us,” Aika said, looking up at her sister. “You saved the world. I don’t think your power is a curse. I think it can be useful. I feel safe now knowing that you can protect me.”

Hana turned her body and embraced Aika in a tight hug. Finally, after all the hell she had experienced throughout the years, she could finally find some peace knowing that she had her sister.

Kayura and the Warlords bid their farewells to everyone. With the castle completely empty, the group could finally restore the Nether Realm to what they desired it to be. Sekhmet shook Cye’s hand awkwardly. To the Warlord of Venom, it was still weird being on the good side.

“If you ever need any assistance, please do not hesitate to call us,” Kayura said with a smile.

“Of course,” Mia said. “Thank you for all your help. I hope everything goes well for you.”

Kayura nodded before holding up her staff. The portal swirled down in between them. The four Warlords entered the swirling winds and disappeared into the sky.

“It was good seeing them again,” Yuli said as he kept waving to the sky. “We have more people on our side.”

Cye smiled at the young boy. “It will make us a stronger force, that’s for sure.”

Hana wrapped her arms around Cye’s waist tightly. “Where are Ryo and Natsumi? I know I saw them a few hours ago. Are they okay?”

“Ryo took Natsumi to see her uncle,” Sage replied. “I was told that she knew where he was staying and wanted to see him. She probably wanted to tell him about her father.”

Uncomfortable silence fell heavily like thick fog. It was unclear on how Natsumi was feeling emotionally. When she awoke from her much needed slumber, her expression was neutral. Not even a hint of sadness was expressed. She made some phone calls after she had eaten the meal Mia had made for her. She then asked Ryo to take her into the city to where her uncle was living. From what Sage was told, that part of the city was spared from the attacks.

Hana looked solemnly down the road. She didn’t really get a chance to talk to her friend. She wanted to give her space, just in case she needed it. The brunette did eat, but it didn’t ease the worry that was picking at her brain. Even though she didn’t show it, Hana knew that Natsumi was hurting, knowing that her father was gone. She just hoped things went smoothly for them.

The hustle and bustle was strong in the far parts of Tokyo. People were scattering around as they went to their destinations. Unlike what happened in other parts of the city, this part was untouched. It was like nothing even happened.

Natsumi and Ryo stood in front of an apartment complex. The front was all brick with little balconies on each floor. The duo walked up four flights of stairs slowly, their bodies still recovering from their strenuous ordeals. They stopped at a white door that had the numbers 410 in black. Ryo glanced to his side and saw that his girlfriend was just staring at the door. He wasn’t sure what was going through her mind.

Natsumi took a deep breath through her nose before she knocked on the wooden door. When the door opened, she stiffened her body a bit. It was now or never.

Tim’s eyes grew wide with surprise before he could utter a greeting .It had been a while since he last saw his niece. The timid exterior she had was not present as she stood in front of him, her head down. He didn’t even know how she found him.

“Natsumi… what are you doing here?” he finally asked. He noticed Ryo standing next to her, a neutral expression on his face. When the brunette didn’t answer, he stepped to the side. “Please, come in. I’ll get us some refreshments.”

He left the two alone and headed for the kitchen. The two of them stepped into the apartment, closing the door behind them. It wasn’t a huge place, but it suited a person who was living alone. A small sitting area, with a loveseat sofa, was just next to the kitchen. Clanking noises could be heard as Tim prepared them something. Natsumi looked up and noticed that some of her mother’s paintings were displayed on the walls. A frown appeared on her face as she moved on. The couple sat on the black and white checkered sofa and waited.

Tim emerged from the kitchen, holding a small silver tray with coffee cups. He placed the tray down on the wooden coffee table and took a seat in his black leather armchair.

“How did you find me?” he wondered. “I don’t think I have told you about this place. I left after your father had a manic episode.”

Natsumi’s ears perked up at the last sentence. “I phoned one of your friends. They told me where you were. I didn’t think you had it in you to leave him.” Ryo was just as surprised. “That’s why I am here.” She paused, taking a deep breath. “Father was murdered.” She wasn’t sure if she should tell her uncle exactly what happened.

“What?” he asked in disbelief. “How? When?” The mixed emotions of grief and relief stirred inside of him. “Natsumi?”

Ryo took one of her hands into his. She smiled at the gesture and continued. “From what I know, he was involved with some bad people. He was being used, and when they no longer needed him, they disposed of him.” It wasn’t a complete lie. She just didn’t want to tell her uncle about the crazy dark lord. Not yet, at least.

“I see,” Tim said softly. “It’s kind of a relief. We are all free from his hold.”

“You’re not sad about your brother?” Ryo asked in surprise.

“Don’t get me wrong, Ryo. I loved my brother even though he was mentally unstable. He controlled me most of my life. I am sad that he is gone, but that also means he is no longer suffering from his illness. It also means Natsumi and I can finally move on without having to look behind our shoulders. You understand?” He looked at his niece, who was now focusing on the coffee in the white ceramic cup. “I hope you can forgive me, Natsumi. I wasn’t there for you when I should have been. It was because of you that I got the courage to walk out of that house and start my life anew.”

The brunette took a sip of her hot drink. “I am not mad at you, Uncle Tim. The two of us didn’t really have the strength to fight him back, until now.”

“Thank you,” he said with a small smile. “I am relieved to hear that. If there is anything that you need, just ask. I will do my best.” Tim knew that it was going to take some effort to mend the gap that had formed between them. He also knew that her trust in him wasn’t very strong. He looked at Ryo, who was observing everything. “Please take good care of her.”

“You have nothing to worry about,” Ryo said as he pulled Natsumi closer to his body. “I’ll make sure to protect her.” A hint of pink appeared on her cheeks as she looked away.

“That’s all I ask,” Tim said.

Natsumi smiled at the two men, happy knowing that she wasn’t alone anymore, that the anxiety that had become commonplace for her was now a thing of the past.

The days rolled on as things slowly went back to normal. Everyone went back to their normal work schedules. Rowen flew back to New York to continue his education. He was also eager to see Huan again, but hid that from everyone else. Sage moved in shortly after, his sister becoming a nuisance once again. He knew the peace at the Date house wasn’t going to last for very long.

Ryo entered the house after a long day’s work. His clothes were filthy with dirt and grass stains. A customer’s dog attacked him, and he ran as fast as he could to get away from the beast. He tripped over a lawn gnome and went face first into the grass. The dog finally caught up to him and started tugging on the bottom of his work pants until the owner came and shooed it away.

He placed his hat on the island and headed upstairs where he completely undressed. After taking a towel and wrapping it around the bottom of his torso, he headed back downstairs to the bathroom. A nice, hot shower would do his body good after all the shenanigans.

Before he could enter the bathroom, he heard the door next to it open up. Natsumi emerged from her room in her yellow bathrobe. She looked up and saw Ryo standing before her.

“Oh, Ryo. I didn’t know you were home,” she blushed, pulling the robe tightly around her body. “I was going to take a bath, but you can go first. I can wait.” She went to go back into her room when Ryo grabbed her wrist.

“Join me,” he whispered. He gently pulled her toward him, wrapping his strong arms around her body.

“J… join? As in join you… in the shower?” she asked, hiding her now red face from him. The very thought both embarrassed and aroused her. She never did anything like that before.

“Yes,” he grinned slyly. He took her hand and led her into the bathroom. “Is anyone home?” He closed the door behind him, letting the towel fall from his well-toned body.

“N… no,” Natsumi stammered, looking away from him. “Hana, Kento, and Cye are working and Sage is at the dojo.” She felt hands slide around her waist, pulling her body against his naked form. “Ryo?”

He lowered his head and whispered in her ear. “Perfect. We haven’t spent a lot of time together. I miss that.” A smile graced his lips when he felt her body stiffen a bit. He took the corners of her robe and slowly peeled the fabric off, exposing her perfect form. “I’ll get the water ready.” Natsumi watched as he walked past her. Her eyes fell on his firm buttocks as he bent over to turn on the water. Her throat suddenly became dry. She wanted to wrap her arms around his torso, to feel her body against his. The aching feeling between her legs grew intensely. “I think the water is okay. Come in.”

The brunette looked up and found her boyfriend already in the shower. The water traveled down his abs in little streams. She immediately followed, letting out a sigh as the hot water hit her skin. Ryo placed his hand under her chin, making her look into his deep blue pools. Her heart raced as the two of them stared at one another. His hot lips captured hers in a passionate kiss, sending her on cloud nine. Her arms wrapped around his neck, deepening the kiss. Their tongues tangoed with one another.

He loved the way she tasted, the feel of her wet skin against his. It drove him crazy. He took his hand and placed it on her breast, massaging it slowly. She reluctantly broke the kiss and moaned, holding onto his arms. He smiled at the response and bent down, swirling his tongue around her erect nipple. Her pants echoed in his ear, his erection getting harder. He moved over to the other breast and gave it the same amount of attention.

With his hand, he slowly moved it between her legs, finding her swollen nub. She threw her head back and moaned loudly. The steam from the hot water was making it hard to breathe. She wanted him in her, to complete her. He pressed harder against her clit, rubbing it in slow motions that sent electricity through her body. The pressure within her center grew with each stroke. She held onto him for support as she arched her back, crying out his name. She was so close that she could taste it.

“R… Ryo…” she gasped as she dug her nails into his arms.

With a final press of his finger, he sent her over the edge. Her juices ran down her legs along with the water. She clung to him as her orgasm crashed through her. He took his hot, swollen member and placed it at her entrance. With one swift movement, he plunged into her depths. He moaned as he buried his face into her shoulder. She was so tight that he was afraid he was going to come right then and there.

He pushed her against the cool tiled wall of the shower, grunting as he slammed into her. “You’re driving me insane…” he groaned as he moved faster with each thrust, their bodies slapping together in unison. His balls tightened as his orgasm climbed.

Natsumi placed a hand between her legs and started touching herself. Moans echoed throughout the small room as their pleasure rose. Ryo’s eyes flew open as he pulled out, holding his cock in his hand. He grunted as he fell to his knees, shaking as his seed squirted into the palm of his hand. He stayed where he was, panting heavily as he came back down from his release.

The brunette knelt down in front of him, pushing his wet bangs away from his face. She kissed him softly on the lips. “Let’s wash up and get out of here. I’m sure the others will be back. Besides, I’m starting to prune.”

A chuckle escaped from Ryo as he slowly got to his feet.

The two of them headed up to Ryo’s room after they cleaned themselves up. Natsumi lay on his bed with a satisfying sigh. Ryo joined her and pulled her close. She snuggled against his body, feeling his heat.

“I’m glad I have you,” she whispered. “I don’t know where I would be without you.”

Ryo tightened his embrace, tears slowing falling from his cheeks. “I almost lost you,” he said as he lifted up her shirt. The scars from the whipping and the place where she got stabbed were present on her body. “When I saw that sword go through you, my heart stopped. Everything stopped.”

A solemn expression plagued her features at the memory. “I’m sorry. I was being selfish. All I knew at that moment was that I had to protect Hana.”

Ryo wiped the tears from his face and planted a kiss on her forehead. “You don’t have to apologize. And you weren’t being selfish. You have come a long way since the first time I met you. I’m very proud of you.”

Natsumi smiled and rubbed her eyes; her lids were starting to feel heavy. “I love you, Ryo.”

He smiled at the beautiful girl in front of him. “I love you, too, Natsumi.”

Natsumi’s heart swelled as she closed her eyes, releasing a content sigh through her mouth. Even though she had lost her father, she wasn’t as sad as she thought she would be. She gained new family in the process. Like her uncle had said, they were now free from his grasp. She no longer had reason to live in fear. New days would come, and she was certain that they would give her many reasons to smile.