Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Chaos Master ❯ Katsaiga's Daughter ( Chapter 16 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Takahashi does, and he wants to know how I come up with such horrible villains.

 

If ever Sami could've picked a worse street to traverse, Ryou would've been hard pressed to believe it. Garbage, crates, dumpsters, and planks decorated the street they were following, and to make it worse, the buildings it ran between rose high into the air, casting shadow along the already-narrow passage. As if the smell of garbage wasn't putrid enough, the fires behind them were still raging, and Ryou smelled burning leather as well as flesh. Many were already dying in the inferno; he prayed Sami hadn't joined them. They continued quickly, and Ryou risked frequent glances to where they were going. Luckily, there was no sign of Sami, or of the blonde man. They hadn't died yet, or at the very least, they hadn't died here. But when the road opened up into another busy section, where demons and humans alike were pushing to try and reach the gates outside, he knew finding her might just be impossible. There were thousands of people, and a majority of them had wings like hers.

 

“SAMI!” Ryou called loudly, but his yell was lost in the throng of screams and shouts of terror. Even here, they could feel the heat of the explosion far behind them, and though the red haze was fading, it did nothing to lessen to horror of being caught in another blast. Ryou forced himself to stop. He had to concentrate on her power again. He closed his eyes. And then he yelped in pain when he received many different shocks at once. Yugi looked over at him, grabbing his arm.

 

“What'd you see!?” the smaller boy called in exasperation. Ryou just wiped the sweat off his forehead. He wasn't going to find Sami by tracking her.

 

“Magic,” Ryou growled, “Sami was right. Someone's blowing the place apart. Yugi, can you see her!?” He doubted Yugi could over the rush of people, but Yugi prevailed. He climbed on the back of a large wolf and looked around for any sign of their friend. And he found her. She was off toward another section, very close to where the explosion originated from. Few others were there, it seemed, but he saw her. He leapt off the wolf and went running.

 

“Come on!” Yugi yelled behind him without offering an explanation. Ryou just followed. The crowd thinned the closer they got, but the heat intensified. And now, Ryou saw that craters were beginning to dot the road, and that something had ripped right through the buildings in the immediate area. He had never seen such power in so short a time. And as Yugi said, right in the center of it all, was Sami. And just as Sami said, Amber was facing her. Ryou and Yugi stopped a safe distance away. He had a feeling if Sami found out they went after her, Amber might not be the only one to die that night. So, the two kept watch.

 

“Do you even realize what you've done!? You've torn one of the worst tears into Oblivion! This world's doomed!” Sami yelled above the roaring flames around them. She hadn't even noticed Ryou as she continued, “Even as a half-breed, you know magic has its limits! What is your game!? Why are you doing this!?” Ryou noticed Yugi was watching the encounter intently, and took to looking around to see the full extent of the damage. Amber really did a number on the city, and the fires didn't look close to dying down. He also noticed that the blonde man wasn't around, either. But before he could continue his search, Amber spoke up.

 

“You know why I'm doing this! Don't play clueless with me!” Amber shot back angrily, “I did this for revenge and you know I won't stop until your head's off your neck and you're buried under ten tons of dirt, Winchester!” She spoke the last name with such hatred, such venom, Ryou wondered just how deep the girl's grudge held. But what the grudge was for, he didn't know. Sami, however, just laughed. She wasn't afraid, and she had no reason to be. Ryou saw her take her sword out. In the firelight, its blade looked almost pink. But it didn't matter the color; the outcome would be the same. Amber would be killed. But was it the right thing to do right now?

 

“I'd love to see you kill me,” Sami merely stated calmly, “And even if you do, you're going to have an army of Espers after you. And don't forget about Rush. He's going to rip your head off if he realizes I'm dead. Can you really handle all of that opposition?” Ryou couldn't help but wonder just how solid Sami's threat was. From what he'd heard so far, she sounded more like a renegade than any part of the Espers. Amber didn't appear to believe her, either. She just raised an amused brow.

 

“I can handle anything once I find those orbs!” she screamed, which only confirmed that indeed, she was the one they were looking for, “I'll take your head right to the ESB and tell them their precious little queen is dead for good! You're going to wish you never even crossed us!”

 

“Based on how you've acted thus far, I find that hard to believe,” Sami replied, her calm voice grating on Amber's nerves, “As to the orbs, I'm going to make sure they get tossed so far into the void that not even Terratto himself will be able to find them. Good luck finding them.” Ryou's skin just paled. Not only because of the fire, but because he had no idea how much he could trust Sami. She didn't even know where to begin looking, or even if the orbs were in their world at all. That was a big bluff to play, even by her standards. But it did knock Amber back. She seemed to be considering her opponent's words carefully. Then she laughed.

 

“I already have one!” she declared, and when Sami's grin faded, she held out a black orb, “That's right, Winchester. Good job figuring it out so quickly, but you're a bit too late. Not even my mother could've given this to you. Not that she was that stupid, but she did put all her faith in you for trying to oppose Rath. And look where it got her.” Ryou's eyes widened in horror. Only one person under Rath supported Sami at all, and that person was dead. He turned to Sami, but the woman had closed her eyes in sadness. There was no confidence whatsoever in her face anymore. He shook his head, running toward her. Yugi could only watch in confusion.

 

“No! It can't be!” Ryou called, and Sami looked up at him for the first time, “Sami, it isn't! Katsaiga isn't! Katsaiga…” He stopped when he realized Sami wouldn't be allaying his fears. She looked so serious. She simply nodded, and Ryou asked, “Katsaiga had a daughter?”

 

“Yes,” Sami replied grimly, “Not long ago, either. But she is still so young. She doesn't realize what truly happened to make her mother believe in me so strongly. Or how her mother was truly killed.” Ryou just nodded, but he couldn't stop looking at Amber. There were similarities, he now noticed. Her red hair, her blue eyes, even the shape of her body. She looked exactly like Katsaiga. A very mean-spirited Katsaiga.

 

“I'm not an idiot!” Amber yelled angrily, and pointed an accusing finger at Sami, “I know who you are. I know what you did, all those years ago. Trust me, Winchester, my mother was hanging onto a past long gone. And it's all because of you.” Sami's seriousness faded only a little. Ryou saw that sadness replaced it again. That was quite a blow Amber struck. Sami didn't even know anything about herself, except for the mission she clearly knew she had to do. Which was to protect Ryou and his world at all costs. She lowered her head, her sword's tip touching the ground.

 

“You would blame me before you even understand the situation,” she murmured softly, so much so that Ryou barely heard her words before her voice rose, “Very well then. Rest assured that I'll make sure you die alongside your mother's grave then. Maybe in death, you'll learn the truth.” Unfortunately, if Sami had been working with a more reasonable opponent, that'd have been a grand statement. But she was working with Amber. And Amber wasn't about to listen to reason. She shook her head, and laughed again as another fire behind her roared to life, silhouetting her face.

 

“Truth? You have no truth!” Amber declared mockingly, “The only truth I need is the truth that the orbs holding those spells you sealed will be your greatest downfall! Prepare to see again how little you can protect your homeland!” Sami's eyes reddened with rage as she realized just what Amber was saying. Now she moved quickly, too quickly for any normal human to block her. She rushed to Amber and went to impale the girl. But Amber held one such orb, and the blow was deflected. Sami was knocked back, almost falling into the cobble. Ryou knelt to help her as Yugi ran over to support her left wing, which had taken most of the blow.

 

“You have the orbs already!” Yugi exclaimed. Sami's glare worsened. That wasn't even a question. Yugi knew she had them, too. Ryou felt the woman tremble now. Clearly, she hadn't expected that. Amber's smirk grew cocky as she stroked the black orb.

 

“I have four of them,” she said gently, almost as though she weren't facing her greatest rival, “All of them scattered around Oblivion, too. It was hard to get Alucard to give his up, but Aeris was a different matter. Aeon was actually stupid enough to drop his… and then there's only one. Once I find him, I'll make sure I kill him for you, too, Winchester.” Sami's wings twitched. She must've known who Amber was speaking of. Not that Amber was going to stay to find out. The girl was already walking away, figuring that she'd said more than enough to torment the older woman. But Sami wasn't about to let such a thing stop her. She had a chance to kill now. And she was going to take it.

 

“Hurt him and I swear you'll die a million dreaded deaths,” she growled, “Tell me where the other orbs are, and I won't tell him what you plan to do.” Her voice sounded so furious. Ryou could only guess who was being threatened, who was so dear in Sami's life. And that person wasn't among them now. Amber caught the hatred in the older woman's voice, too. She had hit a definite blind spot on Sami. She sneered.

 

“So you still love him,” she said slowly, and Sami's face blanched, “Thanks for the tip. I'll be sure to jumble up those little fragments of your memory really quick, just for you. Thank you for confirming my suspicions!” With that, she leapt into the air, the heat of the flames warping her form just slightly as she ascended higher into the sky. Ryou watched her in disbelief, and then he looked at Sami. She looked defeated. Her sword had dropped, something that was so rare, it signified that this was a heavy blow for her. And she was looking down, looking at nothing and yet at everything at the same time. Ryou frowned, and put a hand on her back as Yugi tugged her arm to try and restore some level of feeling to the fallen woman.

 

“What happened?” he asked her, when she tore her eyes from the cobble, “Sami, what was she saying?”

 

“She used me to find the last orb,” Sami growled angrily, “And I just gave it to her. She didn't know where it was, she was simply guessing.” Ryou's frown deepened. For Sami, who was as honorable as a mercenary could've been, as well as protective of her friends, what Amber just did was the highest insult she could've dealt. All the more to take Sami down. Ryou didn't know how to feel. He wanted to be angry; Amber stated clearly Sami still had feelings for the blonde man. But he pitied Sami, and even the man to some extent. Both were working to keep his world from being destroyed. And Sami had done everything to protect him thus far. She at least deserved to protect her friend, even if Ryou hated him.

 

“You knew,” Ryou whispered, and then asked, “Do we go after her?” Sami's lips thinned. That was a good question, one she couldn't easily answer. Amber was only half-Mystic, but she still had far greater powers, easily surpassing Sami with what she'd done. There was no way to even know if she was still here.

 

“We could try, but I doubt she's still here,” the woman replied, and tears filled her eyes, “He… he told me he had the last orb before he ran off to stop her himself. He said he found it eight years ago… in another world.” Ryou motioned for her to stop speaking. This was hurting her. Any hatred he did feel vanished momentarily. For now, he wanted to make sure the man was alive. Even if it was to spare Sami the pain of finding him dead. He clutched the ring on his neck.

 

“We go after her,” he said firmly, “At least to see where she's heading. She might already have the man.”

 

“…I agree,” Sami finally said at length, after a long moment of thought, “She must be stopped. There's no mercy anymore. She's murdered too many.” Ryou didn't believe for a second Sami could kill in cold blood. Her voice cracked as she spoke, but he guessed that could've easily been for the thought of the blonde man. At that point, he didn't really want to know which thought caused her the most pain. He already knew that she wanted no part in the murder of Mystics; necessity was all that was pushing her to kill them in the first place. He patted her back.

 

“It's for the good of the many, my friend,” he said calmly, almost gently, “I'm sorry.” Sami glanced at him, her eyes narrowed gently at his words. Those were a surprise, coming from him. But she also knew necessity was being as cruel to him as it was to her. He was simply being practical. Like her, he had no wish to murder. She just smiled.

 

“Seems my years of chivalry and moral isn't wasted on the likes of humans, after all,” she commented, “Good. I'd begun to lose hope for your kind.” Ryou's eyes widened, and he simply watched as she strode away down where they'd come. She just insulted humans! It'd have been different if she were scolding, but that hurt! He almost couldn't believe it came from her mouth. Then again, she was just as cynical as the other non-humans in his world. He just turned to Yugi. The boy was laughing.

 

“It's not funny,” Ryou stated flatly, as they began to follow the woman. But Yugi sourly disagreed, for his laughing didn't cease.

 

“It is!” Yugi insisted, as they went back into the alley, “When you think about it, we all keep thinking Espers are the ones who're changing the way the worlds run because of magic and everything. But it's us. Ryou, we're the ones who're turning into greedy, little bastards who want to rule the world, and who'll stop at nothing to do it, too. She stated a good point.” Ryou forced himself to concede, but he still didn't like the remark.

 

There was no sign of her anywhere. Ryou looked around, straining his eyes to see as far down the alley as he could, even under the heavy red glare of the fire, but he couldn't find her. Not that he was overly surprised. She was quick when she was in pursuit. He just wished she had waited a few minutes before running. He didn't like picking his way through garbage, and likewise, he had a feeling Yugi hated it, too. But neither complained as they slowly drudged down the cluttered alley. It was better than facing off against Amber. They eventually came to a side-alley, and curiosity getting the best of him, Ryou poked his head in. He saw Sami there, bent over one particular pile of garbage. And he smiled weakly. Any signs of defeat had left her. A glow of determination replaced those features, and she looked up at him. Despite the grim lines of her face, she had obviously found something.

 

“What'd you find?” he asked, walking over as Yugi took a safe distance behind. Sami held up the object she had recovered; a purple, suede shoe. It had been scuffed, and the heel had broken off. But it was a shoe nonetheless. A very expensive shoe, at that.

 

“This is her shoe. She's been here,” Sami told him grimly, and handed him the shoe as she looked toward a back wall some feet away, “This leads to a dead end. Either she turned around or she's gone.” Ryou hummed. If she had taken a wrong turn, Sami would've run into her again. Then he remembered how she left. She literally leapt into the air. There was a decent chance Sami's frustration was right. Ryou shook his head stubbornly. He didn't want to believe that for a second. They were so close!

 

“Think she's hiding?” Yugi offered. Sami blinked flatly with the suggestion. She highly doubted Amber would hide from her, not when she had so much power in her hands. But she humored Yugi. She blew up every pile within the small enclosure, and possibly within the five mile radius as well, in what Ryou guessed was a half-assed attempt to weed Amber out. And nothing stirred. Nothing but Yugi, who trembled from the onslaught of such power. Sami merely crossed her arms over her chest, as though this was nothing new to her. Considering her track record, it probably wasn't.

 

“Nope,” she replied simply. Ryou just stared at her. That really shouldn't have constituted an answer, but she clearly didn't want to look. Not that Amber would've survived such a blast, anyway. But she knew what he wanted. She sighed. Having to prove humans right or wrong was tiring to her, especially because she already knew Amber was long gone. Closing her eyes and focusing, she flatly said, “I don't sense her.” Ryou's eyes narrowed as well. He didn't believe she was trying her damned best, and he too closed his eyes. But she had been right. The only source of readable, reasonable ability, was herself.

 

“I can't sense it, either,” he replied. And realized his attempt was a big mistake. Sami glared at him, a mixture of surprise and terror on her face. It was so strong, Ryou actually took a step back, as did Yugi. She advanced on Ryou slowly.

 

“What do you mean, you can't sense it?” she demanded almost harshly, “Ryou… are you saying you could before?” Ryou gulped, and then nodded. Slowly, he explained what he felt and what was happening. It wasn't much, but it was more than enough for Sami's anger to turn into worry. She stopped moving and asked, “Why didn't you tell me?”

 

“I didn't know if it was important,” he replied slowly. Sami's eyes widened again, and they looked red. He couldn't tell if that was natural or simply from the fire, and part of him didn't want to know. She seemed angry enough before. Quickly, she grabbed his collar and hoisted him up into the air, inches away from her face. He felt her breath. At that moment, it felt hotter than the flames around them.

 

“Unimportant!?” she roared furiously, “Ryou, this is DANGEROUS! How could you not tell me about this!? Didn't you think for a second that this was a cause of concern!?” She dropped Ryou, the terrified boy fleeing feet away from her. He was glad she wasn't drunk; she might've actually hit him if she was. Slowly, he got to his feet.

 

“I… I…” Ryou couldn't find the words for her. In all honesty, he usually ignored his power. She didn't press for that answer, though. She merely shook her head, rubbing it as though she were tired. Which she might've been, if she weren't so outraged with him.

 

“What else can you do?” she asked in frustration, part of her not even wanting to know the answer. But to her relief, Ryou just shook his head.

 

“Sensing things is all I can do,” he replied, “I can't use spells.”

 

“Then we'll just have to hope that's all right,” she said grimly, and turned away toward where they'd come, “Magic's dangerous, Ryou. In fact, it kills more humans than it saves. And I'm no idiot, I know you hate magic.” The words stung him more than she intended, but only because of the truth she held. Ryou did hate magic. He hated magic more than he hated the blonde man, and he wished the blonde man was dead. It must've equally hurt her, too. After all, she was magic. But she ignored the silence she got as she said, “If something else happens, you will tell me.” That sounded more definite than Ryou liked.

 

“What if he doesn't?” Yugi dared. Not out of malice, but he had a feeling Ryou would try letting it slip Sami. But then he saw Sami's expression. Her anger returned. Without her glasses, nothing masked the deep-seated darkness of her face.

 

“Then his death will be a quick one,” she replied without looking back. Then, she simply left.

 

The walk back to the inn was silent. Ryou felt no need to speak, and Yugi was too afraid of Sami to risk peeping a word. Likewise, Sami herself was too frustrated to talk to Ryou, even to apologize. Not that she felt she did anything wrong. The fires had slowly died down as the night swept on, but with their death came a silence in the city that seemed to weigh on the three of them. Not even their footfalls appeared to make any noise. It was only when they reached the street toward the inn that Yugi managed a stifled scream. Corpses lay all over the place, and even Sami seemed unable to keep even a small gasp to herself. But she quickly recovered, and ushered the other two inside the inn before too many minutes passed. She looked back for just an instance. In just an instance, Amber murdered over one thousand. So now she would have to deal one thousand sword stabs. One for each unfortunate death.

 

The inside of the inn felt just as hushed as the death scene out on the street. The lights had been dimmed in light of the growing fire outside, but with the fire dying to its last embers, the inn was cloaked in shadow. Yaten and Suguroku offered warm greetings to the three as they returned, and both Joey and Mokuba asked for what happened, with Rex silently looming in the background, waiting to hear the story as well. Sami, however, refrained from telling it. She had seen another thing that made her hesitant to speak: the blonde man hadn't returned. Ryou visibly saw her tremble. Likewise, so did Suguroku. And the old man was very concerned about it, as well. He stood up as Vaerd left to get them some drinks.

 

“Sit down, dear!” he urged, leading her to his seat, “My goodness, you look pale. Is everything all right?” Sami just didn't answer. She fell into the seat limply, her hands clutching the arms of the seat furiously. Suguroku looked back to Yugi quizzically and asked, “What happened, my boy?”

 

“I think Amber has the orbs already,” he said, as Ryou added, “She has four of them, and she knows where the fifth one is. Those orbs are going to decimate the entire universe, and Sami just unwillingly gave her the last one.” He saw Sami's eyes water. Out of everything that happened, that hurt her the most. She had been used, her greatest weakness preyed upon and used against her. Suguroku, in all his years and wisdom, understood this as he looked at the frail, shaking woman before him. He had known Sami for a year, and he knew well enough that she possessed the soul of a warrior. To see it shattered was difficult for him. He patted her arm.

 

“Don't lose hope, young lady,” he said calmly, “What exactly happened?”

 

“Amber was the one who caused the fire in the first place,” Ryou answered on Sami's silent behalf, “Sami went to chase her, and when we found her…”

 

“She knew exactly what to look for and where to strike,” Sami growled bitterly, and the silence fell over the room again as everyone turned to her, “She did this on purpose, to show me that she has the power to wipe Oblivion out. And now she's going to kill him because of my foolishness. All to take me down for something I have no knowledge of doing. I can't delay now, I have to go after her.” She stood suddenly, and Ryou took her arm to stop her. She wasn't ready to leave. She was still broken from what Amber said, no matter how hard she wanted to hide it. And he had to stop her, just this once.

 

“You can't!” he cried, and when she looked at him sternly, he asked, “Where on earth would you even begin?” That sly smile he came to understand as her way of affirming his fears returned. Despite her sadness and anger, there was a spark in her eyes now, one that said she already planned her next move very carefully. Ryou was almost afraid, except that he knew Sami would be all right.

 

“Flamenco's,” she said, and when Ryou stared in disbelief, she explained, “It's the perfect place. I never understood why she'd work there and throw me out, but if what she said is true, it makes more sense. Pierre is a weak man, and he won't be able to go against her if he found out what she did. Everyone else quit because they worked under me, and they have no loyalty to Amber. And with no protection, it's the perfect place to hide her operation, whatever that is.” It seemed logical, but a lot of aspects made no sense. They'd been there just two days beforehand. There was nothing unusual about the place, except for the decorations. But somehow, Yami seemed to agree with her. He nodded knowingly.

 

“Flamenco's first, then,” he stated without question. Ryou couldn't believe they were going to do this, so soon after what happened. Sami just snorted softly.

 

“We might need proof of the danger before we can search the place,” she replied easily, “I can get Pierre to let us in, but we need to know just what to look for. She's unskilled, but it's clear she's not an idiot. She'll have hidden the orbs… and him… very well. It may not even be at Flamenco's currently, but I do know that there's something there.”

 

“So what first then?” Yugi asked curiously, “Do we split?” Sami shook her head. That was the worst idea in this situation. She would've rather not sent more corpses Amber's way. Besides, they still had one pressing matter before thinking of how to save their world: getting out of Winbourne. That wasn't a task to be taken lightly, and with most of the inhabitants dead, no one could help them, either.

 

“We get out of here,” she corrected, “Then we think about what to do. I'll go and do a reconnaissance mission, see if I can find anything remotely helpful. I doubt the train will be able to help, but there should be a source of power strong enough to open a portal and warp us home.” What she didn't mention was her second goal, to search for any clues as to if the blonde man had been captured or not. She prayed he was safe, but Amber knew he had the orb now. He wouldn't be, no matter where he was. Ryou already sensed her intentions, and he crossed his arms sternly. As much as he hated magic, he didn't want her out there alone. Amber could easily kill her now. Though, he had to admit, he wouldn't offer much protection in a fight, either. He might give her five seconds to run, but that was all. It was still better than nothing.

 

“I'll go too,” he said, and when Sami looked at him squarely, he said, “It's my world in danger. At least let me try and help.” Sami studied him carefully for a minute, unsure of just how effective he'd be. But she wasn't about to argue. Any help she'd get, she'd take. She nodded.

 

“Agreed,” she stated, and then her tone went grim again, “I don't know what's out there, Ryou. But don't leave my side unless I say so. Any questions?” She meant the request for Ryou, but Yugi's hand shot up. Opinions were welcome, albeit very much needed, and she nodded to let him speak. And he proved to have a good question indeed.

 

“What caused the fire?” he asked her, “Was it one of the orbs?” Sami hesitated. Then, she nodded.

 

“Yes. The spell is called Flare,” she explained calmly, “Some call it Solar Flare, and some use the original Esper tongue, `Soenfrulakt,' but it's been cut short to just Flare. Literally, it causes a widespread sea of fire upwards into the heavens, feasting on the ethers perpetuated by magic. It literally feeds itself until all life around it has died.” Yugi went silent at that point. It was no wonder then, that the spell had been sealed. Sami waited a long moment before she left, but when no one spoke again, she and Ryou made their exit. A long road awaited them.

 

The outside was a terrifying place, with or without the corpses of the dead littering the streets, the fires having decimated most of the city of Desbin. The fetid smells carried throughout the city, wafting toward the inn even in the few seconds Sami had kept the door open. Rotten meat was already drying in the silent night, no longer cooking in the searing flames of what had been the Flare spell. Sami looked around. Nothing had remained, and she wondered how many had survived the spell, if any at all. At the very least, Vaerd and Belphegorus remained. But who else? She looked down. As the one Amber hated, the one Amber wanted to kill, she felt solely responsible for the death of the people living here. How could she have let this happen?

 

Eventually, she realized Ryou was still with her. The boy was looking over the city as well, but his emotions were of amazement, not of guilt. So much magic had been displayed, so little had lived through it. He couldn't even believe Sami wasn't able to produce the same effect. Except that he knew very well she wouldn't, even if she had that power. And he knew how she felt. Gently, he placed a hand on her arm. She was still shaking, but whether it was with fear, anger, or shame, he no longer knew. She had brushed all three aside when they walked out.

 

“Think we'll find what we need?” he asked her quietly, feeling as though his voice were three times louder than he wanted. She looked down the road, her eyes never blinking as she took in the scene.

 

“No idea,” she replied, and frowned, “I don't know what to look for. But that's a problem for later. Let's go.” Ryou nodded, and she led him down the street. They tried to ignore the barrage of dead faces as they passed, but both found it hard to do so. Everyone, in some small way, resembled Sami, and it pained her to look upon their brilliant wings or elongated ears. But they were no longer of that world. She felt no magic from them. So she pressed on. But one body in particular caused Ryou to stop, with Sami not even knowing it. The body was cold, the white clothing on it burned and tattered. But the long, elegant black hair had been unharmed, and there were two black wings on the top of the man's head. But what drew Ryou in the most were the open eyes. So lacking in fear; they had been fully expecting this attack. Nay, they were even waiting for it. Ryou was looking at the face of a warrior.

 

Ryou was looking at the face of the Incubus from before.

 

-----------------------------(End Chapter)

 

After finding that Amber is the cause for concern, Sami attempted to stop her. And somehow, she unwittingly gave Amber the final piece to the puzzle of the orbs. And now they need to rush to find her. Can Sami and Ryou find a way out of danger? Will Amber succeed in getting the last orb? Will Ryou's world still stand when they get back? Find out next chapter, so click that Review Button!