No Hero

Chapter 7

 
"Sai! There you are! Who was that guy anyway?" Sage cried in triumph, running toward his fish friend. Sai beamed and blushed, "Hey ya Sage!" They started to chat about everything and went downhill to find their friends. At the riverbed, Sai stretched and smiled. He seems to have forgotten there was a battle. In fact, he had forgotten everything! When Sage playfully hit his shoulder, Shin noticed a big, bloody wound on his friend's side and started to scold at Sage in a worried matter, "Sage! You're hurt! Look at that bloody thing of yours! It's infected and filled with puss! Gosh darn it! How come you did not put something on there to stop it?" He then got close enough and "innocently" poked the wound.
                  

The puss came out, and Sage wailed and threatened Sai, "SAI! WHY did you do THAT? You want to kill me? I will get you for this…" "Heee hee... cause I am INNOCENT!" Sai said. Then Sage noticed something and then hugged his friend, tightly and nearly suffocated him. Sai scowled, "SAGE! Stop it! You're hurt! And so am I! What is the matter with you? It seems like you haven't seen me in ages or something!" Sage exclaimed, "The pain does not bother me now! Don't you see? You could see now Sai! You can! It's a miracle!"

Sai, from the sudden shock, fell backwards in happiness. So THAT was what Sage was so happy about! Looking at himself, he did not blink but looked at the sun and everything around him. It was a blessing to see once again and Sai loved every bit of it. Then, his eyes struck to a terrorized sight.
                  

A bloody mark left when a whip slashed Rowen over and over again. His poor Strata friend was trying to endure the harsh treatment. Sai did not feel his wounds at all now… but all he could feel was his friends'. His Halo friend shouted for him to stop and come back, but Shin's mind set to save Rowen. He ran… hard… toward the battle. Rowen looked from his side and saw Sai running to save him, "Sai… go. Go save yourself." The energized Sai raced over Sekhmet's weapon and dodged under the sword of Cale's. Dais had his filthy hands ready to make the end of Rowen when Sai cried "NO!" and plummeted at his friend, landing on the side but then roll over, protectively, to his friend.
                  

Dais made his deadly strike but it did not seethe through Sai. Something protected him. A small, shelled layer covered over him.

Sai knew it was the same person who saved him from the last demise. He grabbed Rowen's bow and told Ro, "Rowen, build the force shield. I will help you!" Rowen used his last ounce of energy to build a force shield around them as Sai helped energize him. Dais then wasn't able to hit any of them.

Cale bellowed, "Somehow it must be Strata's lucky day to get the golden boy's help!" Sekhmet confirmed, "Yeah, but he should have been killed by now. Something was preventing him from getting struck by Dais!"

Dais sneered, "Ronins! You cannot hide in your small compact force field for long! I will wait till you get out and when you do, I will rip your…"

Sage called, holding his datchi now, "Hey ugly! Check this out! Thunderbolt… Cut!" "Hey beauty! How about this? Quake with Fear!" a voice called, cruelly. A whipping quake raged at Sage and Sage's attack was ready to blemish the other two Warlords. Sage's eyes became wide, "Oh no… god…!" Then, two voices summoned their attacks. It was the 'Flare up Now!' and 'Iron Rock Crusher!'
                  

All of the attacks mixed together and were confused to go where. The three Warlords and Ronins were desperately trying to keep the forces off their side. Ryo and Kento were both extremely weak and were trying to bear the seconds. They could only last but a few seconds with this counter. A spear broke the chain and both were blasted and backfired. Sai had to just do it before it worsened; he then fell beside Rowen, gasping to breathe. His wounds were animated and all were revealing. His wrists were dotted with red and cuts were deeply infected. His arm was incredibly numb, and his head was bruised on the side, which a big, nasty bump shown. Only his legs were well enough, though scraped, to walk. Cale, the nearest Warlord, approached him by crawling to him with his sword. His eyes were filled with evil to the bitter end. Sage then grabbed Cale by the arm and wrestled with him to keep him away from the injured Sai.
                  

Ryo, numbly, condemned, "Sai, why did you have to break us like this? I could have had them!" "You probably had not… have him… Ryo… I did this for your own good…" Sai growled. Kento then argued but Sai denied everything. Then a golden-ringed staff glowed in front of all of them. An elder voice yelled, "Stop this at once! All of you!"

The Ancient was angry; his frown said so. He spoke, firmly, "Warlords and Ronins. You were not meant to fight one another. You were all to be reunited. From confusion and destruction, you do not know what is right or wrong. You want to kill and that is what all of you are good for! To kill! Listen to yourselves speak."

Then, a large cackling voice echoed, "Well Ancient! Finally you have arrived! I have been waiting all of these years!" Talpa smirked.

The Ancient's spirit backed off, "You again? Talpa, this is getting old now! Since when were you granted to live in immortality?"

Talpa roared, "Not yet Ancient! Not till I could bear your Torrent's wish can I ever be! HE will grant me my wish from YOU! HA, HA!"

Sai stood, vulnerably, "And since when I would ever give it to YOU Talpa? What wish?" His eyes then became bewildered. "Now I know. The headband you showed me. I am the only to use it, am I? But why would no one would tell me?" Sai was in a way starting to heat up. The Ancient should not have hid such a secret behind him. And why would he want to be another troublemaker with some fascinating powers?
                   

The Ancient was too occupied to speak. He and the beastly Talpa were fighting at full force. Talpa had given the Warlords more black magic for this fight. As for Ryo, Kento, Sage, and himself, the Ancient gave energy to them. Rowen… why wouldn't the Ancient give energy to Rowen? Sai did not know how to ask energy from the Ancient to help Rowen… but he had to find a way to keep Rowen safe without the shield. Rowen… he risked his life to save Sai… now Sai had to repay him once again. Sai was determined to do it whether his life could afford it. He then summoned the Torrent Armor and his energy raged among him.

Kento hooted, "All right Sai! Let's kick butt! We might be able to use the Inferno as well!"
                    

Sai did not answered immediately. His hands always went to defense and had no chance to attack for the Warlords were really quick and skillful. He could not bear to hurt neither his friends nor the Warlords. The Warlords were once his friends! His mind thought and thought but nothing could go through him. He carelessly did not prevent a sudden hit from Dais, but he did not feel the deep cut. Everyone was in a lousy quarrel and there was no way to find out what was right and wrong. He shivered at the thought. His memories went to flashbacks. His fights… his recent years… then his childhood. And… his father… he could now imagine him. It was such a sweet image to remember.
                    

He could remember the suit that always hung by his mother's chest. The suit his father always wore. His mother always told him he always looked like his father in peculiar, unusual ways. Sai adored the memory but then it faded when he saw everyone in the stance to cast his fatality attacks. He gasped and was totally confused. What was he to do?
                    

Then, the voice called, "It is only when your heart is sure and your circle is closed… when the power will come to your hands. The ball is in your court Sai." That voice… the same voice who saved him one right after another. Now, that quote sounded so familiar. Someone always said that softly to him. Someone had now he could not think whom. His mind drained to think who it was that said it to him.

The voice continued, "Don't force yourself to think. Let it sink in. Sai… hold on. I will help you… somehow." Sai refused, "No… friend, I cannot let you! It cannot work like this! I do not want help… I want to help myself!" He then, somberly, added, "I wish." All of the sudden, everything came to him.
                  

Sai pulled out a pie wrapped with foil and gently took it out. Then with all his anger, he clobbered the cherry pie at the whole group, which all its juice spurted out at everyone. Stomping, he shouted, loudly, "Dingbats! Why are you all fighting one another like scared chicks? I do not understand, but the more you fight, the more it makes me angry!"

"Oh, shut up, octopus! You are the one who caused it!" Cale countered, slamming his weapon to the ground.

"Well," Sai began, "if I was the one who started it, then how come I am stopping it, oh mighty Corruption! That's exactly what you are! You corrupt everyone's minds and do not think about yourself OR anyone but your master! The master's OBEDIENT student certainly needs to zip his mouth!"

Cale snorted, "In that case, who is the master's OBEDIENT student?" Sai answered, "Dumbbell! It is YOU!" Cale turned red, and his head went down from embarrassment. Kento and Ryo were snickering, quietly.
                  

"And YOU Kento! Why do you and Ryo always have to show you are the strongest and never solve a conflict without a fight! Get real, the Ronins aren't the only ones who could fight. Including you Talpa! I may sound like a sore "octopus" but maybe a cool one! I was greedy to ask and hunger for such magic like you! I could have done better and be happy the way I am! In fact, I now wish I did not have such powers! And all of you! You are just a bunch of lousy friends I got! If you want to blame someone! Blame on no one! Not even…" Sai casually took out a limp, yellow object and took it out by the stem, "… this little banana."

Rowen shook his head as he leaned against a huge rock, "You have gone bananas Sai."