The Arising

Chapter 34

It was dark and quiet. Too quiet for Kento’s taste. Only a few minutes ago they had managed to knock down that obtrusive gate and enter into this long, wide hallway. The hallway appeared to be built out of granite. The floor, walls, and ceiling matched in texture and density. Though it was dark, there was a strange red glow that emanated the hallway. Kento was positive there were demons lurking nearby, but where were they?

Sage was wary. He did not feel any demons, but the stench of their presence from nearby was overwhelming. He did not like the feeling at all. It seemed to weigh heavily against him, burdening him as it mocked him with its sinister silence.

He glanced at Kento and realized the bearer of Hardrock was tense. That was rather odd. In all their times of battling, never once did Kento seem tense. Angry that his friends were getting hurt, but tense? He then realized that Kento could feel the demons as well. But how was this possible? It made no sense. Unless. Kento’s armor was connected to the ground, and since they were underground, it was natural that the earth itself was suffering from the demons within it. If the armor could feel the demons, so could Kento.

Rowen frowned. He knew they would have to pass through the demons, but he wasn’t sure how many there were. He tried to figure out a guess of just how numerous they could be. He estimated there to be perhaps one thousand of them. Just that number alone caused him to cringe. Dynasty soldiers were nothing compared to demons in strength, speed, agility, and fighting ability. He knew there was a way to defeat the demons, but other than directly battling them, he did not have a clue how to do it.

Ryo looked at him. “Rowen, have you seen demons other than Leokoni and that demon Yata?” he asked

Rowen shook his head. “No,” he replied. “I was kept locked away in a dungeon. The only demons who came to visit, unfortunately, was the demon master and Yata. But I am positive there are more. Leokoni would not allow it to be just Yata and himself.”

As they continued to walk down the hallway, Cye remembered a particular scene that had struck him odd. It was when they had met the stranger who had called himself Akura. His eyes widened and he quickly looked toward Rowen. “Rowen, sometime ago, when Ryo fell ill, this stranger came to us and presented us with this potion bottle. I remember objecting to it because I felt he could not be trusted. However, when I looked into his eyes I suddenly forgot why I did not trust him. It was after that very potion he gave Ryo that Ryo transformed into that cat like beast,” Cye told Rowen as he noticed Ryo cringing. “Do you think Akura could have been a demon?”

“I don’t know, Cye,” Rowen replied as he looked the smaller Ronin. “It’s possible he was, but he could have been some type of human priest for Leokoni.”

“It was a demon,” Sage spoke up suddenly, causing everyone to look at him.

“How do you know?” Ryo asked him. To him, Sage seemed a bit unnerved. Was it the spiritual darkness grasping for them that caused Sage to feel unease?

“My spirit has revealed that information to me through the Halo armor. When Cye was telling us about it, I could hear my spirit screaming out demon. As I am the Ronin of Light and the demons are Warriors of Darkness, we automatically can sense one another, whether in disguise or not.”

“That’s something you don’t hear everyday,” Firestorm remarked.

Kento turned to smirk at her. “Are you jealous?”

Firestorm glared at him, disbelieving he would even ask such a question. “No!”

Kento was aghast. He had not expected to see anger in her eyes. He had only been teasing and had not realized she would take it to the extreme. “Hey, relax. I was only teasing.”

Firestorm only stared at him with a hard expression, before softening her gaze. “Okay, fine.” Without another word, she quickened her pace and joined Cye’s side.

Kento watched her with a frown. “Man, what’s with her?”

“Don’t take it personally, Kento,” Star said gently. “Firestorm can be sensitive at times, perhaps even a bit much.”

“Is this because of her dragon side?” Kento asked. “I mean I thought she ate before we left.”

“I don’t know if it’s her dragon side or not,” Star answered as she shrugged a little. “Try to overlook her reactions for now.”

Kento sighed heavily. “Fine. I’ll try.”

 The atmosphere was heavy with silence. The Ronins were keeping their senses peeled for any signs of danger as the unexpected could always happen without a moment’s notice. It seemed nothing would happen, but Ryo wasn’t too convinced on that. He knew that at times the enemy always prolonged the inevitable.

 The air suddenly turned cold. Star frowned at this. Just a moment ago it had felt warm. Why had it become cold? Come to think of it, why had it been first warm, then cold? She had always thought that the underground was more cold than it was on top. So then, why?

The cold intensified. The others began to notice it now and Ryo softly cursed. As fire was his element, the cold could work against his armor. If only there was a way to prevent that. There was so much to the Ronin armor they did not know, that he wondered if his armor had a special protection against the cold. It was too bad the Ancient One had not given them more information, and even Anubis could not tell them anything. But perhaps, Kayura could.

“I don’t like this,” Cye said, softly. “I think they’re toying with us.”

“You think so?” Kento asked as he glanced over at Cye.

“Cye might have a point,” Rowen said as he continued to walk forward down the hall. “Leokoni isn’t here anymore, and if he was, we would have been attacked already.”

“That just brings music to my ears,” Firestorm said sarcastically.

They continued onward. They did not know how long this hallway was, but it seemed longer than most. It was still quiet and cold. Ryo was actually shivering in his armor and debated about using his powers to warm himself. But how could he connect to the armor when the armor itself seemed to be straining?

Cye sucked in a breath. To think they were actually attempting to rescue Rowen’s dad. He was surprised that his friend would even consider it, but after getting the truth from the demon master it was understandable.

As he followed the others he stepped on a particular piece of the floor. This piece was slightly raised and had not been noticed by any of the others. There was a loud click, and everyone froze, their eyes wary and their ears attentive.

“What was that?” Kento asked.

Before anyone could answer, a trap door in the ceiling behind them opened to release a gargantuan iron ball. It rolled toward them in a frenzy, and as it rolled toward them, spikes sprouted from it.

“Oh man!” Ryo exclaimed.

“Rock and roll!” Kento cheered.

The Ronins began to run away from the ball. Given their current location the ball was too large for them to leap backward over it. They had no choice but to keep running to avoid the deadly piercing of the ball. But just how long would this hallway continue?

Sage was thinking fast. The ball had to be at least fifteen feet in diameter. The hallway was at least 15 ¾ feet in width. He guessed the thickness of the walls were at least two feet thick. It was possible they could blast a hole through the walls giving them the opportunity to escape. He looked toward Kento and shouted. “Kento, use your power and open a hole in the wall! We might get a chance to escape!”

“Alright! Now you’re talking!” Kento exclaimed. He ran faster to give himself some space between the others and more specifically the iron, spiked ball. When he was positive he had more than enough room, he quickly calculated the length of time he had. Forty five seconds. That gave him plenty of time. He called his surekill.

The hallway shook with the power, and it nearly knocked his friends down. However, he controlled his power and sent it against the wall. The force of the surekill blasted the wall, creating a hole large enough for the Ronins to run directly into it. They quickly made the dodge, passing into the hole just in the nick of time.

The iron ball rolled past them and continued on for a few more feet. It reached the end of the hall and exploded, sending out its spikes in various directions where they became imbedded into the walls.

Star was shaking. They had come so close to dying. So very close.

“That was too close,” Rowen said with a sigh of relief.

“Just what set that thing off anyway?” Firestorm asked.

Cye frowned as he began to think back. He remembered stepping on one part of the floor that had felt different from the rest. Guilt settled within him. “I think it’s my fault,” he admitted. Everyone turned to look at him. He sighed a little, and explained what had happened.

“Well, it’s over now,” Ryo said. “And Cye, don’t blame yourself. You didn’t know that would happen. We’ll just have to use extra caution next time.”

They turned around to look at their new destination. They were in a wide bare room that appeared to be more of a chasm. The floor went forward to about fifteen feet and then stopped abruptly where it dropped down into a depth of darkness. They could see the other side was about fifty feet across, but there was no bridge. They would either have to jump, or ride upon Firestorm in her dragon form.

“Man, this place is intense,” Kento said as he whistled.

“Yeah, you should feel right at home here, Kento,” Cye joked.

“Keep yourselves prepared,” Rowen warned them. “We have no idea what could be lurking in this place.”

“We have to get across,” Sage reasoned as he studied the chasm before them. Wanting a closer look, he began to walk toward it.

Arrows suddenly rained down upon them, causing them to react quickly. Where had the arrows come from? And how could they have been that oblivious to them? They scattered in various directions and began to defend themselves in ways they knew how.

Rowen began to fire his own arrows toward their hidden assailants. He heard them scream in pain. That was a relief. At least he was catching them, despite the fact they were shrouded in darkness.

Sage turned his nodatchi in various ways as he used it as a shield to deflect the arrows away from him. He sent four arrows tumbling back to their owners and heard their yelps. There were more. Somewhere. But where exactly? They were hidden so well, it would have taken more than a flashlight just to find them. This place was so dark that Halo was amazed he and his friends had been able to see enough just to get through.

Ryo was tempted to call his surekill, but he did not want to expose the others to it. It was too dangerous. Not to mention, with it being as cold as it was, his power might lack in its strength. An arrow skimmed toward him, and he quickly dodged it. Another arrow. He used his katanas to deflect the arrow, sending it back upon its owner. There was a scream of pain.

“I wish we could see them,” Star lamented. She strained her eyes through the gloom, but so far, all she could see were her comrades. Another thought occurred to her. How would she defend herself? An arrow suddenly came at her. She screamed and jumped back, avoiding it just in the nick of time. She stared at the arrow in stunned silence.

“Star, use your weapon!” Rowen called to her.

Star blinked and then remembered her bo. She reached behind her back and grabbed her it. She wasn’t sure exactly what good it would do her, but it was worth a try. Holding it at a certain angle, she kept her eyes focused on the arrows. Numerous arrows were still being fired upon them, and she waited for another to strike at her. One arrow flew over her head and was repelled by Cye. Another flew over her, coming from the left, and was warded off by Kento.

An arrow suddenly shot toward her. At first she wasn’t sure what to do, but then instinct to survive took over. She twisted her body and ducked down, while at the same time raising her bo above the speeding arrow. She brought the bo down and heard the sound of a vicious crack as the two weapons connected. The arrow slammed to the ground, broken in half.

Star sighed in relief. At least now she knew she could defend herself from arrows.

Firestorm dodged arrows here and there. One came pretty close to striking her, but thanks to Cye it missed her. Knowing she had no choice but to use her own weapon, she pulled her sword from its sheath.

It felt strange, using the blade for perhaps the first time. But it seemed as she and the blade were a part of one another. Though somewhat clumsy she managed to defend herself from the arrows as they rained upon them.

Another arrow flew at her from behind. Hearing the whoosh sound she managed to dodge it in the nick of time. She stared at the arrow laying on the ground for a moment, before she whirled around and slashed her sword through the air. An arrow was broken in half by the movement of the blade.

Ryo was beginning to become irritated. The demons were preventing them from reaching the other side for a reason, and he could about guess what it was. Having no other alternative, he crossed his swords together and leapt high into the air. “Flare Up Now!”

The surekill lit the room in a blaze, but the heat from the blaze destroyed only the demons. A horrible sound of screaming filled the air. It was as if some monster had taken his claws against a clean mirror, raking them across to resonate high pitched squeaks. The Ronins grimaced as they were tempted to cover their ears, but Rowen became alarmed. He knew if they were to become open it would prove fatal.

“Don’t do it! That’s what they want!” he shouted as he kept his bow and arrow steady. The screaming was piercing directly through his skull and he winced.

“My ears are freaking hurting, man!” Kento bellowed out.

“So are mine!” Sage retorted. “But Rowen is right. Some of them could still be in hiding, or have been missed by Ryo’s surekill.”

“I think we should attack them as one!” Cye suggested.

Star could not remember her surekill. What was it? She knew she had called for it before. This was terrific, and just when she needed it the most. The demons were still firing upon them, and they were still deflecting the arrows right back at them. Ryo had already called his surekill and looked a bit waned.

The other four Ronin boys were in various positions with their weapons at the ready.

“Super Wave Smasher!” Cye cried as he let loose his attack. Several demons screamed and gargled the moment the water attack struck them.

“Arrow Shock Wave!” Rowen’s attack was stronger than Cye’s by far, and it wiped about nearly half the remaining demons.

Sage raised his sword above his head and concentrated. His eyes turned from violet to ice blue as he could feel the power of Halo within him. “Thunder Bolt Cut!” Electrical rods of power flew from Sage’s sword and came together in one powerful light source. The light was hot and bright and wiped out one third of the demons. Only two fractions were left now and they were still shooting arrows. A demon cursed out loud, giving away his location and Rowen ended his existence.

Star thought long and hard. Numerous names of surekills flew through her head, but she did not feel connected to any of them. But then… heaven… Wait. What was this? She could feel it. A longing for the word. But something was missing. Heaven’s Blade? No. Heaven’s Cry? Definitely not. Heaven’s Torment?

Her eyes widened. Yes! That was it! The passion was there. It cried out to her, pulling at her, yearning for her. She readied her bo. “Heaven’s Torment!” she cried.

Several demons were blasted into tiny pieces as rays of sparkling light penetrated through the core of their beings. She sighed in relief.

The demons were in a panic now. Most of them were destroyed, and it would only be a matter of minutes before the rest of them were wiped out. One demon fled and managed to escape.

Kento knew it was his turn. These creeps would pay for hurting his friends. They would pay for trying to kill them. He twirled his nanginta above his head, his eyes fixed upon the place he would strike. “Iron Rock Crusher!”

The attack struck the hiding place of the demons, causing their ground to shake and split apart. Several demons fell into the depths of the ravine as loose rocks, the size of boulders, followed after them.

Firestorm held her breath as she was prepared to try an attack herself. But then her ears met silence. She looked around, waiting. No arrows were flying through the air. Did that mean?

“I think we got them all,” Ryo stated. “Sage?”

“I don’t sense any of them here,” Sage said after a moment.

Firestorm was disappointed. “Man. I was hoping to call my own attack.”

“Why would you need an attack?” Kento questioned. “You could just turn into your dragon form and eat them.”

“Oh, right, Kento! And leave myself exhausted again? No thanks.” Firestorm scowled at Kento as she crossed her arms. The nerve of that…

Kento sighed as he shook his head. “It was a joke. Relax.”

“Bite me!” Firestorm snapped at him.

Kento was shocked as he couldn’t believe what she had just said. He stepped forward, ready to make her see the error of her ways. But Ryo grabbed his arm and shook his head firmly. Kento sighed. Ryo was right. This wasn’t the time for it. Besides, maybe Firestorm was just hurt that she did not get to use her surekill. Come to think of it, what was her surekill anyway?

“Guys, we need to get across the ravine,” Rowen said. He was looking toward the other side. The powers of their surekill had somehow created enough light, so that they could now see a cave within the wall. Somehow, Rowen knew they needed to go through that cave.

Sage felt drawn to the cave. He was standing just before the edge of the ravine, trying to figure a way across. As far as he could tell there was only one way. “Guys, we have to jump.”

“Wait a minute!” Cye said. “The girls weren’t trained for that.”

“We can carry them on our backs,” Ryo said as he was staring down into the depths of the ravine. Jumping would be no problem. They had done it countless times before.

Rowen lifted Star onto his back. Judging the distance, he calculated the length of space he would need to make a successful jump. He backed up a foot and crouched down. “Hang onto me and don’t let go.”

Star nodded her head as she kept her arms wrapped around his neck. She closed her eyes.

Rowen sprang from off the ground. He leapt over the ravine and sailed through the air until he landed safely on the other side.

Sage allowed Firestorm to climb onto his back and followed Rowen’s suit. They made it across safely and waited for the others to join them. One by one the other Ronins jumped over the ravine, joining the others.

“Okay,” Ryo said as they faced the cave, “let’s see what lies beyond this cave.”

And so, they entered into the darkness of the cave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The spirit was in agony, unlike any he’d ever felt before. He could not remember his physical pain, but he felt this pain was worse. The weakness was getting to be too much. If not for the chains that suspended him in mid-air he surely would have collapsed onto his face and shriveled into a tight ball, yearning for the destruction of his own soul.

‘Where was Halo?’ the spirit questioned to himself. He felt as if he were falling, but he wasn’t; or was he? He couldn’t tell for sure. Laughter. He heard the sound of it. Leokoni? No. Leokoni was dead; Yata had told him, and he believed the little demon. Why wasn’t he free from all of this?

The spirit was starting to shake. It was occurring, and he could not stop it. Why though? If only this was not happening. He did not want to become a demon zombie, or whatever it was Leokoni told him.

Claws tapped along the floor, but he could not lift his head to see who was coming. He did not know whether to be fearful of that, or glad. They came closer and closer until at last they stopped altogether. Who was standing there before him, watching him with intense eyes? Surely it was not Halo?

Yata stared up at the spirit with a malevolent look in his eyes. Here in this dungeon where it was dark, he felt his strongest. There was no miserable light to weaken him. He licked his lips in a slow way. “Suffering much are we? Perchance, you are not becoming a demon zombie are you?”

The spirit recognized Yata’s voice, but this time he could not retort a reply. So weak was he that even trying to move his lips was difficult. His body continued to shake as his tormented thoughts begged for Yata to leave him. But Yata did not.

“I know your son and his friends are on their way here,” the little demon spoke. He grinned. Even though the spirit was too weakened to respond physically, Yata knew he was shocked, and yet relieved at the same time. He snorted. “I wouldn’t go on hoping. The other demons will destroy them. You know how strong they are.”

The spirit did not want to believe that. Tears fell down his yellow colored face. He inwardly winced. The tears; they were burning him. This couldn’t be happening to him!

“Oh, yes,” Yata sneered as he noticed, “you will soon transform. When you do, you will be my slave!”

Those words sent feelings of horror running through the very being of the spirit’s heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Rowen, how much farther is it?” Ryo asked as he looked at the Ronin of Strata. They had been walking through the cave for what seemed like an hour, and Ryo could not see any signs of the cave coming to an end. The cave had been mostly empty, but at times they ran the risk of booby traps and lurking demons, in which they had so far managed to escape. There had even been an acid pond made to look like a regular pond, but Cye had known right away just how dangerous it was.

Rowen frowned as he looked at his friend. “Honestly, Ryo, I’m not sure. I don’t remember being in this cave.”

“Well, that’s just terrific!” Kento said with a snort. “Why don’t we just holler for Rowen’s dad, instead of wandering around aimlessly for?”

“Have you lost your mind, Kento?” Sage asked as he looked toward the Ronin of Hardrock in disbelief.

“What do you mean?” Kento asked.

“If we holler for Rowen’s dad, the demons will be upon us, and right now we can’t take that risk.” Sage moved ahead of Kento and walked beside Rowen. Though he did not blame Kento for wanting to get this done and over with. Still, unnecessary risks needed to be avoided.

Firestorm was silent as she followed the others. What if Kento was right? What if they were going to be late by simply taking their good old time to get to Rowen’s dad? What if it was already too late? She doubted if the spirit could be turned back to his normal self.

They continued walking through the cave as everyone fell silent. Shadows loomed on the walls, but what they didn’t know was that these shadows were not their own. These shadows were sinister, belonging to a force mankind could not reckon with.

Sage suddenly froze in mid step as his eyes narrowed. He glanced around uneasily as he could feel the evil descending upon them. Something was here, and it was far worse than the little demons they had encountered earlier.

“Sage, what’s wrong?” Ryo inquired when he noticed Sage’s behavior.

“Something evil,” Sage began to warn, but it was too late.

A powerful force struck fast and hard. Kento was the first to go flying back. He screamed in pain as something struck him. He felt it through his armor and he frowned in confusion. How did that happen? He was underground; it should have protected him.

“Kento!” Ryo cried out, then growled dangerously. He looked around. “Show yourself!” he demanded angrily.

Cye ran over to Kento to check on him. He knelt down beside his friend and frowned. “Kento?”

“Man, that was a blow and a half,” Kento muttered as he placed one hand to his chest.

“Why not?” a dangerous voice said in response to Ryo’s demand. A demonic figure appeared within their sight. It was unlike any they had ever seen within this demonic world. The demon stood about six feet tall. His hair was black and the length of it was long. His yellow eyes were sharp. Judging from his confident expression it was clear this was a demonic warrior.

“So here I am,” he stated as if he were talking to old friends. His eyes gleamed dangerously. “Too bad for you, you won’t see my face long.”

“That’s right,” Firestorm snarled. “Because we’ll be the ones to beat you into tiny pieces!”

The demon scoffed. Then suddenly he was gone. The Ronins were shocked as they could not see him anywhere, but then a cry of pain came from Firestorm’s lips as she was struck hard against her side.

“Firestorm!” Star cried in horror as she watched her friend spin into the air.

“I’ve got her!” Ryo shouted as he leapt after the girl. He caught her safely and landed on the ground. His eyes narrowed. The demon was fast; perhaps too fast. They had to find a way to stop him.

Ryo grabbed his katanas and leapt into the air to directly attack the demon. However when his swords hit their target it was like trying to cut through granite with a knife. He was shocked and knew this meant trouble.

The demon half turned and backhanded Ryo so hard it sent the Ronin of Wildfire over everyone’s heads at several feet. He landed hard on his side.

“Ryo!” Sage cried out in desperation. He narrowed his eyes and turned his attention toward the demon. “How dare you!”

The demon chuckled as if amused. “What’s the matter? Am I too strong for you? Maybe I’ll try one hand rather than two. Oh, wait. I was using only one hand.” He guffawed.

It was a bad time. The Ronins were up against a difficult foe, in which they could not figure out a weakness. They had to. Otherwise they would die before Rowen’s dad could even be saved.

But something disturbed Cye. Leokoni was stronger than this demon, and yet Rowen had defeated him with a single arrow. Could Rowen defeat this demon?

Cye’s eye caught something then. He felt a familiar sensation and turned his head slightly to look. His eyes widened. There was Dayu Bunjiro. He gasped a little. Around him, his friends were attempting to battle the demon, but to no avail could they succeed in making even one scratch.

Dayu did not speak. Instead, the ancient spirit simply lifted one leg into the air and touched the back of his knee. He pointed to Kento, then to the demon. And Cye knew.

He turned toward Kento, and spoke through their telepathic link. “Kento, strike the demon at the back of his knees!”

Kento looked toward Cye and wondered why. But seeing the desperate look in his friend’s eyes, he did not question him. The Ronin of Hardrock leapt into the air and flipped over the demon, landing behind him. He took his nanginta and slammed it against the mark Cye had told him.

The demon let out a fierce howl of pain as he was brought to his knees. This caught everyone’s attention.

Understanding what had just happened, they mentally decided to attack as one force. Ryo leapt to his feet and held his katanas in the air. Sage gripped his nodatchi. Rowen readied his bow with an arrow. Cye held his yari in position. Kento gripped his nanginta once more. Star held her bo close to her. Firestorm grabbed her sword.

The demon was starting to get up, but it was too late. The Ronins and the two new Ronins suddenly attacked him with every force they could muster. Their weapons dealt harsh blows against him as they attacked as a single unit.

The demon hollered in pain and struggled against them. He cursed and spewed obscenities in hopes that his rage would frighten them off. But it did not. They continued to attack as if they were killer bees.

He was getting weaker, but he refused to give up the fight. He managed to throw Cye off. But more attacks came at him from all sides.

Finally, Rowen had enough. He took one last arrow and fired it directly into the heart of the demon. He watched the demon as it coughed up blood. Then with a last hissing sigh, the demonic warrior fell upon his back and lied still.

The Ronins stared at the demon in silence as if in shock. Kento approached the body, and lightly gave it a kick. No response. He turned to the others. “Dead,” he confirmed.

Ryo nodded his head. “Good. Now we can move on.”

“One thing bothers me though,” Star said. “Kento, how did you know to attack the back of the knees?”

“Cye told me to,” Kento answered as he looked toward Cye.

Now everyone looked at Cye. What could he say to them? Would they think he was crazy? No. They wouldn’t. And so he told them the truth. “I saw Rowen’s ancestor,” he told them. “He told me through body language how to attack the demon.”

“That was a good thing,” Sage said. “We might have had to use our surekills.”

“Well, one thing’s for sure. My ancestor certainly knew his battles with the demons. If it wasn’t for his help, we wouldn’t have made it this far.”

“Your ancestor was one cool dude, Rowen,” Kento said with a grin.

“Okay, guys. We need to get going,” Sage said as his face suddenly took on a pained look. “I can sense Rowen’s dad in deep despair and agony.”

Upon hearing this, they began to run through the cave, being mindful of traps and other demonic warriors. At long last they exited the cave and soon found themselves in a semi dark, bare room with one door.

Getting a familiar feeling, Rowen approached the door and touched the knob. It melted in his hand and the door opened, allowing them to see inside the room. There in that room was Yata, the same demon who had captured Rowen, and Rowen’s father.

Yata could not believe his eyes. How had they managed to get through, and so quickly? He hissed as he turned around fully to face them. “You may gotten past the others, but you won’t get pass me,” he promised with a growl as his claws were stretched out.

They stared at him in silence. Sage sighed and rolled his eyes before closing them. Instantaneously, his body began to glow and his kanji shone. ’Wisdom!’ he inwardly cried out.

The others watched Yata. He looked fearful now. He was shaking and backing away as his eyes widened at Sage. Gasping sounds came from the back of his throat.

Sage snapped his eyes opened, revealing the color of ice blue rather than violet. Light shot out from him like a beam from a ray gun. The light struck Yata, enveloping him in a ball of hot light. Yata screamed.

The others shielded their eyes against the brightness of the light, but they did not need to see what was happening. For they already knew.

Inside the ball of light, Yata was being torn piece by piece. He tried to escape, but the light was so bright, and so hot. It stung as bad as holy light. But what if it was holy light? What if this blond warrior was an angel in disguise? No. He could not be. The boy was mortal, capable of dying. And yet, Yata could not defeat him. Curse the Halo Armor!

The light suddenly exploded outward, and Yata was suddenly ripped into several pieces. His remains floated to the ground as the blood was zapped by the shards of light.

“Gross,” Ryo said after a minute.

“No kidding,” Firestorm muttered.

“Sage, buddy,” Rowen said with a smile, “you did good.”

Sage smiled, but then turned his attention toward the spirit hanging limply in the air by chains. They followed his look and gasped. The spirit of Mr. Hashiba looked far worse than what Rowen remembered. The Ronin of Strata swallowed bile and wiped his eyes. He could not believe what Leokoni had managed to do. Even though the demon master was dead, Rowen would never forgive him.

“Guys?” Kento stated quietly as he stared at the spirit.

Ryo nodded his head. He leapt forward and sliced through the chains and caught the spirit in his arms. He landed on the ground and gently laid him down. The spirit gagged.

Sage, knowing what he had to do, approached. Ryo backed off to give him room and stood alongside the others as they watched their friend. And once again, Sage began to glow. But this time it was a different glow. The glow surrounded the spirit, cleansing him, washing through him, casting away darkness.

Rowen knew Sage’s power, but he was still in disbelief. The monstrosity that had been in chains was becoming the same man he knew before. Only this time, the face was at peace. He felt an arm around his shoulders and looked to his right. Cye smiled at him, and he returned the favor. Together they continued to watch and wait.

Sage poured in the last of his healing light into the spirit before the light from his body faded. He dropped back to the floor, looking weary.

“Sage!” Ryo cried.

“I’m… okay,” Sage replied. It was clear he was exhausted.

“You look beat!” Firestorm said. “How can you say you’re okay?”

Sage looked up at her and managed a tiny smirk, but he chose not to speak. She’d learn one day.

There was a groan which caught their attention. They looked toward the source. The spirit was sitting up, slowly looking around. No longer was his color a sick yellow, and no longer did he appear weak. Sage had done it.

The spirit finally focused his attention to Rowen and his eyes widened. “Ro.. Rowen?”

Rowen swallowed nervously, but did not move. He knew his father was not the same when he was alive, but the memories of the pain were still strong. But something was nagging at him. He felt he absolutely had to go to his father to speak with him. No matter how hard he tried to resist, the pull was far too strong. He began to approach the spirit.

Ryo saw this and understood immediately. He did not know how, nor did he understand why. He just knew Rowen and his dad needed their space. He helped Sage up, and together they rejoined the others, at a safe distance from Rowen and the spirit. They remained in the room, but allowed son and father to reconcile with one another. Only one thing between them remained: Forgiveness.

A/N: I know that it’s been a while since my last update. Life in general gets in the way. I couldn’t decide how I wanted to do this chapter, so it took many months of trying to figure out a solution. This past week I’ve working on it. This chapter is by far the longest out of all the chapters of TA, but I feel it is necessary. Why? Because this is the final chapter. Only one thing remains which is the epilogue. I apologize in advance for any scenes that may have seemed a bit fast or too slow. I also apologize if anything seems out of order, or is confusing.

I hope, in a sense, this will bring some relief to those who’ve waited so patiently (or impatiently) for this chapter. That was another reason I’ve made this chapter longer than intended. I do not know when the epilogue will be completed, but it will happen. In the meantime, I hope you’ve enjoyed this. PM me for any questions.

Firestorm