Chapter Eight: Love's Loyalty

Dais, Kayura, Kale, and Sekhmet stood up from the pile I had threw them into. I crossed my arms as the thirteen Ronins faced off against me. Sai and Kento waited as the others called upon their armor.

"Armor of Wildfire!"

"Armor of Halo!"

"Armor of Strata!"

"Armor of Illusion!"

"Armor of Corruption!"

"Armor of Venom!"

"Tao Chi!" The six Ronins appeared in their armor. Kayura pulled out her starlight swords. Amy, Lita, and Selene stayed back with Rose and found a safe place to watch.

"Star Sword Scream!" said Kayura as she jumped into the air. I watched her through the corner of my eye. Five stars glowed in the sky. Without warning, five bolts of energy shot down at me. I gazed at the energy as it hit the ground. Kayura smirked as her attack closed in on me. The smirk changed to a look of shock as the energy stopped closing in on me. The energy started expanding out, toward Kayura's friends. The Ronins began to run from the energy. It exploded on Kento, Sekhmet, Dais, and Kale, who were not fast enough to escape to blast.

"Oops. Did I do that?" I said, laughing. I pulled out my swords and looked at Kayura.

"Which attack should I use? I know five and deciding which is best on you will be tough," I said mockingly. I decided and made an X with my swords.

"Psychic Shock Wave!" Violet energy radiated from my swords. I slashed my swords out and the violet energy spiraled at Kayura at amazing speed. It hit Kayura and sent her flying into a building. The building collapsed on top of her.

"Kayura!" yelled the other Ronins.

"Who's next?" I asked.

"I am," said Sai. I looked at him and held back my laughter.

"Go ahead and try," I said.

"Super Wave Smasher!" said Sai. Water formed at the tip of his man catcher. It shot out at me. I slid to the left to avoid it.

"Nice try, really. Let me show you how it's done. Psychic Tsunami!" I said. I connected the hilts of my swords and twirled them around. Water formed at the center and spiraled out to the tips of the swords. Then, they blasted out at Sai, in the form of a funnel. Sai was blasted back into another building. I smiled. Kento and the former warlords staggered to their feet.

"Oh no. Please stay seated till the show's over. Psychic Boom!" Golden energy glowed from my swords. I slammed the tips of the swords into the ground. It exploded and the ground in front of me ripped apart. Kento, Dais, Kale, and Sekhmet were tossed around like dolls as the ground exploded around them. I turned to face the remaining Ronins. Rowen strung an arrow to his bow.

"Not this again," I said in a bored tone.

"Arrow Shock Wave," said Rowen. Massive energy gathered at the tip of his arrow. He let the arrow fly. It zoomed way over my head.

"You missed me by a mile," I said smugly.

"No, I didn't," said Rowen with a smirk. I turned around to see that the arrow had hit the building behind me. The top five stories came tumbling down on me.

"Nice shot, Rowen," said Ryo.

"Don't underestimate her," said Sage. He was right. The rubble began to move as I used my telekinetic powers to move the stones off me.

"Psychic Thunder Slash!" I said as green energy shown from my swords. I formed an X and slashed them out at Rowen. Green energy flew at Rowen and hit him dead center. He went flying into the same building Sai did, and landed five feet away from Sai. Ryo and Sage decided to attack together.

"Flare Up Now!"

"Thunder Bolt Cut!" Red energy and green energy fired at me. I closed my eyes and crossed my arms in front of me. Purple glowed from my body as the attacks dissolved in the force field. I opened my eyes.

"Close, but no cigar. Psychic Fire Blast!" I said as red energy radiated from my swords. The fiery energy fired at Sage and Ryo. Sage went flying, but Ryo was unaffected. He just got stronger.

"Now that I'm all fired up, let's get this over with," said Ryo. I held my swords out as Ryo pulled his out. Lita, Amy, Rose, and Selene watched as the sun reflected off the swords as they clashed together.

"Neither is going to win," said Rose.

"We can help them out," said Selene.

"What can we do?" asked Amy.

"Why not light the spark that starts the fire?" suggested Lita. Use the attributes said a voice through the air.

"What attributes?" asked Rose.

"Let's give it a try. Girls, to arms!"

"Armor of the Comet!"

"Armor of Volcano!"

"Armor of the Cavern!"

"Armor of Tidal Force!"

"Tao Chi!" The girls appeared in their armor. They walked out to see Ryo being smashed into a building.

"Hey, Crystal. What makes the world go ‘round?" said Lita.

"I don't have time for your riddles," said Crystal. A red kanji symbol appeared on Lita's forehead.

"I'll tell you. Harmony," said Lita. I felt a pain go through my head, but I shook it off.

"What makes us know how to beat you?" asked Amy. I shrugged at that. A dark blue kanji symbol formed on Amy's forehead.

"Knowledge," said Amy. I put my hands on my head a pain shot through it.

"What are you doing to me?" I asked through gritted teeth. Selene's forehead glowed with a light blue kanji.

"Creativity," said Selene. I shut my eyes trying to block out the pain.

"Stop it," I screamed.

"Hope," said Rose as an orange kanji symbol glowed on her head. I started to fall to my knees. Kento and the warlords joined the girls.

"Justice," said Kento.

"Obedience," said Kale.

"Serenity," said Dais.

"Piety," said Sekhmet. I doubled over in pain.

"Make it stop," I screamed, almost in tears from the pain. Sai walked up with Rowen.

"Trust," said Sai.

"Life," said Rowen. I placed my hands over my ears and curled up into a ball. The pain wouldn't leave.

"Virtue," said Ryo, as he joined up with Rowen and Sai. I let the tears flow as pain flowed through my body.

"Wisdom," said Sage, dusting off the dust from his armor as he joined the others. I shrieked from pain and went unconscious. A purple kanji glowed on my head. Kayura walked over, in the Ancient's dress. Holding the staff out in front of her, the ball on top glowed. My armor powered down and my choker disintegrated. A giant black mass exited my body.

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"Oh, well. I have all the energy I need now thanks to Crystal's last battle," said Scarbna. She laughed evilly as she walked outside the giant castle. It looked like an ancient Japanese palace.

"Never Spirits, I have brought you the energy that you need to do my biding," said Scarbna. A giant red gateway appeared in front of her. She tossed a bottle at the door. A never spirit appeared and caught the vile. It soared back into the gate.

"Never Spirits, bring back the one who can help me defeat the Ronins and their new allies!" screamed Scarbna over a roaring wind. The doors slowly opened again and in the darkness, metal clanking against metal was heard. A blue foot with a white dagger appeared followed by another. A man in blue armor and several swords stood outside the door as it closed. His face was hidden by a red mask and his white flowing hair was the only human detail that was detectable.

"Dearest, welcome back to the mortal realm," said Scarbna.

"I'm alive?" said an all to familiar voice.

"Yes," said Scarbna as she laughed happily.

"I'm alive! Talpa's back!" said Talpa laughing evilly. Scarbna joined him in the laughter.