Episode 15 The Awakening of Light in the Absence of Light

Ryuu turns and slams the doors of the sanctuary shut with a ghostly bang. Inside the sanctuary, it has become completely dark and silent, the only light coming from the glowing magic circle, and the only sound coming from the humming of the magic circle.

Ryuu raises his sword as it spouts currents of flame and lightning. “Get ready…” he mutters in a hoarse whisper, his voice echoing a thousand times in the stillness of the chamber.

“What’s…what’s happening to Ivy?” Kunai gasps, staring up at her.

“I see it now…” Arai mutters softly to himself. Kunai turns to look at him perplexedly. “It would seem as if Ivy is the key to releasing the Triplicate from its seal. It would explain why your family was murdered so easily down here the last time. They had no key to open the seal, and the curse the Myougun had placed on it must’ve reacted then.”

“In other words…” Ryuu growls, “the Triplicate’s reacting to the Phoneme.”

“But…what’s gonna happen to Ivy? Is she gonna be all right?” Kunai cries worriedly.

“As long as the Triplicate doesn’t attack her…” Arai whispers, glaring up at the magic circle.

The circle dims suddenly, and the humming slowly begins to die down. The three of them gaze up at the circle as it begins spinning faster and faster, spouting a dense, shadowy fog.

“Here it comes!” Ryuu yells, clenching his sword tighter. Arai gasps softly to himself, raising his Dark Ritual. Kunai gazes up at the circle unmoving, a Steely still clenched in his hand.

The fog slowly takes shape, hovering throughout the room, spreading, and growing larger. A loud, bloodcurdling shriek suddenly rings throughout the room, as the Triplicate is released from the circle. The circle then slowly dims, and disappears altogether. Ivy falls to the floor unconscious.

The Triplicate then rises into the air, forming the shape of a huge black dragon, taking up nearly half of the chamber with its size. Its mouth is a seemingly bottomless abyss of darkness, yet its eyes pierce down at them completely white.

“Is…that really a Paradox?” Kunai mutters. “It’s eyes…”

Both Ryuu and Arai suddenly double over, screaming in agony. Kunai turns to them in alarm, as the pupils in their right eyes glow dangerously crimson. Kunai gasps, turning back to the Triplicate as it swings a huge claw at him.

Kunai ducks, flipping over in the air to avoid the attack. He then turns in the air again to dodge a trail of dark matter sent from the dragon’s mouth. Kunai lands, skidding on the cold stone surface.

He turns once again to Ryuu and Arai. “Are you guys all right?!”

Ryuu slowly picks himself off the ground, his pupils still glowing ominously. “Ugh…yeah. Heh, I’m embarrassed I even fell. But our pupils seem to be having some sort of reaction with the presence of the Triplicate.” He slowly raises his sword, entering a fighting stance.

“However…we’ve got a battle to fight, so let’s get this melee started!” Ryuu then leaps into the air, spinning as he does so, sending his sword shaft immediately straight through the dragon’s wing.

Ryuu lands on the other side of the Triplicate, gazing up at it. “Damn…not even a scratch…”

The Triplicate then gives a loud shriek, as the fog surrounding it formulates, summoning several more of the Winged Demon Paradoxes, each bearing a long spear.

Ryuu growls as he stares at the new Paradoxes. “Dammit…this is gonna be tough.”

Kunai dashes to Ryuu’s side suddenly, deflecting an attack from one of the Paradoxes. “Don’t die on me, Ryuu!” he mutters next to him.

Ryuu smirks, staring at Kunai’s back. “I don’t plan on doing so,” he replies. He then dives into the crowd of Paradoxes, spinning fiercely and slashing each one with the tip of his sword, setting them all on fire.

Kunai leaps into the air, sending two Steelys flying into the nearest one. Ryuu then gives a loud yell, finishing the Paradox with one swift vertical strike.

Kunai suddenly turns, alarmed. “ARAI!” he cries out loud, dashing forth as the Triplicate bears down on him. Arai slowly rises into a sitting position, rubbing his head.

Kunai bends over him, glancing up at the Triplicate. “Are you all right?”

Arai’s eyes widen suddenly as he leaps into the air, pushing Kunai out of the way fiercely, and raising his Dark Ritual to deflect a gigantic supernova of dark matter.

Arai gives a loud cry of pain as he is slammed directly against the sanctuary doors with a loud clang. Kunai pants heavily as he stares at the scene, horrified.

Kunai turns back to the Triplicate as it rounds on him, giving a loud roar as it approaches, its completely white eyes bearing down on him. It swings its tail, causing Kunai to leap into the air immediately. The Triplicate’s tail crashes into the wall behind Kunai with a loud crash, causing it to completely collapse.

Ryuu spins, throwing his sword left and right again, pushing the Paradoxes away. He gives a huge swing, knocking down another of the Paradoxes. He bends over panting as they stand their ground, surrounding him. “Dammit…too many…” he growls.

Kunai leaps into the air as the Triplicate slams its tail repeatedly, causing several earthquakes to rock the sanctuary floor. He runs quickly along the wall, dashing off of it as the Triplicate sends another ball of dark matter flying at him.

Kunai sends a Steely from afar, knocking down one of the Paradoxes approaching Ryuu. He then dashes forward, rolling and ducking to avoid the Triplicate’s attacks. He turns as the Paradoxes now approach him, swinging their swords violently.

Kunai raises his Scarab futilely as both the Paradoxes and the Triplicate attack simultaneously. Ryuu gives a loud cry, dashing in front of Kunai and blocking the blow from the Triplicate. Kunai stares up as Ryuu takes the hit.

“Don’t die, Kunai…” Ryuu mutters as he falls.

Kunai clenches his teeth, immediately picking up his sword and deflecting the blows from the Paradoxes. He then throws it forward, sending it straight through the abdomens of two Paradoxes.

Kunai kicks the remaining Paradoxes into the walls, pinning them down with several Steelys each. He then leaps into the air to avoid another Triplicate attack, double jumping to avoid a second.

Kunai lands, skidding on the stone floor and gritting his teeth as he stares up at the rearing dragon. The Triplicate draws a deep breath, and suddenly spits out a hurricane of wind and warm breath.

Kunai leaps into the air again, dodging the worst of the storm, as the walls and floor crash and fall apart to pieces beneath him. Kunai flips to avoid another swipe of the tail and flings a Steely over his shoulder at the Triplicate.

Kunai lands again as the dragon gives a loud roar, the Steely having been driven into its snout. Kunai gasps as the Triplicate’s face cracks, revealing a much more horrible, bloodstained dragon’s face.

Kunai springs into the air as the shards of the dragon’s face falls to the ground, cracking upon the cold hard floor. He turns and flips over again to avoid another blast of the dragon’s breath, falling clumsily and sliding across the floor of the chamber, hitting the stone wall behind him.

Kunai pants heavily, and stares up at the bloodcurdling face of the dragon. His eyes suddenly widen as he sees the face, its blood red pupils surrounded by a yellow yolk of eye.

Suddenly the dense, shadowy fog reappears, hovering around the entire chamber. The Triplicate’s momentarily revealed blood red pupils disappear into the fog, as it forms another mask around the dragon, coating it once more with the blank, white pupil-less eyes again.

Kunai draws a deep breath, a painful stab at his side. He looks down and sees one of the dragon’s shards of skin lodged in his side. Kunai quickly pulls the shard out, just as the dragon sends another blast of warm, icy breath shattering into the wall behind him.

Kunai leaps out of the way just in time, landing hard on the floor facedown. He turns over on the ground as the dragon bears down on him, feeling its warm breath running throughout his body.

“Dammit…this is it…Ryuu, Arai, Ivy…they’re all gone…looks like I’m gonna join my family again,” Kunai whispers, staring up into the bottomless abysses of the dragon’s eyes.

As the Triplicate draws another deep breath, ready to send another explosion of fiery breath rattling into the air, Kunai’s eyes widen suddenly, as a high-pitched voice rings in the air: “Kunai! Don’t give up!”

Kunai leaps into the air, using Flash Jump to dash out of the way as the dragon rotates, following him with its deadly breath. Kunai turns as a loud explosion rings behind him, as the doors to the sanctuary burst open, the dragon having destroyed it.

“Oh no…” Kunai mutters, as the masked assassins from earlier pour into the chamber through the open door. Several Tauromacis follow after them, sending blasts of lightning into the air and rocking the chamber with rolls of thunder.

Kunai turns again as Ivy rises to her feet, fending off the Triplicate with Holy Arrows. He leaps into the air, pushing her aside as another of the dragon’s breath crashes to the floor and shatters it.

The both of them slide on the floor, coming to a stop behind the altar, where the many gravestones lie, Kunai laying on top of Ivy, his arms around her. He looks down at her, panting heavily. “Ivy…you all right? You woke up at last?”

“Yeah…I was having a very strange dream too…” Ivy mutters mysteriously.

Kunai quickly rises to his feet again, allowing Ivy to rise as well. He shakes his head, turning to Ivy. “I’m sorry, but Ryuu and Arai have been knocked unconscious. You’ll have to tell us later. We’ve gotta finish this battle first.”

“Right!” Ivy cries, summoning her Thorns, which had been laying on the floor.

“Ugh…dammit, there are too many of those assassin guys!” Kunai growls. He turns around to stare as the fog reappears once more, summoning several more Humanoid Paradoxes to join their ranks.

“Ivy…you get rid of the Tauromacis, I’ll take care of the assassins,” Kunai mutters under his breath to her.

“What about the Paradoxes, or the Triplicate?” Ivy asks.

Kunai glances briefly at her, as he prepares to leap into the air, Steelys clenched in his claw. “Stay away from them no matter what the cost, do you hear me?”

“I understand…” Ivy mutters.

Kunai nods, and then flies into the air, floating through the air, through the Triplicate’s legs as he flies into the crowd of assassins standing at the doorway.

Kunai quickly turns in the air constantly, dodging all star fire from the assassins. He then reaches out both hands, sending shards of Steelys flying into the air, each into one of the assassins’ masks.

He then lands, kicking several into the air and sending a Steely flying through their necks. He knocks the remaining assassins down with another couple kicks, pinning them to the floor with his Steelys.

He glances up at Ivy, who has taken care of all the Tauromacis but is now surrounded by Paradoxes. She cowers in their midst as they surround her, drawing closer.

“Ivy!” Kunai cries out loud, dashing forth. He turns suddenly in surprise as the Triplicate gives a loud shriek of triumph, as it pins him down with its claws.

Kunai turns on the floor and stares up into the huge mass of the Triplicate, his eyes widening. Ivy turns suddenly and sees him. She dashes over to one of the fallen Tauromacis and picks up its heavy staff, dragging it weakly on the floor. She suddenly gives a powerful heave and sends it flying into the air towards the Triplicate.

The Triplicate stares at the staff, and easily bats it away with its wings, sending it crashing into the already cracked wall behind Ivy.

Ivy turns and leaps out of the way as the wall falls apart behind her, crushing several of the Paradoxes. She gasps as she sees Kunai again, as the Triplicate now raises it in its claws closer to its mouth. “Kunai!”

There is suddenly a loud rumble, as the walls of the chamber slowly give way, thundering as they fall apart. Kunai looks up as the ceiling shudders violently, beginning to cave it.

Several stalactites fall from the ceiling, striking the Triplicate, and shattering its mask to once again reveal the bright yellow eyes. Kunai stares up at the blood red pupils, as suddenly another stalactite falls from the air, striking the dragon again and forcing it to release him.

Kunai falls to the ground just as Ivy runs forward towards him, grabbing him by the arm. “Kunai! We have to get out of here! The ceiling’s gonna cave in! We’ll all die if we stay here much longer!”

Kunai turns to Ivy, fire blazing in his eyes, which had been empty of light previously. “Ivy…open Mystic Door and get Ryuu and Arai safely back to town. After you get them both through it, go back to town yourself. Leave the door open, I’ll come as soon as I can.”

“But…!” Ivy cries out loud.

“No ‘buts!’” Kunai cries out loud. “The only thing in this room that can kill the Triplicate is me. Not even this chamber caving in will kill it. I’ve got to finish it now, while I’ve got the chance!”

“But…” Ivy mutters.

“DO IT!” Kunai screams, as several more stalactites fall to the ground around them, shattering upon impact. Above them, the Triplicate shrieks in agony and rage.

Ivy nods slowly, and suddenly draws a door in the air, which hums slightly. She dashes over to Ryuu and slowly lifts him over her shoulder, disappearing through the door.

Kunai turns back to the Triplicate, as it bears down on him with its true face revealed. “So…I see your eyes. Do you see mine? They spell nothing but ‘death’ for you.”

Kunai double jumps into the air, leaping into eye level with the Triplicate. He sends a Steely flying into the air, which pierces the Triplicate directly in the eye, nailing it right on its red pupil.

He then widens his eyes as another jolt of the dragon’s breath sends him crashing back towards the floor. Kunai quickly jumps back to a standing position, just as Ivy reappears in the chamber and begins dragging Arai’s body through the door.

“Kunai! Hurry up! I’m not gonna be able to keep the door open for much longer!” Ivy cries to Kunai as she passes him.

Kunai nods to her just as she disappears through the door again. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you down…” he mutters.

He suddenly withdraws from his pocket a small stone, and it glows suddenly with a bright light, just as the Triplicate bears down on him again. “Copycat!” Kunai cries out loud, as another clone of him appears next to him.

“Try this out, Triplicate!” Kunai yells, leaping into the air along with his clone. The clone dashes in the air to the right, while Kunai swerves to the left.

The Triplicate turns, confused, and strikes the clone, just as it sends a Steely flying into its eye. The clone suddenly expires with a loud explosion, the Triplicate having killed it.

Kunai cries out loud in agony suddenly, clutching his chest. His right eye glows suddenly, as a second pupil appears glowing inside it. Kunai clenches his teeth, using his last remaining breaths to draw a Steely and send it hurdling into the air, striking the Triplicate and finishing it.

As Kunai falls to the ground, he weakly glances up at the ceiling, where a large crack has formed. It gives one loud shudder and suddenly falls to pieces, crushing the dead form of the Triplicate.

Kunai rushes forward, dashing towards the door just as it begins to disappear. He takes a flying leap and exits through it, all conscious thought leaving him at once.