Episode 6 Into the Unknown

A slightly younger Ryuu stands and watches as a figure wrapped in a brown cloak wielding a Deadly Fin easefully makes its way through an obstacle course, vanquishing all the floating mannequins in its path.

Ryuu grins and claps as the panting figure removes the hood from its cloak, revealing a trail of long purple hair amid a pair of bright red eyes. “You impress even me, Ayame…”

The present day Ryuu suddenly opens his eyes wide, sweating slightly. He sits up in a kneeling position, staring round himself.

It is complete night, and several thin clouds drift lazily ahead over a sky tinged with the twinkle of starlight. A shaft of moonlight grazes the small clearing where a fire has been built, surrounded by a huddle of rocks and blankets.

Arai is sitting on top of a small boulder holding a stick with a marshmallow at the end just over the fire. He looks over as Ryuu stares at him. “Oh, awake at last, sleepyhead? You’ve been sleeping soundly ever since night fell and we built the fire…you must’ve been wiped out from all the fighting inside Haven.”

Ryuu clutches his heart slightly, which is still pounding hard. He looks around the clearing tentatively, as if just taking it in for the first time. “Arai…I had a dream…about her.”

Arai lowers his marshmallow, a slight frown appearing on his face. He removes the marshmallow from its stick and begins chewing on it nonchalantly. He then stares at Ryuu silently for a couple seconds. “Does it still bother you?”

“I’ll be lying if I said it didn’t bother me every now and then,” Ryuu replies gruffly. He shakes his head, sighing and standing up, stretching. “Arai. I don’t want you telling Kunai and the girl about her.”

Arai nods, saluting Ryuu with a grin. “I won’t.”

Ryuu glances around suddenly, as a cool breeze blows by. “Come to think of it, where are they?”

Arai shrugs, looking to his right, where the ground descends slightly into a patch of grass overlooking a lake surrounded by many trees. “They went out for a walk a little bit after you fell asleep. I wouldn’t be too worried though.”

“You’re an ass,” Ryuu mutters, grabbing his sword, “they’re in danger.”

Kunai and Ivy slowly stroll through the reeds overlooking the banks of a large lake, reflecting the moon. A chill breeze blows by that rustles the tops of the nearby trees overlooking the edge of the lake.

Kunai bends down, picking up a small pebble and throwing it into the lake. “Ivy…so you can’t remember anything at all about yourself since before waking up after we rescued you?”

Ivy shakes her head, drawing her Anakarune closer to herself in the cold. “No. I can’t…I mean, I can remember flashes of things, but nothing substantial to make sense out of it all…”

Kunai nods, staring into the reflection of the moon in the water. Several fireflies zoom by absentmindedly. Ivy suddenly stares at Kunai, whispering, “I’m cold…”

Kunai opens his mouth slightly in surprise, but shakes his head. He removes his Gaia Cape, and wraps it tightly around Ivy.

“Kunai…tell me about your family,” Ivy whispers suddenly.

Kunai opens his mouth again, this time his eyes widening slightly. He still remains silent, staring into the moonlight on the lake for a while. “I…they’re…they’re all dead.”

Ivy frowns, lowering her eyes to hide the expression on her face. She shakes her head, sniffing slightly. “I’m sorry, Kunai. I didn’t mean to…I mean, I’d forgotten…”

Kunai shakes his head, biting his lip. “No, it’s okay. It’s nothing.”

“But it must hurt to lose all your family like that…does it hurt? What happened?” Ivy asks.

“To be perfectly honest, it does hurt,” Kunai replies. “I’d already lost my father when I was barely even a toddler. And though my mother tried her best to raise me herself, she died of grief not long afterwards. It was then that Uchida Ryuu, only four years older than me but considered a child prodigy at age six, took me to be his apprentice. He raised me like a father, I looked up to him like an older brother, and we treat each other like best friends.”

“That must be horrible…” Ivy whispers, shivering again slightly in the cool night air.

Kunai shakes his head again, staring down at the ground. “Just before we’d met you, Ryuu had been assigned the task of killing the Cursed Sanctuary Triplicate. My family was a highly prestigious clan, and they volunteered wholeheartedly to help.

“However, when we arrived there…the Taurospears guarding the entrance attacked, killing a large portion of my family. Others were killed when we opened the seal leading into the Cursed Sanctuary…you see, the Myougun had placed a curse on the entrance. And when we arrived…that’s when the…the Paradox attacked.”

“The Triplicate appeared?!” Ivy cries out loud.

“Yeah. I couldn’t really see anything. It started to fog up, but I heard this horrible rattling, and everything started to dim and grow cold…next thing I knew, there were screams everywhere, and when I realized what had happened, they…were gone,” Kunai answers.

“Your entire family?” Ivy asks.

Kunai closes his eyes slowly, blinking back a couple tears. “Yeah. Ever since…I secretly vowed to myself inside that chamber that I would never grow too attached to another person again. I wouldn’t be able to bear losing another person dear to me.”

Ivy stares at Kunai silently for a while, lost for words. A frown appears on her face. “That’s why when I heard Ryuu explain how a person who’d been attacked by one of the Triplicates couldn’t love, I was so surprised, because you were just like me.”

Ivy shakes her head, and suddenly reaches forward, grabbing Kunai’s hand. “Don’t be silly. I know it was a horrible experience that your family all perished on the same day, but you can’t let that stop you from loving another person again. It’s just…stupid.”

Kunai suddenly opens his mouth wide, gaping at Ivy, his eyes widening. He blushes immensely, looking around first at the lake, then at the trees, then at the rocks on the ground. “I…uh…”

Ivy suddenly looks down at their hands, and lets go. “Oh, whoops! I guess I do that without realizing it sometimes…”

“Heh,” Kunai replies with a grunt. ‘Dammit, I can never grunt as manly as Ryuu.’ He stares around uncomfortably for a moment.

“You know what, you look like a complete moron right now!” Ivy says with a grin, staring at the look of Kunai’s face.

Kunai blinks, staring at Ivy for a moment. ‘All right! She called me a…huh?!’

Ryuu begins sprinting down the hill towards the lake suddenly, his sword clanging at his side. Arai quickly follows behind, screaming after Ryuu. “Ryuu! What’s wrong?”

“You don’t know Fyx like I do, Arai!” Ryuu cries out loud. “Once he finds out that we escaped from Haven alive, he’s bound to send his goons after us! And I’m afraid…he might send worse than goons.”

He suddenly stops, sniffing the air for a moment. Suddenly he starts as a heavily cloaked figure emerges from the nearby trees, leaping toward the spot far away where Kunai and Ivy are.

Ryuu suddenly draws his sword, setting it ablaze. Arai halts next to Ryuu as well, raising his Dark Ritual and preparing to strike.

Kunai jumps to his feet as he sees the blaze of Ryuu’s sword in the distance. Ivy glances around and sees the sword as well. “What’s going on?” she cries out loud.

The cloaked figure suddenly appears between them, jumping out of the air and grabbing Ivy. He jumps onto the lake and magically begins walking on it, sprinting across it toward the other side of the bank.

Kunai draws a deep breath and sends a Steely after the assassin, hitting him directly on the shoulder. The assassin doubles over for a moment, but continues walking.

“Hold it!” Arai cries out loud, waving his staff and suddenly freezing the entire lake. Ryuu then gives a shout and jumps onto the ice, sliding forward and meeting the assassin head on.

He draws his sword, and slices the assassin across the chest with it, making him drop Ivy. Ryuu quickly bends down and picks her up, shoving her out of the way.

The assassin stares at Ryuu behind a masked face, then shoots a Tobi straight at Ryuu, who parries it right away with his flaming sword. “Your toast, bastard!” Ryuu waves his sword, cutting down the assassin with a downward strike.

Both Kunai and Arai run over to Ivy, who is lying on the ground breathing heavily. They bend over her, and Arai grabs her hands, checking for injuries.

Kunai stares at Ivy worriedly. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Ivy shakes her head, smiling slightly. “No! It’s all right. I’m fine, I didn’t get hurt at all.”

Arai straightens up as Ryuu approaches, having disposed of the body of the assassin. Kunai glances at Ryuu as well, puzzlement written over his face. “Ryuu…why do you suppose the assassin grabbed her in particular?”

Ryuu shakes his head gruffly, panting heavily. “No. The question you should be asking is for what purpose did that assassin try to kidnap her?”

Lord Fyx stands over a hill not far from the campfire of the group, looking down on them from Haven. Behind him, several guards stand still, awaiting command. “Heh. Uchida Ryuu…you may have escaped from me this time, but next time…you won’t get away so easily. I’ll personally make sure of it myself.”