~Notes~
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Episode 14 A Twisted Soul

The smoke clears at last, and the lone figure of Shuriken remains standing. Ryuu, Kunai, Ayame, and Ivy all gasp aloud as one as he remains standing, unmoving, a grim figure of darkness and malevolence.

“How the hell…” Ryuu mutters.

The lines of black fire written on Shuriken’s skin melt and dissolve, forming into a pool of inky, fibrous blackness. They wrap themselves around Shuriken’s hands, wrists, arms, chest, legs, his entire body. Shuriken clenches his fist, feeling the strength of it.

The spikes running along Shuriken’s wrists lengthen in size, and his hair becomes a mat of indiscernible darkness. The Black Gaia Cape wrapped around Shuriken’s shoulders flaps idly in the cold night breeze.

The Avenger held in Shuriken’s hand cracks in half and shatters into a thousand pieces, only to be replaced by another one oozing out of Shuriken’s arm. The black fog transforms itself into a new Avenger, with a yellow eye engraved around a red pupil in the center.

Shuriken raises his head, opens his eyes, and brushes away several loose strands of black hair, revealing a pair of blood red pupils inside yellow eyes.

“Shuriken…” Kunai gasps.

“Everyone,” Ryuu snarls, “be careful! I’m sure his strength has increased more than tenfold.”

Shuriken appears behind Ryuu, and brings the tip of his Casters cutting into his back with a sharp jab. “Heh…I didn’t hear that. What did you say again?”

Ryuu’s eyes widen as he realizes Shuriken is now standing behind him. He clenches the hilt of his sword in both his hands, raising it futilely to the foe behind him. ‘Amazing…I didn’t even see him move.’

“Get away from Ryuu!” Kunai shouts, jumping forth with a flurry of Steelys. Shuriken dodges each one effortlessly and counters with his own flurry of Tobis.

Kunai dodges the first few, blocking a couple others with his claw, but finally takes a hit. A Tobi rips through the left sleeve of his Scorpio, spilling blood into the air from the fresh wound. Kunai grasps at his shoulder, but quickly realizes it as a mistake as a second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth Tobi shred past his armor into his skin all over his body.

Kunai stands hunched over in shock, blood dripping from his body. He presses the first wound on his left arm, watching as blood oozes out of it. “Those stars…they were fast…” he chokes, finally falling to his knees.

All of a sudden, the pain reaches him at last, and he shrieks out loud in pain. His muscles suddenly clamp to a standstill, and he lies twitching uncontrollably from the pain.

“Kunai!” Ivy cries, rushing to his side. She quickly engulfs him in another bright green splash of Heal, but his wounds remain heavy with blood, as rivers of it stream from them.

Ivy raises her own shaking hands stained with Kunai’s blood, staring at them as if in disbelief. “Kunai…” she mutters softly. “Kunai…”

Ayame stumbles over to Ivy, nursing her own wounds. “Ivy…don’t worry about Kunai…he’ll be fine…we need to…to save Sasha.”

“Right,” Ivy replies, resolve flashing in her eyes. She stands suddenly, and forms an arrow composed entirely of bright white light, aiming straight for Shuriken. “Shuriken…you’re gonna pay for hurting Kunai!”

She then fires the arrow without warning, but Shuriken merely steps aside, dodging it, and allows it to crash into the wreckage of a business behind him.

Shuriken’s eyes suddenly glint maliciously, as they flash a bright, glittering yellow. “Try and stop me,” he murmurs with a sick laugh, and fires another round of Tobis straight at Ivy and Kunai.

Ivy screams out loud, stepping in front of Kunai to shield him from the barrage. However, as she tightens her eyes, raises her arms, and prepares for the impact, she meets none, but merely hears a sharp clash of metal in front of her.

Ivy opens her eyes, and sees Ryuu standing in front of her, a sword in each hand. “Ryuu!” Ivy cries in surprise, “You blocked the attack!”

“Of course,” Ryuu replies, “it’s what comrades do. I’m not gonna just sit idly by and watch while this jerk aims for a couple helpless victims.” Ryuu smirks, drawing his swords and taunting Shuriken. “Right, Shuriken?”

“Helpless…” Ivy mutters behind Ryuu, as he and Shuriken charge straight at each other.

Ryuu brings his left-handed sword crashing straight down to meet Shuriken’s Avenger, while he strikes relentlessly with his right-handed one.

Shuriken easily dodges each off target blow from Ryuu’s right, and grins maniacally as Ryuu finally makes contact, sinking his right-handed sword into Shuriken’s shoulder.

The shadowy fibers of Shuriken’s left shoulder merely melt away and clamp onto Ryuu’s sword, clenching it tightly. Ryuu tugs at the sword, but cries out in surprise as he realizes he can’t pull it out.

“What’s the matter?” Shuriken sneers, “Draw your sword and finish me.”

“I…can’t, you bastard!” Ryuu growls distractedly, struggling to retrieve the sword.

“Then I’ll strike!” Shuriken replies, and breaks away from his struggle with Ryuu and jumps backwards, using the added momentum to push himself forward to meet Ryuu again, and slashing Ryuu violently with his Avenger.

Shuriken swings around but gasps in astonishment as he feels Ryuu’s left-handed sword tear straight through his left shoulder, severing the arm from his body.

Ryuu finally retrieves his other sword from the lifeless arm, and combines the Twin Dragons together to form one sword again, filling it with a current of fire, ice, and lightning.

“Very well,” Shuriken replies solemnly, “I shall not let my guard down again.” Eerily, with an odd squelching noise, Shuriken’s severed left arm replaces itself, growing back in mere seconds.

“AHH!” Shuriken screams, as he charges towards Ryuu again.

Ryuu braces himself to meet the impact, digging his heels into the ground. “Boy, you sure don’t like to give me time to breathe, do you?”

Ryuu swings his sword just as Shuriken draws near, but gasps in amazement as Shuriken sidles past him at the last moment to appear at his side.

Shuriken then brings his Avenger up from below, tearing into the bottom of Ryuu’s shoulder, near his armpit. As a result, Ryuu is thrust into the air as a shower of his blood rains down on Shuriken.

Shuriken licks his lips as the blood is splattered over his own body. He watches smugly as Ryuu falls to the floor in a heap, drenched in a pool of blood. Shuriken lazily flexes his arm, watching its sinewy fibers. “So much strength…”

“RYUU!” Ayame screams, dashing forward. However, she stops as Shuriken places himself between her and Ryuu. Ayame snarls, raising her Geta threateningly. “If you’re gonna stand in the way…then I’ll just—”

“End up dying,” Shuriken interrupts her coldly.

Ayame does not reply for several moments, as if deeply taken aback by the comment. She hesitates, as if considering Shuriken’s words.

Shuriken notices this, and takes the opportunity, smirking. “What’s the matter? Just a moment ago, you were ready to come save your ally’s life. Now, you stand there with your body shaking. Have you begun to realize that my powers far exceed yours?”

‘If what Ryuu’s been saying is true, Shuriken has become a Level Fifteen Paradox now…just like I used to be. When Ryuu separated me from that Paradox part of me, I lost all the powers that I had as a Paradox. I hadn’t even begun to comprehend those powers until recently…if I still had those powers…I might be able to save us all. I might—’

“Ayame,” Ryuu grunts from the floor. Both Shuriken and Ayame avert their eyes irresistibly to him, astounded by the fact that he remains able to speak.

“Ayame…if you still had those Paradox powers, you’d still be evil. Don’t regret not having them anymore…that’s what led to you falling into that deep darkness of evil in the first place. We’ll beat…this guy…” Ryuu mutters, as he struggles to stand up, “We’ll beat this guy together!”

Ryuu takes his place on his feet again, his sword raised by his side. Shuriken frowns at him, judging Ryuu’s strength. ‘He doesn’t even tremble…’

Ryuu charges again, and brings his sword with a crash down to meet Shuriken’s Avenger. Ayame nods, and dashes forth with her own Geta, striking at Shuriken.

With a snarl, Shuriken withdraws his Avenger, and uses it to blow Ayame back away. He then leaps into the air to avoid Ryuu’s attack while he was wide open, and sends a flurry of Tobis back his way.

Ryuu blocks the Tobis with his sword, and charges again, ignoring the blood dripping down in droves by his side. He meets Shuriken’s Avenger with another loud metallic clash, and the two of them back away from each other for a moment to draw breath.

Ivy stares on at the scene frightfully, still sitting hunched over Kunai’s still body. “I-Ivy…” Kunai’s voice mutters weakly from below her.

Ivy turns to Kunai in surprise. “Kunai! You’re alive!”

“Of course I’m alive,” Kunai groans, rising to a sitting position, “I can’t die just yet.”

“Oh, Kunai, I’m so happy!” Ivy cries, wrapping her arms around Kunai and burying her face in his arms.

Kunai drops his mouth in surprise, weakly attempting to pry her off him. Finally, he gently pushes her off, and picks up his store of Steelys, drawing Myou. “Ivy, let go. I have to fight Shuriken.”

“But, Kunai! You’re in no condition even close to fighting!” Ivy protests, “You need to heal your wounds first!”

Kunai shakes his head. “No, treating them can come later. Sasha’s life depends on us defeating Shuriken.”

Without another word, Kunai dashes back into the battle scene, unnoticed by everyone else. He draws up silently behind Shuriken, and brings his own Avenger crashing into Shuriken’s back.

Shuriken tenses in surprise, feeling the Avenger tear through the rough skin on his back. He turns and sees Kunai, and suddenly he sneers, a hoarse, growling sound.

Saliva drips down from Shuriken’s mouth as he stares at Kunai, measuring his new target. Ryuu draws back, lowering his sword tentatively. ‘Kunai…what the hell are you thinking…you’re gonna get yourself killed.’

Without warning, Shuriken dashes forward, and cuts through the air at supersonic speed, swiping at Kunai with his Avenger. Kunai evades the blow by ducking, and spin kicks to knock Shuriken off balance.

Shuriken stumbles from the hit on the ankles, and Kunai takes the opportunity to launch a wide-open assault with his Avenger on Shuriken.

Shuriken is thrown back crashing against the wall of the hotel, and he stands there leaning against it momentarily, at a loss for words. Suddenly he regains his composure, and the same, sick grin reappears on his face. “You are powerful, Kunai…that is why I wish to see how much it will take for me to kill you.”

Kunai ignores the comment, rushing straight at Shuriken again with relentless force. Amazingly, he lands another full-on, wide-open hit on Shuriken, and throws him hard back against the wall again.

Kunai grins, watching Shuriken grimace in pain. He stretches his arm forward, and pins Shuriken down against the wall, holding him there while he gazes at him seriously. “Shuriken…I told you that it wasn’t too late to take back everything you did. I told you that it didn’t have to be this way, how you didn’t have to work for Kimura. But you ignored my help, and I guess now I have no choice but to kill you.”

Kunai forms another Avenger in his hand, and swings it through the air, cutting the wall of the hotel in the process. He finally brings it crashing into Shuriken—only to meet an invisible barrier.

Kunai releases an awestruck shout, freezing with his Avenger held in the air, staring blankly into the edge of a bright blue blade separating the air between he and Shuriken.

Ryuu, Ayame, and Ivy all gasp aloud, freezing as well to stare at this new arrival. Kunai takes a slow step backwards and watches as the blade is drawn back towards its owner.

“Speak of the devil,” Ryuu replies, as Lord Kimura steps into the spotlight, sheathing his Blue Screamer, “Lord Kimura himself has shown up.”

Lord Kimura sneers, turning to stare at each Joukai member in turn. He nods at each one, pausing particularly longer at Ivy. “So…it would seem that my men and I myself have failed to dispose of you…how disappointing.”

Ryuu raises his sword threateningly again, bracing himself to fight this new foe. “Are you going to try and kill us now?”

Lord Kimura laughs haughtily. “Haha, no. Do not get me wrong, my dear Ryuu…I wouldn’t mind you dead, but you four still remain weak, especially you my dear Kunai…”

Lord Kimura shakes his head. “No. I can finish you four off whenever I want—with one blow. However, there is extremely urgent business that I must take care of first and foremost. I only bothered to show up here to pick up dear Shuriken. I can’t have you four going around killing my men now, can I?”

“Urgent business?” Ryuu growls, “Would that mean…the Third Phoneme?”

“Oh no,” Lord Kimura replies, “we still have not located her, as I trust you have not either. There is even more important business that must be handled properly ahead of the Third Phoneme.”

“And what the hell is that?” Ryuu asks.

Lord Kimura laughs again. “I needn’t tell you, Uchida Ryuu.” With a flash and a rustle of his Seraph’s Cape, Lord Kimura disappears with the injured Shuriken.

Kunai cries in surprise. “He—He disappeared!”

“Yeah,” Ryuu growls sourly, slamming his fist against the cracked concrete wall.

“I wonder what kind of business Lord Kimura is talking about, and why he’s so eager to get it done?” Ivy wonders.

“I have no idea,” Ryuu replies, “but I would like to know. It cannot possibly be any good news for us. The way that even Lord Kimura seemed rattled when he was speaking of it…it must concern something even greater than him.”

A loud, piercing scream suddenly sounds above them, from the very top floor of the hotel. “Sasha!” Kunai, Ryuu, and Ayame shout together as one.

Kunai, Ryuu, Ayame, and Ivy hurdle the last remaining steps of the long, rickety staircase leading up to the very roof of the Skylark City Hotel. They burst through the door and come to the roof floor, gazing out upon the foggy moonless night of the Night World.

Kunai towards the center of the floor, where a large cage of iron bars surrounds Sasha, and several Paradoxes sit idly by, watching her ravenously.

Kunai watches perplexedly as blue rays of light repeatedly form and disappear in the cage surrounding Sasha. “What the hell—”

“Impressive,” Ryuu mutters, “That’s high-tech Myougun technology. To think Shuriken managed to get ahold of it…this stuff is dangerous.”

“What is it?” Kunai asks worriedly.

“They call them Eater Lights,” Ryuu answers, “They’re artificial cells which continuously require energy to keep functioning, but the only way they can obtain it is to suck it out of their surroundings…in which case, they’re basically parasites leeching off Sasha’s mana right now. It’s kind of like MP Eater for mages.”

“We gotta get Sasha out of there, then!” Kunai shouts, stepping forward.

“Yeah,” Ayame replies, “Sasha doesn’t look so good. We wasted too much time down there, we have to get her out of there now!”

Ryuu nods, and together the three of them dash forward, slashing at the bars caging Sasha in. However, as soon as the three of them approach, the Paradoxes angrily step forward, defending their prey.

Ryuu growls as one of the Paradoxes peck at him. He swipes angrily at it with his sword, exterminating it instantly. He swings his sword as it catches fire, and easily burns the others down.

“Nice one, Ryuu!” Kunai cries, as he attempts to cut at the iron bars with an Avenger. Ayame futilely attempts to break the bars with her Geta as well, to no avail.

“Damn…” she pants, “we’re not leaving even a scratch on these things!”

“Get out of the way!” Ryuu shouts, and with one swift horizontal slash, he cuts the cell completely in half, releasing Sasha from her imprisonment.

Ryuu, Kunai, and Ayame surround Sasha immediately, bending over her to treat her. “She doesn’t look too good,” Kunai mutters. “Looks like she’s lost a lot of mana.”

“Kunai! Behind you!” Ivy shouts from behind.

“Huh?” Kunai mutters, before jumping backwards and crashing into Ayame.

Ryuu dashes aside as well, as a hidden Paradox appears and swipes at Sasha attempting to carry her away. “The hell you are!” Ryuu shouts angrily, and slays the Paradox with one blow.

He catches Sasha just as she falls from the sky, and lays her down gently on the ground, bending over her. Ivy rushes to Ryuu’s side as well, looking on worriedly, her Thorns clasped to her side.

Ryuu quickly notices a slash wound running down Sasha’s side, and blood dripping from it. “Damn…that damn Paradox caused even more damage.”

Ryuu then tears open Sasha’s shirt, revealing her bloody chest underneath. Ayame jumps up in indignation at the sight, pointing at Ryuu angrily. “RYUU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TEARING OPEN INNOCENT GIRLS’ CLOTHES?!”

“SHE’S WEARING A BRA, AIN’T SHE?!” Ryuu shouts angrily back. “Geez.” He wipes a bead of sweat off his forehead and inspects the wound, spreading some medicine over it.

At that moment, his eyes widen as he notices another long-closed wound, scarring Sasha’s left side badly. He traces his finger along it, narrowing his eyes. “What the hell is this scar from…?” he mutters.

Sasha suddenly stirs, fidgeting around slightly. “Ugh…don’t…stop touching me there…that doesn’t feel good…” Suddenly she opens her eyes to see Ryuu bending over her with his hands on her abdomen.

Sasha jumps up abruptly and aims an accusing finger at Ryuu, wagging it rather exaggeratedly. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING TRYING TO SNEAK A PEEK AT AN INNOCENT GIRL’S—”

Ryuu sighs, covering his ears to block the noise. “Fine, fine, I’ll never do anything nice for you again…”

Sasha, ignorant of Ryuu’s resignation, continues to gesticulate unnecessarily and vulgarly at Ryuu while also shouting obscenities at him. Ryuu scratches his chin, as the wind flaps the ripped clothes around Sasha. He stares at the old wound across her chest.

“Anyway.” Ryuu points at the long ago healed scar reaching from her collarbone to the lower portion of her ribcage. “What is that scar from? It doesn’t look like a normal scar to me…”

“T-This?” Sasha stutters, lowering her eyes to her chest, while nervously clutching her clothes tighter around herself, thus obscuring her open chest. “I-It’s nothing!”

“Nothing my ass,” Ryuu snarls, “I’d say that’s a pretty nasty wound. You had to have obtained it from a pretty bad fight. My guess is…”

“Paradox,” Sasha admits, lowering her head. “I was attacked when I was younger. When I came to, my father was bending over me, having written a Hybrid Seal to save my life.”

“I see,” Ryuu replies somberly, “I knew that couldn’t be any normal scar.”

“Incidentally, what happened to your parents, if I may ask?” Ayame inquires. “Don’t you live with them or anything? Your house belongs to them, right?”

“They were killed,” Sasha answers quietly and bitterly, “Five years after I was attacked by the same Paradox.”

Ayame starts, taken aback by the harsh answer. She lowers her eyes, not daring to stare into Sasha’s. “Oh. I see…”

A dull silence suddenly falls amongst the group. Finally, Ivy speaks up. “So…Sasha, is that why you chose to become a Paradox Hunter? To avenge your mom and dad?”

“Mostly, yes,” Sasha answers, “those were the original motives. But now I’ve learned of the true evils that exist in this world, and they must be put to a stop. Though my parents are dead, I know that they must be looking on down at me now, hopefully proud to call me daughter. I, who, in my veins, runs the blood of White Knight and Dragon Knight of my blood parents.”

Another drafty silence soon ensues, and Ryuu is the first to break it. He grabs his sword and sheathes it, placing it back snugly by his side. He nods resolutely to each of them. “Right. Well, we should probably get a move on. No use dawdling about here. The Myougun are gonna be out searching again.”

Next Time: Phoneme Series Extra #1

Arai: Whoa, hey fans! It’s been a long time no see! [loud smack rings in background] Ow! Ow!

Ryuu: That was supposed to be a surprise, idiot!

Ivy: Next episode makes no sense! Bye!

Phoneme Series Extra #1 coming soon!