Atlanta walked slowly towards Ryu. When she was close enough, she removed a kunai.
"YOU TRAITOR!" Ryu roared.
Nemesis laughed in satisfaction.
"And to think I challenged you, Crystal! I'm sorry! I'M SO…SO SORRY! YOU WERE RIGHT! SHE IS A BAD PERSON! SHE'S EVIL!" Ryu cried in pain.
The betrayal was so overwhelming.
"That has not yet been decided, Son of Gaiden" Crystal said.
Atlanta raised the kunai.
"GO AHEAD! AT LEAST…I'LL NO LONGER FEEL THIS UNBEARABLE PAIN! ALL MY GUILT! MY SUFFERINGS…WILL ALL END!" Ryu cried.
Tears ran down Atlanta's face. At that moment, Michael, Nadia and Rokkan arrived on the scene. Michael frowned.
"I'm sorry Ryu! But this is the only way…to save the Fire Kingdom!" Atlanta cried.
"And do what Atlanta?! Tell me…AND DO WHAT?! YOU REALLY THINK THE WAR WILL END ONCE YOU BETRAY ALL THE RYU TO SAVE ONE?! DO YOU REALLY THINK…THAT…YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE SUFFERING?!" Ryu roared.
Atlanta's hands began to tremble.
"What are you waiting for? Kill him now!" Nemesis ordered.
Atlanta cried in pain. The trembling of her hand increased and she let the kunai drop.
"I-I can't!" she cried.
"What?! You dare disobey me?!" Nemesis roared.
"I can't kill him!" Atlanta cried.
"Don't tell me you've so soon forgotten how you were betrayed by the people you loved and trusted! Weak people love! Strong people love only power! Are you weak Atlanta?!" Nemesis roared.
"I haven't forgotten the pain of being betrayed by the people whose dreams became my dreams. When I was with you Nemesis, I felt acknowledged. I was satisfied with that. I didn't care if I was being used only for my abilities but still…I was lonely…till I met…Ryu. He had experienced the pain of loneliness too and he understood…me. It was then that I began to see the difference between being used as a tool…and…love and pain became…joy! YOU REALLY THINK I WOULD BETRAY THE PERSON WHO RESCUED ME FROM MY LONELINESS?!" Atlanta cried.
"If this is how she feels, then I was wrong Ryu. She is a good person" Crystal said.
"WHY DO YOU WANT TO PROTECT RYU?! THIS WAS JUST ANOTHER MISSION!" Nemesis roared.
"We're getting out of here whether you like it or not so do me a favour and SHUT UP!"
"Atlanta dear, do you know a little game called jump off the roof?"
"RRAAAAARRR!!!"
Atlanta recalled Ryu's roar when he cloaked himself with the lava. She remembered her laugh.
"You're one funny guy. You look like a fire demon"
"If she won't teach you willingly, then I'm going to force her to. And she's going to admit that you're a good person"
"I want you to know that I'll never, ever judge you" Atlanta recalled Ryu hugging her, and then she recalled the group hug.
"It was just another mission at first but…nothing I said or did during this mission was pretence. Those were real feelings and I was truly happy! That is why, I'm not going to let you hurt Ryu" Atlanta said.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY ATLANTA!" Nemesis roared.
"No, I've finally found my place. It's right here, between YOU AND RYU!" Atlanta growled.
"THEN YOU'LL DIE HERE!" Nemesis roared as he charged towards Atlanta, drawing a kunai and preparing for a fatal strike.
Atlanta opened her eyes in shock and fear.
"DIE!!!" Nemesis roared as he struck with his kunai.
There was a piercing sound and blood began to drip to the ground.
"RYU!!!" Atlanta screamed for just before the blow struck, Ryu leapt in front of her, shielding her from the strike. Nemesis' kunai pierced him through his heart. Ryu vomited blood.
"You still protect her?! You should be in a rage! You disgust me! You weak people love each other, have faith in each other and protect each other! That is why you easily get betrayed! Hatred has no pain!" Nemesis roared as tears actually streamed down his face.
Ryu stared at Nemesis' tears in shock!
"You really are blinded Nemesis. I pity you. As long as there is love, there will always be pain but…you can't run away from the pain can you? You can't desert love because you fear pain. The pain of losing those you love and…of being betrayed. Love and pain will always go together as long as there is life. This is the cruel path of fate. It's undeniable and unchangeable" Ryu said calmly as he placed his hand on Nemesis' shoulder.
"SHUT UP! RYU SHUT UP! STOP TALKING AS IF YOU KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT ME!" Nemesis roared.
"You killed my parents, destroyed the Crystal, Water and Fire Villages. From the very beginning, I despised you. All I wanted to do was kill you…so why? Why do I feel your pain? You also had to watch everyone you loved…die. You are immortal so you can't die. So…you decided that hatred is easier. It carries no pain. The pain of loneliness is…so…so…cruel. Isn't it…Son Of Shekan?" Ryu asked Nemesis in tears.
(Wait a minute! Why the hell does Ryu even know that?!)
The weakness in Ryu's body took over and he fell slowly.
"RYU!" Atlanta cried, catching Ryu in her arms before he hit the ground.
"You don't have to be evil. We can end all the pain here, just join…us" Ryu said weakly.
Nemesis looked at Ryu as more tears flowed down his face. Watching Ryu reminded him of himself in the past. It was like watching another loved one die.
"I promise…when I find the Sword Of Rai…I'll end your curse of immortality" Ryu said weakly as he felt life draining from his body. His eyes closed and his head fell backwards. Ryu died.
Nemesis stood up and wiped his tears.
"FOOL! How can you find the Sword Of Rai when you're already dead. I will release my father Shekan!" Nemesis declared and disappeared.
"RYU!" Atlanta cried as she hugged Ryu's lifeless body tightly.
Michael and Nadia cried too.
"I DIDN'T THINK WE'D REACHED THE DANGER ZONE ALREADY!"
"WHOO-HOO! THIS IS AMAZING!" Michael remembered Ryu.
"Molten, that was funny, let's do it again! FIRE ELEMENT! MICHAEL AND NADIA JUTSU!" Nadia cried even more after recalling Ryu's technique.
"I never thought I'd miss his jokes so much!" she said.
"Me too, without him, this group feels…empty" Michael wept.
"Michael, is this how it will end? Will we lose one another?" Nadia asked.
"No, the will of Ryu will still burn on. We won't lose each other for the spirit of Ryu will protect us" Michael said.
"You are amazing Ryu, you even made Nemesis cry" Crystal said. "You are more honourable than any ninja I've ever met."
Molten flew into the sky and cried out "RYUUUU!!!" He called to Ryu's spirit as the sky turned into fire which spread all over the world.
In Crystal, the villagers looked at the sky in sorrow.
"Why's the sky so red, and why is everyone so sad?" a genin(low rank ninja) asked his father.
"This is the rage of the Fire Saint. He has just lost his dragon companion. In other words, someone of great importance is dead" the father informed his son.
All the ninja ryu mourned in grief.
"STOP THIS NOW MOLTEN!" Crystal ordered.
Molten's anger subsided and the sky became blue again.
"We will bring Ryu back" Crystal said. "Do you remember Dragon Zone?" Crystal asked.
"To use Dragon Zone will mean that we'll have to assemble the other dragon saints and their respective human saints" Molten said.
"I'm talking of the replica of the Dragon Zone in the ryu of destiny" Crystal said.
Molten gulped.
"Of all the Dragon Zones, why that one? It would mean…we'll have to face HIM" Molten said solemnly.
"Him?" Michael asked.
"The Secret Saint Of Destiny, most powerful of all the Dragon Saints. One word from him can end or restore a life but he always demands something in return. That's the fearful part" Molten explained.
"Let's go then! I don't care what I have to give. We're getting Ryu back!" Atlanta declared boldly.