RYUGAEIA'S HISTORY PART X: DARAG-ARÖKNA AWAKENS
It was morning in the Rangers' Guild. Erasa woke up early though she didn't get enough sleep throughout the night. She still felt moody. She prepared herself for school and sat down to eat breakfast. It was the last working day of the week, Terra's day. Erasa felt depressed. She couldn't eat much so she decided to leave for school. She knew that Aurora and Darak were always the first students to arrive in school so she decided that if she could get to school early, she'd be able to apologize to Aurora and after that she'd think of a way to apologize to Shin. But she knew it wasn't going to be easy to apologize to Shin after the way she had treated him.
"I'll find a way" she said determinedly as she walked towards Dragon High.
Meanwhile, in the Ayenhayze residence…BANG! BANG! BANG!
"Wake up you lazy drones!" Kyla yelled but Reis and Shin remained asleep. They didn't even budge.
Kyla tried hitting them but nothing worked.
"They might as well be dead! Sheesh! I'm leaving you two behind! Do you hear?!" Kyla yelled as she stormed out of the room.
She set the table for the two boys and packaged their lunch but she left for school and the two boys remained asleep.
Erasa was nearing Dragon High. She could hear exclamations of "HA! HA! HYAAH!" coming from the school compound.
"It's Aurora" she said as she began to feel uneasy.
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She walked through the school gate and saw Aurora training with the Twin Saggeesian Sabres. Aurora was trying to perfect a double lateral strike.
"I've never seen Aurora look so serious" Erasa thought to herself.
Aurora had already noticed Erasa's presence but she was angry with Erasa so she ignored her. Erasa walked uncertainly till she was quite close to Aurora.
"HA!" Aurora yelled as she performed a single lateral strike.
"Aurora, we need to talk" Erasa said.
"HA!" Aurora ignored Erasa and continued with her training.
"Aurora, I know you can hear me. Please give me a chance to apologize" Erasa said.
"Why do you want to apologize to someone that's in the way of your happiness?" Aurora said indifferently as she continued practicing her strikes.
"I didn't mean what I said Aurora. You don't know how much I regret saying those things to you" Erasa said sadly.
"You meant it Erasa. It's understandable though but I can't easily forget what you said. And here I was thinking that I was your best friend" Aurora said sadly as she sheathed her blades.
"You are my best friend Aurora! I just don't know what came over me. Maybe I was upset with Shin and I took it out on you but I'm really sorry" Erasa apologized.
"Oh so now it was Shin's fault you said what you said right? I honestly feel sorry for Shin because amongst us all, he's the one you hurt the most!" Aurora yelled angrily.
Erasa opened her eyes in surprise and lowered her eyes in guilt.
Aurora sighed, "I forgive you Erasa because I can understand your feelings but I can't say just yet that our friendship will be as great as it was before" Aurora said.
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"I see" Erasa said sadly.
"But I'll try to let it go. It really hurt to hear those words but we're friends and friends forgive each other but I need some time to cool off" Aurora said as she returned to her sword practice.
Erasa smiled, "Thank you Aurora" she said gratefully.
Soon, more students began to walk into the school compound.
"Now I've got to find Shin and apologize to him" Erasa thought as she stood by the school gate waiting for Shin to arrive.
She watched each student pass by but there was no sign of Shin. Soon she saw Kyla approaching. She looked around but there was no sign of Shin or Reis.
"Hi Kyla!" she greeted.
"Oh hi Erasa. How are you?" Kyla greeted back.
"I feel terrible for making a mess of Reis' all you can eat invitation. Where's Shin and Reis?" Erasa asked in concern.
Kyla sighed sadly.
"I'm sure Reis is fine but Shin…I can't tell what's going on in his head lately" Kyla said.
"Why do you say that?" Erasa asked.
"Normally, Shin's always so noisy and energetic. He's always looking for a quarrel and I never fail to wake him up by banging pan lids. He hates school but never wants to miss a day but lately, he's always silent as if he's lost in thought and today, God knows I let all hell loose in their bedroom but Shin didn't even try to wake up. It's almost as if he's running from school" Kyla said worriedly. "Though I might just be overthinking things because they were up talking all night…those boys!" Kyla added with a growl.
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Erasa looked worried as well.
"H-Hey Kyla, is Shin angry with me?" Erasa asked.
Kyla smiled.
"Don't worry Erasa, when it comes to you, Shin can never be angry for more than half a day" Kyla said in an attempt to cheer Erasa up.
The bell soon rang for classes to begin and Kyla, Erasa, Darak and Aurora quickly rushed into the class. Erasa sat at her desk recalling the terrible things she had said to Shin the night before. Soon Mistress Kira entered the class.
"Good morning class" she greeted.
"Good morning Mistress Kira" the students greeted in reply.
"We'll start the day with a roll call. When I call your name, reply by saying 'Present'. Okay, so now let's begin. Darak Ignis!" Mistress Kira called.
"Here" Darak said nonchalantly.
Mistress Kira ignored him.
"Aurora Saggeese!"
"Present" Aurora replied.
"Ernest Eghan!"
"Yo!" Evil Eghan greeted joyfully.
"Pius Cudjoe!"
"Present!" Cudjoe replied.
"Benjamin Dossou!"
"Present!" Dossou replied.
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"Reis Dragonhaӓrt!" Mistress Kira called but there was no answer. "Reis Dragonhaart!" Mistress Kira called again.
"He is MIA!" the class responded and laughed.
Mistress Kira noted his name.
"Shin Ayenhayze!" Mistress Kira called.
There was no answer.
"Shin Ayenhayze!" she called again.
"He simply can't be reached!" the class replied and they burst into laughter.
Mistress Kira noted Shin's name down and the roll call continued. As it turned out, Reis and Shin were the only absent students. Meanwhile, in the Ayenhayze residence…
"WHAAAAT?!" Reis screamed in surprise.
Shin woke up.
"What's wrong Reis?" Shin asked.
"L-l-l-look at the time!" Reis exclaimed.
Shin turned to look at the wall clock.
"What?! It's an hour to midday! Reis, do you know what this means?!" Shin exclaimed.
"We're so dead! Mistress Kira's gonna kill us!" Reis exclaimed and the two boys rushed to the bathroom.
"I'm bathing first!" Shin declared as they raced out of the bedroom.
"Like hell you are!" Reis challenged and they continued the race but Shin beat Reis to it.
"I'm first!" Shin declared as he locked Reis outside and turned on the shower.
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"Damn! He beat me to it!" Reis sighed in disappointment.
"At least I can brush while he's bathing" Reis said as he began to brush his teeth.
In less than a minute Shin was out of the bathroom.
"I'm done!" he declared.
"Hey, are you sure you bathed well cos your hair's looking kinda shaggy" Reis teased.
"Oh, I wouldn't mind taking some extra time but I'll leave you behind once I'm done!" Shin declared.
"C'mon Shin. I didn't mean it" Reis said as he stepped into the bathroom.
Shin took the chance to brush his teeth. When he was done, he headed to the bedroom but when he opened the bedroom door, Reis was already inside, fully clothed.
"Hiya Shin. Looks like you're behind schedule" Reis teased.
"Why am I not surprised?" Shin rolled his eyes and began to dress in a hurry.
Soon both boys were downstairs. They ate breakfast hurriedly and packed their lunches in their satchels.
"Kyla was really considerate to have prepared lunch for us don't you think so Shin?" Reis asked.
"Yeah, I'm glad I was found by Master Jin. I've been able to experience the joy of having a family thanks to him and Kyla" Shin said gratefully.
"We'd better hurry up or Mistress Kira's not only going to kill us but she'll crush our souls as well" Shin said with a nervous laugh.
Reis looked scared but he tried hard to hide it. Soon the two boys were on their way to school.
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Meanwhile in Dragon High, Mistress Kira was teaching the students the importance of poetry.
"Open your literature books to page fifty-nine" she ordered.
The students opened their poetry books.
"Oh no! Not this poem again!" the boys sighed in dismay but the girls were excited.
The poem in question was a romantic poem.
"Mistress Kira, I don't want to be a spoilsport but we've studied this poem for three consecutive weeks and we've already grasped the importance of it. When can we move to comprehension and by that I mean the passage on the next page" Darak spoke on behalf of the boys.
"Does everyone agree with this?" Mistress Kira asked.
"YES!" the boys chorused.
The girls didn't complain because most of them had a crush on Darak. At that moment, Shin and Reis burst into the classroom.
"Goodmorning Mistress Kira. Sorry we're late!" Reis panted wearily.
He was almost out of breath. The two boys had ran the whole way to school and they were sweating profusely.
"Why are you late?" Mistress Kira asked seriously.
Shin took in a deep breath and answered, "We overslept" he said.
Everyone gasped in shock.
"Please forgive us" Reis said with a respectful bow.
Mistress Kira sighed.
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"Well, it has never been a habit of yours to be late so I'll let it go this time. Take your seats" Mistress Kira said and the two boys went to their sitting places.
"What have I missed?" Shin asked Kyla.
"Not much but Erasa was worried about you" Kyla informed Shin.
"I don't care. I've put her behind me now. My entire life can't revolve around Erasa" Shin said seriously.
Kyla looked towards Erasa's desk and saw Erasa staring at them.
"Hey Shin, she's looking at you" Kyla whispered.
"I said I don't care!" Shin yelled and the class suddenly became silent.
"Is anything the matter Shin Ayenhayze?" Mistress Kira asked worriedly.
"No ma'am. I'm just not in a good mood" Shin said.
Erasa looked down at her desk.
"Let's continue with the lesson. What passage did you people want us to study again?" Mistress Kira asked.
"FAMILY WAHALA (DILEMMA)!" the boys' voices dominated the class.
"WHAAAT?! FAMILY WAHALA?! FINALLY AFTER SO MANY YEARS?! THIS IS GREAT!" Shin exclaimed in joy.
Mistress Kira smiled.
"Shin is really an interesting person. He has an entire rainbow of emotions. He and Reis are very similar in behavior and…" Mistress Kira opened her eyes in shock as sudden realization struck her.
"How could I not have noticed it before?! Apart from the difference in hair and eye colour, Shin and Reis share a striking resemblance!" Mistress Kira thought as she began to grow pale.
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"Are you alright Mistress Kira?" Aurora asked in concern.
She had noticed the expression on Mistress Kira's face. Mistress Kira shook her head and cleared her throat.
"I'm fine. Turn your literature books to page sixty" she commanded and the students obeyed.
"Who will volunteer to read?" Mistress Kira asked.
Dossou raised his hand.
"Yes Dossou, read the passage" Mistress Kira called him.
Dossou stood up and cleared his throat.
"FAMILY WAHALA!" he began to read.
"You think you have family problems? Listen to my situation. A few years ago, I met a young widow with a grown up daughter and we got married. Later my father married my stepdaughter. That made my stepdaughter my stepmother and my father became the stepson. Also my wife became mother in-law of her father in-law. Then the daughter of my wife, my stepmother had a son. The boy was my half-brother because he was my father's son, but he was also the son of my wife's daughter. That made him my wife's grandson. That made me the grandfather of my half-brother.
This was nothing until my wife and I had a son. Now the half-sister of my son, my step-mother is also the grandmother. This makes my father the brother in-law of my child whose stepsister is my father's wife. I'm my stepmother's brother in-law. My wife is her own child's aunt. My son is my father's nephew and I'm my own son's grandfather"
Dossou concluded the passage.
By then, the entire class was caught in the throes of uncontrollable laughter. Even Mistress Kira could not help laughing.
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"I must admit that this is a really funny passage" she said.
Reis and Darak were also laughing uncontrollably. Shin was as well.
"It's so senseless and annoying!" Kyla sighed in boredom.
"And that's what makes it so classic!" Shin laughed.
"As funny as it sounds, it does have a deeper meaning so the question is…can you analyze it?" Mistress Kira asked the class.
Aurora raised her hand.
"Yes Aurora" Mistress Kira called.
"I think it's basically saying if you mix up romantic and familial relationships, you could end up with a family disaster" Aurora said.
"Impressive" Mistress Kira appeared impressed by Aurora's analysis.
"Oh so that's it huh?! Aurora's so smart!" everyone in class praised her.
"That was supposed to have a deeper meaning? Somehow I find it hard to believe" Darak muttered in boredom.
"Though it's a funny passage it's actually difficult to comprehend" Shin said.
"It's just plain confusing" Reis agreed.
Suddenly, the bell rang for break.
"Saved by the bell!" Reis exclaimed in joy and relief.
The students began to walk out of the class. Shin decided to go out for fresh air as well. He walked to one of the trees in the school field and stood there rubbing his hands on the rough bark absent-mindedly.
Erasa was watching him from a distance.
"What will I say to him?" she asked herself.
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She sighed and began to walk towards Shin. Shin was still lost in thought so he didn't notice her.
"Shin" Erasa called but Shin didn't respond.
"Shin" Erasa called again but Shin ignored her.
He stopped rubbing the tree and began to walk away.
"Shin wait!" Erasa called but he doubled his steps.
Erasa had to trot to catch up.
"Shin please listen to me" Erasa pleaded.
Shin stopped walking.
"I'm just doing what you want Erasa. You were the one who asked me to keep my distance and I'm doing just that so I'm now asking you to do the same and let me have my peace" Shin said.
There was something about the way Shin said it that hurt Erasa very much. Shin continued walking, Erasa stood there sadly.
"Shin doesn't want to have anything to do with me but I must apologize" Erasa said determinedly as she ran after him.
"Shin, please listen to me!" Erasa called but Shin ignored her.
"Leave me alone Erasa!" Shin yelled angrily.
Erasa was surprised by Shin's reaction.
"Shin, I'm sorry, I'm very sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean what I said and you didn't deserve to be treated like that" Erasa apologized.
"Maybe I did. Maybe it was my fault!" Shin said angrily.
"That's not true Shin" Erasa said.
"Then why Erasa? Am I really a nobody to you?" Shin asked sadly.
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"No Shin" Erasa said.
"You're lying…and I hate it. It's my fault Erasa. I can forgive you for a lot of things but there is one thing I'll never forgive you for…you forgot me faster than it takes for a puff of smoke to disappear" Shin said.
Erasa opened her eyes in surprise.
Shin turned and walked away. As he was walking, he heard the sound of a heavy drop. He turned around and saw Erasa lying on the ground almost unconscious.
"Erasa!" he called worriedly as he ran to her.
"Are you alright? C'mon Erasa say something!" he called frantically.
Erasa opened her eyes and saw Shin's concerned face and before she had realized it her heart was beating fast and she was blushing shyly.
"Erasa! What's wrong?!" Shin called.
"Shin…did I ever tell you that…you look really handsome when you're worried?" Erasa said with a nervous laugh.
"Forget that! What's wrong with you?!" Shin demanded an answer.
"I just felt dizzy for a while, I'm fine really" Erasa said.
"You haven't eaten since morning have you?" Shin said worriedly.
"How did you know?" Erasa stared at Shin in surprise.
"Here, I'll carry you" Shin said as he lifted Erasa into his arms.
"You can share my lunch but let's find some shade first" Shin said as he carried Erasa towards a cluster of trees.
"Shin's so strong" Erasa admired.
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Shin carried her to the shade and placed her down in a sitting position against one of the trees. Then he took out his lunch and placed it on the ground beside Erasa.
"I usually eat with my hands but it seems Kyla packed two disposable spoons today" Shin said as he uncovered the food.
It was plain rice with vegetable sauce.
"I hope you like veggies" Shin said with a laugh.
"Are you strong enough to eat by yourself?" Shin asked Erasa.
Erasa nodded and picked one of the disposable spoons. She fetched some of the rice but dropped her spoon halfway. "I guess not" she said.
"Don't worry, I'll feed you" Shin volunteered.
"Wha…?! Ba-ba-but there are people around. What will they think?" Erasa asked shyly.
"Forget them. I don't want you to die from hunger or are you too embarrassed to be fed by me?" Shin asked.
"No I didn't mean it like that but…" Erasa argued weakly.
"Don't worry" Shin said as he fetched some rice and fed Erasa.
When he had fed her halfway without eating himself she became worried.
"Aren't you going to eat anything?" Erasa asked him.
"I'm okay, I ate a heavy breakfast" Shin said with a kind smile.
Erasa was mesmerized by the kind look in Shin's eyes and for a while she couldn't help but stare at him. Shin noticed this.
"What's wrong Erasa? Is there something on my face?" Shin asked cluelessly.
"Shin, why are you being so nice to me? Just a moment ago I had the impression that you hated me" Erasa said.
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"No Erasa, I don't hate you. I can never hate you" Shin said kindly and Erasa's heart began to race again.
"This is your lunch so you've got to eat as well" Erasa struggled to say.
"Okay, but it's not going to be easy feeding you with one hand and eating with the other. Like One used to say, 'you can't look into a bottle with both eyes'" Shin said and Erasa stared at him with her mouth wide open.
"Wh-What did you just say Shin?" Erasa asked in shock.
"Nothing" Shin said as he suddenly realized his mistake.
"You just said…" Erasa was saying but Shin cut her off.
"You must have imagined it. I never said anything. All I said was that it wasn't going to be easy feeding you while feeding myself" Shin lied nervously.
Erasa sighed.
"I must have imagined it" she said.
When they had finished eating, Shin helped Erasa to her feet.
"How do you feel now?" he asked her.
"I feel much better thank you. I'm sorry for treating you badly yesterday" Erasa apologized again.
"Forget about it, it's in the past" Shin assured her.
At that moment the bell rang for classes to resume. Shin made Erasa lean on him while he led her to her seat in the class. When he had helped her sit down, she thanked him. Shin returned to his seat feeling confused.
"I thought I had finally placed her in my past but it seems like that's just impossible for me" Shin admitted to himself.
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Mistress Kira soon entered the class. For the rest of the class period, the young Dragon Students studied the Tragic Legend. Reis had a bored look on his face.
"What's wrong Reis? Aren't you enjoying the lesson?" Aurora asked.
"It sounds so boring when we study it into detail like this. It sounds so historical and less legendary" Reis complained.
Aurora giggled.
"It's very ironic to hear that come from someone whose name sounds so similar to Dragonheart" Darak teased.
"The name has nothing to do with it" Reis said as he placed his head on the table and fell asleep.
"Jeez! How can you still feel sleepy when you already overslept?!" Darak accused.
"Let's just say I had a dream battle OW!" Reis exclaimed in pain as he suddenly sat up for Mistress Kira had hit him with a piece of chalk and everyone in the class knew how good her aim was.
"Try to remain awake Dragonhaӓrt or you will find yourself serving detention!" Mistress Kira scolded.
"Sorry ma'am" Reis apologized.
As the classes continued, Reis counted the hours till classes would end and when the bell finally rang, he was so happy that he leapt out of his chair and shouted "OH YEAH!" Everyone stared at him in disbelief and Mistress Kira had to control herself to avoid punishing him severely.
Reis helped Aurora to pack her books.
"Thank you Reis" Aurora said gratefully.
"No prob! Now let me pack mine and then we can get going" Reis said as he packed his books.
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"Why do you bring so many books to school?" Darak asked him.
"When my bag is full, I kinda feel complete. Weird huh?" Reis said.
"Very" Darak agreed.
"I will escort you guys. Now that I think about it we've got a lot to talk about" Reis said.
"Okay, it suits me as long as you promise to duel me the moment we get to my residence" Darak said with a cunning smile.
"Honestly Darak, is fighting all you ever think about?" Reis asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"Now that I've found someone as strong as I am, yes! I won't stop challenging you till the day there's a clear difference in our abilities!" Darak challenged.
"Fine, I accept your challenge" Reis said.
Shin had also finished packing his books. He walked to Erasa and offered to help her pack hers.
"I can do it myself. Thanks for offering though Shin" Erasa said with a smile.
Soon, she was done.
"I'll walk you home" Shin offered.
Erasa stared at him in surprise.
"Why? You've never offered to do so before" Erasa said curiously.
"I'm worried about you. I don't want you fainting on the way" Shin explained.
"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me besides, you can't let Kyla go home on her own. It seems like Reis will be going with Aurora and Darak" Erasa said.
Shin sighed.
"I guess you're right. Fine, take care" Shin said as he walked to Kyla.
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Reis, Darak and Aurora waited outside for Mistress Kira. When she finally came out, they set off. They walked on for a while in silence.
"Hey Reis, how did you learn swordsmanship?" Darak suddenly asked.
Reis looked puzzled by this question.
"Ah well, how do I say this without being mocked…" Reis thought as he looked around. "Gramps taught me. It was difficult since he used a method called the 'broomstick through a rock'" Reis explained.
"B-B-Broomstick through a rock? Pphhh! Ha ha ha!" Darak burst into laughter.
Aurora too couldn't help but giggle.
"What's that supposed to mean?! You're insane!" Darak teased.
Reis found a single broomstick on the ground and picked it up. Then he picked up a huge stone with one hand.
"I'm not kidding. Gramps kept saying 'learn from the broomstick, though it is light and brittle, it is the greatest adversary of the housefly'. Then he said, 'observe the broom when sweeping. It does not oppose the ground'" Reis narrated and the others laughed at him even more.
"Of course the broomstick is the greatest adversary of the housefly, why won't it be if it takes away the housefly's source of livelihood" Darak laughed while patting Reis on the back.
"That's not what I mean. I did not realize what Gramps meant till I divided a housefly in half one day. It was then that I realized that it was not the hardness of a broom or a sword that gave it its power but rather, it was its flexibility and ability to bend. I'll show you" Reis said as he tossed the stone into the air.
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He shut his eyes and calmed his breathing. He could feel his entire body and he could sense the position of the stone. As it landed, he sliced across it with the broomstick. The stone fell to the ground divided smoothly into halves.
Reis opened his eyes.
"See?" he said but they had shocked expressions on their faces.
"WHAAAT?! SINCE WHEN WAS THERE A NATURAL LAW THAT ALLOWED A SINGLE BROOMSTICK TO CUT THROUGH A SOLID STONE!!!" Darak screamed in shock.
Reis smiled cunningly.
"What of you Darak? What method were you trained with?" Reis asked.
"It's a secret. Telling you means betraying my clan" Darak said.
"MEANIE!" Reis accused and Aurora and Mistress Kira laughed.
Soon, they were at Team Kira's residence.
"Before you kids do anything, you should eat. Wait here while I prepare something" Mistress Kira said as she entered the house.
"Reis, let's go to the backyard. There's enough space there to duel" Darak suggested.
"Shouldn't we wait till after we've eaten?" Reis attempted to postpone the duel.
"You really intend to fight after we're full and sluggish?" Darak demanded.
"Not really, fine, let's do this" Reis said with a determined look in his eyes as they walked to the backyard.
Aurora sat on a bench and watched the two boys.
Darak and Reis walked to the opposite ends of the field at the back of the Kira's residence.
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"This field is wide enough for a battle to the limits so Reis! I won't forgive you if you hold back. We'll fight as though we intend to kill each other!" Darak declared.
"I'm not sure that's such a good idea because if I decide not to hold back, I really might end up killing you and that is not something to boast about" Reis said worriedly.
"That's just perfect!" Darak said contentedly.
Reis looked at Aurora. She was staring back at him.
"Aurora! Back when you still hated me, you felt I was hiding a secret. I was; but now I want you to know the truth about me. I want you to know everything about me. I'll show you now" Reis said as he made the Dragonhaärt Holy Sword stance.
Darak made his fighting stance with his Pyro Blades. Darak flamed his blade. "I guess you're at a disadvantage since you don't have an elemental affinity" Darak teased as he displayed his aura.
"Don't be so sure of that!" Reis declared as his sword began to glow bright gold.
Then he too displayed his aura. It was very huge and rainbow coloured. It kept changing colours without repeating a single colour. Aurora exclaimed in shock.
"Reis…you are…?!" Aurora exclaimed in shock.
"Yes Aurora…I have powers independent of the Dragons. No dragon has yet shared its abilities with me but I have these powers and on top of that…I can utilize any possible element I can think of" Reis said worriedly.
"Reis…" Aurora muttered in shock.
She was dumbfounded. She remained so silent that Reis thought he had done something wrong.
"You sure are full of surprises Dragonhaӓrt or should I say…Dragonheart…but I'm still gonna beat the living daylights outta you! That means you've been holding
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back on all our previous duels and making me believe I was superior!" Darak roared angrily.
"I'm sorry guys, I meant to tell you earlier but I felt you still had mixed feelings towards me. I only mustered the courage to tell you after Aurora allowed me to sit on Jared's desk" Reis apologized.
"You don't have to apologize Reis. We already suspected something like this when you ran on water, knocked the Kagua-serpentia out with a lightning attack and stood on quicksand" Aurora said with a reassuring smile.
Reis sighed.
"I thought you guys would be angry. I'm glad you're not angry" Reis said with a relieved smile.
"YOU'RE DAMN WRONG IF YOU THINK I'M HAPPY! HOW DARE YOU FOOL ME REIS!!!" Darak roared as he charged towards Reis and leapt into the air.
"D-Darak, C-Calm down" Reis stammered.
"DON'T TRY TO TALK YOUR WAY OUT OF THIS! TAKE THIS! DIABOLIC BISECTING SLASH!" Darak roared as he descended with a powerful vertical slash.
Reis blocked the attack with his sword.
"It seems the only way I can calm you down is to fight you head on!" Reis said with a determined look.
"You've got that right. I want you to fight without holding back!" Darak said with a cunning smile.
Darak pushed harder with the intention of knocking Reis off balance.
"Fine, if you're so eager to get beaten then…" Reis said as he shut his eyes.
Darak smiled. He knew that Reis was drawing out his inner power.
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"…I'LL START WITH EARTH ELEMENT!" Reis declared as he suddenly pushed Darak into the air.
"TAKE THIS! BONE SHATTERING KNOCKOUT!" Reis roared as huge rocks from the ground knocked Darak into the air.
Darak somersaulted and landed smoothly on the ground.
"That came as a surprise but is that really all you can do?!" Darak challenged.
He charged towards Reis evading the rest of the rocks.
"TAKE THIS! PYRON SLASH!" Darak roared as his sword began to descend upon Reis.
Reis stared in surprise, it appeared as though he was about to receive a direct hit but just before the sword struck him he smiled, "LIGHTNING ELEMENT!" Reis called out and Darak suddenly found himself flying through the air.
"What just happened?" he wondered.
"ARRRGH!" he suddenly exclaimed in pain and found himself flying vertically.
Suddenly Reis appeared above Darak.
"Had enough?" Reis asked.
"Stop pretending to be concerned you cunning jerk" Darak teased with a content smile.
"I'll hate doing this to you but…" Reis said as he somersaulted in the air.
"CRUSHING HEEL STRIKE!" Reis roared as he kicked Darak on the chest with his heel.
Darak crashed to the ground causing cracks to appear in the process. Reis landed smoothly.
Darak stood up and wiped his bleeding lip.
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"I must admit, using lightning element to boost your speed was a very clever move but don't underestimate me. I was the one holding back" Darak said with a cunning smile.
"What do you mean?" Reis asked.
"Look closely at this Pyro Blade. Do you notice anything strange?" Darak asked.
Reis looked closely and opened his eyes in shock.
"IT'S SHEATHED!" Reis exclaimed in shock.
"IT'S WHAT?!" Aurora exclaimed in even more shock.
"Sorry Aurora, Reis wasn't the only one with a secret. I guess I want you guys to see mine too" Darak said with a smile.
"But how is it possible that you've been fighting with a sheathed sword all this while?" Reis exclaimed in surprise.
"You're one to talk after dividing a stone with a broomstick!" Darak accused.
"Okay, I see your point" Reis sighed.
"Besides, this blade is not sheathed, it's been sealed!" Darak declared.
"Sealed?! Why?!" Reis asked.
Darak looked sad for a moment.
"I'm a flame ninja Reis" Darak confessed.
"Y-y-you're a ninja?" Reis stammered.
He was shocked by this revelation.
"This sword is an heirloom of the Ignis clan of ninja. During the Drӓkan War, my ancestors saw the war wrought on humanity by Armageddon and noticed that the war would end with great casualty so each of them gave up their dragon powers except for my direct ancestor. He believed that the dragons would win so he
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gathered the misplaced energies of the dragons during the creation of the Dragonheart and used them to forge this sword. Its true form is the Dragon Blade. The power of this sword would react only to three things. The first is the blood of his descendants, the second is the power of Dragnarӧk which preserved my family and the third is a strong willed heart. This sword could slay Armageddon completely with a single blow but Alpha, the Dragon Sovereign rejected it. He said, 'Darkness exists within every living being. It is not something to slay but something to tame. By attempting to destroy darkness completely, every living creature would be sacrificed'. My ancestor realized the truth in Alpha's words and sealed this sword. However he left the instructions for unsealing it. He said only one with eyes unclouded by hate could read the instructions.
For this sword, endless wars broke out and the ninja clan was divided. My clan descended into ultimate shadow and made sure that nothing was left of the sword but its legend. My ancestor was shamed, for the power he created to be a salvation became a sign of fear and hatred. We of the direct lineage had to use sheathed swords from then on. The sheath is a symbol of our hidden shame but I believe that my ancestor believed that this sword would one day be given new life. It will bring peace to Ryugaeia. My brother tried to kill me to possess this sword but I stole it and ran away. I joined the Dragon Rangers and obtained Dragnarӧk's power. Now I can prove that this sword is a true weapon of justice!" Darak narrated.
"I understand your feelings Darak. Unseal that sword and we'll take this fight to the next level" Reis promised.
"Next level?" Aurora asked.
The revelations were too shocking for her. Darak smiled.
"I'm glad you're a member of Team Kira Reis. This is the first time I've felt like I can test the limits of my strength" Darak said.
"It's the same for me" Reis said.
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"I'm not so sure fighting to the limits is such a good idea guys" Aurora expressed her concern.
"Don't worry Aurora, it's not like we're going to kill each other. We just want to know how far we can go" Darak said.
"But Darak, before you unseal that sword, I have to warn you of something. If you really believe I am the Dragonhaӓrt then unsealing that sword could be disastrous" Reis warned.
"What do you mean?" Darak asked.
"Remember that I have Armageddon's spirit within me. This has two implications and none of them is good. The first is that if your ancestor gathered the misplaced energies of the Dragons then the chances that he gathered Armageddon's energy as well are very high and I don't need to tell you which of the dragons has the greatest amount of energy" Reis warned.
"That could mean…this sword is infused with a critical amount of evil energy!!!" Darak exclaimed in shock.
Aurora looked worried.
Reis nodded grimly.
"I understand. But the second implication can't be worse than that" Darak laughed nervously.
"It's actually far worse" Reis said and Darak looked worried.
"What is it Reis?" Aurora asked.
"Darak, your sword is a slayer of darkness right? That means if you unseal that sword and cannot succeed in controlling its will, you do realize what will happen if the darkness overtakes you and you kill me right?" Reis said with a serious look on his face.
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"…?!!!" Darak and Aurora were dumbfounded as the full implication of Reis' words hit them.
"Yes Darak, another extinction will occur but it will not just be a Great Extinction. It will be…THE ULTIMATE EXTINCTION! Dragons, Humans, Kaisers, Animals…they will all die. Can you live with that on your conscience?" Reis asked.
Darak was shivering uncontrollably. He was sweating profusely and he felt like he couldn't breathe.
"I've never seen Darak so afraid" Reis thought.
"Reis…" Darak said as he took a deep breath and calmed down.
"Darak, this sword is a sword of regret but if you wish to tame it, then your will must be strong enough…TO OVERCOME CENTURIES OF REGRET INCLUDING THAT OF THE DRAGONHAӒRT!!!" Reis roared.
"Reis…you overcame Armageddon on your own right?" Darak asked.
Reis shook his head.
"No Darak, I overcame Armageddon because of the love and faith you all had in me but it took a lot of courage because you see Darak…the darkness is not just Armageddon, it's you as well" Reis said.
Darak opened his eyes in surprise.
"Then I must not unseal the sword" Darak said sadly.
"On the contrary Darak…I think you should unseal it" Reis declared.
"WHAT?! ARE YOU CRAZY REIS?!" Aurora yelled angrily.
"Choosing not to unseal it is the same as running from the darkness. No matter how far you run, the darkness will eventually catch you unprepared. Facing it will bring the best result. I'm saying this Darak because even if you choose not to unseal it now, it will eventually fall into the wrong hands, then your clan will bear the shame and responsibility of causing the total destruction of all life. Do not be
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afraid Darak, you have me and Aurora and everyone else. We all believe in you" Reis said.
"Hmmph! You're such a conceited hypocrite" Darak said with a sly smile.
"I see you've regained your senses" Reis said.
"I'll unseal the sword but before that you must promise me that if I lose control, you will take me down" Darak said seriously.
Aurora gasped in shock.
"I will promise one thing Darak and that is…I won't let that happen!" Reis promised.
Darak smiled.
Darak held the blade of the sword in his other hand and slowly cut his palm. He squeezed his fist over the blade and his blood ran over it.
"With my blood as a descendant of Pyron Ignis…" Darak said, then he covered the blade with flames.
"And with the flames of Dragnarӧk…I command you to heed my call. AWAKEN DRAGON BLADE OF IGNIS!" Darak commanded and the blade of the sword shattered.
The shattered pieces fell to the ground and turned to dust. Only the handle of the sword remained.
"Wha…?! What's this supposed to mean?!" Darak exclaimed in shock.
Suddenly, a huge beam of energy burst from the sword. An intense blade of fire began to form and a powerful wind began to blow the area. Darak stared at the blade of fire in awe as it became so concentrated that it became as solid as metal. The edges of the blade were wicked looking spikes that could slice off a person's head with a single touch.
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"It's amazing!" Darak exclaimed in joy but suddenly, dark flames began to escape from the sword.
A dark sinister laugh could be heard as the flames flew into the sky and took the form of Armageddon's head!
"HAHAHAHA! I could not have wished for a better outcome. Now all I have to do is slay Reis Dragonhaärt and all life on Ryugaeia will be vanquished!" Armageddon said in a sinister voice.
His eyes were flaring.
"Why would you want that?!" Reis asked.
"What better way to make God suffer than to destroy his precious creation?!" Armageddon laughed.
"But if you do that…you'll destroy yourself as well!" Reis yelled.
"You sorely underestimate me Dragonhaӓrt. This sword can never slay me…but…IT CAN SLAY YOU!!!" Armageddon roared as he charged towards Darak.
"DARAK! WATCH OUT!" Reis called but Darak was too slow.
Armageddon hit him with full force and entered Darak. The force knocked Darak into the air but Darak somersaulted and landed on the ground. He was breathing hoarsely and his eyes were closed.
"Darak! Are you alright!" Reis and Aurora called.
Darak's fist tightened around the handle of the sword. He opened his eyes. They were flaming red.
"I MUST KILL REIS DRAGONHAÄRT!" he roared in a vicious rage!
"OH NO! HE'S BEING CONTROLLED BY ARMAGEDDON!" Reis exclaimed in horror.
At that moment Mistress Kira walked into the field.
"Hey kids, food is ready!" she called.
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"STAY BACK MISTRESS KIRA!" Reis ordered.
"What is going on?" Mistress Kira asked.
She was unaware of the situation. Aurora ran to Mistress Kira.
"Aurora! What's going on?!" Mistress Kira demanded.
"Mistress Kira, Armageddon…he-he-he's controlling Darak through his sword!" Aurora said in fear and worry.
"I don't understand what you're saying, you're not making sense" Mistress Kira said.
Aurora explained the situation in detail to Mistress Kira.
"DIE DRAGONHAӒRT!" Darak roared as he leapt into the air.
Reis clutched his sheathed sword and timed his defense. Just before Darak descended on him with full force, he changed the nature of his aura to earth and lightning and unsheathed his sword with full speed and strength. The two blades clashed with a loud metal sound and there was a sudden flash of light.
"Earth affinity increases my physical strength and lightning affinity multiplies my speed. With both…there's no way you can break through ARMAGEDDON!" Reis roared as he pushed back with all his strength.
Darak had to somersault to avoid being propelled forcefully into the air by the force.
"You're strong Dragonhaӓrt but you yourself admitted that…I'M THE MOST POWERFUL DRAGON!" Armageddon roared.
He charged towards Reis and they clashed swords again.
"I said you have the greatest amount of energy but…THAT DOESN'T MAKE YOU THE MOST POWERFUL!!!" Reis roared as he leapt back and somersaulted to deliver an overhead vertical slice but Armageddon evaded the attack and Reis' sword struck the ground causing cracks to appear.
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Armageddon disappeared and appeared a few metres away from Reis.
"I must admit that controlling you comes with a greater advantage than controlling this conceited boy" Armageddon sighed.
"Darak isn't conceited! He really cares for others though he's not so good at showing it!" Reis yelled angrily.
"You're more naïve than I perceived Dragonhaӓrt. Right now I control his mind and all I can see is a great envy and rage towards you" Armageddon said.
"And I'm supposed to believe you…why exactly?" Reis retorted.
"It's true Dragonhaӓrt, Darak despises you and you know it!" Armageddon said with an unpleasant smirk.
"Like I said…and I'm supposed to believe you…why exactly?!" Reis roared and charged with amazing speed to attack Armageddon.
"WHAT?! You can't be serious Aurora! Why didn't Darak mention this earlier?!" Mistress Kira exclaimed in shock.
"I don't think he ever planned to unseal the sword but I think meeting Reis changed his mind" Aurora said.
"If that's the case, I need to call for reinforcements. We can't stop Darak on our own" Mistress Kira said as she shut her eyes and touched her forehead with her Dragon ring,
Meanwhile in the Ayenhayze residence, Shin and Kyla were waiting for Reis.
"What's keeping him so long? I'm going to give him a sound scolding when he gets back!" Kyla complained.
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"Hey give the guy a break. If you were with Darak or I was with Erasa, we'd ignore the time" Shin admitted.
"Don't pair me with Darak you idiot!" Kyla yelled.
"Why're you getting so worked up? Hey don't tell me what I said just now is true" Shin said as a sly grin began to spread across his face.
"IT'S AN OBVIOUS LIE!" Kyla yelled angrily.
"Oh really? Then why is your face turning red?" Shin teased some more.
"TH-THAT'S BECAUSE YOU ARE SO INFURIATING!" Kyla yelled angrily.
Suddenly, Master Jin somersaulted down the stairs and grabbed his sword.
"Whoa, what's up Jin?" Shin said.
He half admired Master Jin's agility and was half perplexed by Master Jin's seriousness.
"I have to rush to Team Kira's residence. They're in danger. Don't go anywhere Kyla, Shin. I'll be back as soon as possible!" Master Jin said as he rushed out of the house.
"In danger? Don't tell me Armageddon is controlling Reis again!" Shin guessed.
"Shin, can you check on Reis?" Kyla pleaded.
"On it!" Shin said as he shut his eyes and allowed his mind to scan the guild.
Then he suddenly opened them.
"What's wrong Shin?!" Kyla asked worriedly.
"Reis is fine, Aurora and Mistress Kira are also alright but…" Shin remained silent.
"What?" Kyla asked but Shin remained silent. "What?! Tell me Shin!" Kyla ordered.
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"Hahaha Kyla. I'm just teasing you…everything's fine" Shin said with a nervous laugh as he turned away.
"You're lying Shin. Tell me the truth" Kyla implored.
"The truth? Heh heh…I just did Kyla" Shin said nervously.
"Shin you're lying! We've lived together for five years and I know you inside out and outside in. Whenever you lie, your left brow twitches and it's doing so right now!" Kyla yelled.
"What? Oh man, I guess I have no choice. Kyla, Darak is the one being controlled by Armageddon" Shin said.
Kyla opened her eyes in shock and had to sit down to prevent herself from collapsing.
"You actually took it much better than I expected" Shin said.
"Take me there Shin, to Team Kira's residence!" Kyla suddenly ordered.
"WHA…?! Hey Kyla, Master Jin specifically told us to…"
"I'm not asking Shin!" Kyla demanded with a determined look in her eyes.
"I won't put you in that kind of danger, I refuse!" Shin said adamantly.
"Fine, I'm going on my own!" Kyla said angrily as she opened the door.
Shin sighed and rubbed his face with his hand.
"Kyla, okay, you win, I'll take you" Shin gave up.
"Don't worry Shin, if Master Jin asks…just say I dragged you into this" Kyla said with a satisfied smile.
Shin walked to her and held her hand, then he shut his eyes and they disappeared.
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Meanwhile, in the Senshiiro residence, a similar thing was happening. Captain Hiru and Mistress Suzuna had armed themselves with their strongest weapons.
"Ethan, Effuien, we need to go out for a while. Take care of your sister" Captain Hiru said.
Erasa overheard her parents and came down the stairs.
"Dad, Mom, what's going on and why are you armed?" Erasa asked worriedly.
"It's better for you not to know. This is one of the 'ignorance is bliss' cases" Mistress Suzuna joked.
"We'll be back soon so don't go anywhere" Captain Hiru said with a smile and then they left.
"Effuien, what's going on?" Erasa asked.
"I'm not sure but I'll find out soon enough" Effuien said as he focused his mind.
He searched the guild and was finally able to detect Armageddon's aura.
"Erasa this is really bad! Darak's aura is blacker than night!" Effuien exclaimed in horror.
"What?!" Erasa and Ethan exclaimed together.
"And on top of it he's battling Reis!" Effuien added.
"That must mean that he is being controlled by Armageddon! We must help Darak!" Erasa said with determination.
"I agree, let's go Effuien" Ethan said.
"But Mom and Dad…" Effuien complained.
"I'll take responsibility. Just tell them I stubbornly decided to go and you two had no choice but to follow me" Erasa said.
"If you say so" Ethan said as he held Erasa and Effuien's hands and disappeared.
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Meanwhile, Reis and Armageddon continued their intense battle. Reis was beginning to lose stamina. He panted heavily.
"Is this your limit Dragonhaӓrt? Honestly, Aurora has more stamina than you do" Armageddon mocked.
"Mistress Kira, why is Reis losing stamina so quickly?" Aurora asked.
"That's because his mind is vexed. This fight is disadvantageous for him not just physically. You must remember that he is fighting his friend" Mistress Kira explained.
Aurora watched the two combatants worriedly.
"Darak! Come to your senses! You're stronger than this!" Reis called.
"It's not going to work. Darak is in fact enjoying this" Armageddon said.
"Well that wouldn't surprise me but I know Darak and what he hates more than anything…IS BEING CONTROLLED!" Reis roared.
"If you want to save your friend, then you'll have to fight with the intention to kill" Armageddon said.
"Oh I will" Reis said as he focused his energy.
"Then I guess my playtime is over. The time has come for you to die!" Armageddon said as he made the fighting stance of Irik the Devil.
"I've improved Irik's fatal strike. Meet the…" Armageddon said as he suddenly charged across the field with lightning speed that far outmatched Reis'. Reis charged to attack.
"RAIZINN STRIKE!!!" Reis roared as he charged his sword with lightning and struck but Armageddon swerved to the left and Reis' attack missed.
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"OBLIVIOUS STRIKE!" Armageddon roared as he somersaulted over Reis and attempted to stab Reis from above but Reis dodged to the right and deflected Armageddon's blade.
Armageddon landed.
"I'M NOT DONE! DOUBLE OBLIVION STRIKE!" Armageddon roared as he swung his blade laterally in reverse but Reis leapt above it and rolled out of the way.
Then he pushed himself to his feet and caught Armageddon's hand before he could initiate his final move.
"I won't be stopped by your ridiculous Dragon Parry and I have already anticipated your moves. Prepare to die!" Armageddon roared as he kicked Reis with full force.
Reis was blown backwards by the kick but before he could land Armageddon was behind him.
"TAKE THIS! REVERSE LATERAL OBLIVION STRIKE!!!" Armageddon roared as he swung his blade backwards with the intent of bisecting Reis.
"SHOOT! I CAN'T BLOCK THIS ATTACK WHILE BEING PUSHED IN MIDAIR BY THE FORCE OF ARMAGEDDON'S KICK!" Reis exclaimed in horror.
"REIS!!!" Aurora and Mistress Kira suddenly screamed in concern.
Suddenly, Shin appeared in the way diving towards Reis.
"SHIN! STAY AWAY!" Reis ordered.
"NO WAY! We'll either survive this attack together or…WE WILL PERISH TOGETHER! DO YOU HEAR ME?!" Shin roared as he grabbed Reis.
"YOU WILL PERISH TOGETHER!" Armageddon roared as he increased the speed of his blade.
At that moment Kyla appeared followed by Erasa, Ethan and Effuien.
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"REIS! SHIN!" they screamed together.
"YOU WON'T WIN ARMAGEDDON! INVERSE SOLIDIFICATION TECHNIQUE DUAL VERSION!" Shin roared as Armageddon's blade phased through the two.
Everyone watched in horror.
Armageddon glanced at his sword and saw no blood.
"I sensed no resistance! Could I have missed? BUT I WILL WIN YET!" Armageddon said as he waited for the inverse solidification technique to expire and when it did, he prepared for another strike.
"EXACTLY WHAT I WAS WAITING FOR! RENEWED REVERSE LATERAL OBLIVION STRIKE!" Armageddon roared as he appeared behind the two.
"Reis, I can't use the inverse solidification technique for another eight seconds. What do we do?" Shin asked.
"There is only one thing I can think of…" Reis said as he shut his eyes.
"I KNOW YOU CAN'T EVADE AGAIN!" Armageddon roared.
"Dad…Sabre-fang…Alpha…GIVE ME STRENGTH!" Reis called as he opened his eyes.
There was a shattering sound as though a huge glass wall had shattered and Reis and Shin were engulfed in bright golden light.
"WHAT IS THIS?!" Armageddon exclaimed in shock as his sword suddenly struck something hard.
The light slowly became fainter but instead of Reis and Shin, all the others could see were wings, big white wings. It was at that moment that Master Jin arrived with Captain Hiru and Mistress Suzuna.
"What's that?" Master Jin asked Mistress Kira.
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The wings slowly spread apart and Shin could be seen clutching a sword. As they spread farther, the figure of a gallant warrior could be seen.
"I AM THE GOLDEN DRAKENGAӒRD! THE HAND OF DIVINE RETRIBUTION!" the figure declared.
"NOT YOU AGAIN!" Armageddon roared in dismay.
"Shin, join the others, I will handle this" Reis said with a warm smile.
Shin nodded and walked away.
"And Shin…thanks a lot. You're a lifesaver" Reis said with a wink.
"Just don't get beat in Drakengaӓrd form. I'll have nightmares forever if I saw a Drakengaӓrd with a black eye and a swollen face" Shin said and Reis laughed.
Then Reis turned to face Armageddon.
"What are you looking at?!" Armageddon said in disgust.
Reis remained silent.
"If you take me down, you'll kill the human as well" Armageddon said with a smirk.
"You sorely underestimate humans. If it makes you feel any better I'm not going to fight you" Reis said.
"A very wise choice" Armageddon said.
"Don't get so comfortable, Darak will be the one to defeat you!" Reis declared.
"HAHA! If that is your plan then you've already failed" Armageddon said.
"Darak! I know you can hear me! I don't know much about your past but I know you want to redeem your clan. You can defeat the darkness within the sword. Remember your ancestor created that sword with good intentions but even the best of intentions can be flawed if they are not carried out by people with good hearts. That sword was created to be a sword of hope and not regret. You have
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had to bear the shame caused by the mistakes of your ancestors but you must now think of the future of your clan. Do you want your descendants to bear the same shame? Why not end the cycle of pain and regret once and for all" Reis said.
Darak had a painful look on his face. Then he clutched his head and growled in pain.
"I-I can't. Armageddon is too strong!" Darak said painfully.
Then his eyes began to flare and Armageddon took over again.
"It's useless!" he said.
"Darak! Look around you! There are people here that care for you!" Reis yelled.
Darak's eyes lost their evil glow. He looked around at the familiar faces. He began to recall the times they had shared together especially since Reis arrived in the guild. His eyes eventually rested on Kyla's tear-stained face.
"For a while I thought you were also going to try and escape" Darak said unconsciously.
"Idiot, there's nothing for me to escape from" Kyla said with a sad smile.
"Aren't you scared of me?" Darak asked.
He felt an impulse to say these things but didn't know why. It was as though the words were just escaping from his mouth.
"No Darak. I won't run because…I believe in you!" Kyla declared.
Armageddon took over Darak again.
"He can try and try but he can't defeat me. This boy isn't like you Dragonhaӓrt. He has great darkness in his heart and that darkness wasn't placed there by me" Armageddon said with an unpleasantly cunning look on his face.
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"You may be right about that but Sabre-fang taught me an important lesson. There is darkness within every living thing however…THE DARKNESS CAN NEVER PUT OUT THE LIGHT!" Reis roared.
Armageddon frowned angrily.
"I don't care whether you're human, dragon or Drakengaӓrd, I WILL DESTROY YOU!!!" Armageddon roared as he charged to attack Reis.
"I've got one final chance to bring Darak to his senses. It's a long shot but I've got to try it. If I fail, I may be forced to kill Darak" Reis thought as he watched Armageddon closely.
When Darak was close enough, Reis opened his mouth and called out, "DARAK! HOW COULD YOU ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE CONTROLLED SO EASILY?! AREN'T YOU A DRAGON RANGER?! AREN'T YOU MY RIVAL?!"
"IT'S USELESS!" Armageddon roared.
"AREN'T YOU…AN IGNIS?! HOW CAN YOU ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE CONTROLLED BY A STUPID SWORD THAT RESEMBLES A DIABOLIC CUTLASS?!" Reis kept yelling.
Darak stopped in his tracks.
"Hey Reis! ISN'T THAT HITTING BELOW THE BELT?!" Darak yelled angrily.
"Huh? Hey Darak! You're back!" Reis exclaimed joyfully.
"YOU STUPID NONSENSICAL NON-ENTITY! HOW DARE YOU COMPARE MY SWORD TO A DIABOLIC CUTLASS?!" Darak roared.
"Heh heh, it has a jagged edge doesn't it?" Reis teased.
"At least you didn't take this fight for granted. You transformed just like you promised and now…I'll do same!" Darak said with a cunning smile.
"RRRRRRAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!!" a loud sinister roar sounded as dark energy escaped from Darak's body and sword and formed a spirit like form of Armageddon's head. "I may have underestimated both of you Darak, Reis,
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however…let's see how Kyla will fare once I possess her. You've revealed your weakness to me Darak. You've shown me that there's nothing in this world you value more than her" Armageddon laughed sinisterly.
"DRAGNARӦK! I SUMMON YOU!" Darak called and Dragnarӧk appeared in a sea of flames.
"Dragnarӧk! Bow to me!" Armageddon ordered.
"Hmmph!" Dragnarӧk scoffed. "My bond with the Dragonhaӓrt is indeed strong however…my bond with Darak of Ignis is much stronger!" Darak roared.
"I'll make you pay for making Kyla cry and everyone else worried plus you've given my rival a hard time. Something that is exclusively my right! DRAGNARӦK! THROUGH THIS BLADE AND OUR BOND, LET US BE UNITED!" Darak roared as the Dragon Blade began to release a fiery glow.
It raised Darak into the air and Dragnarӧk enveloped Darak in his wings. There was a sudden shattering sound and a bright fiery flame engulfed both Darak and Dragnarӧk. Everyone stared in awe. Reis was more fascinated than shocked.
Suddenly, there was a sudden explosion of energy and two huge crimson dragon wings spread out as the light faded, everyone could see a mighty warrior cloaked in flaming armour. His hair blazed like wild flames but his face still resembled Darak though it had a greater look of authority. In his hand he held the Dragon Blade except for the fact that it was bigger and mightier and more magnificent in appearance.
"IMPOSSIBLE! YOU ARE…?!" Armageddon exclaimed in shock.
"I AM DARAG-ARӦKNA! THE VUNG-JYA SPIRIT OF FLAME!!!" the warrior declared.
"WHOA!" Shin exclaimed in shock.
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS GENERATION?! YOU ALL SEEM TO POSSESS STRONG FAITH AND POWER! THE GENERATION OF THE TRAGIC LEGEND WERE ALSO STRONG BUT THEY BELIEVED IN THEIR POWER! YOU HOWEVER BELIEVE IN A POWER GREATER THAN YOURSELVES!" Armageddon roared in frustration.
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"It's something Reis taught us all. There is a God out there. A God who is not afraid to get hurt in order to save us. A God who will never leave us defenceless. A God who gives us strength, courage and hope and Armageddon, I believe you have underestimated the true nature of humans" Aurora said.
"What are you talking about? Is this God the same one I know? The one I despise above all else? The one who cheated me from my glory and handed the glory that rightfully belonged to the Drakengaӓrd down to you pathetic humans? Tell me?!" Armageddon roared angrily.
"You misunderstood God's plan Armageddon. God wanted all of creation to share in his glory. He loved you. You were probably the most precious thing he ever had but you let envy blind you and challenged him. And even after I defeated you and cast you out of heaven, God was merciful to you. He was always waiting for the day that his precious son would return to him" Reis said.
"DON'T LIE TO ME! ALL HE CARES ABOUT IS HIS PRECIOUS HUMANS! IF HE LOVED US DRAKENGAӒRDS SO MUCH…THEN TELL ME WHY HE SENT YOU AND 'THE NAMELESS SILVER DRAKENGAӒRD' OUT OF HEAVEN TO THIS CURSED WORLD TO SEAL ME?!" Armageddon roared.
"The Nameless Silver Drakengaӓrd? Why does that name sound so familiar to me?" Shin wondered.
"You misunderstand Armageddon. God never forced us to do anything. We did it of our own volition" Reis said.
"I see…then you Reihel, your partner the Unnamed One and your God are hopelessly naïve!" Armageddon roared angrily.
"WATCH YOUR MOUTH ARMAGEDDON!" Reis and Shin roared together.
Armageddon stared at Shin in surprise and smiled evilly.
"I believe I have found my next target Reihel. The Nameless Silver 'Truthful' One is much closer than you think. Humans are so pathetic but they prove to be so
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amusing and fascinating. Perhaps God did not make a mistake in creating humans" Armageddon said.
"What are you trying to say Armageddon?" Reis muttered in surprise.
"Humans are the perfect tools for my vengeance against God. Anytime you appear, you always call yourself 'the hand of divine retribution right?' Well then tell your God that I am also a hand of retribution. Tell him that the one who will deliver retribution against him…will be me!" Armageddon said and then he laughed.
"Reihel! Isn't it about time we took down this abomination?!" Darag-Ar kna said.
"Don't be so arrogant Darak!" Armageddon mocked.
"You're right! Let's do this together!" Reis said with determination.
"SWORD OF THE SPIRIT! I SUMMON YOU!" Reis called and the cross shaped sword appeared in his hands.
Together, Reihel and Darag-Arӧkna charged towards Armageddon.
"Hmm, I guess my time has not yet come" Armageddon said as Reihel and Darag-Arӧkna leapt to attack him.
"SEAL OF THE CROSS!!!" Reihel roared.
"AURORAN FLAME!!!" Darag-Arӧkna roared and the two techniques combined and blasted Armageddon.
"Remember Dragonhaӓrt, the very thing you fight to protect is that which gives me life" Armageddon said as he disappeared.
"He sure was annoying" Darag-Arӧkna said as he twisted his neck and stretched his shoulders overconfidently.
"I pity Armageddon. He is so lost and he has no hope" Reihel said.
"But this fight isn't over just yet" Darag-Arokna said.
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"You're right. It almost seemed like Armageddon was urging us to fight" Reihel said.
"That's not what I meant Reis. I challenge you to a Drakenjinn duel!" Darag-Arokna said.
"WHAT?! ARE YOU MAD?! DO YOU WANT TO DESTROY THIS GUILD?!" Reihel roared.
"YOU IDIOT! THE ONE THAT HAD ALL THE FUN BATTLING YOU WAS ARMAGEDDON PLUS YOU COMPARED MY SWORD TO A DIABOLIC CUTLASS!!!" Darag-Arӧkna said.
"So in the end that's the point. You're just hell-bent on fighting me in Drakengaӓrd form" Reis thought.
"Jeez! Although these kids are vessels of ancient spirits, they still act like kids!" Master Jin said with a bored look on his face.
"I agree" Mistress Kira said.
"It appears we were not really needed" Captain Hiru said.
"The children of this generation are amazing. They are almost as valiant as the Dragon Knights of ages past" Mistress Suzuna said.
"While we fear Armageddon, they believe in each other and in the God of the Mind, Heart and Spirit" Mistress Kira said.
"Their hope is like a little sword that creates a huge tunnel of light through the darkness" Master Jin agreed.
"We won't destroy the guild because we are taking the battle up there!" Darag-Arӧkna pointed towards the sky.
"At least you're not being reckless" Reihel said.
"Wouldn't dream of it!" Darag-Arӧkna declared as the two rivals leapt into the sky and began their battle.
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"I will never forget the words that have made me who I am today!" Reis declared.
"Me neither!" Darak roared as they clashed swords.
The clash released a mixture of golden, crimson and blue light.
"As a Dragon Ranger,
I will be an enforcer of Light!"
Reihel and Darag-Arӧkna roared as they clashed blades again.
"I will be a protector of Dragons" Shin recited.
"And follow the teachings of the Dragon Knights" Kyla, Erasa, Aurora, Ethan and Effuien joined.
"I will protect the weak and free the oppressed
I will obey the Dragonlord!"
The Dragon Masters joined.
"THIS WILL BE THE FINAL MOVE!" Reihel roared.
"BRING IT ON!!!" Darag-Arӧkna challenged.
"For I am a Dragon Ranger…and a Dragon Ranger forever!" everyone exclaimed together as Reihel and Darag-Arӧkna clashed with full force.
There was a huge explosion. Reihel's aura and that of Darag-Arӧkna mingled and formed a huge dragon with a rainbow coloured heart. There was a golden cross across its heart. The cross was formed from the clashed blades.
The rangers stared at the manifestation of Reis' and Darak's will to protect everyone and as they watched the image released countless energy bands that spread throughout the guild and the emblem of the image appeared on their breastplates.
"What's this?" Kyla asked.
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"I don't know why but I feel a great strength flowing through my heart" Mistress Kira said.
Let this be a lesson for all of us. Even in a world filled with darkness, the celestial light that flows through the hearts of a few can make a great difference.
THE NEXT DAY…
It was morning in the Rangers Guild. Erasa woke up that morning feeling content with the events that took place the previous day. It was the first day of the weekend, Ayes' day. In Novation lore, unexpected secrets always came to light on Ayes' day because Ayes was the magnifier of Alpha's light.
Erasa was happy but there was a little thing that troubled her mind.
"Shin used the inverse solidification technique to avoid Armageddon's strike. That technique was also used by the Shin from my childhood" Erasa thought as she recalled Shin evading the Black Squad's arrows.
"I can't remember Shin's face clearly but he does resemble Ayenhayze" Erasa thought.
"Could it be that…?! No, it's just a coincidence after all, I saw Shin die" Erasa thought as she tried to hold back tears.
Meanwhile, in the Ayenhayze residence…
"OOOOWWW! IT HURTS!!!" Reis screamed in pain.
He had rolled off his bed and now it felt as though all his bones were broken. If you should know, that was as a result of his fight with Darak which ended in a deadly stalemate. Deadly because after the fight both boys could feel nothing but pain. Aurora's healing powers closed their wounds but the pain was much deeper than just superficial wounds. Shin woke up.
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"You disturbed my sleep you idiot!" Shin yelled angrily.
"I'm sorry but I couldn't help it. All I can feel now is pain. I swear I'll never fight Darak again" Reis promised painfully.
"Oh don't worry I'm sure Darak feels the same way by now".
In the Kira residence,
"OUCH! Gently Aurora, do it gently" Darak grunted in pain.
"Well next time you consider a fight to the limits, think of the aftermath!" Aurora yelled as she stomped on Darak's back.
"YEEEOUUUUCH! HEY AURORA! YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!!!" Darak roared angrily.
"Oh, did I? I'm sorry mighty Darag-Arӧkna, Vung-jya spirit of FLAME!" Aurora roared as she stomped on his back again.
"I swear Aurora, if you weren't a girl, I'd have beaten you up right now!" Darak threatened.
"Perhaps I should get Erasa to massage you instead. Her super strength will…"
"Please don't Aurora! I take that back" Darak pleaded.
"How are the mighty fallen" Aurora sighed.
Back in the Ayenhayze residence.
CRRRAAACCCKKKK! CRRRK! CRRKKK! CRAAAAAAACCCCCCKKKKKK!!!
"EEEEEOOOOOOOOWWWWWW!!!" Reis screamed in pain for that was the sound of his spine straightening itself out.
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"If you didn't want to fight you should have said so" Kyla said as she walked on Reis' back.
"I wanted to baaaaouch! You know Darak. He's so stubborn plus the look he gave me as Darag-Arӧkna said 'You have no choice Reis. Choose liberty or death and they both mean a fight to the limits'" Reis complained.
Tears were flowing down his face.
"I'm actually shocked because your wounds heal very quickly however the pain you're feeling now lasted since last night" Kyla said.
"I've honestly never felt anything this painful" Reis said.
"Well yeah but thanks to you and Darak, I now have a custom Ranger uniform" Shin said and Kyla laughed.
"Yeah, yippee for you. I'm the one suffering the consequences" Reis complained.
Master Jin entered the room.
"Kyla! Shin! You two defied my orders yesterday!" Master Jin scolded them.
"Don't scold them Master. If Shin wasn't there I'd be dead and Darak would have remained possessed if not for Kyla's presence" Reis defended his siblings.
"I guess you're right. I saw the Dragonlord after the incident and he asked me not to reprimand you because according to him your actions are beginning to unravel the mysteries surrounding the Tragic Legend" Master Jin sighed.
"The old man's proving to be useful after all!" Shin laughed joyfully.
"He also told me you'd probably say what you just said. Show some respect and maturity for crying out loud!" Master Jin scolded.
"Jeez, I really hate that old man" Shin complained.
"I guess it's useless trying to teach a rock how to move without being thrown" Master Jin said.
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"Hey watch it Jin!" Shin yelled.
"When will you start showing the proper respect?!" Master Jin yelled.
"Shin, head to the pharmacy and get some painkillers for Reis" Master Jin instructed.
"Let the Gs do the talking" Shin said with a cunning smile.
"Jeez, I have to bribe my own son to run errands for the sake of his own brother" Master Jin said as he gave Shin an amount of Novatian Gs.
Shin sniffed the money.
"Something's not right…the density of the smell…hey Jin! You're down by one G!" Shin yelled.
"You're one greedy kid" Master Jin sighed and added an extra Novatian G.
"Stay here and rest. I'll be back really soon" Shin said as he left the house.
He took the route that went past Kamikaze Restaurant. He was lost in thought as he walked past the restaurant.
"I know I've heard the name of The Nameless 'Truthful' Drakengaӓrd before but I can't remember where" he thought. "All I know about him is that he is the Silver Drakengaӓrd but it's almost as though I've actually met him before and Reihel does sound familiar to me now that I think of it" Shin thought as he stared at the sky.
Suddenly he bumped into someone carrying a basket and the basket fell to the ground spilling its contents.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. Let me help you with that" Shin apologized without looking at the person.
"Shin?" the person called.
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Shin raised his eyes to look at the person's face. It was Erasa.
"Oh hi Erasa. I didn't see you" Shin said nervously.
"Oh no! The spices have spilt on the ground. Mom's going to kill me! These were presents for Old Lady Kamikaze" Erasa said worriedly.
"It's my fault. I'm sorry Erasa. Is there any way I can help you?" Shin asked.
"Not unless you could take me to the Village Of Shades and back in a jiffy" Erasa said.
"The Village Of Shades? I think I know that place. It's past Novatio" Shin said.
"Yes, and it's really far" Erasa agreed.
"B-but I think I can take you there with my psychic abilities" Shin offered.
"Won't that be dangerous for you? I think it would be stretching your abilities beyond your limits" Erasa didn't agree with the idea.
"Nope, that's nothing. I can do it. That's if…you will believe in me" Shin said nervously.
"I guess I could ask Dr Gensai to lend me some spices" Erasa sighed.
"Is that a yes?" Shin asked.
Erasa nodded with a smile.
"Here, take my hand. My teleportation spell will not work on you unless we are bonded by touch" Shin said.
Erasa seemed nervous but she took Shin's hand.
"Okay, now shut your eyes for a moment" Shin instructed.
Erasa obeyed. Shin shut his eyes and let his psyche travel over Novatio till he identified the Village Of Shades and then, he activated his technique and then, they were gone from the Guild.
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For a moment, Erasa felt lighter than air and after a few seconds, she felt the ground beneath her feet.
"You can open your eyes now" she heard Shin say and she obeyed. When she opened her eyes, she found out that they were at the entrance to the Village Of Shades.
"Shin you really did it!" Erasa exclaimed in joy as she hugged Shin impulsively.
Shin was surprised for a while and then he began to blush shyly. Erasa realized her mistake and left him.
"Uh-um…sorry about that. I'm just excited" Erasa said nervously.
"Don't worry about it. Let's just find your spices and get outta here" Shin said as they walked into the village.
This is the village we were supposed to rescue but then we got captured by the Maelstrom bandits and I was nearly killed" Erasa said sadly.
Shin felt very angry after hearing this but he attempted to suppress his anger. His anger was mostly directed at the Maelstrom bandits.
Soon, they were at Dr Gensai's base. Erasa knocked on the door three times. I'm coming!" she heard Justin's voice and in a few seconds, the door was opened.
"Erasa! What a surprise!" Justin exclaimed in joy.
"Hi Justin. Is your granddad at home?" Erasa asked.
"No, he's not around. He's with the Maelstrom bandits. They are helping us rebuild the village" Justin said.
"Hmmph! At least they're finally thinking of others" Shin scoffed.
"It looks like your boyfriend has a thing against the Maelstrom bandits" Justin teased.
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"He's not my boyfriend Justin. We're just friends" Erasa said.
"You're damn right I have something against them! They stole my life!" Shin roared angrily.
Erasa stared at Shin in surprise, then she began to get suspicious.
"What do you mean by that Shin?" Erasa asked.
"Nothing" Shin said.
"It can't mean…"
"I said forget about it!" Shin said angrily and walked away.
"Justin, could you please get these spices for me? I'll be back for them soon. Right now I've got to find out what's bothering Shin" Erasa said as she took the path Shin had taken.
Meanwhile Shin was running angrily. He didn't want to recall his past but it was as though unforeseen forces were trying to force him to recall his past and reveal his true identity to Erasa. As he was running, he bumped into a boy as old as himself who was carrying a log of wood and they both fell to the ground. The boy pushed the log of wood off his body.
"Hey! Why don't you watch where you're going?!" he yelled.
"I should watch where I'm going? Why don't you watch where you're going?!" Shin yelled angrily.
"Do you want to fight?!" the boy challenged.
"Ha! I bet you wouldn't even be a challenge!" Shin mocked.
"That's enough Two! You don't need to fight a stranger!" a firm feminine voice commanded.
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Shin opened his eyes in shock and turned to face the speaker. When she saw his face, she dropped the things she was carrying in shock and stared at him. Erasa saw them from a distance and walked towards them.
"Zero…is that…you?" the girl asked in shock.
Erasa was close enough to hear her words. At the mention of the name Zero, it was as if a bolt of lightning had passed through her heart.
Shin frowned. He still hadn't noticed Erasa.
"You've probably mistaken me for someone else" Shin said as he walked past One and kept moving.
Two also stared in surprise and then he took a stone and hurled it at Shin but the stone passed right through Shin.
"Hmmph! There is only one person I know of in all the world that can use a technique like that and that's Zero the Phantom Thief!" Two declared.
"The Zero you knew was only half a phantom but thanks to you, he is now a true phantom. He no longer exists" Shin said as he suddenly began to fade.
"Zero wait!" One called but he was already gone.
Erasa stood away from them. She was dumbfounded and in tears.
Shin reappeared at Dr Gensai's house. Justin was waiting anxiously for Erasa with her basket filled with spices.
"Where's Erasa?" Shin asked.
"She went after you" Justin said.
"I guess I'll just wait for her" Shin said moodily.
"What's your name?" Justin asked.
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"I'm Shin" Shin said.
"Are you always moody?" Justin asked.
"No, I'm usually a fun guy but lately…I've been having a bit of a hard time" Shin said.
"Do you know you resemble Reis?" Justin asked innocently.
"I do? Well I've never noticed and no one's ever told me that before" Shin said with a sheepish grin.
As the two boys kept talking, Justin noticed Erasa approaching.
"Oh Erasa, there you are" he said.
Shin turned to look at Erasa and noticed the tears flowing down her face.
"Erasa, are you crying?" Shin asked.
Erasa shook her head.
"No, I've just got something in my eye" she lied.
"Both eyes? C'mon Erasa, tell me what's wrong?" Shin asked kindly.
"It's nothing really" Erasa said.
"Here are your spices Erasa" Justin said as he handed the basket to her.
"Thanks Justin. We have to leave now. Tell your granddad I passed by. Thanks again" Erasa said in an attempt to force a smile.
"Justin, why don't you consider becoming a dragon ranger. I can tell you'll be a great one" Shin said with a thumbs up.
Justin and Erasa stared at him in surprise.
"Maybe when I'm a little older" Justin said.
"Goodbye" Shin said as he held Erasa's hand.
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His touch made Erasa nervous and confused.
When they reappeared in the Rangers' Guild, Erasa thanked Shin.
"You don't need to thank me. It's my fault that you spilt the spices" Shin said.
Erasa remained silent.
"I'm sorry for being a jerk earlier on. It's just that I don't like to talk about my past" he said.
"Shin, if there was something important in your past concerning me…you'd tell me right?" Erasa said with pleading eyes.
Shin sighed and remained silent.
"I thought so" Erasa said sadly.
"Erasa, after delivering your spices, could you wait for me at your house. There's something important I need to tell you" Shin said.
Erasa nodded with a smile and left. Shin walked on till he reached the turn that led to the hospital and then he continued along that path. Shin walked in and bought the painkillers. Then he headed back to the Ayenhayze residence.
"What took you so long? I feel like I've been ran over by a Kaerran-Bull!" Reis complained.
Shin gave the tablets to Kyla.
"He's supposed to take two now and two at night" Shin said.
"Get him some water Shin" Kyla ordered.
"Okay, just wait a sec" Shin said as he left for the kitchen.
He was back a moment later with cup of water. Reis drank the water and swallowed the pills, then he drank some more water.
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"How do you feel?" Kyla asked.
"Like I'm about to throw up!" Reis exclaimed as he rushed to the bathroom.
In the Senshiiro residence, Erasa told Ethan and Effuien of her suspicions.
"Erasa, I need to ask you a question. What do you really feel for Shin?" Ethan asked.
"I haven't really thought of it" Erasa said.
"Then what difference does it make whether he's Zero or not" Effuien said.
"It does make a difference" Erasa said.
"Maybe Shin doesn't want to tell you the truth because he doesn't think it's important. After all, you're in love with Reis aren't you?" Ethan said.
"That confuses me as well. I've always thought I loved Reis but maybe what I really feel for him is a deep sense of gratitude. I feel different when I'm around Shin. He makes me feel uneasy" Erasa said.
"Really? I heard you really gave him a hard time roughly two days ago" Ethan said curiously.
"I was really stupid. Shin was only being nice to me. I get the feeling that he really likes me" Erasa said.
"And you? Do you like him?" Ethan asked.
"I don't know. Sometimes, when I'm with him, I feel my heart racing but at other times, I'm just afraid to be near him" Erasa confessed.
"Could that be because you actually feel something special for him?" Effuien asked.
Erasa recalled Shin's kindness towards her. He was always ready to help her and the last thing he ever tried to do was hurt her feelings. It was then that it dawned
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on her that it was because Shin respected her feelings for Reis that he didn't want to tell her the truth.
"I think it's possible that you're actually in love with Shin" Effuien said and everyone knew how good Effuien was at reading people's feelings.
"Do you think so?" Erasa asked nervously.
"I think you're afraid to show your true feelings for him because he reminds you of Zero and you possibly feel like you've betrayed Zero" Effuien said.
"But you won't know until you talk with him and by talk I mean…really talk" Ethan agreed.
Shin meanwhile lay on his bed feeling miserable.
"I met them today. One and Two. I'm glad they're fine but…I still can't forgive them. It's still too soon" he thought.
Reis was fast asleep.
"And Erasa's beginning to suspect. If I tell her the truth, I'll probably win her love, but is a love that is based only on past experiences really love?" Shin wondered.
Meanwhile in the Senshiiro residence, Erasa was staring at the daggers Shin had given her.
"I really wish that Shin Ayenhayze is really you Shin because that would mean that…I never lost you. But it would also mean that I've been a fool for not noticing you for this long. It's been three years since I first met you Shin Ayenhayze. Back then, you always looked so out of place and confused. I actually fell in love with that nervous, out of place Shin Ayenhayze but I couldn't reveal my feelings because like Effuien said, I felt like I'd be betraying Zero" Erasa thought to herself.
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It was almost 3:00pm and Shin had still not arrived. Erasa was beginning to get nervous.
"Did Shin change his mind?" she wondered.
"Maybe he thought about it and decided not to tell me the truth" Erasa said as despair began to fill her heart.
In the Ayenhayze residence, Shin was putting on his ranger uniform. He had made up his mind.
"Regardless of the outcome, this is for the best" he said as he took out Erasa's ring and placed it in his pocket...then he walked out of the Ayenhayze residence.
Back in the Senshiiro residence, Erasa was sad and in distress. All she could do was stare at Shin's Twin Daggers and weep.
"He's not coming" she said and then she realized how hurt she was.
"Why am I so concerned? Am I in love with Shin?" Erasa wondered.
Suddenly, she heard a knock on her bedroom door.
"Come in" she said.
Effuien entered the room.
"He's here Erasa and he's looking for you" Effuien said.
"Who's here?" Erasa asked.
"Who else? Shin Ayenhayze of course" Effuien said.
In a flash, Erasa was out of her room. She slid down the staircase and rushed to the door. She took in a deep breath and opened it. Outside stood Shin in ranger uniform.
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"Why are you in Ranger uniform Shin?" she asked.
Shin looked at her carefully.
"You were crying again weren't you?" he asked.
"No, I was not" Erasa lied.
"Lemme guess. Though you were inside, something still managed to get into both your eyes right?" Shin joked and Erasa burst into laughter.
"Something like that" she said.
"Okay, change into Ranger uniform. I'm waiting for you" Shin said.
Erasa didn't argue with him. Shin waited patiently for her and soon she came down the stairs in ranger uniform.
"Let's go" Shin said and the two of them walked away.
"For a moment I thought you were not coming" Erasa said.
"The last thing I'd ever want to do is hurt your feelings" Shin said earnestly.
Erasa felt the truth in his words and she began to realize that she actually loved him more than she had thought.
"Where are we going this time?" Erasa asked.
"Just wait and you will see" Shin said.
"Can't you at least give me an idea?" Erasa asked curiously.
"It's a place that is special to Dragon Rangers but it's particularly special to me. When I first arrived in this guild, I couldn't sleep anywhere but there. Fortunately, neither Master Jin nor Kyla noticed that I was sleeping outside the house" Shin said with a nostalgic smile.
"And you're taking me there why?" Erasa asked.
"You've actually been there before. Probably a long time ago" Shin said.
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"Really?" Erasa asked.
"Well, I want to tell you a story but the only way it will make sense is if you're there with me" Shin said.
"Can't you tell me where it is?" Erasa pleaded.
"No, that's half the fun" Shin said.
"Stingy!" Erasa complained.
Shin laughed.
Erasa watched him in surprise and smiled. Then she held his hand. Shin turned to look at her but she shyly turned away. Soon they walked past the Rangers' HQ.
"Shin? Isn't this place out of bounds?" Erasa asked.
"The place is not restricted by humans. It has placed a barrier around itself that allows only pure-hearted people through" Shin explained.
"Then I don't think we can enter. Is there a pure-hearted human in this world?" Erasa asked.
"Erasa, we all have our faults. There probably isn't a faultless human being in existence" Shin said.
"Then what defines a pure hearted person?" Erasa asked.
"Reis would say the most important thing is faith in God. I believe that…but I also believe it is the desire to do what is right regardless of how many times we fall" Shin said.
"Really?" Erasa asked.
Soon, they were at the entrance to a forest.
"We have to go through here" Shin pointed through the forest.
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"Shin, it's almost dark. The Kaiser-wolves might be awake" Erasa said in a frightful voice.
"Don't be afraid. You trust me don't you?" Shin asked stretching his hand to Erasa.
Erasa nodded and took his hand once more. Then they walked through the forest. Erasa was scared when she heard the howls and she came close to Shin for protection. As they walked on, they became aware that the forest was becoming darker and darker.
"Shin, it's getting dark. Let's turn back before we get lost" Erasa said worriedly.
"Trust in me Erasa" Shin assured.
"I do Shin. I do trust you but I can't understand why you're bringing me to such a dark place" Erasa complained.
"It's because where we are going, no lies can be told. I know there are a lot of things you want to ask me and I want to show you that I am willing to be totally honest with you" Shin said.
"But it's really dark Shin" Erasa remained worried.
"Do you trust in your heart? Do you believe that I'll protect you and never let any harm befall you?" Shin questioned Erasa.
"Stop making me feel bad. I already said I trust you" Erasa said.
"Then don't be afraid. Your trust in me is my light and that light will outshine the darkness!" Shin declared.
Almost immediately after he had said that, the forest became very bright. Erasa stared around in awe.
"It's suddenly bright but where is the light coming from?" Erasa asked as she tried to find the source of the light.
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Shin turned to look at her and smiled. Erasa stared at him in awe for the light was coming from Shin's eyes and his smile.
"Shin, you're glowing. The light is coming from you" Erasa said.
"It's because you trust in me. Besides, it's not just me, you're glowing yourself" Shin said.
"I am?" Erasa asked.
"Yeah, you look like an angel" Shin said with a sheepish grin.
Erasa blushed shyly and the light began to turn pink. Shin burst into laughter.
"What's so funny?!" Erasa yelled angrily.
"Your shyness is affecting the light. See? It's turning pink" Shin teased.
"Did you bring me here to tease me?!" Erasa said angrily.
"Don't get so angry. I'm just joking. Fine, I'm sorry Erasa" Shin apologized.
Erasa smiled.
"Don't look so tense. I'm not really angry. I'm just teasing you" Erasa said.
Shin sighed and a presence escaped his lips as though his soul had left his body.
Erasa began to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Shin asked.
"You're so worried I saw your soul escaping your body" Erasa teased.
Shin began to laugh too.
"Can you explain why we can physically see each other's emotions?" Erasa asked.
"It's because of today" Shin said.
"I don't understand" Erasa said.
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"Alpha's light shines through the hearts of the honest. Today is Ayes' day and Ayes' is the magnifier of Alpha's light thus this phenomenon is created when honest people enter this forest. Liars and evil people only see darkness and nightmares" Shin explained.
"Why is that?" Erasa asked.
"It's actually a manifestation of what's in their hearts" Shin explained.
"I see" Erasa said.
They walked on talking and laughing. Erasa had totally forgotten all her fears though she hadn't realized it yet. Soon, they arrived at a cave.
"Shin, don't tell me…" Erasa said with a joyful smile.
"Yep, we just walked through the Forest Of Awakening and we're now at the Cave Of Shadows" Shin said with a smile.
"Come on, let's go in" he motioned to her to come along.
Erasa walked towards him and they entered the Cave. The light was brighter inside the cave than in the forest.
"We're here Erasa. Are you tired?" Shin asked kindly.
"No, it was fun" Erasa said.
Shin sat down.
"This feels so nostalgic" he said with a joyous smile.
"We came here to bond with our dragon partners but the cave wasn't as bright as it is now back then" Erasa said as she sat next to Shin
"You know, I was really distressed when I thought you weren't coming but you've shown me something I never thought was possible. Thank you Shin, I really mean it" Erasa said gratefully as she leaned on Shin with her hand on Shin's.
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Shin looked at her hand in surprise and stared at her. He began to blush shyly and the light slowly turned reddish.
"You don't need to thank me Erasa. I'm sure you'd have eventually figured it out on your own" Shin said modestly.
"I don't think so. I'm so scared of the Kaiser wolves. I wouldn't have dared to come here on my own and even if I did, it wouldn't have been as fun as sharing my feelings with you" Erasa said.
"Your feelings? Erasa, I think you're a bit confused because I know you love Reis" Shin admitted sadly.
"Reis…I had time to think about my feelings and I realized that what I felt for him was a deep feeling of gratitude but it's different when I am with you. You helped me overcome my fears. You showed me that it's truly possible to share one's feelings with another person…" Erasa was saying.
"Erasa…it's not my…"
"Please let me finish Shin. In the few days I've opened my heart to you, I've realized that whenever you hold my hand, I never want you to let go and whenever you smile, I feel all my sorrows disappear. Shin I want you to know that…I'm in love with you" Erasa confessed.
Shin opened his eyes in surprise and turned away.
"Don't make fun of me Erasa, it's not funny" Shin said sadly.
"I'm telling the truth Shin, I love you" Erasa said worriedly.
Shin turned to face her.
"Won't you say anything?" Erasa asked anxiously.
"Do I really need to say anything? You should know by now that I've never stopped loving you" Shin said as he placed his hand in his pocket and withdrew his fist.
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He stretched his hand towards Erasa and opened his fist. Erasa gasped in shock. In Shin's hand was her sapphire ring. The ring she had given to Zero!
"Sh-Shin, how did y-you get that?" she asked in shock.
"You gave it to me in a cave quite like this one. I held on to it and never let go. I survived Erasa. I'm Zero, the same one you named Shin and I've held on to that name as well" Shin confessed.
Erasa was in tears.
"Shin?" Erasa recalled as she stared into his eyes deeply. She recalled the time Zero saved her and she fell on top of him staring into his eyes and then she saw the likeness of Zero's eyes in Shin's eyes.
"Shin! It is you!" she exclaimed as she hugged him tightly.
"Yes Erasa, it is me. I was saved by Draco and Alpha" Shin said, his own voice trembling.
"I thought I'd lost you but you were always with me!" Erasa cried.
"I wanted to tell you but when you returned to the Guild, you looked so happy I didn't want to spoil your happiness with painful memories. And when I finally decided to tell you, I discovered that you were in love with Reis" Shin confessed.
"I was a fool to not notice you. All these years and I never even once spoke to you" Erasa said.
"Stop crying crazy girl" Shin joked.
"It's been five years since you last called me that" Erasa said as she wiped her tears, then she stood up and pulled Shin's daggers from her boots.
"You kept them with you for this long?" Shin asked with a smile on his face as he stood up.
"Yes, I never forgot that you were the first person to ever save me" Erasa said.
235
"And I was saved by my strong will to see you again" Shin said and they kissed.
In the Ayenhayze residence, Reis had woken up.
"How do you feel?" Kyla asked.
Reis thought for a while.
"HEY I FEEL GREAT!" he exclaimed as he leapt from the bed.
"CRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCKKKKKKKKK!!!" Reis' bones began to crack.
"AAAAIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!!!" he screamed in pain.
"What's wrong?" Kyla asked.
Reis turned to face her with a regretful look on his face.
"I'm feeling worse than before. When will I get better?! YEOUCH!!!" Reis screamed.