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    Sage pursed his lips, Rowen groaned, and Kento jumped out of his seat
knocking the chair to the floor. "Alright!  It's about time we get a little
more action around here.  I was starting to get bored."
    "You're always so damned bloodthirsty."  Sai wadded up the dishtowel he'd
been twisting in his hands and tossed it on the counter.
    "Hey, you know musclehead here lives for the fight.  It's not like he can
handle much else," Rowen's starry eyes grinned at Kento's eager expression.
    "Ya know Rowen, you shouldn't razz me until you can beat me in a fight.
I'm just excited about the prospect of bashing in a few of those worthless
tin cans."  Kento's knuckles cracked loudly in the silence.
    "Yes, well Kento, just remember to stay focused on your target."  Violet
eyes flashed hotly at the coming battle.  "We don't know who or what it is
out there this time.  It could be Saranbo, it could just be soldiers, or it
could be something else entirely.  We can't go rushing into things again."
    Ryo sighed heavily.  "We have no choice but to do that Sage.  Every
battle we fight we go blindly rushing in."  He turned to look out the window
again.  "It's not very far from here.  We have to stop them before they
figure out where we are and come after us.  To arms!"  The others followed as
Ryo charged out of the house, hastily donning his armor.
    They ran through the thick forest lining either side of the deserted
road, keeping eyes and ears open for any sign of the enemy.  Why did it have
to be now?  Why do they have to keep coming at all?  I don't want to use the
Inferno again.  I can't trust it, it's too powerful, and I can't control it.
Hell, I don't even know if I remain conscious during the fight when I wear
it!  Ryo tried to shove that niggling little voice to the back of his mind.
He could not afford doubts now, too much was at stake.  Just like always, and
the responsibility fell on him.  Responsibility to keep the others safe, to
destroy the enemy, to protect the world.  He was really beginning to
understand Sai's yearning to just be normal.
    Maybe they would get lucky this time and it would just be dynasty
soldiers.  Something that they could dispose of easily, without having to
call the Inferno.  Bright blue eyes caught a dark blur of motion just off to
the side.  "Sage!  Look out!"
    He flung himself at the taller boy, knocking them both to the ground.
They both stared in shock as a spear quivered in the tree Sage had just been
in front of.  Blue and violet eyes locked in two seconds of silent communion.
::They're getting vicious…:: was all Sage could think at Ryo before more foot
soldiers came tearing through the trees.
    "Alright!  Bring it on!"  Kento threw himself at the nearest soldiers,
catching them off guard.  He brought his staff around in a wide arc, crashing
it down on the tops of their heads. The empty armor shells fell to the ground
just as thick, black, foul smelling smoke began to seep from the joints.
    Open space was necessary to safely use their attacks so the five warriors
ran for the road leading to the gorge as more soldiers came pouring through
the spaces in the trees. They sprinted ahead and the soldiers followed
ceaselessly, until they ran into another column of foot soldiers. Crashing
together like a vice,  the two platoons had the ronins trapped between them.
They had no choice but to fight now, and hope that they had put enough
distance between themselves and Mia's house to safely use their attacks.
    An eerie silence hung over the battlefield, defunct of even the boys'
usual trash talk.  The only sounds were those of metal screeching across
metal, sword crossing sword, and the hollow thud of an empty suit of armor
crashing to the ground to be trampled by its fellows.  For every one that was
cut down five more seemed to rush in and replace it. Hours seemed to pass,
and the battle raged on.  The sun began it's slow descent to the western
horizon, illuminating the huge gates from which the soldiers continued to
rush.
    The ronins lost track of time in the ceaseless dance, but soon all five
stood back to back surrounded on all sides by dynasty soldiers.  "We," Rowen
swallowed hard and continued in a breathless voice, "we have to use the
Inferno Ryo."  He was bleeding from a shallow cut over his left eye.
    Wildfire shook his head.  "No.  We can beat these guys by ourselves."  Bes
ides, I couldn't hope to control the Inferno in this state.  I hardly have
enough strength to lift my swords, let alone control all that power!
    "Ryo, there's too many of them!  We cut them down by the dozens but more
just spring up in their place!  We've been fighting all day, and we're
exhausted.  There's no way we can beat them without the Inferno," Sai
explained.  He was panting for breath and his armor bore numerous scratches
from where dynasty weapons had actually made contact with him.
    "Come on dude!  We gotta use it!  There's," Hardrock was cut off in the
middle of his sentence by a roar from Ryo.  The bearer of Wildfire threw
himself back into battle, normally precise cuts now sloppy with exhaustion.
The other four had no choice but to continue fighting.  Frustration welled up
within them.  Why wouldn't Ryo let them call the Inferno?
    Wildfire lived up to his name in the next stage of the battle. Bringing
his katanas up and around, down and over in silver streaking slashes, there
was no thought, only feeling; rage, hurt, fear, exhaustion.  He knew that his
friends were upset with his choice.  He couldn't help it, but they just
didn't understand!  With a grimace, Ryo brought one katana crashing down onto
a soldier, slicing it cleanly in half.  The other came around and took off
another's head.
    The soldiers kept coming though, and rage kept building.  Sweat stung his
eyes as that insistent little voice worked itself free of where he had buried
it.  Why am I being such a coward?  It's my responsibility to keep them safe,
and what am I doing? I'm making them fight when this could be over quickly,
but I'm being a coward.  But I can't control the Inferno.  And it hurts!  It
burns!  And they can't possibly know what that's like!  Having white hot fire
on the inside of your head!  I don't want them to know!  I can't let them!
Have to keep them safe…
    With a wild yell he began to lay about him with even more ferocity, and
cast his mind out to check on his friends.  He felt each one of them,
exhausted, injured, and even caught small snatches of stray thought.  Why
won't he let us…What's his problem…I can't keep this up much longer…PAIN!
    Rowen let out a cry as one of the dynasty soldiers came up behind him and
cracked the haft of its spear across his back.  Ryo let out a cry in unison
with Rowen's, not realizing how deeply he had let himself fall into their
bond. "Oh god! Rowen!"
    The soldier he was facing stumbled in surprise at the anguished cry that
rang from its opponent.  "Someone help him!"  Ryo nearly turned and ran over
to where Rowen had fallen, but stopped in shock as a snarl ripped itself from
Sage.
    "That's it!  Call the Inferno!  There's no more time for games!"  With
that he focused his power and sent it hurtling along the lines of their bonds
to Ryo, the others quickly following suit.
    Shock was quickly replaced with pain as four new powers surged through
his body, shattering his Wildfire armor to pieces.  The hot wind sprang up
and rushed around him, through him, scouring out everything and leaving
behind gleaming white hot emptiness.
    The Inferno formed around Ryo, searing itself to flesh and bone and soul,
sending heat and power coursing into his body, filling him.  Ryo screamed as
the power and heat of the Inferno overwhelmed his already battered mind,
carrying along with it traces of emotion from the sources of its genesis.
    Pain, pain beyond imagining, Rowen's pain, Sage's anger, Kento's
frustration, Sai's concern, all welled up within him.  Words blazed in his
mind.  Yes, that was his attack.  That would destroy his enemies, and all of
his pain.  Bringing his arms over his head, crossing his wrists, he let out a
bellow full of rage and pain.  "RAGE OF INFERNO!"
    White hot flames roared around him into the sky, racing across the clouds
like blood red lightning.  Thunder rolled and the power streaked down from
the sky, evaporating all of the dynasty soldiers where they stood.
    The other four stood staring in shock as the most absolute rage and pain
rolled over them.  "Oh good god, what have we done," Sai whispered into the
eerie silence that followed the massive attack.
    The white helmeted head swung around at the sound of the soft whisper.
There were still four left!  That attack should have demolished them all!
They must require special attention, well, they're gonna get it!  With an
inarticulate scream Ryo charged the four armored figures still standing.