“That raptor was no big deal at all!” Spartacus mocks with his arms at his hips. Gawain sheathes his sword whispering, “Rest well, friend.” Before turning around and attending to Spartacus’ injuries with his healing magic. “Guys hold on, I sense a strong presence.” Reinhardt readies himself getting into an attacking position, two shadowy figures appear from the bushes running towards the trio.

“Onii-chan!” Hanabi raced towards Reinhardt, leaping straight into his arms with tears on her face. “I thought I lost you again… Forever… Wait, your heart…” Hanabi retreats backwards in disbelief, Reinhardt wraps his fingers over his forehead oblivious on how to explain it to Hanabi.

“So, you never left… You were killed?” Reinhardt shakes his head and calmly sits down on the grassy field, letting out a sigh. “After leaving the kingdom, I ventured out to explore all the realms and worlds the universe had to offer. I spent my years helping the oppressed fight against the ruthless, one fateful night our camp was attacked and I was killed in the ambush, before I died I vaguely remember my killer’s face, William Van Astrea.”

Staring down at the floor, Hanabi was speechless, she clenched her fists up tightly as crimson sparks formed around her body. Reinhardt got back up immediately and held her tightly on her shoulders, “It was my fault for leaving the kingdom and helping the armies oppressed by dad. I was considered a traitor and a failure to him, he never loved his children nor his wives… I should have brought you with me and ran away somewhere but I didn’t have the courage to. When we were young, he forced us to learn all sorts of forbidden magic and if he failed he would mercilessly punish us. I was weak, I…I am sorry Elizabeth!” Falling on his knees, Reinhardt drops on all fours, punching the ground furiously.

“I promise I will kill that man and rip his heart out from his chest…” Hanabi’s eyes turned blood red as she raises out her hand towards Reinhardt, “Get up, the past is behind us. We will overthrow him and end his reign but right now, focus on Tetsu.” The others nodded along with Reinhardt as the group of 5 ventured deeper into the jungle.

[In the centre of the jungle]

“We are lost aren’t we Kyo.” Kyo turns around towards Cleo and scratches her head, “This world is my sister’s not mine… Sorry…” I pat Kyo on her back, “It’s fine, we will find the rest eventually…” Suddenly the earth beneath us began to rumble as a giant crystal golem surfaced in front of us, on top of it was a woman in a red dress with a flame sword in her right hand. “Sister, you would betray lord Tetsuya and I?” The woman leaps down towards us pointing the blade in our direction.

“Sister… You are using your sword? But…” “Silence! You are a traitor to the Red Crimson and as second in-command, I will personally eradicate you!” Amaterasu leapt out at Kyo who was able to barely summon Tsukino-ha to parry her attack. Cleo responded quickly summoning her bow and fired three arrows of electricity at Amaterasu. Right before the impact of the arrows, a flame pillar erected from the floor burning the arrows into ashes.

“Sister listen to me! These guys are good, Tetsu has been using us all this time, open your eyes, he is killing and conquering the weak! He even threatened to kill us if we do not adhere to his biddings, you would serve under…” Amaterasu interrupts Kyo as she tackled Kyo down, pinning her towards the floor. “He gave us a home! He gave our lives meaning, even if it is to kill! You ungrateful runt!” Amaterasu slaps Kyo across her face and tugs her cloths towards herself. As Cleo readies another arrow, Kyo raised her right hand signaling Cleo to stop.

“I won’t fight you! You are blinded by Tetsu, he is turning us into killing machines. I rather not live a life than to kill others and live to do other’s biddings!” Amaterasu sends a big hook across Kyo’s face followed by another one to the other side as Kyo desperately tries to block her attacks. “WHY! WHY!” Amaterasu starts pounding on Kyo relentlessly as tears fall off her face. Kyo grabs onto Amaterasu’s arms and smiles with blood bruises and cuts over her face, “Trust your sister, since when have I ever been wrong and misguided you? When we were kids, you were always picked on and I had to stand up for you. When we were sold to men for our bodies, I took the dirty work for you to keep you safe. Even if you don’t see eye to eye with me! I will always care and do what’s best for you! Being with Tetsuya is wrong, I know that for a fact! You can kill me right here right now but I want you to leave his army afterwards. I love you Ame, I really do!”

Amaterasu falls onto Kyo with tears flowing down fast and free, Kyo wraps her arms around her and pats her on the back. “Everything will be fine now… What…” Blood flowed down from Kyo’s mouth as Amaterasu’s blade pierced through her stomach. Looking up, Kyo stared at Amaterasu in horror before collapsing onto the floor motionless. What just happened?

“KYO!” I rushed over towards her with Excalibur in my hands, slashing at Amaterasu furiously driving her away before attending to Kyo’s aid. “OI! KYO!” I lifted her body upwards towards me as I shook her body. Kyo slowly placed her hand over my hand, “Save my sister, her eyes… She is being controlled by Tetsu… Please master, I’m sorry I caused all this to happen, if I never existed in this world, you would never be…” “Shut up! I would still rather meet you and be friends with you! Kyo… I don’t want to lose someone else again…” Her blood flowed down my arms as the grass below us turned red. Kyo smiled with tears in her eyes, “I was lucky to have met you guys, Souta-kun, I love you!” With those final words, her head arched backwards and her body was lifeless…

I silently placed Kyo’s body on the floor as wrath and anger overwhelmed me, “Tetsu, if you can hear me. Open your fucking ears and listen closely, I will slowly enjoy her flesh and joints being severed by my blade as you beg and cry for mercy. You will suffer, you hear me!” My body glowed up with the same gold aura as before, my mind felt light as I darted towards the golem that Amaterasu was standing on and with one huge swing of my blade, the golem was obliterated and the trees around it collapsed. My eyes were bright yellow and my body strengthen immediately launching me upwards at Amaterasu, spinning my body clockwise in midair, I sent another powerful swing of Excalibur at Amaterasu who defended herself with her blade. The force was so strong, it sent her rocketing to the field creating a mini crater below. “What strength…” Cleo watched with her mouth agape, not believing what she was witnessing before her.

Amaterasu struggled up onto her feet as her eyes looked soulless and empty, as though she was a puppet being used and manipulated. “Souta! Calm down, you see that hairpin above her left ear? Get her still and I’ll hit it with my arrow, it should release her from Tetsuya’s control!” Raising my left thumb up, I charged towards Amaterasu grabbing her from behind in a neck lock. She quickly responded by releasing flames towards me, enduring the pain I held on even tighter, “Hurry up Cleo!”

*whoosh*

The arrow flew by my face, knocking the hair pin onto the floor causing it to break into two. Amaterasu’s pupils turned blue again as she regained control over her body, I released her as she dashed and slid in front of Kyo’s fallen body. “Ne-chan! Ne-chan!” She vigorously shakes Kyo’s body in an attempt to get her up. Seeing that her sister was never going to respond, she gently carried her sister’s body up and held on tightly to her. “Sorry…”

“Everyone! There they are!” I could hear Hanabi’s voice crystal clear as she crashes into me knocking me down on the floor. “You’re fine! I missed you, I was so scared…” She hugged onto me tightly as though she was seeking attention and adoration, I pat her on her head and sat back upright with her looking towards Amaterasu. “Souta, is that Kyo?” Hanabi’s eyes widen, immediately landing into a state of shock. Everyone looked at Amaterasu as Guan Yu and Gawain fell on one knee, placing their weapons on the floor with their right fist clenched over their heart.

*tsk* Reinhardt approaches Amaterasu with his blade at her neck, “Are you friend or foe?” The other warriors looked at Reinhardt in disgust but they all wanted the same answer. Amaterasu stared coldly at Reinhardt before raising her blade into the sky. The sky above us started vanishing and the whole island started crumpling into pieces. Hanabi held on tightly to me as the floor beneath us vanishes, before long we were all in a huge room with a huge bed in the centre.

Holding onto Kyo, Amaterasu inches towards the bed, placing her sister down in a comfortable position and tucking her into bed. “Souta, my sister had high praises for you, thank you for saving me… I should be the one lying there not my sister… I should have listened to her all along, that bloody hair pin that bastard gave me! I shall help you all to eradicate Tetsuya, whilst helping myself to avenge my sister’s death.” Amaterasu’s dress lit up on fire as her hair turned crimson red and her pupils also lit up red, the atmosphere around us grew cold as she made her way towards the door. “Follow me…”

Making our way through the hallway, an all-so familiar sound echoed, “Ah you guys made it out, what a shame, Tetsu’s girl was too weak and gave in.” That voice, father? “Siegfried? What’s the meaning of all this? Where is Misashi? Answer me!”

“The swordswoman? Her will is strong but she will break soon enough, speaking of which, Souta, would you like a new mother?” Siegfried let out an evil laugh as Misashi’s voice could be heard screaming in uncontrollable pain. “Misashi! You fucker! What are you trying to do to her?!”

“She’s a fun one, son. Well come and save her if you can but before that, each of you please enter the room with your name written on the door. If you don’t do as I say, your friend here won’t see the light of day.” The five warriors look towards me in confusion, Spartacus looked towards the others, “Has our lord gone evil?” Cleo laughed as if she knew this was going to happen, “Whatever the case is, I am with the young master, only he has a true righteous heart, if anyone of you hear disagrees, well be my guest, I’ll be more than happy to take you down.”

Guan Yu steps forwards and raises his blade up towards me, “I am with him as well.” Gawain smiles and steps forward placing his blade against Guan Yu’s, “Wouldn’t want to fight against you two, count me in.” Spartacus wraps my neck around his arms and smiles, “I hate those who oppress others with force, I’m counting on you my man!” Reinhardt crosses his arms and nods, “I’m not into this sort of thing but I’m in, six against one, the odds aren’t really in my favour.”

Hanabi pats my back and smiles happily at me, “Well, they are yours to lead. We will save Misashi and defeat Tetsu!” Just hearing her confident and lovely voice gave me all the reassurance I ever needed, I looked back at the warriors with confidence overflowing within me. I have the most powerful of heroic figures in history by my side, we can do this regardless of whom we face!

“I don’t know what lies behind those doors but do prepare yourselves, let’s go!” Each of the warriors walked and stopped in front of each door that had their own respective names written down. “Hanabi, will you be fine alone?” Hanabi turns around towards me in surprise, “Hey! Are you calling me weak? May I remind you, I am the princess of Van Astrea, the most powerful Crimson Magic user in the whole…” I sent a chop against her forehead causing her to rub the pain away from the place of impact. “I just care for you, I don’t want to lose you too.” Hanabi began to blush as she covers her face with her hands, “Souta… Don’t say these kind of things, I love you, I won’t ever leave you!” I nodded as I took in one deep breath, all seven of us opened the door at the same time and took a step into the room…