Sakamoto peered into Seiji’s eyes one by one, as the solemn Date sat in the desk chair.  Flashing his small flashlight in and out of his eyes, he hoped to find nothing,
            “There doesn’t seem to be any physical damage.  If this were any normal case, I’d say it was a mental problem.”
            “Just like the rest of us, nothing physical, it seems as if it is only mental,” Touma thought aloud as he lay on his bed staring at the dark ceiling fixture.
            “On the contrary, you and Shin could have died if not treated immediately,” Seiji replied as he rubbed at his eyes trying to rid them of the light circles from the small flashlight.
            “You could have lost your sight, and there could possibly be deeper problems than just with your eyes,” Sakamoto added.
            “What do you mean?”
            “Well, Touma, there is such a condition where people can’t go out into the sun without risking their lives.  Not many have it, but it is known to exist,” Sakamoto explained.
            “Your saying, it’s a possibility that even if I have my eyes protected, I could still be affected by the light?”
            “Yes, fatally effected.”
            “Just like the rest of us,” Touma repeated.
            “No, Shu and Ryo have yet to be effected.  The only question is when?” The dark room was blanketed by an even darker silence as the three sat motionless.  After what seemed like several minuets Sakamoto walked over to Seiji’s bed and sat down facing Touma.
            “While I’m here, I should check you out as well.” Touma sat up and faced the doctor, slipping his dark blue t-shirt over his head.
            “Breath in,” Sakamoto instructed, “Now, out.  Not that it’s any of my business, but do you suppose your two friends would try anything… stupid?”
            “Touma slipped his shirt back over his head as Sakamoto flipped his flashlight on and began peering down his throat.
            “Knowing them, more than likely,” Seiji sighed crossing his arms, “I just wish I could hope Ryo wouldn’t go off on his own.”
            “Why do you say that?”
            “Because, Ryo’s good at that.  He’d rather risk his life than to risk his friends.  And Shu, his element being earth… he’s not safe anywhere.  Ryo’s sure to try and protect him,” Touma explained as he talked around the thermometer that was just placed in his mouth.
            “I see.  But is Shu-san one to just sit without going out on his own as well?”
            “No, Shu’s been wanting to go out hunting for some time now.  Though, I think he’ll be more likely to take Ryo along,” Seiji sighed, “We’ll have to keep our eyes on them, and ears.”  Seiji looked over at Sakamoto an unspoken agreement being made between them.
            “I best go up and check out the other one, what was his name… Shin?”
            “Yes, Shin.  At the top of the stairs take a left, you’ll run right into the door,” Touma directed him and thanked him for coming.  Sakamoto bowed and left the room quickly and quietly.  As Sakamoto made his way to the stairs he stopped for a moment and looked toward the kitchen where Shu and Nasuti were talking.  Choosing not to interrupt he continued up the stairs.
            “What are you planning to do now, Shu?” Nasuti asked as she wiped down the counter.
            “What do you mean?  There’s nothing we can do is there?” Shu asked looking up from the refrigerator where he had been trying to find some room for the left over chicken no one felt like eating.
            “Don’t think I don’t know you and the others by now,” Nasuti scolded him as she spun around with her hands on her hips, “You and Ryo are the worst.  Always looking for a fight.  You’re not planning on just sitting around.  Not after Seiji saw him.”
            “I truthfully don’t know Nasuti,” Shu sighed as he stood straight, “But you are right.  Tomorrow I will be going out.  I don’t know if there will be a fight or not.  I may just come down with something and be crawling back to the house, but I can’t just sit here.”
            “Shu, I know I can’t stop you. I know no matter what I say, you’ll still go,” Nasuti walked over to Shu and looked him straight in the eye, “I can only ask for you to be careful.  If you can, I’d rather you and Ryo be together than separate. Take him with you Shu.”
            “Hai,” Shu smiled and embraced her in a hug, “I’ll go up now and talk to him.”
            “Thank you Shu,” Nasuti whispered as she allowed his thick arms to hold her.
            “No, it’s I that should thank you.  Who knows where we all would be if you weren’t there to knock some since into us now and again.”  Shu let Nasuti go and smiled at her one last time before he turned and left the room.  As he opened Ryo’s door, Sakamoto was making his way out of his and Shin’s room.  Sakamoto nodded politely to Shu but said nothing else as he made his way down the stairs.  Shu glanced at his door, worried about Shin, but put the thought into the back of his mind.  He had some serious talking to do, and he knew Ryo would fight him every inch of the way.
            Sakamoto made his way down the stair and heard a faint sound coming from the kitchen.  He cracked the door open and could hear Nasuti crying, for a moment he hesitated wondering if he should go in.  He decided, and quietly made his way into the kitchen, sitting down at the table next to Nasuti.
            “What’s the matter, Nasuti?” Sakamoto asked laying his hand on her back, rubbing it lightly.
            “K…Kentarou.  I’m sorry.  Really I’m okay,” Nasuti sat up straight and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand.
            “You always used to tell me about your problems when we were little.  I never have minded listening,” Kentarou stated soothingly.  Nasuti looked over at him fresh tears falling down her flushed cheeks.
            “I’m so helpless!” Nasuti chocked out, “Shu and Ryo are going out to find the demon tomorrow.  There’s nothing I can do to stop them, and there’s nothing I can do to help them.”
            “From what I understand, you’ve helped them countless times.  I mean, it’s thanks to your grandfather for having researched the legend of the armors in the first place right? They needed your to translate his findings for them,” Kentarou tried to reason with her as he laid his hand upon her own, “In many ways they would have been completely lost if you had not been there.”
            “I know, I know,” Nasuti sighed, “but there are also times when I’m just in the way.  I can’t protect myself, and I have to rely on them to protect me.  And then Jun, I can’t even protect him when it’s needed.  In all honesty, I’m the one that arranged for him to be spending the month up north; I arranged it just after I found out about Shin.  I just couldn’t bear for him to be involved yet again.”
            “Let me tell you something.  I’ve been practicing medicine on my own for only a year or so.  I’m one of the most recommended doctors in Tokyo.  You would think that there was some pride in that for me,” Kentarou sighed as he gazed out of the window and onto the lake where the moon reflected brightly in its surface, “In all reality it’s very frustrating at times.  I may know what I’m doing.  I may be confident in my prognosis, and my treatment, but unless the patient truly wants help there’s nothing I can do.  A lot of older people just will not listen to me.  I’ll tell them time and time again, take the pills, exercise, or whatever it may be.  I feel like I’m treating children at times.  Many times I feel like I’m not even doing any good.  I’ve even had families yell at me, just because I wasn’t able to help their mother or father, but it wasn’t that I couldn’t its just that they wouldn’t help themselves.
            “I guess the point I’m trying to get to is that we’re not much different.  You’ve used all of your abilities to help these boys face a horrible destiny, sometimes they listen, sometimes they don’t, and there’s nothing you can do about it.  The difference is that they only yell at you because they care, not because they’re upset with how you did things. And they protect you because they don’t want you to get hurt.  If that means they have to retreat for the time being, then they will.  They’re fighting to protect the Earth, and you’re part of that Earth that they’re protecting.  You’re not the only one who doesn’t know how to protect them selves.  If everyone knew how, then the Samurai Troopers wouldn’t be needed.” Nasuti looked over at Kentarou and followed his gaze out over the lake.  She knew he was right, she could always count on him to make things make sense. Growing up in Japan being half-French, she needed someone who could see things in a good way, and Kentarou was somehow able to do just that for her.
           
            “You can’t!” Ryo yelled.  Shu had decided to follow Nasuti’s advice and to try and get Ryo to go with him to draw out the demon, but just as Shu expected it wasn’t going to be easy.
            “Ryo, I’m not just going to sit here and wait for something to happen, I just can’t stand it anymore,” Shu argued once again, “I’m not saying you have to go with me, it would just be better if we were together rather than alone, if anything did happen that is.”
            “That’s exactly why you don’t need to go! If he can affect the others so easily what will you going out and looking for him do?” Ryo snapped as he wrung his hands around his ankle.  Ryo had been lying on his bed when Shu had first entered his room.  Shu had pulled the desk chair over to the bed to sit in and Ryo had sat up, letting one leg fall to the floor while the other was bent in front of him.
            “Look, Ryo, I’m sick of going around in circles.  I’m going and there’s nothing your going to say to stop me.  The only thing you need to answer is if you’re going to go with me or not.  I don’t quite care either way…”
            “Then why did you ask?” Shu looked at Ryo and then past him and out the window,
           “Out of respect for Nasuti. Look, I’m leaving at 5.  If you’re coming, meet me outside then.” Shu looked at Ryo’s face, and knew that he was ready to keep arguing well into the night.  Slowly Shu stood and left the room.  He started to reach for the door to his own room, but suddenly remembered that Shin was in there and just didn’t feel like facing him.  Shin would be able to easily realize what Shu was planning and just like Ryo he would be well and willing to stay up all night trying to convince him not to go.  Shu walked to the balcony that over looked the dinning room and saw Nasuti and Kentarou disappear around the corner and heard the front door close.
 
            The fresh morning sun peeked through the leaves as Ryo followed his thick headed companion through the forest.  He had debated all night whether or not to let Shu go on his own, but Ryo knew that if Shu were affected and alone, he would never be able to forgive himself. At least in the end unless Ryo were in or near Fuji, that there was no way he could be affected and thus could help Shu when he would need it.  Of course none of that mattered when it came to Ryo being able to keep up with Shu.  Not used to walking this fast through the thick undergrowth of the forest Ryo found it hard to keep his footing.  Ryo wasn’t sure if he could keep going, it wasn’t hat he was tired, but his ankles weren’t exactly keeping up with him. Ryo stepped over a large root and found to his dismay that another root was underfoot and that it was covered in dew covered moss.  His foot slipped to the side and he began to fall, he reached out with his hand to try and soften the blow of his body on the tangled roots of the tree.  He felt his hand touch the damp bark, but then he stopped.  A strong hand had grabbed his other arm and had kept him from crashing into the root ridden and rocky ground.  Shu didn’t say a word as he helped Ryo up and once Ryo was firm on his feet he started off again.
            “Almost there,” Shu promised as he turned and continued on.  Ryo followed Shu, and remembered why it was that he never minded Shu’s stubbornness in the past.  Ryo realized why it was that he could do nothing but follow Shu, and a part of him wondered why he wasn’t the default leader rather than him.
 
            The sun had reached the highest point in the sky when the two troopers finally came to a rest in a rocky clearing that overlooked another part of the lake.  Shu sat down on a nearby outcropping of rock and pulled out his water bottle to drink.  Ryo surveyed their surroundings for a moment before he too sat down to rest and drink.
            “I never knew this place existed,” Ryo murmured as he wiped his mouth on the back of his arm.
            “It used to be covered with bright green grass,” Shu stated as he looked off into the distance.  Ryo tried to follow his gaze, but couldn’t figure out what he was looking at.  “A few small grey rocks popped out of the green occasionally, like a wale in the middle of an ocean.”
            “What happened to it?” Ryo asked as he realized that Shu’s gaze was looking into space, it was looking at the clearing he was describing.  Shu blinked his eyes and looked at Ryo,
            “Life.” Shu stood up and stretched his arms over his head.  Ryo watched him confused by his reply.  Shu walked to the middle of the clearing and called upon his under gear.  Ryo watched the orange and white sub armor form around his friend and he realized that Shu had been using this clearing to train, and to practice his sure kill. Finishing off his water, Ryo donned his own under gear and joined Shu in the center of the clearing.  There was no turning back now, the demon was sure to show up.  The sun glared menacingly overhead as the wielders of Kongo and Rekka armored up.  Rolls of flowered silk flew through the air seemingly to bind the warriors.  As more and more of it unrolled it burst into soft pink cherry blossoms as the armors formed around the two warriors.
            “If you are looking for your deaths, then you are doing a fine job,” A crackly voice echoed through the still air as Ryo unsheathed his katana.
            “It’s going to take a lot more than some stupid illness to kill Kongo no Shu!” Shu yelled into the sky, tightening his grip on his niginata.
            “Kill? Now why would I want to kill someone like you, who are of no concern to me?” The demon cackled as he slowly appeared before the two like mist forming a cloud.  He was covered in black, only on his hands and around his eyes did his grey stretched skin show. His eyes were a bright yellow that seemed to glow with power.
            “You’ve hurt my friends…” Shu seethed.
            “Oh yes, camaraderie.  Never did see the point of it.”
            “What is it you want?” Ryo exclaimed taking a step forward.
            “What I want? Why, your lifeless bodies hanging in the wind!” The demon laughed a low menacing laugh as he lifted his hand and pointed toward the troopers.
            “SOU EN ZAN!!!” Ryo did wait for anything to happen.  He snapped the hilts of his swords together and leapt into the air as he released his sure kill.  Rekka’s flames raced through the air toward the demon. The demon’s eyes widened in alarm but then shrunk to mere slits.  With a flick of his wrist Rekka’s flames were diverted from their path, shot high up into the sky, and vanished in the thinning air of the atmosphere.   Shu heard Ryo curse as his attack was brushed off like an annoying fly.  Tightening his grasp on his niginata, Shu locked eyes with the demon.  The demon’s yellow eyes became so thin it looked as if they weren’t even open.
            “As you can see, I have full power over the elements, and your precious armor.  There is no way for you to defeat me!” Wind raced around the clearing as dark clouds covered the bright afternoon sun.  The winds roar was deafening to the two warriors as they fought to keep their stances steady.  The demon stood unaffected by the gale force wind, his yellow eyes locked on the two.  Slowly he raised his boney grey hand, pointing a long finger at them.  Shu and Ryo, unable to do anything shut their eyes waiting for the attack.  Just as suddenly as it had started the wind had stopped, leaving an unnerving calm in the clearing.  Shu slowly opened his eyes and looked at the demon.  His gaze had been averted from Ryo and himself, a golden arrow was sticking out of the ground at his feet.
            “What are you doing here?” Ryo cried.  Shu followed the demons gaze to the wielder of Tenku in full armor perched in a tree on the edge of the clearing.
            “I came to help,” Touma replied curtly as he knocked another arrow in his bow and aimed it at the demon.
            “Are you crazy!?” Shu exclaimed as he realized the problem with the situation, “We don’t know what effect the armors will have on you!”
            “We will not be told what to do,” Seiji stated as he and Shin emerged from the woods just below Touma,” If our armors are against us, and wearing them is our death, then so be it.”
            “You really didn’t think we’d just let you come on your own did you?” Shin smirked as he looked at the shocked faces of his friends.
            “What noble spirits you have.  Too bad it is of no use to you,” The demon rumbled, his eyes turned slightly upward, looking as if he was having fun.  Without hesitation Touma drew back his arrow and released it.  The golden arrow flew in a straight line right toward the demon, the golden energy of Tenku following close behind.  The demon stood still as if waiting for the arrow to arrive.  He lifted not a finger, but still the arrow stopped still inches from his face, or at least what one would call a face.  The wind started up again and steadily grew fiercer.  The four warriors on the ground waited for the Tenku’s attack to cease, but it only grew stronger.  Shu looked up into the tree and saw that Touma hadn’t moved since he had released the arrow, his bow was still up, and his right hand was by his face.
            “Touma! Stop!” Shu yelled over the wind, but his voice was drowned out.  The Shin seemed to have noticed Shu looking above him and looked up at his friend.  At seeing his predicament, Shin nudged Seiji and thumbed up.   Understanding Seiji clasped his two hands together.  Shin placed his foot within Seiji’s hands and Seiji sent him flying up.  Fighting against the wind, Shin tackled Touma from atop his perch and the both fell to the rocky ground. A deadened silence filled that air as Shin looked up and noticed Touma was out cold.  
            “One down, three to go,” The demon laughed as he raised his hand into the air.  The dark clouds that had gathered started to rumble as lighting streaked across the sky, “I will show you exactly what I’m capable of!” A drop of rain splattered on Shu’s niginata, followed by another and another until it seemed as if a waterfall had opened up above them.
            “Shin!!  Can’t you stop this?!” Ryo screamed through the water as he turned to look at the Suiko wielder.  Shin’s eyes were wide open, his pupils fully dilated.  He was staring straight ahead at the demon holding his head, as if he were attempting to keep the demon from entering it.  Ryo tried to make his way to his fellow warrior, but found it hard to keep track of his direction in the rain.  Lightning raced overhead, arching in every direction.  Occasionally a bolt would make its way to a rain soaked tree, splitting it with a loud crack. Shu noticed Seiji not far from Shin. It looked as if he was on his way to help Shin but had been stopped.  Seiji had torn his helmet off, his blond hair soaked through; he was bent over with his head on his head bent forward with his hands on his neck looking as if he were trying to pull it off.
            “Shin! Seiji!” Ryo exclaimed as he continued to make his way over to his friends, being slowed down not only because of the rain, but now also because of the fresh mud at his feet.  The demon laughed thoroughly enjoying himself.  Shu’s grip on his niginata had only grown stronger, at the risk of breaking it to pieces.  The demon noticed Shu still staring at him,
            “You are of no concern to me, but if you insist on helping them then you too will die!” Shu did not reply to the demons threat.  He narrowed his dark blue eyes which were filled with so much anger and hatred it would have scared anyone else, but the demon held his ground unaffected.  Slowly Shu began to spin his niginata before him.  As it picked up speed he began to raise it above his head,
            “GAN…” Ryo heard Shu begin his attack and turned to face him his bright blue eyes wide in shock.
            “Shu! NO!!” Shu was not listening as he released his attack.
            “TES’SAI!!”  The niginata was swung toward the ground with all of Shu’s strength, stopping just short of touching the ground.  Rocks, dirt, and mud flew everywhere as Kongo’s power raced toward the demon.  The demon allowed the ground to roll below him as the attack raced toward him, but that did not much matter to the demon.  Raising his boney hand once more he motioned as if he were physically pushing the niginata lower.  Shu struggled to keep the tip up, but even he was not strong enough as the tip embedded itself into the ground.  The earth around Shu exploded into a fine sand as Kongo’s full power was released.  Slowly the dust settled to reveal that the demon had disappeared, escaping Kongo’s power.  The five troopers littered the sandy ground; a small breeze began to blow the grains of sand covering their bodies in the pale light of the setting sun.