Welcome to Gaia! ::

Rowen grabs the missile with his armored hands, but it explodes before he can send it away from him. The blast knocks consciousness out of him, and he is falling, down through the sky, a motionless body descending to the earth. He impacts on a Japanese tank, crushing the tank's cannon stem. After a few moments, hands grasp at him and carry him away.

---

Sage, with Ryo on his shoulder, looks around the corner of an alley. He sees nothing but a newspaper, torn and floating about the alley and a dumpster, closed and locked. "All right, let's go," he says.

"C'mon soldiers boys! Try to keep up!" Cye says, loping away from them.

"We're the bad guys, so try and catch us, why don'tcha?" Kento asks the soldiers who do not respond.

Before long, someone shouts orders and the soldiers point their guns at the Ronins. Cye and Kento, knowing what it means, run.

---

Sage sits Ryo against the dumpster, panting out breath as he does so. "Either I'm out of shape, or he's been eating too much rice," He says. "Korin, can you wake him up? I don't know what's wrong with him, but we'll be easy targets if we're slowed down like this."

A thunderous crash from behind Cye tells him that a tank has just opened fired at him. He stumbles to his knees as asphalt sprays around him from the impact of a large cannon shell. Kento grabs his hand, jerks him to his feet and Cye is going again.

He shouts to Dannin, "Which way is it again?"

---

"I think you should try, at least," Sage says. "If it doesn't work, we'll be no worse off."

"So you say," Batrias mutters to himself.

"This is enough!" Kento shouts. "It's time to fight! I don't care anymore!"

"Kento, restrain yourself, we're still in the city; think of the innocent people you'd kill with your power," Cye advises.

Kento doesn't respond, and Cye looks at Dannin's form on the ground. The soldiers, only five hundred yards away, shout for them to surrender.

Kento says, "I don't think we have a choice. We have to defend ourselves."

---

Batrias notices the reverberation of Korin's and Ryo's armors. For a moment, he thinks they are trying to merge together. Then, the moment passes and he feels a sickness in the pit of his stomach. From the side of the dumpster, he sees what looks like black ink dripping on the ground. It makes no sound as it falls. Before long, there is a puddle of black in the alley. The puddle rises up, forming into a shape that Batrias recognizes: it is the Torn Shadow.

"Of all the times," Batrias says under his breath. "Nimbus, prepare yourself!"

"All right, I understand," Kento says, then, acting on his own, circles his staff above his head. He shouts, "Gan Tes-sai!!"

The city streets immeadiately begin tearing themselves to pieces. Kento disengages the attack before it can gain its full power. He grabs Dannin in his arms and runs away. Cye, following, notices that a rather large pot hole has formed in the street...

---

The Torn Shadow stands still for a moment, looking at the four people before it. Its head, or what might be its head seemed to fall sideways, off its head. Then, it hung there, nearly severed until the Torn Shadow darkened and regained its original form.

"It's weak," Batrias declares, "It's the same one. Korin, you and I can beat it if we combine our attacks!"

Batrias already has his sword over his head, pointing at the sky.

Kento and Cye duck into the forest at the same. Kento puts Dannin on the ground once inside. Above, the helicopters fly past, some flying circles in the sky, searching for targets. The tanks, however, do not follow.

"If we stay here long enough, think they'll stop looking?" Kento asks.

"I doubt it," Cye says. "We can only rest a minute. Dannin, you'll have to take the lead. If you're too injured..."

"None of that," Kento cuts his friend off.

---

The Torn Shadow shoots a stream of black out towards Ryo. Sage blocks the attack with his sword.

"We run? And lead this thing to Mia's cabin, where the others?" Batrias asked.

"Do we have a choice?" Sage asks. "Either way we go, I think we're dead."

The Torn Shadow seems to fade slightly, its color lessening. Then, it shrieks, the terrible sound carrying into the air.

Kento opens his mouth to object, but sees a hurting woman before him, and can't bring himself to do it. "All right, it's a good plan as any."

"Anytime you're ready," Cye says.

---

The Torn Shadow advances on Batrias. The bearer of Holy, in the middle of preparing his ultimate attack, gets caught off guard. The Torn Shadow merges into Batrias's body. His white armor of Holy now turns as black as night. The red symbol for wrath burns on his forehead.

The Torn Shadow says through Batrias, "Die. Because. Now. Kill."

Cye and Kento follow her, taking their time, knowing the military will still be looking for them during the night. Cye looks up in the sky as he walks, seeing the helicopters.

"If they have night vision, Dannin, they'll spot us easy as anything during the night," Cye says. "We have to make sure we get there before sunset."

---

Sage takes a disoriented Ryo away. Batrias's eyes, controlled by the Torn Shadow, follow them both. The white Sword of Vengenance, now pitch black, points at Korin. "Handle?" Batrias's voice asks. "Not."