Yorodien Samurai Troopers:
Another Story

Nasuti frowned. "Ara, this is your sixth cup, Anubis. Are you sure?"

"Yes. Very sure."

Anubis held up his cup with a rickety hand. Apparently, the overdose of caffeine was starting to affect him but Nasuti didn't say anything. She went over and poured him his drink. Going over to the stove, she placed the coffee holder down and turned to face her friends with half-shut eyes.

She, Anubis, Rajura, and Naza were up in the kitchen trying to brush away the effects of sleep just a little bit longer; they had difficulty getting the Chibi Troopers back to sleep earlier because of a pillow fight break out. When they came upon the scene, they discovered the entire room had been covered with white feathers. They had caught the culprits red handed: Ryo, Seiji, Shu, and Shin. Touma was on the floor buried underneath all those feathers, unruffled. The kids had been too excited to sleep so they ended up staying up until five-thirty in the morning. Nasuti and the others had to remain with with them and clean up the mess and to make sure that they DID go to sleep. Byakuen and Kokuen-Oh had concluded that they would watch over the Troopers once they had gotten up (which didn't happen until around noon time). Byakuen implied that they'd get some sleep, but they knew they couldn't. Not with the dangers that lurked about in search of the Chibi Troopers.

"We need to work something out," Rajura said hoarsely. He coughed and rubbed his eye. "We can't all stay up forever. We need to find Sachiriku and at the same time, make sure the Chibi Troopers don't get in the way, and look out for those Shadowlings."

Naza nodded. His eyes were shut and his head started to lean forward a bit, but he caught himself and forced his eyes open once more. "So far, nothing's happened yet," he reported. "No Shadowlings and no Sachiriku..."

Walking over to the kitchen table, Nasuti took a seat on the top of it, with her head lowered and her reddish-brown hair cascading down her shoulders. "I've figured out a way to watch the Troopers and watch out for Sachiriku and her Shadowlings."

The Masho all turned and faced her direction. Taking a deep breath, the young woman said, "Each day, two of us will go and watch the Troopers, making sure nothing happens to them. Meanwhile, the rest of the group will rest up and go about searching a way to reach Sachiriku. That way, everyone will have a fair share in responsibilities around here. How does that sound?"

"Excellent," Rajura proclaimed.

Anubis and Naza nodded as well. Anubis finished the last of his coffee in one gulp and hastily placed in on top of the saucer. "Well, we'd better go announce the plan to Byakuen and Kokuen-Oh."

***

Chibi Ryo was sitting on the couch watching television. His hair was tousled about carelessly and his eyes were encrusted with sleep, but he didn't care. He wore a red T-shirt with white shorts. On his shirt written in white were the words "Milkball". The boy laughed as a familiar blonde pig-tailed girl dressed in a sailor fuku on the screen was running away from the monster chasing her.

"Sailor Moon's cool," he said to himself. "Who says bishoujo stuff's just for girls...?"

On the floor nearby, Chibi Touma was engrossed in a book on beginning trigonometry and advanced physics. He wore a dark blue sweater and blue jeans that looked as though they had been slept in. He didn't understand most of the words in the book but he pictured the formulas mentally and shouted in triumph whenever he'd figure out how to work them out. Over by the foot of the stairs, Chibi Shu and Chibi Shin were battling over a toy truck, each holding onto one end and pulling. Chibi Shu wore a yellow T-shirt with gray sweats. He also wore a pair of white socks in which one of them had a hole in them. Chibi Shin wore a little blue sailor outfit with black shorts and a sailor hat on his head.

"Gimme! It's mine!" Chibi Shu bellowed, trying to yank the truck.

"Nu-uh! I found it first!" Chibi Shin protested.

Sitting on top of the dinning room table, Chibi Seiji was dressed in kendo garments, playing a bamboo flute. He was actually quite good for a boy his age and the music coming out of it was indeed euphonious. It softly filled the room, swirling about, giving the house an evidently composed atmosphere.

Standing over by the balcony area was Byakuen and Kokuen-Oh. Neither of them showed the least bit of weariness. In the past, both had experienced times where they did not sleep or eat for days as they would journey across lands in search of the unknowns and potential fighters and warriors. And just last night, they had been training with one another so they could get used to fighting on just two feet.

"They don't know anything?" Kokuen-Oh asked, more to himself than to Byakuen.

"Each of them remembered how to call their armors and attack skills. They remember us and our names... that much I do know." Byakuen shrugged. "Hopefully this will all clear up in the near future."

Kokuen-Oh folded his arms across his chest in an arrogant manner. "Who've have thought that the Troopers could be such a handful?"

Byakuen smiled but didn't say anything.

Just then, Nasuti and the Masho wandered down from the kitchen and into the living room area. They were looking extremely tired with observable dark circles under their eyes. Chibi Ryo looked away from the television screen and waved to them.

"Morning, Nasuti-san. Morning, Rajura-san. Morning, Naza-san. Morning Anubis-san."

Chibi Touma looked up from his book and gave them a silly grin. "I'm reading," he announced in a proud voice and pointing at the page he was on.

Nasuti chuckled softly and yawned. "That's good, Touma-kun. Oh... I'm so tired."

"They why don'tcha take a nap?" asked Chibi Shin, who had taken interest in their presence. Apparently, he had won over the toy truck, which was tucked underneath his arm.

Chibi Shu flew by and swiped it away from him. "Slowpoke!"

"Hey! Come back here!" Chibi Shin wailed as he raced after him. The two of them chased each other around the adults before going after one another around the table. Chibi Seiji continued playing the flute but this time a little louder. Chibi Shu had the truck under his arm and occasionally turned his head to stick his tongue out at Chibi Shin.

Byakuen and Kokuen-Oh came back into the house and were careful to avoid the two little boys running about. "What's going on?" Byakuen asked as he approached the others.

Kokuen-Oh lagged behind purposely, not really wanting to do anything but sleep at the moment. The stress was finally getting to him.

Taking a seat next to Chibi Ryo, Nasuti explained the situation to him carefully. Byakuen understood and nodded. Kokuen-Oh yawned but nodded in agreement as well.

"Okay then," Kokeun-Oh began, "which one of us?"

Byakuen turned to him and replied, "That should be easy. It will be us."

"What? Why?"

"The others need their sleep and we can handle staying up a few hours more, don't you think? Humans require sleep, and unlike us they need enough hours of it so they can be fully rested."

"But I don't--"

"Good. Then it's settled." Facing Nasuti once more, Byakuen said, "Kokuen-Oh and I will take charge over the Troopers today. Sachiriku won't be after you because it will be the Troopers she'll be searching for. But we'll be ready, though. Believe me."

"That's great!" Nasuti exclaimed happily, clasping her hands together. "Are you sure it's not a problem for you?"

Kokuen-Oh was about to open his mouth to object but Byakuen clamped a hand over it, silencing him. "Sure, nothing to it," Byakuen said with a smile. "You and the others get some sleep. We'll take care of everything."

"All right," Nasuti said softly. "If you're sure..."

She felt Chibi Ryo tug on her arm. Glancing over to the side, she found him sitting on his knees and looking up at her. "Nasuti-san, I wanna go to the park."

"Nani? Demo, Ryo--"

"Leave it to us," Byakuen said cheerfully. "Come on, Ryo-kun. Nasuti and the others have to take a nap."

"So they can play with us later?" Chibi Ryo chirped.

"Yes, why not. Say, how would you like to go to the park today?"

***

The group of seven were heading into the city an hour later. Nasuti was happy enough to be driving them, their using her jeep. She was well aware of the fact that neither Byakuen or Kokuen-Oh knew how to drive. Byakuen sat in the passenger seat with Chibi Ryo on his lap. In the back seat, Kokuen-Oh had a look of aggravation on his face as he sat there with Chibi Shin and Chibi Touma on his lap wrestling with one another. Next to him, Chibi Shu was eating a small sandwich he had snuck out of the kitchen. And by the window was Chibi Seiji, who was still playing the bamboo flute. He would play a wonderful melody but whenever the jeep would drive over a speed bump the note would seemingly squawk and everyone would cover their ears and grit their teeth.

As they drove through the busy city of Shinjuku, the Chibi Troopers would all stare out of the windows in wonderment. There were a lot of people moving to and fro, all ages and all sizes. The buildings were exceptionally tall with highly decorative signs and posters. The kids grew particularly excited as they came towards the city park. They spotted other children their age they could possibly play with. Nasuti parked onto the curb to let everyone out.

As Byakuen stepped out, Nasuti said to them, "Be careful, you guys. Who knows when Sachiriku might appear, or those Shadowlings?"

He nodded. "Yes, you're right. We'll be on our guard at all times. You just go get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay I will, Yaku. Bye, Ryo!"

Chibi Ryo waved to her as he hopped out of the car and landed onto the sidewalk. "Ja ne, Nasuti-san!"

The other Chibi Troopers got out of the car and waved to Nasuti like Ryo did. Chibi Seiji gave her a wink before running into the park with the others. Nasuti couldn't help but giggle.

Finally, Kokuen-Oh stepped out of the vehicle, a disgusted look on his face. "I HATE children."

"Oh, you know you love them," Byakuen teased lightly.

Nasuti waved good-bye to them and drove off. Once she did, the two man-tigers followed the Chibi Troopers into the park. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon. The wide blue skies were clear and there were no hints of clouds. The sun beamed its rays upon the earth, giving the feel of warmth and comfort. Many people were at the park for many reasons: to enjoy a picnic lunch, to exercise, or just to relax.

The Chibi Troopers were running and skipping ahead of Byakuen and Kokuen-Oh, laughing and screaming as they chased one another towards the playground area.

Kokuen-Oh yawned and muttered, "How boring."

The two of them stopped in front of a bench which overlooked the park. There they found the Chibi Troopers playing together over by the jungle gym. "Boring? How can you say that?" Byakuen asked as he took a seat. He lifted his head and sighed. "You should really enjoy life rather than complaining about it."

"You should talk, Byaku. At least your master is still alive."

"We're not going through that again, are we?"

Before he could say anything, Kokuen-Oh felt someone yank on his sleeve. Glancing down, he found Chibi Seiji holding onto his sleeve with a finger. The little boy was staring at him with hopeful blue-violet eyes that made Kokuen-Oh raise a brow in question. "What do you want?"

"Can... can... can you play with us?" Chibi Seiji stammered. He kept tugging on his sleeve and asking the question over and over again until finally he found himself being lifted off of the ground.

Crying out, Chibi Seiji found Kokuen-Oh was lifting him by the front of his shirt with one arm. "Go play with your little friends, Korin. I don't have time to waste with the likes of you."

With that, he swung his arm back and sent Chibi Seiji flying into the air. Byakuen bolted straight up from his seat and seized Kokuen-Oh roughly by the arm. Chibi Seiji landed in the sand box, a dirty look on his tiny face.

Sticking his tongue out, he raved, "Baka! I don't like you!"

"Good!" Kokuen-Oh countered. "I don't like you either! Gives us something to agree about, doesn't it?"

"What is the matter with you?" Byakuen snapped. His eyes were like knives, piercing through Kokuen-Oh like fire. However, Kokeun-Oh didn't give any concern to this. Instead he yanked his arm free and turned away from his counterpart.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he snickered, "Give it up. We're going to be stuck like this forever."

"You okay, Seiji?" Chibi Ryo asked as he and the others went over to their friend's side.

Getting to his feet, the boy mumbled, "Yeah, I think so. Kokuen-san's a jerk."

"You're telling me," Chibi Shu said. "Why doesn't he like us?"

Chibi Touma wrinkled his nose and replied, "Maybe he had a um, ah, oh -- bad childhood or something?"

"Then why does he have to take it out on us?" Chibi Shin asked innocently. "We didn't do anything to him... did we?"

"I don't think so," said Chibi Ryo. Narrowing his eyes, he announced to the, "They're fighting again."

The Chibi Troopers fastened their attention at Byakuen and Kokuen-Oh as they yelled at one another. This attracted all of the people around them, forcing them to leave in disgust. Neither of them noticed because they were too busy arguing. At the time, the five boys decided to go off and play.

Chibi Touma briskly left the others, carrying a rather large book (tucked under his arm), over towards a lanky cherry tree. Closing his eyes, he idly levitated off from the ground until he reached a nice, sturdy branch. There he lowered himself onto it, leaned back, opened his book, and started reading humbly to himself.

Chibi Ryo giggled and made his way across the sand over to the jungle gym. He stopped before it and looked up. It seemed to have suddenly sky-rocketed high to the clouds. "It looks smaller from far away," he murmured lightly. Shrugging, he spat into his hands, rubbed them together, took a deep breath, and started climbing. His tiny fingers wrapped around the cool metal bars and he climbed, his mind filled with confidence.

Chibi Seiji roamed around the park, just going around in circles with the bamboo flute in his hands. Two teenage girls spotted him and commented on how cute he was.

"Oh gosh! Isn't he just so, like adorable?"

"Uh-huh! I bet he'll be a real hunk when he gets older! Say, kiddo, what's your name?"

Feeling his whole face flush, Chibi Seiji ran away and hid under the slide. Upon watching this, Chibi Shu laughed at him.

"Ha ha! Can't talk to girls! You're scared of girls!" he sang.

"A-am not!" Chibi Seiji objected, poking his head out. He quickly ducked back in as the girls giggled at how cute he was acting.

***

"Marvelous," Kiyemon whispered in delight. "So far, your friends are in no danger of being discovered. What amazes me even more so is that they still have the power of their armors within them. No normal humans can be capable of doing such a thing."

"Just remember," Kayura spoke from the other end of the room, "that the Troopers are not normal humans. They have been given duties in protecting this world from the forces of evil." She lifted her head up from her concentration and threw her head over her shoulders. "I think I may have tapped into Sachiriku."

Kiyemon turned away from the crystal and floated across the room, her feet never touching the floor. This woman of mystery was certainly getting to Kayura; she had never encountered such a person in her entire life.

Standing before the shakujo, Kiyemon touched it daintily with the tip of her finger. The rings of the staff started chiming clamorously, forcing Kayura to cry out and cover her ears. "T-That noise is unbearable!" she cried as she moved away from the staff.

Kiyemon disregarded her and raised another fingertip. Suddenly, an image of Sachiriku and Kaijin became visible before them. It seemed as though they were inside some kind of dark, sordid throne room. Sachiriku was dancing around the room in mid-air, her six arms flying about. Kaijin was merely standing before the throne, staring up at her.

"My lady, will you PLEASE come down here," Kaijin pleaded. "We need to discuss our plans in finding the armors."

"But I want to have fun," Sachiriku chortled as she spun around the air. She almost seemed like a fairy dancing along the surface of a lake -- then again, this fairy had the power to kill with just a simple touch.

Kaijin slapped his forehead and moaned. "Sachiriku-sama, if you don't come down here right now, you won't be able to dance anymore."

This caused Sachiriku to freeze from her dancing and stare down at Kaijin. "What...? No more dancing...?"

"And you won't be able to find and kill Arago!" Kaijin quickly added.

"Oh, yes. Arago! Coming!" Sachiriku laughed aloud and started twirling straight down onto the ground. Once her feet touched the floor, she stood straight up and glanced over at the masked man. "Very well then. Proceed. What do you have in mind?"

It was odd how one moment, Sachiriku would act just like a little girl and then next minute act like a ruler ready to commence attack upon her opponents. Kaijin was careful not to scold her when she was half sane.

Suddenly Kaijin whirled around, his eyes glowing a shade of red and his back facing the six-armed woman. Looking from right to left, Sachiriku asked timidly asked, "What's going on? What's the matter?"

"We're being watched," Kaijin acknowledged without turning around. Raising a hand into the air, the masked man chanted a few words in some ancient tongue and unleashed a wave of obscurity in the form of a giant beam. Sachiriku shrieked and rushed over and hid behind her throne. Two of her arms were over her head while the other four where clinging onto the back of the throne.

"Goawaygoawaygoaway, Arago!!"

"Aaahhh!" Kayura was flung backwards and slid across the marble floors. Kiyemon, who was holding onto the staff, cried out and fell to her knees. Dark energy was seeping from the staff and was creating a strange droning noise that was quite disturbing. Finally, Kiyemon's fingers released the mythical object and she lowered her head to the ground. The staff fell but did not make a sound as it crashed onto the floor.

Recovering from her fall, Kayura scrambled over towards the other woman, whom she found was gasping for air. "Kiyemon-san! Are you all right? What happened!"

"T-They are... a-a-aware of our... presence," Kiyemon whispered, sweat trickling down the side of her face. "We must be careful when trying to tap into their... their location. They cannot reach us... but nevertheless can harm us..."

"Oh dear."

***

Once reaching the top of the jungle gym (after many failed attempts in trying to jump to the top), Chibi Ryo stood boldly before the park's view. Reaching at his side, he drew out his "sword" (a stick he had found on the ground as soon as he had gotten there) and did a pose. "I am Rekka no Ryo!" he hollered. "I am the bravest, strongest, coolest samurai warrior in the world! Nobody can beat me!"

With that said, Chibi Ryo started swinging his sword in the air, trying to attack his invisible enemies. He wanted to wear his armor and use his Rekka Ken so badly, but he remembered Nasuti explain to him and the other Chibi Troopers that they were not to call upon their armors unless it was a real emergency. Not wanting to get her mad, Chibi Ryo did as he was told.

Down below, Chibi Shin was over by the grassy area and in a tiny mud pit with a yellow plastic bucket sitting next to him and a shovel in his hand. Reaching down, he scooped up the mud and dumped it into the bucket. There was traces of mud around his cute face -- thinking that mud was the same as chocolate, Chibi Shin took a handful and shoved it into his mouth, then quickly realized that mud and chocolate were definitely NOT the same when it came to taste.

"I wonder what's wrong with Yaku-chan and Kokuen-san?" Chibi Shin asked himself as he patted the mud with his free hand. Lifting his head up and gazing over at the bench, he found Byakuen sitting there watching him and the others perpetually. Kokuen-Oh was leaning against a nearby tree, with his arms folded across his chest and his face drawn. "I don't like when adults fight..."

"Shin!"

Behind Chibi Shin was Chibi Shu and Chibi Seiji. Both were covered with scrape marks and a few bruises. Chibi Shin stuck his shovel into his tiny plastic bucket and placed his fists at his side, glaring at them like a stern mother. "What did you guys do!" he demanded. "You're hurted all over!"

Chibi Shu smirked and replied, "Don't worry, Shin. Seiji and I were just wrestling. Wanna join us? I won the last time too!"

"Did not!" Chibi Seiji objected, his mouth agape. "I won, 'member? I threw you into that kid's sand castle!"

"Nu-uh! I threw YOU on top of the sand castle and then you had that kid's brother chase us all over the park!"

"What happened then?" Chibi Shin asked, his voice soft and his eyes curious.

Chibi Shu hung his head and mumbled, "He beat us up."

"Don't forget he gave us wedgies in front of those girls too," Chibi Seiji added ruefully, his little face growing red when he said this.

"Oh no!" Chibi Shin gasped, placing both of his hands on his cheeks. He immediately removed them and frowned as he looked cross-eyed, trying to see the mud on his face. Chibi Shu and Chibi Seiji giggled at their friend's face.

Up in the tree, Chibi Touma placed his book down onto his lap and took a moment to stare up at the sky. A flock of birds flew by and he pointed up to them and screamed, "BIRDIES!!"

"My ears," Kokuen-Oh commented as he covered them. "Can't these children learn to be quiet?"

"They're children, they have no control over that," Byakuen pointed out as he watched Chibi Shu play with Chibi Shin in the mud. Nasuti is going to be awful mad when they get home but then this time she'll be wide awake to take care of them.

Over by the swings, Chibi Seiji was once again playing his flute while being pushed by a little boy around his age. Chibi Ryo was still on top of the jungle gym, crying out attacks and swinging his stick around like he would a sword. Then moments later he dropped his stick through the bars, tiring of the game, and started to make his way down from the structure.

This seems too strange, Byakuen thought as he cracked his knuckles. Here I am ready to go into battle and nothing's happening yet. What's Sachiriku up to?

As Chibi Ryo made his way down from the jungle gym, he suddenly felt a wave of nausea wash over him. His vision grew blurry and his throat tightened uncomfortably. His body felt like jelly all over and he felt his fingers slipped from the cold metal bars. He moaned softly as he fell, feeling very exhausted.

"RYO!"

Chibi Shu, who had been watching him from afar, had promptly jumped to his feet and sprinted over towards the jungle gym. He tripped and slid across the sand, wincing at as he felt a whole lot of sand fly into his shorts. He caught his friend in his outstretched arms just as he fell. The two finally crashed into a sand castle a few kids were building. The kids stared at them a few seconds before bursting into tears.

At the loud wails, Chibi Touma shrieked, and losing his balance, fell off of the branch. Luckily he caught himself in mid-air just before he hit the floor and levitated the rest of the way down.

Chibi Seiji, who was practicing the bamboo flute, accidentally bit his tongue. "AAAAIIIIEEEE!" He dropped the flute and fell off of the swing and onto his knees in the sand. He started whimpering in pain as he had his tongue sticking out and his fingers holding onto it as best as he could. "Owowowowo! Dis hurths!"Swiping his flute from the ground, Chibi Seiji rushed over towards his friends, his hand on his cheek. There he knelt down beside Chibi Shin and Chibi Touma. "What's going on? Are we playing doctor? I wanna be the surgeon!"

"No, it's Ryo," replied Chibi Touma. A harsh wind blew caused a lock of blue hair to fall in front of his eyes but he scowled and brushed it aside. "I think he's sick or something, right?"

"Yeah," Chibi Shu drawled as he carefully laid Chibi Ryo onto the sand. The other children had mysteriously disappeared, but none of them noticed. Chibi Ryo's eyes were shut and his complexion had grown exceedingly pale. Taking a seat next to Chibi Shu, Chibi Shin leaned over and placed a hand over Ryo's forehead. His eyes turned upward towards the sky and then over to his wrist as if he was looking at the time on his watch (which he wasn't wearing).

"What're you doing?" Chibi Seiji asked.

"I'm checking for a heartbeat, duh! That's what the doctors do!"

"That's not where his heart is, stupid! Here!" Chibi Seiji snatched his friend's hand and placed it on top of Ryo's chest.

Chibi Shin blushed in embarrassment. "Oh. Okay." He then mumbled, "I'm not stupid."

Moments later, Chibi Touma was kneeling on the other side of Chibi Ryo and gently shaking his shoulder. "Wake up, Ryo. C'mon, it's me, Hashiba Touma... Uh-oh, guys, he's not waking up! Somebody do something!"

"Hang on!" Chibi Seiji announced as he gently pushed Chibi Shin aside and lifted up his sleeves. Closing his eyes, he placed his hands on Ryo's forehead and chest. Everyone watched as Seiji-chan began to glow, a faint white aura covering his body.

"What're you gonna do?" Chibi Shu asked in a hushed voice.

"Gonna heal him," the other replied as he closed his eyes. "Shut up now. I need to concentrate--eeekkk!"

Chibi Seiji snapped his eyes open and pulled his hands away, clutching them to his chest and panting heavily. Chibi Touma cried, "What's wrong? What happened?!"

"S-Something's wrong," Chibi Seiji whispered in horror, his eyes wide with fear. "Ryo... h-he's... argh!" Suddenly, he fell onto his sides, clutching his stomach and moaning. "My tummy...!"

"SEIJI!" the remaining three Chibi Troopers screamed.

Clinging onto Chibi Shu's arm, Chibi Shin cried, "What's happening? Where's Yaku-chan!"

"Yeah! Where is he?" Chibi Touma sniffled.

Unfortunately moments later, they all fell down onto their knees as pain consumed their bodies. Over by the bench, Byakuen and Kokuen-Oh looked as though they had gotten up but were frozen in mid-run. Both man-tigers found themselves paralyzed, unable to move any parts of their bodies.

No! Byakuen thought. Once I saw Ryo fall, I started to get up and run to him, but suddenly I found I couldn't move and I still can't move! I have to do something! But what?!

Beside him, Kokuen-Oh was in the same position--he couldn't move but this thoughts were still in motion. Sachiriku's poison is starting to take effect on them, he realized. Eh...? Kokuen-Oh fell forward a bit but caught himself before he could fall to the ground. Lifting his hands to his face, he found that he could move again! Suddenly, a cry from Byakuen interrupted his pondering.

"What's happening?" Byakuen asked fearfully. "Why is--argh...!" He fell to his knees, clutching his stomach. His insides felt as though they were suddenly caught on fire. The pain was flashing before his eyes, teasing him, mocking him. Gasping for air, he reached out with one arm for Kokuen-Oh, who was standing there, watching the bizarre episode going on all around him.

This is insane, he thought. Why am I still here? I can just leave all of this and let the others figure out what they're going to do. Although I'll be stuck as a human forever, I suppose it'll have it's ups and downs. And why shouldn't I leave?

He felt a hand brush against his pant legs. Hissing, he kicked Byakuen away and took a few steps back. They were all in pain--the Chibi Troopers in the sand crying and sobbing violently. The noise was unbearably loud. I lost Kenboukyou because of them. I should extract my revenge on them, just letting them suffer like this. But what if it kills them--whatever this may be? What if Byakuen dies? What if I end up dying with him?

Before Kokuen-Oh could think about the present situation any further, he hear the sound of a twig snapping close by. Whirling around, he landed a fist across the "jaws" of a Shadowling. The creature flew off of the ground and clobber into the jungle gym, destroying it. Suddenly, more Shadowlings appeared and started attacking Kokuen-Oh.

"Wonderful," the man-tiger muttered sarcastically. He hurtled into the air and quickly changed into his body armor. Landing on the ground, he had the Shadowlings chase him through the woodland area of the park, leaving behind Byakuen and the Chibi Troopers.

Meanwhile, with tears blurring his vision, Chibi Ryo got to his feet, still clutching his side in discomfort. He bit his lower lip and thought, It hurts so bad! But I've... argh... gotta help Yaku-chan... and my friends... I can't let 'em down...! Reaching into his wee pocket, the boy pulled out his armor orb and in an instant, he was wearing his red body armor. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Hang on, guys."

With that, he scampered off into the forest area where Kokuen-Oh had gone.

***

Anubis awakened with a startled gasp. Sitting up from his bed, he found himself sweating like mad and his breathing rather raspy. Something was wrong. He could feel it. Lifting his eyes from the bed covers, he found them staring at the dresser mirror which was on the other side of the room. Anubis' eyes widened as he discovered his virtue glowing fiercely on his forehead.

"They're in trouble." Throwing the covers off, Anubis hastily got dressed and hustled out of the room. He found Naza and Rajura in the hallway, with their clothes on as well. "You sensed it too?" Anubis asked, catching his breath.

Rajura nodded. "Yes. The Troopers are in trouble. This must mean that Sachiriku must know where they are."

Naza added, "The sooner we get there, the better chance we have in finding her and getting her to change things back to the way they were."

Just then, Nasuti appeared at the top of the stairs and produced the car keys in her palm. "You guys ready?"

**end of chapter five

Chapter Six