Roiling like an awakening serpent, the earth and walls started to vibrate like a call for war, but against whom, no one could tell as the sword absorbing all the tainted flames without charring or gaining a scratch or a burn, maintaining despite the fuming river its unique and majestic form, did not move from above the river, yet still silencing the vengeful calls of its countless victims who melted once again into the lava, plunged there to suffer their eternal torment in helpless despair. The sword was calling, groaning in similar despair to its victims though its owner was standing right there, ready to summon and take hold of it, eager to command it once more. The vibration the weapon sent felt anguished and yearning but it still did not recognize Noboru, like it was dazed by the decades of sealing and floating the portal toward death.
With this unfavorable turn of event, Ayumi and her friends still found this moment of the sword's haze perfect opportunity to destroy it. Reiha turned her back on Enya, sacrificing her legs to a brutal whipping from the fiery lasso of the fire princess, but she did not stop, and along Ayumi and Chiyasu they coordinated a single attack placing all their hopes and strength upon. Laila tried to interfere, though fascinated by the sword's behavior but not surprised. She tried to shield the agitated blade with her ax, only to find herself retreating forcefully, her weapon singed and charred by an anticipated enemy. Though clearly the cursed sword had a history inside that place, it was easy for the princess of fire to command and control, her powers competing with the sword at absorbing whatever spiritual dark or light forces inhibited the area.
The three princess of earth, wind and light released their attack at the blade shaking more violently than an earthquake. This was their perfect chance not just because of the blade mysterious turbulent state, but because the fey stone embedding it with additional power was not found, and had not manifested itself yet. However, Enya was the one possessing the ultimate advantage, jumping over their attack and aiming to take the sword for herself, a new mean to exact her revenge against Reiha and those who betrayed her. The sword was purified by her sacred fire, so she naturally considered obtaining it her right but the wailing sword did not agree with her. The fire she commanded erupted from around the sword, meant to skin her alive, only saved by being the fire princess and she was forced to jump back as she did not get away unscathed, watching with indignant fury her skin peeling, and feeling in furious astonishment her blood burn for the first time painfully in her veins.
The look of worry Reiha cast over the princess of fire did not escape Ayumi, but thankfully it went unnoticed by the princess occupied with her injured pride. A wrath was about to befall the place, and that snuck concerned glance would only double it a thousand folds.
A blustery wind carried roots honed less mercilessly than spears, engulfed by a bustling net of pure white rays, heading all together at the same still wailing target. Laila was still sprawled on the ground and hissing like an injured cat, while Enya had already stood once again, more intent on gaining that weapon channeling every spell and incantation to tame her fire, her irises glowing crimson like a bloody moon that need not the sun to burrow its bright.
But there was a still another person who needed to remind his own powers and weapon to whom they belonged and whom they were ought to obey.
Starless like a godless firmament, a somber aura imbued the restless depth of the volcano, pouring out of Noboru's body like an inky rain about to write a fate of devastation and demise to everyone present, even his allies, and in an instant resembling the day of judgment, everyone beside him was lying injured and barely half – conscious if not for the scepter exerting every ounce of it power in a selfless trial at stopping that tainted deadly aura, sustaining a crack in the process.
The solemn black eyes of Noboru turned a bloodied color, his posture promising wrath and retribution like a knight defending his temple. And at that moment the princesses remembered clearly whom they were against, whom they had fought and lost to, who had reawakened with a resolve still unfaltering and unswerving, the same as the first time it was born.
And after the passage of countless centuries, they tasted once again the flavor of despair more immensely than ever.
The unholy blade finally calmed down, taming the perturbed flames surrounding and flowing beneath it. Noboru extended his arm, opening his palm to receive his stolen companion but the blade did not budge. Nevertheless, hope was still a distant call although what followed, was equally strange and incomprehensible, yet at the same time, it was contradictory mesmerizing and enchanting.
Amid the aflame abyss, a white orb, the size of a peony, floated appearing out of nowhere, floating like a limpid lotus leaf through the blazes and fire that did not dare harm it. Even the sword complied like a longing soul.
No one knew what that pure globe fluttering like a drop of blessed rain purpose was, or why it had appeared all of a sudden until Noboru's eyes conveyed understanding. He had finally regained his precious missing part of the sword, though he had never seen it take that shape before. Needing no flames to reshape it, the bright drop taking the shape of a flower changed that shape into a glaring red globe and no one could stop it from finding its rightful home within the dragon's mouth.
Though transforming into a different form, perhaps its true one, Ayumi could vaguely make out something trapped inside it, trembling like a weeping heart. It looked, though she could not be sure after the blow she had been dealt, like a flower struggling to find its true form until it finally resided within the bloodied red it was caged in, moving every few seconds but giving up on finding its true form.
The moment that mysterious orb joined the sword, the weapon answered Noboru's call and the ritual was complete.
The latter did not need to examine or take a look at his weapon, he had memorized it like the lines of his hands, understood its throbs like the beats of his heart. Countless battles and struggles were certain to make the blade an inseparable shard of his soul. Despite this, pride possessed a huge shard of that same soul and he seemed for few seconds dismayed by the sword's previous behavior before he returned to his collected self. And though sounding ironically benevolent, the cruel intentions spoken with a composed smile were obvious and unhesitating.
"This blade is thirsting for blood, but I will not shed it to satisfy its desires… I will shed it to end your meaningless suffering!"
Noboru spoke, and none of the four princesses could make a move, their wounds deep and crippling beyond their blessed healing abilities, except for Enya who kept fidgeting in her place, not keen on abandoning her trophy and her silence was more frightening than her vain words and boastful comments.
A nebulous enormous aura flowed through the blade and its wielder, dimming the cerise insides of the volcano. In an instant the glaring vermilion was dyed with a heathen darkness. Only Enya stood with a crimson irises challenging the threatening blackness but it was not her determination or power that countered the attack aimed at her and the rest of the group.
A barrage of a blinding white, like crystal amethysts hailing from the moon illuminated the dismal place reeking with death and suffering as it clashed with Noboru's dark aura, flowing like a flock of white lilies, enchanting in their beauty, graceful in their ancientness, and ruthless in their majestic flow, and at the same time proving that their beauty was not a sight to admire but to be feared, standing their ground against Noboru's attack, and after an equal struggle both white and black vanished in a stormy hurricane that shook the volcano into an eruption caged within its walls, their age crafted landmarks and shapes erased into a straight sleet, trembling and falling off slowly like a snake's shed skin.
The river and floating lava was brought into calmness, and although the half – demolished place was the princess of fire respite where she regenerated her power and healed her wounds the fastest, she was not enraged or irritated, watching as the crimson anger tuned down her eyes color the figure emerging from that light, with the same eagerness that flowed through her rival's, Reiha, eyes.
A man similar to Noboru in height and build, carrying a face no more ageless than the latter's despite the old divine shimmer revealing a life spanning centuries and eras amidst a sea of purple valiant eyes. His white and grey ancient attire attesting to this fact, but they in no mean looked weary or decaying, as if weaved by spiritual threads and fabric, the same ones designing his purple breast armor and vambraces. And if the purple eyes were not enough to prove without an evidence that he was not of the human realm, and had never been a part of it, his long silky white hair was another proof, braided on both sides elegantly, adding to the kingly dominance he exerted.
Reiha's tired eyes lingered on the golden lotus tattooed on his forehead, a crest of some sort while Enya briefly looked him over, the dreaded crimson taking reign over her eyes once more.
On the other hand, Laila retreated holding to her ax, planning for the first time in her life how and when to attack while Noboru shook his head in disappointment, grasping his sword more firmly.
"Still paying your debt? A flood of blood cannot be cleansed by a stream of drops."
Noboru spoke but the fascinatingly mysterious creature did not dignify the insult with a response, remaining stoic and focused on his mission. His stares did not even cast a single glance to the rest of the present group despite all the eyes peering at him with different emotions.
"Is this not my lucky day? Fate had just offered me three trophies to claim as my rightful vengeance!"
The newcomer did not show a glint of care for Enya's maniacal words, as if he did not hear them at all, dashing like rushing mist, the silver air surrounding him whirling around his hand as he draw his weapon.
The obsidian sword clashed against the deiform white blade with golden handle and carvings, swift like an expanding current and smooth like a moon uncaught by the glazed eyes upon it, disappearing and reappearing like a cycling eclipse. Both opponents exchanged blows amidst the air as if it was a solid sky and Enya wasted no more moments to join the fight her way. The lava that was brought to heel by the two weapons of destruction bubbled once again, heaving like a woman giving birth, and few seconds later, vicious hisses joined the rattle of the fight as swarms of Kasha gained forms from the fuming smoke, and before the other three princesses could make a move to interfere and help their unexpected savior, a cage of fiery bars trapped them, only Ayumi managed to roll on the ground and avoid being held inside but the princess of fire merely huffed, insistent on considering the new queen an unworthy threat.
The two fighting men did not stop locking eyes, one expressionless, the other grinning in mockery, even while being interrupted by the fire – tamed Kasha, striking them down when needed in strange unison.. However, the moment the fiery cage was erected, holding down the princesses of wind and earth, the purple orbs flickered quickly in the direction of the two prisoners without losing their attention on the continuous duel. No feeling was reflected, even with the towering flames, but Reiha, without a hint of faltering in her voice demanded:
"Rinmaru, We are fine so fight!"
Hearing these words, still displaying no content or concern over them, the white haired armored demon tightened his grip on his weapon, infusing even more power into his blade.
Witnessing her friends struggle inside the heated kiln, Reiha completely drained of her power, her wounds worsening the more time passed, and Chiyasu's attempt at uprooting the cage failing, her stones and branches burning at the slightest touch of that infernal trap that was resistant the light that sheathed these roots before, the girl aimed her scepter trying to shatter the cage but like her weapon, she was not in the best shape and her prowess were being drained as well. Still, after failing at freeing her friends, she decided to face the root of the problem attacking the princess of the fire who did not spare her a glance, directing a bunch of her fiery cats to take care of the annoying girl while the rest of the blazing creatures continued to interfere with the ongoing battle trying to pry the ancient sword and taking down both fighting parties who easily thwarted them off despite their provoking persistence, regenerating every time they were slain from the river below them.
The cat – like demons did not dread the scepter, and licked their flaming faces with their no less burning tongues, their giant claws inches away from tearing the girl to pieces and eating her.
If Ayumi had been defending herself against dogs, she would have thrown a stick at them to follow, and if she was lucky to be swarmed by cuddly cats then she could not have been happier, but these hellish youkai were furious and adamant like the worshiped felines of ancient Egypt, answering only to one person's commands.
Though neither Noboru nor Rinmaru were tired of the fighting, they did not see a necessity on dragging it any longer, and both of their weapons engaged in what they sought to be a fatal determinable blow, but that blow only shook the place tumultuously, each proud blade refusing to yield to the will of the other. The princesses felt their bones grit against their skins and flesh at the impact of the two weapons. Feeling the same destructive effect, the ground beneath Ayumi cracked and split, taking the girl down through layers and circles of fire, her scream echoing her fear and terror, bracing the scepter to protect her from the no longer dormant blazes. However, it was not the scepter that protected her. As she approached the depth of that hellish hole, certain to be baked upon, soothing comforting water embraced her body.