Guardians of the Light [Chapter Twelve] Hades Under Tokyo
CHAPTER XII - Hades Under Tokyo
“Push harder Keito.” Yuto cheered.
“As if I'm not doing that for the last five minutes!” sweat was dripping from his forehead to his eyebrows.
Yuri scoffed and said, “What if we just take it down? It’ll be easier.”
“As if I’d let you.”
They all looked back to see where the cold, deep voice was from. Under the yellow-orange light from the torches stood a man just an inch taller than Yuri. His beady-eyes were intently glaring at the four. Three buttons on his black shirt were undone, showing his well toned pecs. He puckered his lips and grinned.
“And you are?” Yuri asked, leaning forward.
“Arioka Daiki. I’m not like Ninomiya-kun who likes mystery so much.” He said, glancing at Keito. “So you’re the Guardians eh? What a nice piece of crap.”
“Wha-” Yuri was cut off his sentence when Daiki swiftly flung his fist at Yuri's face. He sidestepped just in time to avoid contact and jumped backwards. “No fair!”
Daiki just grinned and threw four shining things to the boys. Shurikens. Several clangs echoed through the tunnel when the shurikens missed the moving Guardians. Yuri jumped to a wall, used it as leverage, and spun like a tornado attacking Daiki. The receiving end dodged away by back flipping thrice before making a wonderful landing that would’ve been a perfect ten in a gymnastics competition.
Keito pounced on the ground, making it wave towards Daiki, trapping his feet, pulling his body down. He struggled but to no avail. The four relaxed and gathered around Daiki.
“Why do you people keep attacking us?!”
Daiki just smirked; a beautiful curvature of his lips and spun on the ground. Keito hurriedly motioned the earth to bury Daiki deeper but the latter was quick. He spun like a helicopter and was out of the ground before another one of Keito’s mound of earth could catch him.
“Never, ever underestimate your opponents.” He cackled.
Yuto was instantly at Daiki’s back, grabbing his arms and twisting his own in complex loops. In a split second, Daiki was covered in Yuto's elongated arms.
“Likewise.” Yuto muttered. “Now who are you people?”
“I'm not done yet.” Daiki bit Yuto’s arm, making him gasp and recoil.
“That was so childish.” Yuri spoke as his eyes rolled.
“Look who’s talking.” Daiki smirked. He grabbed something from his pocket and tossed it in the air. The small stick suddenly elongated into a red, 6-foot staff. Daiki caught the staff in midair and flung himself towards Yuri, giving the latter a handful of the weapon.
Yuri blew a fire pillar in front of him as a defense but it was blown away when Daiki twirled his staff, like an electric fan, with his fingers. Yuri shot back as Daiki sent him one thrust after another. Ryutaro jumped in the middle and spun, making himself a human hurricane. Daiki swung his staff against Ryutaro’s foot, which made him stumble and fall.
Crack.
Ryutaro lay on the tunnel floor. Daiki’s staff was seated on the former’s shoulder.
“Pathetic. And I thought I could have a good time testing you guys.” He flicked his staff and in an instant, a sharp blade sprouted from the distal end of it.
Yuto made a quick motion with his hands. A wall of water appeared in front of Daiki.
“Keito! Run your earth through it!” Yuto shouted.
Keito was a bit reluctant but he did as he was told. He heaved a great deal of earth through the pillar. As the gravel passed through the water, it mixed with it turning into mud which rushed to Daiki. Yuto moved his hands again and the mud moved with it. Daiki was jumping back each time Yuto’s mud would catch up with him.
“Ingenious, but poorly made.” Daiki swung his staff and the blade cut through the mud, slicing it into two like it was mud-made cake.
Yuri helped Ryutaro back up his feet. The younger boy limped as a wave of pain shot through his shoulder.
“Yuri, make a jet of flame. Yuto and Keito aren’t the only one who can do combos.”
“Hell, we’re like the Power Rangers now?!” Yuri groaned before he took a deep breath and blew a great deal of fire. Ryutaro made a follow up blow with his wind that engulfed the fire made by Yuri. It went out to be a really strong attack, an inferno to say the least. They both moved their heads to where Daiki was dodging away. Keito and Yuto did their combo again. Daiki’s smirk turned into a frown as he realized that he was being singled-out. He kept on dodging the attacks by jumping away or slicing the mud.
Yuri inhaled a breath and spat fragments of fire balls to Daiki. Ryutaro on the other hand flicked his fingers where air spheres shot at the enemy. Daiki’s face turned from frowning to glaring, making a crease on his forehead. He puffed his cheeks, opened his mouth a little, and wafted several needles against the air spheres and fireballs, making them collide in-flight and explode.
They were all huffing, catching their breaths, when a cold voice echoed across the tunnel.
Daiki, let them through.
“But-” he opposed, but he knew better. The owner of the voice really meant it when it spoke. “Well, maybe we’ll see each other again Guardians. It had been my pleasure toying with you.” He bowed and was soon covered with black mist.
“Why do they always disappear like that? Can we do that too?” Yuri complained, holding on to Ryutaro, who was still flaccid because of his injury.
“Are you okay?” Yuto asked, coming near with Keito by his side.
“A bit, but my shoulder is killing me. I might have dislocated my bones or something.”
“Alright. Stand still.” Yuto placed his palms on Ryutaro’s right shoulder and it glowed. “Is the pain gone?”
“Yuto, wrong shoulder.” Ryutaro cackled.
“Oh, right. Sorry.” then corrected himself.
“There. Better. Thanks, Yuto.”
“Guys, the door…” Keito announced.
“Yeah, we’ll open it when - When did you open it Keito?!” Yuri shouted.
Keito shrugged. The door was wide open. None of them even noticed when or how it opened, or if someone opened the door. They stared at each other before deciding to come in.
At the other side of the door was an enormous room. On the sides were Corinthian-designed columns, lined in pairs, each with torches embedded on them. Below the torches were pairs of swords placed crossing each other. There were more or less 15 columns on each side. And between those columns were skulls and bones of people. In the middle was a red carpet with golden stripes on the side of it. At the far end of the lavish red carpet was a stage. Several steps were etched on it, towards a platform where two thrones stood. The large one was very kingly. It was made of marble and its arms were made of gold. There was a mattress-like cloth on the seat. Next to it was a smaller throne, fit for a queen. It was made of flashy materials that matched its sitter’s skin.