The Legacy of Guardians - Kivvora Heroes: Guardians & Destines

FOURTY-SIX

YAMIYO FOLLOWED LORD RAIDEN to a chamber in the palace's tallest tower. He looked around, heart pounding against his chest. He did his best not to appear afraid with his thoughts still loud with Turmoil, demanding control.

He ignored it the best he could.

As Lord Raiden stopped at the center of the room, Yamiyo lifted his head and his eyes widened, a gasp escaping his mouth. What is...?

Yamiyo stared at the towering machine, overwhelmed by its sheer size. The emanating dark energy suffocated him. He grunted, gripping his head as he struggled to focus on the machine. Lord Raiden looked back at him, pity in his dark gaze.

Raiden's lips curled into a small, reassuring grin as he clasped Yamiyo's shoulders. His touch was cold... but comforting. Yamiyo couldn't help but sink into the feeling. It was... freeing. But it was wrong. Lord Raiden is his enemy...

"Not today..." hissed Turmoil.

Pain and fear twisted Yamiyo's heart as he clenched his fists against his scalp, his breaths shallow.

"This pain won't last forever Yamiyo Omagatoki," Lord Raiden said. "Once I free my master, your suffering will cease, and the darkness that ails your heart will set you free."

That sounded... nice. Any world would be better than this guilt. Yamiyo tried focusing on that as he lowered his hands to his hips.

As the machine hummed, an enigmatic orb of obscurity emerged and flew at Lord Raiden. A chill swirled through Yamiyo and he took a step back. This orb held a sense of familiarity. As he closed his eyes, the image of black dust, his parents, burned into his mind. He shouted and backed away more.

"Is something the matter?" Lord Raiden lifted an eyebrow.

"N-no." Yamiyo said, keeping his eyes on the thing as it stared back at him. "Who are you?"

"I am Emperor Isamu," he said. "The barrier is not ready for me to cross yet. So, this is the form I have taken for now."

Yamiyo strained to remember where he had seen Isamu before, but his memories were like a maze, and his head throbbed with a sharp pain. Was it something he wasn't supposed to remember?

Isamu shifted closer to Yamiyo, a dark chuckle escaping his throat. "You don't look well. Not feeling like yourself, Shadow Guardian?"

Yamiyo's spine locked, and he went silent for a moment before re­sponding. "I'm okay." He paused, and quickly added, "Your majesty."

"Impressive..." Isamu said. "Honestly, I thought it would take longer to break you."

You didn't break me... Yamiyo looked down, concealing his scowl be­hind a veil of shadows. Little did they realize his spirit collapsed long before their antics even began. I broke myself...

Turmoil's laughter rung through his ears, a reminder of the monster he was. Yet a part of him lived, determined to win... and save Kivvora. And that little force struggled to break Turmoil's chains on Yamiyo's power.

No, he wasn't broken all the way...

Not yet.

Yamiyo's ears twitched as the sound of familiar voices grew closer. Akira, Netsuto... everyone. They must have found the Stones of Balance and—

He looked around the room and gasped seven columns circled him. They were looking for this room.

And they were going to get hurt.

Emperor Isamu grinned. "They're here..."

"How kind of your friends to visit us," Lord Raden said. "Or rather, your enemies?" He chuckled. "I hope they were kind enough to bring a gift."

Yamiyo's throat wrung shut. The Stones of Balance... he knew they had them. Please be careful Akira... Please...

Yamiyo winced as Turmoil's presence rose behind him. His head filled with its whispers. He just let it talk, he didn't want to fight back anymore. Everything Turmoil said was—

"They are not your friends. Where were they when you needed them? These men want to help you. They see your suffering. Take their offer, Yamiyo. Let go... Let go of the burden of being good. It's too much for you to handle."

Yamiyo wrapped his arms around himself, trembling. As Tur­moil's presence faded, an unsettling shift in his power manifested. It bathed his heart in darkness and surged through him with an ominous pulse. His powers were on the brink of erupting from him, but he held it together.

"I suggest we say hello to them. They're our guests, after all." Emperor Isamu purred.

Lord Raiden nodded to the dark spirt and turned to Yamiyo. "When I say so, I need you to take them out. Your powers are strong enough to eliminate them all in one blow. Got it?"

Eliminate? Yamiyo concealed his discomfort and glanced at Lord Raiden. "Right... eliminate the enemies. Got it." He repeated.

Lord Raiden and Emperor Isamu led him out the room, and down the long halls. The weight of hurting his friends clawed through his mind, leaving him desperate to find a solution. He had his will, and Isamu nor Raiden had the power to compel him to do anything against his wishes.

Yamiyo just needed to maintain this facade a little longer... until he sees Akira. Somehow, he needed to let her know he was still on her side.

Still friends.

Turmoil grew restless inside Yamiyo, its voice shooting though his skull. "They are not your friends... they never were."

Yamiyo submitted himself to Turmoil's cruel torture. He didn't care if they didn't consider him a friend. He still viewed them as his friends. And Akira would forever have a special place in his heart, no matter how mad she got at him. The Shadow Guardian continued following his real enemies to a terrace above a room: the throne room.

Leaned against a ragged wall, Yamiyo concealed himself, and waited for his friends to arrive.