The sky ominously"
Riku, Mira, Kira, and Captain Kaito finally reached the Ravaged Gorge.
Jagged cliffs towered menacingly around them.
Black birds, or to be more specific, not normal black birds, but shadowed, elemental-like birds, circled at the top.
Calmly standing in the center of the gorge was their enemy, Tachi, the fallen prodigy of Aetheria.
His black cloak fluttered as he opened his crimson Raven's Eye, a terrible glow radiating from it.
"So you've come," Tachi said, and his voice was smooth as oil on water.
Riku shouted, his fists clenched, "Where is Sayuri?"
Tachi smirked. Then, he suddenly raised his hand, and the world turned around.
All the things around them turned.
Breathe heavily, like the ground was rippling like water.
Mira and Kira stood paralyzed mid-step.
But he knew that Kaito was also present; in fact, he seemed to be growing paranoid.
"An illusion..." Kaito growled as he pulled his mask up higher.
But even though Riku blinked and felt it distorting him-the horrible sprit of Kitsune, the dragon that was sealed within him, created a surge of energy and broke the illusion trying to bind him.
Mira and Kira bulky into the nightmare realm of Tachi through his Phantom Crow Curse while only Kaito and Riku remain standing.
"Heh... interesting," Tachi quietly said. "But you two resisted."
Kaito brought his single eye to bear. "You underestimated my students."
Then Kaito ran, leaving no time for Tachi to reply - lightning crackling around his single hand and roaring into existence came to life with his Storm Fang Strike signature technique.
Tachi's body exploded in a storm of crows, easily dodging the attack-the crows swirled and reassembled him several yards off.
"You'll have to do better than that," Tachi jeered.
&Quot;I got you!" Riku shouted as he launched the rubber-enhanced arm, charged with electric sparks from Mira's training influence.
He swung but, once again, Tachi's body dissolved into a flutter of black birds.
"It's annoying," Kaito grunted. "Physical hits won't work with his Crow Body unless we time it perfectly."
"I'll take care of it," Riku said, grinning like a feral beast.
Kaito nodded. "I'll make an opening!"
They charged together.
Kaito moved first, a blur of flashing lightning as he faked a full attack.
Tachi was focused on him just for a split second, and that's when Riku, using his Elemental Teleportation ability, flashed behind Tachi.
"Gotcha!" Riku roared, slamming an Elemental Surge blast into Tachi's real body.
He staggered, splattering a mouthful of blood-real blood.
For the first time, his confident smirk faltered.
"You're better than I thought," Tachi began withdrawing slowly.
"But..."
Tachi became the epicenter of a massive wave of black elemental crows sweeping the canyon.
"Another time," his voice murmured into the storm.
When at last the cloud lifted -
he was gone.
Mira and Kira woke slowly from the illusion, gasping for breath.
"What...what happened?" asked Mira in a daze.
"You got caught up in his Phantom Crow Curse," Kaito said, helping her to her feet.
"None of this would have happened, but Riku and I held him back," he added proudly, giving Riku an unusual approving glance.
"We saved Sayuri," said Riku with an arm holding a small charm - a mark that she was still alive somewhere.
"But it wasn't the end," Kaito warned. "Tachi will come back. Next time, though, he won't be alone."
Riku tightened his fists, fire burning in his heart.
Next time I'll be ready, he vowed.