CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT: THE SACRED HALL OF RYUUJINN PART V: THE ACADEMY’S FINAL FORTE PART III: CORRECTED ABERRATIONS IN HISTORY AND THE UNLOCKING OF THE SACRED HALL
Ryu appeared in the Class Of Deviants.
"Ryu? You're here? How is it going? Have you unleashed the Academy's Final Forte Protocol already?" Josec asked.
Suddenly, Reis appeared in the Classroom. Moments later, Rai and Andrea appeared as well.
"Phew! It's good to see you're safe Andrea. We were so worried about you" Atlanta said.
"I'm okay, thanks to Rai and Ryu" Andrea said.
"Ryu? But Ryu's been right here all along" Josec said.
"Don't tell me…" Michael stared at Ryu with a funny expression on his face.
"What?" Buern asked.
"…Ryu, you wouldn't happen to be confronting Tristran, unlocking the Academy's Final Forte and aiding us all at the same time now would you?" Michael asked suspiciously.
"As sharp as always, ain't you Mikey?" Ryu laughed. "Concerning the Academy's Final Forte…it's almost ready. You should have already begun to notice drastic reductions in the influence of the Darkness Of The Worlds in your various homeworlds. There are just a few more puzzles left. But before they are done, there are a few more tasks I'd like you to accomplish, specifically you two Reis and Josec" Ryu said.
"And what tasks would those be?" Reis asked.
"Somewhere in Zan's homeworld, in a location different from Dream City, there's a special family called the Andersons. Children from that family will soon assume the role as Guardians Of The Light. Two of these children are your successors, Reis and Josec. They will be known as the Neutral Brothers. One of them, a boy called Samuel Anderson, is to inherit the power of the Golden Dragon from you Reis. The other, a boy called Daniel Anderson is to inherit the power of the Crimson Phoenix. I forged medallions bearing your symbols, Reis and Josec. I want you to channel a portion of your power into these medallions" Ryu said as he handed the medallion bearing the symbol of the Golden Dragon to Reis and the one bearing the symbol of the Crimson Phoenix to Josec.
Reis and Josec focused. A bright golden light began to ebb from Reis' hand into the medallion he held. A bright crimson light ebbed from Josec's hand into his medallion. Ryu shared the 'Protocol Twelve Gates' with them.
"Josec, take the medallions. You'll be heading into a different era to the first generation of successors in that family. You Reis will head to their present, specifically, a day before they begin to discover the special role their family plays" Ryu said.
"But what am I supposed to do? The medallions are with Josec" Reis said.
"You'll entrust this to their school's librarian" Ryu said as he handed Reis a book.
Josec stared at the book. The emblems of a Golden Dragon and Crimson Phoenix decorated its cover.
"That's a Book Of Jo-lan" Josec noted.
"Yeah, but the existence of a Book Of Jo-lan in their homeworld might soon reach Tristran's notice. So I'll shield the Book" Ryu said and stretched his hand over the Book.
The image on the cover transformed into the image of a witch being burned at the stake.
"With so many rumours of the supernatural in their homeworld, this is quite a formidable disguise. I'm certain the Book will be treated as an ordinary historical text" Ryu said.
"But you know the words recorded in a Book Of Jo-lan only reveal themselves to the one the Book is intended for right? Are you certain this librarian will not be suspicious?" Reis asked.
"She will be but she herself isn't exactly…ordinary" Ryu said with a smile.
THE WORLD OF REALITY…AN UNKNOWN CITY…THE YEAR 2002…
Reis walked into a library affiliated with a certain school. He approached the librarian who sat at her desk busily. Reis sighed.
"This is such a large city, so different from Ryugaeia" he thought to himself.
He noticed students in the library reading and researching busily.
"Goodmorning to you. You must be Miss Emily Jones" Reis greeted.
"Do I know you?" the librarian asked.
"No, you don't. I'm here to deliver a certain item to a certain group of students belonging to a certain family who happen to inhabit this school" Reis said.
"You certainly have a strange way of talking" Miss Jones said.
"I'm not from around here" Reis said.
"Okay, who are you?" Miss Jones asked.
"Back where I come from I'm referred to as the Golden Dragon" Reis said.
"That's a nickname. I need your actual name" Miss Jones said.
Reis sighed.
"It's Reis Dragonhaärt but you'd best not mention that name to anyone else" Reis said.
"So what's this item you've come to deliver?" Miss Jones asked.
"It's a book" Reis said and placed the book on the counter.
Miss Jones picked it up and flipped the pages. She stared at Reis suspiciously.
"It's blank" she said.
"Two years from now, a great terror will come forth. One that can only be stopped by the united power of the new Guardians and the Neutral Brothers" Reis said.
"If this is a matter of security, you'll need to contact the appropriate authorities" Miss Jones said.
"I was sent to entrust the Book to the ones that can read it" Reis said.
"But it's blank" Miss Jones said.
Reis smiled.
"You should meet them a year from now. Just keep the Book with you until then" Reis said and walked away.
ABOARD THE ARK…THE THIRTEENTH GATE…
Ryu continued to solve the puzzles presented by the Thirteenth Gate.
"A Sword must be wielded" words appeared in Ryu's Crystal Key.
"The Sword Of Rai" Ryu replied.
"List the Successors to its Path" new words appeared.
"Rai the Undying, Gaiden Of Kolmnid, Rokkan Of Kolmnid, Andrea Rayne, Wielder Of The God Weapons, and Jinrai the Lightning Blade" Ryu listed those that had inherited the Sword Of Rai's will.
"A Sword must be made" new words appeared.
"The Aurora Sabre" Ryu replied.
"List the Successors to its Path" a new question appeared.
"Ryu Of Kolmnid, The Dragonhaärt Family, The Saggeesian Royal Family, The Seven Saints and The Seven Ryu, Ayzan Nightbane, Ayumi Kirisawa and The Nightbane Family, Josec Fenix, Harry Bane, Buern Vane and The Phoenix Clan, Benedict's Ark and Ryuujinn" Ryu listed them.
"The Sword Of Rai, represents valiant individuals. The Aurora Sabre represents a valiant union" Ryu replied.
A lock unbolted from behind the Gate.
"And now for the final set of questions" words appeared in Ryu's Crystal Key.
"It's finally time" Ryu thought.
"The Name Of The Eighth and Final Saint" new words appeared.
"Ryuujinn" Ryu replied.
"Signifying?" a new question appeared.
"Dragon and Man, Human and Divine, in other words, a union between the Heavens and the Earth" Ryu replied.
"Congratulations, the puzzles have now been completed. The Academy's Final Forte Protocol will now be unleashed" a voice spoke from the Thirteenth Gate as the Gate slowly began to part.
As it parted, elements began to pour from beyond it, filling the channels connected to the Gate and expanding. This outpouring of elements flowed outwards into the Academy till it eventually connected with the Twelve Gates and flowed into the Seven Great Realms. At that moment, the gauges of all Students in the Academy suddenly turned green and the Students aboard the Academy began to expel the darkness of their various homeworlds from the Academy.
Ayumi and Zan headed off to expel Zanfar, Josec and Buern headed off to find Harry, Estelle and Jason so that they could expel any trace of Souryu aboard the Ark. Raygaard fortunately had been updated on all happenings in the Ark especially the activities of the Sanctum Of Decadent Wyverns by his father Gilgamesh who cared for him regardless of their differences. The two teamed up and expelled Abaddon as well.
KOLMNID FOREST…
As the various forms of the Darkness Of The Worlds were extinguished from the Academy, various cries of anguish from these forms reached Tristran's ears.
"L-Lord Souryu…th-the phoenix brats…are not working alone…they have help from…!!!" Gargolem's dying words reached Tristran's ears.
"What was that Gargolem?" Tristran thought and felt a sudden increase in his power.
"Gargolem was vanquished" Tristran realized.
Moments later, another cry reached his ears.
"WHY DID WE NEVER NOTICE IT?! THE PARALLELISMS WERE ALWAYS SO GLARINGLY OBVIOUS! THIS KID DEFEATED ANUBIS! THIS KID IS THE INHERITOR OF THE PHOENIX'S MIND WHICH COORDINATES THE ENTIRE BODY OF THE PHOENIX AND…EVEN WORST OF ALL…THIS KID CAN NOW UTILIZE ALL SEVEN ELEMENTS! WE WERE DECEIVED LORD SOURYU! RYUUJINN ISN'T MERELY ACTING AS AN OBSERVER! HE IS…ACTIVELY GUIDING THIS WORLD'S FATE THROUGH…THE BANE BRAT!!!" Aesakal's dying words reached Tristran as his power increased yet again.
"Aesakal was just vanquished" Tristran's eyes widened in horror.
"Ryuujinn…! What have you done?!" Tristran roared in anger.
"Kept you busy while I shut off all your infiltration points. The power of the Sacred Hall has been released Tristran. You can no longer influence the fates of the Seven Great Realms. You asked why I didn't prevent the attack on Kolmnid Farms when I had the power to do so. Ironically, the only world you can now invade is Kolmnid. Perhaps you'd like to find your answer there?" Ryuujinn said with a confident smile.
"What do you mean?" Tristran's eyes widened in horror.
"See you in Kolmnid…Tristran. Unfortunately for you, our encounter there…will be the last. Protocol Excalibur activate! Target…Tristran!" Ryuujinn declared and Tristran was immediately expelled from the Ark.