Chapter Three: The First Stage of Ranshio

Fallen debris came from the walls of the cavern as the mighty fiend unleashed a massive uproar that shook the very ground beneath Koji and Yasmin's feet. The two began gritting their teeth simultaneously as they looked onward towards the beast who's wailing had finally ceased. Electricity continued to course throughout Yasmin's body as she took a slight glance back at the young boy. She knew this massive creature might prove to much for him, her best bet was to end the fight before it even begin.

She charged forth at the creature in intense speed as streams of lightning followed behind her. The mighty fiend lifted it's right blade as it swung hard towards Yasmin who quickly vaulted upward in an effort to dodge the attempted slashed. She formed a strong fist out of her right hand as she pulled back slightly during her descent. In quick haste, she thrust her fist forward intensely, only to have met with the metal of the fiend's left blade. The collision led to a stalemate as sparks began flying in various angles. The fiend released a low grunt as he pushed Yasmin back with his brute strength, forcing the young female warrior to perform an array of back flips before finally landing on the heated soil below.

Her feet, skidding against the ground as she appeared before Koji who seemed ready to enter the fray. "Let me at him I'm ready," Koji stated while transforming his blade into the Flametongue. He held the majestic sword before him, both hands, clasped tightly onto the handle.

"Come to think of it you may be our shot in beating this guy, you're element is fire so his attacks shouldn't have that much effect on you," said Yasmin calmly.

"Think again..." the creature replied as he appeared before the two young warriors with his arms stretched outward. A look of shock enveloped both of their facial expressions as they both took on a hefty lariat from each of the fiend's arms. Koji's body began ricocheting off the ground as Yasmin quickly regained her footing. She began performing Ranshio hand signs as she charged forward towards the fiend.

"Ranshio Bend: Corriente de Rayo!" Yasmin cried as she stretch forth her right fingertips allowing a stream of lightning to flow through them and onto the fiend. The creature's blade rose to defend its master as the bolt of lightning was being stored inside the twin scimitars. Yasmin eyes swelled as she watched her attack being shot back at her almost instantly.

"Watch out!" Koji cried as he appeared before Yasmin with the face of his Flametongue shielding him from the lightning strike. The blast began pushing Koji back slightly as he placed his left hand against the face of the blade. Mustering the strength he had within him, Koji managed to deflect Yasmin's blast and cast it towards the walls of the cavern. A stern look enveloped his facial expression as he twisted the gear shift handle, igniting the flames within the blade and allowing them to enshroud the metal.

With clenched teeth, Koji charged forward. His blade held to his right side as she lashed it out towards the fiend who quickly parried the strike with it's left scimitar and tried to land a counter strike with his right. Koji, however, perceived the oncoming counter and managed to roll underneath the fiend's blade. He then performed an arching slash against the fiend's right arm, ripping the flesh apart and allowing dark blood to spew outward.

The fiend unleashed another massive wailing as it staggered back slightly. It's eyes had widen at the sight of it's own blood. Koji watched as the creature dropped both of it's blades and began bellowing in pain.

"You need to run, you need to get away!" The creature cried as it instantly fell to its knees.

"The hell's going on?" Koji questioned with a slightly raised right eyebrow.

"It can't be...this fiend is still struggling to take over the human soul inside it..." said Yasmin while walking beside Koji "usually whenever someone turns into a fiend that's it. That human part of them is gone forever but this one..."

"Dakumet...I can't hold Dakumet back much longer...please leave!" The creature roared causing both Koji and Yasmin to flinch slightly.

"Unfortunately that's not an option..." said Yasmin as she took a couple of steps forward. The lightning began to pick up as electrical Ranshio essences started to surround her body "but what we can promise you a way out of this, by giving you a quick death!" Yasmin formed a single seal that represented the lightning element. The essences that surrounded her started to become imbued within her body as a massive energy spike had occurred within her.

Koji watched as Yasmin's body had transformed with her clothing changing to that of someone who has reached the first stage of Ranshio. She wore a yellow short sleeved hooded jacket with an array of black lightning streams embroidered on it. The tank top underneath her jacket was black as well along with her short jean shorts which had the front and back part of it covered by a mini skirt with open slits on the side. Her strapped boots were black with yellow straps and her finger less gloves were also black with yellow straps at the top. Koji had a look of bewilderment as he watched the lightning steadily rising off of Yasmin. A rush of excitement soon took over him for he knew what had just occurred. He had remember seeing his father undergoing the same exact transformation in the past.

"She knows how to enter the first stage of Ranshio!" Koji stated with trembling hands.

"Kill me, kill me now!" Dakumet roared as it quickly grabbed both of its scimitars from off the ground and rushed Yasmin in full speed. His blades were dragging behind him, digging up the soil as he made his way to Yasmin. The young Ranshio Warrior had cast her right hand aside as she vanished into a stream of electricity that suddenly had surrounded Dakumet. The creature had soon regain control of it's body as it began emitting flames from within. In quick haste, Dakumet leaped upward with it's right fist being drawn back slightly. Yasmin held a careful eye on Dakumet's movements as the lightning stream started to bounce off the walls while making its way towards the fiend.

(What is it doing, there's no way it's planning to...) Koji's eyes widen as he noticed the fiery flame that overtook Dakumet's fist.

"Koji watch out, he's planning to attack the surface!" Yasmin shouted

"Too late!" Dakumet shouted as he instantly appeared above the young boy, lashing it's fist against the steel of Koji's Flametongue. The massive collision forced the ground below to give in as Koji was being driven to the depths by Dakumet's assault. Blood dripped down off of Koji's forehead as he continued to push back against Dakumet's fist but to no avail, all he could do was hold his ground as he continued to feel the impact of his back colliding against numerous rocks.

"Hold on kid!" Yasmin cried as she continued her descent towards them in a stream of lightning. Numerous fiends began slowly appearing from within the walls of the cavern but they were quickly vanquished by Yasmin's electricity as she flew passed them in her descent.

"That does it!" Koji cried as he began unconsciously gathering fire Ranshio essences within his blade. With clenched teeth and a tightened grip on his blade, Koji broke through the stalemate while unleashing a massive fiery blade beam that severed Dakumet's right arm. Blood gushed outward as Koji gave off a sinister glare with his eyes carrying a red glow within them. Yasmin saw the opportune moment she was waiting for. She began bouncing off the walls diagonally and then reappeared before Dakumet.

"Ranshio Bend!" She cried as she drew back her two right fingers, the index and the middle, "Hand of the Lightning God!" Yasmin thrust her tow fingers against the temple of the beast, allowing all the electrical energy that she had charged up to surge through Dakumet's body. Koji began shielding his eyes from the light show as the creatures body slowly began disintegrating into dark ash.

Yasmin quickly withdrew her hand and landed right beside Koji with the electricity slowly receding back within her body. Koji had stood tall beside her while wiping off the blood that dripped off of the right side of his lip. They both looked up with a sigh a relief that the creature was no more.

"There's something definitely special about you Koji Memotto," Yasmin said finally, grasping the young boy's attention.

"Huh, what do you mean?" Koji questioned while tilting his head to the right slightly.

"That move you pulled off earlier. It was the Blaze Scar, a move that's common to most fire users. You unknowingly gathered Ranshio essences into your blade and unleashed it on that fiend."

"I did?" Koji retorted with a blank look on his face. He watched as Yasmin approached him with a bright smile. She placed her right hand against his cheek causing a soft red blush line to appear.

"That's not all, your eyes...your eyes have some sort of red glow," Yasmin watched as the red glow slowly receded showing Koji's original eye color once more "who are you Koji Memotto...?"

"Hey isn't there something we should be looking for?" Koji stated while swaying Yasmin's hand from off his cheek.

"You're right, thanks to Dakumet, I believe we are right where we should be..." Yasmin began walking ahead, passing the massive staircase they were supposed to take in order to reach their destination. They finally arrived before a massive tone that had a stone tablet set before it. Yasmin placed her right hand on the tablet which caused the boulder that was securing the tomb to be lifted. The two entered cautiously while scanning the room that was made available to them.

"What is this place?" Koji asked in a pondering tone.

"The secret to the Dragon Claws, they're here inside this scroll..." Yasmin responded while opening up the scroll that was set before her on the table. She saw the image of ten holy dragons, each of them carrying a Dragon Claw within their paw. She continued reading on as her eyes widen from each section of the scroll.

"What's it saying...?""The legendary dragons weren't the original owners of the Dragon Claws, these claws were stolen from the original holy dragons..."

"Wait what?"

"It's nothing," Yasmin placed the scroll within the inner pockets of her jacket. She spun around slightly to face Koji with a bright smile "Well a promise is a promise after all, it's time to show you the ropes kid!"

"About time, when do we start!?" Koji retorted with clenched fists an a hefty smirk.

"As soon as we get out of this cavern," Yasmin stated while lifting her gaze up "boy we have a long climb ahead of us..."