Shulato #3

"RyuOh Ryouma's Challenge"

Synopsis by Arcadia

Shulato is resting in a cave, wondering how this all happened to him. Lakshu finds him and says she and Hyuga were looking for him. She tries to get him to tell her what's bothering him, but with no luck. Fed up, she sics Mii on him.

Hyuga comes and suggests they start out for Tenkuuden. The sooner they return the Tenkuuden, kill Indrah and return Vishnu to normal, the better. Shulato doesn't want to. Hyuga tries to explain that Tenkuukai will be destroyed without Vishnu, and that it's Shulato's duty as a member of the Hachibushu to save her, but Shulato doesn't care. He storms out of the cave.

Hyuga says he has no regard for duty. Lakshu slaps him, saying that he's just been reincarnated in Tenkuukai, and had his best friend betray him, so he doesn't know what's going on. Lakshu runs off after Shulato. Hyuga sets off for Tenkuuden alone.

Meanwhile, on the Mahava, Gai, Renge, Ryouma, Kuuya, Reiga and Dan are waiting for orders. Ryouma is standing on one of the balconies, alone.

Flashback. Ryouma and Hyuga are sparring. After they finish, they both take a drink from a nearby fountain. Hyuga smiles and flexes his arm to show off. Ryouma smiles, glad that he has such a good friend.

Back to the present. An alarm sounds and the Mahava stops. They've found Shulato. Dan grabs his axe and swears he'll kill Shulato and Hyuga. Kuuya says he never thought someone like Hyuga would turn traitor. Renge wonders if he was brainwashed by Shulato. Dan says he doesn't care why he did it- he'll kill him anyway.

Gai recieves his orders from Indrah. He tells them to find Shulato and Hyuga and kill them. Everyone except Ryouma runs off to carry out their orders. Gai asks Ryouma what's wrong, and he runs off, too.

Lakshu has found Shulato and is following him. She asks what he's planning to do, and he says he's going to find Gai, turn him back to normal and go back to the human world. Lakshu says that's impossible because he's not a human. He should stay here in Tenkuukai with her forever. She grabs his arm. Shulato brushes her off and says he's returning to the human world, whether it's impossible or not.

Shulato climbs up a high cliff. Lakshu waits at the bottom, wondering why they have to climb it. Shulato says there is no reason.

Shulato loses his grip and falls to the bottom. Lakshu suggests they go find Hyuga. Shulato refuses. Lakshu says she feels sorry for Vishnu. Shulato remembers Vishnu telling him to fulfill his duty as a Hachibushu. Lakshu says Tenkuukai will be destroyed unless Vishnu is saved. Shulato looks like he might agree.

Ryouma lands his Valuda at the top of the cliff Shulato was trying to climb. He see them below. He transforms, swearing to make Shulato pay for his crime.

Ryouma jumps at them, but Shulato sees him and pushes Lakshu out of the way. Shulato realizes he's one of the Hachibushu and asks why he's attacking them. Ryouma demands to know where Hyuga is, but Shulato doesn't know. Ryouma says that it's Shulato's fault Hyuga got mixed up in this, and tells Shulato to put on his Shakti. Neither Shulato nor Lakshu understand why Ryouma's doing this. Ryouma attacks anyway, but Shulato doesn't fight back.

Shulato finally realizes Ryouma's trying to kill him, and transforms. They keep fighting, but Shulato is no match for Ryouma.

On the cliff above, Sallas and Mayuri are watching.

Ryouma knocks Shulato down and moves in for the kill, but Lakshu grabs his arm. Ryouma throws her off. That makes Shulato mad and he shoots a bolt of Sohma at Ryouma. Ryouma is surprised. He thought Shulato hadn't awakened his Sohma yet.

The fight continues, and Shulato is still no match for Ryouma. When Shulato doesn't use his Sohma again, Ryouma wonders is he was imagining it. Lakshu realizes that Shulato's going to get killed, and runs to find Hyuga.

Hyuga is walking through a forest. Through the trees, he sees Renge, and starts to go meet her, but stops. He thinks it's strange that Renge would be there, so he hides. He wonders if Indrah betrayed them and sent her after them. He hides behind a tree and Renge walks past him. Hyuga wonders if they're after Shulato, too.

Lakshu walks along a cliff, calling for Hyuga. She loses her footing and falls, but keep going.

Shulato finally figured the pattern to Ryouma's attacks, and manages fight back. Ryouma is impressed by his speed, and realizes he has to finish things quickly. He casts a RyuOh Kaengeki, which sends Shulato over the cliff. Ryouma comes up behind him and is about to kill him, when he hears Hyuga call out. With Ryouma distracted, Shulato gets away.

Hyuga demands to know what is going on. Ryouma says that they are traitors and Indrah sent the remaining Hachibushu after them. They realize that Indrah blamed his crime on them.

Hyuga tries to tell Ryouma that they've been framed, but Ryouma won't hear it. Hyuga says he saw Indrah do it, and that's why he wants them killed. Ryouma still doesn't believe it, refusing to accept that Indrah would do such a thing. Hyuga tells Shulato to stay out of it.

They fight, but they're evenly matched. One of Ryouma's spells make the cliff crumble and Hyuga is trapped under the fallen rocks. Ryouma casts a RyuOh Kaengeki and Hyuga casts a TenOh Goumakou at the same time. The two spells hit each other and explode. The explosion throws both of them to the ground, but it doesn't stop them for long.

Lakshu says it's horrible that friends have to fight. When he hears that they're friends, Shulato is reminded of fighting Gai. That's the last straw. Having to fight his best friend was hell for him, and he doesn't want that or anyone else. He yells for them to stop. Surprisingly, they do. He screams that friends should not kill each other.

Hyuga collapses to the ground, crying. Seeing this, Ryouma realizes Hyuga was right.

Watching from above, Sallas says that Shulato's presence makes things interesting. Mayuri agrees, and they leave.

Ryouma and Hyuga shake hands. They've gained a new ally. The four of them set off for Tenkuuden.