The Abyss' Secret

Ryosuke stared at the man standing outside. He appeared to be an Abyss Warrior, and Ryosuke knew him. He had seen him before.
"Asanuma Takeo," Ryosuke said, unable to move. "What are you doing here? How did you get here without being noticed?!" The Abyss Warrior, Asanamu Takeo, laughed with evil. "That isn't important," Takeo said, an evil smirk on his face. "After all, I'm sure you know why I'm here."
But before he could say any more, Makoto stood in front of the others and faced Takeo. "It's me, isn't it?" Makoto said, a bit scared, but trying his hardest to be brave. "Heh, seems like the Chosen One has learned well," Takeo said with an evil chuckle.
"Yes," Takeo said, smirking. "The Abyss himself came last time, and now I have come to finish what he started." Taking a step towards Makoto, Takeo put his left hand behind his back and held out his right hand, the smirk still on his face. "If you come with me now," he said, "nothing will happen to your friends." Makoto shifted into a stance Shiro had taught him and, trying to stead his voice, said, "no, not without a fight." Takeo laughed and drew his sword. "Alright then," he said, the smirk never leaving his face. "Let us do this the Abyssal way."

Makoto charged at Takeo, using all his training in that one moment. 'Just one hit!' Makoto kept telling himself as he attempted to hit Takeo. 'Just one hit is all I need!' But behind him, Ryu saw everything that was happening. 'He dodges quickly,' Ryu thought. "It still won't be enough, though," he said to himself. Ryu turned to Ryosuke and said, "I have to help him fight this guy." Hearing Ryu say this, though, Ryosuke got shouted, "no, Ryu, listen to me. You were just healed, and now you're trying to fight again?! No, I won'tー"
But before he could finish, Takeo kicked Makoto in the abs, which threw him backwards. Seeing Makoto get kicked backwards, Ryu said something. "Shiro, Chihiro can't fight. I'm entrusting you with protecting him, and if you fail, I swearー" Shiro put a hand on Ryu's shoulder before he could finish. "Go," Shiro said. "Do what you need to do." Ryu, without looking back, nodded and charged at Takeo, ready to fight. But as he was preparing to attack, Takeo kicked Ryu in the abs, making Ryu stumble back a few steps. And before he caught his breath, Takeo grabbed him in a choke-hold and held a dagger near Ryu's face.
"If you value his life, you'll hand over the Chosen One," Takeo said menacingly. "Unless, of course," he said with an evil chuckle, "you care more about the Chosen One rather than your own flesh and blood."
Ryosuke froze, remembering the day he had tried so hard to prevent from repeating itself. One side of him was trying to figure out what to do, while the other was screaming at Ryu out of fear. 'Wait, wait, hold on,' Ryosuke thought, trying to think straight. 'If I can throw my cane so it hits Takeo, he might let go long enough for Ryu to run.' he looked quickly at Takeo and then at Ryu. 'But if I miss, I'd be hitting Ryu,' Ryosuke thought. Suddenly, he forgot about worrying and threw the cane so that somehow, Takeo didn't see it coming quickly enough to move out of the way, therefore getting hit in the head. "Argh!" Takeo grunted, letting go off Ryu and taking a few steps backwards, while Ryu quickly got up and ran back near Ryosuke.

"Ryu," Ryosuke said, putting up his hand to stop Ryu from going back to fight Takeo, "stay back. Let me deal with him." But Ryu grabbed his father's arm and said, "Father, you're too old for this!" "Ryu, I am NOT that old!" Ryosuke said loudly. "Besides, you're in no shape to be fighting, either!!" Ryu clenched his fist and looked back at Makoto, who had only just gotten back up after the impact of the kick.
"Makoto can't fight, Chihiro knocked himself out using Surgere, and Shiro's protecting both of them. I can't just stand here and do nothing, Father!" Ryu shouted, trying to make Ryosuke understand his reasoning. But when he said this, Ryosuke just looked down, but when he looked at Ryu again, he looked him straight in the eye. "At least let me help you fight, then." Ryu looked at him for a moment, then nodded. "Alright," he said, and they both turned to face Takeo, who was rubbing his head where the cane had hit him.
"Heh," Takeo smirked. "Ryosuke, you're too old for this, there's no way you can defeat me." But after he said this, Ryu and Ryosuke used a technique he had never seen before. In complete sync and mirroring each other perfectly, they used a technique only the Yamamoto family knew. With the speed of lightning, the strength of a dragon, and the force of a thousand boulders, they charged at Takeo and, jumping midair, a transparent dragon made from their will power was shot straight at Takeo's chest, throwing him at full force into a nearby tree.

Just as Ryu and Ryosuke landed and were about to keep attacking, Takeo tried to push himself away from them, holding up one hand in front of his face. "W-Wait," he said, his voice unsteady. "Wait, let me at least say something first." He sounded genuinely scared of them, but Ryosuke still wasn't sure. "Fine," he said. "Spit it out."
'Something seems off about him,' Shiro thought, not leaving from where he was with Makoto and Chihiro. 'Like he was under mind control, or maybe a curse...' Then, Takeo spoke. "Everything I did those years ago," he said, looking at Ryosuke, "and everything I was saying just now, that wasn't me." Ryu clenched his fists. "I don't believe you," he said, but just as he was about to take a step towards Takeo, Ryosuke held up his hand and said, "let him finish."
"And the you haven't seen the real Abyss King," Takeo said. Hearing this, Makoto got up and ran over to where Ryu and Ryosuke were standing. 'What does he mean, 'we haven't seen the real Abyss King'?' Makoto thought as he ran. "Wait, who's the real Abyss king then?" Makoto said when he got there. "I don't know if I can say his name," Takeo said, "because someone might be watching, waiting for me to say something I shouldn't." Now that Makoto saw Takeo like this, he felt bad that he had wanted to hit him so badly. "All I ask is don't go after my family," Takeo said, his voice getting quiet. "They did nothing wrong."
Everyone was silent for a moment, then Makoto spoke. "Did we," he said, his voice starting to break, "did weー is he dead?" Shiro, who had been listening, told Haruka, who had been behind him the whole time, to watch Chihiro as he got up and walked over to the group. After checking the now seemingly unconscious Abyss Warrior's pulse, Shiro stood up and said, "he's alive, just unconscious." Ryu clenched his fists and said, "should I finish him?" But, Ryosuke, with a bit of force, lightly bonked Ryu on the head with his forearm and said slightly sternly, "no, Ryu, don't." Ryu rubbed the area of his head that had been bonked and said, "but what if he betrays us later?!" Shiro turned to face Ryu. "He meant what he said. Trust me."

After Takeo was taken back to his village's healer tent by other Apex Paladins and Chihiro had woken up again, Ryosuke and Ryu sat down on a nearby fallen tree, still catching their breath from the fighting. "My back is killing me," Ryosuke muttered under his breath. "It's because you weren't thinking and tried to fight like you would have twenty years ago," Ryu said, though he had his arm over the area where he was kicked. "Well you're one to talk," Ryosuke said, visibly frustrated. "If you hadn't tried to be a hero and stop Takeo on your own, I wouldn't've had to worry so much."
Shifting his position, Ryu, also frustrated, said, "Father, I'm not a child anymore. You don't have to protect me, I'm practically a grown man!" Chihiro, who was watching from behind the two, stayed quiet but was visibly worried. "I just want to make sure you don't get yourself hurt, Ryu," Ryosuke said, frustrated but trying to make Ryu understand his point of view. "I can defend myself," Ryu said, his voice getting louder. "I don't need you to do it for me!" Unable to think of anything else he could say, Ryosuke suddenly pulled Ryu towards himself and hugged his son. "You're right," he said quietly. "I just don't see the man you've become." Ryu, slightly confused at the sudden hug, stayed quiet for a moment. "I still see the small child you used to be," Ryosuke continued before letting go. "Father," Ryu began, "I... I've been wanting to say something these past few days." Ryosuke looked at him and asked, "what is it?" After taking a deep breath, Ryu spoke. "I don't say it enough... I love you, Father."
After hearing Ryu say this, Ryosuke nodded and looked away trying to hide his face. "I... I love you too, son," he said, his voice breaking as he spoke. Ryu, his frustration from earlier having disappeared, smiled softly at his father. "Are you sure you're alright, Father?" He asked quietly, starting to get a bit emotional, himself. Though Ryosuke tried to hide it, he did cry a bit, but from happiness. "I'm fine, really," Ryosuke said. Seeing this happen after so much time had gone by with Ryu and Ryosuke not saying those words, Chihiro went over to them and, without warning, gave the both a hug. "I love you guys," Chihiro said, a bright smile on his face. And Makoto, Shiro, and Haruka, who had been watching silently, smiled. 'I guess,' Makoto thought, 'this time, we won because of teamwork.' Haruka nodded and said 'yes' quietly as if he had heard Makoto's thoughts. But by now, Makoto wasn't shocked, necessarily; he was just glad everyone was OK.

That they had won once again.