If they weren't busy running, they would have been a bit distracted with feeling their new bodies in motion - but they were, and so they weren't.  Passing through the outer gate of the shrine (the gate's doors were open, though even if they were closed, the wall was not of the twenty or even ten foot tall variety), they found themselves on the grounds of the Takemikazuchi Shrine...it just occurred to Anthony that how he knew this was the Shrine from the game was not clear.  Immediately, they were confronted by a scene of battle; the same battle he'd been hearing while walking up the stone stairs.  Just, you know, louder.  A dozen close-to-faceless goons (seriously, there were a couple of different types, but they looked practically identical) confronting a pair of people.  One was a man about their age, dressed in shrine keeper's garb; the other both of them recognized immediately as Yuyu, the game's Fire Ryuujin and possible selectable character.  Since she hadn't been picked, it made sense that she was here...<br/><br/>...but where were the others?  Genjo, Nori, Raul?  The lattermost hadn't been a part of the group, but Genjo and Nori...<br/><br/>...somehow, the moment that either of them questioned just what had happened to the two guys, they both<em>knew</em>: they had gotten waylaid by a group of similar-appearing but differently-attired thugs coming this way, and they had decided to hold them off while Aika and Joy proceeded to the Shrine, in case it was already under attack - as they were now discovering.<br/><br/>"Looks like the boys were right, the Shrine<em>is</em>under attack!"  Anthony spoke it out loud, but it wasn't forced, not like before, in Aika's proper and formal tones.  "Let's go, Joy!"  She took the opening stance of Devil Judgment, ready to fight the goons that would otherwise destroy the Takemikazuchi Shrine.<br/><br/>The goons moved into position, breaking off from attacking the Shrine directly to confront the two ladies who had decided to challenge them.  Of the rough dozen that they saw, half of them rushed up, four in front and two hanging back, to fight range.<br/><br/>In their fields of vision, and those alone, Aika and Joy would see:<br/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;">STAGE 0<br/>-Shrine to Takemikazuchi-<br/>Ready?  BURN!</span></div><br/>The moment that happened, things shifted slightly.  They could tell how much health everyone present had.  Both of them, obviously, had full health bars.  Yuyu's was down around half, and the pretty boy was down to near a quarter.  Each of the remaining thugs had a full health bar, but it was short compared to their own.  Maybe half the length of theirs, and that was being generous.  Each of them could also see that they, Yuyu, and the other player had a special colored bar.  Joy's was a solid gold, Yuyu's a deep crimson, and Aika's was a darker green.  The whole bar was divided into five segments.  That was all they saw...for now.<br/><br/>The goons, myriad as they were, had a single defining feature - somewhere on their clothing, or tattooed on their person, was a symbol.  In their case, a motorcycle colored a noticeable shade of blue.  "You're gonna regret messing with the Azure Riders, girlies!"  One of them said it, hardly which one mattered.