A/N: As of today, I've decided to do away with the disclaimers. You know I don't own any of these anime series and their characters. Digimon, Sailor Moon, Yuyu Hakusho, and Yu-Gi-Oh don't belong to me. The plots of Bleach and Gekiranger don't belong to me either. However, I will give credit to LazerWulf for beta-reading. Characters like Lord Gamera, Nagah, Blitzkrieg, Melancholia, Babbi, Ayame, and the rest of the Neo-Rajita belong to me. Got it?
The only times I really need to give credit are to my beta-reader's work and to exclusive OCs or ideas I'm borrowing from other fic writers.
Anyhow, more action. The four-part Midnight Incursion continues. This time we'll cover how the Spirit Detectives are doing. Moreover, plenty of more Neo/Kuiper Senshi and Duelist fare.
Enjoy.
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Chapter 11
Invoke: Rajita Hybrid Evolutions! Streets of Rage!
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Azabu-Juuban District/One Mile from Hikawa Shrine/12:56 AM
Valkyrie Sailor Varuna and Blitzkrieg took their skirmish high up into the air. During an exchange of rapid punches, Blitzkrieg caught Valkyrie Sailor Varuna with a punch to her chest. Varuna relied on quick reflexes to catch Blitzkrieg's hand and stopped him from nailing her. Blitzkrieg snickered while opening his left palm, releasing a red beam that swallowed the Valkyrie whole. Varuna threw her arms in front as she forged a wall of light, which protected her from Blitzkrieg's point blank attack.
Varuna threw her arms out at both ends as she powered down her barrier. She gripped her battle axe and flew out to attack him head-on. Blitzkrieg's entire body flickered as he vanished right out of Varuna's reach.
"Damn! Where did he-?!"
Blitzkrieg caught Varuna with an elbow strike to her left face. As the blow knocked Varuna back, Blitzkrieg vanished and reappeared behind the blonde-haired Dutch Senshi. He clubbed Varuna's back with both fists clamped together. Delivering force behind his blow, he sent Varuna plummeting through an office building rooftop.
"What's wrong, Senshi?! I thought you were supposed to be the second strongest of your ragtag Kuiper team!" Blitzkrieg spat out, sneering as he slowly levitated over the rooftop he knocked Varuna into. His keen eyes shifted back and forth, searching for his fallen prey. His keen senses picked up on a swift movement shifting behind him. He pivoted his head, glaring at Varuna with a menacing grin. "There you are!"
Varuna narrowed her eyes, steadily holding her battle axe.
"Get serious, woman. If I find out you've been dickin' with me, I'm gonna kill you!"
"Yap, yap, kill, kill. Is that all your puny testosterone brain can come up with? C'mon..."
Blitzkrieg extended his right hand as he gathered a ball of blue and red energy. As the twin streams of light coalesced, they formed a spinning purple orb. He crushed the orb in his hand and fired a beam through his fingers. Vanishing from the beam's intended direction, Varuna evaded the forthcoming attack. Blitzkrieg launched another beam, which Varuna evaded swiftly by leaving an afterimage. Blitzkrieg didn't stop there as he launched various beams at Varuna's path. Valkyrie Sailor Varuna quickly left afterimages, letting Blitzkrieg's beams pass through them. Unfortunately, as more beams were fired, they destroyed sections of the local buildings. Varuna whirled around as her face conveyed dismay at the sight of various spots reduced to rubble.
"Damn..."
"And I haven't even cut loose yet," Blitzkrieg remarked, wearing a smug smile on his face. "Hell, if I wanted to, I could blow this whole shithole into a smoking crater. Don't take me lightly, woman."
Varuna scoffed as she turned and faced him. "Who said I was, asshole?"
Easily shrugging off Varuna's insult, Blitzkrieg quickly glided toward Varuna and fired another beam through his right hand.
"C'MON!" Varuna roared out as she countered, shooting her own beam through her hand. "Varuna Flash Cannon!!"
Both warriors countered each other as their beams collided, neither one giving an inch to the other's power. Blitzkrieg and Varuna exerted energy through their beams as they brightened the skies. The buildings under them started to rumble. The winds quickly stirred as both warriors released flows of high level energy around the encompassing area.
"Is this all you've got, woman?! EH?!"
Varuna snarled as she viciously retorted. "Like hell it is!"
"Good! Let's keep this up! How long can you keep this up?!"
Varuna closed her eyes and focused on pumping power through her beam. I'm NOT going to lose to this ass-clown. I just got this Valkyrie power! I have to make full use of it and not let the others down!
xxxxx
Juuban Park/12:58 AM
Valkyries Ixion and Eris evaded one of Razorclaws' sword slashes as they split up across opposite sides of the air. Razorclaws calmly stared at the two Valkyries, as a displeased frown shaped his face.
"Is this the full extent of your new powers? I'm gravely disappointed," Razorclaws remarked. "You two can barely keep up with my blade. Be well advised, next time I'll take your heads." A smile replaced his discouraged look. "You two truly are pathetic."
Eris scoffed. "Even with our Valkyrie powers, this guy can still hold his own. Damn... what the hell is this guy made of?"
"And it seems like he's still holding back a share of his power," Ixion noted as she closely analyzed Razorclaws.
The Texan couldn't believe it. "Shit, that sucks."
Holding a firm grip of his sword, Razorclaws raised it in front of his face. "I can sense my colleague, Toro, is about to unveil his evolved form. Perhaps... yes, now is the perfect time. No, I think not-" Suddenly, his eyes quickly watched Eris and Ixion vanish from his view. Before he could react, Valkyrie Eris reappeared above his head and brought out her lasso. "This again?"
Eris threw her lasso towards his head. Raising his sword, he brought it down and cut the lasso in half.
"Is this all?"
"Ixion Cross Poison."
As Razorclaws turned around, green poisonous smoke shaped like a giant cross came toward him. Razorclaws glided up, avoiding the guided aerial attack. Ixion willed the smoke back to her as her Valkyrie armor reabsorbed the poison.
"Your armor can somehow release and secrete poison as air particles by will?" Razorclaws analytically concluded. "Interesting."
"Oh, we're not done yet!" Ixion put her hand out, summoning her bow. In her left hand, the poisonous air secreted out of her armor and turned into an arrow. She took the arrow and fired it at Razorclaws.
"Pathetic..." Razorclaws stopped as he watched the single arrow disperse and turn into a swarm of sixty arrows. He quickly flew around, evading the arrows easily. Then, one struck his right hand. Razorclaws glided up out of the arrows' range and let them all freely pass into the sky above. "Hmmm. Firing a volley of arrows in my direction and hoping to catch me? Well, congratulations. You did hit me." He ripped the arrow out and watched as his skin slowly turned black.
Then, to Eris and Ixion's surprise, he ripped the infected arm off and disintegrated it by shooting it with a beam.
"Ugh! He ripped his own arm off?!" Eris gawked in disgust.
Ixion smirked. "That's one way to stop the infection. Unfortunately, now you're handicapped, with only one arm."
"I've yet to show you my evolved form," the Neo-Rajita warrior calmly said as he held his sword with his left hand. He slowly raised it in front of his face and smirked. "Kuiper Senshi, perhaps I was wrong. You two are young, but have achieved great power. For that, I must have some modicum of respect for you. I shall grant you the chance to face me in my evolved form..."
"Like hell we are! You're not getting it off on us!" Eris shouted as she glided toward him and launched an arrow-shaped beam. "Eris Aero Blast!!"
Ixion fired more arrows to add more to the assault.
Razorclaws was struck by the excessive attacks, but it didn't keep him from invoking his Neo-Rajita evolution. "Snare! Razorclaws Shinka!!" With that, as Razorclaws' sword vanished, fractal coding swirled around his entire body. New powerful energies instilled the warrior while his form underwent a quick metamorphosis.
As he evolved, Eris and Ixion didn't stop pelting him with their attacks. Unfortunately, none of them were able to stun Razorclaws even once. Once the fractal coding faded away, Razorclaws unveiled his evolved form. The Neo-Rajita warrior's appearance looked nearly the same by first glance. However, as the smoke cleared, Razorclaws' arms were thinner and colored a sky blue. His hands became equipped with sharp, talons. The left half of his face was covered by a green insect mask that resembled Stingmon's face, while the other half looked just the same as it did before the evolution. Four insect wings sprouted from the warrior's back, granting him better aerial mobility. Jutting out of his back was a long, crooked blue reptilian tail. Another pair of arms, entirely colored black, hung down by his side hips. These 'extra' hands, too, were equipped with sharp talons. Other than these enhanced additions, Razorclaws' base form remained entirely the same.
"Gah... what the... hell?" Eris gapped.
Ixion nodded. "My thoughts exactly."
"Before I grant you two your trip to the afterlife, you shall know my name. I am General Blitzkrieg's top Subordinate Officer. You may refer to me as Razorclaws. The power I've obtained was derived from a Dinobeemon's data."
"You guys are experimenting and stealing data from digimon? Just to add to your own power?!" The vexed Nigerian didn't take this lightly. "How could you?!"
"To achieve a greater purpose and better serve our superiors," Razorclaws answered, flexing his right arm out as he examined its flexibility. "This is a new beginning for the Rajita. The Neo-Rajita. We are the rebirth of a soon-to-be rejuvenated empire that's about to rightfully take its place as the top species of the entire universe. You, Sailor Senshi, are in the way of us achieving and meeting our essential goals. For that, in the name of Lord Gamera and General Blitzkrieg, I must kill you. Unlike Volcanus, I will not fail."
Valkyrie Eris growled. "I've just about had it to here from this guy. He's sick."
"Using digimon as a means to an end? That's unforgivable," Ixion said as she shot an angry glare at Razorclaws. "Eris, let's take him."
"You don't have to tell me twice, Ixion."
Razorclaws quickly glided forward to meet Eris and Ixion head-on. "Prepare to be executed, Senshi."
xxxxx
Near Tokyo Tower/1:00 AM
"Heh," Toro cackled out loud as he sensed Razorclaws from the distance. "Superb. So, you've finally released your evolved form, Razorclaws. Perhaps, now is the perfect time. Too bad about Volcanus, though."
Valkyrie Orcus flew off the side of Tokyo Tower while catching her breath. So, that dying power I sensed was from a Rajita. Good work, Neo Senshi! "Sailor Quaoar, what the hell's keeping you?"
"Well, it's too bad your friend abandoned you. That just leaves me and you."
Orcus pulled out her sais and vanished from Toro's view.
Toro turned his head and put his right hand out, catching Orcus (who instantly reappeared by his side) and her sais. He thrust his left hand and knocked Orcus back with a shockwave of his own energy. Toro clenched both hands and invoked the core of his inner being, releasing fractal code around him.
"What this?!" The Australian exclaimed, dismayed by what she was seeing.
"Your inevitable end, girl!" The Neo-Rajita warrior laughed like a maniac. "Impale! Toro Shinka!!"
"Shinka?! No, you can't be... you're a digimon?!"
Once the fractal coding covered Toro completely, the warrior emerged and exposed his fully evolved form. His entire base form altered completely. Toro no longer stood in a bipedal posture, but now has taken on a quadrupedal animal form. His entire body was covered in a black, obsidian-like armor material. A pair of giant, golden bull horns jutted out the sides of his cranium while his head was concealed behind a bull's mask. Only his eyes were visible through the mask's holes. Tufts of his own hair extended out of his mask and across the back.
Needless to say, Valkyrie Orcus gawked in utter disbelief. To make the situation worse, she was alone.
"Heh, ok... so, I've got a bull to deal with. No biggie..." Valkyrie Orcus put on a brave front. But, deep down, she was scared. She gripped her sais tightly and gulped. "Who the hell am I kidding? I've got my Valkyrie power to back me up!" She laughed it up, trying to suppress any fear she may be exhibiting.
Chuckling at the girl's brave front, Toro saw through her fear. "You're right, girl. This form is based off a digimon's. My colleagues and I have each been blessed. We're the new line of Rajita warriors, byproducts of the new hybrid experiment." Lowering his head, Toro snorted and growled like a bull. "I'm one of General Blitzkrieg's Subordinate Officers. I am Toro. The digimon whose data I've been infused with was a Bullmon. Thanks to this new enhancement, I feel five times greater than I've ever been."
"Uh huh. Right," Orcus scoffed as she held her sais. "You may be stronger than you were before, but I have my new Valkyrie power. If I have to take you on alone, so be it."
"I can still sense fear from you, girl. Are you scared of me?!"
"Hell no," Orcus rebuked as she flew out to attack her enemy. "Give me all you've got!"
"Stupid girl. I shall grant you a quick impalement!" Toro roared as he stampeded through 'the air.'
As Orcus headed off Toro, half of her was still deeply concerned with Quaoar's whereabouts.
C'mon, Sailor Quaoar. Where are you?!
xxxxx
Swish!!
Valkyrie Quaoar cut through a Bio-Vivian that tried to ambush her. In fact, after her short chat with Melancholia, she managed to take out five Bio-Vivians with her lance.
"You fight well, girl."
Shifting her attention toward Melancholia, Valkyrie Quaoar raised her lance. Then, as he vanished, the general reappeared five feet closer to Quaoar. The Brazilian sprang back and hit the back of a tree.
"Your power. Your armor. They're just like those of your friend Sailor Sedna," Melancholia examined Quaoar from head to toe. The sight of her new Valkyrie armor intrigued him, prompting him to touch her. Quaoar backed off and slapped his hand away.
"Get away..."
"I have an inquiry for you."
"Me?"
As Melancholia advanced, his cold and distant eyes pierced a frightening gaze into Quaoar's frightened face. He leaned closer, pressing his face towards her right ear and whispered. Quaoar shivered while feeling Melancholia presence sending cold chills down her entire body, stiffening her body in place.
"Why did you deliberately throw yourself in front of Princess Sedna and Princess Serenity? What were you hoping to gain from this act of valor?"
Quaoar couldn't bring herself to speak; her whole body froze with unrestrained fear. The general pulled his head back and stared lifelessly at Valkyrie Quaoar.
"You don't wish to answer? Perhaps I should force you to speak, girl."
Quaoar slightly furrowed her brows and gritted her teeth. "...they're my friends. Sailor Sedna and Sailor Neo Moon are my friends." She rebuked and lifted her lance forward, pointing it at the general's direction. "I'm not hoping to gain anything... I'm committed to protecting them, and I know they'd do the same for me! A creature like you would NEVER understand!" She pressed her hands on the ground and summoned branches of thorns to ensnare Melancholia. "Quaoar Frenzy Plant!!"
Dodging every branch that tried to grab him, Melancholia took to the air and didn't take his eyes off Valkyrie Quaoar.
"Is that your reason, girl? To protect your friends?" Melancholia murmured as he levitated in mid-air over the vicinity.
Quaoar stood her ground and pointed her lance directly at the general, who maintained eye contact with her. His glance didn't faze her a single bit.
"Stay away from me and my friends. I don't care if you're a general or not," Quaoar retorted. "If I ever see you again..."
"You'll fall. Our strength levels are too far apart, girl. I'd advise you to watch your back. Until next time..." Melancholia flew up as his Devidramon soared in front of him, carrying a carriage. The general flew inside the carriage as the Devidramon flew off into the distance with him. Into the distance, the Devidramon disappeared.
Letting out a relieved sigh, Valkyrie Quaoar dropped to her knees. She stared at the ground with her eyes and mouth agape. The Brazilian was lucky to have survived that encounter, yet she was surprised he didn't kill her.
"He... could've killed me when he had the chance," the Brazilian whispered, shaking her head while regaining her composure. "Why didn't he?" She raised her head and reflected on the short exchange she and Melancholia had before the Bio-Vivians ambushed her. He said he's interested in me... and more than just my power. What does he want? "He was testing me by using his men to attack me." As she got off the ground, she shifted her view toward two streams of light colliding. "That's... Orcus and that Rajita warrior we engaged! That's right! I have to get back in there and aid Orcus! Hang on, Orcus!"
Valkyrie Quaoar flew up as she glided back toward the skirmish she was involved in earlier.
"I hope I'm not too late. Orcus! Here I come!"
xxxxx
Juuban Public Hall/1:02 AM
While Reptiledramon scoured the skies in search of the Sailor Quartet, the four girls scrambled out of an alleyway. They put their hands together and flew up. Reptiledramon stopped and located the Quartet amassed together.
"Hide and seek is over, monster," Sailor Ceres declared as she heatedly pointed toward Reptiledramon. "Prepare to be dealt with."
Unfazed by the Quartet leader's threatening gesture, Reptiledramon growled in response.
xxxxx
Azabu-Juuban District/Shopping District/1:04 AM
"You're mine now!" Nagah's voice howled out of the Mach Fighter. As she attempted to ensnare Neo Moon and Pegasus, Valkyrie Sedna descended and caught Nagah's mecha with a slash of her ice sword. "Ugh...!"
"Sedna Arctic Breeze!!" Sedna shouted as she swung her sword, releasing a cold mist that spilled across the Mach Fighter mecha.
The frozen mecha plummeted like deadweight to the ground, where it shattered upon impact. However, it didn't take long for Nagah to glide out of the wreckage. She ascended to where she faced Neo Moon, Pegasus, and Sedna. Nagah clenched her right fist as a thick, green aura shrouded her entire form. The general licked her lips, savoring her chance of engaging more Senshi in battle.
"You've taken out my Mach Fighter, but that's as far as you go!" Nagah declared. "Your luck ends here, Princess Serenity." She turned toward the pink-haired Senshi and Pegasus. "And you, too, Sailor Sedna." She locked eyes with the Kuiper Senshi leader.
"This is our chance, Neo Moon. If we take her out, we'll prove we can handle the Neo-Rajita!" Sedna said.
Neo Moon concurred. "Yeah, I hope so."
"Stay strong, you two," Pegasus advised the two girls.
"Oh, please, this will be over before you know it," Nagah scoffed as she flew toward Neo Moon, Pegasus, and Sedna. She vanished like a blur from their view and reappeared behind them in less than a fraction of a second. "Ready, you brats?"
Sedna and Neo Moon turned around, their eyes widened with shock.
She's fast! Neo Moon thought. If we can't keep up with her...
...we're screwed. Sedna initially thought as she flew ahead to attack Nagah first.
"Come forth and give me your all!" Nagah challenged the trio.
xxxxx
Azabu-Juuban District/Near the Aino-Kuroshishi Residence/1:07 AM
"Take this!" Yusuke shouted as he punched Kyo... only to go through an afterimage. As he quickly turned around, Kyo caught him with a spinning back kick. Yusuke ducked as the kick passed within a hair's breadth. He sprang up, catching Kyo's lower jaw with an uppercut. "Dodge this!"
Bam!!
One punch knocked Kyo into the air. The Demon Stone wielder quickly rebounded off a house and came hurtling back toward Yusuke. As Kyo launched himself toward Yusuke, Raizen's descendant put his hands out and caught Kyo. He held Kyo back, planting both feet down as Kyo continually rotated.
Suddenly, Shin jumped out of nowhere and elbowed Yusuke's back. This caused Yusuke to lose balance and his grip on Kyo. Kyo rotated upward and came crashing down on Yusuke's back. Shin ran up and kicked Yusuke's face, knocking him across the pavement. Kyo loosened fired a volley of dark violet Youki balls at Yusuke.
"Son of a-" Yusuke was cut off as volley blasts bombarded him while on the ground.
"Yes, we've got him now!" Shin howled with excitement.
Kyo focused on exerting more Youki to keep Yusuke down. To Kyo's surprise, the former Spirit Detective pushed his way through the deadly barrage of Youki blasts. Yusuke gathered enough red Youki in his right hand and vanished from Kyo's view. Kyo's eyes widened as Yusuke reappeared on his left side. Bewildered, Kyo didn't have enough time to react and respond with an attack.
As Kyo pivoted his head, Yusuke landed a punch to his face. Kyo reeled back from the punch and was knocked into a sidewall. Shin ran up toward Yusuke and attempted to exchange blows with him. Yusuke proficiently timed Shin's punches, evading them by dancing around his blows. Yusuke seized Shin by his left arm and threw him into an opposite wall. As Shin fell off the wall, Yusuke turned and saw Kyo was gone.
"Where'd he go?"
"Right here, Yusuke Urameshi!"
Suddenly, as Yusuke whirled around, Kyo flew down and blasted him with a barrage of Youki blasts. Yusuke retaliated as he channeled red Youki in his right fist and bombarded him with it.
"Nice one, Yusuke Urameshi! You're quite a more formidable opponent than my own brother!"
"I'm not letting you near Rio or Kohana!" The former Spirit Detective ejected more Youki through his attack. "Shotgun!!"
BAM!!
With the rampant blasts of shotguns filling the air, streams of red Youki pounded Kyo repeatedly. The dark-armored warrior crossed his arms and forged a purple barrier around him. The Youki intertwined around Kyo's barrier and repelled back, blasting apart sections of the encompassing streets.
"What the hell?!" Yusuke was taken aback, overwhelmed by Kyo's countermeasure.
Shin slowly got up as he applied a full nelson to restrain Yusuke. While Yusuke struggled, Kyo descended while taking down his own shield.
"Good work, Shin. Now, we can get him to lead us directly to my brother and sister."
Yusuke scoffed in response. "Bite me. I've got nothing to tell you."
"Oh no?" Kyo evilly smirked as he turned toward the condo, sensing the spirit energies belonging to Koenma and Botan. "I understand Prince Koenma and your friends are in there waiting for you." With evil intentions in mind, the Demon Stone wielder raised his right hand and prepared to direct a Youki beam toward the condo building. "Just one shot and they'll all go up in smoke... huh?"
Suddenly, Kyo sensed an overwhelming surge of Youki exploding. He turned and watched red Youki repelling Shin. Sporting a blood red aura, Yusuke growled angrily and rushed toward Kyo. Kyo barely tilted his head, but was still on the receiving end of a MASSIVE blow that knocked him back quite a distance. An overwhelming force emanated from Yusuke's Youki, driving Kyo away. Yusuke sprinted towards as he skidded behind the Demon Stone-user and kicked him straight into the air.
As Yusuke took to the air, he and Kyo faced off in mid-air.
Wiping the blood from his side lip, Kyo growled. "Bastard. You were lucky." He turned toward the ground and noticed Shin was getting back up. "Fool, why did I bother bringing you?"
"Messing with Rio and Kohana is wrong, but when you make a move on my friends... and my family... you're a dead man. I don't give a damn who you're related to! In Rio's eyes, the real you died a long time ago. All I see is just an empty, hollow shell who used to be a loving brother."
Kyo chortled, taken aback by Yusuke's choice of descriptive words. "How poetic, Spirit Detective. Oh, I mean former Spirit Detective." He balled up his fists as a thick, purple aura covered him. "Has becoming a father changed you, Yusuke Urameshi? Have you become a better man? A better husband? A role model for your child?"
"Better than what you've become."
"Well, aren't you one to judge me," Kyo smirked, his eyes flared with intense purple Youki. "You deny me my chance to reunite with my brother and sister. They want to see me."
Yusuke was growing irritated as he closed his fists. "Are you gonna quit running your damn mouth? I'm sick of your stupid voice."
Kyo frowned, irritation evident in the way he glared at Yusuke. His eyes turned as he sensed his own siblings' whereabouts. Ah, there you two are. I'm coming for you, Rio, Kohana. Selipa, don't rough up Rio too much.
xxxxx
"HYA!!" Selipa roared as she scattered a barrage of Youki blasts down on Rio. "Hold still!"
Evading every shot fired by Selipa, Rio sprang away and timed each leap precisely. He took to the air, forging twin balls of dark gray Youki in his hands. He directed them upward, catching Selipa with the rapid shots. Selipa retaliated by ripping a lock of her own hair out and lashed it out like a whip. She attempted to ensnare Rio, who barely managed to escape the woman's clutches. Rio lied in wait, eyeing Selipa throwing her hair threads towards him.
"No wonder Kyo picked you as his partner..."
Selipa smirked though she was evidently growing irritated with Rio evading her attacks. "You're really becoming a pest, Rio Kuroshishi. But, I promise you'll be reunited with your dear brother."
"Why do I suddenly have the urge to vomit?"
"Now, now, Rio! It'll be a wonderful brotherly reunion!" The female Demon Knight redirected her deadly hair threads to catch the Demon Stone wielder.
Putting his hands together, Rio released a burning stream of Youki that caught Selipa's hair whip and burned it to a crisp. As she discarded her singed weapon, Selipa descended to the ground and vanished. She quickly reappeared on Rio's left side and attempted to kick him. Rio seized Selipa's right leg and slammed her against a wall. Inverted, Selipa headbutted the young man's abdomen and wrapped her legs around his neck. She quickly cartwheeled her legs around, righting herself and spinning Rio away.
As Rio hit the back of a car, he fell and rubbed his neck. He raised his head and saw a dark purple aura outlining Selipa's body. Rio jumped back to his feet, still wobbly from the blows he received from the vicious femme fatale. Selipa sprinted toward Rio and threw her right hand into the young man. Jerking himself out of her reach, Rio sidestepped Selipa and let her rip the car apart. Selipa turned around and flew ahead to catch Rio with rapid punches, not pulling back for an instant. Rio crossed his arms, blocking her closed fists.
"You can't keep up with me, Rio Kuroshishi!"
"I'm not going with my brother!"
"You don't have a say in the matter! You're coming with us!"
Catching his second wind, Rio caught Selipa's fist and glared intently into her eyes. His voice deepened with anger instilled in him. "Not a chance!" Showing no restraint, the Demon Stone wielder punched Selipa back and filled his fist with Youki.
Tilting her head back, Selipa snickered. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy delivering your broken body to Kyo." The Demon Knight tightened her fists and advanced methodically toward Rio.
"As long as Kyo doesn't get his hands on Kohana, you and the others won't be able to revive Arago..."
Selipa cupped her hands together. "The Demon Priests will have their way. That I can promise you!"
As Selipa lunged forward, Rio readied himself for another round. "Gimme all you've got!"
xxxxx
Hiei and Shiki continued exchanging sword strikes. From an outside view, their attacks seemed to jump around like brief flashes of light. Both topped their speeds and matched one another's movements. Shiki's program quickly picked up on Hiei's positioned and sought him out quickly. As Shiki whirled around, he lifted his arm blade and blocked Hiei's overhead slash attempt.
"You're quite the excellent swordsman, Hiei Jaganshi. Your skills are quite unprecedented," Shiki asserted as he scanned and replayed Hiei's swordsman fighting skills through his memory banks. "However, now I can perceive your moves before you can execute them. Your moves are as clear as day."
"Humph, you call my skills predictable?" Hiei snorted as he tilted his sword and readily attacked.
Shiki backflipped out of Hiei's reach. As Hiei blitzed right up to the Demon Knight, he slashed Shiki's side.
Until Shiki caught Hiei's blade and snapped it with his hand. After breaking the sword, Shiki ran up to Hiei and punched the demon. Hiei grabbed Shiki and threw him through a shop window. As the demon picked up his broken sword, he channeled black Youki into the hilt and forged a new blade made of his own black flames. Shiki emerged through the broken glass, unfazed and unharmed. Shiki glided toward Hiei and clashed blades with him again. Both warriors vanished without a trace and resumed their battle.
xxxxx
"Ugh!" Kurama grunted as he gripped his left arm. Blood stained his left sleeve where Gami inflicted a damaging blow to the red-haired fox demon. "I'll grant you this. You're nothing like the big, brawny types I've encountered."
Gami walked forward as his entire form solidified.
"But, like them, you too will fall. I'm not one to be overlooked."
"Oh, you're so right," Gami deeply chuckled, popping his head with his left hand. "After all, you are Youko Kurama. I've watched you from the Meikai for the longest time. I know exactly when you'll calculate your next scheme."
Kurama countered. "Is that right?"
"Yes, and you've hated relying on Youko's power. In exchange, you'd fight your own battles. Oh, yes I believe that's what led you to being caught by Demento and your old nemesis Karasu."
Upon hearing Karasu's name, Kurama coldly narrowed his eyes.
"Hehehe, yes. Karasu. He's still alive, and who knows? He might be watching us now, masking his presence from us as we speak."
Discreetly surveying his surroundings, Kurama was on the lookout for any bystanders. The Shadow Guardian was already gone, but the red-haired fox sensed someone else was near. It was a familiar, sinister Youki that made the hair on the back of his neck stiffen. Taking out another rose whip, he stood upright and focused his full intent on Gami. He tried to block out Karasu's haunting face from his mind. With Kurama slightly distracted, Gami seized the opportunity and charged toward Kurama.
"You're mine!"
Snapping to his senses, Kurama loosened his rose whip and swiftly slashed the whip in multiple directions. Gami initially responded as he turned into a giant smoke cloud, letting the deadly whip freely pass through him. Gami reverted back to solid form and rolled away. He quickly uncurled himself and sprang to his feet.
Gami cackled amusedly. "Is the thought of Karasu affecting your concentration? Hmm?"
Kurama frantically looked behind him, finding no signs of Karasu anywhere close by.
"This is getting tiresome! I want you to bring out Youko at once!" Gami shouted in demand as he bumrushed Kurama. "Let me fight the Legendary Bandit!"
"I made a vow to never release Youko again..."
"Then, you can DIE along with that coward!"
Shutting his eyes, Kurama sensed Gami's approach and sidestepped the Demon Knight. The red-haired fox came around Gami and firmly held his injured left arm. As Gami turned around, Kurama splashed blood into the Demon Knight's eyes. After blinding Gami, Kurama threw his rose whip and secured Gami's right arm.
"I have other ways to kill you, Demon Knight," Kurama coldly threatened. "Care to try me?"
xxxxx
Unbeknownst to Kurama, far off on a tree, a flock of black crows gathered as they converged together. As the crows merged, they formed a body. The 'shape' descended to the ground as his eyes glowed blood red, instilled with cruel intent.
"Shuichi, where are you? Dear Shuichi?" Karasu whispered as the wind listlessly carried his calm, sinister voice.
xxxxx
Meanwhile, Mizuno bombarded sections of a nearby parking lot with powerful water bursts. Toki and Namiza escaped Mizuno's monstrous attacks by taking to the air, avoiding being caught by the tidal waves. While the large waves flooded the parking lot and the streets, Mizuno turned back into her normal form and landed atop of the water. Firmly setting her feet on the water's surface, Mizuno tried to feel the rhythm of the water to pick up approaching footsteps.
"That was a splendid water show, my lovely water goddess."
Mizuno turned as Toki and Namiza descended to the water's surface. Toki pulled out a long chain with a hook end, turning toward Namiza. Namiza forged Youki through her right arm, which doubled as an energy blade. Namiza sprang forward as she slashed at Mizuno with her Youki blade. Mizuno swiftly evaded Namiza's hand strikes. The Sirendramon warrior pressed her hands on the water, adeptly using her aquakinesis to direct a water arrow at Namiza. The Shadow Guardian sidestepped the water arrow and lunged forth at Mizuno. Mizuno manipulated a part of the water's surface, forging a water wall to block Namiza. Then, Mizuno controlled the water under Namiza and summoned a giant bubble. The bubble captured and sealed the Shadow Guardian. Condensing the bubble, Mizuno utilized her aquakinesis to solidify an aura to harden the bubble.
Attentively looking back to Toki, Mizuno assumed a battle stance. "It's just you and me now. I've cut you off from your friend. Let's see what you can do on your own, little man."
Toki scoffed as he headed off Mizuno and threw his chain at her. The Sirendramon grabbed the chain and yanked Toki forward. The Demon Knight sneered, pulling out a pair of daggers. He threw the daggers forward, catching Mizuno on her right shoulder. Mizuno ignored the wound and turned her head, letting the second dagger pass by harmlessly. Mizuno quickly manipulated the water, forging two long parallel water columns to shoot up around her. The columns then turned into long, serpentine bodies. These water snakes flew toward Toki, slamming him into the nearest wall.
Mizuno grasped her shoulder. Then, she ripped a piece of her own shirt and wrapped it around her wound to keep the wound protected. She attentively glanced back at Toki, who pulled himself off the wall.
"Not looking so hot now," Mizuno smirked. "You're fighting me on my own element now."
Toki smirked. "Indeed, but this makes things more exciting for me. You will be mine, my love slave."
"Keep dreaming, dirt bag," she rebuked while slowly moving her feet across the water's surface. I wonder how the rest of you guys are holding up... Brimstone, how about you, big guy?
xxxxx
"AUGH!!" Moriya hissed as he was driven back by a column of flames.
Holding out one hand, Brimstone shot another fire column. This time Kanzo was the intended target. The dark-suited Meikai demon jumped from wall to wall, avoiding getting caught by Brimstone's scorching flames. As Kanzo landed atop of a light post, Brimstone utilized his pyrokinesis and blasted the light post. Kanzo sprang off and landed on the street, sprawled on all fours.
Letting his tongue lash out, Kanzo growled ferociously at Brimstone.
"Even if you keep this up, you won't escape my scorching flames," Brimstone said.
"You have yet to hit us!" Kanzo growled, bearing his sharp teeth.
Brimstone's fist was imbued with spiraling flames as he focused on the Demon Knight. "Let's see if you can handle my Inferno Mode." Raising his arms above his head, ten pillars of flames surrounded and engulfed the flame warrior. As the pillars converged, Brimstone was covered in a scorching, flaming aura. He produced and fired five pillars of flames, which blasted around Kanzo. "You have nowhere to run."
Moriya pulled himself off the ground as he observed Kanzo dodging Brimstone's fire blasts. This man possesses no Youki. Yet, he's able to stand up to us? Who is he? "You won't get away with treating us Meikai nobles like this."
xxxxx
As Gyuuya's deadly miasma moved towards him, Kuwabara raised his Dimension Sword and sliced through time and space. He jumped through the rift he just made, escaping the cloud of poison and befuddling the two demons.
He disappeared?!" Gyuuya exclaimed in disbelief.
Maga observed as he tried to follow Kuwabara's whereabouts. "Yes, this is the Dimension Sword I've heard about. Only one wields such a unique ability."
"And this is the one?"
"He used it to cut through the Makai barrier during the Sensui incident several years ago," Maga proclaimed. "It was supposed to be the weapon that would allow access between this world and the Makai. Of course, we've evolved more efficient methods of traveling between worlds."
"Yes, but... BEHIND YOU!" Gyuuya exclaimed as he watched a blade cut through thin air. He pushed Maga out of the way and put himself in front of the attack. "Gah!"
As Maga sprang back, he watched as Gyuuya's body split in half.
But Gyuuya didn't go without leaving him a parting farewell. "Destroy... this... human... his weapon... is not to be... overlooked..."
Kuwabara emerged through the rift with his Dimension Sword. Maga's face contorted in anger as he glared at Kuwabara, analyzing the long golden sword in his hand.
"You might have caught my colleague off guard, but you won't get me with that. That was just pure luck..."
"Luck or not, you're next."
Maga powered up, letting an aura of Youki form around him. "Sorry, but I don't intend to die here." Gyuuya, this Dimension Sword... perhaps I can steal this technique somehow. Heh, the Demon Priests will no doubt have interest in obtaining this rare power.
xxxxx
Maya jumped out of Sorisa's reach and landed on a sidewall. Gripping her psychic blade, the Chimera bounced off the wall and flew down with her blade. Sorisa sidestepped out of the way, barely avoiding being cut in two by Maya's blade. As Sorisa backflipped away, Maya probed the Shadow Guardian's mind while predicting her next move.
I'm going to run up behind her and impale my hand through her chest.
"Nice try," Maya smirked as she watched Sorisa vanish. At that exact moment, she whirled around and thrust her psychic blade through Sorisa's chest instead. The Shadow Guardian gasped as she stared at her wound. Sorisa grabbed the end of the blade and fell to the ground dead. Taken aback by her partner's demise, Chii emphatically ran toward Maya and elbowed her in the back. Maya grunted as she was knocked to the ground. Chii jumped right on top of Maya's back and put her hand on the Chimera's throat. As she prepared to crush Maya's throat, the Chimera threw Chii off her back and blasted her with a psychic wave.
Chii evaded the psychic wave and glanced toward Sorisa's corpse. She hurried toward Sorisa and placed her hand on her partner's chest. Suddenly, to Maya's surprise, she watched as Chii absorbed the essence of Sorisa's Youki. Once she completed the transfer, Sorisa's body faded as only Chii remained. Chii stood upright, her body instilled with her own Youki and that of Sorisa's.
"I'm sensing two of you in... one body," the analytical Maya observed, gripping her psychic blade tightly. "Is this your ability?"
"I'm still Chii, but Sorisa's power and memories are now a part of me," the Shadow Knight frowned as she stood poised to attack. "You can somehow read our minds. You predict our every move. Well, what if I decide to kick things up a notch and catch you before you can even foresee my next move!"
Maya turned her psychic blade and keenly observed Chii.
"Here I come!"
Before Maya could blink, Chii vanished and reappeared above her. The Chimera quickly turned and tried to counter. Chii kicked at Maya's side and knocked her into a street. Maya landed on her feet and fired a psychic wave, which Chii evaded by sidestepping. Chii vanished and reappeared in front of Maya, landing a kick into Maya's stomach. Maya doubled over as she fell to one knee. Chii raised her right hand, imbuing it with Youki. As she brought her hand down to impale Maya, the Chimera repelled Chii's hand away and let a thick, green Rajita aura form around her. Enhanced by her half-alien genetics, Maya grabbed Chii's hand and gripped it tightly.
"Not today!" The Chimera girl growled as she blasted Chii back with a psychic wave. As she watched Chii stop, she stood poised with her psychic blade in hand. "I haven't gotten started yet. C'mon."
xxxxx
Meanwhile, ShadowMetalGarurumon carried his passengers as he scoured the skies to search for Yusuke and company. Yui attentively probed scattered Youki and Spirit power around various sections of Juuban. The first she was able to sense was Yusuke and Kyo.
"You guys. I can sense Yusuke!" Yui exclaimed.
"Where is he?" Aoshi inquired.
"Just north of us."
Cammy scanned through the vicinity below the skies. "And I can sense Hiei, Kuwabara, and Kurama, too. They're all nearby."
"Oh, and a bunch of other demons!" Kohana spat out.
Shiro shuddered as he hopped on Kohana's back. "Oh, way too many! All of this Youki is enough to give me a headache!"
"The Kuiper Senshi and the kids from the future... they're all fighting the Neo-Rajita," Tuxedo Kamen felt their Celestial energies from afar. "They're all putting up valiant efforts."
"Hey, guys. Sorry to interrupt, but looks like we have some Neo-Rajita trouble ourselves!" ShadowMetalGarurumon called out as his eyes noticed a lone figure hovering in their path.
Aoshi growled as he glared at the figure in the distance. "Now?! So, one of them caught up to us?!"
"Hold on, you guys," Yui said as ShadowMetalGarurumon drew closer. "Let's not be too hasty."
Suddenly, the aerial figure rocketed toward the group and flew past ShadowMetalGarurumon. Yui and company were taken aback by this particular Rajita's aerial speed as they tried to follow her movements. Lien stopped as she stood afloat over Yui and the others.
"HELLO!" Lien greeted the group.
"So, it is a Rajita!" ShadowMetalGarurumon snarled as he whirled around and prepared to attack.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Lien is not here to attack you!" The alien girl backed off, trying to console the defensive group.
Yui relaxed a little as she sensed a benevolent nature from this strange Rajita. "Calm down, guys. I think she's on the level."
"How do you know that?" Aoshi asked.
Kohana nodded. "She's right. This one here has some good vibes about her."
Shiro jumped off Kohana's back and flew up to Lien. He examined Lien from up close and rotated around her, studying her alien energy. Lien curiously stared at Shiro and edged close enough to look him into his eyes.
"Oh, a little creature?" Lien blinked innocently as she poked at Shiro's head. "Hmmm?"
"Ow!" Shiro whined. "You'll poke my eye out!"
"She can see Shiro?" Kohana was befuddled by the notion of an alien seeing a spiritual creature.
"Hey, what are you?" Lien asked innocently as she turned an ear and glanced at Yui's group. "Oh, humans?" She hovered over in front of Yui, Aoshi, Cammy, and Kohana. "Pleased to meet you. I'm not here to bring any harm to you, but I came to ask if you know where I could find my sensei."
"Your... sensei?" Cammy blinked.
"Who might your sensei be?" Yui inquired.
Tuxedo Kamen was about to draw out his sword in his cane. However, as the teens conversed with Lien, he realized how the alien posed no threat to the group. Nonetheless, he closely observed the alien girl suspiciously.
"Oh, my sensei? She's the top general... she's Nagah-sensei. I've been looking ALL over for her, but Lien ended up lost. Lien can't even feel her energy... it might be because she's in her Mach Fighter. Oh, yes! That might be why!"
As the new Spirit Detectives looked at each other with befuddled looks, Lien hovered closer and eavesdropped on their chat.
"Excuse me? Um, do you know where Lien can find her?"
Kohana responded as she called Shiro back. "No, I'm sorry. We don't even know what she looks like."
"Wait... Nagah?" Cammy gasped as she recalled hearing that specific name brought up by her sister and the Senshi. "Nagah... as in... one of the four Rajita generals? She's still alive?!"
Lien nodded. "Of course, Nagah-sensei is alive! She's been working very hard to bringing our people together and making room for our leader! She's my sensei and she's very strong! I admire her!"
As the teens turned faced Tuxedo Kamen, the masked man gave them an encouraging nod. Yui was the first to exchange looks with Lien. Again, Lien blinked like the naive child she was.
"...look. You called yourself Lien, right?" Yui asked the alien girl.
Lien gasped. "How do you know of Lien's name? Lien never told-"
"You told us now!" The group exclaimed in unison.
"You're speaking about yourself in the third person. It's kind of a giveaway," Yui pointed out. "Lien, look. We don't know where your sensei is, but... she's fighting our friends. She arrived at the shrine and ambushed us with this large group of soldiers in these mechas."
"Oh, yes! She must be leading a fleet of Black Knights! Lien remembers, but... she's attacked your friends?!"
"Which means you're an enemy of ours," Kohana adamantly said as she heatedly pointed to Lien.
Shiro crossed his arms and huffed. "Well, I'll be."
"Oh... me?" Lien gasped as she slinked away. "But, Lien doesn't hate you. You see... I didn't come here to fight anyone. I just came to watch."
"Please, this whole cutesy innocent act is old news. We KNOW you're lying through your damn teeth!" Kohana angrily spat out at Lien.
"Kohana, stop it," Yui scolded her colleague.
"Yui-chan, this is a Rajita. Kohana has a point," Aoshi said.
Ignoring her friends for a moment, Yui focused on trying to get Lien's attention. "Lien, listen... we're here to find our other friends."
"Are they fighting with my people?"
"No. They're not, but we need to get over there because my friend here..." She turned and referred to Kohana sitting beside her. "She has a big brother who needs us. There's a bad guy leading a group of monsters to take him and my friend here."
"...oh?" Lien blinked. "Oh, that's terrible! You must protect your friend and her brother then! You must go!"
"But, we can't just let you off the hook! Your people are trying to kill our friends!" Kohana exclaimed.
"Easy, Kohana," Tuxedo Kamen consoled the vexed teenage girl and moved in closer to the alien girl. "You must be confused being involved in the middle of our conflict. Your people attacked our planet once before and are now launching another assault as we speak. The Senshi are engaging your people in war. Now this hasn't been a recent conflict. It's been a war that's boiled for centuries even past your time. It all started since Ghidorah was in power."
"Ghi... Oh Lord Ghidorah!" Lien said. "But, he's gone... Lien recalls someone destroyed him. Some big black bird or something?"
"Yes, it was the Yami Houou," Cammy answered the alien girl, standing up on her feet. "You mean us no harm. Would you permit to pass? Our other friends need us. You understand, right? After all, you're looking for your sensei... she might be looking for you."
"Yes, that's right! Lien wants to find her Nagah-sensei as soon as possible!"
"This is getting us nowhere," Shiro sighed.
ShadowMetalGarurumon looked up at Yui and scoffed. "We really should get going."
"You're right, but we can't just leave her hanging..." Yui stopped as she and the others sensed a pair of Youki nearby. "We've got company."
As everyone, except Lien, turned, they spotted Nihi and Braco standing on top of a building roof. The two Shadow Guardians quickly caught a glimpse of Kohana. Their intended target was right there out in the open.
"There she is! Rio's sister!" Braco called out as he stared up at Kohana.
Nihi smiled a premature victory grin. "Lucky us."
"Oh great! Are these guys associated with that creep who tried to take Kohana away?!" Aoshi snarled as he eyed the two Meikai warriors.
"You're really popular tonight, Kohana," Yui joked.
Out of impulse, Kohana gave Yui the 'finger.' "Oh shut up."
"HERE WE COME!!" Nihi and Braco roared as they sprang up to attack the group.
"Ready, guys?" Yui asked her team.
Cammy called forth her Digital Priestess power. "I always come prepared!"
"Nah, let me handle this one!" Kohana said as she raised her right hand. "Come to me, Shiro! Turn into a gauntlet!"
"Here I go!" Shiro cried out as his entire form exploded into a puff of smoke.
"Gauntlet Chaser!!" Kohana announced.
In place of Shiro was a golden gauntlet in the shape of a dog's paw. Connected to the gauntlet was a crystal, which was attached to a wire. Kohana grabbed the gauntlet. She instinctively turned as Braco and Nihi came within ten feet of her reach. Kohana slashed her gauntlet around, letting the wire to freely fly out with the crystal attached. The wire ensnared Nihi first and pulled him forward.
"Are you crazy?!" Nihi laughed while trying to break the wire to free himself. "It's as if you want me to capture you!"
Kohana smirked. "Please, dumbass. You're the one I don't want to get away." As she jumped forward, she used her gauntlet and slashed through Nihi like wet paper. Skewering the Meikai warrior into pieces, Kohana let Cammy and Yui incinerate the pieces with beams of spirit energy. "Thanks, guys!" She hopped down, holding her gauntlet in hand. You, too, Shiro. Good work.
"Nihi!" Braco exclaimed as he dove in to try and save his partner.
Taken aback by the Meikai warrior's aggressive front, Lien frowned as she flew in and headbutted Braco away. Surprised, the Shadow Guardian was knocked back as he stopped and glared toward Lien.
"You... you little witch! You dare to interfere?!"
"You're being mean to these people! Why?! They did nothing to you!" Lien retorted.
"Idiot. My partner and I came here for something important! Now move!"
"LEAVE MY FRIENDS ALONE!!" Lien screamed as she manipulated the sound behind her voice. The destructive hypersonic voice not only stopped Braco in his tracks, but made him explode. Her voice even shattered all the windows in a 12-block radius.
The whole group covered their ears as ShadowMetalGarurumon swayed back from Lien.
As she finished screaming, Lien turned and smiled innocently. "Oh dear... did I overdo it?"
"Gah... did she just... she wiped that freak out with just her voice?!" A shocked Aoshi glanced, his eyes and mouth agape.
"Yeah..." Cammy gulped.
Tuxedo Kamen gaped in shock at the sight of the building completely free of ANY windows. Incredible! And she's just a child like Cammy-chan and the others!
"Sorry about that! You see Nagah-sensei really forbids me from using my special attack," Lien apologized to the group. "She believes if I pushed myself too far... I could wipe out a whole city with it."
"Well, good thing you only used it on that guy!" Yui cried out, falling back out of bewilderment. Sheesh, I'm glad she hasn't attacked us nor has attempted to... yet.
"Please, go on. I don't want to trouble you anymore. Go and help your friends! I have to get going and find my Nagah-sensei!" Lien said as she slowly swayed from the group. "Be careful and good luck to you..."
"Wait, Lien," Kohana addressed to the young alien.
Turning around, Lien blinked. "Yes...? May I help you?"
"My name is Kohana Kuroshishi," she said as her gauntlet turned back into Shiro. "And this is my partner Shiro. He's my spirit animal and sidekick mascot."
"Who're you callin' a mascot?" Shiro scoffed.
"I'm Yui Tsubasa."
"Cammy Hino."
"Aoshi Inuki."
"Tuxedo Kamen."
"ShadowMetalGarurumon."
As she etched each of their names in her mind, Lien nodded happily. "You have such nice names! Lien likes them! Then... then... you can be Lien's new friends?"
"Eh, well... that's a bit complicated... we're..."
Lien interjected as she cut off Yui mid-sentence. "Then, Lien will see you again, new friends! Please, let us cross paths once again as the stars align with themselves! Farewell, new friends! Good luck and may you have a safe journey to rescue your friends! May peace be with you!" With that, the alien girl glided away as she pressed on to search for Nagah's whereabouts.
The group watched on in complete, awkward silence.
"...uh. Yeah, that was interesting," Cammy sweatdropped.
"She's like... the total opposite of what I'd expect from her kind," Yui sighed with relief. "Kind of refreshing. She didn't even once try to attack us."
"She's a kind spirit. A rarity amongst the Rajita," Tuxedo Kamen said. "Like Morpheous, but more... pure."
"Yeah, I can sense really nothing but good intentions. Though, she's loyal to her sensei," Aoshi said.
Rei's sister sat down and crossed her arms. "But, her sensei is... Nagah! The same general who served under Ghidorah. I can't believe she's still alive."
"Add the fact she's leading a whole army. She must've been promoted to an all-time high position," ShadowMetalGarurumon said.
Kohana watched the sparkling beacon fade into the distance. "There she goes. You know... she wasn't that bad. Kinda naive and a bit childish, but... not too bad. Maybe we'll meet again. Who knows?"
"Well, for now... we have more pressing matters to get to, guys," Yui declared as she turned toward the north. "Thanks to Kohana and Lien, we were able to divert two more of those Meikai demons. I can sense more are on the move and engaging Yusuke."
"Is my brother with them?" Kohana inquired.
"Yeah. So, let's get going, ShadowMetalGarurumon."
The black metallic wolf acknowledged his partner's command. "I'm on it."
Without wasting any time, ShadowMetalGarurumon glided off into the distance while carrying his passengers. They pressed onward in the north direction, which would take them near Yusuke and Rio's positions.
xxxxx
Suddenly, Kyo ceased fighting as he shifted his eyes upward. He sensed an approaching presence... actually, several life energies. Amongst them, he quickly picked out and recognized one of them to be his own sister.
"Kyo-sama?" Shin said as he jumped over by the Demon Knight's side. "I can feel..."
"It's her. Kohana is coming here," Kyo smiled wickedly.
Yusuke gasped in shock. "What?!"
Just then, Rio flew out of nowhere and landed head first next to Yusuke. Selipa descended from above as she joined Kyo and Shin. Yusuke hurried over by Rio's side, lifting him off the ground.
"Rio! Are you okay, man?" Yusuke asked.
"I'll manage, but... Kyo's woman sure can dish it out," Rio coughed as he put an arm around Yusuke to support himself.
"I can tell," Raizen's descendant added. "Kohana and the others are coming. I guess they couldn't wait."
"But, why...?" Rio gritted his teeth. "Are they crazy?! They should turn back!"
"Don't worry. These guys aren't going to take what they're looking for," Yusuke reassured him. Shooting an incensed glance at Kyo and Selipa, he heatedly pointed at the Demon Knights. "You're not going back with anything... except maybe the ashes of your comrades."
Selipa chortled. "He's quite the mouthy one, isn't he?"
Kyo snickered. "Oh yes. With our dear sister coming... things are looking up for us. Right, Rio?"
"You shut up!" Yusuke snapped, raising his right fist. "Rio, let's finish these guys."
xxxxx
Domino City District/Kaiba Corp/Lobby/1:12 AM
Back inside Kaiba Corp, Seto and Lyn (as Kaibaman and D.D. Warrior Lady) were clearing the entire lobby of nearly every Paradais Knight. The Knight's attempt to infiltrate the facility failed, but the bomb was still in the basement... waiting to go off in just over 15 minutes. The Knights barricaded Seto and Lyn, keeping them from reaching the basement level.
"Seto! We don't have time to deal with them!" Lyn exclaimed as she shifted her view toward an exit, which led directly into the basement. "There! All we need to do is pass through there!"
As two Paradais Knights advanced toward him, Seto directed his eyes to the exit. "I know, Lyn! These annoying pissants just keep coming!"
"HEY, SIS! SETO!!" The cries of two brothers called out from near the elevators.
"Can it be...?!" Lyn gasped as she and Seto saw Max and Sam emerge through the elevators. "You guys! Head for the exit! Right there!"
"We know!" Max responded as he and Sam headed out toward the exact exit.
Turning an ear, Sam faced the group following them. "C'mon guys!"
The next group to emerge through the elevators was Alexis, Syrus, Hassleberry, Akiza, Leo, Luna, Trudge, Mina, Carly, Raphael, Alister, and Valon. They followed directly where Max and Sam were.
"Great job, guys! Keep going!" Lyn shouted.
"Right!" Max and Sam opened the exit door, granting their friends access to the basement.
Suddenly, another elevator opened as Leroy and his Paradais Knight colleagues stormed out into the lobby. They shifted their focus primarily on Seto and Lyn.
"Damn, they must've gone into the basement," Leroy cursed as he waved a signal to four of his Knights. "Follow them!"
"Right!" The group of four headed out toward the basement.
Seto snarled as he jumped across a barricade and blocked the four from barging through.
"Seto Kaiba, how fortunate we meet," Leroy nonchalantly addressed to the CEO. "So, how do you like the game we've set up?"
As Seto ran steadfast past the four Paradais Knight, he lunged at Leroy and punched him square in the jaw.
"Nice one!" Lyn cried out as she hurried over to join Seto until Leroy's colleagues blocked her off.
Wiping the blood from his lip, Leroy only managed to smile. He amusedly laughed off at Seto's strike. "That was a nice punch, Seto Kaiba. Just as I'd expect from a firm and strong man like yourself. With all that power you wield..." He stood up while spitting blood from his mouth. "Only a man of your elite caliber is worthy of maintaining control over Kaiba Corp for so many years."
"You and these bastards planted a bomb in MY building. It's only a matter of time before the bomb is shut off."
"Oh yes. Though, they only have..." Leroy looked at his watch. "Fifteen minutes. Then again, they have to choose the right wire first."
"Seto..." Lyn whispered as she approached behind her boyfriend. She put her back against his as they faced the Paradais Knights by themselves. You can do it, bros. I know you can deactivate that bomb.
"Seto Kaiba and Lyn Stromberg. The King and the Queen of Kaiba Corp," Leroy addressed to the two by their 'regal' titles as a Knight handed him a device which fired the collars that restrained the other Duelists. "Stand down. You two will stay where you are."
"Threatening me in MY domain?" Seto growled.
Lyn held her sword as she slashed across, forcing the Knights back. "Bastard. You can't contain us like this."
"I'm afraid I have. We, the Paradais Knights, are running the show now," the arrogant man proclaimed as he took a bow. Like the conceited man he was, Leroy turned his nose up at Seto and Lyn. "Just 15 more minutes will do. 15 minutes and Kaiba Corp will be nothing more than a smoking crater. Ah, don't you like the sound of it?"
Seto and Lyn didn't budge an inch as the Paradais Knights pointed their arms and devices at the couple. Nothing they could do would allow them to slip through into the exit door. All they could do is hope Max, Sam, and the others reach the bomb to deactivate it.
xxxxx
Azabu-Juuban Shopping District/1:15 AM
Meanwhile, Valkyrie Neo Moon and Valkyrie Sedna's momentum worked against them as Nagah took every shot they gave her. Neo Moon rode on Pegasus' back while flying closer to stab Nagah with her sword. As if she were reading Neo Moon's moves, Nagah evaded every sword strike Neo Moon dealt her with. Nagah even caught Neo Moon's sword briefly until Pegasus attempted to headbutt her. Nagah teleported out of Pegasus and Neo Moon's reach while reappearing above them...
WHAM!
...only to be blindsided by a flying kick to the back from Sedna. Nagah quickly recovered, spun around, and trapped Sedna's leg between her left arm and body. The Ice Senshi tried to pivot and kick away from the hold with her other leg, but Nagah parried the strike with her right arm while charging up an energy blast in her right fist.
"Let's see you dodge this, bitch!" Nagah snarled as she fired a beam into Sedna at point-blank range.
Sedna, thinking quickly, flash-froze herself instantly, giving her an icy armor to brace herself against the incoming blast. However, it didn't seem to be enough as the shot hit her and shattered her into powdered snow.
"SEDNA!!!" Neo Moon cried out for her friend.
"Hah! That's one down, and you to go!" Putting her right hand out, Nagah fired another guided beam, this time at Neo Moon.
Neo Moon countered as she waved her sword overheard, forging a pink barrier that formed like an orb around her.
"Moon Barrier!!"
"Gah, this again?!" Nagah frowned as she repeated the process and fired more beams at Neo Moon. "Down with your barrier!"
While channeling her energy through the barrier, Pegasus offered to transfer his own power to further solidify the barrier.
"Allow me, Princess Serenity."
"Thanks, Pegasus."
To Nagah's dismay, a golden barrier overlapped the pink layers of the first one. This further solidified the barrier, reinforcing it with an aura stronger than before. This also granted Neo Moon and Pegasus more time to strategize. But, until then, Nagah wouldn't stop firing blasts at the barrier. The Neo-Rajita general vanished and reappeared in front of the barrier. She placed her hand on the barrier's surface, which emitted a discharged spark that repelled the alien back.
The overly calm Nagah smirked, licking the wound inflicted on her hand. "Trust me. This barrier is going to come down sooner or later."
Whilst Nagah punched against the barrier, Neo Moon raised her sword and focused her view toward the alien.
"C'mon on out, Princess Serenity! Let me give you the same treatment I gave the original Senshi years ago!" Nagah grinned as she laughed maniacally and punched against the barrier. After each punch, all she could think about was getting her hands (literally) on Neo Moon's power.
Suddenly, Nagah felt a cool wind pass along by. Her eyes caught a glimpse of ice falling in front of her. As the alien whirled around, Nagah looked up as a freezing wind converged with shards of ice. These shards merged together, forming what appeared to be a human figure. The ice figure's appearance became more detailed. A familiar Valkyrie armor and facial features looked identical to Sailor Sedna. In fact, it was Sailor Sedna, who was regenerating. Nagah initially 'destroyed' her with a beam that blew her ice form into pieces. Believing she had 'killed' Sedna, Nagah attacked Neo Moon and Pegasus without knowledge of Sedna's unique abilities.
"Damn! I thought..." Nagah gasped, taken aback by Sedna's regenerative ability. That blast... I know I saw her body explode right in front of my eyes! "Sneaky bitch. You had me convinced..."
"...didn't anyone tell you to never underestimate your enemy? You're one of the top Rajita generals. You should know better," Sedna scoffed as her entire face and body's normal complexion returned. The icy layers receded back inside her Valkyrie armor. "As long as I'm Valkyrie form, I can always keep coming back. You can even blast me until there's nothing left. I'll just keep regenerating." Still, it does take a lot of energy out of me. Don't want to have to go through that again!
"Well, thank you for informing me of this trick of yours," Nagah chuckled. "I'll know not to make the same mistake."
"Moon Divine Slash!!"
Nagah twirled around as a pink blade-like projectile wove directly toward her. The general evaded the spinning blade, letting it fly up into the clouds. She watched as Neo Moon came flying toward her, raising her sword overheard.
"Moon Divine Slash!!"
Nagah evaded the repeated attack.
Sedna flew right up behind Nagah and thrust her ice blade to impale her.
The Neo-Rajita general vanished from Sedna's reach.
As Nagah reappeared over her adversaries, she launched a volley of beams. Sedna, Neo Moon, and Pegasus swiftly evaded the array of condensed beams that targeted them. The trio countered as they forged barriers, negating Nagah's beams from hitting them. Sedna glided upward, maintaining her ice barrier while guiding her way through Nagah's beams. Neo Moon hopped on Pegasus as they followed along Sedna's path. Sedna gripped her sword and flew right up in front of Nagah.
"Give me your best shot, Sedna!"
"Frozen Tundra Blade!!"
Thrusting her ice sword forward, Nagah easily tilted her head and read through Sedna's tactics.
"Oh, this again? How boring! You're not even trying!"
"Moon Divine Shooter!!"
Neo Moon launched a volley of pink blasts, which she attempted to bombard Nagah with.
Nagah countered by backhanding every guided beam. The general slapped away the beams, letting them scatter across various areas in the local shopping district. Nagah didn't even work up a sweat while making short work of Neo Moon's beams.
"Your attacks are too predictable! Just who the hell do you think you're challenging here?!"
"We don't care!" Sedna roared as she flew toward Nagah and madly slashed at her. Needless to say, Nagah evaded her blade strikes swiftly and without hesitation. Sedna realized that her sword strikes were only hitting various after-images. Damn! Is she this fast?!
"Oh, you're probably thinking. No, no, let me guess... am I too fast for you? Hmmm?"
Neo Moon and Pegasus turned as they spotted Nagah floating in mid-air. The alien, with a bored and solemn look, stared over her bedazzled adversaries while twirling a lock of her own hair. Sedna, too, caught Nagah's reflection from her view and pivoted her head. Overwhelmed with shock, the two girls and the winged horse were taken aback by Nagah's speed and adept defense skills.
"You three are way out of my league," Nagah sighed with boredom. "I'm rather disappointed. All this hype about Valkyrie armors and this is all I get? I knew facing you was a waste of time, but yet I still came for a fight." She stared at their shocked expressions, which forced an evil, seductive smile to adorn her beautiful face. "Hn, I knew I should've waited for the older Senshi. At least I can expect them to return with supposedly newer and stronger powers. I wanted to test out the extent of their Valkyrie powers, but I get you immature brats instead. You'll never live up to the name of the legendary Sailor Senshi. Not now. Not ever. Because I'll ensure you never live to see the next sunrise!" With that, she vanished and reappeared in front of the trio. "So, I'm throwing off the gloves." She removed both gloves, revealing her green hands. Pressing her hands against her own chest, she elicited a slight moan. "Oh, just how I'm going to enjoy putting my lips against yours."
"Freak! Ick!" Neo Moon stuck her tongue out in disgust. "Keep those nasty hands away!"
Sedna didn't give Nagah any time to conjure up a plan and attacked her head-on. The Ice Senshi thrust her sword, prompting Nagah to evade her every strike.
"As long as she doesn't touch us, we'll be fine!" The Ice Senshi shouted while repeatedly striking at Nagah. "Neo Moon! Pegasus! Attack her from the rear!"
"Right!" Neo Moon cried out as Pegasus guided her through the air. She and Pegasus made a quick U-turn maneuver, coming up from Nagah's rear. "Ready!"
Valkyrie Sedna smiled. "Good." As she flew up out of Nagah's range, the Ice Senshi cried out as particles of ice accumulated around the teenage girl. The ice particles surrounded Sedna, forming a thick glacial aura around her armor. Her eyes soon turned white as she raised her head.
"Don't get carried away!" Nagah fired two beams at Sedna.
Before the beams hit Sedna, a reinforced glacial barrier negated Nagah's attacks. Nagah turned around as Neo Moon and Pegasus provided a temporary distraction, allowing Sedna to summon the spirit of her polar bear. Invoking her animal's power, she raised her head as her polar bear appeared over her.
"Sedna, I'm here."
"My friend," Sedna whispered as she reached out to him. "Share with me your power."
"As you wish."
With that, the polar bear's form dispersed into a mist of cool wind. The cool wind whirled around Valkyrie Sailor Sedna as it seeped through her majestic armor. Sedna gasped with ecstasy as the polar bear's power filled her young body, empowering the teen with his arctic strength. Sedna's eyes turned all white while she became rejuvenated. Waving her ice sword down, Sedna flew toward Nagah.
Neo Moon repelled the general back by blasting her with pink blasts. "Moon Divine Shooter!!"
The Neo-Rajita general swiftly evaded through Neo Moon's aerial blasts. However, before she initiated her next attack, Valkyrie Sedna glided right above Nagah and caught her with a kick to her face. Nagah raised her right hand, catching Sedna's kick with little effort. The empowered Ice Senshi spun around, flipping her entire body counter clockwise as she wrapped her legs around Nagah's right ankle.
Taken by Sedna's clever tactic, she left herself wide open as Sedna pushed her blade upward. The Ice Senshi directed her blade toward Nagah's throat.
"You've got her!" Neo Moon exclaimed.
"...heh, did you?" Nagah smirked as she leaned her head back, letting Sedna's blade thrust through the air. Before Sedna released mist to freeze Nagah's foot, the general teleported out of Sedna's reach and reappeared in front of her. "Nice try, Sedna. But, again, I'm way out of your league."
Sedna flew back as she rejoined Neo Moon and Pegasus' side.
Is this seriously one of the generals Sailor Moon and the others faced? No wonder they had trouble with her! Neo Moon observed Nagah from her side of the aerial vicinity.
"Fancy that. Could I be wrong? You kids do have potential, but your efforts lack a certain substance. Something the older Senshi have..." Nagah's lips curled into a devilish smirk as she put her hands against her hips. "Now, how about those kisses I owe you?"
"Damn! She's going for that after all!" Sedna exclaimed as she readied her ice sword.
Neo Moon snapped. "You're not lip locking me!"
Pegasus hunched over, gritting his teeth viciously as he prepared to defend his rider. "Here she comes! Get ready!"
Nagah stormed ahead as she headed off Neo Moon, Sedna, and Pegasus. Collecting energy in her palms, she threw condensed orbs at trio and sent them scattering. It didn't take long for the trio to fire beams, abruptly canceling out her guided attacks.
"Now, to use their own attacks against them. Oh, Nagah dear... you're a clever one," Nagah giggled devilishly as she flew in and waited for the right opportunity to work her magic.
xxxxx
Azabu-Juuban District/Near Hikawa Shrine/1:17 AM
"AUGH!!" Valkyrie Sailor Varuna cried out as she hit the side of a building. She pulled herself out of the wall whilst glancing upward to find Blitzkrieg launching beams through his right palm. "Shit!" She flipped over, quickly scaling up the wall. Once she reached the building's rooftop, she bounced off and glided forward to initiate a counterstrike on the Neo-Rajita general.
Varuna brought her axe down, which Blitzkrieg caught with his left hand. The general seized the axe, firmly gripping the weapon while trying to wrestle it out of Varuna's hand. Forming another orb in his right hand, Blitzkrieg blasted Varuna and knocked her back. While in mid-air, Varuna quickly 'put the brakes on' and stopped herself from hitting the building behind her.
"Humph," Blitzkrieg grunted as he flung the axe back at Varuna.
Catching the axe, Varuna armed herself again and readied herself. She discreetly noted the lack of cuts on the warrior's body. Following every axe blow, none of them dealt any damage to him.
"This bastard's skin has to be tough... like steel or something harder," Varuna muttered.
"Woman. Is that all ya got?!" The crude general spat out, narrowing his eyes coldly at the blonde.
"I have a name! It's Sailor Varuna!"
"Fine, Varuna," Blitzkrieg cracked a big smile, relishing every minute of Varuna's suffering. "If you aren't coming at me, I'm gonna punch a thousand holes through you."
"I'd like to see you try, bitch," Varuna scoffed.
'Knock, knock...'
"Eh?" The blonde blinked momentarily as she glanced around, searching for the 'voice' that came out of nowhere. "Where the hell did that come from?"
Suddenly, a white rabbit appeared in front of Sailor Varuna. The rabbit had a face that resembled Hiei's impassive look. Surprised by the rabbit's appearance, Varuna jumped back.
What the hell?! It's YOU! Varuna exclaimed in thought.
"Yeah, nice to meet you, too. Not."
I was in the middle of something! That general... I'm fighting him right now!
"Yet you're getting your cute little ass handed by him."
CUTE?! I'll show you-
"Think fast."
Huh?
As the rabbit vanished from Varuna's view, Blitzkrieg blitzed forward and reached Varuna at hypersonic speed. Before Varuna could blink, Blitzkrieg tried to punch Varuna whilst the Dutch Senshi lifted her axe to counter his punch.
"Are you daydreaming or something?! Eh?! That's okay I guess," Blitzkrieg cackled like a maniac. "I'll be more than happy to knock your head off your shoulders!"
Varuna gritted her teeth, her arms shook while trying to hold her axe up. "Shit, shit!"
Once again, the rabbit appeared by Varuna's side.
"He can't see me right now, Varuna. I'm giving you this chance for us to combine. Allow me to lend you a boost."
Valkyrie Varuna flew back, distancing herself from Blitzkrieg briefly. How?! You mean... you and me actually combining? I don't think I'd want to look like a rodent in armor.
"Idiot. I mean by letting you use my energy. Your power will enhance at least five times than it currently is."
Tempting offer...
"Last chance. Going once, going twice..."
"Oh for god's sakes..." Varuna growled as she reached out and let the rabbit hop onto her right shoulder. I really don't like cute fuzzy animals, especially smart-assed ones.
"You're one to talk, Tyra Vanderbilt."
Whatever, let's get this over with! Valkyrie Varuna raised her head as a golden aura enveloped her body. As the rabbit turned into a stream of light, Varuna threw her arms out and freely let the rabbit's spiritual essence enter her.
Blitzkrieg stopped mid-way through his aerial charge as he viewed Varuna being filled with energy.
"What's going on here?" Blitzkrieg observed Varuna, sensing her power quickly increasing. Where is she getting this boost of power? I can't seem to see the source. Wait! Could this be linked to her armor? "Don't get carried away, woman!" He shouted as he flew forward and threw his right hand at Varuna.
With one hand, Valkyrie Varuna caught Blitzkrieg's punch with a quick reflex. The blonde turned as her eyes turned white.
"...where is this coming from?"
"I told you," Varuna interjected to correct the general. "My name is Sailor Varuna."
With a sudden rush of energy filling her, Varuna unleashed a golden aura that knocked Blitzkrieg twenty feet back.
"Let's go, you bastard. Round two!"
As his lips curled into a big grin, Blitzkrieg cackled with excited glee. In fact, he became exhilarated by Varuna's sudden growth in substantial power.
"Hahahaha! Yes... YES! Perfect, now that's more like it! I want more, Sailor Varuna!" Blitzkrieg laughed, his laughter indicated excitement with playing with his renewed opponent. "Show me why you were chosen to be one of the Kuiper Senshi. Show me why you're second behind Sailor Sedna!"
The sly blonde scoffed. "Getting a little too excited? Don't get your hopes up. C'mon!"
With that, Blitzkrieg vanished and reappeared in front of Valkyrie Sailor Varuna. They quickly exchanged blows as Varuna countered one of Blitzkrieg's hand strikes. Both warriors shot intent glances toward each other. From a distant view, both of them were seen as streams of light colliding with one another. Then, they blitzed across the skies whilst hitting beyond hypersonic speeds. As they collided, their energy trade-offs filled the skies with an overwhelming output of pressure (enough to cause buildings and homes to tremble under them).
xxxxx
Juuban Park/1:19 AM
Razorclaws swayed through Valkyrie Eris and Valkyrie Ixion's attacks simultaneously. Once he evolved into his advanced hybrid form, Razorclaws utilized his speed to outmaneuver Eris and Ixion by a great margin. He was able to get behind Ixion and Eris, attacking them with the abilities he obtained from inheriting Dinobeemon's data.
"Masquerade."
As he announced his attack, Razorclaws' body swayed around as moved to his left side. Then, he shifted over to the right side. He repeated the process whilst leaving various afterimages to throw off Ixion and Eris' defenses. He vanished while his afterimages befuddled the Valkyrie Senshi. Before Ixion and Eris could attempt to counter, they were slashed by multiple strikes from out of nowhere. Ixion and Eris were taken by surprise as Razorclaws reappeared in front of them. His razor, long claws were covered with the girls' own blood.
"Damn! This guy has gotten fast since..." Eris gritted her teeth while holding her chest. As she looked over her armor, she noticed blood dripping from a deep cut on her left arm. "Shit. Ixion, are you okay?"
"Just a few scratches."
Razorclaws smirked as he wiped his fingers of the girls' blood. "I'll give you ladies credit where it's due. Though you're outclassed, you still remain poised and ready to fight with your lives at stake. That's the true mark of a warrior. You are true Valkyrie Senshi."
"Blah, blah... we don't need your bullshit approval," the Texan Senshi retorted, holding her lasso in hand.
Ixion asserted as she drew the Neo-Rajita's attention. "You're only a minion working for a general. That means only one general is amongst you at this moment."
Razorclaws calmly responded. "No, there are three generals amongst us. However, I serve under only one of them."
"Three generals? Ah, man. That's not good..." Eris remarked.
"I serve the sixth Neo-Rajita General: Blitzkrieg. Thirteen generals have been administered to lead us. These thirteen are the most efficient killers under Lord Gamera and Chief Advisor Nagah, the top general above the designated thirteen. They are our lords."
"Thirteen's an unlucky number then," Eris said. "How obvious."
"These thirteen elites receive the numbers one to thirteen, in descending order of their strength level," Razorclaws continued, lifting his hands in front while displaying his set of razor claws. "Three of them are in this world as we speak. All of them engaged in battle. I sense your colleagues are fighting all three of them. I wonder... will they even survive to see the next sunrise?"
"They will!" Ixion exclaimed defiantly. "You hear me?!"
"Don't count our friends short, you freak. I don't care if you and your sideshow freaks inherited a hundred digimon... we're not going to fall! The older Senshi have entrusted us to protect this world!"
The Valkyrie Senshi duo cried out in unison. "We're not going to let them down!"
"Humph, so you say. Defiant until the end. Arrogance... a human flaw which will be your own undoing..."
Suddenly, as Ixion and Eris mounted their next move, they sensed energy pressure building up near them. They raised their heads, befuddled by what their senses have traced. Razorclaws blinked as he meticulously watched the Valkyrie Senshi duo.
"Did you feel that, Eris?"
"I did. What was that?"
'Usssss, Ixion.'
'Can you hear me, Eris?'
"Uh... am I getting delusional or did that freak knock my freakin' screws loose?" Eris surveyed her surroundings.
"I'm in the same camp as you, Eris."
Just then, the girls blinked as a yellow cobra and a gray bodied, green-tailed falcon appeared out of thin air. They hovered in front of the girls, catching them by surprise. Then, Ixion and Eris reflected back to seeing images of animals entering their bodies. This happened during the initial Valkyrie power enhancement process.
"Hey, I remember... you... that falcon."
"And that snake. You're that cobra!"
The cobra flickered her tongue as she coiled her body around Ixion. "Took you long enough to remember ussss."
The male falcon flew over and landed on Eris' left shoulder. "Eris, I'm here to serve you."
Razorclaws closely eyed the two Senshi, confused by whom they were 'conversing' with. What are they doing? Who are they conversing with?
"Ok, but what can you two to turn the tide against that freak? He's freaking kicking our asses!" Eris exclaimed.
"Eris, calm down. You two simply haven't utilized the full extent of your armors. We're here to simply allow you to share our power."
"Yesss, share our strength and we'll conquer this malevolent creature."
A reluctant Ixion clenched her fists tightly and gulped. "Will it be enough to defeat that monster?"
"It will, but you two will need to believe us. Trust us..." The two animals tried to engross their words into their wielders' minds.
"Eris."
"Ixion."
"Take what you need and accept our gift! Let us bestow OUR strength to you, Sailor Senshi!"
Finally, as the two animals pleaded again, Eris and Ixion opened their eyes. Their faces etched with determination as they reached out and let the animals enter their bodies. As the cobra's body immersed itself through Ixion's body, the teenage Nigerian threw her head back and cried out. The same happened with Eris as the falcon immersed itself into the young Texan's armor.
However, Razorclaws didn't hesitate as he swiftly moved in and attacked the girls mid-way through their initial enhancement process. What Razorclaws didn't realize was that his claw strikes were repelled by the thick auras that shrouded the girls. Ixion and Eris opened their eyes as they glowed with their own uniform colors. Eris' eyes were green while Ixion's were yellow.
"What's this?!" Razorclaws was taken by surprise. He sensed an overwhelming increase of power from the two girls. Inconceivable. Where did they get this strength from? I could only sense it for a brief interval, but... I sensed two disembodies essences. The power these Senshi possess... such a mystery in itself.
Valkyrie Eris let out a relaxed sigh. "Whew, I feel much better. How about you, Ixion?"
Valkyrie Ixion nodded. "Likewise. Our powers have been augmented at least several times over."
"Which means we can take this guy down."
"Don't get carried away," Razorclaws scoffed as he flexed his sharp, extended fingers. He glided forward, mounting a counterstrike against the Valkyrie Senshi. "Here I come!"
"Let's end this, Eris."
"Now we're talking, gal."
xxxxx
Near Tokyo Tower/1:20 AM
While Toro went for an aerial charge, Valkyrie Orcus and Valkyrie Quaoar flew out of the hybrid warrior's reach. Unfortunately, the tide immediately turned against the girls as Toro's tail extended out and knocked them aside.
"Tail Whipping!!"
Wasting no time, Toro charged forward and fired beams through his horns.
"Matador Dash!!"
Toro took advantage and charged through the Senshi. One of the horns stabbed through Orcus' left side as Quaoar was simply knocked ten feet into the air. Toro shook his head, throwing Orcus up into the air. Quaoar flew over as she caught Orcus.
"Orcus! You're hurt!"
"I'm... fine... just a flesh wound..." Orcus coughed as Toro's horn impaled her right side, leaving a small gaping hole. Blood spilled out of her wound, which Orcus failed to cover up.
"Please, stay still! You'll only bleed more!" Quaoar pleaded.
Chuckling under his breath, Toro shifted his view upward and licked the blood that dripped down his horn. "Mmmm, human blood doesn't taste bad. Feh, time to wipe you two off the face of existence."
While Orcus tried to move against Quaoar's request, the girls heard 'voices.' Caught off guard, the Senshi glanced around to trace these disembodied voices. They were soft whispers, which only they can hear. Toro, like Razorclaws, was befuddled by what the girls were looking for.
'Yoo-hoo! Pretty Orcus! Hey babe! Can ya hear me?!'
'Quaoar, don't be afraid. It's me. You remember?'
"I'm hearing this loud, rowdy voice. It sounds like a really obnoxious bloke."
"The voice I'm hearing sounds gentle and kind. Like me."
Suddenly, the girls watched as a black bat and a red-brown maned wolf appeared. The bat flew around Orcus' head, causing the Australian girl to freak out while the flying mammal cackled like a crazed lunatic. The serene dog, on the other hand, walked up to Quaoar and bowed its head in front of the Brazilian.
"Wait, I remember seeing a bat like you before I got the armor..."
"You two are the animal spirits invoked by our armors!"
"Hehehe, you remember us now?" The male bat snickered. "You girls are pretty slow on the uptake, but hey I'm not complaining. Kekeke!"
"But, why did I end up with a bat?! By all means, I expected a kangaroo, a wallaby, a wombat, or a platypus! But, a bat?!"
As he landed on Orcus' right shoulder, the bat snickered in her right ear. "Did you forget that your powers represent darkness. What animal best represents the night?! Us bats! Kekeke!" He winked, causing the Australian to blush. "You know. You're really cute up close, babe. I'm glad I have a cutie pie like you as my esteemed partner!"
"What are you two here for?" Quaoar inquired.
"You two need our help and we're here for offer our services. Please, allow us to empower you with our strength and knowledge," the female maned wolf offered as she walked up to Quaoar.
The bat flew around Orcus' head and cackled. "What she said! We'll make you two stronger than that bull over there!"
"Can you make us that much stronger?" Orcus asked.
The two animals responded at once. "Exactly!"
"Well? What do you say, Quaoar?"
"Let's do it. Otherwise, we can't beat that Neo-Rajita monster."
Just then, Toro quickly bumrushed toward the Valkyrie Senshi. Valkyrie Orcus extended her right hand as the bat turned into a beam of dark purple light and immersed itself into the Australian. The same process occurred between Valkyrie Quaoar and the maned wolf. Both partners merged into one as the maned wolf turned into light and became absorbed by Quaoar's armor. Both girls out let loud cries as the animal spirits augmented their overall strength. In Orcus' case, the initial power-up healed the wound on her right side. Once Toro came within the girls' reach, he passed through and missed his mark.
"What?!"
Suddenly, the Valkyrie duo reappeared behind Toro. The Neo-Rajita hybrid whirled around, overwhelmed with bewilderment. It was at that very moment the two girls moved out of range quicker than Toro anticipated.
"Impossible... but how?!" Toro spat out.
Orcus blinked as she stared over the thick black aura shrouding her. "Wow, not only do we feel stronger... but..."
Smiling with confidence, Quaoar looked over the brown aura covering her body. "We were able to perceive his movements."
"Feh, you two were just lucky!" The 'Bullmon' hybrid roared as he advanced toward the Valkyries. "You two won't be so lucky! I'll impale you on my horns! It'll be such a fitting end for you two!"
"Ready, Orcus?"
"Hell yeah! Let's grab this take this bull by this horns!"
xxxxx
Juuban Public Hall/1:21 AM
Finally, the Sailor Quartet flew right out of various spots and formed a 'square-shaped' formation around Reptiledramon. They caught the cybernetic digimon, creating a barricade around him. Reptiledramon glanced around frantically while eyeing each Sailor Quartet, who wore determined glares in defiance to his monstrous presence.
"Against the four of us, you don't have a chance!" Sailor Ceres cried out. "Sailor Quartet, together!"
With that, the Quartet threw their hands in conjunction as they amassed glowing orbs of energy. These orbs condensed within their palms as they extended forward and turned into long spears.
"..." Reptiledramon opened his mouth, preparing to counterattack the girls' next course of action.
"You..." Sailor Juno muttered.
"Won't..." Sailor Vesta angrily growled.
"Escape..." Sailor Pallas stated.
"This." Sailor Ceres declared. "Sailor Quartet!"
As the arrows immersed together, they formed into a large concentrated burst of combined energy. The Quartet directed their attack solely on their single target: Reptiledramon. Nonetheless, not willing to go down without a fight, the cybernetic monster opened his mouth and fired a burst of his own concentrated energy. "Crash Charge!!"
"Amazoness Jungle Arrow!!" The Quartet howled in unison as they fired their attack.
Much to Reptiledramon's surprise, the Quartet's combined energy attack engulfed his own. Overwhelmed with shock, Reptiledramon swayed out of range of the attack. However, the Quartet waved their arms upward to 'control' the concentrated attack toward Reptiledramon. Glancing down, Reptiledramon gaped in shock as the beam came toward him.
"It can't be...?!" Reptiledramon hissed.
Sailor Ceres murmured. "Game over for you."
xxxxx
Harajuku Shopping District/1:23 AM
The tide quickly turned against Ryuuhi and Adam in no time. Ayame regained momentum as it blasted the two half-demons back with energy blasts. Adam and Ryuuhi were sent crashing into the concrete.
"My, my, not a wise move to extend this fight further," Ayame sighed restlessly. "Especially when you're up against me."
Pulling himself off the ground, Ryuuhi shook his head. "Damn. Just how did it suddenly catch us off our game like that? We were pinning it against the ropes."
"I know, but like this freak said... he... she... whatever suddenly gets the habit of adapting to his opponent's fighting style," Adam scowled as he intently glared at Ayame's direction. "Damn it. How could we have known?"
"Let's end this, you two pretty boys," Ayame remarked while collecting energy in both palms. "Mmmm. Now, how should I finish you? Quickly or slowly? Oh, who cares? As long as I wipe you out!!"
Observing the ongoing battle from the sidelines, Deedee frantically slapped her wings down out of frustration.
"Damn! That stupid freak! DON'T YOU DARE HARM A HAIR ON MY ADAM-SAMA!!"
"What the hell?! How could they be losing?!"
Deedee's keen ears picked up on Summoner Venus' voice as she turned around. She saw Summoner Venus, Cyber Mercury, and Battle Jupiter arrive at the scene. The tiny bat demon scoffed as she faced the trio, even more annoyed at the sight of Venus herself.
Deedee hissed as she flew around the girls. "That freak suddenly just recovered like nothing happened!"
"What?!" Summoner Venus gasped as she rushed over and watched Ayame delivering multiple punches to the boys. "Adam-kun! Ryuuhi-kun!"
"We need to go down there and help those two!" Battle Jupiter exclaimed.
Cyber Mercury activated her visor as she scanned Ayame, pinpointing the general's weak point. "You two go on then. I'll try and find the enemy's weakness."
xxxxx
Also looking on from the sidelines, Saya and Tsukimaru emerged from the alleyway to cheer on their son.
"C'mon, Adam! Who taught you how to fight?!" Saya cried out, attempting to cheer her son to recover. "Tsukimaru, did you teach him to fight like this?!"
The vampire demon slightly stepped back. "I'd never teach him to fight this sloppy."
"Go... go... GO!!" Young Adam squealed out as he happily cheered on his future self. "GO!!"
"Oh, Adam-kun," Saya conveyed a proud smile as she cheered along with her child. "GO, ADAM-KUN!! GET UP AND FIGHT!!"
"Oh dear... what have I done?" Tsukimaru sighed.
xxxxx
Azabu-Juuban District/Local Neighborhood/1:24 AM
"HA!!" Blue Mars and Chisame shouted as they gripped each other's hands.
The female warriors locked each other's hands while trying to size each other up. Blue Mars pushed her right foot up, kicking Chisame's chin. Reeling from the Senshi's kick, Chisame fell back. Blue Mars blitzed forward and attempted to impale her with an icicle blade. Chisame quickly seized the blade before it impaled her stomach. Gripping the icicle blade, Chisame watched as her hand slowly turned into ice. The alien jerked her hand away, surprised by Blue Mars' secondary ability to manipulate matter and life forms by turning them to ice. Only Chisame's right hand was frozen.
"You're lucky. A little longer, and I'd freeze you completely," Blue Mars coolly replied.
"Yeah, I figured as much, but you're looking a little worse for wear yourself, missy."
Blue Mars panted as she pressed a hand on a stab wound inflicted on her right leg. "I'll recover."
"But, you'll be dead very soon."
"Whatever you say. Let's finish this, alien."
Chisame smirked evilly. "My pleasure, girlie."
xxxxx
Raizen Jr. and Kaname both knelt on opposite ends of the street. They panted while catching their breath.
"Not bad. You're pretty damn tough," Raizen Jr. commended the Neo-Rajita warrior.
Kaname gritted his teeth. "Aye, I can safely say the same for you. Congratulations, but this is as far as you go."
"We'll see."
"Yes, we will."
As he stood in a battle position, Raizen Jr. closed his eyes and sensed his friends' locations. Some of you are doing well. Man, I hope my dad is ok.
xxxxx
"WOO-HOO!!" Daiki howled as he savored every moment of his 'epic' flight inside the Black Knight Blitz mecha he commandeered. He pivoted the mecha and fired a beam, quickly taking out a Black Knight Buster in one shot. "One down!"
Suddenly, one more Buster mecha glide dup behind him.
Turning around, Daiki faced the incoming mecha and impaled it with an energy blade. He turned and pulled upward, cutting the mecha in half and let it explode. after being ripped apart. "Another one bites the dust!"
The last mecha, a Black Knight Blitz model, flew off as it activated its 'cloak' mechanism and disappeared out of Daiki's sights. Unfortunately for this fleeing mecha, Daiki's commandeered mecha possessed a tracer that enabled him to trace the fleeing Black Knight.
"Nice try, but..."
Taking control of the mecha, he guided it forward and activated it boosters to allow it to fly past the last Black Knight mecha. Swerving around, Daiki drove his mecha in front of the enemy Black Knight Blitz and slashed through the mecha suit's torso. As the mecha was slashed in half, both halves fell apart and exploded. With all the enemy mechas cleared away, Daiki remained as the only last pilot standing.
"And with that, this show is over. Thank you and don't come again," Daiki said with a proud, manly grin.
Thud!
Suddenly, the mecha felt as if more weight were piled on top of him. Daiki frantically turned on a monitor and received a visual of IceLeomon on top of the Black Knight Blitz.
"I won't let you take one of our mechas, you bastard!" IceLeomon exclaimed. "You've commandeered the property of the Neo-Rajita!"
Daiki growled as he controlled the mecha's arms and tried to pry IceLeomon off his back. "Sneaking up on me like that?! Unforgivable! You'll regret this, you overgrown feline!"
Pulling out his sword, IceLeomon prepared to cut through the mecha. "Heh, you won't escape me."
"In the name of the spirit that embodies my manly strength, you won't get through!" Sailor Mercury's son roared out of sheer defiance against the Neo-Rajita representative.
xxxxx
Domino City District/Kaiba Corp/Basement Level/1:26 AM
Once they breached several corridors, the group reached the heart of the basement.
The group led by Max and Sam managed to beat up a few Paradais Knights along the way. Max, Sam, Raphael, Valon, and Alister quickly made short work of five Knights that waited to ambush the group.
"I've found it!" Leo shouted as he pointed to a silver box with a digital counter installed on top of it.
It read: 3:55.
"That's the bomb?!" Syrus exclaimed.
"Obviously," Alexis glanced at the bomb.
"Eeek! Somebody turn it off! Turn it off!" Carly panicked.
"Relax, Carly," Mina tried to console Jack's girlfriend.
As Trudge moved in, he analyzed it and pointed out five wires. There was a red, blue, green, yellow, and black wire.
"Hmmm, I've had experience with bombs," Trudge said.
"I suppose we'll leave it to ya, old guy," Valon remarked.
Taken aback by Valon's 'old man' remark, Trudge sucked it up and examined the wires. "Feh, I deal with punks like you everyday back in my time. So, you better watch your mouth."
Raphael turned toward Valon and shook his head in disapproval.
"What?"
"Oh, Valon. Just pipe down," Alister said.
Akiza walked over and knelt by trudge. "Need any help?"
"I can do this..." Trudge quickly started to sweat bullets.
Akiza rolled her eyes. "You'll need help."
"There's five wires," Leo pointed to each one. "Which disarms the bomb?"
"Who cares?! Just snap one already!" Carly screamed out.
"Hey! Pipe down! Will ya?!" Trudge barked at Carly. Shifting his focus on the bomb, he concentrated. "I know if we cut even one... it'll go off."
"Does anyone have wire cutters?" Luna wondered. "I don't think anyone of us do..."
"I do," Trudge said. "I always carry them with me just in case."
"Well, we know we can count on you, but let me see here, sir!" Hassleberry looked over Trudge's shoulder. "You cut the red wire! I've seen it done right in those movies!"
Alexis slapped her forehead. "Oi, vey. We're not in Hollywood, Hassleberry."
"She's right! This is real life! Our lives are really on the line here!" Syrus panicked.
Carly glanced at Syrus and sweatdropped. "Sheesh, and I thought I was a worry wart."
"Quiet everyone! Please!" Luna addressed to everyone in the basement. "Let Trudge handle this!"
"She's right! We don't have time to be squabbling here! Unless you all want to die!" Leo exclaimed.
Max and Sam watched Trudge trying to figure out which wire to cut.
The timer read: 3:01. 3:00. 2:59.
"I've figured it out!" Trudge announced as everyone turned and gathered around him. "Hopefully my instincts are right..." As he lowered the wire cutter, he put it over the blue wire and proceeded to cut it.
Snip.
The timer stopped.
Everyone relieved themselves of the nerve-racking tension.
Then the timer jumped ahead: 00:15.
Everyone quickly screamed out in panic.
"TRUDGE!!" Akiza yelled out at the man.
"WE'RE GONNA DIE!!" Syrus and Carly screamed out for their lives.
"NO!!" Leo and Luna cried.
"Damn it all! Try the red one!" Max and Sam exclaimed.
Trudge snatched his wire cutter and quickly snipped the red one.
Just as he cut it...
The timer stopped right on: 00:02.
"Oh... just... barely..." Trudge slumped back and groaned. Oh, thank god. I can live to fight another day.
Mina caught Trudge from hitting the ground. "There I've got you."
"WE'RE SAVED!!" Carly and Syrus shouted, both of them doing a victory dance.
"Got to hand it to ya, old guy. Ya really pulled it off good," Valon remarked, gaining some respect for Trudge.
Alister chuckled. "You almost had us scared. I mean... we thought you botched it big time."
"We'd be dead. That's for sure," Hassleberry said. "Well done, sir!"
Alexis sighed with relief. "Oh goodness. What else could happen next?"
Cue the sound of guns being loaded.
The group all turned as they spotted four Paradais Knight pointing handheld devices and guns at them.
"That's far enough," one of the Paradais Knights spoke up as he paced forward. "Congratulations on disarming our 'bomb'. But, think about this. If there was really a bomb in this building, would we still be here?"
Upon hearing that, the entire group paused as they conveyed bewildered expressions.
"So if Kaiba Corp was not the target..." Sam asked.
Max gulped. "...then, what was?"
The Paradais Knight wore a wicked grin.
xxxxx
Domino City District/Kaiba Manor/1:30 AM
Kaiba Manor stood quietly on its hallmark landscape. It has settled on this privately owned land for decades.
It took two years to finish its completion.
It only took a few seconds to destroy it.
KA-BOOM!!
The real bomb exploded, blowing up Kaiba Manor from within.
The Paradais Knights have struck once again.
xxxxx
(PREVIEW)
Seto: ....we were tricked?!
Yugi: You mean... that bomb was a decoy?!
Jaden: Kaiba Manor... gone?!
Yusei: This can't be.
Mokuba: These Paradais Knights have gone too far, Seto!
Eris: My spirit is the falcon.
Ixion: My spirit guardian is the cobra.
Orcus: I've got stuck with a crazy bat!
Quaoar: I've got a maned wolf. It suits me.
Razorclaws: Where are you drawing this power from?!
Sedna: Who the hell do you think we are?! We're the Kuiper Senshi!
Nagah: Too bad your efforts will go in vain against me, Sedna. You... fail.
Neo Moon: Shingo, what are you doing?! Get away from here!
Yusuke: Sorry, but you're not getting your hands on Rio and Kohana.
Kyo: I've overlooked your teamwork and tenacity, Spirit Detectives.
Selipa: We won't rest until we come for what we seek.
Varuna: Damn, you're a tough bastard... but, you won't beat me.
Blitzkrieg: Heh, talk all that smack. I'm about to finish this, woman.
Daiki: It's time we end this incursion for good!
Blue Mars: Next time on Dawn of Chaos...
-
Strategic Retreat! The Midnight Incursion Ends!
-
Lien: Nagah-sensei, it's time for us to go!
Nagah: Already?! Lord Gamera?!
Gamera: Return to headquarters, my warriors.
xxxxx
A/N: There's so many battles to follow, but I'm keeping score. This nothing compared to other simultaneous battle fronts that have taken place in my Taiyoukai and Rajita Sagas. Hopefully, you guys are following along. =)
Anyhow, more bad guys bite the dust in this chapter. A few Shadow Guardians and Volcanus. More will fall come Chapter 12, which will conclude this Midnight Incursion mini-arc. These past four chapters have been nothing but focus on the Kuiper Senshi, the Neo Senshi, the OG/Neo Spirit Detectives, and the Duelists. If you're worried about what's happened to the Tamers, Legendary Warriors, and company? I will return to them as we hit Chapter 13. These past chapters were to help further develop the newer characters (i.e. the Neo Senshi and the new Rajita characters). Takato's group will be the first Digi-Team I will cover once we hit 13.
Don't fret, Digifans. :D
Oh, and what did you think of the twist at the end? Did anyone see that coming? Kaiba Manor go boom.
As for what Melancholia said to Helena/Quaoar, I'll cover this in the future. Nothing too grand, but I'll go back and shed light on it. Granted, there are still quite a few plot threads that I haven't even looked at since the Pharaohmon story. I'd like to go back and touch upon any minor (or major) details from Wrath of Pharaohmon (first after re-reading that specific story since we're getting closer to the Valmarmon piece hunt).
Next chapter will wrap up the Midnight Incursion. After that, you can guess it: the start of the Digiteams' journey through each Digital World. The Minos Labyrinth will pick up again a few chapters from now. So, keep this in mind or make note of it.
Send me a review when you're done reading. Take care and stay gold!
