SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 24 out, this is Chapter 25 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Pairings: Tao Ren/Fem!OC, Yoh/Anna

Disclaimers: I own absolutely nothing, except this plot and pairing.

Chapter 25: Gate of Babylon

The next day...

"Lyserg..." Ryu moaned, still shell-shocked by the events the previous day.

"Cut it out already, Ryu." Ren rebuked, slamming his milk bottle on the table.

"You aren't the only one who's not satisfied with all this." Horo Horo agreed. "But it can't be helped."

"By the way, this place is pretty packed, isn't it?" Manta looked around.

"It's not just here." Silva interjected. "The entire town is bustling with fighters or tourists who came to cheer for them. It's because there aren't any matches today."

"No matches?" Manta echoed.

"Yeah." Silva nodded. "The Great Spirits have suddenly become dormant. We, the Ten Priests, are at a loss f0r what to do."

"Is this another one of those 'Wills of the Great Spirits'?" Horo Horo snorted.

"So Hao's or the X-Laws' actions are affecting them somehow." Ren guessed.

"I wonder what's going to happen to the Shaman Fight now." Chocolove mused.

"I know." Manta quipped and switched on his laptop. "I was thinking that maybe some useful information was uploaded or something. This is all I can do."

"What's wrong?" Yoh blinked when the laptop fizzled and shut down.

"What's wrong with this thing?" Manta wondered.

"Could it because..." Horo Horo deathpanned.

"It's dead." Anna declared.

"So blunt!" Hui Ling gawked.

"Ryu?" Manta blinked when Ryu stumbled out of the cafe.

"Leave him alone." Anna advised.

"But..." Manta turned pleadingly to Hui Ling.

"Sorry, Manta." said healer was impervious to the puppy-dog eyes that were shot at her. "I know not of any remedy for heartbreak."

"I can't leave him alone." Manta jumped off his chair and ran off after Ryu.

That evening, after Ryu informed the group that Lyserg had nabbed Manta...

"Lyserg has an angel?" Horo Horo echoed.

"And both his body and mind belong to the X-Laws as well." Tokageroh confirmed.

"I'm sorry, Master." Ryu apologized. "Even though I was with him, I..."

"It's okay." Yoh assured. "It wasn't your fault."

"But that's cruel." Amidamaru pointed out. "It's Hao that Lyserg wants to get revenge on, right?"

"It's a trap, without a doubt." Chocolove reasoned.

"Of course." Ren agreed.

"Either way, we need to save Manta." Yoh decided.

"Be careful." Anna cautioned and walked off.

"I guess I'll make my own preparations then." Hui Ling let out a breath. "It's high time the Maiden Sword stopped being decoration."

"She won't mean..." Ren gaped. "She's serious..." he gawked at the retreating back of his betrothed.

"They're here." Marco turned, hearing the footsteps.

"So, this is your spirit?" Ren noted. "I can't believe that thing is more important to you than Morphine."

"Welcome to the Gate of Babylon, Asakura Yoh." Marco greeted.

"Give us back Manta." Yoh requested.

"Very well." Marco answered. "Only if you swear to become one of Jeanne-sama's servants and cooperate with us."

"That's a lie!" Manta protested from the cage he was trapped in. "These guys have no intention of making you..."

"All right." Yoh answered. "So what do I have to do?"

"Jeanne-sama is inside the magic circle." Marco informed. "Kneel before Her Excellency and receive your baptism."

Dropping both his mediums on the ground, Yoh walked towards the ritual circle.

"Don't, Yoh!" Manta pleaded. "I beg of you to stop. What they said are lies. You're going to get killed."

"I'll be okay." Yoh assured. "Don't worry about me."

"If only I wasn't so weak..." Manta muttered. "Yoh!" he screamed, Oversouling Mosuke into his laptop and freeing himself from his confines.

"That's..." Amidamaru was shocked. "Mosuke!"

"Manta!" Yoh hurried over to catch the falling Manta.

"Zelel." Lyserg turned to his Guardian Spirit who stretched out a hand to catch Manta when the Oversouled Tokageroh extended two of its necks; one blocking out Zelel's hand and the other grabbing Manta and taking him to safety.

"Asakura Yoh!" Marco roared. "You're not getting away!" he sent Micheal and Zelel to attack Yoh.

"Yoh!" both Ren and Horo Horo pulled out Harusame and Futunomitama no Turugi and tossed them over to Yoh.

"Amidamaru!" Yoh summoned his Guardian Spirit and the Oversouled Spirit clashed with the two Angels.

"You damn human spirit." Marco cursed. "The time is drawing closer. Don't interfere."

"I don't know why you guys are after Yoh." Faust remarked, Mephisto E's attacks from her syringe knocked the two Angels onto the cliff.

"I won't let you have your way anymore." Ryu declared.

"Marco." Lyserg turned to see Team the Ren were also in their Oversoul modes.

"We can't turn back any longer." Marco hissed. "If we don't hurry and capture him, all we've done will have been in vain. Let's go, Lyserg."

"Both of you, stand back." Jeanne instructed. Opening the Iron Maiden, she stepped out, complete with her mediums. "I will do it. Under the circumstances, we have no choice. We can't delay any longer."

"So, the boss finally show up." Horo Horo snorted.

"Shamash!" Jeanne summoned her Guardian Spirit. "Confinement."

"Senkei!" Hui Ling's swirling pink swords deflected the light beams. "I wonder how long it has been since two Kami-class Shamans face off against each other." she told Jeanne. "I'm sure you should know, Jeanne, that once two Kami-class Shamans fight, there can only be one ending: a thousand-day showdown. I reiterate: do you really want to do this?"

"So tiny." Hao mocked, appearing on the Spirit of Fire and easily penetrating the ritual circle, the Spirit of Fire having snatched Jeanne in its hands. "I suggest you don't move." he warned Marco who had his gun trained on him. "You won't be able to protect her if she dies, right? Your precious Jeanne-sama, that is."

"Hao!" Yoh growled.

"We only have one purpose." Jeanne informed. "And that is to pass the judgment of justice on you."

"Don't push it." Hao warned, incinerating Jeanne with the Spirit of Fire. "Burn."

SailorStar9: Any OOC-ness is regretted. *Sighs* Don't you just hate plot bunnies sometimes? Read and review.