Story of the Spurious
By Indigo Siren
Disclaimer: Bloody Roar is copyright to Hudson Soft. The use of the characters and depicted storyline are purely for entertainment purposes only and in no way is this story being produced to make money. I do however own my outlined idea and characters or plot idea that don't appear in the Bloody Roar series. All rights reserved.
A/N: I apologise for the fight scenes - they be too short but I guess the main one of the story was really Nagi Vs. Xion in my books - I just didn't want to drone on for too long. Hope they're alright.
Chapter 13: The Unborns' Revenge
Night had fallen on another dark day and the sun once again stole the light from the harsh world, leaving the stars to watch down upon the chaos that rifted across the lands.
Not many places were left untouched from the violence, but there was one that had significance that was soon to enter the conflict…
The great temple stood proudly up against the high cliff face, its great form standing proud over the valley running below. But a dark eerie atmosphere lingered. A year ago, it was a battleground for the Unborn and very soon, it was about to see a new cycle of violence…
In the lamp-lit shrine, the Buddhist monk and the little Shinto oracle were surprised to see a stranger suddenly emerge from the shadows into the room. The mysterious girl walked slowly, almost rigid across the creaky wooden floor. Her matted auburn hair obscured her pale face.
"You there! Girl!" Ryoho's voice boomed across the room, calling her attention.
The girl - indeed a rather austere-looking Nagi - turned her head to the voice. Her eyes as red as fresh spilt blood glared over towards Ryoho and Mana. The pair stood illuminated in front of a large alter surrounded by a large, golden statue of Gaia's Dragon.
Ryoho didn't look the least bit pleased by this unwanted visitor and stood firm but cautiously. Something was definitely unfriendly by her presence in his books. Mana remained blank, staring curiously at Nagi's face, which never changed from the rather stoical expression. The pair waited for her to muster a reply but instead were left with the uneasy silence between them. Nagi never spoke, just stood staring between them, more so on Ryoho.
"What is your business here, girl?" Ryoho questioned. She still remained silent, staring at him. He quickly grew angry. "This is no place for the likes of you! You should leave now, while you still can!"
Again, no reply.
Ryoho frowned. 'What is wrong with this girl?' He thought. 'She's like a lifeless doll… so strange. A feel a dark aura about her. Humph, probably just another fool who seeks power.'
"Ryoho…" Mana suddenly spoke up. He looked down upon his small guardian, watching her expression harden slightly.
"What's wrong?" He softly asked.
Her little blue eyes never left Nagi as she spoke. "This person is being controlled." The statement prompted Ryoho to snap his gaze back on the stranger. Somehow his thoughts of her dark aura began to make sense.
"Controlled? But… By who?"
Mana's voice lowered. "The Unborn."
Finally, Nagi's expression faltered, eyes glowing brighter then before. A scowl was planted firmly now on face. Mana's fingers dug tightly into her palms as she could almost see the spirit of the Unborn in its essence form swirling around Nagi's body. It couldn't really hide now - its cover had been blown.
"You… You feel my presence?" Nagi spoke, though her voice wasn't truly her own. The Unborn was speaking for her. "Damn, it's too early." It let out a huff of frustration. "Oh well, it's a pity, but it still won't stop me."
The Unborn pointed with Nagi's slender finger towards Ryoho. "YOU! Bring out the one who has caused us all so much… grief…" Her tone hissed on the last word.
"How dare you, dark creature, come here and demand anything!" Ryoho snapped, stepping back a step into his fighting stance. "I shall put a stop to your little venture right now."
"Be careful, Ryoho," Mana whispered to him, stepping back out of the fight. She was awfully fearful of what would become of this match. Would the exertion disturb the seal and put all her hard work to waste? Her heart beat at a phenomenal rate inside her chest. The 'White Zoanthrope's' presence had faded, but yet the spirit of the Unborn still held strong. But now, it was within this girl.
Gaia's weapon had backfired.
Nagi's lithe body easily bound into a swift charge at the monk. He was quick to bring up an arm to deflect her aerial kick.
'There is strength behind her. The Unborn had a great lot to thank for that.' He shook off the slight pang of discomfort in his arm and struck out. His punch hooked round and smacked her in the side of the head and she toppled over.
Sharp red eyes glared sharply at her opponent as she sprang back up and somersaulted, kicking him under the chin. Ryoho stumbled backwards, unprepared for her to spin a low kick, taking out his legs. He landed with a loud thud on the hard floor.
He had to regain his senses quickly to avoid her hopping stomp that would have cracked his ribcage. Unborn Nagi turned in time to intercept a forearm slam into her chest, putting her flat out on the floor.
"Fool…" She spat and flipped back up, attacking sharply with a flurry of punches which he easily parried. Angered, she tried to snap kick him but a think hand caught her ankle and she was left wobbling on one foot. With a sneer, her only action was to jump and snap her foot into his face. The force made his vision spin and he fell, releasing her. She spun over and ungracefully landed on her hands and knees.
Ryoho clambered back up swiftly only to receive a sharp kick to a gut from his rising opponent, who used the opportunity to wrap her hands around Ryoho's neck, who struggled as he was knelt before her.
"You, one of Gaia's loyalists… don't waste anymore of my time. Step aside now, or you'll be breathing your last…"
He growled unable to pry her fingers away. He coughed, narrowing his eyes. "You have no idea what lies ahead… you'll regret your actions here."
"I doubt it," The Unborn growled, grip tightening further in anticipation of tearing out the man's windpipe…
… But in white flash, she was suddenly struck by a mysterious force was thrown backwards.
Surprised, she awkwardly sat up, watching Mana in her Nine-Tails form fall out of a spin and land gracefully on the floor. She barked in warning. She would be ready to fight again.
"Mana…" Ryoho said softly, thankful of her intervening.
The possessed Nagi stood, seething. "How annoying…"
The words barely left her lips as Mana attacked again and she was forced to step back, swinging her arm out to deflect the leaping creature. It was barely managed and she had nice long scratch marks now barred on her skin for her troubles. She hissed under her breath.
Mana flipped over and bounced back and soon as her little legs touch the floor.
Much more prepared for the attack, Nagi charged into a snapped spinning kick. "GET OUT OF MY WAY, DOG!" And poor Mana was caught by the attack and knocked away.
The little fox yipped as her spinning form sailed over Ryoho and struck a beam behind him, breaking her transformation. The blue haired girl slumped down, groaning in pain.
"MANA!" Ryoho's worried wide eyes turned to the girl. 'So selfless… she's done so much for me…' His attention snapped back on the possessed girl, eyes blazing with fury. He was on his feet in no time. "YOU SHALL PAY!"
"HA! COME AT ME MONK!" And the two engaged in a charge. Ryoho, the more aggravated was the first one to strike out, relentless in his attacks for revenge for Mana. His opponent took some of the blows and dodged a fair share and in doing so, getting in her own attacks. It was almost like a blur between them. At one point, Ryoho managed to beat her back, cracking her back into a large pole, and shoulder slamming her hard enough to crack the wood. His attack was hard to resist, and she tried to chance a strike, only to be beaten backwards. She started to slump after a fierce backhand across the face.
"Do you give up?" He demanded.
She looked up, wiping away a small trickle of blood from her lip, a smile there plain to see. "No…"
He struck again, but this time, she caught his hand and pushed back, bringing up a swift kick to the chin. Still gripping his wrist, she pulled him in and swung a punch directly into the side of his head, leaving his ears ringing like crazy.
"You're strong… but my power is greater!" She cried and unleashed her fury. The body was battered and bruised but the mind was sharp and fresh and the limits were pushed with every punch and kick executed. Face, stomach, shins, hips, chest… all receiving equal, violent attention. He tried to counter, but it was if he was like facing a raging demon, pulling her speed and power from somewhere deep down and he was just beaten into submission.
Mana watched helplessly, crawling slowly towards the pair. "No… Ryoho…" She murmured, teary-eyed.
The poor man collapsed into his attacker's grasp and she lifted him up by the throat. "Ha! Nice try!" She chided, with an expression of self-satisfaction. Inside, there was a building blood lust for the coming battle - the true battle she had been waiting for - the one with the dragon. The power she would face made her quiver in anticipation. "Oh, this will be exciting!" She voiced aloud her thrill, a wicked grin lifting her lips.
Ryoho could only groan, body aching. 'No… I can't be defeated…'
"The game is over." The Unborn sneered at Ryoho before turning red eyes on Mana, whom had propped herself up on the floor to one side. "Child, do you know where it is? Oh, I think you do, but if you don't tell me…" She looked back to Ryoho evilly, putting more pressure around his throat in indication of her intentions. "Then this guy will…"
There was a sudden jolt. Like an electric shock, though more like a pulse. Her eyes widened and she released Ryoho suddenly, crouching into a guard.
The pulse had come directly from him.
Mana looked stricken, frozen on the floor. 'No… No! This can't be happening!'
The Unborn was taken back. "What! It's… him… I recognise his strength." A frown suddenly hit. "Wait… no, this is different somehow…" The feeling was less subdued, more powerful. The cords seemed to be breaking, the final boundaries broken. The seal was cracking.
Ryoho was writhing on his hands and knees. This power was strange and so dominating it felt as if it was going to tear him apart. He cried out, voice choked in pain as he clawed away at the wood. It was plainly obvious he was losing control - the pressure in the room rising as the power spilled out.
Nagi's usually placid face had a contorted sadistic expression. It was such a foreign expression on her face, almost as if it wasn't her face at all. In a way, it truly wasn't, it was the Unborn at the controls, rolling under her skin like liquid and forming such a harsh expression.
She laughed as she spoke. "Yes! That's right! Wake up quickly now!" Swiftly rising, she beckoned him to her furiously. "AND FIGHT WITH ME!"
During this instance, was when Yugo with Gado, Long and Kenji in his company appeared at the top of the path leading into the lower levels of the temple.
The storm had passed a short while ago and the instance a break came, Gado managed to get hold of a jeep for them to travel up the way. Of course, the roadway had become treacherous and the path narrow because of the trees and bushes, and they were forced to abandon the vehicle a least a few miles back. Having pressed on firmly without reluctance, they'd got there in no time at all.
"You feel that?" Kenji suddenly asked, reacting to the prickle flowing over his skin.
"The pressure in the air is heavy." Gado turned to his comrades with a rather worried look in his eye. He was never one to fret too much, but there was little or no way of finding out if they could push on further without in some way becoming indisposed to the building power. Every step closer brought more of the vexatious strength pressing on them.
Long noticed this worry first and gave a nod. "Yes, we must be vigilant."
"Come on, guys, keep up," Yugo said, having already gone further ahead of the troop, coming into the dark entranceway of the temple. A few more steps and a large room appeared, lit by small lanterns swinging on hooks on the wall. The air was mild - the cold breeze was partially blocked out but still the temperature remained low.
The group walked further into the room, feet clacking heavily on the stone floor. It was a sparse room, decorated in a few drapes with an embroider of Japanese characters reading many religious psalms. It was strange that there was a blending of Buddhist tapestries and a few large Shinto scrolls in the blend of the background.
There was something that did stand out over everything else. At the far right of the room, there was a large pile of cushions and blankets arranged in a tight knit and right in the middle, covered over by a large drape was a figure. Though there were candles positioned around the person, the face was still quite obscured in the dark setting, and it wasn't until the four men approached that they found out who it was.
"Jenny!" Gado exclaimed.
Amidst the pile was the beautiful blonde woman, lying so peacefully in the pile. The lion Zoanthrope leaned down and touched her pale cheek softly and was startled at how chilly she felt. That was no surprise though, the room wasn't exactly the warmest place to be. She reacted to the touch with a small breath parting her lips.
"What the heck! How'd she get here?" Yugo knelt down beside his long time friend, taken back by her sudden appearance.
"I haven't been able to get hold of her in some time," Gado said, brushing away some splayed blonde tresses from the woman's face. "There has got to be a reason for her being here."
"Could she have known about the dragon?" Kenji asked.
Gado shrugged. "I don't know."
And at that moment, baby blue eyes began to peek from behind their lids.
"She's waking up!" Yugo carefully shook her shoulder. "Hey, Jenny! Are you okay?"
Groggy headed, Jenny emerged from sleep. The feeling of warmth of her fellow Zoanthropes had stirred her and voices beckoned her to come back to consciousness. That horrible pressure had left her with a headache, but she wasn't complaining. She was glad to wake up at all. Turning her head slightly towards the sound of the familiar voices, her vision cleared on the group over her, particularly on the man who was touching her cheek.
"G-Gado?" She managed to say thought her throat was rather dry. "What are you doing here?"
"We're here to find the source of the violence," Gado told her as he helped her sit in an upright position. "And how about you? What brought you out here?"
She recalled her reasoning. "I was following old folk tales about the 'Water God' and the 'Nine-Tails'… there was something in the legend of the 'Nine-Tails' about its healing strength and its ability to seal beast power. I wanted to follow up on it… for Stun. I've watched him deteriorate, not really physically, but mentally. And since this had some hope… well, I just couldn't ignore it." She rubbed her temple softly. With the sudden sharp images of the monk and the fox flashing through her head, and the sudden shiver of her remembrance of the pressure, she wondered why she was even alive after the accusation of her trying to steal the little fox. That man seemed somewhat vicious, or that could have something in his aura. 'Heavens… how long have I been out?' She wondered.
"Do you know about a dragon?" Yugo asked.
She gave him a funny look. "Dragon?"
He snorted. "I take that as a no."
"The seal that is suppose to be keeping the dragon repressed isn't holding, and that's the reason for the world wide Zoanthrope violence," Long explained to the semi-confused woman.
She nodded. "Ah, I see. It explains why I was knocked out easily. The man I encountered - a monk, hit him me with some kind of strange pressure attack. He must be the one you're looking for."
Yugo had stood now looking around the room for another doorway that would lead upwards into the main confines of the temple.
Then, there was a sudden bang from above. With their sharp hearing, Long and Gado were focused on the slight sounds high above. Was there a scuffle up there?
"What's happening?" Kenji inquired.
"I think someone beat us to the punch," Gado said, still looking up to the ceiling.
Yugo felt a shiver run up his spine. The pressure was indeed rising and faintly above; something was tugging at his senses in recognition. The person there before them… 'Could it be… Nagi?'
Then the noise stopped. And there was a momentary, uneasy silence.
"I wonder… what's happening up there?" Jenny whispered.
And suddenly… BANG! A sound right above them! And the room started to shake like crazy, pieces of the wall and ceiling crumbling. Accompanying this was a terrifying roar, practically ear-splitting.
Gado kept Jenny close, forced suddenly to move them away from the makeshift bed when suddenly a piece of ceiling fell right onto the spot she'd been occupying not long before.
The energy flowing through the temple was incredible. It touched each of the Zoanthrope in turn, as if it was a water tap trying to overfill the glass, it was hard to fight such a feeling.
Jenny remembered this feeling well and gasped, gripping tightly to Gado. "This is that feeling… the same power that man used, but it's different somehow…"
Yugo gripped his hands into tight fists. Shaking, he had to push on besides the pressure threatening to pull him under. 'No, I won't let it take me. I won't become one of the violent Zoanthropes and I hell am not planning on taking a long nap!' His eye quickly caught the flash of a swinging lamp in an inner hall, casting a directing flicker of like to another doorway. He ran for it.
"YUGO!" Kenji cried out, struggling to try and chase him with the strain of the power breathing heavily on his head.
"No! Get out of here! I'll deal with this! You'll just end up in a coma or worse!" The wolf Zoanthrope ran as fast as legs could carry him, bounding into this new hallway, little clue where he was going but following the trail that would lead to the source.
"NO!" Long cried out - he'd managed to catch up to Kenji in time and was able to stop him from going further as a whole section of the ceiling came crashing down in front of the hallway entrance. He'd whipped the boy back just in time.
"HE CAN'T DO THIS ALONE!" Kenji cried, struggling to break the older man's grip but it was useless, he was being dragged back. No - there was no more fighting with the pressure and this man holding him back. He was forced to run with the others towards the entrance as the room was threatening to crash down over them.
Outside, they had relative safety, and unfortunately now, they couldn't get back in to risk chasing after Yugo. The entrance was blocked, barring further proceedings. Tremors shook through the earth, threatening to cause more damage.
Looking upwards, the group spied a strange ethereal light flashing from the top of the shrine and with it, more waves of startling pressure.
"What's going on up there?" Gado wondered aloud.
The room was shaking, the pressure of the dragon's ripping through the room like a tidal wave and nothing was left untouched - no mercy from this invisible source.
Ryoho couldn't hold it back any longer and with a loud yell, the man melted into a bright light bursting from his body. And suddenly, the room stopped shaking and when the light disappeared, there was no man any longer; instead, he'd become Gaia's Dragon, the 'so-called' protector of the planet. He was big, about the size of a double-decker bus. His outer skin was a hard midnight-black scaly shell and his eyes beaming deep crimson. He let out an angry roar, shaking the room once again and focusing his eyes on Nagi's form. He sensed the Unborn and was infuriated. That essence had disturbed his slumber and his was resolved to destroy it for stepping on HIS soil.
Nagi smiled, heart pumping with the excitement of the onslaught to come. The dark spirit of the Unborn laughed with excitement and instantly morphed her body to the Spurious form.
"Ah! We meet again, Dragon of Gaia," she spoke and pointed her bladed arm towards the hulking creature. "And now, it is time for our revenge!"
In the devastated asylum, the deadly fight set in motion in a clash of dangerous powers.
And Mana was left propped helplessly on the floor, glassy eyes watching as Ryoho and the Spurious attacked. She could say nothing, just stare at them weakly, all the while her thoughts of her failure making her chest feel tight and her heart sink in despair.
The dragon was annoyed; each of his heavy attacks never even connected with the lithe form of his opponent easily dodged and bounded over head, taking a slash at him with that annoying blade. It was like a harsh sting with each picked shot and he roared each time, trying to swing at her with his tail. Each time was near miss, instead taking out some other object in the way, like a pole or a piece of the golden dragon statue. It was ironic for that monumental statue praising the dragon to be destroyed by him.
Turning in her general direction where she had last come to land, he sucked in his breath, drawing in a great amount of energy into the back of his throat. When the flaring power built to its max, he let out a roar and spat out, heaving out fireballs, one after another.
Nagi leapt and bounded to avoid the cascade of the incoming fire attack. She almost faltered and fell when landing awkwardly but pushed forward to leap away from the last fireball, but was indeed partially caught, searing along the hardened skin of her legs and leaving smeared black mars.
She rolled away across the wooden floor, coming to a safe spot and letting out a hiss, looking down and her injuries. Not too serious, but they were indeed painful. Luckily the Spurious powers immediately set to work in healing, it would be some time before they were nothing more then a faint memory, but at least her strength would begin to rebuild in the time and she wouldn't lag.
Standing tall, she locked eyes with the dragon - which was in a sort of crouch, deciding his next attack.
"You won't defeat me so easily! HAA!" And she pushed on, leaping at the creature and slashing that deadly blade towards him.
Ryoho turned his head so not to get hit in the face, but his long scaly neck was exposed and took the slash on the side. A nice spray of blood left the wound on impact and splattered in large drops across Nagi's face. The Unborn delighted in licking at a drip coming onto her lip.
'Yummy…'
The dragon withdrew back a few paces, roaring in frustration. The slash area bled in gentle streams, but was nothing more then a flesh wound, having not hit in too deep. She was most definitely going to suffer that one.
Not faltering a step, she turned and went right back in for another slash, quite confident that she could easily cut up the pathetic beast; but this time round was a much different story. Rather then actually getting a nice slash in on her enemy, her strike was slapped aside by the dragon's large clawed hand.
She was so surprised by the action that she barely could react when he swung his rock like head at her and smacked her in the side of the head. She was sent reeling, losing her step and hitting the floor with a heavy thud.
Turning over, the Unborn willed the body to move as fast as it could to get back in the fight. Nevertheless, she was shocked when the Ryoho came at her, snapping his large jaws at her with lightning speed.
Nagi tried to kick away, but he simply locked his mouth around her legs, teeth digging in. She cried out, being lifted up into the air and swung around like a rag doll. The room spun in circles, up and down, all over the place as she was twisted around in the tight mouth of her large bestial opponent and there was no way to stop him from treating her like a mere toy.
Finally, he let go, tossing her away. And she went flying.
It was all she could do but to try and self-right herself and she flipped over in the air. But the sheer force of the throw was no going to stop her from sailing into the wooden beam behind, however much she cried, and with a crack, she hit it, splintering the wood. It was a surprise it still stood; though barely as most of the centre of the beam having half caved in. She sunk to the wooden floor.
"Powerful…" She grumbled, looking up at his charging form. "… But it won't be enough."
Waiting - gathering her energy for as long as she could, giving her aching body just that second longer of rest before the last second of his charge, she moved. She bolted forward, diving between his legs as he rammed right through the beam, finally breaking it and crashing down onto the floor.
Using his wings, Ryoho lifted himself up back onto his feet. He turned around, still hovering and spied the annoying Spurious actually standing there across the room, staring back at him with a slight smirk on her face.
"The will of the Unborn has grown strong, this time we shall make you pay…" The words rolled like liquid poison off her tongue.
Ryoho, angered, charged again, swooping sharply.
"PREDICTABLE!" His opponent screamed and leapt up into the air, twisting up and over as he passed across and she landed on his back, her sharp claws digging in for support on his scales. And mercilessly, she began to slash over and over.
He roared, thrashing in the air, trying to reach back to get her off, but his moves were futile to remove her from his back as she continued to slice his back into bloody ribbons. He continued though to shake about wildly, hoping that way she may fall.
It did jostle her, but she didn't let go, continuing to cut him up for a few moments longer before gracefully somersaulting off him and landing in a crouch below.
At first, he hadn't really realised she'd gone, but finally catching a glimpse of her and realising that he felt no more attacks and he was confirmed she'd stopped.
'Good, you've noticed me…' Those red eyes of the Spurious narrowed with those thoughts. 'Now come at me… I shall break you down, dragon.'
Focusing hard, it was almost as if she could see a seal of power in the direct centre of Ryoho - the boundaries that drew between his beast form and the human vessel. If she struck that cord of power, and then the form would shatter - it would weaken him to nothing more than fodder.
Ryoho swooped down, reaching his large claws out to make a grab at her.
Nagi's eyes closed and she focused all her power, drawing in with the special Unborn strength - built on drawn energy of a thousand beasts, just like that of the Tabula they'd created. The blade arm began to glow brightly, shimmering with energy.
The dragons shadow completely blotted her out as he was practically on her…
… And her eyes snapped open. Flaring as her power burst outwards.
He couldn't stop himself now and couldn't protect himself from the strike.
"HAAA!" And she slashed and the light across her blade exploding as she struck the centre of Ryoho's chest.
He roared in agony as he was engulfed, swallowed by the power; his own pushed back in on itself.
Nagi rolled aside as he hit the wooden floor motionlessly, the light wrapping around him. And in a flash of red then white light, the dragon suddenly disappeared and Ryoho reverted back to his human form, lying face down.
Mana was shocked. The Unborn had been strong enough to defeat the dragon and push it back where it had come.
Aching, Nagi stood, walking slowly towards Ryoho's prone state. She looked down upon his exhausted state, watching him struggle with heavy breaths. Her blank face suddenly changed into a twisted smile. It was nearly the end and all the pain of the Unborn kind was going to healed.
"With this one strike…" She chuckled, thrusting out her blade arm over the man. "With this ONE strike, we shall have revenge!"
Mana struggled up. "No! NO! STOP!" She implored to no avail.
"HA! Goodbye Gaia's proud dragon!" And she raised the blade to bring down in a final fatal strike…
A/N: Could this be the end? Will the Unborn finally get some retribution... or will a familar face make his mark on this 'final' scene...? Find out soon...
By Indigo Siren
Disclaimer: Bloody Roar is copyright to Hudson Soft. The use of the characters and depicted storyline are purely for entertainment purposes only and in no way is this story being produced to make money. I do however own my outlined idea and characters or plot idea that don't appear in the Bloody Roar series. All rights reserved.
A/N: I apologise for the fight scenes - they be too short but I guess the main one of the story was really Nagi Vs. Xion in my books - I just didn't want to drone on for too long. Hope they're alright.
Chapter 13: The Unborns' Revenge
Night had fallen on another dark day and the sun once again stole the light from the harsh world, leaving the stars to watch down upon the chaos that rifted across the lands.
Not many places were left untouched from the violence, but there was one that had significance that was soon to enter the conflict…
The great temple stood proudly up against the high cliff face, its great form standing proud over the valley running below. But a dark eerie atmosphere lingered. A year ago, it was a battleground for the Unborn and very soon, it was about to see a new cycle of violence…
In the lamp-lit shrine, the Buddhist monk and the little Shinto oracle were surprised to see a stranger suddenly emerge from the shadows into the room. The mysterious girl walked slowly, almost rigid across the creaky wooden floor. Her matted auburn hair obscured her pale face.
"You there! Girl!" Ryoho's voice boomed across the room, calling her attention.
The girl - indeed a rather austere-looking Nagi - turned her head to the voice. Her eyes as red as fresh spilt blood glared over towards Ryoho and Mana. The pair stood illuminated in front of a large alter surrounded by a large, golden statue of Gaia's Dragon.
Ryoho didn't look the least bit pleased by this unwanted visitor and stood firm but cautiously. Something was definitely unfriendly by her presence in his books. Mana remained blank, staring curiously at Nagi's face, which never changed from the rather stoical expression. The pair waited for her to muster a reply but instead were left with the uneasy silence between them. Nagi never spoke, just stood staring between them, more so on Ryoho.
"What is your business here, girl?" Ryoho questioned. She still remained silent, staring at him. He quickly grew angry. "This is no place for the likes of you! You should leave now, while you still can!"
Again, no reply.
Ryoho frowned. 'What is wrong with this girl?' He thought. 'She's like a lifeless doll… so strange. A feel a dark aura about her. Humph, probably just another fool who seeks power.'
"Ryoho…" Mana suddenly spoke up. He looked down upon his small guardian, watching her expression harden slightly.
"What's wrong?" He softly asked.
Her little blue eyes never left Nagi as she spoke. "This person is being controlled." The statement prompted Ryoho to snap his gaze back on the stranger. Somehow his thoughts of her dark aura began to make sense.
"Controlled? But… By who?"
Mana's voice lowered. "The Unborn."
Finally, Nagi's expression faltered, eyes glowing brighter then before. A scowl was planted firmly now on face. Mana's fingers dug tightly into her palms as she could almost see the spirit of the Unborn in its essence form swirling around Nagi's body. It couldn't really hide now - its cover had been blown.
"You… You feel my presence?" Nagi spoke, though her voice wasn't truly her own. The Unborn was speaking for her. "Damn, it's too early." It let out a huff of frustration. "Oh well, it's a pity, but it still won't stop me."
The Unborn pointed with Nagi's slender finger towards Ryoho. "YOU! Bring out the one who has caused us all so much… grief…" Her tone hissed on the last word.
"How dare you, dark creature, come here and demand anything!" Ryoho snapped, stepping back a step into his fighting stance. "I shall put a stop to your little venture right now."
"Be careful, Ryoho," Mana whispered to him, stepping back out of the fight. She was awfully fearful of what would become of this match. Would the exertion disturb the seal and put all her hard work to waste? Her heart beat at a phenomenal rate inside her chest. The 'White Zoanthrope's' presence had faded, but yet the spirit of the Unborn still held strong. But now, it was within this girl.
Gaia's weapon had backfired.
Nagi's lithe body easily bound into a swift charge at the monk. He was quick to bring up an arm to deflect her aerial kick.
'There is strength behind her. The Unborn had a great lot to thank for that.' He shook off the slight pang of discomfort in his arm and struck out. His punch hooked round and smacked her in the side of the head and she toppled over.
Sharp red eyes glared sharply at her opponent as she sprang back up and somersaulted, kicking him under the chin. Ryoho stumbled backwards, unprepared for her to spin a low kick, taking out his legs. He landed with a loud thud on the hard floor.
He had to regain his senses quickly to avoid her hopping stomp that would have cracked his ribcage. Unborn Nagi turned in time to intercept a forearm slam into her chest, putting her flat out on the floor.
"Fool…" She spat and flipped back up, attacking sharply with a flurry of punches which he easily parried. Angered, she tried to snap kick him but a think hand caught her ankle and she was left wobbling on one foot. With a sneer, her only action was to jump and snap her foot into his face. The force made his vision spin and he fell, releasing her. She spun over and ungracefully landed on her hands and knees.
Ryoho clambered back up swiftly only to receive a sharp kick to a gut from his rising opponent, who used the opportunity to wrap her hands around Ryoho's neck, who struggled as he was knelt before her.
"You, one of Gaia's loyalists… don't waste anymore of my time. Step aside now, or you'll be breathing your last…"
He growled unable to pry her fingers away. He coughed, narrowing his eyes. "You have no idea what lies ahead… you'll regret your actions here."
"I doubt it," The Unborn growled, grip tightening further in anticipation of tearing out the man's windpipe…
… But in white flash, she was suddenly struck by a mysterious force was thrown backwards.
Surprised, she awkwardly sat up, watching Mana in her Nine-Tails form fall out of a spin and land gracefully on the floor. She barked in warning. She would be ready to fight again.
"Mana…" Ryoho said softly, thankful of her intervening.
The possessed Nagi stood, seething. "How annoying…"
The words barely left her lips as Mana attacked again and she was forced to step back, swinging her arm out to deflect the leaping creature. It was barely managed and she had nice long scratch marks now barred on her skin for her troubles. She hissed under her breath.
Mana flipped over and bounced back and soon as her little legs touch the floor.
Much more prepared for the attack, Nagi charged into a snapped spinning kick. "GET OUT OF MY WAY, DOG!" And poor Mana was caught by the attack and knocked away.
The little fox yipped as her spinning form sailed over Ryoho and struck a beam behind him, breaking her transformation. The blue haired girl slumped down, groaning in pain.
"MANA!" Ryoho's worried wide eyes turned to the girl. 'So selfless… she's done so much for me…' His attention snapped back on the possessed girl, eyes blazing with fury. He was on his feet in no time. "YOU SHALL PAY!"
"HA! COME AT ME MONK!" And the two engaged in a charge. Ryoho, the more aggravated was the first one to strike out, relentless in his attacks for revenge for Mana. His opponent took some of the blows and dodged a fair share and in doing so, getting in her own attacks. It was almost like a blur between them. At one point, Ryoho managed to beat her back, cracking her back into a large pole, and shoulder slamming her hard enough to crack the wood. His attack was hard to resist, and she tried to chance a strike, only to be beaten backwards. She started to slump after a fierce backhand across the face.
"Do you give up?" He demanded.
She looked up, wiping away a small trickle of blood from her lip, a smile there plain to see. "No…"
He struck again, but this time, she caught his hand and pushed back, bringing up a swift kick to the chin. Still gripping his wrist, she pulled him in and swung a punch directly into the side of his head, leaving his ears ringing like crazy.
"You're strong… but my power is greater!" She cried and unleashed her fury. The body was battered and bruised but the mind was sharp and fresh and the limits were pushed with every punch and kick executed. Face, stomach, shins, hips, chest… all receiving equal, violent attention. He tried to counter, but it was if he was like facing a raging demon, pulling her speed and power from somewhere deep down and he was just beaten into submission.
Mana watched helplessly, crawling slowly towards the pair. "No… Ryoho…" She murmured, teary-eyed.
The poor man collapsed into his attacker's grasp and she lifted him up by the throat. "Ha! Nice try!" She chided, with an expression of self-satisfaction. Inside, there was a building blood lust for the coming battle - the true battle she had been waiting for - the one with the dragon. The power she would face made her quiver in anticipation. "Oh, this will be exciting!" She voiced aloud her thrill, a wicked grin lifting her lips.
Ryoho could only groan, body aching. 'No… I can't be defeated…'
"The game is over." The Unborn sneered at Ryoho before turning red eyes on Mana, whom had propped herself up on the floor to one side. "Child, do you know where it is? Oh, I think you do, but if you don't tell me…" She looked back to Ryoho evilly, putting more pressure around his throat in indication of her intentions. "Then this guy will…"
There was a sudden jolt. Like an electric shock, though more like a pulse. Her eyes widened and she released Ryoho suddenly, crouching into a guard.
The pulse had come directly from him.
Mana looked stricken, frozen on the floor. 'No… No! This can't be happening!'
The Unborn was taken back. "What! It's… him… I recognise his strength." A frown suddenly hit. "Wait… no, this is different somehow…" The feeling was less subdued, more powerful. The cords seemed to be breaking, the final boundaries broken. The seal was cracking.
Ryoho was writhing on his hands and knees. This power was strange and so dominating it felt as if it was going to tear him apart. He cried out, voice choked in pain as he clawed away at the wood. It was plainly obvious he was losing control - the pressure in the room rising as the power spilled out.
Nagi's usually placid face had a contorted sadistic expression. It was such a foreign expression on her face, almost as if it wasn't her face at all. In a way, it truly wasn't, it was the Unborn at the controls, rolling under her skin like liquid and forming such a harsh expression.
She laughed as she spoke. "Yes! That's right! Wake up quickly now!" Swiftly rising, she beckoned him to her furiously. "AND FIGHT WITH ME!"
During this instance, was when Yugo with Gado, Long and Kenji in his company appeared at the top of the path leading into the lower levels of the temple.
The storm had passed a short while ago and the instance a break came, Gado managed to get hold of a jeep for them to travel up the way. Of course, the roadway had become treacherous and the path narrow because of the trees and bushes, and they were forced to abandon the vehicle a least a few miles back. Having pressed on firmly without reluctance, they'd got there in no time at all.
"You feel that?" Kenji suddenly asked, reacting to the prickle flowing over his skin.
"The pressure in the air is heavy." Gado turned to his comrades with a rather worried look in his eye. He was never one to fret too much, but there was little or no way of finding out if they could push on further without in some way becoming indisposed to the building power. Every step closer brought more of the vexatious strength pressing on them.
Long noticed this worry first and gave a nod. "Yes, we must be vigilant."
"Come on, guys, keep up," Yugo said, having already gone further ahead of the troop, coming into the dark entranceway of the temple. A few more steps and a large room appeared, lit by small lanterns swinging on hooks on the wall. The air was mild - the cold breeze was partially blocked out but still the temperature remained low.
The group walked further into the room, feet clacking heavily on the stone floor. It was a sparse room, decorated in a few drapes with an embroider of Japanese characters reading many religious psalms. It was strange that there was a blending of Buddhist tapestries and a few large Shinto scrolls in the blend of the background.
There was something that did stand out over everything else. At the far right of the room, there was a large pile of cushions and blankets arranged in a tight knit and right in the middle, covered over by a large drape was a figure. Though there were candles positioned around the person, the face was still quite obscured in the dark setting, and it wasn't until the four men approached that they found out who it was.
"Jenny!" Gado exclaimed.
Amidst the pile was the beautiful blonde woman, lying so peacefully in the pile. The lion Zoanthrope leaned down and touched her pale cheek softly and was startled at how chilly she felt. That was no surprise though, the room wasn't exactly the warmest place to be. She reacted to the touch with a small breath parting her lips.
"What the heck! How'd she get here?" Yugo knelt down beside his long time friend, taken back by her sudden appearance.
"I haven't been able to get hold of her in some time," Gado said, brushing away some splayed blonde tresses from the woman's face. "There has got to be a reason for her being here."
"Could she have known about the dragon?" Kenji asked.
Gado shrugged. "I don't know."
And at that moment, baby blue eyes began to peek from behind their lids.
"She's waking up!" Yugo carefully shook her shoulder. "Hey, Jenny! Are you okay?"
Groggy headed, Jenny emerged from sleep. The feeling of warmth of her fellow Zoanthropes had stirred her and voices beckoned her to come back to consciousness. That horrible pressure had left her with a headache, but she wasn't complaining. She was glad to wake up at all. Turning her head slightly towards the sound of the familiar voices, her vision cleared on the group over her, particularly on the man who was touching her cheek.
"G-Gado?" She managed to say thought her throat was rather dry. "What are you doing here?"
"We're here to find the source of the violence," Gado told her as he helped her sit in an upright position. "And how about you? What brought you out here?"
She recalled her reasoning. "I was following old folk tales about the 'Water God' and the 'Nine-Tails'… there was something in the legend of the 'Nine-Tails' about its healing strength and its ability to seal beast power. I wanted to follow up on it… for Stun. I've watched him deteriorate, not really physically, but mentally. And since this had some hope… well, I just couldn't ignore it." She rubbed her temple softly. With the sudden sharp images of the monk and the fox flashing through her head, and the sudden shiver of her remembrance of the pressure, she wondered why she was even alive after the accusation of her trying to steal the little fox. That man seemed somewhat vicious, or that could have something in his aura. 'Heavens… how long have I been out?' She wondered.
"Do you know about a dragon?" Yugo asked.
She gave him a funny look. "Dragon?"
He snorted. "I take that as a no."
"The seal that is suppose to be keeping the dragon repressed isn't holding, and that's the reason for the world wide Zoanthrope violence," Long explained to the semi-confused woman.
She nodded. "Ah, I see. It explains why I was knocked out easily. The man I encountered - a monk, hit him me with some kind of strange pressure attack. He must be the one you're looking for."
Yugo had stood now looking around the room for another doorway that would lead upwards into the main confines of the temple.
Then, there was a sudden bang from above. With their sharp hearing, Long and Gado were focused on the slight sounds high above. Was there a scuffle up there?
"What's happening?" Kenji inquired.
"I think someone beat us to the punch," Gado said, still looking up to the ceiling.
Yugo felt a shiver run up his spine. The pressure was indeed rising and faintly above; something was tugging at his senses in recognition. The person there before them… 'Could it be… Nagi?'
Then the noise stopped. And there was a momentary, uneasy silence.
"I wonder… what's happening up there?" Jenny whispered.
And suddenly… BANG! A sound right above them! And the room started to shake like crazy, pieces of the wall and ceiling crumbling. Accompanying this was a terrifying roar, practically ear-splitting.
Gado kept Jenny close, forced suddenly to move them away from the makeshift bed when suddenly a piece of ceiling fell right onto the spot she'd been occupying not long before.
The energy flowing through the temple was incredible. It touched each of the Zoanthrope in turn, as if it was a water tap trying to overfill the glass, it was hard to fight such a feeling.
Jenny remembered this feeling well and gasped, gripping tightly to Gado. "This is that feeling… the same power that man used, but it's different somehow…"
Yugo gripped his hands into tight fists. Shaking, he had to push on besides the pressure threatening to pull him under. 'No, I won't let it take me. I won't become one of the violent Zoanthropes and I hell am not planning on taking a long nap!' His eye quickly caught the flash of a swinging lamp in an inner hall, casting a directing flicker of like to another doorway. He ran for it.
"YUGO!" Kenji cried out, struggling to try and chase him with the strain of the power breathing heavily on his head.
"No! Get out of here! I'll deal with this! You'll just end up in a coma or worse!" The wolf Zoanthrope ran as fast as legs could carry him, bounding into this new hallway, little clue where he was going but following the trail that would lead to the source.
"NO!" Long cried out - he'd managed to catch up to Kenji in time and was able to stop him from going further as a whole section of the ceiling came crashing down in front of the hallway entrance. He'd whipped the boy back just in time.
"HE CAN'T DO THIS ALONE!" Kenji cried, struggling to break the older man's grip but it was useless, he was being dragged back. No - there was no more fighting with the pressure and this man holding him back. He was forced to run with the others towards the entrance as the room was threatening to crash down over them.
Outside, they had relative safety, and unfortunately now, they couldn't get back in to risk chasing after Yugo. The entrance was blocked, barring further proceedings. Tremors shook through the earth, threatening to cause more damage.
Looking upwards, the group spied a strange ethereal light flashing from the top of the shrine and with it, more waves of startling pressure.
"What's going on up there?" Gado wondered aloud.
The room was shaking, the pressure of the dragon's ripping through the room like a tidal wave and nothing was left untouched - no mercy from this invisible source.
Ryoho couldn't hold it back any longer and with a loud yell, the man melted into a bright light bursting from his body. And suddenly, the room stopped shaking and when the light disappeared, there was no man any longer; instead, he'd become Gaia's Dragon, the 'so-called' protector of the planet. He was big, about the size of a double-decker bus. His outer skin was a hard midnight-black scaly shell and his eyes beaming deep crimson. He let out an angry roar, shaking the room once again and focusing his eyes on Nagi's form. He sensed the Unborn and was infuriated. That essence had disturbed his slumber and his was resolved to destroy it for stepping on HIS soil.
Nagi smiled, heart pumping with the excitement of the onslaught to come. The dark spirit of the Unborn laughed with excitement and instantly morphed her body to the Spurious form.
"Ah! We meet again, Dragon of Gaia," she spoke and pointed her bladed arm towards the hulking creature. "And now, it is time for our revenge!"
In the devastated asylum, the deadly fight set in motion in a clash of dangerous powers.
And Mana was left propped helplessly on the floor, glassy eyes watching as Ryoho and the Spurious attacked. She could say nothing, just stare at them weakly, all the while her thoughts of her failure making her chest feel tight and her heart sink in despair.
The dragon was annoyed; each of his heavy attacks never even connected with the lithe form of his opponent easily dodged and bounded over head, taking a slash at him with that annoying blade. It was like a harsh sting with each picked shot and he roared each time, trying to swing at her with his tail. Each time was near miss, instead taking out some other object in the way, like a pole or a piece of the golden dragon statue. It was ironic for that monumental statue praising the dragon to be destroyed by him.
Turning in her general direction where she had last come to land, he sucked in his breath, drawing in a great amount of energy into the back of his throat. When the flaring power built to its max, he let out a roar and spat out, heaving out fireballs, one after another.
Nagi leapt and bounded to avoid the cascade of the incoming fire attack. She almost faltered and fell when landing awkwardly but pushed forward to leap away from the last fireball, but was indeed partially caught, searing along the hardened skin of her legs and leaving smeared black mars.
She rolled away across the wooden floor, coming to a safe spot and letting out a hiss, looking down and her injuries. Not too serious, but they were indeed painful. Luckily the Spurious powers immediately set to work in healing, it would be some time before they were nothing more then a faint memory, but at least her strength would begin to rebuild in the time and she wouldn't lag.
Standing tall, she locked eyes with the dragon - which was in a sort of crouch, deciding his next attack.
"You won't defeat me so easily! HAA!" And she pushed on, leaping at the creature and slashing that deadly blade towards him.
Ryoho turned his head so not to get hit in the face, but his long scaly neck was exposed and took the slash on the side. A nice spray of blood left the wound on impact and splattered in large drops across Nagi's face. The Unborn delighted in licking at a drip coming onto her lip.
'Yummy…'
The dragon withdrew back a few paces, roaring in frustration. The slash area bled in gentle streams, but was nothing more then a flesh wound, having not hit in too deep. She was most definitely going to suffer that one.
Not faltering a step, she turned and went right back in for another slash, quite confident that she could easily cut up the pathetic beast; but this time round was a much different story. Rather then actually getting a nice slash in on her enemy, her strike was slapped aside by the dragon's large clawed hand.
She was so surprised by the action that she barely could react when he swung his rock like head at her and smacked her in the side of the head. She was sent reeling, losing her step and hitting the floor with a heavy thud.
Turning over, the Unborn willed the body to move as fast as it could to get back in the fight. Nevertheless, she was shocked when the Ryoho came at her, snapping his large jaws at her with lightning speed.
Nagi tried to kick away, but he simply locked his mouth around her legs, teeth digging in. She cried out, being lifted up into the air and swung around like a rag doll. The room spun in circles, up and down, all over the place as she was twisted around in the tight mouth of her large bestial opponent and there was no way to stop him from treating her like a mere toy.
Finally, he let go, tossing her away. And she went flying.
It was all she could do but to try and self-right herself and she flipped over in the air. But the sheer force of the throw was no going to stop her from sailing into the wooden beam behind, however much she cried, and with a crack, she hit it, splintering the wood. It was a surprise it still stood; though barely as most of the centre of the beam having half caved in. She sunk to the wooden floor.
"Powerful…" She grumbled, looking up at his charging form. "… But it won't be enough."
Waiting - gathering her energy for as long as she could, giving her aching body just that second longer of rest before the last second of his charge, she moved. She bolted forward, diving between his legs as he rammed right through the beam, finally breaking it and crashing down onto the floor.
Using his wings, Ryoho lifted himself up back onto his feet. He turned around, still hovering and spied the annoying Spurious actually standing there across the room, staring back at him with a slight smirk on her face.
"The will of the Unborn has grown strong, this time we shall make you pay…" The words rolled like liquid poison off her tongue.
Ryoho, angered, charged again, swooping sharply.
"PREDICTABLE!" His opponent screamed and leapt up into the air, twisting up and over as he passed across and she landed on his back, her sharp claws digging in for support on his scales. And mercilessly, she began to slash over and over.
He roared, thrashing in the air, trying to reach back to get her off, but his moves were futile to remove her from his back as she continued to slice his back into bloody ribbons. He continued though to shake about wildly, hoping that way she may fall.
It did jostle her, but she didn't let go, continuing to cut him up for a few moments longer before gracefully somersaulting off him and landing in a crouch below.
At first, he hadn't really realised she'd gone, but finally catching a glimpse of her and realising that he felt no more attacks and he was confirmed she'd stopped.
'Good, you've noticed me…' Those red eyes of the Spurious narrowed with those thoughts. 'Now come at me… I shall break you down, dragon.'
Focusing hard, it was almost as if she could see a seal of power in the direct centre of Ryoho - the boundaries that drew between his beast form and the human vessel. If she struck that cord of power, and then the form would shatter - it would weaken him to nothing more than fodder.
Ryoho swooped down, reaching his large claws out to make a grab at her.
Nagi's eyes closed and she focused all her power, drawing in with the special Unborn strength - built on drawn energy of a thousand beasts, just like that of the Tabula they'd created. The blade arm began to glow brightly, shimmering with energy.
The dragons shadow completely blotted her out as he was practically on her…
… And her eyes snapped open. Flaring as her power burst outwards.
He couldn't stop himself now and couldn't protect himself from the strike.
"HAAA!" And she slashed and the light across her blade exploding as she struck the centre of Ryoho's chest.
He roared in agony as he was engulfed, swallowed by the power; his own pushed back in on itself.
Nagi rolled aside as he hit the wooden floor motionlessly, the light wrapping around him. And in a flash of red then white light, the dragon suddenly disappeared and Ryoho reverted back to his human form, lying face down.
Mana was shocked. The Unborn had been strong enough to defeat the dragon and push it back where it had come.
Aching, Nagi stood, walking slowly towards Ryoho's prone state. She looked down upon his exhausted state, watching him struggle with heavy breaths. Her blank face suddenly changed into a twisted smile. It was nearly the end and all the pain of the Unborn kind was going to healed.
"With this one strike…" She chuckled, thrusting out her blade arm over the man. "With this ONE strike, we shall have revenge!"
Mana struggled up. "No! NO! STOP!" She implored to no avail.
"HA! Goodbye Gaia's proud dragon!" And she raised the blade to bring down in a final fatal strike…
A/N: Could this be the end? Will the Unborn finally get some retribution... or will a familar face make his mark on this 'final' scene...? Find out soon...