OP Sequence (Training Montage)
Neko and Kenzaki are practicing JyuKen, sparring with one another, as Rose watches with a bitter look on her face. She is jealous at what she sees. Neko finally unleashes her own Gekiwaza, Nyao Nyao Dan (Meow-Meow Bullet), in the form of a giant cat which claws at Kenzaki and sends him falling. Kenzaki gives her a thumb's up.
Megami is doing speed training as she runs through an obstacle course. Her reflexes are being tested as she quickly dodges several obstacles that pop up at a moment's notice. She reached a road block in the form of a wall but runs up it before running down the other side. She even runs on water with ease as Ekelo watches with a smile under his mask.
Eri is fighting against numerous training droids using her light energy bolts that smash into them and blows them up. Jericho watches but instead of wearing a smile, he looks worried, as Eri looks completely focused and obsessed. In her mind were definitely thoughts of revenge against Copycat. She then decided to go up close and personal, using martial art stances and strikes derived from the swan.
Ichijyo is going through 'the Gauntlet' as he battles 99 other Deathtrons alone with only his powers and no armor. In the monitor room, Raven watches. She wears a tight black full bodysuit with a dark blue cloak that had the hood pulled up. On her chest is the Deathtron emblem. Beside her are Deathtron technicians as they monitor Ichijyo's status as he defeats his opponents.
Grant is shooting at numerous targets with a pair of guns at hand. The targets are all holographic and look like the other Knights. He seems to like shooting at Copycat's holographic representations, wearing a gleeful smile as he kills them. He shoots a barrage at the holograms and 'kills' them with sadistic joy.
Katherine is doing drills with her tonfa, standing in one place as she spins the tonfa around repeatedly. She then switches to doing a complex kata with her tonfa as Rosalinda watches. Damien comes to watch as well, much to Rosalinda's discomfort, and comments on how much Katherine has improved. He even suggests that Nami herself spar with Katherine. Minutes later, Nami and Katherine spar and Katherine gain the upper hand by copying and countering all of Nami's moves, handing her a humiliating defeat. Rosalinda applauds as Nami limps towards Damien and Katherine grins in triumph.
Ryuki is sparring with Kamen Rider Amazon in the forest. As a Rider who lived in the forest since he was a baby, Amazon was able to use the terrain to his advantage. Draco is wearing a variant of Kamen Rider Ichigo and Nigo's suit. It is a black jacket with a red chestplate, high collars, matching black pants, red gloves and boots, and also wearing a scarf around his neck. Ryuki then decides to use the Keyblade to strike at Amazon as they leap through the trees, trading blows. Before sparring with Amazon, he'd sparred with Kamen Rider X and Stronger. Later, he would spar with Riderman and V3. Jinx is watching Ryuki through a monitor while she stands between Ichigo and Nigo.
Takada is going through the Danger Room located under Smart Brain Tokyo, pushing his invulnerability to the limits as he allows the weapons to strike him. Up in the monitor room is Blackfire and Prof. Murata who are monitoring his status and progress. Blackfire flinches as she watches Takada take a hard hit in the head but is relieved when he shrugs it off and moves onwards. The Danger Room level has been brought up to "ARE YOU NUTS!" meaning Takada is going through something that sane Operatives would never dare to do. Being invulnerable has its perks, it seems, and also his nanotech enhancements are playing a key role as he morph his arms into cannon and fires orbs of electrical energy at the flamethrowers, shorting them out and blowing them up.
For an entire month, the Zodiac Knights train themselves, preparing themselves for the Finals as Libra watches from his viewing mirror. So far, none of the Knights had violated the ceasefire rule and were still eligible for the Finals. His 4 Symbols remain vigilant, watching over Terra in secret, and protecting her from harm. There hadn't been an attempt on her life yet, except by villains, but nothing requiring their involvement. They were the sacred guardians and defenders of the Avatar, Tara Markov, and would die to protect her.
The montage ends with the emblems of the Knights: Dragon, Snake, Dog, Aquarius, Rabbit, Taurus, Cat and Virgo appear on cards that turn from facedown to face up on the screen.
ZKD: LOST PARADISE
Part 98: The Finals Commence!
Warren sat in the lotus position in a room that appeared similar to a library, except it was also filled with various mystical objects. Standing beside him was Dr. Stephen Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme. "Well, Warren. Do you think you are ready to face this Damien you seem so obsessed with defeating?" asked Dr. Strange.
"Probably not," admitted Warren. "He has powers far beyond that of my own, even after my training with you and the JSA. I mean, statistically speaking, there's a 90 percent chance that I'm gonna die in this fight." He paused. "However…" He held out his hand and a strange mask took form. "If I break the seal and unlock the powers that were locked away in this mask…I may be able to fight him on equal footing."
"But by doing that…"
"Then my chances of survival drop from 10 percent to nearly 0.1 percent. Meaning that this mask is gonna have to be my trump card."
Dr. Strange placed a hand on Warren's shoulder. "Throughout your training, you have always had your family on your mind. Use that to your advantage. That is something you have that Damien could never have."
"I understand." He stood up and shook Dr. Strange's hand. "I wanna thank you, Doc, for everything."
"It's no problem, Warren."
Warren pulled out a cell phone and quickly dialed a number. He placed it to his ear and spoke, "Ant, it's time. You pick him up, I'm going on ahead…after I say goodbye to a few more people." He hung up as a shadow portal opened in front of him. "See ya, Doc. It's been fun." Warren then stepped into the portal and vanished.
A month had passed quickly. The Zodiac Knights, both good and evil, had been training themselves hard in preparation for the final battle amongst them. In the End there can be only One and it would appear that the time was nigh. Only one of them would be the victor and gain that wish.
Meanwhile, in an apartment, 4 young men were lived together doing their own thing. The youngest, appearing in his mid teens, blonde and wearing a white T-shirt with black knee length shorts, was sitting close to the TV watching an anime about giant robots that could transform into vehicles. His golden eyes were totally focused on the green. He had slightly sharper canines than one would have normally and whisker marks on his cheeks. "Wow! Awesome!"
Sitting on the sofa, trying to read, was an older boy with short green hair that was parted in the centre and wearing glasses over his blue eyes. He wore a green buttoned down shirt with brown slacks and had a book in hand. He didn't seem to have any trouble with his reading since he was wearing earplugs connected to an MP3 player clipped to his right breast pocket. He was totally focused with his book, the music drowning out any outside noise.
In the kitchen, a boy with long red hair and red eyes, slightly older than the green haired one, was preparing lunch. He wore a red long sleeved shirt with blue jeans and over his clothing he had on an apron. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail and one of his bangs covered over one eye. He was currently stirring the soup which from the looks of it appeared to be very tasty.
Coming out of the bathroom, with a towel around his waist with tanned skin and a very muscular frame, was a young man in his early twenties. His eyes were brown and he was drying his short blue hair with an extra towel. He said to the youngest, "Bobby, sit farther away from the television. You'll hurt your eyes."
The youngest, Bobby, frowned and retorted, "But, Joseph! This is the best part! I wanna see it up close!"
"Don't make me turn off that TV, young man!" Joseph warned and Bobby stuck his tongue out in response. Joseph looked ready to go through with his warning as he picked up the TV but a calm voice spoke.
"Let him be," said the glasses wearing boy. "As soon as this show ends he'll be off to sleep. It's almost over anyway." He had removed one of the earplugs.
Joseph gave him a look and said, "I'm just trying to exercise my right as leader here, Shawn."
"Being a leader means respecting ones subordinates, Joseph," Shawn smiled, not taking his eyes off the book.
Joseph sighed as the one in the kitchen, called, "Hey, stews ready!" he called. "I think it's my best yet!"
"That's what you said the last time, Ray," reminded Shawn.
Ray frowned, "Oh, just try it. It won't kill you."
"The last batch nearly did," Shawn muttered.
"What was that, you turtle?" growled Ray.
"Nothing," Shawn said quickly. "Let's eat."
Bobby turned off the TV, "Yay! Food!"
Joseph groaned, messaging his temples, "I wonder how we each of us represent Master Libra in the first place."
The four sat at the dining table as stew was served in front of them. They ate together. The youngest ate quickly as the calm one, Shawn, ate politely. Joseph was taking noisy slurps as Ray ate with good manners.
"We've been here for a month, haven't we?" Ray said, trying to strike conversation.
"It seems like it," Shawn replied. "Time sure flies. The Avatar is still safe thanks to us."
"But for how long?" Joseph said grimly. "She puts herself in danger along with her friends. Just yesterday she nearly got hurt fighting one of those villains."
"Oh, she got out of it just fine and fought back, hard," Shawn reminded. "And she has that armor of hers to protect her."
"Still, it worries me. How are we supposed to protect someone without revealing who we are?" Joseph questioned in frustration. "And why does the Avatar have to be someone that puts herself in danger?"
"I may be the wise, but even I don't know how destiny works. It's a mystery."
"But you have to admit her friends are cute," stated Ray, "Especially the redhead. Too bad she's taken, though."
"Must you flirt with every pretty girl?" Joseph glowered.
"Hey, I can't help it that girls are attracted to me," said Ray. "I'm man-pretty."
Shawn mouthed, "Man-pretty?" and Joseph gave him a look with a bewildered shrug. Ray sure had an ego.
"All done!" Bobby said quickly and then left the table.
"Wash your bowl!" Joseph called. Bobby turned back and ran towards the table, picking up the bowl and taking it to the kitchen sink to wash. "He's such a child."
"He's our youngest," said Shawn. "It must be all that sugar and anime he watches all the time."
"It's a wonder his brain still works with all that junk," Joseph retorted. "So, who's going on patrol this time?"
"All of us, as usual, just like yesterday, and the day before that," Shawn said.
"And the day before that. We have to always keep watching. Her identity has been compromised so we need to keep her safe from those who wish to harm her," said Ray, being serious.
Joseph nodded in agreement, "Alright, let's go."
Ryuki looked himself in the bathroom mirror holding a pair of scissors and a bottle of hair dye. His hair had grown out again and needed a trim. His hair always grew fast until it reached down to his waist. The dye had also faded, restoring his natural red hair color. He wasn't sure if he wanted to cut and re-dye it.
"Need help?" Jinx offered as she hugged him from behind.
"Oh, Jinxy-chan!" he smiled as he looked at his reflection in the mirror to see Jinx standing behind him.
"Are you sure you wanna cut and dye it again?" she purred, taking a strand of his red hair. "I missed this color."
"I did like the change," Ryuki reasoned. "But I'm not sure now."
"Yeah, with black hair and red bangs, you look like your dad," Jinx blurted out. It wasn't a big deal for him. His dad was gone, true, but it was a long time ago and he shouldn't be mourning that long.
"Okaasan said the same thing too," said Ryuki. "So, do you think I should cut and dye my hair?"
"No! I like it like this! Don't change it again!"
Ryuki laughed, "Alright…" He put the dye and scissors down. Jinx let go and sighed. "What's wrong?"
"It's been a whole month and we're back here," she began, "but now you have to go."
"It's time, Jinxy-chan," he said solemnly. "The end is already near and I have to go."
"Just…promise me you'll be careful, OK?" she pled. "Please?"
Ryuki turned around and pulled her into an embrace. She could hear the beating of his hair and feel his warmth. The warmth she loved so much.
"I will," he assured her, "I'm going to win and end this all once and for all."
"But…what will you wish for?" she asked.
Ryuki hadn't really thought about what he'd do with the wish once he got it. "We'll see when the time comes," he told her. That was all he could say right now since he hadn't even made a decision yet regarding the wish. Terra was the Avatar and she needed to be kept safe. "Just promise me that you all will keep Terra safe."
"We will," Jinx promised. "She's our friend. We're not going to let some cheaters get her on our watch."
"Good," he smiled. "I love you."
"Love you too."
He leaned down as she stood on her toes, pressing their lips together in a deep kiss. His eyes snapped open when he heard the ringing sound. He pulled away from Jinx and took the deck out from his pocket. "Well, here I go," he said in finality. There was no turning back. Jinx took a step back as she watched him stand in front of the mirror, with the deck held out in front of the reflection. His belt formed and he called out, "Henshin!"
"OK, I'm ready! I'm ready!" Takada said to himself as he hopped from foot to foot. 4 years had come down to this. This was when it would all end. He had to be ready. He reached into his pocket and took out his Dog Deck. "Alright, this is where it ends. I'm gonna win this."
"You're pretty confident," said Blackfire as she stood beside him.
"Why shouldn't I?" he grinned. "I'm immortal, invulnerable, and have kick-ass powers! I got this thing in the bag!" He was lying to himself. The other Knights would be just as powerful, even more so than he. Despite all his power, all they had to do was break his deck and it would be all over.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked, a frown on her beautiful features.
"Huh?"
"Why are you doing this?" she repeated. "Your mom is out of her coma. I know why your sister is doing this but what about you?" She knew Venus wanted to restore Joey to true life and not needing a Gigai anymore, but Blackfire wondered what Takada was after. He didn't need to fight.
"I'm doing this," he began, pausing for a second, "I'm doing this for Tamaran."
She blinked.
"I'm still working on restoring the planet back to a tropical paradise and I'm not even close to succeeding," he said with a little regret in his voice.
"But, Puppy!" she protested, "You're doing great!"
"One small forest isn't enough! I'm still far from success. I win this and then I'll wish for Tamaran to get its forests and jungles back!"
Blackfire was silenced by his words. She knew he could be obsessive, even with his work, but his conviction was so strong. It seemed that he wouldn't let anything stop him. At first it was admirable but it frightened her. "What about the others? Are you going to destroy their dreams too?"
Takada became silence once more. He was about to say more when he heard the ringing in his ears. Blackfire knew that look.
"It's time, right? For real?" she asked. He nodded. "Good luck, OK?"
Takada went towards the mirror, his Zodiac Deck in hand, and held it out in front of him. He said one word, "Henshin," as the belt was summoned around his waist.
"Do you want to go through with this, for real, even after all that's happened?" Raven asked her husband as they stood in the middle of his green house. He was tending to his roses, occasionally answering her questions.
"Yes," Ichijyo said as he checked for weeds. "Especially after all that has happened. It's something that we know would happen one day."
"But they're your friends," said Raven. "Your best friends. Not to mention your sister is in this too."
"I know, which is why I have to do this," Ichijyo said, "Better defeated by me and live than face the others and die."
ARMS and Copycat were the only evil Knights left and were both very dangerous, the latter more than the former. Copycat, he'd sensed, had grown stronger in power and she was the Living Gate. If she won she would wish for…Ichijyo didn't even want to think of what she would wish for but there was no doubt that it would horrible. She had the mind and heart of a Horror and Horrors were pure evil to the soul, if they had any.
"So, now all of them are your enemies, is that it?" she asked.
"It was a pact we made, a long time ago," Ichijyo said. "It was inevitable. We knew it from the start. There was nothing that could change it." He stared at the blue and red roses, colors which reminded him of his Takada and Ryuki, respectively. "In the End there can be only One. Once this starts, we become enemies." He heard her leave and he sighed. "Forgive me, Raven." The ringing invaded his ears. "Goodbye." He took out his deck and summoned his belt along the way. He stood before his reflection, holding the Snake Deck out. "Henshin."
"Looks like it's time," said Neko. "It's been an entire month."
"It feels like yesterday, though," Gekiryuken stated.
"I know," Neko agreed. She was alone in her room, dressed and ready. The call could come at anytime so she had to be ready for it. "Is it normal to be a little scared?"
"This tournament, as you say, puts all your dreams and even your life at risk. It's only normal to be scared."
"The funny thing is I'm not afraid for my life. I'm more afraid of leaving everyone I care for behind," she admitted.
"You didn't tell them, did you?" Gekiryuken asked. Neko shook her head. "Why?"
"I didn't want to say goodbye," she confessed. "If I did, they may think I won't come back."
"That's foolish!" Gekiryuken yelled. "You should tell them you'll be leaving!"
"I'm not good with goodbyes, Geki-chan. When I left home to go after Ryu-chan, I didn't tell mama. This won't be any different."
"But these are people that care about you!" Gekiryuken protested. "You must tell them!"
Neko's eyes closed as she heard the ringing. "It's too late now. It's time."
"O-Ojou-sama!"
Suddenly, her door slid open and Rose, Cathy and Kenzaki came running inside. "Wait a damn moment, Neko!" shouted Kenzaki. Neko was surprised.
"Mama, you can't leave!" Cathy shouted. "Please, don't go!"
"We're you really serious of going without telling us?" Rose looked cross.
"So, you know," Neko said. It was a statement, not a question.
"Well, with three other Knights here and two others in Titans East, word travels fast," commented Kenzaki. "You're just going to run off without saying anything? Not even a goodbye?"
Neko kept silent.
"Say something!"
She muttered under her breath.
"What was that?"
"I'm not good with goodbyes!" she snapped. "I'm just…not good with saying goodbye."
"Why?" Cathy asked.
"When papa…" She paused. "I had to say goodbye to him and then I started forgetting a bit about him. I don't want to say goodbye." She wiped a tear away, "I don't want to forget."
"Oh…Neko…" Rose approached her, "Saying goodbye doesn't mean you have to forget."
"It does for me. Goodbye is not a word I particularly like," she said sadly.
"Well, how about good luck?" Kenzaki smiled.
"So, we really can't come?" Cathy asked.
"Knights only," confirmed Neko. "The Deck is like your Pass. No access granted without it." The ringing was starting to hurt her ears. "I really need to get going." She approached her mirror but was being held back as Cathy grabbed her hand.
"But-!" Cathy tried to protest, "But I don't want you to go, mama! It's dangerous!"
She knew what Cathy meant. Copycat would be there. "I know, but I have to. I need to face her."
"Just, be careful, OK?" Rose requested.
"And kick her ass!" grinned Kenzaki in encouragement.
Neko smiled before ruffling Cathy's hair. Her adopted daughter and the two people she loved dearly. She gave them a salute before turning towards the mirror, shouting, "Gekiryu Henshin!"
Katherine was dressed to kill, which was what she was planning to do at the Finals. She wore a black leather jacket with a demon's face stitched to the back, a black tank top with a blood red skull, tight black shorts with fishnet stockings, knee high boots with steel toes, cut off gloves with spikes on the knuckles, a spiked collar and her hair down. "I make this look good," she grinned. "How do I look?" she asked Rosalinda.
"Mistress, you're going now?" asked Rosalinda.
"I am," Katherine answered. "And anyone who stands in my way will fall." She heard applause and turned towards the door to see Damien.
"Those are really beautiful words you spouted," he complimented. She doubted the words were sincere. She didn't trust Damien. He was only around because of his power which she needed for her plan. She suspected that he was plotting something behind her back but she didn't have any proof. If he did anything to alter her plan in anyway, she would kill him before he could blink.
"What do you want?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"Oh, can't a friend just stop by and wish you good luck?" he asked (nearly) innocently.
Katherine scoffed, "Us? Friends? Since when?"
"Oh, I'm hurt," he said as he entered. Rosalinda ran to hide behind her mistress. "Aw, don't be scared of little old me."
"What do you want, Damien-dono?" she asked.
"Chaos, disorder, utter mayhem, a harem of women to rape and torture, people burnt at the stake," he listed, "Take your pick. Maybe you should specify."
Katherine hated it when he was being cryptic. She also hated it that he was hiding things from her. "Wishing me luck? You don't believe in luck."
"Maybe I just wanted to say something before you take your leave," said Damien, sitting on the bed. "You are going to enter this final tournament, aren't you?"
"I wouldn't have been fighting for 4 long years now if I wasn't, would I" she retorted.
"Now that's that clever wit I so adore," he chuckled before teleporting to so that he was standing right in front of her. "You're so cute that I could just kiss you."
Katherine took 5 steps back with Rosalinda, saying, "The kissing booth is closed to you, Damien-dono." She didn't want to be anywhere near those lips. "Go kiss Nami and can you please stay away from the other female members? It took me weeks to erase the trauma you caused on Angel and Cheshire."
"Oh, I was just having fun. You now how we demons love to hear girls scream."
Katherine hated to admit it, but she did take a sick pleasure in making Rosalinda scream, but she never did tie the girl up against her will, unlike the Lord of Wrath. "I may be a demon, but I'm not exactly like you. What you consider fun is not the same as I."
"You just like to eat. Why don't you eat brains like Sylar?" Damien scoffed.
"I prefer hearts to brains. More protein," she licked her lips.
"Well, I was wondering something," Damien began, "When you're away, who will be in charge?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Katherine retorted. "Slade-sama."
"You're leaving us to follow him?" Damien looked aghast.
"I respect him, not to mention trust him more than I will ever trust you."
Damien looked ready to explode and show Katherine why he deserved the name of Wrath but calmed down. Her powers and his were at equal strength and he couldn't unseal his true power without leaving himself open to an attack. Those 10 Celestial Weapons Katherine wielded now after devouring Yoshido were powerful, especially the 10th one dubbed Maoh. Maoh meant Demon King and its manifestation earned it that name. She had tried it out once and liked the destructive power it held. Too bad it was limited to six and now she had only 5 Maohs left at her disposal. Still…it wouldn't kill him, but it would hurt like hell for him.
"And, I hope you don't go near Rosalinda for some fun," Katherine warned. "If you want then kidnap some whores from the place I found Nami. Better yet, just have fun with Nami. For the life of me, which I cannot fathom, she actually likes you."
"Oh, capital idea," Damien grinned, giving Rosalinda a wink which caused her to shrink behind Katherine. "Well, ta-ta for now, Kitty-Kat. And good luck." 'You'll need it.' He walked out of the room.
"Mistress…" Rosalinda said worriedly.
"I know I shouldn't leave you with him around, but at least Slade-sama can keep you safe. Slade-sama knows what to do when I leave. My pets are hungry and I have every intention of feeding them…the world." Her little Zoo of Horrors…those horrendous creatures…were ready. She was planning on letting them loose on the city. That wasn't good. She spun around and kissed Rosalinda deeply. Rosalinda kissed her beloved mistress back with just as much passion, paying her back for the months of kindness she had shown her. Katherine pulled back, licking her lips as her crimson eyes shone. "Yummy…" She heard the ringing and went towards her mirror. She held out her Cat Deck with her lips curled into a malevolent smile, calling out, "Henshin…" with a purr in her voice.
Grant was in front of his mirror, ready, with his deck out. "Henshin!" he called out. His eyes were set on the prize. No one would stop him from regaining his birthright, not even Copycat. He would earn his father's respect and power!
Eri and Megami stood side by side, their decks held out in front of them facing their reflections in the window with their belts on. The other Titans East stood behind them, watching.
"Henshin!" the two girls called in unison.
"EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC DRAGON!"
"EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC DOG!"
"EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC SNAKE!"
"EMPOWERMENT OF AQUARIUS!"
"EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC CAT!"
"EMPOWERMENT OF TAURUS!"
"EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC RABBIT!"
"EMPOWERMENT OF VIRGO!"
Libra watched through his viewing mirror as all 8 Zodiac Knights transformed simultaneously. As soon as they entered their mirrors and rode the tunnels with their Knightriders, they would be automatically taken to a designated spot in the Celestial Realm where the Final would take place. His entire attention was on the Dragon, Cat and Aquarius Knights. They were his son and daughters. Correction, they were his son and the two halves of his daughter. The Yin half of his daughter may be evil but still exhibited kindness towards a single girl. Maybe there was hope for the Living Gate.
Ever since he knew about it, he'd tried to find a way to help his daughter avoid her fate. As soon as she'd been born and was found out to be the vessel that housed the Living Gate, she'd been sentences to death despite being an innocent child. He and his wife, the current clan heads, had objected strongly and the elders of the clan had no power if he had anything to say about it. Their clan was supposed to be open minded, but when something like a living demonic gate was born, it had to be slain. It was hypocritical! It was against everything they stood by.
"So, they are coming?" Fuji asked as he stood next to Libra.
"Yes, they are," nodded Libra. "Shouldn't we bring Terra here, just to keep her safe?"
"The Avatar? She may be the vessel of the Power but she is still mortal. Mortals aren't permitted here."
"But the Knights are?" Libra asked. Is just seemed to unfair.
"You know the rules. The higher ups still aren't happy with you always breaking them."
"Too bad they still need me."
"Don't be too confident, my friend. You're still replaceable in their eyes."
Libra sighed. The higher ups were the deities, the actual Zodiac that battled in the beginning before the Zodiac War was created. They would be watching, but only 8 would be happy to see their Knights fighting…the 8 remaining Knights. Libra wasn't counted since he was the judge and had to wait till only one Knight remained so that he himself would battle him or her. It a rule even he couldn't break.
"Hopefully, the 4 Symbols can keep her safe until the War is over," said Fuji.
"I hope so too, but this man worries me," Libra said as the image of the Knights vanished from the mirror before being replaced by Damien. "This…demon has a lot of power, almost like a god. He has the power to destroy the world and yet hasn't made his move. Like Copycat, he also knows the identity of the Avatar."
"You think he will attack?" Fuji questioned.
"From the look in his eyes, I don't doubt he would. Copycat's forces with him in it may be too much for even Earth's heroes. My 4 Symbols must aid them to protect Terra."
"I agree," Fuji nodded.
"They've arrived," said Libra. "Fuji-sama, please watch the mirror and keep me posted." He tapped his staff on the floor and a portal appeared beneath his feet. "To the Celestial Forest! Hayaku!"
The portal created a pillar of light which enveloped Libra and transported him to his destination, the Celestial Forest.
8 Knightriders, each a different color, arrived in a grassy clearing from 8 different portals. They were colored red (Draco), blue (Pluto), purple (Shadowcobra), pink (Moon), white (Venus), green (ARMS), black (Copycat) and silver (Ryukendo).
Despite all being in their default normal modes, Shadowcobra, Pluto and Draco's armors had changed after the one month ceasefire. Shadowcobra's torso armor was black with purple trimmings and patterns. His symbol was still that of a cobra but he also wore a small Deathtron symbol on his helmet.
Draco's armor was now black along with his bodysuit. His gauntlets, boots and chestplate were all red. His dragon symbol was still silver and his visor remained with green eyes. His ensemble now included a red scarf worn around his neck that hung down to his stomach.
Pluto's black torso armor, gauntlets, helmet, and boots were now blue, but a lighter shade than his bodysuit which looked nearly black. The chestplate and visor were still silver.
All three of them also had their Excel Modes activated, shown by the streams on their sleeves and legs.
Copycat's helmet included a hockey mask, the same mask worn by her Contract Beast Psychorogue. Whether this was a statement announcing the state of her mind or was just a statement of fashion was unknown. Maybe she was just trying to intimidate the competition. It worked for Jason Voorhees, didn't it? She had Excel Streams too, showing she was in her Excel Mode as well.
ARMS, Venus and Moon's armors all still looked the same. It was the person beneath them that had changed. Venus' eyes were completely focused on Copycat. She wanted to make the evil Cat Knight pay for taking Joey's life and reducing him to reliance on a Gigai, a faux body, in order to stay corporeal. It wasn't fair of him and Copycat was using his powers which she'd stole, mocking him.
ARMS looked around. He wanted to prove that he was more than just a trigger-happy lunatic. He had power and he knew how to use it. It was his birthright! Power and the pride of his father! So what if Copycat was his apprentice? Shouldn't the first born son have his rights too?
Moon saw her brother. She remembered his warning. He wanted her out so she wouldn't risk her life so frivolously. She wasn't like him. She wasn't a warrior like him. She wasn't trained to kill like him. She was his sister, his only sister, and she didn't want to lose him like he lost Misha.
"So do you know where we are?" Moon asked, breaking the silence.
"Hey, the tunnels led us here," Copycat answered. "Maybe this is the spot where the Finals are being held."
"You'd want to fight now, wouldn't you?" hissed Venus.
"That's what we are here for," Copycat retorted. "I bet you really want a crack at me, don't you? You wanna avenge your little Joey?"
Venus' hand was already on her rapier's handle and she was about to draw when she felt her brother's hand on hers. He shook his head. She pulled away from him.
"Come on," ARMS grumbled, "When are we supposed to start this thing?" He hadn't been a Knight as long as the others. Heck, he was relatively new compared to the rest.
"Be patient, Grant," Copycat advised. "It's a virtue."
"Like you're one to talk!" snorted Ryukendo. "You don't have any virtues."
"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?" Copycat replied, removing her helmet. "If you got something to say, say it to my face."
Ryukendo removed her own helmet, glaring full force at her demonic mirror image, "Oh, something is going to be in your face."
The two identical girls glared at one another before turning away. They couldn't stomach looking at each other. Katherine saw Neko as weak and Katherine reminded Neko of all the horrible things she'd done to everyone, especially Kenzaki.
A pillar of light came down from the sky and when it dispersed there stood Libra in all his holy glory. "Welcome, Zodiac Knights, to the Finals of the Zodiac War," he spoke. He'd been practicing this speech for years now, "This is your final destination. Only one of you will be victorious and earn the rights to the Prize, the Power, the Wish."
ARMS grinned at hearing this. He was going to blow the competition away.
"There are strict rules in this tournament so you best heed them well," Libra advised. "Now, are there any questions?" No one made a motion.
Gekiryuken said to Ryukendo, "Ojou-sama, there's something familiar about that god. It's like I know him."
Ryukendo was wondering what Gekiryuken meant by that but couldn't question as Libra began speaking again.
"This tournament has strict rules and if you violate any of them, you will be stripped of your powers and your memories of them. I've witnessed you all fighting up until now and I am impressed by your tenacity," his eyes went over towards the Knights allied with the Titans, "Some more so than others." He continued, "Now, you are currently in the Celestial Realm, a place that mortals cannot set foot on. You all, however, are an exception, since you represent the very Zodiacs. The Animals and the Signs chose you to be their champions. Do not disappoint them like all the others." Venus bristled at the words. Joey actually died because of this war.
"I have a question," Copycat raised up her arm.
"Speak," Libra allowed.
"When does the fighting start? Isn't that we are here for?"
The rest, who'd already removed their own helmets, were wondering the same thing. Ryukendo snorted, "Didn't you want to be patient?"
"Even I got limits, my weaker half," hissed Copycat.
Libra answered, "The fighting will start soon, I assure you. You've waited this long. What's wrong with waiting a few more minutes to set everything up?"
Damien was walking through the many hallways of Tartarus' HQ with Nami by his side. "Have any of the others given you their answer?" asked Damien.
"Well, no. Apparently they are more afraid of Copycat than of you…" said Nami. She looked at Damien, expecting to see anger or a scowl on his face, but instead, she just saw him smiling.
"No matter, this just makes things more interesting. All that remains now are the opposition. The Teen Titans will be our biggest concern…at first. If I can reach the blonde girl, my victory is assured." His smile grew. He gabbed Nami by the waist and pulled her close. "Shall we have some fun, my dear?"
"Your room or mine?" she asked with a coy smile as the shadows enveloped them.
Meanwhile, back in Jump City…
As soon as the Knights had left, Tartarus made its move. Monsters, hideous monsters, were set loose with Slade leading them through the city, attacking innocent people. Anyone unlucky enough to be caught was instantly ravaged to death.
The monsters were from Copycat's private zoo and were causing mayhem, chaos and destruction. The mammoth-sized Chomper was eating people by the mouthful, typically biting them in half before swallowing. His partner in crime was Kat's Darling, who like most felines, tended to play with her food before eating it. And nicely complimenting the voracious duo was the dragon-spider Dancer, who delighted in freezing and smashing apart every supposedly 'safe' refuge the people could think to hide behind. The police came to fight them off but they were no match for the Hek Bunnies, who not only outnumbered, but outmatched their forces with superior speed, agility, aerial capability, and that certain killer instinct Horrors were renowned for. Very little was left of any who encountered the Bunnies… some bloody remains, a charred skull and broken bits of bone… that was all.
The other monsters were mostly rampaging about at will, wreaking havoc according to their natures. Both Jab-Slashity and Sam the Spider Monkey were leaving people as quivering masses of ripped up flesh, Bull-Frog and Spark-eyes were respectively, skewering and electrocuting anything that moved, and Charmer lured people right into the teeth of Ugly's many heads.
The foxes gunned down anything in sight and Fetch was working with the squeaky ducks to bring them prey and simply watch the results. Sniffy was a one-monster whirlwind of destruction, bounding here, there and everywhere, sometimes simply picking people up to toss them in the air, other times hanging on to them as a snack for its tails.
Slade watched as his apprentice's creations wreaked havoc. These were but a few of them as many others had been dispatched to other areas in the city and even other cities in the world to cause as much destruction and mayhem as they possibly could. It was this wanton destruction that made waking up early all the worthwhile. This was what he lived for. These monsters, these Horror-Beasts, were the pride and joy of his beloved apprentice.
Of course, even in the best laid plans there was a monkey-wrench…a monkey-wrench made up of several super-powered teens known as the Teen Titans.
"Slade! Stop right there!" Robin shouted, clad in his armor as soon as he saw the monsters. Any other Titan who had some sort of upgrade had already activated them. Raven and Starfire were armed with their Scythe of Light and Starblade respectively. Cyborg had combined with his T-Car with Changeling by his side twisting his DNA Morpher's ring to select a proper form. The others with Rider systems had already armored up. Starfire looked especially horrified at the mutilated bodies of innocent people. This reminded her of the carnage the Gordanians caused a long time ago. Raven was furious as were others and Beast Boy paled a little as he saw the monsters.
"Well now, Titans," Slade smirked under his mask. "What a nice surprise…"
"Papa Slade, stop this!" ALPHA shouted. "Please!" Slade, despite all that'd happened, was still her grandpa and she loved him.
"Daddy! You shouldn't be doing this!" Ravager shouted, begging him. "This is just like what happened with Trigon! You can't let yourself be manipulated!"
Slade laughed. "Manipulated? I'm doing this of my own free will, my dear daughter. Copycat…she has a plan…to rid this world and many other worlds of life and recreate it in her own image." His single eye flashed with dark power.
"He's possessed," Raven observed.
"Not possessed," Slade answered. "Liberated. Like most of the other Lords, we have a demon in us." He tapped his head. "A seed of evil, giving us power." Dark flames engulfed his hands, "LIKE THIS!" He sent jets of flames from his hands towards the Titans. Instantly, a wall of stone rose up to block the flames of darkness. Slade stopped and Terra dropped the wall.
"Henshin!" Slade called, snapping the OMEGA Phone to the belt, activating the OMEGA system to cover himself in the black armor. The gold streams glowed and his visor flashed once the change was complete. He commanded, "Horror-Beasts! Finish them!"
"TITANS GO!" Robin commanded and they all charged towards the demonic mutant beasts. Robin was paying his attention towards Slade. "Slade's all mine."
Up upon a rooftop stood four mysterious armored figures. Their suits of armor were all identical looking. They had wing-like shoulders and helmets with visors that had 6 slits to enable them to see. The only thing that set them apart was their colors and symbols. The one leading them wore blue and had an emblem resembling a dragon on his chest.
"Gou, shouldn't we help them? The Avatar is down there," stated the one in black armor and wearing a tortoise emblem.
"She's not in mortal danger so there's no need, Shin," the leader. Seiryuu no Gou said to Genbu no Shin.
"But I'm bored!" whined the white armored one with a tiger emblem. He was about to jump off but Gou grabbed his shoulder. "Hey, lemme go! Lemme go!"
"Gai, don't be foolish!" scolded Gou. Byakko no Gai was childish and impatient. He wanted so much to fight.
"But she could get hurt!" Gai shouted.
"He's right, as much as I hate to admit it," Suzaku no Rei said, speaking his mind. His armor was mainly red with a phoenix emblem.
"We're her secret guardians, emphasis on 'secret'," Gou reminded.
"True, but I don't think discretion is going to help us right now with all these hideous creatures on the loose. Innocents are being hurt."
Gou was silent. He was leader but he felt more like a parent trying to keep his kids in line.
"Your call, Gou," said Shin.
"Spread out," he ordered. "Help the wounded find safety and take out these creatures! I'll stay to keep an eye on the Avatar!"
The other Symbols nodded and then flew off in orbs of their respective colors.
Gou bit his lower lip, "I hope I'm not making a huge error…"
Upon another rooftop stood Damien and Nami, as well as several other members of Tartarus, but not the entire organization. "Is it not beautiful, my dear?" asked Damien as he held out a hand toward the city, overjoyed at its destruction. "This…this is what I seek. Pointless destruction and mayhem…" He held out both arms and began laughing. "April sweet is coming in…" Damien's forces charged forward. "So let the feast of fools begin!"
Copycat was sitting against a tree, admiring her helmet which she was holding in her hands lazily. ARMS wasn't too far away and was holstering and drawing out his gun repeatedly, obviously practicing his drawing speed.
The six Knights on the side of good were grouped together, talking. They also had their helmets off.
"So, from this point onwards, we're now enemies," said Shadowcobra firmly.
"Just remember," Venus frowned, "The Cat is mine."
"That's not up to us to decide," Pluto stated, worriedly. "Libra is the one that sets up the pairings. I don't think we can argue with a god."
"Hmph," Venus huffed.
"Ichi, if we were to fight what would you do?" asked Moon towards her little brother, Shadowcobra.
"I promise not to hurt you too badly," he answered, his masked eyes went towards Draco, "But I have a different target in mind."
Draco was looking at his communicator, which was giving him static. He was unable to communicate with the other Titans back on Earth from the looks of it. "Kuso," he cursed.
"What's wrong?" Ryukendo asked.
"I'm trying to let Jinx and the others know we're okay, but I'm not getting anything here," he answered.
"We're in another realm," Shadowcobra told him. "So don't bother trying to contact anyone on the outside. We can't reach out to them and vice versa."
"I'm just worried," Draco said under his breath. The visions he had the last few days had been nightmares and he feared that they would come true. He was grasping and pulling at his scarf.
"They'll be fine," Shadowcobra said, trying to be reassuring. Of course, he was concerned too. He'd left Raven under not so good conditions. They hadn't even kissed.
Libra returned holding out 8 cards. He said to the Knights, "These cards shall reveal to you the identity of your opponents and the location of your battle zone. As soon as you receive these cards, they will instantly transport you to where you will fight!" He tossed the cards to them and they caught them expertly.
Copycat grinned as she saw her card. It depicted the symbol for Aquarius. Ryukendo was looking back at her too, glaring. Her card depicted the Cat symbol. The cards depicted a flame on the top right corner.
Pluto and Venus exchanged looks as their eyes focused on each other. Pluto's card had the symbol for Virgo on it and Venus got the symbol for the Dog. On the top right corner was the picture of a tornado.
Draco's card depicted the symbol for Rabbit and Moon's card depicted his emblem. The picture on the top right corner looked like a teardrop.
Finally, Shadowcobra's card depicted Taurus as ARMS' card depicted the Snake, both with a picture looking like a rock on the top right corner.
There were 4 battle zones: Fire, Water, Air and Earth and each of the zones were ruled by said element. The Knights were required to fight using the terrain to their advantage. If they lost an advantage, then it was just their bad luck.
They were instantly transported to the locations.
Water Zone
Draco didn't like this. As much as he'd gotten over his fear of water, he still didn't like it that much. Both he and Moon stood upon a small island in the middle of a large body of water. Was it the ocean and one in the Celestial Realm?
Moon put on her helmet and looked towards Draco who was putting his own on and tightening his scarf.
Earth Zone
The sun was too bright for Shadowcobra's taste and the heat was less that comfortable for the armored Vampangel. He found himself in the desert and no doubt ARMS was somewhere in this desert too. He just had to find the gun wielding Knight of Taurus.
ARMS, meanwhile, was using the terrain to his advantage. He was keeping out of sight so that he could take the Snake Knight by surprise and finish him off quickly.
Air Zone
Pluto and Venus nearly fell out of the sky as they were transported into the sky and stood upon two floating platforms. Luckily, both were fliers so they were at home in the air. Looking down, Pluto couldn't help but be a little unnerved by the height. It was a LONG drop. Venus didn't look all that worried. She just put on her helmet and motioned for her brother to start fighting.
Fire Zone
Copycat and Ryukendo stood across from each other. The place they had been transported to look like Hell but it couldn't be, could it? The ground was charcoal black and there were active volcanoes everywhere, with smoke coming out of them. Flames also surrounded them.
Copycat put on her helmet as did the wielder of Gekiryuken. She drew a card, her Fire Vent, and was ready to activate it to become Fire Ryukendo in order to gain some sort of tactical advantage in this zone.
Libra had transported the Knights to the Air, Fire, Earth and Water Zones. Once a winner was determined, they would be transported back to this clearing and the losers would be transported safely to Earth. He almost regretted taking them from their responsibilities on Earth. The world was in danger and they were up here fighting in a tournament. But, this tournament was something that determined the fate of the world so many times before. The winner could wish for great salvation or ruin, or even make a selfish wish. So far, there had been no lasting damage from the other Wars. Still…
Libra shouted, reaching into their minds to give them the command, "BEGIN!"
In the End there can be only One; they must fight in order to survive!
Water Zone
Moon was the first to make her move and fired at Draco with her Moonbeams. Instantly, the Dragon Knight countered by forming a shield of flames which blocked the beams. The beams continued to collide with his barricade, doing little to no damage to him.
Moon switched strategies and tapped into her Zodiac Power. She blurred and then completely vanished from her spot. In a split second, Draco was struck in the face and fell to the ground, kicking up sand.
"I just had to get the one that was fast," Draco grumbled as he pushed himself back to his feet. He looked around to try and find his opponent but unfortunately for him when Moon moved at super speed she could become nearly invisible to the naked eye.
Moon ran across the water and did a hairpin turn before running back towards the island, her eyes trained on the Dragon Knight. Despite his reflexes and powers, there was no way he could move as fast as she. She felt confident and when she one she would get his powers. She felt a little ashamed of thinking such things but this was a tournament so only one of them could win.
Moon ran and then slugged him across the face, causing him to stagger. She repeated this process again and attacked him continuously with super fast and powerful strikes that could break a wall. Simple physics, really. Multiply the force of her hits by her velocity and strong momentum could be built up for bone crushing hits.
Draco was unable to strike at her when she moved at such speed and had been slugged nearly 20 times.
POW!
OK, NOW it was already 20 times. His visor was slightly cracked but he was still conscious.
'Hey, you're getting beaten up by a girl here!' Ifrit yelled. 'Let me take over!'
"Chigau!" Draco denied.
'OK, fine! But why not even things up? Use Clock Up.'
Draco stared at his Excel Watch. "Of course!"
Moon was running towards him to deal another hit but heard the words, "CLOCK UP!" Her eyes widened and she stopped on the island and Draco had vanished.
"Uh-oh," Moon muttered. She had forgotten about Clock Up. She felt a hit in the side and was slammed against the single palm tree.
"CLOCK OVER!"
Draco stood before her, his faceplate close to hers.
"Now things are going to be fair," he said to her.
In the blink of an eye, Moon vanished, running from him. Shaking his head, he initiated the Clock Up system once more.
"CLOCK UP!"
Both Knights ran across the water at super speed. He reached her and started trading blows with the Rabbit Knight who was returning his hits with equal speed and ferocity. However, Moon had not had the same sort of training and experience as Draco who seemed to be more driven than she was.
Their strikes caused the water to splash violently as they created shockwaves on the water. At the speed they were moving, they were able to move across the surface like it was a solid surface and not sink. Truly an amazing battle.
Moon pushed away from Draco and ran off to make some distance. The Dragon Knight had other ideas as he covered his hands in a cold blue aura before slamming them down on the water. The Power of Ice which he carried took effect and froze the entire ocean. Moon could see the ice 'chasing' after her as the cold wave spread out. She was losing water fast so she jumped off and did a back flip, landing on the now slippery surface. Unlike water, running on ice was a bit troublesome for her since it was slippery.
"CLOCK OVER!"
Draco skated along the surface of the water. He'd created blades under his soles to act as makeshift skates and was using them to approach Moon. Moon stood up both her knees were wobbly as she tried to maintain her balance.
"This is not good," she mumbled.
Draco squatted down as he slid towards her and stuck his leg out, tripping her. She fell on her front. Luckily, the helmet was hard. "Hey, no fair!" she complained.
"All's fair in love and war!" he retorted before skating around.
Moon got on her feet and then spun around in place. Faster and faster she spun into she created her own tornado. It was sucking everything in. Draco's eyes widened as he felt himself being pulled into the vortex. In order to stop himself from being pulled in, he froze his feet to the icy surface, sticking him there. He was waiting, hoping Moon would stop. She couldn't keep it up this long, could she?
And he was right because after a quarter hour of spinning, the tornado was slowly dying and Moon was slowly down her spinning. Apparently, she couldn't keep it up for long and fell on her butt, dizzy. "Urg…I don't feel so good."
Striking her now would guarantee a win but it wasn't honorable so Draco waited for her to recover. 5 minutes later, she was back to her feet.
"Alright, no more Little Miss Nice Bunny!" she huffed. She drew a card and dropped it into a slot that was on her right boot. "Strike Vent!" A pair of gauntlets resembling oversized rabbit paws appeared on her arms. She pounded them together. "Now, this is gonna be awesome!"
"You can barely run on ice, y'know?" Draco reminded.
"You just caught me off guard," Moon retorted. "Now that I know we'll be fighting on ice, I think I'll do the same as you. Call in some skates. Raika!"
Draco looked perplexed. "Raika?"
As soon as Moon called them, a pair of ice skates appeared on her feet. "Raika is a Celestial Weapon only Celestials can summon. Since my mother is an angel, that means I can access them too. Lucky, huh?" She narrowed her eyes and shouted, "And I can use them with my speed too!" She vanished in the blink of an eye.
"Kuso," Draco muttered before being thrown backwards by a powerful punch to the face, breaking the ice holding him in place and sending him sliding across the slippery surface. Moon faded back into view, gliding beside him and giggling before she kicked him in the head, sending him spinning on the ice.
"Now this is gonna be easy!" Moon laughed.
Draco decided to do something to switch the advantage back to himself. Calling on his heat powers he engulfed his hands in fire and slammed the palms down on the ice. The effects were instantaneous as the ice started to melt. He was keeping himself suspended via telekinesis. He then flew upwards and blasted at the rest of the ice. Moon, seeing the ice disappear, banished the Raika skates and jumped off the ice to land on the water, kicking up her legs to run across the surface and continues running. Draco watched as she went back to the island and he flew to meet with her on their battle ground.
He touched down and both stood on the surface of the island, glaring at one another.
"So, neither of us is giving up, I see," she commented.
"It seems that way," he shrugged.
"Ryuki," she spoke, calling him by his given name, "Why are you in this tournament?"
His answer was automatic, "To protect the people I love. What about you."
"The same," she replied, "I want to protect Ichi's happiness."
"He's already happy," he spoke. "He's happily married now, to Raven."
"And I'm glad," Moon smiled. "You do know why he became a Knight in the first place, right?" Draco nodded. "So, you know why I can't give up."
"The same as myself," Draco replied. "I won't lose. There's something I need to do."
"Well then…" Moon sighed. "Let's see you back it up." She ran at him.
"CLOCK UP!"
Draco charged at Moon, roaring before jumping upwards. He shouted out, collecting his aura into his legs, "DRAGON RIDER KICK!"
He dropped down towards Moon who could only watch as he plummeted back down with both legs outstretched. A flaming aura, in the shape of a dragon, engulfed him and he smashed right into her, crushing her to the sandy floor of the island, kicking up sand as he did.
Both feet had hit the deck in her belt and it'd shattered. She'd lost. Her armor shattered as her Zodiac Powers passed from her to Draco.
Fire Zone
Ryukendo had assumed her Fire Mode, dubbed Fire Ryukendo, and was using Fire Kong who was in his Cannon Pack Mode to shoot at the Copycats around her. As soon as the match had started, Copycat used the Power of Aries to duplicate herself and become an army. Some of them even morphed into giant demonic cats courtesy of the Power of the Monkey.
The Battle Zone, which was in the middle of a field of volcanoes, had a lot of smoke to provide cover for a fighter like Copycat. It was like her style to launch a surprise attack, ambushing her prey. Just like a cat.
The fireballs Fire Ryukendo was shooting easily obliterated the clones. They were nothing but weak copies compared to the original, which was probably hiding out somewhere to attack Ryukendo from behind.
She was right. Copycat stood behind a pillar of solid molten rock and leered at her target. She summoned her weapon, "Kurogane," and her cannon formed. She aimed and fired a flaming cannonball directly at Ryukendo's back.
Ryukendo sensed the attack coming and spun around, slicing the flaming cannonball in half and allowing the two halves to fly past her. She then launched a counter attack and fired a barrage of fireballs at the direction the cannonball had come from. The smoke was getting in the way and she couldn't properly make out her target. "Damn, where is she hiding?"
"Right here!" Copycat shouted as she came down with a really large serrated blade. Ryukendo raised up Gekiryuken to block the blade and Copycat touched down to stare eye-to-eye with her weaker half. "Like it? It's called the Ranma Sword."
Ryukendo didn't know where Copycat got that kind of weapon and didn't care. What she did care was taking Copycat down once and for all. Her cannons activated and fired two fireballs which slammed into Copycat's gut, sending her flying. Copycat, like a cat, landed on her feet and banished her sword.
"Pick!" Copycat shouted and threw her fist. In the place of it was an extending column with a spinning drill at the front. It sped towards Ryukendo whose eyes widened at seeing this. She leapt out of the way, narrowly dodging the drill. The weapon vanished as Copycat pouted.
"Come on! You're not making this fun!"
Fire Kong detached from Ryukendo and howled. The robotic armored gorilla pounded his chest and charged at Copycat. It was about to throw its fist at her when she called out, "Fuudou!" A large armor plated arm rose up from the ground and grabbed Fire Kong in its hand. It then threw Fire Kong back towards Ryukendo who jumped aside before she was flattened.
"And that was only 3," Copycat purred. "I got 7 more I can't wait to show you!"
Earth Zone
Shadowcobra's invisibility was useless in this situation as ARMS' visor was able to detect him. Therefore, he was going to fight ARMS face to face without the use of his Zodiac Powers. ARMS' primary power, magnetism, was also useless here…
A red heat beam flew past Shadowcobra's head, narrowly missing him. It blew up a rock formation.
Of course, ARMS did have the Power of Heat Beam Eyes he'd gained from the Pig Knight and a collection of deadly projectile weapons.
Shadowcobra caught sight of ARMS and charged at him. The Taurus Knight, armed with his Giga Cannons, began to fire at the Snake Knight who was running through the barrage of energy blast, batting them away with his own dark energy. ARMS was also shooting at Shadowcobra with his eyebeams but even that didn't slow Shadowcobra down.
Shadowcobra, when he got in range, jumped up and performed a tornado kick to ARMS' head, knocking the Giga Cannons off. ARMS got back to his feet and hurled his fist at Shadowcobra who blocked it before throwing his palm into ARMS' chest, causing him to stumble. Shadowcobra then threw several punches into ARMS's chest, stomach and face. He used a roundhouse kick to send ARMS tumbling to the ground.
"You're not even worth my time here," Shadowcobra said mockingly, looking down on ARMS.
ARMS clenched his fists and growled. Copycat had said the same thing to him before and he hated it. Enraged, he got back to his feet and grabbed his gun. He aimed it at Shadowcobra and shot him several times in the chest, sending sparks flying. Shadowcobra didn't even have time to launch a proper counter attack as bullets rained down on him. ARMS grinned sadistically as he watched Shadowcobra stagger backwards and grunting in pain from the shots. Now he was going to gain some respect.
When he stopped, Shadowcobra was on his knees with a smoking chestplate ARMS marched towards him and kicked him hard in the face. Shadowcobra was on his back and ARMS put his foot down on his chest, pinning him down. He aimed his gun at Shadowcobra's face and asked, "Any last words?"
Shadowcobra replied, "Be careful of stampeding rhinos."
ARMS stared in confusion before Shadowcobra phased into the ground. ARMS looked around and heard two words:
"Add Vent!"
And then he heard a loud bellow before he was struck in the side by something with the force of a tank. It was Metalceros. Shadowcobra stood next to his secondary Zodiac Beast, sneering at ARMS.
"This is how it ends," Shadowcobra hissed.
"Shoot Vent!"
"No it isn't!" ARMS roared, holding his Giga Launcher. He fired a missile at the two and Metalceros was sent flying by the explosion. Shadowcobra landed not too far away on his feet but he'd taken the brunt of the explosion judging by his cracked chest armor. He looked to see ARMS preparing his finishing attack. Shadowcobra drew a card and slid it into his staff.
ARMS had drawn his Final Vent card and Gigataurus stood in front of him, ready to help him finish the job. He looked to see Shadowcobra who was just standing there. "Perfect," ARMS grinned as he prepared his own attack. "End of the-"
"DARKHOLE CRUSH!" Shadowcobra roared as he jumped up and delivered a powerful drill kick that smashed into Gigataurus. Genocide, who'd been standing behind ARMS, formed a vortex in its stomach which sucked in the robotic minotaur, much to ARMS' shock and rage.
"NO!" ARMS roared. He blasted at Genocide with his eyebeams, trying to salvage a victory. Alas, it was already over for him.
"Final Vent!"
Genocide broke up into its component monsters and Genosnaker answered. It burrowed under the ground and dug its way up to stand behind its master. Shadowcobra leapt up and did a back flip before being launched towards ARMS via acid and venom.
"GENOCIDE CRASH!"
ARMS stood his ground and started to fire at Shadowcobra with his guns and eyebeams but it was already too late as Shadowcobra performed a bicycle kick which smashed into him repeatedly before hitting him in the belt and sending him flying. His armor and deck shattered in mid air before he landed on the sand.
Shadowcobra landed on his feet as two orbs of energy were absorbed into his Zodiac Crystal.
Fire Zone
Copycat indeed wasn't lying when she had boasted about her other weapons. Ryukendo (back in her normal mode) was trapped in a box and couldn't find her way out. She then heard Copycat shout, "Namihana!"
Copycat, who was outside, used a barbed whip to strike down on the Galiper Box, crushing it with great force. Expecting to see a defeated Ryukendo, she snarled when she saw that among the remains there was no one there.
"RYUOU RAIMEI GIRI!" Thunder Ryukendo shouted as she appeared from above and swung down with Gekiryuken, attempting to strike her opponent down with an electrified slash. Copycat rolled out of the way and launched a counter attack.
"MASSHU!" Copycat roared and a giant box with a mouth rose up under Ryukendo. Ryukendo jumped upwards before the mouth could snap shut and trap her. "You're mine! KUROGANE!" Copycat summoned her cannon and started to shoot a barrage of flaming cannonballs at Ryukendo who sliced them in half with relative ease. Frustrated, Copycat shouted, "PICK!" sending her drill at her but Ryukendo dodged the drill and ran along the column's surface before reaching Copycat and kicking her in the face. Copycat's weapon's vanished as she dropped to the ground with Ryukendo holding Gekiryuken's tip to Copycat's throat.
"It's over!" Ryukendo shouted.
"For you!" Copycat snapped before her eyes glowed. She accessed the Power of Gemini and created an illusion around Ryukendo.
Air Zone
"Trick Vent!"
A quartet of her brother's clones flew straight for her, swinging their swords at her. Venus, however, countered their attempts, destroying them with precise strikes and her energy blasts. Her cape had morphed into a pair of white swan wings, except that she didn't need her monster to become her cape, unlike her brother, Pluto.
Pluto really didn't want to fight his sister but he had to. He didn't want her facing Copycat for any reason. She would just get herself killed. No matter what Pluto said to her, Venus was determined to defeat Copycat to avenge Jericho's death. Despite Jericho now inhabiting a Gigai to resume his life it still wasn't enough for her. She wanted him to regain a real life and if she had to beat her brother to do so, then so be it!
Pluto and Venus locked blades in the air after exchanging blows in the air. Their eyes were focused on one another behind their visors and neither one was letting up. Such a battle would be expected from Draco and Copycat but not of Pluto and Venus. These siblings had cared for one another since the unfortunate accident that robbed their father's life and put their mother in a coma. Now, they were forced to battle as fate decreed.
Fate was such an unfair bitch.
Pluto kneed Venus in the stomach. If words weren't going to reach her then he would have to beat her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and dived, taking her along for the ride.
Venus screamed, "Onii-chan! What are you doing!"
"Taking us both down together!" he shouted back. He hoped he could scare her into giving up.
"I'm not going to chicken out!" she protested, struggling. "Let me go! Let me go right now!" She reached for her deck and drew a card. She slid it into her rapier. "Add Vent!"
Whitewing the giant swan swooped down and bashed Pluto away with its wing. Pluto flipped through the air before righting himself to see Venus floating across from her. She was being as stubborn as he was. Other times he would be proud but now…now he was worried.
"Let's end this," she said, gripping her rapier.
"Gladly," Pluto agreed.
The two siblings nodded before flying straight for each other. They had their swords pointed forwards and playing a variant of Aerial Chicken. Of course, in 'Chicken', one would move out of the way but in this 'game', neither was going to.
There was a flash and the sound of cold steel striking cold steel.
The two siblings stopped flying and floated with their backs facing each other. What'd happened?
Suddenly, Venus' armor shattered and she was about to fall when Pluto caught her. Dropping down from the sky along with her armor was her deck, sliced in half. She had lost and her brother had won her powers.
Fire Zone
Ryukendo was standing in a place of endless darkness, "Where am I? Hello?"
"You killed us…"
A chill ran down her spine when she heard that voice. "What?"
Shapes began to form and come towards her. When she saw them, she froze. One of the things she shared with Katherine aside from their lives was memories and right now she was seeing every single person they had killed when they'd been whole. They looked like zombies, covered in blood, pale as ghosts and eyes a grotesque yellow color.
"You killed us…"
"N…No…" Ryukendo shivered as she saw them coming. "No, go away! Leave me alone!"
"You killed us…"
She could see Kenzaki's family in the front, leading the rest of the zombies, coming for her. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she yelled. She cowered as Kenzaki's sister, Maya, reached out and touched her chest.
In reality, it was an illusion created by Copycat and a realistic one at that. She was still in the Fire Zone, but frozen in fear from the illusion. Gekiryuken was lying on the ground, calling out to her, but she couldn't hear him.
Copycat knew Ryukendo possessed the other half of their powers. As Katherine was the Gate, Neko was the Key and the latter possessed them deep within her soul.
"Time to take them," Copycat grinned. Her eyes glowed as she placed her palm on the gem fitted in Ryukendo's chestplate. The gem glowed as Gekiryuken watched, horrified.
"Stop! Stop that!" Gekiryuken shouted but Copycat kicked him away.
"Silence!" she hissed before she continued. An orb was starting to come out and inside the orb was a literal skeleton key. "Yes, come to mama…" The key floated closer and closer into Copycat's hand and she grasped it. "YES!" Ryukendo's body collapsed and her armor vanished.
"Yes…" Copycat purred. "Yes…" She called out to the sky, "HORRORLINER! TO ME!"
A portal of darkness appeared and something came chugging out riding on railway tracks made of bones. It looked like steam locomotive but had a black demonic skull with a pair horns in the front and made of some sort of organic substance that had red eyes all over it. The wheels were covered in flames as they rode on the tracks. The train pulled along several matching train cars with it. Copycat looked down at Neko, sneering. She spat, "I don't need you anymore." She kicked Neko's body in disgust.
Copycat leapt up and entered the HorrorLiner's cockpit. She sat down on the HorrorLiner's bike, the Horror-Crusher, and took the controls, exclaiming, "We're out of here!" A dark portal formed and the HorrorLiner flew into it.
After attaining victory, Pluto, Shadowcobra, and Draco were transported onto the grassy clearing while Megami, Venus and Grant were transported away. Libra approached them saying, "Congratulations. You have won."
"So, what happened to the losers?" Pluto asked.
"They have been returned home safely," Libra answered.
"Where's Neko-chan?" Draco asked.
"If she won, she would be here," Libra answered. Suddenly, he froze. "Oh…no…" He appeared horrified.
"What's going on?" Shadowcobra asked in suspicion.
Libra didn't answer and tapped his staff. Neko's body appeared via shimmering lights and laid on the ground. Draco, horrified, shouted out her name and ran towards her. He kneeled down, cradling her body. "Neko-chan!" He shook her body. "Neko-chan!"
He couldn't hear her heartbeat or a pulse…
She was gone…
"Neko-chan?" Draco shouted out, crying, "NEKO-CHAN!"
Garoh and Ravager felt a ping in their chests. Something horrible had happened. "What…what's this feeling?" asked Ravager, unfamiliar with it. However, Garoh was all too familiar with this feeling.
The feeling of loss.
"No…No! NO!" roared Garoh as he charged full force into the army of Horror-Beasts. "I'm not going to lose her! I've lost so many people, but I won't lose her!"
The HorrorLiner returned to the human realm and Copycat jumped out of it to stand on Titans Tower. There was no one around since the Titans were off fighting her Horror-Beasts. She had finally rid herself of her weaker half and attained the Key.
Usually, if one of them died, so would the other. However, after devouring Yoshido, Copycat no longer suffered from the weakness and with the Key, she no longed needed to absorb her weaker half.
"Let it begin," she said as she looked up to the sky, "Starting with the sun." She opened her mouth and swallowed the Key. She then let out a laugh as darkness sprayed out of her body in waves.
The sky began to turn dark as darkness rolled by like clouds, blocking the sun. All over the world this was happening, shrouding the Earth in darkness.
Copycat, now covered in a dark aura, announced, "LET THE AGE OF THE HORRORS BEGIN!" A pair of dark wings resembling those belonging to a Horror unfurled from her back and she rose up, spinning around as she watched as Horrors – her Horrors - rained down from the sky. She laughed out insanely with joy. "LIGHT BEGONE AND DARKNESS COME FORTH!"
Damien watched in joy as the Earth was covered in darkness. Copycat was unaware that this was all part of Damien's plan. "A beacon of light to bring hope to a dark world," said Damien.
"What was that?" asked Nami.
"It was the last thing my mother said to me…and him…before she died, imbuing us with a power that would reveal itself when the world is covered in living darkness," he said. "Of course, I've turned my back on such a worthless thing as the power of was the last piece to the puzzle that I needed. When he arrives, it will truly be great." He laughed into the darkness. "Yes! YES! This is what I've been waiting for! Pure darkness! Disorder and chaos reign in the streets!" He wrapped his arm around Nami's shoulders. "Look upon it, lover! This is what I have longed to see! And now, I will finally reach my goal…" Leathery bat wings unfolded behind Damien. He picked Nami up bridal style. "It's time my, dear…My dream of a dark world will come to pass!" They then flew into the panic filled streets.
To Be Continued…
ED Sequence
Ryuki, Neko, Ichijyo and Takada are sitting in a train as it moves along the track. What they see out of the windows is different.
Ryuki sees himself as Draco in his Liner Drive Form, but holding his helmet with his left hand, hanging from his fingers, and resting the Masked Rider Sword on his shoulder. The scene around him is of devastation.
Ichijyo sees himself as Deathcobra fighting. The background is showing Misha's image being covered by darkness.
Takada sees himself as Pluto running from the guards with Blackfire leading them as an explosion causes a fire in his lab in the Palace of Tamaran.
Neko sees herself as Ryukendo sitting at a cliff, Gekiryuken in his Keyblade form lying by her side. She watches as the sun sets in the horizon.
The train stops and the doors open, letting in light. As they step off, they see their friends and family welcoming them home.
Anyway, got some new OC's in this fic. These are them:
The 4 SYMBOLS are created by Libra from the Legend Cards and each possesses a quarter of his power. They also embody and represent a character trait of his. They all wear similar armor with different color schemes and emblems on their chests. Currently, they are working in secret to protect Terra.
Seiryuu no Gou (Joseph Pendragon)
He's the leader of the 4 Symbols and created by Libra to protect Terra, the Avatar. In battle he uses lightning based attacks along with a sword. He represents Libra's strategic mind and leadership qualities. He imparts his powers to Draco to aid him in the final battle. He embodies the Power of the Heavenly Dragon.
Byakko no Gai (Robert "Bobby" Clawson)
He's the 'youngest' of the 4 Symbols and created by Libra to protect Terra, the Avatar. In battle he uses his claws and has an invulnerable body. He represents Libra's selflessness since he's willing to sacrifice himself to protect others. He imparts his powers to Ryukendo to aid her in the final battle. He's the least mature of the four and seems to enjoy watching Japanese anime in which he has a large collection of DVD's. He embodies the Power of the Fierce Tiger.
Suzaku no Rei (Raymond Phoenix)
He's the 'pretty-boy' of the 4 Symbols and fiercely loyal to Libra who he sees as a father figure. His job, like the others, is to protect Terra who is the Avatar of Power. His attacks are flame based and he uses a bow as a weapon that shoots high velocity flame arrows He represents Libra's courage. Though he appears calm, he has a hidden temper. He imparts his powers to Pluto later on to aid him in the final battle. He embodies the Power of the Immortal Phoenix.
Genbu no Shin (Shawn Sheldon)
He's the calm and collected member of the 4 Symbols and like his 'brothers' was created by Libra to protect Terra. He's a defensive fighter armed with a shield and uses it to protect himself and others. He represents Libra's wisdom. He imparts his powers to Shadowcobra later on in the final battle. He embodies the Power of the Wise Tortoise.
The 10 Star Weapons (Taken from "The Law if Ueki")
These weapons are exclusive to Celestials and can only be attained once a Celestial reaches the appropriate "Star Level". Copycat, however, has gained these through devouring Yoshido.
1. Kurogane: A large cannon that fires an equally large cannonball to deal great damage.
2. Fuudou: A large armor plated arm rises up from the ground to protect the user like a shield. Can also be used offensively.
3. Ranma: A REALLY LARGE sword.
4. Masshu: A box-like creature with a big mouth that will chomp on the user's target.
5. Pick: An extendable column that will attack in a straight pattern. It is very fast but lacks any flexibility.
6. Raika: A pair of skates that allows the user to move at super high speeds. The only limitation is that the user is unable to jump.
7. Galiper: A box that confines the user's target, making them vulnerable to attack from any direction.
8. Namihana: Similar to Pick but it is more flexible and can be used like a whip.
9. Seiku: A pair of wings.
10. Maoh: This summons a creature that varies from user to user. The power of Maoh and how it manifests depends on the strength of the user's will. Maoh can only be used a total of 6 times.