In the realm of Virgo, Lucy and Daichi are in a large mansion as they were searching for Eclipsed Virgo and Eclipsed Byakko from the moment they entered the realm.
"where are they?" Lucy asked while looking around.
Daichi stayed quiet before he quickly pushes Lucy away while he jumps as the floor that they were standing on instantly exploded with Eclipse Virgo came flying out and crashed right straight into the ceiling.
"V-Virgo?!" Lucy exclaimed in shock as she looks at Eclipsed Virgo who was about to fall off the ceiling, but a white blur came flying out of the ground and strikes her to the ceiling even harder.
"Gaaah!" Eclipsed Virgo gasped in pain as blood came out of her lips while drips of it were coming out of her stomach that was pierced with a pair of metal claws from Eclipsed Byakko.
"Byakko-dono!?" Daichi shouted out as Eclipsed Byakko pulls his metal claws out of Eclipsed Virgo's stomach before both went down and crashed to the floor.
Eclipsed Virgo laid on the floor while having pools of her blood below and Eclipsed Byakko stood near before the White Tiger turns his head to look at Daichi and Lucy with glowing yellow tiger eyes.
Daichi wielded his Tetsubo while Lucy takes hold of her whip, both prepared to fight the Eclipsed White Tiger Spirit who was somehow able to defeat Eclipsed Virgo easily before them.
"Lucy-dono, as I hate taking advantage in dreadful situation as this one. You must seal away Virgo-dono's gate." Daichi stated as vein marks started to appear all over his bald head, face, and hands. "I shall defeat Byakko-dono."
"I got it. I understand." Lucy replied while nodding.
"humans, you dare obstruct us from gaining back our freedom?" Eclipsed Byakko spoke out as he let out a tiger like growl as he showed small tiger like fangs in his mouth. "leave or I shall hunt you down as I did to this spirit."
"that is not a choice any of us can take, Byakko-dono!" Daichi stated as he wields his Funsai with both hands and grips the handle very hard. "as orders of my Emperor, Natsu-dono, and for the sake of Lingyue and Ishtar! I shall aid my comrades in defeating yourself and returning you to the way you were before!"
"I don't know what you mean, but you shall die here, Monk." Eclipsed Byakko stated before he dashes and swung his claws at Daichi who blocked with Funsai. The clash of the two weapons instantly caused a shockwave to blow out as Lucy shielded herself from it.
"on guard!" Daichi shouted as he pushes away Eclipsed Byakko's claws and then swung his Tetsubo at the white Tiger Spirit who blocked with his claws.
The two started to have a furious battle while Lucy went to Eclipsed Virgo, the Eclipsed Maiden Spirit still alive which made relief go all over her body.
"I'm sorry, Virgo. But once we get you back to normal, I will apologize to you for everything." Said Lucy as she takes out Virgo's Force Gate Closure Key from her back pocket.
"you will not save that accursed spirit!" Eclipsed Byakko shouted from seeing what Lucy was doing, the White Tiger Spirit pushes away Daichi before making a dash for the Blonde Celestial Spirit.
"Lucy-dono! Get away!" Daichi shouted while running after Eclipse Byakko.
Lucy turns and quickly covers Eclipsed Virgo with her body as Eclipsed Byakko came swinging down his metal claws, but a bursting stream of green energy came erupting into the area.
"wha!?" "this is?!" Lucy and Eclipsed Byakko were hit with the strange green energy stream as they soon disappeared.
"Lucy-dono!" Daichi shouted as Lucy and Eclipsed Byakko soon disappears along with Eclipse Virgo. "t-they disappeared?!"
Daichi looks around as the three were gone and nowhere to be found.
In the realm of Cancer, it was like a dance ball but a very devastated dance ball.
Soon enough, rains of shuriken came down and exploded upon the floor causing smoke to flew out but from the black air came out Eclipsed Taka who flew away while firing multiple arrows at Yamika who is chasing after him from behind.
Yamika took out several shuriken out of her sleeves before she threw them at Eclipsed Taka's arrows that just exploded.
Eclipsed Take clicked his tongue in annoyance before his eyes widen when Bickslow and Freed appeared on each side.
"Yami no Ekurityūru: Metsu!" "Baryon Formation!" Freed and Bickslow unleashed a combined magic attack together at Eclipsed Taka who smirks before doing several quick hand signs and the Hawk Spirit was swapped places with Yamika who was flying behind.
"what?!" Freed and Bickslow looks in shock as their attacks exploded on Yamika.
The explosion of their attacks caused smoke that blows away for Yamika who came out a bit harmed from their attacks that landed on her instead of Eclipsed Taka.
"does the both of you not know the meaning of teamwork?!" Yamika growls out as her hair is a bit messed up after receiving Freed and Bickslow's attacks.
"sorry! but how did he switch places with you?!" Bickslow exclaimed as he with Freed faces Eclipsed Taka who is hovering in the air.
"teleportation magic….no, it must be a Lingyue's Jutsu." Freed stated while gripping his hold on his rapier's handle. "he weaved the hand signs so fast.."
"Taka-sama has the greatest speed of all 8 Lingyue Celestial Guardian Spirit." Yamika spoke out while standing up straight. "performing a quick hand signs are something he can easily do. But to do it so fast…not even Ikaruga-sama or Ryujima-sama is able to do that."
"damn! Taking out Cancer was easy enough, but this guy is on a whole different level!" said Bickslow as the Eclipsed Cancer is currently knocked out and gone after his gate was closed by him and Freed.
"as expected of a Lingyue Celestial Guardian Spirit, is it?" Freed muttered out.
"you humans dare defy our freedom from us? Humans are as selfish and uncaring as always." Eclipsed Taka spoke out as he has three arrows appearing in between his right hand's fingers which he soon pulls on his bow. "those who obstruct us from fulfilling our goals will get nothing but death."
"here he comes!" Freed exclaimed as he and the others prepared themselves before a blasting streaming of green energy invaded the realm.
"w-what the heck!?" Bickslow shouted out as the green energy stream hits everyone. "waaaahh!"
The individuals in the cancer realm soon disappears as they were gone just like what had happened to Lucy, Eclipsed Byakko, and Eclipsed Virgo.
The strange occurrence of the green blasting energy stream occurred in several other realms such as Aries, Libra, Pisces, Sagittarius, and Leo realms.
"what is this?!" Kazane exclaimed as she holds onto Gojin before she with the unconscious man along with Natsu and Eclipse Draco disappeared when the green stream of energy hits them.
In result, everyone who were hit by the green stream of energy started to appear in different realms.
Mira who was in the Pisces Realm, Kazane and Gojin who were in Leo Realm, and Erza who was in the Sagittarius realm, are now within the Aquarius Realm.
Yukino with Eclipsed Libra, and Juvia with Mizuki along with Eclipsed Aries and Eclipsed Houou appeared in Gemini's realm.
Lastly Natsu along with Eclipse Draco, Lucy with Eclipsed Virgo and Eclipsed Byakko, Freed with Yamika and Bickslow appeared in a realm that is not of the 12 Golden Zodiac spirits but in the inner realm of the Astral Spiritus itself.
Lucy with Eclipsed Virgo along with Yamika, Bickslow, and Freed appeared first in the realm as they look surprised.
"Lucy?! And is that Virgo?!" Bickslow exclaimed.
"aren't they supposed to be in their realms!?" said Freed in surprise.
"Freed?! Bickslow?! Yamika-san?! Why are you all!?" Lucy spoke out in surprise.
"Lucy-san! Everyone!" a voice called out as Lucy and the others turn to see Hisui along with Arcadios running towards them.
"Hisui-san!? Arcadios-san too?!" Lucy exclaimed as she stands up while Freed and the others got close with her.
"are you alright?" Hisui asked as Lucy and the others just nodded before they look at where they are.
"just what is this place?" said Lucy as the sky is filled with nothing but floating asteroids, stars and galaxies. "it's like we are in the Celestial Spirit World."
"no, that is incorrect." Hisui stated with a firm face. "we are directly in the inner realm of the Astral Spiritus. The very origin of the Celestial Spirit World."
"the very origin of the Celestial Spirit World? What's that supposed to be?" Bickslow asked while sounding confused.
"are you saying that we are in somewhere in between our world and the Celestial Spirit World?" Freed asked as Hisui nodded.
"this is the place that bridges the two worlds together." Hisui explained. "this realm is isolated and very much unknown to many. I have only heard tales of its existence."
"just why or rather how are we here?" Lucy asked. "I mean, I was with Daichi-san in Virgo's realm. There was also Byakko who hurt Virgo."
"now that she said it…" Bickslow stated before he looks around then to his team. "where's Taka!?"
Everyone started to look around as they were transported to the inner realm of the Astral Spiritus along with their enemies who are nowhere to be found.
"this is a bad omen…" said Hisui while everyone surrounds her in a tight circle guard formation. "..the remaining time before the completion of the Liberum Ritual is drawing close. With it, the time and space flux of the two worlds are starting to diverge and break. I fear that the longer the Liberum finishes, the more disoriented the realms start to collide with each other."
"Freed, place your Rune up!" Bickslow exclaimed. "we're like sitting ducks out in this open!"
"I know!" Freed replied as he started making his runes.
"Lucy-dono, is that.." Arcadios stated while wielding his sword, his eyes set upon Eclipsed Virgo who is still unconscious after receiving Byakko's attack.
"I know. but she's hurt, and I didn't have time to close her gate." Lucy replied while taking out Virgo's Force Gate Closure Key. "I'll do it now."
Whoosh!
Before Lucy could go to Eclipse Virgo's side. An arrow came flying and hits the Force Gate Closure Key in her hand.
"ah!" Lucy gasps as everyone quickly turns to where the arrow came from and they soon find Eclipse Taka along with Eclipse Byakko standing on a floating asteroid.
"to be brought into the realm of the Astral Spiritus with those humans." Eclipse Byakko growls out.
"I shall give you support from this distance." Eclipse Taka spoke out while pulling an arrow on his bow. "eradicate them so that we can achieve our victory."
"do not order me, hawk" Byakko stated while growling before the White Tiger Spirit spreads his arms as gusts of air started to coat all around his metal claws. "I plan to do so from the beginning."
"here they come!" Arcadios exclaimed while standing in front of Hisui.
Byakko squatted down before he dashes right at the group and swung his claws at Arcadios who blocked with his sword.
Meanwhile at a large asteroid that is floating in space, Natsu with Eclipse Draco stands upon it while not knowing of the other battle happening at a different location from where they are.
"the Celestial Spirit World? No….somewhere close but different." Natsu muttered out while his eyes were glancing at the area that he was in with Eclipse Draco.
"the Inner Realm of the Astral Spiritus; the bridge of the Celestial Spirit world and the mortal world….how is it possible that I was brought here with this human!?" Eclipse Draco growls out. "humans are as worthless and pesky as they are 4 centuries before!"
Before long, the asteroid that Natsu and Eclipse Draco were standing upon started to shake and rumble.
"this is?" Natsu muttered out before he sees a large black tail came swinging down to where he and Eclipse Draco are at. "a tail?!"
Natsu and Eclipse Draco soon jumps away as they landed on top of two different cliffs before they watch the tail that started to move.
"fufufufufu hahahahahaha…well done in arriving here!" a voice laughs out as it came from every direction.
"this voice….who is this?!" Natsu exclaimed before he and Eclipse Draco turns to see a large dark shadow arising by the edge of the asteroid.
"I am the shadow of the 12 Zodiacs and the Celestial Spirit King….i am their shadows and the one who dwells in this realm." The voice spoke out while sounding amused and entertained. "I am the shadow who looms upon this realm for the sake of the Celestial Spirit King."
"shadow? For the Celestial Spirit King?" Draco growls out before his eyes widen and soon hardens with pure rage and anger. "you are!"
The large shadow by the edge of the shadow soon revealed itself to be the head of a large snake like creature that has the upper half of a nurse as the size of the creature is large and looks rather demonic.
"my name is Ophiuchus…the Snake Charmer Spirit.." the nurse human part of the large snake monster spoke out while having a smirk. "please to be of your acquaintance."
"Ophiuchus? You are also changed like the others?" said Natsu while slowly reaching a hand to Chitetsu's handle.
"welcome to the Astral Drift, the inner realm of the Astral Spiritus." Eclipse Ophiuchus giggles while having her smirk. "this shall be both of your graves."
Before long, Eclipse Ophiuchus tail started to move as it swung straight at Natsu and Eclipse Draco who jumped away before both unleash a flame and red lightning attack on Eclipse Ophiuchus who defended with just her tail.
"to think that even the 13th Zodiac spirit was also Eclipsed…" Natsu muttered out before he looks at Eclipse Draco who was growling angrily while red static volts started to crackle all around his body. "Draco…"
"snake…Ophiuchus…." Eclipse Draco growls out as an image of Yamato no Orochi appeared in his mind, the eight headed snake is heard laughing while standing in a burning wasteland. "Orochi!"
Eclipse Draco slams his fists together before his whole body burst into red lightning and the Dragon spirit flew straight for Eclipse Ophiuchus.
"come to die, Dragon!?" Eclipse Ophiuchus laughs out before her lower half snake body roared and then went on the attack.
That's a wrap!
Bye bye