Saint Seiya Fan Fiction ❯ Chinese Zodiac Saga ❯ The Rat Temple ( Chapter 1 )

THE RAT TEMPLE

"Who are you?" asked Andromeda. "Where are your manners? You should introduce yourself before asking that question" The figure slowly emerged from the shadows. He wore a dark green armor, as beautiful and complete as the ones of the Gold Saints "Green... Like emerald..." Shun said softly."Ahm, Jade actually" responded the Saint. A pointy mask was covering his face, his entire body covered in the armor and a Rapier in the hilt. "I am Shun, of the Constellation of Andromeda". "Hello Shun, I am Rarien, the Jade Saint of Rat. And your friends?" he said in a very calm and polity voice. They all introduced themselves to him. "Ah, now we can work out our problems. I like you, you seem like a nice little bunch. But I shall not let you pass". He reached for his masked. It opened, splitting right in the middle. Each half was slided to in front of his ears. Rarien looked very young, with big black eyes and a spiky grey hair. "We will pass" said Seiya, angrily. "I take this one" said Shun, "you go ahead". Rarien smiled and laughed "Ah, that's not how it works my friends". "Go" Shun screamed. The other four started to run towards the end of the temple, while Shun attacked the Rat Saint with his Nebula Chain. "Haha, you really think that would work didn't you?" Rarien practically disappeared in the air. Seiya was almost at the end when he felt an enormous blow to his chest. He did not see anything. Ikki was struck in the right leg, and Hyoga in the left. Shiryu, as if guided by the shield managed to defend from the kick he was going to receive in his chest. The chains attacked all over the place, but not once hitted the Saint. "He... is... so.... fast..." gasped Seiya. Like a blur, Rarien stood back at the same spot he was before. "Don't take me lightly" said him, somewhat angry. "Ok, then take this! PEGASUS RYU SEI KEN". Rarien didn't seem to move at all, but everyone sensed his dodges. The Dragon exploded his cosmos and attacked next "ROZAN HYAKURYU-HA (Rozan's 100 rising dragons). This time Rarien couldn't dodge, so he parried most of them, but still took a hit. "Agh... Nice one Dragon. Seems like I've been taking you lightly also. Let's make things interesting." His great cosmos was felt by all. "SHADOW STRIDE". Before he even know it, Shiryu was attacked repeatedly. His movements were so fast that he couldn't see, so he took every single one of them. The dragon was thrown in the walls, making a huge crack. The Rat stood a little far away from him.” Who’s next?"
They saw that they were in danger. And then the air started to freeze. Hyoga was burning his cosmos bright, and thus making everything freeze quickly. "Ah, nice work Cygnus" said the Rat. "SHADOW STRIDE" "AURORA EXECUTION ATTACK". The Cygnus saint was also thrown in the wall by the attacks, but this time the Rat also took some blows. His left arm and left leg were frozen, and he gasped. He smiled. Ikki, Shun and Seiya studied him from afar. His speed was uncanny. Shiryu and Hyoga slowly stood up. He looked at Seiya, smiled and said "Let's go Pegasus, do your best! SHADOW STRIDE" He rushed towards the Pegasus. Seiya prepared to defend himself, but the blow never came. "PURITY BURST" In front of Seiya, was Geki of Bear, his arms and stomach really damaged by the blows. At little further, Jabu stood. A little back Ban, Ichi and Nachi. "Oh, more?" laughed Rarien. "Nice attack, my little friend". "Jabu, what are you doing here?" asked Seiya. "Seiya, you guys saved the worlds many times, protected Athena with all your hearts and risked your life while the five of us just stood there, powerless. A long time ago we decided that this would end. We trained long and hard, and thanks to Marin and Aiolia, we became a lot powerful. We are far from you, but this is time for us to risk our lives together with you. Go! We will face him." "But he is way out of your level. He will kill you" Screamed Ikki. "Did you let that stop you" said Nachi. "FULL MOON SLASH" attacked the Wolf. Seiya and the others were impressed. It was a good attack. Not good enough, of course, and Nachi took a simple punch that made him fly across the room. Rarien smiled again. "That is really honored. Ok, those five will be my foes. You may proceed" . "No, we will stay and fight" said Ikki. "No you will not! You must hurry!! All this time you risked your lives with enemies far more powerful than you, and each time you succeeded. Even Aiolia told us that in the past they faced Gods and defeated them without any chance. Even if we die, our death will not be in vain. Go! Go!! GO!!". The five main Bronze Saints ran towards the end.
"Ok, let's see what you are made of! UMBRAL REFLECTION" Rarien multiplied himself all over the five brave warriors. A circle of Rat Saints was created surrounding them. The five of them faced the circle, preparing. "HYA" each of the copies screamed as they rushed towards them. The five of them managed to defend a blow or two, but mostly every single attack hitted them hard. But impressively enough they all stood firm, just trying to find a way. Then suddenly "MOUNTAIN GRIP" shouted Geki. He did it, he grabbed Rarien. They had only one moment. "PURITY BURST" screamed the Unicorn. Jabu's new attack were a sequence of quick kicks in a growing area of the enemy. Nachi attacked with Full Moon Slash, an attack were he made a powerful circular cut, with growing strength. Ichi used his new Legend Snake Rage, striking repeatedly with his poison claws. Ban used the Pride Roar, where he concentrates his cosmos in a powerful punch, generating a sound much like a lion's roar. All of them managed to hit at least a little in the rat before he kicked them all in the face. "You managed to break my UMBRAL REFLECTION.... Athena is really incredible you know? Kudos to you" he said with a grin in his face "Looks like I can have a real fight with you"
Rarien reached for his Rapier. It was a long time since he had a fight, and he loved it. He knew they were not a match for him, but he was going to have a good time anyway. He also admired them, for they also knew that and were prepared to face him nonetheless. A real Saint's duel. He entered a dueling position. The others got into their fighting stances. They were all burning their cosmos really bright. They again attacked the Rat. Rarien dodged a counterattacked every single one of them, but still they kept on coming. Even though they were being destroyed by Rarien's incredible speed and powerful attacks with his rapier, the Bronze Saint didn't once flinch. Instead, every drop of blood that felt was another limit of their Cosmos that was surpassed. They strength and speed were increasing in an incredible rate.
"Let's try something a little more serious" Once again the Rat closed his mask. His cosmos was filling the room in such a way that they all began to fear. He was really powerful. "DARKSUN BURST!" All they saw was his Rapier covered in darkness attacking so many times that the room became pitch black. The five bronze saints were torn apart, they Cloths destroyed and their bodies even worse. Rarien stood there, in the middle, rapier full of blood. The five Saints were defeated. Or were they?
Jabu was the first to get up. Nachi after him, Geki helped Ichi and Ban lifted himself with difficulty. "Not even close" Ichi said angrily. Rarien smiled once more. They were the enemies he hoped they would be. They all ran towards him at a velocity never seem even by them. Ban ran towards his left side using another attack this time: King's Carnage. It was an all out attack. He jumped towards Rarien like a lion's pounce, opening his defense but unleashing a very destructive power. Nachi ran to the right side unleashing Howling Alpha, were he becomes a wolf shaped comet to attack his foe. Geki attack in the front using Call of the Mother Earth, an attack consisting in a dual strike with the palm of his hands with all of the earth's might. Ichi approached by the back unleashing Hydra Stinger Flash, that created a series of really concentrated cosmos needles in each of the Hydra Constellation’s stars, much like scarlet needle, each of them highly poisonous. And finally Jabu came down with Righteous Spear, a kick attack that symbolized all of the unicorn horn's power. Rarien looked at all the attempts and saw that those attacks would be hard to dodge. "DARKSUN BURST". The middle of the room exploded at all the simultaneous attacks, and if it weren't for his incredible speed, Rarien would have been crushed. Still he had taken some blows. He was dripping blood. The five Bronze Saints were once more in the floor, ravished by the Rapier.
And once more they all got up. Rarien couldn't believe that they would be so brave. And suicidal. He had taken blows, but none of them too serious. They on the other hand were pierced in every single part of their bodies. Nachi almost lost an eye. But still they went on. "This.... Fight.... will...... end...... NOOOOOOW" Screamed Jabu and with and unexplainable strength rushed towards the Rat. "This is that time. We will all use the attacks that we were not supposed to use for they were too powerful for us to stand. We will die, but we will defeat" Ichi said proudly. Once more the constellation of Hydra appeared, and each star became the head of an enormous snake. "YAMATO NO TOUJI (Yamato's Rein*)" All of the heads attacked with an immense power. "BURNING PLASMA EXPLOSION" Ban screamed. This attack were really similar to Aiolia's Lightning Plasma, but with an explosive fire instead. Geki also attacked "GAIA'S EMBRACE" Using all the strength of mother Earth, he created a crushing and unstoppable force. Nachi went on."LYCAN YPEROCHI (Wolf Supremacy in Greek)" he says, becoming and "cosmos werewolf" and attacking him with awesome speed. And finally Jabu screams "VIRTUOUS HEART UNLEASHED". An attack like the galloping strike of the unicorn, piercing and destroying everything in its path. Rarien responded with one of his most powerful attacks. "SOLE BRIGHT OF THE ECLIPSE" Everything around is completely dark, except for the spark of his rapier piercing through every enemy. The whole city trembled before this clash. In the end, the five Bronze saints were still standing, while Rarien stood motionless on the ground. They crossed finally the Rat Temple, barely moving at all. Their bodies were crushed, but their satisfaction was greater. They defeated a powerful enemy. Their cosmos was burn much much lower, almost fading away. As soon as they crossed the Temple and got to the stairs, one by one they collapsed, knowing that they may never wake up again. But Seiya and the others went on. "Go on guys! Save the world for us" thought Jabu before finally collapsing in the edge of death.
Inside the temple, Rarien smiled once more. Still on the ground, and still feeling a lot of pain, he was satisfied. That was a fight worth of legends against proud foes. They deserved to at least believe they won. In some way they did. He stood up, got his rapier and sat down. He believed in those ten proud souls. He just wondered if they did too...