Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction / Saint Seiya Fan Fiction ❯ The Intense Clash of the Gods ❯ Tale 55 ( Chapter 55 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Ferocity, Valor, and Love! Strike with the force to split the Earth!

Reiji ran through the fortress, hoping he wasn't too late to find Ambrosia as the sounds of battle echoed not to far away. Radamanthys and the others were no doubt still fighting, and he hoped that, worst case scenario, Aiacos, Lune, and Radamanthys would handle the situation.

Thankfully, even though Minos wasn't here, the Hades Exclamation would still be an option.

Hearing the sudden sounds of an explosion, Reiji smashed through a wall and ran in its general direction.
_
"You see, Garuda Specter," Moriya drawled as he and Aiacos circled each other, "Just as my sister and I share many things in common, our respective elements are also quite similar. While Seiryu possesses, or possessed, abilities connected with electricity, Suzaku's powers are that of fire, and Byakko's are that of wind, I am of the earth."

With wave of his hands, Moriya summoned a gigantic stalagmite to shoot out of the ground, Aiacos rolling for safety and trying to catch his breath in the process.

"Bravo. Let's see you continue doing that."

Aiacos's eyes went wide as rocky spikes burst up everywhere, the Specter doing all in his power to avoid them while inching closer and closer to Moriya. With one graceful backhand, Aiacos grinned in victory-

Just in time for another spike to shoot up and impale his wrist. Moriya kicking him in the head, summoning up another group of stalagmites to finish the job in the most bloody way possible.

"Just die already."

A multitude of the earthen structures perforated Aiacos, Moriya grinning...

Until a gigantic, purple blob with a single eye appeared in front of him and blinked.

NO!

It exploded, Moriya being smashed into the wall as he got a better look at what had really happened to Aiacos, the Specter standing relatively unharmed, the pulverized remains of the stalagmites around him. "Stop thinking I'm some pushover."

Moriya flipped as he fell, landing on his feet before charging and punching at the Specter. As the fist reached him, Aiacos smirked.

"I object to this course of action."

Moriya froze, less than inch away before being blasted away, skidding on the ground and ripping open parts of his back.

"For one that doesn't understand their enemy, victory is not possible," Aiacos stated. He was lucky we was outfoxing this bastard... victory wouldn't be possible through conventional tactics. "You may control the earth, but it's too simplistic. You lack any kind of means of using it creatively. An elemental motif fails almost always if that's all you do. At least Isaac comes up with some ingenious tricks."

Moriya wiped the blood from his mouth as he pointed again at Aiacos. "JUST BLOW UP ALREADY!"

"I object to that also," Aiacos answered as he turned away from Moriya, Genbu being blasted away. As the dust settled, Aiacos grinned in relief. Moriya was lying there, bloody and not even moving. Well, that was easy enou-

But then Moriya burst from the ground, shooting up and hammering Aiacos with a flurry of punches the Specter couldn't even keep track of, the final victorious punch sending him to the ground instead.

"What were you talking about?" Moriya asked as he walked up to the struggling, twitching Aiacos. "I just made a copy of myself out of dirt. Funny, eh?" He kicked Aiacos hard in the head, the King of Prosecutors flying and hitting the ground hard. "Power rules all. That is why your fate was sealed the moment you raised your hand against me. Too bad I'm not a god, because if I was, then you'd be on your way to Cocytus any moment now. Now wouldn't that be funny?"

Groaning, Aiacos got on all fours, glaring at Genbu. Slowly, that same smile formed on his lips as he rose to his feet again. He wasn't dead yet, right?

And besides, a lawyer was someone who always smiled.

At first, Moriya had been under the suspicion that Higashi was out of gas. The prosecutor was bloody, exhausted, and had been on the receiving end of very painful moves without any kind of protection or armor.

Yet the right hook to the jaw that Genbu got after the first few moments of their exchange of punches and kicks got him thinking otherwise. He stumbled away, just in time to hear a guttural "SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!" and see the demonic Garuda, or at least its image, appear behind Aiacos.
_
"Your Astral Phantoms truly are a magnificent technique," Shigen said while clapping, Radamanthys lying against a wall and pushing against it to get back to his feet. "But in the end, you cannot overcome such terrifying strength when you are nothing but an ant to the White Tiger of the West."

Radamanthys grit his teeth, catching his breath before staggering forward and raising his arms up. "You think that's enough to scare me? It's not strength but ingenuity that wins battles... Minos beat a man a hundred times his strength, for god's sake! You aren't that far away from me in regards to power!" Charging, he quickly did some thinking.

He had to get Shigen in a way the giant wouldn't suspect... a ploy that didn't worry about finding a weak spot. He just had to get a slight opening, and no matter what he had to work with, that was just how things would work.

"Kaze no Kami," Shigen said with a grin on his face as a tremendous blast of wind shot at Radamanthys, the Wyvern Specter ducking down and launching a phantom at Shigen. Byakko didn't mind, it didn't have any kind of physical existence just yet. He'd just have to keep his guard up and-

"GREATEST... CAUTION!!!"

The intense energy blast hit straight into him from the front, surprising him as suddenly there was an intense pain in Shigen's back.

"The true mark of a soldier," Radamanthys said as Shigen staggered forward, his back in a cauldron of pain. "THE LEGENDARY CRUSADER!"

Shigen turned, swinging his fist at Radamanthys, only for Tudor to vanish from view.

"TIGER!"

He looked up in the air, seeing Radamanthys coming at him with his fist glowing gold. Shigen raised his arms in a defensive gesture... but it didn't do anything, or at least he couldn't tell.

Shigen screamed in pain, skidding back in shock as Radamanthys stared at him. He's... he's incredible... Shigen thought in wonder, noticing the burning image of Radamanthys's patron entity behind him, growling at Shigen. The sense of duty overriding any feeling of pain... any feeling of doubt...
_
"MINA! OVER HERE!" shouted a familiar voice as Ambrosia saw Horoki and the others come into view. She ran full-speed towards them, breathing a sigh of relief. "Ambrosia-ojosama, you're okay!!!"

With her was Asuka, Mana, and Lune, all of them looking rather exhausted from battle. But she was okay now... they were okay. She just wished Mizuki was with them...

"Awwwww...." came a loathing, Italian voice as the all turned to see Isabeau standing there, a bit bloody, but looking more in the mood for torture and killing than calling it quits just then. She snapped her fingers, Mina's eyes opening wide as she realized what was about to happen.

"EVERYBODY, GET OUT OF HER-"

The incredible, unbelievable explosion rocked the room, blasting them all away and hitting the ground hard... Horoki and Asuka unconscious almost instantly, Mana cursing the fact she couldn't find to the focus to call upon her Reigouki powers, and Lune wishing he had his Surplice with him.

Yet when Mina opened her eyes, she felt as if her left arm was a little bare. She looked down...

The bracelet... it was gone.

Isabeau smiled as she stared at the goddess, who seemed hesitant to do anything at the moment. "Well then, Ambrosia has returned. Ready to die yet?"

She growled at Suzaku, clenching her fists as a tremendous aura of fire erupted around her, although Isabeau seemed unimpressed. "Pathetic," she said, pointing at Mina. "Boom."

The explosion knocked Mina back, surprised by the pain the simple ploy had inflicted.

"Here, my power dwarfs yours," Isabeau said, not at all scared as Ambrosia began channeling up an intense burning flame. "Of course.. if you would just do what Eurydice wishes... and embrace the sorrow in your heart."

Mina took a step back. "What?"

Isabeau smirked. "When you believed Mizuki dead... that pain, that strength you found inside of yourself... the desire to just kill everyone and everything around you... Eurydice has need and use of that power."

"I'll never do what that woman wants ever again."

Isabeau shrugged. "Really? Because..." she reached into her pocket and pulled a small stick out. Mina's blood ran cold at the sight of it.

A wand... a miko's ceremonial wand.

Wordlessly, but with a sadistic grin on her face, Isabeau snapped it. "She's dead."

Mina dropped to her knees in shock, tears welling up as she hit the ground. "No... no no no no no no no..."

"There's nothing else for you here. She loved you and paid the price."

"No... no no no..."

"Kill me if you wish. But you'll have to embrace that sorrow, that loneliness in your heart and be forever tainted by it."

"...no... please..."

Isabeau grinned, sensing a dark void begin forming inside of Ambrosia.

Looks like mission accomplished after all.
_
"Amazing," said a pink-haired girl as she stared at the lava in the subterranean chamber cool and harden... "Those clothes really did save her life after all..."

Suddenly a fist burst out of the rock, the figure of a sable-haired miko clutching a bag holding the robes a woman that had held her name emerging.

"I can't get involved," the girl said as she walked away from Mizuki before stopping and turning. "But..." she smiled as Mizuki looked at her, "You care very much about someone. Go and save them."

Mizuki nodded. "Yeah... but... who are you?" She seemed strangely familiar.

Without a moment's wait, the girl bowed. "My name... is Calypso Tiamet."
 
A/N: Calypso's long-awaited return… kinda. Can't spill any details just yet concerning her.