Zodiac Circle

Chapter 50: Taurus Celestial Lord

It was a quiet night. Matsunoki town was in a deep slumber under the starry sky. But who knew that this at-one-glance-peaceful night could hold a grand storm inside that was to decide the town's fate?

Black-kimonoed warriors with their hands on their katanas swiftly and silently moved forward through the town and jumped down into a large hole that was most likely made by a giant Snake spirit of the Earth element, and then rushed forward, towards a large underground base - the Shadow Ninja Order building. These swordsmen were the Blade Warriors, and the hole in which each of them disappeared was created by their leader Kokuyo Matsumoto's Snake spirit. The young man was placed in the core of the Black Snake spirit he had unleashed at full power and looked like a gruesome monster of the underworld's depths. Kokuyo and his Black Snake spirit were digging the hole, sliding towards the hidden base. The main warriors - Tamie, Tiger, Riza, Byakuya, and Sasori - sat on the Black Snake's back, accompanying him. They were silent - they knew that even a single whisper could turn out harmful for their plan. 

Soon the Shadow Ninja Order building - a black hidden base - appeared. Kokuyo easily noticed it with his dark purple eyes which could well orientate in darkness. The friends jumped off the Snake spirit's back, and the spirit vanished, leaving only Kokuyo beside them. He gave a sign to the friends and they all understood they were to split up according to the plan - Tamie, Riza, and Byakuya would confront Akuma Fujimoto, the Overlord of the Order, together (it was the exact same man who killed Shiba so Riza greatly wished to avenge him), while Kokuyo, Sasori, and Tiger would face Kassandra Braun herself, the mastermind of the whole Order (Tiger insisted on facing her mother herself so the brothers took her along).

The teams formed and disbanded into different corners of the building, followed by Blade Warrior subordinates. The infiltration was successful. Tamie, Riza, and Byakuya ran forward through dark corridors. Riza was guiding the team as she knew where Akuma Fujimoto's dwelling was. Soon they came to a big black iron door. Byakuya kicked it open and led the girls in. It was dark inside.

"Where is he?" Tamie whispered.

"I don't know..." Riza puckered, "Must be somewhere around here..."

"There's no one here_" 

"Welcome, my dear guests!"

All the three friends frowned, catching the sight of a tall, black-clothed, black-haired man with a vile grin on his face - Akuma, with a Golden Venus necklace blazing on his chest. From behind him, came out a large, black, red-eyed snarling wolf.

"Taurus Style, Tamer Art, Beast Mode – Fusion!" he grinned: "You are doomed, worthless brats! Kurogami will swallow you as a whole!"

His black wolf, Kurogami, turned into Brown Zen energy and fused with him, making his large Brown Zen energy unleash.

"Ah, he's a monster!" Tamie exclaimed with dread.

"Dog Spirit, Ring Twelve - Brown Three-headed Wolf of Hell: Cerberus!" 

A large Brown Three-headed Wolf spirit embraced him, placing him into its core. Tamie gasped - Cerberus was a legendary ring! Riza too got worried - he took the same pose as back then when he shot and killed Shiba! So she yelled at her friends:

"Be careful! He's going to use the Blast of Golden Venus!"

"Taurus Style, Tamer Art, Beast Mode, Final Craft - Blast of Golden Venus!" the man shrilled indeed and the Brown Cerberus spirit shot a powerful golden ray combination out of all its three heads.

Riza tried to cover her friends in a fire shield (which wasn't going to work against such a full-powered Blast of Golden Venus) when they heard another incantation from beside:

"Leo Style, Sworder Art, Emperor Mode, Final Craft - Blast of the Sun!"

Byakuya had unleashed his powerful Red Dragon spirit and had blasted a large golden ray out of his mouth, making it collide with the blast of Akuma. A huge explosion happened. However, against this Riza's fire shield was strong enough. When the smoke aerated, both Akuma and Byakuya were on their feet, coughing, their spirits vanished. Akuma's wolf, Kurogami, had even been separated from his owner, so both the owner and the wolf were angrily snarling now.

"Who would've thought... you too had a Celestial Lord in your rows... and not anyone, but the Lord of the Sun himself! I underestimated you..." he coughed and frowned: "That won't happen again. Kurogami, get them! Distract them while I build up my energy for the next blast".

The wolf built up his own Light Blue Zen as a Pisces sign and ran towards them, growling.

"No, you don't!" Tamie grabbed her scroll, scribbled some words there, and cried: "Summoning: White Wolf!"

A large white wolf of the Air element emerged from the scroll and dashed at Kurogami, lacerating it with its White Zen.

"No! The Air element is the strongest against Kurogami's Water!" Akuma cried out in despair, but he had not enough strength left to aid his wolf, and it got torn apart by the white wolf's strong jaws. "No, Kurogami! How could I let this happen?"

"Now it's time for you to pay back for our comrade, you fiend!" Riza yelled at him and wove signs: "Sagittarius Style, Singer Art, Siren Mode - Fire Chant!" 

She opened her mouth and let out a fiery squeal, spreading Orange Zen around. Akuma shrilled in pain and covered his ears, blood pouring off them, but Riza continued chanting, and soon, Akuma's skin couldn't hold the pressure of Orange Zen and burst into many wounds. He fell to the floor unconscious. Tamie, Byakuya, and Riza grinned at each other.

"Mission accomplished!" Tamie winked. "Let's go see how our guys are doing!"

"Yeah!" they left the chamber, letting the Blade Warrior subordinates apprehend the two collapsed enemies - Akuma and his black wolf.