I hurried inside the academy gym with April, Nina, and Lily. We needed some time to regroup and recover. We hid within the bleachers and sat down. Lily casted a healing circle around us and Nina formed a wind barrier around us.
"Holy hell, this is chaotic...These Rumbles are no joke." Nina said then sighed.
April looked at me and noticed I was lost in thought. "Are you okay..?"
I closed my eyes and let out a soft sigh. "I don't know honestly, but I know why I'm here...but I can't leave to go back home. My people in Eyica need me. I'm the last of my kind..."
April knew of the revelation I was having within myself and it hurt her inside knowing one day I had to go back to Utalia. She leaned against me and held my hand.
"April, it isn't like I'm leaving right now. I'm nowhere near ready to take on my responsibility in Eyica.." I said with a soft chuckle.
"I know, but the thought of you leaving us one day..." April said.
"Even if I do leave, I will come back. There's no way I can abandon you all after what we went through and what we will go through. We're the Pride..." I said and smiled at April then looked at Nina and Lily.
Nina smiled and looked away with pink cheeks. "I guess I can call myself a Lioness just this once..."
Lily giggled softly, enjoying this moment of peace with everyone. "We'll always be together even when apart because we do have Zodiac Power now..."
"That's true." I said and smiled.
I heard some bells jingling and grunted as I sensed an attack. I quickly got up and parried her strike then clashed with her. "You can bypass all defenses huh...No way I'm letting you get a quick one."
'How did he figure that out so quickly..?! Big Sister didn't tell me he was that keen..!' The hooded figure thought to themselves.
They kicked me back then ran off. I sighed and decided to let them go and continue resting. I used my Z-System to scan the entire gym.
"There's only one team of four here. We're the only two teams in this gym." I said.
"They tried to ambush us with a swift assassination. You said they could bypass defenses like barriers and shields?" Nina asked.
"Yeah, but it wasn't like a Defense Break Skill...it was more like they could infiltrate through the barrier. Like some upgraded version of Stealth Mode." I said.
April gasped as she realized. "August, it's like our King's Harbinger. Our Dual Zodiac Arts is an Absolute Attack Skill."
"Absolute Attack Skill? Like it never misses?" Nina asked.
"Heh, it seems we are met with a University Level Topic~" Leona said as she appeared beside me.
{Lesson Begin!}
{Lesson: Absolute Skills!}
{Topic: Absolute Attack Skill.}
"There are three main category of Absolute Skills that are accessable to beings below the levels of Rulers, Zodiacs, The Hero, and Sovereigns. These categories are Absolute Attack, Absolute Defense, and Absolute Support." Leona started.
"We're only going to focus on Absolute Attack." Leona said.
{Trait - >>Absolute Attack<<}
{Absolute Attack Info: This trait when added to an attack can bypass any Defense Skill that is not Absolute Defense. An attack that has the Absolute Attack trait can not miss, but with a perfectly timed parry, can be cancelled!}
Lily looked at the info on her Z-System then tilted her head. "So that's Absolute Attack huh...So how do you know if an attack is an Absolute Attack?"
"Well for one, your attacks will never miss or be blocked, unless parried. Two your attack can't be cancelled by any means under certain conditions. There are many Absolute Attack Skills that aren't really Absolute Attack." Leona said.
"If they are working with Absolute Attack, we should work with Absolute Defense. Lily, I feel you should lead us in defense...Nina, you and April will support using your speed. The Zodiac Knight for Cancer is amongst us so I will handle them.." I said.
"Right." Nina nodded.
"Alright, let's get this show on the road..." I said.
-------------------------------------------------
"It's getting pretty quiet now that the number of teams are lowering. Team Pride is still in this standing strong." Annalise said and smiled at Rose.
"They aren't to be underestimated. These four teens are the same team to squabble with The Fallen and come out alive. Most heroes wouldn't even make it out." Rose said as she looked at her laptop.
I stepped out from behind the bleachers then noticed a woman with reddish orange hair walking forward. She gave me a sweet smile and twirled her large white staff. She changed into her battle outfit which was a two piece blue bikini and a frilly blue and white waist cape.
"It's finally nice to get to battle you after seeing your performance outside~ If you're wondering, yes I am the Cancer Zodiac Knight. I am Sennie, and yes, I am half aquatic life~" Sennie said.
I could tell she was a more cheerful, bubbly girl compared to the women I've met so far. I liked her vibe. "Sennie, the name's August. How about we make a bet."
"I'm listening..~" Sennie said, placing a hand on her hip.
"If I happen to win out little bout, how about you join me?" I said.
Sennie smiled at me and looked at me up and down. "What's in it for me...if I join?"
I chuckled and placed my hands in my pockets. "Me.."
Sennie's cheeks immediately went red and she felt her heart skip a few beats. She looked away and closed her eyes.
"Don't fall for his flirting you fool!" A woman yelled out.
I tilted my head, looking at the woman in the back. She walked forward and equipped her gauntlet on her left hand then green and blue energy flowed around her body.
The woman stopped beside Sennie then glared at me. She fixed her green split tail long coat then her purple horns shined. "No way are we joining a bunch of criminals.."
Sennie looked a bit surprised and looked at her friend. "W-Wait Nyasa, you've got it wrong..!"
Nyasa dashed toward me and roared. Something in me felt immediately triggered and I dashed toward her and roared. We clashed fists and I could hear a tiger roar.
"I knew it! She's got the Tigris Spirit within her! Tigers are a Lion's natural enemy! Let's take her down!" Leona roared.
We repelled each other, sliding back in opposite directions. I fixed my jacket then smirked at Nyasa. Nyasa changed the mode on her gauntlet then black energy fused with her energy.
"Black Enforcement Mode!" Nyasa bellowed then dashed toward me.
I braced myself then parried her first attack, immediately countering with a shoulder strike into a gut strike to push her back. Nyasa recovered then groaned as I knocked her away with a spinning kick. I rushed forward and grabbed her ankle then threw her toward the bleachers.
Nyasa recovered then sprung upwards in the air then launched pulses of wind at me. I dodged the pulses of wind then launched fireballs toward her. Our elemental attacks collided and bursted into winds of hot air. Nyasa launched a large pulse of wind at me, landing the attack.
"You're mine!" Nyasa bellowed and landed next to me. "Tigris Arts: Brutal Tiger Fist!"
Nyasa roared as she struck me and launched me into a wall. I groaned as I crashed into the wall. I landed on the ground and coughed a bit. My body was still fatigued from the last battle.
"Tch! Don't tell me that's all you've got." Nyasa said.
Nyasa grunted as a fireball hit her from behind. She looked back and noticed April. April summoned four fireballs and launched them at Nyasa, but the hooded figure leaped forward, using their claws to slice the fireballs.
"Nyami.." Nyasa said then smiled at her.
"It's time for Zoomies!~" The figure meowed happily then landed on the ground in pouncing position then cloaked themselves in smoke.
April braced herself then lightning crackled around her body. "Another test of speed huh..? Let's see what you've got!"
April's and Nyami's eyes shined then they rushed forward at high speeds, clashing rapidly while zipping across the gym. They knocked each other back then April chuckled.
"Let's see if my Speed is enough to out speed your Absolute Attack!" April said then got down into a crouching start.
Nyami took up April on her challenge and sharpened her claws. "Nyami will destroy you! No one is faster than the Midnyaight Prowler!"
April chuckled and her eyes shined. "Catch me if you can!"
April vanished at high speeds then Nyami looked surprised at how fast April was moving around her. April began striking Nyami rapidly from all directions then kicked Nyami upwards then quickly appeared above her. Nyami quickly recovered and performed a hand sign, disappearing as April went for her attack.
"Surprise!~" Nyami said as she appeared above April then struck her back, releasing a pulse of darkness to launch her to the ground. "You just got Kitty Smacked!~"
April groaned as she hit the floor and coughed a bit. She panted softly and slowly got up. "What the hell..."
"Time for the finale!~" Nyami said then she rang her bells and two tigers made from dark energy appeared at both sides of her.
She held her hands out at her sides then the two tigers roared and their bodies turned into energy, surrounding her hands with dark aura shaped like tiger heads. Nyami looked at April and her eyes shined brightly then she let out the best roar she could then dashed forward.
"Tigris Arts: Dark—"
"Vacuum Burst!" Nina bellowed and launched an orb of gray energy at Nyami.
The orb struck Nyami and burst into a massive tornado, blowing Nyami away. Athena and Avery squeaked, holding onto each other as they noticed the tornado burst through the ceiling beside them.
"There we go..~ Now it's getting interesting.." Annalise said as she jumped toward the gym building to watch our battle.
"M-Mom wait!" Athena said then hurried after her.
Rose watched them then looked back at the battles happening outside. She smiled and fixed her glasses. "Alright, this is the most data I've been able to collect. Seems everyone's putting in extra work to battle against The Pride..~"
Nyami held her head and groaned softly then stood up. "No fair! It was a one on one! You jumped in!"
"Fuck a one on one! We're trying to win, plus you pulled a quick one on us, call it even." Nina said.
A woman with beautiful blue hair stepped forward and smiled at us. She had a large jellyfish hovering above her and had a symbol shining on her hand. "How about we let them rest for a bit longer? It'll be more fun to fight them at their full strength."
Sennie looked at the woman then smiled. "Calypso is right. Let's give them some time to rest, in the meantime let's talk. I'm pretty curious about you all."
I walked toward the others and exhaled. "I'm sure you are.."
Sennie looked at me then smiled. "We heard about your stunt you pulled in Fluer Union. For you to break into a prison and break out the Eco Aegis like that...it was heroic and villainous."
"We did what we had to for our ultimate goal. If you haven't noticed, The Fallen are coming to Earth and starting a riot. If no one else will stop them, we will stop them." I said and sat on the ground then summoned my Rainbow Fluorite.
Sennie watched me and crossed her arms. "What is that..?"
"The Rainbow Fluorite. The Ultimate Zodiac Crystal. I don't have the same mastery with it as I do with the Solar Peridot...however this used to belong to someone important to me." I answered.
"I've never seen a Zodiac Crystal that looks like that. The Crest inside as well. What Zodiac is that?" Nyasa asked.
I closed my eyes and began to exert energy around my body into the Rainbow Fluorite. "Have you heard of the Zodiac named Ophiuchus..?"
Sennie looked a bit surprised and looked at me. "The Serpent Bearer?"
"Yes. This Zodiac Crystal belongs to The Serpent Bearer. The woman that trained me. With this treasured artifact, you will be the first to witness true power." I said then began to concentrate.
Annalise watched me and crossed her arms. 'His power level is constantly rising..! As if I thought that Super Drive Form was surprising enough...Now he reveals his second Zodiac Crystal..?'
"Not only am I the Zodiac Knight of the Queen of the Sun, Leona..." I started.
"My baby..." A voice said in my head.
April grunted as she began to feel my power rising even higher. She smirked and noticed her Crest of War shining. "What the hell is this sensation..?"
Nina held onto Lily and began to sweat. "His energetic pressure... it's intense..."
Lily held Nina's hands as she watched me then grunted softly as her Angelic Symbol began to shine. "It's like our bodies are calling out to him..."
Sennie watched me in awe then grunted as the Rainbow Fluorite shined brightly. 'This guy...no way this guy's power is real...'
"But I am also the Zodiac Knight of the Serpent Bearer named Sephora!" I roared then grabbed the Fluorite.
"I hear your calls...Sync with me, my son." The voice said.
I roared loudly then a surge of light surrounded my body. The Ophiuchus Symbol shined in front of me then appeared above my Leo Zodiac Symbol. My aura vanished revealing my second Zodiac Drive. Red eyeliner appeared around my eyes, a black serpent staff appeared on my lap, and my hair became a whitish silver.
I stood up, holding my staff. White robes appeared around my body then my eyes began to glow gold. I tapped my staff against the ground then a hiss was heard. A white serpent circled around me then stared down at Sennie and her team.
"As I am now, you have zero chance of winning." I said.
[Notice: Dual Zodiac Arts now available (Leo x Ophiuchus)!]
[Current Compatibility with Sephora: 100%]
[Dual Zodiac Arts (Leo x Ophiuchus): Griffin's Wrath]
Leona looked at the serpent around me in awe then bowed down to her. "L-Lady S-Sephora! It is nice to be teamed with you!"
"I am only a fraction of my true presence, Leona~ However it is nice to be within the presence of all of you once again..." Sephora said and giggled then looked down at me.
"Mama... Let's work together and show the world the power of The Pride." I said then twirled my staff.
"I'll follow your lead, my son..~" Sephora said then focused on the battle.