Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction / Saint Seiya Fan Fiction ❯ The Intense Clash of the Gods ❯ Tale 39 ( Chapter 39 )

Pharaoh walked through the foggy streets of Erebus, the city of haze, hoping he wouldn't run out of time. Erebus had once been a dark, hilly region that those that had neither been righteous enough to enter Elysium nor amoral enough to enter Tartarus rested until their actions determined their fate. However, it had slowly modernized, the souls of the dead forming a city not unlike those in the real world.

The destruction, Alessi noted, from the climactic and nigh-apocalyptic battle against Malphas Zephyr four years ago, was barely noticable anymore.

"Pharaoh."

He turned to see Rudo standing there, also looking around. "Huh... you looking around for a certain someone too?"

"Naturally," the Substitute Judge answered, looking around. "Hard to believe though... another Pentrine has formed. I remember the day that Minos became the Basilisk Specter like it was yesterday..."

"Three sides fighting together, three of them with a past connection with a Gold Saint, three of them that had to scrape out livings with almost nothing, three young boys, and three fighting to protect their god... tad different than it was with Minos, Laimi -rest his soul-, Aiacos, Lune, and Radamanthys..."

"Yeah, but we're strapped for time, so let's get going."
_
Ambrosia spun Amenonuhoko in her hands before pointing it at the three, another blast of fire baking them. She smiled at the sight, but was shocked at the sight of a gigantic block of ice in front of Fenrir, Cecil, and Isaac.

"TAKE THAT, BITCH!" Isaac yelled triumphantly as he suddenly coated the ground in ice. "Alright you two... I gotta keep this thing maintained, so it's all yours!"

"No problem!" Fenrir and Cecil shouted as they pulled back for an Ankoku Moko Reppu Shiden Ken and Buster Wolf, the fists slamming harmlessly into the ice.

Ambrosia's eyes went wide... even her incredible powers seemed futile against the Freezing Coffin... an attack that would take thousands of years for the Sun to melt...

Fire is not your only tool, daughter... a female voice told Mina. She nodded.

"Fine then!" She rapidly punched at the fast-moving block of ice just as it hit, shocking Fenrir, Cecil, and Isaac as she completely shattered it with a sledgehammer-flurry of punches. Cecil and Fenrir barely dove out of the way as Ambrosia torched Isaac with another blast of fire that was only stopped by a rapid-fire barrage of Aurora Borealis shots. She spun Amenonuhoko again, flames shooting out of its sides at Cecil and Fenrir, who again dove for cover. "Don't you get it?!? Nothing you try will work!"

Isaac and Cecil both stood up and grinned to each other. Wind began to kick up strongly as Isaac began the explanation. "On the contrary... not only did I suspect you had the power to shatter the Freezing Coffin... I planned you would!"

"BLACK IMPULSE!"

Ambrosia was suddenly taken aback as the countless shards rose up in the air from the wind and shot straight at her. She attempted to burn them away, but it seemed pointless and...

"Anything for a few seconds of distraction!" Fenrir shouted as he came into view, charging at Main Breadwinner with a whole pack of Dead Howling wolves running behind him, his fist pulled back for a Buster Wolf.

Ambrosia couldn't believe it... she couldn't let the pillar be destroyed. She charged, Cecil and Isaac tackling into her, trying to stall her...

"BUSTER..."

NO!

Fenrir reached the pillar, "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLFFFFFFF!!!"

There was a great flash of light, the sound of numerous wolves howling, the earth around the pillar shaking and ripping itself apart...

But then Fenrir screamed in pain, flying backwards to the ground.

"FENRIR!" Cecil and Isaac shouted as Ambrosia used the distraction to blast them left and right with streams of fire before hammering them with her spear.

The three hit the ground, bloody and exhausted from their previous battles and this new round of abuse as Ambrosia stood in front of them, victorious.

"Whew..." the goddess said, breathing a sigh of relief... "Main Breadwinner might be capable of damage now that the other pillars are gone, but it's still so durable, it would take an army just to crack it. I doubt even all 88 of Athena's Saints could deliver any serious damage to it without giving their all!" She looked down at them, sneering. "Well... anything to say?"

"Yeah..." Cecil started to say, "We're... we're going to keep Hope alive no matter wha- AHHHHHHHH!"

Ambrosia had pounded the dull side of Amenonuhoko into his back before kicking him in the head.

"Cecil!" Isaac and Fenrir shouted before Ambrosia grabbed them by the neck and channeled massive pillars of fire around them before throwing them to the ground. Ambrosia then summoned a ring of crimson flames around them, the ring growing smaller and smaller by the second.

"Well? Better do something quick... otherwise you're going to burn up and die! But don't worry, I hear those that die from fire-related injuries don't mind the cold of Cocytus that much in contrast to everybody else... you'll have all of eternity to lick your wounds. Doesn't that sound fun?"

Dammit... Fenrir thought, I... I can't move... not even a little!

"Isaac," Cecil choked out before spitting up a bit of blood. "Can... can you stop this?"

Isaac clutched his bleeding and burnt side, shaking his head. "No... the flames... they're just too much and I can't focus at all!"

"Heh..." Cecil answered, "Some... some group of heroes we are. When push comes to shove, we can't take down the big bad bitch on our own..."

"Thank you for the compliment," Ambrosia said, smiling as she walked away. They were as good as dead. Any second now, the flames would consume them.

But a deafening sound caused her to turn around as three black beams of light shot down from the sky, the crimson flames turning black. The three nearly dead boys rose up into the air, black figurines appearing on the ground, one of a Sphinx, one of a Manticore, and one of a...

A Balrog... Mina thought, taking a step back in horror. "No..."

Suddenly the figurines broke up into pieces of armor... the Manticore, a lion with a scorpion's tail and a man's face, forming its armor automatically on Cecil. The Sphinx's armor placed itself on Isaac and a small harp appeared in his hands. And lastly, Fenrir's eyes snapped open in surprise as the Surplice of the Balrog placed itself on him, the jet-black whip known simply as "Inferno" appearing in his right hand.

On the backs of each Surplice, wings sprouted, and they touched down on the ground.

"Cecil Bodu," the God Warrior announced, "Temporary Manticore Specter of the Celestial Deception Star!"

"Isaac Krylov," Isaac continued, "Temporary Sphinx Specter of the Celestial Beast Star!"

Fenrir looked Ambrosia dead in the eye as he finished. "Fenrir Volsung, Temporary Balrog Specter of the Celestial Courage Star!"

True, their helmets were MIA... but the rest of the ensemble was there, black armor that was nevertheless on three boys aged 17 as they charged at the villainous Sun goddess.
_

Kanon opened his eyes slowly, looking up to see two figures he quickly recognized as Franziska von Karma and Aiacos Higashi. He hadn't spent much time in Japan, to be fair, but he did remember they were the ones that helped start Nerve's downfall.

"Gold Saint, I assume. By the looks of it and the similarity to Chary's old appearance... I'd have to say either Saga or Kanon." Aiacos asked as Kanon stood up, lifting up an unconscious Rei. "And who's that?"

"Kanon," the Gemini Saint answered, looking at the smoldering ruins of Nerve headquarters. "Huh... you certainly tore that place down... Fuyutski?"

"Killed himself," Franziska answered. "But what exactly is a Gold Saint? I apologize for not knowing... I just found out about Mr. Garuda Specter here yesterday."

Garuda!?! Kanon thought as he looked at Aiacos again and sighed in relief. "Ah... this is good... you were one of the ones that defeated Thanatos and Hypnos, weren't you? You know, you saved a good Saint that day."

"Indeed," Aiacos answered. "Too bad he left you recently..."

"Shun served his role as a Saint proudly, there never was a finer Andromeda Saint in all of history. And he pulled his weight in the battle against Typhon."

"Uh... gentlemen..." Franziska spoke up. "I hate to bother you and your pseudo-war stories I know nothing about, but..." she pointed to the burning wreckage of the building as three figures shambled out... eerily all alike.

"Who... what're they?" Aiacos asked as Kanon stepped forward.

"The Magi... what else? Naoko Balthasar, Naoko Casper, and Naoko Melchior... the mind of one of Nerve's founders programmed into the world's most powerful computer."

The women themselves all stood the same height, wearing a lab coat over a one-piece blue swimsuit. Their dark-brown hair nearly covered their eyes, but one of them stepped forward.

"And thus, victory for us is assured," Naoko Balthasar stated in a monotone voice. "The Orochi are slain, but we still analyzed the entire battle... we know all that they succeeded and failed against. And we saw both of you battle, Gemini and Garuda. We will now kill you and reclaim our bargaining chip with Sanctuary."

Kanon walked forward, shaking his head. "You think I showed you even a fraction of my full power?" He asked as the three prepared to attack him. Kanon just pointed at the lead and grinned. "Genromaoken."

The beam hit her dead-on, and she staggered back. He fired another two into the others.

"Kill the others and then yourself," Kanon commanded as he walked away, pulling Franziska and Aiacos along. "It's over... believe me. No matter what I tell them to do..." the sounds of metal clashing and crushing itself echoed over the sounds of the rainfall. "The victim has to do it. There is no way for them to physically resist. It even works on machines."

"That's pretty sadistic..." Aiacos answered, although he didn't sound shocked by it.

"Truly," Franziska added.

"That coming from the lawyer that delivers whip-lashings to defense attorneys, witnesses, and judges during trials and the Garuda Specter known for destroying people's minds with the 'Galactic Illusion'?"

"Got me there," Aiacos answered, smirking.
_
Ambrosia gripped Amenonuhoko as Fenrir, Cecil, and Isaac charged at her. Not like wearing armor would make any difference at all against her. She was a goddess... and no mortal... not even an army of mortals, could ever even make her draw blood.

She smashed down with the spear, surprised that the three boys had managed to spring away.

"Fenrir..." Cecil said as he pointed to his right gauntlet. "Notice something on our Surplices similar to our Robes?"

Fenrir looked down, grinning in relief. "Yeah... claw extensions on the armor!"

They turned at Ambrosia and blasted by her.

"Demon Manticore Claw!"

"Wolf Judgmental Claw!"

Ambrosia screamed in shock as a clawing appeared on both of her arms, and she when she regained focus, Isaac was in front of her, uppercutting her.

"Freezing Obelisk!"

Mina was smashed into the air as a giant obelisk made out of ice appeared around her, suddenly shattering and smashing her into the ground. Their powers were altered by the Surplices... but they certainly helped.

"Did we..." Fenrir started to say.

"OF COURSE NOT!" Ambrosia screamed as she stood up. She was shocked at the fact she was indeed bleeding... downright impossible, or so she thought, but a fiery aura that surrounded her blew Fenrir, Cecil, and Isaac away instantly. "My parents named me after the food of the gods... representing sustinance and strength. I will not lose just to a little beating here or there."

The boys collapsed on the ground, Ambrosia grinning. She had been hit a little, but nothing serious.
_
Fenrir... a familiar voice spoke up as Fenrir looked around, finding himself standing in a black void and looking at a faint image of Lune. "Long time no see..."

"Lune..." Fenrir said happily, "Thanks for lending the armor... just... how'd you do it?"

Lune grinned. "It was easy... When your armor got repaired, it required someone's blood to restore its energy and I volunteered. As a result, I was connected to you and could send my Surplice to help you. Plus... you need it to win here."

"How come?"

"Because the legendary whip Inferno is the bridge between man and god. Just ask yourself this... what was the thing that the gods wished for mankind never to have. Something that they knew that if mankind lacked, they could never better themselves."

"Well... there are about a billion things... and I really wouldn't know without a hint... but I guess the Balrog Surplice is a good place... so I'm gonna say, fire."

Lune nodded. Fenrir was realizing the truth of Inferno much faster than he did. "Exactly, Prometheus brought strength and the ability to overcome any odds to mankind when he gave them fire. It's even theorized that Prometheus occasionally took the form of a Balrog. And when the very first Balrog Specter, Spared Inferno, obtained the armor, the whip that went along with it possessed the same symbolic powers... powers to bridge the gap between man and god. And that means that as long as a god is in the presence of Inferno, then they can be harmed and even killed!"

Fenrir looked down at the weapon in his hand. "Wow... one whip doing all of that?"

"Yes, Fenrir. I'm lending you my strength... but you gotta do this, together with Isaac and Cecil!"
_
Isaac looked around, confused. What had just happened? Ambrosia's attack hadn't been too powerful... so why had he blacked out.

"Krylov... we meet again."

He knew that voice... Isaac turned around, not believing the person he was staring at.

"Mime..."

"And for once... I'm here to help," the slain God Warrior stated. "Isaac, Pharaoh request I help you out since there is a greater link to you with me than him. I don't want to get into arguments right now... just please... you're going to be fighting with my instrument. I can help."

Isaac closed his eyes and nodded twice before looking Mime back in the eyes. "Fine then... for justice."
_
Cecil's mouth almost went dry when he realized who he was looking at...

"Syd..."

"Cecil..." his brother answered. Unlike before, Syd seemed... hesitant, reluctant to bring up past memories... with obvious reason. "Cecil, I..."

He stopped, his brother's hand resting on his shoulder. "Syd, look at me."

Dead brother looked into his murderer's eyes, Cecil speaking plainly. "One memory of you I have involves you helping out somebody you just thought was some loser in the forests of Asgard living alone. The other was you trying to kill me for being angry that I was the initial Mizar Zeta God Warrior. You break even. And you're my brother."

Syd suddenly smiled. "You... you have a point there. For a bastard that was thrown into the wilderness alone, betrayed by his own brother, and the 'Shadow' God Warrior... you have more nobility than anybody I've ever known. Fight and win... for both of us."

"Can do."
_
"INFERNO!"

"SEVERANCE!"

"AURORA AUSTRALIAIS!"

Ambrosia turned around again, shocked at the sight of those three damn boys on their feet again, burning whip, spiraling scorpion tail, and a stream of ice shooting at her.

She raised her hand to stop them, yet immediately screamed in pain as the Manticore Surplice's tail pierced her hand. Then the burning whip smacked against the side of her face, and the subzero ice sent her flying into Main Breadwinner. She looked up, seeing the three figures in black armor...

Just like her dream...

"Ambrosia!" Fenrir shouted. "We will have no mercy for you!"

She grit her teeth, looking at the three before raising her hand up. Fiery wells shot out of the ground a the three, and they looked down to see the flames shoot up at them.

"Got them..." Mina said before an icy blast shot down at her from above.

"Forget about the Surplices' wings, Ambrosia?" Isaac shouted. The goddess looked up in shock, but rose up into the air instantly, punching Isaac in the face and knocking him away.

"Far from it, Mariner..." she answered, turning around to see Cecil and Fenrir charging her. Despite their Surplices' power, she promptly evaded the two punches and kicked them away. "PROMINANCE!"

Fires burst into being all around the four of them, shooting at the enemies of the goddess, who still retaliated as best they could.

"Aurora Australia's!"

"Dead Howling!"

"Black Impulse!"

Ice, energy, and wind clashed into them, but in the end, the flames overpowered them, smashing the three together and knocking them to the ground.

"What was that about no mercy for me?" Ambrosia asked as she touched down, noticing them slowly pulling apart to get to their feet. "You're all a joke... even that stupid whip won't be the death of me."

Isaac, however, responded the best way he could, reaching for Pharaoh's harp and beginning a short song, Mime's spirit guiding him.

"What the-"

"CURSE OF BALANCE!"

Ambrosia screamed as the notes resounded in her ears, her heart literally bursting out of her body and being placed on a scale that magically formed in front of her.

"Alright!" Isaac continued as a feather appeared on the other scale. "It's time to measure everything you've ever done wrong in your life against that! And if it doesn't balance out, then you're dead!"

Mina's eyes opened wide, and Isaac gave a thumbs-up to Cecil and Fenrir.

"With Inferno present and this whole incident... there's not going to be anything to stop her from being killed!" Cecil said.

But Fenrir's eyes were wide in shock.

"The scale's not moving at all..."

It quickly vanished, Ambrosia blinking as her heart slid back into her body, and then blowing the three of them away again with blistering-hot flames.

"I am pure, that much is obvi-"

"SEVERANCE!"

Ambrosia didn't flinch as the scorpion tail bracelet of the Manticore Surplice shot at her, she simply side-stepped it and laid Amenonuhoko on it, a line of fire appearing on it, crimson flames shooting down and into a shocked Cecil, who screamed in pain from being baked alive. "Pathetic." She charged, but suddenly slipped, looking down to see the ground had been slicked with ice almost instantly.

"KHOLISO!"

"WOLF JUDGEMENTAL CLAW!"

She looked up just in time to be bound by the freezing circle and slashed again by Fenrir. She reeled back, then blinked in horror as she saw Cecil charging her too.

"MALICE!"

With his right hand, Cecil pounded into her gut hard, knocking the goddess into the air and Isaac keeping the momentum going by jumping above her and blasting another Aurora Australialis down at her. She flipped up immediately, however, catching Fenrir off-guard and slashing with Amenonuhoko. Fenrir gasped in pain at the scalding-hot blade of the spear and grasped his arm in pain, dropping Inferno.

YES! Ambrosia thought as she landed. She held her arms close to her body and then let them snap out. "SUPERNOVA!"

Fenrir, Cecil, and Isaac, who had been surrounding Mina, were immediately blown hundreds of meters away, and she grinned as she reached down and picked up the jet-black whip that was such a threat to her.

"This, this stupid thing... almost cost me my life... because only in Inferno's presence can a god or goddess be harmed by a mortal..." Her grip tightened as crimson flames erupted all over it, the expression on her face becoming that of pure rage. "DAMNABLE HADES... PERMITTING SUCH A WEAPON TO EXIST! I WILL BURN HIS UNDERWORLD AND SPECTERS TO CINDERS WHEN I AM DONE HERE!"

Inferno burst fully into flames and was promptly reduced to ashes...

Just as Fenrir and the others got into eyeshot... seeing their one chance of victory literally go up into smoke.

"Game over," Ambrosia said, looking Fenrir dead in the eye. "Poseidon has no more than five minutes left before he drowns. You three are mortals, and the object that let you hurt me while in its presence is gone forever. And now..." she joyously spun Amenonuhoko in her hands as it burst into flames yet showed no sign of damage. "Ropes of Flame."

Fenrir, Cecil, and Isaac didn't even have time to comprehend those words before said ropes of fire suddenly tied and bound them all up as Ambrosia promptly teleported to each one of them, stabbing them in the gut with Amenonuhoko, adding a kick to the head each for good measure that sent them flying into the sky.

"I am a goddess... one supported by the love and friendship of my Coronas," Ambrosia stated as the three boys hit the ground hard, leaving a gigantic crater in the ground. Their bloody, bruised, exhausted bodies lay twitching at the bottom as Mina Yuki shook her head in disgust. "You never stood a chance against-"

She blinked... this couldn't be for real...

They were getting up again.

"Justice can't be forgotten because delivering it's hard..."

"There's a whole world that doesn't deserve this..."

"And besides..." Fenrir finished up, "There's the support and confidence of Hades behind us... he knows we can do this!"

"But you don't have Inferno, Balrog Specter! Without that, you're just another ant compared to me!"

"WRONG!" Fenrir shouted out, pointing at Ambrosia, "The Balrog is an entity of fire and darkness together... two substances that should cancel each other out! Yet it exists and thrives... just like whip! Dark Void Return!" A small black portal appeared in Fenrir's hand as Inferno slid out again.

Ambrosia took a step back in shock... just what could these boys do?!?

"ROYAL DECREE!"

"MENACE!"

A sudden and blaringly loud sequence from Isaac's harp caused Ambrosia to cover up her ears, only to again be punched hard by Cecil...

"ALL YOURS, FENRIR!" the two of them shouted as Fenrir pulled back Inferno and sent it flying.

"LET'S GO, INFERNO! PENNANCE!"

The whip bound around Ambrosia tightly, Fenrir pulling on it to tighten even further before pulling it away. Blood suddenly poured out of her as numerous cuts opened, and it seemed like victory for them was assured.

"No matter what happens, Inferno will always find some way to return!" Fenrir shouted triumphantly as Ambrosia sank to her knees. "No matter what!"

Ambrosia fell to the ground... it was over at long last-

"PROMINANCE!"

Fire baked them again, smashing the three of them together as Ambrosia rose back up... injured but nowhere near dead.

"I'm the goddess of the Sun!" she shouted, "Your little whip can make me bleed, but my flames can just cauterize the wounds you idiots! IT'S POINTLESS, DON'T YOU GET THAT!?!"

The smoke cleared, and Ambrosia at long last was not surprised to see the Temporary Specters of the Balrog, Sphinx, and Manticore still on their feet.

"We... we're not gonna lose!" Cecil shouted, Manticore forming behind him.

"We have right on our side! We'll fight to our last breath!" Isaac continued, a Sphinx appearing behind him as well.

Inferno struck the ground hard, black flames erupting around it. "AMBROSIA... WE ARE SOOOO GONNA KILL YOU!" Fenrir concluded, the fiery demon appearing behind him as they charged.

 

A/N: I know that the “get armor from some other place” was probably on your minds… and Saint Seiya has done it before. That being said, Fenrir and company beating Mina without even their Robes and Scale when Hilda beat them AND Chary at the same time is even worse. Besides… *imagines Fenrir in the Balrog Surplice* Wolf-boy is badass like that.