Saint Seiya Fan Fiction ❯ Kage no Seinto (Saints of the Shadow) ❯ Under the Spell ( Chapter 6 )

The Demoniac turned around. They had just sensed Tida's cosmo disappearing. 
-I can't believe we lost him there!
-He was one of the strongest…
-So what? He'll come back. We all will. Plus we haven't lost Cancer Demoniac.
-Hikari, I am not that strong… I just happen to be stronger than you.
Laughter could be heard from behind his mask. Lorelei interrupted him.
-Right -she said-. Let's keep going, the House of Shadow Scorpio is really near.

They finally reach the entrance of the House. Inside, Rao had already set up a trap for them: Certain parts of the floor served as switches, which activated the movement of sickles all around the House. The Demoniac did not perceived this, until it was too late. As they entered the House, Li accidentally triggered the sickles.
-Li, watch out! -Hikari said when she looked at a sickle swinging towards Li.
The sickle cut some of Li's cloth and skin, but the injury was nothing too serious. Hikari didn't notice that she was near a sickle as well, and she got more injured than Li.
-Stop moving!
Everyone obeyed him. The sickles suddenly stopped appearing. Everybody looked around.
-I see, a new tactic. Nice work, Shadow Scorpio.
-Why, thank you.
Rao appears from behind a pillar, looking at them.
-The sickles are blunt objects, though… In comparison to me.
-Right...
Rao lifted his arm, and the Demoniac started to show some intrigue. 
-Oh, you must be that person among the saints…
Rao's hand starts glowing in a dark blue color.
-The one gifted with Kusanagi...
-Yes -Rao said-, I am the gifted one, Rao of Shadow Scorpio!

-Gifted or not, I assure you that no matter how sharp your hands are, my hands will be the ones that kill you.
Rao laughed. The Demoniac frowned at him.
-Apart from your special technique, you're defenseless -she said-. I, Lorelei of Capricorn Demoniac, will show you I'm right!
-Don't think I mastered just one technique, Capricorn Demoniac...I'll show you another one, just now!
Rao's hands start glowing dark blue.
-Blue Devil!
Rao concentrated the glowing on his right hand. Then he lifted his finger and shot a dark blue ray to Lorelei's head. She couldn't escape from the attack; in fact, she did not perceive it. She screamed in pain as a dark blue stain expanded around her forehead.
-I told you. Never underestimate a Shadow Saint, and especially... Never underestimate me!
But Lorelei's screams turned into laughter. The dark blue stains started to disappear. She looked perfectly normal.
-No one has ever received my attack and recovered from it...

-Stupid human -Lorelei said, mocking him-. Do you think you can defeat me with just one attack?
Rao did not answer.
-I will show what a real attack is like!
Her right hand started glowing purple. Rao found this attack very similar to his Blue Devil technique.
-Fantasy Strike! -Lorelei exclaimed.
Lorelei ran towards Rao, and touched him with her hand. Purple lightning was created due to the impact. Rao's eyes were wide opened. The pain inflicted to him was far from real. He fell to the ground, severely injured. But he stood up again, still able to fight. 
-Persistent, are we? I am impressed. Too bad I have to finish you! Fantasy Strike!
She ran towards Rao again, and the same purple lightning was created. However, this time Rao was fully aware of what was going on. He grabbed Lorelei's hand just before she hits him. She was surprised.
-It is the first time... The first time in ages that a person, a human, stops my attack...
-Enough of fantasies -Rao said-. Movement Cease!

Rao had grabbed Lorelei's hand, and she was unable to retreat. He shot thin dark blue rays, similar to needles, that caused certain electric effect on Lorelei's skin. The attack was not effective, though. As Lorelei pushed him away, she laughed in her cocky tone.
-You're not very clever, aren't you? You wasted your time trying to paralyze me. Fool!
-Maybe -Rao said, in a strange tone.
He had been seriously injured by Lorelei's first attack, and both of his attacks seemed to have failed.
-You haven't realized, have you?
-Realized what?
-None of my attacks were meant to kill you -Rao said, trying to stand still.
-What? Don't try to cover your failures -Lorelei said-. You're just trying to justify yourself here...
-First, I slightly manipulated your mind. Then I paralyzed you--
-You didn't paralyze me, idiot -Lorelei said, while laughing at him-. Look at me, I'm walking...
-I did paralyze you, Capricorn Demoniac -Rao said-. You are no longer able to respond to any of my future attacks.
Lorelei didn't believe him at first, but it was true. She tried to lift his arm and attack him, but she couldn't. Something strange was happening. When she moved her arms, a strange electrical charge flowed around her body.
-This... This can't be...
Her face expressed horror. Rao looked at her, with a cruel smile, and walked towards her.
-And now, Lorelei, say goodbye -Rao said-. Kusanagi!

Lorelei started screaming as the other Demoniac saw how her cloth was shattered, and her skin was severely cut. The floor was stained with her blood. When they saw this horrendous act, they all agreed that battle abstinence should be temporarily suspended due to the current events.
-It is enough -Selena said-. I cannot just watch how we all fall down.
She walked towards Rao, who smiled as he waited for her  to come closer. 
-Another one, eh? Movement Cease!
-Dimensional Door! -Selena exclaimed, right after Rao.
The dark blue rays were absorbed by the vortex.
-Really impressive, Gemini Demoniac!
He didn't realize what was going to happen before it was too late. Selena had created a second vortex, from which the dark blue rays appeared in the opposite direction. Rao's attack hit him with twice the force. His screams reached the ears of his fellow saints in the Houses nearby. He was now paralyzed by his own attack.
-Hikari -Azrael said.
-Yes? -Hikari answered.
-Freeze him.
-What about Lorelei?
-Freeze her too -he said, and left the House of Shadow Scorpio.
The Demoniac followed him to the House of Shadow Sagittarius. Hikari followed them later on, after finishing both tasks.

-Rao's cosmo disappeared!
She was somewhat scared of the Demoniac. She did not like to fight. In personality, she was very much like Tsai. Which reminded her of the usual daydreams about the short, yet precious moments she shared with him, long before the crisis. She felt Tsai's cosmo was still present, although very slightly.
-He will be okay for now, I know it...
But she was interrupted by these filthy cosmo, approaching her House very quickly. In a matter of minutes, she saw the Demoniac appear in front of her House.
-This House brings me memories…
-Do you remember back then?
-Yes… It was... Incredible.
-Sure it was. No one was left alive. Just him.
-Well, he won't be for long!
Li and Azrael turned around, and see Hikari behind them.
-Good, you're here -Azrael said-. What's that?

Azrael pointed at a figure in the distance. The other Demoniac looked back and tried to recognize it.
-Hey, look, it's Kumbha. He survived the fight with Shadow Gemini!
-His cloth seems fine now… And so does he.
-He must've taken his time to fix it.
-Kumbha! -Azrael shouted.
-Hello -He said.
-You look very exhausted! It must have been a very good fight.
-Yes, it was -he said-. But there's no time for tales, you just need to know that I am fine now. Now please, let's enter the House of Shadow Sagittarius. I feel like I've wasted a lot of time repairing my cloth and healing myself.
The rest of the Demoniac followed his advice, and they began looking for the Shadow Saint of Sagittarius.
-Where is she?
-There is one, we have been informed about it. She must be hiding!
-Explosive Arrow!
A yellow-glowing black arrow almost hit Li. 
-Now -she said-, that was a surprise attack. A very good one, because I didn't see it coming.
Yuki appeared from behind a pillar. She looked frightened. She was not sure of what to do. Li laughed.
-Look at her… You keep going to the next House, I want to have fun with this one.
-I must stay here as well -Selena said-. Remember, it is part of the mission.
-Oh, right -Li said-. The rest of you, go!

Yuki tried to protect the House, but something kept her from moving away from her spot. Selena was sitting down, pronouncing some words in a very low voice that kept her from moving. Li, meanwhile, began to walk around her. She looked at her bow and her quiver. Yuki was really nervous.
-You know, that arrow you intended to shoot at me... It was a good one. You're a good shooter, just like your predecessor. Tell him we miss him a lot.
-How would you know? -Yuki said, scared.
-Oh, believe me, we know -Selena said, while standing up-. We're old friends.
Yuki realized she was able to move again. Selena had broken the spell.
-Why did you...?
-Look, girl, my orders are clear. I can't kill you.
-But I can! -Yuki yelled, arming herself with courage.
-Oh, come on...
-Explosive Arrow!
She grabbed her quiver and shot an arrow, which reached Li's left leg. She screamed, as Selena watched the scene, completely unaffected. The arrow was not very deep inside her body, but the pain was intensively present for sure.
-You'll pay for that! -Li said.
Li removed the arrow, and covered her eyes with her hands. Yuki was confused, and scared.
-What are you doing?
Yuki was was preparing a new arrow for Li. But when Li uncovered her eyes, a green light illuminated the room, which blinded Yuki. Then the light started to fade away.
-Li, I am surprised -Selena said-, I didn't know you had this technique...
-The Master taught me this technique as part of the mission.
Yuki closed her eyes and started to see green lights turning on and off in the darkness. Then she started to visualize things from her memory: Alexander, her training, Midori, Bianca, Tsai, etc. All these memories coming together, floating around randomly. She felt dizzy, and eventually lost the ability to move her fingers and limbs. Then she heard something.
-Thaumaturgical Vision! -Selena exclaimed.

Yuki realized that it was too late to recover; she was now under a diabolic spell. As strong-willed as she was, the spell was too strong for her. It seemed impossible to break it, specially for a human.
-I must… I must protect...
-No, no you must not. You are not going to protect this House.
No… Lie, you…
-No, I am not lying. You know it's true.
-There's only two more Houses for us to go: Shadow Capricorn and Shadow Pisces -Selena said-. It'll be over soon.
-... No... -Yuki kept mumbling. 
The Demoniac realized that Yuki was starting to lose any sense of reality.
-Remind me of asking our Master why are we keeping her alive -Selena told Li, who laughed.
-Selena, maybe you should go back. I can feel that the rest will need help.
-Come on, they are just two more saints. They'll deal with them.
-It was just a suggestion. Anyways, let's find the saint's room in here so she can lie in her bed.
-Do we really need to do that?
-Well, yes... The Master told us to keep her in a perfect state until he comes..
-I can't believe this... Let's move her to a bed before I disobey the Master's orders and kill her.
Li looked at her, surprised.
-Well, she's starting to tick me off.

 

This is a work of fiction. Original story by Masami Kurumada. Copyright 1986 Saint Seiya. All rights reserved.