St. Goken Academy

It's been a month since the battle against Vinson, St. Meishi truly at peace and harmony returning to the four academies. Ms. Ray took on the mantle of Headmistress of St. Meishi, allowing each of us to graduate and become fully recognized heroes of Exzodia. The Pride has been recognized as one of the top-tier teams around, each of us collecting a pretty hefty record with small skirmishes and missions.

I sat inside The Pride HQ in the main living room with April, Lily, Nina, and Maliz, each of us doing our own activities. My eyes was glued to the TV, watching one of my favorite shows with Nina snuggled up beside side me on her phone. April, Lily, and Maliz were engaging in their girl talk together, quietly giggling with each other as they gossiped.

Suddenly, Heifer burst into the living room with a concern look on her face, catching all of our attentions. "Everyone! Turn on the news! It's important!"

I grabbed the remote and turned on the news, sitting up straight. "What the heck is going on..?"

"In other news, St. Goken Academy has been seeing signs of activity from The Fallen! We have with us Yae Misao to give us any information on what's happening. Onto you, Sarah," The newscaster said.

The news cut to a news reporter on the scene with a woman standing beside her. "Reporting live at St. Goken Academy, Sarah Rangewood here. I have live with me, Yae Misao. Would you kindly explain to us what's been happening?"

Misao was a stunningly beautiful woman who had long, pink hair tied up in a low ponytail. Her hair is glossy and well-kept, adding to her overall elegant appearance. She had stern, focused blue eyes that conveyed a sense of strength and diligence. She had fluffy fox ears upon her head, matching the color of her hair with white fluff poking from her ears.

She was dressed in traditional Japanese clothing, specifically a white kimono top with red accents and a red hakama skirt. The kimono was tied with a simple, decorative rope belt, giving her a modest and traditional look.

"It's...not really The Fallen. It's just a rogue Shrine Maiden, who happened to be corrupted by a Fallen Member to steal the 3rd Sacred Arms, Baikal, from the Shrine of Onmyodo. I am coming to ask any heroes in the area to help find the Rogue Shrine Maiden. Her name is Maiken Kodama, if you see her, please bring her back to St. Goken," Misao said, bowing at the camera.

"Maiken Kodama? Rogue Shrine Maiden? How does a Shrine Maiden turn Rogue? Aren't they like me? A Holy Maiden?" Lily asked, standing up and walking toward us.

"I knew it was a little too peaceful~" Maliz giggled darkly, sighing softly as she laid on her stomach and continued scrolling on her phone.

I stretched and grunted softly, exhaling softly as I stood up. "I suppose it's time to put back on the jerseys and get back out there. St. Goken Academy is an academy of Shrine Maidens correct?"

"It is. Also, there are three Zodiac Knights there. One of them is the Aquarius Zodiac Knight, the other is Capricorn, and the last is the Pisces Knight," Heifer answered, nodding her head.

"Well, let's go put our Hero Licenses to good use and help out a fellow Academy!" April exclaimed, hopping onto her feet and stretched.

With that, we all began to get ready to head out to St. Goken Academy to assist Misao and her problem with the Rogue Shrine Maiden. We all made our way to the van, getting inside and I drove us to St. Goken District.

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We made it to the campus of St. Goken Academy and I parked the van in the parking lot of the campus. We all stepped out and gazed upon the academy that looked different from the typical academy.

"Wow!~ So this is St. Goken? This looks beautiful, but it was so confusing getting here..." April said, walking forward and using her phone to take a picture of the academy.

"Yeah...their academy is hidden within the outskirts between the Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces Kingdoms. It's well hidden as well, good thing we have Zodiac Energy," Nina said, stretching then fixed her jacket and looking around the academy.

St. Goken Academy was a broad campus of several buildings build in a traditional Japanese architectural style, operating under the guise of a Shinto temple. The academy building was well hidden in the middle of the outskirts of three kingdoms, far and high in the mountains. Naturally, there were a lot of trees around the property to further obscure the location. Some elements other than the buildings reflect the Shinto theme. There were several statues of deities, shrines, and torii gates around the campus.

As we wandered around, we noticed a few Shrine Maidens training in the art of swordsmanship, polearm training, and archery. There were a few Shrine Maidens sweeping the leaves from the path, a few looking at us and watching us approach the entrance of the academy.

"Their all staring at us. They seem surprised that we found their academy..." April whispered to me, sticking close to me and looking around.

"We can just ignore them for now. We are only here on official hero business. We won't be overstaying our welcome," I whispered back, adjusting my long coat and lion pauldron on my right shoulder.

Once we made it to the entrance of the entrance, we heard someone clearing their throats behind us, catching our attentions. We looked back, seeing a woman standing behind us with a serious and sharp expression.

The woman was a powerful and mystical maiden with an elegant and ethereal presence. She had long, flowing black hair adorned with a red ribbon, adding to her regal and mystical appearance. Her hair cascaded down her back, and she has an intense, focused expression.

She was dressed in a traditional yet elaborate outfit that blended elements of a kimono and warrior armor. Her kimono was primarily white with pink and red accents, featuring intricate patterns and designs. The outfit was complemented by a large, ornate sash around her waist, decorated with a ceremonial knot and various charms.

"Halt...You six, state your names and your purpose for being here or face the wrath of a Shrine Maiden," The woman said, summoning her katana and using her mystical energy to hold it in front of her.

As the leader of the group, I stepped forward, placing my hands in the pockets of my long coat. "My name is August Eyica, Leader of The Pride. We are here to help assistance Yae Misao and see what happened to Maiken Kodama."

"That's Miko Misao to you! Only those worthy of speaking the name Yae are allowed to say it. As far as your purpose, I'm not letting you enter the building unless you prove yourself to me that you are strong enough to even be considered an ally for this mission!" The woman declared, her katana emitting a pink mystical aura.

"Yeesh, are all Shrine Maiden this stuck up and have their panties in a knot?" Maliz scoffed, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. "Listen lady, don't talk to our leader like that. And you sure as hell don't want to challenge him. We don't know who put a stick in your ass but that attitude won't get you your precious Sacred Arms back."

The woman's left eye twitched at Maliz's sass and she glanced at her, her eyes widening and gasping. "You! You're the one who cursed Miko Maiken!"

April and the others glanced at Maliz then looked back at the woman with confusion. Maliz laughed at the maiden and placed a hand on her hip, tilting her head, enjoying the prospect of being accused of such a crime. She didn't respond, just smirked at the maiden with a devious grin.

"I can assure you Melinoe had no part in what happened to Maiken. If you would let us pass, we can find out who really cursed her and bring her back to you," I said, preparing to turn around then paused as a needle emitting pink energy landed beside me. I turned back, my fingers twitching in preparation to defend.

"I, Miko Ashina, will destroy you for what you've done to Maiken!" Ashina declared, getting into her stance.

"Sigh...and I was hoping we would avoid fighting today," Leona giggled softly, sitting next to me in her Lion Form, only visible to me and The Pride.

"Yeah, but hey, at least it's just a tiny skirmish. No need to go all out August. Your Leo Abilities should be enough," Sephora said in her serpent form, gently wrapped around me.

I nodded and stepped forward, the Solar Peridot in the mouth of my lion pauldron shining and activating my Zodiac Powers. I summoned my gauntlets and got into my stance. "Alright, Miko Ashina, let us dance..."

Ashina stared at me, readying herself for a battle, her gaze meeting mine with intensity. I stared at Ashina, waiting for her first move, keeping a close eye on her body language. Ashina rushed toward me, slashing in a circle, but I used my gauntlet to parry her strike then delivered a swift jab to her face.

Ashina stumbled back then quickly ducked under my roundhouse kick, but gasped at my swift movements as she noticed me launching an uppercut nearly immediately. I landed the attack, causing her to rise straight then landed a swiping chop to her torso, staggering her. I clenched my fist, red lightning crackling around it then I delivered a powerful Lion Fist to her midsection, knocking her back.

"Oh, that's Vintage August right there! The swiping chop into the Critical Lion Fist!" April exclaimed, sighing in a lovestruck manner. "I always love watching August fight~"

Ashina rose back to her feet, wiping her lip and staring at me, noticing my focused gaze. She glanced around, noticing her fellow Shrine Maidens were watching. She began to circle around me, keeping a close eye on me. "Hmph...I've heard about your style of fighting. You've trained under Infinity Council Member, Liao Ru, and you're the product of Nagini's experiments, hmm? The Brave Lion, August. Your name rings a few bells.."

I circled around Ashina as well, rolling my shoulder then chuckled softly. "I'm sure my name does ring bells...I'm glad you're finally recognizing who I am. Don't worry, I'll take it more easy on you since you're a fan."

Ashina lips curled into a slight smile from our verbal sparring before returning to a serious expression. She stopped circling then got into her stance, taking a deep breath then exhaling. "I wouldn't underestimate me if I were you. I'm not fully impressed yet."

"Oh really..? Well, I see you're a tough crowd. It's time to turn up the heat huh?" I chuckled softly, getting into my stance as well.

Without hesitation, Ashina rushed forward with a swift slash but I parried her slash, knocking her off balance then launched a swift strike toward her. Ashina swiftly dodged my attack, landing a swift kick upon the side of my head and staggering me. She let out a bellow as she slashed swiftly, aiming at my torso.

I quickly recovered, evading the slash then palmed her stomach, releasing a pulse of energy to knock her back. Ashina stumbled backwards then noticed me getting into my Phoenix Stance, her eyes flashing with acknowledgement and respect. I rushed forward, getting low and went for low kicks, aiming to sweep her feet from under her.

Ashina dodged each of my sweeps and blocked my rising Upper Lion Fist, grunting as her guard broke and stumbled back. 'This strength is...insane..! My defense can't keep up..!'

I ran forward, feinting my attack and forcing her to block low then let out a roar as I struck her with an Upper Lion Fist, followed by a two swift kicks to knock her in the air. Once she fell to the ground, I landed a low swiping chop to juggle her off the ground into a second Upper Lion Fist then double palm struck her, blowing her away.

I spun around, holding my right shoulder and the eyes of my lion pauldron shined. I aimed my pauldron toward Ashina, ready to use my new Zodiac Arts. "Zodiac Arts: King's Roar!"

My lion pauldron let out a powerful roar, launching a large fireball toward Ashina at high speeds. Ashina couldn't react in time, the fireball striking her directly and causing an explosion to happen. My team cheered for me while the Shrine Maidens were in awe of my power and how I dealt with Ashina.

"Woo! Now that's what I call a roar!~" April cheered, pumping her fist in the air.

"What is going on out here?" A voice sounded out, everyone turning their attention to the source.

I turned around and noticed Misao walking out of the academy building with Nagini and Liao Ru, the three of them stepping out to investigate the commotion. Ashina groaned lightly, seeing stars from my Zodiac Arts then she sat up and noticed Misao, quickly rising to her feet and hurried toward her.

"Yae Misao, I—" Ashina began, but Misao shook her head.

Misao smiled at Ashina, crossing her arms and looked at her. "I understand you want to protect St. Goken due to what happened, but you can't go around fighting everyone you see. Especially not people as strong as August and his team. Besides, I'm sure I already know why they are here."

Ashina bowed toward Misao. "I understand, Yae Misao. If you see them as trustworthy, I shall view them the same."

Misao smiled at Ashina then turned toward me and my team. "Welcome to St. Goken Academy, The Pride. Follow me, we can discuss everything in my dojo."

We all glanced at each other then nodded. We decided to follow Misao into the academy building and she led us to her dojo. Inside, the academy building looked like a normal academy with classrooms and trophies of all of their achievements. There were a few statues inside of old legends who graduated from St. Goken and their famed Shrine Maidens.

Entering inside Misao's dojo, we were offered to sit around the room as we pleased. Once we sat down, it was time to get down to business with Misao and learn about what happened to Maiken and learn the importance of the Sacred Arms.

"I am assuming that you all are here after my interview with the news reporter about what happened recently, or earlier for that matter?" Misao asked, sitting gracefully in the front of the dojo, glancing at each of us.

Lily nodded, her gaze meeting Misao's. "We heard what happened with Miko Maiken and the 3rd Sacred Arms: Baikal. We wanted to help a fellow Academy and finally put good use to our Hero Licenses instead of dealing with the typical robbers and delinquents."

Misao nodded, gracefully picking up her coaster and took a sip of her tea. "I see...yes, what happened earlier here is...trivial to say the least. You see, our dear Maiken has been corrupted by a Fallen Legend. She looks quite similar to your ally there."

Maliz knew Misao was referring to her and she crossed her arms with a smirk. She closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh. "If she looks exactly like me, you must be referring to my sister. Her name is Macaria aka Scarlett as she likes to be called."

"Macaria huh? I see. This certainly clears the air some. Is your sister a member of The Fallen by any chance?" Misao asked.

Maliz nodded, placing her hands on her lap. "She is. She's probably doing one of Darkness's dirty deeds. When I used to work for Darkness, his plans never involved Sacred Arms, whatever they are."

"Sacred Arms are the most powerful relics in existence, some say they are equal to the Zodiac Crystals. Sacred Arms are only given to those who are deemed Rulers. There are only 12 Rulers like the Zodiacs, meaning there are 12 Sacred Arms," Nagini began to explain, scrolling on her high-tech device to scan the area around St. Goken District.

"These Sacred Arms can evolve into Divine Arms which requires a Ruler's Core. You can only gain a Ruler's Core via a Ruler's Gem. My Basilisk's Infinity is a Sacred Arms, the 2nd Sacred Arms," Nagini continued, her eyes glued to the device.

"And my main weapons which I haven't shown yet is named the Hands of Fan Yeng, the Previous Ruler of Phlostigon or more commonly known now as the Ruler of Inferno. They are the 1st Sacred Arms," Liao Ru added, crossing her arms as she stood next to Misao.

I looked at Liao Ru and Misao, noticing how close they were. My curiosity got the better of me and I needed to ask my question. "Liao Ru, you and Misao seem very close. I'm sure you two have a strong history together."

Misao nearly choked on her tea, a blush rushing across her face. Nagini chuckled softly as she continued scrolling, glancing at Misao to see her reaction to my comment. Liao Ru closed her eyes, scratching her cheek with her finger, a blush settling on her cheeks as well.

April, Lily, and Nina glanced at each other, giving each other a knowing smile. Heifer couldn't help but to giggle softly at the cute reactions Misao and Liao Ru expressed while Maliz giggled darkly, knowing their relationship went beyond purely sisterhood.

"L-Liao Ru and I are...close friends," Misao answered, stuttering lightly and clearing her throat.

"Sure..~ Close friends...it's not like when we were all in China you and her weren't—" Nagini began, but Misao covered her face with a pillow, stopping her from completing her sentence.

"Sh-Shut up, you stupid snake!" Misao whined, her ears folding back then she sighed. She closed her eyes and placed her hands on her lap. "Liao Ru and I do have a...uh...romantic relationship. She is my other half. I'm the Japanese to her Chinese. She actually helped me grow into who I am today. Had I never met Liao Ru, I probably wouldn't even be alive."

"You give me too much credit, Misao.." Liao Ru said, gently rubbing her hair then looked at us, a soft smile tugging at her lips. "Now that the cat has appeased his curiosity, shall we continue with the task at hand?"

I smiled and nodded, now focusing on the task. "Alright, now focusing.."

Misao nodded, calming her nerves then looked at each of us. "Miko Maiken could be anywhere within the Three Kingdoms around St. Goken. She couldn't have made it too far outside the district with such a relic. It is my Sacred Arms after all as the Ruler of Faith. So far, we need a plan on how to find her. We can not make many mistakes at this moment.."

We nodded then began to formulate a plan to find and subdue Maiken. Knowing that she's in either the Aquarius, Capricorn, or Pisces Kingdoms made it easier to form the plan since we only had three kingdoms to work with. Our plan mainly consisted of splitting up to go to the different kingdoms.

With a basic plan made, we were ready to head out to search for Maiken and retrieve the 3rd Sacred Arms. We prepared to leave, heading out on foot to the three kingdoms.