Test Subject

[New Feature Available!]

[Feature: Skill Fusion.]

I looked at my Z-System as I waited for Nagini to finish setting up her equipment. "Nagini, can we hurry this up? The others are waiting for me."

"Don't rush her process. You should be honored to even be in her presence." Taurus said and crossed her arms, giving me a look of disapproval.

"I agree with August, this shit is taking a while and I need my nap." Leona said as she stretched. "A Queen needs her beauty sleep~"

"Tch. No one but yourself considers you a Queen." Taurus said.

Leona rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Her tail swayed from side to side as she clearly ignored Taurus. "Anyway, what are you planning to do anyway?"

"Something that I've done since I was in China. Creating a new energy from a source I know can withstand my tests." Nagini said then finished setting up her equipment.

"Is this gonna hurt him?" Heifer asked.

"It shouldn't if he's strong enough. However, I'm sure he can take it. Can't you, my Lab Rat?~" Nagini asked and looked at me.

I put my Z-System away then closed my eyes, placing a hand on my hip. "Never doubt me. Whatever challenge I need to face, I'll do it."

"Geez. Another Leona..." Taurus said, rolling her eyes.

"Another me~" Leona purred.

Nagini chuckled then walked toward me, putting pads on me. She hooked me up to her equipment then walked toward her computer. She pressed a button, turning on the equipment.

"Test No. 1. Channel your energy into my machine." Nagini said.

I took a deep breath then exhaled, channelling my aura into Nagini's machine. The aura began to travel through the wires into a clear Crystal. The Crystal began to shine a gray light. Nagini typed on her computer then heard a beep.

"Enough." Nagini said.

I stopped channelling my energy then opened my eyes. I looked at Nagini and crossed my arms. "So?"

"It was a failure. Try generating a stronger force of energy and generate it a bit faster." Nagini said.

"Gotcha." I said then uncrossed my arms.

"Beginning Test No. 2." Nagini said then turned on her equipment. "Start."

I began to generate a stronger force of energy more rapidly then grunted. It was a clear difference from before as the equipment began to actually take action. My body felt so tense...I could feel my heart racing rapidly. I began panting, my hair covering my eyes.

Leona's ears perked up then she noticed my veins growing on my arm. "Dr. Noxius! Stop the test!"

Nagini immediately stopped the test at Leona's request then heard a thud. She looked over at me and rose an eyebrow. "What is this..?"

I panted softly and my nails reverted back to normal. My veins slowly disappeared and the markings on my cheeks slowly disappeared. "My body...it hurts..."

"What the hell happened?" Taurus asked.

"He was going to go berserk." Leona said. "It's a defense mechanism for us Leos when we are feeling great strain on our bodies from generating too much energy at once. To release that excess energy, we have this Drive called Solar Rage where we release all of our energy with nothing but raw power and bloodlust."

"So you're saying he couldn't take it?" Nagini asked.

I slowly stood up and grunted softly. "No...I can take it."

Heifer watched me and walked forward. She gently held my arms and looked at me with a worried expression. "You don't have to do this, August. Let your body rest..."

I looked at Heifer then smiled. "This is for VI and Mina. For North Emerald...For every low tier in this academy. I will push myself to my limits for those I care about."

"But..." Heifer started then blushed as I place my finger on her lips.

"Enough..~ I'll be alright.." I said.

[Bond with Heifer has increased...]

Heifer grunted then quickly stepped back. "O-Okay..!"

Nagini watched me then looked at her computer. "Don't let your pride get in the way of your better judgement, August. I don't want to lose you like I've lost my other Lab Rats. Not this early. I finally have subject aside from him that has unrivalled potential."

Taurus looked at Nagini and noticed her stoic expression. That cheerfulness from Nagini now gone after witnessing me collapse.

"Hmph. Sounds like you're doubting me now. Don't let one slip up set your expectations for the rest of time. I have more to show than you're witnessing...Nagini." I said and smirked.

Nagini's eyes shined then she smirked. "Oh..? You sound more prideful than usual now, Lion. Are you sure you want to continue? I will break you until I get PERFECT results."

"Break me, Doctor? I can tell in your tone that you place me in the same category as your other subjects, yet you compare me to one of your best. You're giving me mixed signals here." I said and shrugged.

Nagini chuckled then laughed. She looked at me and her eyes shined brightly. "You...You think you compare to him? Compared to him, you're below the very ground I step on. After your collapse, yeah I set you on the same level as the dead subjects I buried long ago."

I closed my eyes then smirked. "If you really think that, turn on that damn machine and I'll show you how wrong you are."

Leona watched us and noticed Nagini was now on fire. She could tell it was the first time Nagini dealt with an edgy, prideful teen like me. "Don't push yourself too far, My Knight.."

Nagini turned on her equipment then pressed a button. "Begin Test No. 3!"

I bellowed and began to generate Zodiac Energy at a rapid pace. I grunted and felt my heart beating harder each second.

Nagini watched the numbers rapidly rise and looked at her Crystal shining brightly. "This energy..."

I panted heavily and held my arms then grunted loudly. I began digging my nails into my arms. "Leona...cast your barrier around me!"

Leona noticed how much I was hurting and didn't want to watch me hurt anymore, but she knew we had something to prove together. She held her hand out toward me and created a barrier around me.

I grunted loudly then roared loudly, letting our a Supernatural Roar to release my excessive energy then my aura disappeared. I lowered my head and felt my heart racing even more. I couldn't feel my body anymore, but I had so much energy within me. It drove me crazy...I just wanted to lash out, I began to feel...Bloodlusted.

"Is he okay..?" Heifer asked and stepped forward.

"Don't! Don't step an inch closer." Leona said. "He's...not the August you know..."

Taurus noticed my hair had become flames and took shape of a lion's mane. I had fiery cuffs around my wrists and black markings along my cheek.

"He awakened his Zodiac Drive..." Taurus said in awe.

"These numbers are beyond anything I could've imagined! The Crystal, I got it! Drive Energy! This can be used to further power up his Zodiac Drive! Now to mix in a little bit of my Super Energy in there...~ Stay calm for me a little more, August!" Nagini called out.

I grunted as I tried to control myself for as long as I could. I slowly began seeing red as I couldn't contain myself anymore. I roared and wildly attacked the barrier, trying to break out.

"Doctor! Stop this madness!" Heifer yelled.

"Done!" Nagini said then stopped the test.

I groaned and collapsed to the floor. I slowly reverted to my normal state then panted heavily. I placed my hand on my face, closing my eyes. I could feel my body vibrating, my body hurt terribly. I could barely move.

Leona hurried over to me then got down on the floor and gently nuzzled me. "My Knight, are you okag?"

"I...I don't know..." I said softly then leaned against Leona for support.

Nagini stood up and took her Crystal out of it's container. She walked over to me then snapped her fingers, using her energy to restore all of my stamina. "I present to you your new Zodiac Crystal. The new Peridot, Solar Peridot. With this gem, you'll be able to access your Zodiac Drive without having to nearly kill yourself."

"So this test was for me to..." I started.

"Heh..~ I noticed it in your fight against Vail. You nearly awakened your Zodiac Drive, but I could tell you decided not to because you were afraid of killing him.." Nagini said.

"How did you know..?" I asked and looked at Nagini.

"Psychology is a science, my Lab Rat..~ Besides, if you had awakened it, it would've been bad news for everyone and I wouldn't even had hesitated to neutralize you." Nagini said.

Leona grunted softly and looked at Nagini, holding me close to her. "You wouldn't even have come close because I won't allow you to hurt him! The only one neutralizing him is me!"

I blushed as my head was practically held against her soft breasts. I didn't complain nor even mind it. I enjoyed it quite frankly. It would just be my hormones talking for me at this moment.

"Geez, zip his pants up after you're done with him will you?" Taurus said.

"What?" Leona asked.

"Overprotective over him for what? Besides, he knew he'd lose control while doing this test. He's smart enough to know friend from foe." Taurus said in a sassy tone.

Leona rolled her eyes and stood up with me in her arms. "You're just mad because you don't have a guy to call your own. You could've recruited that Emerald Knight we saw, but you chose Heifer~"

"You say it like it's a bad thing." Heifer sighed and shook her head.

"Tch!" Taurus scoffed, not knowing what to say as a rebuttal.

"Alright, enough." I said then smiled. "Let's all agree that this is a start of something new. With this Zodiac Drive Crystal, we can finally show our worth to the Empire."

Nagini smirked and crossed her arms. "Yeah. And you all can praise me anytime you wish~"

Leona chuckled and nodded. "Now let's get you out there for this shopping spree~"

"Oh right, I nearly forgot! Gotta bounce everyone." I said then hurried off.

"See ya~" Leona said then hurried after me.

Heifer watched us then smiled a bit. "We finally have a chance again...Taurus, let us tell the Princesses the good news."

Taurus looked at Heifer then smiled. "Right.."

---------------------------------------------

"Finally we're going to the mall!~" April said happily as she stetched.

"Took you long enough slowpoke..~" Nina teased, reaching forward to the passenger seat to pinch my cheek.

I chuckled softly and rolled my eyes. "You're all lucky I decided to keep to my word."

Leona chuckled as she drove to Zodiac Square. "Also I have to thank your dad for lending us this sweet ride, April. You don't understand how tired I was of walking from Point A to Point B..~"

"No it's completely fine, Leona~ You technically are our guardian to some degree so he saw it fit for you to own this car. Neither me nor August can drive so..~" April said and smiled at Leona.

Leona chuckled softly and fixed her sunglasses. "I understand, girlie~ Besides I don't mind driving, I like the way my hair flows with the wind anyway~"

We all shared a laugh at Leona's comment. It really felt nice to have these kinds of outings with everyone. Not only did it bring us closer together, but it also made us a stronger team for the long-run.

We finally made it to the mall and Leona parked the car. We all got out and began to start our shopping spree. Because of the events of what happened during our last visit, we were greeted with fans and given many discounts. It felt like we were celebrities as we walked along the mall.

After a few hours of enduring the paparazzi and a constant flow of fans, the girls began to start getting annoyed and drained.

"Sheesh...My social meter is literally at 0%. I'm ready to get the fuck out of here.." Nina said softly.

"No really. This is getting exhausting and these people are really starting to make my skin crawl..." April said.

"August, are you ready to leave yet?" Lily asked in a soft voice, sticking close to me.

I looked at April, Nina, and Lily and noticed they were exhausted and pretty upset. I looked around for a quick escape then activated my Supernatural Senses. 'Leona you thinking what I'm thinking?'

"Hell yeah..~ Let's get out of here..~" Leona said to me.

I nodded then walked forward. "Girls, follow me!"

I sprinted forward and evaded every person that tried to stop me for an autograph or interview. April rushed ahead and noticed a crowd blocking the way. She grunted and jumped over them then rolled forward on the ground.

"These damn fans... starting to piss me off..!" Nina said then blew a force of air at the ground to propel herself in the air. "Lily!"

Lily jumped up and grabbed Nina's hand then launched a dagger toward a pillar then warped to the dagger. "The exit!"

I ran toward the exit and finally got outside and panted then looked back, seeing the girls made it out as well. "Man, how do these top heroes do it? Hell even some villains, how do they do it..?"

"You kinda start getting used to it, but since this was your first time getting bombarded by fans...I can see how it can stress you out." Leona said.

I shook my head and sighed. "It's nice to have fans, but I kinda like my quiet life a bit more.."

"Yeah...I kinda don't like it when my space is invaded by random guys." April said.

"Truth to that sister." Nina said.

"Yeah...it was really uncomfortable. I'm glad August stepped in each time.." Lily said.

Leona smiled then looked at me. "I don't hear you complaining about personal space..~"

"C'mon, did you see those two fashion designers? How could I complain?" I asked and crossed my arms.

"Men will be men." Nina said and smiled.

"Hey I didn't say anything beyond what I said. Besides I have enough women around me for right now. Adding more would stress me and my wallet out." I said and chuckled. "Anyway, let's all head to my house for dinner and games, I'm beat and I just wanna relax."

"Hell yeah, prepare to be taken down in God Strikers this time!" Nina said in a more happier mood.

"Oh you wish you could beat me." I chuckled and walked toward the car.

"Tonight is the night, I'm telling you!" Nina said as she hurried after me.

April giggled softly and followed us. "Your sister's quite a huge fan of video games huh..?~"

"The biggest..~ You're seeing the real Nina. She's a nerd at heart like me, but she's never felt comfortable enough to show it until now..~ She really likes August...and I do too. He's pretty great.." Lily said.

"Yeah..~ He's amazing, you should have a night with him~ You'll be clinging onto him like you're under a love spell~" April teased.

Lily blushed madly and grew shy. "But I'm a virgin..."

"I was too~ I was his first as he was mine, he'll take good care of you trust me~" April said and gently pat Lily's back.

"O-Okay...Uhm...when should I like...ask?" Lily asked shyly.

"Tonight~ You won us the battle today and he couldn't be more proud~ If you ask tonight, he'll 100% say yes plus he stays protected so everything will go smoothly." April said.

Lily nodded. "O-Okay.."

We all made it to the car then got in and went to my house for the night. We had a pretty fun time, more fun than we did last time. Now it was time for us to rest.

-------------------------------------

Amunet looked at her Zodiac Crystal and noticed it shine. She put up her scarf then her eyes shined brightly. She was about to lunge forward, but someone grabbed her shoulder, stopping her. She looked back and noticed it was her Champion accompanied by Nagini.

"Ishara..? Who's this?" Amunet asked.

"My name is Dr. Noxius. You may know me as Nagini and I am here to make you a special deal." Nagini said.

"You're gonna have to wait. I have my targets, those mercenaries are holding some North Emerald Knights hostage. I'm gonna go take them down." Amunet said.

Nagini walked forward then looked at the mercenaries. "Those weaklings?"

"Weaklings? These weaklings are members of the 12th Order. They are as strong as they sound." Amunet said.

"I can literally beat them with my heartbeat alone." Nagini said.

"Yeah okay. I have no idea who you think you are but underestimating—"

Nagini amplified her heartbeat and used the soundwaves of her heart beat to damage the mercenaries, killing them. She pat Amunet's back. "Now that's done, come with me please. He have much to discuss."

Amunet was in awe of Nagini's power and looked at Ishara.

"I'll go rescue the knights. I will join you and Noxius when I finish my task." Ishara said then turned into her scorpion form and burrowed underground.

Amunet nodded and quickly followed behind Nagini.