End of St. Meishi Pt. IV

Maliz, Lily, and I made it back to our team and with Nagini's Cross, everyone looked at us then got up. With the cross in hand, I pointed it at the rift in front of us, a green beam of light hitting the rift and opening it to reveal the next area of the castle. I looked at everyone, giving them a smile and they smiled back.

We all rushed inside the rift, Liao Ru not too far behind and leaping inside before the rift closed. As we hurried forward, we climbed another set of stairs, the second flight of stairs feeling longer than the last. Despite the grueling task of climbing the stairs, we pushed forward, continuing up further.

"Geez! These stairs feel endless! We've been running for at least a good five minutes now!" Nina exclaimed, starting to feel tired and drained.

"Yeah, it almost feels like there's no end to these steps," Heifer agreed, feeling her energy waning thin.

I looked around, stopping in my tracks to tests something. I watched as everyone ran forward and waited a few seconds, noticing them arriving from the bottom of the stairwell. "Hold it!"

Everyone stopped in their tracks, turning their attention to me. I crossed my arms and began to think, grumbling softly. Everyone glanced at each other then looked back at me, wondering what I was thinking about.

"Is everything okay, August?" April asked, tilting her head to the side.

"We're in a loop. The staircase doesn't end. We've been going in a circle," I said, looking at everyone.

"He's right. You all have been going in a full circle. This is just another trick to Vinson's Domain. He can manipulate the very structure of any building inside this domain. It's his Domain Arts: Phantasm Maze," Liao Ru said, walking toward us and crossed her arms.

Everyone turned toward Liao Ru, looking surprised to see her. Soon that initial shock turned into gratefulness and excitement, April, Lily, and Nina glad to see her again.

"Then how are we supposed to reach the top if there is no top to be reached?" Heifer asked, crossing her arms under her cloak.

Liao Ru looked around, searching the area and closed her eyes. She began to try to sense any anomalies within the room we were in then caught onto something. "August, aim the cross at the ceiling?"

I looked up, my eyes slightly widening as I noticed a rift on the ceiling. I aimed my cross up, a green pillar of light shining upon the rift and opening it. Upon being opened, a gravitational potential pull began to attract us to the rift, sucking each of us inside into the next area of the castle before the rift closed.

We were all repelled into the next area of the castle, each of us repelled around the throne room. Liao Ru landed gracefully onto her feet and looked around, crossing her arms then looked ahead, noticing another rift in front of us.

"I can sense everyone's energy. The rift before you is the final one before coming to the top of the castle. I suggest all of you to rest and recover your energy before entering the rift. Once you come through, there's no turning back and little time to rest," Nagini warned, her voice echoing around the room.

With that warning, each of us decided to take a small break, the seven of us sitting upon the floor. There was initial silence, a moment to catch our breaths and collect ourselves before the final battle. Nagini's words weighed heavy in the air...we were finally at the end of an era, the end of St. Meishi at our fingertips.

"Maliz, I have a question to ask you. If you're gonna be a part of the team, there needs to be transparency between us and no secrets," April said, finally breaking the silence.

Maliz looked at April, raising an eyebrow. "What is your question? It better be a good one also if you're gonna sound demanding as well."

Everyone began to turn their heads to April and Maliz, sensing a bit of tension building up between the two. I closed my eyes and listened to them closely, preparing to step in whenever necessary.

"Let's just get this out of the way... You're a Fallen Legend, there's no need to hide the secret anymore between us. What I want to know is are you working with Darkness and what do you really want with August," April said, demanding an answer from Maliz.

Maliz stared at April for a moments, a cold smirk playing on her face then she looked at the floor, closing her eyes. "I am not a true Fallen Legend as I've told August and Lily while retrieving the Basilisk's Infinity. I am the daughter of a Fallen Legend which technically makes me a Fallen Legend by birth. I have not committed an unforgivable sin to be classified one."

"My mother, Persephone, is a Fallen Legend. She committed an unforgivable sin. She betrayed the Sacred Realm, killing the Sacred Dragon and bringing Hades the Blood of the Sacred Dragon as a gift to prove her loyalty to him and the Underworld," Maliz continued, tapping her fingers against the cold floor.

Everyone listened closely to Maliz's words, no one saying a word while she let everything out into the air. Glances were shot between one another, the girls trying to find any deceit in her words.

"As for my alliances, yes. I worked for Darkness for a certain point of time but my sister and I were only recruited due to Cetus's request and his alliance with the Underworld. I was tasked to find and gather information about August," Maliz said, opening her eyes and glancing at everyone.

"What..?! So you're just here to find weaknesses on August?!" April blurted, her tone becoming more hostile.

Maliz smirked at April's outburst then sighed softly, glancing over at me and eyeing me up and down. "That was until I saw his battle against Blaze at St. Nova. From there, I didn't want to destroy him like Darkness wanted. I wanted August to myself..~ He has a power...I craved to see~ The power...of Henosis. The Hero of Origin..~"

"I would tear down the sky before letting Darkness get his hands on August. Darkness told me their history of when he destroyed August's homeland...Eyica I'm sure it is. If anyone is going to be that special one for August, it's going to be me!" Maliz declared, her eyes becoming lovestruck and she began biting her lip, her chest heaving with each deep breath.

There was silence, no one knowing what to say or how to react. I opened one eye, glancing at Maliz and slightly understanding her true nature and purpose for me. Maliz looked around, noticing the stares she's accumulated, a subtle blush settling on her face.

"So...what you're saying is that you...like August?" Lily asked, tilting her head.

Maliz tucked her hair behind her ear, closing her eyes. "Like him..? Like him is an understatement. After seeing what he's capable of... stalking him during his mission at North Emerald Base... watching him defeat Darkness... watching him fight Archer...oh I feel things when I think about him.."

April grunted softly and quickly held my arm, holding it between her chest. "N-Not a chance... August is only allowed to have one obsessed girl and that's me! No way am I letting a deranged girl like you even get the chance to bond with him.."

"Oh? But you'll let other women connect and develop feelings for him? You'll let him flirt with other girls but when it's me...you decline?" Maliz scoffed, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.

"Uh-oh...I think we're about to experience another cat fight..." Nina muttered to Lily and Heifer, glancing at them.

"Yep, a cat fight over August's love...but he likes us all equally. Why fight over him..?" Lily said softly, running her fingers through her hair.

April scowled at Maliz, scoffing at her and her hold on my arm tightened. "I allow it because I actually trust them and know they wouldn't want to purposely manipulate him to their will. I'm not oblivious to the harem he's accumulated. We are like a Pride of Lions, one Alpha and the rest Lionesses. You've gotta earn your way in."

Maliz crossed her arms then looked at me, smirking and licked her lips slowly. "So I've gotta earn my way in, hmm..?~ Alright..~ So how do I get acknowledged as a member of this group?"

"This group is called The Pride and you are only acknowledged by August, The Pride Leader. If you aren't acknowledged then you aren't considered one of us, just a temporary ally," April said, her gaze focused on Maliz, watching her closely.

"Acknowledged by August...I think I can do that..~" Maliz chuckled darkly, crawling over to me, humming with a dark obsession.

Everyone watched Maliz approach me, April now watching her intensely. Lily, Nina, and Heifer couldn't take their eyes off Maliz either, wondering what she was planning to do to see my acknowledgement. Liao Ru rose an eyebrow, watching over the scene in the background.

Maliz, slowly gliding her hand against my leg, leaned closer to my ear, whispering with a smooth, sweet voice. "If you acknowledge me...I will do whatever you ask of me..~ Anything you ask I'll do...in return...I want you...to acknowledge that you're mine..~"

I watched her, feeling her nibble on my earlobe and brush her lips against my neck. Despite my best efforts to resist her physical affection, my body couldn't help but to shudder. I groaned softly then pushed her face away gently, exhaling softly.

"It's going to take more than smooth words and seduction for me to acknowledge you. You must prove your loyalty to The Pride, so consider this your initiation. I'll give you a week to prove your undying loyalty to us," I said, looking Maliz in the eyes.

Maliz's eyes twinkled with a dark excited and determination. She giggled softly, biting her bottom lip hard enough to draw a bit of blood. "Yes..~ I'll prove myself to you if it means getting closer to you...I'll start by helping you kill Vinson.."

April groaned softly, hoping I would reject Maliz, but she ultimately accepted my decision to put her on trial. The others seemed to agree on my decision, wanting to see what Maliz could truly do now that she was on trial to be a part of The Pride.

With that, we all felt rested enough to head into the final battle against Vinson to take him down for good. I stood up and took a deep breath, exhaling softly and pointing Nagini's Cross at the rift, opening it.

"This is it. I hope you're all ready because there's no turning back from this point," I said, looking over my shoulder at my team.

They nodded at me, their expressions a mix of determination, anticipation, and nervousness. We all stepped into the portal with our best foots forward, appearing upon the top of the castle and the portal closed behind us.

The top of the castle was like an arena, a large battlefield that seemed to reach the skies, surrounded by white towers and golden adornments. Upon the sky was a giant rift, a crack within the domain which symbolized the growing instability of the Gestalt Domain as Nagini's Infinity Realm began to overpower Vinson's Phantasm Exzodia.

"Nagini!" I called out, hurrying toward Nagini with her cross in hand.

Nagini looked over at me, smirking at me and summoned her Cross behind her. "Ahh, my Lab Rat and his girlfriends plus Liao Ru~ I see you've got an extra member though. Hmmm...a Fallen Legend?"

Maliz stared at Nagini, surprised that she immediately knew who she was. She glanced at me, tilting her head slightly. "Who...who is this?"

I glanced at Maliz then looked at Nagini with a smile. "This is a Mad Scientist, Noxius Nagini. She's a professor at St. Meishi and an Infinity Council Member. She can seem cold to you at first, but when you get to know her it's all just dry, dark humor. Nagini, this is Maliz, she's on trial to become a member of the team."

"I will prefer you call me Dr. Noxius, Maliz. The name Nagini is only to be used if I deem you worthy to speak to me in such a casual manner," Nagini said, smirking at Maliz.

Maliz nodded. "It's nice to meet you, Dr. Noxius."

"Alright, now that we have this out the way..." April began, stepping forward. "Where the heck is Vinson? I thought you were fighting him."

Nagini looked ahead and gestured to the figure in front of us. "That is Vinson's true form.."

We looked ahead and noticed Vinson clad in armor, exuding an intense and overpowering presence, embodying the essence of a dark and fearsome warrior. He was encased in a suit of dark, intricately detailed armor that lookes both formidable and elegant. The armor was composed of jagged, organic shapes that give it a menacing, almost demonic appearance. The colors were predominantly black and dark gray, with glowing red accents that add to the ominous feel.

The armor covered Vinson from head to toe, with sharp spikes and angular designs that enhance the intimidating look. The helm was particularly striking, featuring horn-like protrusions that create a fearsome silhouette. The cape, or perhaps the remnants of one, flowed behind him in dark, smoky wisps, adding to the sense of motion and power.

Vinson also wielded a massive sword that matched the dark aesthetic of the armor. The blade was large and appeared to be incredibly heavy, with jagged edges and dark energy emanating from it. The sword itself seemed to be a conduit of dark power, possibly enchanted or cursed.

"That's Headmaster Vinson..? I'm shocked you were holding your own against him for so long without your Ruler Form," Liao Ru said, walking forward to stand beside Nagini. She crossed her arms and glanced at Nagini, noticing her smirk. "Oh I know that look in your eyes..."

"He was a clear pain in my ass, but we can end it here. Now that I have my Gem back, we can finally put this guy below the Underworld into the Realm of Senyata," Nagini declared, glancing over at me with a smile. "I hope your team is ready for a fight. You're bound to gain lots of experience through this one, so be sure to bring your A-Game!"

I nodded then looked back at the others. "Alright everyone! Let's do this! It's all or nothing from here! Are you ready?!"

The girls let out their roars then got into their battle stances and readied themselves for the final battle against Vinson. Vinson looked at us then readied his blade, his dark aura flowing ominously around his body.

"It is time...to kill each of you for good... specifically you, Noxius," Vinson said, his tone cold and intimidating.

Nagini smirked, summoning her Ruler's Gem, the Gem of Scientia, and grabbed it. She closed her eyes as she began to transform into her Ruler's Form, an intricate black halo forming over her head and her aura began to shift between colors of light green, blue, and white. Her outfit changed into a sleeveless tight black dress, detailed with green and gold. On her left arm she had a loose semi transparent sleeve and a black glove, while on her right arm she wore a long black glove with three green claws. They were located on her thumb, index, and middle finger.

"If you can even land a scratch on me while I'm in my Ruler's Form, I will personally consider you a bigger threat than Cetus every will be.." Nagini challenged, chuckling softly in an unsettling, confident manner.

[Final St. Meishi Mission: Kill Vinson.]

Vinson rushed forward toward Nagini, targeting her first with a flurry of swift slashes, but Nagini blocked and evaded each slash with her cross. Nagini changed her Cross into a naginata, thrusting her polearm toward Vinson as a counter, but he dodged the attack, countering with a slash at her neck.

Liao Ru blocked the slash for Nagini, allowing Nagini the opening to strike Vinson with a powerful counter strike to his counter. Nagini amplified the force of her simple slash, creating a concussive force to knock Vinson away. She amplified her heart beat, using the sound waves to continuously knock him back.

Vinson recovered onto one knee, sliding backwards then rushed forward with a bellow. "You're gonna have to do more than that to knock me down!"

As Vinson slashed toward Nagini, she dodged the attack, stepping back to charge up an attack, leaving Vinson to my team while she charged up. He looked at me, noticing me step up to take the torch in the fight with my team. He readied his sword once again, getting into his stance.

I got into my stance then my white clouds formed around me, my gaze purely focused and ready. "This was a long time coming, Vinson...now prepare yourself!"

I roared, launching myself toward Vinson and launched a swift roundhouse kick, but he dodged it then swiftly slashed his sword, aiming to take my head off, but Nina rushed forward, palming Vinson's stomach and knocking him back with a burst of wind. Vinson slid backwards then sensed an attack behind him.

Ducking, he avoided Lily's slash then blocked April's lightning fast strike then roared, knocking all of us back with a surge of his aura. Heifer threw off her cloak then ran forward, nodding at April and April understood what Heifer was going for.

"Come at me with everything! I want to see you all struggle before you die!" Vinson roared, holding his sword in front of his, the blade radiating even more dark energy.

April and Heifer rushed toward Vinson together, charging and ramming into him from either direction, but Vinson used his aura to block their attacks. He let out a low growl, chuckling at their attempts to rush him with a barrage of strikes from every direction.

Suddenly, Rama and Taurus appeared, ramming into Vinson and knocking him into the air. Taurus stomped on the ground, forming large rock structures April was able to use to gain elevation to appear above Vinson. She roared, cocking her arm back and Rama appeared behind April, assisting her in a brutal Fury Strike, knocking Vinson back down onto the roof.

"April! Let's do this!" Heifer called out, her Geo Emerald shining brightly and the Taurus Symbol shining upon her body.

April landed beside Heifer, her Golden Diamond shining brightly and the Aries Symbol shining brightly on her chest. "Alright, time to get this party started!"

"Dual Zodiac Arts!" April and Heifer roared, their energies surging and forming multiple ergokinetic clones behind them. "Golden Stampede!"

The charged forward toward Vinson, the two of them aiming to ram into them with everything they had. Vinson noticed them as he got up and his blade became encased with corrupt dark energy, countering their Dual Zodiac Arts with a devastating slash, launching them both away.

Nina and Lily rushed forward, running around Vinson at high speeds and a tornado began to form around him. He looked around, watching as the large tornado around him began to sparkle and shine, becoming a large tornado of divine earth energy.

"We have no time to waste! Let's use it right now!" Nina called out, sliding backwards then her Duality Opal began shining, her Libra Symbol shining brightly and the scales within her becoming balanced.

Lily's Holy Sapphire shined brightly, her Virgo Symbol glowing brightly on her hand. "Alright! Let's do it!"

"Dual Zodiac Arts: Winds of Heaven!" Nina and Lily roared, the winds around becoming more violent and managing to sweep Vinson off his feet.

A barrage of holy razor winds began striking Vinson rapidly, the endless barrage becoming more brutal with each slice. Vinson grunted as he tried to break out of the attack, his dark energy becoming more aggressive and powerful. He let out a roar, corrupting the tornado with his aura and dispelled it, causing a blast of dark wind energy to blow Lily and Nina away.

I looked around, April, Heifer, Nina, and Lily all down for the moment. I watched as Vinson descended to the ground, my eyes flashing with readiness. Maliz stepped forward, twirling her staff then tapped the bottom of the staff against the ground and summoned her four orbs.

"Are you ready?" I asked, getting into my stance.

Maliz hummed, a soft giggle escaping her lips as she licked them. "As ready as I can be, darling..~"

I dashed toward Vinson at high speeds, lunging forward with a swift spinning kick, but he evaded it then slashed down at me. Maliz warped next to me, using her staff to block the attack, allowing me to land a swift and powerful strike to his face to knock him back. Vinson rolled backwards along the ground, recovering onto his feet.

Maliz launched an orb toward Vinson, kicking another at him then using her staff to hit and launch a third toward him. Vinson deflected all three then slashed downward, launching a powerful cutting wave toward us at dangerous speeds. I used my white clouds to block the cutting wave, grunting as I began to get pushed back.

"Maliz!" I called out, dispelling the cutting white clouds.

"Already ahead of you," Maliz responded, a soft giggle escaping her lips.

Maliz smirked and grabbed her fourth orb then began warping reality with it, shifting the battlefield around and causing Vinson to appear in front of me as I launched a powerful strike. I landed the strike upon his helm, cracking it and launching him back. Maliz warped reality once again, warping me above Vinson and I roared as I stomped on his chest, sending him crashing into the roof.

Vinson bellowed, knocking me back with his aura then rushed forward. "Fools like you are the bane to this world! Relying on a heart and others instead of your own strength! I will rid this world of weaklings like you!"

I got into my stance then smirked at him, my eyes flashing as the Yaoke Sigil formed in my eyes. "Alright, you want to have a one on one against me? Fine, let's dance.."

Vinson began slashing rapidly at me, but I perfectly dodged each one, using my Flash Precognition to see in the future with each usage. Vinson roared as he slashed in a circle but I evaded it, countering with a powerful uppercut to his jaw, knocking him into the air. Maliz warped above him and knocked him to the ground.

"Zodiac Arts.." I said coldly, walking forward and my Yaoke Sigils shining brightly. "Astral Chain."

The Ophiuchus Symbol shined brightly, my Celestial Energy pulsating around my body. Suddenly, invisible forces began striking Vinson, gradually growing faster and stronger. A barrage of rapid fire Future Strikes began landing their marks on Vinson then I appeared in the place of a Future Clone, landing an attack that shattered Vinson's helm and knocked him back.

Vinson groaned as he crashed into the wall, smoke and debris forming around him. Maliz warped next to me, giggling darkly and rested the bottom of her staff upon the ground. I exhaled, grunting softly as black blood began to roll down my left due to overexertion while using my Astral Chain.

Vinson rose to his feet and bellowed, his aura surging powerfully then he rose his sword in the air, preparing a final, last ditch effort to eliminate us. "I've had enough! I will kill everyone of you even if it's the last thing I do! Prepare yourselves because this is it! Domain Arts: Phantasm Calamity!"

Vinson roared, slashing down and firing a massive beam of dark energy at us. I felt Leona appeared behind me, my Leo Symbol shining brightly. I formed a massive fireball in my hand, my hair setting ablaze and flashing white.

"Zodiac Arts: Leo Flame Burst Frenzy!" I roared, launching a beam of fire at Vinson's attack.

The two beams clashed, entering a beam struggle and the two of us trying to overpower one another. I gripped my wrist, trying to exert more power out of myself, my feet digging into the concrete of the roof and the force of the beam pushing me back. Vinson laughed as he watched me struggle, letting out a roar as he continued to push me back.

Liao Ru snapped her fingers, opening her hand and forming a large pure orange fireball then fired a beam of energy, the beam merging with mine and adding more power. "Everyone! August can not defeat a Domain Arts on his own! Give him your energy!"

With the little strength my team had left, the held their hands out toward me and gave me their energy. Rama, Taurus, Harmony, Imogen, Leona, Sephora, and Mehira stood behind me, each of them launching a beam of energy, each one merging with mine and creating a collosal zodiac energy blast to overpower Vinson's.

With a final roar, I put all of my energy into the final attack, our combined powers overpowering Vinson. His eyes widened as he was being pushed back, grunting heavily as he tried to push back.

'There's no way I'm losing this battle..! I am the strongest of the Four Masters! I can't be the one to lose to a mere teenager!' Vinson thought, his armor cracking and breaking apart piece by piece. He looked behind us and noticed Nagini in the back, noticing her devious smirk.

"Infinity Technique No. II: Black Hole Annihilation." Nagini said, conjuring an orb of energy, condensing it into a small orb of black energy then pointed it at Vinson. "This is it for you, Vinson. Say hello to the Ruler of Hell for me.."

She launched the orb of energy toward Vinson, the orb expanding into a powerful black hole, draining Vinson's life force and energy. Once it gathered enough energy, the black hole shined a dark light, expanding into a catastrophic explosion. I grunted heavily as I was blown back by the explosion, Nagini catching me with one arm.

I looked ahead, black blood streaming down my cheeks and my vision blurring slowly. The smoke cloud cleared slowly, revealing only the remains of Vinson, broken pieces of his armor and his sword sticking into the damaged roof. Seeing that Vinson was truly dead, I chuckled softly before passing out slowly, my Rainbow Peridot finally separating into their respective Zodiac Crystals.

Nagini and Liao Ru noticed the Gestalt Domain collapsing, looking around and seeing everyone tired and spent on the ground. They glanced at each other then nodded, rushing into action to save everyone.

"Gather everyone, Liao! If they don't escape fast enough, they will be trapped inside this Domain!" Nagini commanded, deploying her Cross directly under the rift in the sky.

Liao Ru nodded, rushing around the arena at invisible speeds and gathered everyone, bringing them into range of the rift. Once everyone was gathered, Nagini rose her hand while holding me in her other arm, activating the green pillar of energy and opening the rift above us.

The rift began to pull each of us upward, taking us out of the domain and bringing us back into the real world. Nagini looked down, noticing the entire city collapsing and crumbling into the abyss. She smirked with a pleased expression then look at me, holding me close and tightly in her arm.

Ms. Ray sat in the destroyed St. Meishi Stadium, awaiting our return then noticed a rift opening in front of her. She stood up and noticed us exiting the rift, gasping in shock seeing our conditions. "You're all back! You actually did it?! He's dead?!"

Nagini smiled at Ms. Ray, chuckling softly and nodding her head. "Vinson Vaughn...is dead. St. Meishi has reached the end of its lifespan under the rule of Vinson and his brat. But that doesn't mean this academy has to go.."

Ms. Ray watched as Nagini walked toward her with me in her arms, gently taking me into her arms and looking at the others. She glanced back at Nagini, tilting her head. "What do you mean?"

"This academy needs a new Headmaster...or shall I say Headmistress..~ Everyone likes you and respects you. I think you would make a fine headmistress," Nagini chuckled as she walked off, reverting into her normal form and placing her hands inside the pockets of her lab coat.

"It's the End of an Era, but the beginning of a new one... Headmistress Dahlia," Nagini smirked, summoning a portal in front of her and walking through.

Ms. Ray watched as Nagini left the area through her portal then closed her eyes, smiling at her words. "Liao Ru, can you help me with bringing them to the infirmary?"

Liao Ru nodded, smiling at Ms. Ray. "Of course."

With Vinson dead and the corruption and toxicity gone, we finally did it. The Downfall of St. Meishi was finally complete, and the era of the toxic era of the academy was over. We were finally able to rest, one less issue we had to deal with. One of my goals were finally complete, but there was much more work to do, not only as a hero, but a Zodiac Knight.