The entrance that awaited the party was a large entrance area digging into the walls of the canyon. A while space illuminated by strange blue flames lit up as the party arrived. In the very center was a massive statue of a lion in the center of the space.

".... That's creepy." Meracle commented, nervously walking behind Allisa as the party approached the massive statue.

"Must be some guardian deity," Nel said.

"This place sure is creepy," Max commented looking around. "Kinda reminds me of that temple back at Treist."

"I don't think it's the same thing," Melvin said curiously, studying the architecture. "I see why you'd say that, but this place looks younger than the sea temple at Treist."

"How can you tell? All these places look the same to me." Yuki said.

"I studied a bit of archeology while traveling with Master after he found me." Melvin said.

"And this place is more recent than the sea temple?" Allisa asked.

"Yeah.... Can't give you specific dates but...." Melvin looked deep in thought until...

"Aw who cares?" Rodger's voice broke Melvin's train of thought. "All he have'ta do is find whatever it is we came for so the witch can get off our backs right."

"Got a point. Who cares about how old this place is?" Max said.

".... Yeah, good point," Melvin said obviously bummed.

Max and Rodger looked confused at Melvin's sudden mood drop. They both looked at each other to see if either knew why.

"You guys are idiots..." Cliff muttured. He then looked at the massive statue along with Allisa, Nel and Miracle who was still hiding behind Allisa. "So what kind of deity is this?" Cliff asked them.

"Beats me." Nel shrugged looking to Meracle. "Any ideas?"

"Umm..." Meracle separated herself from Allisa to study the lion statue. "It might be Leo.... I think?"

"Leo?" Allisa asked.

"Pressa talked about him once. She said one of the Arch Sages before milady was able to summon 12 familiars of the... uh.... Zonic."

"I think you mean the Zodiac?" Nel corrected her.

"Mya donno. I usually doze off when Pressa talks." Meracle shrugged. "Only one I remembered was a lion called Leo."

"Leo?" Allisa looked back up at the statue. Throb! "Urg!" Allisa grimaced and raised a hand to her head as another sharp pain came and went.

"Something wrong?" Nel asked.

"Uh... no it's nothing," Allisa reassured her. "We should get a move on. Sooner we get this thing, sooner we can leave."

"Got a point there," Melvin agreed as he, Rodger and Max walked onwards to what seemed like the main entrance. Cliff and Yuki then followed along with Allisa and Meracle, Nel remained at the rear, keeping her eye on Allisa with a concerned look.

Her mana level spiked all of a sudden. Just like back then.

She recalled the time when she collapsed in Sterland Forest. Even before that, she recalled back to the Labyrinth during the Alchemist case, when she suddenly collapsed in the labyrinth all of a sudden. And both times, Nel could sense her mana suddenly spiking. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something that was affecting Allisa, probably as a result of something that had happened during the incident.

"Everything alright Nel?"

Nel's thoughts were disturbed when Allisa called out to her. She noticed that she was keeping her distance from the group. "I-it's nothing," Nel reassured her as she picked up her pace to catch up, noticing Yuki looking back towards her with an intense stare.

It won't come to that. Nel told herself while glaring back at Yuki.

King of the Zodiac

The king slumbered. His mission simple. Protect the key to awaken the calamity.

Long ago, he was the king of the heavens, cast down by the coming of darkness along with his retinue. Masterless and homeless, they existed in a state of incaporialness, neither dead or alive, cursed to wander the world before them as empty spirits.

That was until the 12 were given a home, a young woman by the name of Anna who took them in, gave them a form, a purpose. She ruled as a figure to maintain the peace that had been established after the darkness, and the 12 used their power to support their savior in her hour of need.

Then a calamity appeared. Six unstoppable creatures of pure hatred and darkness descended on the world, and almost brought it to ruin. Using all their power, all at their disposal, the monsters were sealed, leaving a broken world to be repaired.

To ensure the calamity would never again be unleashed on this world, Anna built a chamber to seal half of the key necessary to revive one, the Nine Tailed Fox. And as her final order, he, the king, was given the duty to protect the key to ensure hatred incarnate would forever be suspended in deep slumber.

The remaining 11 supported their master's wish, fusing into the king to give him the power to guard against even an entire army of mortal soldiers.

And so, for three centuries, he guarded the key, never once moving from his position, even as the world of mortals continued above. Now, a handful of mortals have braved the challenge of claiming the key. And just like all the others, they will meet the same fate as all those who've come before.

That's what the king wanted to believe. But there was something strange about those who approached. They weren't fueled by greed or malevolence. And one, in particular, carried a light, one that was comfortably familiar to the king. The light of the Goddess herself.

****

The party continued on through a passage that leads on from the room they were in, illuminated by the blue flames from the braziers lined along the wall, giving the room a certain strange mood as they walked. Though mostly in silence, there was a bit of chatting between the front-runners, followed by Max and Yuki beginning to bicker again.

Nel, however, remained at the rear, just watching them. Even she knew her resolve towards her original mission was beginning to shatter. Now, more than ever before, she was afraid. Afraid of what Allisa would think if she knew Nel was meant to kill her if she became a threat to the Arch Sage.

"You know, you've been scowling since yesterday." Cliff snapped her back to reality.

"I-I have?" She cast her gaze down.

Cliff slowed his pace till he was beside Nel. "I take it something's been eating at you."

Nel gave out a small huff. "Is it that obvious?"

"To the others, no. But raising Sasha we learned to pick up on when something's bugging her." Cliff said. "Like you, she tries keeping everything to herself."

Nel remained silent as they continued to walk on, her gaze drifting to the others in front.

"I'm guessing something happened yesterday." Cliff looked towards Yuki upfront. "Was it something he said?"

".... Something like that." Nel nodded, taking a quick glance at Allisa upfront.

"I guess he touched on a sore spot for you huh?" Cliff said, stroking his cheek.

"I wouldn't really call it a sore spot." Nel looked down again. ".... I'm starting to question my original purpose here?"

"Your purpose?"

Nel nodded. "I....I can't really talk about it, but...."

"Does it involve Allisa?" Cliff asked. Nel remained silent, but it was enough for Cliff to piece together what Nel was getting at. "Can you really do it? Can you kill her?" He asked seriously.

"..... To be honest, I'm not sure anymore." Nel sighed. "Killing is practically second nature to me. If necessary, I would even kill Dran without any reservations. In fact, taking her life wouldn't be a problem." She glanced a look at Allisa with sorrow. "But.... It's not that I can't take her life, it's more that.... I don't want to. That's not something an Assassin like me should feel." She then glanced up at Cliff, narrowing her eyes. "Let me ask you, If the situation arises where I have to take her life, would you try to stop me?"

".... I won't have to." Cliff said with a small smile. "Cause I know it won't come to that."

"How can you be so sure? In the end, she's still human. And humans fall into darkness more often than not." Nel said, clenching her fist. I'm no exception.

"Do you believe she will turn evil or something?"

".........." Nel couldn't reply.

"See. You're just working yourself up over nothing." Cliff then began to walk away from Nel to catch up with the others. "And if a time comes when she does fall, we'll be around to pick her back up."

Nel watched him walk away before returning to her thoughts. Her gaze fell once again on Allisa. Am I really just overthinking this?

She'd always been by Allisa's side since the start, and for that time she took on the role of being both her guide as her journey began and the potential knife to her back. But for her sake, as well as her mission, she pushed the second persona aside until it was nearly forgotten.

When Yuki reminded her of it yesterday, a wave of doubt she'd never felt before, began to flood into her. For the first time in her life, she was reluctant to take this particular life.

"Hey Nel? Something wrong?"

This time Allisa had called out to her, once again breaking her train of thought. She then realized she was quite far behind the others.

"Oh, no it's nothing." Nel shook her head and picked up her pace to catch up with the others. For now, I should focus on the task at hand.

****

The corridor finally opened up into a wide arena, illuminated by a giant crystal floating above, casting an eerie blue light over the area. On the other end of the room was a large doorway that looked as though it was sealed. Adorning it was the 12 signs of the Zodiac.

"Whoa... pretty." Meracle gasped at the massive crystal hanging overhead.

Allisa looked less impressed, glancing around. "Isn't this the kind of place where the boss would show up?"

"I'm getting that feeling too," Cliff said, sharing her concern. "I bet when we reach the other end the boss is gonna jump us. We should probably keep our guard up and try not to attract the attention of whatever it is."

"Hey dungeon boss! Come on out!" Max yelled with his arms raised.

"Get your ass out here or I'll find you and cut your $£[email protected] off!" Yuki yelled with his sword drawn.

"Come on! Face me ya coward!" Rodger yelled, raising his hammer.

"I JUST SAID NOT TO ATTRACT ITS ATTENTION!!!" Cliff yelled at them.

"We'll be fighting it in the end so we might as well call it out," Yuki explained to him while picking his nose.

"'A Real man never waits for his enemy to just come out and jump him. He always finds the guy and faces him head-on!' That's what my pa always said and he was always right!"

"Ok, I agree with your logic but I don't think pissing it off before we know what we're dealing with is the right way to go!" Cliff continued.

"We're not pissing him off. We're challenging the boss head-on." Max said with a lot of gusto.

"You're pissing it off no matter how you word it."

Behind them, Allisa and Melvin looked with an exhausted expression.

"Those two are hopeless," Allisa said.

"And there's a new one," Melvin added.

Meracle peeked over Allisa. "Are they always like that?" She asked.

"Pretty much." Allisa sighed.

Nel hung back, unusually dethatched from what was going on in front.

"Hey Nel, Do you feel anything?" Allisa asked her.

Nel jumped slightly as she was brought back to reality. "Oh, uh.... Give me a sec." She simply said.

"Are you ok? You seem a bit out of it today." Melvin asked her.

"..... Just something on my mind." Nel said, closing her eyes and concentrating.

Meanwhile, Cliff also watched Nel, looking a bit concerned. He then looked back to Yuki.

"Tch.... Don't look at me." Yuki shrugged while walking ahead.

Max and Rodger looked between Cliff and Yuki. "What's up?" Max asked.

"Uh, don't worry about it," Cliff reassured him while taking a step forward, walking past Yuki.

As he did, the crystal ahead began to shine brightly. Nel then snapped her eyes open, drawing both her blades out, alerting the others. "Something's coming!"

Before she had a chance to explain, the crystal suddenly emitted a bright blinding light that blinded the party, all of who covered their eyes to block out the light.

"What's happening?" Allisa yelled.

"I'm not sure! I felt some kind of presence from that crystal overhead! I think It might have released something." Nel explained.

"What do you mean release? You mean something was in there?" Meracle asked.

"I knew something like this would happen!" Cliff said to himself.

The light then died down to what it was before. The others recovered quickly and looked forwards, shocked by what was before them.

"Wha-What the? What is that?!" Allisa exclaimed.

In the dead center of the room stood a massive lion, towering over the party. Its fur was sparkling gold like a jewel, and around its neck was a burning mane, emitting an unnaturally orange glow.

"Is that a lion?" Cliff said startled.

"Defiantly not an ordinary lion," Melvin said pulling out his wand.

"Guessen it's protecting the treasure," Rodger said. "Which means if we gonna have'ta go through that first."

"Looks that way," Yuki said. "The overgrown cat doesn't look like he's gonna budge otherwise."

"Can't be any worse than that dragon from before since it's on the ground," Allisa said, summoning her sword. "Right?" She then looked to Nel. "Nel?"

Nel's eyes were wide open with like shock. A small trickle of sweat trailed down her forehead. Allisa was about to ask what was wrong when the lion lifted up its left front leg, the claws glowing. "LOOK OUT!!!!" Nel yelled out her warning as the creature swiped its paw down. Four blades of light shot from its claws, slicing through the ground towards the party.

Nel's warning came just in time for the others to leap out of the way as the blades of light wreaked a path of destruction through its path, even down the passageway they had just walked down, obscuring it in a thick cloud of dust.

"Nya..... What was that?" Meracle said, shaken by how close of a margin the blades had missed them.

The girls, along with Yuki and Melvin had leaped to the left of the destroyed path while Max, Cliff and Rodger had leaped right, all were equally amazed.

"If that had hit us....." Melvin quivered at the thought.

"Tch, that was just like the ability that bastard knight used back when we saved the princess," Yuki swore, getting back to his feet.

"Projection." Nel corrected drawing her blades. "It's definitely similar."

"It can use projection?" Allisa said, being personally familiar with the technique itself in recent history.

"There's something else," Nel continued with a very disturbed look. "That things Mana level is like nothing I've ever felt before.... I don't even know what to make of it."

"Meaning?" Cliff asked.

"Meaning we're in for a difficult fight."

"Ha, when aren't they difficult," Yuki said, sounding eager.

"Like Rodger said, the only way is through that thing," Max said sounding just as eager.

"Can't you two have some sense of danger?" Allisa said in disbelief at their confidence.

Meracle was kneeling beside her, staring at the monster before the party. She wanted to stand but couldn't find the strength in her legs, still shaking from the tremendous power it just demonstrated. We're supposed to get past that thing....?

"Are you ok Mary?" Allisa asked, looking towards her.

"Uh.... I-I'll be fine." Meracle said to her, the distraction giving her enough strength to at least stand up. ".... But, can we really beat that thing?"

"Cause we can!" Rodger declared loudly, lifting his hammer.

"Wha- hey wait!!" Cliff tried to stop him, which ended up being in vain.

"A Real Man doesn't think about the danger," Rodger recited as he slammed it into the ground. "He just charges though!!" A giant fist shot from the ground, heading straight towards the lion. Before it hit, the lion let out a loud roar, a roar that shattered the ground before it in a crescent arc, obliterating Rodgers attack.

The party braced themselves as the concussive wave hit them, small fragments of the floor pattering against them.

"With just his roar?" Allisa gasped.

"I told you before not to attack without thinking!" Cliff snapped at Rodger.

"Least we know he can do that," Rodger replied.

Suddenly, a large fiery explosion erupted on the lions back, forcing it downwards. On top was Max, punching downwards.

Meanwhile, Yuki had run along the bests left, skidded to a stop with his blade held low. Stance 3: Nami! He then slashed his blade upwards. The lion was hit by the projectile and was pushed right by the force of the blow.

"When did they....?" Cliff asked, noticing the two idiots in question weren't amongst the group.

"About the same time Rodger attacked," Melvin answered.

Back at the Lion, Max had jumped off just before Yuki attacked it, landing beside him. As the flames on the back died down, the two realized that their attacks had done very little damage.

"Tch, this thing's tough." Max clicked his tongue.

The lion slowly raised its head, locking its left eye on the two humans to his left.

"Looks like we pissed him off with that," Yuki said as he and Max braced themselves.

The lion simply swiped its left paw towards them, the entire left side was blown away by the sheer power of the swing, four grooves carved through the ground into the walls. Both Max and Yuki were blasted away, slamming into the ruined wall.

"Ahrg... That hurt..." Yuki groaned, partially embedded in the wall. "Still in one piece Pyro?"

"Shut up...." Max groaned, lying in a pile of rubble. "Who'd you think I am Sword Bastard?"

The lion slowly turned and began to tread on the ruined floor towards its two targets, crushing some of the rocks under its massive paws.

Five fireballs then impacted on the right side. It stopped its advance and turned towards the source, Melvin, who stood a few feet from its right side with Rodger beside him.

"Nice shot." Rodger praised him.

"Nice shot? That didn't do anything!" Melvin yelled at him. He and Rodger had run out after Max and Yuki were caught in the beasts last attack where Rodger persuaded Melvin to cast a spell at it.

"No no, It got the big cats attention," Rodger said drawing out his hammer.

The lion then turned away from the two boys and walked towards where the two boys were. "Ok... So what's part two of your plan?" Melvin asked him, raising his wand.

"This!" Rodger announced slamming his hammer on the ground. A giant fist formed under the lion's head and struck upwards, punching it in the lower jaw. The lion staggered back as a body began to form around the fist into a cartoony looking giant.

"Haha!! Eat that ya overgrown cat!" Rodger boasted, pointing his hammer at the lion. "Get him 'Ga Ga Golem!'"

Rodger's Golem threw another punch at the lion, shattering on impact, forcing the lion back a few meters. Enraged, the lion launched forwards towards the golem, slamming into it and destroying it completely.

As it did, a ball of electricity began to form above it. "Raging gods of calamity unleash your might! Thunderstorm!!" Melvin cast his spell. The lighting above was unleashed and smashed down on the lion.

"Now that was cool!!" Rodger said with glee.

"If only it stayed down..." Melvin gulped.

Smoke poured from the body of the lion, blackened, but mostly undamaged.

"Whoa, it's tough." Rodger gasped.

"That's putting it lightly...." Melvin gulped. "It just took a Level two spell without taking any noticeable damage. That really isn't a good thing."

The lion then lifted its right paw and swiped down. A large chunk of the ground before it was obliterated with a large volume of dust shooting into the air. Melvin and Rodger had braced themselves for the projection attack, but it didn't come.

"Huh? It didn't attack?" Melvin looked back at the dust confused.

"Maybe it was swatting a bug?" Rodger suggested.

"I can't tell if you're being serious or if that was a joke."

The dust in front began to settle, revealing why the attack didn't come.

"W-What?!" Melvin gasped.

Beneath the right paw was Cliff. Before it swung down he leaped in below and caught the beast before it could finish its attack. The effort, however, was immense. Cliff was holding the paw with both his arms, which were shaking, baring his teeth as he tried his hardest to maintain his strength. The spot below the paw had formed a crater around where he stood, and even know, his feet were being gradually pushed into the ground itself.

"Cliff!" Max yelled when he spotted him.

"You ok big guy?!" Yuki called out.

Not listening to the others, trying to keep his grip as his feet began to embed themselves further into the ground, he called out, "Ok ladies... Any time now!!"

Suddenly, Nel appeared by the beast's right eye and plunged her short blade into it. The lion howled in pain as it realized the pressure off Cliff as it lifted itself off the ground, standing on its hind legs. Cliff used the opportunity to retreat.

With a satisfied smirk, Nel leaped off the lion as it continued to howl. "It doesn't matter how strong or big you are. On any living thing, the eye is usually the weakest part." She backflipped and skidded to a stop as the lion slammed back on the ground, sending fragments of the earth flying as the front legs crashed to the ground below. "Alright! It's open!"

Allisa appeared by the beast's right back leg, flames bursting from her sword, streaming out as she lifted the blade overhead. "Vermillion...." She poured more of her mana into her blade, the flames growing more and more intense. "STRIKE!!!" She then swung the sword down, releasing the flames onto the lion, which exploded on impact, obscuring the lion from view as smoke obscured it from view.

"Alright! That's our leader!!" Rodger cheered as Cliff reached the two boys painting.

"That must have done something," Cliff said hopefully.

Back at Allisa's position, she stood by, lifting her sword back up. She couldn't see anything because of the smoke that was left from her attack so she didn't know if her attack had actually done any damage. Unrenowned to her and the others, one of the zodiac signs on the door stopped glowing, the Pisces signs.

"Did I do it?" Allisa asked. As though answering, a giant paw shot out from the smoke and hit Allisa, sending her across the room crashing into a wall.

"ALLISA!" Nel looked astonished, staring at where Allisa was sent and back at the smoke in front of her. The lion emerged from the smoke, no hit of the previous damage done by both Allisa and Melvin, it's fur glowing sparkling golden again, fixing Nel with its right eye. "It healed?!"

The lion then lifted its front right paw.

D-Damn it! The lion turned its body quickly and swiped its paw, obliterating the area where Nel once stood. Nel herself vanished from view, obscured by the dust and earth shot up from the attack. Nel herself was just caught by the shockwave of the attack when she reappeared and was sent tumbling on the ground.

"NEL!!!" Melvin schemed.

"What the hell....." Rodger said with his eyes widened. "It doesn't look like our attacks did anything."

"That's not it," Cliff said to them, grinding his teeth. "I'm not sure how, but it completely healed itself."

The lion then suddenly turned its head to the group before him.

"Oh no!"

"N-Not good!"

Rodger slammed both his hands into the ground. A rock wall shot up in front of them. The lion then lets out another powerful roar in their direction. The entire wall was blasted into pieces, blowing the three standing behind away, the two boys slamming against the arena's room behind them while Cliff was partially embedded into it having taken the full force of the roar.

With all opponents seemingly out of the way, the lion began to pace back to the center.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Suddenly, flames erupted beneath it, slamming against its underbelly. Underneath was Max, driving his flamed fits into the beast's belly. "FORGOT ABOUT ME YOU OVERGROWN CAT!!!"

Flames then erupted from the beasts back. The lion coughed up blood as Max released his hold in the flames, sending it flying into the air.

Yuki then charged up to Max, holding his sword in one hand. "Hey Pyro, give me a boost!!" He called out to him.

"Huh?" Max looked at him confused.

"What, can't do it?" Yuki mocked.

Max grinned through his teeth as he cupped his hands and lowered his knees. "Who'd you think I am sword bastard?"

Yuki leaped up, his left foot landing in Max's hands. With a yell, Max heaved his hands up, launching Yuki towards the still flaming beast, holding his sword in both hands, holding it out horizontally before him.

Reijingu Mizu, Stance 7: Kōsa-ha!

He released his attack swiping sideways and then vertically in one move. Two slashes were carved into the lion, blood flying out from where he had hit.

"He..." Yuki gave out a huff as he fell back to the ground.

On the door at the far end, the Cancer symbol went out. When it did, the blood covering its fur vanished as the two-deep cross gashes vanished.

"What?!"

"How the-!"

Yuki and Max stared with their mouth agape as the damage they had just inflicted vanished. The lion suddenly flipped itself in midair until its head was facing directly at the falling Yuki with Max below.

"Oh shit!"

"Not good!"

With both their judgments proven correct, the lion roared down on the two. The ground below cracked and shattered into a wide crater, both Max and Yuki were smashed against the ground.

The lion spun around and landed on all fours at the very center of the room, a clear view over the vanquished foe around it.

Finding Resolve

Meracle stood by the entrance, watching in partial horror as her new friends were all taken out by the foe right before her eyes.

"I-I gotta help them...."

She knew she had to do something, anything. But her legs were glued to the spot, unable to take even a step forward.

"Wh-Whats wrong with me.... I've got to help them..." She told herself repeatedly, trying to shame herself into moving. But she still wouldn't budge.

"Why can't I more....?" Meracle grabbed her shaking legs, gritting her teeth in frustration.

The same thing happened with the Wyvern outside. When the beast was flying towards Allisa, looking like it was about to eat her whole, Meracle just stood by, frozen in place. Actually, even before that, when Cliff's group arrived, Meracle just stood back and watched while the others risked their lives against a monstrously powerful enemy, again.

Why can't I move? I have to help them... I can't screw up again. Not now. Not when they need my help! Meracle willed herself.

"Just face the fact, all you'll ever be is a screwup."

Meracle's eyes widened as a voice from her past ran in her head. The voice of someone she hated more than anything.

"You and I are exactly the same. We're just a couple of bitches who use who we want and take what we want. That's all you and me will ever be. Only difference is that you're trying to run away from that life like the little coward you are."

You're wrong... I'm not like you...Meracle told herself, grinding her teeth.

"Face it kitty, no matter how much you try, you'll always be that same little cowardly screwball."

Shut up! You're wrong... I-I'm.....

****

After freeing herself from the wall, Allisa collapsed on all fours, coughing into her hand, which stained her glove with blood. Her body was battered from the attack by the lion; frankly, Allisa would count herself lucky that she could even move after that.

Nel reappeared close by running towards her. "Allisa!" She called out, as she crouched beside her. "Are you ok?"

"..... Been better." Allisa nodded warily. The then glanced at the lion standing in the center of the room, its right side facing them. "No way.... My attack didn't do anything?" She muttered, shocked that the lion had no visible damage.

"That's not it." Nel shook her head. "It healed itself."

"Healed?"

"I'm not entirely sure how it works, but it appears to be able to regenerate itself. I stabbed it right in the eye, that's not an injury that can be recovered from so quickly."

"S-Seriously? Then how do we beat if it can heal itself that fast."

"Not sure yet," Nel responded quietly to Allisa while studying the room. There's got to be something around that will give us some kind of clue. She thought.

She then noticed the door with the twelve zodiac symbols, as well as the fact that ten of them were glowing. Why are two of them dim? Is it connected to-

"MAX! YUKI!"

Allisa's cries broke Nel's concentration. A little to the lions left a scar in the ground lay Max and Yuki, both of home was in bad shape.

The lion then slowly turned its head towards the girls, reacting to Allisa's cry.

"Uh oh..." Allisa put a hand to her mouth.

"I think you just drew its attention!" Nel said, grabbing Allisa's top and pulled her to her feet as the lion drew back one of its paws.

"Sorry!" Allisa grabbed onto Nel's arm and teleported the two of them out of the way as the lion sent its attack towards the spot where the two girls were, claw marks ran up the wall, which fragments flowed off.

Nel and Allisa repaired a few meters from the devastation, both of them tumbling to the ground, Nel managing to right herself while Allisa skidded across the ground on her front.

"Didn't know you could do that," Nel said to Allisa.

"Mmm... Just found out today." Allisa admitted as she picked herself up. She'd used her teleportation to avoid her and Miracle falling to their deaths. "Anyway, that was close, huh?" Both girls looked at the devastation at where they were, which was still partially obscured by dust. What shocked them, however, was the lion wasn't in sight.

"It's gone...?" Allisa gasped.

"I'm getting a really bad feeling," Nel commented.

Her bad feeling was justified when a loud crash was hired directly behind them. Slowly tilting their heads, the girls looked in horror at the massive lion handing directly overhead.

"Wha- What the?"

"That's impossible! How did it move so fast?"

Without a solid answer, the lion swiped one of its palms, obliterating the area before it. Both Allisa and Nel were blown away by the resulting shockwave, landing more towards the center of the room, further away from each other.

"Urgg!" Allisa groaned as she tried to get up after landing on her front. "H-How do we beat this thing?"

She then froze as a dark shadow loomed over her. Turning her head slowly, her eyes widened with fear, she saw the massive lion standing overhead, glaring down at her with its crystal blue eyes at her. Oh crap!

The lion lifted its right front paw into the air, looming it above Allisa's body before bringing it down as fast as it could, prepared to crush Allisa into dust.

"HAAAAAYA!!!"

Before it reached her, something slammed into the right front leg of the lion, pushing it away.

"M-Mary!!" Allisa called out, seeing her savior, Meracle, drop-kicking into the creature's joint.

C-Come on!! Meracle ground her teeth as she tried to force her leg even further into the lion. I can do it! Her leg dug deeper and deeper. I can save her! She kept telling herself. I'm, I'm not screwing up again!

Her kick then lost its momentum, and when it did, Meracle bounced back. N-No way?

As she fell backward, the lion lowered its head, its mouth open wide, trying to eat Meracle in one bit.

Is... Is this the end? I'm gonna die like this....?

"Oh no you don't!!!" Allisa suddenly appeared over the lion's head, flames collecting around her blade, sharpening it into an extended blade. Inverting her grip, she then plunged the flame blade into the lion's forehead, running the piercing flames through until it burst out the bottom of the lion's jaw.

She then teleported back to the ground as the lion lifted its body howling as blood poured from the massive hole in its jaw. It thin timbered to its left, crashing on the ground.

Nel, who watched the lion go down, glanced back to the door, seeing the Libra symbol losing its light.

"Whew, is it over." Allisa sighed with relief.

Meracle was behind her squatting down holding her left leg, which she used to kick the lion with.

"Are you ok?" Allisa asked Miracle.

"Uh... y-yeah," Meracle shyly nodded. There was a look of shame all over her face.

Allisa noticed and gently smiled at her. "Thanks for saving me back there. Thought I was a goner for a second."

Meracle looked up with surprise. "Huh? But... I didn't do anything."

"That's not true. If you hadn't stepped in that thing would've turned me to paste. So thanks a lot, Mary." Allisa said to her.

Meracle blushed and scratched the back of her head with a large grin. However, that look quickly vanished. "Huh?!"

Noticing Meracle's change in mood, Allisa turned around. Her eyes widened in horror at the sight directly behind her. "What?!"

Behind them, the massive lion was beginning to rise back to its feet. The hole in its head and jaw had gone, as though it hadn't been hurt at all.

"It's still able to heal from that?" Allisa gasped, holding up her sword.

"Wh-What do we do now?" Meracle said getting back to her feet.

The lion loomed overhead once again, eyeing the two girls with a renewed sense of dread emanating from its eyes.

"Both of you get back!"

Someone called out. Turning around, the girls saw Melvin with his wand raised with a massive fireball hovering above him. "Forgot about us?" Melvin taunted the lion as he pulled back his arm. "Burning Hearts!!"

Allisa and Meracle jumped out of the way as Melvin let the fireball lose, crashing against the lion's head in a massive explosion. The lion retreated back, smoke emitted from its head where the ball had hit, the golden fur stained with soot.

Before it could retaliate, Cliff charged in from the front towards the lion. "You should always be aware of your surroundings," He began, as two giant hands rose up and grabbed the paws. Standing a few feet away was Rodger with both hands on the ground. "Especially when you're a giant cat with a flame hoop around its neck!"

Cliff skidded to a stop under the lion's mouth and uppercut with all the strength he could muster. The fist slammed into the lion's lower jaw, heaving it from the ground, breaking the rocks around its hands. An audible crack followed as the teeth were shattered by the impact of Cliff's punch. With a satisfied grin, Cliff leaped back, skidding to a stop, holding his arm out.

"You're up, annoying brat!"

"That's co-boss to you!" Rodger then leaped onto Cliffs outstretched hand with his hammer firmly in his grip.

"Whatever!" With that Cliff threw Rodger up, soaring above the lion.

The rocks from the hands then began to fly towards Rodger, collecting around his hammer, increasing its size till it was bigger than his actual body. "Little smaller than the one against Dolton, but it'll have'ta do," Rodger said to himself as he spun around in the air, heaving the great hammer around as he descended towards the broken beasts head. "50 Tone Press!!!" He slammed the hammer down onto the beast's head, smashing it to the ground, breaking the ground beneath it.

On the door, the symbol of Capricorn went out.

"Haha! We did it!" Rodger cheered, jumping up with joy.

"I really hope so," Cliff said, shaking the hand he used to punch the lion with. "Damn that thing’s strong."

"Wasn't a normal monster to begin with," Melvin said as he walked up to them. "Anyway, are you two ok?" He asked the girls.

"Don't worry, we're fine," Allisa answered.

Meracle nodded. She looked back toward the lion. "So, is it over?"

"I hope so." Allisa breathed. "Then again, I stabbed it through the head and still wouldn't stay down."

"Relax would ya," Rodger said turning around, resting his hammer on his shoulder. "I just smashed its skull in with the move used against Dolton and he was super powerful. Ain't no way a giant cat like that can recover from that."

"Uh.... R-Rodger..." Allisa muttered.

"Look behind you..." Melvin added, pointing.

"Eh?" Rodger looked behind him, only to see the lion back on its feet staring directly at him. "Uh..... AHHHH!!!" Rodger leaped back, shocked to see the lion up with no visible damage.

"What the?! We barely scratched it?!" Melvin muttered shocked.

"It healed again?!" Allisa said gritting her teeth.

The lion then lets out another powerful roar that blasted everyone in front of it several feet away.

When everyone finished tumbling, the lion raised its paw again, ready to swipe to finish the others off.

"N-Not again?!" Cliff groaned.

"G-Get behind me!" Melvin instructed as he jumped to his feet just as the lion swiped down, sending its powerful projectile attack towards the five of them. "Border!!"

Melvin swiped his wand in front of him. The projectile smashed itself against the wall, which only just managed to hold under the overwhelming power behind it. The barrier was shattered on impact, covering the party in a wide sweep of dust, winds blowing strong enough that everyone had to brace themselves.

"*cough cough*, Nice save!" Cliff spluttered to Melvin, holding his mouth.

"That only- *cough cough*- That only just held," Melvin responded.

When the dust cleared, the lion was once again looming over them. Everyone looked in horror.

"Wha- How did it move so fast?!" Melvin gasped.

The lion then lifted its left front paw up.

"Not again!" Allisa muttered.

Suddenly, blood erupted from the paw as the toes were sliced off.

Nel suddenly appeared in front of the group with both blades drawn, her back facing the group. The lion meanwhile roared in pain, lifting its body up, standing on its hind legs.

"Nel!" Allisa called out.

Nel turned to Rodger. "Send it back!!" She instructed.

"R-Right!" Rodger slammed a hand into the ground. A massive pillar shot up in front of him and slammed into the belly of the beast, pushing it back.

"Allisa! Finish it off!" Nel instructed.

"Uh, right!!" Allisa nodded. She ran out in front of Rodger, gathering flames on her sword. "Vermillion Strike!!!" She swung the blade of flames horizontally; the flames cutting clean through both the pillar and the lion, which landed on the ground in two pieces on the ground. A large plume of dust shot up from the landing obscuring it from view.

Panting, Allisa dropped her body. "Th-That had to have done the trick," Allisa muttered between breaths.

Nel looked back to the door, seeing the sign of Aries fade. "Not yet." She said, turning her gaze back to the dust in front of her.

"Myew? But she cut it in half." Meracle protested.

The dust was then blasted away by a violent gust of wind. To Allisa's horror, the lion was getting back up again, its body joined back together.

"N-No way!" She gasped.

"Are you kidding?" Melvin said as he fell to his knees.

"It can heal after having its body split in two?" Cliff muttered, his eyes wide with shock. "Oh come on, this is getting ridiculous. How can we even beat this thing?"

"There is a way," Nel announced. Everyone turned to look at her.

"Wh-We can?" Allisa asked.

"Did you find its weakness Nel?" Rodger asked.

"You could say that." Nel pointed to the door where only seven signs of the Zodiac were alight.

"What are those symbols?" Allisa asked.

"They look like the signs of the zodiac," Melvin replied to her question. "But only seven of them are lit up. Did you figure something out?" He asked Nel who nodded in response before continuing.

"Every time we inflicted enough damage to it, one of the symbols on the door goes out. That's probably how it's able to regenerate."

"I-I don't get it," Meracle said looking at the door and the lion.

"I see," Cliff said, understanding what Nel was getting at. "It's like its life points. Once they all go out, this thing will die for real."

"Correct." Nel nodded. "Judging by the door, I'd say its limit is 12 regenerations. We've managed to 'kill' it five times already, which uses up one of those points you mentioned."

"That means, we have to kill this thing seven more times...." Allisa said not sounding optimistic. "We've barely lasted taking five of its lives, now we have to do it seven more times."

"So what," Rodger said walking up to her, a fire burning in his eyes. "A Real man never runs away from a fight. If it was my pa, he'd take all those seven lives away in a second no matter how powerful that cat thing is." Rodger looked up at the lion and grinned. "No way I can be a real man like him if I just give up halfway through, special when victory is literally seven moves away."

".... I think it's gonna take more than seven moves to kill this thing."

"Seven more times. We really have a knack for getting this deep into trouble." Melvin muttered getting back to his feet, a smile forming on his lips. "Good thing we have some heavy artillery for just this occasion."

Cliff chuckled. "True. Speaking of which," He then turned his head at the other two members of the party. "How long were you two planning on staying down? Don't tell me that's all you've got?" He mocked.

"Shut up. I was just taking a little nap." Yuki said, resting his sword on his shoulder.

"So we just got to roast that thing seven more times, huh?" Max said cracking his knuckles.

Both stood behind the main group, scary grins forming on their faces. "Then let's get started!" They said in unison.

Allisa, seeing the party standing more resolute than they were a minute ago, smiled to herself and turned to face the lion again with a renewed sense of vigor. "Right. I still need to prove myself to that rotten Arch Sage after all."

Meracle looked amazed at the individuals she was fighting with. The situation was seemingly hopeless. Nothing seemed to work, and the enemy just kept getting back up.

But the look they had was anything but the looks of those who've given up all hope. Despite the overwhelming power their opponent possessed, they stood before it, like rays of light piercing through the darkness.

They're all awesome.

Just the sight of it ignited something inside Meracle, something she'd never felt before. Normally for her, when faced with an opponent stronger than herself, the only thing she can do is run away. It was a bad habit she developed as a thief, and one she's been trying her hardest to be rid of. This was the first time in her life, faced with the strongest monster she's ever seen, where she didn't feel the fear that would always hold her back.

Smiling, she straightened her stance, staring up at the giant lion with her newfound resolve. "I'm not what I was anymore," Meracle said quietly to herself as she took her place along with her new comrades. I'll show you.... I'll show you that I'm nothing like you.

Nel then addressed the party as they all stood before the lion. "Remember, we have to force it to regenerate seven more times! Don't hold anything back! Hit it with all you've got!"

"YEAH!!!!" With a cry, everyone charged forwards towards the lion.