Tremors

Within the gates of Libra lies a cluster of towering, pointed mountains.

The mountain peaks pierce the sky, their bare rock faces barely offering footholds, and when the wind blows, loose rocks fall down in a flurry.

The mountain wind howled, and the sea of clouds surged beneath our feet.

Yukino and Libra Libra stood atop one of the highest peaks, on a platform spanning between the summits.

The platform was narrow and precarious, with a bottomless abyss below.

Yukino flung off her cloak and tossed it to her feet, then assumed a fighting stance.

Libra's attack is coming.

The two players traded blows on the platform, each responding to the other's moves.

Libra's legs were fast and heavy, Yukino dared not take them head-on. She could only use their force to deflect it, constantly changing the position of her feet.

The platform tilted as the two moved, sometimes leaning to the left and sometimes sinking to the right, like a small boat spinning in the waves.

Libra slammed his toes into the ground, spinning around and using the centrifugal force to push Yukino back several steps.

"Everything in the world needs balance, whether it's the Celestial Spirit and humans, or the strong and the weak."

Yukino was completely baffled by his cryptic words.

She frowned and pressed for more information.

"Libra, what are you talking about? Don't you really remember our past?"

Libra did not answer.

He took three steps in two, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of Yukino, raising his leg to deliver a high kick.

With lightning speed, Yukino grabbed his calves with both hands and used the momentum to lift herself into the air, performing a somersault behind him.

The platform tilted to this side, Yukino slipped when she landed, staggering and almost losing her balance.

Libra's pursuit had arrived, and he came spinning with a kick.

Yukino rolled to the ground, narrowly avoiding the attack.

But the platform was slanted, and once she started rolling, she couldn't stop rolling downhill, faster and faster, until she was about to roll off the edge of the platform and fall into the deep valley.

She braced herself with her hands, used the momentum to stand up, and, against the sloping surface, took off running uphill.

The platform wobbled and slowly returned to normal.

Libra stood on the high ground, quietly watching her run back, and then inexplicably uttered a sentence.

"The path to balance is like this platform."

Yukino was completely baffled.

Libra's words became increasingly cryptic; she understood each word individually, but when put together, she couldn't comprehend them.

She didn't know if Libra was trying to convey a message through these words, or if she was simply reciting lines; her mind was a complete mess.

Libra offered no further explanation and launched another offensive.

Punch after punch, kick after kick, each move more intense than the last, pressing Yukino so hard she could barely breathe.

She could only parry and block, with no chance to retaliate.

Yukino seized an opening, sidestepped, and slammed an elbow into Libra's ribs.

Libra neither dodged nor evaded, but simply raised her hand to block without even flinching, and then slapped her away with her backhand.

Strangely, despite having the upper hand, Libra never managed to completely defeat her.

Every time he seemed about to strike a vital spot, his movement would always deviate by just a tiny bit.

This made the Princess Hisui outside the light screen seem thoughtful.

"The mutated Celestial Spirit are acting strangely in every way. What is their true purpose? We still have too few clues."

As soon as the words were spoken, all twelve spaces trembled simultaneously.

Astral Spiritas beneath his feet also began to sway.

Arcadios reacted quickly, catching Princess Hisui and steadying her.

"It's nothing. Huh? What's that?"

Princess Hisui followed his gaze and froze.

After the twelve doors, a new door appeared.

The thirteenth door stood there quietly.

She looked around again; thirteen doors?

Now that there's another one, it's impossible for anyone not to be curious.

Arcadios stepped in front of the Princess Hisui, his right hand already on the hilt of his sword.

"Your Highness, please be careful."

"Don't be nervous. Legend has it that Ophiuchus was originally one of the Twelve Gates of the Zodiac. Let's go in and take a look; perhaps we can find some clues."

Princess Hisui spoke, her eyes lit up.

Arcadios, however, was not as optimistic as she was, and whispered some words of advice.

"Then Your Highness, please be careful and do not leave my vicinity."

Princess Hisui nodded.

The two walked one after the other toward the door of Ophiuchus.

Halfway there, Princess Hisui stopped, looked back at the twelve light screens behind her, and a reluctant expression appeared on her face.

The screen was also showing footage of other people getting their comeuppance, and she wished she could pull up a chair, sit down, and watch it all at once.

Arcadios followed her gaze and sighed.

His Highness has gone astray.

What a wonderful princess! Now her mind is filled with other people's embarrassing past.

After the two entered the portal of Ophiuchus, Astral Spiritas underwent another strange change.

This time, it's the fourteenth door.

The pattern on the door was clearly a star map of the Fairy Constellation '.

This scene went unnoticed.

Within the gates of Leo, the battle has reached its climax.

The crimson flames collided violently with the dark flames, creating a burst of intense heat that distorted the air inside the door.

The ground beneath their feet was scorched black and cracked with spiderweb-like patterns.

Natsu and Leo exchanged punches and kicks, fighting fiercely and evenly.

Natsu took a half step back, raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"Leo! Remember this! Do you know how sad Lucy is right now?"

"Insignificant human being, that woman has nothing to do with me, and the one you once called a partner no longer exists."

Leo's hands ignited with dark flames as he met Natsu's fist with a punch.

Their fists collided, sparks flying.

Natsu had already activated the Dragon Force, his fists covered in crimson flames, each punch heavier than the last.

Even so, he still couldn't defeat Leo.

Leo's fists seemed to be made of iron, catching every blow steadily, as if his feet were firmly planted on the ground.

The Leo before him was a completely different person from Loke, who was always grinning and always had his arm around him.

Natsu licked his lips and grinned.

It's good to be strong; the stronger, the more interesting.

He's not afraid of strong opponents; he's afraid of opponents who won't fight him.

Natsu puffed out his cheeks, Dragon's Roar beginning to brew in his throat, flames surging within his chest.

Just as the roar in his throat was about to burst forth, a beam of eerie green energy appeared out of thin air, breaking through the barrier of the inner world and striking Natsu directly.

Natsu didn't even have time to react before he was blasted out of the Leo's inner world.

The wind rushed into my ears, and my vision spun, leaving only a ball of crimson-orange fire crashing down.

He could smell the radiance of the Riyao in this energy.

Happy immediately caught up with Natsu, and was also blasted away by the energy.

Without a second thought, Natsu fell into the sea.