After the storm that enveloped it disappeared, I could see it clearly. Silver armor adorned with golden scorpion patterns, the thing that worried me was its tail. Not content with just that demon scythe of his, but its tail was metallic green, dripping with venomous liquid.
"Ophiuchus, right?" he said, pointing at me with his scythe. "As a forbidden rider, you'll make for an interesting experiment subject."
He didn't give me time to respond. He charged and swung his scythe toward me. I ducked, ran, and leaped to the side, dodging his attack. Before I could react, his tail thrust toward me. I tried to block it with both swords, but the tail's strike was too strong, shoving me backward.
"Damn it," I cursed. Even though the tail hadn't hit me directly, a few drops of its venom splashed onto my skin, and it burned like fire.
"Rei, that tail is dangerous," Phobos warned.
"I know," I replied, struggling to stand again. "Got any ideas?"
"Of course, transform, you idiot. Did you forget you're a rider too?" Deimos snapped. "He's right, Rei. What are you waiting for?" Phobos added.
Nothing. I wasn't waiting for anything. I was just an idiot. I'd been too busy trying to survive that I'd forgotten I was a rider too. How stupid of me, he'd even called me one earlier.
Scorpio stared at me, the red eyes in his helmet making it impossible to guess what he was thinking. Once again, he plunged his scythe into the ground.
"You don't want to transform, Ophiuchus? Or are you just someone wielding those two forbidden swords?"
Oh, fuck me. Someone was expecting me to transform now. I figured it wouldn't be good to disappoint them. I pulled out my phone; the transformation button was right there. I took a deep breath and pressed it.
"Henshin."
Thousands of needles pierced my body. Green armor formed around me, then a helmet covered my face. It was dark at first, but an interface appeared, revealing the world again, and all the information I needed about my enemy.
Scorpio Rider, official rider ♥ 2/2. Of course, who could beat him?
The green armor enveloping me felt like a second skin, light yet sturdy, as if designed to merge with every movement I made. The interface in my helmet lit up, displaying quick data on Scorpio Rider: rapid regeneration, venomous tail, and a scythe capable of slicing through anything.
Couldn't I fight a rider weaker than me? I knew I was still weak, but right now, Scorpio looked like a video game boss, the kind you face when you've got more items, weapons, or upgrades for your character. But was there a rider weaker than me? From all the riders I'd fought or encountered, they all had greater power than mine. I had beaten Sagittarius, sure, but I think it was because I'd caught him off guard back then. I didn't have time to complain, though, this tournament was never fair for a forbidden rider like me.
Phobos and Deimos throbbed in my hands. After transforming and channeling my anger into them, they felt more alive, sharper, like extensions of my rage. Scorpio Rider laughed, his voice grating like metal scraping now. "Finally, Ophiuchus. The forbidden rider. Let's see if you're worthy of being part of this experiment." His scythe spun in his hand, a flash of silver dazzling like the giant blade was weightless, and he lunged forward, his tail lashing like a venomous whip.
I leaped to the side; Phobos moved swiftly to parry the scythe aimed at my neck. The shock from the clash made my arm vibrate, but Deimos was already in motion, slashing toward the joint of his tail, a weak point, well, a point I hoped was weak because it looked like a joint, not part of the armor. Deimos cut deep, slicing through the green metal layer, and foul-smelling fluid sprayed out, evaporating as it hit the air. Scorpio roared but didn't retreat. Instead, he attacked even more ferociously, his scythe spinning in unpredictable patterns, forcing me to keep moving, dodging, and searching for an opening.
"Not bad, forbidden one," he taunted, his voice distorted by the helmet. His tail pulsed; regeneration had begun, the metallic green fluid was knitting back together, healing the wound I'd made. But I didn't give him time. I spun my body, using the momentum, and Phobos met his rising scythe again, the clash creating a shockwave that sent dust flying. Deimos didn't wait; I swung it downward, slashing the tail once more, this time deeper. The outer layer split open, and the venom gushed fiercely, hitting my armor but the armor held, my helmet's interface immediately activating detox mode, filtering the toxin before it could seep in.
I thought that attack had at least damaged his tail, so a few more strikes would wreck it. But my rotten luck had other ideas. Right where Deimos had damaged the tail, it began regenerating, restoring itself until there was no trace left.
"He can regenerate?" I said in disbelief. That was way too overpowered. How was I supposed to beat him now?
Deimos vibrated again. "Looks like this'll be a long fight. Excellent." This sword, this damn sword that only thought about battle.
I growled softly, leaping forward instead of back. Scorpio expected me to defend again, but this time, I was the one attacking. His scythe slashed through the air, leaving a trail of green venom that corroded the ground around it, but I was already at his side. Phobos slashed toward his wrist, forcing him to release the weapon for a moment, just a moment, but enough. Deimos followed, stabbing right at the shoulder joint of his armor, where the silver metal met the golden scorpion pattern. Sparks flew, and Scorpio jerked, roaring again with a sound now mixed with the creak of cracking metal.
Scorpio stepped back, for the first time. His eyes, or whatever hid behind that red helmet, narrowed. "You... learn fast. But this experiment is just beginning. How about this?" He raised his left hand, and from his armored glove, tiny needles launched toward me like hundreds of flying scorpion tails. My helmet's interface blared a warning: neurotoxin venom, capable of paralyzing nerves in 3 seconds if it hit.
"Rei, release the energy like you did against Cancer!" Phobos commanded quickly. I didn't question, didn't think, just did it. I crossed them and, like against Cancer, unleashed all my emotions through them. The needles, some slipped through, and I slashed them with both swords; the needles exploded into toxic smoke, but the others fell to the ground, corroding the stone where they landed.
"Good defense. Now's the time for a counterattack," Deimos said. "Remember, Rei, fight dirty." I nodded, thinking the same thing. Fight to survive, not to look cool.
I charged at him; he didn't hold back, firing more venomous needles. I ran in zigzags, dodging the needles flying toward me, evading the scythe sweeping through the air while his tail tried to ambush from behind. Deimos cut its attack mid-air, forcing Scorpio to twist his body to dodge, and that was when the opening appeared. Phobos stabbed into his chest armor, right at the center of the scorpion pattern, where the rider's heart should be. The blade pierced through, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop.
For a moment, the world seemed to stop. There was only the sound of my breath echoing inside the helmet and the faint vibration of Phobos still embedded in Scorpio Rider's chest. Metallic green fluid, not blood, but something darker, something artificial, flowed from the wound, evaporating into a toxic mist that made my helmet's interface flicker with warnings. "Contamination level 2. Detox mode active," but I didn't care. I could feel it: the weak pulse from his armor's core, like a hesitant heartbeat.
Scorpio Rider convulsed, his hand grasping Phobos with a tremble, but not to pull it out, instead, he pushed it deeper, as if welcoming the blade. "Good... very good, Ophiuchus," he hissed, his voice now broken, a mix of laughter and groan. His helmet cracked along the cheek, revealing a glimpse of the face beneath: pale skin, needle-like narrowed eyes, and a smile too wide for an ordinary human. "You think this is the end? The experiment... has just begun."
His tail moved again, slower this time, and I could see it was his last attack. The tip curved, thrusting toward my leg from the side, venom dripping like a hungry monster's saliva. I yanked Phobos out roughly, twisting my body to parry with Deimos. The impact was like striking hot steel; my sword vibrated, but the tail snapped, its tip severed and falling to the ground, corroding the warehouse floor into a smoking hole.
His regeneration... it was slowing. Maybe the chest wound was too deep, or perhaps Phobos, infused with my channeled anger, had poisoned his poison right back. "No time to rest," Deimos barked in my hand, its blade pulsing hot like boiling blood. "Finish him, Rei. Sever his head before he rises again." Phobos agreed, its vibration calmer but firm. "Use what you've learned. Fight to kill. You have to be stronger than this."
I nodded, my body moving before my mind finished processing. I shouldn't be this calm about killing, even if he had one life left. I swung Deimos, slashing at his left leg, cutting the knee joint of the silver armor and forcing him to his knees with a resounding clang of metal. Sparks and green foam flew, and for the first time, Scorpio Rider looked... vulnerable. Like a cracked statue, ready to crumble.
He tried to rise, his left hand releasing the last of his needles, hundreds of tiny projectiles launching like a swarm of venomous bees. My helmet's interface flashed: "Neurotoxin level 5!" But I didn't retreat. I crossed both swords again, like against Cancer, and unleashed that emotional burst, not anger, but the resolve to survive. Green energy surged from Phobos and Deimos, forming a wave shield that incinerated the needles in mid-air. A few broke through, grazing my armor and making the skin beneath go numb like a thousand needles pricking, but my helmet's detox worked overtime, filtering the poison before it could paralyze.
Now it was my turn. I spun Phobos in my right hand, swinging it upward like an executioner's blade, cleaving the helmet from the side. The crack widened, his visor shattered, revealing his eyes beneath, eyes full of hatred, but also... glee? "You'll... make the perfect subject," he muttered. With Deimos, I swung the blade at his neck, right at the joint between helmet and shoulder, twisting to ensure it. Scorpio's body spasmed, his remaining tail twitching weakly, then going still.
His silver armor began cracking from within, the golden scorpion pattern fading like running ink, and finally, he collapsed forward, a lifeless body, his helmet rolling to the side. I stood there, my breath ragged, my swords dripping residual green venom. My helmet's interface glowed green: "Threat neutralized. Rider Scorpio: Down." Phobos and Deimos pulsed faintly, like applause.
"Good job, Rei," Phobos praised. "You're starting to get it."
I didn't reply. I pressed the button on my phone again, canceling the transformation. The green armor vanished like mist, leaving my body drenched in sweat and grazed wounds that were already starting to heal thanks to the lingering effects. I didn't know who Scorpio Rider was or why he was conducting experiments in this warehouse. What I did know was that I'd face him again.