While Tiger and Tamie stayed behind to show their might to Tiger's grandparents, the other friends - Riza, Edmund, Nick, Kokuyo, Goldmund, and Erisa - ran forward through the corridors. 

"We got by easily back there, but we can assume there are many other Council members waiting up ahead. This time, they won't be our relatives..." Kokuyo said.

"Hmph! We'll just smash them all until we get to Marvin Wagner. Then, I'll shoot him with my Judgment Blast yet once again - this time, to take him out for good," Edmund said.

Kokuyo was right - very soon, they heard a vile cackle from the darkened corridors up ahead. They stopped:

"Who's there?"

"Intruders like you have no right to ask questions here!" a tall brown-eyed woman with a long red braid walked forward, dressed in a rich tunic. "I am Scarlett Rose - one of the Council members".

Goldmund snarled:

"Scarlett Rose..."

"Oh, who do I see?" Scarlett chuckled once caught a glimpse of Goldmund and Edmund, "I didn't really think I'd stumble upon the Rose Cruce members, ever since your former overlord disposed of me!"

"My grandfather banished you and the Rose Clan for a reason," Edmund adjusted his glasses, "You wanted to get rid of the Jaeger Clan and take the whole leadership for yourselves. We, the Jaeger Clan, and you, the Rose Clan, had always operated together since our joint efforts of founding the Order centuries ago. You broke our sacred brotherhood treaty. The leader of that entire Rose Clan conspiracy was you, Scarlett Rose".

"Huh? You know her?" Riza got surprised.

"She belongs to the Rose Clan - the one that founded the Rose Cruce Order together with the Jaeger centuries ago," Goldmund explained. "Scarlett Rose conspired with the other Rose Clan members. They wished to overthrow Edmund's grandfather - our former leader, Magister Wilhelm Jaeger. As a punishment, Wilhelm banished the entire Rose Clan and the Order fell completely in the Jaeger Clan's hands. They broke the sacred treaty with us".

"Hmph, 'us'?! You're nothing but a mere peasant Steinbock!" Scarlett Rose retorted. "Or you think just because your auntie was wedded to Lord Jaeger that gives you the right to speak with the Jaegers' name?"

"Goldmund is like a brother to me, so yes, he has the right to speak with our name," Edmund gathered the White Zen energy around his fists. "You'd better think about your own position. A nobleman who is an outcast is noble no more but rather trash who shows off colourless feathers".

"Aww, a cocky brat, aren't you? Bring it on!"

Goldmund raised a hand in front of Edmund and stopped him. He flared up with the Black Zen:

"Let me fight her, Magister. I want to show her that she made a terrible mistake when turned down my father's proposal only because he was a 'peasant'".

"Ah, that goat-head?" Scarlett laughed, "How pathetic!"

Erisa got worried - poor Goldie, he had gotten so angry now! She cried to him:

"I shall fight together with you!"

"No, Erisa. This is a matter I alone should settle. Please, go with our friends and help them with the battles that await us. It shall be no easy way to Marvin Wagner's chamber".

"Alright!"

Thus, the friends left. Furious incantations reached their ears from the behind:

"Leo Style, Defender Art, Guardian Mode; Boar Spirit, Ring Twelve - Red Demon Boar!"

"Capricorn Style, Builder Art, Demigod Mode; Goat Spirit, Ring Twelve - Black Demon Goat of Hell: Baphomet!"

Roars of the spirits and clashes of the Zen powers sounded as the friends left the corridor and accessed another one.

"He went all out..." Edmund said.

"Will he be alright?" Erisa was still concerned.

"Of course!" Edmund smiled, "He's the Baphomet spirit. There is nothing Gold can't handle".

The friends ran ahead and soon came across two new enemies - young boys. The younger one had long blond bushy hair and red eyes, while the elder one was darker: with dark-blue hair, dark skin, and blackened eyes - the well-known Black Orbs.

"Oh, who do we have here?" the blond one chuckled, eyeing the Rose Cruce members.

"Intruders," the elder one said. "Let's take care of them, Kitt".

"With pleasure, Hrod! Leo Style, Sneaker Art, Ninja Mode; Cat Spirit, Ring Twelve - Red Fire Demon Cat!" a large Red Fire Cat spirit embraced Kitt.

"Cat spirit?! He's the same age as me?" Erisa couldn't believe her eyes - such a young person and already the Zodiac Council member? That was amazing and, a little scary, too.

"Wait, he called him Kitt? Don't tell me - it's Kitt Cornfield, the youngest Zodiac Council member ever known?" Edmund adjusted his glasses in a stupor - they should face such a strong opponent?

"I shall face him. We have the same type of spirit!" 

Erisa was ready to hop forward when Riza's hand clutched and stopped her.

"Don't, Erisa. You guys go ahead. I can deal with this guy. Let's play a cat-and-mouse chase, shall we? Sagittarius Style, Singer Art, Siren Mode; Mouse Spirit, Ring Twelve - Orange Fire Demon Mouse!" Riza unleashed her giant Fire Mouse spirit.

"Ah, a Mouse spirit?" Kitt chuckled from inside the Cat's core, "How interesting! I hope you know which one wins in your cat-and-mouse chase".

"Hmph, that depends on which one is smarter!"

Nick and Edmund confronted Kitt's elder brother Hrod and cried to Kokuyo and Erisa:

"You go ahead! We'll take care of this one".

"Okay!" 

Erisa and Kokuyo left the place, while Edmund and Nick turned to Hrod and cracked their finger joints, prepared for a heated battle.

"You made a wise decision to come at me in two. Aquarius Style, Sneaker Art, Ninja Mode; Rat Spirit, Ring Twelve - Dark Grey Demon Rat!" Hrod unleashed a giant Rat spirit.

"Hmm, only a Rat, and an Aquarius? Fine!"

Edmund and Nick unleashed their powers and charged on. Meanwhile, Erisa and Kokuyo ran ahead. Soon, they heard a familiar laugh:

"We meet again, huh, Rose Cruce?"

They both stopped - Fiorette had emerged from the shadows. She glared at Erisa:

"I hoped I'd see you again so that I could challenge you and get my Silver Mercury gem back!"

"Come and get it, if you can!" Erisa unleashed her Bunny spirit. "You go ahead, Kokuyo! I'll take care of her".

"Alright!" 

Kokuyo ran forward while Fiorette unleashed her Mouse spirit and clashed with Erisa. He was running for a long time. Finally, he reached a grand black door. He kicked it open. In the hall, he saw an armoured man who seemed to have been waiting for him.

"Congratulations, intruder," he said, "You've one step left before meeting Lord Marvin Wagner - the one whom your friend desired to meet so much".

"Where's Byakuya?" Kokuyo's eyes flashed - he guessed this man should be referring to no one but him.

"Now, now, let's not rush. Before you go on, you must defeat me - the leader of the Zodiac Council, Lord Guy Hernandes!"

"Fine by me," Kokuyo took his sword out. He unleashed his Black Desert Cobra spirit. "I assume you, as the Zodiac Council leader, are the final rank of your respective Class, therefore, I will not hold back".

"Hmm, quite impressive... Well then, let me show you my power! Virgo Style, Builder Art, Demigod Mode; Horse Spirit, Ring Twelve - Green Nature Pegasus!" 

Guy got embraced by a giant leaf-winged Green Pegasus with a tree-branch-horn on its forehead. The two spirits roared and clashed.