Birth of the Crusaders

The thirty-fourth chapter of the Crusaders of the Constellations Novel, it is about the first appearance of the AWCU students as the Crusaders of the Constellations .

## Story

The ray of sunlight hit Ranald, who tried to block it with his schoolbag. Both he and it were enveloped by the sunlight that flashed in golden yellow, fiery red, and pure white. He watched as Mayari was hit by moonlight. The Hall Leaders were hit with light from the planets of the Solar System, with Orcus hit by light from the dwarf planet Pluto. The rest of his classmates were hit by the light from the constellations in space. All of the students of Aether World Cosmic University were covered by light from the stars, the planets and the Sun and Moon (the Sun is a star after all). They even got to see visions of the constellations and planets that struck them with their light while covered by it.

"Ra to Baby Little, what is happening to me?" the Golden Griffin Warrior shouted to the stuffed baby griffin who was still attached to the schoolbag he held. 'You are undergoing a transformation into your 'Hyper Mode'. Your Golden Griffin Warrior form is a super form, with your human form as a base form. Don't worry, it will be quick,' Baby Little assured his friend. When the stars, planets, and the Sun and Moon stopped shining brighter than normal, the lights cleared, revealing a lot of figures in armour.

Delmare found herself in dolphin-themed armour that is grey-blue, with the torso armour shaped like the creature's head, fins on her gauntlets, helm, and back, and a dolphin tail. She wore a grey bodysuit with a white skirt under the armour, white and purple boots, and her helm has what looks like a snorkelling mask on it that covered her upper face. "Wow...It's so beautiful," she whispered to herself.

Bai Tu still wore his jade pendant, and he wore white and silver armour designed after an arctic hare, with a torso armour shaped like an arctic hare's head, a cottontail, and two energy rings around the hare's 'ears' on his pauldrons. He wore a helmet with white streamers like hare ears that reached his shoulders. He removed his helmet, and then the jade bowl, and put his helmet back on. "I look cool in this thing!" he cried out, placing the jade bowl in his garments.

Phrixus found himself clad in white armour in the form of a ram, with huge curved horns on his helmet. His torso armour is shaped like a ram's head with curved horns on the ram's ear pauldrons, there is wool on his collar, gauntlets and boots and a ram's tail on him. His boots are shaped like the hooves of a ram. His hammer, now named Baba Gurgur is on his belt. The armour has gold decorations on it representing his allegiance to the Golden Warrior of the Sun. Chrysomallos bleated at his master, who squealed with delight at his new suit.

The rest of the guides who got struck by the light from the zodiac constellations not only had their marks disappear but ended up with matching armours based on the constellation. Each of their armours has golden markings and zodiac symbols on them representing their status as guardians of the Golden Griffin Warrior.

Kibahime not only was transformed into her human form by the light of the Vulpecula constellation, but she ended up in a new outfit. It was a yellow-golden armour resembling a nine-tailed fox, with torso armour shaped like a fox head with red markings, claws on her gauntlets and boots, and the outfit she wore with her armour consists of an orange bodysuit with long white detached sleeves and her nine tails. The greaves and gauntlets of her armour have the Yin-Yang symbol on them, and she wore a fox mask that covered her upper face. "Star-power, huh. I kinda like this thing," she muttered. Delmare told her that the armour suited her. "Thanks," Kibahime blushed.

"You look FABULOUS in your outfit, my lady," Argus in the armour of the Pavo constellation told Kibahime. As she's not used to being complimented, she shied away and went to Delmare. "You too, Argus," Kibahime said, looking at his emerald-green peacock-themed armour which has a train of metal feathers with gemstones of various colours inlaid in them on his back. He went up to Anahita who is clad in swan-themed armour and complimented how strong she is in it. The nymph thanked him and looked at her fellow Hall Leaders.

The Hall Leaders were in the armour the Solar System Guardians used to wear. For instance, Odin wore the armour of the Bronze Rooster Warrior of Mercury, with bronze torso armour shaped like a rooster's head and the symbol for Mercury carved on it. He wore a winged helmet with a rooster's comb, a brown suit with rooster wings growing from his back, clawed gauntlets and boots (said boots have wings on them), and tail feathers. He looked at his fellow Hall Leaders who are admiring their new forms. "This is a miracle!" Onuava said. She was in her green armour resembling a cow on a brown suit decorated with blue swirls, and a cow tail, and boots resembling cow hooves. She wore a helmet with small horns on it. Her torso armour is shaped like a cow's head with the symbol for the planet Earth on it. Small horns jutted out from her shoulder pauldrons. Odin nodded. All Hall Leaders wore armour in the shape of the animal associated with a planet (Rooster for Mercury, Swan for Venus, Cow for Earth, Boar for Mars, Eagle for Jupiter, Snake for Saturn, Dragon for Uranus, Horse for Neptune, and Cerberus for Pluto) and with the symbol for the planet on the animal-headed torso.

Mayari's Silver Deer Warrior form changed to reflect her new power. She now wore a white cape with fur trim with her white Pearl Steel armour that she can use to glide or turn into wings. Her deer's head torso armour has a crescent moon on it, while her tiara and silver pendant grew golden deer antlers made of moonlight. Light blue swirls and a deer tail appeared on her silver bodysuit. Her eyes glowed white, like the full moon at night. A silver orb of moonlight floated above her head. Her mundane bow being struck by moonlight transformed into the Bow of the Moon. It is moulded into the shape of a deer's head made of Pearl Steel, with its limbs serving as antlers made of gold. The head has a crescent moon painted on the nose, and eyes made of a light blue crystal that glows in the dark. Spider silk serves as the bowstring. "You look as beautiful as the night," Kibahime commented on Mayari's new look. "Thanks..." she replied. She looked at Ranald as Ra the Golden Griffin Warrior transformed into his new 'Hyper Form'.

His merged form's Golden Griffin Warrior armour gained some changes aside from being repaired. His golden locket grew red wings made of solar energy. A white loincloth with the hieroglyphs for 'Golden King' appeared on his belt. A golden orb made of sunlight appeared above his head. His crown headgear, which he used to summon his Dreamland father as the Boat of Hydara, became the Corona Crown Head Gear with a gold and blue nemes, a striped headcloth worn by pharaohs of ancient Egypt, on the crown headgear. A red circle with a dot at its centre appeared on the griffin's head torso armour on the chest of the Golden Griffin Warrior. Ra's pair of wings became wreathed with the flames of the Sun, and each wing split into three wings of fire, making him look like a seraph. His Earth Dimensional Mate's eyes shone golden, with his pupils becoming slits like those of a cat, and his scaly lion's tail split into five tails like Hydara's, and each is of a different colour and tipped with a flame.

The first tail is covered in golden fur just like Ra's lion half. It has jaguar spots on it and is tipped with a black and gold flame. It represents the Golden Age of Man and the night, which is when the sun rests and the children sleep and their spirits enter Dreamland before daybreak.

The second tail is covered in silver, cyan and saffron scales, and is tipped with a brilliant white flame. It represents the Silver Age of Man and the dawn when the first light of the sun is sighted in the morning until sunrise and when the children and adults wake up from their sleep.

The third tail is covered with scales of brilliant yellow, fiery red, and saffron orange, with a radiant golden-yellow flame at its tip. It represents the Bronze Age of Man and the zenith, when the sun is highest in the sky and when everyone is working or playing.

The fourth tail is covered in scales that are saffron orange at the base and transitioning to dark blue at the tail tip. The tip of the fourth tail has a dark blue flame on it. It represents the Age of Heroes and twilight when it is neither day nor night and the sun goes below the horizon, being the time when the activities of man decrease.

The fifth and last tail is covered in scales that are dark blue at the base to black at the tip. A black flame shone at the last tail's tip. It represents the Iron Age, the age humanity is in now, and dusk, when the sun has just set, and when people go home to rest and prepare for the next day. Overall, the five tails of the new 'Hyper Form' symbolized Ra being the Dream Defender & Guardian of "Dreamland" and Defender and Guardian of all good spirits of the children everywhere every day and night, and throughout all the ages of humanity.

Ra's Zodiac Wheel Shield appeared behind his back and rose up. Now, in his Ra form, the shield always appears behind his back, and he would use it frequently in Dreamland, but not when he is with his AWCU friends in their dimensional missions. The twelve zodiac tools Ranald received from his guides magically flew out of his schoolbag and towards the Zodiac Wheel Shield. "What is happening?" King Athos asked. "Calling it. They are fusing together or something," Samson said. He was right.

Covered in golden and white light, the shield merged with the zodiac tools and transformed. Golden wings made of sunlight emerged from its sides, and each zodiac tool appeared to be attached to each section of the shield with the symbols of the zodiac constellations associated with it. The hammer for Aries, the axe for Taurus, twin swords for Gemini, the crab hammer for Cancer, the clawed gauntlet for Leo, the war fan for Virgo, the staff for Libra, the kusarigama for Scorpio, the bow and arrows for Sagittarius, the scimitar for Capricorn, the spear for Aquarius, and the whip for Pisces. Each zodiac symbol on the shield also glowed a different colour: White for Aries, Red for Taurus, Grey for Gemini, Orange for Cancer, Yellow for Leo, Pink for Virgo, Jet-Black for Libra, Purple for Scorpio, Green for Sagittarius, Sandy Brown for Capricorn, Cyan for Aquarius, and Blue for Pisces. Thus, the Zodiac Wheel Shield became the Ecliptic Zodiac Wheel Shield of the Celestial Way. It flew behind Ranald in his new evolved form.

Whatever Ranald had experienced during his time in AWCU paled in comparison to the feeling he and his Dimensional Mate had when the energies of Heaven and the Sun merged with both of them. It was monumental. Beyond the surge of adrenaline and the hopes and fears that came with his transformation into his 'Golden Griffin of the Blazing Sun' Hyper Mode. He looked at his companions, the AWCU school staff, and his Earth parents. Then, filled with happiness, hope, and courage, Ranald looked up at the sky, opened his mouth and roared, showing off his sharp lion teeth and fangs. "It's like he's thanking Heaven for granting new strength to both him and Ra for helping us see the true worth of the humans of Earth, and to us for being willing to defend Earth and its inhabitants along with him," Chiron, clad in green armour with gold trim, whispered to Phrixus. The roar, sounding like both a lion and a human, reverberated around the world, across the Realms of Aether World and Dreamland, and stilled the Devourer of Worlds for a while before he reared up again.

Mayari, the Crusaders of the Constellations and the Solar System Guardians had their hearts filled with courage and hope at the sound of the Roar of Ra, and they kneeled down to him, their new leader, out of respect for a while before assembling at the battleground beside him.

"I...feel like I have rejuvenated again. It seemed that the power of the Sun is flowing through me and you," Ranald said to himself as he admired his new form and the Ecliptic Zodiac Wheel Shield of the Celestial Way. "That's right, and not only that. Every time Baby Little healed me when I was in my Earth Dimensional Mate's body fighting you in the Boogie-man's body, some of the divine energy he had somehow transferred into me..." Ra said from the griffin head on his torso. "I can conclude that the light of the Sun and the divine energy from Baby Little mingled together with the both of you and transformed you into this Hyper Form," King Athos spoke. He told Ranald's parents to leave, for their son will fight the Great Devourer with his new form and powers. Baby Little left the baby griffin stuffed toy attached to his master's school bag, and Ranald gave the schoolbag to King Athos for safekeeping.

Ranald and Mayari stared at the Great Devourer, who was confused by what he saw. "Thisssssss cannot be! How is it possssssssible for you to have new forms?! And, perhaps you have regained the abilitiessssssss to ussssssssse your powers again becaussssssse of light from the sssstarssssssss?!" he asked in disbelief. "That's right, noodle! Your Negating Fog's curse on us is broken! And now, you will face us and be toast!" Mayari said. "Then... who are you?" the Void Serpent asked them.

"I am the Silver Deer Warrior of the Changing Moon!" Mayari shouted, brandishing her bow. "WHEN THE DREAM DEFENDER COMES, HE WILL ALWAYS BE TRUE! For he is me, the Golden Griffin Warrior of the Blazing Sun! " Ranald in his new Ra form declared to the Devourer of Worlds. "Together with the Crusaders of the Constellations and the Guardians of the Solar System, we will take you down and seal you away!" They spoke together.

The stage is thus set for the final battle to begin...