Solar Blood Masters (129)

Chapter 129 - Merciless Geometry

“Damn that Gastaroid!” Lu Jade wanted to facepalm. ‘Why did we team up with this idiot?!’ He shook his head. This was madness! Surely Big Brother had a better plan, right?

“Big Brother…”

His question was a whisper.

But Raphael was too focused on enduring the crushing Solar Pressure emanating from the enraged Shadow Ice Fox. His hooves trembled. It felt like a mountain was pressing down on his very soul!

He wasn’t alone.

Even Qi Fenwei and Thienika struggled to maintain their composure as their Solar Essences flickered.

“Her Solar Pressure… It’s too much!”

“I can’t breathe!”

“This is… worse than Gastaroid’s!”

Wu Gurang grinned, she savored their fear. "You pathetic creatures. You dare to mock ME, Wu Gurang, the Shadow Ice Fox? Prepare to taste the wrath of my ancient bloodline!”

"HUANG QI GLARE!"

Her third eye flared! A beam of potent, golden-white energy shot downwards. It was aimed straight at Gastaroid who was laughing!

“Those flames of yours… I’ll quench them!”

“Muwahahaha! You think that pathetic beam can harm ME? You’re just a big, fluffy puppy with delusions of grandeur! But I’ll indulge you, just this ONCE!”

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

He slammed his fists onto the platform, and four pillars of solidified molten rock, each as tall as a three-story building, erupted!

They converged above his head, forming a protective barrier, and arranged in a four-pointed star formation, they intersected, creating a sturdy defense.

The ‘Huang Qi Glare’ hit! The barrier held! For a few moments.

“Five… four… three…" Those watching on the screens outside the dome began counting down the seconds. Even the Emperors on their platform couldn’t help but be amazed at Gastaroid’s resilience.

“Hmm… impressive. His pillars are holding strong against Wu Gurang’s Huang Qi Glare.”

"Two… one…!”

CRACK! BOOM!

Then it shattered. The barrier exploded, sending shards of molten rock raining down on the platform.

"ARGH!" Gastaroid grunted as he was blown backwards.

But before the beam could reach him…

WHOOSH!

Thienika leaped above him. She raised her staff and shouted:

“REGAL COUNTER!”

BOOM!

An unseen force had those flames flickering as she intercepted the beam!

And with a swift flick of her staff, she reflected it back!

"What?!" Wu Gurang’s eyes widened in shock. The beam, amplified by the collision with Thienika’s barrier, hurtled upwards with unimaginable speed.

It slammed into her right eye!

BOOM!

A burst of blinding light filled the arena!

“She’s been HIT?!”

“That old tree… It deflected Wu Gurang’s attack?!”

"And she’s INJURED? That’s impossible!”

Those observing the duel gasped in astonishment. They couldn't believe what they were seeing!

Qi Fenwei and the others were equally shocked.

“Grandma?! Your ‘Regal Counter…’ It’s… It worked?!”

“Only because that brute weakened it,” Thienika coughed. She stumbled back, her silver-bark skin was now marred with a few burns. Reflecting that potent beam had taken a toll on her weakened core.

"But… That attack…” Lu Jade hissed in amazement. "It actually wounded Wu Gurang’s right eye! And… look!”

He pointed towards the pulsing, ruby-red wound that throbbed ominously on the side of Wu Gurang’s face.

Wu Gurang stared at them with her single greyy eye narrowed dangerously as she clutched at her face. "This… will not STAND!"

She raised her right front leg, and those who’d witnessed her prior battles knew what would happen next.

BOOM!

The air pressure shifted violently as a potent updraft of wind blasted those near her, causing them to brace for the inevitable. The sheer power of her movement was enough to send tremors through the platform.

"She is going to STOMP! Watch out!”

“Damn that Gastaroid! This is ALL HIS FAULT!”

“Quick, everyone! Defend!”

Raphael reacted. He enveloped Lu Jade, Thienika, and himself within his Electric Scale Prison with a shout.

Qi Fenwei activated her Black Wind defenses.

And Gastaroid…

“Muwahahaha! Those paltry stomps are nothing compared to a TRUE Calamity’s might!” He simply laughed and summoned a dome of solidified lava.

"You’re ALL FINISHED!"

Wu Gurang slammed her paw onto the platform with terrifying force!

BOOM!

The impact created a colossal crater in the platform! And the shockwave…

It blasted everyone backwards!

“NOOOO!”

They were sent hurtling through the air towards the dome’s edges!

Qi Fenwei’s wings flickered desperately!

Raphael’s scale prison shattered. Lu Jade’s emerald scales shimmered as he tried to anchor himself to something.

Thienika lost her grip on her staff!

Even Gastaroid’s molten form tumbled uncontrollably, his arrogant laughter was no more. They were going to fall out of bounds!

Wu Gurang watched their frantic struggle with an amused snicker. She was ready to savor their elimination!

However…

BOOM!

Suddenly, just before they hit the dome, a wall of fire erupted right before them. It materialized out of thin air, engulfing them in a wave of searing heat.

They crashed into the wall! It held firm!

“Haaaa…"

“We’re… alive?"

They stumbled back, coughing and gasping. The shockwave subsided. They were safe… for now.

“What the…?” Wu Gurang stared with her jaw agape. The sight of that fire wall shattered her jubilation.

“When did that barrier get there?!” She was puzzled.

“Good thing I had Gastaroid plant that barrier beforehand, otherwise, we would have all been eliminated at the start.” Raphael wiped a trickle of blood from his chin, he’d bit his tongue during that crash.

“Big Brother! That was quick thinking! To use Gastaroid’s obsession with fire, as our shield, truly magnificent!” Lu Jade’s praises were met with a smirk.

Even Qi Fenwei, who had been glaring daggers at them both, had to acknowledge their cunning. "This bull’s plans… They actually saved our feathers.”

Her words had a hint of begrudging respect that Raphael would cherish for a long time.

But their moment of reprieve was short-lived, for those shadows of doom were already upon them.

The fox snickered angrily. After its eye regenerated, it spoke, “Neat trick, so you didn’t get knocked outside! Hmph, you’re going to WISH that you did, because now… I’m going to THRUST you ALL into a world of PAIN!”

Wu Gurang unleashed her fury!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The platform shook violently! Dozens of dark purple triangles with glowing edges materialized.

They floated in the air, surrounding them.

Each triangle had glowing white light radiating at their edges.

“MERCILESS GEOMETRY – DARK TRINITY!”

And then, her form vanished.

"What… are those triangles?” Raphael stared at the eerie, geometric shapes. His monstrous gut churned with unease.

"I’ve never encountered anything like them. I wonder… What kind of attack is she planning?”

"I don't know, Big Brother, but I don’t like it…" Lu Jade shivered.

Even Gastaroid, whose bravado often masked a deeper, more pragmatic sense, felt a sliver of fear. “Those triangles… They’re warping space. It feels… unsettling. Even my pillars are trembling slightly. We have to be careful, bull."

“I agree. These triangles are trouble.” Qi Fenwei’s gaze settled upon one particularly large triangle that hovered before them. “We can't just stand here and wait for whatever she's planning. We have to act!"

Without hesitation, she aimed Lullaby.

“Whisper!”

She then unleashed a potent, white energy slash! It aimed straight for the heart of the triangle before her, intending to shatter it.

Her slash struck!

It vanished into the triangle!

"WHAT?!" Qi Fenwei’s eyes widened in shock.

“That was… odd…” Her confusion had Raphael and the others watching intently.

Then, something truly terrifying happened.

From ALL of the triangles, dozens of white energy slashes, amplified by the very essence of those shapes, shot forth!

They were coming from all directions!

“NO!”

"Damn you, QI Fenwei! This is YOUR fault! You’ve angered those triangles!"

“My feathers! This is truly dreadful!”

“This is MADNESS!”

They were forced to defend as a torrent of amplified energies hurtled down upon them!

Qi Fenwei quickly unsheathed Archon alongside Lullaby, “Damn it! I’ll absorb them!” The eye upon her Archon’s blade flared with a desperate hunger and swallowed the incoming white energies.

Lu Jade coiled tightly, forming a protective barrier of 'Phantom Willow Grass Chrysalis' with a frantic hiss.

Raphael summoned his Electric Scale Prison!

Thienika, with a shout, activated her ‘Royal Guard’.

Gastaroid simply laughed. “Muwahahaha! Such pitiful attacks! My flames laugh at your puny attempts!” He was barely even affected as he erected a massive barrier of fire.

The assault went on for a full minute!

“Haaa… Huff! Huff!”

Those screams and boasts died as the triangles’ glow faded, and within that calm they all stared at each other with those mixed emotions of relief, terror and a hint of anger for those who’d been reckless.

“Those slashes… they were amplified by those triangles!” Raphael said, amazed.

“She… she multiplied MY ATTACK?!” Qi Fenwei couldn’t comprehend.

But they didn't have time to ponder the mechanics of Wu Gurang's technique. A new wave of dread had those scales, hooves, feathers and starlight roots trembling, for above…

Those triangles were reforming.

“This… isn’t over…”

And as they watched, Wu Gurang’s ghostly laughter echoed throughout the dome like a terrifying melody of impending doom.

“What’s she going to do?”

Raphael’s team hovered there, surrounded by a menacing formation of dark purple triangles. They waited anxiously for Wu Gurang to make her move.

Then…

“Boo!”

A massive, purple head poked out from one of the triangles. Its eyes, blazing with amusement, settled on them with a horrifying yet comical effect that had Raphael and the others flinching.

“You…!”

Before they could even utter a word,

“Peek-a-boo!”

Dozens of duplicates of her head emerged from the other triangles. They surrounded Raphael’s team! Each head grinned wickedly, revealing rows of razor-sharp fangs, and their grey eyes narrowed.

It was a terrifying sight.

They were surrounded!

“Let’s see you brats survive this.”

Wu Gurang’s voice came from each of the heads.

She opened her mouths, and within those dark maws, she began charging orbs of potent purple energy.

“MALEVOLENT BEAST BOMBS!”

She roared.

WHOOSH! BOOM! BOOM!

Dozens upon dozens of purple energy bombs shot forth from the triangles, creating a dreadful hailstorm of annihilation! They were aimed directly at Raphael’s team, who watched on with horror as those dreadful things came closer.

“Oh no! We’re going to be ATOMIZED!” Lu Jade screamed, his scales paled. He frantically coiled and uncoiled, unsure of where to hide.

“Everyone! HUDDLE!”

They huddled together, desperately trying to come up with a plan as a alarming realization had their hearts pounding, there was nowhere to run.

“Muwahahaha! That’s what I LIKE to see! Those frightened eyes! That DESPERATION! It gets MY blood BURNING!”

Gastaroid’s laughter had Raphael shaking his head, for surely this wasn’t the time for this brute’s bloodthirsty joys to be unleashed?

“EARTH’S EMBRACE!”

BOOM!

Massive chunks of earth and rock materialized, encircling Gastaroid. He compressed them into multiple, smaller spheres. They were like miniature planets, swirling with a terrifying gravitational pull!

He tossed those 'Rock Planets' towards the incoming barrage of death.

The two opposing forces clashed in a spectacular display of light and sound.

BOOM! CRACK! CRACK! BOOM!

But Wu Gurang’s Malevolent Beast Bombs were too powerful! They ripped through Gastaroid's defense, shattering his ‘Rock Planets’ effortlessly! The projectiles continued along their trajectory towards Raphael’s team, however, a bit slower.

“Foolish bull… and his pathetic pebbles. Did you truly think those could withstand my ancient techniques? Such arrogance!” Wu Gurang’s laughter came from the triangles, “You’re ALL going to DIE! My Malevolent Beast Bombs will turn you to DUST! Hahaha!”

"This isn't over!”

As her words of victory washed over them…

WHOOSH!

Raphael’s eyes turned silver. His horns dripped a brilliant blue blood. He charged forward!

He darted towards one of the triangles closest to him, gracefully dodging a purple bomb that exploded behind him, leaving a scorched mark upon the ground as he continued onwards, as if he were dancing with death itself.

He reached the triangle.

Then…

“SAPPHIRE SPRING DRAGON!”

BOOM!

A blinding blue light exploded from his horns as a monstrous roar shattered their anxieties!

A colossal dragon materialized from his blood essence!

It uncoiled, its sapphire scales glimmered, its silver eyes blazed with a terrifying ferocity.

It was the ‘Sapphire Spring Blood Dragon’!

And in a flash, it dove into the triangle and disappeared into its depths.

"What’s… What’s he DOING?!" QI Fenwei stared in shock.

"Is he…? Could he be…?" Lu Jade’s eyes widened. He had a hunch.

A few seconds later…

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

From ALL of the triangles…

…multiple Sapphire Spring Blood Dragons emerged!

They were larger! Their scales pulsed with a radiant blue, their six silver eyes glowed with an untamed hunger.

And with a terrifying, synchronized roar…

They swooped down upon those incoming Malevolent Beast Bombs.

"Those dragons… They’re…"

"They’re consuming the BOMBS!”

The dragons swallowed the purple orbs, one after the other, with a dreadful finality. And as the bombs detonated within their ethereal forms, they didn’t simply vanish.

No!

The dragons…

…they flew back toward the triangles they had emerged from.

Instead of entering…

They wrapped themselves tightly around the geometric shapes.

Then…

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The bombs detonated!

And as they exploded…

…so did the triangles!

They shattered into a million fragments of dark purple energy that vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a faint, lingering aroma of burnt geometry and ancient magic.

Raphael’s team stood there, staring at the spectacle, speechless.

“Those bombs… they were fueled by Wu Gurang’s potent Solar Essence. Each one could have easily vaporized us. But by sending his Spring Blood Dragon into the triangle…" Qi Fenwei started to understand.

“He discovered her trick! Those triangles! They can not only amplify attacks but also duplicate them, however… there seems to be a limit to what they can store. Raphael must have realized this and countered by forcing her to use up the triangle’s energy to create multiple duplicates of his Spring Blood Dragon.

Then he…”

She paused.

“Then he detonated the bombs and destroyed the triangles from the outside.” Thienika finished. She stared at her grandson in admiration. “What a cunning strategy.”

“Big Brother! That was brilliant! AMAZING!”

Lu Jade rushed over to Raphael and coiled his emerald form around his horns.

“That plan… It was PERFECT! I’ve never seen anything like it. You're so smart!”

Even Qi Fenwei couldn't help but be impressed.

“This bull’s quick thinking… It saved us.”

“How… how can this BULL… summon such a POWERFUL dragon?!” Gastaroid’s molten eyes narrowed, "I thought those Spring Blood Dragons were exclusive to the Bloodthorne lineage?!

This… This bull…!”

His suspicions about Raphael’s true origin were growing. But his thoughts were interrupted by a sound.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

The group's celebration was abruptly cut short.

Before them, Wu Gurang materialized, but her appearance had changed. Her fur was matted, her once-elegant tail was singed, and a large gash marred the right side of her face. A trail of blood trickled down, freezing upon contact with her snowy fur. She was wounded!

“Could shattering those triangles have injured her?” Raphael glanced at Thienika, searching for an answer.

She nodded. “It would appear so. Those shapes, they weren't simply channeling her attacks. They were extensions of her essence. An impressive technique, but one that carries risks, a flaw.”

“Now that those pesky triangles are no more, let’s end this. ATTACK!”

Qi Fenwei didn’t hesitate. She dashed forward!

"DIE, fox!”

"For BIG BROTHER!”

Lu Jade and the others followed, their Solar Essences flared. They were ready for battle, now more than ever!

But as they charged…

Wu Gurang simply… laughed.

“Audacious! You brats think you can defeat ME?! Sadly, you are FIFTEEN MILLION years too young!”

She unleashed her fury!

“RAGE EMITTER!”

BOOM!

From her entire body, an invisible wave of potent Solar Essence exploded outward.

It was a radial burst of pure destructive power!

Qi Fenwei, who was at the front, was the first to be hit!

“NO!”

WHOOSH! CRACK!

Her feathers were shredded, ripped from her body in a horrifying display of violence! Two of her legs vanished! Blood splattered! But she didn’t panic. With a swift movement, she drew Archon and absorbed the excess energy.

“Damn… That attack! It bypassed my defenses! I’ve never encountered such potency!” What remained of her amethyst armor glowed brightly and began absorbing the shockwave. She was lucky to survive, for if that invisible beam had pierced her torso?

Those possibilities didn't bear thinking about!

Next, it was Gastaroid’s turn!

His molten form shuddered. His flame barrier, which had withstood Raphael’s ‘Helios Stream’ back during the Selection Trial, crumbled. It shattered like brittle glass!

And those ‘Bull Demon Pillars’ within his chest? They throbbed, sending jolts of agonizing pain through his very core.

"Muwahahaha… is that… all you got…?!” He tried to laugh, to maintain his bravado, but…

WHOOSH!

A terrifying slash!

“My head…”

His head vanished! It was severed cleanly! And his massive, mountainous body was sliced into 2,023 pieces as those ancient stones tumbled into the now forming crater!

Such devastation!

Lu Jade shrieked!

"Big Brother… SAVE ME!”

Raphael, sensing his friend's terror, acted swiftly!

"ELECTRIC SCALE PRISON!”

BOOM!

He encased Lu Jade within a barrier of bronze scales, but it shattered.

“Damn it…!”

And the emerald green serpent…

…he was severed in HALF!

Raphael watched in horror as blood sprayed.

“NOOOO!”

He scooped up Lu Jade’s severed form and clutched it tightly to his chest as he shielded him with his massive golden frame! He turned his back, “My wings! They’ll stop this!”

His monstrous wings unfolded, shielding them from the invisible wave.

WHOOSH! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

The wave hit. And the impact…

It tore his wings from his body! His horns shattered! His right hand exploded into ten separate pieces! And his left leg was severed from the knee down.

It was a horrifying sight. Blood and bone splattered across the platform, painting a gruesome tapestry of defeat.

Raphael collapsed.

His vision blurred. He could feel his own life essence draining away as a wave of dizziness swept over him.

"This is… It’s over…”