Solar Blood Masters

"We have to get those eggs! That drill, it won't last much longer!"

"KILL that snake! He's the one hoarding them!"

"This palace's defenses are weakening! Now's our chance!"

The courtyard of the Golden Prism Citadel was a chaotic warzone.

Dozens of beasts rampaged through the once pristine space, consumed by greed.

"This damn barrier… Its weak!"

"Attack the pillars! Destroy the crystals!"

"Once the shield is down for good those eggs will be OURS!"

Lu Jade arrived just in time to see a monstrous vulture slamming into one of the pillars. It's talons were dripping with acidic venom.

"NO!"

"Phantom Willow Grass! BIND!"

He lashed his tail and unleashed a wave of emerald green tendrils that snaked around the vulture. He entangled a couple more beasts. Some grass even attempted to plug that hole in the barrier.

But there were too many!

An angry griffin swiped its talons at him. "You're DEAD, SNAKE!"

A boar with glowing red tusks rammed its massive body against the pillar. "CRUSH! CRUSH! CRUSH!"

"Hmph! That plug is useless! Get the snake!"

Lu Jade's Phantom Willow Grass couldn't hold them! They ripped through it and glared at him.

"You greedy snake! You're hoarding all the eggs! Now we'll have our revenge! We'll rip your scales off and…"

"WILLOWING HANDS!"

Lu Jade didn't hesitate!

BOOM!

Massive hands of emerald grass exploded from the ground, each one larger than two busses stacked together.

They slammed into the attackers!

"ARGH!"

"What the—?!"

The weaker beasts were crushed!

Some were picked up and flung against the walls. They bounced like ragdolls.

But the stronger ones broke free, they were charging at him.

"Die, SNAKE!"

One beast, a massive lion with flaming mane, unleashed a torrent of fire towards Lu Jade!

He was about to be incinerated…

When…

BOOM!

"A golden wall?!"

It materialized right before him. The lion's flames crashed harmlessly against it, but it had those other attackers pausing.

And then,

From the ground beneath, more walls erupted.

They encircled Lu Jade in a protective barrier!

"This is… Big Brother's doing!" He realized, with relief, that Raphael was protecting him from within the palace's heart.

"Thank you, Big Brother!"

The walls shifted into a maze. Those attackers were trapped! They stumbled around, roaring in frustration as they desperately searched for a way out.

"Where…?"

Then,

WHOOSH!

Above, a blue Circular Spell Diagram materialized. A 'Death Blow Cannon' appeared! Its muzzle radiated a lethal blue light.

"FIRE!"

The beam shot down!

BOOM!

Those trapped beasts were obliterated! Not even ash remained!

The other attackers were shocked. They took a step back while eyeing the cannons with a new fear.

"Those cannons… they're too powerful! We have to take them out FIRST!"

They unleashed a flurry of attacks.

Several cannons exploded!

They advanced. But…

"AROOOOOOO!"

A chilling howl, carried by a blizzard of pink snowflakes, slammed into them. They froze! Their bodies, locked in mid-motion as a familiar terror had them gasping for air they couldn't inhale anymore!

"No… Not HIM!"

BOOM!

Pitbull Sama crashed into the courtyard! His landing shattered those ice statues into a million pieces.

He was a terrifying sight. His hide was marred with burns and patches of missing flesh. His fangs were cracked. His eyes blazed with a feverish intensity.

He was wounded. But his rage… it burned brighter!

"You… SNAKE!" He glared at Lu Jade. "That BULL! And that… TREE! You will ALL PAY for this humiliation! I, PITBULL SAMA, will claim EVERYTHING! Your points! Your eggs! And your LIVES!

Prepare to DIE!"

"I won't LET YOU harm Big Brother or Grandma!" Lu Jade hissed defiantly.

"Phantom Willow Hands!"

From the icy ground beneath Pitbull Sama's massive paws…

WHOOSH! CRACK!

…emerald tendrils shot forth!

They wrapped around his legs, pinning him in place!

"You think this can STOP me?!" He was laughing!

He unleashed a wave of icy energy from his core. It engulfed his legs.

CRACK!

The Phantom Willow Hands shattered into a million icy fragments!

"You're WEAK! Pathetic!" He stalked toward Lu Jade, who looked like a tiny green twig before him.

"Oh no…!" Lu Jade's scales trembled. He was no match for this enraged beast.

"I have no choice! Jade Flower Domain…"

But before he could unleash his most potent technique,

"What the…?!"

Another hand, much larger, covered in black had appeared! It grasped the hound's other hind leg and was squeezing!

"Hmph, these flimsy grass of yours again, snake? I can easily… huh?!"

He couldn't freeze it!

"Argh! What the…!" Pitbull Sama looked back.

And his eyes bulged.

Standing there… was the Devil Horn Rhino!

"WHAT?! You're still ALIVE?!"

Even Lu Jade stared in disbelief!

"Hahaha! Did you think a few icy pebbles could kill ME?!" Pam Long's laughter had the very earth trembling. "I told you… I'm INVINCIBLE!" He roared with pride as his grip tightened on the hound's leg.

"Your ice laws were nothing but a gentle caress to my hide. Now, SNAKE! The BULL and that TREE… They are MINE! And I'LL be claiming ALL those Kepfu Eggs!"

CRACK!

With a terrifying twist, he snapped Pitbull Sama's leg!

"ARGHHHHHH!" The hound's scream reverberated. It was a mixture of pain and disbelief.

"You… You DARE?!"

He lashed out with his claws, hoping to rip the rhino apart, but…

Pam Long simply… CAUGHT his paw.

"You're WEAK, puppy, WEAK!" He laughed, then casually picked up a nearby ice shard and jabbed it into the hound's chest, "This… is how a REAL Calamity fights!"

…

BOOM! BOOM!

"This is bad… real bad. That rhino's relentless!" Raphael muttered anxiously.

Hundreds of screens flickered before him, showcasing the carnage unfolding outside. He winced as he saw Pam Long and Pitbull Sama locked in a brutal battle. Their combined power was shaking the Citadel's very foundations, and the protective array flickered precariously.

More breaches! More beasts pouring in!

"Little Lu is in trouble. I have to help him!"

He reached for the controls, but a jolt of pain shot through him. More cables sparked and snapped, dangling uselessly. Blood, bright red with a bit of blue and sizzling, sprayed from his mouth.

"Raphael… It's alright. Rest. You've done enough."

Thienika was beside him. She gently caressed his face with a touch as soothing as a cool spring breeze. "Your body is breaking apart. You shouldn't over exert yourself. You've done enough. Focus on healing."

She gave him a warm smile that had his heart aching. This Grandma, her kindness, it was too much!

"But Grandma… your injuries…"

"Hush now, my dear grandson, it's a grandmother's duty to protect. Those beasts out there? I'll handle them."

"But…"

Raphael had a dreadful premonition settling in his gut.

'She's going to do something reckless… something that'll put her life in jeopardy.' His thoughts were too horrible to contemplate. He had to stop her!

"Grandma, I'll lessen the drill's power some more. I'll divert the excess energy to the defensive array." Raphael gritted his teeth as he wrestled with the Citadel's controls. It was a desperate gamble, a final push to protect his team.

He focused his will, pushing past the pain that wracked his body.

And the Citadel responded.

The blue Circular Spell Diagrams that fed the Absalom Drill flickered, and with a series of soft pops, they detached. They shot upwards before repositioning themselves around the weakened barrier.

Thienika watched in pain. "Raphael… you're pushing yourself too hard." She knew he was doing this for Lu Jade, for her, and her staff trembled in her grasp. She had to get out there, help her grandson.

But before she could move, a horrifying spectacle unfolded before her.

A wave of blood erupted from Raphael. It splattered across the Crystalline Throne of Light like a gruesome, glistening rain. The cables snapped, every single one, erupting in a shower of sparks.

His massive form was brutally ejected from the throne!

He flew backwards with his limbs flailing, as if a colossal hand had swatted him away. He crashed onto the ground with a sickening thud. His golden hide was marred with the red of his own life force.

"RAPHAEL!"

Thienika rushed to his side. Her starlight hair was now a mesh of pulsing roots. They burrowed into his wounds, channeling healing energy.

"This… will drain me… But I don't care… Not while my grandson is in pain…" She whispered.

…

Meanwhile, outside, the Citadel's courtyard was pure pandemonium.

"AROOO! DIE, RHINO!"

"You picked the wrong opponent, puppy! Your ice laws are USELESS against ME!"

Pitbull Sama and Pam Long clashed in a brutal dance of claws and horns! The air rippled with their roars, blasts of frost and fire exploded, which sent the lesser beasts tumbling as they desperately tried to get a taste of those Kepfu Eggs.

But amidst the chaos, a new danger emerged.

"That corridor… It leads to the eggs! Now's our chance!"

"Kill the snake! He's the one guarding them!"

A pack of monstrous beasts charged down the hallway leading to the Citadel's heart, where those treasures were being kept safe.

But Lu Jade stood in their path, blocking the entrance.

"You're not getting PAST ME!"

"WILLOWING HANDS!"

He unleashed his fury!

Giant hands of emerald grass sprang forth, slamming into the attackers! They sent those foolish enough to get too close flying backwards, slamming into walls and each other.

"SOLAR BEAM!"

His Sun Cycle unleashed a blinding blast of energy that incinerated a few who hadn't dodged his deadly grasp.

"HAHAHAHA! Is that ALL you've got, snake? A few flimsy vines and a pathetic beam? We're Calamities!"

A hulking, tiger-like beast ripped through the 'Willowing Hands' with ease.

"You're just a Saint Ruler! A worm! You'll make a FINE appetizer!"

Those behind him roared their agreement, and was eager to devour this snake and claim those juicy Kepfu Eggs as their own. They were almost upon him…

WHOOSH!

Suddenly, a spiraling white slash of pure energy sliced through the hallway. It came out of nowhere.

It cut a path between Pitbull Sama and Pam Long. It then continued towards the charging beasts.

"What the…?!"

The slash ripped through them, sending their severed body parts flying!

It was a terrifying, and awe-inspiring display of precision and might.

Lu Jade braced himself for the inevitable. He was certain that that deadly slash was meant to cleave him in two, but…

The attack stopped inches from his face.

And from the heart of the swirling, white energy, Qi Fenwei materialized.

She held Lullaby in her hand.

"QI FENWEI! You… you SAVED me?!" Lu Jade couldn't believe his eyes.

"How is the situation?!" Qi Fenwei spoke sharply and demandingly. She didn't have time for idle chatter.

"It's BAD. The protective array is falling apart and Big Brother's condition is unstable. These beasts are pouring in to steal our eggs, because we've gathered a lot." He paused, looking at the two battling Nightmare Calamities.

"And to make matters worse, those two are Pitbull Sama and Pam Long. One's a 7th Layer Nightmare Calamity who control Ice Laws and the other is 3rd Layer Nightmare Calamity. But the most dangerous one is that rhino because of his invincibility."

"Invincible?!" Qi Fenwei glared at Pam Long. "That rhino? Impossible."

"He claims to have absorbed the Solar Consciousness of the Fairy Queen Izabella… it granted him immunity to most harm."

Qi Fenwei scoffed. "That rhino defeated a Fairy Queen? Hmph, I find that hard to believe. However, I shall not underestimate him."

She gripped Lullaby tightly.

"I shall use my full might to annihilate them both."

"Your… full might?!" Lu Jade shivered, and not from the cold air that permeated.

"MERGE!" Qi Fenwei spoke with power.

She held Lullaby aloft. The silver blade, once so delicate and swift, now hummed with an intensity that matched Archon's fiery orange glow. The air rippled and cracked as she channeled her essence into both weapons.

Then, with a graceful movement, she brought the blades together.

The two swords touched…

And in a blinding flash of white and orange light…

They became ONE.

A new sword, larger and more menacing materialized in her grasp. Its double-edged blade radiated a terrifying power. At the sword's center, where the two blades had merged, an eye opened. It was an eye that resembled a swirling storm of black and gold. This eye seemed to gaze into the very souls of those before it, judging, measuring, and promising annihilation.

"Behold… my TRUE power! Mephisto!"

She pointed the sword forward at her targets.

"Black Wind Lightning Gate… OPEN!"

BOOM!

A monstrous explosion shook the Citadel, those walls groaned in protest as a blinding flash of black and white lightning erupted like a geyser!

The very air itself crackled with chaotic energy as a whirlwind whipped around QI Fenwei. Those nearby, were sent flying like dry leaves.

"ARGHH!"

"What the…?"

"WHO is giving off that dreadful energy?!"

Even Pam Long and Pitbull Sama paused their duel when they felt that burst of power. Those waves of untamed lightning and those winds of chaos, they were drawn to its source.

"That… that BIRD!" Pam Long was shocked, for it was as if a bomb had detonated! This wasn't simply a Nightmare Calamity anymore. She was… more!

Pitbull Sama had a dreadful realization forming within his gut, "She… Her energy levels… they're rising! From 5th Layer to 6th… AND NOW 7th!? WAIT! It's still RISING?!"

"8th Layer… she's almost 8th Layer!"

"8th Layer?!" Pam Long was about to scoff, but then he saw it, the chilling blade Qi Fenwei held. Its radiance was both beautiful and deadly.

"That weapon… It's no ordinary trinket. I fear it might even be able to kill ME! This is BAD!"

He turned to flee. This time… He would show prudence!

But… it was too late!

"MEPHISTO – Crescent Faust Lummox!"

WHOOSH!

A white crescent slash, thin at first, burst forth from her blade's tip. It was encircled by a swirl of black lightning that buzzed ominously.

And as it traveled…

The slash expanded! It grew larger with every inch!

Then…

It multiplied!

Seven identical, yet increasingly colossal slashes now soared towards their targets, with a speed that defied logic!

It wasn't fast. Not at all, for those who watched, it appeared to be moving like a snail. It crept towards them, and yet…

"What the hell?!"

"Why… I… can't…! Move!"

"It's like I'm stuck in quicksand!"

Those unfortunate souls who were in the slash's path tried desperately to escape. They ran! They flew!

But it was as if an invisible force was holding them back!

Then, the crescent slashes hit!

SLASH!

SLASH!

SLASH!

They were obliterated!

Their forms vanished with dreadful, yet barely audible whimpers.

And then…

The seven crescent slashes reached their true target—Pam Long and Pitbull Sama!

Their eyes widened! They could sense their impending doom!

They tried to move!

"WILD RUSH!"

"ICE STEP!"

But their efforts were futile! They were caught within the grasp of this inexorable attack!

"Damn it!"

"I... I can't... MOVE!" Pam Long roared in frustration. He strained against the inexorable pull of 'Crescent Faust Lummox'. His muscles burned and his blood sizzled. That attack... it was as if the very fabric of reality was conspiring against him!

Desperation surged through him. He experienced a primal fear he hadn't tasted in centuries. It was fueled by the chilling certainty of that approaching white and black wave of annihilation.

And then he saw it, his only chance!

Pitbull Sama stood beside him, frozen, his eyes wide with terror.

"Sorry, puppy, but you're about to become a shield!"

Burning every ounce of power he had left, Pam Long lunged! He snagged the hound, ignored his indignant yelps, and threw him into the path of the oncoming crescent slashes.

BOOM!

The impact was catastrophic!

The seven Crescent Faust Lummox, now colossal in size, slammed into the hound with the force of a collapsing star.

Pitbull Sama's form that was once a mighty embodiment of ice and fury, was cleaved in SEVEN! It disintegrated into a mist of blood and frost as a mournful howl echoed throughout Desolate Sands.

Shielded by the hound's sacrifice, Pam Long was blasted backwards.

He tumbled through the sky like a fiery meteor, trailing smoke and molten rock as his body screamed in protest against the attack that had shattered his left arm and ripped a massive gash across his chest!

CRASH!

He slammed into the ground miles away, and a shockwave rippled across the desolate sands that forced a few creatures to scurry for safety. Those who witnessed his descent wondered:

"Who could have unleashed such devastating power?"

They shook their heads in disbelief as the earth itself trembled. It was as if the very heavens had unleashed their wrath upon that unfortunate rhino.

This was the might of Qi Fenwei's 'Crescent Faust Lummox,' a technique of unimaginable power. A perfect blend of elegance and untamed fury.

The other beasts who'd gathered near the Citadel…

They were gone.

Erased.

Only a few faint wisps of smoke marked their passing.