Solar Blood Masters

The courtyard of the Golden Prism Citadel was free of chaos. The last of the intruding beasts had been vaporized by 'Crescent Faust Lummox'.

Lu Jade stared in awe at the spectacle before him. Qi Fenwei stood amidst the dissipating smoke. Her chest was heaving as she tried steadying her breathing. For those potent energies she'd unleashed were now taking their toll.

"Haaa… this body… It's been a while." She was exhausted. But her eyes flashed with triumph. She had repelled them!

Lu Jade slithered toward her excitedly. "QI Fenwei! That was… AMAZING! You're so strong! I've never seen anything like it! That 'Black Wind Lightning Gate'… And your Mephisto sword… truly something! It might even be able to cut through Gastaroid!"

His enthusiasm, and those flattering words, grated on her nerves.

"Shut UP, snake!" She quickly unmerged Mephisto and sheathed Archon and Lullaby into her harness, before turning towards the center of the courtyard.

"Now… to claim our prize."

They watched as dozens of Solar Consciousnesses emerged. These souls, pale orbs pulsating with a mix of colors that hinted at the unique essences each had possessed in life, were the remnants of those beasts who had dared to challenge the Citadel's might. They drifted aimlessly, like lost fireflies in a dark night.

Pitbull Sama's Solar Consciousness was the largest among them. A swirling vortex of white and pink energy.

It was a prize worth claiming.

Qi Fenwei dashed forth and snatched the hound's soul with a swift movement.

She then turned and shot past Lu Jade.

"Collect the rest."

"Yes ma'am!"

Lu Jade extended his tail. Its tip glowed with an emerald light as tendrils of 'Phantom Willow Grass' snaked outwards, efficiently gathering the souls that contrasted those clumsy efforts he'd displayed earlier.

Qi Fenwei sped through the corridors. She was heading towards the control room.

…

The control room.

The Crystalline Throne of Light was an unstable display of sparks and flickering lights. Those delicate cables that snaked through its curves buzzed with electricity.

Raphael lay on the ground, writhing in pain as blood oozed from his mouth and nostrils.

Beside him, Thienika was desperately trying to mend his fractured body. Roots extended from her starlight hair, burrowing into his wounds as she channeled her own diminishing essence. A sacrifice she'd readily make for her grandson's well-being.

Suddenly, a blur of violet materialized before them.

It was Qi Fenwei, her amethyst armor glinted, and in her hand…

"Damn… It's worse than I thought."

She tossed the large soul towards the Crystalline Throne of Light's suction volumetric portal. It was meant to be absorbed and to replenish its energy, but…

Error messages flashed across the screens. The throne shook violently.

"It's rejecting the soul… Why?" She quickly understood, "That damned BULL! He overloaded the throne's system! Foolish! Now it's unstable."

Qi Fenwei quickly drew Lullaby. Then without a shred of remorse, she flashed over and stabbed Raphael's leg.

"ARGH!" He yelped in pain.

Blood sprayed from the wound.

She caught the blood on her blade.

"Hey! Did you really have to STAB me? So much of my blood is already on the floor!"

She ignored their pleas, for she had no time for those sentiments of mercy. "MOVE!"

She rushed back to the control panel and searched for a way to stabilize the situation, to appease those chaotic energies that were about to shatter this palace.

Finding a slot on the control panel, she poured Raphael's blood into it. The control panel flickered, and the error messages were replaced by a soothing, green light.

The throne stopped shaking.

It stabilized.

She sighed, "Finally."

"You FOOL! You overloaded the system! Now it'll take days to repair! You should be ashamed!"

Qi Fenwei's beratement was met with a stern rebuke from Thienika.

"Have you no compassion, girl? Can't you SEE we are injured?!"

"Hmph! I'm EXHAUSTED and WOUNDED too! But you don't see ME complaining!"

Qi Fenwei retorted as she observed her amethyst armor, which bore a few scratches.

"If you want to blame someone… BLAME your own LACK! Don't blame ME!"

But even as she voiced her anger, she wasn't completely heartless. She dug into her Spatial Inventory and pulled out three emerald-green pills.

She tossed two towards Raphael's open mouth. "Swallow it."

Then she handed the other to Thienika.

"It'll help."

They both swallowed the pills.

It was then the control panel began blaring!

"WARNING! WARNING! Protective array… OFFLINE!"

The screens revealed a terrifying sight.

The Citadel's barrier had vanished!

Hundreds of beasts rampaged through the courtyard.

"Those… BASTARDS! They won't get away with this!"

Qi Fenwei glanced at the massive pile of Kepfu eggs, "There's only a FEW minutes remaining… We can hold them off until the competition is over."

"But… Little Lu? Where is he?" Raphael croaked as he tried his best to stand up.

…

Outside, near those pillars that had once radiated with protective blue glows, Lu Jade was busy collecting the remaining Solar Consciousnesses. He'd amassed a respectable amount, but his true joy lay in protecting his Big Brother's dream.

"Such a beautiful sight."

He watched as a vibrant pink orb materialized, the essence of a particularly nasty Horned Lizard he'd had the misfortune of encountering, one with a really bad attitude.

Just as he extended a 'Phantom Willow' tendril, he noticed a change in the atmosphere. The air, previously filled with a chilling intensity that had his scales tingling, was now warm.

"What's…?!"

He looked up.

And his jaw dropped!

The Citadel's barrier, the magnificent shield that had protected them, was completely gone!

Hundreds of beasts were rushing towards him now!

"Oh no! The barrier is down!"

He quickly glanced at the timer.

THREE MINUTES REMAINING!

"I can hold them off… surely, I can!"

"KILL the SNAKE!"

"Those eggs… they're MINE!"

"Get out of my way, insect! Or I'll crush you!"

They charged.

He was surrounded. Their bloodlust was terrifying.

This was it.

Lu Jade had accepted his fate. He'd faced impossible odds before, and he'd survived. But this time…

"Jade Flower Domain – Full Bloom!"

He was about to unleash his full power, but…

BOOM!

A massive shadow engulfed them!

The ground shook and a heat so HOT consumed them.

He could feel a primal force, ancient, terrifying, settling upon them.

"What…?"

They turned.

And their eyes widened.

It was Gastaroid!

His form was colossal, even larger than the Citadel itself!

"THAT'S… THAT'S the BULL MOUNTAIN DEMON!"

"What's he doing here? Wasn't he fighting Lingshi?"

"We're DEAD if we stay here!"

"RUN!"

The beasts fled as if the reaper himself had arrived.

Lu Jade, however, felt only relief.

He was ALIVE!

He slithered towards Gastaroid's massive mountain.

"Oh, Mighty Gastaroid! THANK you! You SAVED ME!"

Gastaroid glanced down at the little slithering thing. "Hmph. Get off my mountain."

He flicked a finger, and Lu Jade tumbled backwards.

"Oof!"

He landed with a soft thud.

"Well… I'm alive. What about Big Brother?" Lu Jade immediately slithered away towards the heart of the Citadel.

"That little snake… Hmmm." Gastaroid watched as the Golden Prism Citadel began to lose its luster.

And then…

It vanished.

Raphael, Qi Fenwei, Thienika, and Lu Jade materialized a short distance away. They huddled together. A small, golden key hovered beside them.

Gastaroid sent forth a newly formed earth platform. He snorted and gestured with a finger. "Get on."

They obeyed and landed on the platform.

And as those final seconds ticked away, the other contenders watched from a distance. They dared not approach. Not while the Bull Mountain Demon stood guard.

Gastaroid grinned.

He had claimed the first victory.