4th Day of 3rd Water Cycle[1], 1999 g.c.
The explosive aftermath of Art's and Luda's unleashed fury had transformed the entire cave system. Charred stones and crumbling earth settled around us, as the once-rotting stench dissolved under the overpowering sweetness of burnt flesh mingled with a metallic tang that stuck to the back of my throat. A relentless humidity clung to the air, thickened by the residual heat from Artamis's Nuclear Mana art. The temperature had climbed, pressing down on us in a stifling wave.
Luckily, my barrier shell had kept the tunnel's integrity intact, shielding us from complete collapse and leaving us free to advance. It wasn't long before I felt that powerful mana touch down in the back of the cavern—a signature none of us could ignore. I fixed Art with a stare as we continued. I used that moment to scold him for prematurely using such a hyperbolic attack in that small area.
"Art, da hell's wrong with you?" I spat. "Why would you even think about using that mana art in such a tight space?"
"Calm down, Xi," Art shot back without missing a beat. "I knew you'd handle the aftermath. Remember when we both figured out how to make nuclear arts together?"
Luda shook his head, adding with a smirk, "So those random explosions coming from your room now make a lot more sense."
Alex whistled, impressed. "Incredible shits, Art. I've never seen such a bright bang. You got more where that came from?"
Art chuckled. "Does a Spiderbear shit silk in the woods? And by the way, that move's called Boom."
I wasn't giving him an inch. "Forget the name. At least wait for my damn signal next time."
"Fine, fine. I'll wait for the signal." He held his hands up in mock surrender.
Steez, running alongside us, leaned in. "We gettin' close. What's the move—scoping from the shadows?"
"While that's the smart play," I said, "we're gonna be Real Niggas about it."
A knowing smile spread across Alex's face. "My favorite way?"
"Your favorite way," I confirmed. "We're busting in."
"Hell yeah!"
Our pace quickened, the ambient mana thickening with every step, but Luda slowed a bit, brows furrowing in thought before he looked my way. "I can commend the 'real niggatry' of this plan…"
I gave him a grin. "Look at you, making up words and shit."
Luda's expression didn't shift. "…But I'm putting my own plan in motion as a backup. That mana signature—it's too foreign for me to play recklessly."
"Say less," I replied. "Calvary may be needed."
Though I could have used [Telepathy] to dive deeper into his thoughts, I didn't press. My trust in Luda was unshakable, just as it was in the rest of the Wolfpak. They were my day ones, my family.
Just then, the faint outline of the chamber door came into view at the end of the tunnel, and a familiar prickling filled my head as [Future Sense] activated. But it fed me nothing—just static, with a chilling undertone of dread that coiled deep in my gut. Something heavy was waiting on the other side, and this time, I'd have to rely on instinct and trust. The anticipation was thick.
Behind the crude, oversized stone door—the "privacy divider"—the Goblin King paused his relentless assault on Jawz. His attention was diverted, drawn by the ethereal, liquid shimmer of a portal that tore open behind him like a wound in reality. Through the rippling silver light, figures emerged, each one more ominous than the last.
First came Taurus, stepping through with a presence so crushing it felt like the very walls of the cave leaned back in fear. The mana pressure he exuded made the air almost unbreathable, thick and heavy, suffocating in every sense. His massive, black wings stretched out behind him, feathered in blinding purity. They cut a ghastly glow into the dim throne room, making him seem less a bull and more a specter of divine judgment. His eyes scanned the room, landing on Jawz lying bruised and gasping, barely holding on to life, and on Lysa—caged, wide-eyed with fear. Taurus's gaze remained cold, unimpressed by the suffering laid bare before him.
Before Taurus spoke, his companion—a Hobgoblin with a rugged but distinctively styled presence—stepped up with a swagger. He was nothing like the Goblin King; this Hobgoblin radiated a seasoned confidence that bordered on arrogance. His skin held the classic goblin green, but his expression showed cunning. He wore a dark, heavy coat trimmed with vibrant orange, its high collar hiding his neck, the color flashing like fire against the black fabric. A thick, well-groomed beard framed his sharp jawline, and his dark, slicked-back hair gave him an almost gentlemanly air despite his brute features. A necklace of three faintly glowing Magic Gems hung around his neck, each gem pulsing with mana.
The Hobgoblin's voice was a cutting drawl, dripping with condescension. "Where is the Demon Lord you claimed was attacking? You called for elite forces, yet I see nothing here worth such effort."
The Goblin King shrank under the Hobgoblin's cold gaze. "Big brother! There was a strong fighter—or an army—invading. This demon… assassin, he's got backup," he stammered, the ferocity of his [Raging Fury] skill dwindling as he ended it, clarity returning to his eyes.
"Assassin?" the Hobgoblin's lip curled.
Taurus took a step forward, his wings sweeping behind him like a blizzard of feathers. His voice rolled through the room, silencing all noise, save for the echo of dread. "So they haven't even made it this far yet? And if they're being held up by goblins…" His gaze shifted to the Goblin King with a dark amusement. "Then I should punish you for requesting my mana on something as insignificant as worms."
The Goblin King, a towering brute in his own right, with sinews of raw muscle bulging behind his sarashi wrap, visibly quivered. The unhidden fear on his face stripped him of any previous menace, reducing him to a sniveling creature in the presence of something far greater.
The Hobgoblin inclined his head, masking the fear that glinted in his eyes. "Lord Taurus, you c-came as backup? Th-Th-Thought invaders was left t-t-to me to deal with?"
Taurus's gaze remained fixed ahead. "It is. But I was warned not to step foot in this country by someone I despise." His mouth twitched in a ghost of a smile. "Now, I'm here to satisfy my curiosity."
With each word, the mana pressure thickened, almost sentient in its intensity, a dark blanket that wrapped around everyone, squeezing the air from their lungs. The aura was heavenly in appearance, but its weight bore down with terrifying might. Jawz clung to consciousness, fighting through waves of pain as he activated [Self Regen], forcing every remaining ounce of mana into closing his wounds. But the drain on his mana pool was steep; he was on the brink, his willpower barely keeping him from blacking out completely.
Across the room, Lysa trembled, pressed against the cold, damp bars of her cage. Her eyes darted from Taurus to Jawz, then back to Taurus, each glance only amplifying her horror. His angelic wings and chilling power seemed wrong together, creating a twisted duality she couldn't comprehend. She squeezed her hands together and silently prayed to The Creator, pleading for a miracle, anyone to save them from this hellish scene.
Meanwhile, the Goblin King wrestled with his composure, searching his thoughts for any excuse that might save him from Taurus's punishment. "B-B-Boss, but… there is… strong power coming," he stammered, voice cracked and dry. "Strong, like… Demon Lord."
Taurus's eyes narrowed. "For your sake, it had better be. Those Watchers I loaned you aren't easy to come by. Each one is easily your original strength, and you'd do well to remember that."
The Goblin King fidgeted, his knuckles white from clenching his weapon too tight. "The Watchers, they're g-good hunters! Good soldiers. But new pressure felt threatening."
A smirk flickered across Taurus's lips, his wings casting shifting shadows in the eerie cave light. "Well then, if this 'magical signature' has you quaking in fear, those Watchers should be a suitable test."
Jawz fought the encroaching darkness of unconsciousness, his vision blurring as his [Self Regen] struggled to patch him together. Every instinct screamed at him to get up, but the mana left in his pool was barely enough to keep him grounded in this nightmare.
Just as Padre Drip started to make his way out, a thunderous crash filled the room, causing everyone to flinch. The echo tore through the cavern as the door burst open, the remnants tumbling inward with a harsh clattering. Alex had fired forward, his entire leg sheathed in an intense azure blaze, the aftermath of his spinning kick that blasted the entry apart. The attention snapped immediately toward us as we flooded in—me, Steez, Alex, and Artamis—making a scene that stole every gaze.
Jawz, half-conscious and sprawled on the ground, managed to lift his head. When he saw me, specifically the horns on my forehead, he muttered faintly, "Another... Majin?"
The Goblin King's face turned red with rage the instant he spotted us. He was seething, eyes darting between us and his crumbling situation. His stare settled on my horns, and realization washed over his expression, his twisted mouth curving into a furious snarl.
"Demon scum!" he spat. "You demons invade my cave, I kill you all!"
From the side, the hobgoblin, Padre Drip, gave an unimpressed grunt. "So these are the intruders?" he sneered, barely turning his head.
Taurus, however, remained silent, though his gaze bored straight into me, studying as if assessing every move I'd make. Ignoring the Goblin King's outburst, I let my eyes wander over the throne room, catching sight of a grim pile of bodies—dismembered sociovores and humans, even kids. It made my blood go cold, the horrid contrast of that gristly heap against the gleaming magisteel throne. Worse, some of the children looked heartbreakingly familiar; faces I'd seen around Talasi. I remembered the vague talks around town about missing celestial kids. I'd shrugged it off as just more town gossip, thinking my training was more urgent than running down rumors. Seeing those lifeless faces now, I felt a twisting sickness at my own neglect. I couldn't keep letting shit like that happen around me. Not if I were to be a king of this land.
"Damn gobbos will eat anyone," Alex murmured darkly.
Artamis, scanning the scene, tilted his head in surprise. "Is that a cow? They got bovine lycanthropes?"
Steez chuckled. "Ain't that a minotaur."
"Minotaurs don't fly, right?" Alex asked, his voice tinged with doubt.
Their comments made me refocus on our new opponents, my eyes locking on the towering figure of Taurus and his retinue. His oddly dark wings almost glowed, each feather catching the sparse torchlight, unmistakably divine. Only Trappers had that kind of ethereal aura—divine, yet twisted in purpose.
"Hey there," I said, a grin spreading over my face. "How is everyone this fine morning? Beautiful, I hope." I threw out a casual hand gesture. "Name's Xiro Mikazuki, future Real Nigga Demon Lord of this region. Thought I'd start the day with a little pest control, clearing out Goblin Cave. So, if you all don't mind, kindly grab your belongings and exit the motherfuckin' premises." I commanded as a powerful indigo glow blazed within my eyes.
The Goblin King and Padre Drip looked almost disgusted, but Taurus just tilted his head, faint amusement twisting his mouth.
Alex chimed in, side-eying the room. "I hope they take those ugly-ass watcher things with them. They were making my stomach turn."
Steez smirked. "You need a real nigga's stomach to handle the fucked-up stuff life throws at you."
"Yeah, but those things are all dead now," Artamis added, nonchalant as ever.
At that, Taurus's smirk fell into a chilling scowl. His eyes darkened, and he growled, "Easily destroyed my tools, did you?"
Artamis, unfazed, met Taurus's stare with an empty expression before turning back to me. "Can I shoot them now?"
"Hold up," I replied, keeping my tone steady.
My gaze flicked to the caged dwarf, whose eyes had fixed on me as if pleading, and then over to downed majin. He'd steadied his breathing, barely keeping himself together, but he was in no condition to fight. Their presence added another layer to the tension, reminding me that this was no ordinary skirmish.
Padre Drip's scowl deepened, his eyes hard as he kept a keen eye on us. I could feel his mana brush against mine, subtle yet probing. He was using [Sense Presence], a skill that let him peel back the layers of an opponent's aura, and I could sense him sifting through mine, trying to get a feel for my strength.
Padre Drip (thinking): "Strange... We're within Lord Taurus's [Mana Damper] range, yet they're all so strong... especially the one-armed demon. His signature alone is giving me the creeps. It feels like an endless darkness swallowing me whole."
Then, from across the room, I caught Taurus murmuring to himself, his eyes flashing with a sudden, dawning realization. "Well, well, well... Three Sonata Soul Cores? In these backwood lands? So, that's why he didn't want me to come here."
Thanks to my [Super Hearing], his words hit me squarely, leaving me more than a little shaken. "Three Sonata Soul Cores? I only knew about my own, so who are the other two?"
Taurus lifted his gaze, speaking in a voice thick with self-righteousness. "You mortals should rejoice at your luck," he declared. "You stand in the presence of divinity itself. In fact, you should be kneeling, unworthy as you are to look upon Goddess Laniakea's chosen."
As he finished, he spread his arms wide, his massive, radiant wings unfurling with a resounding whoosh. The display was both majestic and intimidating as if he were gracing us with a glimpse of heavenly splendor.
At his words, both the Goblin King and Padre Drip lowered their heads, their faces set in obedient reverence.
Then, off to my right, Steez broke his usual stoic stance and started glancing around, his expression twisted in the most puzzled frown. He scanned the area, staring intently at every corner of the cave, before slowly pacing around our group, looking at the ground, as if searching for something lost. His quiet confusion pulled Artamis in too, who joined him with his own questioning look, casting about the room as if to spot something elusive.
Alex shot me a look, just as bewildered as I was by whatever was going on with my baby brother. I tried my hardest to ignore the little scene they were making, but after a moment, curiosity got the better of me.
"Steez," I finally asked, doing my best to hold my expression in check, "What are you doing? What are y'all looking for?"
Steez halted, returning to his original spot with a look of pure irritation before saying flatly, "I was trying to find who the fuck he was talking to."
It took all my strength not to bust out laughing on the spot. I let that simmer, biting back the grin pulling at my mouth as I glanced over at Artamis to see if he had anything to add.
Without missing a beat, Artamis replied, "I was trying to help Steez find who the fuck he was talking to."
That was it. Alex couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing. Watching him crack up was like the breaking of a dam. I couldn't help it—I doubled over, clutching my stomach as laughter shook me. The sheer ridiculousness of it all, paired with their deadpan expressions, had me breathless. For a moment, I could only shake my head at how wild these niggas were.
Our reactions, however, weren't sitting well with the others. Lysa, struggling under the intense mana pressure swirling in the room, gaped at us, clearly shocked by our casual disregard for both Taurus and the Goblin King. Jawz, fighting to keep his breaths steady, looked on in confusion, his impaired hearing blurring the details of what we'd said, but the sight of us all laughing left him with a mix of unease and something close to hope, like he wanted to leave it to fate.
Meanwhile, Taurus and his crew were less than amused. The hobgoblins exchanged glares, their faces twisted in shock and fury at the way we were disrespecting their leader. But Taurus's reaction was even more visceral. The twitch in his jaw and the appalling look he housed showed our carefree attitude had touched his ego. He straightened, the muscles in his shoulders tightening as his stance grew more imposing, the regal arrogance in his eyes giving way to a sharpened edge. His mana surged, the murder in it thick and unmistakable, seething in waves that turned the hobgoblins' faces pale and made them quiver.
The air was tense, colder, and saturated with the simmering weight of divine fury, but the Wolfpak stood undeterred, a force of nature all our own.
A surge of danger prickled through my [Future Sense] as Taurus's aura flared, slamming into me with the force of a comet. [Midnight Star: Belial] reacted instinctively, gathering every ounce of Bio Mana and funneling it toward my damaged arm. With [Super Self Regen] on overdrive, my arm pulsed with energy, bones knitting and muscle rebuilding under the strain of concentrated mana. At the same time, I activated [Moon Sage: Tsukuyomi], instructing it to [Analyze] this bullheaded angel, gathering intel on whatever abilities he had lying in wait.
Straightening my stance and pulling my senses back to the room, I turned my gaze to Taurus. His hulking form glinted in the ambient cave light, eyes blazing as he sized us up. I couldn't let his presence shake me. My focus shifted to Jawz, who was weakened and sprawled on the floor, and to Lysa, desperate behind the cage. I glanced between them both and gave a half-smile.
"I hope y'all wasn't about to eat them?" My words echoed through the cave, dripping with nonchalance, yet backed by mana-infused confidence.
The Goblin King's beady, hate-filled eyes snapped to me. "Stoopid demons, stoopid. Felt power from outside, so we prepared. You demons will die together." His voice was as sharp as his jagged teeth, each syllable scraping against my ears.
Lysa's voice broke through in defiance. "I told you…backup would come…and k…kill you," she managed, weak but defiant. Her words caught my attention. Tsukuyomi reported her heart rate spiking, indicating a mixture of relief and fear. We were the last hope for her and her friend.
My brother Artamis snorted, unable to resist his usual play. "I don't know these niggahs," he muttered. I shot him a fierce glare, and he held up his hands in mock surrender, backpedaling with a grin. "Aight, aight, Xi. I'll play along."
The Goblin King ignored our exchange, his focus now fixed on Jawz. His great axe glinted with intent, and with a grunt, he raised it high over his head, muscles bunching as he prepared to end Jawz right there. "You die, demon!" he declared.
Lysa shrieked, her hand reaching out from behind the bars, desperate, her voice high and strained. Her face twisted in despair as she watched helplessly.
Jawz, his vision clearing just enough to see his impending fate, muttered under his breath, "I knew today I could die, but damn…I don't want to. Creator, save me."
The Goblin King's axe reached its zenith, a looming shadow of death ready to descend. With a grunt, he tightened his grip, slamming the blade downward. A powerful crunch split the air, rocks and dust exploding outward as the cave floor buckled beneath the impact. The tremor rippled through the ground, a deafening silence hanging in the aftermath.
But when the dust cleared, the Goblin King's target was gone. Only a jagged crater remained where Jawz had lain seconds earlier.
Lysa's scream pierced the quiet, her voice raw and desperate. But then she realized her perspective had changed. Her screams slowed, becoming a low gasp as she found herself standing in an entirely different position, her eyes wide and locked on me. Her jaw dropped as she noticed Jawz leaning against her, semi-conscious. She jumped, startled, gasping in confusion.
"Aye, aye, calm down. You're yellin' in my ear," I said, my tone dry.
"Wait, what? How did we—?" She looked up, confused and dazed, realizing she and Jawz were being held by the back of their collars, hanging at my side like cats caught by the scruff.
Alex let out an impressed whistle. "That was the Air Samba art, right?"
Steez nodded, his arms crossed. "Yeah. He's gotten even faster with it."
Moving between those positions before the axe even touched the ground was child's play with my mastery over Wind Mana Arts. I'd made my move, sure, but the fact that Taurus's gaze had tracked me the entire time told me enough. This wasn't going to be a walk in the park.
Without glancing at Lysa and Jawz, I said, "You and your friend need to get out of here."
She swallowed, her fingers shaking. "I lost my Magic Gem…so I can't use my [Retreat] skill. And he's too heavy to carry out of the cave…alone."
Just as her words lingered, slow applause echoed through the chamber. The Trapper, still smirking, clapped, his face twisted with a predatory grin.
"Impressive speed, Majin," Taurus said, his voice oozing a grim satisfaction. "You must be the famous Devil of Velonica. You've been quite the talk of the rumor mill."
Padre Drip froze, his pupils shrinking. "The Devil of Velonica! He's real?"
A faint chuckle left him as he thought to himself. "That explains the feeling of his mana signature. They say the Devil of Velonica was a powerful demon that lived around the Janell Forest. Rumor has it he has countless dangerous arts, slaying many of the deadliest mana beasts." His eyes held a mixture of fear and respect. "Why is he here?"
Lysa, stunned by the revelation, could barely keep her thoughts in check. "Holy shit! The Devil of Velonica is here? And he's saving me? This can't be happening."
The Goblin King, however, seemed unperturbed. Unaware of the weight behind the alias, he simply huffed, unaffected by rumors. His beady eyes narrowed, his hulking form looming as he took a threatening step toward us, clutching his blood-stained axe.
"I'm King Goblin. Blessed by angel. True ruler of all Velonica, ha-ha-ha-ha," he growled, the conviction in his voice as dense as his skull.
I raised an eyebrow, feeling my patience slipping. "The motherfuckin' disrespect…" My eyes flashed as I sent a mental message to [Moon Sage: Tsukuyomi]. "Yo, Tsuki, prepare a teleport portal for the front of Talasi."
"Right away, Master. Placing coordinates for spatial jump now," came Tsukuyomi's calm response in my mind.
Alex's hands twitched, eyes flashing with eagerness as he shifted his stance. "Aye Xi, can I attack them yet? I'm starting to get bored."
For a tense six seconds, I remained silent, concentrating as I funneled Spatial Mana into the space directly behind me. A faint shimmer sparked in the air, growing until a small portal materialized, its hazy surface reflecting the view of Talasi's front gates.
Alex glanced at the portal, brows furrowing in confusion. "What are you doing?" he asked as he glanced back toward me.
Without breaking my gaze on Taurus, I threw Jawz and Lysa into the portal, their surprised yelps cut short as they vanished through the gateway. "That was the signal to attack, my nigga."
Alex's eyes glinted, a slightly confused grin spreading across his face. "Signal?"
As the portal closed, sealing Lysa and Jawz away from the chaos, Steez moved, without a second lost. He activated his skill, [Chrono Trigger], and seemed to flicker, reappearing behind the Goblin King as if he'd always been there. A crackling charge of Yin-infused Black Lightning seethed in his hand, dark as night, its edges laced with thin arcs of pale silver that crackled with volatile energy. In a single, calculated swipe, Steez cut across the Goblin King's back, his fingers carving like a blade through leather and flesh. The black lightning sizzled against the Goblin King's skin, scorching a deep, jagged scar that glowed ominously from within. The Goblin King bellowed in fury and agony, his roar a guttural thunder that shook the room. The strike left him paralyzed for the moment.
From his position on the sidelines, Padre Drip's eyes widened in surprise. He blinked, finally registering Steez's sudden assault.
Taurus, however, barely flinched. His gaze remained locked with mine, eyes unreadable, intense, and calculated. Meanwhile, Artamis stood a few paces away, his stance steady as he pulled out his SCAR 20, sliding in another custom shell — one with a distinct radioactive charge. This bullet was something else entirely, holding enough destructive mana to make the first version look like a toy.
From beside me, Alex noticed Artamis's intentions, a glint of dread crossing his face as he turned to me.
"Aye, Xi, he's about to—"
"Alexander," I cut him off, "Get ready!"
And then, Artamis's voice joined in, calm and indifferent, like he was talking about the weather: "Big Boom."
As if on cue, Artamis hugged the trigger, and the bullet's mana shell burst to life, thrumming with a dangerously high concentration of unstable, radioactive magic; a sickly green missile of destruction. Like that, he cast his mana art, [Nuclear Mana Arts: Big Boom]. The impact of it traveling through the air caused a split in the ground below, the shockwave disintegrating the back of the cave in a roaring void.
In a swift, practiced movement, Steez reactivated [Chrono Trigger], reappearing at my side just as I channeled the Bio Mana I'd gathered, focusing it into a force field. I anchored it in front of us, spreading it across our side of the room in a transparent wall that glimmered faintly in the dimness. The barrier hummed with contained energy, separating us from the incoming impact. Out of reaction, both Alex and Steez braced for the shockwave, now being familiar with the attack.
Taurus acted fast, his gaze flicking to the incoming projectile. He yanked Padre Drip closer, shielding them both. The Goblin King, however, was less fortunate. The bullet connected with his head in a blast of blazing radioactive energy that completely shattered the back half of the cave.
The impact tore through the Goblin King's skull, his massive figure falling instantly as the explosion detonated in full force. The hilltop disintegrated, bursting outward in a volatile shockwave that ripped through everything in its wake. Rocks, soil, and debris atomized, transforming the landscape into a smoking crater that stretched for a mile. The reverberations from the explosion reached even the heart of Talasi, where Glynis and Vericka would later tell us they'd felt the ground quake and seen the eruption from afar.
Heat and force surged past the barrier, faint ripples of distorted, pulsing radioactive energy making the very air ripple like disturbed water. The sound reverberated deep in my bones, a sickly hum hanging in the air. A thin line of faint light trailed where the bullet had traveled, an invisible scar that traced a path through the battlefield.
As the tremors finally died down, the remaining half of the hill stood precariously, with chunks and gravel tumbling down from the gaping cavity now left exposed, smoke and dust pouring from it in dark, heavy plumes.
Artamis's gaze was cool as he reloaded, sliding in a fresh magazine of bullets — these ones primed with Fire Mana. Not as destructive as his nuclear shells, but enough to drop a Skyshadow Falcon with one well-aimed shot. Steez, beside me, laced his body in a magical aura, his form cloaked in layers of wind mana that flickered around him, invisible yet present, swirling in faint gusts. He squared his shoulders, his chin lifted, and his heterochromatic gaze locked onto where Taurus stood with a quiet intensity. His hands had a slight tremble as he clenched them into fists, but his expression was steady.
"Xi," Steez murmured, his voice edged with a tense resolve, "You feel that?"
I nodded, my gaze never leaving the targeted area as I tightened my grip. "Yeah… Feels like a problem."
As the dust settled and the lingering echoes of the explosion faded, the chamber lay in ruin. The magisteel throne, once an imposing centerpiece with a twisted elegance, was now damaged, its frame warped and fractured. Scorch marks streaked its once-lustrous surface, deep cracks running through it like veins. The Goblin King's corpse lay in pieces around the crumbling throne, his body a charred, smoldering husk. His chest and torso, seared and twisted by the impact, shone faintly under the beams of morning light filtering into the exposed cavern, what little flesh remained melted away into blackened ruin. His lower half sprawled lifelessly at odd angles, a pitiful end to the so-called king.
But as I scanned the room, another figure appeared untouched, standing like a vision in a blazing golden aura, the light of the heavens clinging to his form. It was Taurus, completely unaffected, unscathed by the destruction. His radiant glow made it clear that the nuclear blast had left him unharmed. Behind the shelter of Taurus's wing stood Padre Drip, visibly shaken. His eyes darted around in disbelief, unable to comprehend the power he'd just witnessed.
Taurus's voice was calm but commanding. "Padre Drip, return to the Sycamore Tree. I'll join you once I'm done here."
A quiver ran through Padre Drip's tone as he stammered, "B-but Lord Taurus?"
Taurus didn't spare him a glance, dismissive. "It's clear they're above you in abilities. I don't need you in my way. Report what you saw to the other Panty Raiders."
Padre Drip nodded quickly, his head bobbing in submission, "Y-yes, milord. Right away."
Taurus raised his left arm, and with a practiced flick of his fingers, a portal materialized in front of Padre Drip, swirling with shifting colors. The Spatial Mana surrounding the portal was eerily familiar, his command over it eerily similar to my own. He manipulated it like it was second nature as if to showcase his mastery over magick. But the casual way he turned his head, ignoring us completely, was an insult that lit a fire in me. I wasn't about to let him walk off, acting as though we were nothing.
Dropping my barrier, I sprang forward, flash-stepping through the few feet between us to close the distance. Taurus's head turned my way, sensing me as I lunged forward with my fist charged in concentrated Yin Mana. His gaze narrowed, but that's what I'd expected. He was more than ready, with a malicious grin stapled to his mouth. Just as I entered his attack range, I spun out of the strike, casting [Wind Mana Arts: Air Samba] underfoot. A jet of wind thrust me sideways, accelerating me in a tight, controlled slide around his line of sight. The mana compressed beneath me, propelling me around him in a blur too fast for most people to track.
With Taurus momentarily out of view, I had a clear shot at Padre Drip, who was just stepping toward the portal. I closed in, fist drawn back to deliver a finishing blow to his jaw. But just as my knuckles were about to make contact, something blindsided me with a force so intense it tore through every nerve like fire.
A searing pain shot through my face as the Trapper's fist slammed into my cheek. It felt like my skin stretched and bent around his knuckles from the impact, the sheer speed and power of his strike sending me spiraling through the air. My momentum shattered, I crashed against the rock-hard surface of the remaining cave wall with a force that sent splinters of stone scattering around me.
The world spun for a moment, stars bursting in my vision as I shook off the blow. I spat blood, the taste bitter and metallic, my jaw aching with a dull throb. Across the room, Padre Drip looked back, momentarily startled, his eyes wide as he scanned for the source of the disturbance.
"What was that just now?" he asked, glancing toward Taurus with a mixture of fear and confusion.
"Just a fly," Taurus replied dismissively. "Now, leave."
Without another word, Padre Drip gave a final shaky nod. "Yes, Lord Taurus."
He bolted, practically tripping over his feet as he scrambled through the portal, the swirling colors swallowing him up just as the doorway closed behind him, leaving us alone with Taurus and his unfazed expression.
Even with my [Physical Damage Cancel] in play, that punch hurt like hell. The shock twisted through me, leaving a deep, echoing ache that wouldn't quit. It wasn't anything physical. It cut right into me—spiritual pain, like the kind I'd felt from Kyttin's hits. That told me one thing: I couldn't just tank a few of those hits and walk away. I'd have to stay on my toes against this behemoth; because if he landed many more, it'd start feeling like my soul was tearing apart with each one.
The portal shimmered and closed behind Padre Drip, leaving us alone with Taurus, who turned his attention to me fully. A slow, wicked grin spread across his face as if he'd been waiting for this. He didn't just radiate confidence—he was exuding a kind of absolute certainty, an aura thick with raw power that seemed to smother the air around us. His golden glow settled like an oppressive blanket over the ruined battlefield, amplifying every sense of danger thrumming through me.
I straightened, planting my feet back on solid ground, my hand sparking with Bio Mana as I steadied myself, pulling in breath after breath to keep focused. Down an arm, my spirit aching like a volcano had kissed me, but not down and out. That much I had to make clear, both to myself and him.
Our staring match began; a silent challenge. His smile widened, and I caught a dangerous gleam in his eye as if he already saw how this encounter would end. Sadly for him, though, I wasn't going down without a fight. Ain't no bitch in my blood.
The Mikazuki Clan don't run from no fade.
[End of Chapter]
[1] November on Earth