Solar Blood Masters

The icy wind whipped through the frosted trees and carried with it the faint scent of blood and burnt feathers. Above the frozen expanse, a squadron of Shadow Bats patrolled the skies.

"Scan… scan… scan…" One whispered while scanning the icy paths below. They were hoping to find easy targets.

"Master wants points! Find those with weak essences! Don't attack those above our tiers unless they initiate a confrontation." These instructions had been beaten into them for the past hour. And as such, this was their way now.

Back in the safety of his cave, Raphael watched through their eyes. His massive golden form lay still, taking a much-needed respite within the confines of his Electric Scale Prison. Each bat was an extension of his senses, which fed him a constant stream of sights and sounds from the battlefield. It was a brutal yet necessary strategy. His survival depended on their vigilance.

Suddenly, he noticed something interesting happening, A burst of energy.

"Hm, what's that commotion?"

WHOOSH! BOOM!

He zoomed in and watched as several trees were being blasted apart by something radiating potent fire energies. And through the billowing smoke and snow, he recognized those two figures.

"Those Scorpion brothers! They're still alive?"

Their opponent, this time, was much bigger and was no pushover.

"It's a large, purple raven." He mumbled. "Its beak is wickedly sharp… Its horn… that fiery blade."

"Damn bird! You move like a drunken snail!"

The smaller scorpion, Clamper, lashed out with a speed and accuracy that was surprising, for his Scorpion Tail Strike had come within millimeters of ripping those feathers from that terrifying raven's wings.

"Watch OUT, Brother!" Pincer, the slightly larger of the two, yelled this warning while skillfully dodging a blow aimed at his head from the fiery blade!

WHOOSH!

With a swiftness that made the very air itself moan, Pincer dashed behind a massive frost-covered tree, narrowly avoiding that fiery arc that had his shell tingling with potent heat as it cleaved through a few trees and set them aflame.

The orange and blue flames were hot, but their warmth felt distant to both scorpions. Such was the privilege of possessing strong Solar Essence in their bodies.

"You should yield! Now!" Huo Yan's wings flapped angrily. This fight was meant to be a swift victory. He then landed and charged another attack. But this time, he underestimated his opponents.

They were Black Rock Scorpions after all. Patience, agility and knowing how to work together, these were their innate power.

"Now BROTHER! It's our turn!" Pincer hollered.

They charged! Their forms moved so quickly! Like twin shadows, they attack!

CLANG! WHOOSH!

They met their enemy head on. Pincer's strike deflected the flaming blade. And within that moment of distraction. Clamper acted with a vengeance he'd never felt before.

"My Tail! It yearns for your entrails, NOW! Your points! They belong to me!"

His strike slammed into Huo Yan's exposed backside, catching it by surprise and before that raven could react or even utter a single word…

CRACK! CRACK!

…both dagger's tips with their potent black glow found a home within the raven's eyes.

"NOOOOOOOO!" Its cries about power and dominance ended with a dreadful splatter that was both terrifying, and truly awe-inspiring to those who witnessed it.

Their opponent stood no chance.

Their combined attack had silenced the Calamity.

As the flames across the magnificent raven's body slowly flickered before finally vanishing with a sad little echo, both scorpion brothers could only gasp in relief.

"We did it! We did it, Brother!"

"42 Merit points! So much!"

"HAHAHA! I told you we were unstoppable together!" Pincer puffed his chest with pride. "Now then, let's divide the points."

"We promised to split the points equally," Clamper was annoyed. He watched as those radiant numbers above his brother's head increased - 126 points! - while his own remained at 122. It wasn't simply the injustice of those 4 points that had him fuming. No.

It was that arrogance, that smugness, the blatant disregard for the oath they'd sworn to uphold as twins. He'd thought their brotherhood was more potent than points.

Pincer scoffed, "You call that equal? Brother. It was my strike that finished that Raven! Your daggers barely scratched its pathetic wings. You simply distracted it, and that's all.

Besides, someone has to be the leader, right? And as we both know, I'm bigger. Stronger. And my techniques…" He slashed his dagger menacingly, causing the air itself to crackle with dark energy. "Well, they are far more refined. So be grateful, Clamper, for those 122 points. And next time, don't whine like a hatchling! It's truly pathetic."

"You… you…!" Clamper was speechless. His brother's audacity was truly galling. How dare he break their pact so easily. He wanted to retaliate, to challenge Pincer, but he decided on a wiser approach.

"Hmph! You just WAIT! Pincer, one day, I'll claim ALL of your points! You'll be begging for mercy at my claws."

He then scurried off in a huff. This humiliation. Clamper wouldn't forget it, not today, not ever.

His brother, however, was unfazed.

"Oh, really? You'll have to train a thousand more years to achieve that feat. Now then…" He dismissed his brother's complaints with a wave and then happily surveyed his surroundings.

This was his day! He would claim more!

"Those trees ahead look perfect for ambushing. Hmmm, if my memory serves me right, wasn't there a herd of Musk Oxen in that area? They're slow. Clumsy. And their Solar Essences are quite potent, so their points must also be high. It's time for a feast! Yes. A feast for Pincer, hahaha!"

As he was about to dash into that forest, a strange, prickling sensation hit him. It was subtle, barely there, but undeniable.

"This… What is it…?" Pincer paused mid-step. His instincts were screaming at him. Danger was lurking nearby.

"Brother? Do you… sense it?" Clamper who'd been sulking in the shadows behind Pincer, also sensed this unnerving aura, it was like a chilling breeze against their backs.

"Yes, I do…" Pincer narrowed his eyes and scanned the area. "Someone is watching us."

He couldn't pinpoint the source. There was no scent, no sound, only an overwhelming premonition of something hiding in the shadows.

"Show YOURSELF!" His eyes darted from tree to tree, a bold yet reckless thought consumed him. "Or perhaps, you'd like to taste my blade?!"

And in a flash, he acted.

WHOOSH!

With a speed honed through millennia of battles, Pincer flung one of his black daggers towards the trees.

CRACK!

The sound of metal piercing flesh followed by a pained gasp had both scorpions crawling to the point of impact.

A Shadow Bat with a shattered wing lay there.

"Huh, is that a… Shadow Bat?" Clamper said, puzzled. This wasn't simply an encounter with a scout who'd dared get too close, there was something off.

"Hmph, trying to sneak up on us. Serve him right, brother." Pincer was pleased with his swift reaction. "Such a pitiful creature actually take part in this trial? Hahaha!"

"Brother what's that?"

Darkness suddenly exploded outwards. The ground beneath their feet crackled, then a massive, gaping Black Pool expanded from the spot where the bat had vanished moments before.

And then a terrifying surprise shattered their amusement.

"What the…"

From the swirling black depths, a colossal figure materialized! It was the bull—the GOLDEN BULL THORK!

At first, they were stunned by this sudden appearance.

"This… This isn't possible?! It was just… a shadow?!" Clamper was trembling.

"Could it be…? No, it can't be!" His brother, however, had a different reaction. A terrifying yet thrilling truth that had his blood boiling was taking shape. "This bull possesses some type of ancient spatial warping power. Truly something, but it matters not! His 71 Merit Points…! It's enough! Attack, NOW!"

Fueled by his ambitions and greed, Pincer didn't hesitate. He darted forward with a shout,

"DIE!"

His brother followed with a slightly slower reaction.

Clamper added his intentions: "Crush him brother! And let us SHARE his points!" He licked his daggers as he dashed in a flanking maneuver that they'd perfected.

Raphael found himself trapped within their 'Pincer Attack'.

It was a technique he hadn't witnessed before. Blades of dark energy, sharp as a hawk's talons, erupted from the ground, each perfectly timed with the Scorpion's movement, forming a deadly maze around him.

He tried to break free!

"ELECTRO SPEED!"

WHOOSH!

Golden lightning crackled around him as he dodged and weaved between those shadowy blades, but Pincer and Clamper were relentless.

Their attacks intensified. Each blow, infused with potent Solar Essence, seemed to anticipate his every move, as if they'd fought him countless times, their familiarity with his techniques felt almost terrifying!

"This is…"

Raphael was struggling. He'd hoped to simply overpower them, crush them with brute force but it would appear as if these brothers were more cunning than he'd anticipated. They hadn't attacked blindly, instead their black claws were probing his defenses with an efficiency that had his monstrous heart pumping a little faster.

Then as if they'd decided it was time to end this pathetic dance, their assault changed.

They sheathed their daggers and materialized large, black shields. These shields were crafted from the hardened exoskeletons of their fallen brethren, each engraved with ancient runes and emanating a dark aura.

"Taste our ancestors' wrath, BULL!" Pincer yelled as he slammed his shield forward.

Their movements, mirroring each other, formed a pincer! They were compressing him, hoping to crush his bones. Such brutal tactics, but who was he to judge.

"HRAAA!" Raphael roared, desperately trying to push back. He unleashed a radial burst of lightning, hoping to stagger his attackers.

CRACKLE! BOOM!

The energy wave struck their shields, and for a moment, it seemed as if his attack would work! The shields crackled and shuddered, but Pincer and Clamper held firm, their eyes narrowed with that dark determination that had him flinching.

They were too strong!

"Damn it!"

Raphael watched as they pressed in closer with their shields inches from crushing him!

He had to act!

"NIGHTCRAWLER!"

In an instant, his golden form dissolved into shadows. The scorpions slammed their shields together.

CLANG!

They met with a bone-jarring impact, their own momentum sent them staggering backward!

"Where did he…?"

Pincer glanced around. He couldn't comprehend. His opponent's movements defied his logic, but then…

From behind him, a menacing cold aura materialized as a voice whispered, "Right HERE, Scorpion…"

"WHOA!"

Before he could even react.

BOOM!

A golden hoof slammed into Pincer with the full force of a Calamity's might!

He was thrown into a nearby pillar. His exoskeleton shattered! He landed in a crumpled heap. His proud black exoskeleton he'd so diligently polished were now covered in snow and blood.

"Pincer!" Clamper screamed.

He'd witnessed his brother's humiliation. He discarded his shield, his bloodlust now outweighing any rational thought. With a furious shriek he charged at Raphael!

"YOU DARE!?"

He swung his dagger in a brutal downward arc, aiming to cleave the bull in two!

However, Raphael's reaction was swift. He didn't even have to turn to face his attacker. He simply… shifted his weight.

"MOVE IT!"

WHOOSH!

Pincer's limp form, caught between a blade and a hoof was then tossed towards Clamper who had his pupils dilating with horror. He couldn't pull back his attack.

STAB!

"ARGH! You! YOU…! Idiot!"

Pincer's scream of agony reverberated through the frozen woods. He coughed out a mouthful of blood.

"Why… why did you attack ME?!"

"Sorry! Brother! I… It was an accident. I wasn't…"

Clamper tried to defend his actions, but it faded in an instant as another hoof manifested above him. This sight had him pissing himself from dread, he couldn't hold back.

BOOM!

"GOLD PRESS!"

Raphael didn't hesitate.

Clamper was flattened!

His entire body was pressed against the ice with a sickening crunch. He coughed out a few lengths of his intestines.

His vision blurred. His delicate antennae were the first to shatter into fragments before the rest of his being began to resemble a colorful painting. He wanted to scream. He wanted to beg for his life, but his jaw wouldn't move!

"I… yield… YIELD! MERCY!"

His final word was a whisper. A whimper of regret.

This time, however, the Golden Bull Thork didn't take a bite out of his prize, neither did those hooves crush the scorpion into oblivion.

He just stood there, radiating might.

"Hmph, puny creatures…"

Raphael was savoring the moment. The sheer terror emanating from them. It had his monstrous heart throbbing. This power, it was intoxicating, yet something else he couldn't define, was also bubbling to the surface.

It was guilt.

He dismissed this instantly.

Raphael turned his attention toward their point totals, the delicious prize he had won through cunning and brute force. The lights above their mangled forms were truly magnificent.

"Yes! Those points! My reward!"

Raphael stretched out his golden hooves, ready to claim those points as his when…

"I YIELD! Please… spare… me! W-we… beg for your mercy! We'll give you all our points. EVERYTHING! JUST don't eliminate us!"

Raphael paused. He'd heard those pleas before, but not from a proud warrior such as these. This wasn't arrogance anymore. This was desperation.

"Hmm, such pathetic insects, begging for their life, how truly amusing."

"Brother, your humiliation is truly inspiring! But pleassssse! BULL, spare us!"

Their whimpers fueled his arrogance, "You dare ask this of me, after trying to skewer my intestines? You have no honor! No pride!"

"We'll serve you! ANYTHING! Just tell us what to do!"

"Be your… slave even! Please!"

Raphael was intrigued now. 'These scorpions… what if…?' He thought deeply. Those earlier battles, his Generals struggles, the injuries they'd sustained. The pain he'd felt from replenishing their energies.

It all came flashing back to his blood-soaked gaze.

A plan was forming.

"Hmm…"

He then decided on a gamble, an opportunity presented by their cowardice.

"Very well. I'll spare your lives. This time, but…" He lowered his massive head menacingly. "Should you betray me…"

The threat didn't need further elaboration.

"WE UNDERSTAND! We won't! I promise! I promise! We'll be good!"

"Transfer your points to ME, NOW!"

A hazy white light shot from their forms, they converged before Raphael's horns. And within seconds, his total points increased to 319.

He was now in the top 1000! This made him smile.

"Now, GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"

He watched as they slowly picked themselves up. Their black shells were marred and cracked. Their bodies were trembling, and their eyes had a dazed look as they limped away.

"Hmph, such fragile fools! To think they could ever challenge ME!" He basked in his victory, for truly weren't those who crawled before him simply fodder for his grand ambitions.

He was now counting his points when he heard a sound behind him. It was a skittering that seemed familiar. He quickly turned and saw the two scorpions.

"What the hell do you want?!" Raphael glared down at them with an anger that had those claws retracting with a speed even he couldn't comprehend. "I said PISS OFF didn't I?"

"F-forgive… our impudence, mighty bull, but…"

"We have a proposition that we… we believe will benefit us all. You see… We are strong. The skills we possess are unique and the scorpion venom we have is capable of weakening even the strongest Calamities. We have a partnership with a… a very potent healer. He would be glad to join your team, if…"

Clamper was about to finish his statement when his brother cut in with their true motive.

"We would be honored to hunt alongside you. Even those insects that fly and those who burrow, they all FEAR us! We are the BLACK ROCK SCORPIONS! And with you by our side, their POINTS will be ours to command!"

His voice held such a strange charisma that Raphael's hoof tapped nervously.

"We've observed your battle, and we believe, together we can achieve greatness! There is strength in numbers. Your wings and those shadows they house… surely they are depleting your essence?

We can be your claws, while you, oh magnificent one. You can be our shield, a truly unbreakable one. And with our combined might, surely those who survive this dreadful trial will tremble at our every step. We will be legends!

What do you say? Will you accept our proposal? We are called Pincer and Clamper, at your service. And you are…?"

"Hmm…"

Raphael was truly tempted. He thought of the battle ahead. He'd survived encounters with Nightmare Calamities, but at a cost. His 'Shadow Bat Legion' while efficient against weaker opponents, could easily be decimated by powerful adversaries.

His current strength and his recently earned techniques… 'None of these things guarantee my safety.'

"What do you say bull? Join our team?"

They'd all been waiting for his verdict. And after a few moments of silence…

"Fine!" Raphael's agreement had the scorpions trembling. It would appear as though he'd accepted their proposal.

"Excellent! Excellent!" Pincer cried joyfully. His claws clicked excitedly.

"You won't regret this, mighty bull. WE are the strongest Scorpion duo in all of Yama Yaguai! Our venom is potent. Our tails, swift and deadly! And our knowledge of the Trials is unsurpassed!"

His brother Clamper added, "We will ensure your victory!"

"Hmph!"

Raphael was impressed, not so much by their braggadocio, but by their tenacity. To be crushed, to lose all those points, and then return with a proposition that benefited him, this was a move many wouldn't have conceived of. These scorpions were more cunning than those haughty serpents in Hebikuni.

Those were thoughts that made him smile now.

"Don't get too excited, scorpions! This is just a temporary arrangement. Once we get those passes, our paths diverge. Now then, what are your names again? I've been too busy squashing insects to remember."

"It is an honor to formally introduce ourselves, BULL. I am PINCER, and this is my brother, CLAMPER. And you are…?"

"Raphael."

"Welcome to the team, RAPHAEL!"

They bowed respectfully, before Pincer straightened his form. It was as if he'd just been granted the most prestigious title, a leader amongst equals, and with a gesture that revealed more about his leadership than his words ever could.

"Now then! Let us depart. There's a hunting ground nearby. It's filled with weaklings and their delicious points. Follow us. We'll ensure you reach the TOP TEN ranks with ease, hahaha!"

"Lead the way." Raphael followed, but kept his guard up. He'd seen firsthand how easily alliances could shatter; how greed could corrupt even those whose moral had been forged in a crucible.

It would appear as though fate's play had taken an interesting turn. Their shared ambition for greatness would be one he wouldn't soon forget.