Solar Blood Masters

"Gulp, gulp, gulp…"

The silence within the grand venue was as thick as the tension it housed. Emperor Julian Ringtail, a picture of unrestrained indulgence, tipped his golden wine gourd, draining the last drop.

"Ahhh, so refreshing." He sighed contentedly, then with a flick of his wrist, tossed the empty gourd onto a nearby cloud. It bounced with a soft 'poof' and settled beside several other discarded gourds.

He'd emptied five during his short journey to Black Wind.

"Hmm… I seem to have… run out of wine." He grumbled, then turned those mischievous golden eyes towards Qi Hawk.

"Brother Hawk, old friend, be a good sport and sponsor me with a few more bottles, hmm? You know I'm a connoisseur of those rare vintages you keep tucked away." He then gave Qi Hawk a wink as his ring tail swayed back and forth playfully.

"Emperor Julian, you are truly a guest of questionable taste, sir."

"Indeed! To even…"

Those elders, whose duty was to uphold decorum, felt their blood pressure rise, but they bit back their indignant remarks, for even a whisper could spark a confrontation between these ancient rivals. They understood all too well how swift, how brutal those repercussions could be.

Within those countless platforms and grand stands where those who'd come to witness this magnificent Selection Trial sat or hovered or even stood. A chilling wave of panic resonated, leaving behind only the sounds of dripping sweat and occasional gulps as their ears twitched nervously.

They had front-row seats to a potential disaster! A calamity of unimaginable proportions if those emperors decided that today was a good day for bloodshed.

Thus they dared not speak because just one irritation was enough to lit a fuse and the fight might kill them off before they could even blink!

"Hmm? Are you ignoring me, Brother Hawk? That's not nice. We're brothers, aren't we?"

Julian's words were laced with faux hurt that no one believed, especially after witnessing what he'd done to those dinosaurs, but what happened next had even the spectators with the strongest bladders pissing themselves.

He vanished!

"Where…?"

Then reappeared in a flash of smoke before Qi Fenwei, who stood beside her father's throne.

Her feathers ruffled! She took a step back with her eyes wide. "You…"

"My, my! Look at you, little Fenwei, you've grown so much! Those wings… so magnificent! And those curves…"

Julian's hand reached out to caress her cheek, his fingers lingered a little too long on her jawline before moving downwards towards her chest, those delicate feathers were now inches from being touched. But before his fingers could make contact with her sensitive plumage she recoiled, those feathers on her headpiece were shaking as she backed away with a hiss.

"Stay away from me, you… you… lecherous monkey!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk."

He ignored her protest. "Such fire, such spirit, I like it! You are becoming a plump woman, just like your elder sister. Boboboboho!"

"Qi Wella…" Her name slipped from his lips, "Those memories… she was truly delicious. We…"

"RINGTAIL!"

BOOM!

A wave of potent energy erupted from Qi Hawk. It slammed into Julian like a tidal wave, throwing him back several meters! The wind from that blast ruffled Julian's fur. His tail straightened in surprise. But his playful demeanor remained, even as his staff rattled.

"Brother Hawk! Why such hostility?!"

"Stay AWAY… from my daughter!" Qi Hawk's single eye glowed with an intensity that melted the edges of his throne, sending droplets of molten gold dripping onto the jade tiles below with sizzling sounds that were chilling.

"Ok, ok, I understand, your daughters… well, they are your treasures aren't they?"

Julian chuckled, seemingly unfazed by Qi Hawk's outburst. He'd seen this rage before. It was a familiar thing from their tumultuous past. And those who were watching on, the silence, the expressions of sheer terror… it fueled his mirth.

He was truly a being of chaos.

But then, he did the unthinkable.

He hopped!

He leaped onto the throne and sat beside Qi Hawk, slinging his staff carelessly over his shoulder.

"So… about those wines?" He gave Qi Hawk a cheeky grin. "You know… I can see those bottles tucked away in that milky white orb of yours, Brother Hawk. Just a few sips…"

The audience gasped. They stared in disbelief, the sheer audacity! It was as if those two Emperors were a couple.

"That… monkey…"

"He's sitting on the throne!"

"Right next to Qi Hawk!"

"He's going to DIE!"

The elders were speechless. They wanted to intervene. To draw their swords and cleave that lemur into a thousand pieces. But they knew, deep down…

It was futile!

They'd be ashes before their blades even left their scabbards. Such was Julian Ringtail's terrifying power. They could only watch, their hearts pounding, their hands trembling as they removed their hands from their hilts with a dreadful, silent resignation.

Qi Hawk was seething. This humiliation, this blatant disregard for his authority, it was unforgivable.

'Tsk, this damn lemur… of all times he could visit, he chose NOW! I should eliminate him right here, right now for this insult before my subjects! Such disrespect! But…'

His thought was interrupted by a more pragmatic one, an unwelcome reminder of Julian's most potent ability:

'…his 'Mimic' technique! That damned technique can copy up to 80% of its target's power, and there's no time limit on its use. The only limiting factor is Solar Essence. My Void Eye is still undergoing evolvement! I can't afford to let this furball ruin it. Must… control… my feathers! Must… calm down…"

He took a deep breath and his right hand unconsciously gripped his armrest with such intensity those gems began cracking.

Then a revelation struck, it calmed his rage and a sly smirk took its place.

'This isn't a coincidence! It's impossible! This bastard! He's been observing the Trials! That means…'

"Ringtail." He finally spoke. "Is this… Gastaroid's rampage… YOUR doing?"

He pointed towards the area below the stage where the eliminated participants would reappear. It was a chaotic scene of bodies piling up, each one more battered than the last.

"Hmm… Perhaps, maybe?" Julian shrugged casually.

"You… KNOW?!" The elders were aghast, but then those dreadful rumors of his past deeds… those stories of how easily this Lemur went from laughter to bloodshed. It had them silencing their inquiries with a terrifying realization. They were dancing with fate.

"I held my own Selection Trials a few weeks ago, Brother Hawk. But unfortunately for Gastaroid… well, he'd been in seclusion, and missed it. When he awoke, the Trials were over. Those who were deemed worthy, had already been chosen. Such bad luck, for him, I thought."

Julian chuckled, took another sip of wine before continuing, "Fearing that Gastaroid might lash out, I decided to appease him, you see? I offered him a proposition. I told him that my BROTHER HAWK hasn't hosted his Selection Trials yet. I even vouched for him, saying you would GLADLY allow him to participate. Covertly, of course."

He shook his head sadly. "I never expected him to be so bold! I mean… to reveal himself so brazenly and to actually block those native Black Wind participants from reaching the finish line? This isn't what I promised, Hawk, it truly is not. I am truly, truly heartbroken."

"You're heartbroken?" Qi Hawk wanted to unleash his Void Eye and blast this furry bastard into oblivion, but he controlled his essence. There were more pressing matters, and this wasn't his mess to clean up.

He glanced at the screens, then turned towards Julian. "So, what do you PROPOSE I do about Gastaroid, Ringtail? At this rate, all of my participants will be eliminated. And I'll have NO ONE to send to the Great Divine Tribulation. Such a humiliation this would be!"

"Hmm, I understand. But let's simply wait and see, shall we, Hawk? Patience is a virtue, a virtue that will reward us with a thrilling spectacle." Julian winked.

He then added, "Besides, if none of those pathetic weaklings can get past that fiery wall, then they don't deserve a spot in the Great Divine Tribulation, do they? Only the strongest should enter that arena, don't you agree? It's about quality, not quantity."

"Hmmm, perhaps you're right, Ringtail."

Qi Hawk's subtle agreement had the elders trembling once more. Their Emperor acknowledging this lemur's logic?!

It was truly a day of horrors!

"Now then, I wonder…" Julian hopped off the throne. His eyes scanned those flickering screens, searching, "Where is that bull that defeated my friend Yellow Flash…? Hmm… Ah, there you are!"

And in a heartbeat, his furry paw pointed, "Look, Hawk, isn't that your champion?"

Qi Hawk's gaze followed, his single white eye settled upon a familiar, golden form galloping across a frozen wasteland. "The bull…"