Solar Blood Masters

"RUN!"

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

"HE'S COMING!"

Screams of terror echoed as a barrage of blazing boulders rained down from the sky. Those unlucky creatures who were too slow or too stubborn to flee Gastaroid's wrath were crushed beneath molten projectiles and dissolved into light particles that vanished with a whisper.

Even Pincer and Clamper, whose agility rivaled the swiftest desert winds, found themselves struggling as their claws sliced through those falling projectiles.

"Damn that BULL! He's going to get us all KILLED! Why wouldn't he just bow?! Why?!" Pincer shrieked in frustration as he narrowly avoided a molten rock that sizzled as it struck the earth near his tail, sending a wave of heat that would have singed a lesser scorpion.

Clamper was cowering behind a jagged ice formation. "Why did we ever trust this arrogant, self-righteous bastard! We should have just left him to be crushed! At least then… maybe we could have reached the finish line already! Why?! Why?!"

The holographic timer blinked menacingly. Each seconds off was reminding them of their dwindling hopes:

ONE HOUR REMAINING!

And yet, amidst this chaotic scene, Raphael stood defiant. He was a golden beacon against the crimson sky above as he faced hundreds of blazing boulders that were meant to shatter him.

That imposing Bull Mountain Demon was looming above like a God of War.

"Muwahahaha! Is THAT ALL you GOT, bull?! WHERE is that SPARK from earlier? The one that dared to defy ME?!" Gastaroid watched with amusement as Raphael struggled against his relentless barrage.

But Raphael wouldn't yield.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

With each fiery projectile he blasted, more came raining down. It seemed like an endless assault. This Bull Mountain Demon, he was playing with him.

"Hmmm…" A sinister grin stretched across Raphael's muzzle as an idea ignited, "It's my turn now!"

He focused his Solar Essence, his horns buzzed, a black energy materialized and then…

WHOOSH!

From between his horns, a black beam shot outwards. It soared towards the heavens with a horrifying speed that had even Gastaroid flinching!

The beam then exploded into a massive 'Black Pool' that spread across the sky with unimaginable speed and began consuming those hundreds of molten boulders.

"What?!"

Gastaroid was stunned. It was the first time he'd witnessed such a technique, but he was a Peak Nightmare Calamity! He didn't panic, not really. His pride wouldn't allow such a display, at least not in front of those lesser insects.

"He's absorbing my rocks?"

Then, before his very eyes, the impossible occurred!

Above Gastaroid, a second 'Black Pool' appeared, and from its swirling depths…

"No way!"

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

…the very boulders he'd launched, came raining back down!

"He redirected my attack?! Impossible! This bull…" Gastaroid's astonishment was short-lived as he reacted swiftly.

He snapped his fingers.

And those very boulders that were about to crush his monstrous form, changed trajectory! They converged on his horns and merged with them which amplified their size and made them even more deadly.

"Hmph! You're clever, bull! But it'll take more than cheap tricks to defeat me!"

He then summoned two massive pillars from his 'Artificial Fire Pool' below. They erupted from those blazing depths with terrifying speed and shot towards Raphael.

"Take THIS!"

Realizing the pillars' speed, Raphael reacted instinctively, "Black Pool!"

But instead of being consumed by his shadow magic…

"What?!"

The pillars passed right through!

They slammed into his face, sending him hurtling backward!

He crashed onto the ground with a deafening thud that shattered ice and sent a wave of tremors that had even those furthest from the impact point, scrambling.

"He's down!"

"The bull is FINISHED!"

"Those pillars, they're too powerful!"

Those watching from outside the Marble World were on the edge of their seats.

They couldn't believe their eyes!

"Did he just lose?!"

"No… NO!"

Raphael wasn't done.

Enraged by this humiliation, he roared and launched himself back into the sky.

"ELECTRIC TAIL LASH!"

His massive tail, crackling with golden lightning, whipped those pillars away like twigs. They were sent hurtling down with a thunderous BOOM!

CRASH!

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The pillars crashed onto a group of creatures below. Their forms vanished instantly, leaving only faint wisps of smoke and dust as evidence of their unfortunate encounter.

"Hmm… More points." Raphael's total count increased by five as he looked down at the carnage.

Above, Gastaroid watched and chuckled.

"Look at you, bull, profiting from MY pillars. If you're that greedy… WHY DON'T YOU HAVE SOME MORE!"

He then unleashed a wave of fiery pillars, dozens upon dozens, each more massive, more potent than the last. They surrounded Raphael, trapping him within a deadly inferno.

And as if that wasn't enough!

From the heart of his 'Artificial Fire Pool', a horrifying legion materialized!

"Bull Demon Gods! ARISE!"

Hundreds upon hundreds of figures, resembling Gastaroid, emerged from the molten depths. Each one was armed with weapons of fire and stone. They were smaller, but their sheer numbers were overwhelming.

They rushed toward Raphael!

"KILL!"

"CRUSH!"

"OBEY!"

The Bull Demon Gods grasped the pillars. They then launched into the sky, surrounding Raphael from all sides.

"That… That BULL… he's DONE FOR!"

"No one can withstand such power!"

"He's about to be ATOMIZED!"

The spectators watched in terrified awe. Even Qi Hawk, who'd been observing the trial with a detached amusement, straightened his feathers. "This… is getting interesting."

But Raphael…

"Grrrrr…" He growled. Drool trickled from his jaws, but his resolve didn't falter.

He faced this impossible challenge with a bravery that was more Shao Jin than Raphael, for wasn't he, even at a mere 1st Layer Nightmare Calamity, still a Golden Bull Thork?

He unleashed a technique he'd been saving. A skill he'd planned to use only during the Great Divine Tribulation, a last resort. He'd never thought he'd need it so soon, but this Bull Mountain Demon's power was forcing his hand.

"ECLIPSING VEIL – SANGUINARY MOON!"

BOOM!

Crimson energy exploded!

His horns dripped blood, and from those droplets, a massive red orb materialized above. It pulsed, and then it shot skywards!

The air crackled!

A chilling red glow spread across the heavens.

And then, it was there!

A blood moon, as large as Gastaroid himself, descended. It cast a dreadful crimson light that had the spectators gasping.

"What is… that?"

"A… Blood Moon?"

"It's dripping blood!"

From the moon's depths, a concentrated beam of pure crimson energy shot down, bathing the landscape in a horrific yet mesmerizing Bloodshine.

And those who gazed upon its brilliance…

They froze.

They stumbled!

They could feel their essence waning.

Their limbs became sluggish, as if bound by an unseen force!

And then, they saw it…

Crimson tendrils, thick as snakes, erupted from the ground. They snaked around their bodies, constricting, pulling!

It was the Blood Roots, fueled by the Sanguinary Moon's blood magic.

Even the Bull Demon Gods were caught in its grasp!

"What… what's happening?!"

"My powers! They're fading!"

"GET… these… roots… OFF ME!"

But their struggles were futile, for Raphael's technique, the one he'd stolen from those Bloodthorne Knights, it was amplified by his monstrous Solar Essence. It was a truly terrifying display of blood magic!

Even Gastaroid, the mighty Bull Mountain Demon felt the effects.

"NO! It… It can't be! HOW can a 1st Layer Nightmare Calamity IMMOBILIZE me?! Not only ME, but… EVERYONE within this pathetic Marble World???"

His molten arms, which were about to pulverize Raphael, were now encased in a mesh of crimson tendrils. His movements, halted.

He was trapped!

The answer to his bewilderment was simple, yet terrifying:

Raphael's 'Eclipsing Veil – Sanguinary Moon' was a stolen legacy, a technique that defied the limitations of his current cultivation level. In the hands of Lorial, the Platinum Blood Saint, it had been a potent force, capable of draining the life essence of those pesky Vampsquitoes back in the Dark Swamp Gorge.

However, within Raphael's grasp, a Nightmare Calamity who had absorbed potent blood essences, this technique's potency had been amplified a hundred-fold.

Its influence spread like a crimson plague.

All who were exposed to its Bloodshine, they suffered the same fate!

Raphael, seeing his opportunity, roared!

"NOW!"

His black wings unfolded, summoning forth over 400 Shadow Bats. They buzzed excitedly and their crimson eyes radiated his will.

"DESTROY them ALL!"

"YES, MASTER!"

From his wings, Bat General Kong and Bat General Melissa materialized.

"For Master!"

"It shall be my pleasure!"

They led the charge! Their movements were a blur of shadow and lightning.

Claws ripped through the Bull Demon Gods, pillars snapped, wings were torn!

Within a heartbeat, those who'd stood so confidently beside Gastaroid were reduced to shattered rock and flickering embers.

"It's time to repay that arrogance."

WHOOSH!

Raphael flew straight toward the immobilized Gastaroid, he channeled his Solar Essence into his horns. It churned and his golden flames intensified. He was unleashing his full might.

"Helios Stream!"

BOOOOM!

The beam struck Gastaroid's chest with devastating force!

It obliterated his torso!

Even the fiery wall behind Gastaroid received a faint crack.

"HAHA! Finally! It's over!" Raphael laughed. His massive form swayed from exhaustion, but the thrill of victory…

"Kong! Melissa! Return!"

His shadow army converged back into the depths of his black wings.

With a final sigh of relief, Raphael landed on a nearby platform.

His 'Sanguinary Moon' slowly began to fade, releasing its captives from their crimson prisons. The Blood Roots withered. The Bloodshine dimmed.

"Impossible! He… he defeated Gastaroid?!"

"That bull! He's incredible!"

Some even began to cheer, but those cheers were quickly replaced by a chilling realization.

That fiery wall… it still stood!

But before their despair could fully bloom, a sound they knew, one that haunted those past 58 hours of their existence had them looking up in horror.

"Muwahahaha! You… didn't think… THIS… was OVER, did you?!"

The molten earth surrounding Gastaroid began to shift, they merged together, repairing his shattered torso and head. He glared down at Raphael with his horns now larger, more menacing.

"You've angered ME, BULL!"