Chapter 16: The March of Destruction
16-1
After about an hour of walking, it felt like we had entered the belly of a beast.
Buttercup asked impatiently, "Where is the temple exactly?"
I conjured flames in my palm while Boomer gathered silver electricity, using them as flashlights to drive away the darkness in the cave.
"Ah! I see it!" Bubbles pointed ahead, about tens of meters away, where there was a stone door.
"Alright, let's go!" Blossom led Bubbles and Buttercup towards the door. "Wait, hold on!" Butch suddenly shouted to the girls, who quickly halted their steps.
Suddenly, in the previously silent darkness, I saw two red eyes glowing in the dark, with unidentified creatures hiding within!
Just as I spotted the first pair of eyes, I immediately saw the second pair, the third pair... there were at least dozens of unidentified creatures staring at us!
I made the flames burn brighter to increase the brightness, only to realize that these unidentified creatures were actually groups of giant black poisonous spiders! Moreover, these spiders were towering at 1.5 to 2 meters tall, clearly mutated monsters! "
By the order of Lord Jagu, no one is allowed to approach the temple, or you will be killed without exception!" These spider monsters could even speak human language! The next second, the giant spider let out a sharp and piercing sound, rushing towards the six of us like a torrential tide!
"Flame Strike!" I swung my kentama,
"Almond Biscuit Shot!"Blossom wielded her yo-yo. A portion of the spiders instantly turned into a mass of black sludge. "Sonic Swing Hammer Strike!" Buttercup swung a large hammer, emitting a green light.
"Explosive Bubble Attack!" Bubbles waved her bubble stick. Under the assault of colorful bubbles and green light, the remaining spiders on the ground were also eliminated. However, while we were joining forces to eliminate these spiders, more spiders kept pouring out from the darkness.
" How many are there?!"Blossom was busy using her yo-yo to repel the spiders. "Damn it, they're endless!" I threw several fireballs at the spider horde, but as soon as one died, another would replace it.
" Butch and I will buy you time, hurry to the temple!" Boomer said to us, handing a deep blue pearl to Bubbles.
"Quickly open the rift in -ime!" Butch tossed a white pearl to Buttercup.
"Alright, let's go!" I ran towards the stone door without looking back. " Leave it to you!" the girls said in unison.
At this point, all the spider groups were being restrained by Boomer and Butch, creating a path for us.
Buttercup rudely rushed forward and smashed the stone door with a hammer. The four of us quickly rushed in.
The two stood back to back, facing a large group of spiders. Boomer and Butch trusted each other absolutely, believing that their partner would defeat the enemies behind them.
"Let's do this!"
"Air Slash!" Butch's hands created countless air blades.
"Thunder Blade!" Boomer wielded a Japanese sword, emitting powerful electrically charged sword .
The air blades and thunderous sword qi turned the spider horde into black sludge, but instead of retreating, the spiders became more courageous, desperately lunging towards the two.
"At this rate, our stamina will be depleted!"
"Then let's push through in one go!"
"You all, move aside! Storm Barrier!" Butch surrounded himself and Boomer with a tornado.
" Furious Thunder!" Boomer channeled electricity into the storm, forming a "Thunder Tornado".
Powerful energy filled every corner of the cave, and all the spiders were instantly annihilated. Boomer and Butch quickly rushed into the stone chamber.
At the end of the stone chamber sat a small shrine, with a cylindrical stone slab in front of it. Just as I was about to set the four pearl into the grooves on the stone slab, the ground suddenly trembled violently, making it difficult for us to stand. Cracks appeared on the ceiling and floor of the chamber, gradually peeling off.
"What's happening?!" Blossom asked nervously.
Butch suddenly rushed in from the doorway and shouted at us, "Hurry, the cave is collapsing!"
Buttercup looked surprised. "What did you say?!"
Bubbles asked anxiously, "How could this happen?"
Boomer grabbed his head apologetically. "Sorry, we accidentally blasted off the top of the cave just now."
"Click!" I set the last pearl into the stone tray, and the four-colored pearl on the slab emitted a strong light. The light extended to the door of the small temple. With the intense light, the tightly closed wooden door of the temple gradually opened.
Just then, "You're going to hell!" Suddenly, a giant scorpion, much larger than the spiders before, crawled out from the cracks in the floor. Its tail, armed with poisonous hooks, lunged toward us, and we all quickly jumped back.
"You're the one going to hell!" I clenched my right fist, gathering flames, and forcefully struck the scorpion's abdomen. My fist pierced through the scorpion's body, and after emitting a piercing scream, the scorpion sadly turned into black powder and disappeared.
Looking into the deep subspace inside the temple, "Let's go!" I shouted to the five people behind me.
"Yes!" Everyone's eyes showed unwavering determination.
"Is this the Rift in time?" I asked. All the events that had happened between the six of us were projected around us like a slideshow.
Blossom pointed at one of the images, "Look at this!"
Buttercup said, "Isn't that from when we first met...?"
The content of the image showed the three of us using some crude moves to attack the Powerpuff Girls, then lifting their skirts.
"It even has this memory!" Butch pointed at another image. This time, it showed the three of us causing havoc in Tokyo while wearing the Powerpuff Girls' uniforms, only to be sent flying into outer space by them afterward.
"Stop looking..." Three black lines appeared on my face in embarrassment. That was the most nightmarish memory of my life.
"I still think you guys looked great in our outfits!" Bubbles said earnestly.
"Really?" A troubled expression appeared on Boomer's face.
"Alright, stop dwelling on the past! We need to move on!" I shouted to the five of them.
"Got it!" Everyone replied in unison.
We continued to move deeper into the space, when suddenly... a red figure appeared before us.
"Him!" Blossom shouted at the person in front of us. "Hi~ long time no see, little girls and... boys!" He waved his claw-like hand at us.
I flipped off Jagu with my middle finger, "You still have the nerve to greet us?!"
Boomer drew the katana from his waist, Butch gathered a strong wind in his palms, Blossom took out her yo-yo, Bubbles gripped her bubble stick tightly, and Buttercup brandished a big iron hammer. Everyone got into a battle-ready stance.
"Ujikintoki Shot!"
"Champagne Bubble Attack!"
"Million-Ton Hammer Strike!"
"Rengoku Flame!"
"Thunder Blade!"
"Air Slash!"
All our attacks were directed at Jagu, but when they were ten centimeters away from him, all the attacks were deflected.
"How could this be...?" Blossom asked in confusion.
"The Barrier Wall... Until I fuse, you won't even be able to touch a hair on my body!" He explained with a smug smile.
"Damn it...!"
Jagu: "Before I merge, I must thank you six! Thanks to you, the absorption of negative energy accelerated."
Boomer didn't understand what he meant: "Negative energy? What do you mean?"
Blossom suddenly realized: "Could it be because of that time with Sakamoto...?"
Bubbles' eyes widened: "And that time with Takaaki...?!"
Buttercup gritted her teeth in anger: "And when I was kidnapped by those Yakuza!"
Jagu sneered: "I merely catered to those people's inner desires and gave them a little push."
Blossom, clutching her yo-yo, shouted angrily: "How far are you going to manipulate people's minds?!"
Honestly, I didn't care about what happened to Sakamoto,Takaaki, or those Yakuza who were taken advantage of by him. What really pissed me off was that this guy used us as free labor without any reward!
I flipped him the bird: "Bastard! From start to finish, you were just using us as free labor?! Pay up!"
The other five almost fainted, collectively retorting at me: "That's not the point!"
Jagu turned his attention to the three of us rough boys: "What really surprised me is you three. You Rowdyruff Boys were supposed to be failed creations, neither monsters nor humans, your existence worthless. I never thought you'd be on the same side as these little girls now."
I muttered to myself: "Failed creations..."
Boomer and Butch looked dejected: "Worthless..."
His words pierced deep into our hearts. It's true, we're neither human nor complete monsters. Before we reunited with the girls, we faced constant discrimination and humiliation. Without the support of our adoptive parents and the bond between the three of us, we might have broken down long ago. Those days were like hell.
Jagu added fuel to the fire: "You little girls probably can't understand, right? After all, you've lived happy lives, while they used to live without any purpose, like cockroaches in the dark."
Buttercup, holding her large iron hammer, yelled at Jagu: "Shut up! Insult our friends again, and I'll knock your teeth out!"
Bubbles glared at Jagu: "That's right! Take back what you just said!"
Blossom gently patted my face, softly saying: "Brick, snap out of it!"
Seeing the girls standing up for us filled us three brothers with warmth and gratitude.
I pulled my cap down to cover my teary eyes and gripped my kendama: "Thank you..."
Boomer tightly held his katana, dispelling the gloom from earlier: "We still have things we must do!"
Butch clenched his fists: "Let's go together!"
"The chit-chat ends here, hehe~~ It's here, it's finally here! After hundred years of waiting, I can finally return to my original form!" Jagu suddenly widened his eyes, and a huge black beam appeared behind him, shining onto him.
He suddenly widened his eyes, and a massive black beam appeared behind him, shining onto Jagu.
16-2
A massive black light shone on Jagu, and the six of us reflexively shielded our eyes with our hands.
"Boom!" The impact of the black light shattered the barrier wall between us and him.
In an instant, Jagu's previously androgynous appearance completely transformed. He now wore black clothes, had messy black long hair, and his mouth lacked lips, exposing eerie white teeth with strange runes etched on each one. His claw-like hands turned into normal human palms, but his entire arms were covered with variously sized eyes. His face bore red curse mark-like symbols, and his gaze was incredibly cold.
"..." The six of us were stunned. Was this his true form?!
"So disgusting!" Blossom and Bubbles couldn't help but gag at the sight of his arms covered with dozens of roving eyeballs.
Jagu laughed maniacally, "Heehee~ Finally, I've returned to my original form!"
"Now, the first thing to do after my revival is, of course, to destroy humanity!" He pinched his right hand into a sword gesture, and a deep subspace opened a portal, revealing the bustling streets of Tokyo.
"Stop right there!"
"Don't think you can escape!"
The six of us charged toward the portal along with Jagu. The portal led to the sky above Tokyo, and we confronted Jagu in mid-air.
The sky was dark, and when we looked up, we saw that the sun was already partially eclipsed, with about half of its area covered by a shadow. The solar eclipse had already begun!
At this moment, Blossom used the compact in her hand to notify Professor Utonium to quickly evacuate the citizens to shelters, as a fierce battle was about to unfold here.
Jagu asked us with a look of contempt, "You are so annoying. Why do you want to hinder my purification of the world?"
Blossom shouted, "Your so-called purification is just destroying humanity. How could we possibly let you do that?!"
Buttercup echoed loudly, "That's right, we will never let you destroy the people who are incredibly important to us!"
"Hehe, then let me show you what kind of corrupt creatures the humans you want to protect really are." Jagu sneered, waving his left hand. Numerous images appeared before us, all depicting extremely cruel, tragic, and outrageous acts.
Soldiers in wartime took pleasure in slaughter, laughing maniacally as they killed unarmed civilians, mercilessly killing babies held by farm women, and then using sharp military knives to stab the mothers who lost their minds and rushed to fight back.
A nation's leaders were feasting, while their people were starving, reduced to skin and bones. In a small country caught between the conflicts of great powers, defenseless civilians were killed by chemical weapons. Those trying to escape civil war in their homeland risked everything to smuggle themselves out, only to drown in shipwrecks... with the majority of the victims being innocent children.
The screams of those defenseless people seemed to come from the depths of hell.
Strong prisoners of war were tied to stakes and used as live targets, children from enemy nations were subjected to live experiments. Wars sparked by racial differences and unequal resource distribution led to village massacres as a matter of routine.
The expressions on the faces of those killed in the images were only of fear and despair.
These tragedies, showing utter disregard for human life, stunned us into silence.
I trembled, unable to believe my eyes, unable to believe that such evil could exist in the world.
"So? This is just the tip of the iceberg. If you continue watching, you might all go insane." Jagu made a hand sign, and the images vanished.
"Now you understand? This is the essence of humanity, and I am the god who will judge them!" Jagu laughed loudly.
Jagu, this bastard, showed us minors these R-rated scenes!
(Though I often went to pachinko parlors to play slots even though I was under 18.)
"Wuuu..." Blossom and Bubbles embraced each other, tears of horror streaming down their faces.
"Pull yourselves together..." Buttercup tried to reassure Blossom and Bubbles, forcing herself to stay calm.
"Oh my god!" Butch exclaimed, mouth agape, unable to believe the bloody scenes they had just witnessed were all too real.
"Is this really what humans are capable of?!" Boomer clenched his katana, feeling an unbearable anger rising within him. If these things were happening in front of him, he would surely charge forward and use his sword to teach those inhuman monsters a lesson.
"..." I remained silent, feeling powerless in the face of humanity's dark side.
The girls felt sorry for those people, indignant at their plight, but they were powerless. All of it was just images of the past.
Such tragedies were all too common, occurring at every moment, while somewhere in the world, people were enjoying delicious meals and sweet dreams. Meanwhile, in some corners of the world, people were crying, trapped in the hell of war and hunger.
"So? Is it too late to join me now? It would be a shame to destroy you all, as your combined power would greatly accelerate the purification process." Jagu asked us, spreading his hands.
Blossom wiped away her tears and shouted, "Don't generalize! Not all humans are evil!"
Bubbles added, "There are still many kind people in this world!"
Buttercup chimed in, "We will never let you destroy humanity!"
Buttercup and Bubbles agreed with Blossom and brandished their bubble stick and big iron hammer.
"If you want me to join you, I'd rather commit seppuku!" Boomer pointed his katana at Jagu.
"That's right, we would rather die than help you!" Butch's palm also conjured up a raging wind, ready for battle.
"..." I kept my head down and said nothing.
Jagu's tone grew impatient, and he raised his voice, "I'll give you one last chance. Will you stand with me or against me?!"
"Go to hell!" I shouted at Jagu, raising my middle finger with my left hand, while my right hand wielded my kendama.
Our words made it clear: we were declaring war on Jagu.
16-3
"You fools!" Jagu suddenly conjured two black energy balls in his hands and sent them flying towards me and Blossom with a "poof" sound!
Boomer shouted at us, "Brick, Blossom, dodge!"
Blossom quickly dodged to the side, avoiding the first black energy ball. The second one came towards me, and I enveloped my hands in flames, using a ridiculous jumping motion to push the black energy ball away from under my crotch. The black energy ball flew towards Shinjuku residential area, dozens of kilometers behind us, and exploded within seconds!
"Boom~~~~Blast~~~~!" An explosion sounded like a hydrogen bomb detonating in the distance!
"!?" Just a second ago, Shinjuku, where evacuations were underway, was completely leveled. The explosion created a crater several hundred meters deep, and buildings within a radius of several kilometers from the blast center were completely obliterated into rubble. Tens of thousands of people who were just evacuating disappeared from this world.
I widened my eyes and asked, "What... what have you done?!"
"I just destroyed an ant's nest, what's the big deal?" Jagu replied indifferently, as if the deaths of those people were no different from accidentally stepping on a cockroach.
"You bastard! I'll never forgive you! Special Hammer Strike!"Buttercup swung her big iron hammer, strengthened by energy balls, fiercely at Jagu's head!
"Wedding Cake Shot!" Blossom also threw her giant yo-yo, strengthened by white energy balls.
Jagu calmly extended his hands, catching the big iron hammer with his right palm and the yo-yo with his left. Jagu grinned, "You think such attacks can defeat me?" Then, with a forceful grip, both the hammer and the yo-yo shattered into pieces.
"How can this be?!"
"It's impossible!"
We were all extremely surprised, especially Blossom and Buttercup, who couldn't believe that their strongest attacks couldn't even scratch him.
"Let me kindly explain it to you. My mature body can remember the injuries suffered by my fragmented bodies in the past, and I've already endured your attacks five years ago. Do you understand now?" Jagu smirked, explaining to the Powerpuff Girls.
"That means..." Bubbles tried to continue her reasoning,
"I'm no longer afraid of white light and cold, and you can't seal me away anymore! That's what I mean!"Jagu continued to respond to Bubbles' inquiry.
"Doesn't that make him invincible?!" Butch nervously exclaimed.
I reminded him, "That's why Amaterasu entrusted us with the Three Sacred Treasures!"
"But the premise is that you can control the treasures!" Jagu retorted dismissively, waving his hand, which turned into a powerful slash of shockwave, flying towards us!
We quickly scattered, but the slash cut through dozens of buildings in half!
Blossom's face turned pale. "There's no way to survive that hit!"
Jagu sneered maliciously: "Before I send you on your way, let me show you something good!" As soon as he finished speaking, Mount Fuji in the distance erupted, spewing massive amounts of lava that poured down the streets like a meteor shower!
Boomer's eyes widened: "Mount Fuji erupted!?"
Bubbles said in terror: "Just like that time!"
Blossom shouted angrily: "Stop it!"
Buttercup clenched her fist, ready to charge at him: "Let's go, Butch!"
Butch suddenly grabbed Buttercup's wrist, stopping her impulsive action: "Idiot, calm down! Do you want to throw your life away for nothing?!"
Jagu continued: "This time, the range of my power is not just limited to Tokyo or Japan."
Suddenly, a series of images appeared before the six of us.
The images showed major cities like Shanghai in China, New Delhi in India, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Buenos Aires in Argentina, New York in the United States, Paris in France, London in the United Kingdom, Berlin in Germany, Cairo in Egypt, and Sydney in Australia, all suffering from terrible natural disasters like earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, blizzards, and wildfires. Almost no major city with a large population was spared!
Blossom couldn't believe her eyes: "All over the world?!"
Damn, this isn't some sci-fi movie! This guy's power is exaggerated to this extent!
At the "International Science Research Institute," on the screen, Mrs. Utonium asked anxiously: "Dear, what's happening on Earth?! We observed from the International Space Station that the Earth's axis is starting to shift significantly! Disasters are happening all over the world!"
Professor Utonium said worriedly: "It's his power causing the climate abnormalities! The fate of the world is in those kids' hands!"
Ken said in despair: "His power is too strong now! Even the white light... No, we have to believe in them!"
Peach: "Fight!"
Jagu looked at the scenes of disasters as if admiring his work: "Don't you think it's amusing to watch these humans scurrying around like cockroaches? While I'm at it, I'll also wipe out all the civilization humanity has accumulated so far!"
I glared at Jagu, flames gathering in my hands, and shouted: "Bastard, what do you take human lives for!?"
Suddenly, he waved his hand again, and the images from earlier disappeared once more. With a cold smile, he said: "The next wave is coming~~!"
And in the next moment, he disappeared from our sight!
"Bubbles, watch out!" Buttercup shouted loudly to Bubbles, who was still confused.
"Huh?" Bubbles didn't understand what was going on.
"It's too late!" Jagu's figure had already appeared behind Bubbles!
" Flash Thunder Blade!" Boomer's body emitted electric light, carrying a powerful electrical blade towards Jagu. But Jagu just smirked, using his left hand to catch the blade, effortlessly neutralizing Boomer's super-speed sword drawing technique!
"Not a bad strike," he said,
"!?". Boomer felt a powerful force immobilizing him. Even trying to let go of his katana was impossible. With a slight exertion from Jagu's left hand, Boomer's katana snapped in half. The next moment, Jagu's right fist struck Boomer's left arm, sending him crashing down onto the deserted street below, creating a large crater in the ground.
"Boomer!" Bubbles desperately wanted to rush to the ground to help him, but Jagu waved his hand gently, creating a shockwave.
Bubbles raised her bubble stick in front of herself, trying to block the shockwave, but the stick shattered into pieces within seconds. "Ahh!" Bubbles was also knocked down to the ground.
The four of us shouted loudly on the ground:
"Bubbles!"
"Boomer!"
"Do you have time to mind others?" A sinister voice echoed from behind us. "Flame Whip!" I let the flames spread along the line of the kendama, forming a fiery whip swinging towards Jagu.
Unexpectedly, he grabbed the burning kendama and part of the line with his right hand, a powerful force pulling me towards him. With a swift motion of his right foot, he viciously kicked me in the stomach. "Cough!" I spat out a mouthful of blood, being kicked into the street, and the kendama in my hand was snatched away by him.
"Brick!" Blossom flew hastily towards the ground. In an instant, Jagu flew above her, grabbing her orange long hair, spinning her around, and throwing her down below like a toy.
"Blossom!" Buttercup flew forward, punching towards Jagu. He calmly waved his hand, sending out another shockwave, sending Buttercup flying to the ground just a meter away from him. "Wind Soul!" Butch quickly condensed an air mass with his right hand and flew towards Jagu. However, he used the kendama he had just snatched from me to bind Butch's left hand, completely deviating his attack trajectory.
"What?!" Butch barely finished speaking when he was pulled in front of Jagu, who then kicked him forcefully in the back, sending him flying onto the street.
I spat out the blood from my mouth and asked the other five, "Ugh, is everyone okay?"
Boomer said, holding his left arm covered in deep purple bruises, "I'm fine, but my left arm's bone is broken."
"Both Buttercup and I just have minor scratches." Due to the protection of special clothing, Bubbles and Buttercup only suffered minor injuries.
Blossom propped her head with both hands, dizzy, and replied, "I feel so dizzy..."
"I have a few ribs broken, but I can still stand." Butch struggled to stand up. "I only used twenty percent of my strength, you guys are really not worth my time!" Jagu floated in the air, looking disdainful, and crushed my kendama with his hand into fragments.
Damn it, this guy is really an excessively strong monster!
In less than two minutes, he knocked all six of us down, and all our weapons were destroyed! I said to the three girls, "You three, escape! I'm begging you!"
Blossom puzzled, "What are you talking about ? Brick!"
Bubbles: "How can we escape?"
Buttercup: "Don't joke around!"
Boomer answered their questions for me, "He's not joking! Without weapons, you guys can't fight!"
Butch continued, "So, please, just escape, at least we still have treasures as the final trump card."
"Do you think I'll let these three little girls who have caused me so much trouble escape? Speaking of which, it's about time for them to leave~" Jagu's chilling voice echoed behind us again, his right index finger condensing black spots of light.
A chill ran through my heart, could it be... he wants to...!?
"Stop it !" I shouted at Jagu with all my might!
As the words left my lips, a sinister grin curled on the corners of the Jagu's mouth, revealing a devilish smirk. The black dots on his right index finger had dispersed into three black beams of light, piercing through the girls' chests with lightning speed and deadly accuracy.
"Eh?" The faces of the three girls showed astonishment and sudden incomprehension.
"!?" The three of us were completely stunned in that moment.
Their bodies seemed like rosebuds about to bloom, but instead of petals, blood-red flowers blossomed from their chests. In less than a second, their bodies fell backward onto the ground.
"Blossom!"
"Bubbles!"
"Buttercup!"
We rushed to them immediately.
As we knelt beside them and saw their injuries, our hopes were utterly shattered. Their hearts were pierced, and even the most powerful deity would struggle to save them.
"Ugh... Damn it!" Tears streamed down my cheeks uncontrollably. I couldn't even save my most beloved ones! We finally realized our own powerlessness...
"Don't cry... It's not your fault..." Blossom's pure white hand gently wiped away my tears.
"I'm sorry... I couldn't stay with you until the end... Boomer..." Bubbles smiled bitterly.
"Stay strong, Bubbles!" Boomer hugged Bubbles tightly, tears streaming down his face.
"I was too careless..." Buttercup said weakly. "Stop talking, Buttercup!" Butch held Buttercup's hand tightly, tears flowing freely.
"You must protect this world... I love you the most... Yuzuhiko..." As life gradually faded away, the red eyes of Blossom began to lose focus, and her hand slowly dropped...
"The rest is up to you..." Bubble's eyes began to close gradually.
"If you don't defeat him... Be careful, I'll beat you up... all three of you..." Buttercup managed to finish her words intermittently.
Almost simultaneously, the girls took their last breaths, their eyelids closing completely, and a final smile gracing their lips.
Their once warm bodies gradually turned cold.
In the next moment, their cold bodies gradually turned into black powder, disappearing into the air.