Chapter 15: The Battle for the pearls (I I)
15-1
Thousands of fragments of ice bullets shot towards Boomer, who could only dodge. However, there were simply too many bullets, with over a dozen grazing his body, arms, and cheeks. Even the light blue tracksuit he wore was torn with numerous holes.
Seiryuu's voice carried admiration, "Oh, you managed to avoid vital spots with minimal movement."
"But it seems you forgot... I only used one hand!" Seiryuu said.
"!"The words sent a shiver down Boomer 's spine.
Seiryuu 's hands once again conjured glowing ice particles, even more numerous than before.
"Let's see how you dodge this time! Ice Crystal Shot!" Seiryuu spread his hands and blew.
With that blow, tens of thousands of bullets flew out like snowflakes. When the number of bullets exceeded ten thousand, it not only meant there were many, but also that accuracy was unnecessary, because you absolutely couldn't dodge them!
Boomer stood still, crossing his arms to minimize the damage from the bullets. But the cost was high; both sleeves of his tracksuit were torn, and his arms were severely grazed and frostbitten.
Seiryuu couldn't believe it, "You're quite resilient!"
Suddenly, with a "shoo" sound, a flash of silver, Seiryuu instinctively lowered his head, and a katana was pinned to the wall behind him! If he hadn't lowered his head just now, he would have been decapitated!
"He actually threw the katana?! Where's that kid?" Seiryuu realized that Boomer had already disappeared from his sight.
"Damn it, he got away!"
Boomer's voice echoed from above, "Who said I was trying to escape?"
Seiryuu inwardly cursed, "This is bad!"
" Furious Thunder!" A powerful silver-blue thunderbolt struck directly above Seiryuu!
"Argh!" Seiryuu was hit mercilessly by the thunder, causing burns of varying sizes all over his body, and his deep blue robe was mostly destroyed.
Seiryuu struggled to stand up and asked Boomer, "Why didn't you dodge just now?"
"Because I knew I couldn't dodge your attack anyway, so I pretended to be hit, making you think you had the upper hand for a moment, revealing a gap for me to counterattack!" Despite the pain from his arm wounds, Boomer pulled the katana out of the wall.
Seiryuu smirked, "I admit, you're really strong. Let's settle this!"
Boomer smiled, "That's exactly what I intend to do!"
Facing each other about 5 meters apart, hands resting on the katana hilt, both took a step forward with their left foot. Neither moved, both seeking the perfect moment to strike.
As time passed, the ice pillars on the ceiling gradually melted. When the first droplet of water from the melting ice hit the ground, both simultaneously disappeared. Their speeds reached a godlike level, both employing instantaneous techniques capable of fatally striking their opponent. The key lay in the destructive power of their ultimate moves!
"Frost Star Slash!" "
'Flash Thunder Blade!"
Simultaneously, they drew their katanas from their scabbards. The blades flashed, and with a clang, Seiryuu's katana unexpectedly blocked Boomer's katana. Just as the katana was about to pierce Boomer, a powerful force caused Seiryuu to lose his balance!
Seiryuu exclaimed in astonishment, "What's happening?! I'm being pulled in!"
It turned out that the immense impact between their katanas created a gravitational field between them, even causing a temporal difference!
In the next moment, Seiryuu's katana was broken into two pieces, and his entire body was sent flying by Boomer's katana, falling to the ground.
Exhausted, Boomer propped himself up with the katana, gasping for air as he struggled to stand.
"Why did you use the back of the katana? Why didn't you kill me?" Seiryuu weakly asked, still bearing a terrifying wound on his body.
Boomer, drained of energy, replied, "You are my opponent, not my enemy! My purpose was only to borrow your pearl, not to take your life."
Boomer asked, "Can you still stand?"
"I can't stand for the moment... but my mind is still clear," Seiryuu replied, lying on the ground, rolling the deep blue pearl hidden in his robe toward Boomer's feet.
"Let me give you one last piece of advice—your move, 'Flash Thunder Blade,' is indeed powerful, but it's best not to use it recklessly, as the more powerful the technique, the stronger the side effects," Seiryuu advised as he watched Boomer pick up the pearl.
After receiving the pearl, Boomer replied, "Thank you for the reminder." Then, without looking back, he ran out of the stone room and jumped up from the bottom of the well.
Before long, a deep blue light flew towards the direction of Mount Hiei.
"Do you understand now? Prayers and wishes can't save anyone!" Genbu shouted, growing more agitated.
At this moment, the swamp under the Powerpuff Girls Z had already reached their thighs. If they didn't break free from the mire soon, being swallowed was only a matter of time!
"Protection Net!" Bubbles waved her bubble wand, and just in time, a large bubble enveloped the three from head to toe, lifting them out of the swamp and freeing them from the mud.
"Genbu... listen to me...!" Bubbles still tried to communicate rationally.
But Genbu, as if deaf, clenched his fist and attacked them.
The three quickly jumped up, and the floor beneath them was shattered into splinters by Genbu's punch.
"Blossom, Bubbles! There's no point in talking to him now!" Buttercup brandished her hammer and swung it, hitting Genbu squarely in the stomach. Genbu spat out blood, grabbed Buttercup by the collar, and punched her in the stomach.
"Ugh!" Buttercup was sent flying to a corner of the room, several meters away. "Buttercup!" The other two rushed over to check on her injuries.
"I'm fine!" Buttercup stood up, clutching her stomach and enduring the pain.
"I won't lose until those children have gone through the cycle of reincarnation and been reborn as humans!" Genbu clenched his fists and roared.
Blossom shouted at Genbu, "You big idiot, do you think those children would want you to become a ruthless Myo-o?!"
"Blind hatred will only lead to emptiness!" Bubbles tried to persuade Genbu as well.
"Shut up! What do you know?!" Genbu ignored the girls' words completely.
Buttercup said to the two girls behind her, "Blossom, Bubbles, concentrate the energy balls on me. I'm going to defeat him completely!"
Blossom and Bubbles also thought this was the only way.
.
"Bubbles, catch this!" Blossom's yo-yo emitted a white light ball, and she threw it to Bubbles.
"Buttercup!" Bubbles hit the energy ball with her bubble wand onto Buttercup's hammer, which instantly enlarged several times.
"Take this, Special Hammer Strike!" Buttercup swung the huge hammer and smashed it toward Genbu.
"Ah~!" Genbu was hit by the enormous hammer and fell to the ground.
"Now's our chance!" Blossom planned to use her yo-yo to deliver the final blow to the fallen Genbu.
"Please stop!" Suddenly, four humanoid light figures stood between the girls and Genbu.
"Who are you...?" Bubbles felt the four figures looked familiar and suddenly remembered—they were the four orphans they had just seen on the screen!
"They have no feet... Ah!" Buttercup noticed that all of them were floating in mid-air without feet.
"They're ghosts!" Blossom shrieked in fright.
"It's you...!" Genbu opened his eyes wide in disbelief.
"We are always with Monk Cinian..." all the orphans said with smiles.
"I... I don't deserve it... I killed... took many lives... I'm a demon..." Genbu began to cry.
"Didn't you tell us? If you sincerely repent, Buddha will surely forgive us!" said the oldest girl.
"We will always be with the monk! Always... by your side." The souls of the orphans smiled at Genbu and then disappeared...
"I was wrong..." Genbu knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face.
Seeing this scene, the girls' eyes also filled with tears.
"Thank you... for freeing me from the shackles of hatred..." Genbu stopped crying and took out a black pearl from his robe, handing it to Blossom.
"Genbu..." Blossom took the black pearl, her expression complicated.
With determination in his voice, Genbu said, "Go now! Stop Jagu from destroying the world!"
"Yes! Let's go, Bubbles, Buttercup." Blossom called to the two girls.
"Okay!" The three girls ran out of temple, ready to fly to Mount Hiei.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Bubbles suddenly exclaimed just as they were about to take off. "What is it?" Blossom and Buttercup asked anxiously.
"Our feet are covered in mud. We should wash them first, right?" Bubbles pointed to her muddy feet.
Reminded by Bubbles, they noticed their legs were still covered in mud from Genbu's Mire attack.
"Let's wash our feet there first!" Blossom pointed to a lake not far away.
"Alright!" Bubbles and Buttercup nodded in agreement. So, the girls decided to wash their feet clean before heading to Mount Hiei.
"Be careful...! This strike will contain all the electricity in my body!"
As soon as Byakko said this, Butch fully understood his intention. If he didn't go all out in this attack, he would definitely lose!
Byakko's right palm gathered an even stronger white electric current than before. Not to be outdone, Butch concentrated an air mass, the speed of the air spinning in his hand increasing, forming a strong wind that blew both their hair.
In the next second, Butch and Byakko charged forward simultaneously!
"Wind Soul!"
"Thunder Spirit!"
The air and electricity in their hands collided.
The strongest forces of wind and thunder clashed, a pure contest of power against power.
"Boom!" The impact of the two energies produced a blinding light and a powerful explosion that shattered the rock wall above the mine, sending shockwaves that caused an earthquake felt throughout Kyoto.
The power of both forces was evenly matched.
"Ha..." Both Byakko and Butch were thrown back by the shockwave of the explosion, struggling to stand as they gasped for breath.
Byakko, panting, said, "It seems we have both exhausted the energy within us..."
"Yeah..." Butch agreed.
"But we must determine a winner between us, right?" Byakko asked, a question that was rather foolish.
"Of course!" Butch answered without hesitation.
"Then let's settle this with a 'Duel of Death on the Edge of the Blade'!" Byakko drew the two small katanas hanging from his waist, placed them two meters apart, and stuck them into the ground.
"What's this?" Butch didn't understand Byakko's actions.
"Place your right foot in front of the blade!" Byakko said as he removed the straw sandals from his feet. Butch's sneakers had already been turned to ash in the previous battle, and since he wasn't wearing socks, he was barefoot.
Following Byakko's instructions, Butch raised his right foot, placing the sole against the sharp blade. Byakko did the same, and the distance between them was now only one meter.
"Those two swords mark the boundary. The only rule is not to cross that line. If you do, you must pay with your life! This means neither of us can cross the line, and the only weapons we can use are our fists. Whoever knocks the other down wins!"
Byakko's voice was filled with seriousness and anticipation.
Butch smiled, "So, in simple terms, the one who wins gets to live, right?"
"Exactly! Let's begin!"
As soon as Byakko announced the start, the two began a fierce fistfight!
15-2
Neither evaded the other's attacks. Each punch landed squarely on their opponent's body, with enough force to shatter stones and crack the ground, yet even after a prolonged exchange, neither could gain the upper hand. Whenever one of them stepped back, the blade of the small sword would cut into their foot, leaving no room for retreat.
"Ha!" Byakko shouted as he punched Butch in the stomach.
"Oh !" Butch retaliated immediately with an uppercut to Byakko's chin. Blood from their battle spattered everywhere around them.
Their spirits had transcended their physical bodies, driven by an unwavering determination to win. Victory hinged on the smallest lapse from either side.
Suddenly, Byakko's heavy punch struck Butch's cheek, causing him to lose his balance. "Now!" Byakko yelled, ramming his head into Butch's.
"Afraid of you? Never!" Butch countered with his own headbutt. "Wham!" Their foreheads collided.
They glared at each other for a few seconds, then Byakko's pupils suddenly closed, and his body fell.
"Ha... ha..." After such an intense hand-to-hand fight, Butch gasped for air for several seconds.
"Catch!" Byakko suddenly sat up from the ground and threw a white pearl into Butch's hands.
"Butch, I've lost. Kill me!" Byakko said without remorse, like a soldier sacrificing for his country.
"Maybe we can have a rematch another time," Butch said with a slight smile, putting the white pearl into his pocket.
Byakko burst into laughter: "Ha~ha~~ I really admire you!"
Butch glanced at Byakko: "What's so funny?"
Byakko stifled his laughter: "Nothing!"
Just as Butch was about to walk out of the mine's entrance, Byakko's voice called out from behind: "Hey, don't die!"
"I'll take that as a blessing!" Butch replied, then sprinted down the mountain with incredible speed and endurance.
I clenched my fists, gathering flames in my hands to counterattack. I deflected four flaming arrows, but the fifth struck the floor at my feet. There was still one more! As I realized this, a sharp "thwip" echoed—the sixth arrow pierced through my back from behind!
"Arghah!" I screamed in agony, falling to my knees, eyes wide with pain. "You managed to dodge five arrows...," Suzaku's true form sat on a stone chair, with her six clones standing around her, looking at me with disdain.
I struggled to stand, weakly addressing Suzaku, "Huff... puff... give me the pearl...!"
"Why? Are you insane?! This world is so corrupt; wouldn't it be better to destroy it? Why do you want to protect filthy humans?! I can't understand!" Suzaku asked, her tone agitated.
"Compared to what I want to protect and the friends and loved ones I cherish, my life means nothing! If you want it, just take it! But right now, I have a reason I can't afford to lose!" I spoke these words in one breath, without hesitation.
"Save your strength; you can't defeat me!" Suzaku said arrogantly. Two of her clones approached, each grabbing one of my arms and releasing flames, the scorching tongues of fire burning my body.
"Ahhh!" I screamed in pain again. Suzaku intended to torture me slowly!
"These flames won't make you lose consciousness. If you beg for mercy, I'll let you go," Suzaku said, watching her clones inflict torture on me from her stone chair.
Beg for mercy? What a joke! But if this continues, I'll surely be killed by Suzaku! Damn it, is this the end for me?! My mind suddenly recalled the trial I faced in Takamagahara under Amaterasu's guidance.
When I was writhing in pain in the Amano Iwato, Amaterasu once said to me: "You must persist until you're close to death to pass this trial. The key lies in your 'heart.' A mind free of distractions is the only way to control yourself beyond your limits!"
A mind free of distractions... focus!
For the sake of my friends still fighting, I cannot lose no matter what!
"You should be die !" Suzaku shouted, standing up from her stone chair and gathering a ball of flame in her hand. She hurled the fireball at me.
Suddenly, the magatama around my neck glowed a bright red, and a powerful explosion erupted from my body, sending all seven Suzaku clones flying.
"You still have that much power?!" Suzaku looked at me in shock.
"Let's finish this, Suzaku!" I shouted as I stood up again.
"This time, I will make sure you never stand again!" All seven Suzaku clones leaped into the air, drew their bows, and aimed at me. "Seven Flame Arrows!" Seven flaming arrows shot toward me.
I can't lose! As this thought filled my mind, the Yasakani no Magatama around my neck shone even brighter than before.
The flames in my hands turned from red to gold. "Suzaku, I'm going to defeat you!" I swung my fists, and the gold fire transformed into seven beams of gold light, nullifying the seven arrows and piercing through the chests of all seven Suzaku clones.
"Argh!" All seven were taken down in an instant. I couldn't believe it myself.
"I did it...!" My strength was completely drained, and I fell to my knees.
"That last attack was indeed powerful, but it had two weaknesses." The real Suzaku, whom I thought I had defeated, stood up again!
"First, the accuracy was off; it didn't hit any vital spots. Second, because both you and I can control flames, a flame manipulator naturally has strong resistance to fire." Suzaku looked severely injured but not as badly as me. I could barely stand.
Suzaku, slightly weakened, threatened me, "Your life ends here today...!"
I retorted, "Stop pretending. You're heavily injured too, aren't you?!"
"Who's the one pretending?" Suzaku formed a hand seal, and the six defeated clones began to disappear, turning into white mist that flowed into Suzaku's body, healing all the wounds I had inflicted.
If she attacks now, I'm definitely done for!
"Die!" Suzaku drew her flame bow again, aiming the arrowhead directly at me.
"It's over...!" I had no strength left to fight back. I closed my eyes, ready to accept my fate.
After several seconds of silence, nothing happened. Curiosity got the better of me, and I opened my eyes to find Suzaku's face inches away from mine. "Whoa~" I jumped back, my heart racing.
"Gotcha~" Suzaku made a playful face.
"What?" I asked, completely bewildered.
Suzaku suddenly asked, "You've been to Takamagahara, haven't you?"
"Yeah, so what?" I responded, struggling to stand up.
"Catch!" She tossed a deep crimson pearl into my hands, leaving me even more confused.
Pointing at me, Suzaku said, "The flames you just used are the legendary gold fire—Amaterasu! You must be recognized by the Amaterasu Ōmikami , one of the few who can change the world. The Yasakani no Magatama around your neck is the best proof of that."
"So you were just testing me the whole time?" I asked, astonished.
"That's right. Through our battle, I believe you and your friends might have the power to change this world. That's why I'm entrusting the crimson pearl to you," Suzaku explained.
Just as I was about to leave the stone chamber, my body gave out, and I collapsed to the floor. Even if she was testing me, Suzaku didn't have to hit so hard! I could barely walk, let alone fly.
"Here, take this!" Suzaku removed the silver-white scarf from around her neck and wrapped it around me. Instantly, my pain vanished, and I regained some strength.
"Hurry, go stop Jagu's resurrection!"
"Thanks, Suzaku!" I shouted back as I dashed out of the stone chamber and swiftly flew towards Mount Hiei.
After flying for about five minutes, I arrived at our prearranged meeting point—the Nether Cave on Mount Hiei. It seemed I was the first to get there, so I stood at the entrance, waiting for my friends.
"Hey, Brick!" A blue beam of light descended from the sky, and one of my rather foolish brothers—Boomer—landed right in front of me.
Just as I was thinking about the remaining four, three more beams of light—pink, light blue, and light green—flew toward us. Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup had also arrived.
"Hasn't Butch arrived yet?" Buttercup asked.
"Ah, who knows where he's gotten himself lost?" I shrugged.
"By the way, you guys look pretty beat up!" I glanced at Boomer and the girls.
The girls had some scratches on them, and their clothes were quite tattered. Boomer looked even worse; the sleeves of his tracksuit were almost completely gone, and his arms were covered in frostbite and abrasions.
"Hey, you're not much better off," Blossom pointed out, and indeed, my red tracksuit had several large holes burned into it, leaving me practically shirtless.
"Your opponent must have been Suzaku, right?" Boomer speculated after a moment of thought.
Bubbles seemed quite interested. "What kind of person is she?"
"She's a terrifying woman who's not as she appears. I almost got roasted alive by her!" Just thinking about Suzaku sent shivers down my spine and gave me goosebumps.
"Sorry for being late!" A figure clad in deep green suddenly leaped down from the towering cliffs.
"You finally... came..." I stuttered, thrown off by Butch's appearance.
Boomer pointed at Butch and asked, "Did you decide to change your look?"
Indeed, Butch's unkempt long hair cascaded over his shoulders, and he wore a tattered green sportsuit, barefoot. If it weren't for the fact that he was Butch, I would have mistaken him for a hiker caught in a mountain accident.
Blossom couldn't hold back her laughter, clutching her stomach. "Your hair... hahaha!"
Bubbles chuckled. "It actually suits you!"
Buttercup pointed at Butch. "Where are your shoes?"
Butch replied helplessly, "During my battle with Byakko, both my shoes and headband got destroyed. I had to run here barefoot!"
I looked at the cave and suddenly felt a strange, twisting sensation wash over me. It was an eerie feeling of distortion. The entire cave seemed like a monster, gaping its mouth, waiting for us to fall into its trap.
But we, the few who could stop Jagu, had no choice but to bravely venture inside. I shouted back to the five behind me, "Alright! Let's go in!"
Suddenly, Blossom called out to us, "Wait, you three! We need to take care of your wounds!"
"Huh?" The three of us turned to see Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup pulling out a first aid kit.
I clicked my tongue, feeling they were making a fuss over nothing. "A little spit and rub would heal these minor wounds just fine!"
Before I could finish, Blossom's forehead veins bulged as she grabbed bandages and wrapped my neck, pulling me back, not allowing me to refuse. "When I call, you come!"
"This isn't first aid, it's life-threatening!" I gasped as Blossom dragged me away. I had to admit, Blossom had a knack for bandaging wounds, probably due to being an older sister.
She carefully applied ointment to my wounds and wrapped them in gauze and bandages, muttering, "You always have to be so stubborn..."
Suddenly, she stared at me earnestly, "Promise me, stop being so stubborn... I want you to know that when you're hurt, it hurts someone else..."
I was moved, lowering my cap to cover my face. "I understand..."
Bubbles held the first aid kit, gently but firmly telling Boomer "Let me see your wound!"
Boomer grinned sheepishly, "I'm fine! Ouch... that hurts!" Bubbles gently wiped the cuts on Boomer's arm with antiseptic, patting his head. "You call this nothing? Such bad frostbite and scrapes!"
Boomer winced from the sting of the antiseptic, tears streaming down. Bubbles continued to comfort him softly.
Meanwhile, Butch efficiently let Buttercup handle his wounds. Buttercup sighed, carefully bandaging him. "Really, you're always so reckless!"
Butch grinned at Buttercup gratefully, "Thanks, Buttercup!"
Buttercup blushed, turning her head away. "No need to thank me! We're teammates, after all!"
I shouted to the five behind me, "We're really going in this time! Everyone okay with that?"
Everyone echoed in unison, "Yes!"
And so, the six of us ventured into the darkness of the cave.