"NOO!!!"
Resi had to watch as his leader, his mentor, get hit by the black beam due to him. He was the reason Gotang didn't dodge this attack from a static pillar.
The beam hit Gotang's right forearm, the place where his armor didn't protect. The disintegration spread quickly through his arms as black ashes started shedding. He acted quickly and without hesitation; he cut his arm as if it wasn't a part of his body.
His right hand fell on the ground with blood pouring down like rain. The oni looked at Gotang while tilting its head. Once it realized that Gotang had lost his arm, it sneered.
It crossed its armed and waited for Gotang, fully confident of winning this fight now that Gotang had a fatal injury.
"Twofold safety."
The yellow liquid flowed out from the stump of his cleaved arm. It formed into a cylindrical drum shape, then it grew five protrusions. The edges of the yellow liquid rounded out and intricate details formed; nails formed on the ends of the fingers and arm hairs started growing on his forearm. It looked like a normal arm except this had a yellowish color.
Gotang's eyebrows knitted together. This stump was only a temporary solution and gave him less protection than ever. Using this skill to regain his arm came at a cost of his clone that will take any fatal blow. He was now in a truly precarious situation; he had no safety net but he wasn't flustered and showed no signs of being nervous.
A calm and collected demeanor will allow him to win the battle of wits with the oni. His right shoulder was now healed due to his skill and he transferred his sword back to his right hand. He walked with slow steps towards the oni and pointed his blade forward.
The oni smiled as it showed its black flame sword to Gotang, reciprocating the request for combat. Both of them knew this would be the final stand.
The oni bent low and accelerated towards Gotang with its black flame sword leaving black embers in its wake. Gotang met the oni at the middle, clashing swords that resounded in the valley. Their swords collided as both of them resisted each other's strength. After their clash, they tried to slice each other down in a counterattack but both defended well.
Gotang was able to carefully maneuver his moves due to his experience and expertise in fighting. The oni was learning fast, imitating Gotang's move and integrating it with itself. Blood dripped down the ground as both of them did damage to each other with skin-deep wounds.
The oni imitated Gotang's movements and counterattacked using his moves against him. Gotang smiled; this was the moment he was waiting for. He knew that the oni would eventually use this move and he prepared a counterattack against it.
"Domain of Surface Tension"
The oni suddenly felt a physical pressure bearing down on its body. Its movements slowed down to a crawl and its attack lost its speed, effectively losing its power. It was like the air around it became so viscous that it was hard to move around. Gotang used this opportunity to gather all his strength in his sword and slash down the oni's whole body.
Blood spurted all over his violet full body armor. The oni fell on its back, with its eyes fully open and staring at Gotang's standing figure trying to figure out what happened. It still wasn't dead.
Gotang knew that if he showed his domain too early, there may have been a chance that the oni would learn it. He needed to wait for the precise moment where the oni used a counterattack and was defenseless. The only thing he needed to do was to finish off the oni.
He suddenly felt a chill on his back as years of experience sharpened his instincts. He leaped back, away from the dying oni. As he backed off, he saw a whizzing blur that went past him. Alarmed at the new intruder, he focused his eyes on the creature.
In the distance, he saw a strange majestic creature. It stood on four legs with its black mane dancing in the air. Its skin was silky brown reflecting the dim light of the surroundings. Its separated eyes looked towards him and Gotang looked at the mutated horse.
His instincts told him to dodge, and he did. The horse blurred past him as the horse was too fast for him to react by sight. The horse kept trying to bulldoze him, zigzagging through him until he backed off completely from the oni.
The horse used its head and lifted the oni onto its back. If Gotang wasn't able to injure the oni one more time, then it will have the time to recover. This is the worst-case scenario for him.
The horse looked directly at Gotang while scratching its hoof on the ground. The horse teleported towards him, not even a blur could be seen.
"Sphere of Justification"
Gotang activated his skill as a precaution. It was thanks to this that the bubble absorbed most of the force as the bubble popped. Gotang was thrown meters away as he tumbled down the ground.
His armor was able to guard his body against the impact and only sustained scratches from the friction on the ground. Gotang was thankful that the horse was only able to run in a straight line or else he would be in deep trouble.
As if it was trying to prove Gotang wrong, the Horse started to run in a circle around Gotang as he saw soil being carried by the wind. The particles created a physical barrier, preventing him from escaping. He was in the eye of the tornado as the barrier started to close around him.
The air became stale. He felt it become thinner as the tornado closed around him. He panted, gasping for every breath that he could take. His head started to ache as it needed more oxygen. Soil debris started to clash around his body creating skin deep gashes. It didn't hurt but with enough scratches, it will turn fatal.
Gotang was in a predicament. He had no other choice but to use everything he has.
"Ultimate: Katchura's Requiem of Flow"
A large amount of cerulean blue liquid flowed out from his body. It came out from his hands, his feet, his skin, as the liquid filled every part of his surroundings in a 10-meter radius dome. The horse slowed down as it struggled to keep itself on the ground. They floated helplessly in the liquid, drowning from the lack of oxygen.
Gotang moved around the dome-like a fish; no, like a shark. A predator that hunts in its territory for sport, unrestricted, dominant, and dynamic. He flew across the dome, towards the horse in a carefree manner knowing that it couldn't do anything.
The horse started struggling, paddling its hooves around the liquid in an attempt to escape from its inevitable doom. There was fear in its eyes.
Gotang looked at the horse and the oni at its back and swung his sword. Shockwaves started to form around the blade as it traveled in slow motion yet unaffected by the liquid.
The edge of the blade sliced through the horse and the oni at its back straight through the middle as they got cleaved in half. Blood started flowing the carcasses and tainted the cerulean blue liquid.
Gotang released the liquid after seeing his victory. The liquid dispersed down the ground and disappeared. The carcasses slumped down the ground, losing their bravado and strength. This was their win.
Resi fell to the ground, exhausted from the anxiety he felt in the fight. The members sighed in relief, ecstatic at the strength of their leader. Bang looked at Gotang with renewed praise; he now understands the reason why these people are willing to die for him. It was because Gotang was willing to die for them.
Gotang looked up, panting as the yellow liquid in his arm dispersed and became a stump. This fight cost him his arm but it was worth it. They were near the holy grail.
"YAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"
Lobo stood up and shouted all the difficulties they faced. Everyone felt their blood boil as they joined in on the cheer. They knew they would make it and the sacrifices they had to take but they advanced anyway.
They run up to Gotang and hugged him tightly, congratulating him on the fight. They piled upon him as they smiled and laughed with each other.
Bang saw this and his heart warmed. He knew the difficulties they faced and now that they overcame it, it was wholesome to experience.
"HA...HA....HA....HA..."
They suddenly heard a low grating laugh. Their hairs stood on end and looked around their surroundings with wide eyes. They subconsciously bent their bodies low in an attempt to hide.
They searched towards where the laugh came from and saw Ligi standing up without using his legs. His eyes were fully dark like a void that light couldn't escape.
Black sludge started flowing out from his chest and enveloped his whole body. It formed into a black figure that had curved horns and a mean face. Its face was permanently angry with black and red intricate lines painted all around it.
Black wings started to form from its back and the cartilage was longer than the wings, like a bat stalking in the night.
"I.....AM....HERE."