Capítulo 74: Tribal Leader Pt. 2

[Day: Wednesday]

[Time: Night]

[Location: Verdant Grove]

"This way," Ani exclaimed, leading the girls through the lush forests. "I felt his energy. He's definitely here!"

The girls rushed past the trees, the scenery passing them by with each step. As they ran, they began to see multiple explosions around the forest, their concern growing higher. Soon, a shockwave pushed each of them off balance and they noticed two figures rushing past them.

Joy covered her head, squeaking loudly as a heatwave suddenly passed by. "Wh-What the heck was that?!"

"It was Shiro...and someone else! Who was that?!" Ani questioned, looking back and noticed multiple clashing nearby.

I ran through the forest, performing a hand gesture then a Divine Wolf emerged from the light beneath my feet. The wolf howled into the night, rushing toward Ruby and launched a barrage of claw and tail swipes at Ruby. Ruby blocked and evaded each attack, swinging her sword in a wide arc, the attack landing and sending the wolf crashing through trees and bushes.

I launched myself in the air toward Ruby, letting out a bellow as I landed a kick that sent her to the ground. Ruby landed on her feet, feeling her heart pounding in her chest as the battle continued longer. She knew she was running out of time, wanting to end this battle as fast as possible.

"Hekhal! Burnout!" Ruby bellowed, her sword becoming encased in a much stronger flame.

Ruby swung her sword, unleashing a wave heavenly flames toward me. My eyes shined brightly as I evaded the cutting wave, the wave of flames slicing through the trees and setting the forest ablaze.

Ani watched the fight from a distance, noticing the destruction around her as the forest began to go into flames. Her gaze landed on me, her eyes widening in shock from my new form. "Pepe..."

Ruby and I clashed once more, the impact from both of our attacks knocking each other away. Ruby slid backwards, falling onto one knee and one of her six wings dissipated into the air, the fiery particles floating in the air.

'This form...has a time limit. Once my six wings disappear...I am done for. A price to pay for the activation of my Philosopher's Stone,' Ruby thought to herself, slowly standing on his feet. 'His strikes are directly affecting my Spirit...and his power seems to have no noticable end. He doesn't even look tired..'

I stared at Ruby, feeling the power of the Golden Star above fueling me and my ultimate resolve. I assumed my stance again, my Crests shining on my arm all at once. "Roma.."

Romancia materialized beside me, her gaze fixated on Ruby and her spirit energy flowing around her body. She activated her power, forming Astral Clones of myself around Ruby. "I am ready, Master."

Ruby assessed the situation she was now in, seeing I still had many tricks up my sleeve. Her grip on her sword tightened, sweat beginning to drip from her face. She bellowed and dashed forward, evading and slicing through the clones with ease. She noticed the amount of clones was near endless, keeping her on the defensive.

'He's wearing me down..! I can't keep this up forever!' Ruby thought to herself as she kept defending and countering my clones.

"Hekhal—"

I didn't give her a chance to call forth more power, launching a force of pressurized wind directly at her. The wind directly struck her armor, cracking it and launching her away. I dashed forward, catching her with a Sanctuary Combo before she could hit the ground then Romancia knocked her upward with a backflip kick.

I began to spin on my hand, Wind and Water spiralling around me and forming a hurricane to rapidly damage her. I sprand into the air, landing a powerful Superkick between the eyes, iridescent lightning flashing upon impact. Ruby flew across the air, a flap of her wings stopping her in the air.

I landed on the ground, holding my hand out to my side then a Power Bead appeared in my hand. A spiral of wind formed around the Power Bead, forming into an sphere of powerful wind energy. I hurled it toward Ruby, the sphere racing across the forest at high speeds.

Ruby grunted as she swung her sword, knocking the sphere of wind back toward me. 'Why can't you just let me win?!'

I walked forward, soon going into full throttle with a dash then leaped forward, kicking the sphere back toward her. The sphere connected, causing an explosion of wind energy in the air that shook the trees.

Ruby began descending from the sky, crashing to the ground and coughing a bit. She slowly stood up, panting softly and a second wing dissipated. She placed her hand against her chest, sensing her Philosopher's Stone was now damaged. She began to break out into a cold sweat, her mind racing with thoughts.

'No...He's not holding back anymore. He's...gonna kill me,' Ruby thought to herself in a state of panic.

Hearing my footsteps approaching her, she whipped her head in my direction, her expression of determination now changed in a state of fear. "G-Get away!"

She swung her sword at me, but I used my energy to knock her sword out of her hand. She watched as the sword flew a distance away, sticking into the ground. Her heart began beating faster, now realizing the situation she was in.

'I don't want to die...I don't want to die..!' She thought to herself repeatedly.

"I won't let you kill me!" Ruby screamed, launching a punch at my face.

I caught her fist, forcefully moving it out of the way despite her resistance. I surrounded my arm with Heavenly Energy, landing a powerful Heavenly Impact to her Crest. Ruby coughed a bit of blood from the impact, flying backwards and rolling on the ground.

"Give up, Ruby. I...don't want to do this to you.." I said, my tone a mix solemn and sympathy for her. I could sense her panic, the fear she now had.

Ruby stood onto her feet again, her body trembling with fear as she locked eyes with me. Ruby felt the terrifying presence my form brought. 'I can't die...I won't die..!'

"I won't let you win!" Ruby bellowed, her fiery energy surging powerfully. Her Philosopher's Stone began to glow more brightly as she tapped into more power. "I won't let you kill me, Shiro!"

I watched as two more of her wings began to disappear, feeling Ruby's life force draining quickly. I knew I had to put an end to this.

"This...is my final stand..." Ruby said softly, her armor slowly breaking apart and falling to the ground, shattering into magical particles. "If you're going to kill me...I won't die...ALONE!"

Ruby used a burst of newly found speed, dashing toward me at light speed. I grunted at her speed, but quickly took action and dashed toward her. Ruby bellowed loudly, surrounding her arm in fiery energy while I surrounded my arm in Heavenly Energy.

The two of of clashed, causing a massive explosion within the forest, clearing out the trees around us. The girls screamed, hurrying from the area as fast as they could with Ani protecting them with her Talismans.

Ruby and I zipped around the forest at our max speeds, clashing and evading each others attacks. We entered an all out battle, blocking and countering each other, neither of us letting down the offensive and forcing each other on the defensive.

Ruby's final resolve against my unmatched ambition showed the stakes that were in place, and I knew I couldn't back down. I had to strike her soul directly to finally break her Philosopher's Stone. As we prepared to clash again, I reverted into my Tengoku Form while the second to last of Ruby's wing disappeared.

"Just let me burn you down!" Ruby yelled, her heart growing heavier by the second.

"I won't allow it!" I bellowed, trying my hardest to reach her emotionally.

We struck each other's cheeks, knocking each other away. Ruby flipped backwards, sliding back on one knee. I regained my balance then flipped backwards repeatedly then got into a starting position, lightning flashing around my body.

We dashed toward each other one again, entering a heated hand to hand combat again. The girls watched closely, grunting as they felt their Love Sigils awakening and orbs of energy began to fly toward me.

"Girls!"

They looked up and noticed Passion land beside them in her dragon form, Passion wanting them to get on her back. They quickly got on then Passion took off into the air.

"What's going on, Passion? Who the hell is Pepe fighting?!" Ani asked, her tone concerned and greatly worried about me.

"He's fighting Ruby. At the rate this battle is going...they will destroy the entirety of the Sanctuary Area of Verdant Grove. This is no normal fight. This battle is full of heart and desire... ambition and resolve. Shiro wants to save Ruby, but he knows the only way to save her is to kill her," Passion answered, watching the battle from the air then noticed 11 orbs of energy floating from the distance and entering my body.

Ruby evaded my next attack with a graceful twirl, kicking me away then launching a massive bolt of Holy Fire at me. The bolt of energy struck me, causing another explosion. She panted softly, watching the smoke cloud. As she let her guard down for a moment to rest, she noticed iridescent energy flashing within the smoke cloud.

I bellowed and my energy blew away the smoke cloud, revealing me in my Awakened State. My aura flashed multiple colors of blue, red, gold, purple, orange, and white, symbolizing the amount of Crests I currently had in my arsenal.

[Stamina has fallen to 45%]

[Rolling slots...]

[{0}{0}{0}]

[Triple Zero! All Trait Potency +100%, Strength +100%, Speed +100%]

[Libido Drive Activated!]

[Jack of All Trades Activated!]

[Desire Exhibition Activated!]

[Commanding Presence Activated!]

[Eros Power Activated!]

'What...is this..?! His energy...it's everywhere. Demon...Angel...Spirit...Dragon... it's so chaotic yet so benevolent. Who...am I truly up against..?' Ruby thought to herself, her gaze never leaving mine.

"This is it, Ruby. I can hear them all cheering me on. Their faith! You can't win anymore. There's nothing you can do...to stop fate," I said, my voice a combination of ambition and resolve. "You're finished, Ruby. I didn't want to use this power against you, I wanted this to end a different way, but...I have to do what I need."

Ruby grit her teeth, clenching her fists tightly. She yelled and propelled herself toward me. "Shut up with your heroic bullshit!"

I watched as Ruby flew toward me, closing my eyes and took a deep breath. "Fall."

{Golden Tongue Activated (1/10)}

Ruby grunted as my command affected her, causing her to fall straight to the ground. Her breathing quickened, her mind racing with even more questions. As she stood up, she noticed an array of Destiny Roses and Sanctuary Lilies sprouting around her, a sudden wave of calmness hitting her body.

I held my hand out, forming a sphere of iridescent energy in front of me. I stared at Ruby, washing away all negative thoughts in my mind, heeding the words of Tengoku and Jigoku.

Jigoku and I will make sure she lives.

Those words repeated in my head as I charged up my final attack. I knew everything would be okay... Tengoku nor Jigoku have never failed me before even when I didn't have much of a connection to them until now.

'I will Liberate you from them, Ruby. Lust, Passion, Talent, Romance, Charisma, Luck... Ambition. All of these traits is what currently makes me.'

'My Lust for women like you. My Passion for seeing you all happy. The Talent I have displayed from day one until now. The Romance I promise to give to those I love. The Charisma I've shown to you all. The Luck I've been granted to keep pushing... My undying Ambition to complete my goal...and to keep you all safe.'

'With this...an attack that I've created. Ardent... Deliverance,' I said in my head, snapping my fingers then a bright light began to engulf the area around us.

Everyone covered their eyes from the light, grunting loudly as the shine blinded them. As the light slowly dimmed, everyone uncovered their eyes to witness the aftermath of my attack. Their eyes widened at the destruction around, the forest cleared around us and leaving only the garden of flowers I've bloomed.

Ruby's Philosopher's Stone shattered in her chest, her energy disappearing and her eyes closing slowly. She fell to her knees, her physical body unharmed but her soul greatly damaged. She sat on the ground, unmoving... unresponsive.

I lowered my arm, slowly making my way through the beautiful garden to reach her. I fell to my knees in front of her, gently holding her lifeless body in my embrace. I stared at her, noticing her peaceful expression. She was now free from their hands...

"Is...she dead..?" Jessica asked, her attention glued to the scene below.

Passion watched the scene, feeling her heart grow heavy at the sight. "She is..."

I sat on the soft, iridescent garden within the area, cradling Ruby's lifeless body in my arms. The serene surroundings starkly contrasted the fierce battle that had just taken place. The desolate trees, the remains of their leaves rustling softly in the gentle breeze, seemed to offer a silent lament for the fallen warrior. Moonlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting dappled shadows on the ground, illuminating the scene with a melancholic beauty.

I gently brushed the strands of hair away from Ruby's face, revealing a visage that, even in unconsciousness, held a semblance of peace. Her skin, pale and cool to the touch, bore the marks of our intense confrontation. The minutes ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity. My breath was shallow, his mind a whirl of emotions and thoughts—guilt, relief, sorrow, and a deep, gnawing sense of responsibility.

Suddenly, a flicker of fiery light appeared on Ruby's chest, capturing my attention. The light grew brighter, pulsating rhythmically like a heartbeat. It took the form of a fiery soul, its ethereal glow casting warm, golden hues over Ruby's still form. Tengoku's divine essence descended upon us, the Seraphim Soul merging seamlessly with Ruby's body. The flames danced around her, neither burning nor harming, but rejuvenating. The divine energy fused her being, knitting together broken bones and mending the wounds she acquired.

Gradually, Ruby's eyes fluttered open, the vibrant color returning to them. She felt an unfamiliar warmth coursing through her veins, a sensation both comforting and invigorating. She realized she was in my arms, my strong, steady presence anchoring her to the moment. Our eyes met, a silent conversation passing between us. My eyes were filled with a mixture of relief and concern, while Ruby's gaze softened, though she quickly looked away, breaking the moment.

"Who won the fight?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper, tinged with vulnerability.

I hesitated for a moment before replying, "I did."

A heavy silence settled over us. Ruby's mind replayed the battle—the determination, the desperation, and finally, the defeat. She had fought with everything she had, believing it was her only choice, her only path to freedom. Now, in the aftermath, the weight of it all bore down on her. She felt an overwhelming surge of emotions, and before she could stop them, tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

I noticed the tears glistening on her face. I tightened my embrace, offering silent comfort. "Ruby," I began gently, my voice a soothing balm, "it's over now. You're free."

Ruby's tears flowed more freely at my words, her body shaking with silent sobs. The reality of her release from the struggle she had endured was almost too much to bear.

"I… I thought I had to do it," she murmured, her voice breaking with the weight of her past. "I thought it was the only way. He said...if I killed you, I would be free from everything. Why..? Why... couldn't you..."

I stared at her, understanding her pain and the burden she had carried. "You don't have to listen to him anymore," I said softly, my words imbued with promise and hope. "I will guide you now. We will forge a new future, together."

{Ruby's Attraction Meter rose to 100%}

Ruby looked up at me, her eyes filled with gratitude and sorrow. For the first time in what felt like forever, she allowed herself to hope. My presence, my words, and my unwavering support were a beacon in her darkness. The battle was over, but a new journey was just beginning. A road of redemption after being liberated from the hold of the dark forces plaguing Destiny Islands.

Ruby gently held my hand, closing her eyes to finally rest. "Thank you...Shiro.."

I smiled warmly at her, closing my eyes as well to finally rest after one of my toughest fights yet. "You're welcome, Ruby.."

'And thank you, Tengoku...' I thought, speaking directly to Tengoku.

"You're welcome, Tribal Leader..."

Soon, Passion landed on the ground, the girls hurrying toward us. I looked at each of them, seeing their worried faces and their tears of relief streaming down their cheeks.

"You idiot..! Why didn't you tell us you would be fighting in a death match..?" Jessica said softly, her voice thick with emotion.

"Yeah..! You had us all worried sick! You could've at least left a letter..." Faith softly cried, trying to wipe away her tears.

I smiled at them, letting out a soft, tired chuckle. "I'm sorry for worrying you all...This was something that had to be done. Next time, I'll leave a note..."

"You better..." Jessica said softly, a soft, relieved smile playing on her lips.

The moonlight above and the Golden Star both shone brightly, offering a gentle light upon us that made the flowers around us shimmer. The scene was a beautiful sight, a stark contrast to what just transpired. Before the flowers slowly disappeared one by one, I picked a few to keep and take home with us for keepsake and as a reminder of what happened.

Passion got us all into her back, taking us back to the share house where we would move Ruby in and have her join Karma to start her redemption journey.

Ardor watched as Passion flew off and chuckled softly, leaning her shoulder against a tree in the distance. She closed her eyes, satisfied with the outcome. She looked over at the woman that stood beside her, giving her a soft smile.

"Ambitia. I want you to join him," Ardor said.

Ambitia looked at Ardor, tilting her head. "But I thought you summoned me here to join Feleti."

"I did initially, but Shiro has really captured my heart with his performance. I want you to join the right side, and not follow in your aunt's footsteps. What I am planning to do will get you killed, and I want you with him...at least until he completes his Crest of Love. Feleti already has me so there's no point in adding an inferior version of me to his ranks," Ardor said, gently ruffling her hair.

"I will be gone for a few months. I'll be in Hawaii with Feleti and Lotus. While I'm gone, make sure The Syndicates are taken down. Your targets are Axel, Sebastian, Lane, Amor, Kismet, and Naomi's brother, Yoshido. Can you do that for me?" Ardor asked, giving Ambitia a gentle smile.

Ambitia nodded her head, smiling at Ardor. "Yes. I can do that. Whose side are you on anyway? You haven't even made a move on Shiro even though your goal is to—"

"I have my own agenda, Ambrosia. But I lean more on Shiro's side for now. I need to see him at full power. I have to see him at full power," Ardor said, walking off into the distance. "Don't forget, kill The Syndicates and make sure Shiro obtains Flirtoria and Sensitia. I shall return~ Ta-ta~"

Ambitia watched as Ardor disappeared into the forest, her elven ears wiggling with delight as she hurried off in Passion's direction. 'I won't let you down, Aunt Ardor~'

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