Chapter 202: The Coward in the Woods

The Yokai would rush towards Stolas, now that he has sealed him and kept him isolated. Juboko would attempt to sink parts of itself to invade on the Stellar Magician, having its roots attempt to strike at his blind spot, while also utilizing the branches to shape into hands in order to grab and stab them into the man, sucking out his blood as a result. Stolas would scoff at such attempts, recognizing them and summoning his stars to utilize to the fullest. He was being a Coward again. He was trying to sneak attack him instead of fighting directly. Only he alone can correct this mistake. "You haven't changed much, huh?" He would comment, already having his stars invade his body, creating his armor once more, becoming the Zodiac Man once again.

"Nor you.....You still reek of my dead kin's blood...." The monster spoke, its voice still rough with the wood and sap, giving it a gravely voice.

"And YOU aren't doing squat with that knowledge." He'd retort, before Stolas would charge straight through, having the stars shape into small squares to act as a staircase to climb up and unleash a wave: Aquarius. The Stars flooded all over Juboko, before it would try to jump back and grow more roots to try and wall against the incoming tide. Stolas was prepared for that as he'd jump forward and launch himself, creating another constellation mid-air, a Lion's head that dives forward and tries to bite its head off: Leo. The Yokai would once again go on the defense, raising its arms and hardening it with newfound blood to tank the bite directly, its arms gushing out the red, viscous fluid whilst having it try to put out the creation. Stolas, however, took advantage of such a shift as he'd got to the ground and aimed directly at its stomach, shooting a star on point-blank range, pushing the beast away and allowing Leo to gorge itself on the tree-like beast.

Juboko would let out an animalistic growl as it attempted to grab the Lion's throat and have the branches extend to each star, allowing the Avian to see such plant-life being strong enough to withstand the heat of the solar object. Pushing his pressure further, he'd create another constellation, having them split and take his form, letting all three of them issue an onslaught against the Yokai: Gemini. The Constellations aimed for a barrage between its left and right, one of them even aiming for its arm to try and break so that the Leo constellation can continue to consume. As the Yokai tried to counterattack, trying to swerve its body so that Leo would be dragged and struck down by the constructs themselves, Stolas would be from behind so that he can strike its spine with another Star, as well as firing an arrow to its head. The constellation of Orion was made to create such an arrow, once again being point blank range to fire it.

KA-BOOOOOM!!!

A Large explosion between the creations, the heat and light serving as a white hot flashbang, burning the very skin off of both participants, the blood once under the Tree's body, now being charred into a matte, onyx tar. Stolas' feathers were burned alongside with the Yokai, yet despite such damages, he remained standing with a proud smirk, used to his own attacks heat. The Beast would let out a throaty roar as it tried to charge forward, its burnt hands being into meaty claws, making the Avian smile in glee. "THERE YOU GO! Now you're getting it!" Stolas taunted, rushing forward just the same, creating a constellation to aim towards its abdomen to interrupt the attack, a set of horns ramming into the Spriggan and pushing it back, while making a secondary constellation to further amp his speed, riding along the air to reach him closer: Aries and Pisces. As he'd blaze through the fields with Pisces' speed, Stolas would let go so that he can throw himself further, allowing him to strike at its chin with a high kick, before recalling the fish to push him again. Juboko realized he was stuck in a loop, watching the Stellar Magician unleash his strings. He'd launch himself again to knee its chest, then grabbed its head and try to do another knee directly at its face, hitting where the nose would be to shatter the wood further. He'd follow this with another kick, launching the beast further higher, before grabbing its legs and throwing him straight down, crashing at the sullied earth. The moment the beast tried to get up, Stolas would shift positions, having his talons stick itself onto its abdomen and left leg so that he can have one of his arms grab its head to keep it down, whilst letting the other hand grab ahold of Pisces and drag him across the earth, letting him be hit with its debris.

Stolas took notice they were going to hit one of its walls, so he'd lift the beast upwards and launch a roundhouse kick to stun it, while making another Aries and have both it and Pisces ram into the monster's body, taking aim and finishing it with another Star, blowing up both and causing a massive explosion in the process.

KA-BOOOOOOOM!!!

The force would push him back to the other side, catching himself by its branches and having him return to the ground, stretching and bouncing around to loosen his joints, ready to strike at the monster again, looking forward to seeing what it has became after that. As the dust cleared, the Monster would let out a bellowing roar, showcasing its near molten body, the tar now being a magma-like orange, leaking out from every orifice possible, its mouth more jagged and its eyes properly blood red. The Yokai knew fully well what was going on. It was being toyed with. It was being pushed around, bullied even. "YOU THINK THIS IS A GAME, MURDERER...!?!?" The Beast screeched before trying to split itself further, creating more and more copies in order to overwhelm Stolas. The Avian, as an answer, would use Gemini once more, making the same clones out of such stars, smirking proudly as he prepared himself.

"Pretty much! Not much to do since....well....You're weak!"

The beast was practically screaming in anger as it was being treated as a joke, swarming on all sides to try and wipe that smirk off the Avian's beak. Stolas remained prepared, a stance being made before throwing himself in once again, waiting to see how much it'll take before it breaks.