Chapter 118: Sakolomé, a Beast of Strength
As Sakolomé, Bakuran, and Salomé finally arrived on the battlefield, the atmosphere seemed to change completely.
A shiver ran through the air.
A new wind blew among the ruins.
A dense silence settled, as if the world was holding its breath.
Sally, still beside Nairo, felt her heart tighten. Her eyes welled up.
Then, her voice breaking, she shouted:
Sally:
"Sakolomé… I'm so sorry… for the last time!!"
All eyes turned toward her.
Sakolomé remained silent for a moment. Then a gentle smile lit up his face.
Sakolomé:
"Don't worry, Sally. I don't blame you."
He paused before adding:
Sakolomé:
"In fact… I should even thank you. It's thanks to you that we took a step toward the future."
Sally froze, stunned. She hadn't expected such a kind, grateful response.
Her tears continued to flow, but this time, a radiant smile blossomed on her face.
Sakolomé gave her a thumbs-up.
Sakolomé:
"So dry your tears. The enemy is before us. And we must show him nothing. No weakness."
Sally nodded, touched to the core of her soul.
Sakolomé swept his gaze over the field… then fixed on a familiar figure.
Sakolomé:
"Hey, ErMut? You're here too?"
ErMut, scratching his head, gave a broad smile:
ErMut:
"Haha, yeah! You see that? So, how are you holding up, old brother?"
Sakolomé shrugged:
"Meh… we've seen better days, but we make do!"
Grafay, ever sarcastic, sneered:
Grafay:
"You better kick his ass seriously, huh? Because if after all this drama you lose… you'll just look like a clown!"
Sakolomé, laughing:
"Hehe, don't worry about that. I'll do my best."
But Salomé, suddenly concerned, looked around… and frowned.
Salomé:
"Wait… where's Yuki?"
ErMut, looking a bit embarrassed, pointed to a distant mountain, completely shattered:
ErMut:
"Over there. He got thrown kilometers away from here…"
Salomé:
"What?!"
But before another word could be exchanged, a sinister, irritated voice cut short the reunion:
Gaius, eyebrow raised, looking deeply annoyed:
"Enough with your cheap reunions! What do you think? That I'd just wait nicely for the whole cast to show up?"
A low rumble rose in the air.
Gaius's smile vanished.
His gaze became sharp as a blade.
Gaius (icy voice):
"I give you two choices: bow down… or die."
Sakolomé took a step. Then another.
Straight. Proud. Resolute.
His voice rose, calm and firm at once:
Sakolomé:
"Everyone stay back. Gaius is my fight. I want to face him alone."
A shiver ran through the group.
Bakuran clenched his jaw. He didn't like it… but slowly nodded.
Salomé, fists clenched, obeyed as well, tension visible in her gaze.
Sally, silent, watched, intrigued.
Something had changed in Sakolomé.
Grafay, meanwhile, crossed his arms and smiled:
Grafay:
"Tch… it's like watching the start of a legendary movie."
Sakolomé kept advancing. His gaze never left Gaius's.
A deep energy rose within him.
Sakolomé:
"Sorry for the wait, Gaius. The time has come."
A familiar voice echoed in his mind.
Rivhiamë (internally, sarcastic):
"You better not lose after playing hero in front of everyone…"
Sakolomé (thought):
"Don't worry. I won't back down."
Deep within, Rivhiamë opened her scarlet eyes, a sly smile stretching her demonic lips.
Rivhiamë:
"What if I synthesized your fight against Bakuzan? An instant fusion of everything your body learned… like coming out stronger, more seasoned?"
Sakolomé (surprised):
"Wait… you can really do that?"
Rivhiamë:
"Of course. It'll be like compressing months of training into seconds. Just the benefits. None of the damage."
Sakolomé (determined):
"Then do it. Do it now."
A sudden breath escaped his body. Steam. Raw energy.
The air vibrated around him.
His gaze lit up. His breathing quickened.
His aura exploded suddenly — a wave of power sweeping the ruins around him.
Sakolomé (awestruck):
"So this is… experience, strength… everything I gained against Bakuzan… it's immense."
The earth seemed to bend under his new power.
Grafay, eyes wide, whistled:
Grafay:
"Damn… Sakolomé, you leveled up like in a game. Looks like you're ready to blow up the universe, hahaha!"
Sakolomé stopped about ten meters from Gaius.
He stared him straight in the eyes.
His figure was calm.
But the storm rumbled beneath his skin.
Sakolomé:
"This time… you're going to feel what it's like to hit a wall."
Sakolomé took a guard stance, his aura vibrating with every heartbeat.
Sakolomé (calm and firm tone):
"I warned you. Don't touch my family.
I don't know what happened to you, Gaius… but it looks like you lost every last trace of your humanity."
Gaius tilted his head slightly, a smirk twisting his lips.
Gaius:
"Trying to play the protective big brother now? It's too late…
You pathetic little Satsujin Otoko!"
He charged.
A black lightning. Inhuman speed.
Even the fastest in the group saw nothing.
Nothing… except Sakolomé.
BAAAAAAAM!!!
A titanic crash made the entire battlefield vibrate.
Everyone's eyes widened.
Gaius: head slammed into the ground, legs stiff in the air, stretched like stakes.
One hit. One only.
Silence.
Grafay (jaw dropped):
"W-WOAH DAMN! Sakolomé, are you a monster or what?!"
Sakolomé, palm still on Gaius's head, tilted his head slightly.
Sakolomé (coldly):
"You'd better listen, because there's no chance you can beat me today."
Gaius (growling in the dirt):
"Grrr… Tch—"
A violet beam suddenly exploded from his head, piercing the ground like an orbital shot.
Sakolomé instantly released his grip, performed a graceful backflip, and landed softly, like a war dancer.
No sooner had he touched the ground than Gaius sprang up, furious, ready to counterattack.
Gaius (shouting in rage):
"How DARE you… humiliate me like this?!"
But Sakolomé had already vanished.
A breath. A flash.
BOOOOMMM!!!
A second blow. Even more violent.
A massive shockwave erupted, gouging the ground and raising a monstrous wind.
Everyone's hair flew as if in a divine storm.
Gaius was propelled through the atmosphere.
His body sliced the air at unbearable speed, until leaving the planet…
…and piercing the moon in a spray of cosmic rock.
On the other side of the celestial body, he was seen emerging, still propelled by the power of the blow.
Sakolomé remained standing, his gaze fixed on the sky.
Behind him, stunned silence.
Sally, Salomé, Bakuran, ErMut, Nairo, and Grafay, all frozen, speechless.
What was that…?
Since when had Sakolomé reached this level?
Was it still him?
Or another being, born of his wounds, his anger… his resolve?