Chapter 80: Final battle
Author pov
It was a deadly, desperate dance between Gabi and Higanbana, the goddess narrowly avoiding each strike from Gabimaru's sword. But she knew that even the slightest touch from him would drain her life force. Trapped in a corner, Higanbana could feel the fear creeping up within her as Gabimaru showed no signs of tiring. The air around them was thick with the stench of death and the ground was painted crimson with blood.
Gabi's eyes glinted with a twisted determination as she pursued Higanbana, his target for tonight's task. He had to make contact with her 20 times, each touch draining away a portion of the beautiful sorceress's life force until she was nothing but a withered husk. But Higanbana was not one to go down without a fight. Despite being backed into a corner, her pride and ego wouldn't allow her to show any signs of weakness. With lightning speed, she darted through the battlefield, putting more distance between herself and Gabi.
However, Gabi was relentless in his pursuit, he increased his speed, causing the landscapes to be a blur around him. Their chase brought them to the edge of the city, where civilization was near. But just as Higanbana thought she had escaped her pursuer, Gabi called upon his loyal minion Oni. The creature appeared before Higanbana in a flash of dark magic, blocking her path with its massive form.
Undeterred, Higanbana charged forward but was met by a wall of ice that rose from the ground and towered over her like an impenetrable fortress. She knew this could only mean one thing - Gabi had reached Yoyogi-Koen first and set up a powerful barrier to prevent Higanbana from seeking refuge there. Trapped and outnumbered, Higanbana braced herself for the final showdown against Gabi and his dark forces.
"It's rare to see this sight of you," Gabi's voice boomed from atop the icy throne, his piercing gaze fixed on his enemy below. The once prominent black markings on his skin began to fade, a sign that time was running out and he needed to act quickly. With a fierce determination burning in his chest, Gabi leaped down from his vantage point, ready to do whatever it took to conquer this threat once and for all.
" 20 strikes to eliminate her," Jorogumo spoke from within Gabi's soul and only he could listen to her.
Higanbana's laughter was wild and unhinged, escaping from her lips in a frenzied burst. Her eyes were wide and crazed, fixated on Gabi's with an intense stare. " You wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for me! I made you strong! I pushed you past your limits! They wanted you to be a little weakling! You should thank me instead of doing this!" A primal scream tears from her throat, ripped with such intense rage that the blood vessels in her face burst, turning her already pale skin a deep, angry red. Her tangled hair flies wildly around her head as she heaves breaths in and out, her chest rising and falling so rapidly it looks like it might explode.
Gabi stood there unfazed as he kept walking towards the woman, HIganbana rage further took over her. Baffled to see her own flesh and blood betray her right before her eyes, " Tsk," she huffed. She put her right arm in front of her face as the left one was near her chest with murder laced in her eyes. Her index and middle finger pointed at Gabi. " Domain Expansion . . ." her voice was sounding demonic as the area started to shake around them. The pitch of her voice dropped several octaves and a guttural growl escaped her lips. As if in response, the ground beneath them began to tremble and cracks formed in the pavement " Welcome to my garden . . . "
As the Higanbana flowers took over and decorated the area, the once massive ice barrier began to melt away. The ground shook as the bodies of those she had killed in her life rose from the earth, their flesh fused with the trees that sprouted up around them. The dead were trapped forever, their faces twisted into grotesque versions of themselves, printed onto the tree bark for all to see. The air was heavy with the scent of death and decay, yet somehow the vibrant red petals of the Higanbana flowers brought a strange beauty to the scene. It was as if the dead had been reborn into something new and hauntingly beautiful, a reminder of the gruesome fate that awaited all who crossed her path.
"Know your place fool-" she was cut short.
Amidst the chaos, Gabi's eyes flashed with determination as he clapped his hands together. Above them, the ominous evil eye that he controlled blinked three times before focusing its deadly gaze on Higanbana. With slow, calculated steps, she backed away from Gabi, unsure of what gruesome fate awaited her at the mercy of this cursed relic.
But even as she retreated, Higanbana couldn't help but be drawn to the mysterious power emanating from Gabi. although they were away from Gojo and Makima, they still helped out by destroying the special curses that were coming his way. His unwavering confidence and trust in his comrades gave him an edge against the beasts that tried to destroy him. With the powerful attacks Gojo sent and crushing blows from Makima's fists, their enemies shattered into pieces or were reduced to insignificant ants.
This was a dangerous game they played, with mortal consequences looming over them at every turn. And yet, they danced on, locked in an intense battle where only one could emerge victorious.
" Taste death . . ." Gabimaru's voice booms with power as he utters two words, and in an instant, three beams of pure energy shoot out towards the goddess from the evil eye. The speed of their strike is so swift that even Higanbana, the fastest being in existence, cannot catch sight of them. They pierce through the goddess' chest and thighs with such force that she is knocked off her feet and dropped to the ground. The dealy flower that she grew to love in her past life, sprouted from her where the beams hit her. As she kneels before Gabimaru, struggling to utter a single word, he stalks towards her with palpable hatred radiating from his every step. Her body trembles as she cowers under his intense gaze, her hair matted with sweat and covering her face like a shroud of shame.
He was in her domain but he owned it, Gabimaru had the upper hand and landed three attacks on the tricky woman. " This is my garden," he corrected the curse and infused the curse energy into his palms to create the black flash. Each blow landed with a sickening thud, the sound of flesh against bone reverberating through the battlefield. Crimson droplets sprayed in all directions, painting the already eerie scene with splashes of red. The skeletons surrounding them seemed almost alive as they twisted and swirled in a macabre dance, their bones clattering and clicking together. As the onslaught continued, the once-still figures began to transform, forming a spiraling staircase that led up to a throne made of human and curse spirit bones. The air was thick with the stench of death and decay, adding to the surreal and terrifying atmosphere of the battle.
As Higanbana lay on the ground, her once-gorgeous face was now obscured by a tangled mess of hair. Her upper body hunched over in defeat as she gasped for breath. Gabi stood nearby, his eyes widening with relief as he stepped aside to make way for Jorogumo's spider form. The creature loomed over them, its massive body moving with a predatory grace as it stalked toward Higanbana. Each step sent shivers down Gabi's spine, the sound of its eight legs skittering against the ground like nails on a chalkboard. As it reached Higanbana, its long fangs glistened in the moonlight, ready to strike at any moment.
" Figured you would kill me. We never did see eye to eye but I kept you alive cause of your intelligence. Of course, you found out and showed Gabi." her voice was faint but they heard word by word. " Do you remember? That time when all the sorcerers around the world came after us?" confusion sought on Jorogumo's face, she remembered some stuff from the past but not all. "Never mind," Higanbana forced herself to look around the area for one final time, "History does repeat, corpse lying everywhere, the screams echo in the air as the flowers bloomed. The sky was magnificent that day but the ground was a grotesque scene out of a slasher movie. The sunlight beamed on the dead bodies but the only beautiful being that stood out was the higanbana flowers."
The Jorogumo, her spider form looming over the body of Higanbana, raised both front legs and plunged them into her victim's abdomen. Blood spurted and splattered across the ground as she continued to attack with ferocious efficiency. With each strike, Higanbana's cries grew weaker until they faded into silence. The once-beautiful goddess now lay in a mangled heap, her disfigured body barely recognizable. As the Jorogumo finished her brutal assault, she rearranged Higanbana's limbs until she was nothing but a lifeless corpse among the fields of flowers that had been her home for centuries. In death, Higanbana's beauty was gone, just like her name which would now be forever associated with this gruesome end.
Jorogumo's eight legs transformed into delicate human limbs as she shifted out of her spider form. She could feel the pull of the spirit world, beckoning her to leave this earthly realm for good. Standing before her was Gabi, her master and dear friend. Despite her impending departure, Jorogumo focused on his emotions, wanting to make his last memory of her a positive one. As they embraced, she could see the black markings on his skin fading away, signaling the end of her time as being to roam the earth. Tears streamed down both their faces as they held onto each other tightly, knowing that their bond would soon be broken forever. They had only moments left together before Jorogumo would depart from this world and join her former master in the afterlife.
" Your happiness is what matters the most. Don't let this night destroy you. You are free from the toxic hold she held on you." she whispered gently to him, as he gripped around her tightly, but no matter how tight his hold was she was beginning to fade away. His domain was canceling out as the sun began to rise to share its bright light with the country of Japan. The rain started to pour and sooner than later Jorogumo's body disappeared in the sunlight that shone above them. Gabi felt his soul was missing as if he was beginning to feel vacant. His body subconsciously hunched over but his head was rested on a comforting shoulder.
" It's over, brother. " Gabimaru's twin brother reached out and gently touched the black locks of hair that were starting to fall out. As his fingers brushed through the strands, they turned white, revealing Gabimaru's true appearance.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone