The sun had already begun to dip toward the horizon as Throk advanced with unwavering determination along the winding, ancient road that led to the House of Taurus. With each step, the ground beneath his feet seemed to tremble, resonating with the titanic force radiating from his aura. Yet, he knew that the power he had acquired at midday was beginning to wane. The Solar Warrior had always taken pride in his connection to the sun god, and the awareness that his strength diminished with each passing second made his expression grow tenser and more ferocious.
- Throk:"Looks like midday is already behind me… But it doesn't matter! I'll defeat anyone who stands in my way, even if the light is fading!" Throk muttered to himself, clenching his fists as the final spark of his Solar Form burned fiercely.
Meanwhile, inside the House of Taurus, Neptune was already locked in a frantic battle against the fearsome Gyuuma. The ground trembled beneath them, and the very air seemed to collapse under the weight of their clash. The echoes of their powers colliding reverberated across the hills. Neptune, lord of the waters and avatar of the seas, was proving to be a formidable force—each of his movements conjured tides and waves of raw might. Tide, his spiritual ability, roared with the fury of a storm-tossed ocean, striving to overwhelm the imposing Gyuuma.
But Gyuuma, the Giant Angel of Taurus, was no ordinary opponent. His power lay not only in his colossal muscles but in something far deeper—an ancestral essence that resonated with the earth itself. He watched Neptune closely, his gaze unblinking, cold, like that of a calculating predator.
- Gyuuma:"So that's it… That's the aura… Interesting." he murmured, recognizing the divine power now emanating from Neptune. The sea god, upon activating his aura, had broken through the barrier of Pseudo-Divine (Grade S+) and ascended to Divine level (Grade F). It was as if the very oceans responded to his will, transforming into an infinite force.
Still, Gyuuma knew that even with such an ascension, Neptune had not yet overcome all his challenges.
After an hour of relentless combat, the floor of the House of Taurus was cratered and shattered, marked with scars of their destructive blows. It was then that Throk finally arrived. His body, once radiating with the golden energy of the Solar Form, had now begun to lose its glow. The warrior felt his strength rapidly fading, his connection to the sun slipping away with time.
Upon seeing him approach, Neptune turned briefly, perceiving his ally's critical state. The water swirling around Neptune began to vibrate, condensing with increasing power. His strength grew every ten minutes as he absorbed moisture from the clouds, converting it into raw energy.
Throk, though weakened, knew he couldn't let Neptune fight alone. With a cry of determination, he channeled the remainder of his energy into a combination technique, merging his power with Neptune's.
- Throk:"Together, we'll bring him down, Neptune! God-Dragon: Kug-Nammu!" he roared as his aura flared one last time before beginning to fade.
The combined power of both warriors was devastating. God-Dragon: Kug-Nammu—a fusion of Sunrise and Tide techniques—was a manifestation of pure, condensed energy. It tore through the sky, a storm of solar light and water crashing down upon Gyuuma. The impact was cataclysmic, and the Bull's armor—once as unyielding as mountains—shattered into thousands of fragments.
For a moment, silence fell. It seemed Gyuuma had been defeated.
But against all expectations, he still stood. With a slow smile, he began to rise, his muscles and bones repairing themselves instantly.
- Gyuuma:"Looks like I underestimated you." he said, his deep voice calm. "But now… it's time to stop playing."
Gyuuma raised his hand, revealing the Gauntlet of Taurus—a legendary artifact fused with his spiritual essence. Upon activation, he unleashed his devastating spiritual ability: Giga-Tremor.
With Giga-Tremor unleashed, the entire ground around Neptune and Throk began to quake violently. The technique's power, enhanced by the gauntlet, affected not only the terrain but anything in contact with it—including the bodies of his opponents. The ground pulsed, sending waves of destruction directly into Throk's bones and organs.
The Solar Warrior screamed in agony as his final strength drained away. He collapsed to the ground, his aura now completely dissipated. In his original form, he lost consciousness, gravely wounded.
Fueled by a fierce desire to avenge his companion, Neptune hurled himself at Gyuuma with his technique Raging Sea, calling upon the might of the deep. Colossal waves of aquatic energy surged across the battlefield, but Gyuuma, now clad in the 30-Thousand-Ton Tunic, had become impenetrable. His body solidified to an unmatched degree—no blow could faze him.
With a calm smile, Gyuuma looked at Neptune and chuckled softly.
- Gyuuma (thinking):"So… these are the vessels. Is this fate?" Contemplative, he dropped his guard, allowing Neptune to sense the emptiness in the fight.- Gyuuma:"You win. Whahaha... Go on." he laughed.
Neptune, exhausted and breathing heavily, knelt down and lifted Throk's inert body onto his shoulders. In silence, he began the path toward the House of Gemini, never looking back, his mind already focused on the next challenge.
The road was still long, and the battle was far from over.