Casually hovering in the sky while observing the experimental battle was Inala. He seemed to be doing nothing more than behaving like a cheerleader. However, his work was the most important of them all.
Defence against the Bolt of Transcendence!
As a Mystic Grade Pranic Beast, Brangara was capable of summoning Bolts of Transcendence the moment he expressed the desire to transcend. And he had enough experience with the process to angle himself accordingly so that his target was the one struck by the bolt first.
He hadn't used it yet because Brangara was waiting for an opportunity. Even when he was on the losing side, he remained patient, intending to wait until he obtained the perfect opportunity where he could take out at least two Mystic Paths.
That way, he could make a break for it. As long as he manages to throw Yamahara into the Sandy-Grey Void, he wouldn't have any concerns. After all, his son had a large enough storage of the Celestial Boar and Yarsha Zahara's blood, using which he could shield himself from the dangers of the Sandy-Grey Void and flee to safety.
Moreover, Sumatra's Transcendent Eater would protect him. Brangara had yet to determine the exact reason, but one thing was for sure. Yamahara was the reason Sumatra's Transcendent Eater was actively helping him in this fight, assisting to the extent it risked getting blocked out by Sumatra Continent.
Unlike other Transcendents, Sumatra's Transcendent Eater's existence was pivotal to the development of Sumatra Continent. And hence, it received some concessions, which was what it used to assist Brangara.
At a spot on Sumatra somewhat near the Manu Enclave, Brangara noticed a group of Parute Trees sprout on the mountain range he had erected using the combination of Rocky Intimidation and Subtle Terrain Domination.
The Parute Trees grew in such a manner that they formed a sentence, conveying the seriousness of the situation.
[Red, Blue, Indigo, and Violet have kidnapped your son alongside a body of yours!]
Right as the message popped up, the Parute Trees forming it wilted, not because Sumatra's Transcendent Eater retracted them, but because they were blocked by Sumatra Continent.
Immediately in response, Sumatra's Transcendent Eater could no longer see or hear what was happening on the continent through the Parute Trees. Even though the Parute Trees continued to function as usual, the information they related to it was blockaded by Sumatra Continent.
[You're quick in such situations, old friend...fine, I'll stop interfering. I only intend to protect you...not that you're alive, but still...]
The Sumatra's Transcendent Eater flailed its branches in the Sandy-Grey Void, spilling large swathes of grey sand that would have been dangerous for even Transcendents to face. It seemed to be explaining to Sumatra Continent. However, there was no reply to its words.
'What?' Brangara was stunned to see the message, shouting as he stared up, "Where are they?"
'Have they targeted the Varahan Empire?' He frowned in thought, shaking his head shortly after, 'No, there are enough Boar Kings there along with one body of mine. Even the Mystic Paths cannot fight such a force head-on.'
'We have enough Royal Guards to stall for time.' His eyes flashed as he looked around, 'Even if
I start running now, it'll take me years to return. Then, there's only one option.'
Primary Nature-Voracious Cultivator!
He activated his Nature in full swing and began to digest an Empyrean Tusk corpse, rapidly maturing by a quarter in response. He judged his growth rate and digested two more Empyrean Tusk corpses to reach the peak of the 3-Life Stage.
'Now, my other body can condense a second body.' He thought, sighing in response, 'This is the limit of what I could do at present.'
'I hope they haven't run far away with my son.' He thought, sighing in frustration, 'How can then even achieve something like this? With my set of powers, I should easily be able to fight the Mystic Paths, even when ambushed.'
Back in the desert, the flying figure of Inala kept an eye on the sky, ready to block any Bolt of Transcendence that Brangara manages to summon. However, that wasn't the focus of his attention. Instead, he stared at Resha as his expression turned into confusion before emanating happiness.
His gaze turned soft as he eyed Resha, 'So, you live on through him, Gannala.'
The existence that had selflessly assisted in his plans, with its tail slaps being the only source of comfort in his original days, also his spiritual pillar. Even after becoming the Royal Zinger and no longer subject to the influence of the Mammoth Clan, Inala only had affection for this
maternal figure of his.
The Supreme Tusk Gannala!
Inala's daughter, though special, was only thanks to his nurturing. She was born no different from a regular Empyrean Tusk other than a larger capacity to accept the inheritances of other Empyrean Tusks.
But no matter how strong she became, she was merely the Supreme Tusk's successor. However, Resha currently exhibited the presence of the Supreme Tusk, at a level where the Supreme Tusk Gannala would have been had she not sacrificed her potential to the Mystic Grade.
Moreover, it wasn't a similar presence, but an exact copy of the original, which was what sparked an insatiable hunger in Brangara.
"But! Thank! You!" Drool flooded his mouth as Brangara glared ravenously at Resha, "You've given me the opportunity to kill you, Gannala!"
'He currently resembles her.' Virala's gaze became serious as he stared at Resha, 'Does that mean he attained the original's path to the Mystic Grade?'
The seven Mystic Paths were created by unequally breaking the Supreme Tusk's path to the Mystic Grade into seven pieces. Moreover, it was only applicable to the daughters of the Mystic Paths.
However, the original Mystic Path was applied on the Supreme Tusk, which meant that if Resha had inherited it, he would become a Mystic Grade existence.
Currently, Inala was the only one who had genuinely entered the Mystic Grade. And he had to experience hell and plan impeccably to attain it. That was because he intended to achieve it as a Pranic Beast, which was the hardest but also the most rewarding.
Orakha and Yarsha Zahara had also attained the Mystic Grade. However, they did it as Free Humans, which was possible as long as they managed to successfully fuse a piece of Sumatra Gold in their Human Avatar.
Though he was a Mammoth Clansman, Orakha's build completely followed the path of a Free Human. But that was why, even after entering the Mystic Grade, he and Yarsha Zahara weren't a match to Brangara and Inala.
When a Pranic Beast entered the Mystic Grade, it became a pinnacle existence. The sheer size and power possessed by its body unleashed enough destructive capabilities on par with a Mystic Grade Nature. That was what made a Mystic Grade Pranic Beast so terrifying.
A Free Human wasn't as strong as a Pranic Beast at the same stage. However, if Resha obtained the Supreme Tusk's path to the Mystic Grade, he would most definitely enter the Mystic Grade as a Pranic Beast, as the Supreme Tusk in fact.
That would elevate him to the same level of existence as the Empyrean Tentacle, Celestial Boar, and Royal Zinger.
'Even though I have Mystic Grade strength, I'm not a Mystic Grade existence.' Virala thought, feeling a tad inferior already. It was because there was a small difference between him and the Empyrean Boar King he could transform into.
An Iron Grade Pranic Beast could mutate just by consuming the Prana of the Empyrean Boar
King. When Brangara was the Empyrean Boar King, there were many such examples. Even Inala's build was achieved by consuming a large amount of the Empyrean Boar King's Prana.
However, even though Virala could transform into the Empyrean Boar King, his Prana
couldn't result in such an effect. Sighing in response, Virala stared at the sky and observed Inala, confident that the Royal Zinger's Prana could result in an Iron Grade Pranic Beast's
mutation too.
Boom!
There was an outburst of Prana from Brangara as he rushed at Resha, drooling at the mouth, his desire to kill, torture, and consume the hated existence before him surged to its zenith.
But right as he lunged at Resha, he felt a change, gathering Prana into his Spirit Container to
realise that he could condense a new body when necessary. Immediately in response, a tinge of clarity returned to his being.
'Shit! I was careless!' He reacted promptly, watching a fist of bone rushing at him, containing tremendous might. There was a flash of blood from Yamahara, following which Yarsha Zahara's power covered him.
Resha's fist struck Brangara's face as he immediately severed himself at the wrist, watching
the severed portion fall under Brangara's control.
"Your attacks are useless, Gannala!" Brangara roared and rushed at Resha, only to be
bombarded with a series of punches. Every time a punch came his way, despite his best attempts to dodge them, Brangara ended up getting hit across the body.
He did absorb the power of Mystic Bone forming the fists, which he readily used against
Resha. However, they did nothing against him. At the moment of contact, the fist of bone melted into his body as immediately, Resha retaliated with a punch, reverting all the momentum behind Brangara's attack back at him.
[It's like attacking water with water, Father. We're wasting Mother's power needlessly.]
"Huff..." Brangara breathed in deeply and stared at the bone fists hovering around him, eyes widening in realisation as he stared at Resha, 'This bastard purposefully attacked me.'
When Yarsha Zahara stole a power, she immediately stored it in her Minor Treasure of
Lunchbox. This way, she didn't have to carry it around her being and constantly treat it as her Spirit Weapon.
In Brangara's case, he didn't have the Minor Treasure of Lunchbox, which meant he had to
carry the absorbed bone fists like Spirit Weapons. But, each bone fist was condensed with the power of Internal Inertial Gravity, making them extremely dense.
If Prana wasn't supplied into them to turn them light, they'll weigh him down. But the
moment he supplies Prana to them, it meant he was maintaining them as Spirit Weapons, which split his concentration, focus, and Prana. After all, the greater the number of Spirit Weapons he controlled, the exponentially lower the efficiency of psychokinesis got.
His Prana reserves were dropping rapidly. And by the time he realised what was happening, he
had wasted a good chunk needlessly. But even though he could analyse his condition, it was taking a good portion of his concentration just to suppress his hunger.
But if more Spirit Weapons were getting added to his control, it would disperse his concentration further, making him more susceptible to hunger. And of course, he couldn't do anything else as Resha constantly rained down punches on him.
'This guy planned everything!' Brangara raised his arms up in guard, grunting every time
Resha broke past his guard and repeatedly targeted his face, 'He accurately grasped my weakness and has been ruthlessly hacking away at my accumulations!'
'Dammit! I don't even have enough time or resources to condense another body.' Brangara thought as he was pushed to his last leg, cursing mentally, 'Is this how Resha actually fights?'
'I have only one choice left. I'll bombard this place!' Brangara prepared himself, emanating a subtle presence, intending to summon Bolts of Transcendence at him. He had already concentrated Yamahara towards his feet, ready to kick the latter into the Sandy-Grey Void the moment he got the chance.
But as if prepared for it, there was a flicker of lightning, following which the Royal Zinger
appeared in its full glory, with dozens of orbs glinting around its body. Four of them flashed away and bombarded the summoned Bolts of Transcendence, neutralising each other.
With a slam, he swatted Brangara, activating his powers in full swing.
Tertiary Nature-Prana Stitch!
"Attributed Region?" Brangara was stunned to see that he was imprisoned in a sphere made
using Attributed Region water, with hundreds of strings of Prana jutting to and fro between his body and the sphere walls.
He was restricted, unable to move. But before he could assume Celestial Boar form and use its
expansion to break free, a large volume of Prana and Lifespan began to flow out of his being.
He raised his head and stared at two Royal Zingers glaring down at him when suddenly, a third, body Royal Zinger appeared, and immediately in response, a powerful gravitational field surrounded him. Followed by a reddish radiance, another force field swarmed him. And then, jumping out from one of Inala's Biome Bombs was Boul Brimgan, unleashing his
prepared ability promptly.
Spirit Container Seal!