"Is anyone there?"
Douma and Shinobu looked up in shock. That voice was Eiko's. What's she doing here?
"Lord Douma are you there?"
Yoru and Eiko were waiting in front of the stairs, calling out to Douma who hurried out of the main hall with Shinobu, a look of confusion on his face.
"Hello Yoru and Eiko is everything OK-
"Douma! It's really bad!" Eiko cried she was almost at the verge of tears.
Yoru brought the young girl closer with a look of sympathy in her face. The shrine leader noticed that Eiko's bruises were healing. The dark patches that were spreading on her skin had vanished.
"I saw her at the village after visiting my mother-in-law," Wrapping her arms around Eiko, Yoru smiled at the girl attempting to cheer her up a little. "She was looking for her brother, Atashi was it?"
Eiko nodded and looked at Douma. "That's why I came here you're the only one who can help me find him besides my parents. I know you can." A tear rolled down her cheek falling to the snowy grass. "Please."
"I just want to protect my sister."
Atashi's words rang in his head like a bell. The young founder just saw the two siblings in Atashi's dream. Maybe this was a sign that something was going on and chances are, Eiko didn't know anything about it.
"Eiko it's great that you're getting better." Douma was glad Eiko didn't decide to run off just to find Atashi. That would've led to bigger problems, at least she was aware about the dangers out there especially given her condition. "Do you know where Atashi might've run off to? Did he tell you anything?" While it was obvious that Atashi was heading to the secret lair that only he knew about, there's a possibility that Eiko knows something.
"He's looking for some masked man in Tokyo I don't know where he went." Eiko sobbed.
The masked man.
Douma and Shinobu looked at Eiko with a worried expression. How were they going to tell her about the dream and Atashi's rebellion? Eiko would be heartbroken.
What if the masked man had something to do with Atashi's possession of the artifact and his fury? That seemed like the case. Atashi was thinking about it in his dream to the point it appeared rather unsettling. It can't just be a coincidence anymore there was a bigger picture here. Douma was certain there was more to do this. The shrine leader's red kimono was swaying in the direction of the wind as he thought about the situation.
"Do you know what the masked man looked like? Have you seen him before?"
"He's the one who gave Atashi the artifact. If you see someone wearing an Oni mask around here it's definitely him. Atashi told me to stay away from him cause he's bad news."
That answered some questions however Douma was starting to feel disappointed with Atashi, what was his friend thinking?! Accepting some dangerous item from a total stranger wearing an Oni mask, that's definitely bad news. Now poor Eiko has been dragged into this. The danger Atashi had put his family in because of his anger. It's pretty obvious Atashi is trying to change some things but in the worst way anyone could think of.
"Seriously? He just took it from this stranger and went on about his day like nothing happened?"
Yoru watched Douma and Eiko talking about this 'stranger and artifact', based on Douma's horrified expression this was something that she had to take note of too. If someone is really going around giving people strange items she had to warn her husband and children fast. This person was breaking families apart.
"He came back and took everything from us when our parents were away! Our bug specimens and Mom's jewelries from Hayori Town! Atashi went to get our stuff back especially the items that belong to our parents!"
Which means Atashi has definitely gone to find this strange man's base. He could be in danger right now, Douma had to find him fast.
"Everything's a mess right now!" Shinobu shrieked, just the thought of Atashi's actions was making her slightly agitated. "Does Atashi not realize that what he's doing is only making things worse than it already is?"
The figure of Reiji emerged from the shrine's hall. He was surprised to see Eiko outside but just like the sentiment Shinobu had about her safety, Reiji too was disappointed in his cousin's abrupt decision to leave home just like that.
"What's going on?" Reiji glanced at Atashi's little sister who timidly avoided eye contact with him. "I didn't expect to see you here Eiko. You shouldn't be leaving home, not when you're still recovering. The burden I'll carry on my shoulder if something were to happen to you!"
Shinobu crossed her arms. "That's exactly what I was thinking but knowing how fragile these two siblings are, I don't even know where to start."
Blinking sadly, Eiko looked up with tears in her eyes. She had been hiding her worries for sometime which includes Atashi's disappearance, trying to avoid making a scene here that will hold everyone back for a while. "I'm sorry I know I shouldn't have left without supervision!" She cried.
"Then why did you put everyone at risk?! You could've at least asked Aunt Mai to keep you company!" Reiji raised his voice. He didn't mean to sound harsh but this reminded him of the time when he left Shinobu to find the shrine by herself. That was such a careless thing to do and he swore to never repeat it again.
"Please don't get mad at me, I just want everything to go back to the way they were." Eiko wiped the tears streaming down her face. "If I wasn't so mean to Atashi none of this would've happened."
Douma understood where Eiko was coming from but she was being a little too hard on herself now. "It's not your fault Eiko, it never was. You were just concerned about him. Don't make things hard for yourself just because someone else didn't understand your sincerity."
The three of them watched as Eiko looked up at them sobbing. Her tears weren't flowing down anymore which meant she was convinced but the sadness still lingered in her heart. Eiko wished there was something she could do to save her brother.
"Did Atashi tell you what that masked man's planning?" Yoru asked trying to sound calm from the quivers in her voice, one could tell she was just as terrified. "Has he been acting weird lately? Maybe he knows something we don't."
Before Eiko could open her mouth and speak, there was a loud crashing sound from the distance followed by a few screams. It sounded like a landslide not too far away.
"What was that?!" Yoru cried.
"I don't know but I have a bad feeling about this. Everyone stay here it's too dangerous." Running down the path, Douma averted his gaze at the smoke rising from the location of the sound.
It seems the Hasu Mountains was under attack and it's been going on for quite a while. This can't be some natural phenomenon someone was definitely behind this and Douma was about to find out.
The pungent smell of smoke was strong. Something was burning in the clearing Douma got to. A group of people were running and screaming for their lives. This has never happened in Hasu Mountains before, whoever decided to touch this peaceful place was making the biggest mistake, Douma was going to make them pay for sure.
A few more people were running in the shrine leader's direction crying for help at the top of their lungs. Douma signaled to them to head the opposite direction since they could take shelter at the houses near his shrine.
"There's a giant monster burning the village and forest!"
"And it's coming this way!"
Douma glanced at the ashes flying towards them swiping a few with his fans. So that alien creature is back. I knew he had something to do with this.
"Please help us we don't know where to go everywhere is on fire. How did Hasu Mountains come to this?" The elderly man waited for Douma's response he just wanted to feel safe again.
"You can wait outside the shrine, the fire won't reach that part of the mountains anytime soon."
When Douma turned around to check, he saw more people gathering on the small hill behind him. Even though he tried his best to get them to safety everyone still wanted to watch this upcoming battle. On the contrary, many villagers despised him now, who they were rooting for was out of the question. But Douma knows they still trusted him quite a bit. If they didn't he'd be left behind.
This was the pure definition of 'Curiosity Killed the Cat'. These people were putting themselves in danger, they're going to be on the ground after a minute of witnessing Douma's stronger powers and that would give Nebulas the leeway to attack, not the young founder but its prey lying on the ground like sardines.
Among the crowd was Shinobu, Eiko and Reiji urging everyone to leave the area. Douma was glad they could read his expression by now, these people really needed some sense knocked into them.
But it wasn't working they still insisted on watching the fight. A few of them were yelling at him to attack the approaching figure.
Douma understood their pain and frustration it must be upsetting to see your home burn down in flames but standing around wasn't going to do anything. The least they could do was get to safety and wait until the problem was cleared.
"This is the last time you'll see these precious mountains again," Nebulas sounded threateningly furious. "I won't let you ruin my plans and turn me into the outcast that I've crawled out of. If anything, that title belongs to you."
There was something unsettling about Nebulas' new appearance. It was almost as if he had split himself apart, not entirely but he was transforming. In between the torn sections of his skin, there was a green mass pulsing out and it reeked of pungent fumes.
What is this monster turning into? It doesn't look like anything that walks this planet. There's a strong concentration of acid within this form that Nebulas is transforming into. Douma had to be careful, knowing how dangerous Nebulas' acid was, anything that triggers a reaction out of that green mass especially could result in a large-scale hazard for those nearby. Judging by how Nebulas was straining his limbs at times, he was carrying the weight of this disaster that could go off anytime soon. The shrine leader had to put an end to this now.
Looking at the giant monstrosity in horror, Shinobu, Eiko and Reiji were speechless. How was it possible for any lifeform to have such a mortifying appearance beneath the surface? Whatever was going on with Nebulas, Shinobu had faith that Douma would know what to do about this.
"Even an outcast wouldn't go as far as to attack innocent people." The shrine leader replied sternly, narrowing his eyes at the alien mothership who was slightly larger compared to before. The shadows casted on the ground reigned darkness on the Hasu Mountains.
It was freezing out here the gathering crowd shouldn't even be wandering around in the first place. There were a number of them wearing thin jackets and coats which isn't enough to combat the cold.
"Everyone leave now it's too dangerous!" Douma yelled as Nebulas stomped towards them igniting the grass and plants on both sides.
"We're not leaving until you prove to us that you really care about our lives and home!"
"Yeah this is where we belong!"
"Says the one who caused the storm!"
What were these people thinking? Did they really see him as the bad guy after all he's done? Of course he was going to save them why else would he come all the way here. He, Eiko and Reiji were literally trying to evacuate them along with a few other people who were now dragging them towards Paradise Shrine down the path. In fact there were people evacuating them before he got to the clearing, this was idiotic if anything happens to these people they took it on themselves, Douma really tried.
The alien creature was shooting acid, burning the ground and lighting it up in flames that mixed with the acid, turning the alien creature into a fire breathing monster.
Aircraft was seen hovering in the sky firing at Nebulas to which he looked up and roared in anger. Every bullet fell off his skin and dropped to the ground. The alien mothership shook his head in annoyance and raised his arms pointing at the sky with the jaws on the surface of his skin opening wide.
Douma knew what was about to happen he glanced at the crowd who looked horrified by what was happening, making sure nobody was in the Nebulas' range.
The sizzling acid from both arms gushed out landing on the two aircraft causing a collision as the engines heated up and exploded midair.
"What was that?!" Someone shouted from the crowd. Footsteps were heard as people started sprinting in the opposite direction.
A few more aircraft flew past Nebulas getting ready to fire at the infestation. Douma tried to use his psychic techniques to move the aircraft away but it was too late the acid destroyed the engines turning them into flames before plummeting to the ground.
The monster let out a cry of pursuit, he looked at Douma and started running towards him. Douma got his fans ready as Nebulas swiped his large claws at him. The sound of clashing echoed throughout the clearing with people watching the two figures going all out.
"What has become of Hasu Mountains?"
"You have to leave now." Shinobu tried to get the remaining people to face the other direction but they just wouldn't budge it was extremely tiring. Exchanging glances, both Shinobu and Reiji waved their hands at the crowd trying to get their attention.
It almost worked until another cry was heard from the clearing. Shinobu and Reiji weren't that worried about Douma he could handle it, they were more worried about the villagers' wellbeing, if that thing sees them here which may have already been the case, they're in deep trouble that creature was fast.
Douma stepped back, dodging all the creature's attacks. His fans weren't landing much scratches on Nebulas his skin had become completely impenetrable, like he knows Douma is the only one who has managed to slice through it before, so he was adapting now.
"Come on Douma you can do this!" Reiji yelled.
Attempting to grab his fans, the alien creature hissed at Douma and leaped up diving towards him, the young founder backed away watching Nebulas land on the ground causing the Earth to shake.
"Too slow." Douma mocked as the walking infestation slammed his tail in the shrine leader's direction, leaving another hole in the ground which made Douma laugh.
Shinobu, Eiko, and Reiji cheered him on along with a few other people who were now demanding him to finish the creature once and for all.
Holding his fans closely, Douma leaped into the air and focused on the alien creature that growled at him. A cold attack was coming its way.
"It's pointless you fly!" Nebulas spat in anger.
Upon seeing what Douma was about to do, Shinobu, Eiko, and Reiji urged the crowd to get away from the area since the ice would freeze their lungs within a matter of seconds. A few of them started taking off in the direction of his shrine not looking back however there were those who were too scared to move from their spot let alone look away.
"If you don't start moving now you'll have difficulty breathing just listen to us!" Eiko shouted.
"This isn't a joke if you don't want to have an early bedtime yet just turn around. It's that simple you'll be fine!" Reiji blocked their view flailing his arms around to get them to oblige. He remembered the shrine leader's angelic powers that caused anyone who witnessed them to pass out on the spot. Any one of his angelic powers could be unleashed soon. The crowd couldn't stay here any longer they had to leave now.
A woman looked at them and snorted. "Why should I believe you annoying kids! I need to see what happens next before I start running!" Taken aback by what she had just said, Reiji looked at her coldly. How dare she dismissed them like that.
"You want to start running? Well you should've done that earlier!"
While some people took off, a number of them were still crowding around the hill looking at the ongoing battle. Shinobu, Eiko, and Reiji sighed, looking away. The voices of people muttering could still be heard.
"Freezing Clouds!" Douma yelled summoning a large gust of frost towards the alien creature, freezing its limbs and shattering them upon contact with the waves of ice.
The crowd of people looked at Douma in shock, unable to comprehend what just happened.
"Did he- what was that?!"
"They looked like ice, I've seen his ice powers but they were never that scary."
"Who should we be afraid of now I don't know whether I should be fascinated or terrified can someone please explain what's going on?"
Shinobu, Eiko, and Reiji didn't know if they should laugh or be worried right now since these people were still here and the effects were going to occur any minute now. Regardless they tried to hold their incoming laughter if only these people had listened to them, seems like they were going to be the victims of their own foolishness.
"Well we tried to warn them." Shinobu said, looking at the remaining few who were watching the ongoing battle with anticipation.
A row of vehicles parked at the side of the clearing with swat teams standing at various spots observing the battle with their binoculars. Reiji had a bad feeling about this they didn't seem friendly at all and their weapons were facing directly at Douma who was now throwing punches at the alien creature.
"This is bad." Reiji whispered to Shinobu and Eiko who looked at him with the same expression.