"Uh... Is this also something you summoned?" Ratso asked, bewildered by the incoming tidal wave as he glanced at the floating figure of Tarakudo.
But before Tarakudo could answer, the wave swept them away, engulfing the Dark Hand gang along with countless gold and jewels, pinning them in a corner of the temple.
Barely able to catch his breath, Jackie Chan saw the wave flood through the temple, its sheer force making him grimace.
"Ahhhh—! I'm cursed, cursed, cursed!" Jackie ran as fast as he could, but it was futile. The wave was aimed directly at him. In the end, Jackie joined the others in the chaos, carried away by the surge.
Reacting quickly, Tohru dashed behind a pillar, protecting Jade and Uncle. "Hold tight, Jade! Hold tight, Uncle!"
"Uncle, think of something!" Jade shouted as she clung to Tohru.
"Water magic?" Sheltering behind Tohru's large frame, Uncle looked at the incoming wave in shock. He was sure they were in the Fire Demon Shendu's temple. This environment shouldn't allow anyone to wield water magic.
"Unless... the only ones who could do this are Grand Sorcerers or immortal beings—maybe even a demon of Shendu's caliber!"
"Is this the work of the Demon of Water, representing the Kan trigram, Bai Tza?!" Uncle's mind raced. Could it be that one of the eight demon sorcerers had escaped from the underworld?
However, his train of thought was abruptly interrupted by the booming voice of a man. From the temple's rear entrance appeared a middle-aged man dressed in an elegant black steward's suit. The ring on his finger gleamed with a strange light as he commanded, "Water Dragon Possession—[Hydroforce], control the waters!"
With a wave of his hand, the tide split before him, sending streams of water swirling around the dark purple mask and lifting it into his grasp.
"Cool! Uncle, look at that silver-haired guy! Is he a sorcerer like you?" Jade exclaimed, her excitement palpable.
But Uncle didn't hear her. His gaze was fixed on the intricate dragon-shaped ring on Leiva's finger. "A magical artifact?" he murmured.
Leiva didn't feel any weight from the mask in his hand. Though it wasn't made of metal, it felt solid. "So this is one of the nine Shadow Masks the Grand General mentioned."
Hearing this, Tarakudo's yellow eyes narrowed sharply, growing more menacing. "Who are you? Who is this 'Grand General' you speak of, and how do you know about the mask?!"
"My name is Leiva. The Grand General is my master, and I've come to retrieve what rightfully belongs to her." Leiva tucked the mask away and placed a hand over his heart, adopting a formal stance typical of a loyal steward.
Whether or not the mask truly belonged to Selene was irrelevant. If Selene wanted it, then to Leiva, it was hers by right. His role as a servant was to lighten her burdens.
"Belongs to your master?!" Tarakudo's expression twisted in rage. "I am the one and only commander of the Shadowkhan Army!"
Boom!
The air around Tarakudo vibrated, and the walls nearby shattered, sending a storm of debris flying toward Leiva.
"Water Dragon Burst!" Leiva shouted, and with a crack, several spatial rifts tore open around him. Torrents of water gushed from the void, converging into a fast-spinning vortex that rushed toward Tarakudo.
Crash!
The swirling debris clashed with the water vortex, creating an ear-piercing screech. Small fragments and splashes from the impact scattered in all directions, further demolishing the already crumbling temple.
Leiva, his hand raised and glowing with the power of the Teigu, said calmly, "This ends now."
"Water Vortex!"
At his command, the purple crystal embedded in Leiva's collar and the ring on his finger both lit up. The spatial rifts behind him connected, releasing a colossal surge of water that overpowered Tarakudo's telekinesis, crashing down on him with immense force.
But the next moment, Leiva blinked in surprise. "Wait... did it just pass through him?"
In his vision, the water gushed forward, tearing through the ruins but passing harmlessly through Tarakudo's massive orange face.
"Hahaha..." Tarakudo began to laugh, mocking him. "Your attack carried no magical energy. You're just an ordinary human!"
"Your power comes from the crystal at your collar and the ring on your finger—artifacts your master gave you, no doubt." Tarakudo floated in the air, his tone full of disdain.
Leiva recalled Selene's earlier instructions: Japanese mummies fear onions. Among the items stored in the Honkai crystal Selene had given him were some essential supplies, including onions—ones that Selene had specifically prepared.
Without waiting for Tarakudo to finish his taunting, Leiva pulled out several peeled onions and hurled them toward Tarakudo's face.
"AHHH! My eyes! My eyes!" Tarakudo screamed in agony as the green liquid began streaming from his face. In seconds, he disappeared from sight, writhing in pain.
"Onions have this kind of effect?" Leiva murmured, feeling a bit awkward. His water attacks had been useless, but the onions worked perfectly.
But he quickly shrugged off the thought. The important thing was that he had retrieved the first mask. Only eight more to go.
Just as Leiva was about to leave, Jackie Chan emerged from the rubble, shouting, "Wait, sir! Please, return that mask to us. We'll compensate you..."
"Silence." Leiva wasn't interested in negotiating with the local people of this foreign world. With a wave of his hand, the remaining water on the ground surged into razor-sharp streams, shooting toward Jackie.
To Leiva, the people of this world were nothing more than outsiders—aliens. And as a warrior of the Empire, he had no qualms about attacking them.
"Whoa, that was close! Why are you so mad?!" Jackie exclaimed, narrowly dodging the water streams with a series of jumps and flips, finally landing back near Uncle and Tohru.
As Jackie caught his breath, Uncle and Tohru stepped forward, gazing at the mysterious silver-haired man.
"Who are you...?"