"Ezra!?" Alba asked from the top of the snakes head, in bewilderment. "I didn't expect you guys to make it." she said.
"You really think so lowly of us." Koko said. "Could you put us down?"
Alba nodded and the giant serpent placed the train down gently. Alba slid down its body and landed down in front of them as they got out of the train.
"Alba." Tina called out happy to see her. "How are you doing?"
"I'm good thanks, Tina." she then turned to Delilah. "Hey Delilah, where's Reina and Nova?"
Everyone looked down in sorrow but thankfully they had Koko with them.
"Reina was called back to Aizen College about a week ago. He looked rather shaken up by the news he heard so he was in a rush and we haven't heard from him since." Koko said confidently.
"As for Nova... That bastard betrayed us and blew up an entire village. He's an enemy now."
Alba looked at Ezra who was still finding it hard to believe something he saw with his own eyes but he was acting strong so as not to worry Alba, who was already worried for him.
"Alba, where is everyone else?" Tina asked.
"In short, something similar to you occurred." Alba said.
"What do you mean?" Tina asked anxious to know the state of her sisters.
"Follow me and you'll see for yourself." Alba said pointing in the direction of Christville.
The group decided to follow her into the town of Christville and along the way they didn't exchange any words until they reached the once glorious town of the south that was in ruin. Ezra and Koko were in shock at the sight. This town was the most prosperous town in the South and now it was nothing but streets of rubble and weeping children. It looked like a warzone.
"What happened here?" Ezra asked.
"About a week ago, we were headed coming from the village of William's since their was an Eden sighting but we didn't make it in time before it disappeared again. As we were going to another village just west of here, we were attacked, by Eki."
"He kept on talking about bringing back the golden age of soul animals. Victoria and I stayed back to fight him as the rest ran to Christville and once we felt that we had over powered him, we regrouped with the rest but he followed us."
"Victoria and him had an all-out battle which destroyed most of the town. We weren't safe here so we decided to go our separate ways while I stayed behind to ensure that they survived."
"That explains the scratches but not what happened to Victoria. Where is she?" Tina asked, her anger slowly brewing from within.
"He took her. He defeated her and took her." Alba said, grinning her teeth while holding back tears.
"I was too weak to save her. Hope you can forgive me, Tina. I know she's dear to you but Eki is too strong. He's an Elder God."
Everyone's eyes widened except Alba whose eyes were shiny from the tears and Koko for some reason.
"Doesn't Eki have a lion soul animal." Delilah asked.
"No, he doesn't. He likes to hide his soul animal as different animals because he's an abomination of three." Koko said. "Eki's soul animal is a chimera."
"What?" Tina collapsed to the ground in horror.
Everyone had thought that Nova was the only Elder God in the college but now there were two and probably even more.
Ezra looked around at the damage of the fight and he felt his heart ache. This damage was like Nova's explosion on that small village but they had caused all that damage in a fist fight against a town ten times bigger than that village. He looked around and saw the old man that had led them to the port sitting on a bench applying pressure to his shoulder that was bleeding profusely.
"Old man..." Ezra ran to the old man who was by the bench. He looked at the man's soul dog which was in terrible shape.
"Oh, you're the kid from the other time. It's been a while. I see you made it into the Aizen College..." The old man coughed out blood.
"Old man. Don't talk. You're bleeding." Ezra said, tears forming in his eyes as he kneeled next to the bleeding man.
"Oh am I. These medics gave me some painkillers and left me here. More like I wanted to be here."
"Where are they? They should attend to you." Ezra said.
"There are others more important than I, an old man. Like the children. Come to think of it, I have a daughter. She's about your age and she's strong."
"Please don't speak, old man. You'll use up your energy." Ezra said.
"My time has come, kid. It's been long but I have so many regrets almost makes me want to live longer but the world is ending. I saw the gates to heaven and I realized that I've been the worst father to my daughter." The old man then held Ezra's right hand and opened it before placing a necklace in Ezra's hands.
"If you see my daughter, give her this and tell her it is from her asshole of a father."
Ezra clenched his hand. "I promise. I'll find her and give it to her. Even if it kills me."
The old man smiled warmly and his dog howled a last time before vanishing and the light in the man's eyes vanished along.
"Old man, old man...wake up. Don't die...don't die. Come back." Ezra said, tears flowing from his eyes onto the man's face.
Alba came and touched his shoulder. He looked back at her and hugged her tightly.
Later that day, they buried the man's body with his walking stick just outside the town. After paying their respects, went to an inn and paid for two rooms. One for the girls and another for the boys.
"Hey Ezra, I know that you're still sad about the death of that old man and he seemed like a chill dude..." Koko said but was interrupted by Ezra's weeping.
"You're wrong, Koko. I didn't know that man enough to feel sad for his death."
"Huh?"
"I'm filled with so much hate that my tears can't help but leak. I'm going to bring an end to this."
"Then we feel the same way. I'm gonna punish Eki for what he did. Show some example to your younger brother, damnit." Koko said grinning his teeth.
"Hey, I heard there was hot spring here. Why don't we go and relax before we advance. Most likely into a war."
Ezra agreed and the two went to the hot spring but as they were relaxing in the steaming water, they saw three girls stand in front of them.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Koko yelled.
"We came to relax. What are you doing here? Don't you fear water or something." Tina said.
"Came to relax, in the boys side?" Koko said, standing up to emphasize his point.
"Woah Koko, nice build." Alba said pointing at Koko's privates making the young man withdraw back into the water out of embarrassment.
"And you two, look."
Alba pointed at a sign that read unisex hot spring. Koko and Tina looked at it and were hit with a wave of embarrassment. They were totally clueless. Delilah and Alba on the other hand were already in.
"Hey Tina, what are you waiting for come in." Alba said as Delilah splashed on her water.
Tina looked at the water and fear slowly began to set in.
"Are you a cat? Come on it." Koko said before chuckling a little. "Oh, look who fears water now."
"It's not that. I just fear unknown water." Tina said realizing the stares of disapproval that everyone was giving her.
"Okay, you can stay there. Just hope a bat doesn't knock you in." Koko said with a grin on his face.
"A bat. That's very specific."
Suddenly, a bat flew next to Tina's head and landed on it making her freak out and fall into the water, specifically on Koko's back that was facing her.
"Oh thanks Koko. Now carry me, kind sir." she said as she held onto Koko's back like a child.
"Like hell I'm doing that." Koko said before straightening his back throwing her into the water.
"Meanie. Just a carry." Tina said while pouting like a child.
Everyone burst out into laughter as they continued having fun. Alba's eyes were completely exposed but for most of them other than Ezra, it was their first time seeing her eyes so they complimented them a lot.
As the group was having fun, a man came running into the inn and told the inn keeper to evacuate anyone in the inn.
Why?
The tide had receded greatly to the point that the water was just before the horizon.
The group then began to tremble and that meant only one thing.
In the distance, Some men saw a large wave approaching the town.
Hasn't this town had enough. Recovering from a deadly battle, they had to face that. Right now of all moments.
Before their eyes was something not even the old had seen. It was first for the western continent.
It was a tsunami and it was approaching fast.