Tensai's Plan
As the creatures multiplied, they increased in size and strength.
The parted sea once again began to flow, filling the vertical slit Teo made.
"Did they duplicate?" Teo observed, "If that's the case, then 'banishment' would be the only way to stop them. But I can't transport this many at a time, so that's not a viable option."
"Hey, Raijah," he shouted, "what's the synopsis of these creatures?"
"Each time one is killed, it multiplies itself repeatedly," Raijah replied, "We started with one kraken and one of those human-like creatures, but now there are thousands of both."
"So, what's the plan to get rid of them. Are you planning to use that new technique?"
"No, Val's ririsu ability is the best solution. My technique is solely destructive, while Val's ability is a focused attack that can get the job done with minimal damage to the terrain."
While they conversed, the humanoid creatures swam up to the surface. And with the krakens, they all charged at Val.
"I'm not sure why," Val said, "but they seem to be after Ame-no-Ohabari."
She unsheathed her katana, and its white dragon markings turned purple as she channeled her prana into the blade.
"Cover me," she said, "It'll take me a while to gather enough ririsu prana to erase all of them."
Cora was the first to leap into action. She jumped into the air, and before hitting the water, she manipulated her prana and gave it form.
Her prana took the shape of a gigantic humanoid samurai, complete with an equally large sword and prana in the form of armor.
She manipulated natural prana below the samurai's feet, allowing it to stand atop the water.
Cora sat inside the samurai's chest plate, "Killing them would worsen our situation. I know they can regenerate severed limbs, so I'll avoid killing them by giving them time to heal."
Cora's samurai swung its blade, cutting through several creatures like a hot knife through butter.
The human-like beasts began to mutate once again. Thin, bug-like wings protruded their backs. They all simultaneously flew out of the water and toward Val.
In response, Nezumi placed his hands on the ground.
"Wood Prana: Submerged Forest!"
Back underwater, several tree roots emerged from the seabed, forming a dense underwater forest. The trees sprouted rapidly and surfaced in seconds.
Some of the trees ensnared krakens, while others swatted away the flying creatures.
"I'll deal with those flying," Nezumi said as he bolted away.
Teo flew down toward Raijah and Val on the cliff ledge.
As Teo landed, Raijah said, "If I was more proficient at using my spatiotemporal abilities, I could've teleported them somewhere they wouldn't pose a threat or suspended them in time. I still have a lot to improve on.
"If we plan on finding out about our past, we'll inevitably have to go to hell and encounter beings like Kaizen, who could effortlessly defeat the likes of David, Aziel, and their parents.
"And If worse comes to worst, and we have to fight him and possibly other beings on his level, we'd undoubtedly lose unless we master our powers."
Teo replied, "There's still time. I'm not in a hurry to leave for hell until we are strong enough.
"Besides, the best way to improve fighting abilities is by practicing them amid battle, and there's a battle right in front of us."
Raijah nodded his head in agreement, "Val, how much time left?"
"I'm ready," she responded, "Is there any way you two could stop them just for a second? That's all the time I need to pierce through all of them."
"Since spatiotemporal abilities are one of our weakest, let's lessen the load by combining our power," Teo suggested.
"Alright," Raijah concurred, "but they're large, and there's a lot. Even if we combine our power, the most we can do is suspend them in time for around a millisecond."
"That's plenty of time," Val said.
Teo and Raijah lifted their hands in coordination and began to accumulate prana. Noticing their movements, Nezumi and Cora, who were still engaged in battle, evacuated.
Nezumi's "submerged forest" and Cora's samurai vanished as they joined the others on the cliff ledge.
"True Divine Prana: Temporal Suspension!"
"True Devil Prana: Temporal Suspension!"
A small yellow clock face with three moving hands appeared above the sea. The clock quickly expanded to cover the entire ocean.
The clock emitted thousands of bright yellow beams, each coming in contact with one of the creatures. Once the final creature was caught in a beam, the minute, hour, and second hands abruptly stopped.
Consequently, for one millisecond, the creatures became halted in the flow of time.
"Ririsu Prana: Shōkyo!"
Within a millisecond, Val traversed the entire ocean, erasing thousands of creatures with a simple stroke of her blade. After, she joined the others on the cliff ledge and sheathed her sword.
"Let's head back to the village," Val said, "It's getting late."
A bird on a nearby tree peered down at them with its head tilted.
"I see," Tensai removed his glasses, "those two. They have spatiotemporal abilities."
He peered at his reflection through the lenses of his glasses, specifically looking at his ears. "Over the years, these earrings have proved to be more useful than expected."
He put his glasses on and exited the room.
He steered through the candlelit hallways of the underground hideout and walked past numerous rooms before stopping in front of a door.
He opened the door, revealing a bare room furnished by only a bed, and lit by a mere candle.
A man wearing earrings identical to Tensai's sat on the edge of the bed with his head down.
"Kurome," Tensai said, "I don't even have to look at you to tell.
"Your eyes... they're as empty as ever."
Kurome lifted his head and revealed his face, causing Tensai to look away abruptly. Despite his young face, his eyes were nothing but black sclerae. They possessed no pupils nor irises.
"What is it?" Kurome asked.
Tensai replied, "You're an elite. Due to your heightened sensory capabilities, you've probably already sensed her, haven't you."
"I have."
"You don't seem necessarily happy about it. Don't you realize that Val's return brings us one step closer to achieving our goals?"
"It's hard to get excited when one's been waiting so long for the same thing. There comes a time when excitement becomes exhaustion."
"You're as sentimental as ever," Tensai chuckled, "have you given up on me, your only comrade?"
"I don't consider you a comrade," Kurome stood up, "this alliance is merely for mutual benefit."
Tensai ignored his comment, "come with me. I'll show you what I have in mind to acquire that blade."
They walked through the eerie hallways as they discussed their plans.
"Some formidable individuals are accompanying Val," Tensai explained.
"Two of them wield spatiotemporal related abilities. And as you know, I use my artificial animals to keep us updated on the ongoing events on the surface.
"Well, about two years ago, news circulated about a boy within the flow possessing divine prana. They labeled him the heavenly demon and filled the planet with his wanted posters. From the wanted posters and descriptions of his abilities, I was able to reach a conclusion.
"One of those accompanying Val, one of the two possessing spatiotemporal abilities, the one with scarlet eyes, is the heavenly demon.
"And the other one who wields spatiotemporal abilities must also possess some special prana. Although I believe that we can get rid of them on our own, unlike Val, they are not our priority."
"So, you plan on defeating them without getting your own hands dirty?" Kurome asked.
"Not necessarily defeat, but to at least stall them long enough for us to carry out our plan."
"And how do you intend on doing that?"
"You disappoint me, Kurome," Tensai stopped before a door, "after all this time, you still don't fully trust this brain of mine.
"I assessed their capabilities by having them fight my specimens. And while their spatiotemporal powers would be lethal when placed against an average individual, I discovered some flaws that I plan on exploiting.
"They're limited to size, distance, and quantity.
"What I have behind this door is perfect for this occasion."
"Open it," Kurome said.
Tensai pushed the door open.
Behind the door were two identical minotaurs with nose rings, each so large that the krakens paled in comparison.
They were side by side, lying lifeless on the floor with two equally large double-bladed axes beside them.
Upon seeing the creatures, Kurome's face was taken over by shock. "These are-"
"The twin minotaurs, slain by Warui," Tensai announced.
"They were by far the largest of their kind, towering over even the likes of the krakens. Warui killed them, but I preserved their bodies in hopes that they'd be helpful in the future.
"Now, many years later, they've proved that I was correct."
Tensai clasped his hands together and closed his eyes.
"There are a few skilled individuals we must worry about," Tensai said, "but these minotaurs should be able to stall two of the more formidable ones.
"Stand back, Kurome."
Tensai placed a hand on each of the minotaurs, and the ground began to rumble below them.
The horns of the minotaurs slammed through the ceiling as they stood up. Tensai put his arm over his face to shield himself from the falling rock and debris.
When the dust and debris finally cleared, Kurome and Tensai caught their first glimpse of the revitalized minotaurs.
Both minotaurs wielded their axes, and they each stood several hundred feet tall.
They had blood-red eyes that illuminated the room, and they glared down at Kurome and Tensai.
The minotaurs threw their heads back. Their bestial sound rippled through the earth, shattering all the surroundings in the vicinity. Their roar brought Tensai awake with a sudden surge of adrenaline hitting his system.
"Perfect," Tensai smiled, "let's begin."