Consumed

After enduring a beating from the old man, Fukujin had descended from the grey sky, landing between the hammer of destruction and Guhin. This sudden appearance instantly roused Guhin from his unconscious state. His vision was blurred and his body ached as he struggled to focus on the unfolding scene before him. Upon recognizing Fukujin, an image of the being from Guhin's recent nightmare coursed through his mind, causing a stinging headache.

The old man observed Guhin's reaction to the crow and redirected his hammer towards the strange bird, its bottomless, dark eyes fixed on him.

OLD MAN: "It's you, isn't it? Showing yourself before me was your gravest mistake."

The hammer of destruction descended, but just as it was about to obliterate Fukujin, the crow spread its wings with a hefty thud. The pressure emanating from Guhin intensified to such an extent that it warped reality, bringing the old man to his knees.

OLD MAN: "What's this?"

The pressure dissolved the hammer, reducing it back to the rain from which it was formed. Guhin's heart rate accelerated, pounding in his chest as he felt himself slipping into darkness. A dark veil descended over his vision, and he lost all sense of control. Guhin started to yell out in pain. The old man struggled to keep his body from being pressed down to the surface. He observed Guhin not only changing his posture by crouching close to the ground on his hands and feet, but also his presence transforming into something entirely different.

OLD MAN: "There it is. There's that 'Wild beast' I've heard so much about."

Fukujin, who hadn't averted his intense gaze from the old man, took flight, soaring high above the clouds until he disappeared from their sight.

The wind swirled around Guhin's feet in the shape of a small vortex, and he vanished, shattering the ground where he once stood! Before the old man could react, a powerful impact connected with the side of his face, cracking his mask. One of his eyes was now visible due to the partial break, his serious expression fading away and replaced by a desperate look as he couldn't discern where Guhin's attacks were coming from.

Without a moment to think, another deafening strike knocked the old man off his feet! The force behind it propelled him into the sky, his arms flailing uncontrollably.

OLD MAN: "He broke my arms with a single hit to my stomach?! That does it! I'll level this whole continent until it's nothing more than a deserted wasteland!"

Rain swirled around the old man's broken arms, forming a barrier. This thin protection of rain realigned his bones before he halted himself in mid-air. He performed a hand sign by smacking his hands together and interlocking them, creating a board of water beneath his feet. This prevented him from falling and granted him the advantage of flight. Once he regained his strength, he raised his arms towards the sky, pulling an extraordinary amount of rain from the clouds. The rain formed into an enormous sphere of condensed water, rotating above his hands.

OLD MAN: "This is the end for you. You hear me."

The rotating sphere above him grew, pulling in large chunks of the earth's crust. Trees were ripped from their roots, and even the lifeless body of Bokun in the distance was lifted from the ground.

A strong galloping sound drew closer as Etro sank his teeth into his master's waist guard. He had to use every bit of strength in his legs to prevent them both from being pulled in by the gravitational force of the attack.

OLD MAN: "There, Take... This."

善如龍王 冥罰 

Myōbatsu Divine Punishment.

As he shifted his gaze towards the implosion that was causing the surface to shatter, the old man's eyes widened in disbelief... Guhin was right above him. Lingering in the light of the early morning dawn, he was inches away from raining down his open hand in the shape of a claw!

Just before Guhin unleashed his attack, both of them locked eyes. The old man saw nothing but the maddened gaze of a frenzied animal, a raging turmoil of bloodlust with the sole purpose of erasing him from existence. He could only watch as Guhin tore into his armor with a wild swing. A loud clank of Guhin's fingertips penetrating the old man's side was followed by the vibrating sound of the bent atmosphere created by the blow.

The force of the impact shattered the old man's armor completely. He was blasted towards the ground, unable to control his descent due to the sheer pressure enveloping him. Crashing into the surface, the enormous sphere of water imploded, drenching the area with the rain it had gathered. This dispersed the grey clouds in the sky, allowing the sun to shine brightly over the mountain lands.

The effects of taking Guhin's attack head-on were devastating. The old man found himself covered in dirt and debris, with pieces of his armor and mask scattered around him. He had no more strength to even lift a finger and was forced to watch as Guhin approached him, stalking him like a predator would stalk its wounded prey.

An eerie feeling grew inside the old man's stomach as all that was left of his imposing presence was a broken man looking for a way out. He tried to raise his trembling hand towards the sky, where a bright spark of lightning seemed to be gathering energy.

OLD MAN: "C'mon, just a little longer, almost there."

Guhin stood in front of him, forming his hand into the shape of a claw once more. As a long breath, in the form of thick mist, escaped through his teeth, the spark of lightning that was gathering energy crashed down from the sky, enveloping the old man in its light.

OLD MAN: "...Finally..."

The bright flash of light whisked him away, just in time to escape Guhin's attack. The mere wave of Guhin's hand was enough to completely decimate the area before him.