Chapter 10 - A Malevolent Shrine (Part 7)

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

[Narration]

{Chat}

…

(First POV: Smokes)

How had it all changed so quickly? That was probably a stupid question to ask, considering I was watching the entire thing.

I watched as, for one minute, everyone was laughing and messing around, only for everyone to freeze and look at each other weirdly. I didn't mind, as I was standing next to Shizu, who looked as if she didn't know what was happening either.

The next second, Sceptix swung at Ghost, which turned into a full-on confrontation. I remember Sloth coming forward and saying something like, "Hold it, don't fight, let's talk this out."

It was then that Sloth whispered something into Ghost's ear that caused a look of confusion to appear on his face before a large pink flying manta ray appeared.

Sloth quickly took off in the direction of the exit. I remember the last words Ghost screamed before all hell broke loose. "He took the fucking finger! Don't let him escape!"

*Clap*

Akira was the first one to react and quite literally disappeared in the direction Sloth had gone.

That brings us to the present.

"Do it, Mahito!" I heard Sloth's voice scream out in the distance.

I looked around to see Mahito standing in between Ghost and Sceptix. A smile threatened to split his face in half as he raised his head.

Time seemed to slow as I saw the look of fear in both Sceptix and Ghost's eyes. 'What were they so afraid of?' It was a thought that passed through my mind.

But as I heard and saw what Mahito did next, my heart sank. His mouth opened wide as four small arms came out of it and interlocked their hands.

"Domain Expansion!"

{Mahitoasm has made the advancement: Mastery Domain Expansion}

Mahito's arms went slack to his side as his mouth widened further. Both Sceptix and Ghost tried to jump back as large black hands began trying to grasp at them.

Before I could see any more details, more black hands popped up in front of me and Shizu. The black hands would appear from the ground and push us back, and as soon as they finished pushing us, another black hand would come from the ground and push us back farther.

I assume everyone besides Sceptix and Ghost is being pushed out of the domain. As the black hands stopped pushing us out, a large black dome appeared in front of me.

"Damn, what the hell is going on?!"

…

(Third POV:)

'I think I can do it now.'

As Mahito's domain went up, everyone besides Sceptix and Ghost was pushed out.

Two massive hands appeared and opened, showing Mahito before they clasped back together. These two hands were then wrapped around by more large white hands as they clasped together.

The hands quickly began to unbind themselves like a blooming flower and spread, locking themselves around the outer edge of the domain. The white contrasted with the black of the domain barrier.

The hands formed interconnected patterns similar to a spider's web. The main set of hands finally unfolded, revealing Mahito with his arms out to his sides and still with his massive grin.

"Self-Embodiment of Perfection!" Mahito said as the large conglomerate of hands finished blooming.

Both Sceptix and Ghost stood there, stunned and unable to process the betrayal. 

That was until Sceptix gritted his teeth, pulling his hands together. "With this treasure, I summon!" Sceptix said as both his fists clenched. One hand over the other.

"Not so fast!" Mahito said as Sceptix's hands began to balloon before his hands disappeared.

"What?"

Sceptix couldn't resist the effects of the domain. But his confusion and fear quickly turned to anger.

"Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga!" Sceptix said it as quickly as he could.

Yet nothing came of it. Not even a howl. Sceptix fell to his knees soon after. Mahito had taken his legs.

"You're lucky, Ghost!" Mahito spoke with a smile. "Your soul is weirdly resistant, like trying to mold hardened clay. I'll soon get through your defenses and have an assured victory."

"Yo, Mahito." Ghost's tone was weirdly devoid of any emotion.

"You want that finger so badly, right?" Ghost walked forward as his skin bubbled, but right as it did, scales formed on his body, seemingly pushing back the influence of Mahito.

"Then take it!" Ghost screamed as he took the finger out of his inventory. Holding the finger up high, he was about to throw it.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA- huh?" Mahito's laugh was cut off by a change in his surroundings.

"This is your first and last warning. Don't ever touch my soul again."

A disembodied voice spoke before large gashes appeared on Mahito's neck, chest, and shoulder.

What followed was Mahito crashing to the ground, unable to hold himself, as for the first time he had taken true soul damage. Blood flowed out of his body like a fountain.

Ghost noticed Mahito fall as he almost threw the finger. The domain had been shattered. The black shards fell to the ground, as Mahito had done.

Ghost quickly sent a message to Akira to come back, as Sceptix had been disfigured.

Right as Ghost sent the message to Akira, he remembered what Sloth had told him.

'I am not your enemy.'

Ghost didn't know what to do with Mahito as he squirmed on the ground like a maggot from the pain of taking soul damage for the first time.

A few seconds later, the wind blew into his side and he noticed Akira was back and searching around rapidly.

"Where is Sceptix?"

"He's over there; I tried to move his body far away from Mahito."

Ghost pointed a little farther away as Souei dragged Sceptix's unresponsive body away from Mahito.

*Clap*

Akira began running toward Sceptix's body. Right as he was ten meters away from Sceptix's body, Akira's instincts screamed at him.

Quickly taking out the Soul Split Katana, Akira blocked the attack coming from behind him. It was… Souei?

He had waited until Akira's guard was down to try and land a sneak attack aimed toward the back of his neck!

"The fuck are you doing, Souei?"

"Souei isn't here right now, nor is 'The Man in the Woods.'"

Akira easily pushed Souei back and turned around to run toward Sceptix.

However, Akira was not just fighting 'The Man in the Woods.' Akira was now fighting the deceiver and his scheme!

Right as Akira began running, his instincts screamed at him again. Time seemed to slow once again as Akira's head turned and met the face of the deceiver.

"Uzumaki."

The deceiver, his scheme, and the gears of ruination shall collide to see who will rise and who will fall!