(21) A God Emerges (3)

Yuna walked through the forest between gnarled tree after gnarled tree, making absolutely zero attempt at being stealthy. She honestly had no care in the world, if the enemy spotted her, oh well. They would just die.

And then she saw them. A group of four soldiers walking through the forest towards her. Yuna stopped and just stood there, waiting for them to see her.

By the time they spotted her, they were within ear shot and they all raised their weapons towards her.

"Who are you?" The man in the lead asked. He didn't have as much armor as the others, but it was more decorative and luxurious. She guessed he was the captain. He held a large sword in his hands, pointing the blade towards her.

"Really? That's all you have to say? That's boring. I mean, I was expecting a reaction more like 'Ah! Halt demon, or I shall cut you down, blah blah blah." Yuna said, moving her hand like a puppet mimicking a moving mouth.

"So you are a demon then?" The man asked.

"Are you blind? I mean," Yuna touched a hand to her horns, "I thought that was kinda obvious." She was making them believe she was a demon, although, she really wasn't. She was just an Aberrant with the Yin nature.

"Look, I don't want any trouble here, I'm just looking for a man named Abeza Tetsuno. He is a traitor, and if you tell me where he is, I won't tell the gods you are hidden here." The man spoke.

"Really? Well, have ever considered that.. possibly… I want the gods to know where I am?" Yuna asked, "that maybe I am actually here to kill them?"

"What? You are joking, right? They'd just send you to purgatory if they found you, that or they'd kill you."

"I would love to see them try." Yuna smiled as, in a sudden instant, all of the soldiers' heads seemingly just vanished, leaving blood splattering across the ground as their corpses fell, twitching to the earth. Then, the hydra heads came into physical form, retracting back Yuna, blood dripping from their jaws.

Yuna smiled darkly as she watched the soldiers' corpses twitch and seizure uncontrollably.

And then the earth began to tremble.

"Oh? About time." Yuna said the the trees began to topple over and cracks began to split through the earth. Stone began to rise from the ground before her, taking the shape of a man before its texture changed into skin and armor, and before her was a strikingly handsome god with blonde hair and gorgeous blue eyes.

"Am I to assume you are Mashihashi?" Yuna asked.

"I'd prefer you not use that name, but yes. You can call me Mashi." His eyes narrowed. "And I am to assume you are one of those kids the demons took fourteen years ago, right?"

"Yes, wow, someone finally figured it out. Yes, I am not a demon. Just a Yin natured Aberrant." Yuna spoke.

"You have more aura and power than any Aberrant, kid. But.. it isn't enough to save you." Mashihashi reached back and grabbed his axe from his back, while he raised his shield with his other hand. Then, he held the axe at his side and then swung it in a wide arc. The axe stopped just before hitting Yuna, then spikes of earthen rock jutted up from the ground, following the Axe's trajectory and slamming into Yuna, who simply caught the spike in her palm and skidded to the side aways from the attack.

"Well, that was kinda cool." Yuna said, "but, I've seen better." Then she grinned. "I'd pay more attention if I were you."

"Oh?" Mashihashi turned his eyes to the side, just at Ygdran leapt from a tree branch, red aura swirling around his body as he brought his sword down on the god, who raised his shield to block. But the sword simply phased through the shield and cut across Mashihashi's flesh, splitting his front in two.

The god stumbled back with a groan of pain as Ygdran stood to his feet, watching.

The god's wounds began to hiss, healing almost instantly.

"Interesting.." Mashihashi. "So you are the other kid the demons sent out, huh? Quite the unique power you have… I'm guessing it impossible for anyone to block your attacks… meaning I'd have to dodge. I must say, if I weren't immortal, you'd have killed me right there and then. Impressive."

"Well, your divinity won't matter against me." Yuna spoke, her hydras coiling around her body like serpents about a tree as her sword appeared in her hand.

"Then can I assume you have the ability to counter divinity? Well, well. The demons truly have crafted themselves some useful weapons. Might I ask, why do you allow the demons to simply treat you like slaves, Hm? After all they've done to you… I imagine you hate them, right?"

"I don't have a choice." Yuna said. "And it is none of your concern. You should be more worried about your own life."

"Hah! I like your spunk, girl, but I should say the same to you." Then, he raised his axe above his head as it began to ring and vibrate, and then he brought it down on the earth. The ground shook violently before erupting upwards in an explosion of rock and rubble, as though the entire planet were being blown apart from the inside.