Chapter 283 - Stribog's Portal

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH"

The unearthly chorus rang as the cage got smaller and smaller. Fuji who was both a water and wind caster formed an enclosure made of energy with Okada Koharu trapped within. With this, the shadow lurkers wouldn't be able to go anywhere while they dealt with the main body. If the host died without anyone to transfer to, the shadow lurkers would perish in a matter of minutes.

"Are you ready?" Fuji turned from the monster he was concentrating to contain within the barrier to Shiro and the others who were preparing to give the final blow.

The leader of the Fuuma concentrated his energy in his palm like a small whirlpool, as did the others. They were to blast the monster at the same time to disintegrate its main body.

"Not yet!"Shiro answered as the whirlpool continued to develop.

But soon they were ready. The small whizzing sounds became full-blown whistles of wind.

"It's fine now," Shiro yelled as the concentrated energy in their hands was noisy.

"Alright!"Fuji did a stance and some movements in his hands to adjust the cage.

The barrier that was too cramped before to compress Okada Koharu inside became bigger in size.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH

The shadow lurkers tried to scramble out of the body at the same time, the hollow faced shadows pushing and pulling at each other as they continued to cry. Okada Koharu's spider body was posed in awkward angles inside the cage earlier. As soon as there was space, she immediately shifted her body to stand.

However, this was the last time she'd be able to move. There was no more opportunity for her to shift much less think when the Fuuma started their attacks.

"Now!"

All ten balls of wind energy shot at the cage simultaneously. Fuji shifted on his feet again as he adjust the barrier. He put ten openings that appeared in a split second – long enough for the openings to accept the whirlpools and then sealed them again.  

A muffled explosion happened as Shiro and the others supported the barrier with their energy.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH

The blasts made the shadow lurkers try to get out of Koharu's spider body that was beginning to disintegrate one by one trying to escape the explosion as she writhed in agony, but they were well sealed within and couldn't go anywhere. Fuji, Shiro and the others waited until the monster dispersed along with the shadow lurkers who were trapped inside and didn't stand a chance to escape.

With this, the initial calamity was put to a halt. Okada Koharu was finally gone. However, they were only half-finished. There was still one huge thing they had to deal with.

"Is there a word from the Koutaishidenka?"Shiro asked his men, and everyone shook their heads.

It's been thirty minutes since Kazehaya Gin sent one of them to Hakone to fetch the Young Master. Technically the man should already be there, but until now, there's no word from him.

"Then what do we do about that?"Shiro asked again as they all looked up at the sky where Young Master Gin, Aello, and the Black God were all locked in a fierce battle.

Their expressions were grim. Normally, they'd feel secure if their Young Master fought as he was almost equal to the Koutaishidenka in strength although he got tired easily. But this was the Black God that even Perun had a hard time banishing into the depths of hell they were dealing with.

"SQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWK!"

They watched as Aello tried to swat the Black God down, but the other was a lot faster  . She was able to evade the harpy's claws and land a punch on the elemental who staggered back. Seeing this, they already had an idea of how scary and strong their opponent was. They also held their breaths each time the Black God seemed to swoop down on the harpy but felt relieved when the Young Master blasted her with his powers so she'd back off.

This was like a pattern for a few minutes, until they realized that the Black God's target had changed. She didn't seem to care about Aello anymore. Her target was the Young Master himself, and it was bad, bad news.

"Should we aid the Young Master?" one of the men asked and Fuji shook his head.

"Do you see how fast they move? We'll just get in the way," the butler said although he too looked worried. "I just hope the Koutaishidenka would come soon." He didn't know why, but he had a bad feeling about this.

====

Hakone, an hour ago…

"Okay, thanks in advance then,"Homura Ryuu told Kazehaya Gin over the phone as they ended the call.

He remained where he was, contemplating about Gin's words for a while after their talk, however, with a frown on his face.

"There is no prophecy. Everything's was because of you and Ara – I mean Kresnik and Alencica."

As to what Gin meant when he said that, Ryuu could only guess. As he had realized when he remembered who Ara was, he reckoned that everything that's happening right now was indeed connected to them one way or another.

Kresnik, Alencica, the Black God.

A throbbing pain started at his temple and he raised a hand to massage it. He hadn't had a good rest the night before because he was too preoccupied, trying to bring logic to their current situation.

Czernobog's appearance on earth for instance – how was the Black God able to come there in the first place?

For all he knew, Perun's seals were absolute. Even if the King of Heaven decided to imprison Kresnik in his full power in a seal, there was nothing he could do about it – and he's much powerful than the Black God. Even in the seal's weakened state every fifty years, it was still powerful enough to contain him.

So, how was he able to escape and come to Earth? How in tarnation could Czernobog pass through the portal so easily as well?

He was trying to figure this out when there was a commotion behind him, and he turned only to tense up.

The portal rippled like water being disturbed on the surface, and his eyes narrowed as he watched a familiar figure wearing a fox mask come out of it just as his phone rang and he answered it without letting the other one talk first.

"Gin-nii, I'll call you later. The Black God's here…"