Chapter 16: The time has come.

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I released my wind bag and let out a large gust that began blowing the trees away, uprooting them. Brice banged on his shimedaiko with his hands creating really awkward sounds coming from the drums, but a decent amount of lightning rained down. As the huntresses tried to run away from it all, Kate's jackals began to mutilate their bodies. The huntresses were all gone, either they escaped, launched against a rock so hard they died to my winds, fried with Brice's lightning or they were mauled by the jackals. All but one of the huntresses were accounted for.

-Show yourself Artemis!-I said a bit mad.

-You monster...-she said.-you destroyed this beautiful place, my sanctuary, you destroyed it! You monster!-she yelled enraged. I guess it makes sense that destroying a forested mountain area would make her mad, since she's the Goddess of forests, mountains and hills.

She came out of virtually nowhere and shot a bunch of arrows at us, I used my aura to make an oni arm to stop the arrows from hitting my companions. Kate jumped over the arm with an aura Kitsune tail with which she tried to crush Artemis. Artemis swiftly dodged her attempt at her throat and tried to touch Kate.

-Don't let her touch you!-Isabelle yelled.

Kate used her Kitsune tail to maneuver in the air and evade Artemis.

-Bit of a crafty one aren't we?-she said.

She loaded another one of her arrows and from an almost completely upside down position, she shot Kate, if the shot hadn't been intercepted by Tyrone, it may have proofed lethal. Tyrone quickly spun around after he intercepted the arrow and tried to kick Artemis. The Goddess, however, called onto the seeds of the trees on the ground, and a tree grew in between her and Tyrone. Tyrone's kick broke the tree at the trunk but failed to connect with Artemis.

-Bit of a crafty one aren't we?-Tyrone repeated mockingly as he landed. He had learned how to use aura to boost his physical abilities, and so he caught up with Artemis. He tried to punch right through her face, however she raised her palm to block him. Isabelle had warned us not to let her touch us.

I ran to them as fast as I could and tackled Tyrone out of the way. In that moment, some boy scouts appeared and saw us. The adult troop leader ordered them to leave the area and warned us to do so as well. I guess he thought we were being attacked by some sorts criminal. He tried to punch her, but she blocked him and turned her into a deer. She summoned some attack dogs and they mauled the poor deer to death.

-How do we kill someone that we can't touch!?-Kate asked

-Simple, we don't touch her!-Brice yelled. He began concentrating very hard and suddenly the Golden Bachi sticks appeared.

-Hmph, you seem to be getting serious with this.-I said as I brought out my black sword, and turned my body into wind. Due to my sword being aura, I could still grab it and retain my wind form at the same time.

-You're one to talk.-He said smirking.

I went charging straight at her and Brice began banging his drums, now creating a broader, profound sound. The amount of lightning and the size of the lightning strikes that came down on Artemis was more impresseive than ever before. Kate summoned a mummified army and they ran to attack Artemis, for being undead soldiers they sure moved a lot, I could've easily mistaken them for humans if it were not for the strands of papyrus and the dehydrated skin. As if it weren't enough already, Tyrone launched Isabelle towards a surrounding area near Artemis, then Isabelle began very expertly placing down the tags to ensure Artemis had no escape.

Artemis tried to escape before Isabelle placed the 3rd and 4th tags, but I was there to prevent her from doing it. I tried to thrust through her yet she swiftly escaped, however, lightning was almost literally raining down, making her hesitant. She tried to head towards the nearest escape from the tags, but Brice made a wall of lightning come down.

-You cowards!-she yelled.-You call yourselfs God Slayers, yet you won't face a god!?

-We are God Slayers, we're not supposed to fight you,-I began.

-We're supposed to kill you.-Kate finished as her mummies fought her and lead her towards one of the walls now made by the tags. They kept her there, as I beheaded both the mummies, and Artemis. As I landed and retained my normal, human form I grabbed the head bathed in the blood coming out of it as I threw the body towards Kate. We felt a humongous surge in power as we drenched ourselves in the silver blood once more, my aura released by itself, some big black pointed horns that could easily impale a human, formed on my head. My ears extended into an elvish kind, and my hair grew longer and wilder, reaching all the way down to my waist, it grew so dense and wild my hairband broke. My nails turned to claws and my teeth to fangs, I was turning into an oni the more my aura grew.

My aura grew so much, I was able to manifest the Oni from the waist up completely, arms and everything. It was about a 100 feet tall, with humongous arms and flames surrounding its body. Kate was able to manifest her Kitsune's top half, the front paws and head and it was sutrounded in flames of her respective aura. Artemis' soul had a bow and arrow, a forested mountain with the moon in the back inscribed on it.

-So,-I began,-who takes...

-I want it!-Isabelle interrupted.

-...okay.-I said laughing.-take it.

She took it in and her expression changed to a more calm and controlled one.-That's better, I feel... stronger.

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