A Monster Against Demons

Upper Moon 2: Douma

The Upper Moon Two smiled as it witnessed Monster Garou's sudden appearance.

Douma: "Oh? What do we have here?"

Monster Garou walked slowly towards Douma, his stare affixed onto his rainbow eyes. He tried swiping his left hand at Douma, but the demon quickly disappeared. Garou spotted him sitting on a bridge that was two bridges apart from him. Garou's eyes widened once he saw Douma holding one of his six arms, decapitated off. Monster Garou quickly regenerated his whole arm back. Douma's eyes widened playfully.

Douma: "Oh, so you can regenerate? I guess I should've assumed that you weren't a human, based on your appearance, but you don't have the aura of a demon as well.."

Monster Garou's menacing stare grew stronger as he swiftly appeared above Douma, aiming to smash him into the water. Douma quickly disappeared, however, leading to the bridge Douma was on being broken. Douma was now on top of a bridge behind Garou.

Douma: "Wow, you're fast! But still too slow, unfortunately.."

Kanao ran forward to Douma, her sword raised into the air.

Kanao: "Flower Breathing, Fifth Form: Peonies of Futility!"

Kanao's slashes curved into Douma, but he managed to dodge her attack easily.

Douma (smiling): "Wow, your attack is pretty! But now it's my turn.."

Douma rapidly slashed at Kanao with Blood Demon Art: Barren Hanging Garden, which she barely fended off using Flower Breathing, Second Form: Honorable Shadow Plum. When Douma was just about to slice at her again, he hears something swiftly fly at him. Turning around, he sees Monster Garou utilizing his wings, his six fists glowing.

Monster Garou: "We're not done yet, demon!"

Douma smiled as he quickly dashed at Garou. To Monster Garou, it appears as though Douma dashed straight past him. He lands next to Kanao, searching his surroundings for Douma. He then feels two sharp pains in his backside, and suddenly his wings get decapitated. Garou sees Douma on top of a bridge, with a bored expression.

Douma: "Jeez, how boring.. could you not get in my way? Thanks!"

Angered, Monster Garou uses Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fist to fire razor-sharp whirlwinds at Douma, which he easily blocks with his fans.

Douma: "Blood Demon Art: Lotus Vines!"

Two ice lotuses are created near Douma. Their vines extend toward Monster Garou, striking him rapidly. Due to Garou being in a weakened state, he barely manages to block the vines with Instant Attack. The vines are faster though, and chop off all six arms of Garou. Garou regenerates slowly, only growing back his two arms.

Douma: "What's wrong? You look tired~"

Monster Garou instantly appears in front of Douma in a blur, enraged.

Monster Garou: "Monster Calamity God Slayer Fist, Ascending Attack!"

Douma (unimpressed): "Blood Demon Art: Frozen Lotus."

Garou tries to strike Douma with a piercing kick, but Douma slashes off his leg with a slice of his war fans, ice lotuses appearing beside Douma. Douma grabs Monster Garou's head, smiling sinisterly.

Douma: "What a shame that you have to die here, you could've been so much more..! Oh well, sayonara!"

Before Douma could slice Garou's head off, Inosuke crashes through the roof and uses Beast Breathing, Fifth Fang: Crazy Cutting, slicing off Douma's arm, making him drop Garou.

Inosuke: "Lord Inosuke has appeared from the heavens!"

Douma (surprised): "Oh? Another slayer?"

As Inosuke lands on the ground, Douma swiftly kicks him away, launching him near Kanao.

Kanao: "Inosuke?! Are you okay?!"

Inosuke (slowly getting up): "I'm great!"

Douma: "Now then, where was I..? Oh right!"

Douma looks maliciously at Monster Garou on the ground. His leg slowly regenerates, but Garou staggers to get up.

Douma: "Blood Demon Art: Wintry Icicles."

Multiple icicles appear from the sky, impaling Monster Garou's back as he yells in pain. He quickly falls back down, but slowly gets up once more. His leg regenerates fully, and he looks at Garou with a gaze of murderous intent.

Monster Garou: "I will.. hunt you down.."

Douma: "Hunt me? You can barely touch me! What makes you think you'll achieve that goal, hmm?"

Monster Garou walked closer to Douma, staggering along his steps as he did so. He tries striking Douma with Great Fa Jin, but Douma instantly cuts off his hands with a swipe of his war fans.

Douma: "This is so sad to watch.. how about I end your misery right now? Blood Demon Art: Scattering Lotuses!"

Douma creates a blizzard of razor-sharp ice shards that tear through Monster Garou's skin. Douma unleashes a heavy kick on Monster Garou's weakened body, "breaking" through the monsterfication and revealing the human Garou inside. Garou is launched back, next to Kanao and Inosuke.

Inosuke: "Hey, I know this guy! I fought with him on that spider mountain! What was his name again..?"

Kanao: "There's no time to be thinking about names, Inosuke! We have to slay that Upper Moon Two as soon as possible, because clearly your friend over here couldn't!"

Inosuke: "Hey! Who said he was my fri-"

As the two bicker, they quickly freeze up and stop in their tracks. Douma notices this, but doesn't think much of it. As he is about to attack the other two, his body suddenly freezes up as well. Was this shock, paralysis.. or fear?

Douma: "..Huh? What.. is this?"

Suddenly, something extraordinary happens. A being of an extreme size appears next to Garou's shattered body, as it looks down on the Upper Moon. Douma's eyes widen as he stares at the colossal figure. He couldn't move an inch, his eyes being the only thing that could move. The figure disappears, and smoke covers Garou's body. Once it dissipates, Garou is nowhere to be seen.

Douma: "What.. was that?"

Suddenly, a hypersonic blur blitzes through the room, with Douma only slightly seeing it in the corner of his eyes. He looks around the room rapidly, trying to identify what the blur was. Finally, it stops in front of Douma. The blur was Garou.. but he didn't look the same. Suddenly, Inosuke and Kanao fall to the floor, unconscious but not dead. Douma couldn't help but stare at Garou's new unusual body, his aura surging with newfound energy.

"Divine power, huh? I like that! My mere presence causes death! I'm finally becoming the Symbol of Fear!