An ancient rock said to have an evil demon locked inside has cracked open sending believers into a spiral of panic.
Japan's so-called "killing stone" has split in two after supposedly locking away the evil spirit for almost 1,000 years.
The volcanic rock is said to be home to the nine-tailed fox knowns as Tamomo-No-Mae, according to mythology.
Legend has it that those who come into contact with the rock, officially called Sessho-Seki, will die.
Folklore says that the stone also continually spews out poisonous gas.
It had become a tourist hotspot attracting visitors to the mountains of Tochigi, near Tokyo, famous for its sulphurous hot springs.
But its separation into two parts has left some nervous to visit with speculation that the evil vixen might have been resurrected to unleash havoc again.
It is said the demon once took the form of a beautiful woman who was part of a secret plan to kill Emperor Toba who ruled Japan from 1107 to 1123.
But her true identity was an evil nine-tailed creature whose spirit is in the volcanic rock.
The hunk of lava is thought to have split into two roughly equal parts in recent days, reports The Guardian.
This has also spooked believers online while officials in Japan consider what to do with the rock.
One person said on Twitter : “I feel like I’ve seen something that shouldn’t be seen."
Another commented: "I thought 2022 couldn't get worse. Now a furious Japanese spirit is freed from its killing stone."
A third joked: "My guess is the demon is going to look around at 2022 and want to go back into the rock for another millennium."
It is believed rainwater might have got inside the rock and caused damage.
Some reports suggest this process might even have begun several years ago.
Experts are now looking at whether they can restore the Sessho-Seki.
A Nasu tourism official told the Yomiuri Shimbun he would like to see the rock restored to its original form.
