âChase after them!â
Deep in the middle of a rocky canyon, fifteen silhouettes leapt from rock to rock, chasing over dozens of shadows. However, those shadows werenât just formless entities, they were horrid monsters in all different shapes and sizes. Some of them were feral versions of apex felines like tigers or lions, while others were outlandishly overgrown versions of ostriches and other sturdy flightless birds. But no matter what their features were, they all shared the same, distinct attribute⦠They all werenât from this world.
âWe canât let a single Outer Demon escape! Surround them now!â
The fifteen humanoids continued their wild chase, not willing to leave a single inch for the Outer Demons. Amazingly, once theyâd reached an acceptable distance, over half of the humanoids started to change rapidly.
Their muscles expanded and their flesh-coloured skin was soon covered in grey fur. Their human heads extended in an unnatural manner, with their face being pulled straight out, turning into a savage image of a wolfâs snout. Their hands turned into razor-sharp claws and their feet expanded to sasquatch-like proportions.
âAwoooooo!!!â
Howls that could send chills down anyoneâs spine echoed through the canyons, stunning the Outer Demons for a moment as they unconsciously looked backwards. However, that was a brutal mistake. The moment they stopped for just one second, their chasers took advantage and pounced.
Several of the half-man, half-beasts disappeared from their line of sight as they gushed forward faster than the wind could chase them. With the physical might surpassing that of any living creature on the planet, the predators sent flying claws through the Outer Demonsâ flesh, turning them into nothing more than a meaty paste.
One after the other, the mythical beings tore their opponents to shreds. Like predators that hunted purely for sport, the half-men didnât bother to consume their prey. After killing one Outer Demon, they skipped to the next one. And the next one. And the next one. Eventually, the numerous Outer Demons had been reduced by half before the rest of the party even got involved.
And that wasnât going to fly.
âDonât let the Werewolves hog the spotlight! We canât let them claim all the credit!â
One of the Vampires blurted out with a reddened face. Being physically inferior, the Vampires were exhausted by the chase and could only watch as their allies got one step ahead of them. However, now that theyâd caught up, there was no way they could let the Werewolves do all the work.-.
All of the remaining Vampires rushed out with what remaining energy they had left and started to cast their spells. Fireballs, Earth Spikes, Lightning Strikesâ¦
A myriad of spells was cast, smiting down several of the remaining Outer Demons that were fortunate enough to escape the Werewolvesâ onslaught. And as it stood, the Outer Demons that dared to invade were going to be completely wiped.
But before the final Outer Demon could be exterminatedâ¦
âSCREEEEE!!!â
âFucking-â¦!!!â
A pterodactyl-shaped Outer Demon swooped in from the skies with its claws extended and beak completely open. Being the predator it was, the Outer Demon didnât go for the physically superior Werewolves that ripped its compatriots into pieces, but rather, it aimed at the weakest link.
An ignorant True Vampire, who had barely trained his body. Exhausted from all of the running, his senses were dulled significantly and he wasnât able to sense the danger until it was too late. The pterodactyl swooped in with a vengeance hidden within its furious eyes.
If it was going to die, it was at least going to take one of its hunters with it.
But before the Outer Demon could rip the heart out of its opponent⦠A black dart bolted faster than the speed of sound, crashing straight at the pterodactyl which sent it flying dozens of metres away.
As the Outer Demon crashed onto the ground, it wailed out in agony, unsure of what foreign object had changed its trajectory. With a mournful yelp, it looked down at its chest, only to see a magnificent black claymore protruding out of its body.
It attempted to move, but the sword had impaled itself deep into the hard rock. And just before it could regain its bearings, a black ember flickered from the edges of the claymore and it quickly ignited into a blazing flame which engulfed the Outer Demon whole.
The Vampire who was almost maimed by the Outer Demon gulped cautiously as it had almost had his soul reaped. And with bated breath, the man turned in the direction where the black claymore had come from, hoping to figure out the identity of his saviour.
And it didnât take long before the Vampire got his answer.
Sashaying indifferently as if they werenât on a battlefield, a young woman that was covered from the neck down in an obsidian and silver battle suit emerged seemingly out of nowhere. The suit possessed high defensive capabilities, even though it was extremely slim-fitting which allowed the user to have a high degree of manoeuvrability and breathable air. Which was greatly needed, given that the woman was exceedingly tall and had extreme curves that would prove hard to restrain in battle.
As the young woman approached the Vampire, she tapped once under her chin, which forcibly retracted the helmet which covered her face. At that moment, the Vampire that sheâd saved unwittingly sucked in his own breath as he marvelled at the perfect features of the female warrior who saved him.
Her silky black hair flowed effortlessly down to her shoulders, not extending a centimetre farther. However, that wasnât a bad thing at all, as they highlighted much of her unlined, sculpted face. Her pointed nose and small mouth seemed uncharacteristic for a rough warrior such as herself, but it only added to her charm. And most importantlyâ¦
The womanâs deep agate cat-like eyes.
They stared deep into her opponentâs souls, enticing any men who dared to peer within them.
âAre you alright?â
âMistress Ysabelle!â The Vampire abruptly stood up in attention and saluted the woman. âThank you for saving my wretched life! Iâm deeply honoured that you took the time to save a worthless soul like mine!!!â
âYeahâ¦â
The woman named Ysabelle frowned slightly and confirmed the safety of her subordinate. Once she realised that there wasnât any significant injury, she lost all interest in the man and turned away.
âRest up. Once weâve annihilated the Outer Demons, weâll be returning to camp.â
âU-Understood!â
The black-haired Vampire shook her head before turning to the other soldiers around her. Mainly, the Werewolves that were busy tearing the remnants of the Outer Demons flesh by flesh. Although she was appalled by the sights, the woman still walked up to them and said:
âCaptain, pull back your men.â
âWhy? Are your men too tired to continue?â
In contrast to the respectful tone that the Vampires gave her, the Werewolves werenât as hospitable. They glared back at Ysabelle as if they were insulted that a female Vampire was ordering them.
Ysabelleâs subordinates jumped at the insult and charged forward as if they wanted to make the Werewolf eat his words. However, the female warrior stopped them with an outreached palm and a shake of her head.
âWeâve eliminated all of the Outer Demons that escaped from our net. Iâm just informing you about that. However, if your men are willing to chase ghosts in the canyon, feel free to do so. I wonât stop you.â
ââ¦â
The Werewolf captain locked eyes with Ysabelle and fell deep in thought. After a while, the half-beast smiled, showing his sharp fangs and spewing out his disgusting, horrendous breath.
âYouâre a feisty one. I can see why our Alpha likes you. Perhaps it might be a matter of time before you join our family.â
â⦠You stinking beast! How dare you insult our Mistress that way! Do you dare-â¦â
âHold it!â
Ysabelle stopped her subordinate from continuing any further by raising her hand. However, that didnât mean she would let that statement hang in the air. The agate pupils that coloured her eyes turned deep red and an obsidian fire wreathed around the poor Werewolf, like a serpent ready to land a killing blow.
âI have no interest in your Alpha, Captain. I hope you understand that. If not for our alliance, I wouldnât even spare a single second talking to him.â
âHeh⦠Why are you fighting so hard? Donât worry, our Alpha will be sure to treat you gently.â
â⦠You sure have a lot of guts for someone whose life is hanging in the balance.â
âReally? Is my life truly in danger?â The Werewolf smiled horridly and placed his snout closer to Ysabelle. âDo you really dare to burn me?â
Ysabelleâs frown deepened as her created flames flickered like ephemeral tongues, none of them crossing the finishing line to scorch the Werewolf Captainâs skin. A thousand thoughts ran through her mind at that moment but eventually⦠Her mind had made its decision.
âARGHHH!!!â
The arrogant Werewolf, who had been beaming with confidence just moments before, was now engulfed in pale, white-and-black fire. Unable to endure the heat, the Werewolf dropped onto the floor and desperately attempted to extinguish the fire.
âH-HOT!!! IT BURNS!!!â
âCaptain!!!â
The other Werewolves immediately rushed to their fallen leader, but they fell short of saving him as the mysterious flames were burning far too quickly. No matter what they did, the Captain was still wreathed in fire and had no chance of escaping.
âYou bitch! Remove the flames at once!â
âDonât worry, that much wonât kill him.â
Ysabelle snorted and watched impassively as the man burned. Only after a full minute had passed, did the girl finally relent and pull back her created fire. Alas, the damage had already been done.
Most of the fur on the Captainâs body had been incinerated, leaving the Werewolf with nothing but scorched skin. Covered with third-degree burns, it would take multiple hospital and magical treatments for him to fully recover.
But that wasnât Ysabelleâs problem anymore.
âY-You⦠You dare to attack us?â
âIf I were you, I would seriously consider shutting my mouth.â
Ysabelle opened up her palm and created yet another one of those mysterious flames. Seeing that, the numerous Werewolves unconsciously backed away. And then, they chose the wise decision. Rather than deal with the female Vampire that could incinerate them in an instant, they tended to their comradeâs wounds and kept quiet for the rest of the time.
With peace restored, Ysabelle turned around and sauntered back toward her subordinates. That was when a middle-aged woman emerged from the darkness and started to whisper something into her ears.
Ysabelleâs face went through a myriad of emotions as the words poured into her ear.
First, her anger turned into shock. Then, a radiant smile appeared on her lips. Until finally, a mixed grimace could be seen.
Unknowingly, Ysabelle turned to a random position and gazed far into the distance, as if she was homing in on something that was far, far away. The emotions overwhelmed her and with a poignant cry, she whispered:
âJinâ¦â
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