An hour passed since Amon and the group eradicated the bloodless corpse pile. Their search for the Blood Demon continued deep into the shrubbery of Mistwood, but unfortunately, the elusive Demon was still nowhere to be found.
It was a reality check for Amon and Yue, who were confident in their search capabilities. Amon's senses, which could sense a Demon from ten kilometres away, could not get a whiff of the Blood Demon's general direction. It wasn't that different for Yue. She summoned multiple Spirits and scoured each tree in the vicinity. Yet, the Blood Demon's traces were nowhere to be found.
"That's odd... Did the Blood Demon have a method of hiding its tracks?"
Amon only read about the enigmatic creature from the books and never had any firsthand experience with the monster. So, he looked to the one person who had hunted the Blood Demon in her previous timeline for answers.
"I'm not sure," Yue replied grimly. "By the time I joined the war against the Blood Demon, it had already joined the Demon Cult and gained an absurd amount of power. It didn't need to hide at that point as it could openly cut down a thousand Knights on the battlefield."
"That's unfortunate..."
Amon sighed openly and continued to pour his focus into the fog. While visibility was lowered, he could see the world clearly. The mana streams of the forest were all in mayhem due to the earthquake, and the balance was completely askew. Calling it the aftermath of a natural disaster would be an understatement. It was as if a supernatural force had forcibly altered the streams to its will, creating an uncomfortable dissonance in the atmosphere.
And that gave Amon a flash of understanding.
"What if... the Blood Demon doesn't have a central core?"
"What do you mean? Is that even possible?"
Yue raised her eyebrows, confused at her fiancé's hypothesis.
"No, I should be more specific." Amon shook his head and corrected himself. "What if the Blood Demon spreads its mana to the bloodless corpses and carcasses it devoured? And that masks its actual location."
"That... could make sense!"
The white-haired beauty widened her eyes as an epiphany struck her. She didn't wait for Amon to continue his train of thought and pulled out the eroded hand they'd obtained from the cave they explored. Poking her mana into the corroded arm, Yue summoned a mystical creature from her soul and willed it to gnaw on the decomposing flesh. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novel⚑fire.net
While it looked small and fragile, the Spirit that Yue summoned was anything but weak.
A spellbindingly gorgeous butterfly, its wings were a kaleidoscope of vibrant colours that shimmered with the radiance of the Sun and Moon. Like the painted glass of a cathedral, it showcased the brilliance of the colours of the rainbow, captivating any who saw it flutter its wings.
It glided through space as if it were immaterial, dragging along a melodic hum that soothed the soul. The mana it possessed was unfathomable for a creature of its size, and it was enough to make anyone fearful just by being in its presence.
Like Yaru, the Mist Spider, the butterfly was one of Yue's signature Monarch Spirits.
Anima, the Rainbow Butterfly.
"Anima, trace the mana streams and try to find any clues about the Blood Demon."
The Rainbow Butterfly let out an adorable yelp, and it was free to unleash its power. Rainbow particles created myriad dazzling lights that illuminated the once invisible mana streams. That was the power of the Monarch-ranked Spirit, an entity that gazed into the souls of the departed and gave vision to what was once unseeable.
It also created illusions that could replicate reality, trapping its victims for eternity if they lost their way.
In [Bright], when Yue was under the control of the Demon Cult, her Rainbow Butterfly caused plenty of issues for Leon and his party. So Amon was eternally grateful that he didn't need to face the terrifying woman and her legion of Spiritual summons.
"You're right! I think I found its location!"
Utilising Anima, Yue could trace the mana streams to a hidden location not too far away. Her ruby eyes brightened, and she quickly declared:
"Quick, let's head over! I think it may be on the move!"
Amon turned to the youngsters, who were taking a moment to rest, and ordered:
"We found the Demon! Get ready!"
Leon, Gale, Adelia and Rufus all jumped to their feet and readied their weapons. They charged towards Amon's side as he led them through the forest with Yue's Spirit guiding them. Passing through shattered rock and fallen trees, the group quickly approached a path of light. They passed through the tall trees without hesitation and emerged into a tranquil lake.
Its surface was as smooth as glass, giving the large body of water a serene yet eerie feeling. Tall pines and ancient oaks encircled the lake, and the uneasy mist shrouded their silhouettes. Like ghostly tendrils, the fog beckoned to the newcomers and tempted them to enjoy a dip. But they didn't accept the invitation.
With faces filled with seriousness, they held their weapons tensely and watched over the foggy lake, wary of intruders. And it didn't take long for their worries to be met.
"What are you doing here?"
A commanding voice called out to them, sending them straight on edge. The less experienced members, in particular, leapt into a defensive stance and directed their weapons towards the foreign voice. However, when they saw the person approaching them, they let out a sigh of relief and lowered their guards.
"Sir Torin! What are you doing here?"
Leon was the first to identify the man—a well-groomed tall figure wearing the illustrious Black Dragon Order uniform. It was none other than Sir Torin Vaelar, one of the Knights of the Eighteenth Squad that Amon was a part of.
"We were hunting for the Demon that caused all the mayhem, and we traced it down to this location."
"Oh? What a coincidence. I also traced it here. Shall we join forces then?"
"Ah, as expected from you! If that's the case, then..."
Before Leon could accept that offer, Amon's right hand pushed the youth's chest back. His eyes were gleaming gold as a silent determination exploded from his psyche. Amon stepped forward and looked at Torin, or what remained of him... and said:
"Prepare yourselves for a fight."
Rather than address the man in front of him, Amon ordered his party with a robotic voice. His combat stance puzzled the four youngsters, especially after he pulled out Nyx from his soul. Only Yue took his orders seriously and channelled enough mana to summon her signature four warrior Spirits.
Seeing the young Knight spin his blade, 'Torin' tilted his head and asked:
"What are you doing, Amon?"
'Torin' saw Amon staring right at him emotionlessly and without a single ounce of recognition. And that's when he realised something was amiss. Before 'Torin' could breathe another word, Amon had disappeared from his line of sight and charged straight at the man with a ruthless slash.
Nyx collided with the crimson sword that 'Torin' wielded, creating a soundwave that resonated throughout the lake, breaking its serenity. The force of Amon's strike was enough to push the heavy Knight dozens of metres backwards. Crashing onto the mossy forest floor, 'Torin' felt his entire body crumble and his internal organs puncture.
To most people, it would have been a life-threatening injury.
But alas, 'Torin' was no longer human.
An ominous voice creaked out from the broken man with his jaw hanging. His blue eyes gradually shifted spectrums and turned red, and a foul, crimson Aura emerged from his pores. Blood dripped down from his eye sockets as he restructured his body to make a full recovery. The sight of muscles contorting and bones cracking was despicable, and the group hardened their expressions.
[Young boy, answer me... How could you te-...]
Before the Blood Demon could say another word, Amon flew right at him like a missile. Mana exploded from his core as three Suns orbited around him. Amon unleashed the most potent strike he could muster without wasting a moment with the three Suns he brought out.
Crashing down like a falling star, Amon decimated 'Torin' with a single, focused strike. Flames engulfed the indecent creature as if they meted out Heaven's wrath. The mana was so dense and concentrated that the side of the lake Amon was on had much of its water vapourised just from the initial strike. Flickers of the Aura fire persisted, scorching and incinerating anything in its path.
However... the unthinkable happened.
Even though 'Torin' had been burnt away, his body persisted. Standing straight up, a torrent of ominous blood emerged from his inner core, healing the man to his perfect condition.
It was as if Amon's attack had never happened.
"N-No way, how did Sir Torin turn out this way?"
Leon gasped, and his eyes were wavering. He couldn't understand why one of the Solaris Knights he knew had turned to the dark side. Adding on that, he couldn't believe the Demon could withstand Amon's direct attack completely unscathed.
"Don't falter! That man is no longer the Knight you know!"
With Amon preoccupied, it fell on Yue to bark out the orders. Even though she had a youthful appearance, the woman had lived two lifetimes. Mentally, she was well over forty and a veteran who had lived through some of the world's most trying moments. Hence, Yue knew how to rally the troops when it came to fighting against Demons.
"Didn't you hear Amon's order? There's no way that Demon came alone. We'll need to prepare to fight!"
It wasn't an order that needed to be repeated. Seconds later, numerous ominous figures emerged from the forest and under the lake. Many were bloodless corpses and were weak foes they could defeat with a single swing. However, it quickly became clear that the Demon had strengthened its forces.
Exiled Demonic Beasts and bloodless Mythical creatures revealed themselves in the most dire manner. The Blood Demon's mana had infused elks over five metres tall—tigers and jaguars with heightened powers from blood rituals and even serpents bathed by blood.
It was a nightmare come to life.
Realising his folly, Leon unsheathed Ascalon and flashed its brilliance. His comrades did the same. Gale with his zweihänder, and Adelia with her rapier. Even Rufus readied his mace and shield with added zeal, knowing he was about to fight for his life.
Yue smiled as she watched the youngsters ready themselves without wavering. They grew quickly, just as Amon had anticipated. Just a few days ago, they would have been quaking in their boots and froze at the sight of these fearsome foes. But now, they were proper Knights...
"From now on, it will be a proper hunt!"