Chapter 4: The hunt
Masquerades creatures of unknown origins, loved by Qi itself and blessed by god, known across Avalonia as celestial beings. They once walked a pure path, untouched by corruption. But their nature shifted when they strayed into the tribal world of Avalonia. They lost the celestial blessing.
Their ancestral path rose in its place. A path they forged through instinct and brutality. It grew strong. It grew powerful. It stood equal to the celestial way they abandoned.
Masquerades carried masks with unique attributes and powers, mysteries of the abyss, and mysteries drawn from distant worlds. Every masquerade was strange born with the strengthof rank 8 beast, yet one stood out. One so weak, yet impossible to kill. It was a mix of demon and masquerade, an abomination. Yet It was not despised because of it race but the fact it lacked a mask, or because it posed any danger, but because it lacked the one thing that let them stand against the celestial will.
So they hated it. What they hated even more was the fact that they could not kill it due to its absurd level of defense, granting it the name blanski "Lords of defense".
The Blanski moved with caution and anger. It's movements stayed sharp. Its mind burned with rage. It was ready to face the beign who had tortured it for fifteen years.
"Ha, fifteen years. That bastard held my mind captive in an enstranged state," The Blanski said.
It pushed off the ground and shot into the sky. Its large frame rose through the air. Its horns cut through the wind.
"Ha," it growled as its shadow spread over the trees.
It prepared to kill the beign. The so-called beign. Only if the Blanski knew the truth of who waited ahead.
It tore through the forest. It leapt into the sky. Trees snapped under its weight. Branches scattered. It ignored everything around it. Even demon beast jumped aside in fright as it passed.
The Blastkey laughed with raw excitement.
"My mind is free. I am free," it said.
A few seconds passed. The Blanski had crossed the whole distance. Its single eye swept across the area of the void mansion. It could feel four strong presences inside the building.
The Blanski watched the house. It's eye stayed fixed on the four figures inside.
"I see them. These men are strong. If I walk in, I might be killed. Right now I hold the strength of a rank 4 beast. And those men two stand at the kai realm while the other two stand at the middle Yomi Realm. That is murder," it said.
Its gaze shifted.
"But if I consume him that beigns, high quality meat, I shall ascend."
The Blanski's laughter stayed silent, yet the trees and the creatures around it felt the unease. They sensed the horror moving toward the Void Mansion. Its eye shifted as something pulled its attention. It focused on a garden where a girl lay. She had hazel eyes and green hair, a true beauty, the Blanski licked its lips as its eye gleamed with excitement.
"Ha ha ha, medium quality meat. Will I have a feast today," it said.
It leaped like a madman and appeared in front of the girl in an instant. She froze for a moment, then screamed in fright. But she was not weak.
Like a flash, she reached for the two daggers at her waist and spun with striking precision, one blade cutting toward Blanski's neck and the other toward its waist. She wanted to slice the creature apart.
But the Blanski did not flinch it embraced the attack. It stood there, frightening and demonic, a thing shaped for strength.
The Blanski lifted his fingers to his mouth in a slow motion that showed a sickening expression. A twisted smile grew across his face.
"Ah, you smell like sweet honey," it said. As it laughed. "I wonder how your blood will taste."
It spoke as if he remembered the feel of raw flesh. The Blanski's defense made Yuri freeze. She had seen a Blansky before, but this one was different. It had four horns on the crown of its head and a single eye. A Blansky was never born with one eye, yet this creature stared at her with only one. Its body looked strange, heavier and stronger than any she had seen.
Yuri tried to understand it. Fear tightened in her chest, yet she knew she had no path of escape. She stood her ground. She was a smart girl and she knew running would end in death.
The Blanski could not contain itself any longer. It lunged forward, its hands spreading wide as if to snatch her into a crushing grip. Her eyes widened, but she did not expect the creature to be so abnormal its chest split open, revealing dozens of teeth within.
Yuri's mind screamed in terror as she sprang back several steps. Instantly, she activated the martial technique called Martial Stride. With every jump, every landing, energy gathered beneath her feet, propelling her higher and faster with each step.
She leapt back again and again, the technique giving her a fleeting advantage, but it was useless. The Blanski was too fast, too powerful, and with a terrifying swipe, it finally grabbed her.
Yuri refused to go down without a fight. She activated her special technique, the Seven Emotion Poison Body, and with it, her own creation, the Vigra Body Poison, a power strong enough to poison even rank 5 monsters.
Immediately, her skin began to secrete a thick green mucus. The moment Blansky's teeth sank into her, the corrosive substance spread over its fangs, burning and poisoning the creature as it tightened its grip.
The Blanski glared at the girl, irritation and anger twisting its features. "Why do you have to go down in such a hard and painful way?" it screeched, a sound sharp and high-pitched like a child wailing.
It realized one thing it's digestion was ruined. What should have taken five minutes, or even ten at most, would now take two hours.
The Blanski knew it had no time to waste. It had to kill the girl and devour her now or risk losing it's own life.
In an instant, it erected five ancestral barriers of rank 6, powers no man below the middle kai realm could break with a Steedmere fist. Its laugh echoed through the air. "All your effort is useless. I am still going to devour you," it taunted.
Yuri did not flinch. Her mind clung to one hope, hope that her father would come and save her from this nightmare.
She could not understand the creature's mind, but its gestures were clear enough mockery and the promise of death. She closed her eyes, trembling, yet clinging to hope, still wishing for a miracle.
Then a memory struck her. The face of the young boy she had met in the building, his red eyes like burning blood, his black hair flowing wildly, his nails sharp, his calm expression etched with subtle lines, as if he held the world in his grasp.
"I'm so sad I couldn't even spend an hour with you," she whispered to herself, the thought a fragile comfort in the shadow of her fear.
Suddenly, the air warped, and Damon leaped from the balcony into the garden. He landed effortlessly, as if gravity held no sway, shocking the two behind him, Von and Draco.
They had thought him a madman, unskilled and insignificant, new and reckless. Yet here he was, moving with precision and power, his skill undeniable, leaving them baffled and speechless.
Damon landed, unsmiling, anger etched across his face. "How dare you hold my butterfly, something I captured for myself. you dare hold her in your belly, you nasty worm," he spat, his voice sharp with fury.
The creature only looked at him, mocking, letting out a single, lazy laugh. "Ha , get out of here," it said, unbothered. "No one can break my barrier. When I'm done with her, I'll come for you. I hope your blood tastes as sweet as hers."
Without hesitation, Damon appeared in front of the barrier, placing his hand on it. "Ah, I see. An ancestral barrier," he said, speaking the tongue of the Masquerade.
The revelation struck the creature. Fear flickered across its face. It screamed, "Who are you?"
"You ask who I am, but I should ask you who you are," Damon said. His voice stayed firm. "A mix of a Masquerade and a demon, not even worthy of a mask. You question me. Are you worthy of that?"
His eyes narrowed. "I have been in solitude for fifteen years. I have seen everything through these eyes. I have known of your presence. I have known your plans. I have known of the other one who stays in Raksha. But you are a stupid worm."
Damon stepped closer. "your lord stayed back because he understood the risk of coming here. You did not. You stepped in with blind trust in your strength, oh wise Blanski."