ARC I — "ASHES OF THE FAITHFUL"
The forest fog thinned, sunlight piercing through in sharp streaks. Broken trees littered the ground — Zyren, Lurvik, and Thyra had fled, their screams still echoing faintly. Kurotsume moved with an effortless calm, his black-red aura swirling subtly around him like smoke clinging to his skin.
"Not bad for a warm-up," the demon murmured in his mind. "You're already a nightmare in their eyes."
Kurotsume smirked faintly, voice low, casual.
"They'll tell stories tonight. That's enough of a warm-up."
From the treetops, Zyren clutched his shoulder, muttering to Lurvik.
"We can't keep fighting like this! He's… he's not human!"*
"Just retreat!" Thyra hissed, scanning the sky. "We need reinforcements. Now!"
Kurotsume leapt from the branch, landing silently on the forest floor. Shadows bent and twisted as his aura flowed, almost alive, coiling around his form. He didn't rush — he never rushed. He walked toward the edge of the forest.
"Going somewhere?" the demon teased. "Or just giving them nightmares?"
"Both,"* Kurotsume said, smirking faintly. His voice was calm, deliberate, dangerous. "It's time to hunt properly."
The alien patrols had vanished into the trees, but Kurotsume's eyes glinted red. He stepped into a clearing and exhaled slowly. With a subtle surge of aura, he lifted into the air, the black-red smoke trailing behind him. The forest below shrank as he ascended, gliding silently toward the city beyond.
"Flying now? Fancy." the demon purred. "Careful not to show off too much."
"Relax,"* Kurotsume replied smoothly. "They'll see enough soon enough."
The city sprawled beneath him, neon lights and alien structures casting a cold glow across the streets. Patrol drones scanned rooftops, their sensors cutting through the night, but the aura twisted around Kurotsume, masking his presence.
From a rooftop, Lurvik's voice called out, trembling but defiant.
"Zyren! He's not just in the forest… he's everywhere! How is this possible?"*
"Calm down," Zyren shouted, glaring at the faint red glow in the distance. "We regroup. This isn't over. He's dangerous… but he's still one of us to hunt!"
Kurotsume hovered above the city silently, scanning for movement. His aura pulsed gently, almost like a heartbeat, responding to distant threats and weaknesses.
"Targets everywhere," the demon whispered. "Do you want to toy with them… or end them fast?"
Kurotsume's lips curved in a faint smirk.
"Let's have some fun first. Let them run."
A patrol squad appeared on a street below, unaware of the shadow overhead. Aura tendrils shot down silently, wrapping around lampposts and vehicles. A subtle flick of his wrist sent metal flying toward the soldiers, cutting off their escape routes.
"Stylish. Precise. Perfectly nonchalant," the demon murmured. "You're a predator, Kurotsume. And they don't even know it yet."
Kurotsume's steps were silent, aura flowing around him like liquid fire. He didn't shout. He didn't need to. Every movement, every motion, radiated controlled lethal intent. The soldiers panicked, firing blindly, but his aura deflected every shot effortlessly.
"We… we can't fight him!" one soldier screamed.
"Fall back!" another shouted, scrambling to regroup.
Kurotsume flicked his hand lazily, aura extending like ribbons to disarm the nearest soldier. He landed softly on a rooftop, looking down at the fleeing patrols.
"Next,"* he said simply, almost bored, yet every word carried weight. "They'll learn soon enough… one by one."
"Ah… that tone," the demon purred. "So calm, so untouchable… perfect. Let's see how far we can push them tonight."
Kurotsume spread his arms slightly, aura flaring faintly. Shadows from the city bent and twisted as if acknowledging him. Below, distant lights flickered, patrols scrambled, and somewhere far away, a whisper of fear passed through the alien hierarchy.
He hovered there for a moment, letting the city stretch beneath him, scanning, calculating. Calm, nonchalant, deadly — and entirely untouchable.
"Let them come,"* he muttered, voice soft, confident, deadly. "I'm ready."
And as the night deepened, Kurotsume became more than a shadow in the forest. He became a predator in the city, unseen, unstoppable, and unmistakably dangerous.