Chapter Ten: A Firm Resolution

Long, long after, even when Camilla had joined the forces of darkness, whenever she recalled this moment of meeting, a beautiful smile would always grace her lips. But fate is the most unpredictable, and also the most difficult to resist; when Tetsuya appeared, when he believed he was changing the destinies of the three, he was already caught in the web of fate.

Everything began amidst that disaster, as if an invisible hand were plucking the strings of destiny. In a secluded corner, the three wretched companions stared at the pallid face, all showing signs of panic. Camilla pressed her hand against the wound on her neck, the world before her eyes already blurring into overlapping shadows.

Earlier, in that tiny puncture, blood had poured into the mouth of the man before her. Cold and sharp fangs had sunk deep into Camilla's flesh. In that moment, she could hear the sound of her own blood flowing, gurgling as it was drawn from her body and swallowed by the man.

For the first time, she felt death so near, the breath of the Reaper whispering right at her ear.

Fortunately, Daram rushed in and knocked the attacker aside, and then Hitra swiftly pulled Camilla into his arms.

Yet Camilla’s body had grown limp, her vision blurred, and her once lovely face was now drained of all color. Excessive blood loss brought on a powerful dizziness.

"Virgin blood... heh, heh, heh..." The man who had once been a guard before them licked the crimson from his lips, savoring it with a chilling pleasure. "It's useless now... My poison has already invaded her body... It will slowly corrode her, and finally she will die. You have two choices: let her die as she is, or I bite my tongue and let my blood flow into her, turning her into an immortal like me, a servant of the great Lord Shuranos."

"Big sister..." Hitra shook Camilla anxiously, but she had already slipped into semi-consciousness. She could sense what was happening around her, but she could no longer respond.

Daram fixed his furious gaze upon the man, his sturdy body charging forward as he shouted, "I’ll kill you! Bastard!"

Bang!

But as Daram collided with the man, the attacker took a step back and suddenly transformed into dozens of bats that scattered in every direction. Daram’s powerful frame crashed into the wall behind where the man had stood, the jarring impact leaving him dazed.

The bats gathered again to reform the man's shape, and a vicious fist struck Daram in the abdomen, sending him crumpling to the ground in pain.

"Prey can struggle as much as they want, but they cannot escape the cage of fate," the man said, planting a foot on Daram’s back, his eerily pale fingers gripping Daram’s hair. His gaze flicked coldly toward Hitra.

"You... you..." Hitra supported Camilla, beads of cold sweat rolling down his forehead as the man’s glance froze him in terror; he felt his teeth chattering uncontrollably.

Thud...

The man flipped Daram over, pressing his boot hard against Daram’s face, grinding it down.

"Boy, what will you choose? Why not become my servant?"

"No... I can’t!"

"Then die as prey!" came the furious reply, and in an instant the man transformed into bats, swarming toward Hitra. Their bodies were black and grotesque, their fangs sharp, and the colony rushed upon him. Hitra’s eyes filled with despair.

"Oh? Prey? You fancy yourself a hunter?" Tetsuya dropped down from the rooftop, sending a wave of light from his hands. Brilliant ions vibrated at a high frequency, forcing the attacking bats to shriek and scatter.

Tetsuya couldn't help but find it amusing; he had once founded an organization of hunters to deal with these alien beings. Their first battle was to wipe out the Kirielodians, and now, unexpectedly, he encountered them again in this era. Their next target had been the vampires lurking in the city, and now fate had led him straight to them.

Hitra stared in awe at the youth before him, hope flickering in his eyes.

"Save us..."

Tetsuya waved his hand dismissively, and just as the man’s form reconstituted, he lunged forward, faint light swirling around his body—enough to ensure his blows landed. Even before the man could steady himself, Tetsuya’s fist struck his face, staggering him. A follow-up elbow and a flurry of blows left the man unable to defend, the attack as relentless as a storm.

"Damn it! Feel our wrath!"

Tetsuya swept his leg, but the man transformed into bats and soared back, while countless bats surged from the city. Amidst the merging light, a familiar form to Tetsuya revealed itself within the city.

"This is the Shuranos I remember..." Tetsuya arched an eyebrow, brandishing a dark, diamond-shaped crystal, and the massive form of Gilogath appeared beside him.

"Evil... Evil god..." Hitra cried out.

Daram lifted his head from the ground, staring at Gilogath’s form and clenching his fists tightly.

"Power... Whether it's the power of an evil god or an ancient god, it is power."

"If I could gain power... what difference is there between an evil god and an ancient god?"

Tetsuya’s gaze shifted toward Diga in the distance. The battle between those two colossal beings radiated intense energy, and their battleground was moving further away, the affected area now spanning several kilometers in diameter. Now, transformed into Gilogath, he felt even more the strength of Diga; the other’s dark power was overwhelming.

"System, tell me Diga’s strength."

"Dark Diga (incomplete form), Class A+; Shuranos the god, Class A+."

"I’m still only Class B..." Only now did Tetsuya realize the vast disparity; Gilogath’s strength paled in comparison to Diga, and what stood before him was not even Diga’s complete form. If he were to reach his full potential, would his power leap directly to S-class?

Their battle even affected the sky; endless dark clouds shrouded the heavens, starlight and moonlight completely obscured. Dense darkness soared upward, blue lightning flickering within the clouds. Diga, with his agile form, pressed the attack, but Shuranos the god’s body was immense. Ordinary attacks dissipated beneath layers of fat, making him incredibly resistant. To Tetsuya, the battle had not truly begun; it was still only probing.

Before him now stood a creature with gray fur, a head like a rat, coarse and sharp fangs, and, most striking, red eyes. Tetsuya’s opponent unfurled its fleshy wings, letting out a wild howl.

"Oh, Shuranos... First, I’ll destroy you here, then return to the world of Diga to wipe out your progeny!"