'This human's blood is very interesting.'
That thought thundered in Zekorath's mind.
He had narrowly missed his first attempt earlier. Since his movements and strength were enhanced through Blood Shift, he had crashed into the wall, his teeth stuck deep into the concrete.
Having removed himself, he realised the glow of the human's blood had slowly intensified. He had attempted to attack faster this time around. However, the human reacted. He ran.
Zekorath had been forced to follow. Even though his movement was currently enhanced, his size made it harder to reach the human who was running like he had the divine wind pushing him from behind, so the Demon Lord decided to use the walls as a foothold to greatly shorten the distance between them.
The moment he jumped into the wall beside him, intending to attack his prey from behind, the human suddenly changed his direction seemingly running towards the wall. Only when he noticed a staircase leading down did Zekorath change his intended trajectory and aiming for the handrail.
However, when he landed on it, all he saw was a blur as the human jumped from the top of the stairs.
'He's an energetic one. This is turning out to be quite troublesome.' Zekorath thought to himself, his gaze following the airborne human form.
When the man landed at the bottom of the steps, he crashed into the wall. The intensity of the weird glow emanating from his blood grew stronger still. Added to that, steam was rising from his body now.
'What is up with you?' Zekorath wondered, before once again, jumping towards the human who once again managed to move out of the way just in time. He had noticed that the human's blood, apart from glowing, had started to travel in a weird way through his body, as if he had created new veins and it was being channelled towards one point. Just below his heart, in the centre of his chest. It seemed to concentrate in that spot in a vicious swirl.
The human was forming a blood core?
Zekorath didn't understand how that was possible. He hadn't studied the human anatomy in-depth however, as much as he knew, humans could not form power cores. Aside from their needlessly complicated blood flow, they did not have mana in their realm. Therefore, they could not influence a phenomenon such as forming a core.
While he quipped his mind, Zekorath attacked the back of the fleeing man and sent him tumbling down the stairs. Noticing a bruise on the man's knee, slowly bleeding amidst the steam rising from his skin, Zekorath landed himself on the steps, keeping his gaze at the man below him.
In that moment, he witnessed the most stupendous event in his already confusing journey. The man's blood flow had completely reset itself and a glowing crimson core had appeared deep in his chest, merely vibrating with little power, but still there. The blood had also been purified and seemed to be bolstered by the same weird energy Zekorath had felt in the atmosphere. The Demon Lord closed his gaping mouth, in awe of the creature before him.
"Tell me, how did you use the energy in your atmosphere to form a power core?" He asked.
True to his previous actions, the man didn't reply. Instead he cocked his head in confusion and he immediately started running down the corridor again.
"Seriously. Can't he at least understand me?" Zekorath sighed. At least he didn't need to chase the man who now ran with a fevor worse than before. The Demon Lord had already achieved his objective.
"Transfer"
Zekorath cast an ability. True, he was still weaker than his usual self. His lack of blood was also a factor acting against him using his abilities and with him needing to keep Blood Shift active, he didn't have enough power to subdue. So, using the cut that had appeared on the man's knee, the crafty Demon Lord had managed to stealthily send a few drops of his blood into him, while forcing their gazes to remain locked. As soon as Zekorath had managed to sneak his blood into the human, weakening his mental defenses. All he needed to do now was to take him down.
"Transfer."
With those words, Zekorath suddenly appeared in front of the running man, floating in the air. He noticed the man's eyes open wide in shock and, with a satisfied smile on his Inkling face, Zekorath slashed his clawed hand at the man's face.
Blood instantly spurted in the air. The human fell back and howled in pain, writhing on the ground, hands clutching his bleeding face while Zekorath used that opportunity to infiltrate his warm blood.
××××××××××
-Apollo-
This thing was here. How? Why? Where is here?
Various thoughts flashed in a congested line through my mind. Considering that I was still here, experiencing something, I guessed I was still alive...or near death? At the very least I wasn't dead yet. Then, there's my surroundings. A deep darkness that felt like a nightmare. Where was I? Did I get transported somewhere? Or am I experiencing a near death situation? Nobody has had any concrete proof to supply on what happens in that situation and I had my theory that the experience would probably differ to each person. So was this...
Hang on!!
The voice earlier!!
I whipped my attention back to the creature that had effectively ended my life. It's presence took on a new light in my mind. It was more than just a beast, it was an intelligent...beast? This was both a delightful and scary realisation. Atleast I could speak with it and try to understand it's motives but...it could lie and still kill me here. Wherever here is.
"So you were trying to speak earlier?" I asked it, cool as a cucumber. Why was I so emotionless? Was it the effect of being dead? Weird as it was, it allowed me to think clearly at the moment.
"Finally. You do realise that I wished to communicate. You are a human right?" the creature boomed in that regal voice. How was it suddenly so imposing? It had been nothing but an incoherent squeak earlier. Now, here, it sounded like I was speaking to a God. I could feel power in it's every word. Coming from that tiny figure, it made for a comical and eerie effect.
"Yeah. What are you? Why did you kill me and where are we?" I decided to directly ask what I needed to know.
I had already guessed, long before my death, that strange things were happening on Earth. The earthquake that rocked Soweto had brought destruction and change. Earth and everything on it had evolved.
Earlier, upon entering the school searching for my brother, the lack of animal sounds had worried me greatly. Having realised that nature had evolved, I had another theory then that the animals were currently evolving too. Or had already evolved and I just hadn't noticed it yet. So seeing a creature like this, while it had shocked me earlier, thinking through it calmly now, it was on par with the current events. The one thing I didn't understand however...
"For now, I'll withhold the answer to your first question. Personal reasons. Regarding your second question, as you've already realised, you're not dead. So I haven't killed you. Though maybe it might've been my initial goal, you actually ended up a very intriguing existence. As for your third question, this is an astral plane, if you will. It's a neutral zone where only our souls can enter. " the creature answered.
Bingo. I was still alive but in the astral realm? There was something fishy about it not wanting to reveal it's name, since it was being so talkative.
"Then why were you trying to kill me?" I quipped.
"The answer to that question would require me to reveal who I am. As I stated earlier, I'd like to withhold..."
"I don't care. You put my life at risk. At a very crucial time. You tried to kill me. Nearly succeeded too. I deserve to know why?" I reasoned with an intense glare. I couldn't keep letting it evade my questions. I needed answers. I had already figured that it couldn't attack me in this astral whatever. If it could, I had a feeling I would already be dead by now. So why was I alive?
"If you really want the answer to that, then there's a few conditions." the voice stated resolutely.
It was willing to tell me but for a price. Hmmm was it some sort of demon for real? The things that barter for the human soul. Denizens of the foulest places on...
"Firstly, I'm not from your dimension. Secondly, not all demons are bloodthirsty soul bartering evil beings. You should know how painful preconceived notions are." the voice had a tone of despair as his eyes glazed over, pensive, before focusing on me again. So he was a demon. I'm possessed. This wasn't looking too good all of a sudden.
"So you can read my mind too. I thought you said we were in an astral plane. How are you doing it and what do you want?"
"Do you know what mana is?"
I was taken aback for a moment. Mana? Was this guy referring to the 'life force of light novel worlds'? Could he mean that mana from heaven? Bible references from a demon?
"Apparently you don't." the creature sighed.
"Hmm...do you know what a power core is?" he changed his question.
"Look I don't...you're not making sense. When you say words such as mana and power core...I'm sorry I just don't know if you're talking about real things or..."
"Things that are not of this world? Pretty close to it." the creature finished my statement for me. So it admitted that's what it was referring to. Mana. Magic power right? That's what it usually meant in the web novels I've read. Also, power cores?
I suddenly felt a sharp stabbing pain run through my head then, my right eye throbbed painfully.
"Well, looks like it's time for me to explain some imperative matters." the demon creature cleared his throat, demanding my attention.
"I did say that I did not kill you and that's the truth. However, you are currently dying. That pain you felt, it means your soul is slowly being drawn back to your mortal realm. Youll gradually start feeling your body's...fatigue again."
Not much of a surprise that. This thing had chased me around a decrepit school and tore my face off. That pain had been mind numbing and I did not welcome the prospect of returning to it.
"You fucking killed me!" I could feel a slight frustration suddenly building up inside me signalling the return of my emotions as well.
"Minor technicalities aside, I have the power to heal you."
"You mean, keep me alive?" I asked, my heart suddenly hammering in my chest again.
"Yes. It comes with a price but I can keep you alive."
Makes sense it came with a price. It was a demon after all. Memories of my hands on my face, feeling nothing but blood and bone, resurfaced. As easy as they'd come, they were suddenly replaced by the childish smiling face of my little brother, Anele. He was still out there and if I died what would that mean for him? My train of thought derailed into madness. I couldn't let that happen. However this was a deal with a demon?
"What will it take?" there was no moment to waste. None of it mattered now. The world has changed. Im not going back to normal society. I would be returning to some fantasy jungle with death at every corner. I _might_ not survive but my brother definitely wouldn't. All of it didn't matter, not even I.
The little demon stuttered for a moment before composing himself.
"You grant me control of your vessel, your body, until I find a way out of this realm." it answered.
Wait hold on. Control of my body? I thought it would be the usual 'gimme your soul' deal. Is this guy's name Sukuna?
"Why control of my body? Also, how will I know that I will continue to live after you 'get out of this realm'?" I asked in a tone full of suspicion. Another flash of intense pain tore through my entire body and I was grimly reminded of the urgency of my current situation.
"Control, because your soul is of no use to me. I need Mana to survive and your world doesn't seem to hold any. I would opt for your blood however yours seems to be blessed by a strange power. In fact, your whole constitution is...ahem...that is to say I can't take your blood either. So I need your body to be able to survive in this environment while I try to find a way out of here. Also, while I have control of your body, I will be able to heal all your wounds." the demon spoke without pause, a sense of urgency in every sentence.
"You tried to take my body forcefully and failed didn't you?"
That had to be it. When he had cut my face, my body had suddenly weighed a ton, like the gravity had been increased. It must've been something he did to try and take control, but what was it? Mana? Why did it fail?
"Hmmm. Are all humans so perceptive? No. I don't think so but you...you think in a different manner don't you?" Quipped the demon with a pensive look on his features. He regained his composure once again. Then it dawned on me that he was exhibiting even more human mannerisms. Was his soul also being drawn back?
"True. I did try to take control of your body forcefully. However your blood resisted me. That is something your kind shouldn't be able to do."
My kind? Humans. So it must be something to do with the mana and power cores right? That's why he's confused. So he uses mana. Somehow manipulating it into my blood to try and take control but my blood refused his will. My anaemic blood?
Another sharp pain blasted behind my eyes, making my head feel like it was inflating with pent up pressure and would burst at any second. Dammit I nearly forgot the important thing. I'm dying. Though I can't just accept his deal.
"Then state your conditions. Quickly too before your decision is too late. I cannot keep you alive once your heart stops beating." came the booming resonance at odds with the small demon before me.
"Firstly, you're not getting full control of my body." I stated flatly. I was not about to allow it uninterrupted control. I've watched enough anime to know that shit will not work.
"That was the whole basis of my deal." the demon began, showing a sign of irritation.
"If I cannot control your body, I cannot heal you or find my way..."
"No!" I shouted. I could feel my anxiety and frustration close to bursting point now.
"I know what you were after. You want my blood. My body is a means but the first thing you wanted was my blood was it not? Then have that. I'll allow you control of my blood, only. You leave my soul, brain and body to me. In return, you'll heal me and we'll both finish what we need to do on Earth. Deal?"
I figured if I gave him control of my blood, I could get the healing without letting a demon go apeshit out there. I didn't even want to think how a demon went about healing a person but this guy didn't seem like a typical demon. I definitely couldn't trust him, but I could use him.
The demon's eyes narrowed into suspicious slits. He looked at me for about a minute. Then decided with a miniscule nod.
"I see. Shrewd. You really aren't different from what I've read of your kind after all."
××××××××××
The stage has been set.
The pace of Fate does not falter.
With an Azurai goddess having touched a foreign dimension, changes had been wrought in the fabric of the cosmos themselves. Earth was the stage on which a game of life and death, with the existence of whole species on the line, would be played out.
On the first day after the Terra formation event, the world had been thrown into instant chaos. Society crumbled. Whole cities had literally been destroyed in the devastating earthquake, the land had changed, bringing forth mountains where there were none, flowing rivers and raging waterfalls in areas where once stood apartments. Whatever little vestige was left of society, most of it was smouldering rubbles.
Nature herself was now towering above the survivors like their burning skyscrapers. There was magic in the air.
The survivors tried to come to terms with the aftermath of the earthquake. Many searched for their families and loved ones, many more were in mourning for those they had lost. The corpses filling the streets were a grim reminder of the devastation that had befallen their world.
Along with these changes in nature, it was discovered that technology did not operate. Everything from wristwatches to planes and ships. If it was man made technology, whether timed cogs and gears or electrically powered, it was rendered obsolete. The survivors were thrown back into the dark ages. Without the convenience of technology or electricity, many found it immensely hard to survive. It was a boon that most of the food left in the dilapidated stores was still fresh. Many sought out supermarkets in the hopes of stocking up on food and other necessities.
On the fourth day, another change occured.
There were bloodcurlding howls in the night that kept the survivors up. This signalled the return of the other half of nature. As flora had already evolved, now it was time for fauna.
The old animals of Earth were no more. Instead what returned on the fourth day were mutations of fantastical proportions. An owl with a 6 foot wingspan flew by above what was once Jabulani, causing intense gusts of wind and small tornadoes under it. In what used to be Tshepisong, a little farming town, had a raging red eyed bull the size of a small military tank. It literally moved the earth where it walked and there were various others. Earth's animals that had been turned into unreal abominations. None of the old species were left.
This signalled the next stage of survival for the remaining pockets of humanity. Nearly every night after that, screams of terror could be heard.