Chapter 20: Interlude Ⅱ: Across The World

Year: 1565 A.W.

Location: Outpost 2D, Sector 1C [London Outskirts]

Subject: Lt. James, Demon Hunter

A blade whistled through the air. Slicing through nearby trees. Leaves recoiled as the storm calmed. Then, a head fell. It disintegrated before it reached the ground. But the mission was not over. A silhouette manifested within the forest mist, forming the back of a man. Lt. James, a Demon Hunter. His sword hung from his hand, dripping blood. His ears twitched. A low, eerie sound clawed its way through his thoughts.

Grrrrrr...

The sound of another foul beast, he thought. He wasted no time, vanishing into the mist once more. Several feet behind, a grey cave had emerged from the ground. A low growl could be heard from within. The deeper one entered, the darker it became. The walls seemed to swallow light like a black hole. A never-ending feast of darkness. And within the dark walls of this grey cave, hidden behind the silenced screams of the forgotten, lay a beast. Slumbering. Its low growl could be heard from miles away, a sound carried by the Void itself, yet so incomprehensibly evil. Hidden within the ever-devouring darkness of the cave, the beast had found the perfect spot to attract attention and trap its prey. Yet little did it know that every spine must bend for something… eventually.

A screech. The sound of steel scraping the ground. The beast paused. Its breath halted. Then, slowly, it raised its head. There was no sound, just the subtle movement of shadows. Its eyes glowed in the dark. Pure Void energy shone through its pupils, bright and red, invisible to the naked eye. Now, it could see everything. It was said that no prey could escape the sight of a demon hound. Yet a more powerful beast could walk straight through its vision. Then, it happened.

Its right ear twitched, and a sharp pain raced through the giant beast. Then the left ear. Another sharp pain. It leapt toward the cave roof, a futile attempt to kill whatever lurked within the shadows. But it was no use. Before it could gather the strength to leap again, a heavy weight grabbed its spine. A truth had claimed its entire being. Fear. Its gaze bounced from corner to corner, from ceiling to ground, but it could find nothing. No intruder. No prey. No predator. It paused. The demon's primal instincts screamed. There was something here with it, something dangerous, something that would eat it.

A sudden urge to look up wrapped itself around the demon's interwoven mind. Every feeling of hate, destruction, and hunger was overtaken. Replaced by the will to look up. It raised its head, and there it was. Two large, golden eyes burned through the darkness. Flames reached through the corners like souls begging to escape the very pits of hell. The demon had already begun to sweat. Its very soul had been condemned. Void Pressure. Its effects were so potent, it had completely rendered the foul beast helpless. No will to move. No will to live. No will to breathe. This was Lt. James’ Will of Flame. The creed of the legendary Flame Arts.

“No evil shall escape my gaze. No evil shall breathe under my watchful eyes.”

The mission ended with silence, and by dawn, only embers remained. Reports of the hunt would reach Lindell within hours, carried by encrypted relay.

Location: Outpost 12A [Lindell’s Crimson Guild]

A black helicopter with red-edged blades emerged from the grey clouds. It descended onto the landing platform. Several figures stepped out of its hatch, each draped in crimson attire. An attendant stood before them to verify their count.

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“One... two... hmm... six.”

He continued, “Ok, great. Welcome back, Crimson Hunters.”

At first, the attendant focused on the six hunters. Then he stopped. His gaze drifted back to the helicopter hatch. Something was wrong, he thought. A strong presence... it felt familiar. His mind scrambled to remember. Who or what had stood before him, hidden in the darkness of that open hatch? Then it clicked. The attendant froze, his lungs almost collapsed, then he sprinted toward the hatch. The six hunters looked at him with a look of worry, as had made a grave mistake, one that could cost him his future as a Demon Hunter. What mistake, you ask? He had failed to recognise the presence of an S-rank Hunter. Lieutenant James.

“Damn it, it’s getting dark. I think I'll head inside.” The voice came from the hatch as a figure emerged slowly.

Black suit, crimson cloak, two rings. One of the UK’s ten S-rank hunters. The attendant rushed toward him, stopping just outside the hatch door. He raised his hands in a salute, posture perfectly straight.

“Lt. James, sir! We’re glad to have you back, sir!” Despite the stiffness in his voice, those around him could feel the unease growing deep within.

Lt. James paused for a moment. His crimson eyes locked onto the smallest frame in front of him. The attendant, feeling that heavy gaze, began to tremble. The honour of meeting an S-rank Hunter was rare. Yet one now stood before him. All he needed to do was put on a brave face. A face that proved to the world just how disciplined he was. But in this world, nothing came free. Not even recognition. It was in this moment that the attendant began to grasp just how terrible the situation was. The sheer presence of an S-rank was enough to take out an entire platoon of Void Walkers. He had known this, yet for some reason, this one was too much to handle. Even though he had done nothing... but stand there.

Lt. James walked down from the hatch, his gaze still fixed on the smallest figure in view. He drew closer and closer, then stopped. A subtle smile appeared on his face.

“I like this one. I can see the flames within your heart, bright as the sun.” His words were quiet yet fierce, words of acknowledgement.

The attendant looked up at the towering figure before him. The weight that had been squeezing his mind suddenly faded, replaced by a warm, summer-like breeze.

Lieutenant James continued his stride toward the exit, his face lit with pure light as a wide smile appeared. “Be brave, soldier! Always!”

As night fell, the guild lights flickered across the landing zone, marking another day’s victory. But far from the outpost, in a quieter corner of Lindell, celebration took a different form.

Several people crowded around a bar in Lindell. A tall, broad-shouldered man raised his pint and exclaimed, "A toast to our newest recruit!"

The entire pub roared back, glasses clinking. "Cheers!"

In the middle of it all stood a young man in his early twenties, a bright smile on his face. He had just passed the Guild Members’ Trial, an incredibly challenging test of pure courage and willpower. Across the same room was another man, slightly older and taller. He wore glasses, a dark green shirt, and loose trousers. He stood ready to leave the bar. Then he stopped. A large hand appeared behind him, resting on his shoulder.

“Hey man, how long’s it been?” said a voice. It belonged to an A-rank Hunter.

The man in dark green turned toward the figure behind him, a subtle look of annoyance washing over his face. The A-rank continued:

“I see you're making a name for yourself as a scout, huh? Well, my squad needs some info on a certain Void signal from somewhere very, very far.”

The man in dark green tried to turn away and walk off, but it was no use. The A-rank tightened his grip with a force capable of smashing stone. Pain shot through every fibre of the man’s body. He froze, then slowly turned back to face the figure behind him.

“You owe me, mate. And you will pay your debts.”

Without another word, the A-rank released him, leaving him to reconsider his options in silence. He stood there, trembling from the pain. He was no soldier, no Hunter, no D.S.O. agent. Just a human with zero Void energy. An ant in a world of giants. He had little choice but to fight. His mission was simple. The journey was not. He sighed. Right. Across the world I go, I suppose.

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CHARACTER PROFILES: LT. JAMES SOLMERE

Affiliation: Lindell’s Crimson Guild Rank: S Height: 186 cm

James is a user of Flame Arts, capable of moulding entire battlefields with heat. He is known for his motivational speeches.