Hunt In Reverse

The flickering firelight illuminated the cliff face, revealing a sight that made Chandra's blood run cold.

His eyes widened in disbelief, then narrowed with suspicion as he registered the cultivation levels of those gathered there.

Under the watchful gaze of the assembled agents, the frail old man with cascading silver hair stepped forward. His withered face remained an impassive mask, betraying no emotion. With a simple, deliberate motion, he leaped from the precipice, his rolled-up trousers revealing thin, bamboo-like calves in simple cloth shoes. He landed gracefully on the ground below, his posture unwavering.

"Form the formation!" Chandra roared, drawing his saber.

Even without Kenya's command, the Containment Division agents sprang into action, their movements practiced and precise. Black chains, thick as pythons, shot from their sleeves, their chilling aura filling the air.

The Purge Division agents took their stances, their diverse skills on display. The elderly Wave Realm agent brandished a pair of gleaming crescent moon daggers, his eyes fixed on the approaching threat.

Despite facing such a formidable formation, the Angry Sword Elder's composed demeanor unsettled Chandra. The odds were stacked against the Elder, yet his calmness stirred a knot of apprehension in Chandra's gut.

Suddenly, a heavy object plummeted from the night sky, landing with a sickening thud. Its grotesque form stunned the onlookers.

Kenya Washington lay broken and lifeless, his neck twisted backwards, his limbs contorted, his face frozen in a mask of shock and disbelief. Splintered bone protruded from his mangled flesh.

A figure cloaked in blue and white robes emerged from the shadows. A reptilian head, covered in scales, protruded from the round collar, its vertical pupils gleaming menacingly. An elongated maw opened slightly, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.

"A Pacific Leviasaur," Chandra breathed, recognizing the mutant offspring of the most celebrated creation of Sanguine Institute, from ancient remnant of Leviathan DNA. The rumors were true; the famed Crown Mountain swordsman was a vampire in disguise.

The stench of blood and evil wafted from the creature, its potent aura sending shivers down their spines.

"H.A.R.M. accuses me of colluding with vampires," the Angry Sword Elder continued, his voice raspy, his steps measured. With each stride, the anger in his eyes faded, replaced by a chilling resolve. His five-foot steel sword scraped against the ground, sending sparks flying.

"Perhaps," he grated, "it would be best if I had."

The agents' faces were ashen, their formation maintained not by courage but by a grim acceptance of their fate.

To eliminate Colonel Washington so swiftly, the newcomer must be a vampire at the peak of the Wave Realm, perhaps even stronger than the Angry Sword Elder.

"Why do this?" Chandra pleaded, his voice heavy with resignation. "We are simply following orders, preventing vampires from escaping. If you remain on the mountain..." He sighed, his voice flat. "But you've chosen to collude with vampires. Crown Mountain is doomed."

A single H.A.R.M. General could crush Crown Mountain. Each of the twelve cities of Cascadia had one such powerhouse stationed within. If another were summoned, the school's annihilation would be a foregone conclusion.

"I've spent my life slaying vampires," the Angry Sword Elder declared, his voice resonating with a bitter conviction. "Though driven by fame and fortune, by the desire to trade their beast cores for precious elixirs, I can at least claim a clear conscience. Yet, to be accused of colluding with them... how ironic!"

He gripped his sword, knuckles white with tension. "This blade, my faithful companion for three centuries, yet its purpose controlled by others."

He advanced, his aura surging, his eyes blazing with a fiery intensity. "The Headmaster is blinded by fear, leading us all to ruin. Today, with my aged body, I will trade my life for yours, esteemed officers, and carve a path of survival for the innocent disciples of Crown Mountain."

The anger in his eyes, though flickering like a candle in the wind, burned with a terrifying intensity.

Yet, it lacked the final spark, the transcendent power needed to bring him to the peak of Wave Realm.

With a complex expression, he raised his sword, pointing it at me. "You spared my beloved disciple," he said, his voice heavy with regret, "but I cannot extend the same mercy. Forgive me, Captain, and lend me your head."

I raised an eyebrow. "Can I... decline?" Borrowing money would be one thing, but to take my head right off the bat?

By now, I had more or less figured out the situation.

H.A.R.M. wasn't wrong; there were indeed vampires on the mountain. But H.A.R.M. hadn't intended to attack. Otherwise, they wouldn't have simply stationed agents at the base.

The Crown Mountain disciples weren't entirely wrong either. They didn't want to be dragged into a conflict with H.A.R.M., but they had no say in the matter. It seemed their power was even being restricted.

We were all caught in a web of circumstance, each struggling for survival and a semblance of control.

My fingers tightened around the hilt of my sword.

"Time is short," the Angry Sword Elder said, his voice grave. "If I can't take your head, I'll leave you to him. Of course, you could attempt to flee. You might even succeed." He frankly acknowledged my strength, but his aged body, even pushed to its limits with secret techniques, was no match for someone at the peak of the Wave Realm, brimming with celestial essence.

But by the same token, I was no match for the thousand-year-old Leviasaur.

Chandra, overhearing this, looked at me with surprise. He had assumed we were all resigned to death, seeking only a valiant end. He hadn't expected me to possess such strength, acknowledged even by this seasoned swordsman.

In just these few brief exchanges...

The Leviasaur had already walked over, its protruding eyes flickering with an unsettling mix of human emotions. "He's merely jesting," it said, its voice deceptively gentle. "Don't take him seriously. There's no escape."

It extended a clawed hand, delicately touching its nostril. Its voice took on a fervent, almost embarrassed tone. "You carry the scent of my master's bloodline," it confessed. "I've tried to resist... but the craving... I can't wait to chew you up."

Viscous, transparent saliva dripped from its elongated maw.

"Just like this..." the Leviasaur hissed, its head trembling as it gnashed its teeth. Its eyes burned with a predatory hunger, as if I were the most delectable feast imaginable.

It couldn't wait to crush me in its embrace, savoring every bite, swallowing every morsel, turning me into a part of its own body.

What a delightful surprise!

The Leviasaur had ventured from its Pacific dwelling upon hearing that its Sixth Uncle was trapped by H.A.R.M. Its master, concerned, had dispatched it to gather information.

Sixth Uncle hadn't returned to their ocean cave in centuries. The Leviasaur hadn't expected to rescue him, merely to observe. But then, it stumbled upon this unexpected feast, this human radiating a tantalizing aroma.

It steadied its trembling body, its gaze fixated on me. Such a delectable meal! If only it could be seasoned with the fear of impending death...

"I yearn to devour you," it hissed, its voice thick with longing.

The H.A.R.M. agents, witnessing the Leviasaur's monstrous form and predatory hunger, were paralyzed with fear.

But I calmly drew my sword, my eyes, hidden beneath my messy hair, mirroring the Leviasaur's fervor. My hunger, however, was tempered with control.

I raised my head, a subtle smile playing on my lips. "What a coincidence," I murmured.

The Leviasaur, momentarily stunned by my chilling gaze, fell silent.

The predatory heat in its eyes evaporated, replaced by a wave of shock, then boundless rage. It was as if the livestock on its plate had suddenly come to life, baring its fangs and eyeing it with a hunger even more profound than its own.

He wants to devour me?