Deep Sea Embers

For the Annihilation Priest, the scenario should have played out quite differently. He had meticulously planned his ambush, discovering the unexpected visitor early and using his arsenal of spells to shroud his existence. His unique demonic form allowed him to temporarily suppress his life signs, making him practically undetectable. Yet, against all odds, his impeccable camouflage had been uncovered by the prey.

Now, the hunter had become the hunted, and the prey had transformed into a predator more formidable than he had ever anticipated.

Vanna’s blade descended like a meteor, leaving the Annihilation Priest with no time for a counterattack. In a desperate bid to survive, he unleashed a chilling, eerie shriek that was imbued with a powerful curse. Layer upon layer of black bone plates and rock-like shields sprung into existence, forming a formidable barrier between him and the impending onslaught. Moreover, a towering demon, constructed of jagged bone fragments, materialized under the command of a pact, standing like a guardian in front of its master. The monstrous figure opened its maw, preparing to release a corrosive breath attack.

As the dust settled, the skeletal demon’s true form fully emerged from the shadows. It was a gargantuan hound, a horrific shadowy beast that towered over any normal dog.

Unfazed by the formidable obstacles before her, Vanna showed no intention of halting her advance.

“Boom!”

The deafening explosion echoed through the silent night, accompanied by a chorus of high-pitched, grating sounds.

With a single, decisive chop, Vanna’s icy blade shattered the energy barrier conjured by the Annihilation Priest, crumbled the rock shields, nullified the acid breath of the dark hound, and even cleaved half of the demon’s skull, sending shards of bone flying in all directions.

The impact’s shockwave raced through the alley like a tempest, scouring away dust and smoke. The decapitated hound howled in agony as it was thrown backward, dragging along the Annihilation Priest who was bound by the symbiotic chain. The pair tumbled over the rough terrain before finally coming to a stop, struggling to regain their footing.

The warped form of the cult priest shuddered violently, the blowback from his demon’s injury rendering him disoriented. Under the dim light, it was difficult to distinguish between the hound and the once-human priest, their forms so horribly twisted and merged.

Despite having half its head cleaved away, the dark hound managed to rise, its life force surprisingly resilient. It growled defiantly in Vanna’s direction as it continued to shed damaged bone fragments.

Vanna, her expression as calm as ever, casually discarded the shattered remnants of the icy blade, its purpose served.

The Annihilation Priest across the alley was making a tremendous effort to lift his head, struggling to regain consciousness. Strained demonic whispers slipped from his lips, setting the stage for the enactment of his curse.

Vanna raised her hand, catching the solid mass of decaying bones and rocks hurled at her. She disregarded the wisps of smoke curling up from her palm and continued her relentless march. With her free hand, she seized the half-headed dark hound and stuffed the cursed mass into its gaping neck wound.

The demonic hound fought back instinctively but was helpless against Vanna’s superhuman strength. In its struggle, the hound tore off the remaining half of its own head while the cursed missile, empowered by its own life force, was forcefully shoved into its stomach. The bone plates inside the demon began to fracture, filling its innards with sparks of brilliant light.

Vanna swiftly lifted her foot, kicking the primed-to-explode demon away, and casually grabbed the nearby Annihilation Priest, using him as a shield.

With a resounding explosion, the kicked hound detonated mid-flight, and the fragments of bones rained down like lethal shrapnel, riddling the body of the priest held aloft by Vanna.

But the priest was not dead yet, writhing in agony, his pain making him curl up into a pitiful ball.

The entire encounter had been brief and intense.

“Your symbiotic demon is dead. According to your body’s mutation level, you have approximately six minutes to live,” Vanna said, tossing the cult priest to the ground and stepping on what seemed to be his head. “I know that your kind would rather die than talk, but I’m willing to give it a shot – you have three minutes to say your last words, and based on what you say, I’ll decide how you die in the remaining three minutes.”

Near the entrance of the alley, Alice had been observing the entire encounter, completely bewildered by the rapid sequence of events. She had watched as Vanna effortlessly dispatched an enemy, obliterated a grotesque creature that bore some resemblance to Dog, and reduced the initial attacker to a state of near death.

While she didn’t understand what exactly had happened, one thing was clear: Vanna was incredibly powerful.

This realization filled the puppet girl with excitement, and she began to clap her hands enthusiastically. “Miss Vanna, you’re amazing!” she cheered.

However, in her moment of distraction, she seemed to have forgotten about the few “threads” that were still floating under the streetlight across the alley.

The air near the entrance of the alley warped subtly, signaling the entrance of the second attacker that’s been lurking in the shadows.

The showdown between Vanna and the Annihilation Priest had transpired too rapidly, and the ensuing chaos in the alley had greatly surpassed the hidden attacker’s expectations. As the second cultist finally revealed himself, he found himself stopped short at the sight of Vanna standing over the fallen Annihilation Priest.

The cultist hesitated, glancing between the brutal scene inside the alley and the blonde woman beside him.

Then, without a second thought, the muscular man turned on his heel and sprinted away.

But after just a few steps, he heard a voice from behind: “Hey! Wait up!”

Suddenly, he felt a forceful tug on his body as if he had been ensnared. He came to a halt, unable to resist the intense pulling sensation that seemed to originate from his very joints.

Terrified, the cultist turned around to see black smoke swirling around him. His demon, tethered to him, attempted to struggle and counterattack, but it was held back by an unseen force lurking in the shadows. He looked further and found the long-haired blonde woman in a dress, her hand stretched out, seemingly gripping something invisible.

“Don’t go yet,” Alice said, holding onto the “string” and gazing at the fleeing cultist, trying to make her expression more menacing. “The captain said people like you are bad and shouldn’t be let go. You’ll harm others.”

Not too far away, a third Annihilator who had just sprinted out of the alley hung suspended in mid-air, his body contorted into an odd and ridiculous pose, his head twisted at an unnatural angle. Fear filled his eyes as he glanced at the blonde woman. Summoning all his will to survive, he had barely managed to break free from the pulling sensation. He exerted all his remaining strength into a flick of his wrist – a prepared rune scroll slipped out from his sleeve.

“Choose life… and devour…” He mumbled the words with difficulty, his voice interspersed with demonic whispers.

The pre-stored spell was triggered, and the rune scroll ignited mid-air before it could touch the ground. The spell had activated, and its target included every living being within its radius.

Yet, nothing happened despite the scroll disintegrating into flames.

The cultist’s eyes widened in horror and disbelief as he witnessed the scene.

Not far away, Alice looked just as surprised.

She didn’t breathe. She didn’t have a heartbeat.

And she had no idea what had just happened.

But she quickly figured out that the cultist had tried to kill her.

Fear gripped the lady, so she tugged forcefully on the “string” in her hand. “The captain said that when I’m outside, I have to protect myself.”

The cultist’s body froze. The slight freedom he had managed to wrest was completely stripped away then. He could no longer move his wrists or lips. A peculiar numbness began to spread, his body rapidly stiffening and turning cold, transforming into… something that was not flesh and blood.

Before he knew it, the world around him turned dark.

But the next second, something emerged from the darkness.

A hollow, deep voice that seemed to emanate directly from his chest echoed in his ears: “Ah, a new attendant has arrived.”