Requiem Of A Failed Hero

Tension stayed suspended in the air between the two of them. Nothing had happened yet, they were just staring at each other but it seemed like the two had already engaged in a destructive battle.

A bead of sweat slipped down from Bastien's temple, his lips trembled as it curved up.

'This guy is bad news...'

Mok Jae-Hwa observing from the behind Bastien could not understand, he stared with no idea of what was happening right now. But with the delighted grin Balam had on his face, he could guess that something was happening perhaps he was just nit strong enough to see it, so he asked:

"Hey Balam... I know I'm pretty weak so you tell me? What is going on between those two."

Balam's grin faded for a second as he shifted his gaze to Mok Jae-Hwa was a shocked expression. He had not expected Mok Jae-Hwa to present himself like that.

"Hm, the reality is just beginning to dawn on you huh. Well, you see. Both of them have been in an engaging battle since the a minute ago."

Mok Jae-Hwa raised a brow.

"What do you mean? We are all standing here, I didn't see them move."

"It is called the battle of wits. Both of them are fighting each other with premonitions based on their judgment of each other. The ferocity of what they are currently conceiving in their mind is so strong that it is beginning to permeate into the surrounding and affect the air through the little energy seeping out of them."

"Wow....this is..."

Mok Jae-Hwa was short of words. He just left his mouth hanging in the air as he stood behind and watched the two of them stand across each other.

The tension in the air grew thicker, Mok Jae-Hwa could literally feel his excitement like an ant crawl on his skin despite not seeing them engaging in any sort of battle.

But he understood that his body recognized it. Just as Balam had said this was because of the energy that escaped their body. For a little amount of energy to carry such a heavy weight of pressure—it made Mok Jae-Hwa wonder what was going to happen should they really start fighting.

And then—

Wham!

The two of them disappeared from sight, creating an instantaneous, humongous, spider-cracked dent on the floor due to the fall of the heavy pressure they released simultaneously as they engaged each other.

It all happened in a second so Mok Jae-Hwa was surprised. He walked forward take a look at the cracked floor...

"Holy shit, this will cost a lot to repair."

His face was filled with dreary. Balam dashed at him, grab the collar of his clothes and flew out of the airport.

The two were now suspended in midair. Their eyes stayed locked unto each other for a couple of seconds and suddenly—

Thwack!

Both of them hurtled towards each other like a pair of titans on a collision course, it was as if gravity itself held its breath in order for them to meet in a seismic crash.

Raith unleashed a barrage of punches that seemed to crack the very air around him, despite his slim frame his fist carried an heavy presence as they tore through the air. They were like sledgehammers, each strike sent shockwaves rippling through the air.

Bastien however did not have a hard time—he met Raith's clash with equal speed and power which exerted mode stress on the air. It was like the onslaught of the both of them was threatening to destroy the peace of space itself. They continued, their hands turning to a blur as they battered each other, not a punch could escape, they were tightly locked in a battle of punches until both of them at the same time retreated and landed on the ground.

Immediately, the hurled towards each other and met again causing a cataclysmic clash that shattered the ground where they collided.

Both of them were exuding raw power without holding back on each other. In the moment when Raith flew out, he had also distributed the rest of his stats because after the battle of wits where he tried all premonition of the route have attacks he could have used successfully— which he found none. He discovered that his opponent was strong and he wanted to have the upper hand on this one.

Moreso, he couldn't afford to die and resurrect. No one except Balam, knows about his power of death.

Sparks flew as the both of them continued to batter each other with punches—their feet locked into each other's space, they tightly seized every space, and chance to destroy each other's face but none of their punches could meet their faces. All was being stopped by another punch.

With a loud fearsome tear of the air as both of them pulled a punch with far more power than they've been using, they were both thrown backward, rolling over the floor and skillfully manipulating to their feet before they could land on their back.

Raith's eyes narrowed to slit. His red eyes began to exude a malevolent crimson aura.

"Are you finally deciding to take this seriously?"

For Bastien he knew. He might have underestimated Raith from their first meeting, but he wasn't to be blamed. It was because of the way Raith presented himself, and the aura of his presence was completely hidden. Even with his sharp senses, he couldn't tell how strong Raith was by just looking.

But the moment they began the battle of wits and Raith's energy began to seep out slowly, the tension both their energies created in the air–this hinted him that his opponent was not going to be a cheap cake.

Still for some reason, he wanted to see for himself. He was the type that hated going into needless battle since he believed himself to be the weakest awakening but he still wanted to see what this guy is capable of. Raith just created this unexplainable interest in him.

"I don't understand. No one can ever fight with me on equal ground like this. Not even Turner or any of those catastrophe ranked hunters. It makes no sense that you are grouped under catastrophe. You should be the appearance of a fifth unranked hunter."

Raith did not respond to him, his eyes just stayed narrowed with a frown. He glared at his opponent with annoyance permeating from his eyes.

"Do you want me to leave that badly?"

Bastien said as he came closer to Raith. They now stood less than ten meters across each other.

Raith did not respond to his question but he took it for a yes and asked again.

"Why? Is it because my presence is threatening. Why would you have a sudden hatred for someone you have never met."

Raith's frown got tighter. He began to take slow steps till he arrived in front of Bastien. Since the red beast was a bit taller than he was, he lifted his head up slightly as he spoke to his face.

"I don't like what I feel from you. I don't know what you have done. Who you are but your presence is very disgusting."

"Ohh?"

Bastien frowned.

"I won't take that insult from you."

"Get out."

Raith said to him, his brows still knitted together.

Silence ensued between the two of them for a couple of seconds. Then Bastien let out a loud tired groan, scratching the back of his head.

"This is really annoying. Can you really see it?"

Raith's face was full of scowl as Bastien relaxed his posture, talking.

"No one has ever been able to sense your presence you know. Not even that sleeping retard."

Slowly, the air beside Bastien began to ripple and somehow came together to form a vaporizing figure of a large mosquito head.

"I am quite shocked. Not even that demon could sense me. Somehow you managed to... this one is an extraordinary one."

"I don't care. I don't want you to be here... that is all."

"Calm down human. I am Beelzebub...and I need your help. Besides I don't understand why you find me irritating when you harbor a demon yourself."

Just then Balam landed beside Raith. He frowned immediately he saw the mosquito head formed by rippled air.

"Master. It is a strong demon."

"To be addressed as master by a greater demon. I find that to be very intriguing. I won't pry any further into your matter but I need your help."

Raith cocked his head.

"Why should I help you?"

Raith had no hostility towards demons. If anything he was getting fond of them, Balam was a demon, Volmak was a demon, Absalom is a half demon. But this one on particular just made him angry, as if it was etched I'm his bones to hate this demon.

"Because I have something to offer. Something that would interest you. You are a ruler aren't you?"

Raith's frown relaxed a bit.

"And so?"

"Judging by how your visage as a ruler is not evident, you are probably still an incomplete ruler."

"Incomplete?"

"Yes. You have not fully assimilated. After full assimilation, you will reach the requirements and the ruler seed will be etched on your soul. That is when you begin your path as a ruler. I can help you assimilate quick and in fact add some specialty to your ruler seed... all in exchange for something little."

It was an intriguing offer. Up until now, Raith's assimilation has been 10%, and the only way it has been moving is by quests. The abyss was not saying anything. This was an opportunity he didn't want to pass up, not when he has been yearning for growth before he heads for Felfhiem.

"Something little? It better be something little."

"Well, all I need is a material body."