Long ago, 13 supreme swordsmen found a path to an eternal life.
Each one became able to live on for centuries, worrying not for the perils of age.
They had obtained this form of immortality in hopes of lingering long enough to see the world free of all monsters.
Sadly, their plan of fully eradicating entire species of monsters was only successful with Yaksha kind. And even then, it was not full proof, since there was a survivor. Perhaps killing of nearly all of Yaksha was not the wisest of choices.
When they thought they had fully exterminated his kind, he showed up out of nowhere, seeking vengeance.
In one night, that monster changed everything.
Every night since then, Ming Hua kept relieving the same nightmare.
Yaksha were not weak monsters, but their regenerative ability paled in comparison to that of a demon, and because of their over-reliance upon only their physical strength, they were easier to kill off.
Unlike demons, whose regenerations were absolute unless their head was cut off, Yaksha possessed weaker regenerative power, but have the capacity to perform the 'Yaksha Head Trick' (regrowing entire head) several times, as long as they have enough power stored within their body.
Yaksha could also trade their regenerative ability for a substantial boost in power, but hardly anyone took time to learn martial arts.
Due to their refusal to adapt, Yaksha were led to extinction at the hands of human hunters.
Monsters, in general, always had their inborn strength. Humanity always had to compensate for their lack of natural power by creating various styles of fighting and martial arts.
Learning swordsmanship allowed humans to be on par with or even exceed the power of a monster. In a way, monsters relying only on their physical strength or special abilities made humanity have a distinct advantage.
Ming Hua would never have imagined a monster that actually took its time to master the sword or learn martial arts, just like a human.
Yet, here he was, cutting down every Immortal and Demon Hunter that got in his way.
Even specially made swords, Demonsbane blades were of no use against his superior swordsmanship.
No matter how many attacks he received, he did not stop. Even with all his flesh burned off, right arm cut off, and one side of his face completely destroyed, he kept going.
The nightmarish image of his charred corpse coming after her again and again, relentlessly pursuing her….he was like the death embodied.
In Ming Hua's eyes, the last Yaksha was an ultimate monster. He was a villain unlike any other.
As much as she feared him, she couldn't help but respect his level of power.
In her organization, the Order of Hunters, the only way to receive the title of Dragon was to be judged worthy by Ming Hua or kill the Yaksha. Obviously, only the first one was ever accomplished and the latter was never achieved.
For Ming Hua, Yaksha represented a monster that managed to cause so much damage and get away scot free. As a villain, he was as scary as it gets.
With demons, during the daytime, at least you don't have to worry about them. But the Yaksha did not share their vulnerability to sunlight.
Sunlight, holy magic, or even silver had no effect on Yaksha. On top of all those immunities, he was a master swordsman.
Even after two centuries of inactivity, just the idea of him reappearing again was too terrifying to describe.
At the death's door, he still had enough power left to kill six of the seven remaining immortals, before being forced to retreat.
Ming Hua tried to stop him.
She remembered his blood red eyes, his killing intent radiating off of everything around him. As an Immortal Swordswoman, she should have been brave, but all she felt in her heart was fear. Taking advantage of her fear Yaksha managed to escape, but not before delivering a wound that would remain on her flesh forever.
Even after so many years, the scar on her chest did not fade away.
After yet another nightmare, Ming Hua woke up, with a hand upon her unfading scar.
Ming Hua: 'That damn Yaksha….he is second to none in his craft, and his craft is killing'
An immortal monster who is also a master swordsman. It sounded like a sick joke.
Ming Hua: 'Ever since that day, countless foes challenged you, hundreds if not thousands. The number of those that survived can be counted on one hand'
What was even scarier was the fact that the other Legendary Monsters all had their own armies, but Yaksha was that much of a threat all on his own.
Ming Hua: "If we had known there would be that kind of a repercussion…"
Perhaps they would not have decided to exterminate all of the Yaksha.
In a way, Yaksha as a species were like the sharks or the predators for monsters in general. One of the reasons many monster types became prominent and widespread was because there were no Yaksha left to regulate their population.
Ming Hua: "He is far more competent and powerful than all the Demon Generals combined…he is as much of a threat as a Progenitor, if not worse"
Unknown to Ming Hua, the Yaksha she feared so much was actually a defective one. Out of all the members of his race, in terms of pure power, he was actually one of the weakest. But he, unlike many others, learned and mastered human skills, honed over centuries, making him nigh-impossible to defeat.
If one were to group monsters, most would fall into powerful but unskilled category. But the last Yaksha was the reverse, a very weak monster (unknown to Ming Hua), but ridiculously skilled.
Many Hunters managed to track him down over the years. Each and every time, he would ask them if they had loved ones and if they wanted him to send them their body after the duel.
He was so confident in his skills, and each and every time, Yaksha emerged victorious. In a way, it was Yaksha's way of respecting his opponents, but in Ming Hua's eyes, it was him mocking their resolve.
Ming Hua: "There is no telling what kind of atrocity he could be up to right this minute!"
Surely, a villain of that degree would be up to no good.
Meanwhile….
Nagare was currently screaming inside of a giant toad's mouth.
Shoyo: "Is it warm in there? You know they taste like chicken, right?"
Nagare: "Who cares?! Get me out of this thing!"
Yama: "Nagare, Shoyo, how long are you going to play with dinner?"