Unbeknownst to everyone, surrounding the vicinity of the museum that'd just opened that very day, the innocent families of hybrids, of evolutionaries, they all perished in a 500-meter radius surrounding the monument. The exact death count would never be located fully, but the estimated amount would faithfully turn out to be around something of maybe 500 people, and that's just accounting for the people that lived in apartment complexes surrounding the location. It didn't account for the splatters of blood engraved onto sidewalks or the empty carriages with nothing but an oozy puddle replacing the driver.
In the end, as Jotun's foot connected with Kim's chest, it sent her flying down the road, red Ketsueki katana soaring out her grip to tumble to the right of her onto the sidewalk. Gripping her chest with her left hand, breathing ragged, searching for breath as she rapidly inhaled; then following an exhale quickly, she helplessly watched. A victim to the way he casually strutted right on over to the Ketsueki blade, lifting right off the ground, and holding it within his hand.
Yet, there was something about this artifact, it held neither the dark potential of the Key nor the limitless power of Eternal Sight. Jotun smirked at the noticeable weight of the object: near nothingness. To which Kima couldn't help but mischievously look the same way with her father's wide-toothed sinister grin peeling over her pink lips.
"If you think you can use the abilities of that to your advantage, you're nothing but a stupid piece of shit. That power is nothing compared to your useless demonic… allow me to show you - what true power is."
The way she stood up so casually, so tall, as if she hadn't taken that blow to the ribs; Jotun couldn't help but curiously stare at her. Eyes darting between her and the blade he'd gripped, he took a step back instinctively. Not at the way she was so nonchalantly standing with nothing but the coin on her side, but at that aura that leaked off every node on her body. That which poured out infinitely was nothing more than the unbridled darkness within the human heart made incarnate, tendrils of purple light extending from that black bubble surrounding her exterior.
This- was this the true potential all humans held within the deepest reaches of their souls? The capacity for bottomless destruction and utter obliteration? For some reason, the way she stood there, with her fingers clasped to make a sign suddenly, and the way she smirked: he couldn't help but shiver to the touch. With cold skin drenched in the precipitation of the Earth's clouds, he stepped back with one hand behind him, reaching his left one out wielding the butt of the Ketsueki.
"You know nothing, little ant. Insignificant displays of power such as your speed mean nothing in the face of a true Hunter. That of which, the likes of you and your pathetic troupe could never replicate. For this is the ultimate evil- made incarnate. Benevolence of Darkness!"
The target of this attack was none other than the scarlet blade her enemy-held, abruptly, it began to crackle. This time, the bolts were nothing like a simple display, but that of immense heat that burnt his palm; thus creating a mark in his hand. Shaking his fingers from side to side as an instinctual reaction, unfortunately, he let go of the blade, witnessing to watch it hit the ground as the sharpness clinked against the concrete road.
Just then, a smokescreen prohibited his vision, and even as he jumped back, he couldn't make out what was occurring. Gritting his teeth with sweat dripping down his face's side, Jotun felt his soles slide against the patterned platform he fought above. For within the half-second it took the eye to blink, he'd vanished where he formerly stood, and instead, like an ice skater amongst a circle, he spun around to reach the inside the smoke bubble.
But just as the hole in the aerosol was made in the form of his figure, once reaching the center of the gas, he caught the first glance at what lay there. The epitome of darkness; nothing more than an empty husk carved out from the remaining energies combined into it, there he stood with minuscule pieces of flesh reattaching to it. Manifesting something not all new, but a reminder of the past and the destruction it entailed with the beings that inhabited it. Summoned by the kin of a temporary protege from another world, as his hunched back snapped into place, and he began to rise tall, it was clear. Even this speed, controlling the way he moved- it was useless in the face of ultimate evil!
Not that of a human's limitless malice or a demon's potential for cruelty being born from the human heart, but a man-eating beast with no regard for anything. One would call that a demon itself, but there was something more to it, something unimaginable that even Kima hadn't predicted. And that- was her ability to control this beast. As known, Kima could summon beasts from a monstrous dimension named the shadow world, where the monsters were carved out the shadows of black and hardened by the world after being brought into it.
But this was something entirely different, she had complete control over the beasts she made because none of them could ever rival the strength of their master. Not even a wolf or a dragon, considering she could summon them or make them vanish at will. But… that indescribable bloodlust, the unimaginable power that leaked off the creature she'd brought into this world, an impossibility that should never occur, it was beyond her strength, needless to say. For when the smoke cleared, even when recognizing the face of the creature, that was all she saw. A wolf in sleep's clothing operating automatically with the intent to kill, and right now, as the arms of the creature raised to the air; there was the satiating noise of joints cracking.
A puppet of carnage incarnate solely with the intent to kill, there he was, obliterating any's spirits with just the right look: Jason Rivera, the Hunter of Justice and Blood. Skin grey like a decomposed corpse, pupils red, eyeballs black, all the while a black turtleneck carefully stood under a trench coat of the same shade. All the while a blackened beard of hairs surrounding his lips, not to mention a messy top of locks spread over his head's top.
He needn't say any words to inspire that fear within them, for the next thing that happened was the mutilation of the enemy. Raising his hands to instinctually attack at the incoming opponent, Jotun screamed with a battle cry to the heavens before that changed to an agonizing plea.
As easy as cutting through paper with scissors, the wrist dislocated from the arm as the hand splashed into the puddles of rain right below. The husk couldn't help walk right past the powerless Card, disappearing into the fog and vanishing forevermore to be engulfed solely by that limited smoke. Kima bore witness to it, as she was helpless to do nothing more but watch, a victim to a crime hidden behind a corner cowering in fear with goosebumps over their skin. In the end, there was but one thing left before this encounter climaxed, and that was the way Jotun's head came tumbling right off his shoulders.
Eyes widening at the same time she gasped,
'What the… I only saw him… cut off the hand.'
And just like that, she fell to her back, with a bloody corpse to her front missing his head, and the rain dripping onto her face. Just as she was enjoying the loneliness of this day, she was unaware of the toll taken, the innocents slaughtered 'accidentally' without remorse for their lives. Was she an accomplice for dating the culprit or an ignorant bystander? Whatever the case may be, there was one irrefutable fact, and that was the husk. The Blood Hunter was acting automatically, for she only gave him the commands to kill only Jotun. It seemed his 'programming' had malfunctioned, however, and that he was heading to the strongest.
Yes… she could feel it within her bones- that Jason, the Seeker of Blood, was hunched through the rain walking with the sole intent to challenge his very grand nephew to a spat together. Powerless to stop it, she only prayed for his health, admiring the shape of the grey clouds with only her vision shielded every so often by a stray droplet entering her eyeball. And to her knowledge, she was alone.
But overlooking her tired body drenched in the rain, there he stood on top of the Hawk's Nest, both hands shoved into the pockets of his trench coat as he stared at her. Tilting his head just barely it the right, the expression he held over his features wasn't even one of curiosity or pity. There was nothing, not even an ounce of care visible. In the end, the Cards were expendable, there was only one thing that truly mattered, and luckily for him, it was being allocated at the moment. Then again, with the demise of these two, it meant that the Ginger would likely kill Hunter and Miriam. At the very least, one of those demises had to be prevented, even if for a moment.
"When that girl goes unconscious, I want you to absorb Jotun's soul and powers. Thank you very much," Chrollo turned away at the end of the command, to which the young girl couldn't help but turn with him, lips painted with that sinister grin,
"Hehe, and what'll you be doing, Master?" Asked the replacement member, to which- the oddest irregularity occurred thereafter. He smiled, and his black pupils enveloped the entirety of his eyeball rendering it wholly dark,
"Inform the Founder that everything is going as planned, please. From now on, leave everything to me."
Back at the museum stabbed into the city's center, Ace felt the heads slip out of his grip
followed by a strengthened wind gust. Turning his head, gifted with curious visibility, Hunter and Miriam covered their faces. It was only momentary, but eventually, that which hid their vision though temporary soon unveiled to reveal the truth of the event. The way those red eyes shined through, that sword in his grip, and the chimeras of lightning discharging out his pores. For some reason, just those specifics sent a wave of nostalgia through the young ginger, as if he'd this before… but where?
It became truly clear when the eyes of Divergence gifted through Eternal Sight tore away the specks of dust clouding his sight. That this being before him wasn't just some random creature conveniently gifted the aspects of a familiar person. It was the Hunter of Blood himself, his grand-uncle, Jason Rivera, wielding the Ketsueki in his left hand. Even not turning to face his nephew, Ace could recognize that messy hair anywhere, the only question remaining was… how?
'What the hell's happenin'? How is this even possible? A Requiem being from the Old World- doesn't that violate the New Allfather's rules before he died? That is just the use of a Requiem technique; using that forbidden energy means… death! Then again, I don't have time to consider the possibilities of why or how he's here, I just need to know if he's on my side.'
That inaudible question would swiftly be answered, not by an audible reply, but by action as Jason's boots slid across the platform below to get into a stance. Shifting himself into a ready stance, hands clasped around the hilt and wielding the sword in a block. However, the one he faced was not that of his nephew as hoped for by the Ginger, instead, those who'd lay bare to the brutality of the Blood Hunter was none other than the Cards of the Jester's Deck.
Miriam and Hunter, those who manipulated the Space between matter and the Darkness without humanity; would face against Ace Wilder, but not only him. He, the brother of the Requiem Emperor from the Old World, was a vampire who feasted on his victims and showed no mercy to ensure justice was served. A new challenger has entered the fray. And by every meaning of the word, he was the true superior, and mercilessly, he would destroy… everything.
To Be Continued.