[Two days before Aditya's visit to the Academy]
[In Fellero City at 8:45 PM]
"Kid, you've got to scram! This place is a danger zone – a gamma-level demon is on the loose. I'm just a 1st stage Chakra practitioner; I can't handle this solo. Get out!"
A young man, draped in a dark cloak and wielding a wand, urgently warned the child seated on the garden swing. The crest on his cloak belonged to the prestigious Grand Academy of Practitioners, renowned for nurturing heroes and elite practitioners in this realm.
Dispatched on a reconnaissance mission to probe the escalating murders in Fellero City, he trailed a lower-level alpha demon. Abruptly, the gamma-level demon detected the practitioner lurking in the shadows, observing their every move.
His voice quivered with fear, his eyes ablaze with anger and regret. He is Shikan, a second-year student at the academy. Typically, students weren't dispatched on missions alone; a mentor usually accompanied them. However, this time, the mission seemed straightforward – dealing with a human culprit. To his astonishment, the culprit turned out to be a gamma-level demon.
His team members had been ruthlessly slaughtered by the demon, who feasted on them before his very eyes. He had managed to evade capture so far, relying on his shadow arts step technique. But now, standing before him, was the demon, its mouth watering at the prospect of claiming yet another victim - a kid.
"Ha! Worry about your own pathetic existence! You insects are nothing but a nuisance, disturbing our peace. How dare you trespass into our domain! I shall relish in ending your lives, and that child shall serve as a delectable snack, hahaha..."
The demon, adorned with crimson skin and a solitary horn on its head, taunted the practitioner sprawled on the ground, a consequence of a single devastating punch. The demon's malevolent red aura emanated fervently as it reveled in the anticipation of impending slaughter, its sinister gaze fixated on the fallen practitioner.
"Shadow Arts: Crow's Beak"
The young man, his fingers delicately gripping the slender wand, channels his prana into it, a surge of energy flowing from his body. With each pulse, the dark blue hue of his prana courses through his nerves, infusing the wand with its power. With a whispered incantation, a dark rune materializes at the tip of his wand.
**Boom**
As the intricate rune completes, a surge of dark energy coalesces beneath the demon's feet. Shadows dance as a flock of crows materialize, their forms merging into a swirling mass that engulfs the demon. In a blinding explosion, the battlefield erupts in chaos and debris, the aftermath of his potent spell.
"Hahaha! What is this feeble spell? Do you believe it's enough to vanquish me? Do you comprehend the number of students from your academy whom I've killed? They all struggled futilely, much like you. Some attempted chakra techniques, presuming they could wound me. Some whimpered and pleaded for aid. Others even beseeched for my mercy. Pathetic creatures, all of them"
The demon emerged unscathed from the practitioner's chakra technique, which the practitioner deemed his final gambit against the demon. Having already expended most of his prana in escape, he now depleted his entire reservoir on that desperate assault.
He could have fled with the scant prana he retained for such a purpose. Yet, his gaze betrayed worry and concern for the child who remained perched on the swing, unperturbed by the unfolding confrontation. How could this child possess such a guts? Most kids would have fled at the mere sight of that demon.
"Take my life if you must, but spare the innocent child!"
The desperate plea of the young practitioner reverberated through the empty garden, his voice trembling with fear and urgency as he faced the demon whose eyes blazed with malevolence and the promise of death.
As his life hung in the balance, all Shikan could think about was ensuring the safety of the child, even if it meant facing his demise without regret. Picture this: knowing your impending demise while the murderer taunts you with laughter in their eyes. Which scenario would inflict deeper agony - knowing your loved one is safe, or realizing that after your demise, the murderer's next target is your beloved?
Shikan, nurtured in the ways of Chakra practice, hailed from an esteemed family of elite practitioners, proud and revered for their role in saving countless lives. In the final moments, finding solace in his demise, he resolved to draw his last breath in the act of rescuing the child from the clutches of the demon.
"Do you fancy rescuing that child at the expense of your own? Haha... but alas, what options do I have? I shall terminate both of you and indulge in the essence of your chakra roots. I'm quite certain that young one's chakra root will prove to be delectable. Hahaha!"
The demons harbor an insatiable hunger, drawing their strength from consuming humans and siphoning the very essence of their chakra roots. Unlike other creatures, demons wield a terrifying ability to extract chakra, even from those yet to unlock their inner energies.
Within the human body, there exist 7 chakra roots. Chakra practitioners acquire the ability to wield prana by opening these roots, forming a nine-layered prana around the chakra bead and merging it. On the contrary, demons derive power by absorbing chakra roots, converting them directly into prana, and storing it in their blood.
The demon chuckled malevolently, his mouth watering at the prospect of devouring the child. His gaze fixated on the practitioner like an insect, disdainfully dismissing the emotions the practitioner harbored. He relished the role of a predator toying with its prey, reveling in the sight of the injured practitioner.
"Hey! Why are you laughing so hard? What's so funny? Please tell me."
The kid, previously swinging, now stood next to the demon, his eyes brimming with curiosity and innocence. Despite witnessing the cruel scene before him, his expression remained cold and indifferent. Instead, he found amusement in the demon's laughter. His gaze locked onto the demon's lips and eyes, his curiosity evident, much like a child mesmerized by a cartoon for the very first time.
"When did he approach that demon? I was certain he was lounging on the swing without a care. I thought he was blind, considering he showed no expression until now"
Pondered the young practitioner, baffled by the child's proximity to the demon.
"Who is this kid? What's his deal? He was definitely lounging on that swing, and now he's suddenly beside me. My demon aura didn't even sense him until he spoke"
The demon mused, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. His anxious eyes fixated on the child's cold, blue gaze, his heart pounding like drums.
"Perhaps I was so engrossed in enjoying the spectacle that I failed to notice this kid"
The demon reflected, his grin returning to his lips.
"Kid, flee! It's dangerous!"
The young practitioner's voice echoed with urgency, his eyes brimming with anxiety and fear. He believed that if he could rescue the child from the clutches of the demon, he would depart this world without remorse. Yet, despite his warnings, the child willingly surrendered to the demon.
"Hahaha! Futile effort! It ends now"
The demon jeered, a sinister smile curling his lips as his razor-sharp claws extended menacingly. With a swift motion, he withdrew his claws, enveloping them in a dark aura before launching an attack toward the child.