The black mansion erupted in intense flames as a loud explosion rocked the entire vicinity, the smell of burnt flesh permeating the area.
Watching everything through the black wristwatch on his left arm, Jack erupted in loud laughter.
"I love the smell of burnt meat in the middle of the night...haha...sweet dreams fellas."
[I'm going in, the sight of burned-up dead bodies is...disturbing]
"Yeah, yeah, whatever."
Just then, Jack felt his [Feral Sense] tingle, indicating danger as he yielded to his instincts, jumping off his hammock.
A long katana with black as its primary colour, constantly emitting what looked like purple flames in his hand as he slashed forward and perfectly cut through an extremely long arrow.
Burnt pieces of the metallic arrow dropped to the ground.
This was the "Ghost Blade," famous for its unique ability of it, its "Ghost Flames."
His eyes flashed coldly as he claimed, "I see you...Kisaki."
"Oh no, Jack...hehe," A figure about the same size as Jack, wearing a red and black slim-fit martial arts robe with a dog mask and flowing purple hair, stepped out from the covering of the trees.
"Kisaki isn't here, it's just I-"
"-and ME!" Another voice sounded as a large figure dropped from the sky, landing on both legs in a squatting position near the purple-haired one.
Brandishing what looked like a Monday hammer with an extra head that resembled an axe.
The new arrival had bushy black hair and was two heads taller than both Jack and the one in a dog mask, shirtless with a very muscular body riddle with scars and a bull's mask
Placing his hammer/axe on his shoulders, he had a smile on his face, "Number 6, how could snatch all the fun for yourselves? That's not fair!"
The one with the dog mask, referred to as number 6, grumbled, "I wasn't snatching anything, No. 5, just wanted to, huh???"
"Where's number 13!?"
They exclaimed at the same time as Jack (known as No. 13) had suddenly disappeared from their midst.
---
The ranks of the death soldiers consisted of five:
The "Pueri Morturi,"- also called the "Rank of the Dead."
The "Peuri Renati,"- the "Rank of the Reborn."
The "Peuri Immortales,"- the "Rank of Immortals."
The "Peuri Deicidi,"- the "Rank of God-Slayers."
And finally the "Abaddon,"- the "Rank of the Destroyer."
The number of death soldiers in the first two ranks (Morturi and Renati) were uncountable, unimaginable.
But the next two ranks (Immortales and Deicidi) consisted only of 12 Soldiers each, a total of 25‐ these were the "Elites."
Every member was addressed by a number, the strongest and closest to the Abaddon Rank being No. 1 and the "weakest" (who was by no means weak)in the ranks of Decidi being No. 12.
No. 13, being the number of the strongest in the Immortales Rank, who was none other than Jack. And No. 24 being the weakest.
Another noteworthy thing: once a death soldier steps into the Decidi Rank they undergo what is referred to as a "turning."- a special process handled by The Master himself, rumour has it that, the process is a demonification process, that changes a person into a Demon.
It hasn't been confirmed, but once they go through the process, they become unstoppable and unkillable. And they always wear masks- animal masks.
---
"What the hell are monsters like No. 5 and No. 6 doing here? Couldn't they have just sent number 12 or something?"
Running in between dark buildings as fast he could, with the wind slamming through his face, Jack lamented about having to face impossible opponents like No. 5 and No. 6 of the Decidi Rank.
"Honestly, if it were No. 12 or No. 11, I would have tried my luck...but now, I must escape and do so while I'm still breathing..."
Rapidly turning through a silent dark corner, he continued running down it as his legs seemed to be moving faster than the wind.
[Prime Focus]
Jack activated a skill as his vision became as clear as day, he could even see through the buildings all around him.
Also, he could see two humanoid figures that would haven't been perceived before with his normal eyes but Jack didn't stop running.
He played on their intellect, as he made them believe that they were still well hidden and he had no clue they were around the corner.
SWWISHH
A silver glint flashed in the darkness, as a sword was slashed with deadly precision towards Jack's neck with the single intent of taking off his head.
But Jack wasn't No. 13 for nothing.
FWOOP
THUD!
The sound of something dropping to the ground echoed in the darkness, as the head of the figure was now seated on the ground, eyes wide open.
Wasting not even a second, Jack continued running, with the headless figure of a man on his back.
Four needles pierced forth with speed towards him, but with the body, as a shield, no harm was done to him.
But the same couldn't be said for his attacker as a knife dropped down from Jack's sleeves, heading in the direction where the needles came from with immense speed.
And the next moment...
RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP
DROP!
Yet another figure dropped to the ground, more blacked-robed ones rushing past it.
Finally exiting the alleyway, Jack heard the sound of a blaring alarm in the wide open street as a train was moved into the distance in a direction opposite to his.
Instantly, his figure blazed with speed as he disappeared from where he stood and into the distance at his fastest speed, the train getting closer than ever, but he felt the sound of a helicopter approaching from the direction where the train was going.
Taking a look at the helicopter, with [Prime Focus], he was able to see past the helicopter covering, but what he saw made his now black heart beat so hard that he felt pain in his chest.
His eyes widened to the size of saucers as he felt something he didn't feel frequently.
FEAR!! BONE-CHILLING FEAR
"The Master," Jack heard himself subconsciously say, "I'm fucked."
Instantly, abandoning the thought of running to the train, Jack ran back, towards where he was coming from.
But from there, came also more than 100 robed figures surrounding him from all directions.
He had been completely blocked from all distance...he was surrounded.
Jack's eyes flashed as his brain worked full time, but there was no way through the encirclement.
The 100 figures in front of him were dead soldiers just like him and the person behind him was...
"I don't have a choice, I have to kill all of them..."
STEP
STEP
STEP
The hundred or so robed figure all dragged out their weapons, preparing themselves for battle.
"Well...Time to die," Jack said out loud as it made the people surrounding him ask themselves if it shouldn't be them that should be saying that to him.
[Controlled Transformation]
Immediately, Jack felt his muscles tighten and bulge, his cells becoming super-active as his black heart pumped blood in turbo mode, his black bones extending outward in the form of long claws and his teeth extending too, before getting covered in a black substance.
Following that, a powerful undulated wave of energy flared within him as slight golden fur grew out of his body with small mane.
His golden hair seemed to have turned a shade brighter flaring with even more golden light as his eyes flashed like a brilliant touch
STEP
The floor cracked into pieces as Jack took the fourth step and he disappeared from where he stood as if having teleported.
RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP
The sound of the air being torn as a golden-haired figure with abysmally cold eyes appeared above a hundred dead soldiers and slashed downwards...
KABOOM
The moon shone its frigid white light on the dark alleyway, witnessing the brutal battle of survival as a group of 100 death soldiers engaged in a life-and-death battle with No.13- Jack The Hollow Ripper