Ghost Hunt

A year had passed.

They had grown.

Varek stood in front of the mirror, running a hand through his hair.

He still looked young, but his eyes carried experience.

Vikas leaned against the doorframe. "You ready for this?"

Dicio stretched his arms. "Feels like forever since we had a real mission."

Knox Cthul stepped forward.

"We're going after Ghost Vault users," he said.

Everyone fell silent.

Ghost Vaults were stronger than Shadow Vaults.

Dangerous.

Deadly.

Knox continued. "Five high-ranked Ghost Vault users. Each with unique abilities."

He placed a map on the table.

"Our targets are part of the Demon King's forces. If we take them down, we'll weaken their hold on the human world."

"These aren't like the Shadow Vault demons we've fought before," Knox said. "They serve the Demon King directly, and each one has a dangerous ability."

He pointed at five names written on the map.

1. Banshee – Rank 1 Ghost Vault User

Ability: Can become a ghost and possess humans.

Knox's voice turned grave. "Banshee is the most dangerous. He doesn't just fight—he takes control of his enemies. If he gets inside one of us, it's over."

Vikas clicked his tongue. "That's annoying. How do we stop him?"

Knox tapped the map. "Destroy his original body before he possesses someone. If we don't, we'll have to exorcise him the hard way."

2. Nov – Rank 2 Ghost Vault User

Ability: Summons ghosts to fight for him.

"This guy doesn't fight directly," Knox continued. "He lets his ghosts do the work. The more he summons, the harder it is to reach him."

Dicio smirked. "Then we just take him out fast."

Knox nodded. "Exactly. But be careful—his ghosts don't disappear when he's knocked out. We'll have to deal with them separately."

3. Deci – Rank 3 Ghost Vault User

Ability: Consumes ghosts to enhance himself.

Knox's expression darkened. "Deci is terrifying. Every ghost he eats makes him stronger—faster, tougher, and more powerful. The longer we fight him, the worse it gets."

Varek crossed his arms. "We take him down before he can power up."

Knox gave him a sharp look. "Easier said than done. He's already stronger than any of us individually."

4. Marchiri – Rank 4 Ghost Vault User

Ability: Turns himself into a ghost warrior.

"This one's a fighter," Knox said. "He can shift between solid and ghost form, meaning most attacks won't hit him. He's a warrior in both life and death."

Vikas grinned. "I'll take him."

Knox sighed. "If you can hit him, sure."

5. Juneri – Rank 5 Ghost Vault User

Ability: A ghost healer who can restore other ghosts.

Knox tapped the last name. "Juneri doesn't fight. But if we don't take him out, the others won't stay down. He can bring them back over and over."

Varek's eyes narrowed. "Then we deal with him first."

Knox nodded. "That's the plan."

The group exchanged glances.

The mission was set.

Five deadly enemies.

One shot at victory.

And no turning back.

Varek clenched his fist.

This was more than a mission.

It was war.

Vikas smirked. "I call dibs on the ghost warrior."

Dicio chuckled. "You're always aiming for the tough ones."

Knox ignored their banter. "We leave at midnight. Pack your things."

Varek exhaled.

It was time.

They were hunting ghosts.

The cold wind howled as Varek, Vikas, Dicio, and Knox Cthul moved through the abandoned ruins of an old battlefield. The night air was thick with mana, the lingering energy of countless battles fought long ago. Their first target was Marchiri, the Rank 4 Ghost Vault User.

They had tracked him here, but there was no sign of him—only silence and a faint mist covering the ground.

Knox raised a hand, signaling them to stop. "He's here. Stay alert."

A deep, eerie voice echoed from the darkness.

"I can see you."

From the mist, a figure emerged. Marchiri.

He was clad in ancient armor, his body shifting between solid and ghostly form. His eyes glowed with a spectral blue light, and in his hands, he held a curved ghostly sword, flickering between reality and the spirit realm.

"You shouldn't have come here," Marchiri said. "This place is a graveyard, and I'll make sure you stay here forever."

Before anyone could react, Marchiri vanished.

A chilling wind swept past them, and suddenly, Vikas was flung backward, crashing into a broken pillar.

"He's fast!" Dicio shouted.

Marchiri reappeared behind Varek, his sword swinging for his neck.

Varek barely managed to block with his mechanical arm, the force sending sparks flying.

"He phases between ghost and solid form," Knox observed. "That's why we can't land a clean hit."

Dicio clenched his fists, his mana flaring. "Then we need to force him to stay solid."

Vikas stood up, shaking off the impact. "Leave that to me."

Vikas unleashed his Ice Mana, covering the battlefield in frost.

Marchiri dashed forward again, but as he stepped onto the ice, his form flickered and solidified.

Knox grinned. "The cold disrupts his ability to phase!"

Varek saw his chance. He surged forward with two mana surges, his fists glowing with Bronze and Shadow energy.

His punch connected, sending Marchiri flying.

But the ghost warrior grinned.

"I expected nothing less."

His body flickered again—this time, not between ghost and solid, but between multiple copies of himself.

"Damn it," Vikas muttered. "He has clones?!"

Knox stepped forward. "Not clones—afterimages. He's manipulating his form so fast it looks like he's in multiple places at once."

Marchiri's voices echoed from all directions. "Now, let's see if you can keep up."

Vikas planted his feet firmly, exhaling a sharp breath as frost spread across the graveyard. His mana surged once, coating the ground and tombstones in a thick layer of ice. Marchiri, the Rank 4 Ghost Vault user, hovered above, watching with an amused expression.

"Ice won't work on me," Marchiri scoffed. "I am a Ghost Warrior. Your attacks will just pass through."

Vikas smirked. "That's where you're wrong."

He stomped the ground, and suddenly, spikes of ice erupted from below, aimed directly at Marchiri. The ghost warrior instinctively dodged, phasing through one of the ice pillars—but the second he materialized to counterattack, another spike struck his leg.

Marchiri flinched, surprised. "What—?!"

"You're not just a ghost. You're a Ghost Warrior." Vikas clenched his fist, more ice forming around him. "That means your body becomes physical when you attack. And if you're physical—"

Varek suddenly dashed forward, his shadow-covered fist colliding with Marchiri's chest. The impact sent the ghost warrior flying backward, crashing into a frozen tombstone.

Dicio raised his hand, loudly said "Control Point", that pressed around Marchiri, locking him in place. "And physical things can be held down."

Marchiri struggled, his ghostly form flickering between solid and intangible. "You little—"

Knox stepped forward, adjusting his gloves. "Then let's end this before he finds a way to slip out."

Varek didn't hesitate. He summoned his shadow-infused mana, letting it surge through his arm before striking Marchiri's trapped form.

The ghost warrior let out a final agonized scream before dissolving into nothingness.

Vikas wiped sweat from his forehead, catching his breath. "That's one down."

Dicio cracked his knuckles. "Four more to go."

Knox glanced at the dark graveyard ahead. "No time to waste."