Chapter 10: Blood in the Moonlight Part 1

The thick canopy of the deep forest swallowed the last rays of sunlight, leaving only streaks of dying orange in the sky. Shadows stretched long across the earth, broken only by the flickering glow of torches carried by the hunting party.

Haru walked behind the group, keeping his head low as he clutched his short sword. He had no intention of standing out—not yet.

Ahead of him, the rest of his old party moved with confidence.

Clay, their self-proclaimed leader, was at the front, striding forward with his greatsword slung over his shoulder. His armor was polished, his confidence unshaken, as if the harsh realities of this world had never touched him.

Raymond, the group's archer, was next to him, smirking as he twirled an arrow between his fingers. "Not bad for a day's work," he muttered.

Sarah, their mage, trailed beside them, her robes barely rustling as she walked. The torchlight revealed a smug grin on her lips.

Archie, the brute of the party, let out a snort. "Could've been better if we didn't have dead weight tagging along." His gaze flicked toward Haru, and the insult was obvious.

Then there was **Aryan**—the one Haru despised the most. The assassin of the group, she had taken particular joy in tormenting him back when he was still with them. Even now, as they traveled, she walked closest to him, throwing occasional glances in his direction.

Haru ignored them. He was used to this treatment.

What they didn't know was that he had **changed**.

A month ago, he would've struggled to take down a single goblin. But after weeks of relentless fighting, pushing himself in the deep cave dungeon, and forming contracts with his powerful familiars—**Shira, the Blue Oni Warrior, and Rhaelynn, the Centaur Archer**—he had grown far beyond what they could imagine.

But he kept his power hidden.

There was no reason to show it—not yet.

For now, he played along, pretending to be the same weakling they had once abandoned.

The stillness of the forest was shattered when the underbrush rustled violently. **Growls. Snarls. The sound of claws scraping against bark.**

Clay held up a fist, signaling the party to stop.

From the dense foliage, **monsters emerged.**

Wolves. But not normal ones.

They were larger, their fur bristling with unnatural energy. Their eyes glowed red, their breath misting in the cold air. Their claws looked sharper than steel, their bodies hunched and tense, ready to lunge.

**Dire Wolves.**

Raymond clicked his tongue. "Twelve of them. Stronger than what we usually fight."

Clay grinned. "Perfect. More loot."

The party fell into formation.

Sarah raised her staff, flames forming at the tip.

Raymond knocked an arrow, his eyes gleaming.

Archie cracked his knuckles.

Aryan vanished into the shadows.

Haru hesitated for only a moment. If he wanted to, he could have **summoned Shira and Rhaelynn.** The Blue Oni alone could have slaughtered these wolves with ease. But instead, he tightened his grip on his sword and charged forward.

He needed to sell the illusion.

If he fought too well, they would suspect something.

Clay roared, swinging his greatsword down on one of the wolves. Blood splattered as the beast yelped and fell.

Raymond fired arrow after arrow, each shot landing with precision.

Sarah's fire magic burned through the air, turning wolves to ash.

Archie wrestled one of the beasts to the ground, his raw strength overpowering it.

Aryan was nowhere to be seen, but occasionally, one of the wolves **collapsed with a dagger buried in its skull.**

And Haru?

He fought. But **he struggled**.

He made sure his swings were clumsy, that his movements lacked precision. He let his attacks barely graze the monsters, dodging just enough to look like he was **barely surviving.**

A wolf lunged at him. He raised his sword to block, but the force of the impact sent him tumbling to the ground.

"Ugh—!" He groaned, rolling away just in time to avoid being mauled.

"Still weak as ever," Archie scoffed.

Clay didn't even glance at him. "He's dead weight. Just focus on the fight."

Haru clenched his teeth but said nothing.

The battle ended **minutes later**, the last wolf falling with an arrow lodged in its eye.

The party gathered the loot. Coins, fangs, and rare materials. Haru took only a small share, making sure not to draw suspicion.

But just as they started their way back to the city—

Haru felt it before he saw it.

A **presence.**

A chilling aura, darker than the forest itself.

Then—

**Arrows rained from above.**

Sarah barely managed to throw up a barrier before they struck. The projectiles embedded themselves into the magical shield, pulsing with a faint red glow. **Poison-tipped.**

"AMBUSH!" Clay shouted, drawing his sword.

Shadows moved through the trees. Figures clad in **black armor** emerged from the darkness.

A **dozen men and women**, each bearing the symbol of a **scorpion etched in blood.**

A criminal guild known for assassinations, ambushes, and merciless slaughter.

From the center of the group, a **tall figure stepped forward.**

**Damon.**

Haru's heart pounded.

Damon was a **vampire**, his presence exuding cold, predatory hunger. He had dark red eyes that gleamed with malice, and his lips curled into a sharp grin.

"You poor things," he said, voice smooth as silk. "Lost in the forest at night? That's unfortunate."

Clay growled, stepping forward. "Scorpio scum. You think we'll go down easy?"

Damon chuckled. "No. That's why we're going to **split you up first.**"

He **snapped his fingers.**

The moment he did, Scorpio's assassins **vanished.**

Haru's vision blurred as the **world twisted around him.**

Some kind of magic—**a forced separation spell.**

By the time the disorientation passed, he found himself alone.

Alone, **except for Aryan.**

Haru's head throbbed as the world settled around him. His pulse pounded in his ears, the distant echoes of battle ringing in the night air. The forced separation spell had thrown him somewhere deep into the forest.

He stumbled forward, gripping his sword tightly, scanning his surroundings. The thick trees loomed over him like prison bars, their branches twisting into unnatural shapes beneath the moonlight.

Then he heard it—a voice.

**"Tch. Just my luck."**

Haru turned to find **Aryan**, the assassin woman from his old party. She was crouched low, her daggers drawn, her sharp eyes scanning the darkness around them. Unlike him, she seemed mostly unfazed by their sudden displacement.

**Great. Out of everyone, it had to be her.**

She clicked her tongue. "Looks like we got dumped in the same spot. Fantastic."

Haru remained silent, his mind racing. He didn't trust her. Aryan had tormented him before, mocked his weakness. He had no reason to believe she would help him now.

Still, the sounds of movement in the forest told him that **they weren't alone.**

They were being hunted.

Aryan exhaled sharply and turned to him. "Listen, loser. I don't like this any more than you do, but if we're going to survive, we have to work together."

Haru frowned but nodded. There was no point in arguing.

The rustling grew louder. Shadows shifted between the trees.

Then—**an arrow whistled through the air.**

Haru barely managed to duck as it **buried itself into the tree behind him**, the tip still quivering from the impact.

Aryan reacted instantly, vanishing into the shadows.

Haru gritted his teeth. **Scorpio had found them.**

Figures in dark armor emerged from the treeline, their faces obscured by masks marked with the emblem of a scorpion. Their weapons glinted beneath the moon, and their **crimson eyes** glowed faintly in the dark.

At the center of them stood **Damon, the vampire fighter.**

Damon grinned, showing elongated fangs. "Well, well. Looks like you two are the unlucky ones."

Haru tightened his grip on his sword.

Aryan reappeared beside him, her eyes darting between their enemies. "Five of them," she muttered. "Plus the vampire."

Haru cursed under his breath. **They were outnumbered.**

Damon's grin widened. "Here's how this works," he said, drawing his curved blade. "You two can struggle for a bit if you want. I like a little sport. But in the end? You're both dead."

The assassins **rushed forward.**

The first enemy lunged at Haru with twin daggers. Haru barely managed to block, his arms shaking from the force of the impact. These weren't mindless monsters—**they were trained killers.**

Aryan moved like a shadow, **clashing with another enemy**. Her daggers flashed as she countered a strike, spinning to drive her blade into an assassin's side.

Haru ducked as a sword **sliced through the air** where his head had been a second ago.

**He wasn't fast enough.**

One of the assassins slammed a fist into his stomach. Haru gasped as the impact sent him skidding back, his vision **blurring** from the pain.

Damon watched from the sidelines, smirking.

Aryan wasn't faring much better. She was agile, her movements sharp and precise, but she was being pushed back. Scorpio's members fought as a team, forcing her into **constant defense.**

Haru **couldn't keep up like this.**

He **needed more power.** .

A blade **came for Haru's throat.**

In that moment, he **made his choice.**

**"Shira! Rhaelynn!"**

A **pulse of energy** erupted from him as the **summoning ritual activated.**

From the darkness, a **massive figure emerged.**

Shira, his **Blue Oni Warrior**, **landed with earth-shaking force**, her massive **Buster Sword gleaming** under the moonlight. Her towering frame cast a shadow over the battlefield, her **red eyes burning with silent fury.**

At the same time, **Rhaelynn, the Centaur Archer, materialized beside him.** Her bow was already drawn, an arrow of pure energy nocked and ready.

The battlefield **fell silent.**

Scorpio's members **hesitated.**

Damon's grin faltered. "What…?"

Before he could react—

**Shira moved.**

She swung her **Buster Sword in a massive arc.**

The nearest assassin barely had time to scream before he was **bisected in an instant**, his body hitting the ground **in two pieces.**

The air **thickened with the scent of blood.**

Panic spread through the Scorpio members.

Rhaelynn **released her arrow.**

The **energy projectile shot through the night**, piercing **straight through the skull** of another enemy. The body collapsed **without a sound.**

Damon's expression darkened. "You bastard…"

Haru **ignored him.**

He wasn't the same weakling they had left behind.

**And now? It was their turn to be hunted.**

Shira **charged forward.**

The remaining assassins **tried to retreat**, but she was **too fast.**

Her **massive sword cleaved through them like paper**, their armor offering no resistance to her sheer **brute strength.**

**Rhaelynn fired shot after shot, each arrow finding its mark.**

One of the assassins **tried to run.**

Haru **moved before he could think.**

He drove his sword **straight into the enemy's back.**

The body jerked. A strangled sound escaped the man's throat.

Haru **froze.**

**This was different.**

He had killed monsters before. **But this was a human.**

The assassin collapsed at his feet, lifeless.

For the first time, Haru felt **the weight of what he had done.**

He had **taken a life.**

The battle around him faded into a dull hum. The metallic scent of blood filled his lungs, his hands trembling slightly as he looked at the **cooling corpse beneath him.**

**Did I… really just…?**

A **warm hand touched his shoulder.**

Haru turned to see **Rhaelynn.**

The centaur archer gazed at him, her emerald eyes soft with understanding.

**"You were defending yourself,"** she said gently. **"If you hadn't done it, they would have killed you."**

Haru swallowed hard. He knew she was right.

But it still felt different from fighting monsters.

Still, **this was the world they lived in now.**

He took a breath. Steadied himself.

Then, finally—he nodded.

Damon **was gone.**

The vampire had vanished the moment the tide turned against his side. **A coward.**

Aryan stood off to the side, her breathing ragged. She looked at Haru, her expression unreadable.

"…You've changed," she muttered.

Haru didn't answer. He didn't need to.

**They needed to get back to the others.**