Chapter 11: Blood in the Moonlight Part 2

The cavern reeked of blood. The thick, iron scent clung to the damp air, mixing with the charred remains of broken stone and burnt flesh.

Clay wiped the sweat from his brow, his grip tightening around the hilt of his longsword. The flickering light of Sarah's fire spells cast jagged shadows against the towering stalagmites, painting distorted figures along the cave walls.

And in the center of it all—**Damon stood unscathed**.

The vampire warrior barely looked winded. His crimson eyes glowed with amusement, his black and red armor pristine despite the chaos that surrounded him.

His minions—twisted humanoid creatures with elongated limbs and fanged mouths—were still prowling in the dark, waiting for their master's command.

Clay felt a cold sweat run down his back. **This wasn't a battle. This was a massacre.**

**"Sarah, another blast! Keep the pressure on!"** Clay barked.

The mage woman, Sarah, raised her staff, her fingers weaving through the air as she conjured another spell. Flames roared to life at her fingertips, growing into a spiraling mass before she thrust her hands forward.

**"Inferno Burst!"**

A wave of scorching fire engulfed Damon, setting the ground ablaze. The heat was unbearable, even from a distance, but Clay didn't let his guard down. **Not yet.**

**"Archie, now!"**

The warrior man, Archie, lunged forward, bringing his greatsword down in a crushing arc aimed at Damon's exposed flank. The blade **should** have cut deep—it **should** have cleaved through flesh and bone.

But it didn't.

Damon **caught the blade with his bare hand**.

A sickening crunch echoed through the cavern as Damon squeezed, shattering the weapon like brittle glass. Before Archie could react, Damon **lashed out with a kick**, sending the warrior crashing into a stalagmite. The impact was bone-breaking.

**One down.**

Clay clenched his teeth. **Damn it! We're losing ground!**

**"Raymond! We need support—"**

The arch male, Raymond, was already on the move. He loosed a volley of enchanted arrows, each glowing with holy energy. The bolts streaked through the air, aimed straight for Damon's heart.

But the vampire barely even moved. He **tilted his head**—just a fraction—letting the arrows pass by him, grazing the edges of his cloak.

**"Pathetic."** Damon's voice was smooth, laced with arrogance.

Then, he vanished. **A blur of crimson and black.**

Clay barely had time to react before Damon **reappeared in front of Raymond**.

A single strike—so fast that Clay's eyes couldn't track it—sent the archer sprawling across the cavern floor.

**Two down.**

Clay gritted his teeth. **This isn't working! We need a new plan!**

Sarah tried to conjure another spell, but **Damon was already in front of her.**

With a flick of his wrist, he **slammed her into the ground**. The impact sent cracks through the stone, and she let out a strangled cry before falling limp.

**Three down.**

Clay was alone now.

He adjusted his stance, raising his sword as Damon turned toward him with that **same, infuriating smirk**.

**"You fought well,"** Damon said. **"But not well enough."**

Clay barely had time to react before the vampire **lunged**.

The air rushed past Haru as Rhaelynn's hooves pounded against the dirt. The centaur archer moved with incredible speed, weaving through the winding tunnels of the cave with effortless grace.

On her back, Haru clung tightly to her waist, his eyes fixed ahead. Behind him, Aryan, the assassin woman, was holding on as well—though much more reluctantly.

**"I hate this,"** Aryan muttered, glaring at Haru. **"Why the hell am I even stuck with you?"**

Haru didn't answer immediately. He had noticed something **different** about Aryan ever since they started traveling together. The usual scorn in her eyes was **diminishing**.

Before, she would have insulted him, mocked his weakness, taken every chance to belittle him.

Now? She struggled to even **look** at him for too long.

Haru knew why.

**Lady Killer.**

His unique talent wasn't just about making bonds—it **disrupted** a woman's negative perception of him. Even someone like Aryan, who had bullied him before, found herself **hesitating**.

And she **hated it**.

Haru smirked. **"You can let go anytime, you know."**

Aryan clicked her tongue, looking away. **"Shut up."**

Rhaelynn let out an annoyed huff. **"Both of you are heavy."**

Haru chuckled. But his amusement faded as he looked ahead—because he could **feel it**. The further they traveled, the stronger the scent of **blood** became.

Something was **wrong**.

**"We're close,"** Haru said.

Rhaelynn nodded. **"We should be careful. I don't like what I'm sensing."**

The three of them pressed forward, moving deeper into the cave.

And then—they saw it.

Bodies littered the ground. Blood soaked the dirt. And standing in the center of it all was **Damon**, his eyes glowing like embers in the dark.

And at his feet—**Clay lay unmoving.**

Haru's breath caught in his throat. **"Shit."**

Damon slowly turned to them, his smile widening. **"Ah… fresh prey."**

Haru's grip on his weapon tightened. **This wasn't part of the plan.**

But he had **no choice now**.

They had to **fight.**

The air felt suffocating.

Haru tightened his grip on his sword, his heartbeat pounding like a war drum in his ears. Across the battlefield, Damon stood with an eerie stillness, his crimson eyes gleaming with amusement. His lips curled into a smirk, as if the entire battle was nothing more than a passing amusement to him.

Clay was down. Raymond, Sarah, Archie—**all defeated**. The ground was littered with bodies, some barely breathing, others unmoving.

And now, it was **their turn.**

Rhaelynn shifted beneath Haru, her centaur frame tensed like a coiled spring, her bow drawn and ready. Shira stood beside him, her massive Buster sword resting against her shoulder, her expression unreadable beneath the shadows of her deep blue hair.

Aryan, the assassin woman, stood a few feet away from them, her daggers drawn. She looked shaken—not from fear, but frustration.

**"This bastard…"** she muttered under her breath. **"He's toying with us."**

Haru exhaled, steadying his nerves. He knew Aryan was right. **Damon wasn't taking them seriously.**

That needed to change.

Then—movement.

Damon's figure **blurred**, vanishing from sight.

Haru barely had time to react before **something cold slashed across his shoulder.**

**"Gh—!"**

Pain flared as he stumbled back, a deep gash running along his arm. Blood dripped down his fingers. He barely caught sight of Damon **reappearing behind him**, his claws coated in fresh crimson.

**He's fast. Too fast.**

Haru gritted his teeth. He **couldn't** keep up. Not like this.

Rhaelynn loosed an arrow—**a glowing projectile infused with mana**—but Damon merely tilted his head, dodging it with ease.

Shira **charged forward**, her Buster sword swinging in a vicious arc. The air **screamed** as her blade cut through it, but **Damon was already gone** before the attack could land.

**"Tsk."** Aryan clicked her tongue, flipping her daggers in her hands. **"If we can't even touch him, then what the hell are we supposed to do?"**

Haru's mind raced. **Think. Think!**

Damon was playing with them. He **hadn't even used his full strength yet.**

Which meant—they had **one** chance.

**"Shira! Rhaelynn! Surround him!"** Haru barked.

Shira nodded, disappearing into a sprint, her movements deceptively quick for her size. Rhaelynn galloped in the opposite direction, flanking Damon from the side.

Haru **lunged forward** just as they closed in—

Damon moved, but this time **Haru anticipated it.**

**He wasn't trying to land a hit—he was forcing Damon into a position.**

Just as Damon dodged left—**Rhaelynn fired.**

A barrage of arrows rained down, each glowing with ethereal energy.

Damon's smirk **faltered**.

For the first time, he **narrowed his eyes.**

He twisted midair, avoiding the first volley—but **Shira was already there**.

Her sword **came down like a thunderclap**, carving a deep trench into the ground where Damon had just stood.

**He barely dodged.**

For the first time, **Damon looked surprised.**

Haru saw his chance.

He **activated his system—**

**Lady Killer surged through his veins.**

**"Shira—Rhaelynn—NOW!"**

Both of them responded instantly.

Rhaelynn's arrows glowed **brighter**, moving impossibly fast. Shira's sword **shone with a deep blue aura**, **faster, stronger** than before.

The battle shifted.

Damon **gritted his teeth.**

For the first time, **they were pushing him back.**

Haru barely had time to process their momentum before he **sensed movement from the darkness.**

**A group of Damon's minions surged forward.**

They were grotesque things—twisted humanoid creatures with elongated limbs, their mouths filled with jagged teeth. **Fast. Unnatural.**

They weren't **just** here to kill.

They were here to **overwhelm.**

**Haru barely had time to block** before one lunged at him, claws slashing towards his throat.

He twisted, ducking just in time, and drove his sword into its gut. **The creature screeched—but didn't die immediately.**

**Damn it! They're tough!**

Aryan **appeared beside him**, her daggers flashing as she **tore through two of them in one move.**

**"Keep up, weakling."**

Haru ignored her jab, focusing instead on keeping the monsters **away from Shira and Rhaelynn.**

One lunged for Rhaelynn—**only to be impaled mid-air by one of her own arrows.**

Another tried to attack Shira, but the Oni **grabbed it by the throat and crushed it with one hand.**

The three of them **were holding their ground.**

Then—**a scream.**

Haru turned.

**Aryan was down.**

She had been **too close to Damon.**

And now—**his claws were buried in her side.**

She choked, her eyes wide in disbelief, **blood pooling around her mouth.**

Haru's vision blurred with rage.

**"ARYAN!"**

He moved **before he even thought**.

His sword flashed—**Damon barely avoided it, stepping back just enough for Aryan's body to fall from his grasp.**

Haru caught her **before she hit the ground.**

Her breathing was ragged. Her wounds **were deep. Too deep.**

**"Shit. Hold on! Don't—"**

Haru's breath came in ragged gasps as he held Aryan's limp body in his arms. Blood pooled beneath her, staining his hands, his clothes, the ground beneath them. Her usually sharp, scornful eyes were dim, her breathing uneven.

Damn it. She's dying.

His mind raced. He had to do something.

The moment his fingers pressed the invisible confirmation, a pulse of energy surged through him.

Aryan's body shuddered violently.

Her eyes snapped open—but they were no longer human.

They glowed red.

Her pupils, once sharp and predatory, had transformed into thin, vertical slits. Her breath hitched, her body convulsing as dark veins spread across her pale skin.

Something was wrong.

Haru's stomach twisted. Wait—what's happening?!

Then Aryan screamed.

Not in pain—but in hunger.

Her nails extended into razor-sharp claws. Her teeth elongated into wicked fangs. Her body, once lean and agile, now radiated an unnatural, monstrous strength.

And then—she turned on him.

Haru barely had time to react before Aryan lunged.

She moved too fast.

One second, she was in his arms—the next, her fangs were at his throat.

Haru threw himself backward, barely dodging in time. Her claws raked across his chest instead, ripping through fabric and flesh.

"GHH—!"

Pain flared. Blood splattered across the ground.

Haru stumbled, barely managing to stay on his feet.

But Aryan—Aryan wasn't herself anymore.

Her breath was ragged, her body trembling, her crimson eyes unfocused. She looked starved.

No—feral.

"Aryan—!" Haru gasped, clutching his bleeding chest.

She didn't respond.