Chapter 14: Death and Rebirth

When everyone was running to save themselves, Max faced a figure that was no longer Ming. Ming’s soul was gone. Her body had been filled by another soul that dominated her and turned her into a demon. Since when?

Max has been frustrated. Not realizing from the very beginning that Ming had been possessed. Worse still, Max recognized that demon’s soul.

AKUJI.

Meaning death and rebirth.

True to its name, Akuji could die and rise again at will.

“Why is Akuji appearing now?”

Max wondered to himself, his feelings mixed.

There was also anger directed at himself.

The past made him sure that Akuji had been eradicated from the earth. However… there were always exceptions. Max was very angry at the fact in front of him.

Akuji smiled at Max. A strange smile like a nightmare while moving his hands, revealing sharp claws.

There is still a cracking sound from the bones.

Max saw Ming’s legs change. Akuji tried to stand up, but the leg was curved, becoming like an ostrich leg. His back was hunched over, his face almost touching the table. Mucus comes out of his mouth. The smell of a strong pungent smell made Max cover his nose.

Max did not move. The creature was still wearing the Ming body like a living body.

“How are you?” the hoarse voice came again.

Max was hit. Memories of the past appear as fast as lighting. The sound of screams, failure, blood mixed into one weakened his soul.

The walls felt moving, the sound from outside disappeared. All like sublimating, become one, sucked by a black hole.

“What did you do to her?”

Max didn’t expect his voice to tremble.

Akuji grinned. Happy.

“You are still so naive, my brother,” Akuji mocked.

Max bared his fangs. He desperately wanted to tear apart the embodiment of death before him. His tone remained the same, dragging, insulting, treacherous.

Looking into those spectral eyes made the world spin slowly in Max’s head. Fire. Screams. Children running in the streets, burning.

Max could once again see the presence of this mad specter, standing and laughing maniacally amidst the chaos. Not in Ming’s body, but in another’s. But the soul remained the same, a soul that destroys all lives.

The specter slowly stood upright. The sound of cracking bones filled the cramped space.

“You… should have died there.”

Max’s voice was barely audible. His gaze turned red.

Akuji laughed mockingly.

“You never confirmed whether my soul had vanished. That was your greatest mistake,” Akuji said.

His gaze pierced Max’s heart.

“As I was trying to survive, I saw you leave them. You run away when everything is on fire. Shared. Who is he? I forget his name being touted as the prince, the next successor. You’re just a bunch of losers!”

Akuji shouted till he shook the entire building grid.

The lights and window glass were broken. Max tries to keep his balance. He was torn between killing him now or later. He wanted to know why Akuji had come back to human existence.

Akuji, who was taller than Max, lowered his neck. Walking closer with the sound of bone cracking that was heard in every step.

Max held his breath.

Akuji’s face was very close to Max’s.

At this point, Max should have been able to raise his fists or claws, but Max couldn't move. His legs and hands were locked. Akuji has already used his moves.

Akuji spoke in front of Max’s face with a slimy mouth.

“I came to take back what was my right,” he said.

Max closed his eyes, trying to avoid the slime dripping from Akuji’s mouth, while also avoiding the foul stench from each of his breaths.

Akuji whispered again, “I’m back. At this time.. I’m not alone.”

Max wanted to fight back. He tried to transform himself into a demon, just like Akuji, but couldn't.

Akuji was fascinated by Max’s effort.

A crooked smile appeared on his lips.

“Just accept the fact that you are already much weaker than me,” said Akuji.

He had no interest in killing Max at that moment.

He stepped back a few paces without releasing the spell that prevented Max from moving.

Akuji opened the door. Stepped outside.

Max was freed from the spell. He walked quickly to catch up with Akuji. But, just as he stepped into the corridor, the demon was already gone. There was no one in the corridor except for the darkness.

Max looked out the yard through the balcony. People were panicking and confused as to why only their building was experiencing complete darkness.

Max ignored them. He tried to find the demon. He didn’t believe that the newly born demon could escape quickly. He was sure Akuji couldn’t go far. Its power was still limited.

However, in the various rooms that Max passed through, there was only empty space. There was no life. Only severe damage and an aura of fear remained. Max even found Jason trembling near the exploded vending machine. Teguh and the others were nowhere to be found.

“Captain!” Max calmed Jason.

“Captain!”

Feeling safe because Max was nearby, Jason tried to stand with his still trembling legs. He saw that the surroundings were in disarray. Jason turned and asked, “What happened?”

“Woah!”

Jason took a few steps back. His heart was pounding, almost breaking. He was shocked to see Max’s eyes. Those eyes were not the ones he knew. Unconsciously, he took a gun from his pocket and aimed it at Max.

“It’s me, still me, Captain,” Max spoke softly while changing his eyes back to human eyes.

Jason still held his breath and did not move. He stared at Max with high alertness, as if looking at a wild beast. Jason increasingly doubted that he was still on Earth, in some cosmopolitan country, and city.

“You… how… who are you really?” Jason stammered.

Which question should he ask first?

Should he ask how Max’s eyes could change to resemble those of a dog, or what Max’s true identity was?

In his mind, there was also another question, where am I? Am I dead and seeing the angel of death resembling Max?

Max swallowed his saliva, thinking that perhaps it was time to reveal his true identity. Necessary or not, Max pondered hard on it. There is another way, he could make Jason forget about this incident. But…

However, the opportunity was delayed. They both heard an explosion on the roof. There was no time. Max was sure the explosion was related to Akuji. He also sensed the arrival of other creatures.

Max jumped towards the explosion, leaving Jason who fell to the ground. His mouth was open, gaping with his heart racing. His face seemed to indicate that life had just left his body.

Max landed on a sloped roof. Just as his feet touched the surface, another explosion occurred. Someone had just launched an attack.

Max stopped to assess the situation.

Who are those people? Max wondered.

He saw there people facing Akuji.

“Humans? They don’t seem like ordinary humans,” Max spoke to himself.

He tried to recognize who these three were.

They appeared human, like himself, but their powers surpassed those of ordinary humans. But they are not demons, like himself.

Max decided to observe them to gauge their strength before intervening.

A man had just fired a shot.

“Could they… possibly be Mantis?”

Max wondered.

The wind approached, blowing against his face, hair, and entire body. But the wind did not speak, did not reveal their names or identity, it only carried the scent of gunpowder. A woman had just fired her gun.

Max observed the movements of the woman. The bullet she had just fired was a silver bullet. It could be deadly against wolf spirits, but for Akuji…Max wasn’t sure of the outcome.

Another attack came from a tattooed man. He unleashed a spell. That man reminded Max of Melianor.

“They both use spells. Do they know each other?” Max mumbling.

The fight became even more exciting in Max’s eyes.

However, he still doubted the identities of the three individuals. They might be Mantis. But before hearing it from them, Max didn’t want to jump to conclusions.

Max had often heard rumors about Mantis, but had never met them in person. This was his experience.

The three people were dressed in black with characteristics that highlighted each individual’s personality. They were all focused on surrounding the phantom that was escaping from Max, so they might not have realized Max’s arrival.

After observing for a while, Max noticed the power imbalance between them. Even though that phantom had just been reborn, Akuji could take their lives at any moment.

“For Akuji, their attacks might just be exercises,” Max mumbled, judging the fight before his eyes.

That confident opinion was not without reason. Max had faced Akuji’s power in a way far worse than those three.