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The Hunted Becomes The Hunter

11:30a.m, Samfya district of Luapula Province, Zambia.

The waters of Lake Bangweulu were heavy with rain. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and lightning flashed across the sky. The showers had begun to fade, but the clouds still hung low, thick and dark.

Floating on these waters was a small, quiet boathouse. It creaked softly as the waves nudged it back and forth. Inside, a man sat on the wooden floor, smoking a hand- rolled cigarette. The faint smell of burning balan leaves drifted in the air. His eyes were locked on a line of bones spread neatly before him, pale against the damp wood. He studied them in silence, puffing slowly, the smoke curling toward the roof.

Suddenly—crack! Thunder shook the lake. One of the bones snapped clean in two. The man didn't flinch. He felt the sharp, painful echo of the break in his own soul. It was a connection he had forged with the seal decades ago. The demon, Chiengi Chali, had returned. He stood, flicked the ash from his cigarette into a small wooden bowl, and let out a tired sigh. He walked to the door, opened it, and without a word, stepped out and jumped into the water.

There was a splash, then silence. He sank beneath the surface, vanishing into the lake. The boathouse drifted on, alone.

Moments later, a gust of wind slammed the door shut—BANG! Bones scattered across the floor. One half of the broken bone rolled and stopped beside an old book. The cover was cracked and worn, marked with dried blood and three faded letters: E.N.I.

Suddenly, water splashed against the edge of the boathouse. The man leapt back aboard, breathing hard, a large fish clenched between his teeth. He pulled it from his mouth and chuckle

"Chiengi Chali. That bastard has returned," Eustace thought, frowning. His eyes narrowed with concern. He wasn't worried for himself—but for the person the demon had chosen as a host.

Inside, Eustace dropped the fish into a wide ceramic bowl made of river clay. He placed his hand above it. A soft glow sparked at his fingertips, and within minutes, the fish was sizzling. The scent filled the room—fresh, rich, and slightly burnt.

He laid the fish on a simple wooden plate, then crouched to gather the scattered bones. Each one he handled with care, whispering under his breath as he picked them up.

Afterward, he pulled out his journal—its leather cover scarred and cracked—and a pen made from a feathered quill. He dipped it into a small cup filled with blood and began to write.

"I wonder what day it is today" He said to himself. Time meant nothing out here. There were only days and nights— no clocks, no calendars.

"Anyway… Day 5001. Chiengi Chali the lion demon has returned. The bones have shown it to me. My seal has been broken," he wrote.

"I have to find his host and kill him. I'll start right after I eat this big fish I caught. It's a really big— must be almost 50cm. Eustace, don't forget to buy salt after you kill the host and reseal the demon.

End of journal log.

Signed, Eustace N'gombe Illede — E.N.I."

He set the journal aside and began to stretch his old but strong body. His muscles were aged but still sharp—like a blade that had seen many battles. Seventy-five years old, and still standing tall. A PhD holder in Religious Studies from the University of Zimbabwe, formally University of Rhoadesia. Master of three of the ndembo arts.

He smiled, breathing in deeply.

"How long has it been since I walked among people? Oh, salt… my love, how I've missed you so much. I can finally eat fucking fish with salt! Wait I can get spices too, and meat! Ha! This demon picked a great day to return! Haha!"

He laughed until his chest hurt and then he coughed, the sound echoing off the walls of the little boathouse.

Outside, the lake was still. But something darker had begun to stir far beyond.

"Where am I? What is this place?"

The thought echoed through the vast, empty space as Demetrius floated in nothingness.

"Wait… am I dead?"

He tried to move, drifting aimlessly through the silence, hoping to make sense of where he was.

Then, something shimmered into existence before him. It was a small wooden relic, carved in the shape of a lion. It hovered in place, pulsing with a faint blue light. Even in the nothingness of the void, Demetrius could feel a powerful, caged anger radiating from it. It was the feeling of a predator pacing behind bars. "What the fuck is this?" he muttered.

Suddenly, the relic burst apart with a quiet crack, and black-and-blue smoke poured from its shattered form. The smoke began to twist and form a shape.

"I'm free at last!" a voice roared from within the light.

The swirling smoke took form—something like a lion, but not quite. Its body was made of shadow, with glowing blue eyes, sharp teeth, and a tail that ended abruptly. A demonic aura flickered around it, shifting like fire.

"Child," it said, voice deep and ancient, "what is your name?"

Demetrius hesitated. "Uh… Demetrius. Demetrius Phungamakofi."

"Demetrius Demetrius Phungamakofi. I am Chiengi Chali, the lion demon—"

"It's just one Demetri—"

"Silence, mortal! You shall not interrupt me when I speak!"

"Sorry. My bad."

"As I was saying," the demon continued, "I am the lion demon, the greatest sorcerer who ever lived. I once took human form. I mastered five of the ndembo, and in doing so, became something more. But a fool betrayed me. Killed my body. Tried to seal my soul."

It paced as it spoke, shadow limbs brushing the invisible floor.

"What he didn't know," it growled, "was that I had hidden fragments of my consciousness in animals. On that day… I lived inside a white lion I once—"

"Yeah, look man—sorry to cut you short," Demetrius said. "Silence, mor—"

"Nigga, fuck you." Demetrius hovered forward. "We're clearly both stuck here, so don't talk to me like I owe you anything. The last thing I remember is being strangled to death. I tried to fight back—failed—and now I'm floating in whatever the fuck this is. So instead of your motherfucking life story, how about you tell me where I am and what the hell is going on? Respectfully of course. Please."

There was a pause. Then the lion demon chuckled.

"I like you. You're better than the last one who came through here."

"Excuse me?"

"Let me get to the point," the demon said. "You're dead. But something about your death, and your will, brought you here. This place is a void—it exists between life and death. I've survived here because my spirit was never fully destroyed. But to return to the world of the living, I need a host. I cannot possess a body by force. You must choose."

"Choose what?"

"Become my host. Fuse with me. If you refuse, you die. A soul like yours cannot linger here like I can."

Demetrius fell silent, letting the weight of the demon's words sink in.

"What happens if I accept?"

"You gain unimaginable power. But each time you use it, you lose one year of your life. And when you finally die, I absorb your soul and return to the physical realm through you."

Demetrius blinked. "Right, right."

"Must I repeat myself?"

"No. I get it." He took a breath. "It's a no- brainer. I'm not choosing death. I've got people I need to protect—someone I need to protect right now. I won't let her die."

The demon tilted its head. "Ah. Love. A powerful motivator."

Its voice dropped into a growl. "Very well. I will grant you my power. Use it with caution. It can save—but it can also destroy."

Chiengi Chali let out a mighty roar, a sound that tore through the void and made Demetrius's spine tingle. Darkness closed in—

—and then everything vanished.

Demetrius's eyes snapped open. For a split second, he was lost. The world rushed in not as sight and sound, but as a chaotic flood of information. He could smell the coppery tang of his own blood, the sour sweat of Boneface's bloodlust, and the distant scent of rain on cold gravel all at once. The demon's roar was no longer an echo but a rumbling growl that vibrated up from his own chest cavity, a constant, predatory hum beneath his ribs.

A wave of savage instinct washed over him, his vision sharpening until he could see the heavy pulse beating in Boneface's neck, his mind screaming a single, brutal word: Prey. He felt his own muscles coiling with a power that felt alien, a strength that made his very bones ache with the need to be unleashed. 'Is this me?' he thought, horrified. 'Or is it him?'

He saw Boneface's hands, and the fear was gone, replaced by a rage so cold and pure it felt like ice flowing through his veins.

He had to get it under control. He focused on a single image: Anne's face, her eyes wide with terror in the hallway. 'Protect.' The thought was an anchor in the storm of new power. The growl in his mind subsided, becoming a tool he could wield rather than a force that controlled him.

Boneface's hands were still wrapped tight around his throat.

"Move your fucking hands," Demetrius growled through clenched teeth. The voice was his, but it carried a new, deeper resonance—a hint of the beast within.

Demetrius's hands shot up, fingers digging hard into Boneface's wrists.

"AGH!" Boneface screamed, staggering back.

Demetrius gasped for air, chest rising fast, lungs burning like fire as he pulled in breath like it was his first.

The darkness that had almost taken him vanished. Everything snapped back into sharp, painful focus.

Boneface was holding his wrists, eyes wide with shock. The cold smile he always wore was gone—his face twisted with pain and confusion.

Still breathing hard, Demetrius pushed himself up. His body trembled—not from fear or weakness, but from something new inside him. Power. He looked at Boneface. His eyes said it all. The hunted had become the hunter.

Boneface snapped out of his shock and charged again, screaming with rage.

But Demetrius was faster.

He moved like water, smooth and quick. Boneface couldn't keep up. Demetrius dodged the wild attack with ease, then struck.

With a sharp twist and brutal speed, he kicked Boneface's knee.

Crack.

The sound echoed across the empty road as Boneface crumpled, howling in pain.

This doesn't make sense. My ndembo isn't fully developed, but it should still be strong enough. Why isn't it? I killed him—I'm certain I did, Boneface thought.

Before he could recover, Demetrius was on him.

Demetrius threw punch after punch—clean, hard, and fast. Boneface tried to block, but his arms were slow. He was losing.

Demetrius grabbed his injured leg and, ignoring the screams, spun him hard. He slammed Boneface into the gravel again and again, shaking the ground. Small craters formed where his body hit.

Then Demetrius dragged him down the road—fast.

He ran with new power, faster than ever. Gravel flew beneath his feet. Something had changed. The near-death moment had unlocked something deep inside him. He didn't know what it was, but it was real.

The campus came into view in a blur.

Demetrius exploded into the courtyard. The sounds of battle filled the air. He sensed Dante, beaten and tired, fighting Bill Tendai with everything he had.

Without slowing down, Demetrius hurled Boneface through the mist.

The body flew, crashing into the gravel with a heavy thud.

Bill Tendai turned, attention caught.

Dante looked up, eyes wide with relief. He backed away from Bill, breathing hard.

"Took you long enough," he said, voice tired but playful. "I warmed him up nice and rough for ya. Show's all yours, Meech. Break his legs."

Then Dante dropped, out cold.

Demetrius faced Bill. His eyes were sharp, dangerous. The fight wasn't over.

"With pleasure," Demetrius said quietly, stepping forward, ready to let the power loose.

The courtyard fell silent.

Not a whisper, not a breath.

For a fleeting moment, the chaos seemed to pause as if the world itself held its breath, watching. The fog that had once cloaked the battlefield was beginning to clear, unveiling a hellish aftermath. Burnt-out cars hissed and popped with dying flames, their metal frames warped and blackened. The stench of smoke, blood, and charred flesh hung heavy in the air, clinging to everything. Dead soldiers littered the ground like broken dolls, their lifeless forms twisted where they'd fallen.

Bill stood alone amidst the carnage, his eyes locked on Demetrius. There was something about that stare—something sharp and unyielding that made the hairs on his neck rise. He could hear the crack of Demetrius's knuckles, each snap like a warning shot.

Demetrius's aura had changed. No longer subtle, it burned black and blue, rippling like lightning trapped in a storm cloud. The energy made the air feel alive—charged and dangerous. Even from a distance, Bill felt it crawling over his skin like static, prickling and biting at him. It was the same strange sensation as pins and needles but amplified, as though every nerve in his body was aware of Demetrius's power.

What is this…? Bill's jaw tightened.

Demetrius's voice cut through the quiet like a blade.

"Dante, if you can still hear me… get away from the courtyard."

Dante staggered, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. He coughed hard, wiping his face with the back of his hand.

"Alright…" His voice was hoarse but steady. "I'll help inside."

In a blink, he melted into the darkness, disappearing like smoke swallowed by shadows.

Demetrius's stare returned to Bill—cold, unwavering.

Bill smirked. "I have to admit, kid… I'm impressed. Didn't think you'd survive this long. And you—beating Boneface? That's something I didn't think anyone but me could pull off." He tilted his head mockingly. "Your friend… he gave me a decent challenge too. But I had to go easy on him. I like to play with my food."

Demetrius said nothing.

Bill's grin widened. "Silent, huh? Then let me fill in the gaps. I almost killed your friend back there. And you know what? I wasn't even trying. I used… what? Ten percent of my power?" His tone sharpened as his grin dropped. "So, mwaiche, tell me… what do you think will happen to you if I double that?"

Demetrius chuckled under his breath.

Bill's eyebrow twitched. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Demetrius replied. "Just remembering something about men who talk too big."

Bill's grin returned, a predator's smile. "Oh, is that so?"

"Yeah…" Demetrius looked down at his right fist, curling it slowly as veins bulged under his skin. "The bigger they are—"

He vanished.

BAM!

Bill didn't even have time to blink. A crushing uppercut ripped through his jaw from below, the impact so violent it cracked the air like thunder. His body was thrown into the sky like a rag doll.

"—the harder they fall."

Before Bill could process what had happened, Demetrius appeared mid-air above him, twisting in motion.

CRACK! A spinning axe kick slammed down on his head, sending Bill plummeting into the gravel below. The ground exploded into a crater, dust and debris raining outward.

Demetrius landed softly on the rim of the crater, looking down.

Bill lay still. Then, slowly, he laughed—a low, guttural sound that grew into a manic cackle.

"That was good, mwaiche! Really fucking good!" He rose from the pit like nothing had happened, brushing the dirt off his shoulders. "And look at you… flying like a butterfly, ai?" His grin sharpened. "But you know the saying… if you're gonna float like a butterfly youngster…" He tilted his head, eyes gleaming with excitement. "…you'd better sting like a bee."

Demetrius's eyes narrowed. "Impossible… You're still standing after that?"

"Not impossible," Bill replied, flexing his fists. "Just Bill. Now—let's see if you can keep up!"

The air changed instantly.

Bill's aura flared—a wave of energy rippling outward, twisting the gravity around them. The ground beneath Demetrius cracked and sank as if the earth itself was bowing to Bill's power.

Before Demetrius could react, Bill was gone.

WHAM! A punch slammed into Demetrius's ribs from the right, the force rattling his bones.

BAM! Another hit, this time to his stomach, folding him like paper.

CRACK! A knee smashed into his back, launching him forward—only for Bill to appear in front of him mid-air, his fist cocked.

"Mwaiche Nkala pansi!(sit down kid!)"

The punch landed square on Demetrius's chest, blasting him into the campus fence. The stone shattered like glass, sending cracks spider-webbing across the surface.

Demetrius gasped, coughing blood as he slid down the broken wall, his body aching. " So fast… I couldn't even see him move."

Bill cracked his knuckles. "Come on mwaiche. Don't tell me that's all you've got. If you can't keep up, this fight's gonna be boring!"

Demetrius spat blood onto the ground, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His breathing slowed, his gaze sharpening. The black-and-blue aura around him flared, brighter than before, buzzing like electricity.

Bill tilted his head. "Ah ah, yesai mwaiche"

"You talk too much," Demetrius muttered. His fists clenched as the air around him vibrated. A faint hum grew louder, like a storm building in the distance.

Then—he vanished.

BAM-BAM-BAM!

A flurry of blows rained down on Bill. Left hook to the jaw, uppercut to the ribs, elbow to the temple—each hit faster than the last, each hit echoing like thunder. Bill staggered but laughed through the pain, grinning like a madman.

"Yesai! Come on! More power mwaiche!"

Demetrius gritted his teeth.

The black-and-blue aura around him spiked, swirling violently. He clenched his right fist so hard his knuckles cracked.

BOOM! A single devastating punch to Bill's chest sent shockwaves rippling through the air, the ground beneath them splitting open. Bill flew backward like a cannonball, smashing through a burnt-out car.

Bill emerged slowly from the wreck, laughing. His grin was wider now, almost feral.

"Youngster, tell me your name? I'm loving this waziba(you know)" He wiped blood from his lip and pointed a finger at Demetrius.

"Demetrius bitch."

"A chi young Meech. Lovely mwaiche, lovely. Alright, let me get a little more serious now. You've earned it."

The ground trembled. The air grew heavy. Bill's aura erupted like a storm—red and black energy swirling around him, bending the space between them.

Demetrius's eyes narrowed. "Then I guess I'll stop holding back too."

Bill's aura exploded, rippling like a living storm. The ground beneath him cracked and split, pebbles rising into the air as if gravity itself had lost its grip. His eyes glowed a violent crimson, and the heat of his energy burned the air around him, warping it like a mirage.

"Mwaiche," Bill growled, flexing his fists, "Uli ready?(are you ready)"

Demetrius stood his ground, shoulders rising and falling with each breath. The black-and-blue aura surrounding him flared wildly, dark tendrils licking at the air like fire. Sparks of electricity hissed around his body, snapping with a sound like breaking glass.

"I can't hold back now," Demetrius thought. "If I do, I'll die here."

Bill crouched slightly, the ground sinking beneath his feet. "Let's go."

BOOM!

He launched forward like a missile.

Demetrius vanished the instant Bill moved. Their auras collided mid-air, creating a shockwave so powerful it flattened the flames around them.

CLANG! BAM! CRACK!

Their fists clashed like steel against steel, each hit throwing sparks into the air. Bill swung with bone-shattering force, but Demetrius matched him blow for blow, his speed now blinding.

"Not bad!" Bill shouted, blocking a punch with his forearm. "But I can see through your moves!"

He ducked under Demetrius's next strike and countered with a devastating uppercut.

BOOM!

The blow sent Demetrius crashing into the air. But before he could even descend, Bill was already there, teleporting through sheer bursts of compressed air.

CRACK! A kick to the ribs.

SMASH! A punch to the jaw.

BAM! A palm strike to the chest.

Demetrius was being pummeled in mid-air like a ragdoll.

But then—Demetrius's eyes sharpened.

SWOOSH!

He twisted mid-air and slammed his foot into Bill's side with a roar, sending him hurtling into the campus fence.

Bill hit with enough force to shatter the stone, but he just laughed, blood dripping down his chin.

"C'mon mwaiche! That's the fire I want to see!"

Demetrius landed, panting, his aura now pulsing like a living beast. He clenched his fists, electricity crackling louder around him.

"You think this is fun?" he growled. "You think I'm just here to entertain you?"

Bill grinned, wiping blood from his lip. "No, youngster. You're here to prove to me that you're worth killing."

The ground trembled again as both men's auras flared, rising like pillars of energy. The entire courtyard seemed to darken as their power peaked.

Then, they both vanished.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The sound of their clash shook the earth, shockwaves bursting through the campus as they moved too fast for the eye to follow. Broken fragments of stone and metal floated in the air from the sheer force of their energy.

Suddenly, a massive flash erupted in the center of the courtyard as they both reappeared, fists locked in a dead clash, black-and-blue energy grinding against red-and-black like two colliding storms. The air screamed between them, the ground splitting apart beneath their feet.

"Let's go! Keep it coming!" Bill grunted, forcing Demetrius back with sheer strength. "I'm still warming up!"

His aura spiked again—red lightning tearing across his skin. With a roar, he grabbed Demetrius by the arm and hurled him into the ground, the impact creating a crater that shook the entire courtyard.

Demetrius coughed, blood spilling from his mouth. He could barely move.

"He's… stronger than I thought. If I don't end this now, I'm done for."

Bill moved in, his grin sharp and predatory. "What's wrong mwaiche? Fresh out of tricks?"

He sank his teeth into his thumb, unleashing the Ndembo of Misisi he had been holding back. "Did you forget I'm a ndembo wielder? Until now, I've only been fighting you with the strength of my bloodline and only a fraction of my ndembo."

Demetrius's fist trembled as he pushed himself to his knees. Then, with a deep breath, he raised his right hand to his lips and bit down hard on the thenar eminence—the way Misisi fighters unlocked their true power.

Bill's grin faded slightly. "Oh? What's this?"

Demetrius's body shook violently. His black-and-blue aura flared so bright it looked like the cloudy sky itself split in two. The ground around him sank, chunks of stone levitating as his energy warped gravity. Sparks of black lightning lashed out in every direction. His breathing grew heavy, almost inhuman, as if something deeper had awakened.

Bill's eyes widened for the first time. "…You're kidding me."

Demetrius's voice was low, almost a growl.

He vanished.

BAM!

Bill barely managed to throw up his guard before a punch smashed into his chest, launching him straight through the remaining concrete wall of the campus.

Blood spilled from his mouth, but he laughed, a mix of pain and thrill in his voice. "This kid is insane!" he thought. "I have to go all out. I can't die here. Not yet. Not before I see the country the Commander will build."

His aura erupted like a storm, red flames coiling around his fists. The air twisted and warped, as if reality itself trembled in fear of him.

The courtyard shook as both warriors powered. The late morning sky above them swirled, black clouds forming as their energy clashed.

They both stared at each other, breathing heavily.

And then—

BOOM!

They vanished, colliding in the center of the courtyard with a shockwave that lit up the day like a bomb going off, scattering all the corpses. The entire campus trembled.

When the dust cleared, both were standing, bloodied, fists pressed against each other's faces in a deadlock.

Bill bared a bloodstained grin. "You're strong—damn strong—but I will not fall!"

The ground beneath them began to sink and crack as if the earth itself couldn't handle what was coming.