​Yuki continued sprinting through the thick, snow-covered forest, heading in the direction of the elite knight squad.

​Before he could even sense the knights’ presence, they had already picked up his energy signature and pivoted to intercept him. The squad was on high guard and deeply shocked—sensing an unknown individual out in this desolate, frozen wasteland with such a low essence count was practically unheard of.

​How was this person still alive? Why were they out here alone? Were they friend or foe?

​Yuki leaped over a fallen, snow-draped spruce trunk and landed on his feet, only for his legs to plunge deep into a hidden drift.

​"Oh, come on!" Yuki groaned, hauling himself out of the deep snow.

​He pushed himself up, ready to resume his sprint, only to find a heavily armored knight standing directly in front of him.

​Before Yuki could draw a weapon or react to defend himself, the knight lunged forward, grabbed Yuki’s wrist, spun him around, and pinned him face-down into the snow.

​"What are you?!" the knight demanded.

​"A Pureblood Vampire!" Yuki blurted out frantically, coughing up snow. "I’m an Inquisitor!"

​"What?" the knight asked, visibly confused.

​He spun Yuki back around, yanked up his sleeve, and inspected his forearm for the crest. Once he verified the blue-and-silver star—confirming Yuki was indeed an allied officer and not a disguised monster, he let go.

​"Come," the knight ordered. Without another word, he scooped Yuki up like a sack of potatoes and tucked him tightly under his arm.

​Once Yuki was securely stowed, the knight took off at blinding speed, navigating the dense forest with incredible agility.

​The rapid footsteps of the knight returning with Yuki were soon picked up by the rest of the squad.

​"21 is returning," Commander 09 said, resting a gauntleted hand on the hilt of his blade. "Keep an eye on 22."

​"Sir," 23 responded, holding their unconscious squad mate securely in his arms.

​"I’m back, sir," 21 called out, coming into view through the snow with Yuki still tucked firmly under his arm. "I found her out in the snow. She shows no traces of corruption or mental interference."

​Commander 09 stared. "21."

​"Sir?"

​"...Why are you holding her like that?"

​"What do you mean, sir?"

​"What exactly is she?"

​"A Pureblood Vampire, sir."

​"...Do you even know what that means?"

​"No, sir... but she’s an Inquisitor," 21 replied plainly, holding Yuki up by the back of his coat like a cat on display.

​"Hi," Yuki offered a weak wave to the armored squad.

​Commander 09 let out a heavy sigh through his visor. "The Queen is just handing out Inquisitor crests to anyone these days, huh...? Fine. Bring her along."

​"I can walk, you know," Yuki protested, squirming to get 21 to set him down.

​"Silence, young lady," 21 ordered sternly. "You are slow and a liability. Having you follow us on foot is not an option."

​"Fine," Yuki muttered, folding his arms in annoyance. He wasn’t a woman, but if they assumed he was, letting them think so was far easier than arguing.

​The squad set off again, making their way back toward the forward camp to rest and recover—completely unaware that they were marching straight into a slaughterhouse.

​Meanwhile, out in the dense woods surrounding the compound, the thirty elite knights sent to eliminate Bahameth had lost the monster’s trail. Realizing the creature was using the blinding snowstorm to elude them, the captains decided it was best to pull back and defend the base rather than search blindly through the blizzard.

​Bahameth, however, had already circled back around the compound, taking care to stay well outside the knights’ visual and radar range.

​The demon paused at the edge of the tree line, its glowing eyes locking onto a small group approaching the perimeter.

​"One..." Bahameth rasped, its voice trembling with cruel joy. "Only one..." It smiled widely.

​In a split second, Bahameth launched itself forward at lightning speed. Before Commander 09 or his squad could react, the frozen ground beneath them exploded like a volcanic eruption, launching all five of them into the air amidst a shower of shattered rock and ice.

​Yuki hit the frozen earth hard, the impact instantly shattering his right arm.

​The elite knights, however, managed to twist in mid-air, landing upright on their feet and instantly drawing their swords. Even though they couldn’t fully lock onto the attacker’s presence, they knew whatever hit them was strong enough to obliterate the bedrock.

​"Prepare for combat!" Commander 09 roared to his team.

​Before 09 could coordinate a defensive formation, Bahameth closed the distance.

​In a flash, the shadow demon materialized directly over the Commander, bringing its massive, clawed hands down in a devastating strike. Commander 09 raised his great sword to parry, but Bahameth’s raw physical power was simply overwhelming.

​The strike shattered both of the Commander’s armored arms instantly, blowing his sword away before the sheer kinetic force blasted his body backward into a thick tree trunk, snapping it completely in half.

​"Comma—"

​Bahameth spun on its heel and impaled 23 straight through the chest with its massive talons. Without breaking momentum, the demon swung 23’s impaled body like a club, slamming him violently into 21.

​The two heavy knights collided with sickening force, their armor bursting open as their bodies were crushed and thrown through the air.

​The demon threw its head back and let out a guttural, terrifying screech that sounded like metal grinding against breaking bones. Yuki clamped his hands over his ears, groaning in sheer agony from the sound wave.

​The moment the screech died down, Bahameth turned its multi-eyed torso toward Yuki and delivered a full-force fist right into his chest. The blow covered his entire torso, instantly shattering his ribs, rupturing his internal organs, and fracturing his spine.

​Yuki felt his body fly through the freezing air before slamming directly onto 22, who had only just regained consciousness and stood up.

​Bahameth, the Primordial Sin, sauntered over to where Yuki’s mangled form lay sprawled over 22, who was clutching her chest and whimpering in pain. The demon smiled, delighted to see that both of them were still breathing.

​To ensure they would survive long enough for the arrival of Lykagon, the Harbinger of Frost, the demon leaned down, grabbed 22’s right leg, and ripped it clean off. Before she could bleed out, Bahameth focused its essence to superheat its skin, pressing a burning claw against the stump to instantly cauterize the wound shut.

​Turning to Yuki, the demon watched with fascination as the boy’s vampiric regeneration slowly went to work, mending his broken bones and torn organs. Bahameth waited patiently until Yuki’s body was nearly fully repaired—and then brought its massive fist down, crushing his chest all over again.

​It repeated the process, smashing and letting him heal, until Yuki’s essence reserves were completely depleted and his body could no longer recover.

​Once Yuki was barely clinging to life and running on fumes, the demon scooped up both battered survivors and carried them toward the forward camp’s perimeter. It dumped them right outside the front gate and melted back into the blizzard to avoid taking fire from the heavy ballista’s.

​The guards atop the ramparts immediately spotted the bleeding survivors and frantically signaled the medics, swinging the heavy front gates wide open.

​As the medical team rushed out to retrieve the bodies, a sickening, raspy growl echoed quietly from the surrounding storm.

​Bahameth grinned in the dark. Its trap was set, and the massacre was right on schedule.

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