Edited by: KenChi死

I was sitting in the bush somewhere around the forest. In the end I didn’t find a venomous snake. A one 9 meters tall son of a b… that was hanging out of the tree looking for prey to jump for and choke to death – yes, yet no venomous one. After a few hours I decided to resume tormenting hunters. Walter and Sebastian were scouting the area around the hunters. After they buried bodies of their fallen comrades they moved out. A nice thing – they stick the branches shaped into the cross into the ground near the graves, and on those graves they hanged rings. As they head out I collect those. Those are my trophies. Oh, by the way, they do not honor cross as holy symbol of any kind. It was just easier to hang rings on chains on crosses.

Now, back to the business. Thanks to ravens I know the position of troop, and thanks to this I was able to predict the movements of the squad. Well, more or less, for as they had no precise place they were heading to, they tend to change their directions without any real reason. Well, Kaito will soon suffer some sore throat because of all that growling and howling made in order to… “convince” the hunters to change direction. Honestly, who would head into direction of some noises made by some beast?

And I was sitting in a bush. Nothing was happening. If somehow they would avoid the position I was now guarding I would be a bit mad. Aw, please guyz! This location is perfect! The trees and bushes were not so numbered here, so a big party could easily travel here without breaking formation. I do not intent to break a formation. Kill one or two, then run. Come on! There is a nice trap here too! I used such to hunt rabbits, it is a bit too small to kill a hunter… maybe if they would fall really bad, but the main idea behind it was to slow them down even more… to keep them busy taking care of there injuries. Do you know, that main point in making land mine was not to kill enemies, but to cripple them? Injuring is better than killing… on war, I mean. If there is 100 solider in squad, and you would cripple 50 of them, then you are truly eliminating 100 solider, for the remaining 50 will have to carry, treat and so on their companions… I would like poison though. Why deadly poison is good, if I just told that the main idea is not about killing?

Cuz I want to kill them! Just not from the very start. And seeing your friends dying even as you were trying all your best to help them… Such thing would break them even further.

I am bored! What to… “We-all-live-in-a-ye-llow-sub-marine… ye-llow-sub-marine”…

Sebastian landed on my shoulder sharing with me memory link. They are walking here… as I said, more or less, but direction seems to be good.

It is the time, now focus, stay calm…

~I still don’t get it why we are fighting like cowards! We should simply rush in and trample those maggots!

The same thing that boar champion tried to do with me?

~That’s right!!! Charge in and…

And you remember how this “charge in” has ended? And please take a note, that I don’t have your… sorry, it’s - vitality and strength. Even if I would partly use your traits… but I promise you that I will probably maybe take into consideration option of possibility of attacking them directly as they number will decrease.

~… You promise?

Told you already.

Something that could be named like happy squeal was heard at the corner of my mind… honestly? Wrath? Being happy? End of the world.

The hunter entered the field. I watched them as they walked in specific formation. They were too far from each other to be hit by the same attack, and close enough to help attacked friend. The leader… damn him, was moving in such manner that bodies of his underlings were partly covering his silhouette. No clean shoot line. So, keep waiting for now. One of the hunters was getting closer and closer to the hole with spikes. Just a bit more.. three… two… one..

A scream disturbed the silence of the forest. Perfect. Why are you always using the middle of the path? Do you know what is best place to dig a hole trap? It is a damned middle of the path! I rise up from the bush. It was located on the side of the path that the hunters were traveling, so for now I was more or less in a blind spot. In the other word I have at least enough time to make one shot without being spotted… ah screw this, I will have no time to get back for that arrow so…

The arrowhead was lighted by fire aura for a second before it was released. This time I would like to try something new. Instead of explosive magic I used the wisp one. It hit the target directly in the back. The arrows was now jutting proudly poking out of its target. Normally the fire magic would be triggered upon the contact, but as it is a bomb with remote ignition… I still had some control over it… [Wisp] – activation.

Have you ever seen an explosion inside of someone? Wait… that would be weird… so maybe inside of something? If not here is a visualization of what happened: The flesh on his back bulged and exploded. The chunks of meat were ripped apart making it possible to look at the spine of the poor hunter. I was already pulling another arrow, but I was spotted faster then I though. End of killing for now. Told ya’ – there is no need in rushing things. They will all die. I will be around every corner. In every shadow. They will see my face at every corner… And as they see Gotham turning into ashes they will have my permission to die… oops, went a bit too ahead.

Someone was chasing me. Really? You think SUCH action was not predicted? How did they survive here so long? Oh, even two of them, well my plan was dealing with one… Never mind. I will keep running and loss them in the forest. After few more steps I heard screams of another hunter. He was probably now dragged by leg into another side of forest? By what was he dragged? By teeth, of course. Whose teeth? Kaito’s.

Your hasve slain the [Witch Hunter of Holy Kingdom level 14]

You have obtained 74 exp + 9 exp

Your familiar [Kaito] has slain the [Witch Hunter of Holy Kingdom level 16]

You have obtained 87 exp + 9 exp + combo x2 - 87

Your skill [Bow usage - beginner] has leveled up. [Bow usage - beginner] is now level 8

Mission succeed. Proceed to next stage!

Pov change!

“Report the casualties!”

Inquisitor Meredir was in really bad mood. In order to improve the success possibilities of this mission he decided to merge a few squads. It was made to improve the guards and better divide tasks like seeking for alternative sources of food, materials required to build a real camp and so on. But his enemy was a hunter of some kind. Maybe not the best one, but still a hunter. And they are on territory he knows and will use it as a great advantage.

“Sir! One dead, one injured and one missing!” “Missing!?” “Sir! A beast from this night attacked again! It dragged Sirius to the forest!”

It is bad! Way worse then he thought!

“Scot! Find a sufficient location! We need an empty space to make a fortified camp! Rase a walls, dig pits! We have to kill this beast.” “Sir?” “Listen up, maggots! I was hoping it to be but a coincidence that a beast last night attacked in same time as this hunter, or that it was lurked here. But it looks like… we are fighting with a beastmaster. He used the beast as bait to keep us busy while he shot to us, and to defend him while he retreat from the ambushes! We are vulnerable as we move, for a location he knows well. To progress operation and kill the target we have to first kill the beast. Without it he will be but a bowman with a few fire tricks. Listen up, that creature is his main weapon as he is a poor user of the bow, he barely can shot in a straight line and it takes him some time to aim. Without a beast we will catch him in no time.” “Sir! Please just look at the damage he has done! He seems to be more skilled in magic than being able to do few trick…” “Fool! Don’t you know how incantation works?!” “Sir! There was no chant, sir!” “You foolish maggot! He just needed to write a formula on a scroll, and then imbue the arrows with an already prepared spell! Making scrolls is time consuming, but don’t require much knowledge!”

Idiots, idiots everywhere. How did they survive long enough to get here? It is a basic strategy to deal with a witch – to understand his/her way of fighting and range of skills. If you are dealing with fire mage you will be able to prepare fire nullification equipment. You ever saw a mage when his magic is useless? Yet this one is thinking different. He knows, that magic may be unreliable, so he found a beast and trained his bow skills. If some time would pass he could really became a threat for the church… he has lost almost half of his squad, but now he has all information needed. It is the beginning of the end for this boy.

Some time later.

4 inquisitors and 2 hunters. It’s the best configuration, for somehow the witch has not killed the most skilled solider. Or maybe he was aiming for the weakest all this time? It will be dark in about an hour, but the camp was finished. The fence was raised around the camp with the weakest part of it was taking role of the gate. It was not a coincidence, with some luck this is a place which will be attacked.

The injured solider has his legs in really bad condition, but he will not remain useless. He was given two crossbows, one was small one with bolt loaded that has arrowhead shaped in matter to stick into the body of its target and cause as much bleeding as possible, why another was a crossbow that was used to pierce heavy armors. His job was to first shoot the target in however he pleased to weaken the beast and reduce its mobility, then he would have more time to aim with the heavy crossbow.

“Sir… d.. do you know when we may be attacked?” How did he get so far without a brain? “Right before dusk or dawn, where there will be barely any light. When we will be tired or sleeping. First he will use some fire magic to both blind us and give a vision of the camp, then he would send a beast and probably shoot with the arrows. And how will you act?” “Sir! According to plan! As the gate will be down and beast will get in we will jump into pits we dug in order to hide from the range of the arrows, then, in those pits we will engage the beast from all sides, bleeding it out” Tsh, at least his memory is working a bit.

6 soliders and one of them is injured. It is possible to sacrifice up to 3 members of squad. If anyone else would fall he will not chase the witch, instead he will look for another squad to join forces and the keep looking for him. Without a beast it will be…

A bright light appeared on the sky right above the camp and stayed there. And then another one, and another and so on. 6 flying torches? Those were one of the most basic fire class spells, not so mobile without strong fire power. They main purpose, as the name indicate, was to be a source of light.

And then with a roar the gate was blown away. In an instant everyone jumped into the pits corridors dug inside of the camp. You dumb asshole, this night you will lose your puppy and from predator you will take a role of prey.

The beast willingly jumped into the pits and charged at one of the inquisitors. He steped aside and picked up a self made spear, that was actually long, sturdy sharpened stick. In the corridors it will be harder for him to move and spears will not allow him to get closer without getting impaled from the other side of corridor another inquisitor jumped with the spear. A whizzing sound could be heard in the night.

“Get down you idiot! Your head is…” It was too late. The arrow went all way through his throat. The idiot that forget to keep his head low was now bleeding to death. Impossible to help him. He will be dying a slow death, as the arrow was being now also a plug that was not letting all the blood to run out at once. He will die in a few minutes if he would stay like this, or almost immediately if he would remove the arrow. There were no tools in the camp to stop the bleeding. This fool life will end here, in the pits. 5 more to go.

Another whizz, this time the bolt was released by the injured crossbow user. The bolt hit the side of the back if the beast which roared painfully. The hunter threw away the small crossbow, and picked up from the ground the heavy one, and took some time aiming.

In this time beast jumped on the inquisitor, impaling itself on the spear, yet still managed to dug its fangs in his throat of the poor inquisitor. Fear not, your sacrifice helped the church. Your name may even be mention by the prophetess in prays. That will be greatest reward you could beg for.

The bolt form the heavy crossbow was fired. As it hit the body of the beast, the sound of braking bones could be heard. The beast roared once again, but this time in terrible pain, then it collapsed on the body of dying inquisitor. 4 were still alive.

The remaining alive members of troop rejoiced. The high inquisitor was extremely pleased. He achieved his goal with less casualties then he allowed himself. Now it will be only a matter of time to…

The body of the beast was getting semi-transparent and some sparkling dust was being blown from it away as the wind blew. It can’t be true… no…no…NO…NO!!!!

“S…sir! What is happening!?” “ I was mistaken… he is not a beastmaster… a summoner?” “D..Does it change anything?” “It changes everything. If a bestmaster loses his follower, he will have to sacrifice lots of time to tame another… But a summoner… you can’t kill a summon… By destroying its vessel we temporary violated his connection with the spirits realm… but as some time will pass, the beast will be back, this night will not change anything…”

Suddenly it gets brighter. The high inquisitor raised his head to the sky. The torches were falling. But… those were not meant to have such a speed… Not torches… wisps? Those can be fully controlled and may explode upon impact! And cuz’ the gate is down the witch can see there locations!

Six explosions could be heard in the camp. 2 more hunters were killed and rest were lying on the ground heavily injured.

From the darkens a shaped of a human started getting closer to the camp. His heart for the moment stopped, and then started pounding like a mad. This creature was holding a bow, so there was no doubt that he was the culprit behind this slaughter. Yet… This body… instead of legs hoofs of a horse, the muscles on thighs and arms were bulged in a sick mannerr showing an insane strength. Hands instead of nails were armed with claws. Head of wolf, with deer’s horns. This… abomination… this is how in many books the devils are pictured. Holy light… have mercy…

The monster kneeled before him on one of his legs, to be on same level with him. As he did, two ravens landed on his shoulders.

“Soooo… Here are the option I am giving to you: one – You will tell me where I may find your friends, and you will die fast. Two – you will not speak a thing, so I will make re-define the meaning of pain, then you will tell me, and in the end you will die… Pick, before I will pick instead of you…”

Goddess! This voice! Like growling of Bachoru himself!

“P…p…perish filthy beast! I am protected by light o..of the goddess of…” “Stop mumbling… The goddess you are calling gave me a permission to hunt you down herself… as long as I will not kill her followers for revenge… ha, she still allows me to kill them because of any other reasons… Now, speak. Or I will help you.” “…L..LIAR! BLASPHEMER! I will not tremb… GWAAAH!”

The screams of the inquisitor was echoing through the forest for many more hours. Every touch of the beast was like burning needles pierced through the skin, as it was powered by [Painful Touch] chaos magic. In the end the beast get all the information it was looking for. To be sure, it asked everyone. Twice.