Translator: Wryn 8th Hunt: Demon Hunt The demon"s strike Nothing left unscathed The demon"s hunting day All creatures flee "Papa Avery, I"m hanging out with my friends, I might come home very late." Daren Avery called home to inform of his whereabouts via his mobile. On the other end of the phone, Theodore Avery asked onerously after a long pause, "Dar… Does having dinner require the use of the Death Scythe?" "Ah…" Dar was flabbergasted, "Papa Avery, you noticed I took the Scythe?" "Yeah. Devon called home earlier ranting about the modified humans appearing and the attack on you. I thought you might be using the Death Scythe soon and was going to perform some maintenance, only to find it missing." "Don"t tell gege ok?" Daren pleaded. "Where are you going?" Seeing as his attempt at lying failed, Daren dared not lie to Theodore further. He replied frankly, "I"m going to destroy the laboratory of those modified humans." "Your brother will be furious. No, he"ll implode with rage…" Daren was also aware that if his brother knew about it, he would be extremely, intensely, exceptionally angry. However, he could not circ.u.mvent the basic imperative of hunting down Devon"s enemies. In addition, he did not even want to rebel against this imperative, he wanted to protect his brother. "Just don"t let him find out." Devon Solaris would know. He would definitely find out. Even the wounds on your body would not escape the detection of that freak with a brother complex. Theodore grumbled internally while knowing that Daren would not give up despite his advice. That"s because Dar and Devon are brothers through and through. One has a younger brother complex and the other has an older brother complex. They become equally stubborn in all matters pertaining to the other! "Alright, I will help tell your brother…" I just hope that Devon won"t instantly unmask this lie and shoot me on the spot. "Thank you Papa Avery." Daren replied ecstatically. "You"re welcome… If you really want to thank me, bring a few undamaged modified human corpses back for me to experiment on!" "Hehe. Papa Avery, Dar has sent a present to you! It should arrive shortly." Dar chuckled on the other end, thinking about how Papa Avery would absolutely adore the presents. "Oh?" Theodore asked dumbly. He was still thinking of reminding Dar to call his brother when the line went dead. "h.e.l.lo, h.e.l.lo? Seriously. Dar just hung up like that. How in the world am I supposed to inform Devon and stay alive…" Ding Dong! Was that… the door bell? Theodore s.p.a.ced out for a second before reacting. The three members of this household all possessed keys and hence, would certainly not ring the door bell. Moreover, the three members of this household were equally friendless, n.o.body would visit them. Even the mailman has never approached. Theodore walked to the front door and pressed on the intercom b.u.t.ton. Several opulent youngsters he did not recognise stood beyond. Wait! He had seen one of them before… more accurately speaking, he had seen that head of hair before. An amber porcupine head. Dar"s friends? Theodore was perplexed. Dar isn"t home, what are they doing here? The girl on the screen dumped the modified human on her shoulder onto the ground with a loud thump, yelling unhappily, "What is this? Dar is so strange, how can anyone like this kind of present?" "Quiet down, the person who likes "this kind of present" is Dar"s father. You must be respectful to your elders, Eloise," a boy with a bright smile chided. "What respect!" the girl called Eloise incredulously reb.u.t.ted. "I think only freaks will like this kind of present!" "You guys are really noisy!" The strapping, orange, porcupine head bristled, "Anyway, Dark Sun said Dar wants us to deliver these people to his Papa Avery. We should just do it, who cares if his father is a freak?" "It would"ve been good if we delivered it to his brother. Dar is so cute, his brother must be handsome, his father… I know he"s a geezer just by the sound of it." Even if he"s not a geezer, he"s already a father. You"re not even letting fathers off the hook...? Elian and Eli glanced at each other, exchanging hapless looks. Just as Eloise was about to suggest throwing down the presents and leaving, the door flung open to reveal a refined and scholarly man wearing a pair of small spectacles. Yet this man of such refinement spat in displeasure, "My apologies, the freak I am just loves this type of present!" Eloise stared at him intensely, thoroughly checking him out before swallowing her mouthful of saliva. Theodore was getting goose b.u.mps and just as he was about to slam the door, Eloise screeched, "So hot! A refined hottie!" Her eyes morphed into hearts, "You must be the brother Dar frequently mentions!" Theodore quirked his eyebrow as he looked at the girl who just called him a freak and geezer. With the att.i.tude of a member of a peanut gallery, he denied, "No, his brother is not back yet. I am the Papa Avery that Dar was talking about." Eloise"s jaw dropped. "What? You"re that freaky old man?" "…" Theodore replied coldly: "You can call me a freak, but you"re not allowed to call me an old man." Elian hastily pushed the fossilised Eloise aside as he politely explained, "Sir, are you Dar"s father? How do you do? We are Dar"s schoolmates; Dar wanted us to deliver these things… these "people"." Elian was left on tenterhooks, wondering if Dar"s father would be infuriated. After all, these malevolent humanoid "things" still twitching on the ground despite broken disjointed limbs were not exactly ideal presents. Instead of flying off the handle, Theodore crouched down and observed the six deformed but still very much alive modified humans, revealing a creepy smile that gave the four youngsters a chill that penetrated down to their bones. He adjusted the spectacles perched on his nose, as he tenderly caressed the squirming "things" on the ground, saying gratefully, "Dar, you really are my angel!" Meanwhile, Dark Sun stood before a seemingly abandoned factory, glancing at the map Kyle provided through his silver visors. There"s no mistake. This is it. All that was left was to await the arrival of the stealth team… As the Solaris Emperor"s secretary, Kyle"s efficiency was unimaginably expeditious. Dark Sun had raced to the location after departing from the headquarters without any delay other than the brief phone call to Theodore. Yet, the stealth team appeared within ten minutes. Three individuals arrived equipped with heavy artillery. They proffered the emblem of the Solaris Emperor before asking, "Dark Sun?" Dark Sun nodded. He did not possess a mark but instead revealed a unique key. It was an elegant circular rim beset with grooves and ridges resembling the spokes of the sun attached to an elongated shaft encasing a microchip within. Should it be stolen, it could be made to self destruct via satellite. With one look at the key, the trio simultaneously took a sharp intake of breath. Wasn"t this the personal key of the Solaris Emperor? The Solaris Emperor detested all things bothersome, such as a large jangling chunk of keys, hence everything which required a key, including his room, doors, car, security safe etc., had specially constructed locks that could only be unlocked by this particular key. Naturally, it was the one and only of its kind. However, it is no longer the only one in existence. There now exists two, one in the hands of the Solaris Emperor and the other with Dark Sun. The trio recognised it instantly and bowed with respect, "Right hand of Solaris Emperor, let us a.s.sist and protect you with our lives." Solaris Emperor"s right hand? Are they referring to Kyle-ge? He is undisputedly gege"s right hand man. Without him, gege would be crippled, Daren mused silently. Kyle was undeniably capable. He sent only three personnel, a force perfectly suited to Dark Sun"s personality. Being inept at commanding and leading, if he was supplied an entire unit, he would have abandoned it in favour of a one man show. In addition, the trio was equipped with heavy artillery which Dark Sun was lacking in. It was immeasurably useful in breaking through heavily fortified defences. "How do you wish us to a.s.sist you?" Dark Sun motioned behind him. "Stay behind me. Just blast whatever I tell you to blast." "Yes sir." The well-trained trio promptly manoeuvred behind Dark Sun. Dark Sun placed his palm upon the black case, causing it to split open with a crack along four silver lines that extended from his palm. The object within the case was separated into three sections: a silver rod segmented into two and a blood red blade ensconced between skeletal claws. The Death Scythe, Dark Sun"s most fearsome weapon. The trio watched in stupefaction as Dark Sun knelt before the case, nimbly a.s.sembling the Scythe. As he stood up with it in his right arm, he revealed a detached smile, exuding the aura of guileless terror. The trio shuddered unconsciously. Could it be a grim reaper in an angel"s disguise? "Let"s go, it"s time for Dark Sun to hunt." Saying that, he strode towards the abandoned factory. "Yes sir." The trio followed closely behind. At the entrance of the factory, Dark Sun observed that the old dilapidated steel door hanging off its hinges remained immobile despite the gust of wind. Evidently, it was much st.u.r.dier than its appearance belied. In fact, it was possibly more impenetrable than many undamaged buildings. "Blow it up," Dark Sun whispered. The roar of the machine gun rang out immediately, a small dent appeared on the lock of the derelict steel door. No further damage other than a small dent was sustained after the onslaught from the specially constructed machine gun of the Solaris Federation. It looked like they found the right place, this was undoubtedly the covert base of operations for the Lunaris Alliance. Dark Sun remained motionless. Upon a.s.sessing the situation, the well-trained trio standing behind instantly up scaled to a weapon with greater fire power: a bazooka slung over one of their shoulders. "Dark Sun… sir, please step back." One of them warned Dark Sun, a little unsure of how to address him. Dark Sun moved a few paces back, the man with the bazooka knelt on the ground and launched the missile. A ma.s.sive shock wave accompanied a rumbling explosion from the depths of h.e.l.l. A cloud of dust engulfed the door before gradually dissipating and revealing a hole tall enough for a man to enter. Although the debris of the lambasted exterior looked worse for wear, the white-washed corridors bleached under bright lights remained spotlessly clean beyond with not a hint of dest.i.tution. "Let"s go." Dark Sun sighed before plunging ahead. "Has the fish taken the bait?" Yue Baylian languidly lay on his dragon throne, while Shain sat on a smaller chair, attended by several servants. One was ma.s.saging his legs, while others were standing next to the enormous plasma screen, driving the CCTV cameras to capture Dark Sun at all instances. "Originally I thought that Devon Solaris would not allow his brother to endanger himself." Yue muttered to himself elegantly, somewhat vexed, "Is it possible that he doesn"t love his brother as much as I thought he would? Or is there some other reason?" "Perhaps he came behind the Solaris Emperor"s back." Shain"s eyes were glued to the plasma screen even though he had witnessed Dark Sun"s terrifying abilities before. "Shain, you are so clever. This is very possible." Yue Baylian"s mood lightened considerably. Devon"s ignorance signified the markedly increased chances of capturing Dark Sun. Ensnaring Dark Sun was… hehe… no different from enslaving Devon Solaris. Shain paid scant attention to his father"s praise because on the screen, Dark Sun had encountered the outer defensive ring of modified humans. These were stronger than the ones he had misappropriated, Dark Sun should not be able to defeat… them… so… easily? His eyes grew wide as saucers as he watched Dark Sun"s fluid movements, deceptively slow but in reality too quick for the brain to register. Just as the eyes were appreciating Dark Sun"s motion, blood had arced in sprays, only then did he realise that the terrifying Scythe had already severed the neck of his opponent. Shain shuddered. He knew that although modified humans had vastly increased strength and speed, their equilibrium was a major weakness. Inhuman strength came from the robotic arms, which although strong are not agile and hence unable to perform intricate martial art moves. Although speed was Shain"s greatest pursuit, he refused to modify his limbs. He knew that even if his speed was accelerated beyond the speed of his reaction, he would in effect sacrifice his dexterity despite appearing faster and stronger on the surface. Once a move was made there was no recourse, it would be too late by the time the brain received the signal to change postures. Dark Sun"s flawless wielding of the heavy Death Scythe was a testament to his strength and speed, far surpa.s.sing those of the modified humans. Shain was unable to detect any of their flaws on him. Dark Sun swiftly leapt along the corridor, his feet pushing off the walls and ceiling, rebounding before his opponents. A shadowed darted back and forth like a bolt of lightning, occasionally suspended in the air creating a graceful silhouette of a woman with long silver hair, and leaving a trial of spurting blood behind. With each step, b.l.o.o.d.y blossoms bloomed. With each swing of the scythe, a life was harvested. Can a modified human really display such elegance and fluidity as if executing martial arts dance moves? Baylian was enthralled. Just as his brain was going into overload, Yue reeled in his indolent expression and sat upright, an ugly complexion on his face. Although he had previously glimpsed Dark Sun"s battle when he sent men to kidnap Devon Solaris, his modified humans had died too quickly for him to ascertain Dark Sun"s abilities with the scythe at that time. But now he was seeing everything with clarity! Terrifying! Absolutely terrifying! Even if Dark Sun was swarmed by his best experiments, could he be stopped? The answer was a resounding no! A sliver of malice slipped through the cracks of his perpetual mask of elegance. He contemplated whether he should detonate the entire complex, destroying Dark Sun with it. If he is not destroyed, he would become the Solaris Emperor"s most fearsome weapon… if Devon Solaris had the heart to use his brother as a weapon. Suddenly he was beset with memories… Those beautiful ruby red eyes overflowed with immeasurable desolation, "I beg you, help me find my brother. My father hates him too much, I"m afraid that any later and I won"t get to see him again. I"m afraid I won"t see Dar again, my Dar…" He won"t. He won"t use his own brother as a weapon. Devon Solaris is a person who cares only for his brother and nothing else. Yue simmered down. He could not kill Dark Sun. Only with Dark Sun alive will the Solaris Emperor have a weakness. He hesitated. Morever, what would be the consequences of Dark Sun"s death? If the demon who held the world in his palm with G.o.d-like control were to lose his only emotional connection, this world could potentially be plunged into the abyss of h.e.l.l… Dark Sun must not be killed. It would only serve to enrage Devon Solaris… drive him completely beserk. Capturing Dark Sun would be equivalent to controlling Devon Solaris, the G.o.d in control of this world! "Father, I"m afraid those modified humans can"t hold Dark Sun back." Despite being shaken by Dark Sun"s moves, Shain was sure to remind his father in order to prevent his fury from being unleashed on those around once he realised that all his modified humans had been slaughtered. Yue lay down again and replied casually, "Let him kill them. Just treat it as a sacrifice to a demon." He was too careless. He would definitely make them yield to him next time. One was a demon akin to G.o.d. The other was a demon akin to a grim reaper. Unfortunately, they let this human discover their greatest weakness: each other! "Muahahaha…" Yue laughed uncontrollably, disregarding his son"s astonishment. He roared, "Devon Solaris, Dark Sun. So what if you"re demons? I have discovered your weaknesses and next time you will kneel before me this ordinary human! Hahaha…" Dark Sun"s mobile phone vibrated just as he beheaded a modified human. The long stupefied trio watched him answer the phone. "Where are you?" Devon"s unusually monotonous voice was transmitted. Dark Sun replied in Dar"s innocent voice while hacking a random modified human"s neck, "Gege? I"m having dinner with my friends!" Devon"s voice was devoid of emotion, "Oh? Which friend?" "It"s… Ezart! You call him porcupine head." Reaper"s claws detach! Dark Sun sent the gigantic blade spinning forth, skewering two enemies who were trying to escape to the wall. "Oh. Hang on a second." Devon"s voice grew distant before it was replaced by a deeper voice. "Dar…" Dark Sun"s expression changed abruptly. "…Ezart?" "Yup, it"s me. Elian and them are here too." Dark Sun morphed completely back to Daren. He held onto his phone in panic and retreated behind the stealth team members, making a sign for them to stave off the enemy. The trio instantaneously rushed into the fray to hold off the few remaining modified humans. Another voice resounded from the phone - Elian haplessly said, "Dar, your brother is holding a BHP09 to your dad"s head. His eyes are saying that if you still won"t come home, he will kill your father." "No! Elian-ge, you must stop my brother. I am coming home right now." Daren said anxiously, "You must definitely stop my brother from killing Papa Avery." "I"ll try my best, but your brother looks like he"s going beserk. Besides, he"s "that person". Who can stop him…?" Elian mumbled. Daren was overwrought. He had to get home this instant! "Retreat!" Daren ordered the trio. Although they were perplexed about retreating at the cusps of victory, their training forbade them from disobeying their superiors. They only replied with a "Yes sir." Then they hastily followed Dark Sun in retreat… ly when Ezart and the others were at Daren"s house and Theodore had emerged to received his presents… Eloise had intended to barge into the house and shamelessly stay till breakfast the next day. But Elian thwarted her plans as he apologised to the affronted Theodore while bidding farewell. Theodore was about to discourteously say, "I won"t see you out" when another man"s voice emitted from behind. "Where"s Dar?" Theodore"s face paled as if he had heard the baying of a demon. He had to take several deep breaths before he had the fort.i.tude to turn around and reply, "He"s gone out with his friends." Then Eloise blurted out a sentence which made everyone present want to strangle her. "Huh? Dar went out with friends? Didn"t he say he was going to have dinner with his brother?" Subsequently, the four people were "invited" into Daren"s house. Once Eloise laid eyes on Devon Solaris the "drop dead gorgeous super hottie" she had screamed till she nearly fainted. But it was, in fact, Eli who really ended up fainting. According to his retrospective recollections, it was because he had read Devon"s mind… which was unlike anything he had ever encountered before. His thoughts swirled like colossal maelstroms, coalescing and crashing onto him in waves upon waves of convoluted complex thoughts. Eli felt like his brain was being a.s.saulted by a hundred encyclopaedias simultaneously. "Solaris Emperor!" An ashen Elian emitted the world renowned name. Under the terrorising gaze of the Solaris Emperor, Theodore capitulated summarily and divulged all of Dar"s plans. Consequently, the pitiful secretary Kyle was on the receiving end of the harrowing bombardment via video call. In the end, everyone lined up neatly on the sofa like obedient students as they watched Devon ring Daren, asking him to return home. After Daren promised to return, the Solaris Emperor presided over the obedient students with disdain, stating matter-of-factly, "Your lives are forfeit if Dar"s ident.i.ty is leaked." Everyone nodded in unison like bobbleheads, except for Ezart. He sniffed, "I won"t reveal Dar"s ident.i.ty, but not because of you. It"s for Dar." A sliver of appreciation flashed past Devon"s eyes. He is indeed a friend chosen by Dar… But, I will definitely not praise this fellow with a weird hairstyle! It"s his own fault for having a weird hairstyle. What if Dar"s hairstyle decided to become bad as well? "Theodore! You actually were in league with Dar to deceive me…" Devon stared maliciously at the arguably oldest person gathered before him. For the sake of preserving his inconsequential life, Theodore relied on his familiarity with Devon"s weakness to change the topic. "Dar and his friends probably haven"t had dinner yet. They must be starving. If you organise a dinner, Dar will surely be overjoyed when he comes back!" Devon paused upon hearing that, images of Dar seeing a table full of food surrounded by brother, father and friends floated into his mind. What kind of happy expression would Dar have? It must be a very brilliant and adorable smile! Devon picked up the phone immediately and asked Kyle to order a table full of dishes. "Kyle, get the most highly rated restaurants to send their best dishes. Oh yes, Dar likes to eat fried chicken. There must be fried chicken and fries. Oh and make some marinated chicken wings and barbeque…" (Kyle: Solaris Emperor. Are you sure you want a five star Michelin restaurant and not KFC?) "Phew~" Theodore heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Devon busily ordering food. He deduced that Daren must be relatively unharmed from the sounds of the earlier phone conversation and Devon"s eagerness in organising supper. He turned his head with the intention of comforting those meeting the Solaris Emperor for the first time. Don"t worry, holding a gun to someone"s head is a normal occurrence. He won"t necessary fire. Although, firing is also a common occurrence but… But as he turned around, he was accosted by the respectful gazes of the entire row of people. Elian, the boy with the brilliant smile, even said deferentially, "Mr. Avery was courageous in talking back to the Solaris Emperor." "Hehehe, it"s nothing once you get used to it," Theodore replied self-deprecatingly. Yes, as long as you get used to having a gun held to your head. Within moments, a concealed door to the room opened. Kyle stepped forward and clapped his hands and a line of waiters dressed in the finest suits with the most immaculate appearances and postures entered with ceramic and silver platters. The platters looked liked they belonged to a museum instead of being used for containing fried chicken. The crowd stared in disbelief as the waiters set up a long dining table and meal preparation area for a stern head chef who would personally prepare the dishes. Kyle explained to Solaris Emperor, "Fried chicken and French fries taste best when they are fresh out from the pan, so I brought the chef here to await orders." "Very good." Devon nodded in satisfaction. "Dar should be arriving soon. You can start now. I want him to smell the fragrance the moment he steps into the house." Kyle nodded and indicated to the chef. The latter began cooking with trepidation, his life"s most harrowing dish consisting of fried chicken and French fries. Just as everyone started salivating at the scent of the food, the main doors burst open. Daren anxiously dashed in front of Theodore pleading, completely unaware of the situation, "Gege, do not kill Papa Avery!" Dar, you really are my angel! Theodore was so touched by Dar"s actions that he almost cried. They both had the same manufacturers, why is one so adorable and the other so detestable? "Gege, why do you always want to kill Papa Avery?" Dar lowered his eyes dejectedly. "Does gege dislike Papa Avery?" Seeing his little brother upset, Devon hastily clarified, "No! I absolutely do not dislike Theodore, I "like" your Papa Avery very much." What a terrifying kind of "like"… the congregation thought silently to themselves. "Really? That"s fantastic… Ezart, Elian, Eloise and Eli. It"s great that you haven"t been killed by gege." Daren finally noticed the rest of the people present and was ecstatic that everyone was still alive and well. "…alive but almost scared to death," Eloise muttered under her breath. "I"d never imagined that you were the Solaris Emperor"s younger brother." Elian smiled wistfully. "And that you are Dark Sun." Eli stared at Daren"s attire. Daren hung his head in remorse. "I"m sorry. I didn"t mean to deceive you all." "I… it"s okay…" the trio replied simultaneously because the monarch who held the world in his hands was piercing them with his frosty glare. "Dar, are you hungry?" Devon asked with concern. "Yeah. Starving." Daren nodded earnestly. His stomach was crying out in protest as a result of his strenuous exploits. Such gargantuan expenditure of energy required a similarly immense amount of sustenance. "Smells nice… is that fried chicken?" a.s.sured of Theodore and his companion"s safety, the ravenous Daren finally noticed the fragrance. It was his favourite fried chicken, both delicious and high in calories. "Yes, it"s your favourite fried chicken and french fries." Devon warmly suggested, "Why don"t you invite your friends?" Daren was struck dumb for a second before he leapt up in excitement and dragged Ezart and Elian by the hand. "Ezart, Elian, Eloise and Eli quick! Quick come have supper with us!" With Daren"s invitation, Ezart unceremoniously sat at the table, grabbed a few pieces of fried chicken and began chomping down after giving one to Daren. Daren cheerfully accepted the fried chicken and began inhaling his food with Ezart. Seeing them, everyone sat down around the table, the atmosphere resembling a family gathered around the fireplace. Daren was the happiest amongst them all. He busied himself with distributing fried chicken to Devon and Theodore, heaping fries onto Ezart and Elian and filling his own stomach with not a moment of rest. "Dar, why don"t I get any…" Eloise Daren hastily apologised, "I"m sorry Eloise, and Eli. This is all for you!" He dumped an entire platter of a freshly made fried chicken onto their plates, forming a mountainous pile of chicken. Eloise squished Dar in her enthusiastic embrace and forcefully planted several kisses on his cheeks. "Dar, I love you to death!" "I like you too Eloise, although you can be a little scary sometimes…" Daren giggled hesistantly. Fortunately, Eloise had ascended into fried chicken heaven and did not notice the word "scary". "Dar, are you happy?" Devon gazed warmly at his little brother"s brilliant smile. "Yes, very happy! This is the first time I"m eating with so many people! And they are all my friends!" Daren broke out into an exuberant smile. Devon smiled and nodded in response. "As long as you"re happy." In a split second, he turned around and frostily ordered Ezart & co, "From now on, you have to have meals with Dar here at least once a week!" "Nn, no problum, Oi ave neva aten sooch gud fry chicun! Nes time oi will come eet wif Dar ofnen," Eloise replied through her mouth stuffed with food while she fought others off in search of chicken. Ezart shrugged but did not reply. Elian said resolutely, "I will have meals with Dar, but it"s not because of you, it"s for Dar!" Devon smiled, his eyes never leaving Dar"s exuberant smile. If it was for Dar, then it was also for him, because Dar was his everything.

******************* Eclipse Hunter Volume 2 Chapter 8 END *******************

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