Mutagen

Day 56 – 12:01 PM – Industrial Area, South District, Bay City Settlement, Parañaque City, Metro Manila

A [False Deity], it was those who had the strength but were not recognized as a deity by the heavens. There were quite a number of [False Deities] that emerged during the unrecorded times of history, the flame demon called Gar'Vlam was one of them. He was a flame demon who emerged during the eruption of a volcano which killed millions of people at that time. The negative sentiments left from those who were killed by the eruption, especially those were burned to death, created such demon.

Being a brutal and arrogant demon, he made enemies of [True Deities], [Lesser Gods] and [Earth Gods]. He killed people for fun, destroyed cities just on a whim and played with lives of people. It did not sit well with those worshiped beings of course. Forced to flee from the country he was born, he ended up somewhere in the pacific. However, he was still almost caught by his pursuers. As he did not want to be killed, he did a gamble in the brink of his death. He jumped into a volcano and sealed himself. He lost his physical body at that time but managed to preserve his spirit. The seal managed to fulfill its purpose of blocking his pursuers though he ended up being trapped himself.

He managed to survive and recover his spirit. However, he never recovered his body and was never able to undo the seal he created himself. While he was sealed, something changed in the world. The external energy needed to undo the seal was never enough. Like other beings that were sealed and chose to seal themselves, he was forced to wait until now.

During the period he was sealed, a connection unto him was found by a being that created an organization in the surface. Since that time, he became part of it.

Now that the world changed once more, not only the energy in the air was abundant but just a thousand people could provide the energy to make him manifest in this place. He was born anew.

Of course, his current state was still far weaker than the past as the earth had just recovered from its previous state. But without those Deities and Gods from before, he could recover as much as he could from now on.

Gar'Vlam saw that Dopp did not answer his question and just turned his head towards the sky. That was when the flame demon saw the creature that was not supposed to exist in this age anymore, a dragon. Not only that but it was a tamed one as there was someone riding on its back.

Seeing the person atop the dragon, Gar'Vlam could not help but feel surprised which soon turned into interest.

During the time he fled, he encountered another false deity. Those that worshipped that deity called him [Deity of Bloodshed]. He was a demon capable of controlling miasma. Despite both of them being the same kind of demons that were born from negative sentiments, the two hated each other. Not only that the formless demon had a foul mouth and always spouted incomprehensible nonsense, the nature of the two contradicted each other.

Fire was a source of energy but Miasma was a devourer of energy.

Fire was hot and bright but Miasma was cold and dark.

Miasma could devour the energy emitted by Fire but it could never eat Fire itself.

As such, the two contradicted each other.

Unexpectedly, Gar'Vlam found traces of that foul mouthed demon on the supposed human atop the dragon's back.

With a single thought, wings made of flames sprouted on his back which flapped fiercely and sent him afloat. With his flapping wings, he stood in the air in front of the Dragon while staring at the person on its back.

The more he tried to read the person however, the more shocked he had been.

***

Mark did not speak and stared at the being flying in front of him.

Hearing this demon's name and seeing his appearance invoked a memory he had from the Deity of Bloodshed. That formless demon and this flame demon had fought before and ended up in a stalemate. The battle was never finished as the local deities intervened due to their battle causing too much destruction to the land.

"Just what are you?"

That was the first thing that Gar'Vlam told Mark.

"You're the fourth being that asked me that."

Mark answered. He was calm and collected. There was no fear in his mind and heart and instead, that memory invoked inside him made him want to finish that fight.

The flame demon was surprised. It realized that Mark might have encountered other beings that were able to see the anomaly going inside him. More than that, he survived. An anomaly like this should never exist and if other beings saw him, he would either be killed or be devoured. Yet, he was here.

"Why do you have the smell of that foul false deity?"

Gar'Vlam asked the next question he wanted to know as Mark seemed to have no intention answering the first one.

"Why do you ask?"

"I have things to settle with him. If you can tell me where that bastard is, I can leave you alive despite trying to kill my people."

To that answer, Mark smiled mysteriously.

"Sad to say, you won't be able to see that guy anymore."

Mark looked straight at the demon's flaming head and tilted his head.

"I already devoured that guy. You won't be able to finish your battle with him."

Hearing that, Gar'Vlam was surprised.

"Impossible… No… It should be impossible but you…"

Before Gar'Vlam finished his sentence, Mark stood up holding Flam in his right hand.

"Also, don't be mistaken. I'm not at your mercy. Whether you want it or not, those creatures you said as your people will die. It's because they harmed MY people first. If you stand in the way, I'll devour you like that guy."

Mark pointed Flam towards the face of Gar'Vlam.

"Fascinating." Instead of getting angry, the demon was more interested. "I can't let you just kill them. The others will ridicule me. But… I want to see how you are going to do that!"

Gar'Vlam swung his large sword horizontally. The force and pressure from that casual swing could topple a small building.

The slash missed however. Mark had already jumped off from Chaflar's back and he already commanded the dragon to leave with Aephelia using his mental connection with it.

Bat wings flapped on Mark's back as he flew in fast speeds. He charged towards the flame demon with Flam in front of his face pointed at the enemy.

PING!

A sound was heard across the settlement as Gar'Vlam blocked the piercing attack with the flat side of his sword.

However, that was not the end…

PANG! BAM! PING!

Mark quickly pulled back his sword after his piercing attack was blocked and followed up with three quick slashes which the flame demon also blocked.

Sparks scattered as the two strange swords were locked up with each other while Mark and Gar'Vlam stared eye to eye.

"I'm surprised that you can use that cursed sword without being possessed. Is it the same way you dealt with that foul mouthed bastard?"

"You don't have the right to know."

BAM!

Mark kicked the flame demon on his stomach. He took advantage that flame demon was staring fixatedly on him to do a sneak attack. Of course, it did no damage at all aside from pushing the three meter tall demon away. If they were not in the air, it was doubtful if the flame demon would budge from that kick at all.

"A sneak attack. Humans really love to do such sneaky tricks."

Gar'Vlam glared at Mark and charged forwards.

SWOOOSH!

The large sword was swung with a much stronger force. But then, Mark's figure vanished and turned into mist before the sword hit him. The slash missed air pressure from that slash continued forwards causing a strong gale.

"As always, your attacks are too wide."

Mark said as he appeared at Gar'Vlam's right flank and slashed his own sword.

GRASSHH!!!

The slash connected with the flame demon's body causing the sword's waved blade to behave like as saw as it cut through the demon's body.

Before Mark could finish the attack however, he vanished once more as a counter attack came. Gar'Vlam's elbow from the arm that he used to hold the large sword returned trying to hit Mark's head.

Gar'Vlam clicked his tongue.

"You have the same style as that bastard huh? Using speed to compete with me. Although that bastard don't have the ability to turn into mist in an instant without leaving the body he possessed."

The demon spoke as he tapped the gash on his flank. There was blood but it was not dripping out of the wound at all. The blood looked like lava glowing brightly. Then, the gaping wound closed and his body returned to normal like nothing happened.

"But that is not enough to kill me at all. HAHAHA!"

The flame demon laughed. It seemed that he was enjoying this fight that he had not experienced for a very long time.

However, while he was speaking, he noticed that his opponent vanished.

GRRRAAAHHHH!!!

Screams were suddenly heard making the flame demon look down to the ground. There, he saw his opponent killing the members of Auraboros that started preparing to escape.

"BASTARD!"

Gar'Vlam shouted. He immediately charged down to prevent Mark from killing more.

SWOOSH!

BAM!

A strong earthquake was felt in the area as Gar'Vlam tried to slash Mark but ended up hitting the ground instead. A feet deep crater was created on the cement as he landed on the ground with his strong attack.

SHIRK! SWICK!

Two long gashes appeared on the flame demon's back as Mark appeared behind him and slashed twice.

Gar'Vlam picked up his sword and waved it around along with his body towards his back. Mark hurriedly retreated and vanished causing the attack to miss once more. However, the gust of wind created by his attack ended up blowing some of his subordinates away.

"Wow, you're harsh to YOUR people aren't you?"

Mark spoke with ridicule as he appeared on top of an electrical post.

The flame demon did not answer anymore. Instead, did not even glare at Mark as he grabbed the concrete post Mark was standing on with his left hand and snapped it like a stick.

Mark flew off laughing which infuriated the flame demon even more.

"Just like how I want it."

He murmured as his eyes were already glowing red.

Demons were arrogant and hot headed beings. Now that this guy was being played with, he would surely blow up soon. To make that even faster, Mark stealthily started to use his [Emotion Induction] towards the flame demon.

Of course, it was still far from enough to defeat the enemy. Besides, his primary goal was not to fight this guy but to kill those that messed with his group. This demon could escape but not those people. He would never let them get away.

There, the chase between the two ensued. Mark started to fly around, disappearing and appearing here and there while harvesting the lives of the remaining enemies like crops during harvest season.

The enemies' hope for survival after the ritual succeeded had been duped.

Not only was that but the tool for harvesting their lives was no other than one of their supposed leaders in this mission, Flam.

Seeing what was happening, Dopp became wide eyed. According to the records, Gar'Vlam was strong. However, they totally forgot one thing. The flame demon had just been resurrected. Although he was strong, he was still far from he used to be. If it was true that the enemy really devoured another [False Deity], then, Gar'Vlam would not be enough.

***

While all those things were happening inside the Industrial Area, a hole opened out of nowhere suspended in the air on top of a building outside the settlement.

On that hole, four robed figures emerged before the hole closed.

All of them then looked towards the Industrial Area surrounded by grey clouds above and a tall wall of miasma around it.

"That should be the target area."

One of the robed figures spoke pointing forward.