Lord Of Beasts

Elara slowly opened her eyes after that flash of light and wave of overwhelming mana from the Golden Flutterer. She went from extreme brightness to opposing gloom, with darkness stretched endlessly around her.

But unlike her Titled companions, she remembered everything: the gate, the butterflies, the squad.

She wasn’t being tortured in her own mind like the others, and definitely didn’t feel like a beast had controlled her. If anything, this feeling was familiar, and she had many a time entered a similar space.

’Don’t tell me...’

Slow applause echoed through the darkness.

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

Across from her stood herself.

The figure had her face, height, and build, but its body wasn’t flesh. It was formed entirely from slowly shifting crimson liquid, like blood flowing beneath translucent skin. Its glowing red eyes watched her with amusement, a crooked smile spreading across its face.

"Hello again."

Its hoarse voice echoed through the darkness.

Elara’s fists slowly clenched.

Her crimson eyes never left the figure that had literally become a Blood Demon. And its eyes were also locked onto her, openly looking down at her as it scanned her up and down.

"Do you think you’re powerful now? That you don’t need me anymore?"

As it questioned her, it unleashed a powerful aura, one that almost made her collapse to her knees.

Elara clenched her teeth, "What are we doing here?"

The Blood Demon laughed, amused by her attempt to face her and put on a strong front.

"Those butterfly beasts, mere insects..."

Its smile widened.

"They created a mana formation capable of trapping minds and tormenting them with their deepest fears and traumatic experiences."

It stepped closer.

"They attempted to infiltrate the soul of my host."

Another laugh.

"What arrogant fools."

But its answer only left Elara more confused.

"So... I’m not trapped?"

"Oh, you definitely are, hahaha!"

The Blood Demon ominously stepped closer again.

"Just not by them."

Elara, surprisingly, also stepped forward, which only caused the crimson reflection to somehow smile even harder.

"So the others are suffering, and instead of letting me help them, you brought me here?"

It pointed lazily toward itself.

"You really have got something wrong. You answer to me."

"Really? I think it’s you who’s forgotten that this is my body and that-"

"Quiet!"

The single word shook the chamber and launched her tumbling backwards.

Elara quickly scrambled to her feet, shaken to her core by the entity that had burrowed deep inside her body.

"If you wish to leave and save your pathetic friends, then you must first prove yourself worthy."

"Worthy?"

"Yes, worthy. I’ve lent you my power as promised, but you have been throwing it around like a child swinging a sword."

The Blood Demon clicked its tongue.

"It’s wasteful, sloppy, and frankly embarrassing."

Elara frowned.

"What do you-?"

"You never think or control, simply releasing more and more energy like it’s yours and it’s endless. Well, it isn’t. And if you want my power, you have to be able to wield it properly."

Elara hesitantly opened her mouth.

"So..."

"If you want to leave this place, you must defeat me," it announced.

"How can I possibly..."

"You cannot defeat me," the interrupted immediately, as usual. "At least not fairly."

It raised one finger.

"So I shall only use one quarter of the power I make available to you."

The Blood Demon snapped its fingers.

Mana exploded into existence.

Elara gasped.

An enormous current of crimson energy flooded through her body before settling comfortably inside her mana core. Every fibre of her being instantly felt stronger, lighter, and sharper.

It put into perspective just how much she had grown accustomed to such power, becoming almost reliant on it.

"This place belongs to me."

The Blood Demon spread its arms.

"I control everything, and there is no other way out of here but through me."

Elara stared carefully.

She could sense that it really had reduced its own power, its mana signature around a quarter of hers.

"You actually..."

The crimson figure smiled.

"Did you doubt me? I always keep my word, as you would know."

She couldn’t deny it.

It had threatened, mocked, and even hijacked her body, yet it had never lied. If anything, it had become strangely more cooperative recently, as if warming up to her and almost starting to care for her.

’Maybe it’ll take things easy on me.’

And even if it doesn’t, she had four times its power, so she couldn’t help but feel confident. She straightened her stance and stepped forward, ready to take it on.

"As skilled as you are-" she began before...

BOOM!

She never even saw it move or sensed it use its mana.

The Blood Demon appeared directly in front of her, its fist burying itself deep into her stomach. Every ounce of air exploded from Elara’s lungs; her body folded around the punch before launching backwards like a cannonball.

She bounced violently across the black floor several times before crashing to a halt.

Pain flooded every inch of her body as she coughed violently while the Blood Demon remained standing where it had started. It had its hands casually behind its back, as it watched her with a casual smile.

"Lesson One."

Its crimson eyes gleamed.

"Power means nothing if you don’t know how to use it. No matter how much mana or physical power you have, skill trumps output. "

"And yours truly has both of them," it added smugly while approaching Elara.

She struggled to her feet, and that single blow had been enough to show her that this was going to be anything but easy.

’Is it trying to teach me?’

She couldn’t help but feel conflicted.

On the one hand, it seemed like it was trying to help her get stronger, but on the other, it was taunting her, and she was in for a whole lot of hurt.

But it wasn’t like she could opt out.

And so began Elara’s brutal training, or, more accurately, the most one-sided beating of her life. One that, despite every broken bone and every humiliating defeat, would ultimately teach her more than any victory ever could...