I Was Called A Demon

“So you’re sure it’s not the otherworldly gift?”

“I was relatively sure, but at the same time, when this sort of stuff keeps adding up, it’s getting more and more difficult to believe it,” Bianca shrugged, leaning back in her seat, “I don’t have a clue how exactly it works, but outside of the skills and techniques it has allowed me to learn, the remaining effects seem to be obviously signalled by a massive flaming skull.”

“And you didn’t see one when it came to that dream, is that right? That would certainly complicate things…” the kitsune paced back and forth, arms crossed, deep in thought, “It is safe to say that it practically impossible for this sequence of coincidences to be occurring without anyone – or anything – causing them. The main question is who, or what, has an interest in you finding out about the Dragon’s Fangs and the potential remnants of eighth realm powerhouses.”

“… Hm. No clue.”

Xue Yaling stopped, turning to her, “Well, there’s also the possibility that this isn’t being directed as precisely as one might assume, and that there is merely a force in play nudging things along. For instance, if that dream would’ve occurred in that place regardless of your presence, or if you simply being in the Ghostwood would’ve been enough to stumble upon it, it could have merely tempted Long Musong to select the Ghostwood as his meeting place.”

“Still, for there to be an influence, it has to be from someone or something powerful, right?” as the kitsune nodded, Bianca continued, “Therefore, even if it wasn’t specifically causing these events, it must be benefitting from them somehow, no?”

“That is correct, Sect Mistress,” the kitsune said, “Presumably, this someone can benefit from your ascent to the leader of a sect, and progressing in your cultivation, but that alone doesn’t confirm much. After all, we may just be incidental to them, or the very focus of their plans. It could be that they don’t even know what will happen, but are able to nudge things in a direction that is favourable to them.”

Resting on a large branch of a tree outside of the Reaper’s Grave, a grey-haired woman leaned back and bit off a large piece of the fruit in her hand, which had fallen into her grasp a minute prior.

She wasn’t sure of the exact nature of it, but it was juicy, fresh and tasted sweet, so she just kept eating, all while glancing over at the seat of power of the Demoness Sect. Ever since arriving here and discovering that her luck was likely tied to their leader, she had been pondering the best method for approach, and it ended up taking a lot, lot longer than she might’ve hoped.

Each time she considered entering, like the women she had seen a few weeks prior, she thought of a reason to avoid it. Each time she decided to firmly stay out and mind her own business, she found reasons to enter.

It wasn’t like her to be so indecisive, so she figured that it was the influence of luck pointing her in the right direction – that is, that staying still was the right call for the moment.

Only problem was that ‘the moment’ ended up being way longer than she had intended it to be, so she was getting rather bored. She had already gone out there and spread plenty of rumours, all subtle, as to ensure that she wouldn’t be targeted – the necromancers were bound to seek out those with this knowledge, so until it became widespread enough, acting as just one more person that spread rumours was the way to go – but she couldn’t capitalise on them just yet. She would have that chance, to really emphasise the rumours and become the focus of attention, as someone that heroically came forward and revealed the truth… but that could only happen at a later time.

For now, she was left with little more than passing the time and waiting for an opportunity, be that in the Reaper’s Grave, or beyond. Considering the fortune the one that revived the place brought her, she had deemed it most wise to stick around, to see what other possibilities will come her way, and to potentially find a way inside the sect.

She had considered doing so alongside the women that had come in some time ago, but examining them with her skills left her with the impression that it wouldn’t be the most optimal decision. So, she kept waiting around.

Flipping a coin was about the most exciting game she could come up with, and even the gambler in her couldn’t endure doing so over and over and over again, for days in a row, without any change.

Worst of all, the coin always landed in one way – heads.

There wasn’t much to gamble on when the results were guaranteed, after all. So, she couldn’t spend too long playing around with it, though each time she did use Flip of a Coin, she was sure to spread that luck out as much as possible.

She couldn’t feel it being applied, nor did Gleam of Fortune – the third realm skill of the Luck archetype – indicate much of note, but as long as it didn’t yield misfortune, she was happy with the results.

Still, there was a certain oddity to the Reaper’s Grave, where it switched between a near-blinding gleam and complete shadow at certain times. It implied that there was danger there, but also opportunity, and despite usually being rather consistent, her skills were unable to settle on the correct answer.

It could be that entering at the right time would allow her to be safe, or that entering at the wrong time would expose her to some information that would put a target on her back. There were plenty of possibilities, and she wasn’t especially enthused about finding out what the negative ones were.

And so, she waited for luck to guide her, for a sign to appear – and finally, it did.

In the distance, she spotted figures dressed in dark robes, their skin grey, their energy blatantly of a necromantic origin. It wasn’t hard to tell who they were, but as she saw them, she glimpsed the potent gleam of fortune around them… behind them?

It wasn’t hard to figure out the meaning, and so she sprung into action, first raising her hand into the air and concentrating her energy. The Luck archetype wasn’t an optimal one for combat, and it had few direct combat skills, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t release vast amounts of energy, concentrate it all into a single, dense sphere… and let it soar into the skies.

At the same time, she leapt off the branch, discarding the fruit she had been eating, and sprinted past the necromancers. They noticed her, and the flash of energy before it passed into the canopy above, but even the fastest amongst them wasn’t able to throw out a curse before she sped past them, moving faster than she ever had before. She had already soared past them before she realised that it was the effect of the fruit, some innate property enabling her to move at immense speeds, though she could also feel exhaustion building at the same increased pace.

She wouldn’t last long – but she didn’t need to.

Bianca stared at the kitsune, and the kitsune stared back, but their little staring game was broken when a flash of light suddenly erupted outside the Reaper’s Grave.

It was akin to a firework, a big pop followed by trailing glowing particles that spread out in a wonderful flower, some exploding along the way and others merely fading out. It was loud, big and an obvious signal of some kind, and since it was just outside of the range of Bianca’s spiritual perception, even with the enormous array beneath them, they had little choice but to rush out.

“Huang Su!” Bianca called out, though her message was carried primarily via her energy, and by the time they had dashed out of the building, flaming feathers had already brought her forth, “We’re going out on another trip.”

“Mistress… very well. It may be a trap, but at the very least that energy doesn’t match that of the necromancers, so… take my hand, I shall bring you forth.”

She did so, with the kitsune a step behind, the two of them taking the Phoenix Sect’s leader’s left and right hand respectively, facing that fading explosion in the distance. With Huang Su’s capabilities, moving at full speed would bring them to the origin of it – somewhere beneath the forested canopy, as the projectile had clearly been soaring straight up before detonating – within a minute at most, and while that might’ve seemed fast, it might still be too little to get there before whoever sent the signal is gone, or whatever their signalling is, at least.

So, they didn’t delay for even a moment, soaring from the peak of the Reaper’s grave, flying down into the forest. Huang Su’s flames burned away any branches or leaves that got in the way, and soon they set down onto the forest floor, spiritual perception spread, looking out for anything of note – and they found it quickly.

In the distance, attempting to escape the signal, were a number of necromancers – or at least people dressed like ones, with an aura of death around them. Oddly, after a second, Bianca realised that they didn’t look like they were running away from them, rather they were chasing something.

Regardless, they were somewhere that they weren’t meant to be, and so she pointed in their direction and exclaimed, “Take them down!”

From their auras, each one appeared to be in the third realm, meaning that she and Xue Yaling could fight them with ease, but the one advantage that Huang Su had over all over them was the immense reach of her energy – and the fact that she was easily stronger than the two of them combined, even with Bianca’s breakthrough. So, while they readied their own weapons, the Phoenix Sect’s leader was already unleashing flaming feathers forward, with yet more soaring around and blocking off the escape route of those necromancers.

As they turned, shock rather obvious in their eyes, Bianca had crossed the gap first, unleashing her crackling energy in a horizontal slash. It soared towards the necromancers, and while one was able to raise a barrier of bones, the others, for one reason or another, delayed a moment too long.

That energy crashed into their bodies and instantly burned their flesh, crimson arcs surging from their wound and visibly eating deeper into them, meridians aflame from her energy.

Despite that, a few were able to remain standing, and they got to experience the power of the kitsune’s artefact shards, the Butcher’s Cleaver being unleashed to do a sweeping slash across all of them. It cut up the bodies of those that were on the brink of falling already, and those that survived no longer did so.

The only one remaining was the one that had blocked Bianca’s strike to begin with, and fell before the Butcher’s Cleaver could slash through him. The hood had fallen from his face, exposing a young-looking face that was pale and sickly, with yellowish eyes and thin lips, as well as hair so thin that it looked like he was going to end up bald in a few years at best. As he crumbled to the ground, he looked around and saw his fellows fall around him, fear quickly filling his eyes.

And in the next moment, he had Bianca’s blade pointed at his throat, and Huang Su’s flaming feathers surround him, giving him no room for escape.

“You’ll tell us exactly what you were doing here, and I may spare you.”

“I-I… we…”

“You have two seconds left.”

“We were performing reconnaissance!”

His voice almost squeaked, but not a single one of them cared for his pathetic display. Even the kitsune joined in threatening him, manifesting the shard of something to point towards his neck.

“What for?”

“We… we needed to know if the rumours were true.”

“The rumours being…”

“That you had revealed a-a body to the world, that you were making our involvement known…”

“… You mean Long Mudan, don’t you?”

“I-I wasn’t told… who…”

“Useless. Still, for the rumour to break out… who were you chasing?”

“Some… some stranger, she threw a projectile into the air and ran straight past us.”

“And her appearance?” Bianca brought the tip of her blade a little closer every time, and now it was outright pressed against his throat, any wrong move being sufficient to make him bleed.

“G-Grey hair, light skin… uh… I didn’t see much more than that…”

“That’s really pathetic, don’t you think? You didn’t see anything, you weren’t even told anything… so there’s no value in keeping you alive, is there?”

“W-Wait-”

She did not. With a quick slash, his head was sliced off, leaving blood to spray from his neck while the head fell to the side, leaving his expression frozen in terror.

‘… Even with an execution like this, I barely felt anything. Still, this one was earned – a necromancer, and a man no less, daring to get close to our lands… I should really warn Yan Taijun the next time we speak,’ Bianca thought as she swung her blade again, throwing all the blood from it, before sheathing it, “Well, that’s interesting. We have someone keeping an eye on us, and either another one spreading rumours, or potentially the same person doing both…”

“They have gone too far for me to be able to perceive them using my spiritual perception,” Huang Su shook her head, “If we had been here a moment sooner, it may have been possible, but the timing was not in our favour.”

“… So what you’re saying is, by some stroke of luck – or lack thereof – we were a moment late?”

“That… indeed, Mistress, it would seem that way.”

“Fuck me, another one… I would ban all mentions of luck in our little sect, but that wouldn’t solve the actual problem, so… fuck it. Huang Su, can you get rid of the bodies?”

“If you wish, Mistress,” she nodded.

“Wait, should we… hm, no, don’t mind that…”

“Well, now that you’ve said it, shouldn’t you finish speaking? Don’t just drop the subject.”

“Fine, fine,” the kitsune shrugged, “There may be a use to the bodies, such as showcasing them to our potential allies, but the issue is that – beside proving that there were necromancers around for us to kill – it would accomplish little for us. Everyone already knows that we’re opposed to the necromancers, since we pushed them out of the Reaper’s Grave after all, and… yeah, it wouldn’t have much value.”

“Can we preserve bodies easily?”

“Naturally, just as we did with Long Mudan. You think to save them in case we find some use for a bunch of necromancer bodies later down the line?”

“I mean… if we can, then why not? Just as long as Shouge Zhe doesn’t take any issue with it, of course.”

Huang Su had already been ready to envelop the bodies with flaming feathers, but she held back and waited for their discussion to finish, until Bianca finally looked over to her.

“Keep one, burn the rest. We shouldn’t need more than one for whatever we might want to prove,” she instructed, “Just make sure to pick the body that’s the least, uh… damaged.”

“Understood, Mistress.”

With that, the feathers engulfed most of the bodies, including the one that Bianca had beheaded just a little earlier. The only remaining body was one that had fallen after Bianca’s initial strike, who had been grazed by her energy but not to a sufficient extent to split him in two.

Although crimson still crackled around the wound, arcs that were significantly more potent than before, it was the most intact corpse amidst the small group of necromancers that they had slaughtered, so it was the obvious choice to bring back with them. The only question was how they would want to return to the sect.

“I would need to recover a little energy before I could fly back to the peak while carrying the body, Mistress.”

“And if you were to go alone?”

“Then I would be able to do so right away. Do you and Xue Yaling intend to walk back?”

“No particular harm to it, not when we’re this close to the sect grounds. Besides, if the necromancers were planning on doing something to us, they would’ve sent a larger group than this, nor would they have been so weak.”

“Indeed… very well, Mistress, I shall see you at the peak.”