Flames flickered across Fayfiend's body, licking at the wound where the blade had pierced his flesh. The blade itself, though forged by human hands, seemed to have been imbued with a strange power that caused Fayfiend's body to smolder and burn.
Ansel's mind raced, confusion swirling with disbelief. How could a mere blade cause Fayfiend's immortal flesh to ignite? The burning was slow, agonizingly deliberate. As if the flames were consuming not just flesh but something far deeper.
"What happened? Why did Fayfiend burn just because of a blade stab?" Ansel whispered hoarsely.
As he watched the flames consume the creature, a wave of relief washed over him. The threat that had haunted his every waking moment. The being had seemed invincible. It was now reduced to ashes, scattered by the cold wind. His life was no longer in immediate danger.
In the quiet that followed, Ansel's thoughts turned inward, searching for answers. The blade had been stained with blood before the attack. "How can it be that the blood still clinging to the blade was the key? Or perhaps it's something more profound than my own connection to the Guardian spirit that dwelled within?"
The questions gnawed at him. It seemed impossible that a bloody blade alone could burn a Fayfiend, a creature known for its immortality.
He observed the burning figure more closely. Fayfiend was no ordinary being. His body and soul were intertwined in a way that defied death. When a Fayfiend perished, it was not merely a physical death. It was a complete erasure, a vanishing into nothingness.
This was starkly different from humans. When a human died, their soul was separated from the body, becoming a free spirit. But even then, freedom was an illusion. Immortals hunted these souls, consuming them as nourishment to strengthen their own eternal essence.
Ansel now understood that the blood of Shenmorta, the mysterious bloodline he carried, was unlike any ordinary human blood.
Perhaps, it was like a Nephilim. But the ancient was more complicated. And the mystery was reminded in silence, yet uncovered. It was like a forbidden secret that it would be a curse to dig more.
It was a potent source of power, a vital sustenance for Fayfiends. Both blood and human souls were the fuel that fed these immortal creatures, making them stronger.
So far, despite this knowledge, one truth remained clear and unshakable. "But it's impossible to burn Fayfiend completely."
Though they were fundamentally different beings, Fayfiends and Shenmorta shared one crucial similarity: both depended on human souls to survive.
Hitherto, the method by which they obtained these souls diverged sharply. Fayfiends had to kill their victims outright, directly absorbing the human soul at the moment of death.
Shenmorta, on the other hand, required a process called Soul Delivery, a ritual or mechanism that allowed them to absorb the soul of a human who had already died.
Yet there was one condition to absorb Soul Delivery, It would save his life when he came half dying. There was a limited number of Soul Deliveries. Though it remained uncovered.
Ansel never imagined he could actually defeat a Fayfiend. The battle had been brutal, and the price was steep his body bore the marks of the violent impact. The wounds that burned like fire beneath his skin.
Despite the agony, a fierce sense of accomplishment surged within him. He thought grimly. "Now the most important thing is that I have beaten Fayfiend. Maybe, only Grandpa can explain what happened."
He had no idea how long it would take for his wounds to heal. The burns inflicted by Fayfiend's attack were severe, making every breath a struggle. His entire body felt as if it were engulfed in flames, each movement sending fresh waves of pain coursing through him.
But he clung to hope, praying silently that he could endure the torment long enough to reach the safety of home.
Before this fight, Ansel had doubted his own strength and ability to stand against such a formidable foe. But now, having faced Fayfiend and survived, a new confidence began to take root within him. This was the first time he had truly fought back and won.
His gaze shifted to the woman who had been possessed by Fayfiend. She lay cradled in her mother's arms, still unconscious. Her chest was rising and falling with shallow breaths.
Relief mingled with concern as Ansel saw that she had not yet regained consciousness.
Summoning what little strength remained,
Ansel struggled to his feet. He grasped his toy stick, using it as a makeshift cane to support his trembling body.
His ribs felt cracked, and his belly throbbed with relentless pain. Blood seeped steadily from his wound, staining his clothes and dripping onto the ground. The burning sensation was relentless. His body felt weak and fragile, as if it might collapse at any moment.
Turning back to the woman, Ansel noticed her eyes flutter open. Confusion clouded her gaze, and terror quickly replaced it when she saw Ansel's hands, soaked in blood.
She was terrified when she saw his hand full of blood. She sobbed quietly, clutching her mother tightly. She whispered, her voice trembling with fear. "Mommy, what happened?"
"Calm down, everything is fine." Her mother soothed gently, trying to reassure her daughter despite the fear etched on her own face.
Ansel took slow, careful steps toward them, leaning heavily on his stick. Each movement was a battle against dizziness and pain, but he forced himself onward.
Standing before the woman, he examined her closely. Thankfully, her injuries did not appear serious. A small measure of relief washed over him.
He reached out and gave her a firm, though gentle, shake. He asked, his voice hoarse but steady. "Are you okay?"
Her eyes flickered to Ansel's bloodied stomach, then back to her own trembling hands. She asked, voice barely above a whisper, filled with a mixture of fear and guilt. "Mommy… did I do it?"
It was clear to Ansel that she was aware, at least partially that her body had been possessed by Fayfiend.
Ansel's thoughts. "It seems she is aware that her body has just been possessed by Fayfiend. But it seems Fayfiend has been in her body for a long time. Then, someone told her that she lost control of his body because she was possessed by evil."