Death... and me

Rean was finally able to see the appearance of their enemy. It had a humanoid body and dark skin that emanated the same Underworld Energy Roan talked about. It had a horn on its forehead while its ears were pointed. Last but not least, its hands were crimson red, just like the crimson claws that took the souls away when Stage Nine Demon Beasts died.

"You!!!" The red-eyed being obviously woke up from his trance as it attacked Rean and Kentucky. However...

*Bang!*

Just as its red claw was about to hit Rean and Kentucky, it was stopped by something that looked like a glass barrier. Rean and Kentucky didn't care about it, though. Rean quickly jumped on Kentucky's back, trying to look around as fast as he could while Kentucky took off to escape through the hole they had created.

"Wait just one damn second!" The red-eyed being didn't give up, though.

*Bang, bang, bang, bang...*

It hit the barrier in front of it nonstop, trying to break it. Unfortunately, all his efforts seemed to be for nothing, as the barrier didn't even budge. "Ahhhhhhhhhh! Don't think you can escape this place. I'll make you pay for my Soul Submission Orbs!" the being screamed as Rean and Kentucky flew away.

Obviously, Roan, Frin, Duran, and everyone else heard the huge sounds coming from the place Rean and Kentucky went. "Let's go!"

At the halfway point, Rean's group met up with Roan's, with the latter asking, "What happened?"

"Seems like I found our enemy. He isn't close to the core. Instead, he's down there in the hole Kentucky and I opened. However...he seems to be...locked down?" Only now did Rean stop and ponder over that situation.

He then thought about the area they entered and began to explain, "While Kentucky and I excavated ground, it suddenly crumbled. Because of that, we fell inside what looked like a huge chamber. There was a thing that looked like a giant transparent tube, and that being with the same red claws and eyes we've seen before was inside. It tried to destroy the tube's glass to attack me, but the tube seemed to hold it back."

Rean continued, "That's not all. Do you remember the points of energy that we believe to be the Stage Nine Demon Beasts' souls? There were many of those all around the transparent tube. They were connected to the tube itself through some kind of red strings of energy. I don't know what they serve for, though. I can't tell if the tube is a prison or something the creature created for itself to use."

Duran and Frin didn't care too much about it. "Alright, you guys stay behind. Frin and I will go and try to finish things as fast as possible. After all, that thing will definitely call the other demon beasts back here." However...

*Kaboom!!!*

An enormous explosion of Underworld Energy suddenly came out from the place Rean and Kentucky visited. Shards of something that looked glass flew everywhere before a horned being came out of it with steady steps. It then looked at Rean's group in front of it before saying, "I don't know how you found this place, much less how you knew I was in this chamber. However, it was your misfortune to have forced me to break out of my healing container. I'll take the souls of each one of you to create more Soul Submission Orbs. This time, it won't be only demon beasts. I'll take all the Zasfin souls as well!"

Rean couldn't help but ask, "Just what are you? Why are you doing all of this?"

However...

*Vup!*

The creature disappeared in a flash of dark light, heading straight for Duran. Yes, it completely ignored Rean as it knew that Duran and Frin were the real experts of their side. It wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible.

'So fast!' Duran thought, just in time to bring out something that looked like a green shell. That shell suddenly expanded at a frightening speed before the red-eyed being hit it head-on!

*Boom!*

Duran was still not able to hold the strength behind the impact and was sent flying together with that protection equipment of his. The red-eyed being didn't waste time and darted right in his direction, using the chance Duran lost his balance to finish the job.

'Silver Moon Domain!'

'Silver Streak!'

However, just as he was about to deliver the hit, Frin appeared by his side, using one of his strongest skills. The red-eyed being narrowed his eyes and immediately changed the direction of his attack, aiming at Frin instead.

*Bang!*

Rean's group was also sent flying by the shockwave of the two attacks, showing just how big of a difference in cultivation they had.

The attacks reached a stalemate for a moment. However, that stalemate only lasted a second before Frin was sent flying as well, just like Duran. Nevertheless, that was enough for Duran to recover himself and counterattack.

'Thunderstorm Domain!'

'Wrath of the Heavens!'

Wind and Lightning Element spread everywhere as thousands of lightning bolts took form before attacking the red-eyed being. Duran knew that his Soul Severing Domain would be of little use against a creature that was obviously stronger in the matters of the soul. That being said, he changed it to his Lightning and Wind Element Domain. However, Duran was an oddity. It was very rare for anyone to ever create more than a single Domain. That just went to show why he was considered the strongest Zasfin after Fikin passed away.

The red-eyed being was unfazed by Duran's attack, though. It simply raised its hand, creating a shield with the Dark Energy coming from its body. The lightning bolts hit it, and then... disappeared. No, maybe it was better to say that they were wasted. Of course, Roan was the only one who understood what happened. However, he had no intention of helping Duran or Frin at the moment.

Roan then quickly grabbed Rean and Kentucky before he ran away while speaking in a tone that only the two of them could hear, telling them, 'Duran and Frin won't be able to win if things continue out like this. Come with me. There's something we can do to help out.'