Chapter 18 — A One-Sided Fight

Yasu groaned, his vision blurry and his head throbbing with a relentless, pounding ache. He rubbed his eyes and tentatively touched his head, wincing as a jolt of pain shot through him. "Ugh... my head," he groaned softly, the agony coursing through his skull like a relentless tide.
Kasumi and Raeleanore turned to him, their expressions softening with concern. "Yasu, are you okay?" Kasumi asked, stepping closer to him, her voice laced with worry. Her eyes held a mix of fear and love, a silent plea for him to be alright.
As the parents stepped closer to Yasu, a sudden, horrific movement caught their eyes. In a flash of razor-sharp claws, a monstrous beast emerged from the dead, its talons glistening with a sickening, crimson sheen. With a swift, brutal motion, the claws pierced through Kasumi and Raeleanore's backs, tearing through flesh and bone with a sickening crunch. Blood sprayed across the ground, pooling in dark, viscous puddles beneath their feet.
Kasumi and Raeleanore both coughed up blood, their faces contorted in agony as they turned to face the beast. "I-impossible... how?!" Kasumi gasped, her voice a gurgle of blood and disbelief. Raeleanore's eyes widened in shock, his hands clutching at the gaping wounds in his back, futilely trying to stem the relentless flow of blood.
Everything seemed to slow down, as if time itself was mocking their final moments. The beast, a towering monstrosity of scales and fangs, loomed over them, its eyes gleaming with a malevolent intelligence. Kasumi's strongest attack had been a mere pinprick, barely registering on the beast's regenerating flesh. As the beast's head reformed from the ravaged stump, it opened its maw, revealing rows of jagged, blood-stained teeth.
"Indulging in peace is your undoing, traitors. As Belligerents, your core craves the thrill of conflict," the beast rasped, its voice a guttural growl. "Be thankful that you perish beneath my claws, a gift bestowed by the Master who forged me into this formidable beast." With a cruel, mocking grin, the beast withdrew its claws from their backs, the sound of tearing flesh and splattering blood echoing through the air. "May your demise be at the mercy of fate, utterly insignificant and unremembered."
Kasumi and Raeleanore collapsed to the ground, their lifeless bodies landing with a sickening thud, their stomachs torn open, spilling their entrails onto the blood-soaked earth.
The beast loomed over Yasu, its crimson inverted pyramid right eye glowing with an eerie light, as if activating some sinister skill. Yasu trembled, his mind racing, unsure if this was a nightmare or a grim reality. The beast, realizing its skill had no effect, smirked and chuckled with malevolent glee.
"As expected of the Raviveron family," it sneered. "She managed to make you immune, but only temporarily!"
Yasu's thoughts raced as he clenched his teeth. "You worthless piece of shit. This isn't the time to sit your ass down and do nothing! Move, move, MOOOOVE!"
With a swift motion, Yasu grasped his sword and charged at the beast. The creature, quick and agile, caught Yasu with a powerful punch to the belly, sending him soaring through the air. Yasu crashed to the ground, the beast towering over him with a mocking gaze.
"You know, I once held a certain admiration for the Yamaotos. They are renowned for their ability to wield incantation-free magic, and their mana reserves are said to be twice that of an average adventurer. It's a pity, really, that she resorted to divine magic, despite its voracious appetite for mana, regardless of one's reserves."
The beast chuckles, a sound laced with mockery.
"Cocky, wouldn't you agree? The beast jeered, its tone dripping with scorn and disdain."
Yasu gripped his sword tighter, his knuckles white with rage. "Shut up, you demon!"
He launched himself at the creature again, but his attacks were futile. The beast effortlessly dodged, its movements fluid and precise.
"Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, SHUT UPPP!!!!!!" Yasu screamed, his voice filled with desperation and anger.
The beast exhaled a heavy sigh, its breath a putrid gale that carried the stench of decay and malice. "You're weak, mere child. You charge at me with the recklessness of the naive, your movements as predictable as the tides. You see, none of this would have transpired if your parents hadn't betrayed our contract."
With a swift kick, the beast sent Yasu crashing to the ground, a gash on his forehead bleeding freely. The creature stepped closer, its shadow engulfing Yasu.
"Your parents, had they not chosen the path of quietude and domesticity, would have ascended to our realm or beyond. They squandered their potential, opting instead for the mundane existence that birthed you." The beast growled, its voice a menacing rumble that seemed to resonate from the depths of its being, echoing the frustration of a power unfulfilled.
It placed a heavy foot on Yasu's chest, pinning him to the ground. "Feel your core? It has potential. But it needs to work more."
Yasu gasped for breath, his eyes wide with a mix of pain and defiance. "Get off me, you monster. I'll kill you for what you did to my parents!"
The beast chuckled, a sound that sent chills down Yasu's spine. "Your parents were fools, and now they're dead. Just like you will be, if you don't learn to harness your true power."
Yasu's grip on his sword tightened, his resolve unshaken. "I'll never let you win. I'll avenge them, no matter what it takes."
The beast leaned down, its face inches from Yasu's. "Then prove it, little one. Show me you have what it takes to stand against me."
Yasu glared up at the beast, his heart pounding with determination. "I will. I promise you, I will!"
Yasu, seizing a moment of opportunity, thrust his sword with all his might, driving the blade deep into the beast's neck. Blood gushed from the wound, and the creature let out a guttural roar as it staggered back, lifting its foot off Yasu's chest. Yasu pushed himself up, his heart pounding with a mix of fear and adrenaline.
The beast smirked wildly, its eyes glinting with a twisted amusement. "What a clever, hymnaum," it hissed, its voice laced with a dark admiration.
With a swift motion, the beast wrenched the blade from its neck, and Yasu watched in horror as the wound began to close, the beast's regenerative abilities already at work. Yasu stood, his fists clenched, ready to fight with his bare hands if necessary.
"You won't give up, even considering the position you're in. You're just like them." The beast said, its voice a low rumble.
It chuckled, a sound that sent chills down Yasu's spine. "Tell me, offspring. What's your name?"
Yasu fixed the beast with a steely glare, his jaw clenched with a resolve tempered by the gnawing doubts that lingered in his mind. Trusting such a creature was a gamble he was unwilling to take, and so, he chose the path of silence, allowing the weight of his uncertainty to hang heavy in the air between them.
"..."
The beast laughed once more.
"What's wrong, cat caught your tongue?"
The beast's smirk widened, and it took a step closer, its movements predatory. 
"I could tell you have a worthy name, but you'll need more than a name to defeat me. 
The beast circled Yasu, its eyes narrowing as it appraised him with a mix of curiosity and hunger. "I was contemplating ending you here and now, but you're so pathetically weak that I almost felt a twinge of pity. Your determination, however, is almost appetizing. It's a shame you're not yet worthy of a swift death."
It licked its lips, a gesture that sent a shiver down Yasu's spine. 
"I only eliminate those who are worthy of strength, those who could potentially challenge me. In the future, if you manage to grow into a worthy opponent, perhaps then I'll grant you the mercy of a swift end."
Yasu's eyes blazed with defiance. "You'll never get the chance. I'll be the one to end you."
The beast chuckled, a sound that was both chilling and mocking. "Go all out, food. I hope your core is as delectable as your parents' were. It would be a shame if you turned out to be bland."
A mist swirled around the beast, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a human form. The beast stood before him, every inch of its enormous form radiating raw power and danger. Its imposing, burly figure towered over him, muscles rippling beneath rough, scaled skin. With each breath, it gave off an aura of brutal strength, its mere presence commanding respect. The beast's face was that of a middle-aged man, complete with a thick, bristling mustache that added to its fearsome appearance. A tattoo of a drawn sword piercing a dragon's underbelly adorned the beast's neck, the image stark and brutal in its symbolism.
Yasu grits his teeth, picturing every detail of its human form.
"Remember this face, meat," the beast hissed, its voice laced with malice. "And remember the taste of your own failure."
With a final, mocking laugh, the beast vanished, leaving only an echo of its laughter and Yasu standing alone, his heart pounding with a mix of anger, grief, and determination.