Bang!


    The claws of the Crocottta came to a halt as it crashed against the flat surface of a glowing golden colored axe.


    "Scram!"


    A swift kick sent the Crocottta staggering back, just in time for Stephen to leap towards it, chopping his axe at his head in an attempt to decapitate it.


    "Nice try" the Crocotta regained its footing at the last minute. The muscles on his left arm flexed tightly as he blocked the descending axe with it while sending out a jab towards Stephen''s chin with his left arm.


    "Tch" stomping his right foot, Stephen flicked his wrist, loosening his grip on the axe as he initiated a well executed front flip, landing behind the Crocotta.


    Unstrapping a small dagger, he threw it towards the back of the Crocotta''s head. The daggers swiftly struck their mark, bringing about a pained howl.


    "I.. hate.. hunters!" the Crocottta snarled angrily as it jumped back, drawing enough distance between itself and Stephen, while his left hand snaked around his head, pulling off the two small daggers, eliciting another howl of agony.


    "Blessed daggers!" It snarled regretfully as it tossed the two daggers into the distance.


    "You are going to pay for that!" He lurched towards Stephen.


    The Young Mystique Hunting couldn''t react quickly to the sudden movement, causing the Crocotta to ruthlessly slash him on the right side of his face while his fangs moved towards Stephen''s throat.


    "Singi  Erecrac!"


    The Crocotta cussed regretfully as it abandoned Stephen, leaping towards the sides, only for a wave of searing hot flames to wash towards it, craftily condensing into the shape of a four pillared prison with barbs made out of searing hot flames.


    "Done " Aletta sighed in relief after seeing the flame prison successfully bound the Crocotta.


    "Let me go now!" the Crocotta snarled angrily, however it didn''t dare approach the flamy barbs of the flame prison.


    "Heh. Are you stupid or do you think I am stupid?" Aletta jeered.


    According to the lore, Crocottas had an innate fright when it came to fire. As such this flame prison Hex was their true trump card all  along!


    "Are you okay?" she rushed towards Stephen who was holding half of his face that was bleeding profusely.


    The Crocottta didn''t hold back one bit in its previous claw slash.


    "I would live" Stephen picked up his glowing axe which was sprawled carelessly on the ground.


    "We have to kill this monster quick.  Your ring of flames isn''t exactly insconspicious" he added as he nudged towards the grass in the cemetery ground that were ablaze.


    Nodding, Aletta approached the Crocottta trapped within the flame prison.


    "Are there others like you in this town?" she questioned him.


    "Heh.." the Crocotta sneered sinisterly as it suddenly transformed into a little girl.


    "My mummy is going to make you pay" it spoke in a childish tone.


    " Singi Erecrac Mullegalf"


    Following the chant, a portion of the flame prison transformed into a flamy whip that ruthlessly whipped the neck of the Crocotta disguised as a little girl.


    "Argh!!" the Crocotta cried in agony as it was forced to revert back to its original form.


    "Go to hell b*ch!!" it snarled hatefully at Aletta.


    "What do you think?" seeing the other party refusing to talk, Aletta turned towards her brother.


    "Kill it. Although Crocottas move in Herds, they are cowardly. Once they learn of his death, his companions are going to flee out from this town" Stephen replied icily.


    "Alright" the floating Hex Tome behind Aletta glowed brilliantly as her fingers began to weave through a series of hand seals.


    "Singi Erecrac Xserpmoc--"


    Aletta was suddenly interrupted when an intense cold air blew past them. Stephen suddenly sensed the ecto reactor inside his pocket start glowing brilliantly.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "A Malevolent!" he cried out a warning.


    Whoosh!


    James who was currently invisible thanks to the *Union* form, completely ignored the flamy prison as he arrived before the Crocotta.


    "Eh?" the Crocottta seemed to have sensed his presence however before he  could react, Jason whipped out one of the Klypt Daggers from the system in built inventory, stabbing it right through his head.


    Bang!


    A brilliant light exploded from within the body of the Crocottta, turning him into nothing but ashes. Following the death of the Crocottta, Jason received a notification from the system.


    —[Congratulations! Host has Completed System Main Mission; Defeat the Yokai]


    —[Host has received +150 Mystique Coins]


    .


    .


    Meanwhile the siblings watched in disbelief as the Crocottta suddenly explode into ashes.


    "Was that your doing?" Stephen turned towards his sister, his brows raised..


    "No. Didn''t you sense the presence of a Malevolent? maybe it was it?"


    Stephen swiftly reached into his pocket. However seeing the ecto reactor completely blank, his expression was quite unreadable.


    "It''s no longer glowing?"


    "That means the Malevolent is gone? looks like a Malevolent stole our kill" Aletta sighed as she waved her hand, dispelling the Hex Tome. Naturally the flame prison instantly crumbled into bits of ash.


    "You are saying a Malevolent helped us kill a Yokai? since when were Malevolents besties with Mystique Hunters?" Stephen felt there was something at play. However he just couldn''t wrap his fingers about what it was.


    "Maybe the Malevolent is the guardian spirit of this town or it had a score to settle with the Crocotta.. either way the Yokai of dead now and our business in Sallyville is done so just let it go"


    Stephen suddenly gave his sister a deep look. Although Stephen wasn''t confident in his in intelligence, he was confident in his sharp intuition that had been heightened after battling with countless Yokais and Malevolents over the years. And his sharp intuition now was telling him that his sister knew something relating to the bizzare death of the Crocotta.


    However she was trying to intentionally hide things from him.


    .


    .


    "How was your hunt yesterday without me?" Jason grinned as he and the two siblings walked out from the hotel after they just finished checking out.


    "Even if you were with us, you would''ve ended up getting hurt as well" Stephen softly brushed the claw mark on the left side of his face that had yet to heal.


    "Trust me J.C and take this from a guy in this biz for quite some time now.. no Mystique Hunter is completely invincible. The slightest carelessness and you would lose your life. This life isn''t something you want to be tangled with " after dropping these solemn words, Stephen opened the driver door of their vehicle parked at the parking lot of the Hotel.


    "Heh " Jason clicked his tongue as he wiped off the small drop of early morning dew that had just fallen atop his nose.


    "He''s wrong yunno? I think you are more than capable of taking care of yourself " Aletta whispered to Jason as they made their way towards the car.


    "So you are throwing your support now?" Jason lips curled up into a half assed smile.


    "Well.. I''ve become more convinced after witnessing you kill that Crocottta" Aletta flashed him a smile as a sharp twinkle flashed past her eyes.


    "What are you saying? didn''t you and your brother chain me up while you went to hunt the Crocottta yourselves?" Jason clicked his tongue as he hastened his footsteps, leaving Aletta behind.


    "As expected.. the apple doesn''t fall far from the tree" Aletta grinned inwardly as she silently watched Jason board the car.


    What the trio didn''t know was that a pair of venomous eyes was silently watching them from behind one of the many stationary vehicles in the hotel parking lot.