The Secrets of CHIAROSCURO (The Demon's Eye)

The cliff, once a serene and quiet escape from the bustling world below, now reverberated with the brutal sound of battle. What used to be a peaceful view of the horizon had turned into an arena for two mighty beings. The air crackled with tension, and the ground trembled beneath their feet. Joseph, his face twisted in fury, was grinding the Demon General's head into the rocky cliff with such force that the very ground shook. The loud, sickening sound of bone scraping against rock echoed across the plateau, loud enough for both López and David to hear.

"Over already?" David muttered, his voice betraying a hint of disbelief. "That was too easy."

Joseph finally released his grip, standing tall, his chest rising and falling heavily as he caught his breath. The haze of dust and debris swirled around him, clinging to his clothes like a shroud. His fingers were stained with blood—the demon's blood—a reminder of just how much damage he had inflicted.

But something felt… off.

As the dust began to settle, the scene before them became gruesomely clear—half of the Demon General's face was gone. The left side of his skull was nothing but a grotesque mess of shattered bone and torn flesh. One of his horns had been completely severed, leaving a jagged, broken stub. A deep, dark smear of blood trailed behind his motionless body, marking the violent path of his suffering.

David scratched his head, his expression somewhere between awe and confusion. "Well, I'll be damned. Guess it really is over," he mused aloud. But his thoughts were interrupted by a voice that sent a chill down his spine.

"Hmm... as expected of the son of the Great Vampire Lord," the voice purred from right beside him.

David's heart leaped into his throat, but at first, he didn't process what was happening. A grin spread across his face as he puffed his chest out in pride. "You're damn right! Joseph's my buddy, after all. He had to be strong as hell to give me competition!" He laughed, mid-sentence, only for the realization to slam into him like a sledgehammer.

Joseph was in front of him.

López was on his left.

No one else was supposed to be here.

His eyes widened in realization, and his grin faded. "Wait a minute," David thought, his voice going quiet. "Who the hell…?"

Slowly… very slowly… David turned his head to the right., half-expecting to see a trick of his tired mind. But no, it wasn't an illusion. Standing next to him, in the same cocky stance as before, was the Demon General. The same Demon General who should have been lying face-first in the dirt with half his skull missing.

Oh.

Oh no.

Standing right next to him, arms crossed and wearing the same cocky smirk as before, was the Demon General.

The same Demon General who should have been face-down in the dirt with half his skull missing.

David's brain refused to process it at first. His lips twitched into a crooked, awkward smile.

"Oh no… I'm so tired I'm hallucinating." His voice came out weak, almost hopeful. But as the realization sank in, his eye twitched.

"And it's not even a cool hallucination. I get the male demon?! Seriously? No dark enchantress? No sultry demon queen with a tragic backstory and a thing for werewolves? Nope! I get this guy?!" He threw his hands in the air, exasperated.

A deep, sinister chuckle rumbled beside him.

"Hahaha… Sir David, I hate to break it to you," the Demon General purred, "but this is no illusion."

Then, with an amused tilt of his head, he added, "I must admit, you're really different from those old-fashioned werewolves."

David blinked once. Then twice. Then—

"OH, SH*T!"

His voice cracked so hard it practically echoed across the cliffside.

His entire body jolted like he'd been struck by lightning, his limbs flailing in blind panic. "JOSEPH!" he screeched, his tone jumping to an embarrassing high pitch.

Joseph, mid-step, snapped his head toward David, instantly on alert. His sharp eyes darted between David and—

Wait.

His gaze flicked back to the ground, where the Demon General's body had been. The only thing left was a fading wisp of black mist.

Joseph's fists clenched. "Damn it!"

Meanwhile, the Demon General's smirk deepened as he turned back to David. "I'll take with you later, Sir David." His red eyes gleamed as they shifted toward Joseph "For now, it seems your friend is eager to continue our little game."

He levitated into the air, his black aura flaring with power. The sheer malevolence of his energy was visible to the naked eye, a swirling mass of dark force that encased his body like a shield. With a casual wave of his hand, the demon lifted two massive boulders from the ground, each hovering in the air, suspended by tendrils of black energy.

Joseph didn't flinch. He crouched low, muscles tensing, ready to spring into action.

The Demon General sneered as he launched one of the massive rocks toward Joseph. "Let's see if you can block this!"

Without hesitation, Joseph surged forward, his wings unfurling behind him as he leaped into the air. His right fist clenched tightly, muscles bulging as he swung his arm back, preparing to strike. With a roar, he punched the incoming boulder with all his might.

BOOM!

The force of Joseph's punch shattered the rock into countless pieces, sending shockwaves through the air. The sheer impact caused a sonic boom, the sound echoing like thunder across the cliff. Dust and debris filled the air, creating a thick haze that obscured everything from view.

Joseph hovered in mid-air, his wings beating furiously to clear the dust. The wind he created blew the haze away, revealing the shattered remains of the rock. He glanced up, his sharp eyes locking onto the Demon General, who was still floating above him, holding the second boulder. But something was off—the demon's hand, the one controlling the second rock, was trembling slightly.

Joseph smirked, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip. "What's the matter? That rock too heavy for you now? Or maybe that little trick of yours has a downside."

The Demon General's eyes narrowed. He hadn't expected Joseph to figure out the flaw in his clone technique so quickly. Not only could Joseph detect that the clone absorbed damage, but he'd also realized that the backlash affected the original body.

While the demon was lost in thought, David suddenly leaped into the air, his body transforming in mid-jump. His hands and legs morphed into powerful, clawed werewolf limbs, granting him immense strength. With a roar, David grabbed hold of an enormous boulder, twice the size of the ones the Demon General had lifted, and hoisted it above his head.

"Now it's my turn!" David shouted; his voice filled with mischievous glee. "Hey, General! Catch this!"

David hurled the massive rock with all his strength, the sheer size of it catching the Demon General off guard. The demon barely had time to react before the boulder slammed into him, dragging him down toward the ground.

David grinned, watching as the Demon General was crushed beneath the massive weight of the boulder. "And that, my friend, is what we call rock bottom!"

Time, which had been frozen for López and the rest of the world, suddenly resumed with a jarring snap. The sound of the boulder crashing into the ground echoed across the cliff, sending another wave of dust into the air.

López, now free to move again, coughed loudly, waving the dust away from her face. "What in the world this is happening?" She paused, looking around dust began to settle. Joseph, still in his half-vampire form, landed softly beside her, transforming back to his human appearance.

As the haze cleared, the full extent of the damage was revealed. The boulder had created a massive crater in the ground, its weight crushing everything beneath it. David landed beside the crater, his werewolf arms reverting to human form as he gave the boulder a casual push, rolling it aside to see what remained of the Demon General.

But to David's shock, there was nothing beneath the rock. No blood. No body. Nothing.

David's eyes widened. "What the—? Where the hell did, he go?!"

López stepped forward, equally perplexed. "He was right there. We saw him get crushed."

Joseph's expression, however, remained calm, his eyes scanning the horizon. He wasn't surprised. In fact, he had expected this. The Demon General was no ordinary opponent, and this battle was far from over.