Chapter 71

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Stepping out of the woods, the entire atmosphere immediately became a misty, eerie, and dreadful one as the moonlight continued to cast its ominous glow upon the clearing.

The mysterious figure slowly emerges from the shadows, revealing a tall, imposing, slender man with a tight black suit as his piercing red eyes bore deeply into Danny's very soul and purple hair that falls across his forehead in almost messy, unkempt style.

Holding on his right hand was a short blade gleaming with the color red, showing a hint of bloodstain that stained its entire material, a clear sign of the violence he had already inflicted upon others.

Danny's breath hitched in his throat as he stared at the stranger, his mind racing to comprehend the very presence coming from this man.

"What do you want with me?" He asked sternly, wanting to get the bottom of this so he could plan his next move accordingly, "If you're here to kill me, then just get it over with it because I don't want to bother with the sentiments," groaning sarcastically, "if you have any other plans, then spit it out already; I'm not in the mood for playing games."

Smiling dangerously, Daimon chuckled lowly, the sound sending shivers down at his victim's spine. "Oh, my dear prey, you mistake me for a common killer," he drawled, smooth as silk but with an undercurrent of menace.

"I've definitely come here to kill you in a slow  and painful way, but that's not all; I also want to toy with you first, to break you, to make you beg for mercy before I end your miserable life on behalf of my cilent's demands," his red eyes glinting with sadistic glee. "After all, it's much more fun to play with my food before devouring it, wouldn't you agree?"

"Your client?!"

At first, he was confused by what this maniac was referring to, but when the pieces of the puzzle finally fell into place, Danny's eyes widened in realization, "wait a minute, you are saying someone sent you to kill me? Why?"

Surprised and shocked by this information, he couldn't understand why anyone would want to kill him in the first place since he didn't do anything wrong to them, as far as he knows at the moment. "I'm just a normal guy; I haven't done anything to deserve death, let alone torture," trying to reason with the psychopath in front of him.

Instead, Daimon smirked, fiddling his wakizashi with almost carefree movements. "Ah, but that's where you're wrong," he purred, his voice dripping with condescension. "Your existence, your very being, is a thorn in the side of those who seek to control this world," his eyes flashed with a fierce intensity, "and that makes you a target, a pest to be eradicated, a parasite to be exterminated."

His words were cold, calculated, and devoid of any empathy. "So, I'm afraid it's time for you to join the ranks of the dead, and I'll make sure to make it a memorable one for you."

Reeling from the implications of what he was hearing, "Who... are these people that wanted me dead?" Danny isn't sure if this guy is simply insane, a common crazy serial killer in the looser or an actual hired assassin; either way, the person standing in front of him is no way a good man in the slightest.

"What have I done that made them mad?" Questions after questions only to receive a vague, playful answer from Daimon. It's like talking to a brick wall. "I don't even know you; how can you say I'm a threat to anyone?" Protesting at his own innocence.

Yawning boredly, "Hmm, I can't give you any vital information in regards to those who hired me, but let's say they hate your guts," Daimon explained. "You see, its just a job, a very satisfying job I chose out of my 1000 options." His tone is casual, almost conversational.

"I enjoy the thrill of the hunt, the satisfaction of a successful mission, the euphoria of watching my prey squirm and beg for mercy as I take my time to slaughter them," he smiled, a chilling, predatory grin. "It's a rush unlike any other, and one that I crave more and more with each life I take."

Frowning confusedly, "And why are you telling me this?" Danny asked with annoyance in his voice, "Are you trying to scare me or something? Because if so, congratulations, you've haven't succeeded in doing that."

Dripping with sarcasm, he said, "I'm already terrified; you've got my full attention, 24/7, so spare me the theatrics, okay?" Rolling his eyes, he can't believe his dealing with a talker who can't stop rambling about his own twisted life, as he cares little of someone's backstory who is trying to kill him in the first place.

Tilting his head, "You want me to kill you now?" Daimon pouted pretentiously, feigning offense, "After all the effort I put into finding you, after all the fun we could have had together, you want to end this prematurely?" There was still a hint of amusement in his voice.

"But I suppose I can't blame you, given the circumstances," he shrugged ever so nonchalantly, as he still has plans other than their mere conversation with each other, prey to a predator. For him, talking is just the beginning of something grander.

However, Daimon first has to test this Esper's fears. While he is eager to continue messing with this young man further, the assassin knows for fact he has to play safe, testing further to see his opponent's capabilities, weaknesses, and other traits before proceeding to the next phase of his plan.

While his bloodthirsty masochist at times, he has to be cold and intelligent when dealing with his prey, knowing that he is dealing with Esper, the same thing he specializes in ridding off.

Then he casually walked towards Danny, hand still gripping the short sword with utmost no intention of killing or hurting his victim in any shape or form, at least not yet. "What happens if I approach you?" Daimon taunted with a smirk.

"Will you attack me?" Eyes never leaving his target, studying every single reaction, "Or will you cower in fear?" Curiosity is written all over his face. "Or maybe, just maybe, you'll do nothing at all," he mused with a hint of excitement within his tone of voice.

"Ha!" Confidence grew to a thousandfold from this mere sight: "Seeing you firsthand, you look like some gay stripper!" Smirked with amusement of what is being displayed before him, "I bet you would love to see yourself dance around with that sword of yours, wouldn't you?!"

Not worried in the slightest from seeing an assassin who looked like it came from a strip club; he knows exactly what he's getting himself into, and having understood his own powers from experience, Danny hopes to provoke the assassin enough to kill him or hurt him at least.

Stopping just close enough for Danny to feel his breath on his skin, Adam's eyes locked onto his. "You know, I've been called many things," he murmured, his voice low and husky, "deviant, freak, monster, but I think 'gay stripper' is a new one." Amusement colored his tone.

"Do you often use such colorful insults to try and distract from your own inadequacies?" Watching closely, he could see the growing discomfort in Danny's eyes—the way this young man's pupils dilated.

Sweating nervously, Danny continued in being the courageous fool he is: "You can't hurt me," blunt, undeniable response, "I doubt you could even scratch me, let alone kill me," bold declaration of confidence as he continues further.

"So what will it be?" Eyes glued on the assassin, who was rather taller than him in terms of height, as he was forced to stare up at the mischievous man, "The moment you even think of hurting me in the slightest, something terrible will happen to you."

Just as he said those words, the hired assassin calmly brought his hand to the young man's face, completely catching him off guard. "Is that so? Then how come I can touch you?" Caressing the side of the person's face ever so gently, he continued with his taunting.

"You can't be hurt or killed by anyone, but I managed to physically get close to you, hold you, caress you, and even kiss you if I want to." Daimon's voice was low, almost hypnotic, as he spoke, "how does it feel to be at the mercy of your own powerlessness nature?"

Danny has no words from this other than the question he has at this very moment, "Are you seducing me?" He asked with slight interest in his voice, trying to comprehend the situation he is currently in.

Being completely baffled by the man's actions. He is unable to understand his intentions, he seems to enjoy teasing and playing with him, wondering if the assassin is actually interested in him romantically. Only then will he realize how he almost forgotten the main reason why Daimon is here with him in the dead of the night.

"Just testing the waters," he answered without a sign of guilt, "didn't I say before I wanted to toy with you first before brutally ending your life?" His fingers then trailed down to Danny's chin, tilting his head up, forcing him to meet Daimon's piercing gaze.

"And I find myself quite entertained by your reactions," a smirk played on his lips. "So, let's play a little more, shall we?" As the moment he said his last sentence, his victim did not realize the short sword he was holding was already raised from the young man's back.

In blinding speed, he thrust it toward while making Danny still oblivious of the impending danger. "Enjoy the show," he whispered with a wicked grin.

"Because it's almost time for the main event." 

The blade sliced through the air, aiming straight for the unsuspecting victim's spine, but before it could come to fruition, a sudden surge of energy erupted from Danny's body, repelling the assassin's attack with a loud clang of metal against the invisible force field that suddenly appeared around him.

Forcing Daimon to jump backwards in flip, quickly regaining composure the moment he landed on the ground, "well, it looks like you're not as powerless as I thought," he remarked, impressed despite himself being half interested and buffled by what transpired.

"I must admit, I didn't expect you to have such a strong defense mechanism," gleaming with further curiosity in what this Esper can do, "I wonder what else can you do?" The assassin's eyes narrowed, studying his prey more intently.

Gasping in shock, he quickly rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands. "You...you were distracting me," realization hit him like a ton of bricks. "And I didn't expect you to actually manage to seduce me," he felt stupid, having been played like a violin.

"Regardless, I still doubt you could hurt me," repeating the same statement as before but with visibly concern in his face, for he might have to eat his words if his own abilities are not enough to protect him from this skilled assassin standing before his eyes.

The purple-haired assassin chuckled ominously before saying, "I did seduce you, didn't I?" Remarking with a smirk, "And that's exactly what I wanted, to make you forget about your surroundings, to lower your guard and make you vulnerable."

Red eyes glinted with a sinister light in response, "and now that I've got you right where I want you, it's time to continue this little game of ours," he continued, taking a step closer, his voice dropping to a low, menacing purr, "but this time, I won't be so gentle."

Smiling in return despite his nervous expression, he returned with his own taunt. "oh really?," Raising an eyebrow, Danny wanted to make him understand dealing with the unknown won't end well for him. "Then bring it on; I'm ready for whatever you have in store for me," acting brave once again.

"But remember, you can't kill me, so don't waste your time trying." Challenged by the assassin with his own words, he adjusted himself by relaxing his stance slightly and putting his hands in his pockets before feeling something odd.

Pulling them out, it then revealed a pair of earphones and smartphone.

"Huh?"

Not expecting them to be in his possession, the young man nonetheless felt a sense of nostalgia from holding them, compelling Danny to use it regardless of the strangeness of the situation.

Without much further words, he put his earphones within his ears before turning his phone on, closing his eyes as comfort washed over him from the moment he started using them.

Smiling joyfully when the song started playing, he began to sway to the beat, singing along to the lyrics as if he were completely alone in the forest.

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