The town spirit, at a steady pace, glided across the bridge and into the slums, Ru's heavy footsteps echoing behind, each one sounding like a death-knell to those cowering in their homes close enough to hear.

However, much to the surprise and relief of the spirit, with each step, the bloodlust slightly diminished until, when they were a few blocks away from the bridge, heading to the shadiest part of the slums, it had completely vanished.

Giving a mental sigh, assuming that the being following had calmed down, the spirit continued in silence until stopping just outside a long street, only illuminated by a few streetlights. A few skinny, scantily dressed women leant on the side of buildings as a few, neon signs flicked on and off, occasionally revealing a few sordid acts in the cluttered alleyways.

"This is as far as I can take you. If the townsfolk suspect that I betrayed a sentient, it will cause me nothing but trouble. I can give you the ten thousand mana now, and then we can meet at the south gate, and I can give you the rest."

A deadpan voice responded. "I wouldn't worry about that."

A chill ran down the spirit's non-existent spine as he slowly turned.

Standing behind him, he saw a completely normal human-looking man. In fact, the only thing of notable thing about him was the bloodied cloak and even that wasn't that uncommon.

Frowning, the spirit looked closer. His senses had never been wrong before, and at the moment, were screaming at him that he was in mortal danger.

As soon as he looked into Ru's eyes, he understood why and floated backwards, dread filling his entire being.

Ru's eyes were cold and emotionless, to the point of almost looking dead. Not even the reflection of the nearby streetlights giving them the slightest glimmer.

A town spirit, just like a dungeon, had incredible computational power and almost instantly, he realised what the problem was. It was obvious now he thought about it, but a big part of him didn't want to acknowledge it, and so he had pushed it to the back of his mind. 

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

The moment the creature in front of him stepped into his town and noticed his presence, the spirits fate was sealed, though he would not just lay down and die.

The spirit started glowing in a faint, white light. "I won't tell a soul, I swear."

"..." Ru continued to stare as if he was nothing more than a statue.

"I swear on my core." The town spirit continued to back away, having seen Ru's impressive speed when he decimated his guards, he wanted to create enough distance that he might have a chance.

Ru had already displayed he could control refined mana, making him one of the few existences that were dangerous to a town spirit away from their core, making dispersing his spirit form, pointless.

A familiar, feminine scream, in anger, not fear, resonated from a few blocks down the street, causing Ru's head to tilt, as if trying to pinpoint the source.

"Please, I beg you." The spirit now understood why sentient beings cried at moments like this. The moment the girl had screamed, he outlived his usefulness and because of his own foolishness, revealing what he knew to Ru in an attempt to win his favour, he had actually sealed his own fate.

"You know too much," Ru's voice was so cold and emotionless, it was impossible to think of it originating from a human. "But worry not, you won't be going alone."

The spirit wasted no more words, preparing to attack with everything he had but, as a weak town spirit, it was not much.

A blinding blue light erupted where the pair stood, drawing the attention of the prostitutes, pimps and the few people wandering down the street, however, when the bright light vanished, all they saw was a man with a bloody cloak, standing next to a plume of smoke, rapidly dispersing in the wind.

Moments later, the streetlights went out and the ringing of bells resonated throughout the town causing the people that had not felt Ru's bloodlust earlier and were already in hiding, to drop whatever they were doing and run towards their homes.

As people rushed past, Ru walked down the dark street steadily, his face as emotionless as stone.

There was no bloodlust, no foreboding power, nothing to indicate that the man in front of them was anything but normal however his cold, almost dead eyes would cause even the bravest to cower in fear. It was a state of mind he hoped never to use again and yet, here he was. About to commit another atrocity but this time, it was his own decision. He could not blame anyone else and felt that soon, he would be saying goodbye to the last of his humanity. 

Releasing a laugh fitting his new persona, he looked at the red moon. "No rest for the wicked... huh."

The Devil had come to Yelve, and he was not amused in the slightest.