Rise of the Lustful Evil Monarch (Re)

Third Person POV

But its complete disinterest in her intrigued him.

It led him to assume the intruder might be a woman though he knew that assumptions were dangerous and the truth would only be revealed upon direct encounter.

Wearing an expression of relaxed anticipation as if he was simply stepping out to savor the night breeze, Ethan opened the balcony door and stepped out into the cool air.

The demon city sprawled beneath him and glittered with ambient life but his gaze was distant and thoughtful.

Unbeknownst to all, his silver-tinted soul sense that was undetectable by ordinary experts stretched out in silence and sought the presence that had dared to peer into their intimacy.

And then he found it—a cloaked shadow, poised silently atop the slanted balcony ceiling above.

It was watching him with a stillness that was far too deliberate.

The proximity startled him.

A chill raced down his spine, goosebumps prickling his skin.

How had he failed to detect someone so close? Had they arrived just moments ago?

Or had they always been there, hidden from even his refined senses?

And most importantly… who exactly was it?

Thinking that, Ethan frowned inwardly and calmed the slight turbulence in his heart before he suddenly vanished from his spot in a flicker of swirling dark smoke.

The dark figure flinched and was clearly startled by his abrupt disappearance.

Instinct took over as the shadow jerked its head back just in time.

Ethan's hand sliced through the air where the figure's neck had been only a breath.

His fingers were curled into a dark clawed form from which tendrils of black mist pulsed outward in rhythmic bursts.

This claw was not ordinary but it was an advanced manifestation of his dark affinity and one he had developed by closely studying and emulating the infamous dragon claw technique of his Master Nyx.

Missing the critical strike didn't bother him.

He didn't hesitate or slow down in his attack as he instantly redirected his claw with a sharp twist toward the chest of the hooded intruder.

But the moment his claw was about to make contact, the figure's body flared with a soft purple glow, and in a sudden blur of motion, it dissolved into a streak of violet light and vanished from his path with almost ghost-like grace.

Ethan's claw met nothing but a cloud of lingering purple mist.

His eyes narrowed and his gaze immediately snapped to a streak of residual violet energy darting away into the distance.

A faint smirk curled his lips and dark light surged beneath his boots as he launched himself after her.

His body moved like a shadow on the wind and though the aura of the fleeing figure wasn't exceptionally powerful like that dark knight, her speed was undeniable.

Her movements were swift and instinctual and her reflexes were sharp and unpredictable.

Seeing that, Ethan quickly concluded that such traits were not common among ordinary scouts.

Their pursuit danced across rooftops in a silent deadly rhythm.

The purple shadow darted over ledges and twisted through narrow gaps as it disappeared behind towering spires and curved around sharp edges and windowsills as it used every bit of the urban terrain to shake him off.

But Ethan felt no pressure.

There was no sense of urgency in his chase.

From the very first strike, he had subtly marked her with his soul sense imprint.

It was an advanced tracking technique that locked his awareness onto her spiritual signature like a bloodhound to a scent.

Between that imprint and his superior dark vision, navigating the nighttime chase was effortless.

No matter how many turns she took or how fast the shadow moved, it could not escape the web he had already cast around them.

Many guards belonging to various institutions and shops were either dozing off or casually chatting while drinking wine and were completely oblivious to the two shadows flashing silently above them.

One of the shadows was a dim blur of violet light and the other an even fainter dark figure that blended seamlessly with the night's shroud.

Ethan assessed the pace of the fleeing figure and realized he would likely have to exert considerable effort, possibly even unleash a burst of his full magical power to close the distance and apprehend the violet specter.

But as his eyes scanned the streets below, he noticed several patrolling groups.

Among them were many clusters of five or six demons walking together and each held a torch aloft while glancing around suspiciously.

One of them held up a large poster that caught Ethan's eye immediately.

He didn't need to look twice.

These were undoubtedly the personal guards of that arrogant young master from earlier and he did not doubt that they were currently on the hunt for him.

Their presence was a significant reason he was holding back from unleashing his full speed.

Drawing attention now would only complicate things.

No matter. I have other means to bring this one down...

Ethan's lips curled into a dark smile.

Tapping into his refined soul sense, he activated the silver runes inscribed deep within every fiber of his body.

Now that his Dreamshroud Devil Emperor Bloodline had awakened, he could see and trigger those runes at will though he still lacked precise control over their complex nuances.

From his soul, a sliver-thin strand of silver light snaked forth and stealthily wrapped itself around the head of the violet shadow while being subtle enough to go undetected.

His crimson pupils expanded slightly as the silver strand shimmered with a faint crimson glow and his Soul Veil Manipulation took hold once more.

As expected, the purple shadow leaped lightly and paused at the tip of a black spire atop a towering structure.

Ethan's smile deepened as he suppressed every trace of his presence and aura and soundlessly mirrored the figure's movement as he climbed the building's exterior.

He moved like a spectral gecko as his body glided up the vertical wall with unnatural grace.