Fateful Encounter

A searing agony tore through Violet's abdomen as the spear impaled her flesh. She glanced down and saw her blood gushing from the wound. She lifted her gaze and met the cold eyes of the masked female who had stabbed her, gripping the other end of the spear.

The female wore a sleek black suit and a matching mask, identical to the other two assailants who had ambushed them. She had a lithe and nimble figure, and her movements were quick and accurate.

Violet bit down hard on her lip and snatched the spear, yanking it out of her body. She hurled it back at the female, hoping to impale her. But the female evaded the spear and sprinted towards Violet, poised to strike.

Violet knew she was in a dire situation. She was a blood demon, which granted her some edge over humans. She possessed enhanced strength, speed, and senses, as well as the ability to regenerate, and the ability to manipulate blood, which was rare among blood demons. But she was still young and inexperienced, and her powers were not fully matured. She had never faced an adversary like this before. Moreover, she was severely wounded.

"This is bad. If only I had been more alert." Violet thought frantically.

"Uhmm, you wouldn't mind giving me a time out, would you?" She said with a nervous laugh, trying to stall for time for her injuries to heal. But her opponent ignored her plea and continued her assault.

The female reached Violet and threw a punch at her face. Violet barely blocked it with her arm, feeling the force. She attempted to counter with a kick, but the female caught her leg and twisted it, making Violet lose her footing. The female then elbowed Violet in the chest, knocking her down.

Violet gasped for air, feeling her ribs fracture. She rolled over and got up, refusing to surrender. She saw the female charging at her again, and braced herself for the fight.

She concentrated on her blood, feeling it course through her veins. She commanded it to heal her wounds, and to shape a weapon in her hand. She felt a razor-sharp blade made of blood emerge from her palm, and clenched it firmly.

She slashed the blade at the female, hoping to slice her. But the female was too fast. She dodged the blade and seized Violet's wrist, trying to wrench it away. Violet resisted, and shoved the female back with her other hand. She then sliced the blade again, this time aiming for the female's neck.

The female ducked under the blade, and kicked Violet in the stomach, making her spit out blood. She then grabbed Violet's hair and yanked her head back, to deliver another blow. Violet managed to dodge her opponent's fist and used the momentum to sink her fangs into the masked woman's shoulder. She immediately started to drink her blood to hasten her healing process.

The masked woman screamed in fury, "Get off me, you little pest!"

Violet felt a surge of energy as she drank the masked woman's blood. She felt her wounds mend and her strength return. She also sensed something else, a faint trace of fear in the woman's blood. The mere thought of the possibility of losing and having to face the wrath of Morgan and the others made the Homonculus panic.

Violet realized that the woman was not as confident as she appeared. She noticed her movements had become unsteady and she decided to use this to her advantage.

She let go of the woman's shoulder and kicked her in the face, making her stagger back. She then flung her blood blade at the woman, aiming for her heart. The woman tried to dodge, but it was too late. The blade pierced her chest, and she collapsed to the ground, clutching her wound.

Violet walked over to the woman, and looked down at her. She saw the woman's eyes widen in shock and pain. She also saw a glimmer of sadness and relief. She wondered who the woman was, and why she had attacked her. She felt a twinge of pity, but also a sense of relief. She had won the fight, and survived.

She asked the woman, "Who are you people? Why are you doing this?"

The woman spat out blood, and smiled faintly. She said, "You'll never find out. You're just a pawn in a bigger game. But you're a good fighter. I'll give you that."

She then closed her eyes, and stopped breathing.

Violet felt a shiver run down her spine. She wondered what the woman meant by a bigger game. She wondered who was behind this, and what they wanted.

She picked up her blood blade, and dissolved it back into her body. She then proceeded to track down Ryder and Silver. She was especially worried about Ryder. She knew he couldn't beat one of these masked fighters on his own. She knew that this was not over, but she had to find her friends first and make sure they were safe.

***

Ryder crashed hard on the ground, feeling a piercing pain in his ribs. He looked up and saw the man who had kicked him, standing over him with a smirk. The man was dressed in a sleek black suit and a matching mask, like the other two who had ambushed them. He had a lean and muscular build, and his eyes were cold and ruthless.

"Who are you? What do you want from us?" Ryder asked, trying to sound brave.

The man didn't answer. He just reached down and grabbed Ryder by the collar, lifting him up with ease. He threw him against a nearby tree, making him spit out blood.

"We don't want anything from you, specifically. You're just in the way of our mission." The man said, his voice distorted by a device on his mask.

Ryder felt a surge of anger and fear. He didn't know what these people were after, but he knew they were dangerous. He had to fight back, or he would die.

He reached for his pocket, where he had a small knife. He managed to pull it out and charged towards the man with a slash aimed at his arm, hoping to cut him. But the man was too fast. He evaded the knife with ease and seized Ryder's wrist, twisting it until he dropped the weapon.

"Nice try, kid. But you're no match for me. I've been trained by the best. It's obvious you're just a beginner, and a weak one at that." The man taunted, squeezing Ryder's wrist until it broke.

Ryder screamed in agony, and clenched his teeth, while feeling his bones snap. He tried to kick the man in the groin, but the man blocked his leg with his knee. "Now you're just desperate," the man sighed. He then punched Ryder in the face, breaking his nose and making his consciousness waver.

Ryder fell to the ground, barely conscious. He felt the man's foot on his chest, crushing his lungs. He grabbed the man's leg, trying to move it with all the strength he could muster while struggling to breathe. But it was futile.

"Any last words?" The man asked, raising his other foot to stomp on Ryder's head.

Ryder refused to give up. He continued to struggle. He thought of Silver and Violet, his friends. He hoped they were still alive. He hoped they would escape. He wanted to see them again. He wanted to regain his memories. He wanted to die without regrets.

He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He heard the sound of a sudden impact, and felt a bit of relief.

"It's over, isn't it." He said to himself.

Suddenly he felt the sharp pains from the injuries he sustained earlier rush through his veins. He heard the sound of the masked man struggling. He managed to open his eyes to see what was happening. His vision was blurry, but he could make out one thing. The masked man was struggling with someone. A boy with purple hair who appeared to be the same height as Ryder.

The boy easily dodged each blow the man tried to deliver like he was predicting his moves. He possessed both the speed to evade the masked man's attack and the strength to block them.

"You're just a child! How can you!" The masked man's frustration became evident.

"Alright, that's enough. We don't have time to waste here," a young and stern female voice murmured in the background.

"I'll wrap things up now." He said, as he dodged a kick from the masked man and followed it with a leg sweep, sending him tumbling to the ground. He then swiftly slashed his neck with the knife Ryder had dropped earlier.

The masked man's scream echoed as the final word of the exchange between the two youngsters.

"Who's that?" Ryder croaked, as he felt his consciousness fading. He caught a glimpse of a scarlet wave of hair passing by him.