The Seven Demon's Tamer

Chapter 2

Ryder's vision blurred as he traveled through an endless dark space. His scream echoed as he was jolted by an invisible force for what seemed like forever before he eventually arrived at a destination.

After he was told his soul would be teleported, he never expected it to be like this. He never thought everything would feel so real.

As his body levitated in the air of a strange horizon where he was jolted to, he attempted to steady himself, but it wasn't so easy.

The sensation he was feeling was unlike anything he had ever felt. His body no longer obeyed the laws of gravity like it did back in the world where his real body was.

He was floating, stretching, twisting… and he just wanted to scream.

Unlike the dark void he had been traveling through, this place was quite different—everywhere around him were colorful orbs, some close, some in the distance, glittering and shimmering like stars.

After a while of trying, Ryder finally balanced himself to a position where he could feel comfortable. In this space, normal concepts like "up" and "down" didn't seem to make any sense.

"I am at the Astral Shadow Plain… now what? I can't find any beasts here," Ryder muttered. "This feels like I’m in space more than anything… not that I’ve been to space, though."

"What the hell is even going on!?"

Suddenly, multiple outlines began to play in his head. They appeared slowly and faintly before their visibility increased.

It was as if they had been there all along, but Ryder had never noticed them.

In the air, multiple creatures—some with wings, some on all fours, each with different shapes and sizes—roamed around, circling him. They all seemed to mind their own business, not even sparing him a glance despite their proximity.

Yet, despite the crowd of beasts, Ryder could feel something distinct—eyes. A pair of eyes staring at him, dead on.

Ryder swallowed hard.

Suddenly, the mark on his left shoulder began to glow.

"That definitely is the creature that marked me. I guess it’s time for my test."

From within the darkness, solid ground materialized, followed by dead trees and red clouds. Before Ryder knew it, he was in a place that made him shiver.

Everything around him had materialized right before his eyes. The place where he stood was created right in front of him, shifting from the vast space he had been in before.

From his mark, a black foggy trail emerged.

"You will receive the direction of the beast that invited you," Ryder recalled. It was the same thing one of the cloaked figures had told him before he was sent here.

"It’s not like I have any choice other than to follow the trail," Ryder smiled sadly as he walked forward.

The path he walked was through a deserted forest. There were trees, but no leaves. There were animals, but they were all dead—mere artwork of bones.

The trees seemed to lean closer the further he moved, their gnawed branches stretching outward like clawed hands.

From the quiet land Ryder had been navigating, he suddenly heard a rustling sound, followed by whispering.

"Stay calm, Ryder. Stay calm. Nothing is gonna happen," he reassured himself as his voice trembled, knowing fully well he was lying to himself.

His pace quickened. He could have turned around, asked, "Who's there?" like most people would, and confronted whatever was causing the change in atmosphere—but he dared not!

After all, how sure was he that the creature responsible even understood English?

**Rustle!**

The sound came again, this time, closer.

Ryder swallowed hard and continued walking forward with trembling legs, not turning around even once.

**Rustle!**

This time, it was just too close. He quickly turned around—

**ROAR!**

The creature was no other than a rabbit.

A rabbit that **roared**.

"ARRRRGGHHH!!" Ryder screamed as he attempted to push the creature away. Instead, he was the one who ended up flying backward, crashing into one of the dead trees as his hands collided with the rabbit’s underbelly.

"This… this is the devil’s plane," Ryder muttered in a low tone as he struggled to stand up, his legs wobbling. "I shouldn't be too surprised to expect such from a rabbit."

Walking forward with slow, calculated steps, the rabbit-like creature approached him. When it was just a few centimeters away, it stopped.

"You… You… Are… The… Dracogon’s… summon?" its voice grumbled.

Still on the ground, Ryder couldn’t stand up. His body felt like it had lost all its energy, but at least he could hear the creature loud and clear.

"So… it can speak," Ryder thought before responding.

"I don't know what you're talking about! Just leave me be!"

The creature walked closer and then ripped off Ryder’s clothes from his shoulder, revealing his mark.

"There is no mistaking it. This is the Great Demon Dracogon’s mark," the rabbit continued. "I am a Devil-Viper Bunny that goes by the name Luxy, and I serve the Dracogon."

"I can guess you have no clue about the world you're in, but this entire plane is ruled by the Great Demon Dracogon. Every beast here is under him, including me, so you won't have problems with the other beasts… as long as they recognize the mark on your shoulder."

"The Dracogon… so that is the beast that contracted me," Ryder spoke in a tone just above a whisper.

"Yes, and I don’t think you’ll be getting to him easily, so I will be contracting with you as well to guide you to him," Luxy said.

"But here’s the problem—I cannot bind with you without your permission. So, you have to permit me. Do you agree to let me bind with your soul?"

By now, Ryder had managed to get back to his feet.

"But what about the initial beast that summoned me? If I allow you to bind with me, how can I bind with my actual beast—the one that marked me?"

"Relax," Luxy spoke nonchalantly. "There is no limit to the number of beasts you can bind to your soul. In the brown, orange, and red-marked worlds, humans have no restrictions. I cannot say for sure if the same applies to the black mark world, but it should—if you are compatible."

"If I’m compatible?" Ryder echoed weakly.

"And besides, this is a win-win for both of us. I have been looking for a worthy vessel, and you won’t survive if you venture outside this area alone."

"I mean, just look at you! You delivered a hit to me and ended up in such a condition. If I had actually attacked you, I don’t think you would have survived a direct blow from me."

"Everyone out there is either a demon or a devil—just like me. You won’t survive for sure."

"So, what do you say?"

Ryder hesitated for a moment before finally replying.

"Yes… I approve for you to bind with my soul."