At the core of this shadow-shrouded area, a small squad of figures dressed in black special operations uniforms, wearing armbands with special talisman insignias, stood ready.
They were members of the Exorcism Division, a secret department under the Public Safety Police, specifically responsible for handling supernatural threats that conventional means could not address.
But in the end, they were just mercenaries hired by the government to deal with Devils.
The team's commander was a robust man. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, but his tightly pressed lips and slightly sweaty forehead betrayed his internal tension.
He adjusted his earpiece and lowered his voice to issue orders, setting up the final perimeter.
Standing beside him was a younger female squad member, her face still holding a hint of lingering childishness, but the hand holding the special pistol was exceptionally steady.
Her name was Himeno, the youngest rookie in the team, and it was her first time participating in an operation against a high-threat target like the "Ghost Devil."
The captain turned his head, his voice very low yet carrying an unquestionable seriousness. It was both a reminder to Himeno and a way to steady his own resolve.
"Himeno, remember the operational plan. If... I mean if, we can successfully capture this Ghost Devil and suppress its consciousness, it might be an opportunity for you."
Himeno's body trembled slightly as she looked at the captain.
The captain's gaze did not move from the target building as he continued his calm analysis, his tone carrying a trace of undetectable heaviness and temptation. "Jujutsu Sorcerers... that's a gift from the heavens, a talent brought in the blood. You either have it or you don't. If you don't, you can't squeeze into that circle even if you risk your life."
"But for us 'normal' people who don't have that 'luck,' if we want to gain the power to protect ourselves and even others in this increasingly dangerous world, there is another... more direct, but also more dangerous shortcut."
His voice was like a magical whisper, painting a cruel and realistic picture. "Trading with Devils. Pay a price in exchange for power. The price is decided by the Devil. It could be trivial, like a few strands of hair or a memory, or it could be incredibly heavy, like an eye, an arm, or even... something more important."
The captain paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.
"But Himeno, think about it. To protect important people, to survive in this world that could be torn apart by invisible monsters at any moment, to gain rewards sufficient to change one's fate or even let one's family live a wealthy life..."
"Giving up an organ in exchange for real transcendent power—many people... including myself, would consider this a deal worth considering. After all, compared to dying silently in some corner with the cause of death disguised as an 'accident,' being able to take the initiative is a victory in itself."
Himeno's breathing became somewhat rapid, and she subconsciously touched her chest, as if weighing that invisible price.
In this bizarre and peril-filled era, power—especially power that could counter unconventional threats—held a lethal temptation.
However, all their attention was focused on the abandoned building in front of them, and all monitoring equipment was aimed in that direction. They didn't notice that in their blind spot, behind the broken window of a taller building on the edge of the block, a pair of bloodshot and crazed eyes was staring intently at them.
It was a middle-aged man who looked destitute, with ragged clothes, greasy hair, and an unnatural flush on his face. There was no reason in his eyes, only a hysterical fanaticism and a near-joyful cruelty.
He watched the Exorcism Division members carefully setting traps like flies falling into a spider's web, his lips curling into a twisted smile that revealed uneven yellow teeth.
He murmured to himself in a low voice, like a sleep-talker, his voice raspy, "They're here... they're all here... good, wonderful... Want my baby? Want to catch it? In your dreams."
His hands tightly gripped an old and filthy-looking amulet engraved with illegible, sinister symbols.
He seemed to be talking to an invisible entity, his tone becoming increasingly agitated. "Yes... trade it all. Take my soul, my flesh, my everything. I only want... I only want them dead. Let these annoying flies, these self-righteous hounds, all go to hell. Kill them! Leave none alive!"
Following his crazed prayer, an invisible, bone-chilling fluctuation spread out with him at the center.
On the street below, the Spiritual Energy Detectors placed by the Exorcism Division around the abandoned building suddenly emitted a series of piercing alarms, the needles swinging wildly and instantly exceeding their range.
"Captain! The Spiritual Pressure readings are soaring! The energy response... it's over three times the estimate! No, it's still rising!" A team member shouted in terror, looking at the off-the-charts values on a handheld terminal.
The captain's face instantly turned pale. He jerked his head up toward the target building, only to see that the entrance, which had been just a dark hole, was now churning with thick, inseparable black mist like boiling water. Within the mist, countless agonizingly distorted human faces seemed to be wailing and struggling.
A soul-freezing malice surged like a tide, causing all the team members to feel a suffocating dread.
"Not good! The situation has changed! It's not a capture! It's a trap! All personnel on maximum alert! Prepare..."
Himeno's command was not yet finished when—
"Heehee... heeheehee..."
An ethereal, eerie laughter of a child, seemingly from the depths of the underworld, abruptly echoed throughout the entire block. The sound was everywhere, drilling directly into everyone's minds.
Immediately following, from the churning black mist, several giant, translucent tentacles made of pure shadow and resentment shot out. Their speed exceeded the limit of the naked eye, lashing toward the two closest Exorcism Division members.
"Hel—"
The scream stopped abruptly.
The two members didn't even have time to pull their triggers. Their bodies were like ice cubes thrown into strong acid, rapidly dissolving and decomposing under the entanglement of the tentacles. Along with their special equipment, they turned into wisps of green smoke and vanished without a trace, leaving only a faint smell of burning in their place.
"Fire! Open fire!" The captain roared, his eyes nearly bursting with rage.
The special submachine gun in his hand spat out a barrage of bullets, hitting the shadow tentacles, but it was like a stone dropped into the ocean, only stirring up faint ripples and failing to cause any substantial damage.
The other members also opened fire, light flickering in the darkness. But facing this terror that far exceeded expectations and seemed to possess an immortal body, their attacks appeared pale and powerless. Two more members were struck by the elusive tentacles while dodging, their life force instantly drained as they collapsed to the ground as mummified corpses.
Despair, like a cold viper, coiled around the hearts of every survivor.
Himeno slumped to the ground, looking at the hellish scene before her. Only the captain's words from earlier remained in her mind.
"Pay a price in exchange for power..."
But now, there didn't even seem to be a chance to pay a price.
Behind the broken window high above, that crazed middle-aged man watched the slaughter below, letting out a manic laugh of extreme pleasure, as if appreciating a beautiful drama.
"Yes! Just like that! Kill! Kill them all! Hahahaha!"
***
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