Inside the dark, opulent halls of Wei's Mansion, Satoshi, Ranmaru, Naoya, Itsuki, and Masaki moved cautiously through shattered windows and blood-streaked floors. The once luxurious residence now resembled a slaughterhouse. Silk curtains hung in torn ribbons from broken rods, priceless vases lay shattered across the marble floor, and the scent of burning wood mixed with the thick metallic smell of blood.
Bodies were everywhere.
Some were grotesquely mutilated—arms ripped away, legs twisted at unnatural angles, heads crushed as if by monstrous force. Others had been partially devoured, their rib cages cracked open like broken cages, organs missing. Pools of dark blood glistened beneath the dim chandeliers, their flickering lights casting long, trembling shadows across the carnage.
Masaki grimaced as his heavy boots stepped into a slick puddle of blood.
"Whoever did this…" he muttered, gripping the handle of his hammer. "They weren't just killing. They were enjoying it."
Naoya scanned the hall with sharp, calculating eyes. Cursed energy rippled faintly around his fists like heat waves. "Stay alert. Demons that brutal won't leave quietly."
Satoshi said nothing. His chainsaw weapon rested over his shoulder, silent for now, but ready. His eyes moved across the ruined hall, studying every shadow.
A faint rustling sound came from outside the mansion walls.
Everyone froze.
The sound came again—from the bushes lining the courtyard.
Satoshi lifted one hand sharply, signaling silence.
Ranmaru nodded and quietly moved toward the shattered doorway, his prison chains dragging softly across the marble floor like whispering snakes.
He reached the bushes and slowly pushed the branches aside.
A terrified young maid crouched inside, trembling violently.
Her uniform was stained with blood that clearly wasn't hers. Tears streamed down her dirt-streaked face.
Ranmaru gently grabbed her wrist and pulled her out.
"Easy," he said calmly. "You're safe."
The maid collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Please… please help us!" she cried. "They… they came out of nowhere!"
Satoshi stepped forward.
"Who did?" he asked quietly.
The maid's voice trembled.
"Two demons… two horrible demons!"
Her eyes darted around wildly as she spoke.
"One… one carried a sword. A huge sword. It moved so fast… the guards couldn't even react. He cut them down one by one—arms, legs, heads… nothing was left intact."
Her breathing became shaky.
"And the other… the other one…" she whispered.
Her face turned pale.
"He ate them."
Masaki frowned.
"What do you mean 'ate'?"
The maid covered her mouth, shaking.
"He chased the servants who tried to run. I saw him tear a man in half… then he started devouring him while he was still alive."
Itsuki looked away grimly.
"I… I hid in the bushes," she continued weakly. "I watched everything. I couldn't move. I thought I was next."
Satoshi's expression hardened.
"You did the right thing hiding," he said.
He turned to Itsuki and Masaki.
"Protect her. Do not let anything reach this yard."
The maid clung desperately to Masaki's arm.
Masaki gave her a reassuring nod.
"You'll be fine," he said. "No demon's touching you while I'm here."
Itsuki opened his large spellbook, flipping the pages quickly. Glowing symbols lit the paper as he began chanting quietly.
A transparent barrier formed around the yard, shimmering faintly in the moonlight.
Meanwhile, Satoshi, Ranmaru, and Naoya pushed deeper into the mansion.
Their boots echoed through the empty corridors.
Every corner was filled with shadows. Broken furniture and fallen beams littered the floor, creating endless places for something to hide.
Satoshi stepped over a mangled corpse near the staircase.
"Get ready," he said.
Ranmaru tightened the iron chains wrapped around his arms.
Naoya cracked his knuckles as cursed energy pulsed through his veins.
Then—
CRASH.
The ceiling exploded downward.
Wooden beams shattered as a massive figure crashed through from the second floor.
Kensho.
The demon landed with a thunderous impact, his enormous sword already swinging.
Satoshi reacted instantly.
His chainsaw roared to life with a deafening mechanical scream.
SPARKS erupted as Kensho's blade collided with the spinning chains.
Metal screeched against metal as the two weapons locked.
Satoshi pushed forward with brute strength, forcing the blade aside before swinging the chainsaw toward Kensho's neck.
Kensho twisted effortlessly, dodging the attack with supernatural speed.
Naoya stepped forward.
"Move!"
Cursed energy surged around his fist as he slammed a punch into Kensho's arm.
The blast cracked the marble floor and blasted the demon backward.
But Kensho's arm regenerated instantly.
Flesh stitched itself together with horrifying speed.
Ranmaru swung his chains.
"Prison Gate!"
A glowing portal opened beneath Kensho's feet.
Chains of energy erupted from the ground, trying to drag the demon into an underground prison dimension.
But Kensho simply planted his sword into the floor.
The chains shattered under the pressure of his power.
The mansion shook violently.
Wood splintered. Walls cracked.
The three hunters circled the demon carefully.
Meanwhile, outside in the backyard, Itsuki and Masaki continued tending to the injured maid.
Masaki wrapped bandages around her arm.
"You're going to be alright," he reassured her.
Suddenly—
The maid froze.
Her entire body began trembling again.
Her eyes widened with pure terror.
"L-look…" she whispered.
Itsuki and Masaki slowly turned around.
And their blood ran cold.
A monstrous demon crouched in the grass behind them.
Hitokui.
The creature was hunched over the mangled corpse of a guard.
It was chewing.
Wet, crunching sounds filled the quiet yard as it tore a severed hand from the body and devoured it.
Blood dripped down its chin.
Its jagged teeth cracked bone effortlessly.
The demon slowly looked up.
Its glowing eyes locked onto them.
Itsuki reacted first.
He slammed open his spellbook.
Arcane symbols flared across the pages.
He tore several pages free and flung them forward.
The paper transformed into glowing chains that wrapped around Hitokui's arms and legs.
The demon roared in fury.
With a violent jerk of its body, it tore through the paper bindings.
Shredded pages scattered through the air like dark feathers.
Masaki charged.
His massive holy hammer swung downward with enormous force.
BOOM.
The hammer slammed into Hitokui's chest and launched the demon across the yard.
It crashed into a brick wall, shattering it.
Dust exploded outward.
Hitokui stood up immediately.
The demon snarled and charged back at terrifying speed.
Its claws scraped sparks from the ground as it ran.
Masaki swung again.
But Hitokui bit down on the hammer.
CRUNCH.
Its teeth pierced the enchanted metal.
Masaki's eyes widened.
The demon jerked its head violently, throwing Masaki across the yard.
He crashed through a pile of broken wood.
Hitokui turned toward Itsuki.
The demon began advancing slowly, claws tearing deep gouges into the earth.
Itsuki flipped several pages rapidly.
"Verdant Binding!"
Flaming vines erupted from the spellbook, wrapping tightly around the demon's limbs.
The fire burned into Hitokui's flesh.
The creature shrieked in pain.
But its monstrous strength tore the vines apart.
Molten black blood splattered across the grass.
Then the demon noticed the maid.
It lunged.
Its teeth snapped hungrily.
The maid screamed.
Itsuki's eyes widened.
There was only one option left.
Without hesitation, he hurled the entire spellbook directly into Hitokui's mouth.
The demon swallowed it instantly.
Then Itsuki whispered the incantation.
"Arcane Self-Destruction."
For one brief second—
Nothing happened.
Then
BOOM.
A violent explosion erupted from inside Hitokui's body.
Its stomach burst open in a spray of black blood and shredded muscle.
The blast launched the demon into the fence, shattering it.
Hitokui staggered.
Its body convulsed violently.
Magic burned through its insides like wildfire.
The demon screamed—a horrifying, inhuman sound that echoed across the mansion grounds.
Its chest split open.
And with one final, brutal explosion—
Hitokui's body was obliterated.
Blackened chunks of flesh rained across the yard.
Smoke drifted upward from the charred remains.
Silence fell.
Itsuki collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily.
His hands were blackened with cursed energy.
The spellbook was gone forever.
Masaki crawled toward him slowly, shaking his head.
"That… was insane," he muttered.
The maid trembled nearby, staring in horror at the smoking remains.
The backyard fell completely silent.
Only the distant sounds of battle inside the mansion remained.