Griffin shot up from his chair, his eyes blazing. "What do you mean he has the siphoning blade?"
The messenger shivered before the demon king. "The killer—he possesses a siphoning blade. Not just any copy, but the genuine artifact. We've encountered a hundred fakes, but this one..." He trembled. "This is the real deal."
Griffin stepped forward, his presence darkening the room. "I might need my demon form for this." His mind raced through the variables. How long had this killer been hunting? How powerful were his victims? A prolonged killing spree meant accumulated strength. But if he'd slaughtered formidable opponents in a short time, the threat multiplied exponentially.
He clenched his fists. "Either way, I handle this alone. This creature has been butchering my people, and now the killer faces consequences." His eyes blazed crimson, his demon king nature erupting to the surface.
"One more thing," the messenger said, stepping forward despite his fear. "A new demon has appeared. He's wreaking havoc across the lands—dozens of demons and werewolves slaughtered daily."
Griffin's head throbbed. One crisis after another. First the killer, now this awakened demon. "I can't fight two battles simultaneously. I need Omen."
He strode past the messenger, ascending the stairs to his sanctuary—the castle roof. Standing at the edge, he surveyed the demon city sprawling below.
Footsteps approached. "Griffin," Omen said, his black armor and crimson-streaked blade shimmering in the red light. His expression remained cold, calculating. "You only come here when something weighs on your mind. What troubles you?"
Griffin turned sharply. "The killer possesses the siphoning blade—the genuine one. You know what that means. Every kill makes him stronger." He paused, his jaw tightening. "But there's worse. A demon incarnate is slaughtering our kind and werewolves by the dozen. The casualties are mounting."
Omen's eyes narrowed. "I'll handle the demon," he said, raising his blade. "You take the killer."
"Then we have killers to catch."
Omen bent his knees and leaped from the building, plummeting into the demon city below. He landed without sound, barely stumbling as he absorbed the impact. His crimson eyes scanned the red-tinted streets—citizens trading demon stones, fighting, eating, standing idle. Nothing seemed amiss. No one out of place.
Meanwhile, Sabrina moved through the demon city with Kale and Deal flanking her. Her black clothing devoured the surrounding red light. Deal's white hair cut through the crimson atmosphere like a blade, his sword gleaming with otherworldly menace. Kale's red eyes burned beside her. Both moved like emotionless puppets, and Sabrina pulled their strings with masterful precision.
They entered a forest of red-tinged leaves and twisted branches.
Oren followed in the shadows, his blade catching fragments of light. "Just wait for the right moment," he whispered to himself. "That necromantic purple energy will be mine. Then the void. Then everything." His intentions crystallized—he would steal Sabrina's power, no matter the cost.
Sabrina remained oblivious to her stalker, continuing deeper into the forest with Deal and Kale.
Suddenly, raging fire exploded through the trees. Orange and yellow flames consumed everything, devouring wood and landscape alike. A figure stood at the inferno's heart. Though they couldn't see his face clearly, his outline revealed pitch-white skin—whiter even than typical demons. His eyes burned with pure fire. Black clothing clung to his frame, either impervious to flames or already burnt beyond further destruction. The heat radiating from the conflagration forced Sabrina back several steps.
Deal and Kale stood firm. Deal's white eyes pierced the flames without flinching.
The demon turned, laughter erupting from his throat. He raised his hand skyward. "How wonderful! You came to die!" His smile stretched wide, genuine in its malice. "Well, it doesn't matter why you came—death will be your end result."
Sabrina stepped forward, her voice cold and monotone. "I don't think we'll be dying." Her mind raced. If she could kill him and claim him as a minion, her army would become unstoppable.
The demon slammed his hand against the ground. A fiery shockwave exploded outward, racing toward them. Deal and Kale leaped back. Sabrina held her ground as white flames—pure energy shaped like fire—erupted from Deal's form. She conjured purple flames in her palms and launched fireballs at the approaching wall of heat. They sizzled into nothingness before making contact.
The flames burned too hot—even for her supernatural fire.
Her eyes widened. She stepped back, finally acknowledging the lethal danger before her.
An ice wall materialized, hurtling toward the demon. Oren appeared beside Deal, his expression twisted with rage. "Who do you think you are, taking her from me? That power is mine, and I won't let you destroy my chance!"
His blade gleamed as fire ignited in his hand. His entire body burst into flames. Using telekinesis, he lifted himself into the air and rained fireballs down on the demon.
The flames merged with the demon's body instantly. His fiery eyes blazed higher, sending shockwaves of heat through the forest. "You're an idiot! Fire won't work against me—feed me more flames!"
Oren snarled. "Fire won't affect you? Then ice will!" He sheathed his blade and conjured massive ice spheres in both hands, hurling them downward like frozen pillars.
The ice didn't make it three feet before melting into water, then steam, then nothing.
The demon laughed and shot a beam of fire upward. Oren tried to dodge—he had the speed—but the beam moved faster. It struck him, sending him crashing to the ground in a smoking heap.
"One down, three to go." The demon lifted into the air, his entire body engulfed in flames.
Deal swung his sword, creating a slashing wave of white energy. It dissipated the instant it touched the demon's fiery aura.
"Such fools! Absolute fools!" The demon pressed his palms together, forming a massive fire beam. "Now you'll burn to ash, and I'll consume your remains as fuel!"
He fired the beam directly at Deal. Deal swung his sword, attempting to create a white energy beam to pierce through the flames. The energy vanished on contact. The flames struck Deal, burning him nearly to cinders. Only his head and fragments of his body remained uncharred as he collapsed, barely alive.
Oren staggered to his feet. "If that won't hurt you, and I can't beat you..." Shadows coalesced around his fingers, forming tight strings that shot toward the demon, attempting to bind him.
They disintegrated upon touching the flames.
"Weak shadows," the demon said, his smile stretching impossibly past his eyes—a sight that shouldn't be possible but was. This creature was utterly, dangerously insane.
Even Sabrina recognized the threat. She unleashed multiple waves of purple fire toward the demon's inferno. Her flames sizzled and died against his superior heat.
"Still trying to attack me?" His voice grew deadly. "Time for you all to perish."
He looked skyward and raised his hands. Something materialized in the red-tinted sky above the demon world—a massive ball of fire resembling a sun, blinding in its intensity. Oren and Sabrina looked away. Deal and Kale stared directly at it, unflinching.
He hurled the fireball toward them. The sun-like sphere descended with terrifying speed.
"We're dead," Oren thought. "This is all I'm worth. I couldn't even take that girl's power." His mind raced. "Unless I teleport out of the blast radius. No matter what, I'm getting that power. No demon, angel, or god will stop me."
Blood coalesced in his palm. Armor made of crimson liquid wrapped around him like a second skin. His eyes turned blood-red as he channeled his full arsenal of powers.
He laughed, defiant. "Foolish demon! You should know better than to mess with someone who has so many unpredictable powers!"
A bright flash engulfed everything.
The sun had landed.