3 minutes before sprinkler ignition...
The Smuggler crouched beside the corridor of an abandoned floor in the plaza, flicking his lighter open and shut with trembling fingers. The air reeked of gasoline. His heart was pounding like a war drum, his breath shallow.
Over the phone call, he spoke, voice low but urgent. "Everything's ready. Are you sure you want to do this?"
Samuel didn't answer him directly but instead turned to the second line. "Uncle Ben, are you in position?"
"Yeah," Ben said, steady as stone. He was crouched beside the sprinkler control panel on the opposite side of the building, his aged hands resting beside a hastily rewired set of valves. "I rigged the failsafe. Once it triggers, the sprinklers won't stop until the tank's dry. No turning back."
Three of them were connected in a tense conference call. Silence buzzed like static.
Samuel gave the call. "Do it."
The Smuggler exhaled shakily, lit one last cigarette, took a long drag—then flicked it onto the soaked floor. And he ran.
The second the flame touched the petrol-drenched tiles—
WHOOSH!
Fire erupted like a dragon's breath, scorching through the corridor and racing toward the ventilation shaft with monstrous hunger.
Seconds later—
BREEEEEEEEEP!
The fire alarm howled.
CLANG! SHHHHHHHHHHH!
Sprinklers burst open across the complex.
It began as a standard deluge. Panic set in as people—clients, workers, guards—rushed into the halls, screaming about fire.
And then… the blessed saltwater came.
The Saltstorm had begun.
Blissbinders shrieked. Their human glamours sizzled and melted. Skin bubbled, bones cracked, claws emerged. The second floor erupted into chaos. Girls with demon cores dropped to their knees, twitching violently.
Some crawled up walls, slipping on the water-slick tile. Clients screamed. Some ran, others just stared in horror. The water burned the demons like acid, revealing their true forms to any who dared look.
One tried to leap out a window—her skin half-gone—but collapsed midway as her legs gave out.
Another burst from a bathroom stall in a panic, smashing through a glass panel as her face twisted in agony, wailing like a banshee. Her limbs began contorting as the salt hit deeper, clawing at her own skin in desperation. Her screams turned feral—guttural howls echoing through the chaos.
Others piled toward the stairs, trying to escape—but slipped on the flooded floors. One Blissbinder, partially transformed, let out a bone-cracking screech as her legs twisted backward in mid-run, snapping at odd angles. She collapsed, twitching violently. Another slammed into a pillar, her skin peeling off in wet sheets as she convulsed under the salt's burn.
Doors banged open. Windows shattered as more demons tried to flee, hurling themselves into walls in blind panic, their glamours unraveling like cheap costumes. The air reeked of sulfur and blood and burning flesh. The cries of confusion from human clients mixed with inhuman screeches, echoing like an orchestra from hell.
From the top floor, a furious scream exploded through the building. It wasn't human.
The Queen had awakened.
She stormed out of her chamber, aura blazing crimson. Her figure shimmered with raw seduction and rage, trailing pheromonal energy like a perfume of death. The entire corridor bowed under her pressure, lights flickering violently. Her footsteps cracked tiles. Her presence alone made weaker demons freeze in fear.
But the moment a single droplet of saltwater touched her shoulder, steam rose like smoke from hell.
Her expression twisted from wrath to revulsion. She hissed—a sharp, primal sound that pierced through every floor like a banshee's curse—and vanished into her room, slamming the door with a wave of force that cracked the nearby walls, shattered light fixtures, and left a scorch mark where her foot had landed.
Inside Pinky's room—
The chaos outside was unmistakable. Screams, crashing, water pouring. It was all audible through the walls.
There was a long silence inside.
Samuel closed his eyes, breathing slowly. Danny mirrored him.
Maya watched from within their minds, arms folded. "At least their brains are working. They might escape without dying."
The blue flame flickered beside her. "They are maturing. Slowly… but steadily."
Maya's eyes narrowed. "But my memory fragment… I don't think I can get it this time around. And we're running out of time."
Back in reality—
Pinky broke the silence. "Are you guys ready to escape?"
Danny turned to her, eyes sharp. "No, sister. I've made a decision."
Samuel opened his eyes. Without a word, the two fist-bumped.
"We're not running away," Samuel said. "Follow us. Stay close."
They threw off their jackets. Their bracelets pulsed.
Danny whispered a chant.
His bracelet morphed into a black blade, glowing faintly with hellfire.
Pinky gasped. She covered her mouth. Even after believing them, a piece of her had doubted the demon-hunter tale. But witnessing the transformation shattered that doubt.
Danny turned to her, voice calm. "We called you sister. That means you're family. And we don't abandon family."
Maya's eyes widened in their shared mindspace. "What the hell are they thinking?! They're not ready to take on this many—"
The door slammed open.
Pinky followed, heart racing.
Samuel spoke within his mind: "Hell's Order, scan the perimeter. Detect nearby demons."
"Two Blissbinders located. 45 degrees south."
They walked toward the nearby room.
Danny kicked the door.
The weakened demonesses shrieked and lunged—but Danny struck clean, slicing both down with precision. Samuel stepped forward, reciting the chant. A black circle opened beneath them—Hell's Gate.
The demons screamed as their souls were ripped from the hosts and dragged down.
The bodies collapsed, unconscious.
Pinky covered her mouth. "Are they… dead?"
Danny shook his head. "No. They're unconscious. The saltwater weakened the demon's hold. Once Samuel summoned Hell's Gate, the demons were banished. The human hosts survived."
"Why were they screaming?" she asked.
"You can't see it," Danny said. "The Gate. The extraction. It's invisible to humans. But it hurts the demons like hellfire."
She nodded, keeping close.
Samuel's voice rang again.
"Hell Order, scan the building. How many demons remain inside?"
"Detected: 35 Class-F, 7 Class-E, 3 Class-D, 1 Class-C remaining inside. Others have fled outside."
Samuel clenched his jaw. His Hell Order flashed.
Sin Binding Chant: Initiated.
Target demons will be bound for three minutes. The higher the sin, the stronger the bind. Usually used in Hell for high-level interrogations and capturing demons.
Samuel smirked.
"This is just perfect."
They marched forward—no longer running, no longer scared.
The saltwater still rained. Demons howled.
But the boys' courage erupted like a volcano finally set free.
The battle is far from over.
To be continued.