August pointed at Prillon tentatively. “Is he a demon, too?”

“Yeah, I’m a demon.” Prillon gave her a withering stare. “So what? You gonna cry about it?”

“No… it’s just… I—”

“Don’t like the little runt one bit.” Prillon turned to Jalen. “Get rid of her before she fucks things up. We’ve got a powerful demon to catch here, not a bunch of butterflies in a field.”

Hands clutching her thighs, August lowered her head.

“Since when did I follow your orders, Prillon?” He asked. “The deal was to help me find the tsuchigumo, not antagonize my best chance in weeks.”

“How? How could the kid be anything more than a liability?”

Jalen looked at August absentmindedly, more focused on all the information swirling in his head. “By reviewing the facts we know so far, she could become instrumental. Why did the tsuchigumo attack the city with her spawn?”

Prillon made a face like his question had the most obvious answer. “To raise an even bigger army of worthless spawn that will all perish should the bitch invade Belial’s realm. It’s all a colossal waste of time.”

He shook his head. “Had a talk with one of the demons under her wing. She doesn’t plan on invading Hell. The way things are going, Belial is more likely to appear in the city.”

“And why the bloody hell would the archdevil do that? That practically does away with most of his advantage.”

“Pride. While we’ve been chasing around spawn like headless chickens, she’s been undoing everything Belial did to set this city up as his stronghold. I suspect she just finished eliminating all his top demons before turning her sights on acquiring August’s powers. The archdevil is bound to be aware of what’s happened. And if I were him, I’d be preparing an invasion force. That reminds me. August, did she reveal anything that could lead us to her location?”

“I don’t know,” she muttered. “I can only remember the general details. Not the demon’s words.”

Prillon kissed his teeth. “See? Like I said. Useless!”

Before he could chastise Prillon, Mr. Mangles appeared before them.

“Then allow me to be of assistance in my host’s place,” the Saint of Graves said. “These were the demon’s exact words. ‘Hold still, mortal. I shall part your head clean off your body so that I can revel in your unique ability. I believe you are the final catalyst instrumental in my grand plan.’”

Then, as quickly as he appeared, Mr. Mangles vanished.

“That revealed fuck all,” Prillon noted.

“True,” he agreed. “But it at least lends credence to the demon’s recorded actions.” He pulled out his phone and dialed Dynamo’s number. When Prillon turned a questioning set of eyes on him, he revealed his intentions. “If Belial was to come into this city with his army as the tsuchigumo planned, then she must have prepared something for him.”

“Like the hundreds of powers she obviously stole and the useless spawn army she is raising now?” Prillon asked.

“Yes, and no. She’s acquired many abilities since stealing my power. That much is obvious. But I think she is done with the spawn, because they have served their purpose in bringing chaos. She has an elite team hiding somewhere in the city. It’s the only thing that makes sense. Small enough to move unseen, but just large enough to pose a significant threat to Belial should they successfully ambush him. We just have to find out where that team is?”

Dynamo connected to the call. So, for the next few minutes, they updated each other on everything going on their side. Over a million people had passed through his portals with many clamoring to get in. Law enforcement, the military, HAVEN agents, superheroes, and Knights of Arixxer had taken back most of the city with only a few spawn strongholds left.

“Another demonic army is coming?” Dynamo exclaimed after he told her his findings. “Unbelievable. What did we do to deserve this unfathomable loss of life and destruction?” The superhero paused, calming her nerves with deep breaths. “Okay, I will notify HAVEN and other parties. I owe you everything, Jalen. How could I ever repay you?”

“We can have that discussion after everything is settled,” he said. “Now I know the tsuchigumo has an elite team held up somewhere. Give me your best guess based on the spawn movements around the city.”

“Why would the demon need an elite team? She has struck me as someone who works alone?”

“True. But to kill Belial, which is her goal, the risk is too great to battle the archdevil and his forces alone. And one thing I have gathered from her actions is that she is very risk-averse. Now, where in the city would her elite team lie low?”

Dynamo paused to think. A minute later, she came up with a location. “Southside Haven. From my reports, that district has basically gone unscathed compared to the rest of the city. My best guess is that the demon wants our attention elsewhere. Hold on.” Dynamo went quiet for minutes. He waited, glancing at an agitated Prillon and a somber August. Breaking the stillness, Dynamo resumed. “As usual, you were correct, Jalen. I’ve just received word from the Knights of Arixxer—another demonic force, led by the archdevil Belial, is coming. They’re unsure of the exact timing, but they’re certain it will happen.”

“Hm.” He nodded, rubbing his temple. “Alright, contact my sister and her crew and have them search Southside Haven for the tsuchigumo’s team.” As soon as he ended the call, a spark of realization flashed in his mind. He had been mistaken all along. He looked at August, her part finally revealing itself to him. For one, Jigoku Kumo’s elite team wasn’t hiding in Southside Haven, as that deduction failed to take the demonic massacre of years prior into account. If the tsuchigumo planned on ambushing Belial, then her best shot was in Midtown, specifically the commercial area where it all began. The street where he first met Tanarion and was whisked away through a portal, causing a rift in space-time that allowed Belial to create his own portal. Of course, the archdevil might have acquired other portal locations over the years, but if Belial were to transport a large army, that first portal was the strongest.

Stolen story; please report.

“They are in Midtown,” he announced. “She’s there too. Prillon, can you inscribe bounding sigils similar to that of the tsuchigumo’s?”

“Aye, that’s child’s play,” Prillon said. “But my energy levels are too bloody low compared to that spider bitch. I’ll run dry after only a few sigils.”

“That’s hardly an issue. I have an abundance of energy.” He leaned forward, studying the timid girl.

“What?” she said when they locked eyes.

“Here’s what you’re going to do, August. Everything hinges on your part. So whatever you do, never deviate from the plan.”

❊ ❊ ❊

‘So whatever you do, never deviate from the plan.’

August calmed her pounding heart with those words as distant gunshots echoed. Her next steps had already been laid out. All she needed to do was walk them.

The snow beneath her feet had melted, washing away the blood that leaked onto the street from the strewn corpses. She kept her head straight ahead, lacking the strength to take in her surroundings.

Zephyr, her fairy hummingbird, matched her somber demeanor, chirping pleadingly on her shoulder.

“I know it isn’t safe, Zephyr,” she said. “But I have to do this. It’s the only way. You can hide in the dream world if you want to.”

The hummingbird threw another tantrum but stayed by her side.

The duo traversed through the streets of Midtown, headed toward the location Jalen had marked on her phone.

Again, all you have to do is do as you were told, August. She psyched herself. Then the monster will pay dearly.

Alone, with only the company of dead people, she walked down a cold street lined by shops with their lights blaring and doors open. She turned at the next junction and checked her phone to see if she was heading in the right direction.

“You placed an awful lot of faith in me for any of this to work, little girl.” Mr. Mangles appeared beside her.

She gulped, no words escaping her mouth. Who was she to ask for his help after she had imprisoned him in the mausoleum?

“Fret not, for I approve of this new you,” Mr. Mangles said, smiling with a hundred teeth. “Who knew something as simple as killing your parents would make things so exciting, hehe?”

By the time her hateful glare descended on the Saint Of Graves, he was gone.

Soon she reached the first location Prillon and Jalen had prepared for her. Afterward, Jalen had told her that he needed to make further arrangements before disappearing into a portal. The location was a dead-end alleyway between two red brick buildings. On the left was a pizzeria, and on the right was a small convenience store. She memorized the place and moved on.

Eventually, she found herself on a winding street, flanked by shops and businesses on the left, and a quaint park on the right. Within the park, there stood a monument, serving as a reminder of the tragic demonic massacre that occurred in the past. The buildings were dark, with a few streetlights illuminating the area.

“This is the place,” she confirmed, checking it against the map on her phone.

Then tentatively, she crept forward, her head on a swivel. The air here seeped into her bones, feeling many times colder than the rest of the city. Any small sound made her flinch as the hairs on her arms stood erect. She hoped that her father would save her. Her mother’s crying face in the kitchen was all she could see now.

“Are you lost, little child?” A spine-tingling voice asked from the darkness.

It came from the left, so August turned to the vacated shops. Against what she thought possible, she replied, her voice breaking. “Don’t think so. I’m looking for someone.”

“Ah, I see. Your parents, perhaps?”

She tried and failed to narrow the source of the voice. “No. I’m looking for the demon who killed them.”

The voice broke into a horrifying laugh, as if glass was being ground into a paste. “For revenge? Interesting.” Something slender came out of a hardware store. It resembled a snake, only it had legs and two long arms. The helm protecting its head glistened from the little light that found it, its three beady eyes focused on her. It pointed a blade at her. “Now tell me how you found this place or else I will rip you apart limb after limb and force you to consume your flesh.”

Holy shit! She gasped, raising her shaky hands. Steady, August. Keep it together.

“Finding this place was easy,” she muttered.

“How?” the demon growled. “My patience runs thin.”

“While the spider monster killed my imaginary friends, their blood marked her, so I was able to follow her here.”

Through the eye slits of the slender demon’s helmet, she could observe its utter confusion.

“That’s enough, Glaker,” another grating voice sounded. “You can assume your post.”

Her heartbeat spiked, her fist balling and her mouth quivering from rage. She peered up at the roof of the hardware store and the spider demon with eight giant legs and a humanoid upper body gawked down at her like a starved wolf.

“Who would have foretold that we would meet again?” The monster smiled, displaying her jagged teeth. “It must be destiny that led you to me. That offered your vital powers up on a silver platter again. This time, mortal, please stay still.”

Before her brain could even think to reply, the demon vanished before her eyes and a shockwave erupted just ahead that sent her falling away. She screamed as she skidded across the road, her skin splitting and bruising.

While she fought to get back up, she saw Mr. Mangles battling the demon. Their blades clashed, sending earth-shattering shockwaves. Mr. Mangles even managed to get off a few point-blank rounds of his revolvers. Even so, the Saint of Graves was not faring well in the confrontation, as he had already lost one arm to the demon’s rapid and relentless attacks.

Remembering the steps laid out for her, August pried her eyes from their battle and bolted away as fast as her little legs could carry her. Something crashed into the building beside her. A split second later, Mr. Mangles emerged from the rubble and rushed behind her, his blades raised. More thunderous clangs cracked the air dangerously close. Zephyr chirped and zapped around her, deflecting any debris that fell her way.

“Come back, mortal!” The demon roared. “There is no escape for you. Only damnation.”

Only a few more steps, August. You can do it!

She shot into the street she memorized earlier, a trail of destruction hot on her tail. An electricity pole toppled over and exploded in sparks and fire. At the edge of her vision, a powerful red beam of energy tore through buildings, sweeping in an arc that would envelop her. She closed her eyes, praying as her legs fearlessly worked. When she summoned the courage to open them again, something large behind her was obstructing the beam. Mr. Mangles laughed, mocking the monster. Then everything went quiet except the pounding of her boots against the ground.

She dove into the dead-end alleyway and spun around, her eyes darting about.

“At last, it is finally over,” the demon rejoiced, skittering into the mouth of the alleyway, and locking August in.