“What? They’ve been killing people... why?” Cloudy asked.

“Don’t know,” Gabriel replied with a shrug.

Cloudy frowned, thinking back. “Hmm... they told me they were doing it for a god.”

“A god?” said Gabriel. “What god?”

“I don’t know,” Cloudy admitted. “But they killed the bus driver. Thankfully, no one else was hurt.”

“ Good, I see you fought against them quite well.”

“I tried my best.”

Cloudy looked at Devon “ But I got great help.”

“Who..the kid?” Gabriel asked, his gaze shifting to Devon.

Without waiting for an answer, he activated his essence, letting it flow into his eyes. As he examined Devon he saw a little white aura in his heart.“Nice. The kid’s essence is starting to form and flow through him. How old is he?”

Cloudy shrugged. “No idea. But if I had to guess, I’d say around seven or eight.”

“So, is he like your son or something?” Gabriel asked, tilting his head.

“No,” Cloudy replied. “He’s my friend’s kid. I’m just looking after him.”

Gabriel studied Devon for a moment “I can see some great potential in him.”

“Anyway, I’m going to catch those crazies and make sure the passengers are safe,” Gabriel said confidently.

“Gabri—” Cloudy started, but when he turned, Gabriel was already gone. “He’s gone now…”

“Cloudy, did you see that?!” Devon exclaimed.

“Yeah, you were very brave, Devon,” Cloudy said with a small smile. “Do you have any bruises or wounds?”

“No, I feel pretty good!” Devon replied, beaming.

“Oh, thank goodness,” Cloudy said, letting out a sigh of relief. Still, a strange thought lingered in his mind: Who were those two men?

Meanwhile, in a secret, rundown warehouse, Sin and Saint paced inside, their expressions grim as they reflected on what had happened.

“Why did we have to retreat, brother?” Saint asked, his voice tinged with frustration. “We could’ve turned everyone there into offerings!”

“I felt a powerful essence user heading straight for us,” Sin replied sharply. “It was better that we ran.”

Saint scoffed. “If you say so... but the leader is going to be pissed.”

“No need to dwell on that,” Sin said with a sly grin, pointing toward a stack of cargo boxes. “Check those out.”

Saint walked over, wrinkling his nose as a foul stench of rotting flesh grew stronger. He opened one of the boxes, revealing five decaying corpses inside.

“There are more in those cargo boxes,” Sin said, motioning toward the stack. “We’ll load them into a van and take them to the nearest cargo ship. Once they’re on board, we’ll head back to Crimson City. The leader will be proud.”

“Nice,” Saint said, then paused, a thought crossing his mind. “But... Can the leader even summon a god?”

Sin chuckled. “I mean, we wouldn’t be doing all this if he couldn’t. You know why we joined his cult.”

“For wealth and power,” Saint replied confidently.

“Exactly. With enough power, we can do anything we want. And once we’ve achieved our goals, we’ll kill the leader, take over his cult, and become feared by many.”

Saint’s grin widened. “I like that goal.”

“Good,” Sin said, nodding. “Now let’s get those boxes in the van and get out of this city.”

Sin and Saint were part of a cult. But what kind of cult, you might ask? A sinister organization with a single, terrifying goal: to summon a demon god. This being, whispered about in ancient folklore, was so feared that its arrival was said to herald the end of the world. Its name was...

Meanwhile, back at the bus, a group of Purgers arrived, investigating the aftermath of the chaotic event. They carefully wrapped the body of the deceased bus driver and loaded him into a van.

“Poor man,” one of the Purgers muttered, shaking his head as the bus driver’s body was loaded into the van.

A Purger approached Cloudy, clipboard in hand, and asked, “So, who attacked the bus, Cloudy?”

Cloudy took a moment to gather his thoughts before responding. “One of them was tall with long white hair. The other was average height, also with white hair. They both wore red robes.”

“Red robes...” the Purger mused, then snapped his fingers as a thought struck him. “Ah, wait. Did they mention something about a god?”

“Yeah, they did,” Cloudy confirmed.

The Purger’s expression darkened. “Oh, it must be that cult.”

Cloudy raised an eyebrow. “What do you know about them?”

“Plenty,” the Purger replied grimly. “They’ve been committing murders all over the city.”

Cloudy’s thoughts raced. So, there’s more than just those two…

“How many of them are there?” he asked.

“We’ve captured about 20 so far,” the Purger said. “They’re all charged with homicide and will be sent to prison.”

“How do you know it’s a cult?” Cloudy asked.

The Purger nodded knowingly. “We got the information straight from one of them. They confessed that the murders were part of some ritual—offering lives to a god. That’s why we’re certain it’s a cult.”

“That makes sense,” Cloudy Replied. “This cult needs to be stopped. If it grows, the murder rate could skyrocket—possibly rivaling the demon rate.”

Around the world, demons plagued humanity across the four major zones. Yearly deaths caused by demon attacks were estimated at 300,000, a staggering number that had been slowly increasing over the years. Despite efforts to contain them.

Cloudy’s thoughts lingered on the weight of the situation. “We already have enough trouble dealing with demons. If humans start contributing to the chaos on this scale…”

The Purger crossed his arms “That is why we must stop this cult from growing.”

Devon walked up to Cloudy, tugging gently on his sleeve.

“What is it?” Cloudy asked, glancing down at the boy.

“I thought we were going fishing,” Devon said, holding up a small fishing rod with a hopeful smile.

Cloudy blinked, momentarily taken aback by Devon’s calm demeanor. “Oh... right. Sorry, Devon,” he said, scratching the back of his head. “You seem... pretty unaffected by everything that happened today.”

“Yeah, I try to forget traumatic experiences,” Devon said casually, his eyes focused on the fishing rod in his hands.

Cloudy gave a small, thoughtful nod. “That’s... a good thing to do, I suppose,” he said, then offered a faint smile. “By the way, thanks for helping out with those crazies back there. You were pretty brave.”

“You’re welcome! Now, come on, let’s go fishing!” Devon said eagerly, already heading off.

Cloudy chuckled and followed. “Alright, I’m coming.”

By the time they reached the ocean, the sun was setting, casting hues of orange and pink across the water. Despite the late hour, they managed to launch their small boat into the calm waves.

Cloudy adjusted his grip on the oars, the boat gently rocking as they ventured further out. “This thing cost me a thousand bucks,” he muttered, half to himself.

Devon leaned over the edge, peering into the water. “Worth it! Look at how peaceful it is out here.”

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The two settled in, the distant sound of the waves lapping against the boat.

“Okay, Devon, ready to catch a fish?” Cloudy asked, handing over a fishing rod.

“Yep!” Devon said enthusiastically, then hesitated. “But, uh… I don’t know how to fish.”

Cloudy laughed softly. “It’s easy. Just follow my steps.”

He adjusted Devon’s grip on the rod, showing him how to hold it steady. “First, you cast the line like this,” Cloudy explained, demonstrating a smooth motion as his line soared into the water. “Now, you try.”

Devon copied the movement, though his first attempt sent the hook plopping a few feet away. “Oops!”

“Not bad for a beginner!” Cloudy grinned. “Let’s try again. Flick your wrist a little more this time.”

Devon gave it another shot, this time sending the line further into the ocean. “I did it!” he exclaimed.

“See? Told you it was easy.” Cloudy settled back, keeping an eye on his own line. “Now we wait and see if the fish are biting.”

The two sat in comfortable silence. Five minutes passed, and Devon let out a loud groan, clearly bored.

“I haven’t caught a fish yet,” he complained, staring at his unmoving line.

“Just wait a little longer,” Cloudy replied with a chuckle.

“But I want one now!” Devon said, pouting.

“Patience is the main key to fishing,” Cloudy explained. “You can’t rush things. The fish come when they’re ready.”

Just then, Cloudy’s rod started to shake violently. His eyes lit up. “Oh, I think I got one!”

“Really? Let me see!” Devon said, scrambling closer.

“Hold on, I’ve got to reel it in first.” Cloudy gripped the rod tightly, carefully pulling it back and reeling in the line. The rod bent sharply, the fish on the other end putting up a good fight.

“Whoa, it’s a big one!” Devon exclaimed.

Cloudy grinned. “Feels like it. This one’s strong. Grab the net!”

Devon grabbed the small net from the side of the boat, leaning over eagerly as the fish got closer. “I see it!” he shouted.

“Careful, don’t fall in!” Cloudy said.

They finally reeled in a fish, a stunning Queen angelfish. Its scientific name: Holacanthus ciliaris, belonging to the class Actinopterygii. The fish measured an impressive 18 inches in length.

“Look at this, Devon,” Cloudy said, holding up the angelfish for him to see.

“Whoa! You actually caught one!” Devon exclaimed, his eyes wide with amazement. “So, what do we do with it now?”

Without hesitation, Cloudy gently released the fish back into the water.

“Wait, what? Why’d you throw it back?” Devon asked, confused.

Cloudy chuckled. “It’s called catch and release. We don’t need to keep every fish we catch, especially beautiful ones like this. Let it live another day.”

“But it was so big!” Devon protested, throwing his hands up. “What if we don’t catch another one?”

Cloudy smiled and patted Devon on the head. “ Fishing is not just catching fish and keeping them. It's about the experience, the patience, and respecting the ocean. Besides, That Queen angelfish is a special kind of fish.”

Devon grinned and said, “I guess that’s cool, but I still need to catch one fish.”

Cloudy chuckled. “Alright, then let’s keep fishing. Hey, how about we make it interesting with a little competition?”

“A competition?” Devon said, intrigued.

“Yeah, it works like this: whoever catches five fish first wins.”

Devon’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Oh, that’s easy! Let’s do it!”

Cloudy smirked as he adjusted his grip on the fishing rod. “Alright, let’s see what you’ve got, kid.”

We kept on fishing, casting our lines into the calm waters under the setting sun. After a while, I ended up winning the competition. Devon looked a little downcast, his shoulders slumping as he sighed. He hadn’t caught a single fish yet.

But then, something unexpected happened. His fishing rod started to shake violently.

“Wh-what’s happening?” Devon stammered, his eyes wide with surprise.

“You got a fish, kid!” Cloudy said, grinning. “Reel it in, quick!”

He reeled in the fish, and it turned out to be a small one, barely larger than his hand.

“Sorry, kid,” Cloudy said with a chuckle. “You didn’t get a big one.”

But Devon didn’t seem to care. He jumped up with excitement, his face lighting up like the sun.

“I did it! I did it!” he shouted, holding the tiny fish up triumphantly.

“But you didn’t catch a big fish,” Cloudy said.

“It’s fine,” Devon replied, beaming with pride as he held up the small fish. “Because this little guy is my trophy!”

“Devon... You're a good-spirit kid,” Cloudy thought to himself, a soft smile crossing his face as the memory of that moment began to fade.

In the present, Devon was sipping on a soda while sitting with his new friends.

“So, what should we do until the next trial?” Aokami asked, leaning back casually.

“Maybe we could go for a run to build up our endurance,” Joey suggested enthusiastically.

“I’m not in the mood to run,” Aokami muttered, crossing his arms.

“You’re just lazy,” Juno said with a smirk.

“I am not!” Aokami shot back,

Devon chimed in, “I agree we should work on our endurance. However, is there a good place nearby to train?”

Joey nodded, “Oh, there’s a baseball track not too far. It’s perfect for training.”

“Then let’s head there,” Devon said.

The group made their way outside, where they came across the track Joey had mentioned.

“So, how are we doing this?” Aokami asked.

Joey stretched his arms. “We could race, see who can do the most laps, or just time ourselves running the entire thing.”

Juno said, “I’d rather race a little. Let’s see who can get to three laps first.”

“Alright, I’ll race you,” Joey replied with a grin.

The two stepped onto the track, stretching their legs and preparing for the challenge.

“Aokami, you call it!” Juno said,

“Alright,” Aokami said. “3… 2… 1… Go!”

Joey and Juno took off, their feet pounding against the track as they sprinted forward. Joey tried to gain an early lead, but Juno stayed close.

Juno picked up the pace, surging ahead of Joey with a smirk of confidence.

Joey, noticing the gap widening, narrowed his eyes and activated his essence. His vision sharpened as he saw Juno channeling his essence into his legs, the energy pulsing like a rhythmic wave to boost his speed.

“So, that’s your trick,” Joey muttered under his breath.

Without hesitation, Joey channeled his own essence, focusing it into his legs. The surge of power made his strides longer and faster, his footsteps pounding against the track.

They both reached the two-thirds mark of the track, their footsteps echoing in perfect rhythm. The air was charged with excitement as Devon and Aokami cheered from the sidelines.

“Yeah, Joey, you’ve got this! Leave him in the dust!” Devon shouted, pumping his fist.

“Don’t let him win, Juno! Show him who’s boss!” Aokami yelled back.

Joey gritted his teeth, his competitive spirit ignited by Devon’s encouragement. “I’m not losing this race!” he thought, pushing his essence harder to maintain his pace.

Joey clutched his chest, his breaths shallow as he tried to steady himself. A wave of confusion and panic washed over him.

“What…is happening? My heart…it feels tight,” he thought, struggling to regain control. His mind raced, piecing together the sudden sensation. “Did…did Juno do this?”

Meanwhile, Juno was already halfway through his second lap, his essence propelling him forward like a rocket. He didn’t look back, laser-focused on the finish line.

“Come on, Joey! What’s wrong? Don’t let him win!” Devon shouted.

Joey smirked as he steadied his aim. “Playing dirty.” With a flick of his fingers, he mimicked a finger-gun gesture, his essence charging into a concentrated green beam. The shot zigzagged unpredictably through the air, striking Juno on the shoulder.

“Ah!” Juno stumbled, his balance faltering as he clutched his shoulder. “Ow, what was that?” He turned his head slightly.

Joey came charging ahead, narrowly crossing the line to complete his second lap before Juno. Juno followed close behind, a scowl on his face but clearly impressed by Joey’s sudden surge.

“Whoa, Joey, what was that?!” Devon exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement.

“It came out of your finger!” Aokami added, pointing at Joey’s hand in disbelief.

Joey slowed his pace and caught his breath. “That's my essence ability. I call it the Laser Pointer.”

“Laser Pointer?” Devon tilted his head. “What does it do, exactly?”

Joey flexed his fingers and demonstrated the gesture again, though without firing. “I can generate and control concentrated essence to make energy beams. Pretty cool.”

“So cool!” Devon and Aokami said in unison.

Juno rolled his eyes but couldn’t suppress a small smirk. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let’s finish this last lap already.”

“Sure thing,” Joey replied with a grin, crouching down into position.

Aokami shouted, “Okay, last lap... 3, 2, 1, go!”

Juno and Joey sprang forward, their feet pounding the track in perfect rhythm.

Juno surged ahead, his essence coursing through his legs, propelling him with incredible speed. Joey, refusing to back down, did the same, channeling his essence to match Juno's pace. They reached the halfway mark of the track, neck and neck, preparing for the final push.

Joey edged ahead slightly. “Almost there,” he muttered through gritted teeth.

But then, it happened again—Juno activated his essence ability. Joey felt his lungs tighten painfully, as though they were being squeezed by an invisible force. He staggered for a moment, his breath caught.

“Not again... No, I’m too close,” Joey thought, determination flashing in his eyes. Push forward.

With sheer willpower, Joey redirected some of his essence into his lungs, forcing them to function. His legs burned, but he kept going, his eyes locked on the finish line.

Juno was just inches ahead, the end within his grasp. But Joey wasn’t giving up. He pushed harder, his strides lengthening as he caught up to Juno.

The two of them crossed the finish line simultaneously, their feet hitting the ground in perfect unison.

They both stopped, panting heavily, and looked at each other.

“It’s... a tie,” Aokami said.

Devon clapped enthusiastically. “That was awesome! You guys were incredible out there!”

Juno and Joey exchanged a look.

“That… was a good race, Juno,” Joey said, still catching his breath.

Juno smirked, wiping the sweat off his forehead. “Yeah, thanks. I used my essence ability to win. Sorry if I caused you any pain.”

Joey waved it off with a grin. “It’s fine. Made me push harder.”

“Oh, sweet! You guys were so cool out there!” Devon exclaimed, his excitement bubbling over. “So, who’s going next?”

“I’ll race you, Devon,” Aokami said.

“Me? Really? Alright, you’re on!” said Devon.

Aokami and Devon headed to their starting positions.

Juno nudged Joey with a grin. “Hey, Joey, want to bet?”

“How much?”

“Ten bucks. Who do you pick to win?” Juno asked.

Joey smirked and leaned back. “I’ll wager on Aokami. She’s small—probably around five feet—and I’d bet she’s super agile.”

“Alright, then,” Juno said with a chuckle. “I’ll take Devon.”