Rachel found herself once again on the run from her pursuers. She couldn't afford to wait any longer, her injury was catching up to her, slowing her down. She knew that if she stayed hidden in that fallen tree any longer, she would succumb to her wound.

As she dashed in a frantic blur, the echo of their footsteps remained ever near, urging her to choose her path wisely. Racing past the dense thicket of trees, she hoped to evade her pursuers. Unbeknownst to them, a figure stood amidst the shadows, silently observing their pursuit with a widened smile.

"Ah, well then, I suppose it's time for my debut," K chuckled softly, his gaze fixed on Rachel's relentless pursuit. He melted into the darkness, ready for his performance.

Rachel continued her sprint until an unseen obstacle sent her tumbling forward, landing squarely upon someone's chest. As she glanced up, her breath caught in her throat. Just like Davis moments before, Rachel found herself captivated by K's presence.

K stood before her like a regal apparition, his features enhanced by his gentle smile, soft gaze, and the moonlight's ethereal glow. "Beautiful weather for a picnic, wouldn't you agree, darling?" he spoke to the weary Rachel, his voice calm and soothing.

Rachel barely had a moment to collect her thoughts before her pursuers closed in on them. K, seemingly unfazed, counted them with an innocent air, using his finger as a child might count crayons. "Thirteen? Hmm," he mused, shaking his head. "I expected a larger welcoming committee!" His words dripped with calm mockery.

Driven by pure survival instinct, Rachel darted behind K, her body weakened by loss of blood. With little regard for formality, she clutched his clothing, seeking refuge behind him like a frightened rabbit seeking shelter.

Her actions caught K off guard, he was accustomed to seeing her as a figure of nobility and grace. Now, she stood before him, a picture of fear and vulnerability. Despite her dire circumstances, surrender was not an option in her mind.

"Well, aren't you full of surprises," K chuckled playfully, his gaze shifting to Rachel. However, amid their exchange, something whizzed through the air toward him. With practiced ease, he caught it without even glancing, revealing two pocket knives in his hand.

Turning his attention to the group of masked men, he addressed them leisurely. "My friends, did you know that sharp objects shouldn't be played with? You might get... hurt" His voice trailed off, dripping with ominous warning. With a casual flick of his wrist, K sent one of the knives flying back, striking two of the pursuers squarely in the forehead.

K chuckled softly as the men collapsed to the ground. "Who... who are you, Sir?" Rachel weakly whispered, her voice strained with delirium. Before long, she succumbed to unconsciousness, her body caught just in time before hitting the ground.

"We don't care who you are, just give us the girl and we—" one of Rachel's pursuers attempted to reason with K, only to lose his voice midway through the sentence. "Can't you see she's sleeping? Don't be rude and shut up," K interjected calmly, silencing the man with a gesture before lifting Rachel gently and carrying her to the sideline.

Gently propping her against a tree, he examined her wound. With a mere wave of his arm, the injury seamlessly closed. "There you go. I can't afford to lose you like this. You're one of my crucial chess pieces," K remarked with a sinister smile before shifting his focus to the others.

"I apologize for the delay, everyone. Now that she's out of sight, I can attend to you all properly," he said, smiling. The group watched him warily. Despite K's cheerful demeanor, something about him made their skin crawl.

Hellfire annihilation*

They stood in silence, no one daring to move an inch. The longer they stared at this strange man, the more their vision became corrupted. "You're not acting? Should I set the stage for you?" he giggled.

Raising his arm and pointing at those on the edge of the group, a magic circle appeared, unleashing a blazing flame that obliterated everything in its path, shaking the forest as it surged through the maze of trees.

Those who weren't the target of his fire turned in horror, only to be confronted by a vast, scorched forest that spanned hundreds of meters from where the flames had begun. K clapped his hands once, and as if on cue, the remaining survivors rushed at him like headless chickens.

"That's the spirit!" K shouted in excitement. Cracking his knuckles with a gleeful smile, he walked forward. "Let's see how long you can last."

K's arms morphed into demonic claws as he tore through the terrified pursuers. Each of his attacks resulted in severed limbs, broken bones, and instant death. The most disturbing part of the fight was K's maniacal laughter as he shredded Rachel's pursuers to pieces.

Once he finished with them, he stood alone as the victor atop their bloodied bodies. Pools of blood seeped into the forest ground while one survivor gazed at him in horror. To him, K was no longer just an obstacle but a demon sent to devour his hope.

"What the hell are you, you—monster?" the lone survivor stammered, sitting on the ground, shaking. K's head turned a full 180 degrees to face him, the sound of cracking bones accompanying the unnatural twist.

In an instant, K appeared in front of the man. His uncaring smile and upright posture exuded authority and power, silencing the survivor. "Monster? Hahaha, aren't I the monster your kind fears?" K's tail suddenly shot out, strangling the man's neck and lifting him off the ground.

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"When you get to hell, say hi to my brother for me. If he's there," K said with a sinister smirk. A loud crack followed his words as K's tail wrapped around the man's neck, squeezing until his bones shattered. The man died mid-air before being tossed aside like a broken toy.

"Ah, dear me, I should've left one or two alive for further questioning... Silly me, I killed them all too quickly," K mumbled to himself before walking away. Picking Rachel up, he disappeared into the night, leaving the bloody scene for the wolves to feast on.

Reappearing in front of Davis, K placed Rachel down nearby. After checking that she wouldn't wake up anytime soon, his smile widened. "Next on the agenda," he said, tilting his head toward Vincent's dead body lying next to Davis.

K sliced into his arm, letting his blood spill onto the ground. With deliberate strokes, he drew a demonic symbol reminiscent of the Seal of Solomon. "Answer my call, Vincent," he commanded, his voice ringing out over the eerie silence.

A brilliant light erupted from the symbol, casting a fiery red glow. Slowly, Vincent's figure began to materialize within the luminous aura. K watched with unwavering patience, though the ritual seemed to stretch on endlessly. Time was of the essence as his physical form could only manifest temporarily.

As the ritual neared completion and Vincent's devoured soul threatened to materialize, K sensed the approach of the rescue team. "Those fools come at the most crucial moment," he muttered, contemplating his next move. After a moment of consideration, his gaze shifted to Vincent's lifeless body. "That will suffice."

A dark mass extended from K's shadow, swiftly infiltrating Vincent's form. Initially, as the body rose, its movements were stiff and unnatural, akin to a puppet on strings. However, as the darkness fully seized control, Vincent's body began to move with fluidity.

"Good, I'm all set up. Now go, and if any of those ants get past you and reach this place, then return with your head ready to be removed," K's voice was gentle yet commanding as he instructed the demon inside Vincent's body.

"Your wish is my command," Vincent's body spoke in an eerie voice as it swiftly dashed away from the scene. "You're surely taking your time... Vincent, don't you crave revenge? Don't you yearn for freedom? Then come to me," K softly whispered into the light.

The party moved efficiently through the forest, on track to reach K's location within mere minutes if they maintained their momentum. However, as they traversed the dense foliage, hidden wires placed strategically in their path caught and heavily injured many, halting them in their tracks. Suddenly, Vincent emerged, adorned in his signature spider mask, ready to confront them.

"Go save the students, we'll deal with him," Draven and Garrick commanded upon recognizing the spider mask. They directed the others under their command to assist Rachel and Davis. However, none could pass Vincent, as his wires moved swiftly to cut them down.

"Looks like we'll have to get through him first," Wuldor said as they prepared for battle. Vincent's head kept tilting left and right as he stood quietly, not uttering a single word.

K laughed when Vincent finally appeared within the circle. "What happened?" Vincent shouted he then began patting himself, searching for wounds. "I was… being cut open," Vincent said as he looked around, a voice emerged, bringing him to his senses.

"Welcome back from hell. I hope you enjoyed your journey there," K giggled at Vincent's scared expression. Vincent turned abruptly to K. "Yes, yes, I know. Hell can be quite… rough for a first-timer, hehe."

"You... you're the one I saw," Vincent pointed at K, attempting to leave but finding himself stuck in the seal. "Don't bother, my friend. You're stuck here with me!" K gently interjected, his voice like a soft breeze. "Vincent? Tell me, what is it that you desire?" he continued, his demeanor almost comforting. "What is it that you truly want?"

Vincent was enthralled by K's voice and angelic appearance, his subconscious responding before he could fully realize it. "I want to be free. I want to kill the thing that imprisoned me in my binding contract." Vincent's words piqued K's interest his voice suddenly sharp. "Oh? Did you make a contract with a demon? Tell me, Vincent, who is he?"

Vincent's eyes narrowed in anger. After his ordeal, his formerly leisurely demeanor had been replaced by fear and distress. "Why should I tell you? You killed me and sent me to hell," he spat out bitterly.

K chuckled at Vincent's rebellious attempt. "And I can send you right back to where you belong... But we both don't want that now, would we?" His words silenced Vincent with the implicit threat of returning his soul to hell.

After a moment of tense silence, K nodded. "Looks like you finally understand your circumstances, my dear." With a clap of his hands, the space around them transformed. K settled onto a comfortable couch, while nearby, Davis and Rachel lay unconscious on chairs.

With a table space between them and a cozy fire crackling nearby, they found themselves inside a therapist's room with a touch of old-fashioned design. K played a song on the music box. "Any requests, my friend?" he asked, turning to Vincent and gesturing toward a variety of music discs.

Vincent, still trying to comprehend the situation, replied, "No," his eyes wandered around the comfortable room. "Now then, shall we begin our session?" With a book and pen in hand, K listened and questioned Vincent about his life.

After listening to Vincent's narration of his life, a smile danced on K’s lips as his eyes remained fixed on his book. “Vincent, do you feel betrayed? The pain you've endured, the rights you've lost, the anger you've accumulated... I can be your answer,” K spoke in an ominous tone.

“What are you s—” Vincent tried to inquire, but his voice was silenced.

“I can be your savior. I will give you what your master cannot,” K leaned in with unfounded confidence. “Power and knowledge at a level you can never fathom. So, join me, and I'll be the light that guides the path you choose to walk.”

“I’ll be, your guardian angel,” K chuckled at Vincent as he sipped on his tea that appeared on the table. Vincent is shaken by his words yet his mind is tempted by the allure of power and knowledge, “How would I know that you’re any different than my old master”.

"Your master... Thanatyr? I've never heard of any god with that name," K pondered, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "But a demon comes to mind: Typhon, the bane of the Greek pantheon." K laughed at the notion of a demon claiming to be a god.

"So, my friend..." He placed his teacup back on the table, reaching his hand with a gentle smirk. K directly asked, "Is it a deal then?" Vincent sat in silent contemplation of K’s words.

K's shadow, dimly illuminated by the fire, grew in size as he rose to ask Vincent for a handshake, sealing their deal.