An inverted city, magic, demons, a human experiment, people from another world. What else was in this Land of Horrors?

"Technology," Lucky murmured, eyes locked on the city above. "Hah. What an interesting world."

Lucky drew a deep breath, peeling his eyes from the bustling city in the sky. He went inside, raising a brow when he saw Nero holding Rita's hand coming from a different direction.

"You found her," he pointed out, marching back to his spot. "Good for you."

"She was playing," Nero shrugged, motioning Rita to go into the corner. "I told you not to wander off. Go there and behave."

"You're not only a brother and a father but also a mother," Lucky quipped, taking his bag pack to his shoulder. "What a lucky child. She got one hell of big family!"

"Where are you going?"

"To get some fresh air."

"There's nowhere in here that has fresh air," Nero argued, darting his eyes between Lucky and the unconscious woman on the floor. "Are you leaving her?"

Lucky glanced at 93109. "She'll be fine."

"It's dangerous out there! If you think the hounds you met earlier are already fierce, they are much worse when—"

"But Mom!? I wanted to play outside!"

Nero pinched the bridge of his nose, peeking at Rita and then at the woman.

"We only met over an hour ago. I didn't know that was enough time for us to get married," Lucky humored. "I'll be back even before you start missing me."

He waved dismissively. "Look after them. Don't worry about a visitor like me. I'll be sure to get you a spot in that city if they happen to drop by."

"But!" Nero took a step, but after a second, he realized there was no stopping that guy. He threw his hands up in surrender. "Whatever. I warned you!"

But alas, Lucky simply waved without looking back.

"Not all Visitors are special," Nero murmured in defeat. "We are not as destined as we all thought we were. This world is different. It'll crush your hope... and arrogance."

But all those things he learned through experience were only washed away by the still air as Lucky was already too far away to hear him. Nero shook his head, glancing at Rita and then at the unconscious woman.

"Rita, go to sleep. I'll watch over you," he said, taking off the first layer of his clothes to put it on the barely clothed woman.

He stayed squatted down beside the woman, looking at her pale face. His jaw tightened, convinced this woman was a victim of something horrible that had been happening in the Gutter. It only reminded him why he should protect Rita even more because, besides the demons lurking in this land, some people here were just as horrible and vicious.

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"Nero, are you still angry?" Rita asked despondently, making him sigh. "I said I was sorry."

Nero looked back at her. "I'm not angry, Rita. I was just upset," he explained, rising from his spot to go to the little girl.

Unbeknownst to Nero, the moment he turned his back on the woman, her finger moved, the eyes beneath her eyelids flickered, and her body started to emit a faint sulfurous odor.

**********

An hour later…

"This is perfect, I guess?" Lucky stood in front of another rubbish building he saw on their way to the ones those guys were staying. It was smaller compared to the other one, but it was situated far away from the nagger named Nero.

"Ke?" Standing on his shoulder was the Imp, looking at the building curiously.

Lucky ignored it, sensing a few presences approaching. In a matter of seconds, the faint scent of death wafted through his nostrils.

"Imp, can you take those guys away?" he asked, looking at the little trickster on his shoulder. "I'll be busy."

Busy…

"Ke?!" the Imp shrieked upon hearing the word.

"If you know what that means, play with them." He tipped his head at the approaching hellhounds. "On a second note, I need one or two."

Lucky slowly turned around, facing the night phantoms emerging from the dark. "They're smaller than 93109 before she sucked Nero's flames. Even so, I wonder if they can contribute information."

"Inventory." He placed his hand on the side as if there was an invisible wall on it. "Space."

Suddenly, the air underneath his palm split, opening up a small space for him. Lucky didn't have to shove his hand inside to grab something from within because what he needed flew straight to his hand. Lucky smirked as he grabbed a familiar sword from within the space.

Taking out the weapon, he gazed at it with admiration. It was rusty, worn out, and blunt. From the outside, it looked like a piece of old metal that wouldn't even scratch human skin, let alone flesh. But to him, it brought back a lot of memories.

"Basic weapon," Lucky nodded, reminded of the basic necessity those cherubs got for him. "It actually is basic. Not in its full form."

Lucky tossed the backpack to his side while the Imp jumped from his shoulder. The Imp intuitively caught the bag mid-air, skipping away to a safe area.

"Come here, 123," he crooked a finger, taunting the hellhound a few meters ahead. "You too, 456. Let's test if your teeth can sharpen my blade."

The hellhound let out a low growl and howled. Three of them lunged in his direction. One from ahead, another from his left, and the other one from above him. Lucky smirked, eyes glinting in excitement and interest.

"Here we go," Lucky mused, sensing the hound from on top of him reaching him first. He leaped to the side, spinning around with his sword in place.

In a second, a loud metallic noise rang in the air as his sword clashed against the hound's razor-sharp teeth. Taking this time, the other hound from his left jumped at him. With his sword stuck between the other hound's teeth, Lucky held onto the sword tightly and spun in the air, launching a kick straight into the hound's chin.

At the same time, the last hound from ahead came into view, its mouth wide open, going straight to bite him apart from the stomach. This time, Lucky let go of the sword and jumped to the other hound's back. He barely dodged it as the hound nipped the hem of his shirt before it crashed into the building behind him.

"That was close!" Lucky jumped away from the hound's back when the other hound lunged at him again. He kicked the hound's second head, pulling the sword in between the other hound's teeth.

"Ke…" The Imp, who fled to the distance, watched the scene in awe. Even its murky pair of eyes couldn't hide the excitement he felt while watching Lucky play with the hellhounds. He wasn't killing them even if he could, as if testing how much strength he needed to take down one through brute force.

Soon, more and more hounds flocked around him, taking their chances to take a bite of his flesh. Yet Lucky seemed to be having more fun than ever.

"Ke?" the Imp cocked its little head to the side.

Lucky told the Imp to take away the hounds. Does that order still stand now?

"Ke," the Imp shrugged, using the backpack as its bed, leisurely watching Lucky fight the hounds all night.