Leo and Ray's footsteps suddenly came to a halt. Not because of some hidden danger… but because of the horrifying sight in front of them.
The entire dhaba was drenched in blood.
Severed heads, torn limbs, shattered tables, bodies ripped apart beyond recognition… everywhere they looked, there was nothing but death. Blood flowed across the floor like water, touching their boots with every step. The suffocating metallic smell of blood filled the air.
Ray's expression turned serious while Leo stood frozen for a moment, staring silently at the massacre.
Then Aarya walked up behind them and placed a hand on Leo's shoulder.
"The more you look at it… the worse it'll feel."
Hearing her calm voice, both of them slowly turned away and stepped outside.
Chris was already standing there, observing the surroundings carefully. Leo's fear from the nightmare was still inside him… but now anger had begun mixing with it.
"Who did this?" Leo asked coldly.
Chris answered without changing his expression.
"Cultists."
The moment Leo heard that name, his eyes narrowed.
"Why would those beasts kill innocent people like this?"
Before Chris could answer, Aarya walked toward them again. She adjusted her Round glasses and took a slow puff from her cigarette.
"We talked to the dhaba owner," she said while exhaling smoke into the air, "but his mental state isn't stable right now. He's terrified after seeing all this."
She paused for a second.
"All we found out was… three cultists came here last night. They ordered tea and sat quietly."
Ray frowned. "Then what happened?"
"One drunk man started arguing with one of them…" Aarya's voice grew heavier, "…and that single cultist slaughtered everyone inside."
Silence fell instantly.
"A single person did all this…?" Ray muttered in disbelief.
"Unfortunately, yes."
Chris suddenly looked more serious than before. His eyes slowly scanned the atmosphere around them.
"Something bad is about to happen…"
Leo and Ray looked at him immediately.
"What makes you say that?"
Chris replied quietly,
"I'm not saying it… my instincts are."
None of them knew that, a short distance away inside a small forest near the town, the same three cultists were watching them from a tree branch.
They looked completely relaxed… as if the massacre meant nothing to them.
The cultist sitting in the middle swung his legs in the air like an excited child.
"Come on… let's start the show already," he said in a heavy voice filled with childish excitement. "I'm getting impatient."
Another cultist, whose hand was still stained with blood, slowly smelled his fingers and smirked.
"Fine… let's begin."
The next second, all three jumped down from the branch.
They stood in a perfect circle and joined their hands together like they were praying. Slowly, a glowing summoning magic circle began forming beneath them. Strange symbols started shining with a crimson glow.
Then all three sliced their fingers open using their long nails.
Three drops of blood fell onto the circle.
The moment the blood touched the symbols, the entire magic circle began glowing violently.
"Spread destruction properly, alright?" the childish cultist laughed.
The other two cultists immediately walked away from the area, excited for the bloodshed to begin.
Then…
The summoning circle absorbed the blood completely.
Dark energy spread across the entire forest.
Far away in the town, Aurelios suddenly began growling deeply. His glowing blue eyes locked onto the forest instantly while his massive claws tightened.
Chris noticed it immediately.
"What happened to you?"
But Aurelios kept staring toward the forest without moving.
And then…
A massive demonic creature slowly began emerging from the glowing summoning circle.
Black smoke and crimson energy spiraled around its enormous body as its four skeletal legs stepped onto the ground one by one. Its dark armor-like skin was covered in jagged spikes, while glowing red cracks pulsed across its body like molten blood.
Its skull-like face looked horrifying.
Massive twisted horns emerged from its head while its crimson eyes radiated pure malice. Even in broad daylight, its ominous presence made the atmosphere feel unnaturally heavy.
The creature slowly looked toward the sky…
And released a deafening roar.
The sound echoed across the entire town.
Chris, Leo, and Ray instantly understood why Aurelios had been staring toward the forest.
Aurelios unleashed his own dark blue aura at the same time. Violent energy wrapped around his body while, on the other side, the demon also released its corrupted aura.
The next second, the creature lowered itself like a predator—
BOOM!
It charged toward the town at terrifying speed. Its claws tore through the ground while black smoke trailed behind its massive body.
Within seconds, it arrived directly in front of them.
Neither Leo nor Ray had ever seen such a monstrous creature before.
Chris immediately shouted,
"Skye! Aarya! Evacuate everyone from here now!"
The demon growled while exposing its razor-sharp teeth.
And then—
Aurelios charged straight at it.
BOOOOM!!
Their claws collided violently, creating a shockwave powerful enough to crack the streets beneath them.The terrifying impact instantly shattered the windows of the nearby houses.
The demon used its monstrous strength to overpower Aurelios before slamming him away with a massive swipe.
CRASH!!
Aurelios smashed through an entire house, destroying the wall completely.
But the next second, a violent blue aura erupted from the rubble again.
Aurelios slowly stood back up.
This time, pure rage burned within his eyes.
He opened his jaws, and glowing blue energy rapidly gathered around his mouth. The demon responded immediately as dark crimson energy condensed inside its own jaws.
Then—
BOTH OF THEM FIRED THEIR ENERGY BLASTS AT THE SAME TIME.
The blue and crimson beams collided violently.
The shockwave shattered the ground beneath them. Nearby trees were ripped from the earth while multiple small houses collapsed from the pressure alone.
Suddenly, the demon leaped into the air and slashed toward Aurelios' neck with its claws.
But Aurelios dodged at the last second.
The demon instantly fired dozens of razor-sharp spikes from its body.
Aurelios deflected most of them using his claws… but one spike pierced deeply into his leg.
Dark blue blood dripped onto the broken streets.
The demon didn't stop there.
It charged forward again at insane speed.
Because of his injured leg, Aurelios couldn't move freely anymore. In desperation, he fired a raw blast of energy toward the creature.
The demon dodged it effortlessly and landed on top of a nearby house rooftop.
The energy blast exploded behind it, destroying multiple trees and houses instantly.
But at the same time…
Far away at the gates of the 6th Division, the three cultists had already arrived.
Several guards stepped forward to stop them—
SHHK!!
The next second, both guards' heads fell from their bodies.
The terrifying part was…
The cultists hadn't even moved.
Inside the Division, Aurelios' small child suddenly sensed the danger. Using its power, it looked beyond the walls—
And saw the same three cultists staring directly at it.
"Master will definitely be pleased after seeing this creature," one cultist said with a twisted smile.
The small creature trembled in fear and shut its eyes tightly.
And at that exact moment…
Far away in the middle of battle, Aurelios sensed it instantly.
His focus shifted for a single second.
That opening was enough.
The demon appeared in front of him at horrifying speed and slashed its massive claws directly across Aurelios' chest.
SLASH!!
Aurelios crashed backward onto the broken street while dark blue blood poured from his chest.
From a distance, Leo, Chris, and Ray watched with growing fear in their eyes.
Because for the first time…
Aurelios was clearly losing the fight.