The basement level of Ginza Mitsukoshi Mall was silent.
Aside from Guang Xi, Pingtsi, Weaving Brew, Long, and Cosmo, no living people remained.
The battle had already ended.
Guang Xi and her four fiends stood among the aftermath after she had cleanly decapitated hundreds of doll-men. Realizing the situation had turned against them, the remaining dolls abandoned any attempt to convert Guang Xi and her group.
Their true target had always been Cael.
Pingtsi frowned, concern clear on her face.
"Lord Guang Xi, you weren't hurt, right?"
Guang Xi calmly wiped the blood from her eyepatch and shook her head.
"As long as you're all fine."
"Damn it," Pingtsi muttered, exhaling in relief before angrily stomping on a doll corpse until it burst. "All the souvenirs we bought are soaked in blood. Which bastard did this?"
Clink.
Guang Xi sheathed her blade and lit a cigarette.
"It's likely the Doll Devil," she said, exhaling slowly. "Ruthless, decisive, and capable of controlling that many dolls. There aren't many Devil Hunters like that."
She paused briefly.
"In my memory, there's only one."
"Halloween?" Cosmo asked.
Guang Xi nodded.
"It's Santa Claus. She must be working under orders, probably from foreign intelligence. And the target is Cael."
"Cael?" Pingtsi's expression tightened, worry creeping into her voice. "He's from our country, and he has a contract with Great Xia. Should we help him, Lord Guang Xi?"
Guang Xi took another drag and shook her head.
"No. We don't do extra work without pay."
She exhaled a thin stream of smoke.
"If we run into them, that's just bad luck. Our priority is keeping you all safe."
She turned away.
"We're heading back. Your new ID cards should be ready by the time we arrive."
"Alright, we'll follow your lead, Lord Guang Xi~"
"Halloween!!"
"Do ID cards taste good…?"
No one responded.
—
Meanwhile, on the upper floors of the mall.
Cael was cutting through the swarm of doll-men like a force of nature.
It was a massacre.
The dolls came in endless waves, as dense as locusts, yet Cael carved through them without slowing down. The more he killed, the more appeared. The more appeared, the faster he cut them down.
Corpses piled into small mountains. Blood, organs, and filth covered the floor.
Individually, the dolls were not weak. In a one-on-one fight, they could rival a Fire Devil-level threat. Worse still, they could disguise themselves as humans and coordinate tactically, making them dangerous for ordinary Devil Hunters.
But Cael was not ordinary.
Their attacks barely kept up with his regeneration. Any damage they inflicted healed instantly.
The air conditioning system had long since been destroyed. The temperature climbed rapidly, and the stench of blood filled the air. Flies buzzed around the corpses.
Eventually, the number of dolls began to thin.
The scene was unbearable.
Akai nearly threw up her ice cream, her face pale as she clung to Cael. Fami remained composed, though she had done nothing the entire time. Both of them had been carried through the fight effortlessly.
Then, in a corner no one noticed...
A faint shift.
From within a pile of corpses, a blood-covered hand slowly emerged.
Its finger flicked.
A thin, silver needle pierced Cael's ankle.
"Hm?"
Cael's pupils shrank, then expanded sharply.
A low buzzing filled his ears.
His heart stopped.
His grip loosened instantly, and both Fami and Akai slipped from his arms. His body began to rise uncontrollably into the air.
At the same time, every remaining doll froze in place, standing motionless like statues.
"Cael, what's happening to you?" Kobeni rushed forward, reaching for him.
Slap.
Fami knocked her hand away.
"Be careful," Fami said calmly. "He's just dead. It's not a big deal."
She glanced upward.
"That's the Curse Devil. Don't touch it."
The air distorted.
Behind Cael, space twisted unnaturally. Pale skeletal structures formed out of nothing, binding his floating body tightly, suspending him like a crucified figure.
A massive goat skull appeared above him.
Crack.
His limbs were crushed instantly.
Blood poured from his wounds and from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth.
The Curse Devil's power had fully activated.
Cael had been killed.
Once.
Thud.
The goat skull seemed almost satisfied.
It had taken something.
A portion of Cael's flesh and blood.
The Curse Devil possessed awareness. It knew a direct fight was impossible, so it relied on ambush and cooperation with hunters to land a killing blow.
The skeleton dissolved, and Cael's body dropped heavily to the ground.
"Jie-ha-ha-ha!!!"
The Curse Devil's shrill laughter echoed through the building.
"I got it!"
"This is the flesh even the Darkness Devil desires!"
Rustling sounds followed.
From the pile of corpses, a blood-covered Torika crawled out.
By disguising himself as one of the dolls, he had waited patiently for the perfect moment to strike with the final needle.
He exhaled slowly.
"Master, it's done."
"You... you!" Kobeni's hands trembled as she gripped her dagger, rage filling her eyes. "You're a murderer!"
Torika didn't respond.
He simply moved.
A sharp front kick shot toward her.
Kobeni reacted instantly, dodging and slashing his Achilles tendon in one smooth motion.
"What?!"
Torika collapsed to one knee, shock flashing across his face.
Despite his experience, he was being overwhelmed by a girl he had never even heard of.
Kobeni moved again, her figure blurring as she appeared behind him.
"I'm going to kill you," she said quietly.
Her voice carried a chilling intent.
Sweat poured down Torika's face. His instincts screamed danger.
He had only one thought.
Master, save me.
Thump.
Kobeni's vision went dark.
She collapsed.
Fami stood behind her, lowering her hand after knocking her unconscious.
"Sorry," Fami said lightly. "Things are about to get interesting."
She pressed her palms together.
"We've come this far. It would be a waste to ruin it now."
Torika froze.
This wasn't what he expected.
"You... who are you?"
Fami smiled faintly.
"I didn't expect to see my sister here… and I get a bonus as well."
Her eyes lingered on him.
"I've always wanted to collect you."
Torika frowned, confused.
Fami pulled out a wooden carving shaped like a Möbius strip and dropped it onto the ground.
In an instant, the Eternal Devil appeared.
Before the Curse Devil could react, it was swallowed whole.
Trapped inside an endless looping space.
Fami disappeared.
Then returned less than a second later.
The Curse Devil's instant-kill effect countered the Eternal Devil, so she had entered the space herself and devoured it directly.
"Burp."
Fami tilted her head, wiping her mouth.
"I'm full."
She opened her mouth wide and reached deep inside, pulling out a saliva-covered wooden carving shaped like a goat's head.
"I've wanted to collect you for a long time, Curse."
She smiled slightly.
"You tried to eat my husband, so it's only fair I eat you instead, right?"
Torika stood frozen.
He didn't dare breathe.
What he was witnessing made no sense.
His mind struggled to keep up.