Chapter 71: Hunters Enter The Equation Part 2

“Mr. Bray, what is the first thing you’re going to do in your effective program?”

The journalist asked, pulling the microphone with its station’s name splattered across it—closer to his mouth to capture every word clearly.

“As I’ve kept saying over and over again during my campaign, we’re going to start by strengthening protection for people living on the streets—give them shelter, food, anything a person needs to live with quality.”

“Turn the TV off.”

Jamie’s voice cut through the room, irritation saturating every syllable. He didn’t like any part of what he was seeing.

“I said turn it off.”

His teeth clenched as he forced the words out.

“Let’s just hear what he’s saying. It wouldn’t hurt to stay informed, you know.”

Fuuu—

Jamie threw his spoon at the TV. It drilled into the screen and stuck there like a dart embedded in a board.

A wide hole formed where the spoon pierced it, cracks spidering outward from the impact, shattering the pristine surface that had existed only seconds ago.

Kasa stood frozen.

He knew Jamie hated the experience—but he had never imagined it would escalate like that. Turning off the electricity, maybe. But crushing the television entirely?

Jamie rose from the dining chair, stretching his arms, face emotionless—as though he hadn’t just destroyed an appliance.

“I’m going to bed.”

He walked toward the door to his right.

“So who’s going to pay for this?”

“You are. You’re the one with the job, remember.”

He entered the bedroom, leaving Kasa standing there, speechless—eyes wide, mouth parted.

Jamie broke the TV and I have to pay for it? That’s absurd.

His inner voice tried to piece the logic together and failed miserably.

……

Morning.

Vroom—

A black, luxury-looking car drove up to an abandoned construction site, sunlight gliding across its freshly polished paint.

Inside sat Jamie and Kasa, both focused—faces set as though they were heading to a job interview rather than something far heavier.

“Good morning, sirs.”

A man in a full black soldier’s uniform saluted them. The attire made him look like he belonged to an elite force. He stood guard at the entrance to the construction site, another stationed on the opposite side—assault rifles strapped across their chests.

“Good morning Howard. Is everything ready?”

Kasa replied, a bright smile on his face—one of those practiced, reassuring expressions he used at the hospital. Unlike Jamie, who remained still, staring forward.

“Yes, sir. All the engineering team has passed through today.”

“Alright, good job. I brought some rice in the back—check on it, go to the kitchen and freshen up.”

He finished as he drove further into the premises.

The guards had been on the fence twenty-four-seven. They rotated shifts, but overall, they did a remarkable job.

They were demons protecting something vital to their survival.

The duo parked and stepped out, moving swiftly into the nearly completed hall. Despite the rough, neglected look on the outside, the interior was almost fully finished. It carried the deliberate illusion that the poorly constructed exterior was merely a ploy—to make it appear like a worthless site so no one would bother with it.

“Are the machines ready?”

Kasa asked the demon who welcomed them.

He wore a robe like a scientist’s coat, glasses perched on his nose. Together they hurried down an empty corridor, walking briskly—like commanders in a movie striding toward their president while the nation teetered on the brink of war.

“Yes. We’ve configured all processes. In two minutes, the teleportation to Astoria will start.”

His voice carried certainty—the confidence of someone who understood every circuit and calculation behind the operation.

They arrived at the main hall.

It was monstrous in size.

Housing around one hundred and forty demons—with even more space to spare—it functioned as an ideal safe zone.

Some demons clustered together over breakfast, all in their true forms. Since there were no humans present, there was nothing to hide.

Surprisingly, they were happy.

Little children jumped up and down, playing games. Teenage demons chatted in groups—some perhaps discovering possible mates. Watching them laugh, watching them forget the ugliness they had endured, filled the room with warmth.

It was reason enough to fight for their freedom.

Behind them stood the machine.

It looked like an oversized ring mounted on a flat base—large enough to hold two hundred individuals at once. Blue light glowed all around it, enhancing its cinematic aura. Eight demon scientists circled it, glowing screens hovering in their hands as they fine-tuned the final calibrations.

The device that would send them to ASTRO.

After Kasa and Jamie located every demon they could find, they brought them here—where security, supplies, and medical care were guaranteed. Once the number was sufficient, they would send them to ASTRO, a new planet created for the survival of their kind.

“Hello everyone! I hope you’re okay and happy!”

Kasa stepped forward, projecting his voice without a microphone.

Conversation halted. Children stopped playing. All eyes turned toward him with curiosity and smiles.

“We’re going to start the teleportation. So if possible, I want everyone to prepare and step onto the teleportation pad. But before we begin—a word from our Demon Lord.”

Clap!

Applause erupted.

Eyes glowed with admiration as Kasa stepped aside, offering the space to Jamie.

Jamie shot him a judging look as he moved forward. Kasa knew he hated public addresses—and still, he pushed him into them.

“My name is Jamie. Jamie Noter.”

He hesitated for a second.

But the watching eyes gave him strength—especially the young girl he had saved yesterday from the lizard Genki. Her mother stood beside her, smiling, radiant, as if nothing terrible had ever happened.

“Some of you have suffered on Earth. But it ends now. Trust me when I say—I’m not stopping until we win this battle.”

A wave of neutral silence washed over the hall.

Kasa’s heart tightened with uncertainty. He couldn’t tell whether they liked it.

Until—

“Yeahhh!!!”

The demons erupted into cheers, clapping for their Demon Lord.

It hadn’t been a long speech. But that didn’t matter. Jamie’s actions spoke louder than any words ever could.

More than seventy percent of them were alive because of him.

“Good job,”

Kasa whispered in his ear, mockery laced lightly through his tone.

“And now,”

Kasa continued, extending his arms outward,

“shall we step onto the pad?”

…

Ten minutes later, all the demons stood on the teleportation pad. It had been constructed to hold two hundred; with their number, they fit comfortably.

“Commencing teleportation in…”

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

Go.

Light blazed around the ring. The air thickened. Bulbs flickered violently as a massive surge of electricity poured into the system.

The demons began to float.

Feet lifted from the ground—not magic, but advanced technology at work.

Everything was going perfectly.

Until—

Spark!

Spark!

The machines began to erupt with sharp bursts of light. Control panels flared, small tongues of fire licking at the edges.

“The transistor has gone off! It can’t pass the electricity through!”

One of the scientists shouted, slamming buttons in frantic succession.

The demons on the pad were still suspended midair. Some trembled visibly. The machine wasn’t operating as designed—and their lives depended on it.

They had every right to be afraid.

“Turn it off, then!”

“I’m trying! It’s not responding!”

His voice cracked under pressure. The expert was no longer certain.

Jamie’s eyes darted between the device and the terrified faces.

Something had to be done—now.

He moved.

Rushing to the pad with explosive speed, he drove his fist into the base with devastating force.

A fracture tore straight through it—splitting the machine in two.

The system shut down instantly.

The floating demons descended slowly, Kasa’s magic enveloping their bodies to cushion them safely to the ground.

Some were shaken to their core.

But Jamie’s decisive action only deepened their belief that their lives were protected.

“What happened to the machine? I thought it was working perfectly.”

Jamie’s voice cut sharply as he turned to the scientist at the controls.

His glare made it abundantly clear—failure was unacceptable.

Lives had been on the line.

The scientist swallowed, sweat dripping down his face.

“I—I don’t know. I’m still trying to find—”

“I think I know what the problem is.”

Another scientist near a cluster of wires interjected. Every head snapped toward him.

He had just claimed to solve the puzzle that had left them all helpless.

“Someone stole the power capsule.”

He pointed at an empty slot connecting the pad to the main controls.

Silence fell like a dropped blade.

“So someone doesn’t want the demons to go to ASTRO.”

Another scientist voiced the implication, urgency creeping into his tone.

A wave of disbelief spread across the hall.

No one wanted to accept what it meant.

Jamie’s expression darkened, something cold sharpening behind his eyes.

“It looks like we have a traitor among us…”

His lips curved faintly.

“Interesting.”

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