Alex stood in the shadows of the chamber where he had captured the first priest, calmly watching as his companions—GIR, MIMI, Stitch, and Wolf—brutally quartered the priest of the Underworld known as Deag Nilox, following his command. His gaze remained cold and impassive, as if he were simply observing a mechanical process unworthy of even a shred of sympathy. The screams of agony erupting from the priest’s throat didn’t stir the slightest reaction in him.

Alex knew—this bastard had betrayed his people and sold out the Night Sentinels, luring many of them over to Davoth’s side. His death, slow as it was, had been well earned.

No longer paying attention to Deag, whose bloodied body was now being shoved into a sack, Alex turned his gaze toward the lifeless corpse of the beheaded Yujiro Hanma. At first, he had been certain that the Doom Slayer had wiped out all of Davoth’s so-called Chosen. But clearly, not all of them. The savage execution only confirmed it—Yujiro didn’t belong in this world. Which meant there were others. And he’d likely have to face more of these “Chosen” again.

Alex wondered: what criteria did Davoth use to select his champions? What qualities did they have to possess? Deag Nilox had the answers. And the priest would provide them—either willingly or under torture. But first, he’d need to suffer a little.

“We’re ready,” MIMI said, tugging at Alex’s pant leg.

“Got our… guest packed up already?” he asked, turning to the others.

“Yup,” Stitch replied, giving a thumbs-up.

Alex raised an eyebrow, looking at the sack tied to Wolf’s back. Blood dripped from it in scarlet drops, splattering against the stone floor. He hoped his companions had been careful enough to keep Deag alive until they made it back to Alaska. But for now, it was too soon to leave.

There was still work to be done in this city.

The citadel still stood, and demons continued to roam the streets. Alex pondered how to wipe out the entire horde and free the souls being processed into argent energy. The simplest solution seemed to be dropping a meteorite—quick, efficient, and absolute.

But the moment he considered it, the voices of the valkyries rose in unison in his mind, protesting. Their tone was filled with concern: “That would cause a catastrophe! It would disrupt the balance! It would tear at the very fabric of this world!” Alex nearly rolled his eyes in irritation.

“Oh, shut up already,” he muttered under his breath and, sighing in disappointment, walked over to the citadel’s wall. With a powerful kick, he broke open a path to the outside and stepped to the edge, looking down at the city.

The scene was grim: the streets were swarming with demons like an anthill after rain. There were even more than before. Alex realized immediately—there were multiple demonic nests in the city, portals through which these hellspawn kept entering this world.

GIR, MIMI, Stitch, and Wolf came up beside him. They too stared down in silence, as if waiting for a command.

“Hmm… Zhang Ya,” Alex said lazily, watching the chaos below. “Feel like having some fun?”

The moment he spoke the words, his shadow began to distort. From it, an elegant feminine figure slowly emerged. A pale hand with black nails wrapped gently around Alex’s neck. Zhang Ya—his silent companion—had arrived as always without a sound, like death itself.

She floated behind him, staring down at the demonic chaos with a blank expression. Their eyes met, and Alex saw in hers a crimson fire of fury, hidden behind a veil of cold detachment. He gently touched her hand, still resting on his shoulder, and she gave a barely noticeable nod.

Smiling, Alex took a step back, then stepped forward—and without hesitation, jumped from the top of the citadel.

He landed squarely on the head of a massive Arachnotron. The demon’s skull shattered with a loud crack, and its body collapsed like a sack of bones. Moments later, GIR, MIMI, Stitch, and Wolf hit the ground — each of them landing directly on the heads of other demons, reducing them to a bloody pulp. Zhang Ya still floated silently behind Alex, her arms around his neck, her gaze fixed unblinkingly on the demons ahead. She slowly released her embrace, her eyes locked on the horde before her.

Zhang Ya hovered above the ground. Her bare feet descended slowly, gently touching the earth. Sensing an impending threat, the demons began to growl, hesitating. Those who dared to charge forward were instantly torn apart by her hair, transformed into formless, fleshy clumps. Blood streamed beneath her feet, pooling into a crimson puddle that spread wider with every second.

The demons instinctively backed away, overcome with dread as the bloodstain rapidly expanded into a lake. But it was too late to escape. The blood spilled into the streets, flooding the city. Alex glanced down and was struck with surprise — this wasn’t just a lake created by Zhang Ya. No — it was something far more sinister.

Reflected in the blood was an inverted, grotesque version of the city — entirely made of flesh and gore, pulsing like a living nightmare. Alex knew that in her world, Zhang Ya had managed to subjugate part of this “blood city” using her power. But he hadn’t expected the scale to be so overwhelming.

He turned his gaze to the demons now fleeing in panic. They were no longer hunters, but prey. It was as if the monsters were not them — but Zhang Ya herself had become a far greater nightmare. She stepped forward, and ripples spread across the lake. At that moment, the reflection of the city in the blood stirred to life. Screams echoed from its depths — pain, fear, rage, and despair.

With Zhang Ya’s presence, the air became harder to breathe. Her energy suppressed everything — even the demonic. The scent of blood grew stronger, thick and suffocating.

She took another step. More ripples. The screams grew deafening. In that instant, all the demons trying to flee suddenly froze — as if pinned in place. They snarled and struggled, but could not move.

“Never thought that quiet ghost girl would be this dangerous,” said Geirölul, appearing in her spirit form with arms crossed over her chest.

“In her world, she was called the strongest ghost,” Alex replied, scratching his chin. “They said her power was equal to that of a demonic god.”

“But now she’s even stronger… because she gained your shadow,” added Reginleif, adjusting her glasses as she watched Zhang Ya closely.

Alex nodded, eyes fixed on her back. He wondered why Zhang Ya hadn’t already destroyed the demons, but then he understood — she wanted to kill them slowly. And he was right.

With another step, the ripples intensified. When the waves reached the edges of the blood lake, hands began to rise from the crimson depths. They grabbed demons by the legs, the arms, the bodies, and slowly, methodically tore away chunks of flesh — piece by piece, prolonging the agony. Zhang Ya’s red eyes burned as she watched them being ripped apart.

“Alex, I don’t mean to sound rude… but I think she’s enjoying this,” Reginleif noted, glancing at him.

“She is,” he replied calmly. “Don’t forget, Zhang Ya is a red ghost. Those are born only from unjust deaths consumed by rage. She may look gentle and beautiful, but she’s devoured hundreds of ghosts. Tore them apart before absorbing them. Her entire being is soaked in hatred, pain, and despair…”

The Valkyries sighed silently, remembering the horrors Zhang Ya had gone through before becoming who she was now. Alex felt sorry for her. He knew her pain and was glad that, by his side, she could at least live a half-normal life — and maybe, over time, be freed from the darkness within.

Zhang Ya slowly turned her head and looked at him. Her eyes — bright red — stared straight into his soul. Seeing her gaze, Alex raised his hands above his head, forming a heart shape. Her cruelty didn’t scare him. He was too attached to this ghostly girl.

Zhang Ya saw the gesture, and some of the rage in her eyes faded… though the blood-soaked hands continued to tear demons apart. The screams began to die down. One by one, the demons vanished until the last one was slowly ripped apart and absorbed into the lake, becoming part of the Red City.

Alex silently watched as the demons became eternal prisoners. He knew that this was far worse than death. They would suffer forever — in a world of flesh and pain.

Gradually, the bloody lake receded, retreating to Zhang Ya’s feet until it disappeared entirely. She turned and slowly walked toward Alex. He smiled and spread his arms, hoping to hug her… but Zhang Ya passed right through him and vanished into his shadow.

“And there goes all the love,” Alex complained, theatrically throwing up his hands. “I wanted to hug you, kiss you… and you just poof — hid!”

A ripple ran through his shadow, and it took the shape of Zhang Ya. Drops of blood rose and formed words:

“Later. Tired.”

Alex chuckled. That was just like her — his red ghost.

He sighed heavily and didn’t press further. All the demons and their followers had been wiped out by Zhang Ya — now all that remained was to destroy the citadel. Reaching into his inventory, he began looking for a bomb powerful enough to wipe the entire city and fortress off the face of the earth.

Finally, he pulled out a black cube — the bomb. He turned it over in his hands, searching for the marking. Seeing the engraved number “1-S,” he nodded — exactly what he needed.

Activating the cube, he tossed it over his shoulder and gestured for his team to follow. Alex, along with GIR, MIMI, Stitch, and Wolf, slowly walked down the now-empty streets. Just moments ago, the city had been teeming with demons, but now it felt completely dead.

They crossed the city limits and climbed a hill. From up there, they could see the dark citadel standing in the center. Alex lit a cigarette. The moment his lighter sparked, the center of the city erupted in a flash of light.

The light rapidly spread, consuming streets, buildings, and towers. When the dome reached the entire city, it suddenly contracted and vanished in an instant — leaving behind nothing but a barren wasteland. Not a single trace remained, as if the city had never existed.

Soon, other changes followed. The smell of blood vanished, along with the oppressive feeling of despair that had hung in the air. The blood-red sky cleared of black clouds, and for the first time in ages, the evening sky appeared, with clouds gently drifting overhead. The portal through which the citadel had sent Argent energy to Jeckad began to slowly close.

“Looks like we’re done. The priest’s been caught,” Alex said, looking up at the sky.

“Caught,” Stitch confirmed, nudging the sack with the priest in it.

“The citadel’s been destroyed,” Alex noted, glancing at the ruins.

“Destroyed,” MIMI nodded.

“And all the demons are dead,” Alex added, flicking away his cigarette.

“Dead,” GIR confirmed.

“Then I guess we’re done here,” Alex said, looking at his blood-soaked clothes. “Now all that’s left is a friendly chat with our guest… but first — a hot bath and laundry. We’re all covered in gore from head to toe.”

He took a motorcycle from his inventory, also grabbing a rope, with which he securely tied the bag containing the priest. Tying the other end to the luggage rack, he started the engine. While riding, he summoned Yamato, and with a few swings, opened a portal. Crossing it, the team returned to Alaska, to Unimak Island.

Upon reaching familiar ground, Alex slammed on the brakes and took a deep breath of the cool, fresh air. The freshness filled his lungs, dissolving the last remnants of tension. Taking out his phone, he realized the entire operation had taken just over an hour: the priest was captured, and the citadel destroyed.

Taking another deep breath to rid himself of the smell of blood, Alex started the engine again and drove on. The bag with the priest thudded with every bump and rock. Alex hummed softly, while GIR, MIMI, and Stitch cheerfully sang along, riding on top of Wolf.

In the distance, the road connecting the island to the peninsula appeared, and Alex accelerated. He noticed a group—judging by the looks of it, Melnik’s team had replaced Itami’s patrol.

Melnik and his fighters had been on guard since morning—they had been told there might be survivors, so they decided to post permanent security. Seeing the approaching figure, they didn’t immediately recognize who it was. Anya looked through the sniper scope and saw a blood-soaked person racing toward them.

“He’s all covered in blood…” she quickly explained, and the team tensed up.

Melnik raised his hand, signaling them to get ready.

“Hold on! Who are you, and why are you here?” he shouted loudly, aiming his rifle at the approaching motorcyclist.

“Hey, Melnik! What’s wrong with you? It’s me!” Alex replied, tiredly smirking, without slowing down.

Melnik squinted, peering at the figure on the motorcycle, all drenched in blood, and finally recognized Alex. The rest of the team also quickly identified him—it was impossible not to notice his rainbow-colored eyes, which no one else had.

“Damn, Sasha… We didn’t recognize you right away. You look like you’ve bathed in a lake of blood,” Damir exhaled, lowering his rifle.

“You’re putting it mildly,” Alex said with a crooked smile.

“And where have you come back from in this state?” Anya asked, sizing Alex up from head to toe.

“Same as usual. We went hunting, and as usual, everything went to hell,” he replied, lighting a cigarette.

“Well, it shows. And I assume your ‘trophy’ is in the bag?” Igor added, pointing at the bag tied to the motorcycle.

“Ha-ha, something like that. Anything happen while I was gone? Did anyone come by? Maybe survivors reached our settlement?” Alex asked, shaking the ash off his cigarette.

“Nope. After the shift with Itami, we haven’t seen any new faces. It’s been quiet. Not even any undead around,” Melnik reported, saluting.

“Got it. Then I’m heading home. Need to wash off all this blood and get some rest. Stay alert,” Alex said, revving the engine.

“I think you’ll need more than just a shower. You’ll need a long, hot bath to scrub all this off,” Igor smirked.

Alex laughed, waved goodbye, and headed toward the settlement. His blood-soaked appearance, like that of his companions, immediately attracted the attention of those working on construction and repairs. He didn’t stop, although he could feel dozens of eyes on him.

“I should’ve probably cleaned up with magic,” he thought to himself. “But now it’s too late. What’s done is done.”

As he approached his house, he spotted Miu and Renka chatting with Seol and Jinie.

“Alex! What happened to you?!” Renka exclaimed as she noticed him, while Alex was hoping he would just pass by unnoticed.

Sighing, Alex realized he had failed to stay inconspicuous. He stopped the motorcycle and nodded to his companions—GIR, MIMI, Stitch, and Wolf—to head home and take the “guest” with them. They nodded, grabbed the bag, and headed toward the workshop.

While Alex was giving orders, the girls watched him in surprise—his clothes were soaked in blood, and his face and hair looked like he had just crawled out of a slaughterhouse.

“So, what’s the deal? You gonna tell us where you’ve been for an entire hour? And why do you look like the hero of a horror movie?” Miu asked sternly.

“I was hunting. Things… uh, got a bit out of control,” he replied lazily.

“What kind of hunt ends with you looking like you fell into an underground lake of blood?” Jinie quipped.

“You can put it that way. But I’m better off heading home. I desperately need a bath, and I think my clothes are gonna have to be burned,” Alex said, rolling his eyes.

Miu and Renka exchanged a look—they remembered that Alex was planning to track down the priest who was maintaining the portal through which the demons were arriving. Apparently, he was the one in the bag. And Alex’s appearance indicated that the fight had been tough.

After saying goodbye to the girls, Alex made his way to the house. He didn’t have the energy to answer the same questions again. Stopping at the porch, he parked the motorcycle and went inside. In the living room, Chikita, Valmet, and Koko were sitting on the couch.

“Looks like the hunt was successful,” Chikita remarked, glancing toward the workshop. “GIR, MIMI, and Stitch just carried the bag in there.”

“That’s right. Caught one of them. Two more left,” Alex nodded.

“And what happened with you guys that you came back looking like this?” Valmet asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Long story. But first—hot bath. And then… we’ll have to give our guest a warm welcome,” Alex said with a light smile, heading toward the workshop.

The three girls exchanged curious glances, clearly intrigued by the mysterious guest, and without saying a word, they followed Alex into the workshop. They couldn’t wait to see the demonic priest he had mentioned.

Following Alex inside, they saw that his four helpers had already taken the bag with the prisoner all the way to the testing range.

Alex approached them and took out from his inventory an item that held special memories for him—a worn wooden chair covered in strange symbols. The very same one he had used to torture gods back in Orario.

“What is this strange chair with the incomprehensible inscriptions?” Koko asked with interest, leaning over the item.

“This is a special torture chair,” Alex replied calmly as he placed it on the floor. “I used it on gods in Orario.”

“And how did you torture gods… on an ordinary chair?” Chikita asked, curiously walking around it.

“It’s not exactly ordinary. It’s embedded with a complex combination of runes that destroy both body and soul, only to then restore them. An endless cycle of pain and healing. Anyone who sits in this chair will experience agony over and over—until I turn it off.”

“And what happened to those gods who went through it?” Valmet asked, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest.

“They turned into spineless, drooling idiots,” Alex replied, unflinchingly.

Before pulling the priest out of the bag, Alex cast a sleep spell on him so he wouldn’t start shouting or rambling. He shoved his hands into the bag, firmly grabbed the priest by the neck, and, without ceremony, pulled him out.

The girls tensed, waiting, but once they saw the prisoner, they exchanged confused glances. The priest didn’t look like a fearsome demon at all. Instead, he resembled a dried-up mummy—no arms, no legs, with withered skin and empty eyes.

Alex seated him in the chair and, just in case, tied him down securely. Turning to the girls, he noticed the clear confusion on their faces.

“Something wrong?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.

“Uh…” Koko answered first. “Is this really the demonic priest? I, for one, expected to see a demon with claws, horns, eyes burning with hatred. Not this… dried-up leather doll.”

“I don’t even know what to say to that…” Alex admitted, scratching the back of his head. “On that note, I think I’ll go take a bath.”

“Want me to help?” Chikita immediately responded with a flirtatious smile.

“I wouldn’t mind. Especially a good massage,” Alex grinned, nodding.

Chikita smirked and, grabbing Alex by the hand, dragged him toward the bathroom. GIR, MIMI, and Stitch quickly followed suit, eager to wash off the dried demon blood. Koko and Valmet exchanged a glance and followed behind. Chikita was the first to drag Alex into the bathroom and began undressing, shedding her clothes with a light, playful smile. Alex quickly followed suit, pulling off his blood-soaked clothes and wrapping himself in a towel. Even under his t-shirt, his body was covered in demon blood—it had soaked through the fabric, leaving dark stains.

Taking his hand, Chikita led Alex to the spacious bathroom with a massive stone tub filled with hot water. Dipping his head into the water, Alex felt all the tension begin to melt away, the warmth spreading across his skin and soothing his weary mind.

Breaking the surface, Alex saw that Koko and Valmet had joined them. The girls slowly entered the water and sat down next to him, surrounding Alex on three sides. While they carefully washed the dried blood off him, Alex talked about his trip to Africa and the hunt for the priest. He also mentioned meeting one of the so-called “Chosen” that Daavot was gathering for his army from the conquered worlds.

When all the traces of the battle were finally gone from Alex’s body, the group briefly climbed out of the water to sit on the edge of the massive tub and dry off a bit before returning to the hot water.

“How strong is this Chosen one?” Koko asked, settling on Alex’s lap and leaning her back against him.

“Not much more than useless trash. Not even worth mentioning,” Alex replied lazily, wrapping his arm around her waist under the water.

“Maybe he’s trash to you, oh great Demon King… but for someone else, meeting him would’ve been the last thing they’d do,” Valmet commented, resting her head on Alex’s shoulder.

“Valmet’s right, Alex. Who knows how many more of these Chosen have slipped into this world with the priests,” Chikita added, settling on the other shoulder.

“Not many. Most of them are already dead. Doom Slayer killed almost all of them. Only the pathetic remains are left,” Alex said indifferently.

“Who, sorry? Doom who?” Koko asked, turning her head to him in confusion.

“Doom Slayer. That’s what demons call one man,” Alex began to explain. “Priests used to serve King Argent D’Nure, but they betrayed him, tempted by immortality. Doom Slayer was one of the Night Wardens—elite protectors of their world. He and the others were thrown into Hell to be torn apart by demons… Only he survived. And he began slaughtering them one by one. Day after day, year after year. No sleep, no mercy, driven only by rage. Demons started to fear him, telling their children about him as a bedtime story. He became their nightmare.”

“Night Wardens? You’ve mentioned them before… When we were in the Evil Corporation’s lab in Hong Kong. Two demons appeared near the Red Marker, and you called them traitors. Were they Night Wardens too?” Valmet asked, lifting her head.

“Yes. Some of them switched sides to the demons. The rest stayed true to their duty. But in the end, they were betrayed and left to die in Hell,” Alex confirmed.

“The story of Doom Slayer is just insane. It’s like something from the movies. I’d love to see what he looks like,” Koko said, stretching and pressing herself closer to Alex.

“The armor that Stitch and Rebecca wear is modeled after his gear,” Alex said, lowering his chin to her head.

They chatted for a little longer before Alex decided it was time to get out. After climbing out of the water and drying off, the group headed to the changing room. Alex’s clothes were beyond repair after his encounter with the priest, so he simply burned them, not wanting to waste time cleaning them. After putting on a fresh set of clothes, he helped the girls get dressed, and soon they all left the bathroom.

But instead of getting straight to work, Alex decided to relax a bit. The sleep spell was still keeping the priest unconscious—he wouldn’t wake up until Alex decided to wake him up. Besides, the second floor needed finishing, and a wall had to be built around the settlement—there was a lot to do. But that could wait. Both G.I.R. and MIMI, as well as Stitch, needed rest too.

Falling face down onto the couch, Alex froze, intending not to move for at least an hour, or maybe even longer. A few moments later, he felt someone settle on his back—he immediately recognized Koko by the light touches. She began gently massaging his shoulders.

He didn’t feel physically tired—only mentally drained—but he had no intention of refusing his wife’s massage. Her soft, warm fingers gently kneaded his muscles, and Alex began to drift into a pleasant drowsiness.

“I see you’re relaxing here,” came the familiar voice of Chun-Li at the door.

Chun-Li, Cammy, and Shigure had returned. The first thing they saw was Alex sprawled on the couch, with Koko sitting on his back, massaging his shoulders.

He didn’t even lift his head—he could immediately tell who had entered by their auras and presence.

“Looks like it. Why are you back so early?” he muttered, not opening his eyes.

“We don’t need our services for now. So we came back. They say the whole settlement is talking about your return… like a bloody monster just came back from a hunt,” Cammy said with a grin, stepping closer.

Alex just hummed under his breath, not lifting his head. He wasn’t at all surprised that rumors about his appearance were already circulating through the settlement. He would have been more surprised if no one had talked about it. He felt another set of hands join the massage—Shigure had decided to join in, smoothly working on his shoulders.

“Well, did you catch the priest, or did he slip away?” Chun-Li asked, squatting down next to him and peering into his face.

“Yeah. He’s tied up in the workshop, and I doubt he’ll be able to escape,” Alex answered, turning his head to Chun-Li and lazily smiling.

“Why won’t he escape?” Cammy asked with interest, settling into a nearby chair.

“Because without arms and legs, he won’t be able to get far,” Chikita remarked calmly, without even turning around.

Alex nodded briefly, confirming her words. Chun-Li and Cammy exchanged a glance, then began eagerly asking Alex about how the hunt had gone. He began recounting the same story he’d just told Koko, Chikita, and Valmet, making sure to mention how ruthlessly and efficiently Zhang Ya had dealt with all the demons in the city.

The girls couldn’t help but glance at Alex’s shadow, where the mysterious ghostly girl resided. Hearing about her actions, they were amazed—taking out all the demons in a big city alone was quite an achievement. But Zhang Ya remained closed off and silent—she didn’t seek attention, preferring to stay in the shadows, and as always, she hadn’t shown herself.

Meanwhile, Koko and Shigure continued to massage Alex, and he relaxed, enjoying the peace before the duties of the new day fell upon him.

To be continued…

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep