Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: The Fire Beneath the City

The night had not ended; it had only thickened, the city wrapped in a suffocating blanket of silence, broken only by the hiss of rain evaporating on demon ash. Lucien's silver eyes scanned the empty street, but his mind remained on the cloaked figure that had appeared and vanished as though mocking him. That presence was no ordinary demon, nor was it something he could explain away with logic. It was ancient, deliberate, intelligent, and that made it dangerous in ways bullets and blades might not reach. Beside him, the girl flicked droplets of water from her blade before sheathing it in a smooth motion, her fiery eyes catching the neon glow and burning almost as brightly as the signs above. "You're thinking too hard again," she said, voice lilting, teasing, as though the presence of death all around them was a mere inconvenience. Lucien ignored the comment and crouched low to the ash pile where the last demon had fallen, pulling another shard from the remains. This one was larger, pulsing more violently, as though it carried not just energy but a heartbeat of its own. The girl leaned down, expression losing its usual smirk as she studied it. "That thing," she whispered, "it's not just a mark. It's a seed." Lucien raised a brow. "Explain." She hesitated, then shook her head, fiery strands of hair sticking to her damp cheek. "Not here. Too many ears in the shadows. We need to move." Before he could question her further, the sound of something shifting echoed from beneath the cracked pavement. A deep rumble followed, like the earth itself exhaling. Lucien drew both pistols in an instant, while she slid her blade back into her hand, the shimmer of its enchantment sparking to life. The street split suddenly, asphalt tearing apart as molten heat blasted upward. From below, a massive shape surged, dragging itself free of the underground tunnels. The creature was unlike the others: its body was forged of black stone and burning magma, its wings torn and jagged, its skull crowned with horns that curved like the gates of hell itself. It towered above the ruined street, glowing veins crisscrossing its massive chest, every movement scattering ash and sparks. "Vale," the girl muttered, "you're not going to like this one." Lucien's eyes narrowed. "I never do." The beast roared, and the sound shattered glass in nearby windows, the shockwave nearly knocking them off balance. Lucien fired immediately, twin pistols blazing silver light into the monster's chest. The bullets struck, exploding in sparks, but the beast only snarled, magma dripping from its wounds like burning blood. The girl dashed forward, blade humming as it cut into the creature's leg, carving a glowing silver wound that made it stumble, but the demon swung its massive claw down, and she barely leapt aside before the ground shattered under the blow. Lucien moved like a shadow, rolling across the cracked pavement, pistols switching targets with precision. Each shot struck glowing joints, forcing the creature to shift its stance, giving the girl openings she exploited with reckless grace. She spun, her blade carving fiery arcs through the night, striking the beast's chest again and again, leaving trails of burning silver across its molten hide. For a moment, they seemed to gain the upper hand, their rhythm seamless—his calculated fire covering her wild assaults, her daring speed opening paths for his bullets. But the demon was no stray. Its molten eyes flashed with cunning, and suddenly it slammed both claws into the ground. Cracks shot outward like veins of fire, and the street erupted as geysers of molten flame spewed upward. Lucien leapt onto a broken lamppost, firing down, but the shockwave caught him midair and hurled him across the street, slamming him into a ruined car. The girl screamed his name before catching herself, spinning as the demon lunged. She raised her blade to block, but the force of the strike sent her flying, crashing into a neon sign that sparked and fizzled above her head. Smoke curled from her coat as she slid to the ground, coughing but alive. The demon roared again, advancing. Lucien staggered to his feet, blood dripping from his forehead, vision blurring. His pistols were empty, but his hand moved to the sword strapped across his back. The blade gleamed as it left the sheath, runes along its edge igniting with silver fire. He steadied his breathing, every nerve in his body screaming as he raised the sword. "Not tonight," he muttered. The demon charged, claws swinging, molten drool spattering the ground. Lucien met it head-on, his blade slicing upward in a brilliant arc. The runes exploded with silver light as steel met magma, the force of the strike splitting the night with a thunderous crack. The demon howled, its chest splitting open as silver fire consumed the molten veins within. The girl staggered up, gripping her blade, and with a wild scream she dashed forward, leaping high and driving her weapon into the creature's skull. For a heartbeat, the city froze—then the beast exploded, fire and ash bursting outward in a wave that shook the buildings. Lucien and the girl hit the ground hard, rolling through debris as the demon's body crumbled to dust. When the dust settled, only silence remained. Lucien pushed himself to his knees, his sword still glowing faintly in his grip. The girl lay a few feet away, breathing heavily, her face pale but her eyes still burning with fire. Slowly, she sat up, brushing ash from her coat. "Well," she rasped, voice weak but still carrying that teasing edge, "that wasn't boring." Lucien sheathed his sword and looked at her, his expression unreadable. "You're reckless." She smirked faintly. "And you'd be dead without me." He didn't argue. For once, he didn't have the strength. But as he looked down at the spot where the demon had fallen, he noticed something chilling: another shard, larger than the last, pulsing with a rhythm that almost sounded like laughter. He picked it up slowly, his hand trembling from the weight of its energy. The girl's smirk faded as she saw it. "It's worse than I thought," she whispered. "They're not just being summoned. They're being bred." Lucien's eyes narrowed. "By who?" She met his gaze, her fiery eyes flickering with something that looked almost like fear. "Not who," she said softly. "What."