"What the... there are two demons now!" Juwon growled, pushing herself up from the ground. Her eyes darted between Miko, wrapped in dark energy, and Rieko's possessed body, controlled by the ancient demon Deetee. "We should have struck when we had the chance, now I have to bear the penalty."
The air was thick with smoke and fear. Flames crackled around them and threw monstrous shadows on the trees. Miko stood motionless, her pink hair now a deep black, her eyes glowing like embers. Across from her, Deetee looked out from Rieko's face, smiling as if admiring his reflection.
It was a nightmare come to life. Two demons, both terrifying, both untouchable.
"Obviously, we are still just F rank," Juwon muttered, bitterness in her voice. "We have never fought a demon king before, and now there are two demons who looks stronger than a peasants."
No one answered. Every binder in the organization had heard the name. Deetee, Demon King 999. When Juwon had said earlier, "We are in Demon King 999's tomb," their mission had already felt doomed.
Every binder knew what that name meant. Every demon in hell feared it.
In the infernal world, demons wore numbers like crowns. The lower the number, the stronger the demon. Deetee was not just a number. He was a legend, a story told in whispers. He was the first demon king to slay a thousand angels and walk away untouched.
Even the demon lords feared him. Some tried to tame him. Others wanted to destroy him. None succeeded. Deetee bowed to no one, but one.
He did not care for power. He was chaos, alive for the thrill of defiance. That arrogance led to his downfall when he dared to challenge the number one ranked Angel.
Their battle shook heaven and the demon world. Fire and light tore the skies. In the end, The Angel defeated Deetee and buried him deep within the mortal world. She sealed him in a place no one dared touch.
Even in death, his name echoed. In heaven it was a warning. In demon world it was fear. Now, on earth, his laughter had returned wearing Rieko's face.
"Charlie, do something and stop staring at the sky," Juwon snapped, looking at Charlie on the ground. Charlie did nothing but stare upward, frozen.
"How is Rieko a demon? After everything, she is a demon. What went wrong?" Charlie muttered, eyes still fixed on the smoke. The idea that her ex was a vessel for a demon felt impossible.
"Are you still on that?" Bobby said, watching Deetee toy with his baseball bat, then snap it in half. "She is gone. A demon is inside her, not just any demon but a demon king."
Bobby's voice cracked. He looked like he might cry.
"Charlie, do something. We cannot be the first binders killed by him," Juwon said. "We are the lowest rank in the organization, but at least I want to level up before dying."
Charlie did not move.
"What about you?" Bobby pointed. "You have a system that gives you weapons and powers. Do something instead of nothing, she is not herself. I do not think she will listen."
"It is called a system, and I have to complete a task," Charlie said quietly. "I am still stuck at the one." Juwon glared at Bobby. "And what about you and your stupid bat and boomerang ball? Why can you not use them?"
Bobby forced a laugh that tasted like fear. "I would if my bat had not been broken in two. And my ball does not boomerang unless I hit it with the bat."
Deetee watched them, amused. "Okay, I think I am done with fun. Time to kill you three. Then I will go kill those others myself, because they need to pay."
He tossed the broken bat aside. He glanced at Miko who was cutting through his peasants with a calm, deadly rhythm. "I will kill that one after these," he muttered, anger flashing across his face. Then he lifted his hand. An invisible force rose and grabbed the three binders. They were lifted into the air, helpless.
"Charlie, please do something. You are the one with divine powers. Please do something," Juwon pleaded.
"Hey, Divine Girl, just because you cannot die easily does not mean you have to let us die like this," Bobby shouted.
Deetee smiled. "Time to meet your doom, say hello to death for me." he said, and closed his hand.
Suddenly he staggered. His body trembled and he collapsed to the ground. The force that held the three binders vanished and they dropped hard, coughing and gasping for air.
Bobby stared at Deetee's body, now motionless on the ground. "What is happening? That is the second time he has collapsed."
"This is our chance," Juwon shouted, scrambling to her feet. "Charlie, bind him now before he wakes up."
Charlie sat up slowly, still staring at Rieko's face. Bobby shook her repeatedly.
"Charlie, this could be the only chance to bind a demon king. We may never see another opportunity. Bind him. That face is not Rieko anymore."
"Charlie, please bind him," Juwon said, moving closer. "I need to activate my system. I do not want to use it as a map anymore. With this we can rank up. From F to D. We will not even be in E."
"That would be double ranking," Bobby added, voice thin.
Charlie stared with an empty look. Nothing moved inside her. No emotion. Then Juwon spoke a cruel truth to cut through the numbness.
"Is this how you will face your mother again? As the lowest rank binder this year?"
That snapped something. Charlie blinked. She looked at Juwon, then at Rieko. Her hands curled into fists.
"What is our team goal this year, Charlie White?" Juwon asked.
Charlie breathed out and lifted her head. "Ranking is our only way to the top. Destroy and bind every demon to reach the top."
She stood and moved toward Rieko. Her hair floated, white and bright in the firelight. Her eyes turned pure white. Light shimmered around her.
"Ranking is the only way to the top," Charlie repeated. "This is the only way I will get my wings..... back."