Rey was rather proud of himself that he didn't immediately shit his pants when that gold-eyed, mostly human-looking demon stepped up to the door and called out Rey's name. Unokir had gold, slitted eyes like those of a snake, and just like last time, he wore a three-piece suit. From where he got that suit, Rey never bothered to ask in the past, as he was a little busy running for his life.

  Outwardly, Unokir didn't look much different from a human, but looks were deceiving with this one, as he was a shape-shifting demon. One second, he could look like a used car salesman whose eye doctor implanted the wrong eyes, and then the next, he was a monster that would even have the Hulk shitting his pants.

  "Hello, Rey," Unokir said in a smooth voice.

  His voice was so hypnotic that if he so commanded, Rey would throw open the door and let him murder everyone in here. It was probably how he got Phil to open the door last time. This was why Rey had Jerry seal the doors and windows, so that no one would make the mistake of listening to this silver-tongued devil.

  This demon was something else, for being at the E-Tier. Rey was sure Zalathar had picked up a higher Tier demon, somehow demoted him, and thrown him in here. That was the only explanation for such abilities.

  "Hello, Snake-eyes," Rey replied.

  Unokir smiled. "Cute. Our friend Phil tells me that you know who I am."

  Rey shrugged. "Maybe you didn't see it, but I just shrugged."

  The smile didn't vanish from Unokir's face. "I see…you know I like your types that mask your fear with humor."

  "Oh," Rey bobbed his head, then shook it. "Sorry, buddy, but you're not my type. You should go fuck the doggy-looking ones. I think they should be close to your real self, no."

  A slight irritation marked his face, causing his smile to droop slightly, then it was back, as if to say that Rey's comment hadn't bothered him, but it had. Comparing him to a dog had struck a nerve, as that was his true self. It was a cross between a dog, a gorilla, and an anteater. Put them together, and that was about it.

  "I'm not here to discuss my type with you, friend," Unokir replied. "I'm here to extend an offer to you. An offer that will provide you with eternal life—"

  Rey barked a laugh. "Eternal life as a demon, you mean?" He turned to his people. "Anyone here wants to become a demon?"

  No one said anything and just gave him blank or confused looks.

  "See, looks like we're okay being humans," Rey replied. "Besides—and I fully mean to offend—you demons smell like the inside of a dragon's colon after taco night, and don't ask me how I know that."

  Rey remembered there was a sulfuric odor coming off him until he hit the A-Tier and reforged his body in Hellfire, and went back to looking like his real self. Though he kept his demonic eyes, or rather had to.

  "I wouldn't dismiss it so easily, if I were you," Unokir said. "Join me and I will let you return as demons once I've had my fill of your sweet human flesh."

  "Our flesh isn't sweet unless you get your hands on a diabetic, which none of us are."

  "You think this is a joke?" Unokir asked, his smooth voice slipping, and hardening with anger. "Why don't you open this door, and then we will see if you're still joking."

  "Ha! You must think me an idiot. Why would I do that? For Eternal life? You're even more idiotic than Phil made you seem. He was all like how he was going to eat all our souls while you were busy destroying the castle?"

  "W-What?" Phil stammered. "No, I never said that."

  "Sure did," Rey went on. "Tell me this, didn't you say that your friend was such an idiot that you would easily lure him here and eventually backstab him and take off with the prize?"

  "I never said that!" Phil cried, backing away from Unokir. "M-My Lord, I would never betray you."

  "You guys are demons," Rey interjected. "There's no trusting a demon. You all are only after your own gains, even I know that, and I've been in Hell, all of two minutes."

  Phil blanched and was backing away from Unokir, but the demons closed ranks, and Phil had nowhere to go. Unokir motioned with his head, and the demons jumped him like a pack of Piranhas jumping on a piece of meat.

  Phil screamed and shrieked as the demons ripped into him. Blood and entrails were thrown about, and it didn't take more than two minutes for Phil to depart the world permanently. Since he had eaten his soul to retain his sanity, when he was reborn as a demon, there was no coming back for him. He simply ceased to exist.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Funny part, Rey didn't feel a single shred of guilt for what he had done. Maybe it was his conditioning from being a demon all those years, or it was that Phil had betrayed them. He didn't know what the others would think of him after this, nor did he care. He had more pressing concerns at the moment.

  Once the demons had had their fill, Unokir turned to Rey with a smile. "It's never good to keep traitors around, am I right?"

  "What traitor?" Rey asked, frowning. "Oh, Phil, I was only joking about Phil. He never uttered a word about betraying you. He was, in fact, always hyping you up. I just wanted to see if you would believe the word of your enemy over your servant's, and boy, you didn't disappoint. You fucking demons are so predictable."

  Unokir's smile vanished. "And can you trust everyone inside your castle. Are you sure that your servants will not betray you and open the door to me? Are you certain—"

  "Yes, I'm certain of that," Rey replied, cutting him off again on purpose.

  Unokir raised an eyebrow, and then he laughed. "You're so sure of that, too. Oh, if you're so sure that no one will betray you, then who hurt your healer, I wonder?"

  Rey's smile faltered. How do you know about that?

  He looked back to ensure that the injured doctor wasn't in his line of sight. She wasn't. Then how did he know about it? His eyes washed over everyone. They gave him a mix of worried or confused looks. No one was even close to the doctor when she was found wounded.

  The only person inside the castle was Tia, but she was up in the watchtower. She could have attacked the doctor and then run up to take her position, but even Barbie's evil twin wouldn't do something as stupid as this. The doctor was their only chance at free heals. If something happened to her, they would be as good as dead.

  No, Unokir must've smuggled a demon inside.

  He would have thought it was Phil, but he was taken care of. Rey had effectively stopped that future from coming true. Then who could it be? There were enough windows on the upper level that some demon could've crawled up the walls and sauntered in. But then why leave the doctor alive? Why not just kill her outright?"

  "Ah, looks like I've stumped the smartass," Unokir said. "I'll let you work on that one while I take a little nap." He leaned in. "You said you can never really trust a demon, I say the thing about humans. Especially humans picked by Zalathar, you're all not much different from us demons."

  He twirled his fingers, saying bye, but Rey wanted to give him something to think about as well.

  "I wouldn't come back here if I were you, Mr. Mimic Overlord, or be ready to face my wrath." Rey made a finger gun and pointed it at Unokir. "Click. Click. Boom."

  Using his remaining Mana, he shot him away with Gravitational Repulsion. Unokir was hurled backwards as Rey's anti-gravity skill launched him away at full speed. No matter how strong he was, gravity was stronger.

  [+1 Magic Power]

  He turned, and the lack of Mana made him woozy, and he dropped to his knees, as the world spun about him. His head pulsated, as if he could feel the blood rushing through his head. He didn't have much time left before he passed out.

  Kassandra and Ajay rushed forward. Ajay put one of Rey's arms over his shoulder and helped him stand.

  "Rey, are you okay?" Kassandra asked.

  "Yeah," Rey replied. "It's just Mana fatigue. I just blew my load all over his face."

  She snorted. "You're never serious."

  You know it, babe.

  "I'm about to be." Rey looked at Tia. "Did you do that to Bahar?"

  "Have you lost your fucking mind?" Tia snarled. "Why the fuck would I hurt our only method of getting healed?"

  Rey nodded, which made him want to hurl his breakfast. "Thought so too, but I had to be sure."

  He still didn't believe her. The only people he could be sure of who didn't do this were the ones who fought beside him outside. He would be keeping both eyes on her, and for her sake, the doctor better not die.

  He briefly glanced at Kassandra, and she didn't believe Tia at all either. He knew her well enough to know her thoughts, just by a look. Of course, she didn't know him that well yet.

  "So, you think he might have sneaked a demon into the castle?" Filomena said.

  "Could be, or maybe she just tripped and fell," Rey replied.

  "Are we not going to talk about how you he goaded the demon into killing Phil so brutally?" Maria spoke up, making heads turn her way.

  Jerry scoffed. "Did you forget what he did to Gloria? She's a demon because of him."

  "Speaking of demons," Rey said. "I know I spoke for everyone, and maybe I spoke too soon. If anyone wants to take his deal and become a demon, you'd better leave right now. If you betray us to the demons, you can be damn sure, I'll destroy your soul before you ever have a chance of consuming it."

  "And how would you do that?" Tia asked.

  Rey squinted his eyes a little. The fact that she had spoken up first was not lost on him. Oh, you keep making yourself more and more suspicious.

  "That's my secret, love," Rey replied. "But if you're not planning to betray me, then you're golden. That goes for everyone. Jerry, finish up on this floor and then seal all the windows upstairs. And I want two pairs of eyes on Jerry at all times. Not because I don't trust you, Harley-Davidson lover. It's because you hold the keys to the castle and our lives. If we have a demon or a traitor in our midst, we need you safe."

  Jerry was satisfied with that answer. He continued his work and sealed all the windows on the first floor. Rey's eyes went to the corridor with the well and the armory. There was still one door in that hallway that had yet to be opened.

  Rey knew how to open it, but it required a great sacrifice, and he doubted anyone would be willing to make that sacrifice. He would certainly not be willing to pay that price, and it would be unfair to force one of them to open the door, but that door could solve their problems for the time being.

  Kassandra motioned to Ajay to bring Rey away from the others. Rey hobbled away with Ajay's help. Filomena joined them soon after.

  "What are you thinking?" Kassandra asked.

  "I'm thinking, I need a blood sacrifice."

  "A blood sacrifice?" She asked.

  He nodded. "Yes. A sacrifice for the door with trust issues."