Rey poked the bear, quite literally.

  Well, it wasn't a bear, per se; it was more like Hell's version of a bear. The thing made even Aearbon look tame in size. Its fur was matted with fresh dark blood. It had an elongated snout with razor-sharp fangs, which was a staple in Hell, as everything preyed on everything else, down here. The weirdest thing about it was the twin horns where his ears should be, and the scythe buried in its neck, of course.

  He ripped his scythe out and turned to his friends, who were still training. Kassi was going up against Ajay, and Filomena was taking on Aearbon. After yesterday's debacle, they decided it was best to keep the star-crossed lovers away from each other for a little bit. Rey knew they would come around eventually, or spend eternity without one another, or join each other in demonhood.

  Rey never knew what happened to them after they died. Did they end up consuming their souls in time? He didn't have the answer to that question and was glad no one had brought it up. Why didn't he have the answer? Well, he and Kassi were busy running away at top speed, trying to stay one step ahead of the horde that was coming for their friends' souls. There was nothing more they could do for them, and neither did they run into their friends' demon selves.

  He shoved the thoughts away because he was about to perform vehicular manslaughter against the future, second only to that time he emotionally nuked his friendships after Unokir fell. This would be on the same level, if not even bigger, because he was about to make the life of that cosmic child very miserable.

  Demon Rey snickered. His balls might as well be bells that are going to be rung on repeat.

  Rey snorted. "You're not wrong."

  I never am, bitch.

  There were at least a thousand instances that Rey could point out that he was wrong, but he didn't fancy arguing this early in the morning or night. Honestly, it could even be afternoon.

  His friends had gotten quite adept at handling seventy percent gravity. They were moving around like it was nothing, which was good. Rey had recently reached a hundred percent gravity. He did all his training in that high level of gravity, so that even this gravity felt light on his body. If they stayed here for a little longer, he was sure they could catch up eventually, but then his plan would go awry, and for it to work, a certain three-eyed fuck needed to be where he was right now.

  He dragged the bear with him and dropped it in front of them, but they kept dancing around the bear as they were too focused on their fight.

  "Look, I brought our very last meal this land has to offer," Rey declared.

  Still nothing. All he got was grunts, pushing, and shoving as they jostled each other into the ground.

  Rey sighed, shook his head. "Why do you always make me do this?"

  He proverbially slapped them into the ground by increasing gravity to one hundred percent. They cried out as the increased downward pressure made them falter. Almost all of them were on their knees or sprawled out on the ground.

  "What the hell did you do that for?" Filomena snarled.

  "Ding. Ding. Ding. Dinner time." Rey called. "Come eat up. It's our last meal."

  "What?" Ajay pushed against the ground and was nearly on his feet. They could do this much at least.

  "Oh, not as in last meal, before your death, but more like the last meal before we move along and find bigger fish to fry." Rey turned around and walked off with the bear. "We've trained enough. Now, it's time to put the training to the test."

  "Rey," Kassi called.

  "Yes, my dear," Rey replied, looking over his shoulder, and realized they were still there. They weren't sprawled face-first on the ground but struggling to walk. "Oh, my bad."

  He turned off gravity altogether, making them stumble. They quickly gained their footing and were walking towards him. Aearbon grabbed the bear's leg, though he didn't need to. Without Gravity's Domain increasing the bear's weight, this thing was almost as light as a feather.

  They carried the bear to the campsite, where they began stripping it. Ajay and Aearbon, their small band's chef and sous chef, took over the rest. Surprisingly, they got along very well.

  Rey sat down beside Kassandra, who stood and wiped off her sweat with a rag. The girl had been smart enough to buy an extra pair of clothing for everyone when they went shopping with Gloria. If only Rey had done the same. Though in his case, he had just taken down the city's most notorious gang, and he didn't want to stick around for long enough to know he had upset any unsavory characters, which he most likely had.

  "Have I ever told you how sexy you look drenched in sweat like that?" Rey said. "With your clothes hugging your body?"

  Stolen story; please report.

  The others immediately stopped doing what they were doing and looked over at them. Kassandra turned, putting her back to them as she turned red.

  She glared at him and hissed. "What are you doing?"

  He frowned, then realization dawned. "Oh, they're not supposed to know yet."

  "Know what?" Filomena asked.

  "That—"

  "Nothing." Kassi cut him off with a voice that was a little too high. "Nothing. Rey's just being his idiotic self."

  Rey's face fell. "But we totally kissed yesterday. Then we made out last night before we went to sleep. Then we snuck out of the grove for another make-out session before everyone awoke. All that was nothing to you."

  Kassandra froze. Her eyes slowly swivelled to the others, who were equal parts stunned and confused. However, Ajay was grinning like an idiot.

  "I wasn't supposed to tell them?"

  "Of course not." She threw her rag at him.

  "Well, how was I supposed to know that?" He shrugged and pulled her down into his lap. "Yes, so this is a thing now."

  "About goddamn time," Filomena exclaimed. "At the rate you two were going, I thought the Luthrols would eat me before I ever got to see you two get together. I told you. Didn't I tell you, Ajay…"

  She trailed off, and the silence that descended was so awkward it deserved its own soundtrack. Thankfully, Aearbon rescued them from the awkwardness of staring at each other for a minute or two.

  "Wait, she was not your woman before?" Aearbon asked. "But your pheromone levels clearly spiked whenever you two spent any time together, and you even slept under the same tree. In my culture that is good as being married."

  "Well, hello wifey."

  "Shut up." She couldn't help smiling and gave him a light shove as she stood.

  "Okay, I must know all the details," Filomena said. "Also, best of luck. I seriously hope you don't go full goblin brain, and if you start rambling, I'm pretending I can't hear you."

  "I heard that," Rey said.

  Then lunch was served, and they all ate and talked. Save for Ajay and Filomena, who were socially distancing from each other emotionally and physically. Aearbon was his usual stoic self. Rey was sure he must've noticed the drama as well, as even he threw them awkward glances.

  "You said we'll be moving on," Ajay said.

  "Oh yes, I totally forgot because someone tried to seduce me so openly."

  Kassi snorted. "You seduced yourself. I didn't even have to do anything."

  Rey nodded. "That's right. Anyway, as I said, I think we've trained enough. It's time to move on and get our ranks as high as we can. So, we can go after the D-Tier demons."

  That earned him some looks.

  "What? You all know we have to hit them sooner or later if we want to make our deadline," Rey stated.

  "But where are these D-Tier demons?" Kassi asked.

  "One of them is in the capital. The prince of this fucking night hotel, Razgorel."

  Kassi straightened at hearing that name. Filomena stopped biting and looked at Kassi. Ajay almost did the same. They both knew that he was supposed to drop her in an acid pool.

  Rey went on, pretending he hadn't noticed. "I figure we polish him first. So, we can assure Kassi is safe."

  "And how do you know he is in the capital?" Aearbon asked.

  "Where else would he be. Anyway, but he is not the sole reason we'll be heading for the capital." They waited with frowning faces. "From what I hear, they have some excellent battles in the arena. Let's stop by to watch a few bouts."

  "They'll skin us alive if we venture anywhere near that place," Aearbon retorted. "I heard they always have Sniffers about. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case for the entire city."

  "I know." Rey smiled. "Because they are reason number two why I want to go there. Their panty sniffing days are over."

  Filomena nearly choked on her food. "I'm sorry? We're going there to kill panty sniffers?"

  "Yes." Rey tried to stop himself, he really did, but he failed and burst out laughing. The girls made such disgusted faces that he couldn't help himself.

  "Sniffers are demons who are trained to hunt down beings with souls," Aearbon explained.

  "Are you serious?" Filomena practically shrieked. "You want to go to perhaps the most protected city in Purgatory to hunt down demons that are trained to hunt people like us."

  "That is exactly my plan," Rey declared with a grin. "How else are we supposed to reach Rank 10 quickly?"

  "Rey, are these Sniffers strong?" Kassi asked.

  "Of course, my lady. Did I not mention that?"

  "Do you think we can take them?"

  "If I could beat Aearbon while I was a rank sixer, then you can easily beat any demons around that rank. Hell, after our sparring lessons with Aearbon, I'd say we can handle Rank Niners. It won't be pretty, but it also won't be our funeral."

  She nodded. "Okay. Next time, start with that, please."

  Aearbon was next to speak. "Rey, I will go wherever you wish, fight whoever you command, but I have concerns, and I must convey them."

  "Convey away, my man. Remember, we're all equals. I have no need of yes men."

  Aearbon nodded. "Sniffers won't be easy. One whiff and they can track us for miles, and it would not be easy to escape from that place either."

  "I know all of that," Rey said. "Listen, I'm doing something that I think is going to change all our futures drastically. It's like doing a high-risk, high-reward run. So, I need you all to trust me. If you don't want to do this, if you have any doubts, then it's best that you stay behind or go your own way. So, once we leave here, everything I say goes."

  He looked at all their faces in turn, starting with Kassandra. He didn't need to, but he had to start somewhere, and she was sitting the closest.

  "I just got you back. I'm not letting go of you any time soon," she replied.

  "Wow, clingy already? I like it."

  Next, he looked to Ajay, as Aearbon had already made his feelings known.

  "I'm with you, man. You know that."

  Filomena spared a look towards her boyfriend, then nodded.

  Rey clapped his hands. "Great. Then I will foremention that I am about to shake up the future in a mega, ultra, super way. I don't know what will be waiting for us in the capital. Well, I do, but not in the sense of what is going to be waiting on the next street over. So, if you have any grievances towards your boyfriend or girlfriend, I suggest resolving them now. Best to remind each other that death is around every corner, so love each other and enjoy the time you have. Have make up sex a few times or vigorously make out in the bushes. Just not that bush." He pointed to the bush to the right of the tree where he and Kassi slept. "That bush is taken. Anything I need to add, Kassi?"

  Kassi's cheeks flushed for some reason. She gave a meek. "No."

  "Then…" He did his best Optimus Prime voice. "Autobots, roll out! Tomorrow!"

  Aearbon frowned. "What are Autobots?"

  "Robots in disguise."

  "But we're going to be disguised as demons?"

  Kassi snorted. "He has a point."

  "So, I guess…Decepticons, roll out!"