The following morning came with a veil of heavy rain. The sky was still dark when Soren arrived on site, struggling to find the meeting point through fogged-up windows and flooded roads. Eventually, he parked his old van beside a row of government vehicles and black-suited agents standing stiff in the storm.

  Subdirectress Nasaki stood under an umbrella, eyes locked on her phone. She didn’t look up.

  "You're late," she said flatly, typing with swift fingers.

  "Well, that's what happens when you mix a thunderstorm with an early wake-up call. I usually work later in the day."

  "This way, we avoid civilian interference," she replied curtly.

  A man approached them, hair damp and dark against the weather, a touch of facial hair marking his jaw. "Everything’s almost ready for the operation," he informed.

  "Very well, Mr. Matsuda. Introduce yourself to our new recruit."

  He turned to Soren, inspecting him briefly. "Asashi Matsuda. Third Division."

  "Soren O'Connors. Fifth Division," he responded, brushing a hand through his damp hair.

  Matsuda blinked. "O’Connors? As in the legendary demon hunter?"

  "Yeah, weird coincidence," Soren replied flatly.

  He remembered the moment clearly from yesterday's meeting: the Director's cold voice echoing in his mind.

  "No one can know you’re related to Sullivan. Understood?"

  Besides their own reasons, Soren agreed not to say anything– he hated being the center of attention.

  “Wait a second, Subdirectress Nasaki, is there a fifth division?” the man questioned.

  Subdirectress Nasaki finally pocketed her phone. "There was no Fifth Division until yesterday."

  The Anti-Demon Commission divided its agents into four divisions. The Fourth Division consisted of hunters who were either new or held minimum knowledge of demon-hunting methods. Their responsibilities didn’t differ much from a police officer or a soldier.

  The higher the division, the greater the experience and expertise. First Division was the peak—elite hunters, the very best the Commission had to offer. Of course, those categories applied solely to members of Adam Hunt’s organization. Other international institutions had their own systems, and many hunters operated solo, like Soren had until recently.

  If I’m in the Fifth Division, that means I’m the lowest-ranking person in the entire organization... Even if they’re testing the waters, that feels excessive.

  Hunter Matsuda sighed before addressing the nearby agents. "Let’s wrap this up. Proceed with the summon of our tracer."

  "Tracer?" Soren questioned. "What do you mean by summon?"

  "This is what I meant by lacking the proper training," Nasaki remarked. "Despite having worked on your own, there’s still plenty you need to learn."

  And is it necessary for you to put it in my face?

  "There are four main ways to deal with the supradimensional beings we know as demons. The first is through objects affected by existential powers. Blessed objects like silver bullets, holy water, and even some talismans can be effective toward low-rank demons, but that falls short for stronger foes. Some demonic objects can be used as well, but most of them are not all that powerful. That’s where the second and third methods come in: demon contracts and mantras."

  "I know about demon contracts, but… what is a mantra supposed to be?"

  "You’ll eventually learn if you get through the ranks of the organization. As for the last method, it is summoning a demon to help against another demon."

  "Fighting fire wth fire..."

  At that moment, various Fourth Division agents began unloading numerous coolers filled with blood and organs.

  "Are those… human organs?"

  "Some. Mostly from animals. We have our legal providers from morgues and our respective authorizations," Nasaki informed while observing the deployment with crossed arms.

  A female agent with unremarkable features approached a space arranged on the sidewalk. With her index finger, she began spreading the blood into a circle adorned with strange symbols.

  "Tracer… it’s time for you to come out."

  The pile of blood-splattered organs offered to the circle was suddenly consumed, forming a dark red pool. Soren watched wide-eyed as bone and tissue emerged from the liquid, eventually shaping into the form of a legitimate demon.

  It was the first time he had witnessed a summoning.

  The creature’s skeletal structure resembled an animal, but it was malformed, with several pieces of tissue hanging from the bones.

  "Dog demon, we need you to—"

  Before she could finish, the demon suddenly jumped over most hunters, heading directly for Soren. Even Subdirectress Nasaki was startled at the action.

  But the demon stopped just a few inches away, its sharp fangs barely missing Soren’s head. A translucent chain extended from the demon’s neck to the hand of the summoning agent.

  "You had luck, human boy," the demon rasped, savoring the air.

  Despite the suddenness of the encounter, Soren remained calm, gun already drawn. "Were it so easy," he replied, aiming at the demon’s face.

  The deadlock was quickly resolved as the agents regained control over the summoned creature.

  Subdirectress Nasaki stood firmly in front of the demon, pushing it back with her presence alone. "I won’t accept more delays and insolence. If you don’t control yourself, I will command your execution."

  "Tch…" it grunted, stepping back.

  The summoning agent approached the demon again. "In exchange for our offer, you will help us locate a demon."

  "I wouldn’t have accepted if I didn’t already know what you human scum wanted from me," the demon replied arrogantly.

  Though the demon was in their custody, the hunters still had to formalize the contract with Hell—even symbolically.

  "Once I’m done here, you will let me go back to my cell."

  "Very well," Subdirectress Nasaki accepted.

  With the contract finalized, the chain connecting the demon and the huntress glowed and solidified. On the other hand, Subdirectress Nasaki turned to Soren and pointed at his gun. "You’re going to have to leave those behind."

  "You have to be fucking me. Did you not see how your friend over there almost tried to rip my face off?"

  Despite the lack of respect, the head of the organization maintained her composure. "Even if we let you keep your equipment, those guns are illegal—not to mention your permit hasn’t been processed yet."

  "Then what am I supposed to defend myself with?" he protested.

  "Your role here is only observation. There should be no reason for you to engage. Let Mr. Matsuda and the hunters from the Fourth Division do their job."

  These people are being so problematic right now...

  Soren inspected the agents and their gear. Worst-case scenario, he figured he could always snatch a pistol or machine gun with ease. "Well then."

  With the assault team assembled, the demon hunters departed from the main street and ventured into a labyrinth of narrow, dark alleyways.

  As they moved, Subdirectress Nasaki handed Soren a folder with the mission details.

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  The task involved identifying and subjugating a demon that had killed three people so far that month. The victims were workers at a demolition site. The city government was tearing down a large portion of a neighborhood that had become a hotspot for illicit activities, intending to build a recreational center and shopping mall.

  What raised suspicion of demonic activity was the state of the bodies.

  Soren flipped through the photographs, slightly repulsed. The corpses had been turned into grotesque masses of organs, smeared across the walls like some disturbing piece of modern art. His many years of similar encounters helped him suppress any nausea.

  Also, since the search area was considerably large, the hunters relied on the demon tracer’s ability to detect their target. The summoner and her demon led the group, with the other hunters cautiously covering intersections and corners. Matsuda, the Subdirectress, and Soren stayed toward the rear.

  After several minutes with no leads, the tracer stopped cold, putting everyone on alert.

  "A nasty smell indeed... Humans, the one you seek is extremely close," the demon said with its twisted voice.

  "You heard it. Everyone, get ready," Matsuda ordered, and the team gripped their weapons.

  Soren, unarmed, started to regret giving up his guns. With almost seven years of experience, he knew how quickly things could go wrong.

  Despite their alertness, the next warning came from the demon again.

  "The trace stops right here..."

  Something is wrong.

  "Be ready for an incoming attack," the Subdirectress shouted.

  The hunters gathered in a defensive stance. Only the sound of rain hitting metal and their own anxious breathing remained. "Subdirectress, I believe we should—"

  Suddenly, one of the Fourth Division agents was engulfed by massive jaws erupting from a wall.

  The team froze, shocked, as a huge shadow slid across the alley before vanishing through the opposite side.

  "Shit!" Soren shouted, stepping back.

  The demon was enormous—larger than anything Soren had ever encountered.

  By the standards of the European Anti-Demon Commission, the otherworldly beings were categorized into four divisions, parallel to the ones used to classify their own forces.

  That being said, demons like the ‘tracer’ belonged to the fourth category, being relatively weak. Just as the subdirectress had mentioned previously, the main way to deal with them was with specialized equipment like blessed items, which had a significant weakening effect against those types of demons.

  Those in the third and second categories were much more powerful and harder to deal with. At last, demons in the first category were those occupying the list of the first 100 evils, as well as those with a certain grade of exceptionality.

  For that day’s mission, the reconnaissance and intelligence team from the commission had estimated the threat to be a fourth division demon.

  Nonetheless, after contemplating the enormous creature, everyone involved immediately accepted that there had been a mistake—one that had already resulted in the death of one person.

  “Spread around! The demon can attack from any direction!” the subdirectress ordered thanks to her quick judgment.

  Soren and the rest of the hunters followed the orders in hopes of minimizing the number of targets he could go after at the same time. However, the stress and anxiety were still creeping all over the place. Everyone awaited the next attack nervously.

  And so, the jaws of the alligator demon appeared from the very same wall, facing another fourth division Hunter. Despite being able to dodge the attack, the agent lost one of his hands, as he was not totally able to carry all of his body out of the trajectory.

  In the meantime, the rest of the hunters opened fire towards the demon. Despite his ghostly shape, the effect of the silver bullets allowed them to hit it directly. Yet the demon was covered by armor of concrete-like scales that deflected almost all of the impacts.

  This is not good at all!

  Once again the demon disappeared, leaving only the bloody hand against the bricked wall and teasing an incomming third attack.

  “I already took you to the demon! Release me right now!” The tracer demon complained, but nobody really paid him attention.

  Shit. The demon attacked from the side both times. This alleyway is just the perfect place for an ambush considering his powers. Nonetheless, now that we know what he does, the only other way it could surprise us is…

  Given his quick thinking, Soren immediately pushed the huntress that was right by his side. Then, immediately, he stepped aside. The maws of the alligator demon emerged straight from the floor, launching itself multiple meters high.

  Despite not being able to kill anyone, the demon’s recent stunt had just managed to divide the group in half.

  Subdirectress Nasaki, who stood alongside Matsuda and the other hunters, observed the huntress with the ‘tracer’ and the boy on the other side and made a quick call.

  “You, go back to the main street! We will take care of the rest.”

  Without thinking about it twice, Soren and the summoned demon started running in the opposite direction, leaving the group of agents behind. They only heard the sound of gunshots and proactive fighting as they abandoned the ambush site.

  However, the huntress who had gone along with them ended up falling to the dirty wet floor, very much hindering the advancement of the contracted demon.

  “The fuck are you doing, worthless human?” it yelled with irritation.

  Despite his growling, the huntress remained struck, breath heavy.

  “I almost died… back there. I almost died…” she said repeatedly.

  “This is no time for having a panic attack!” the boy also yelled, to no avail.

  Despite being able to leave on his own, Soren reminded himself of one of the first times he ever tried to hunt a demon. He remembered his clothes full of blood, and his short breath as he managed to survive, barely alive.

  So, he approached the agent, getting down to the floor as well, and struck her face with determination in order to bring her back to reality. “You need to calm yourself down!”

  After looking at his serious expression, the agent managed to recover most of her composure.

  “We somehow managed to get away. We should be safe now,” he reassured.

  “I wouldn’t be so sure,” the demon right next to them contradicted, arms crossed.

  “And what exactly do you mean by that?” Soren contested grumpily, as he stood again.

  “Foolish human. It is very clear that the other demon already expected our presence around, but how could he have known? My existential power is not that strong to be sensed from afar. Something else must have gathered his attention, and I just happen to know what,” he said while approaching the boy, savoring his jaws—only to be immediately pulled back by the chain.

  I can’t stay like this any longer… Soren complained, propelling himself to action.

  “Do you have a weapon?” He asked the fourth division huntress.

  “I… yes, but I won’t give—”

  Almost immediately, Soren approached the woman and stripped her of her gun, verifying the already unlocked safety lock and the magazine.

  “We need to go back to the main street and you are going to help us get there,” he threatened while pointing at the demon.

  “And why would I do that exactly? My contract was only to lead you to your objective. Despite the foolish woman hanging onto those chains, they are going to disappear in a couple of minutes,” the demon argued with malice.

  “Not before the other demon gets to us, assuming what you said before is true. In that case, we are all going to die together.”

  The demon immediately grunted in backlash. “Release the chain, you stupid woman!”

  “I won't!”

  Given the fragility of the contract, the woman’s hand started to burn from grasping the chain.

  “How are you sure the other hunters did not dispose of the demon already?” the otherworldly being tried to reason towards his liberation.

  “He looked like a sturdy bastard to me!”

  The two kept arguing back and forth until the skeletal dog froze suddenly.

  “The smell is back!”

  And so, the group turned around to see the big silhouette of the alligator demon, encrusted with armor of concrete and metal rods, as it walked slowly toward them.

  Did the other group fail? Did it escape?

  “Argh, this is all your fault, human!” he pointed towards Soren.

  “My fault? The fuck do you have on me?”

  “Your scent brought it here!”

  My scent?

  “Woman, leave the boy and run!”

  Soren turned the weapon from the demon to the huntress, then to the demon again. “We don’t have time for this shit! We can all make it out if you decide to help me!”

  The alligator demon had very much stood in place, savoring the desperation of the group for his own. On the other hand, the summoned demon turned toward his kin and acknowledged that he was not going to receive any mercy. “And how exactly do you plan to do that?” it questioned back at Soren.

  “If we make it back to my car, then we’ll have enough firepower. Until then, I’ll distract this alligator/crocodile thing or something!”

  “Very well, but even if I were to collaborate, the help of a demon always demands a price.”

  This fucker…

  “Fine. Say what you want!”

  Once he gave his consent, the demon’s skull lit up with malice. “Once you die, I’ll devour your bones and flesh.”

  Is he really that desperate to eat me? It's not like it will matter if I don't manage to make it out alive.

  “And in exchange, you will follow closely and tell me the way.”

  The demon let out a malevolent grin before nodding. “Then we have a deal.”

  In that moment, Lorien observed the chain being transferred from the huntress's arms into his, forming an inseparable bond—at least until the contract was fulfilled or until both parties withdrew.

  “Now what?” it contested.

  “Pick her up and run!” Soren shouted, already running on his own—not before launching the car keys to the huntress.

  The skeleton turned toward the alligator demon, who had accepted the invitation for a chase, then to the commission’s huntress. “Don’t get the wrong idea.”

  Without wasting any more time, he carried her with both arms along the dark alleyway.

  Despite having short legs, alligators were able to move relatively quickly on land. As he advanced, Soren shot one or another bullet toward him, to no avail.

  “Turn right! It’s to the right!” the tracer before getting ahead of him.

  Even with them turning the right way, the demon managed to phase through the building, cutting the distance to the group. Then, the ghostly figure submerged into the dark wet floor, disappearing from sight.

  Thanks to the summon’s previous explanation, Soren now knew that he was very much the main target for the alligator demon, thus allowing him to expect the following attacks.

  The boy jumped and maneuvered while evading the sudden strikes. Any wrong movement and he would end up as alligator food.

  However, in the end, Soren was just a normal human. He started to grow tired at the same time that his speed was simply not enough to get away.

  “To the left, this way!”

  Right then, the alligator demon stopped trying to take him by surprise, instead opening his jaws and intending to catch up sooner rather than later.

  And so, when he was very close, Soren discharged the last bullets of the pistol, startling the demon and buying him enough time.

  After what felt like the longest chase of his life, the demon and the woman had managed to return to the main street thanks to it's supernatural ability.

  “The bastard is still following us!” the demon complained.

  Soren, still in the alley, shouted toward the two of them.

  “The old van! Turn it on and drive!”

  “I am a demon! I don’t know how to drive!”

  “I do,” the huntress intervened proactively.

  The huntress opened the driver’s door while the demon launched himself through the window. Once Soren saw the main street, the car had begun to pull off.

  Soren ran toward his car with the last pump of adrenaline, while the alligator tank smashed the other parked cars aside, getting closer.

  “Open the fucking door!”

  After the skeleton demon opened both back doors, Soren jumped and grabbed its hand, getting pulled inside.

  Despite being in relative safety, he wasted no time. He pulled off a dusted sheet that covered one of his uncle’s weapons. The silver-covered machine gun shone with the directional light of the streetlights.

  “Get a load of this, fucker!”

  The extended magazine bands, which were already set to work, started to deplete almost instantly. The high-caliber silver bullets tore away at the alligator demon’s armor, penetrating right into its body.

  However, even with the rain of bullets, the giant managed to approach the car—just enough to take one last bite inside. The whole car itself jumped with the sudden change in weight. Sullivan’s old machine gun folded. Once the demon stopped, he took the machine gun and the boy holding it as well.

  Soren freed his hands, but the inertia made him fall into the road at high speed, spinning multiple times and hitting his face—and very much all of his body—with the friction ragging most of his clothes and burning some parts of his skin.

  And so, the boy and the demon remained unmoving on the wet pavement, feeling the thin droplets from a sky where the sun had begun to rise.