Shin received Loki's call while still inside the private lounge, he rose without a word and the heavy doors had not yet fully closed behind him when his stride lengthened into a near run.
Minutes later, he drove straight toward the address Loki had sent.
That night, Hexion moved.
Orders spread like wildfire through the underworld. Mafia groups mobilized simultaneously. Countless black cars flooded the streets, engines roaring as they swept through districts with ruthless efficiency.
The industrial area became the focal point. Roads were sealed. Warehouses were searched.
Ordinary citizens watched in fear and confusion as convoys passed by, windows tinted black, insignias unmistakable.
Online, speculation exploded, claiming the industrial zone had been locked down completely and that another purge among mafia organizations was imminent, the city itself were bracing for bloodshed.
When Shin arrived, the smell of burnt rubber and leaking fuel hit him first.
A car lay flipped on its side in the middle of the road, its windshield shattered, metal twisted grotesquely as if crushed by an invisible hand. Red and blue emergency lights painted the surrounding buildings in violent flashes. His men stood scattered around the scene, stiff and silent, none daring to speak as Shin stepped out.
"What do you mean," Shin asked slowly, his voice low and lethal, "by abducted?"
The night seemed to freeze.
His gaze swept over them, sharp and suffocating. One by one, heads lowered. No one could hold eye contact for more than a second.
The pressure radiating from him was enough to make even seasoned men feel as though their throats were being crushed.
Loki, scratched the back of his head, his usual casual air gone. "I was following classmate Yeri and Nina. Then suddenly, countless cars boxed me in. I took a different route, managed to catch up, and thought I saved them." He paused. "But it seems… I failed?"
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Before Shin could respond, another man from Hexion stepped forward, his expression grim, clearly realizing that Loki's explanation was not helping his odds of survival tonight.
"Boss," he said quickly, "we had people tailing Miss Zhi from a distance, as instructed. There were no issues for a long time. Tonight was different."
He took a breath and continued. "They used traffic, narrow alleys, and deliberate obstructions. Multiple vehicles suddenly caused accidents ahead and behind us. At first, we thought it was coincidence. By the time we realized those cars were intentionally causing trouble to cut us off, we had already lost Miss Zhi's vehicle."
Loki nodded. "Two more cars cornered me and they even fired shots. I couldn't pursue immediately."
Another person added quietly, "Boss, these people knew what they were doing. They investigated thoroughly. They knew we were secretly protecting Miss Zhi."
Shin turned his head, yet just that small movement was enough.
The person's voice died in his throat as Shin's eyes met his. There was no shouting, no visible loss of control. Only a murderous calm so profound it made knees weaken. The man immediately lowered his head, fear pouring off him in waves.
Shin's gaze shifted back to the overturned car.
Yeri's frail frame flashed in his mind. If the car had flipped like this, there was no way she escaped unscathed.
She had been missing for more than an hour, and he was just informed.
Whether this was deliberate concealment or sheer incompetence, he would deal with it later. Right now, there was only one thing that mattered.
Finding her.
Nearby, Junho was already at work, fingers flying across his laptop, multiple screens reflecting in his glasses. "The surveillance in this area was disrupted," he reported, frustration edging his voice. "They used jammers. Whoever did this knew exactly where the blind spots were."
Shin barely heard him. The demon emperor within him stirred violently, rage rolling through his veins like molten fire. It clawed at his restraint, whispering for blood, urging him to tear through the city and slaughter anyone who stood in his way.
At that moment, another car pulled up. Tristan stepped out, taking in the scene at a glance. One look at Shin told him everything.
Veins stood out along Shin Keir's neck, his presence so oppressive it felt like the air itself was trembling.
Before Tristan could speak, Shin was already moving.
He got back into his car and sped off, tires screeching as the vehicle disappeared into the night.
Tristan clicked his tongue softly and turned to Junho. "You tracking Yeri?"
Junho shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "Not yet. But there's no doubt they're still within the industrial district. The surrounding areas are equipped with high level surveillance. Even with jammers, they couldn't suppress everything in such a short time without drawing attention."
Tristan understood immediately. "Get in."
They drove off without another word.
With Shin Keir's temperament, there was no chance he would sit still and rely solely on human technology. He had never been that patient.
Shin did not need cameras or signals, his senses stretch beyond the physical world. For any lesser demon, it would be impossible to detect, but to a demon emperor, even the faintest trace of demonic essence was enough to track another demon.
---
"Don't you want to know your son's last words?" Yeri shouted, her voice hoarse from screaming, her throat burning with every syllable.
Madam Nafplion froze.
Her unhinged gaze snapped back toward Yeri, eyes bloodshot and trembling as something dark flickered across her face.
Then, just as she loosened her grip, Carpet lunged forward with the last of his strength and bit down hard on her ankle.
"Aaah!" Madam Nafplion shrieked.
She kicked viciously, her foot connecting with Carpet's body. Already gravely injured, his weak whimper slicing straight into Yeri's heart.
Yeri bit her lip until she tasted blood. If she showed anymore concern for Carpet, Madam Nafplion might turn all that madness onto him again.
Madam Nafplion staggered back, then lunged toward Yeri in a frenzy.
She tried to yank her up, but when Yeri didn't budge, she grabbed a fistful of her hair instead, dragging her head back violently.
"What did my son say to you?!" she screamed, saliva spraying. "You vicious bitch! Hurry up and say it!"
Pain exploded across Yeri's scalp, white-hot and blinding. She clenched her teeth, fingers curling against the cold floor. She had only said those words to stop her from hurting Carpet again.
Before she could speak, Nina shouted from the side, her voice sharp.
"I was there, old hag! Let me tell you!" Nina sneered. "He said you're completely useless, and you should hurry up and follow him to the afterlife to serve as his free nanny!"
Madam Nafplion let out a shrill, animalistic scream.
She spun toward Nina, ready to charge, but abruptly halted mid-step. Her expression twisted, as if she had suddenly remembered something important. She muttered to herself, her lips stretched into a warped smile, eyes crawling back to Yeri.
"It's because of this face…" she hissed. "You relied on this face to seduce my son. Then you seduced Shin Keir. I'm going to ruin that good-for-nothing face. Let's see if you can still seduce anyone then!"
Then she rushed to her bag, rummaging through it with frantic movements before pulling out a small bottle. Clear liquid sloshed inside as she held it up, laughter bursting from her throat, shrill and broken.
"Little bitch, all you do is seduce men all day!" she cackled. "I'd love to see if someone like Shin Keir would still want you once your face is ruined!"
Yeri glared at her, eyes burning with defiance despite the pain wracking her body.
Nina, on the other hand, went pale. Her gaze locked onto the bottle, pupils shrinking. The transparent liquid reflected the dim light ominously.
"What's with that look, huh?!" Madam Nafplion snapped. She kicked Yeri hard in the side. "Don't worry, you won't die yet. Not until you crawl in agony and suffer far worse than what my son went through!"
Yeri gasped, her body curling instinctively.
Madam Nafplion grabbed her hair again, yanking her head back brutally. "Didn't you say you knew my son's last words? What are they? Hurry up and say it! Don't even think of escaping. After your death, I've already prepared everything. You'll be buried with my son. The master I hired will perform the ritual, making sure the two of you are bound together in the afterlife, never to separate!"
Her eyes gleamed with manic delight. "If my son can't enter the cycle of reincarnation, then neither will you!"
Yeri's lips curved into a faint, mocking smile despite the blood running down her temple.
"If you love your son so much, why don't you accompany him instead? Or are you just pretending? Can't bear to relinquish your own life? Think about it. Once you die, the three of you can be a happy family again in hell."
For a split second, Madam Nafplion's face contorted in pure rage.
"You little bitch!" she shrieked. "You even want to seduce my husband! Why do you keep mentioning him?! Bah! Once I ruin that seductive face, that old man won't even spare you a glance!"
Madam Nafplion rushed forward, arm raised, the clear liquid trembling dangerously close to spilling.
Nina's eyes widened in horror, she struggled against her restraints, muscles screaming, but her body refused to move.
Yeri buried her face downward instinctively, curling her body as much as she could, desperately trying to reduce the impact of the liquid she was certain would destroy her.
Yet the searing pain she expected never came.
Instead, a shrill, pig-like squeal ripped through the warehouse.
"Aaaah—! AAAAAH!"
A foul, acrid smell filled the air, sharp enough to sting the eyes.
Before she could lift her head, the warehouse doors slammed open with a deafening crash.
Heavy footsteps thundered in.
Men flooded the space from every direction, dressed in black, movements swift and lethal. The dim lights flickered violently as the entire atmosphere shifted, pressure crashing down like an invisible tide.
Madam Nafplion staggered backward, shrieking as she clawed at her own face and chest.
The moment Shin's eyes landed on Yeri, the world narrowed violently.
Her face was bruised and swollen, blood trickling from her forehead and the corner of her mouth. Her clothes disheveled, her wrists raw and bleeding where the ropes had bitten into her skin.
She was trembling uncontrollably, small and broken against the cold concrete.
Something inside him shattered. Rage and heartbreak collided so fiercely it nearly tore through his restraint.