The Crumbling Alliance
The Council chamber in Paris had never been so loud.
Delegates shouted over one another, their voices colliding like storms. The seal map pulsed violently with crimson across three continents, each flare a tally of souls lost.
"We cannot fight three Upper Demons at once!"
"If we scatter, we die. If we wait, we die faster!"
"Then we must sacrifice a city! Better one than all!"
The room froze. The suggestion hung heavy in the air.
Arashi's eyes blazed. "We do not sacrifice innocents!"
But for the first time, his words sounded fragile.
---
Panic in the World
Across the globe, panic spread like fire.
In Rio, millions fled inland, only to find Zarvok's crimson mist moving faster than they could run.
In Cairo, soldiers fired bullets at dunes, only to watch their guns vanish into storms of sand.
In Shanghai, entire districts fell silent — millions of people standing motionless, as if frozen statues, before collapsing into nothing.
Governments crumbled. Refugee camps overflowed. Helicopters blared warnings that no one could follow. Humanity itself was breaking under the weight of fear.
---
The Wielders' Guilt
In India, Ishita sat alone by a dying fire, her Scarlet aura flickering weakly. Rehan approached quietly, sitting beside her.
"I saw them again," she whispered, voice shaking. "Every soul they take… I feel it. Like pieces of me being torn away."
Rehan clenched his fists. His golden aura flickered faintly, restless.
"I should be stronger. If I was… maybe we could stop them before this got so far."
Ishita turned, eyes shining with tears. "Don't you dare blame yourself. You've carried me through every step. If anyone should bear this guilt, it's me — Scarlet was born inside me, and now they're feeding off it."
Rehan grabbed her hand, his voice sharp. "No. You're not the curse. You're the hope we have left. Don't ever forget that."
Her chest tightened, her heart pounding louder than the whispers. For the first time since her awakening, she let herself lean against him, drawing warmth from his steady presence.
---
Li Wei's Warning
Li Wei watched them quietly before speaking. His voice cut through the night like steel.
"They are not feeding randomly. This is a ritual. Each death brings them closer to their king."
Rehan looked up. "How much closer?"
Li Wei's eyes narrowed, Soul aura flickering like a cold flame.
"Fifty thousand souls. That is the threshold. When it is met… the Lord Ghost Demon will rise."
The silence that followed was heavier than any scream.
---
The Cracks Deepen
Back in Paris, council members argued again.
"We can't defend the entire world!"
"Then choose one continent! One battlefront!"
"Scarlet girl is dangerous—if she loses control, she may quicken the awakening!"
The chamber erupted again, but beneath the noise lay a single truth:
The alliance was crumbling.
And as humanity fractured, the demons fed.
---
Closing Shadow
Far away, in the abyss, a deeper voice rumbled beneath the laughter of the three Upper Demons.
"Soon. Soon, I shall walk again. Scarlet will be mine. And this world shall burn brighter than ever before."
The Lord Ghost Demon was listening.
The countdown had begun.