Rey walked through the city, keeping an eye out for trouble, which seemed to lurk on every corner. His flattening of the neighborhood and then killing a shit ton of guards really didn't go well with the prince. Who knew that the prince would take these things the wrong way? All he did was give his city a much-needed makeover.

  He wanted to walk hand in hand with his lady, but the demons didn't roll like that. They mostly just shoved whoever they wanted to boink up against a wall and start going at it right in the middle of the street. They must've passed three couples and a throuple doing the deed in every way possible. It was all nice and wholesome fucking session. Though Kassi didn't seem to think so. She always averted her gaze, and her cheeks got hot.

  Rey sidled up next to her. "You've never seen porn before, and it shows."

  "What? I've seen…things. Okay, maybe not porn, but it's not like I'm a virgin, but seeing all this out in the street is just new to me. Whatever happened to having some privacy and decency?"

  "I feel like I'm a broken record, but we are in Hell."

  "I know that, but…just leave it," she said.

  "Don't worry, I'll be sure to find you the finest accommodations this shit stain of a city has to offer, for when we do the deed."

  She raised an eyebrow at that. "What makes you think we'll do it in the city for the first time?"

  "I've seen it." He winked at her. "Besides, it's only a matter of time. You can resist this for only so long."

  The Sniffer coughed.

  Rey raised an eyebrow. "What was that, dog?"

  "Nothing. I swallowed a bug."

  He put an arm over his shoulder. "Eyes forward, nose wide, and ears shut. Got it?"

  Noidet gave a trembling nod.

  Rey stepped back, and Kassi snickered. The Sniffer was so scared of him, it was hilarious. It reminded him of the time he was a feared legend on the Kingdom of Roads. There wasn't a single demon that didn't fear his name. Sometimes, he would trash-talk himself just to see them fall over themselves trying to get him to shut up because they knew he was in the area and would overhear them. Back then, he was a wild cannon and would go on a murder spree for days.

  Ahh, good times. Demon Rey exclaimed. I can't wait for you to fuck off and for me to take control again.

  Rey almost paused at that. His time would eventually come. It was about a year out, maybe a year and a few months. He couldn't be sure, but he, too, would eventually die and become a demon. He wasn't sure what would happen then. Would he have to leave all these people that he was fighting so hard to save?

  Will I have to leave Kassi…

  Even Demon Rey was silent at that. Even when he turned into a demon, he wouldn't lose his moral side altogether. That would happen over time, and that part of him would compel him to do the right thing and leave her so she could be safe from him.

  First, save the star-crossed lovers, then you can think about leaving our soul mate. Demon Rey snapped.

  As they walked through the streets, Rey noticed they were getting more and more packed with demons, not just civilian ones but also guards. They were slipping into dark alleyways nearly every five minutes to avoid them. He kept looking up at the rooftops to see if Aearbon was following them. He was, but the huge Tigerman mostly kept out of sight.

  They took a left turn and found themselves in an alleyway that ended abruptly. Beyond that was an enormous crater. Many buildings had been flattened, along with all their occupants. Noidet shivered at the sight of the carnage that Rey had wrought.

  Rey leaned in and whispered in Noidet's ear. "Want me to do that again with you at the center?"

  The demon stiffened at once. "N-No. Please, no."

  Rey smiled. "No, then why the fuck have you brought us back to the scene of the crime?"

  "Where they would be looking for us," Kassi added.

  Noidet gulped. "Now, no need to be hasty. It's just that their scent led me this way. They must've got out from this side."

  "Okay." Rey nodded. "Lead on."

  Noidet moved on, and Rey followed, but Kassi gripped his arm and pulled him back slightly and whispered in his ear.

  "Can we trust him?"

  Rey wasn't sure whether the demon was trying to trap them or hand them over to the guards. Seeing as how he had no choice but to follow him, he motioned to the demon to keep on moving. With Aearbon watching on from above, it would be harder for them to ambush them like last time.

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  "Do we have another way of finding the star-crossed lovers?" Rey countered.

  She lowered her head and shook it gently.

  "Yeah, me either. So we're stuck with him for now," he said. "But if he tries anything, he'll be the first one to go. Keep your bow hot and ready. We might need it soon enough."

  She took her bow off her shoulder. "Always, babe."

  Noidet led them through the side streets and dark alleyways. More than once, they came across guards who undoubtedly wanted to invite them to dinner, but thanks to Noidet and his knowledge of the city, they saved them. He would be foolish to trust a demon with anything. Most of all, his life, and not just his life but Kassi's too, and Aearbon's, wherever he was.

  After a few minutes, they were moving away from the crater, thankfully. He noted Kassi was a little relaxed as well. He was, too. It wasn't like they were totally safe, but they were safer than being at the crime scene.

  Soon, Rey found himself in a part of the city with many ruined buildings, as if this whole district was being demolished to be remade anew. This part of town was practically empty. Demons were lingering about, but they were few and far between. Most of them were nothing but junkies. They were so high they might've thought this was a dream sequence.

  Aearbon must've noticed that as well, as he stopped following from the rooftops and jumped down. It must've been a skill because he landed so deftly that he hardly raised any sound at all. If it weren't for the fact that he was on his side, Rey would've had to invest in new pants, like the Sniffer.

  A few twists and turns later, Noidet stopped and pointed to the broken building in front of them. "They're in there."

  "Are you sure?" Rey asked. "Because if you're not, I'll let my tiger friend rip your head off and stick it in your asshole."

  He gulped. "Yes, I'm sure."

  "Okay, then, you first." Rey flourished a hand.

  Noidet moved for the door, waited a moment, opened it, and was immediately blasted by a column of flames. His hair went up in flames, and he ran around like a chicken whose head had been lit. Rey couldn't help but laugh along with Kassi. Only Aearbon kept his composure.

  Noidet eventually put out the flames and drew heavy breaths, staring at the open door, where Ajay was coming out with a flaming sword.

  His sword fizzled out when he noticed them. "Rey?"

  "In the flesh. Scars included, sanity optional."

  Ajay sighed in relief. "Oh, thank god."

  He rushed forward and embraced Rey. He thought he was laughing, but he finally noticed that Ajay was crying. Rey's jovial mood evaporated.

  He pushed his friend back and held him at arm's length. "Filomena?"

  He wiped his tears and nodded. "She's not good."

  Rey patted his shoulders. "That's why we brought a shit ton of Healing potions."

  Ajay took them inside, and the room was empty save for the lone occupant. There was a smell of rot that Rey knew all too well. Kassi rushed to Filomena's side, who was sitting in the corner. Her head was lulled to the side. She looked half asleep, but she might as well be unconscious.

  "Where is the wound?" Kassi asked Ajay.

  "It's under her…" He looked at Rey and Aearbon.

  "About turn, fellas," Rey called. "That includes you, too, demon."

  He had tried to run, but Aearbon had put an end to those plans by putting his beefy hand on his shoulder. He turned him around, and he didn't dare even take a peek. Ajay and Kassi worked on Filomena, and from the sounds of Kassi's gasps, it didn't look like things were all too well.

  After several minutes, Kassi said, "You can turn around."

  Filomena looked much better. Color had returned to her cheeks, and not just that, she was even breathing normally—no more wheezing sound. Even the smell of her infectious wounds was lessening by the minute.

  "What happened?" Rey asked Ajay.

  "We got separated during the fighting, I guess. One moment, I was fighting beside Kassandra, and the next, I was all by myself and surrounded by demons. Then I heard Filomena cry out, and I dashed towards her, burning down anything in my path. I barely made it to her in time." He shook his head lightly. "I almost lost her. If I had gotten to her even a second too late, she would've been…They were biting into her like she was a piece of meat. I picked her up and ran. It took me some time to lose them, and I found myself in this part of town. I gave her nearly all of the Healing potion, but I needed some healing myself. Now, I think I should've given her the whole thing. It's all my fault. I should've kept an eye on her."

  Rey shook his head. "No, if it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I got too cocky and thought we could take on anyone."

  "We have to do better next time," Kassi said.

  "Next time?" Ajay snapped. "We should get the hell out of this city once Filomena wakes up."

  Kassi shared a glance with Rey. "Ajay, I know you're scared, and we faced a setback, but there is no other option for us but to continue on this path. We have to get to the D-Tier by the end of the year, or we're stuck here."

  "And why is that so bad?" He snapped. "Aearbon's been here for over a year, and he seems fine. We're condemned to Hell, so why does it matter that we're in Purgatory or the actual Hell?"

  That silenced everyone. Rey could see his point of view. He didn't need to reach the D-Tier. They could leave the city and stay in the countryside and live out the rest of their lives in Purgatory. There really was no reason for them to push for the D-Tier, save for the fact that if he stayed here, he would never be able to get his revenge. He didn't know how to reply to his friend.

  "Because Zalathar will kill the ones you love most," Aearbon spoke up for the first time since they entered the house. All heads turned towards him. "That's how he punished us. I wasn't the Darsahn of my group. It was my older brother, Naluahn. At the end of the first year, Zalathar returned, killed half of us, and made the rest of us watch."

  Ajay didn't know how to react to that. As a matter of fact, neither did Rey. The choice was made for him; he needed to get everyone to the D-Tier.

  Noidet flinched at Zalathar's name. The Sniffer looked on the verge of taking the shit that had been pounding on his asshole ever since they started on this journey. It was pretty funny. Rey somehow held his laughter in check. Then the demon sniffed loudly, almost exactly like a dog.

  Aearbon must've sensed it too, as his head snapped to the door, right before there was a loud gong that echoed throughout the wrecked neighborhood.

  "You'd better get out of here, right now. Your end is here."

  Rey peeked out through the hole in the door, and his eyes widened. "That's not good."

  "Who's out there?" Kassi asked.

  "Looks like all the guards we didn't kill last time."