Three Demons

"I DON'T CARE WHY YOU CAN NOW CONTROL YOUR DEMON POWERS, IF YOU BEAT ME HERE, MOTHER WILL KILL ME! I NEED HER TO BE PROUD!" August roars. I can sense the desperation in his voice. "I need to show her that there's a reason I'm alive…"

"You won't get that chance, August, not against me!" I reply as I spin in a circle, observing August's clones. "BECAUSE THERE'S A FRIEND THAT I CAN'T LET BE ALONE, EVER AGAIN!"

Winter then touches her palm to the ground, and behind August's clones, Winter forms another circle, this one of her Crystal Turrets.

"FLESH CLONES: CURSED DEATH ZONE!"

"Cryokinesis: Crystal Turrets…"

I watch as all around me, dozens of blasts of Red Cursed Power and jagged shards of ice are sent flying my way. I clutch my katana tightly between two hands as I bring it up, shrouding my katana in a tornado of wind and flooding my Cursed into its blade, preparing a Sky God's Katana.

"Extend-o-Blade…" I begin to say. "SKY GOD'S KATANA!"

I then spin in a circle as I slash my katana outwards while extending my Sky God's Katana blade with my Extend-o-Blade and maneuvering ym katana through the air via its cloth, slicing straight through August's Flesh Clones and Winter's Crystal Turrets, as well as August and Winter themselves in a giant explosion of dark blue Cursed Power and wind which echoes across the entire arena. When the multiple explosions subside, August and Winter are lying on their backs in pools of blood, slash wounds littering their entire bodies.

Defeated.

I drop to the ground on one knee, clutching my wounds and gasping for breath. Using my katana like a cane, I hobble over to August and Winter, and kneel down beside them. Both are unconscious.

"I hope you didn't forget my promise," I say to Winter. Winter is silent, of course. Usually it's because of her ice-cold attitude, but this time it's just because she's out cold. Too many ice puns.

I reach down and pull off Winter's light blue scarf and sailor's hat.

"Woah…you're actually pretty cute!" I marvel at Winter.

"And the winner is…Luis Tramontana," the Chairman sighs in defeat, causing my friends to cheer and go wild. "Or should I say…Slayer Fūjin."

"I knew he'd win!" Jamie exclaims.

"Luis' new abilities are so cool!" Ella swoons.

"Yeah, but I still won't lose to him!" Grover cries.

"Looks like Luis is "Slayer Fūjin" again," Austin smirks.

"Now, meet me in my office," the Chairman orders as he turns and struts out of the arena, as August and Winter are carried off in stretchers by a team of Medical Slayers. Huh, I wonder if that's what Ella will be doing. "It's time to discuss the details of the Pyromaniac Mission."

***

Yaaawwwnn. A man wakes up bright and early at six am with a yawn. The man could have set an alarm to wake up, but doesn't need to. The man can wake up at any time he desires to due to pure instinct alone. The man then carries out his usual morning routine. Showering, brushing his teeth, getting dressed. And soon after getting up, the man is ready to go. He leaves his house, but not before sliding on his black eyepatch or tucking his bamboo kendo sword into his belt at the waist.

After leaving his dark, dingy apartment, the man makes his way to a nearby church, a church of Demonology, and one of the many churches of the "Cards of the King."

After walking through the black iron spiked gate of the church's front yard, the man finds himself gazing at the ornate brick structure that looms before him. The church is a small church. Small yet effective. It's hard to construct big churches when this religious cult is constantly on the move, to avoid detection from Pro Slayers. The church has beautiful glass plain windows depicting various religious images (though due to the demon supporting nature for a church, the glass plains depict sacrilegious images, in actuality).

After staring at the church for a while, the man takes out a large old fashioned key and sticks it into the keyhole of the lock on the church's door, entering the church. The man then begins phase two of his morning routine, cleaning the church in its entirety. The man sweeps the floors, mops the ground, and dusts off shelves and religious artifacts. Not that anyone asked the man to clean the church, nor is it his duty, the man is simply cleaning to show respect for the building and whatever religious being was tied to said building, whether it be holy or unholy.

After cleaning up for a while, the man then kneels down and begins to pray at the shrine that lies at the front of the church. Underneath the shrine, are four statues depicting four powerful demons; The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

But the man's prayers are interrupted when another man enters the Church, the leader of this religious cult; King, of the cards of the King.

"Ah, Ace, you're here even earlier than usual!" King happily booms.

"Yes, I had to be, for our important meeting," Ace replies.

"Ah, what else did I expect?" King chuckles. "You're always waking up early no matter the day or the event. You spend hours cleaning the church, Ace, thank you. You truly are the only man fitting the title of 'ace'."

"Thank you, my King, Anything for you," is all that Ace says in response.

The King steps into the church, and the Queen follows after him. The three make their way to the meeting hall, where the rest of the cult's main members enter soon after, Clover, Diamond, Spade, and Heart. Everyone except for Joker.

Once in the meeting wall, King sits down at the head of a long white table, with Queen to his right and an empty seat to his left, for Joker. Clover sits down next to Queen and Diamond next to him, as Heart sits down next to the empty chair beside King and Spade beside her. Finally, Ace takes his seat at the head of the table opposite King. The empty seat is saved for Joker, wherever they decide to actually show up.

The meeting hall was a pure white room with a long white table on top of black legs, and white painted wooden chairs, also with black legs. King's chair however, is different. King sits in a comfortable red, purple, and golden throne with various ornate cloths covering the seat.

The room sits in silence for a while. The members of the Cards of the King know not to rush King or interrupt him, so they keep their mouths shut. Though most of the members aren't much of talkers anyway. But then, finally and suddenly, King begins his speech.

"Good morning, my subjects, I'm pleased to see that you all made it here today!" King booms as he plays his arms out to his sides, from his place on top of his royal throne at the head of the meeting table. King's mighty voice echoes across the entire room. "Asides from Joker, that is!" King then laughs.

"Good morning, my King," each and every last member of the Cards of the King replies in unison.

 "It is soon time for our plans to commence, my subjects!" King continues. "Hell on earth draws nigh."

"Does that mean we've discovered the location of the Almighty Torch?!" Clover exclaims as he jumps out of his seat.

"Or the wielder of the Flames of Destruction?!" Diamond cries as she slams both fists on the table.

"Or a half demon strong enough to lift the Almighty Torch?" Spade asks as he glares at King.

Heart yawns.

King laughs. "Yes, yes, and yes, yes to all of your questions!" King answers as he waves his hand at his subjects.

"As stated by the word's of our God, the first ever half demon, if the portal to Hell -between Earth and the Demon Realm- ever needed to be opened…it can be done so when a powerful enough man born of both human and demon blood, lifts the Almighty Torch lit ablaze by the Black Hell-Flames of Destruction," King explains. "And thus, the Gates of Hell will open, unleashing hordes of demons, the likes of which the world can only dream of, as well as the famed Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who -as stated by the first ever half demon as well- will bring great change to the world, reverting our Earth back into its original demon-controlled state. And bringing the Nine Circles of Hell, the rulers of Hell, to rule Earth. And thus, from the ashes, as the ones to help them and bring them forth into Earth, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the Nine Circles of Hell will spare only the lives of humans who serve under me and pledge their hearts and bodies to the Cards of the King."