chapter 6 the demon word

The club pulsed with heavy bass, the dim lighting casting shadows across the lavish interior. Daki moved through the crowd, her glowing blue eyes scanning every corner. The energy of the spirit was strong, intoxicating even, and it was close—very close. She could sense its corruption, the way it tainted the air with its presence.

Meanwhile, across the room, Woo Joon sat at the bar, watching everything unfold. He wasn't here for pleasure—he was on a mission. As a police officer, his job was to track down a drug operation running through the club. But as his sharp eyes followed Daki, he felt something off about her. She wasn't just another beautiful woman looking for a good time. She moved differently, as if she had an entirely separate purpose from everyone else.

Before he could investigate further, a drunken man made his way toward Daki.

The man reeked of alcohol and bad intentions. Without hesitation, he reached out, gripping her waist with a smirk.

Daki didn't flinch. She didn't react at all.

But her expression… changed.

Her once-calm face twisted into something terrifying—her eyes darkened, her pupils shrinking into something inhuman. The drunken man suddenly felt uneasy, as if he had touched something he wasn't supposed to.

Yet, his arrogance overpowered his instincts. "Come with me," he slurred.

Daki said nothing. She simply followed him.

Woo Joon, who had been watching from the bar, narrowed his eyes. That woman… there was something about her that made the hairs on his arms stand. Her aura didn't feel normal. When he saw her being led toward the VIP section, he made his move. Adjusting his disguise—a simple black cap and a leather jacket to blend in—he followed them, slipping past security with ease.

Inside the VIP room, the atmosphere was different. The air was thick with the scent of alcohol and something more sinister—cocaine lined the tables, expensive champagne bottles popped open as laughter and lust filled the air.

And in the farthest corner of the room sat the target of Daki's hunt.

The spirit.

Disguised as a human, the spirit lounged on a velvet couch, his arm draped over two women. He was grinning, his pupils dilated from the drugs, enjoying the pleasures of the mortal world. To anyone else, he looked like just another rich man indulging in vice. But Daki saw past his false flesh—she saw the darkness leaking from his form, the corrupted soul hiding beneath his human disguise.

The man who had brought Daki inside grinned, leaning in as he pressed his lips toward hers.

Big mistake.

Before his mouth could reach hers, Daki's hand shot up, gripping his jaw with monstrous strength. His smirk vanished, replaced by a muffled gasp of shock.

Then—

Crack!

With a single squeeze, Daki crushed his mouth, his teeth shattering between her fingers.

The man's eyes widened in horror as blood poured from his ruined face. He stumbled back, clutching at his mouth as he let out a muffled, agonized scream. Panic spread through the room. The women shrieked, the men backed away, and within seconds, people began fleeing toward the exit.

Even the spirit tensed at the sudden burst of violence. He had seen plenty of horrors in his existence, but something about this woman sent a chill down his spine.

Woo Joon, still standing near the entrance, tensed. He had seen fights before—plenty of brutal ones—but this was different. The way she moved, the sheer force she had used… What the hell was she?

The spirit, sensing danger, rose from his seat, attempting to blend into the crowd and slip out unnoticed.

But then—

"Pawlja."

A single word, spoken in a language only demons understood.

The spirit's body froze in place. His human disguise flickered, then melted away. His true form began to emerge—his skin darkened, his fingers lengthened into claws, his eyes burned with an eerie red glow. His mouth twisted into a snarl, revealing jagged teeth.

Everyone else had already fled. Only Daki and Woo Joon remained.

Woo Joon instinctively reached for his concealed gun, his instincts screaming at him to act. But what he saw next made him hesitate.

The demon let out a roar and lunged at Daki, claws slashing through the air.

Daki didn't move.

At the last second, her hand shot up and wrapped around his throat.

The demon's attack stopped mid-air. Its body jerked, its claws inches from Daki's face. But it couldn't move.

She lifted it effortlessly, holding it above the ground with just one hand.

The demon thrashed, its monstrous body twisting in her grasp, but Daki's grip was absolute. Cold blue flames flickered in her eyes as she reached into her coat and pulled out the object given to her in Hell—the *Dafi*.

A glowing, red orb.

She brought it close, her lips curling into a smirk. "Go back to Hell."

The orb pulsed with energy, and suddenly, a powerful force sucked the demon toward it.

The spirit let out a deafening screech as it fought against the pull, its body distorting as its very essence was torn from the human shell it had been inhabiting. The human host, now nothing but a lifeless husk, shriveled and collapsed onto the floor, his body reduced to a thin, dried-out corpse.

The last thing the demon saw was Daki's cold, merciless expression before it was completely absorbed into the *Dafi*.

The room fell silent.

Daki exhaled slowly, letting the power settle within the orb before tucking it away.

She turned to leave—only to find Woo Joon standing there, watching her.

Unlike before, his usual smirk was gone. His expression was unreadable, his gaze sharp and calculating.

Daki tilted her head. "You're still here?"

Woo Joon didn't respond immediately. His fingers were still hovering near his gun, his mind racing.

Who was she?

And what the hell had he just witnessed?