Back at the Hotel

  Toma walked briskly through the lobby, heading straight for the elevator.

  "I’ve eaten well," he muttered to himself.

  "But now it’s time to report to Inspector Carter!"

  Knock knock knock.

  "Come in, come in!" came Carter’s familiar voice from inside.

  Toma opened the door to find the inspector lounging on a sofa like he owned the place.

  "Inspector Carter, I have something to report!"

  "Toma, I’ve been waiting for you!" Carter grinned.

  "...Wait—seriously?"

  "It didn’t just sound like you had a good story."

  "I thought so... but I’m serious this time!"

  "I’m listening."

  "So, I met a girl today—"

  "Stop, stop, stop!" Carter suddenly held up a hand, smirking.

  "Call me Dr. Love. I’m an expert in teenage hearts."

  "What?! No, no, it’s not like that!"

  Toma waved his hands furiously, already regretting his choice of words.

  "The girl was injured by a mugger who stole her bag. I chased him, but he wasn’t just a normal thief. He moved like a pro. I lost him when he disappeared into an alley and left the bag behind. I checked it, but there was nothing suspicious. What do you think, Inspector?"

  Carter’s grin faded instantly. His eyes sharpened, and his voice dropped into something much more serious.

  "I think the thief is one of the two criminals we’ve been tracking."

  Toma’s eyes widened.

  "And the girl — she wasn’t just a bystander. She was the target, not the bag."

  Carter stood up and walked to the window, gazing out at the night-lit skyline.

  "Also… I’ve been digging into some recent reports. Alongside the spike in demon attacks, the number of missing persons in this city has skyrocketed."

  Toma stiffened.

  "Wait… are you saying—?"

  "Yes, Toma," Carter said grimly.

  "I believe those two criminals have figured out how to turn people into demons."

  Toma's eyes widened.

  "That would explain the strange demon attacks… and the missing persons reports. There’s never been a case like this before. But the girl’s wound—"

  He paused.

  "It could be an imprint. A seed of transformation."

  Toma shot to his feet.

  "Then Vira’s in danger! We have to go now!"

  "Agreed. Which way?"

  "The Fourth District. Follow me!"

  ***

  A Few Minutes Later

  They arrived at Vira’s house. Toma dashed to the door—and froze.

  "The door…" he pointed. "It’s broken."

  Carter’s voice was low but sharp.

  "Toma. What does the girl look like?"

  "Tall, slender, long brown hair, brown eyes… a scar on her right arm."

  "Got it. We split up. You search the apartment. I’ll sweep the area."

  "Understood!"

  Toma rushed inside, tearing through the rooms one by one.

  "Vira?! Vira, where are you?!"

  Nothing.

  Empty.

  Until—

  "Hey, hey, kid…"

  Toma froze.

  "Looking for me? Or maybe… looking for him?"

  Toma spun around.

  It was him.

  The robber from earlier — now fully visible, dressed in black, dark hair falling messily across his face. No doubt about it. One of the wanted men.

  And behind him…

  "Vira!" Toma shouted.

  She was lying unconscious on the floor.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "You bastard! What did you do to her?!"

  The man gave a cold smile.

  "I turned her into a demon, of course."

  Toma’s blood ran cold.

  "Well… not fully yet," the man added. "See, the imprint takes time to activate. But if I don’t trigger it before the timer runs out—"

  He tilted his head with a mock-sweet smile.

  "She dies."

  Toma clenched his fists.

  "And in case you’re wondering—there’s no way to turn her back."

  Then—

  Snap.

  The man snapped his fingers.

  Vira’s body convulsed.

  Then—

  Her skin darkened. Her eyes turned blood red. Horns burst from her skull, and a tail lashed out behind her.

  Not a monster.

  Not quite human either.

  A twisted, corrupted version of herself — her features still recognizable, but warped. Burning with something wrong.

  And then she attacked.

  "Vira… I’m sorry."

  Toma focused everything into his palm. Blue Nova exploded to life — bright, searing energy.

  He drove it straight into her chest.

  Right into her heart.

  "Tha…nk… you…" Vira whispered as her form began to dissolve.

  Toma clenched his jaw.

  “Thank you… for the ramen."

  Behind him, slow applause echoed.

  Clap.

  Clap.

  Clap.

  "Heh… I didn’t expect that," said the man in black, stepping into view.

  "You’re cold, kid. Real cold. Just like with Vira — you didn’t even hesitate."

  Toma turned to face him, fury in his eyes.

  "You really kill your little girlfriends without flinching, huh?"

  "I didn’t let Vira suffer as a demon.

  And I won’t let anyone else suffer either."

  His voice dropped.

  "Now I’m going to kill you."

  The man laughed.

  "Don’t make me laugh."

  In a blur, he lunged.

  His glowing hand shot forward — aimed at Toma’s neck. That same cursed touch that marked Vira.

  Toma blocked with a surge of Blue Nova — but the man dodged.

  He was fast.

  Too fast.

  "He's fast! I can barely keep up!" Toma thought, gritting his teeth.

  Attack after attack rained down. Toma countered — barely — until one punch broke through.

  Crack!

  He stumbled back, gasping.

  "Shit… he touched me… That’s how it starts. Vira just had a cut and—"

  His hand flew to his chest.

  Pain bloomed.

  No weapon. Just his hands…

  The man kept pressing forward, pounding him with brutal strikes.

  "I can’t let him keep this up. It’s no good… I’m blacking out. I need… a clean hit!"

  Toma dug deep.

  With a roar, he drove a hard kick straight into the man’s stomach — sending him flying.

  Without hesitation, Toma charged again.

  They clashed — hand to hand.

  Kicks. Counters. Reversals.

  But this time, Toma had the edge.

  He was faster. More focused. Cleaner.

  His training showed.

  Then—

  He surged Blue Nova into his left fist and smashed it into the man’s face.

  CRACK!

  “Hey kid… that really hurt…” the man groaned, staggering.

  Then he smiled.

  "Why are you such a jerk?"

  Suddenly, his fingernails doubled in length — sharpening into black claws.

  He slashed at Toma, hissing.

  "Those claws… that’s how he wounded Vira!"

  "Even a scratch could be fatal…"

  Toma’s hand flew to the katana on his back.

  With a shing, he drew it just in time, parrying the claws.

  The man sneered.

  "So… you figured it out. You won’t even let my claws touch your sword. Smart."

  He raised his arm.

  "They call my ability… The Demon’s Hand.

  Fitting, don’t you think?"

  Toma narrowed his eyes.

  The battle dragged on.

  Blow for blow.

  Clash after clash.

  His clothes were shredded. His arms ached. He was barely hanging on.

  "Damn it… I can’t take much more of this..."

  Then—

  A shout rang out.

  "Leave the boy alone, you bastard!!"

  Inspector Carter burst through the hallway, flames in his eyes.

  Arlen was right behind him.

  The man’s expression changed — just for a second. A flicker of panic.

  "Hey hey… What are you doing here?!

  This is bad.

  Very bad!"

  He snapped his fingers.

  "Come out, demons!"

  With a horrifying roar, demons poured from every door and window of the house.

  A flood of darkness.

  Dozens of them.

  Taking advantage of the chaos, the man bolted into the shadows.

  And vanished.

  “What happened to the girl?” Carter demanded as he stepped over the broken door.

  Toma’s voice was heavy.

  “She turned into a demon. That… thing on the floor. That was her.”

  Carter’s eyes narrowed. But before he could respond—

  “The demons are coming!” Arlen shouted.

  A chorus of snarls echoed through the building.

  “Then of course,” Carter said, cracking his knuckles, “we’ll slaughter them all!”

  He turned, grinning.

  “Katanas out, boys!”

  Toma and Arlen drew their weapons in sync.

  But Carter… didn’t.

  He rushed into the fray barehanded.

  In the middle of a slash, Toma glanced sideways. “Arlen, how did you even get here?”

  “I was on patrol nearby,” Arlen shouted back, cutting down a demon. “I ran into Carter. He said he was looking for a girl, so we searched together. When we couldn’t find her, we came here.”

  “I see… Damn, they just keep coming!” Toma growled, slicing two demons in one clean motion. “Even if I cut them down two by two, they don’t stop!”

  Suddenly, Carter’s smile widened.

  “Oh, my goodness. I suppose I have no choice.”

  A bright spark erupted around him.

  Then—

  FLASH!

  In an instant, two glowing katanas appeared in his hands.

  Blades of raw electricity, shaped like lightning itself.

  And then—

  He moved.

  No, he vanished.

  In the blink of an eye, Carter slashed through every demon in the room. One after another. Fast. Precise. Deadly.

  Within seconds, the room was still.

  Only crackling sparks remained.

  Toma stared in shock.

  “What the hell was that?!”

  “A flash that killed them all instantly!” Arlen gasped.

  Carter turned to them with a smirk.

  “Come on, boys. You’re slow!”

  Toma blinked.

  “Wait—Inspector Carter, you have an elemental weapon?!”

  “Of course!” Carter said proudly, posing like a showman.

  “Was I spectacular enough?”

  “Elemental weapons are super rare,” Arlen whispered to Toma. “Only high-ranking warriors can even wield them. That means… he’s at least vice-captain level!”

  Toma narrowed his eyes.

  “…Who are you, Inspector Carter?”

  Carter shrugged, still smiling.

  “I’m just an ordinary inspector,” he said, casually spinning his twin blades. “Electricity is my element — I can move at the speed of light.”

  Toma stared.

  “That’s seriously cool.”

  “Yeah. I know!” Carter flashed a thumbs-up.

  Arlen sighed under his breath.

  “…What an egotist.”

  Suddenly, several men in matching yellow uniforms appeared, each bearing a jagged lightning-bolt insignia.

  “Thank you. We’ll take it from here,” one of them said.

  Inspector Carter nodded.

  “The Lightning Division. They’re in charge of this district now,” he explained.

  “What are they doing here?” Arlen asked.

  “They’re responsible for cleanup. It’s their job to handle the demon corpses.”

  Toma stepped forward, his voice low.

  “Inspector Carter... Vira is dead. And her corpse is now a demon. Who’s going to inform her family?”

  “That’s their responsibility, too,” Carter said quietly. “It’s not our place anymore. But I’ll tell you this... every single demon we fought today used to be human.”

  Toma and Arlen froze.

  All around them, the street was littered with demon corpses—more than a hundred.

  All of them... had once been people.

  ***

  Later, at the hotel restaurant...

  “So this is what being a real warrior feels like…” Arlen said, staring into his meal.

  “It’s exciting… but terrifying too. People’s lives are at stake,” Toma said. “Arlen, we have to save as many as we can. We can’t back down.”

  “Yeah,” Arlen nodded. “You’re right.”

  Just then, Inspector Carter walked in, hands in his pockets.

  “Inspector!” Toma stood up. “What did you want to talk about?”

  Carter’s expression was serious.

  “I’ll get straight to the point.”

  He looked them both in the eye.

  “Toma. Arlen. You’re relieved of duty. The mission is over.”

  “WHAT?!”

  “But… why?!” Arlen protested.

  “This mission is extremely dangerous,” Carter said firmly. “There’s a man out there who can turn humans into demons. That’s never happened before. We don’t know how, or why—but that kind of power? It’s beyond anything students should face. The academy won’t allow it.”

  “You can’t just cut us off like this!” Arlen shouted. “This is our mission now! We can’t just walk away while people die!”

  “Exactly!” Toma added. “I don’t care about this ‘protect the students’ crap! I’m ready to risk my life if it means protecting others! That’s what it means to be a warrior, isn’t it?! How could I call myself one if I ran away now?!”

  He clenched his fists, eyes blazing.

  “If I’m too weak… then teach me. Make me stronger!”

  Carter was silent for a long moment. Then… he grinned.

  “Oh man… You two really aren’t ordinary students.”

  He nodded.

  “Fine. Training starts tomorrow.”

  “YES!!” Toma and Arlen shouted together.

  “Thank you, Inspector Carter!”