Palace of Flame

  Papers and half-open books were scattered across the main hall. Sarah was constantly reading, groaning at their incomplete information, and throwing them away like crumpled trash. The Flame Lord sat alongside her, cursing every volume with missing words.

  On the other side of the room, Fojima leaned against the wall, his face filled with agonizing pain. His arms were crossed, his palms gripping his own wrists. A single thought raced through his mind: What if we are not successful?

  Flame Lord: Hey! Foji! You can't just stand there like the world has already ended! And most importantly, you aren't the only one trying to save it. We all are. Now come on—help us gather the pieces for the ritual.

  He threw a thick book at Fojima's face. Fojima caught it mid-air.

  Fojima: Fine... But what if—

  His words were cut short as Sarah turned her head to look at him. Her gaze was fierce, her voice steady.

  Sarah:Dear. There is no what if. We will be successful. No other words.

  Flame Lord: Learn from this half-dead hybrid. She's got more guts than you've had in your entire life.

  Fojima turned another page as if ignoring him. Then, he glanced up at them both. "I found where we need to perform the ritual."

  Sarah and the Flame Lord both looked at him with widened eyes. Sarah scrambled forward as if a hidden secret had been revealed to her. She took the book from Fojima and read it like a hungry beast finally feasting on the most delicious food in the world.

  Flame Lord: You're kidding me... There's no way that book had it...

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Sarah: It... it actually has the place... Flame Lord?

  Flame Lord: What? Do I have to explode myself for the summoning or something?

  "Do we have a Floor Zero in Hell?"

  All the color seemed to drain from his face at the mention of it.

  Flame Lord: We... we do... But why do you ask?

  Sarah: It is said the summoning takes place in the Tower of Blood. Which is... located in Floor Zero.

  Flame Lord: Makes sense... The floor where nothing exists within its own laws... The place where the ancient creatures of Hell lie in eternal sleep...

  Fojima: Good to know. We're dead from the beginning.

  Sarah: Foji! Stop being so damn pessimistic!

  Flame Lord: He's... being realistic, Sarah. That floor is doom on a different level.

  Then, as if resolve suddenly took hold of them all, the Flame Lord continued.

  Flame Lord:But who are we to stop right at the entrance, huh? Let's find the other pieces and the summoning words!

  A grin spread across Fojima's face.

  Fojima: Yeah... Let's doom ourselves. In a good way.

  Sarah simply smiled, her eyes shining with a newfound determination. She rushed toward the stacks of unread books, handing a few to Fojima and the Flame Lord, and burying herself in the rest.

  ---

  Floor Zero

  Palace of Slaughter

  Sarah: F-Flame Lord?... Do we have to pass this place?...

  The Palace of Slaughter was built from grandidierite, corrupted opal, and sapphire, shimmering only in the flicker of crimson fire. It was filled with thousands of corpses—skinned and hanging from the ceiling, mouths agape in agony and fear. Blood dripped from the sapphire walls and seeped from the opal ground. Eyes, gouged from all the skinned bodies, seemed to be carved into the walls themselves. Each step echoed through the empty halls. Portraits of faceless creatures were drawn across the rooftops, and every gouged eye seemed to stare at them, their pupils slowly moving to follow their path. Torn bodies and hands had clawed at the walls for escape, leaving trails of their nails etched into the stone throughout the palace.

  Flame Lord: It is the least grotesque part of Floor Zero.

  Sarah leaned closer to Fojima, her body trembling slightly. "Least... grotesque..." she murmured to herself.

  Fojima stayed silent,pulling Sarah tighter into his embrace, his whole body focused on any possible threat ahead.

  Flame Lord: This palace... was the birthplace of a legend... and a butcher... at the same time...

  Fojima: A butcher... and a legend... A prodigy who could surpass Lionye...

  Sarah sank deeper into Fojima's arms. "Surpass... Lionye!?... But... that's impossible..."

  Flame Lord: Not for a magician who is also a creator... Hannya, the Sorcerer of Slaughter. Half-Demon, Half-Miliches.

  Fojima: But... Demons and Miliches are the same...

  Flame Lord: No. Miliches are killers. Demons? They are mischievous, thrilling, sadistic.

  Sarah: So he is a monster hybrid...

  Flame Lord: And a deadly one... He inherited his father's name. Hannya, Demon of Illusions.

  Both Sarah and Fojima stayed silent. Hannya, Demon of Illusion—one of the strongest and most feared Oni in Japan, father of a new generation built upon slaughter...

  Flame Lord: We are near the end. Hope you two enjoyed looking at the birthplace of the Cult of Slaughter and its wielder. Now the hard part begins...

  Fojima whispered, "The beginning of Floor Zero..."