Succumania

"Phew~" A single, satisfied sigh slipped from the succubus's lips as she lounged on a lavish divan tucked deep within the library. The scent of old parchment and candle wax filled the dimly lit space, mingling with something far more sinister—the lingering scent of her latest feast. After a long night touring the neon-lit streets of Tokyo, she'd finally sated her hunger, leaving a trail of lifeless bodies in her wake. 

"I might've eaten too much," she murmured to herself, stretching lazily, arms crossed behind her head. "Getting those artifacts for the old hag is so annoying…"

Not far from her, in the adjacent room, muffled moans and shuddering gasps filled the air—sounds of pleasure twisted into cries of fear. Nemea was still feeding, drawing out the inevitable as she "pampered" her prey, teasing and tormenting him until his body gave out. When the final breath left his lips, she exhaled in quiet satisfaction and unceremoniously dragged the drained corpse into another room to dispose of it.

Leaning against the doorframe, she flicked a stray lock of hair from her face, surveying the dimly lit space they had claimed as their temporary lair.

"Maybe it's time to move on," Nemea mused, her sharp gaze scanning the library's candlelit walls. They lacked the luxury of their grandmother's manticore to handle the aftermath, and with each passing night, the risk of exposure grew. Whispers and rumors had already begun to spread, and it was only a matter of time before the humans caught wind of their presence.

Nemea sighed, glancing back at her lounging companion. "We'll need to be careful. The last thing we need is another one of those priests coming after us."

Myusca yawned, completely unfazed. "We'll just eat him next time. Don't worry. Besides, Grandma's here now."

A small succubus, her legs swinging idly beneath the table, let out an exasperated sigh as she flipped through an ancient tome. "Nemea is right. If you keep being so careless, we'll have to move again."

Myusca pouted. "Ugh, not this again." Then her expression brightened mischievously. "Can't you just make another manticore? Since we lost the last one…"

"I still need some time."

Nemea flashed a smile at the little succubus, Vinum. "Should we stop then?"

"What?" Myusca sat up, looking genuinely offended. "But I'm still hungry~"

"I thought you said you ate too much," Vinum sighed.

"Well, appetites come and go, right?" Myusca grinned, stretching lazily.

Nemea chuckled. "You're insatiable."

Myusca licked her lips with a dreamy sigh. "Ahh… I want that priest…" She drooled at the thought, her tail flicking in anticipation.

Vinum, still poring over her book, let out a quiet sigh. "Gluttony will be the end of us if you're not careful. If the rumors keep spreading, we won't just have priests to worry about."

Myusca raised an eyebrow with a carefree expression. "Don't tell me you are scared of humans, grandma."

Vinum's gaze darkened as she shut her book with a quiet thud. "This isn't our world. There are plenty of people here capable of killing us. If we're not careful, we'll be the ones hunted."

"Like that detective you mentioned?" Myusca's eyes gleamed with curiosity as she leaned forward. "Is he cute? If you catch him, can I have a taste?"

Nemea tilted her head, intrigued. "I'd like to know more as well."

Vinum reopened her book, skimming the pages with feigned disinterest. "He's dangerous. If you're not careful, he'll kill you both."

"Aww~ You're such a worrywart, Grandma," Myusca whined, flopping dramatically onto the divan.

Nemea, however, wasn't so quick to dismiss it. She studied Vinum carefully, her crimson eyes glinting. "If even Grandma thinks he's a threat, then he's not just an ordinary human, is he?"

"He killed many of our kind before. He knows how to deal with us," she turned another page, the paper caressing her fingers. Then she added, almost as an afterthought, "And he cannot be eaten."

"Eh?!" Myusca rose from the divan, her feet touching the ground. "No way!"

"Eh?!" Myusca bolted upright, her bare feet hitting the wooden floor. "No way!"

Nemea's smirk faded slightly. "Explain."

Vinum tapped a page with her nail, her voice eerily calm. "He's been cursed. Or blessed, depending on how you look at it. You can't drain his energy as it belongs to someone else. And even if you could, I bet it would give you no nourishment. Like biting into ash."

Myusca wrinkled her nose. "Gross. I don't get why you're so interested in him then."

"I never said I was," Vinum sighed. "I'm just talking about him to remind you why you should lay low."

As soon as she said those words, an insistent knock on the front door, made the three succubi turn their head in unison.

"A visitor?" Myusca's eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh, I hope it's not that old hag fox again."

"That fox won't come back," Vinum said flatly. "She told you last time you'd retrieved enough artifacts, didn't she?"

"Then I hope it's a lost policeman~" Myusca licked her lips before strutting toward the door, her tail swaying behind her.

The knocking came again—louder this time.

Nemea exchanged a glance with Vinum. Something was off.

"Wait, Myusca—!" Nemea called out but it was too late. 

The door exploded inward, slamming into Myusca with crushing force and sending her stumbling back. Dust and splinters filled the air as the figure stepped through the wreckage, boots crunching against the shattered wood.

A woman.

Clad in a leather jacket, dark sunglasses concealing her eyes. Wings stretched from her back, a tail flicking sharply behind her.

Myusca groaned, rubbing her side. Then she narrowed her eyes.

"A… succubus?"

The woman barely spared her a glance. She raised a hand, flashing a badge in the form of a cross. Engraved in bold letters was a single word:

"SUCCUPOLICE."

"Hmph! That's a rude way to enter a room!" Myusca huffed, crossing her arms, completely unfazed by the door that had nearly flattened her. "What do you want?"

The succubus's expression remained neutral as she pulled out a pair of handcuffs and a paper marked with bold, authoritative script.

"You are under suspicion of plotting mass murder on succubus kind. Stay silent or I shall use force."

Myusca blinked, tilting her head in confusion. "Huh?"

She turned toward Vinum, pouting. "Grandma~ What is this girl even talking about?"

Vinum, however, didn't immediately answer. Her fingers lingered on the closed book in front of her, her expression unreadable.

Nemea, on the other hand, scoffed, folding her arms. "That's a hell of an accusation. Do we look like the kind to kill our own? Also, I've never heard of such an organization as Succupolice."

The officer pulled out a crayon and began writing on a sheet of paper before holding it out for everyone's eyes to see. "A high authority among succubi sent me. Do not resist, I will only proceed to some interrogations."

Myusca burst into laughter. "Pfft— That's ridiculous! Are you talking through text? And why would we kill succubi?"

The officer remained unshaken and she took a step forward.

Vinum finally let out a quiet sigh, her fingers tracing the book's cover. "And what if we refuse?"

The officer's hand tightened around the cuffs. She then pulled out from her jacket an already prepared paper.

"Then I'll have to subdue you."

The moment the officer revealed the paper, she moved with breathtaking speed. In the blink of an eye, she was already inches from Vinum, her cuffs aimed directly for the elder succubus's wrists. But just as they should have snapped shut, she felt a cold, unyielding grip seize her collar. Before she could even react, her body was hurled through the air, crashing into bookshelf after bookshelf, splintering wood with every impact until she finally crumpled to the floor, surrounded by debris.

"Don't be so hasty~" Myusca chuckled as she materialized a bow with her magic and nocked an arrow. "Did you really think we would let you handcuff Grandma this easily?"

The officer groaned, slowly pushing herself off the rubble. Her eyes narrowed in frustration, but she didn't show any sign of fear. She reached for something at her belt.

Nemea, who had been observing with mild amusement, smirked. "Guess she's not as quick as she thinks. What's the plan, Grandma?"

Vinum turned to face them, the calmness never leaving her eyes. "Do as you want, she doesn't interest me."

Nemea exchanged a glance with Vinum, uncertainty flashing briefly in her eyes. On the other hand, Myusca giggled, the bow ready in her hands. "If you make a move, I'll shoot you down!"

The officer, now standing, wiped dust from her jacket. Then, she quickly drew a gun from her belt and aimed it at Myusca. The firearm was unconventional, its barrel larger than a normal handgun and a certain pink light could be seen through it.

Vinum's eyes narrowed just slightly, sensing the unusual power emanating from the weapon. Myusca's grin faltered for a moment, though she didn't lower her bow.

"Careful," Nemea warned, her posture shifting, as if ready to intervene if necessary. "What is that?"

"Myusca," Vinum said, her voice unhurried, but the warning was clear in her tone. "If you don't want to end up hungry, don't get hit by that."

Myusca giggled in response, undeterred. "Okay~!" she chimed, before loosing an arrow at the officer. The shot was precise, a blur of motion, but the officer moved with the same speed, rolling sideways to evade the attack.

Without missing a beat, the officer fired multiple pink-hued rounds from her weapon. The bullets whizzed through the air, their trajectory perfect, but Myusca was too quick. She danced backward, narrowly avoiding the bullets, which instead tore through the wooden shelves with violent force, splintering them into shards.

Vinum, meanwhile, remained silent, her gaze never leaving the officer, calculating, waiting for the right moment to act. She looked at the different artifacts scattered around and began to walk toward a certain shelf on the other side of the room. 

Nemea, seeing an opening, didn't hesitate. She rushed toward Myusca, her body crackling with energy. She extended her hand and summoned a bolt of lightning, hurling it toward the officer with blinding speed.

The officer, sensing the attack, sidestepped just in time, the lightning singing past her. In retaliation, she quickly leveled the gun again, firing another barrage of pink energy blasts. 

One of the blasts struck Nemea directly on her leg. The impact made her wince, a sharp sting of force coursing through her body—but then… nothing. The pain dissipated immediately, and instead, a strange mark appeared on her leg, a persistent symbol that refused to be scraped off or erased.

Then, Nemea felt it—an unsettling sensation. The familiar feeling of energy draining from her, the flow of power she had been siphoning from her victims was now leaking, pouring out of her body, like a hose that had been ruptured.

Her eyes widened as the realization hit her—this weapon was somehow pulling the energy from her.

"That's not good…" Nemea muttered, feeling weaker with each passing second, her body sluggish. She struggled to stay on her feet as the energy continued to drain away.

Vinum, now fully aware of the consequences of the officer's weapon, turned her attention to the fight for a moment. She cast a quick glance at Nemea, whose struggles were becoming more apparent. But instead of rushing to help, Vinum's fingers continued to trail over the books on the shelf, unfazed by the unfolding battle.

When suddenly, her finger stopped at a certain red book emanating malevolent energy, a book that would make anyone dizzy just by holding it. 

She picked it up with a soft sigh and tucked it away, her attention never fully leaving the scene before her. The fight could wait; this was more important.

And, as the fight dragged on, the sound of rushing footsteps cut through the tension. Myusca, her attention momentarily pulled from the skirmish, flashed a bright, playful grin toward the entrance of the library.

"Oh! Mister priest! You're back for me?!" she cooed, her eyes glinting with excitement as she licked her lips. "This time, I will be the one to make you dance!"

Ntwali entered the room with a confident swagger, though there was a noticeable weariness in his step. His sleeves were rolled up, and his eyes glinted with defiance as he locked his gaze on Myusca.

"Do not get ahead of yourself, demon!" he retorted with a smirk, though his bravado couldn't hide the pain that lingered from Nemea's lightning strike. The wound was still fresh, not yet healed fully, but there was little time for recovery. He had come to aid the officer, having rushed to her side without fully understanding the reason for her sudden departure.

Beside him, Saki stepped forward, her brow furrowed with worry. She pointed a finger at the succubi with a defiant stance, her voice firm, though a hint of uncertainty lurked beneath her words.

"You will stop killing people now!"

"Oh?" Vinum raised an eyebrow upon seeing the green-eyed succubus. "Now that's a surprise. I was wondering where you were all this time."

Saki turned her head to see the little succubus.."Vinum?" she blinked before taking a step back. "Wait… Shouldn't you be at Luka's place?"

Before Saki could process the situation further, Myusca loosed another volley of arrows—each narrowly missing her target by mere inches. Meanwhile, the pulse of Ntwali's heart began to pick up a rhythm, creating an unspoken tempo that resonated in the room, reverberating through the walls.

The priest, ever watchful, studied the battlefield. His gaze then landed on the large-breasted succubus, who was visibly struggling, her breathing shallow as she gripped the edge of a nearby table for support.

"Looks like your sister over here isn't feeling too good," Ntwali commented with a sly grin, his hands clapping in rhythm as his heartbeat quickened, fueling the tempo.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

The sound of his heart began to resonate, filling the room with an eerie pulse. It was as if the very air around them was bending to his rhythm, forcing everyone to keep up with it. 

"Okay, this time I got it!" Myusca giggled with a defiant grin. She quickly adjusted herself to the tempo, otherwise she knew that it would create an unbalance in her movements.

But, in the midst of this battle, the officer wasn't done yet. The silence that followed Ntwali's musical heartbeat was shattered by the sharp, cold movement of the officer. Her eyes locked onto Vinum with calculated precision. She knew exactly who the true threat was. As the others were distracted by Myusca's playful antics and Ntwali's rhythm, the officer moved quickly, her eyes narrowing into sharp slits as she advanced on Vinum.

She had learned that the best way to incapacitate a target was to strike without warning. With a quick and fluid motion, she unsheathed another weapon, a sleek baton that crackled with ominous energy. With barely a thought, she closed the distance, bringing the baton down in a precise arc aimed at Vinum's neck.

"Not bad instincts, succubus," Vinum(?) smirked. Without even moving, the officer missed, as if the ground beneath her shifted just as she was about to strike. 

The officer's eyes widened with surprise, but she immediately retracted the baton, ready to strike again. 

"You're very diligent about your work, I admit it," the little succubus(?) smirked again before taking a step back, avoiding with ease the strike. "But I have other things to do," she said before stepping away, leaving the officer confused.

Saki, who was standing a few meters away watched the exchange. 

An oppressive feeling in her chest settled as she watched Vinum's movements.

Why is it so hard to move? Saki thought to herself, her body feeling as though it were bound by invisible chains, her every instinct urging her to react, but unable to. She tried to shake the feeling, but the tension seemed to coil tighter around her, making every muscle ache as she struggled to focus. 

In the background, Ntwali surged forward, his body moving with the practiced speed of a seasoned fighter. His fists collided with Myusca, whose body had fully synced with the tempo of Ntwali's heartbeat. The clash of their energies sent a ripple through the air, making the ground tremble beneath them, but neither of them backed down.

The battle raged on, each combatant locked in their own rhythm, their movements calculated and relentless. But Saki's growing unease persisted, and Vinum's ever-present, effortless grace only seemed to magnify it, as if she were the only one able to control the ebb and flow of the fight. The room felt smaller with every passing moment, the tension thickening, making it harder for Saki to breathe, harder for her to understand why she couldn't act.

Why was it that Vinum gave her chills down her spine? 

Was it truly Vinum?

With gritted teeth, she kicked the ground and pursued the little succubus. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned wind blades, each one deadlier than the last. Vinum, however, turned around just in time, her eyes cold and calculating. She moved with the precision of a dancer, dodging each blade with fluid steps, her body a blur of motion. There was no wasted effort in her movements, just a cool detachment that left Saki feeling increasingly unsettled.

Saki's breath caught in her throat. What was this? The feeling that something was wrong with Vinum only intensified as she saw the succubus's smirk twist into something darker, more sinister.

And then, the smoke began.

It coiled around Vinum like a living entity, curling up from her feet and spreading outward, filling the entire library with a suffocating fog. Saki's vision blurred as the smoke thickened, choking the air around her, making it nearly impossible to see or breathe. The once-clear room had transformed into a nightmarish haze.

"What is going on?" Ntwali's voice rang out, strained and confused, his fists still raised as he stumbled, unable to see through the dense smoke that clouded his vision.

"Hey! Grandma, what are you doing—?" Myusca added.

"I wanted to gain more time, but all these artifacts should be more than enough." A distorted, foreign voice reverberated through the smoke, its tone smooth and mocking. Saki's eyes darted around and she saw the different trinkets moving in the air, all gathering toward the spot where Vinum was standing.

Then, she heard it—a sound that sent a chill down her spine. A sound she had heard at the precipice of despair so many times. The flap of a coat, a large trenchcoat, the kind worn by someone too familiar to her.

And then his all too memorable chuckle. Detached and smooth, like all of that was just a normal day.

"Also, tell the good ol' Niño I'm sorry for the casino bit. I really thought they would give him a not-so-scary death."

Saki's heart stopped in her chest. Her skin turned cold, and the room seemed to tilt beneath her feet. She knew that voice.

No… not here.

Her eyes widened, her face draining of color. It can't be him.

But there, through the swirling fog, she saw a silhouette. Tall, dark, and unyielding, it was a figure she'd never forget. A man wearing a wide-brimmed flat hat, his hands casually tucked into the pockets of his coat, the hem of his trenchcoat swaying around his calves like some dark shadow.

How could he be here?

A part of her wanted to run, wanted to scream. But she was paralyzed, standing frozen in place, watching the figure step through the smoke like a ghost from a nightmare, his presence a definite omen…

That nothing would ever be the same again.

Casually, as the smoke dissipated, his hands reached into his inner pocket. From it, he pulled out an eerie-looking gun, a small mana stone shining brightly in its middle.

Saki narrowed her eyes at the stone, her throat tightening. "Magic… piercer…"

"Grandma? Where are you?" Myusca's voice broke through the silence, her tone tinged with confusion as she looked around, eyes widening as they landed on the man standing beside Nemea.

Nemea…

Saki's eyes shot to the succubus, kneeling on the ground, her once-fiery energy completely drained. She was barely able to lift her head, her breath shallow and labored. It was clear that the officer's earlier shot had left her drained. She looked like she was on the verge of collapsing, struggling to stay conscious.

"Ah… Seriously. Making a succubus so hungry is kind of horrible, don't ya think?" the man in a hat said with a low chuckle, the barrel of his gun aimed at the succubus's head. "Once old yeller goes rabid, the only way is to put it down. Isn't that how the story goes?"

Bang

It was done in an instant. The gunshot rang out like a thunderclap, turning everyone's eyes toward him. The sound of the shot reverberated in Saki's skull as the succubus's body jerked violently, the spray of blood and brain matter painting the floor. 

"Huh?" Myusca blinked, her eyes lowering to her roommate lying dead on the floor, not understanding what just happened. "No way a gun does that—"

Before she could finish, the man's gun was aimed higher, its barrel now pointed directly at her.

"By the way, thanks for getting me all these artifacts," the man finally said with a smirk, his brown eyes glinting as he pulled the trigger again.

Bang

"Wha—" Ntwali's eyes widened.

The top of Myusca's head blew off, her body crumpling to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut. The room fell into a deafening silence, the only sound the faint hum of the mana gun and the man's slow, deliberate footsteps as he stepped over the bodies.

Saki's breath hitched, her mind struggling to process what had just happened. Her legs felt like they were made of lead, her body refusing to move even as her instincts screamed at her to run. She could only watch in horror as the man turned his gaze toward her, his expression calm, almost bored.

"You…" she whispered, her voice trembling. "Why…?"

The man tilted his head slightly, his smirk widening. "Why? That's a funny question, Saki. You of all people should know better."

He took a step closer, the gun still in his hand, its mana stone glowing ominously. "You see, I don't do things without a reason. And right now, my reason is very, very clear." His eyes turned to the officer, amusement showing on his lips. "I'm putting an end to succubi. Not just those from this world, no, but every. single. one."

Ntwali breathed slowly, his eyes narrowing at the man as he stepped in front of Saki, shielding her with his body. His fists clenched at his sides, his posture tense and ready for a fight.

"Come now, mister priest!" the man said, opening his arms in a gesture of mock friendliness. "Don't give me the mean look. I just did your job. We're on the same side!"

Ntwali's jaw tightened, his voice low and steady as he spoke. "Saki," he said, not taking his eyes off the man. "This man… Is he who I think he is?"

Saki's breath caught in her throat, her mind racing as she stared at the man in the hat.

"Yes," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "It's him."

"The Man in the Hat…" Ntwali muttered, his cautiousness taken a step further. "I thought he was dead."

"I thought too," the Hatman chuckled, waving lazily at Saki. "After all Missy over there killed me, right? Not once, but twice already."

Saki's stomach churned, the memories of their previous encounters rising to the surface. But there was no time to dwell on the past now. 

She knew, with chilling certainty, that the man before them couldn't be allowed to leave. He must not get out of here alive.

He must not see Luka again.

With a shout of desperation, her instincts kicked in. Saki lunged forward, her body fueled by fear and fury. Her whip cracked through the air like a bolt of lightning, aiming straight for the Hatman.

"Want to fight again? Really?" the Hatman asked, amused by her resolve, his grin never fading. He barely flinched as her whip hissed past him, and with a swift step back, he adjusted his hat, maintaining his effortless poise.

"I like this music," the Hatman chuckled. "But are you sure, priest? We have the same goal, don't we?"

"I'm not going to listen to a madman like you," Ntwali frowned deeply, his eyes glaring daggers at him. In a blur of motion, he closed the distance between them with a powerful kick that sent a nearby table splintering into pieces.

Boom. Boom. Boom. The tempo was set in place, and his enemy quickly picked up the pace, his feet almost dancing on the floor as he dodged a punch that shattered a table on impact. 

Ntwali's fists struck with deadly precision, but the Hatman was always one step ahead, his footwork as elusive as smoke. Each punch Ntwali threw collided with the air or the ground, shattering furniture and sending debris flying.

The Hatman's laughter echoed through the room, his smirk never wavering as he effortlessly danced around his opponent's attack. "That's a nice technique you got there! I feel my heart throbbing so hard, it's insane!" 

Ntwali gritted his teeth, his fists tightening as he tried to anticipate the man's next move. It was as if no matter the tempo, he could just adjust in the blink of an eye. 

Still, he had the advantage in pure strength.

The Hatman stood still, his eyes never leaving the three people in front of him. Finally, he stored away his gun and pulled out his other hand from his pocket. "Like I said, I like your music but… Time to set my own."

"What are you talking about—"

"And… Snap!"

He snapped his fingers. This time, a new beat reverberated through the room—a rapid, staccato rhythm that echoed in Ntwali's chest like a drumbeat.

The shift was immediate.

Ntwali's heart began to race, matching the Hatman's relentless rhythm. He felt it in his bones, like the music had taken root in his very soul. His movements slowed, as if the tempo was dragging him down, his mind struggling to keep up with the pace the Hatman had set. It was as if the man was rewriting the rules of the fight, controlling not just the tempo, but the very essence of the battle itself.

The Hatman stood still, his eyes gleaming with sadistic amusement as he watched Ntwali's struggle. "How does it feel to get your own medicine, eh? My kind is more flamenco!" he said as he snapped his fingers and tapped the ground rhythmically with his foot.

Then, as Ntwali tried to regain his footing, the Hatman moved. He approached slowly, almost casually, before grabbing the priest's hand with a grip like iron. "That's one down."

An invisible force surged through Ntwali's body, and before he could react, his head snapped back, his body following like a ragdoll. He was launched through the building and into the street, his body rolling for multiple meters before coming to a halt.

"Leave him alone!" Saki screamed, her voice filled with desperation as she lunged at the Hatman, her fist aimed straight at his face.

But the barrel of his gun appeared in her vision before she could land the blow. He pressed the trigger without hesitation, the gunshot ringing out like a thunderclap. Saki's body jerked violently, the spray of blood painting the room in a gruesome display as she crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

The Succupolice officer clenched her teeth, her eyes blazing with fury as she launched herself at the Hatman, her fists flying in a flurry of punches. But thanks to the tempo he had set, he simply weaved through each swing with ease, his movements almost lazy as he kept one hand on his hat, as if this were nothing more than a casual stroll.

"Clearly you should've come with reinforcements, police girl," the Hatman chuckled. Before she could react, he snapped her knee with a swift, brutal kick, the sound of bone cracking echoing through the room. She stumbled backward, her leg buckling beneath her as she fell to the ground, her face contorted in pain.

The Hatman stood over her, his smirk never wavering as he looked down at her with cold, calculating eyes. "At least you were right, I was the threat all along."

"I said… Die!" Saki's voice boomed once more with a defiant roar. 

The Hatman merely rolled his eyes, unimpressed. Without breaking stride, he turned and shot again, the bullet slamming into her chest. She gasped, the force knocking the air from her lungs, but her defiance remained. Her blood pooled around her as she struggled to stay conscious.

"That's funny," the Hatman mused, glancing down at Myusca and Nemea's lifeless bodies, eyes glinting with a calculating, almost detached amusement. "The other two aren't coming back yet. I guess you're the only one who can't die here, as long as someone remembers you."

Saki clenched her bleeding chest with a grunt, her breath labored. The man was watching her precedent body, slowly disappear into thin air.

"That's why I know it's useless to fight you dream demons. No matter how many times I blow you to pieces, you come back as good as new," he sighed. "Or not really... I guess you do have some PTSD from our last fight, huh?"

"I won't let you… Hurt him again…" she gasped as she slowly rose to her feet, her body shaking from the effort.

"Hurt him?" the Hatman raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to set him free from all of you. For once I'm not even going to do anything more than that."

"What are you…" she gasped again, her vision blurring as she struggled to stay upright. "...Talking about?"

"No need to repeat that cycle again!" he declared, raising his arms in a dramatic gesture. His tone was almost whimsical, as though everything he said was obvious. "I finally reached it. I don't care about Niño anymore, nor do I care about all the people who defeated me."

Saki's dimming eyes couldn't make sense of what he was saying. Her body trembled, but she couldn't grasp his meaning.

"I'm immortal now. Just like you, little dream," he smirked. "Thanks to that portal crisis back then, I managed to find what I lacked. Even as just a wandering soul."

His smile widened, a twisted mix of triumph and madness in his gaze as he reveled in the dramatic nature of his announcement.

"Anyway," he said with a dismissive shrug, brushing the dust off his brown trenchcoat. "I need to go. I have some work to do with some uncooperative devil. Was fun seeing you again, Saki."

He aimed the barrel of the gun at the police officer with a soft smile, the finger touching the trigger. 

But just as he was about to pull the trigger, a desk came crashing into him from the side, slamming into his body with enough force to send him hurtling back against the wall. The gunshot went wide, the bullet embedding itself harmlessly into the ceiling.

"Everyone, run away!" Ntwali roared as he stepped inside the library.

The police officer nodded and tried to stand up, but her bent knee hurt her more than it should. 

With a heavy sigh, Saki put her hand to her neck and summoned a wind blade, cutting it open in one swift motion. Blood sprayed from the wound, and her body crumpled to the ground.

Ntwali looked at her with shocked eyes. "S-Saki?!" 

However, she reappeared right behind him and rushed to the police officer's side, helping her stand up. "Don't worry about me!" she called back. "Kill him if you can!" she pointed at the Hatman who was slowly rising from the pile of wood debris.

"Welp," the man said, dusting off his shirt and jeans with a grunt before putting his hat back on. "Didn't expect the priest to survive my push from earlier. That's why I love living—you always learn something new every day."

Ntwali's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the Hatman. Without a word, he took off his priest garments, revealing a black tank top and pants underneath. His muscles rippled as he slowly exhaled, assuming a fighting stance.

The Hatman smirked, his eyes lightly covered by his hat. "Seems like you didn't really understand what I meant earlier. Why are you still willing to fight?"

Ntwali didn't respond. Instead, he took a step forward, the ground shaking beneath him. 

"Well, padre. Sorry to stand you up," the Hatman chuckled, his tone light and dismissive. He reached into his inner pocket, his movements slow and deliberate, as if he were savoring the moment. "But I've got a million better things to do."

From his pocket, he pulled out a talisman.

 its surface glowed faintly with an eerie, otherworldly light, the symbols inscribed on it pulsing. The air around it seemed to warp, the very fabric of reality bending as the talisman activated.

"I won't let you!" Saki came back just in time after securing the Succupolice officer, her hand glowing as she released all of her power. "Dreamworld!"

The library shifted, the walls and floor warping as Saki's power took hold. A radiant light pulsed from her, spreading outward like a wave and covering the entire neighborhood. The ground split apart, the streets emptied, and a shimmering barrier formed, enclosing the area in a dome of energy. The air within the barrier became surreal, dreamlike, as if reality itself had been rewritten.

"I trapped you," Saki said, her voice trembling but filled with determination. "Now you can't escape with that talisman!"

The Hatman's smirk faltered for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he glanced around at the shimmering barrier. "Really now? Why do you always do this?"

But his smirk quickly returned as Ntwali charged forward, his fists clenched and his eyes blazing with fury. The ground shook beneath his feet as he closed the distance, his movements swift and powerful. The Hatman jumped backward, narrowly avoiding a punch that tore through the wall behind him, sending debris flying.

"Careful, padre," the Hatman said, his tone light and teasing. "You might hurt yourself."

Without missing a beat, the Hatman turned to face the front door, his movements casual and unhurried. As he did, he raised his gun and fired a shot at Saki. The succubus's eyes widened, but she didn't have time to react. The bullet struck her shoulder, the force of the impact sending her stumbling back. She gasped, clutching the wound as blood seeped through her fingers.

"Saki!" Ntwali roared, his voice filled with rage as he turned to face the Hatman. "You—"

"What?" the man shrugged with his gun in hand. "It's not like she'll die. Actually, incapacitating her is the best way to go about it. But since she is so stubborn, she always kills herself," he clicked his tongue with a smile. "I swear…"

Ntwali charged again, and they both found themselves outside of the library. The dreamlike landscape shifted around them, the surreal barrier Saki had created still holding strong. 

It was a space in between worlds, where anything that happened in it wouldn't interfere with the real world. A place of dreams, where she could control anything with ease.

Her world.

But with the Hatman, that world wasn't as easy to control as usual.

Ntwali's fists slammed into the ground, sending shockwaves rippling through the street. His fingers dug deep into the concrete, gripping the foundation itself before flipping an entire section into a single massive block. With a powerful kick, he sent it hurtling toward the Hatman like a cannonball.

"Damn, what a muscle-head," the Hatman chuckled as he traced a line with his left index. "Pressure, 100%," he muttered. In an instant, the line manifested into a razor-thin wind blade. It cut through the air with lethal precision, slicing the incoming concrete block cleanly in two—before continuing its path, effortlessly carving through the library behind them.

The entire building split apart.

Ntwali dodged just in time the wind blade by a hair's length, a cold sweat taking over him. 

"Yeah, you would have died," the Hatman told out loud what he was thinking with a smirk. "But it's not like I really want to kill—"

The ground trembled violently, the sound of cracking stone and twisting metal filling the air as the towering skyscrapers and buildings around them began to rise from the earth. Massive structures, once rooted firmly in the ground, now floated upward, defying gravity as they ascended into the surreal, dreamlike sky. The sheer scale of it was overwhelming—entire city blocks lifted into the air, casting long, ominous shadows over the battlefield below.

"Good grief," the Hatman muttered, tipping his hat back to gaze at the floating monoliths. His smirk remained, but there was a flicker of unease in his eyes. "That girl will always be a damn monster."

Ntwali's eyes widened as he took in the impossible sight. The buildings hovered like colossal sentinels, their glass windows reflecting the eerie light of Saki's Dreamworld. "Is Saki doing this?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. Who knew the succubus he met by accident was this powerful?

"Of course. She's the one who holds authority over dreams in this world. She's basically OP."

As if on cue, the floating buildings began to shift, their massive forms tilting and turning in the air. The sound of groaning metal echoed through the dreamscape as the structures realigned, their jagged edges pointing downward like spears aimed at the Hatman.

"She wants to crush me? It was better when she transformed the ground into lava."

"She's not holding back," Ntwali muttered, more to himself than anyone else, his voice barely audible over the growing rumble of the shifting dreamscape. The sheer scale of Saki's power was staggering, and for a moment, even he felt a flicker of awe—and unease.

The Hatman, however, seemed unfazed. He adjusted his hat with a lazy grin, his eyes scanning the skyline. "Well, padre, looks like we're in for a show. Let's see if I got rusty—"

Before he could finish, the buildings began to fall.

It started with a low rumble, a deep, resonant sound that seemed to come from the very core of the Dreamworld. Then, with a deafening roar, the skyscrapers plummeted toward the ground, their massive forms hurtling through the air like meteors.

Ntwali braced himself, his instincts screaming at him to move, to get out of the way. But there was nowhere to go—the buildings were coming down too fast, their shadows engulfing everything in their path. He could only watch in stunned silence as the structures crashed into the ground, sending up massive plumes of dust and debris.

The impact was catastrophic. The ground shattered like glass, fissures spreading outward in every direction. The sound of collapsing buildings and twisting metal filled the air, a cacophony of destruction that seemed to go on forever. For a moment, everything was chaos—dust, debris, and the deafening roar of the falling skyscrapers.

The dust began to settle, revealing a landscape utterly transformed. The once-familiar streets were now a jagged wasteland, littered with rubble and twisted metal. The buildings that had once stood tall were now nothing more than broken husks, their remains scattered across the dreamscape.

Some skyscrapers still hung in the air, suspended ominously above the battlefield, their jagged edges glinting in the eerie light of Saki's Dreamworld. The silence that followed was almost as deafening as the destruction itself, broken only by the faint creak of shifting debris.

And then, a single flap of wings cut through the stillness.

"T-Thank you!" Ntwali said, his voice hoarse as he looked up at the face above him. He had been caught just in time by Saki, who floated above the wreckage, her wings beating steadily as she held him in her arms. Her expression was grim, her usual playful demeanor replaced by a steely focus.

"Stay focused. No way he died here."

Ntwali nodded, his jaw tightening as he glanced down at the devastation below. The Hatman was nowhere to be seen, but he knew better than to assume the man was gone. If anything, the silence was more unnerving than the chaos that had preceded it.

Saki's grip on him tightened as she hovered higher, her eyes scanning the rubble below. "He's still here," she murmured, more to herself than to Ntwali. "I can feel him."

As if on cue, a familiar chuckle echoed right above them.

Ntwali's eyes snapped upward, and his face went pale as he saw the Hatman walking on the lower side of a floating skyscraper, completely unbothered by gravity. The man moved with casual ease, his boots tapping against the glass windows of the tilted tower as if he were strolling down a quiet street. His coat swayed unnaturally, defying the laws of physics, and his hat remained perfectly perched on his head despite the inverted angle.

"You missed!" he called out as he leisurely continued his walk toward them. "Honestly, I expected more from the so-called 'queen of dreams.' Falling buildings? Really? That's the best you've got?"

Ntwali's breath caught in his throat, his mind struggling to process the surreal sight. "How… how is he doing that?" he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Saki's grip on him tightened further, her wings beating harder to keep them steady. "This is my world," she said, her voice low and tense. "But he's… different. He doesn't play by the rules, even here."

The Hatman tilted his head, his smirk widening as he continued his upside-down stroll. "Oh, don't look so shocked, padre. You're the guy who literally plays his battle theme. Magic is bullshit and you know it."

Ntwali's brow furrowed, his confusion deepening. "What are you talking about?"

Saki leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Don't be impressed. This man looks strong in appearance, but he's very weak."

"Weak?" Ntwali shot his head upward, his voice rising in disbelief. "Are you kidding me, succubus? Did you not see what he just did?"

Saki's expression remained calm, her eyes never leaving the Hatman as she explained. "He's one of the weakest mages you'll ever meet in terms of mana capacity. Everything he does is just a bunch of tricks. Didn't you notice how he's avoided direct combat as much as possible? He relies on illusions, misdirection, and exploiting weaknesses. He's not a powerhouse—he's a con artist."

Ntwali's eyes narrowed as he processed her words. He glanced back at the Hatman, who was now standing still on the side of the skyscraper, his hands in his pockets and his smirk as sharp as ever. The man's confidence was unnerving, but Saki's explanation made a strange kind of sense. The Hatman had been evasive, always staying just out of reach, never engaging in a straightforward fight.

"If he's so weak," Ntwali muttered, his voice low, "then why does he seem so… unstoppable?"

"Because he is," Saki replied. "He's seen so many tactics and fighting styles that he knows almost all of them by now. He's fought countless battles, survived impossible odds, and learned how to turn every situation to his advantage. He's very experienced and prepared for almost everything."

"So, what's the plan?" Ntwali asked, his voice low. "If he's all tricks and no substance, how do we take him down?"

Saki's eyes gleamed with determination. "We don't play his game. We don't let him control the pace or the narrative. We hit him hard, fast, and without hesitation. No theatrics, no overthinking—just pure, unrelenting force."

Ntwali nodded, his fists clenching at his sides. "I can work with that."

The Hatman, seemingly bored with their whispered conversation, called out, "Are you two done plotting? Or should I start without you?"

"Shut up," Saki shot back. "Don't act like you don't know what we're planning."

The Hatman tilted his head, his smirk widening. "You're right. So, what will it be?"

Saki's eyes narrowed, her tone turning icy. "Why do you want to erase all succubi? Are you the one responsible for the disappearances of those people?"

Ntwali stayed silent, his gaze flicking between Saki and the Hatman. He figured she had a good reason to engage the man in conversation, even if it seemed like a risky move.

"Stalling, are we?" the Hatman answered with an unimpressed look. "But fine. Yeah, that's me. I was testing out a few things with a certain devil's power."

Saki's jaw tightened, her hands balling into fists at her sides. "You really haven't changed a bit…" she muttered, her voice trembling with barely restrained anger.

"Oh, I've changed plenty. But some things—like my disdain for your kind—remain the same. You're parasites, feeding on the weak and vulnerable. I'm just doing the world a favor."

"Don't act like you're a generous man saving the world now," she scowled.

"But I am," he said matter-of-factly, before disappearing from her sigh in an instant.

"—!" Saki turned around to see him standing a bit lower, at head level, on another building right behind them.

"But you're right on one thing… I don't do this because I want to save the world. You guys already do that all the time. Hell, you even fought Wrath without me and summoned fucking Goku." He paused, holding a hand up to his chin as if deep in thought, scratching his three-day beard. "Eh. Man, I would get in trouble if you summoned him again."

Saki's eyes narrowed, her anger simmering beneath the surface. "You're not making any sense. What are you even talking about?"

The Hatman's smirk widened, and he threw his hands up in the air dramatically, his voice booming with theatrical flair. "What I'm saying is…" he announced, "I'm back BECAUSE you saved the world, you morons! If not for that crisis, I wouldn't be here in the first place!"

He continued as he held his hat and pointed an accusatory finger at her. "Thanks to those little portals, my wandering soul—that no hell nor heaven would take—found someone. A certain creature called a Nightmare. Crazy how you can materialize as a soul in a world of dreams."

"Wait…" Saki muttered as she slowly realized what he meant.

"I've always been a bit jealous, you see," he continued with a slow shrug. "How undying you are. How you could never die because someone remembered you. So, I tricked her."

"Don't be such a fool, there's no way you did that!" Saki flew forward, her hand raised. A sharp metal object—a remnant of a crashed building—spun through the air like a deadly blade, hurtling toward the Hatman from behind.

"You know…" he sighed, his smirk fading with boredom. "I guess you won't understand if I don't show you."

He didn't turn around. He kept his hands in his pockets, utterly nonchalant.

The spinning metal plate sliced through his neck cleanly, severing his head from his body in one swift motion.

Saki's breath caught in her throat as she watched the Hatman's head topple from his shoulders, his body falling from the building down below.

But then, the Hatman's voice echoed through the air, calm and unbothered. "See? That's what's cool about nightmares—they don't die."

Before Saki's eyes, the Hatman's body reappeared, standing right where he had died, as if nothing had happened. He adjusted his hat, his smirk returning as he looked at her with a knowing glint in his eyes.

"I'm just like you, Saki," he said, his tone almost playful. "Though I'm not a chick and not a dream—I'm an incubus, a nightmare. And you know what's the funny part?"

Saki's eyes widened in horror, her mind racing as the implications sank in. 

"I've really given a lot of people nightmares, didn't I?" He chuckled. "Including… A certain guy."

"I've really given a lot of people nightmares, didn't I?" He chuckled. "Including… a certain guy."

Saki's blood ran cold as the realization hit her. "Luka…" she whispered, her voice trembling.

"So unless you wipe out his memory or kill the guy… Good luck to stop me!" he laughed, his voice echoing through the dreamscape.

"Anyway, now do you understand?" he looked at Saki with a bored look and sighed heavily. "Stop wasting my time, or I fight you until that priest of yours drops dead."

Saki's head dropped in defeat and she lowered herself slowly. 

As a dream devil like herself, she knew more than anyone what he meant. 

He was unkillable, even if they fought for years, they would come to a standstill.

"Don't… Just don't hurt Luka…" she whispered, her face dropping in frustration.

"I don't need him anymore anyway," the Hatman waved his hand dismissively. 

With a resigned look, Saki slowly released her grip on the dreamscape. The towering, surreal structures, the floating ruins, and the distorted reality around them all began to dissolve. Like sand slipping through fingers, the Dreamworld unraveled, piece by piece, fading into nothingness.

The real world returned in its place.

The shattered library stood as it had before, untouched, as if none of it had ever happened. The bookshelves, the wooden floor, the dim overhead lights—it was all exactly as they had left it.

The Hatman let out a low chuckle, brushing imaginary dust off his coat. "I appreciate your cooperation." He tipped his hat, his smirk never faltering.

Saki clenched her fists, her entire body trembling—not with fear, but with helpless frustration. She had no choice but to stand down.

She watched the Hatman turn on his heel, casually strolling away as if nothing had happened.

"Saki…" Ntwali muttered, stepping closer. He had barely caught his breath from the fight, and now it was over—just like that.

"It's just like last time…" she muttered as she dropped to her knees. 

"Do you think he will be able to achieve… that? Erasing all succubi?"

"I have no idea how he would do it but…" she clenched her fists as she watched the man disappear. 

"If it's him, he might really be able to do it."