Hell

   When Luna and Lilith finally caught up, Bel and I were already waiting in a narrow, dimly lit alley. The flickering lamplight above did little to push back the shadows, and the whole place smelled of damp stone and rusted metal.

   “Welcome back.” I waved to them. 

   "We are back, Master." She said, her voice low but steady.

   “What did you find?” Lilith asked, her eyes scanning the alley with quiet focus.

   I nodded toward the far end, where a crooked lane wound deeper into the slums. 

   “Bel and I stumbled onto something… 'interesting', at one of the smaller alleys. But when we were about to investigate further, someone showed up carrying more of those… ‘interesting’ things.”

   Lilith frowned, adjusting the hood of her cloak. “And?”

   “We followed him,” I continued, jerking my chin toward the other side of the street. A decrepit building leaned against its neighbors, windows dark, door reinforced with iron plates. The air around it felt different, heavier. “He went straight into that place.”

   Lilith’s crimson eyes narrowed, her voice steady. “So what’s the plan?”

   “And now, I have a bad news.” My gaze shifted onto her. “You’re going back home.”

   Her expression hardened. “I think, we’ve already had this discussion.”

   “The situation has changed,” I cut in, my tone sharp. Before she could argue, I slipped an Arcana from my pocket, its surface etched with glowing runes. I activated the teleportation spell, directing its energy at her. “I’m sorry, but this is where you stop.”

   The air around Lilith swirled as the spell began pulling at her—wind spun around her cloak, her hair fluttered—

   But then, with a sharp crack, the magic shattered like glass and dissolved into nothing.

   “What—?!” My eyes widened.

   Lilith straightened, determination burning in her crimson gaze. “I’m not going anywhere. I want to see this through to the end.”

   For a long moment I simply stared at her. Then, finally, I sighed. 

   “…Fine. But on one condition.”

   From my pocket, I pulled out a small blue marble. It pulsed faintly, a dull light hidden deep inside.

   Lilith frowned. “What’s that?”

   “It's the result of my spell,” I explained, holding it up between two fingers. “It compresses objects into something easy to carry.”

   I drew out another Arcana, its runes blazing with pure white light. 

   "And with this you can turn it back."

   Dropping the marble onto the cobblestones, I threw the Arcana on top of it.

   The marble cracked, then burst open with a muted pop. In its place, a heavy burlap bag sagged against the ground. The smell hit instantly—thick, coppery, unmistakable. Blood.

   “If you want to come with us, then you have to open it. Put your head inside, and take a deep sniff. Very deep.”

   Lilith froze, her fingers twitching. “…What’s in the bag?”

   “Something we’ll find plenty of where we’re going.”

   Her hand shook slightly as she crouched and reached for the bag. Slowly, carefully, she tugged it open. A second later, her face went pale, her body stiffening. It was as if her life flashed before her eyes. Then her knees buckled, and she collapsed unconscious to the ground.

   I looked down at her, not surprised in the least. “Well... that was to be expected.”

   Luna’s voice was quiet, though tinged with unease. “Master… what’s inside?”

   I met her gaze and only one word came out of my mouth. 

   “Organs.”

   Her breath caught, but she didn’t flinch.

   Without another word, I drew two more Arcana. The first shrank the bag back into a marble, sealing the stench and horror away. The second activated a teleportation spell, enveloping Lilith’s limp body until she disappeared—safely returned to the mansion.

   The alley fell silent again.

   I looked at Luna and Bel, my tone serious. “You two can still go back with her. This will get dangerous from this part onward.”

   Luna shook her head firmly, her voice soft but resolute. “I can’t let Master go to such a place alone.”

   Bel grinned faintly, his small tail twitching. “Big brother, I’ve already seen more horror movies than I can count. I won’t get scared by some blood.”

   I studied them both, then let out a small sigh. 

   “…I see.”

   With that, I turned toward the shadowy building across the street. 

   “Then here is the plan.”

* * *

   After a short explanation, we began the infiltration.

   I activated one of my Arcana. A pale shimmer spread outward, cloaking the three of us in a veil of invisibility. Our figures blurred, melted, and then vanished from sight. Bel held his breath in excitement, while Luna’s calm steps matched mine as we crept to the side of the main door.

   We waited.

   Minutes dragged on until finally, the heavy door creaked open. A worker in dull overalls trudged inside, pushing it wide enough for us to slip through silently.

   What greeted us inside was not what I expected.

   Instead of shadowy figures or secret experiments, the first floor looked like a warehouse. Rows of trucks were parked close together, their engines silent, their beds stacked with boxes. Wooden crates piled high, labeled with foreign stamps, were scattered across the floor. For a brief second, I wondered if we had chosen the wrong building.

   But then Bel tugged on my sleeve. His small ears twitched, eyes narrowing toward a grated stairwell at the far end. “Big brother… I hear something. From below.”

   I nodded. “Let’s check it.”

   The metal stairs groaned under our weight as we descended, one careful step at a time. The deeper we went, the thicker the air became—damp, stale, and heavy with something far fouler than dust. At the bottom, a dim light flickered from weak bulbs strung along the ceiling. The narrow hallway opened into a wide chamber.

   And there… we saw it.

   Cages.

   Lining the left wall, beastmen huddled together, trembling, eyes wide with fear. Their bodies bore bruises, but their spirits weren’t entirely broken yet. They pressed close to one another, whispering comfort, holding hands.

   On the right wall… the sight was worse. Beastmen slumped in their cages like corpses, hollow-eyed and pale. Their breathing was shallow, their gazes unfocused, as if their souls had already been torn from them.

   “This is… terrible,” Luna whispered, her voice trembling despite her composure.

   “…Yeah. It is.” I clenched my fists, forcing my tone steady. 

   “Big brother,” Bel asked quietly, his tail low. “We will save them, right?”

   “Of course,” I said without hesitation. “Every last one.”

   I raised my Arcana and froze the stairwell door solid, sealing it with a glittering wall of ice. The faint sound drew the attention of the beastmen to the left. One of them called out nervously, 

   “Who’s there?!”

   I released the invisibility spell, letting the shimmer fall away from us. Stepping forward into the dim light, I raised my hands calmly. “There’s nothing to fear. We’re here to help.”

   The beastmen flinched. It was to be expected, since from their perspective we are just some random people out of nowhere.

   Now... what should I do?

   Suddenly, a young voice broke the silence.

   “Are you… are you really here to help us?”

   I turned and saw her—a small girl, maybe thirteen or fourteen, with fox ears poking from her long hair, a fluffy tail curled around her legs.

   “Yes,” I answered firmly.

   She looked at me for a long moment, and turned to the others. “He’s telling the truth. Everyone, we can trust him.”

   A ripple of relief spread through the cages. Shoulders slumped, sobs of joy broke out. Some clung to each other, crying quietly.

   I blinked, surprised. “You trusted me that easily…?”

   The girl tilted her head. “I’m a kitsune. I can read mana. When people lie or hide what they feel, I can tell. Your mana was steady, so I knew you didn't lie.”

   “…That’s a pretty amazing ability,” I admitted.

   “Thank you.” 

   Her expression suddenly shifted, eyes widening as if remembering something urgent. 

   “Some of us were taken to—!”

   Her words were cut short by a sharp scream echoing from the other end of the corridor.

   Without thinking, I sprinted toward it. A heavy iron door blocked the way. I struck it with a spell—a lightning sparking across the metal—but the barrier didn’t even dent.

   “That’s orichalcum,” the kitsune shouted. “Magic won’t work!”

   “Fine. In that case—Luna!”

   She was already moving. With one fluid motion, she drove her foot into the door. The iron shrieked as it ripped from its frame, soaring across the room before crashing against the far wall. Gasps of awe rose from the beastmen behind us.

   We stepped inside.

   The room reeked of death. Stains of dried blood painted the walls and floor. Metal tables lined with straps stood empty, while a group of beastmen sat bound together in the corner, their eyes full of terror. In the center, a boy—part human, part rat—was tied to a chair, trembling.

   Two men in lab coats froze at our sudden intrusion. One clutched a syringe, the other a knife gleaming under the sickly light.

   “Who the hell are you?!” the knife-wielder barked, his voice cracking with anger and fear.

   I ignored his question, stepping forward slowly, my rage simmering beneath my calm words. 

   “Hey... How many people have you already killed?”

   He sneered. “We’ll be the ones asking questions. You should answer if you value your—”

   His words cut short as his body convulsed. A sharp electric bolt crackled across his chest.

   I turned and saw Bel standing beside me, his small hand clenched in a metal glove sparking with power, a sharp glare in his usually gentle eyes.

   On my other side, Luna had already drawn her twin knives, her posture low and ready, fury burning in her gaze.

   They were both furious.

   I exhaled slowly, raising a hand. “Don’t kill them. They might have useful information.”

   Both of them nodded, though their anger didn’t fade.

   I pulled an Arcana from my pocket, its runes glowing crimson red. The light spilled across the blood-stained floor, casting shadows that danced like fire.

   A dark smile spread across my face. 

   “Let’s show them hell.”

   The men’s faces twisted in terror as the spell activated.

   When it was over, the beastmen were teleported safely to the police headquarters, their cages left behind in the dust. Evidence was gathered, carefully sealed into the marbles.

   And then, with flames roaring high and bright, the entire building collapsed into ashes, leaving no trace of the nightmare that had festered there.