There are demons now

 - Nooo, boss! - Jiangzui's subordinates mourn his death after annihilating the undead that attacked him.

- So, what now? - Lirika asks while grabbing an infected by the neck, burning it with her magic.

- We need to reach the palace! - Nicholas declares loud and clear, kicking another one away from him.

Kai slowly recovers from his social awkwardness debuff. He inspects his surroundings.

- Oh? Are we in hell?

- Look on the bright side, I don’t think it can get much worse than this - Pietra cuts one of the creatures with her sword.

As soon as she says this, Jiangzui's eyes widen, consumed by a sinister energy. Copies of himself separate from his body, attacking all his subordinates simultaneously. Within just a few minutes, his loyal men begin to transform. Dark green horns, claws, and fangs sprout from several of them, while others morph into disturbing monstrosities. These changes reveal visible cracks and imperfections, emanating a dark aura. Now, a horde of top-level infected spies stares at the party, hungry to corrupt them as well.

- Really? - Kai judges her quote.

- I don’t know what I was thinking when I said that. Sorry…

- Bubble!

Asai uses her signature move. Unfortunately, despite its destructive power, the void sphere is slow, making it easy for its skilled targets to dodge it in time.

- Eh?! - the young girl is in shock.

- Dammit! As much as I would like to have our first fight, this is risky! One scratch and we are done for - Pietra stays on guard.

- Wait. Perhaps, deep inside, they are still human? Is it truly okay to fight them? What if we can save them somehow? - Nicholas expresses his concern.

- You can go there and try. When you get infected too, tell how it feels before you turn into a hideous, furry beast - Lirika replies harshly.

For a moment, time seems to stop for the original trio. They notice that some of their enemies now have bodies covered in thick fur, and they exchange terrified glances.

- Turn us… Into furries…?

A moment of despair.

- Yeah? - Lirika is confused by such an overreaction.

Nicholas immediately draws his sword, contemplating an easy way out.

- A fate worse than death…

- Hang in there, man! - Kai snaps him out of it.

- Retreat! Retreat at once! - Pietra screams uncontrollably.

They cowardly run back inside the bar, desperately barricading the door.

- Old man, another one! - Tien slurred his words as he ordered a drink.

The keeper, calmly cleaning a glass, serves him another round. Tien drinks it in one gulp.

- Yes! That hit the spot! - he declares, his face flushed.

- Are you giving the teenager alcohol? - Pietra asks with a disapproving tone.

- For legal reasons, it’s grape juice. Just don’t tell the boy, okay? - he whispers.

- Do you guys have any idea how it is to waste your whole life on something meaningless?! - Tien lets out his frustrations.

- Kinda - Kai shrugs.

Ignoring him, he continues.

- I dedicated everything to the exorcists! I’ve made their cause my purpose. Years of learning and training… For what? We live in peaceful times. There are no demons anymore!

Someone tries to ram the door open.

- Actually-

- I watched as some of my friends left the Order one by one, exhausted by this meaningless existence. I used to live in a beautiful ancient monastery, but the government lost interest in us and cut our funding! Now, I live like a refugee in an old building that no one wants, because rumors claim it is haunted! - as he complains, tears stream down his face, only to freeze into tiny ice cubes as they fall.

Kai sits by his side, giving a pat on his back. The door barely holds the horde at this point.

- Things will change soon. I’m sure of it.

- You know, you and the blonde dude huddled in the corner over there are okay. I liked you guys.

- Not the suit… Anything but the suit… - Nicholas trembles in fear, his arms wrapped around his knees as Pietra and Asai try to comfort him a little.

- Is he alright?

- He had a weird girlfriend once. Left a trauma that he hasn't overcome yet. He will be fine.

- If she was weird by your standards, I can’t even think of how she could be like - Lirika grins slightly.

- Hey - Kai narrows his gaze at her, offended.

The monsters ram over the door, finally invading the bar.

Tien’s eyes lit up. He takes a deep breath, slowly standing up.

- Be careful, they can-

Kai's warning is interrupted by Tien. He cracks his knuckles, then rolls his neck until he hears a soft pop.

- I’m immune to their corruption. So will you, as long as you stay in my domain of purification.

- Your domain-

Kai stops his sentence, surprised that he can now see his breath.

A mist begins to form as the temperature in the bar drops. Ice starts to take shape in the corners of the furniture, but the party realizes it isn’t freezing their bodies. In fact, the chill feels calming and welcoming. The same cannot be said for the infected, who are trembling and struggling to move their limbs. Tien walks forward, a layer of ice forming with each step he takes.

- Ten years, four months, eight days, five hours, nine minutes, and six seconds. This is the time that has passed since I joined the exorcists. I pray you wannabe demons can take at least half the wrath and frustration I’ve been holding until now - his tone is angry and fired up, contrasting with the coldness around him.

- Can we reason with them? - Back to his feet, Nicholas asks.

- I will purify their souls…

- So it is possible?

- From existence!

Tien dashes at the corrupted beings, delivering a flurry of punches that freeze upon impact. The first wave of enemies was broken into pieces in an instant.

- Understandable…

- He can’t take them all by himself. Let’s go! - Pietra hurries to others.

Drawing their swords, the group advances to support Tien in his rampage. As he swiftly delivers jabs and kicks, weakening the creatures, the rest finish them off. Tien’s strength and speed, combined with the mist that slows their opponents, create a formidable combination that makes it nearly impossible for the former spies to react, no matter how skilled they are.

In just a few seconds, the only remaining threat is the living corpse of Jiangzui and his copies. Unlike his subordinates, his body hasn’t changed much, but he is significantly stronger, proving himself worthy of the role of spymaster. He mixes in with his fakes while replacing the fallen ones, tiring the group as he executes tricky dagger attacks.

Thankfully, his movements are a bit clunky and lacking accuracy, a demerit probably caused by his current state. If that were not the case, he would have wiped out the party by now.

- Coward! - Tien shouts, showing signs of exhaustion.

- We need to find the real one fast! - Nicholas also looks tired.

- If only there were still a bond connecting us… I guess he really is gone - Pietra laments.

- Or Giovanni could’ve given us swords with less trashy abilities - Kai complains.

- It’s that one - Jiangzui’s spectre tells Kai which one he should focus on.

He stays silent for a few seconds after being promptly refuted by his sword ability.

- Ah. I saw that one whispering commands to the others. It’s him - he speaks flatly, referring to the one that was pointed out by the spiritual figure.

Everyone concentrates their attacks on him at once.

Surprised by being suddenly figured out, Jiangzui’s zombie has no time to react as he is jumped on and beaten until exorcised.

- Good job, Kai - Pietra praises him.

- Yeah, yeah. Whatever…

- Now that it’s over, can someone explain what is happening? - Tien questions, catching his breath while resting his arms on his knees.

- We don’t know either. Fesolgu is facing a threat from monsters that turn people into those things. It’s pure chaos outside - Pietra tells him a half-truth.

Tien inspects the remains of the defeated.

- This is a contagious disease created by demons centuries ago. It turns any race into an imperfect demon, a mindless puppet used against us to play with our hearts. These failures are deliberate, as they believed only they were perfect beings in the world. Bastards… I can’t believe I’m seeing it with my own eyes. It was supposed to be eradicated when they went extinct.

- Do you mean someone managed to recreate or find this disease incubated somewhere and decided it was a good idea to release it in the city?

- I don’t know, but whoever did this is as devilish as a demon.

A particular person comes to mind, causing them to feel guilty for not dealing with him when they had the chance.

- So, what do we need to do to avoid getting infected? Is there any cure? - Lirika asks, raising important questions.

- To put it simply, any kind of direct contact can be deadly. My exorcist arts can prevent you from getting infected, so stay close to me. Also, as long as it wasn’t too long since you were exposed to it, Xien knows a way to cure it.

- What if someone is exposed to the disease by a bite or a scratch, then, before turning into a demon, they stay close to you? - she now asks an oddly specific question.

- I’m not sure. It may just postpone the inevitable since it was not cured in time. Why?

- Call it mage curiosity.

Seeing through her lie, Tien quickly grabs her left hand and lifts her arm. The sleeve of her coat slides down, revealing a hidden wound caused by one of the creatures.

- Oh, well. I guess you got me - she chuckles faintly, faking a smile.

- Lirika…? - Kai murmurs her name in disbelief.