"So the first strike was a success, then?" Gwi-Ma's deep voice rumbled with satisfaction as he looked down at his newest charge.
Ruby Rose stood before the massive pink flame burning bright atop the mountain's stone pedestal. Its light shimmered through the air, painting her pale face in shades of magenta.
"It was," she replied calmly. "The first seed has been planted. The hunters now know what it feels like, to be on the other end."
"Hahahaha!" Gwi-Ma's laughter thundered through the underworld, a roar so loud that the ground trembled beneath his glee. At the mountain's base, the gathered demons laughed uneasily alongside their god, their nervous echoes fading into the fiery hum of the chamber.
Ruby said nothing, her silver eyes fixed on the enormous flame above. It twisted and danced like a living thing, its light reflecting off the black stone platform as though mocking the world above.
"Oh, how I wish I could see their faces," Gwi-Ma mused, his grin wide and wild. "To watch them realize that we could kill them anytime we wished, that would be a sight worth seeing."
He leaned forward slightly, his vast form casting long shadows across the platform. "You've brought me no small amount of joy, child. Capable of doing what no demon before you could."
Ruby's expression didn't change. The pink flame pulsed once, as if laughing with them.
"Alas," Gwi-Ma continued, his tone turning thoughtful, "killing them will not make the Honmoon break any quicker. What have you gathered on that front?"
Ruby raised a gloved hand to her chin, thoughtful. "I'm not sure about the old Honmoon, but this new one doesn't function the same way. No matter how many tears I make, it closes almost instantly."
"Yes…" Gwi-Ma's voice deepened. "This is something entirely different from the previous Honmoon. Whenever I opened a tear before, it would stay open until the damned hunters closed it with their songs. Now I cannot even touch a single thread in this barrier."
The pink flame above them flickered, its laughter fading into an eerie silence that filled the mountain hollow.
"This Honmoon has become somewhat… self-sufficient," Ruby said, her voice calm but analytical. "Sort of. It can't generate its own energy yet, though I don't doubt it eventually will. For now, it's receiving constant streams of power from the populace. I still need to study the flow more closely, but…" She paused, eyes glinting faintly in the pink firelight. "There's a chance the only way to destroy the Honmoon is to make those who created it destroy it themselves."
Gwi-Ma's flame pulsed, his tone rumbling with amusement and approval. "Yes. A side effect of Jinu's original plan. Although he never intended it, Rumi's shame destabilized the Honmoon a great deal."
Then the massive flame's shape shifted, narrowing into something more focused, a great burning eye fixating on Ruby Rose. "However," he said slowly, "how do you plan on doing that? With her last song, she freed herself from my influence. She purged her shame and accepted herself for all that she is. Without her shame… how do you intend to break the Honmoon?"
Ruby's lips curved into a faint smile. "I have a plan for that. If shame won't take hold within them…" Her crimson eyes gleamed with dark resolve. "...then we'll turn to fear."
The great flame flickered, as though the demon god himself paused in contemplation. His fiery eyes narrowed, their heat softening into interest. "Continue."
Ruby began to outline her plan, every step, every manipulation of emotion, every seed of terror that would grow in the hearts of those once unbreakable. As she spoke, Gwi-Ma's laughter built, low and thunderous, until he resumed his full, colossal form once more.
"Interesting," he boomed, the chamber trembling beneath his voice. "Yes… very interesting."
Then he noticed her expression falter. Her smile faded. Her brow furrowed.
"Is something wrong, child?" Gwi-Ma asked, his tone lowering.
Ruby exhaled shakily. "The memories… they're returning again," she murmured. "I keep seeing their faces."
The demon god's fiery gaze softened, if only slightly. "I see," he said. "They're returning much faster now. Come to me, child. Let me relieve you of your pain."
Ruby hesitated only a moment before nodding. She stepped forward, into the heart of Gwi-Ma's flame. Her aura dimmed and then vanished entirely as she let the inferno consume her form. The fire licked around her body, swallowing her silhouette until only the echo of her voice, quiet, pained, and human, lingered in the blaze.
Gwi-Ma's flames suddenly shifted, burning a brilliant silver as the god let out a deep, guttural grunt of pain. His body of fire flickered violently, glitching between pink and white light as the underworld trembled beneath the strain.
When the convulsions finally ceased, the flame steadied, now glowing once again with its usual pink hue. From within it, Ruby Rose stepped out. Her expression was calm, serene even, as if the agony moments before had never existed.
"Thank you," she said softly.
Gwi-Ma's voice rumbled, low and strained. "Anything for you, child."
Ruby nodded once. Then, her form began to break apart, not into ash or smoke, but into countless crimson petals that swirled through the heated air before dissolving completely.
For a few long moments, silence blanketed the underworld. The lesser demons dared not move. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
Then Gwi-Ma's roar split the stillness like thunder.
"That blasted power of hers!" he bellowed, his voice shaking the cavernous expanse. "What is it!? Why does it burn so much!? How much longer must I suffer this humiliation!?"
The ground quaked as his rage intensified, molten cracks splitting open beneath the feet of terrified demons who scattered in all directions.
Eventually, the great flame calmed. His light dimmed, and his voice sank into a simmering growl. "It's only a matter of time," he muttered. "Once she completes her part of the deal… I'll crush her mind and be rid of her. I only need to wait a little longer."
The fire around him began to shift again, swirling as though parting for something beneath. Slowly, the flames revealed a mask buried deep within the inferno, the skull of a massive wolf, bleached white and streaked with crimson and black. Its hollow eyes pulsed red, glowing with the faint trace of pink fire.
A low, rumbling laugh escaped Gwi-Ma, dark and victorious. "And just in case…"
The flames closed back over the mask as his laughter grew, echoing through the underworld, "Hahahaha… hahahahaha!" until even the demons fled from the sound.
---
Ding!
The elevator doors slid open, revealing four figures standing at the entrance to the top floor of the Hunter/x headquarters.
Rumi stood at the front, her eyes fixed on the room beyond. She didn't say a word. She simply stared, as though trying to confirm that it was real, that they were truly home.
Behind her, Mira and Zoey were just as silent, their gazes sweeping across the familiar space they hadn't seen in days. Even during their longest tours, months away on mission, they had never been this relieved to see these walls again.
Rumi finally stepped forward, her voice low and weary. "We're back."
The exhaustion in her tone was so heavy it could've belonged to a dying traveler lost in a desert.
"It feels like it's been ages since we left," Zoey said, moving past Rumi to the back of the couch. She turned around to face them, tears already glimmering in her eyes. "I'm so glad we didn't die! Waaaah!"
Her words dissolved into sobs.
"Come here, twerp," Mira murmured, pulling Zoey into her arms. Though she tried to sound steady, her own eyes were misty.
Rumi stepped closer, wrapping her arms around them both. "We're alright," she whispered. "We're all here. We made it back."
For a long moment, the three of them just stood there, holding onto one another, letting the silence of their room settle around them like a warm blanket.
From the doorway, Celine watched quietly. She found a small reclining couch near the wall and sank into it, exhaling a long, tired breath as the tension bled from her body.
The last few days had been heavy, a blur of blood, fear, and hard choices.
Celine rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, trying to push away the weight pressing against her chest. The faint hum of the building's ventilation was the only sound that filled the quiet room.
Zoey's sobs had turned into small hiccups as Mira stroked her hair. Rumi sat beside them now, summoning her sword in its smaller form. She held it in her hand, staring at the sword with an odd look on her face. The blade's glow had dimmed completely, leaving only a dull sheen in the light of the room.
"We should... probably get some rest," Mira said after a while. Her voice was low, almost uncertain, like she was trying not to disturb the fragile peace they'd built in that silence.
"Yeah..." Rumi replied, but she didn't move. Her eyes were distant, somewhere far from the room, far from safety.
Celine noticed. "Rumi," she said softly.
Rumi looked up.
"I know what you're thinking. But don't," Celine said. "You did everything you could. That's what matters."
Rumi's lips parted as if to speak, but no words came out. She just lowered her gaze, letting her fingers brush against the couch fabric.
Zoey shifted slightly in Mira's arms, half asleep, murmuring something inaudible before going quiet again.
Celine stood, stretching her shoulders. "I'll get the medics to check on you three again. You need fluids, real rest. Not just sitting here pretending you're fine."
She turned toward the door but paused when she noticed Rumi still hadn't moved. "You should take your own advice once in a while too," Rumi muttered.
Celine froze, then gave a small tired smile. "Fair point."
Ding!
The elevator chimed again as the doors slid open.
"Girls!" Bobby's voice rang out before the doors had even fully parted. His usual grin was plastered across his face, though it looked more strained than usual. "You're back! The last few days have been stressful as all heck!"
"Bobby!" Rumi and Mira called out at once, smiles tugging weakly at their lips.
Zoey groaned at the noise, her eyes fluttering open. "Bobby…?" she mumbled, still half-asleep.
"It's bad, girls. Really bad," Bobby said quickly, tapping furiously on his phone screen. "The Saja Boys are everywhere! All over social media! They're calling it the greatest comeback in history!"
He turned his phone toward Rumi, eyes wide. "Look! Soda Pop is trending again!"
Rumi's breath caught. Her hands began to tremble as she stared at the image, five young men posing confidently beneath flashing stage lights. Her gaze locked on the one in the center, the man with the small, familiar smirk.
Now that Bobby was standing close enough, he finally noticed the dark circles beneath their eyes.
"Wait… what happened to you guys?" he asked, frowning as he dropped his phone onto one of the smaller chairs. "You look completely exhausted."
Mira chuckled tiredly, brushing a strand of hair from Zoey's sleeping face. "It's nothing we can't handle, Bobby. We just need some rest."
"But what about your show on Tuesday!?" Bobby sputtered, hands flailing. "Do we have to reschedule? Because the Saja Boys just announced a concert that day and..."
"Bobby."
The voice came from behind him, calm but commanding.
"Ah!" Bobby nearly jumped out of his shoes as he spun around. "Ah, Miss Celine! You're here too!" He gave a nervous laugh, tugging at his collar. "H-how are you? I mean, how have you been?"
Celine smiled softly, though there was clear exhaustion in her eyes too. "It's good to see you again, Bobby."
Bobby nodded far too quickly. "You too, ma'am," he said, then leaned toward Mira, whispering under his breath, "Why is she here? Does it have to do with why you all look like you just survived a war? What's going on?"
Before Mira could answer, Celine rested a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I think we should let them rest, Bobby," she said quietly. "They've had a very long week."
Her tone carried no room for argument.
Bobby hesitated, glancing between the exhausted hunters and the calm, weary woman before finally nodding. "Right… yeah. Rest. Got it."
He grabbed his phone from the chair and stepped back, eyes lingering on Rumi a moment longer. She hadn't said a word since seeing the image. Her expression was blank, unreadable, but her trembling hands said enough.