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Traffic horns blared in uneven bursts. Vendors shouted prices over each other, arguing with customers. A ball slammed against a brick wall—thud, thud—followed by kids yelling and laughing. Neon signs flickered even under daylight, some half-broken, some buzzing loud enough to irritate anyone standing nearby. Office workers pushed through sidewalks with coffees in hand. Teenagers leaned against railings, thumbs glued to their screens. Couples stood close beneath the glass towers, shielding their eyes from the sun.
Then.
The sun vanished, not behind clouds.
It was gone.
Light drained from the streets in seconds. Shadows stretched wrong, crawling across walls and pavement like they were alive. Conversations cut off mid-word. A woman froze with her phone half-raised. A man stepped forward, then stopped, brow furrowing as the temperature dropped fast enough to sting exposed skin.
Someone looked up and whispered, "What…?"
The sky darkened as an eclipse tore across it, spreading too fast, too sharp. It wasn't natural. The shadows swallowed half the sky like something had dragged a lid over the world.
Warm air turned cold. Breath fogged. People hugged themselves without realizing why.
Then the pressure hit.
The weight was overwhelming.
Ears rang. A few people slapped their hands over them, wincing.
A red portal split open above the city.
Black lightning snapped out of it— CRACK— CRACK— tearing through the clouds. The air around it warped, shaking windows blocks away. The smell hit next. Burnt metal. Sulfur. Something rotten underneath.
A man stumbled back, voice shaking. "N-no… no way…is it the bloom again?"
Thunder rolled— but no rain followed. Just that crushing pressure, heavy enough to force people to bend at the waist.
Then something moved inside the portal.
Two massive hands shoved out first, claws digging into the edge as if ripping through fabric. Stone and air cracked around them. The portal stretched wider as something forced itself through.
The Demon King emerged.
Megalodon.
His body pushed through the sky like it didn't belong there. The clouds ripped apart around him. His presence alone made nearby buildings shudder, glass rattling violently in their frames. Shadows crawled over his form, peeling and snapping like smoke caught in a storm. Six hell-red eyes burned open, locking onto the city below.
Judging.
The Infernal Leviathan crossed his four arms slowly.
Behind him, the portal churned again.
Two more figures dropped out.
One hit the air and hovered— massive, obsidian skin split open with glowing lava veins. Heat rolled off it in waves, asphalt below bubbling and cracking.
The second landed wrong. It was too sharp, too fast for the humans eyes to follow
Its skeletal frame twitched as tendrils lashed out from its spine, scraping across nearby buildings— SCREEEECH— chunks of concrete tearing free. Its face shifted constantly, skin sliding, teeth showing, eyes sinking and reappearing like something couldn't decide what shape it wanted.
Black energy dripped from their claws, sizzling as it hit the air, leaving thin scorch marks behind.
For a moment.
No one screamed.
A woman's grocery bag slipped from her fingers. Cans rolled across the pavement, clattering softly.
A man backed up, shaking his head. "This… this isn't—"
Someone finally shouted, voice cracking. "D-Demons—! RUN!"
Everything broke.
People slammed into each other trying to flee. Shoes slipped on the pavement. Someone fell and vanished under trampling feet. A car swerved hard, tires screeching, smashing into a street pole— metal folding inward with a loud crunch. The driver kicked the door open and crawled out, blood running down his forehead.
A mother grabbed her kid by the arm and sprinted, dragging him as he screamed, shoes scraping uselessly. A streetlight snapped loose and crashed down— BOOOOM— pinning a man beneath it. He screamed, fingers clawing at the concrete as blood pooled under his chest.
No one stopped.
Behind them.
Megalodon looked down.
His voice rolled across the city, low and heavy, vibrating through bone and glass.
"They're noisy."
His six eyes narrowed slightly.
"These worms… are a waste of space."
He lifted one finger from his crossed arms.
The air bent inward.
Everything pulled tight.
Then.
BOOOOOOOOM.
The shockwave ripped outward in all directions. Buildings collapsed inward like they'd been crushed by invisible fists. Windows shattered instantly— people turned into powder. Entire streets split open, asphalt tearing apart, swallowing cars and screaming crowds whole.
People who got caught in the blast disintegrated before they knew what's happening.
Bodies broke apart mid-run— skin, bone, organs— turned to dust and red mist in an instant. Cars flipped end over end, slamming into buildings, exploding on impact. One flew sideways through a storefront, detonating inside with a wet, concussive blast.
The ground kept tearing.
Concrete slabs lifted and slammed back down. Pipes burst beneath the streets, steam and fire blasting upward. A bus was torn in half, passengers thrown out like debris.
The two demons descended behind him.
The molten one slammed down— CRAAAAASH— sending lava splashing across the street, burning through cars and flesh alike. People caught near it collapsed screaming, skin blistering, clothes igniting.
The skeletal demon lunged into the crowds, tendrils snapping out— SNAP— SNAP— dragging bodies backward. Bones cracked. Blood sprayed across walls as it tore through people without slowing.
Ember City fell apart piece by piece.
And the Infernal Leviathan watched.
But two figures stayed standing as the shockwaves tore through the street.
Tempestia and Moon-Light.
Debris slammed into the air around them— chunks of concrete spinning end over end, shattered glass cutting sideways like shrapnel. Street signs ripped loose and cartwheeled past. Cars skidded, flipped, and crashed into each other behind them.
They didn't move.
Tempestia dug her boots into the cracked asphalt. The ground fractured under her heels. She raised one hand and cut it sharply from left to right.
Megalodon's shockwave hit her air barrier— and bent.
The force peeled away from them like water slamming into a cliff, diverting harmlessly down the street instead. The air screamed, but the space around the two heroes stayed intact.
Tempestia's arm trembled once, then steadied.
"That's enough destruction," she said, voice carrying clean and sharp through the chaos. "You will pay for what you've done. All three of you."
She stepped forward.
Just one step— but the pressure changed instantly. The cracked street groaned under her weight. Silver-blue light bled from her eyes, cutting through the smoke.
The two demons froze mid-slaughter.
Molten claws stopped inches from a crushed car. Tendrils halted in the air, twitching, confused.
Moon-Light stood beside her, shoulders squared, breathing slow and steady. Eyes locked in the demons.
He looked around— burning buildings, bodies half-buried under rubble, streets split open. Blood pooled in jagged cracks on the pavement, seeping from mangled limbs protruding from twisted wreckage. A woman's arm dangled lifeless from an overturned van, her fingers splayed in a final, futile grasp. Nearby, a child's backpack lay torn open, its contents scattered amid shards of bone and crimson stains. The metallic tang of blood mixed with acrid smoke, turning the air thick and nauseating.
"Oh man," he muttered, voice rough. "This is messed up, do we really have to deal with this shit all by ourselves? Look at this place…"
Tempestia didn't turn her head.
"We don't have a choice," she said. "Black Mentis isn't on Earth."
A nearby building finally gave out— CRUNCH— collapsing sideways into another tower. The impact sent a wave of dust rolling across the street.
She kept her stance.
"There are only a few heroes nearby. They'll evacuate whoever's still alive. We hold the line."
Moon-Light rolled his shoulders, joints popping softly. His aura twisted tighter around him, shadows thickening near his feet.
"Yeah," he said, forcing a breath out through his nose. "No pressure. If we screw this up it's not like the whole damn planet gets flattened."
He glanced up at Megalodon, jaw tightening.
"Great. Fantasy demons popping up now. What next?" He shook his head. "Why the fuck do they even exist— or wanna come here in the first place?"
Tempestia finally looked at him.
Her gaze snapped back to Megalodon just as fast.
"They do," she said. "And they're not a joke either. Especially ones with that many horns. Don't underestimate them."
She raised her arm and pointed straight at Megalodon.
"This is bigger than anything we've faced. Their leader— with those six horns and eyes of his. This means he's a very high-ranking demon."
Her voice lowered.
"It's not just Earth we need to worry about in his presence. But the whole universe is in danger."
Moon-Light cracked his knuckles— CRACK— CRACK— energy flaring hard around his hands.
He shot her a sideways look. "You seem way too calm for someone dropping that kind of information."
"How do you even know all this?"
She didn't answer right away.
"Let's deal with his minions first," she said. "If we survive, I'll tell you."
He snorted once, eyes locking forward again.
"Fine," he said. "Let's send them back to whatever hell spat them out."
Smoke rolled through the street, thick enough to sting the eyes. Fires burned out of control. A monorail track sagged overhead, sparks raining down as it twisted loose from its supports. A fire hydrant burst nearby, boiling water spraying across the street and flashing to steam when it hit molten debris.
Megalodon hadn't moved.
Not once.
He tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing in faint amusement as he looked down at them.
"Are you both done yapping?"
His voice pressed down on the street, rattling bones.
He lifted one clawed finger and pointed at them lazily.
"Molvok. Nyzzor."
The two demons snapped upright instantly.
"Kill these two foolish fodder," Megalodon continued. "If you succeed, I'll share more power and give you new abilities."
His gaze drifted past them, toward the burning city.
"After that… we need to find Omnithon's vessel. I will absorb his essence. This time will be different."
A low, satisfied rumble rolled through his chest.
"This time, I will win."
The demons dropped to one knee.
"As you wish, my lord."
"Yes, sire…"
Tempestia's eyes widened— just for a second.
"His vessel…" she said under her breath. "Here? On Earth?"
The demons rose.
Black, invisible pressure poured off them, thick enough to make breathing harder. The street creaked. Loose debris slid inward, drawn toward them. The air felt heavy, oppressive, like gravity had doubled in an instant.
Moon-Light shifted his footing, boots grinding into broken concrete.
"…Yup," he muttered. "That's not good, they're getting ready to strike."
The tension snapped tight.
And the street went quiet— right before everything broke loose.
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