Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Urgh…" Zoey cracked one eye open, her cheek pressed against the blanket at the foot of the oversized bed they'd all crammed into.
Knock!
"What?" Rumi's muffled voice drifted from behind her, and Zoey immediately noticed the lazy wiggle of toes dangling near her face.
Knock!
"I'm up!" Zoey yelped, throwing herself off the bed just in time as Mira's long legs stretched out with a kick that would have smacked her in the nose.
Thud!
"...Ow," Zoey muttered dryly from the floor, fully awake now. "Someone's at the door."
"I'll get it." Rumi sat up, rubbing her eyes. She tried to step across the bed, only to trip over Mira's sprawled form. "Ow! Damn it, Mira, why are you so tall?"
"Heh-heh." Mira rolled without warning, straight off the mattress.
"OW! What the hell, Mira?!" Zoey groaned as Mira landed squarely on top of her.
Rumi groaned too, but finally staggered toward the door. She pressed the panel, and the heavy metal frame slid open with a soft hiss.
On the other side stood Claire, nervously fidgeting with a clipboard. She was muttering something under her breath but froze when she saw the door open. Her eyes lit up.
"Huntrix!!" she squeaked.
Rumi blinked at her through half-lidded eyes, still not fully awake. "Morning, Claire." She glanced back at the pile of Mira and Zoey untangling themselves. "What's up?"
Claire hugged her clipboard to her chest like a shield. "The Commander wants you to report. Since… well, it's already morning."
Rumi gave a slow nod. "Got it. We'll be out in a jiff."
They were not, in fact, out in a jiff.
Thirty minutes later, the three of them finally shuffled into the command center, hair perfectly done, uniforms perfectly uniformed, only to be greeted by Zerida's sharp stare. The Commander didn't speak, merely exhaled in a way that carried all the weight of her patience running thin.
Standing beside her, Celine had her arms crossed and was very clearly amused.
"Nice of you to join us," Zerida said at last, her tone razor-sharp though she hadn't raised her voice.
Zoey cleared her throat and stepped forward. "Fashionably late, ma'am."
The look she got in return was so cold that Zoey immediately decided never again.
Celine's lips curved just slightly, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "At least they're consistent."
"Consistently late," Mira muttered.
"Consistently annoying," Rumi added.
"Consistently awesome," Zoey said, holding up two finger guns. The silence that followed made her slowly lower them again. "…Not the time. Got it. Man I already miss Bobby."
Zerida turned to the glowing map that had shifted since the night before. Paris sprawled across the screen, threads of the Honmoon pulsing like veins. One spot near Montmartre blazed brighter than the rest, a crimson flare against the faint blues.
"This is where we'll begin," she said. "This is the exact spot where Melissa Dumont made contact with a cluster of demons over a week ago. It was also her last sighting of demons, also the strangest. Three groups of the standard-class, one led by a high-class. She neutralized all but the latter."
The screen shifted to a grainy still image, Melissa, standing amidst a ruined street, sword raised, light flashing at the edge of the frame. The angle suggested the photo came from a drone, or maybe a hidden observer.
"I'm sorry, standard class? High class?" Rumi spoke up, her brow furrowing in confusion. "You guys… rate the demons?"
Zerida's eyes settled on her, cold for a moment before shifting into something unreadable. "Indeed. Being the current keepers of the Honmoon grants you advantages that the rest of us do not share. You may not notice the varying dangers demons pose to more ordinary humans."
"We can't all exactly jump out of a crashing jet from hundreds of meters up and continue performing without a scratch," one of the operators muttered under his breath.
Zoey caught it, and from the ripple of silence that spread across the room, she knew everyone else had too.
Zerida ignored the remark and continued, her tone steady. "The standard class are the most common demons to emerge from tears, the Dokkaebi. They possess increased strength and speed, the ability to shapeshift, lethal claws, and pronounced canines. Their cunning and intelligence… vary."
The central screen shifted, displaying an image of a brightly coloured, horned figure with jagged teeth and black eyes. Zoey frowned. She'd seen plenty of those faces before.
"They wrecked our jet," she muttered under her breath. "Those things aren't cheap."
If Zerida heard her, she gave no sign. "While they may seem like minor annoyances to you three, for a newly trained demon hunter, a Sil-sa, three Dokkaebi at once is enough to overwhelm them. With more experience, a hunter can take on ten, even dozens. But numbers always matter."
Her hands folded neatly behind her back as the screen flicked again. This time the image showed a larger, bulkier Dokkaebi hefting a wicked iron club.
"Rare, but not uncommon, are the armed variants. Most wield clubs or maces, very rarely, blades. These Dokkaebi are stronger, faster, and, unlike their kin, possess a measure of skill with those weapons. They are considered standard elite class. Easy to underestimate, and that mistake has cost us more than a few Sil-sa."
"Our Seung-sa are more than capable of handling them," Zerida continued. "Their experience and superior skill with weapons allow them to maneuver around the demons' raw advantages. Thankfully, as with all Dokkaebi, their intelligence varies."
The screen shifted again, this time rippling with the image of a dark, rippling current. Shapes flickered just beneath the surface.
"Next are the water demons, the Shui Gui. They are classified as Mid-class demons. They emerge from rivers, lakes, even fountains, and they possess speed superior to any Dokkaebi. They are also far more coordinated in their attacks, using the environment to devastating effect. Stealth is their deadliest weapon, they are prone to dragging unsuspecting hunters beneath the surface without a sound."
Her tone sharpened. "A Seung-sa can handle up to a dozen Shui Gui before being overwhelmed, but for larger gatherings, the strength of a Gyeol-sa is required."
The display shifted again, this time to a haunting figure: tall, slender, featureless. The faceless demon stood against a pale background, its body shrouded in a thin mist.
"Then we come to the Mid-class elite, the Dalgyal. Faceless demons. Alone, even a Sil-sa can dispatch them. But in groups…" Zerida's voice lowered, heavy. "They are something else entirely. They grow exponentially stronger together, linked by a collective hivemind. And a single group numbers no less than eighty."
She let the silence stretch. "Even full units of Gyeol-sa struggle against them. And their soul absorption rate is nearly instantaneous. Lose track of just one, and within seconds, an entire team of Gyeol-sa can be decimated or far worse. Combat against Dalgyal is highly ill-advised without the presence of at least a single Ju-sa."
The air in the room had thickened by the time the screen shifted again. The new image made Rumi flinch, and Zoey's stomach tightened in recognition.
"The Jeoseung Saja," Zerida said at last. "High-class demons."
Rumi's eyes flickered, and Zoey knew exactly where her friend's thoughts had gone, the Saja Boys.
"Humans tricked by Gwi-Ma into losing their humanity," Zerida pressed on, her voice like steel. "They are faster, stronger than any other class, but their most dangerous trait is not their strength. It is their mind. They retain fragments of their human selves, their memories, their cunning, their ability to lead. With one of them in command, an entire horde of demons becomes exponentially more dangerous."
Her gaze cut sharply toward Huntrix. "I believe you three have had… personal experience with them."
Zoey bit the inside of her cheek as Rumi's shoulders tensed under the weight of every stare in the room. For a moment she thought her friend might actually step back, but Rumi steadied herself.
"Yeah," she said at last. Her voice was low, steady, but Zoey could hear the tightness in it. "Jinu was able to match me blow for blow during our fights… though I was still stronger."
"And don't forget all the ambushes they led us into," Mira added sharply. "Stupid water demons."
Zerida inclined her head slightly. "Exactly. I cannot stress that it is imperative that the Jeoseung Saja be taken out first, immediately, before you handle any other demons. Which…" Her eyes flicked toward the glowing map. "…is what makes Melissa Dumont's report strange."
Rumi took a small step forward. "You said she was able to take out all the standard-class demons," she said slowly, "but not the High-class demon."
Zerida nodded. "As a Ju-sa herself, Melissa is more than capable of defeating a single Saja. However, she reported that this one was far more skilled than expected, which ultimately allowed the demon to escape. In her account, she also mentioned that, at the very last moment of their clash, the demon drew a firearm to deflect a fatal strike."
"I'm sorry, what!?" Zoey blurted, her voice cracking with disbelief.
Even Mira, usually composed, looked rattled. Her lips parted as though to speak, but all that came out was silence before she shut her mouth again, stunned.
Rumi leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "A gun? You're saying a demon used a gun?"
Zerida's expression hardened, her tone carrying a weight that silenced the room. "Yes. It was just as shocking for us to witness. And if demons are beginning to wield weapons of this kind, then we can only assume that the hand behind this… is the very target we've been hunting."
Her gaze swept the room, landing on each of the Huntrix in turn. "Melissa Dumont engaged this Saja and survived. But if these escalations continue to operate unchecked, it will not be long before we face far worse than a stolen firearm."
The map on the screen shifted again, zooming closer to Montmartre. Threads of the Honmoon pulsed faintly beneath the city streets, the crimson flare burning like a wound.
"This is where Melissa reported her last encounter," Zerida said, tapping the marked point on the map. "And here is the sector she's been assigned to patrol over the next week. You'll rendezvous with her and shadow her movements. In turn, we'll be shadowing you. If no attack occurs within that time, we'll assume the operation was a bust. Melissa will be reassigned to a different sector, and we'll flood Paris with dozens of hunters of Seung rank and above."
Zoey raised her hand. "So, uh, just to clarify, our job is basically to be bait?"
"Correct," Zerida said without hesitation.
Zoey let her hand drop. "…Cool, cool. Love that for us."
Mira groaned and rubbed her temples. "You couldn't sugarcoat that even a little?"
"If our target is going after powerful demon hunters, then flaunting the current keepers before them will draw them out inevitably. Would you prefer I lied?" Zerida's tone was flat, but her stare was sharper than the edge of a blade.
"No," Mira muttered, "but maybe next time, start with something like 'good morning.'"
Zoey smirked. "I thought she did. This is her version of good morning."
"Huntrix." Zerida's voice cut across them like a whip.
Rumi straightened, her exhaustion from earlier gone now. "We'll get it done."
Zerida studied her for a long moment, then gave a single sharp nod. "See that you do."
The glowing map faded to black, and the weight in the room seemed to lift just slightly. Zerida turned away, already moving to confer with the operators. Conversation sparked among the crew, muted but buzzing with tension.
Celine, however, lingered. Her arms were still crossed, that same faint smile tugging at her lips. She looked the three of them over with obvious amusement.
"Well," she said softly, "at least you won't be bored."
"Bored?" Zoey echoed. "Lady, if any demons pull out a gun on us, I'm applying for hazard pay."
Mira scoffed. "As if they'd pay you at all."
"True," Zoey admitted, "but I can dream."
Rumi shot them both a look, then glanced back toward the glowing doors of the command center as they hissed open. She exhaled slowly. "Guess we're meeting Melissa."
Zoey perked up, unable to resist. "Finally! The mysterious, sword-swinging French hunter we've been hearing so much about."
Mira arched a brow. "Try not to embarrass us."
"Please," Zoey grinned. "When do I ever embarrass you?"
Mira and Rumi shared the exact same deadpan look.
"…Okay, fine," Zoey muttered. "But this time, I'll be on my best behavior. Promise."
The three of them moved for the exit, the hum of machinery and low chatter fading behind them. Claire immediately led them to one of the Suvs that they would be using.
The group dispersed into the Parisian night, the air heavy with damp stone and the distant chime of bells. Their ride gliding through narrow cobblestone streets, lanterns swaying.
Their destination was a modest and nice church, tucked between taller structures, its cross silhouetted against the sunlight. The sleek heavy wooden doors looked used but that was a facade to lead people into asking less questions about the structure.
The heavy church doors creaked open, and the sound of boots echoed against the stone floor. Melissa stepped out, her posture sharp and her expression all business. A fitted jacket marked with the insignia of her rank clung to her frame, her dark hair tied back to keep it from her face. A faint scar ran along her jawline, catching the light when she turned her head.
"Bonsoir," she said softly, her voice carrying the faint curl of a French accent. Her eyes scanned them with cautious curiosity before settling into a faint smile. "You must be the ones sent to… how do you say… babysit me, non?"
Melissa approached, boots clicking lightly on the stone floor. She extended a gloved hand with deliberate poise, though her words carried a wry edge.
"I am Melissa. Zerida tells me I am to have shadows of my own now." Her tone softened, though she still rolled her r's ever so slightly. "Très bien. I hope you are not afraid of long nights."