David's chest heaves.
Shards of the dummy still spark on the stone.
He wipes sweat with his sleeve after fighting the remaining three demons.
"Wait—" he blurts, "I just realized I haven't eaten."
Chika's earbud glows.
"IDC needs us in Abuja. NOW."
David blinks.
"Why? Breach? One of Kahos' henchmen?"
Chika's face hardens.
"Thought Kahos was solo? Intel says no. Stay here. I'll handle it."
David steps forward.
"Wait—I haven't eaten!"
Chika snaps his fingers.
"Kitchen. Ask the spoon. It'll cook anything. Be good."
FLASH.
Blue light engulfs Chika—he vanishes.
David exhales, stomach growling.
He turns, boots crunching on dummy shards, and strides toward the mansion door.
The courtyard glyphs dim.
The kitchen light flickers on—warm, golden.
David pushes the door.
A silver spoon floats from the counter, bowing.
Inside: golden light, pots orbiting like planets, knives slicing onions mid-air.
A single silver spoon hovers center-stage, twirling like a baton.
SPOON (chipper British accent):
"What'll it be young master"?
David blinks.
"Ehn? You dey talk?"
SPOON spins, saluting.
"Chika's finest cutlery, at your service! Jollof? Pounded yam? Star-fried rice?"
David's stomach growls like a lion.
"All of the above. Fast."
SPOON snaps.
Pans ignite. Rice rains from the ceiling. Egusi swirls in a tornado.
A plantain backflips into hot oil.
David leans on the counter, deadpan.
"If this na dream, wake me after the moi-moi."
SPOON (winking):
"No dream. Just Michelin-star magic."
PLATE slides in front of David—steaming mountain of jollof, two wraps of pounded yam, fried fish staring at him.
David grabs a spoon—another spoon—and digs in.
"Mmmph—better than anything I have ever tasted!"
SPOON (proud):
"Naturally. I trained under Gordon Ramsay's ghost."
David nearly chokes.
"Ghost?!"
SPOON shrugs.
"He's very passionate."
David shovels faster.
"Tell Chika—next time, warn me before the house tries to kill and feed me."
IDC ABUJA – TRAINING CHAMBER BETA – 10:02 P.M.
The black-glass floor was scorched in lion-shaped burn marks.
Prince Awoyemi stood center, chest heaving, solar flames licking his forearms.
Holographic demons—Class-5—lay in smoldering heaps.
Sync: 100% flashed on the dome wall.
Prince wiped sweat.
"Five minutes? Try three."
The observation deck above was empty.
Agent Vision had vanished mid-drill.
Then—
BOOOOOOM!
The entire dome shuddered.
Alarms screamed—red strobes.
Glass cracked in spiderwebs.
Prince's heart slammed.
"Vision?! What's going on?!"
No answer.
The chamber doors exploded inward.
Agents in tactical gear sprinted past, rifles raised.
Gunfire echoed like thunder.
Prince bolted to the doorway.
Outside: chaos.
The main atrium—a cathedral of steel and light—was a warzone.
Ceiling panels rained sparks.
Agents fired plasma rounds into shadows that moved wrong.
A black tendril—Kahos' henchman—slithered across the floor, devouring light.
Where it touched, metal corroded, agents screamed—souls ripped free in violet wisps.
Prince's lion tattoo burned.
"What the hell is THAT?!"
An agent shoved him back.
"CONTAINMENT BREACH! Henchman—Class-Omega!"
Prince's eyes narrowed.
"Not on my watch."
He clapped his hands.
SOLAR ROAR.
A lion's head of flame erupted, slamming the tendril.
It hissed, recoiling.
But more poured from a rift in the ceiling—black, pulsing, hungry.
KANO – NORTHERN FRONT – 10:03 P.M.
The market ruins were quiet—too quiet.
Demon corpses dissolved into ash.
Ojo Emmanuel (Aries) leaned on his flame blade, smirking at Ajibola Favour (Cancer).
"Date? Still no?"
Favour rolled her eyes, tidal fists retracting.
"Focus, hothead."
Tijani (Sagittarius) notched a storm arrow.
Paul and Peter (Gemini) mirro themselves—four copies.
Emmanuella (Pisces) knelt, healing mist
fading.
Gabriel (Taurus) standing still doing nothing
Their earbuds crackled.
SUPERIOR TWO (URGENT):
"Six of you—ABUJA. NOW. Kahos' henchman breached IDC. Move!"
ALL SIX:
"WHAT?!"
Ojo's grin vanished.
"Breach at HQ?"
Favour's claws re-formed.
"Teleport pads—GO!"
They sprinted to a glowing circle in the dirt.
Starlight engulfed them.
IDC ABUJA – ATRIUM – 10:05 P.M.
Prince was a blaze of gold.
Flame leapt from his fists, tearing into tendrils.
But the henchman regenerated—faster.
A claw slashed—Prince dodged, but it grazed his shoulder.
Pain flared.
Agent Vision dropped from the ceiling, cyborg arm transforming into a plasma cannon.
"LEO—FALL BACK!"
Prince snarled.
"Not happening!"
The rift widened.
A second henchman—taller, crowned in void—stepped through.
Alarms escalated:
"OMEGA-PLUS. EVACUATE CIVILIAN SECTORS."
TELEPORT PAD – ARRIVAL
FLASH.
Six warriors materialized in the atrium.
Ojo landed first—flame blades igniting.
"Party's here!"
Favour summoned huge Water waves, slamming tendrils.
Tijani loosed storm arrows—pinning the second henchman.
Paul and Peter copies swarmed, fists flashing like a mini Typhon aiming for kahos's henchmen (the second one)
Emmanuella healed a fallen agent.
Gabriel stomping the ground as it shook aiming his huge horns for one of kahos's henchmen
Prince saw them.
"Reinforcements!"
Favour glanced at him.
"Leo? You're the new guy?"
Prince grinned.
"Prince Awoyemi. At your service."
Ojo laughed.
"Cocky. I like him."
SUPERIOR COMMAND – OBSERVATION DECK
Superior One watched the feed, face grim.
"Two henchmen. Rift stabilizing. We need Chika."
Superior Two tapped his earbud.
"Chika—WHERE IS HE?"
IDC ABUJA – ATRIUM – 10:08 P.M.
BLUE FLASH.
Chika materializes mid-stride, staff blazing.
One Kahos henchman—towering, obsidian-skinned, eyes like dying stars—rips through the ceiling.
It grabs Chika by the throat.
Chika's staff ignites.
STARLIGHT EXPLOSION.
The henchman flies upward, crashing through glass and steel, erupting into the Abuja night.
Chika soars after it, staff trailing comet fire.
ABUJA STREETS – 10:09 P.M.
BOOM.
The henchman crashes into Ahmadu Bello Way, cars flipping, streetlights shattering.
Chika lands on a danfo roof, staff planted.
"You must be one of Kahos' henchmen. Am I right?"
The henchman rises, void armor regenerating.
Voice like grinding planets:
"Yes."
Chika grins.
"Then let's dance."
IDC ATRIUM – SIMULTANEOUS
The second henchman—smaller, faster, crowned in black flame—lunges at the warriors.
Prince (Leo) and Ojo (Aries) step forward.
TATTOOS IGNITE.
Golden fire runes crawl across Prince's arms, chest, face.
Crimson flame sigils burn on Ojo's blades.
Prince roars.
FLAMING LION PUNCH.
Fist connects—explosion of light.
Ojo slashes—dual flame blades carve a fiery X.
The henchman blocks, tendrils whipping.
Prince spins—roundhouse kick, fire trail.
Ojo flips—downward slash, blades screaming.
TATTOOS PULSE.
Fire tattoos glow brighter, syncing.
Prince: "Left!"
Ojo: "On it!"
Prince uppercuts—henchman staggers.
Ojo follows—blades cross, severing a tendril.
Black blood sprays.
ABUJA SKY – 10:10 P.M.
Chika vs. Henchman #1.
The creature swings—void claw.
Chika dodges, staff spinning.
STARLIGHT WHIP lashes, cutting deep.
Henchman roars, opens maw—soul-suck vortex.
Chika plants staff.
COSMIC SHIELD forms—star runes orbiting.
"Not today."
He leaps, staff overhead.
METEOR STRIKE.
Staff slams down—crater forms, shockwave ripples.
Henchman kneels, cracked.
STREETS – SIMULTANEOUS
Prince and Ojo in perfect sync.
Prince: "Now!"
Ojo: "ZODIAC FLAME—UNISON!"
Prince claps—solar lion head.
Ojo slashes—flame arc.
COMBINED ATTACK.
Golden-red lion charges, roaring.
Impacts henchman—explosion of fire and void.
Henchman #2 screams, body fracturing.
ABUJA ROOFTOP – 10:11 P.M.
Chika stands over the kneeling henchman.
"Tell Kahos—Abuja is off-limits."
He raises staff.
STARLIGHT SPEAR.
Pierces core.
Henchman dissolves into black mist.
STREETS – 10:12 P.M.
Henchman #2 collapses, void fading.
Prince and Ojo fist-bump, tattoos dimming.
Prince: "Not bad, Aries."
Ojo: "You too!"
Sirens wail.
Civilians cheer from windows.