Agilan was sitting with Vinod and Shalini outside his home, still shaken from the dream of apocalypse, when the sudden roar of a military-grade helicopter tore through the silence of the evening. The black vehicle descended near the empty ground across the street. Out stepped Raiden Jang, the Apex Association's most feared spear-user, clad in his sleek armored uniform. His eyes glowed faintly with mana—calculating, cold.
"Agilan Shaktivel," Raiden's voice cut sharp. "You're coming with me. The Hunter Association wants you."
Agilan narrowed his eyes, standing up slowly.
"I'm not your soldier. I don't belong to your Association."
Raiden sighed, twirling his spear lazily, as if mocking him.
"Refusal was expected. That's why I brought insurance."
He snapped his fingers. Apex Drones, small but bristling with stun emitters, swarmed out of the helicopter like mechanical wasps, circling Agilan.
Agilan's eyes glowed crimson.
Tendrils burst from his arm, lashing the drones mid-air, gripping them like toys. With a snarl, he slammed them back at Raiden. A chain of explosions ripped across the ground.
But Raiden walked out of the smoke unharmed, his spear gleaming with a futuristic barrier field.
"Child's play."
Agilan's fury surged. He activated Hammerfist Spike, his right arm mutating into a grotesque pillar of hardened flesh and bone. With one leap, he aimed a strike that could level a truck—
—but Raiden didn't flinch.
"If you kill me…" Raiden said calmly, his spear raised to meet the blow, "…then who will take care of your father?"
The words froze Agilan mid-swing.
The impact never landed; instead, the shockwave of his halted strike blasted outward, cracking the road and sending dust spiraling. Vinod and Shalini shielded their faces, terrified.
Raiden continued, voice low but razor sharp:
"Your father is already in our custody. The Apex Association has him. Right now."
Agilan's eyes widened in shock.
"What…?"
Behind Raiden, the agents in black suits stepped out, holding a tablet screen. It showed live footage—Agilan's father being wheeled into a secure medical chamber within the Association headquarters.
"You need the Essence of Seraphis to cure him, don't you?" Raiden said, twirling his spear again. "We want the same thing. And to get it… we both know where you need to go. The Devil's Castle. The Demon King's Horn."
Agilan's fists trembled, torn between rage and desperation. Finally, his Hammerfist melted back into human flesh.
"…Fine. I'll go with you."
Vinod and Shalini immediately stepped forward.
"Then we're coming too!" Vinod shouted.
"You're not leaving us behind," Shalini added, her voice firm despite fear.
Agilan shook his head, grim and cold.
"No. This path… it's not for you. Stay home. Stay safe."
Raiden gestured, and the helicopter's side door opened with a hiss. Agilan stepped inside, the blades roaring to life. The moment the chopper lifted off, Vinod clenched his fists, eyes burning with resolve.
"Like hell I'm staying home."
He grabbed Shalini's arm and ran toward the street. A lone auto rickshaw sat idling nearby. Vinod jumped in, yelling to the driver:
"To the Apex Hunter Association. Fast as you can!"
The rickshaw sputtered to life, chasing the distant helicopter that carried Agilan into the unknown.