Chapter 34: Succulog #34 : The end of a nightmare
A path of envy that spiraled into hollow contempt. A hatred for the strong, even after seizing the power he once coveted. Was it an inferiority complex? No. It was the immutable truth that strength was never a goal—only a tool, a weapon of control. The strong will always bend the weak to their whims, break them, consume them, and discard their husks, never once sated.
The weak can only envy them and die. Watch as their pathetic lives would amount at nothing, that the universe shall be silent under this injustice inherent to life itself.
Cry all you wish; no ears shall hear you.
Plead for mercy; no hands shall grant it.
Struggle, rise, claw your way upward—and watch as they grind you beneath their heels, scattering what remains of your defiance to the wind.
Sit. Watch. Be nothing. A spectator to your own life while others seize the stage, play the roles, take the glory.
And when the time comes, when you have screamed your voice hoarse in the abyss, when you have clawed at your own skin in futile rebellion, only then will you understand—
There was never a choice.
Strength is not the opposite of weakness. It is its executioner.
And in this theater of power, you were never meant to be more than an afterthought.
This is the Hatman. Born in weakness, carved and built by the indifference of the strong.
The sin of envy was no longer a burden, but a formality. A thing worn like an old coat, long since accepted, too ingrained to shed.
He had lost his way ages ago, but he had never stopped walking.
What was it that he wanted? After a million years, he had forgotten.
Toward the future, the unending future where he could witness the true meaning of life.
The meaninglessness of it all.
The room was dim, illuminated only by the flickering glow of a single, weary lamp. Shadows stretched long across the walls, shifting with each hesitant tremor of the light. Seated at his desk, the Hatman hummed—a tune without rhythm, without melody, without meaning.
In his hands, a blade moved, gliding over a block of wood. Each stroke was precise, peeling away thin curls that drifted to the floor. His hat, wide-brimmed, cast a deep shadow over his face, veiling whatever expression might have been there.
A slow, rhythmic scrape filled the silence.
In the corner of the room, bound and gagged, the fox watched. Her tails twitched faintly against the cold floor, the only other sound besides the low hum and the scraping of wood.
The Hatman neither rushed nor hesitated. The blade in his fingers danced, forming something from nothing, shaping a nameless figure from the lifeless wood.
And then, without ceremony, he tossed the block of wood aside with a dull thunk and set the knife down on the desk.
"Urgh… I swear," he muttered, leaning back in his chair. "I don't understand why cowboys in these movies even do this. I mean, like, get a real hobby, you know?"
He chuckled to himself, stretching his arms behind his head. "What do ya think, little fox?" he smirked at the bound Daji in the corner of the room. However, this time she didn't speak and barely gave him a sidelong glance.
"Yeah, me neither…" he mused, as if she had spoken in his head. He tilted his chair back slightly, balancing on two legs. "You know, it's too bad you can't talk, 'cause I bet we'd have some great conversations, you and I."
Daji's golden eyes sharpened, her stare dripping with disdain. Just ungag me, you idiot.
The Hatman grinned. "Yeah, but your voice is annoying. Your laugh too. I had to repeat it in the mirror for so long to get it right!"
He sighed dramatically, shaking his head. "You wouldn't believe the effort I put in. It's honestly a little insulting how little you appreciate it."
Her tails twitched again, a ripple of restrained fury, but she remained silent, her eyes never leaving him. The Hatman leaned forward now, the chair slamming back onto all four legs with a sharp crack. He propped his elbows on the desk, resting his chin in his hands as he studied her with a mockingly thoughtful air.
"Y'know, I've been thinking," he began, his tone shifting to something almost conversational. "All this time, you've corrupted guys, right? Do you enjoy doing that or something? Just shake your head."
Daji's gaze flickered before she nodded her head.
"I see…" the Hatman sighed. "Well, good for you, I guess," he said, slumping back in his chair as if looking disinterested in the question he just asked.
"HMMMM!" she tried to speak, a vein popping on her forehead.
"Ahahah," he chuckled, grinning wide. "I love to fuck with you people. It's always so fun. All this time, you've been untouchable—legendary, even. And now?" He spread his hands, gesturing toward her bound form. "Now you're about as useful as the random guy living next door."
His laughter lingered in the air, light and mocking, as the fox's nails dug into the cold floor beneath her.
Then, suddenly, he stopped. The amusement drained from his face, his head tilting slightly toward the door.
"Oh?" His voice was eerily calm, almost curious. "Did these idiots find me already?"
A heartbeat later, the door exploded inward, wood splintering into shards as bursts of magical energy illuminated the room. Gunfire followed—a hail of enchanted bullets ripping through the air.
One struck his forehead dead center.
The Hatman's skull snapped backward, a sickening crack echoing through the room as blood and brain matter painted the wall behind him. His body slumped, the chair beneath him tipping over with a dull thud.
A squad of armed men stormed inside, clad in black tactical gear, their faces hidden beneath helmets and masks. They moved with practiced efficiency, sweeping the room with glowing sights fixed to their rifles.
A man entered behind them, a lit cigar rested between his lips. He wore a sharp suit, a cane in one hand, his every step exuding authority. His eyes roamed the dimly lit space until they landed on the fox.
"He had a hostage?" His tone was refined, almost amused, as he exhaled a slow puff of smoke.
"Don't release her now," a woman's voice echoed from the shadows, unseen yet commanding. "We don't know if she's trustworthy… or if she's a calamity waiting to happen."
The man took a slow drag from his cigar, exhaling a plume of smoke as his gaze shifted from the body to the fox.
"Alright," he said, his tone firm. His eyes never left the Hatman's lifeless form. "Keep him in check. He might reappear soon. Take the girl and find what he stole from me. Don't waste any more time here. Get out of here, and don't leave a trace."
Without hesitation, the squad moved. Their motions were swift, coordinated, and practiced. They surrounded the room, methodically ransacking the area while one of them took the bound fox. Her resistance was minimal, too little to stop them as they hoisted her up and carried her out.
Within moments, the room was stripped bare. The men filed out, leaving no evidence of their presence behind, vanishing as quietly as they had arrived.
A soft groan echoed from the middle of the room.
"Oh, man…" The Hatman's voice, strained and groggy, as his body reappeared in the lone chair. He rubbed at his forehead with one hand, still disoriented. "Why did I take so long to die?" He muttered to himself, the words edged with frustration. With a grunt, he reached down and picked up the bullet that had fallen to the floor when his body disappeared. He examined it closely, turning it over between his fingers.
"A healing spell?" he mused, letting out a short laugh. "Just enough to keep me alive for a minute or so, huh? Must be a well-informed guy to pull that off…"
He tossed the bullet back onto the floor with a sigh and stood up, his legs shaky at first. "Too bad I didn't hear his voice," he continued, grinning wryly as he paced the room. "Too preoccupied dying painfully, I guess…"
He stopped and stared at the empty space around him, his eyes narrowing as he noticed the absence of his usual belongings. "They took Miss Fox too? Aww, and here I was getting attached to her."
His hand instinctively reached inside his jacket, then froze.
"Those pieces of shit…" he grumbled, his voice rising with frustration. "They took my stuff too? How? My pockets are stuffed to the brim with shit!" He quickly patted his jacket again, his eyes scanning the bare room. "Where the hell is it all? Damn thieves."
He sighed warily while taking his hat off, and rubbed his hair. "Must be the council or something… What are they plotting?"
Still, now he was out of talismans to teleport, and all of his weapons were gone.
Which reminded him of the book he had stolen. He froze mid-thought, his eyes widening. "Oh crap… Don't tell me they stole that fucking book," he sighed again. "I swear if they open it up by accident… Well, I'm going to die, that's what's gonna happen. Perhaps Niño will be able to handle it…"
He shook his head, his irritation growing. The council would never stop their meddling. His next moves were unclear, but the risks were higher than ever. He would need a plan, and fast. If that book fell into the wrong hands... well, it wouldn't just be his life on the line.
"Though I guess a whole world orgasming to extinction could be fun to see… Nah, fuck this bitch. She turned me down two times already." he spat before tucking his hands in his front pockets.
"Well, stealing time!" he grinned, stepping out of the apartment. "Good thing it's night and I'm not too far from there. Let's get some stuff back!"
In the house full of succubi, a shadow creeps inside the kitchen. With a quick flick of her wrist, she flipped the switch to turn the lights on, her hands rubbing against each other as she made her way to the fridge.
"Hehe… Nothing better than a midnight snack," she licked her lips as she opened the fridge, her ruby eyes gleaming in the dim light.
Inside, rows of neatly arranged desserts and luxurious food lined the shelves—offerings no doubt meant to fuel the hedonistic appetites of the house's residents. Her tail swayed lazily behind her as she reached for a slice of strawberry cake, her fingers just grazing the plate when—
Click.
The soft sound of a gun cocking froze her in place.
"Midnight snack, huh?" a voice drawled from the shadows.
Her ears twitched and her cheeks flushed in embarrassment as she quickly turned around, her ponytail swaying with the movement. Standing in the doorway, leaning lazily against the frame, was the Hatman.
"You know," he continued, tilting his hat up slightly, "I'm not here to make a fuss. How about we make a deal?"
Eva blinked before straightening up, her eyes locked onto the barrel of the gun. "Uh… What kind of deal?"
"I don't know. What would make you shut up about my little appearance here?"
"You've got some food on you?"
The Hatman stared at her, then let out a breathy chuckle, lowering the gun slightly. "You're robbing the fridge and asking me for food?"
Eva shrugged, her tail flicking behind her. "Hey, you're the one making offers. I figure, if you want me to ignore whatever shady things you're up to, a little bribery isn't out of the question."
He smirked, tucking the gun away. "Fair enough." Digging into his coat, he rummaged around before pulling out a small, cloth-wrapped bundle. He tossed it to her, and she caught it easily.
Unwrapping it, she found a still-warm meat bun, the scent hitting her like a spell. "Oho…" she hummed in appreciation, taking a slow bite. The flavor melted on her tongue.
"Where'd you get this?" she asked between bites, her suspicion not entirely gone.
"Don't worry about it," he replied smoothly, adjusting his hat. "So, we got a deal?"
Eva licked her lips, savoring the last bite before wiping her fingers on a napkin. She gave him a playful grin. "I could scream, y'know."
The Hatman sighed, rubbing his temple. "Do we not have a deal?"
She tapped a finger to her chin, pretending to consider it. "Hmm… Nope. That was just my appetizer. If you want me really quiet, you're gonna have to sweeten the pot."
"Fine," the Hatman sighed, pulling out a load of cash he just stole from Luka's drawer. "Is that good?"
"Now we're talking," she smirked, picking up the pack of bills.
"Okay, now stay still while I take what I need and then go out."
Eva flipped through the stack of cash with a satisfied hum, her tail curling behind her like a pleased cat's. "Mmm, you drive a hard bargain," she mused, tucking the money into the strap of her panties. "Alright, I can be quiet—for now."
The Hatman exhaled sharply through his nose, shaking his head as he turned toward the entrance closet. "Good."
With practiced hands, he ran his fingers along the frame, searching until he found the telltale groove of a hidden compartment. A soft click, and the false wall slid open, revealing a neatly arranged stash of talismans tucked within. He grinned, plucking them out one by one and stuffing them into his pockets.
Eva leaned against the counter, watching him with mild amusement as she licked the last remnants of flavor from her lips. "You always break into places like this?"
"Only when people take my shit," he replied without looking up, tucking away the last of the talismans before carefully sliding the panel back into place.
Satisfied, he turned to the drawer next to the closet and began rifling through its contents. Papers, spare keys, a few enchanted trinkets—nothing of interest. But then, tucked away in a small wooden box, he found what he was looking for: a gem, small enough to rest in his palm, pulsing faintly with an inner glow.
He plucked it out, holding it up to the light. "There you are."
Eva's ears perked. "What's that?"
"Nothing," he said smoothly, slipping the gem into his coat. Then, before she could pry further, he pulled out one of the stolen talismans and smirked. "Alright—been fun. Bye."
With a flick of his wrist, he vanished without a trace, leaving only the faint scent of smoke and mischief behind.
Eva blinked at the empty space where he had stood. Then, shrugging, she turned her attention back to the cash, rolling the stack between her fingers with a grin.
"Hehe… With this, I'll finally be able to start my own business."
Her dreams were short-lived.
By morning, Luka had confiscated every last bill.
The next evening, the Hatman found himself perched on the edge of a city rooftop, watching the street below with idle curiosity. The gem sat in his palm, pulsing softly, its glow faint but constant.
The place he was in was the last battlefield of an immense catastrophe. This was where the portal crisis had reached its climax. The place where Luka and company had defeated Wrath, the headquarters of the Magic Council, or at least the building it was on.
Now, like a miracle, everything was back to normal and the Magic Council was as good as new.
"So… This is where it happened," he muttered to himself while flipping absentmindedly the stone in his hand.
Without hesitation, he stepped off the edge of the building.
A shimmer of magic wrapped around him mid-fall, rendering him invisible just before his feet touched the ground. Silent as a shadow, he slipped through the front doors of the Council's headquarters.
The grand hall was alive with activity—mages in long robes sipped coffee and tea, engrossed in quiet discussions. Apprentices scurried back and forth, carrying stacks of scrolls. It was a well-oiled machine, a place of order.
That was, until he took one step past the entrance barrier.
A pulse of magic surged through him, shattering his invisibility like fragile glass.
The entire room froze. Conversations died mid-sentence. All eyes turned toward the man who had just appeared out of thin air.
Hatman sighed theatrically, tipping his hat up with a smirk.
"Yo! Who the hell stole my stuff?" His voice carried through the silent hall, casual and amused. He spread his arms as if he were a guest who had just walked into his own welcome party. "I figured the culprit had to be from around here, so… here I am."
The faces of the students paled and many of the people here began drawing their weapons, all aimed at him.
"Well, that's not a way to welcome an old friend. Do you guys even remember who I am?"
"Yes!" a voice suddenly echoed from the shadows. "And we are under orders to kill you if you were to come here."
Hatman barely had time to register the words before a cold sensation washed over him.
His vision tilted.
The floor rushed up to meet him.
A heartbeat later, his head rolled to a stop, giving him a rather unusual view of the room—his own body still standing upright, hands twitching as if confused, while a shadowy figure emerged from the air itself, blade dripping with his blood.
The fluffy tail behind her flicked once.
"Well, shit," his head muttered from the ground.
Gasps filled the hall. Students clutched at their chests, some recoiling in horror. The more seasoned mages, however, didn't so much as flinch.
The silver-haired mage who had spoken earlier adjusted his glasses, watching the scene with clinical interest. "Impressive," he mused, eyes flicking to the assassin. "That was clean, Tail of Wrath."
The woman—Daji—stood still, her golden eyes locked onto Hatman's lifeless body. "It's not over."
And she was right. Before anyone could take another breath, Hatman's body vanished.
A heartbeat later, he was back in place, completely intact. With a lazy stretch, he cracked his neck, flexed his fingers, and grinned.
"All good," he announced, adjusting his hat. "That could've been a real pain in the neck."
Daji's expression didn't change, but her grip on her weapon tightened ever so slightly.
Hatman smirked, flicking the brim of his hat. "So, a Tail of Wrath, huh? How fortunate—I happened to have lost a friend who's basically you from another world."
The silver-haired mage exhaled, unimpressed. "She already escaped," he said. "In fact, we would've preferred if you told us you found her."
Hatman shrugged, raising both hands as if the situation were entirely out of his control. "Well, that was going to happen sooner or later."
Before he could say more, Daji moved again, faster than the eye could follow. The gleam of her blade reflected the light as she aimed for his torso, her intent clear—she was going to dismember him, swiftly and without mercy.
Hatman's face grew serious in a fraction of a second. His fingers moved with practiced ease, pulling a small, silver handgun from his coat. Without hesitation, he fired.
Daji didn't flinch, and the bullet whizzed past her. In a blur, her blade came down. Hatman's arm, still gripping the gun, was severed at the elbow. The clean cut left no room for hesitation—his limb fell to the floor with a soft thud , the gun clattering beside it.
Pain shot through his body, but he barely winced.
"A ninja fox, how fun," Hatman chuckled through gritted teeth, watching his dismembered arm twitch on the ground. He winced, feeling the sting of the injury but refusing to show weakness. "You're fast."
Daji said nothing, her masked face unreadable, her black tail swishing behind her like a predator poised to strike again. Her golden eyes burned with focus, waiting for his next move.
The silver-haired mage, standing off to the side, raised a finger toward the Hatman, a faint shimmer of magic sealing the wound on his severed arm with agonizing slowness.
"So dismember him and then seal me? Got it," he chucked. "Not a bad plan if you ask me, only if you're fighting someone not very determined. He reached within his pocket once more gemstone and flicked it with his thumb toward the fox.
"Shi—!" Daji's voice barely escaped her lips as she leaped back, her eyes wide with realization. But she was too late.
The gemstone detonated in a blinding flash, its energy erupting in a violent shockwave that tore through the floor with a deafening roar. The building groaned, walls buckling as the blast obliterated everything in its path, sending dust and debris spiraling in a choking whirlwind.
Daji was flung backward, her body twisting midair as she barely managed to land on her feet, claws skidding across the shattered floor. The world around her dissolved into chaos—light and sound colliding, smoke clogging the air, jagged shards of debris raining down like a storm of shrapnel.
The Hatman, caught at the epicenter, was hurled from his feet, his body contorted at unnatural angles. Yet in a heartbeat, he reappeared—untouched, his coat fluttering lightly in the settling dust. He adjusted his hat with a casual flick, hands slipping back into his pockets as if he'd merely stumbled.
The students and the personnel were mostly unharmed, thanks to the quick reflexes of a few of the more experienced mages who had shielded themselves at the last moment.
"So, like I said," the Hatman sighed, brushing a speck of dust off his sleeve, "I came here to talk, not level this place. How 'bout we make a deal?"
The silver-haired mage, who had been watching from a distance with calculating eyes, sneered. "The very fact that you're trying to make a deal is proof that you have no way to survive this," he shot back, his voice dripping with scorn.
The Hatman's smirk faded, his eyes turning cold in irritation. "I don't think you guys understand what you stole. It's always the same with you fucking bureaucrats and top mages. You think you're at the top of everything and that you can get away with anything."
His gaze hardened as he stepped forward. "I'm not here to negotiate because I can't win. I'm here because you've made a mistake. A big one."
"Don't mock me!" Daji lunged again, her blade flashing with lethal intent, but her black tail bristled at the last second, instincts screaming to dodge.
In that split-second hesitation, the Hatman moved—faster than should've been possible—slipping past her in a blur of motion, his speed almost otherworldly as he closed the distance to the silver-haired mage.
He muttered something under his breath, words too low and rapid to catch, as he strolled past them with an eerie calm, heading straight for the elevator.
Once inside, he turned with a languid grace, locking eyes with Daji and the remaining mages as the doors began to slide shut. "Don't follow if you don't wanna die," he said, his voice a quiet, chilling promise. He pressed the button for the office above, and the elevator hummed to life, ascending with a soft whirr.
No one moved. The only sound was the faint echo of the elevator's ascent.
"I need to go after him," Daji growled through clenched teeth, her tails lashing as she bolted for the stairs leading upward.
The silver-haired mage sighed heavily, his chest tight with unease, but he remained rooted in place, eyes darting between the stairwell and the chaos left in the Hatman's wake.
Upstairs, the Hatman didn't spare a glance for the researchers scrambling in the facility's pristine halls. His boots echoed faintly against the polished floors as he strode with purpose toward the most secured area: the office of one of the most insufferable lords of the Council he'd ever had the displeasure of crossing paths with.
At the end of the hall stood a set of double doors, heavy oak carved with symbols of authority—golden inlays of scales and swords, a mockery of justice if he'd ever seen one. A pair of guards flanked the entrance, their hands tightening on their rifles as he approached. Their faces were pale, beads of sweat glistening on their brows despite the chill in the air.
"Turn back," one of them barked, his voice trembling beneath the bravado. "This area's restricted. No one gets through without—"
The Hatman didn't break stride. His remaining hand flicked upward, a low murmur escaping his lips—"Pressure, 20%"—and a ripple of unseen force erupted outward, slamming both guards against the doors with a bone-jarring crunch. The impact flung the doors wide open, the guards crumpling behind the desk inside like discarded marionettes, their rifles clattering uselessly across the floor.
A pair of knives suddenly tore the air behind him and he quickly turned around to swat them with a reinforced arm, their sharp points piercing the door behind him.
Daji stood at the far end of the corridor, her golden eyes blazing with fury, another tail having appeared in her back, making it two.
"She absorbed a tail…?" he muttered to himself as she picked up two more knives from her belt and bolted down the hallway toward him. Her lips curled into a snarl, baring sharp canines, as she launched another knife in a deadly arc.
The Hatman sidestepped the projectile with an almost lazy ease, the blade grazing past him to embed itself in the wall with a sharp crack. Daji closed the distance in a heartbeat, her left hand gripping the remaining knife while her right drew a sleek, curved sword from its sheath.
She prepared to strike, her stance low and coiled.
"Do you even remember that I faced you with nine tails?" the Hatman's smirk returned as he shifted his weight.
Daji didn't waste breath on a reply. She lunged, her sword slashing downward in a vicious arc aimed to cleave him from shoulder to hip, while her knife darted in from the side, a secondary strike meant to catch him if he dodged the first.
But instead of dodging or sidestepping as she'd anticipated, the Hatman moved faster—stepping inside her guard in a blur of motion. He drove his shoulder into her chest with a brutal bash, the impact sending her crashing against the wall with a sickening crunch. Plaster cracked around her, dust cascading down as she gasped, her weapons slipping from her grasp to clatter on the floor.
"Now stay still," he chuckled, pinning her head against the wall with his reinforced arm, his grip unyielding as her tails thrashed weakly behind her. "I don't want you dying on me just yet. Might need you later."
"And what makes you think I'm going to let you take her, Hatman?" The sound of a cane tapping against the polished floor interrupted him.
The Hatman didn't release Daji, but his head turned slowly, his smirk fading into something colder as he sized up the newcomer. From the office, he had just blown up the doors stood an older figure, dressed in a dark tailored suit with a white flower pinned on his chest. The man's face was lined with age, his silver hair slicked back. He leaned lightly on an ebony cane, its silver handle engraved with runes that pulsed faintly with arcane energy.
"Are you the one who stole my shit, Crocus?" the Hatman asked, as he adjusted his hat with a flick of his fingers.
Crocus's lips curled into a thin, disdainful smile, his cane tapping once more as he took a measured step forward. "Your vulgarity never ceases to disappoint. But I suppose it suits a man of your lineage."
The Hatman chuckled, his grip on Daji tightening for a moment as she let out a muffled growl. "Lineage, huh? You're gonna keep insulting me with that, thinking it's going to make me angry? Aren't you the lowly thief stealing what belongs to me?"
Crocus raised an eyebrow. "Is stealing a thief stealing? I wonder."
The Hatman's gaze darkened, his smirk twisting into something feral as he shoved Daji harder against the wall, ensuring she stayed put, before taking a slow step toward Crocus. "Keep wondering all you like. Just give me everything back and maybe I'll think twice before finally putting this facility back to its old state."
Crocus tilted his head slightly, his smile never wavering, though it carried the sharpness of a blade. He tapped his cane again, the sound ringing ominously in the room. "Always so impatient," he chuckled. "You don't understand your position, Hatman. You were defeated years ago. You have no control over this world anymore."
A sudden shot rang out from the office behind them.
The Hatman's eyes widened in brief surprise, the sound of the bullet cutting through the air followed by a searing pain as the projectile tore through his chest. Blood began to seep out from the wound, dripping onto the floor as he staggered back, gasping for breath.
Crocus's smile widened, his tone growing more insufferable. "You see, you have nowhere left to go," he continued, his voice dripping with smug triumph. "We've sealed this entire place with a barrier stronger than any you've ever encountered."
He took a deliberate step forward, watching as the Hatman tried to steady himself. "You're just a relic now. A fading shadow of a man who once had power. It is I who control the world now, just like it was always meant to be."
The Hatman grimaced, but his hands tightened into fists at his sides. Just as he was about to take another step, a low, violent growl sounded from behind them.
Daji, having regained her strength, pushed herself off the wall, her expression a mixture of fury and determination. Her body was bruised, but she was still standing.
Hatman's bloodied body still stood, but his eyes were focused, filled with hatred for the man who thought himself untouchable.
"I'll show you," Crocus chuckled. "You used Daji as a weapon for so long, didn't you? Always pushing her into your battles, your schemes... How about I show you what I'm doing to it?"
He turned to Daji, his expression darkening. "Daji, kill yourself."
For a long, heart-stopping moment, the room seemed to hold its breath. Daji's tail twitched, her eyes dull for a brief second. Then, without a second's hesitation, she nodded eagerly, her voice a cold, mechanical echo.
"Yes, master."
In one fluid motion, she drew a slender blade from the folds of her tattered cloak and slashed it across her own throat with chilling precision. Time seemed to stretch into an agonizing eternity as the crimson aftermath spilled forth, a stark cascade against the pale floor. Her body went rigid, then limp, collapsing in a surreal silence, the blade slipping from her lifeless fingers to clatter against the ground.
Hatman's eyes locked onto Daji's motionless form, his expression unreadable for a moment.
"Now you won't be able to reunite her tails," Crocus smirked, his voice laced with cruel satisfaction as he adjusted his grip on his cane. "Not that you'd ever manage it, but… call it payback, in a way."
"You think I give a shit about her?" the Hatman croaked, his voice filled with pain. His eyes flicked back to Crocus, narrowing into slits of cold disdain as he straightened, ignoring the blood dripping from his wounds. "Shit, you really don't know how to scheme, do you? What, was that supposed to intimidate me?"
"Intimidate you? No, Hatman. That was merely a demonstration of what happens to tools that outlive their usefulness. And a preview of what's going to happen to you for the next thousand years in isolation once I've controlled your feeble mind."
The Hatman stood silent, before another shot rang out, this time finding the arm that was about to reach in his pocket. He groaned in pain as blood trickled down the wound, but clenched his teeth.
That was it. What he hated most.
These kinds of bastards—spoiled, entitled filth who had everything handed to them on a silver platter, who treated the weak like fodder to be used and discarded without a second thought. Sure, he'd planned to use Daji himself—bend her to his own ends—but killing her like this, so callously, so inefficiently, was an insult to the very concept of strategy. It made his blood boil, a molten rage coursing through his veins hotter than the pain of his wounds. They truly were spoiled rotten, given everything they desired with no one to tell them to fuck off or hit back—until now.
He uttered a single word. To remind this fool, these fools, the fools that inhabit this pathetic world why he was feared.
The clown that danced in the shadows, his name whispered in fear every time he appeared.
The human who took on demons, mages, gods, anything that dared to look down upon him.
"Control."
Crocus's smirk faltered, his icy composure cracking for a fleeting moment as a flicker of unease passed through his gaze, though he quickly masked it with a sneer. "Control?" he scoffed, his voice steady but tinged with a subtle wariness as he tightened his grip on his cane. "You have no more mana furnace! Your reserves are as full as an infant! What do you think you can—"
A blue line rippled from his feet, coursing the hallway's walls.
Another shot rang out, but this time, the Hatman knew exactly where it came from. His eyes widened, pupils dilating as his brain kicked into overdrive, thoughts racing at superhuman speed thanks to the spell's augmentation. He shifted an inch—just enough for the bullet to graze his shoulder, tearing fabric and flesh in a shallow streak—before lunging forward in a blur of motion. His bloodied hand shot out, fingers clamping around Crocus's face with a grip like iron, cutting off the man's words mid-sentence.
Crocus's eyes widened in shock, his sneer vanishing as the Hatman's fingers dug into his flesh, the runes on his cane flaring erratically as if struggling to respond to the sudden assault.
"Pieces of shit like you are why I lose my cool," the Hatman exhaled slowly. His grip was unyielding, the man's face in his grasp nothing more than a toy to be crushed. "Mana furnace? No, mana? Who the hell needs that?" "Mana furnace? No, mana? Who the hell needs that?"
"Wh-What?" Crocus stammered as he tried to move from the man's grip.
The Hatman's eyes narrowed as he leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper. "I just need to sing my death."
He hummed a low, haunting tune, and the world around them seemed to bend.
"Dark Rondo"
The lights in the room flickered and died, plunging them into darkness. A suffocating stillness swept over the area, and for a fraction of a second, it felt like the very air had been sucked out of the room. A dark smoke coiled around the Hatman, swirling in the shadows like some malevolent spirit given form.
Then, with just more pressure added to his fingers—
Crocus's skull caved in with a sickening crack that rang out like a drumbeat, the sound echoing in the silent room. His body went limp instantly, his head a mangled mess in the Hatman's grip. The life drained from his eyes as his body slumped to the floor, nothing more than a broken shell.
Then, with a deep, controlled exhale, the Hatman slowly released Crocus's ruined head, letting the lifeless body crumple to the floor with a sickening thud. The smoke continued to thicken and he could hear the shooter tremble.
With a cold, calculated focus, he outstretched his bloodied hand toward the double doors leading into Crocus's inner sanctum. His fingers twitched slightly as he gathered his energy, a low hum emanating from his fingertips.
"Never tried this one but…" He exhaled, his voice soft and almost contemplative. "If Niño could do it, I bet I can."
A light appeared at his fingertips, and in a heartbeat—"Dawnstar"—a blinding light erupted from it. The light was searing, incandescent, the condensed fury of a sun unleashed in a heartbeat. It shot forward with the force of a comet, a beam of raw, unstoppable energy that tore through the air with a deafening roar.
In the small city surrounding the Council's stronghold, none of the residents in the nearby buildings even had time to register what happened. It unfolded in mere seconds, a cataclysm too swift and absolute to comprehend—an unstoppable natural disaster birthed from a single man's will.
Before the Hatman stretched a gaping wound in the world, a molten scar that carved through building after building. Plaster, metal, and every material that constituted the city melted into a river of molten lava, the blast's heat approaching the temperature of the sun itself. The air shimmered with unbearable radiance, the edges of the devastation glowing red-hot as the once-proud structures dissolved into slag, the echoes of destruction fading into an eerie, smoldering silence.
After killing himself, the Hatman stood at the epicenter of the carnage, the faint remnant of the Dawnstar fading from his fingertips as smoke swirled around him, mingling with the haze of heat and ash.
He felt nothing. No sorrow, no regret. Only the raw, chaotic need to laugh.
The manic laughter spilled from him, a sound that reverberated in the desolation he had left behind. It echoed across the broken city.
The Council? Gone. Their stronghold, reduced to nothing but smoldering ruins.
Thousands of lives, snuffed out in an instant.
In the distance, the wail of fire trucks and ambulance sirens pierced the air, their frantic calls drowned out by the cries of panicked survivors stumbling through the molten wreckage.
He didn't want this, but, he still did it.
All of his relics were gone, consumed in the blaze or buried beneath the ruin—except for one thing. Something fell from the sky, tumbling through the smoke and ash to land with a dull thud at his feet. A red book, its leather cover scorched but intact, the one thing he'd hoped they hadn't tampered with.
His laughter died abruptly, his ash-covered hand reaching down to snatch it from the debris.
He pocketed away the book in his inside pocket and sighed in relief. His plan with Daji? Gone. His plan to use Nina's equipment to fight? Gone. No more Timestop either.
The only thing he had left was the power of this devil sealed inside this book, and his own.
The city around him was dying, burning, crumbling. But somewhere deep within him, there was a shift.
Now, all he had to do was put a name on this disaster to instill as much fear as he could.
To become a nightmare they would remember for the rest of their lives.
The Hatman's lips curled into a twisted smile as he raised his arms up in the sky, his voice booming amidst the destruction.
"I DID IT! ETCH IT INTO YOUR MEMORIES! MY NAME—!"
He paused for a beat, the destruction around him speaking volumes in the silence that followed.
"THE HATMAN!" he screamed, his voice carrying over the smoldering landscape. "And you will never forget it! Never!"
The wind howled, the smoke thickened, and the cries of the survivors faded beneath the weight of his proclamation.
But this was not enough. A simple declaration could only confuse them.
So, he did what he had to do. Using Control, he scanned his surroundings, noting every survivor nearby—
And sung his death once more.
"Dark Rondo, it's time to dance and turn a city to ashes!"
But as he was about to take a step, a portal opened a bit far from him. From it, the succubus of white appeared, her eyes blazing with determination as she lunged forward, her joined hands crackling with chaotic energy.
"HATMAN!" Minagi growled in fury as she approached him.
"Well, well," he chuckled as he lowered his arms, the blue energy of "Control" still flickering faintly around him. "What's a party without an audience?!" his voice erupted as he picked a talisman from his inner pocket.
He launched it skyward with a flick of his wrist, the talisman spinning through the air as he vanished in a blink, teleporting to its position just as Minagi's attack roared forward. Her chaotic energy slammed into the ground where he'd stood, shattering debris into a storm of dust and molten fragments, the force rippling outward with a deafening crack.
Now airborne, the Hatman twisted mid-flight, his mana flaring as he hurled another talisman further into the distance. He vanished again, reappearing atop a crumbling building near the train station, his boots crunching against the scorched rooftop.
Minagi arrived moments later, hovering in the air with Ntwali clutched under her arm. Her eyes locked onto him in a cold manner while Ntwali looked at the destruction below with despair.
"This is…" he muttered, glancing at a few people below trying to escape from the debris. "This is…" he echoed as he watched firefighters trying to help a man in fire. "Why?"
"No need to ask," the Hatman's voice boomed from below, resonant and unrepentant. "I am a villain, aren't I?"
"This is absurd!" Minagi shot back, her voice sharp with fury as she tightened her grip on Ntwali. "No one with a shred of sanity calls themselves a villain! Even then, this much destruction helps no one!"
"But it does help me!" the Hatman retorted, his grin widening into a manic crescent as he spread his arms, embracing the smoldering landscape. "Now, with so many scared of me, I'll be truly invincible!"
Minagi's eyes narrowed, her wings flaring as she released Ntwali, letting him drop to the rooftop with a thud. He staggered upright, his despair hardening into a quiet resolve as he clenched his fists. "Invincible?" she scoffed. "We'll see once I've broken your body and subjected you to a thousand years of torture as Hiruko's food!"
"I don't know who this Hiruko is, but…" the Hatman chuckled darkly, a low, guttural sound that rumbled from his chest as he tilted his head, the brim of his hat casting a shadow over his gleaming eyes. "I bet it ain't good…"
In a burst of speed that rivaled a jet tearing through the sky, Minagi descended toward him, her fists ablaze with a volatile fusion of dark and light energy, streaks of shadow and radiance trailing in her wake like a comet's tail.
The Hatman watched her plummet with a smirk, his boots tapping a slow, deliberate rhythm against the scorched floor before he snapped his fingers with a flourish. "Alright!" he rasped, his voice brimming with wild anticipation. "Let's dance!"
The rooftop erupted into chaos as Minagi's fists slammed downward, her dual energies exploding in a shockwave of light and shadow that tore through the air with a deafening roar. The Hatman twisted aside at the last second, his mana flaring as he hurled a talisman skyward, teleporting in a blink to reappear a few paces away, the blast cratering the spot where he'd stood.
So, if I get hit by that I'm dead, hm? he mused silently, his eyes never leaving the ancestor of succubi.
As a follow-up, dozens of razor-sharp blades of wind followed him, but they were merely swatted away by his hand with his body enhanced by the Dark Rondo.
"What?" Minagi growled in frustration. "He wasn't that powerful before!"
She narrowed her eyes, only to see a faint smoke swirling around him.
"It can't be… This man is actually…?"
But she didn't have the time to dwell on it further as a flash erupted from his fingertips. Her red eyes widened in alarm as a Dawnstar shot toward her.
Minagi's wings flared instinctively, and with a burst of power, she soared into the sky just as the Dawnstar shot toward her. The blinding light streaked through the air with the force of a comet, its radiance searing the atmosphere, but Minagi was faster. She darted to the side, narrowly avoiding the full brunt of the blast. The explosion of light painted the skyline in a blinding flash before it collided with a nearby building, turning it into a pile of molten slag in an instant.
Her heart pounded as she twisted midair, barely managing to avoid the shockwave that followed. The heat was unbearable, even at this distance, and the world seemed to shimmer with the residual force of the blast.
"What in the world—?" she muttered in shock at the force of the blast. In her world, while it wasn't as strong, it rivaled with the Daystar of Lucifina.
"Close, but your friend isn't doing too well!" the Hatman's voice echoed in the distance.
Minagi turned her head down to check on Ntwali but as she did, the Hatman was already a blur, the shadow enveloping him thickening right above her. While holding his hat, he pulled out a gun that he enhanced with his own mana.
"Draw, cowgirl!" he barked, pressing the trigger.
Minagi's eyes flicked back up just in time to see the flash of the Hatman's gun. She shielded herself with her arms but the bullet—no, the projectile—wasn't ordinary. It had been laced with his mana, warping the air around it. It tore through her skin and flesh without penetrating it fully.
Minagi hissed in pain as the projectile sliced through her skin, the searing sensation of the Hatman's mana coursing through the wound. The force of the shot left a deep burn, but it hadn't fully pierced her, the power of her body resisting it just enough. Still, she felt the raw, dark energy spreading through her veins like a poison, seizing her muscles, making her movements sluggish.
Her wings flared instinctively, and she forced herself to stay airborne, her body pulsing with both light and shadow, fighting against the affliction. She twisted, narrowly avoiding another follow-up shot as the Hatman grinned below her.
"Nice job!" he taunted as he was falling down, his back facing the ground. "How about this?"
He snapped his fingers.
In his path, he had let out a few talismans that floated down slowly in the air, suddenly flashing.
Minagi realized the danger and she pushed herself upward and away form the immediate danger. The talismans flared, and in a fraction of a second, they detonated in a series of blinding flashes. The explosion sent shockwaves through the air, rattling Minagi's body, and its force nearly threw her off balance.
She struggled to maintain control, the poison still flowing through her system, making her movements sluggish.
"What's wrong, Minagi? Not so fast now?" his voice echoed from below.
"You're going to fall to the ground first, you fool!" she growled.
Oh? Really now?
Both of his hands reached inside his pockets and he grabbed a handful of talismans in each. In a flourish, he threw them in the air, and they formed circles immediately.
Let's take a page out of Niño's book! he grinned as the talismans began to draw mana from the air.
Then, he twisted his body to fall on his feet, the ground cracking in spider webs beneath his weight.
Minagi's red eyes narrowed, her wings beating harder as she circled above, the poison gnawing at her strength but not her resolve. The twin circles of talismans glowed brighter, their mana-charged edges crackling with potential as they hung in the air, a deadly constellation waiting for her next move.
Still, with the time she had, she used a healing spell to cure the poison. It went surprisingly well and she felt lighter. Ntwali was still on the rooftop, unable to do anything but waiting for the right moment to strike.
Her hands glowed again with both dark and light mana, and she descended again, this time faster.
The Hatman pointed a finger at her, but she decided to charge through anyway.
Another light erupted from his fingertips, a searing flash of "Dawnstar" blazing toward her with a deafening roar.
She braced herself, her arms poised in front of her face to shield her most vital areas, and dived right through it. The Dawnstar engulfed her, its heat searing the air around her with a howl of destruction. Her wings faltered briefly, the membrane scorched, but she powered through and emerged on the other side with smoke trailing from her. The rest of the explosion lit the sky with a new sun, its shockwave sending shrapnel flying in every direction.
"Holy shit! You actually brute-forced it?!" the Hatman cackled as she closed in.
Minagi wasted no time. Instead of preparing her strongest attack, which would take precious seconds, she went for rapid punches meant to disarm him. The Hatman's smirk flickered as he met her assault with his own fists, parrying her blows with speed enhanced by the Dark Rondo . He was fast—unnaturally so—but even with his advantage, he could feel the force behind her strikes. Every impact sent shockwaves up his arms, each punch landing harder than the last.
"Shit—" he hissed, his arms stinging with each deflection.
Minagi's eyes burned with determination, her expression fierce. She wasn't giving him the space to counterattack. Her movements were razor-sharp, relentless, her fists weaving through his defenses like a storm.
"Even with your arm healed, you are no match!" she growled, continuing her assault.
The Hatman clicked his tongue, realizing that if he kept up this trade, he'd lose in sheer attrition.
Then he grinned, his fingers flashing once more with the same searing light.
"Kaboom!" he cackled
The Dawnstar erupted from his fingertips once again, but this time at point-blank range. Minagi's eyes widened as the searing light threatened to engulf her. She barely had time to react—there was no dodging it. Gritting her teeth, she used her wind magic to protect her as much as possible while taking the blow head-on.
The Hatman's body vaporized in an instant, being the sole epicenter of the explosion. The already molten ground became mined by the explosion once more, and the building Ntwali was standing on began to tilt.
"It's falling," Ntwali clicked his tongue as he braced himself for impact.
Minagi emerged from the explosion, her body smoking, her skin singed but able to continue the fight. She let out a few labored breath, and her gaze snapped downward, scanning for any trace of the Hatman.
Gone.
No—
Her instincts flared. A ripple and a light behind her.
Without thinking, she twisted, only to see not one, not two—
But a dozen of lights all the same as the Dawnstar held in formation right above his head, like cannons ready to fire.
"Final act, sweetheart!" He clapped his hands together, and in that instant—
The sky exploded.
A blinding barrage of Dawnstars rained down like divine wrath. The sky shook, the buildings vaporized one by one in its trail without as much of a second glance. The only thing the people could do down below was drop to their knees before inevitable destruction.
The ground shook, the light so blinding Minagi could barely keep her eyes open as it burned her pupils.
But she moved. Pushing her wind magic to its limit, weaving between the incoming blasts. One seared past her arm, leaving a burning trail across her skin. Another detonated just behind her, the shockwave hurling her forward. She barely had time to process before another came screaming toward her face.
She vanished.
A burst of wind sent her rocketing downward, escaping just as the last Dawnstar obliterated the space she had occupied.
Minagi hit the ground hard, her feet skidding across the cracked earth. Smoke and heat swirled around her as she snapped her head up, her crimson eyes locked onto the Hatman now hovering in the air.
He was grinning from ear to ear, his eyes shadowed by his despicable headwear.
The talismans he had thrown earlier stopped spinning, and time seemed to almost stop as the remnants of devastation echoed throughout the city.
A camera was floating right in front of his face, Minagi having no idea where he got that from. In a quick glance, she noticed Ntwali moving against the rubble not far from there. It was clear the man was now outmatched.
And inside every people's house across the world…
"Hey, what the hell is that?" Morrigan growled as her game was interrupted, the television in the living room changing channels without using the remote.
"That's odd, I've never seen a TV do this before," Succubus-chan who was playing with her blinked.
The screen flickered, static buzzing for a moment before stabilizing into a crystal-clear image.
Morrigan and Succubus-chan leaned forward, their game controllers forgotten.
A man in a long coat and a shadowed hat stood against the backdrop of a burning city. Smoke curled behind him, glowing embers floating like dying stars. He grinned at the camera, his face half-obscured by the brim of his hat.
" Ladies and gentlemen, " the Hatman's voice oozed through the speakers, smooth, cocky, and laced with mockery. " Apologies for the sudden interruption. But trust me—you'll wanna see this. "
The camera panned slightly, revealing Minagi below him, standing amidst the wreckage, battered but unbroken.
Morrigan sat up straighter. "Wait… isn't that—?"
Lilith and Astaroth who were busy cooking shot a glance at the television, and they all stopped what they were doing.
"Minagi-sama?!" Lilith rushed to the TV in panic.
The transmission continued, now broadcasting across every single screen—televisions,
smartphones, billboards—everywhere. No one had changed the channel. No one had pressed a button. It simply took over.
The Hatman chuckled, tipping his hat toward the lens.
" Live, unfiltered, and brought straight to your homes—" he tilted the camera to show the wreckage around him. Burning buildings, smoke billowing everywhere, a dark sky in the middle of the day… " This is the city of Velmara, around a hundred thousand inhabitants, lots of infrastructure…"
"…And as you can see, it's seen better days."
The camera slowly swiveled, capturing the devastation in full. Fires raged unchecked, sending plumes of black smoke twisting into the sky. Rubble lined the streets, entire sections of buildings reduced to jagged skeletons of metal and stone. In the distance, sirens wailed, though no response seemed to come.
The Hatman gave a theatrical sigh, placing a hand over his heart. "A shame, really. But you know what they say—nothing lasts forever." He spread his arms wide, grinning. " And speaking of things that don't last… Let me show you a spectacle! "
"What is going on…?" Astaroth muttered, a pang of unease in her chest. "Isn't that the man we faced in Nina's lab?"
Lilith didn't respond. She only stared at the screen, her jaw tight, fingers clenched against the edge of the counter.
The camera tilted to show Minagi, her breath labored as she swiped the sweat from her seared skin.
The Hatman's voice crackled back through the speakers, smooth and unbothered, oozing mockery with every syllable.
"Succubi at home… and succubi soon to be gone," he chuckled. "Listen closely, ladies. The rest of you? Just ignore this part. Think of it as the ramblings of a madman."
His hand snapped up, pointing a gloved finger at Minagi, his grin widening.
"Why am I doing this? Why did I turn Velmara into a graveyard? You probably think I've got some grand plan, some grand speech about justice or vengeance." He cackled, shaking his head. "But no, no, no. It's something much simpler.
Let's talk about you people.
You succubi—always basking in your own strength, flaunting it like it's some divine birthright. You act untouchable, floating above the rest of us like gods, treating anyone weaker than you like insects.
But what happens… when the insect bites back?"
"Oh no! How horrifying! How dare I?" He clutched his chest, feigning dramatic offense before his grin returned, wicked and hungry. "How dare the lesser creatures refuse to kneel? How dare the so-called insignificant fight back?"
"AND WHAT IF," he said, his voice rising, dripping with excitement, "What if that same power— that power —is what outdid all of you? Using this book!" he clutched the red book inside his jacket and showed it for the world to see.
"The power of a succubus…" His voice was practically vibrating with glee. " To erase all succubi, " he chuckled lowly before spreading his arms wide with a manic grin. "NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL KARMA!" he screamed, his voice echoing through the city, amplified by the technology.
On the screen, Minagi's eyes flickered with the briefest flash of recognition. She stood motionless for a heartbeat, as if the world itself had frozen. Then, the defiance returned to her gaze, a fire burning within.
Minagi clenched her fists. "Karma, huh?" she muttered under her breath, barely audible. "You talk too much, Hatman," she said without hiding her hostility.
The air around her shifter, her body glowing with an aura as her body began to heal itself.
However, the Hatman ignored her and simply turned the camera.
"How dare he talk to Minagi-sama like that!" Morrigan growled in front of her screen.
In a hurry, all the other succubi approached the living room, attracted by the rising voice of the Lilith Sisters who shouted with indignation. Luka stumbled in last, his expression freezing as he caught a glimpse of the Hatman on the screen, the red book clutched in his hand like a harbinger of doom.
"What a horrible thing…" Alma Elma muttered as she watched the wreckage.
"Who is this bastard? People like him should vanish from existence!" Astaroth growled.
"What a horrible person…" the mayor grumbled under her breath.
But Luka simply watched.
Because he knew. Either Minagi had it in her or she was done.
And with how the Hatman hadn't still used his trump card, the fight's outcome was already clear.
He stepped slowly toward the closet, sliding the hidden panel. Of course, his talismans were gone.
Lilith approached him with a glare. "Transport us there right now," she growled, her hand gripping his shoulders.
"I can't, he basically hijacked my system to teleport around. We're stuck here now since Velmara is very far from here."
Lilith's grip tightened, her nails digging into his shoulder as her wings flared. "Then figure it out!" she snapped, her voice rising. "Minagi-sama's out there alone with that monster, and he's broadcasting it like some sick game! We're not sitting here while he—"
"I CAN'T!" Luka's voice rose up. "Now, the only thing we can do is trust in this woman on the screen."
The succubis exchanged grim looks, their indignations turning into hope as they watched the screen.
Minagi was now fully healed thanks to her spell, and was ready to confront him again.
"All patched up?" the Hatman taunted from above. "Then now I can close the spectacle for good," he sighed in relief. His eyes turned to the camera once more as Minagi flew upward, her fists ready to strike once again.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he spoke to the camera, ignoring Minagi entirely.
The twin circles of talismans spun once more, and he brought one of his hands in front of his face in a prayer.
"Remember my name as the one who changed your lives forever…The Hatman."
With now enough mana drawn from the air, amplified by the Dark Rondo.
He could use his trump card again.
With one glance at Minagi, he sighed.
"Conceptual magic: released…" he muttered, the air around him freezing.
Minagi, now floating in the air, narrowed her eyes, feeling the drastic shift in energy. She could feel it, a suffocating presence wrapping around her, closing in, drawing every ounce of energy from the surroundings.
The Hatman's grin never wavered as he spoke the words that would reshape everything. "The one who lost everything, shall obtain the world."
The ground beneath Minagi cracked, the air warping and distorting as if the laws of reality itself were being rewritten. For a moment, the world seemed to go still, as if holding its breath.
And then, everything went black.
World Control
The screens, once glowing with the haunting image of Velmara's destruction, flickered and blinked out. Every device, every television, every phone… all went dead. The broadcast cut off in an instant. The city of Velmara, which had been a beacon of chaos and destruction, vanished from the screens like a fleeting dream.
The image flickered back to life, but it was no longer Velmara as they had known it. What appeared on the screen was a twisted, surreal vision—a distorted reflection of the city they had seen moments before.
Buildings, once solid and grounded, now floated in the air as though defying the very laws of nature. Gravity had abandoned them, leaving behind a scene of pure chaos. Debris, shattered glass, and jagged fragments of concrete spun around aimlessly, floating in the vast, open expanse. The once vibrant city had become a ghostly, weightless shell, as if it were suspended between two worlds.
People fell from the sky, others were still flying in the air as if they were weightless objects, waiting for their inevitable fatal descent.
Minagi stood at the center of it all, her silhouette barely visible against the backdrop of floating rubble. Her body, glowing with energy, was the only stable thing in this unnatural landscape.
Standing on top of a train now floating in the air, the Hatman was there, his eyes closed.
His eyes locked with Minagi who looked at the scene in confusion. "What have you done?" she snapped.
"This is world control," the Hatman explained clinically. "The dream I achieved long ago. A spell on the realm of the gods."
With a flick of his hands, a hovering building began hurtling toward Minagi at a speed defying reason.
She dove aside, her wings flaring as the structure smashed into a floating cluster of debris behind her, the impact reverberating through the warped air.
The Hatman stepped forward, hands tucked casually into his pockets as he walked across the train's surface, unfazed by the lack of gravity.
"This whole city—no, the whole world is my playground," he said, his voice rising with a chilling calm. "And unlike little dream, this is all very real and not a subspace like the one she creates."
Minagi steadied herself mid-air, her wings beating against the weightless void as she glared at him, her fists reigniting with dark-light energy. "You're insane," she growled, her voice trembling with fury as she scanned the floating wreckage—cars, rooftops, entire streets drifting like lost specters. "This isn't power—it's madness!"
"Isn't that the same thing?" he said lowly, without even an ounce of amusement for once. "This world is madness, the very fact that you are here proves it. We strayed from the right path a long damn time ago."
"You don't get to judge that," she snapped, her energy flaring brighter as she propelled herself forward, fists blazing with intent. "You've twisted everything—killed thousands—for what? To play god in a broken sandbox?"
The Hatman tilted his head, his eyes glinting beneath the brim of his hat as he watched her approach, unflinching. "God? Nah," he said, his voice steady, almost contemplative. "That ship had sailed too. What I want is to simply see this to the end."
She roared, her fists surging with dark-light energy as she closed the gap, aiming a devastating strike at his core. The Hatman flicked his wrist, and a swarm of floating debris—jagged steel beams and shattered glass—converged into a makeshift shield, intercepting her attack with a resounding clash.
However, the chaos-imbued fist wasn't done yet as it tore through the makeshift shield with ease, continuing its path toward him.
A black vortex swallowing everywhing in its path.
The Hatman's eyes widened—just slightly—as the attack barreled toward him. With a snarl, he raised his arm to defend himself, but it was too late. The dark-light energy struck him head-on, the force of the impact sending him skidding backward across the train's surface. His trench coat was torn apart, the fabric shredding like paper, and his arm—the one he had raised to block the blow—cracked audibly.
Minagi hovered in the air, her chest heaving as she glared at him, her fists still crackling with energy. The Hatman stood motionless, his arm hanging limply at his side, blood dripping from the cracks in his skin. His hat, miraculously, remained intact, though it now sat slightly askew on his head.
He looked down at his arm, then back at her, his expression unreadable. "A power to kill Nightmares… No, to erase everything. The primordial force of your world, chaos. You have created a terrifying technique, lady."
With a simple line of his finger, he muttered. "Pressure: 100%", creating a wind blade strong enough to cut through steel.
Minagi unleashed Tera Cyclone, creating a whirlwind to deflect the incoming blow with ease.
Minagi didn't stop there. She raised her hand, casting a spell designed to disrupt magic—a blue wave of energy that spread across the entire area. The wave washed over the floating city, but nothing happened. The Hatman's control over the world remained unshaken.
She clicked her tongue, frustration flashing across her face. "Is this spell unbreakable?" she muttered under her breath as she scanned the chaotic landscape.
"And even with that, you are still a formidable opponent," the Hatman sighed. "But that stops here."
"You're right," Minagi snarled, stepping forward. Her fists ignited once more, the dark-light energy surging around her like a storm. "This ends now!"
But before she even blinked, the Hatman was already near her, his good arm raised for a punch. Without time to prepare or even predict it, the blow sent her flying inside a nearby building, her feet skidding across the floor of an office.
Following that punch, the Hatman traced multiple lines in the air, all at the same pressure, dicing the building in cubes. The structure collapsed around Minagi in a cascade of severed fragments, steel and glass tumbling weightlessly as the office disintegrated into a cloud of floating wreckage.
Minagi burst from the debris, her wings flaring as she propelled herself upward, dark-light energy surging around her in a defiant blaze. Blood trickled from a cut on her brow, but she till kept going. "You missed me, you fool!" she roared as she unleashed her psychic ability to get a hold on the train.
The Hatman smirked, his mangled arm dangling uselessly as he flicked his good hand. With a casual motion, he detached a wagon from the train and sent it hurtling toward her before she could fully take control.
"Shouldn't you be worried about your friend below?" he chuckled, pointing a finger downward.
Minagi's eyes widened as she deflected the train car with a punch, the force of the impact sending it spiraling into the void. She looked down, her heart sinking as she saw Priest lying motionless amidst the rubble.
"Priest!" she exclaimed as she saw the man unmoving amidst the rubble.
The Hatman tilted his head, his expression mockingly sympathetic. "What a shame. I kinda liked him."
"It's not reciprocal!" a voice came from behind, the real Ntwali charging at him in a blur.
"I'll be damned!" the Hatman cackled. "Didn't think you had an illusion technique! I'm the one who got got!"
But his amusement didn't falter as he intercepted the punch with eerie ease, the dark smoke swirling around him coalescing into a clawed, shadowy hand that seized Ntwali's fist mid-strike, halting him cold.
The shadowy claw tightened, its grip like iron as Ntwali grunted.
Minagi seized the moment, her wings propelling her forward as she roared, "You're not the only one with surprises!" Her psychic power surged, yanking another train car from the drifting wreckage and hurling it at the Hatman's flank with crushing force.
The Hatman twisted, releasing Ntwali as he teleported in a flash, reappearing atop a floating slab of concrete just as the train car smashed into the spot he'd abandoned, its metal crumpling into a weightless heap. "Two on one again, huh?"
He brought his hand up to his face again, a blue light rippling from it toward the edge of his controlled space.
"But I don't think one of you will survive this," he sighed, almost in contempt as he released his control on the world around him for the briefest of moments.
In that instant, the floating city froze. Buildings, roads, cars—every piece of wreckage halted mid-air, suspended at a dizzying height. The surreal chaos stilled, the weightless void trembling as gravity teetered on the brink of reclaiming its hold. The Hatman's eyes glinted beneath his hat's brim.
"NOW!" Saki's voice erupted from behind him The Hatman whirled, his pulse spiking as a portal tore open at his back.
She burst forth like a tempest, her skirt snapping in the wind, her foot ripping through the air in a brutal arc. It connected with a sickening crunch square in his face, the force sending him hurtling downward toward Minagi, his hat flying loose into the void.
"Shi—!" he choked, his focus shattered for a split second. The blue energy he'd summoned flickered in his hand, unlaunched and unstable, its power faltering as he spiraled out of control.
"World-shattering fist!" Minagi growled from below, her form a streak of white and black as she surged upward to meet him. Her fist blazed with a chaos-imbued vortex, dark-light energy swirling like a maelstrom as she drove it toward his descending figure with earth-rending force.
The Hatman's eyes widened, a rare flicker of alarm breaking through his grin as he twisted mid-air, his good hand snapping up to summon the compressed force of his control. Minagi's fist collided with it, the vortex tearing through the shadows of his Dark Rondo with a deafening roar, the impact sending a shockwave rippling through the suspended city.
A brilliant flash erupted from it, swallowing everything in its light.
For a moment, sound vanished—replaced by a high-pitched ringing that echoed through the warped expanse.
The shockwave shattered everything, sending debris spiraling outward like bullets, the frozen city trembling as windows shattered and as cracks spiderwebbed across its suspended fragments.
As the glare faded, Minagi hovered mid-air, her wings beating against the aftermath, her chest heaving as blood trickled from her whole body. Her fists were mangled beyond recognition, and the left side of her body was burned to a crisp.
Saki landed on a nearby slab, but didn't lose sight of the point of impact.
The Hatman's body was gone. No trace remained—no blood, no coat, no red book. Nothing.
Minagi's wings faltered, her strength ebbing as she sank slightly, her voice a hoarse rasp. "Where… is he?" She scanned the city, her psychic senses straining through the debris. But the Hatman's signature had vanished—dissolved by chaos or obliterated entirely.
Ntwali emerged from below, climbing onto a chunk of concrete. Fortunately, the blast had sent the rest of the city flying away and cleared the ground below. "He's… gone?" he asked, his voice tinged with doubt as he glanced at Minagi's ravaged form. "Lady Minagi, you are—"
"I am fine," she replied, her feet touching the scorched ground. "'tis a flesh wound. Nothing major." With her good hand, she summoned a faint glow of healing magic, its light creeping over her body, slowly mending the burns and staunching the blood. Her tone was firm, but her trembling wings betrayed the toll.
Saki remained perched above, her wings snapping wide as the wind tugged at her skirt. Her eyes narrowed, tracing the spiraling fragments of the shattered city. She wanted to believe the Hatman was gone for good—obliterated by Minagi's strike—but a gnawing unease coiled in her gut. Knowing him, it was never that simple.
Minagi flexed her healing hand, the glow fading as her burns receded to raw, pink flesh, though her mangled fists remained a gruesome sight. She straightened, her gaze hardening as she scanned the horizon, the city's remnants drifting like ghosts in the fading light. "He's dust," she growled, more to herself than the others, her voice steadying with conviction. "I felt my fist tear through him. No one survives that."
Ntwali knelt to inspect the ground, searching for any trace—blood, fabric, the red book's faint pulse. "No remains," Ntwali murmured, his brow furrowing. "Not even ash. If he's dead, where's the proof?" He glanced up at Minagi, concern etching his features. "You're sure you're alright?"
"I've endured worse," she snapped, brushing off his worry as she rolled her shoulders, wincing slightly. "But if you offer to help me recover…"
"No need," Ntwali deadpanned. "But I am glad you are okay. It would be a shame to lose a succubus as brave as you."
Saki leaped down, landing beside them with a soft thud, her wings folding as she crossed her arms. "He's pulled disappearing acts before. That book's gone too. If he's alive, he's got it—and that's something we can't ignore."
"Is that book that important?" Minagi asked, her hand clenching into a fist to test her muscles.
"It is," Ntwali nodded. "What's inside is beyond evil. A true calamity ready to be unleashed."
"Perhaps I destroyed the book as well," Minagi suggested. "I've never seen anything resist my fist, not even the Seraphs."
Saki's eyes narrowed. "Maybe," she conceded. "I don't know much about that book myself. It's Ntwali who warned me it's dangerous."
"Anyway," Minagi sighed, her gaze drifting to the wreckage around them—shattered buildings, twisted metal, a city reduced to a smoldering graveyard. "He was a despicable man. To wreak such barbarity…" Her voice trailed off, heavy with disdain and something softer, a flicker of sorrow beneath her stern demeanor.
Ntwali and Saki fell silent, their eyes following hers to the devastation. For a moment, the trio stood as still as the ruins, the wind carrying faint echoes of the chaos that had consumed it all.
"Anyway, let's get you all patched up, miss ancestor," Saki patted Minagi's shoulder.
"Have some respect," she sighed. "But fine, I would gladly accept some rest now."
"I'll stay here for a while," Ntwali replied, his arms crossed as he surveyed the ruins. "Perhaps there are some people still alive in this area. I'll help where I can."
Saki looked at him with a sorrowful expression but didn't stop him. She knew, as he did, that the chances of finding survivors were slim.
With a snap of her fingers, Saki opened a portal, its shimmering edges rippling like water. She stepped through, gesturing for Minagi to follow.
Minagi hesitated for a moment, her gaze lingering on Ntwali. "Don't take too long," she said, her voice softer than before. "This place is dangerous after such a wreckage."
Ntwali nodded, his expression resolute. "I'll be there."
As the portal closed behind them, Ntwali was left alone amidst the ruins, the weight of the devastation pressing down on him. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the task ahead, and began to search.
A path of Envy that spiraled into nothingness.
After millions of years, nothing was accomplished.
The smoking mirror of the abyss stared back at him, thousands of eyes peering into him in contempt.
Still, he had one thing left to do.
Not as a Nightmare, but as him. For him.
For them.
Even obliterated, his path shall never be stopped by no other than him.
For a long forgotten dream that he just remembered.