– The Briefing –
Lawrence continued answering Gunther's question after giving him a cold stare.
"That dumb, messed-up, pathetic piece of trash for a hero—Celestial—showed up at the country boundary. We had to hack into the country's military system so we could launch some bombs at them, just to hold them off. Well, I thank God it was successful in holding them back with enough time for us to roll out."
Gunther asked another question.
"Why didn't you guys just snipe Anthony? After all, I heard you guys got a good sniper."
Demon touched his jaw as he explained.
"It's based on the fact the building was modified with a force field that doesn't let anything pass through. Its defense is natural or supernatural, so we had to burn it and short it down from the inside."
After Demon's words, Gunther turned to the camera in the room and stated how the experiment was a success. Immediately, the soldiers and scientists watching from another place in the base started clapping.
---
– The Twist –
Gunther turned to Demon and the other children in the room, smiling as he said:
"Thank you. Thank you very much. Now we just have to dispose of all you prototypes and create the real thing. You children don't know how helpful you all have been."
To Gunther's surprise, Demon also joined in clapping.
Gunther firmly asked Demon if he understood what this meant for them.
Demon, still clapping, answered that he did.
Gunther angrily snapped, demanding to know if Demon thought all this was a game.
Demon stopped clapping. His demeanor shifted, becoming sharper, darker.
"Actually, I do. And in this game of crowns, I think I'm the victor—and you all just misstepped in your calculation."
Suddenly, the others stood up, readying themselves for a fight.
---
– The Trap –
Gunther, watching how the children weren't scared, threw out a reminder:
"Thanks to the wristbands the children are putting on, they can't possibly use their power."
Vin, on Demon's team, smirked and spoke in a sarcastic tone.
"Oh really? We completely forgot."
His words made the rest of the group laugh mockingly.
Their laughter made Gunther furious. He signaled the soldiers to kill all the children.
Slowly and calmly, Void walked toward Demon, placing his hand on Demon's shoulder and speaking through a small earpiece:
"Hakimi, now."
Immediately, a force field—identical to the one used in London by Anthony to restrain the heroes—was suddenly activated across the entire base.
All the soldiers with powers felt weak, as they could no longer sense their abilities working.
Gunther, in rage, screamed out, demanding to know what was going on.
Demon calmly answered that he would explain everything—if Gunther would just calm down. Then, Demon gave a signal to his team. They immediately attacked and slaughtered the soldiers in the room.
The scientists, seeing this from their own room, attempted to flee—but Shiver intercepted them. His ice blades danced mercilessly, and he killed them all, visibly thrilled.
---
– Joy in Hell –
Back in the gathering room, Gunther was stunned at how the children were using their powers even while the force field was active.
He turned to Demon and screamed in fury:
"Demon, you bastard! I will make sure you find joy in hell!"
Demon laughed menacingly.
"Huh, too late. I've already found joy in hell… and I think you should too."
Gunther, driven by rage, charged at Demon to throw a punch—only to be knocked down by Arden. Arden turned to Demon and asked if he could take over.
Demon declined, his tone sharp.
"No. Go release the other children. I'll have fun with Gunther."
Immediately, everyone left the room, leaving only Gunther and Demon behind.