About three months ago I stopped my hunt for Silas so I could prepare my plans for blood production. During that time Jeremy finished training the vampire children, and I left them in charge of the property.
Not long after that I noticed that Anna and Pearl had managed to escape the magical traps I had set up—spells that made Jeremy appear in different places to mislead anyone tracking him. I could feel them getting closer.
That was when it was time to leave.
"What are we doing in this town?" Jeremy asked, looking around the small place. "There's nothing here."
"Exactly… the perfect place for demons," I said while scanning the streets and catching the faint smell of sulfur in the air. "We're hunting demons."
"Excuse me?" Jeremy looked at me like I was insane. "Since when do demons exist?"
"Man, you're sleeping with two vampires and you're basically married to them, and you're still questioning whether demons exist?" I asked, offended. The kid had seen just about every kind of horror in this world and still managed to be surprised.
"Fair point…" he admitted. "But why are we here?"
"You remember why you're hunting vampires, right?" I asked.
"You said the mark leads to a super vampire who's cruel, treacherous, impossible to kill by conventional means," Jeremy said, mocking the way I had described Silas. "And he has psychic powers strong enough to make even powerful beings think they're dying."
"Exactly."
"But what does that have to do with hunting demons?" he asked, still confused. "As far as I know demons have nothing to do with the three factions."
"Of course they don't. We don't mix with those pests," I said honestly. "But that particular vampire is manipulating demons to break the seals that keep him imprisoned."
"That's possible?" Jeremy asked. "I thought demons were the embodiment of evil. How can they be manipulated that easily?"
"Jeremy, nobody is immune to mental manipulation. Not even me—and I'm half witch and half vampire," I said with a casual wave of my hand. "All he did was get inside their heads and make them believe they're trying to free someone else."
"But he's sealed," Jeremy said, fear creeping into his expression. "You said he's sealed. If he can do that while sealed…"
"Exactly," I said, seeing the realization hit him. "Now imagine what happens if he gets free. That's why we need to eliminate him as soon as possible."
"Alright… and what are we going to find there?" Jeremy asked, looking toward the town. "What are demons like?"
"Most of them are corrupted spirits that need to possess bodies to walk the earth," I said, remembering the lessons my mother gave me about demons. "But there are also the ones called greater demons. They have their own bodies and they're much stronger than normal demons. They're comparable to members of the three factions."
"Damn."
Dean and Sam were having the worst day of their lives.
"Why the hell is there a damn nest of demons here?" Dean growled while stabbing another demon with the demon blade. "I knew those bastards were getting ready to break another seal."
Sam raised his hand toward another demon and the black smoke was ripped out of its mouth and burned away.
"We have to leave," Sam said. "There are too many."
They kept backing up slowly while Dean muttered a prayer and invoked the name of Christ.
The demons recoiled a little.
"There are too many to exorcise," Sam said with visible fear. "I've never seen this many demons in one place."
"This has to be the damn apocalypse," Dean muttered. "They're breaking the seals."
"Exactly."
A voice echoed through the building.
"If you two don't have anything better to do, you might want to retreat."
All the demons stopped and turned toward the voice.
A woman stepped into the room.
She wore a red dress. Beautiful. Almost unreal. A body built from pure temptation, blonde hair, the face of a princess.
But Dean saw past the surface.
And his face twisted with fear.
"Wow," Dean whistled, staring at her with a nervous grin. "What the hell are you?"
"I know, I know," the woman laughed playfully. "It seems you sold your soul… to see my true form."
"Sam… that's not a demon," Dean said quietly. "That thing… that thing is ugly as hell on the inside. But it's not a demon. What kind of monster are you?"
"A greater demon," another voice said as someone stepped into the room. "I'd guess Belphegor."
"Ooh, you know my name?" the woman said with a mix of irritation and curiosity. "I don't remember inviting members of the three factions or a hunter into my territory. Are you looking for war, boy?"
"Who the hell are you people and what are you talking about?" Sam asked, even more confused.
"What the hell is this…" Dean muttered. "I thought the world would get less weird after we killed Azazel."
He pulled out a gun.
"This is the Colt. Come any closer and you die."
"Dean, those bullets are for the Devil," Sam said. "Put it away."
"Which Azazel?" Belphegor asked curiously. "There are thousands of them in Hell. It's a common name. The original fallen one—I saw him in a brothel not long ago."
"Forget that gun," the blond guy said. "First, there's no Devil for you to kill. And the thing you're trying to bring back can't be killed with that toy."
"There is a Devil!" Belphegor shouted. "He promised to promote me to Duke of Hell!"
"Sure… sure…" I laughed. "It's almost like you've been brainwashed."
"Silence!" she snarled. "You members of the three factions think you're gods. You think you can say whatever you want and do whatever you want!"
Jeremy glanced at me.
"Want me to help?"
"No," I sighed and stepped forward. "That thing is on the same level as your girlfriends. You don't stand a chance."
Well… it looked like I was about to get the chance to deal with a greater demon.
Judging by the magical pressure around her, she was probably around Pearl's level.
I watched Belphegor walk toward me like she owned the place.
Technically… at that moment, she did.
The warehouse was filled with possessed demons, two hunters who were completely out of their depth, and an infernal entity who clearly believed she sat at the top of the food chain.
I compared mentally.
Pearl.
Anna.
Belphegor.
Yeah.
Same tier.
Maybe a little less brutal than Pearl. She compensated with teleportation.
Which, honestly, felt a little lazy.
I sighed and cracked my neck.
"So you're Belphegor?"
She smiled.
"And you're a very arrogant vampire."
"No, no… arrogance is when you think you're better than someone."
I tilted my head.
"I already confirmed it."
Jeremy muttered behind me.
"You're going to die because of your mouth one day."
"Probably."
Belphegor vanished.
Teleportation.
She reappeared in front of me, trying to drive her hand through my chest.
I stepped half a pace to the side.
Her hand sliced through empty air.
"Wow… starting aggressive."
She disappeared again.
Appeared behind me.
I turned and caught her wrist mid-strike.
The impact cracked the concrete beneath our feet.
I glanced at the hand in my grip.
"Quick question."
She tried to pull free.
"Shut up."
"Who told you to break the seals?"
She teleported away and reappeared several meters back.
"LUCIFER."
I scratched my chin.
"Hmm."
She reappeared above me trying to crush my skull.
I moved out of the way at the last moment.
The floor exploded in cracks.
"Interesting."
She attacked again.
Teleporting from different angles.
Neck.
Spine.
Kidneys.
I kept dodging while talking.
"So let me get this straight…"
She appeared in front of me.
I blocked.
"You're breaking seals…"
She tried to punch my face.
I caught her arm.
"…to free Lucifer?"
"YES!"
I released her and stepped back.
Silence for a moment.
Then I started laughing.
Belphegor frowned.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh… nothing."
I shook my head.
"I just realized someone did a very good job messing with your mind."
She snarled.
"You think I would be manipulated?"
"Yes."
She teleported straight at me again, furious.
I grabbed her throat before the strike landed and slammed her into the wall.
The concrete cracked.
"You really think…"
I leaned closer.
"…that Lucifer needs a second-rate greater demon to free him?"
Her face twisted with rage.
"I AM BELPHEGOR!"
"Yes."
I nodded slowly.
"And Silas must be having a great time."
Confusion.
Anger.
Denial.
Everything flashed across her face at once.
But no real doubt.
That confirmed it.
Silas hadn't just given orders.
He had rewritten reality inside her head.
To her, it was all true.
Freeing Lucifer. Causing the apocalypse. Every demon's wet dream.
Too perfect.
I let go.
She teleported instantly, trying to rip my head off.
I sighed.
"Well…"
My fist moved.
No buildup.
No drama.
My punch went through her neck like paper.
Belphegor's head flew across the warehouse before the body even hit the ground.
Absolute silence.
The possessed demons froze.
Then they started running.
Without the greater demon holding them there, survival instinct took over.
I shook the demon blood off my hand.
"What a waste of time."
Jeremy stared at the body.
"…holy shit."
Dean still held the Colt.
"He…"
Sam finished.
"He tore her head off with one punch."
I shrugged.
"She was weak."
Jeremy sighed.
I looked at the corpse.
"Silas completely scrambled her mind."
Jeremy rubbed his face.
"So we go back to the original plan."
"Yes."
I started walking out of the warehouse.
"You go back to killing vampires."
He walked beside me.
I smiled.
"See you around, boys."
Then I grabbed Jeremy and used my speed to take off running again.