In the pitch-black room, Kara and Raven sat facing each other in silence.
Three minutes earlier, Chris had said he wanted to use the restroom. His lackey No.1 immediately stood up and said he needed to go too. Lackey No.2 initially declined, but after receiving a glare from Chris, he quickly jumped up and claimed he suddenly remembered he also had to go.
And so, the three boys left together, arms slung over each other's shoulders.
Kara realized she had to find a way to break the silence—because Raven definitely wasn't going to.
"By the way, I just realized your hair is really pretty," Kara tried to start a conversation.
"Thanks," Raven replied.
"I noticed you don't talk much to people usually."
"Mm."
Kara: "."
She realized this wasn't going to work. She had to ask questions, or else it'd just be her doing a one-woman show forever.
"So, is your family around here?" Kara asked. "Are you from Gotham?"
"I don't have a family." Raven shook her head. "They're all dead."
"Huh? So you're an orphan? What a coincidence, me too."
But she quickly realized that might've been a bit inappropriate.
"Oh, I don't mean like it's a good thing. I'm just glad we have something in common—no wait, I'm not glad. I mean, I'm sorry. But I think I can understand you.
I mean… this isn't some kind of tragedy contest, but my family also died in an accident, and in their final moments, they gave up the only chance of survival to let me live."
Raven showed no expression.
"My father tricked my mother into giving birth to me, then got her killed. Now he wants to use me. So I'm on the run from him."
Kara: "?"
She held back her reaction for a while before finally blurting out, "That sounds like something you should report to the police."
Raven shook her head. "You don't understand. My situation is special. No one can help me. Only…"
The two girls were mid-conversation when a heart-wrenching scream suddenly rang out from the next room.
Startled, they bolted out the door and rushed into the room next door.
There they found the three boys who were supposedly "in the bathroom." Two were collapsed on the floor in terror—one of them still halfway dressed in some strange outfit. Chris was being held up like a rag doll by a demon, his face pale and contorted in pain, as if his neck was about to be snapped.
There really was a monster!
Kara's first instinct was to charge in and save him, but she didn't get the chance.
Because Raven had already moved the moment the door was burst open.
A purple-black sphere—like a mix of fire and swirling gas—shot from Raven's palm and struck the demon squarely, knocking it back and rolling it across the floor.
Raven wasn't done. She raised a hand and made a lifting gesture. The demon was instantly surrounded by magical energy and lifted into the air. Following her movements, it was slammed repeatedly into the ground—boom boom boom—until the wall and ceiling collapsed together, burying it under the rubble.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Especially Lackey No.1, who was still halfway into his bodysuit. When he met Raven's emotionless gaze, he visibly trembled and scrambled to pull himself out of the costume, babbling, "I-it was just a costume! The boss made me wear it! I wasn't with that thing!"
Kara also stared at Raven in shock. "Raven, you're…"
"He's my brother," Raven said calmly. "I already suspected he was behind the recent disappearances in Gotham. I sensed his aura. That's why I came here tonight."
"But don't worry, you won't have nightmares. You'll all wake up in your homes tomorrow, and you won't remember a thing about tonight."
Just as she finished speaking, there was a loud bang—the rubble exploded, and shards flew everywhere in a shockwave. The demon burst out from beneath, letting out a low, sinister chuckle.
"Didn't expect a little witch to be here… Interesting," the demon sneered. "Let's see how you handle this."
From the surrounding darkness, twisted silhouettes emerged one by one.
Grotesque and monstrous bodies, exuding a terrifying aura. Their skin was burnt crimson, eyes like endless voids, faces covered in scars and pits. When they opened their mouths, rows of sharp fangs were revealed, as if mocking the living.
The three boys were already huddled in a corner, trembling like leaves. Kara clenched her fists nervously and turned to ask Raven, "What are those now?"
"Wraiths. Monsters from another dimension."
Raven glanced around. There were quite a few of them. Clearly, they had come prepared, surrounding the group and blocking all escape routes.
"I've never tasted a witch's blood before." The demon licked its lips, eyes gleaming. "Get them."
But it didn't even finish speaking.
The broken wall suddenly collapsed again, and a blinding blue light burst in like a divine sword, slicing through the darkness. The wraiths that touched the light evaporated instantly—so fast they didn't even have time to scream.
Finally, the blue beam surged straight toward the demon's face.
The demon's eyes widened, the blue light reflecting clearly in them. It felt as if its soul had been locked in place, its trembling body unable to move.
In overwhelming terror, the demon too was reduced to ashes—disintegrated by the light.
One move. The entire battlefield was wiped clean.
Even Raven, still frozen mid-casting pose, was stunned by how fast it had ended.
Only Kara, upon seeing that attack, immediately lit up with joy.
She turned her head and, sure enough, saw the red and silver armor flying through the hole in the wall. She almost called out in excitement, but quickly remembered she was supposed to be a normal schoolgirl, so she clamped her hands over her mouth to stop herself from speaking.
"Rachel Roth," said Shen You, landing in front of Raven.
Raven dropped her combat stance but remained slightly wary. "You know me?"
"Not exactly, but I'm looking for you—uh, hang on a sec."
Shen You's visor display scanned and locked onto another human presence in the building.
"I'll be right back."
With that, jets flared under his feet, and he blasted through the ceiling and hovered into the air, landing directly in front of Laurie, who had been hiding.
"Sorry, dude, but cults are out of fashion."
Shen You raised his palm cannon at Laurie.
But Laurie slowly turned his head, not only showing no fear—but even a hint of… anticipation?
"You're too late," he sneered. "The moment you entered this building, I activated my ultimate trump card."
It was a gift from the Supreme Evil God he worshiped. Something he had traded endless devotion and tireless effort to receive—a one-time "descent."
Not just a demon. Not just some low-level otherworldly spirit.
But the god himself—his revered deity—arriving in person!
Being a Gotham resident, Laurie had of course heard of this "Ultraman" before. Though he often mocked the name "Ultimate Hero" as overblown, he didn't doubt the guy's power.
Which is why the moment Shen You showed up, Laurie knew: this wasn't someone mere demons could handle.
He had to summon his god.
The ritual circle activated. A dark whirlwind whipped through the room. Using his own blood as a conduit—being a native of this dimension—the energies tore open the veil between realities, revealing glowing, sinister eyes.
"Do not be afraid, my faithful."
"I have heard your call, and I shall answer."
"My name is Beliel. Any who dare stand against my existence shall be… shall…"
The demon appearing from the ritual locked eyes with the red and silver figure.
The moment they recognized each other, the chanting came to an abrupt stop.
Beliel looked at Shen You, then at the excited believer beside him.
Then he casually folded his hands behind his back and said nonchalantly:
"I don't know him."
Laurie: "???"