Heroes are forged in fire. Nocturne forges them in garbage, neon, and demonic contracts. Tonight, the freaks answer Asher's call.
Nocturne City, Abandoned Train Station — Midnight
The night was thick with smog and tension.
The station, once a bustling artery of the city, now rotted like everything else in Nocturne. Cracked tiles underfoot, flickering lights overhead, and the cold, metallic scent of decay.
Asher stood at the center of it all, boots scraping over broken glass, coat weighed down with grime and regret. His golden eye glowed faintly in the dark, casting eerie reflections along the rusted tracks. He smelled like blood, gunpowder, and a hint of cheap whiskey. Not the best look for a man trying to inspire an army… but this was Nocturne. Nobody cared about glamor here.
His voice cut through the dead air, low and sharp:"You all got the message. Time to pick a side."
Arrival #1 — Noir (Hacker Queen)
The quiet was broken by the buzzing whir of a thousand tiny rotors. Cheap drones swarmed into the station like digital hornets, their cracked lenses and glitching lights painting the ruined walls in stuttering color.
Above them all, a holographic face materialized — sharp-jawed, smirking, cybernetic horns curling upward like some digital demon. Noir's avatar flickered but held firm, her eyes gleaming with synthetic amusement.
"Detective Blackwood, organizing a union?" she drawled. "Never thought I'd see the day."
Asher exhaled, deadpan as always."Shut it. You in or not?"
She tilted her head, glitch sparks skipping across her cheek."You had me at 'let's burn the sky.'"
The drones spread out, taking up positions, eyes in the dark.
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Arrival #2 — Rosa & Her Occult Circle
A deafening bang shattered the uneasy silence as the side doors slammed open. Rosa sauntered in first, boots caked in dried blood, her smile wild and unrepentant. Behind her came a ragtag crew of mages, half of whom looked like they'd been dragged straight out of a coffee shop on their way to a satanic book club. Scarves, eyeliner, hasty spell tattoos, and too much caffeine in their blood.
Rosa tossed a knife into a nearby wall, the blade vibrating as she grinned at Asher.
"Got my witches, got my knives, got my caffeine," she said. "Let's ruin someone's afterlife."
Asher gave her a look — half amusement, half exasperation. "Of course you're ready for war. It's Tuesday."
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Arrival #3 — Succubi Warlords
The screech of tires echoed down the tunnels — an absurdly long neon limo barreled right onto the tracks, somehow fitting despite all laws of physics and taste.
From its plush interior stepped Lady Mirth, clad in screaming-pink latex with spiked heels high enough to kill, and Madam Hex, dressed in a mock Catholic priestess outfit complete with glowing rosary beads that absolutely weren't blessed.
They eyed each other with venomous little smiles… and then turned those same smirks on Asher.
Lady Mirth purred, "You promised us chaos and territory."
Madam Hex, crossing herself mockingly, added, "And first pick of the rupture relics."
Asher pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering, "Yeah, yeah. Just don't start an orgy until the king is dead."
They both giggled like schoolgirls who knew exactly what they were going to do later.
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Slice Of Life Cut- "City Reacts to the Gathering"
A block away, an old food stall owner peeked out of his booth, eyes narrowing at the bizarre traffic of demons, mercs, and mages storming the station.
"Why is every psycho in town heading there?" he muttered, flipping takoyaki while a stray bullet pinged off his fryer.
Meanwhile, an AI taxi — now sporting hastily scrawled sigils for "protection" — flat-out refused a ride request."I have trauma from last chapter," it announced robotically. "Self-care mode engaged."
Arrival #4 — The Exorcist Twins (Insane But Effective)
Without warning, two masked figures dropped from the ceiling, blades in each hand, their robes swirling like shadows come to life. Their holy swords hummed an eerie note, ancient symbols burning along their steel edges.
They spoke in eerie, perfect unison:"For God's amusement… we join."
Asher grimaced, shotgun tightening in his grip."Creepy bastards. But you get results."
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The Alliance Bickers (Of Course)
Predictably, it took about two minutes for the whole thing to devolve into chaos.
The succubi were already hissing at the witches."You stole my summoning circle last year!" Lady Mirth snapped.
Noir's avatar floated above them all, smirking. "Cute argument. But your god's Wi-Fi signal is weak," she snarked at the exorcist twins.
Rosa, catching Lady Mirth's lingering glances at Asher, hurled a coffee cup at her. "Back off, snake!"
Asher sighed and, without fanfare, fired a single shot into the ceiling. The boom echoed like judgment day.
"FOCUS UP, damn it!"
Asher's Rally Speech (Grim but Honest)
He stepped forward, gold eye blazing now — burning like a miniature sun in the grime-soaked dark.
"Listen up," he barked, voice raw with conviction. "That rupture king wants to crack this city open and eat it alive. Make it his playground."
He swept his gaze over the motley crew — witches, hackers, succubi, exorcists, mercs, misfits of every stripe."We're not heroes. Hell, most of you are criminals, monsters, or both. But Nocturne's ours. Our garbage fire, our nightmare."
His jaw clenched tight, and his voice dropped lower, colder."If anyone's gonna wreck it — it should be us. Not some crown-wearing freak with a god complex."
Silence fell. Every heart in the station beat in time with that raw, ugly truth.
Asher raised his shotgun high, cocking it with a sharp snap."So let's do this. Misfits, freaks, demons, witches… tonight we take back our damned city."
The Alliance Cheers (Loud and Chaotic)
The succubi whooped and hissed, summoning infernal banners that burned like hellfire.
Noir's drones blared out a glitching remix of the Nocturne Anthem, shaking the walls.
The exorcist twins? They just kept chanting, blades pointed at the sky like grim saints.
The ground itself seemed to tremble — rupture energy pulsing beneath them, syncing with their madness.
This was Nocturne. United by nothing but spite and survival instinct.
And tonight, that was enough.
Far above, perched on a warped skyscraper, the Rupture King felt the gathering pulse — the drumbeat of rebellion.
His smile widened, golden cracks snaking across his porcelain skin, jagged and gleaming."Ah… they gather. Good," he whispered, voice dripping with glee. "More cracks to fill."
Back in the station, Asher slung his shotgun across his back, eyes sharp and merciless.
"Time to move, freaks," he growled, turning to his chaotic army. "Let's break his crown."
[End Of Chapter 66]
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Preview of Next Chapter (67) — "March of the Monsters"Asher's misfit army rolls out through Nocturne's streets — a chaotic parade of demons, hackers, witches, and mercenaries. But before they can reach the Rupture King, his elite cultists block the way… triggering a citywide battle full of betrayals, power plays, and absolute anarchy.