Rey had a feeling that the others were not going take this kindly. Their faces told him all he needed to know. He could tell they were already planning to call it quits and head home, but where they were thinking of running, he saw opportunity.

  Rey mentally filed himself under Greatest Minds in History, somewhere between Newton, Einstein, and that one guy who tried to invent time travel in his garage, the dude who licked batteries for science, and all the flat-earthers, as everyone knew the earth was flat.

  Yes, there was the fact that they could easily perish as they had almost done so twice already. But if they were going to power level through this city, they needed to fight stronger and stronger opponents. Of course, this task wouldn't be so easily accomplished, but nothing in Hell was easy save for dying and turning into a mindless demon. That shit was easy to die.

  He watched his friends in turn. The first one he looked to was Aearbon, who gave him a slight nod, which meant that he was with him. Rey was beyond thankful for that because before the arguments began, he wanted at least one person on his side. Ajay looked like he wanted to bolt. Filomena was comforting him. Kassi had the unreadable gaze that said she was either with him or still mad at him, and for the life of him, he could not tell which was true.

  Ajay opened his mouth to speak, but Rey raised a hand, stopping him.

  "Before you start, just know that this is a good thing." Ajay looked ready to shout at this point. "Before you start threatening to rage quit this expedition, let's find out more about these so-called Terrors. Okay, Nidoran, speak. Tell us all you know about these Terrors."

  "It's Noidet, by the way." Then he sighed. "Why do I even bother? The Terrors are the prince's elite soldiers. Think of them like his cleaning crew. Anyone the prince doesn't like, and he wants to dispatch quietly, or has become too much of a nuisance, as you guys have, he dispatches them to clean up his city. They are vicious bastards. Just absolutely horrendous. Even by demon standards, they are terrifying."

  "Yeah, yeah, I get it. They're scary." Rey rolled his eyes. The shit he had seen would make a grown giant piss in his pants. "Now, start talking about their Ranks and Tiers."

  "Now, I haven't seen them myself, but if the rumors are true, they're all at the famed D-Tier."

  Everyone perked up at that. Rey turned and gave them all a big smile.

  "Are you sure?" Kassi asked.

  "Again, I haven't seen them myself, so I can't be sure, but that is the rumor among the Sniffers I hang around with. They say their rank isn't as high as the prince, but they are all at the D-Tier."

  "Then can you make sure they are at the D-Tier?" Ajay asked.

  Noidet shook his head in a trembling sort of way. "Well, that can only be done if you see them or they see you, and anyone they want to see mostly ends up dead."

  "Well, that's stupid," Rey commented. "If anyone they work with ends up dead, then no one will want to work with them. There must be someone in the city who's seen these Terrors and lived to tell the tale."

  Noidet looked mighty uncomfortable now. "Well, there are many who say they've seen them, but again, they might just be boasting."

  "Oh, you're hiding something," Rey cooed, as he flung his arm over the demon's shoulder, making him flinch. "Cough it up, Noibat, or I will find out about whoever you're trying to protect, and then I will kill them in front of your very eyes, and then we'll probably eat them. You can take my word on that."

  Noidet gulped. "Though I doubt you'll be able to do that."

  Rey narrowed his eyes and leaned in, making the demon tremble.

  "It's the head of the Sniffers, Ginirth. He is the only one who can say that he has met the Terrors and lived to tell the tale."

  "Why is that?"

  "Well, you see, for one, he controls all the Sniffers in town, and the prince needs them, and second, he is also at the D-Tier."

  Rey counted on his fingers. "So, now we're at five?"

  Now, his friends didn't look so sure about running away. Rey hadn't expected to find five more D-Tier demons slumbering in the city. He had thought he would only see one when they walked into this shit-infested city. Now, there were enough for each of them that they didn't even need to kill Razgorel. Though he really wanted to kill that three-eyed fuck, and he probably would still kill him. After all, he had killed his Kassi, and one death wasn't enough for that crime.

  Of course, he wasn't going to tell them that. He might spring it on them when the time came. After all, once they were all at the D-Tier, it would be easy to convince them to go after the prince, since they would all be at the D-Tier.

  "Six," Aearbon corrected him. "You forgot to count the prince."

  "Ah, yes, how could I forget?"

  "But we don't need to go after him if we have enough for the rest of us," Filomena stated.

  "So, should I take that as no one wants to leave this city anymore?" Rey stated.

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  No one said anything. Ajay looked as if he wanted to say something, then thought better of it when Filomena gripped his arm and shook her head. He stared into her lovely eyes for a long moment and then sighed, resigning to stay quiet. Either they had picked up the Telepathy Element, or they just had an eye-to-eye conversation.

  That just left Kassi, who said nothing, and once again, Rey couldn't read her expression. However, it was definitely leaning towards a little anger.

  Damn, I need to get on the level of the star-crossed lovers. I have been in a relationship with this girl before, and I still can't figure out what's on her mind.

  She doesn't like me. Demon Rey said dejectedly.

  Of course, she doesn't like you. I don't like you, and you're half me or fully me or me in the future. Whatever, I just don't like you.

  Who the fuck cares what you think, dumbass?

  Well, fuck you too.

  "Okay, looks like we're still on board with gutting down all the D-Tier demons in the city," Rey said. "Well, that's a relief."

  Noidet stiffened at that, and walked out from under his arm and stepped back from him. "Y-You want to kill D-Tier demons. That's why you been causing all this havoc throughout the city."

  "Ding. Ding. Ding. And don't worry, we'll throw you some spoils along the way. For now, you focus on getting us to your boss."

  "Now?" Noidet snapped. "The whole city would be out looking for you."

  "He's right," Kassi said. "We need to lie low for a few days. Let things cool down outside, and then we can visit this Ginirth."

  "Rey, she's right," Filomena said. "We barely made it out of that last fight. We can wait a few days."

  "A few days and these Terrors will be all over the city," Rey countered. "We need to be on the move. I wouldn't be surprised if they start paying house calls to everyone. Heck, I won't be if the demons start overturning every house in the city looking for us." Kassi didn't look like she was about to back down. "But you're probably right. We'll slow down and take a quick break. Nurse our wounds and leave in a few hours."

  She didn't look like she wanted to argue anymore, but she accepted Rey's decision for now, which he was more than thankful for. As his head was still pounding, he needed some shut-eye.

  "What's upstairs?" Rey asked.

  "Some beds, a rack of weapons, and a pile of clothes," Aearbon answered before Noidet could.

  "Good," Rey said. "I'll be upstairs, trying to take a nap. If someone wishes to join me in a cuddle session, they can. Also, keep an eye on this guy at all times." He pointed to Noidet. "Don't let him leave without my permission."

  "Got it," Aearbon said, locking his gaze on the Sniffer, which made him gulp.

  With all that settled, Rey climbed the ladder and realized it was pretty dark up here. Not pitch black that he couldn't see at all, but still, he was sure he was going to stub his toe a few hundred times before he found his way to a bed that he liked.

  By the time he stubbed his toe for the third time and was thinking this was karma for something his demon side had done, he saw the place lightening. Someone was coming up with a torch, which was brightening up the place.

  There were four beds up here with filthy sheets, but after so many years in Hell, his sense of cleanliness had basically committed suicide. The weapons rack held a rusty sword and a mace. Nothing that would help them unless Ajay and Filomena wanted backup swords, which wouldn't be a bad idea.

  A moment later, Kassi's head poked up, and Rey grinned at her. "Oh, you don't know how thankful I am for that torch, and you. Always you first."

  But she didn't return his grin and kept a straight face.

  Rey sighed inwardly. It's going to be that kind of conversation.

  "Before you start, just know that I love you, and no matter what we say to each other in this argument, it will not change that. Nothing will change that."

  She pressed her lips into a thin line to stop herself from smiling, but her eyes gave her away. "How did you know I was coming up here for an argument?"

  "It's not like I can see the future," he replied. "But even still, I don't need to know the future to know that you're angry with me about the whole torture thing."

  "Torture, Rey!" She snapped. "How could you even think about stooping so low?"

  "Once again, they're just demons. Malevolent soulless beings that want to hurt others for their own gains," he replied, keeping his voice steady. "They wouldn't think twice about doing much worse to you, and did you not hear him. He wanted to SA you."

  "I don't care what he said," she snapped. "I only care about what you said."

  "What is the difference between killing them in one blow and killing them a little slowly and getting some information out of them in the process?"

  Kassi breathed slow, heavy breaths. "The fact that you can't tell the difference between the two is very telling. We do one for survival, the other is inflicting pain for—"

  "Gaining information," Rey finished.

  "It's like you're slowly turning into them. Into a fucking demon. Casually wanting to torture a demon because he's just a demon. Is this place getting to you that much, or were you always like this, and I just couldn't see it before?"

  "No, I wasn't always like this," Rey said quietly.

  He wasn't. The Rey from before would've been disgusted with the things he had done, but this was what Hell had turned him into. What he had to do to survive would turn anyone, but he had to survive, or he wouldn't be standing here now, getting this second chance at life, even though he was the last person to deserve it. Maybe he was the best person to lead them. His experiences through Hell had hardened him to this unforgiving world, but she could never understand that. Not until she had gone through what he had gone through.

  "But you won't understand," he finished.

  "Then make me understand! Make me understand why you were so nonchalant about torture or the hundred different things that I've ignored because I just chalked it up to you being you."

  "You haven't been through what I've been through."

  "And you won't tell me for some fucking reason. And whenever I ask, you say that you'll tell me when the time is right. When will the right time come? At least tell me that" He stayed quiet. "From where I'm standing, you're turning just like the things we're fighting, or were you always a psychopath even back on Earth who liked to torture people for fun?"

  "It's not the right time," Rey replied adamantly.

  She stepped forward and bored her green eyes into his. "Rey, you have to tell me. You have to talk. You must make me understand what is going on with you. Has a demon possessed you?"

  "What? No."

  Technically, yes. Demon Rey added.

  "Okay, if you don't want to tell me about this whole torture thing, then tell me about that demonic voi—"

  "No!" Rey snapped. "Kassi, I said, I'll tell you everything when the time is right, and I'll tell you, but not right now."

  "Why, because you think I can't handle your truth?"

  "No, you definitely can't," he lied.

  Kassi looked like Rey had slapped her. It wasn't that she couldn't, but there was a part of him that was scared that she would turn from him when she found out about his past. His true past and the things that he had done as a demon. He would probably never tell her everything in detail, but he would tell her enough, but not here. Not when Zalathar or his Minion were listening.

  One moment, she stood there like she had been struck, and the next, she looked ready to explode. She drew a deep breath and let it out, seemingly breathing out her anger. "I really thought better of you—"

  Before she could finish, there was a loud knock on the door, like someone had pounded their fist on the door.

  "Open up!" Shouted a gruff voice. "Open up on the orders of the prince."