Greetings my lovely demon fuckers! I'm ever so thrilled to see you return once again. I'm seeing more and more people share their thoughts and theories on what's going on, and it's truly an incredible compliment to see you all so excited.
This chapter was edited by Bi_Secure! They made some wonderful points and the story is stronger for it. Enjoy!
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As Vee walked out of the store, she shrugged to reposition the heavy water jugs on her shoulders. The cashier had given her some funny looks when she'd left, but quickly turned his attention elsewhere, no doubt he'd seen weirder things at five in the morning. A few bags of other miscellaneous purchases hung from her arms as she made her way home, which was only a few blocks away.
The weight was negligible, especially now that she'd gotten better at enhancing her body's strength with her divine magic. She smirked as she thought back on how much progress she'd made. In only a few weeks, she was close to surpassing many of her previous limits from the last time she'd seriously trained.
As she crossed the final intersection, she briefly stepped towards home, then paused.
This would be a great place for a rune. The path here splits to a few different dorms.
Setting down the water, Vee pulled her backpack off and withdrew her Enochian Texts. Sure that no one was watching, she quickly asked for another tracking rune to form in the center of the path. It appeared, briefly pulsing with light, then vanished.
I think that's 17? I haven't hit the auditorium yet...
Vee hoisted the water over her shoulders again and resumed her walk home. Her thoughts wandered as she made a mental list of all the tracking runes she'd placed around campus. She'd tried to tag the main entrances to all the major buildings, and had already gotten a few hits. Unfortunately, unless she happened to be extremely close, a single activation of a rune only served as another data point to add to the map.
As she arrived home, she put down all her purchases and pulled out her notebook. Inside, she was recording the times of each rune activation, trying to find patterns in the demon's movements. Vee assumed the demon was masquerading as a student, but it was hard to know how often she did so.
Is she... going to classes? That's what the runes seem to say, but that feels like a huge waste of time for a demon. Wouldn't it be easier to just go to parties? Find some drunk idiots, take their souls, and be on your way.
She was happy that the runes around her dorm had never activated, it gave her a tiny sliver of peaceful sleep before the nightmares inevitably returned each night. It also occurred to her that she should place runes around all the major dorms on campus. If the demon was fully committed to being a student, she might be living in a dorm. Even if she weren't, it would be easy to convince another student to invite her over.
Vee started up some coffee, then checked her phone. She quickly navigated to local news sites and social media feeds, looking for possible clues.
Still no bodies, no missing people, nothing. How is she hiding her victims?
The lack of news concerned her. Although taking someone's soul wouldn't always kill them, most demons felt it was easier to do so anyways. People that stayed alive after losing a soul often experienced personality shifts, some more alarming than others.
She pocketed her phone and made herself breakfast. There was something missing, there had to be. A campus with a demon running around shouldn't be this calm.
How does she find her victims? How does she hide them? Why is she bothering to go to classes?
Frustrated with the lack of answers, Vee turned her attention back to the water jugs. Placing one on the counter, she opened her Enochian Texts and started a familiar spell. Placing her hand on the side of the container, she asked the divine to purify the water inside.
She did the same for the second container, then moved them into a corner with the rest of the holy water. She now counted 10 in total, along with a few water bottles that she kept with her at all times. While she didn't know how it would all get used, she was happy to have a significant backstock.
Content that the water was ready, she started unpacking the rest of her purchases. A few rosaries, some chalk, several bags of salt, even some water pistols that had made her feel quite childish. The last item was a small bag of sulfur.
She took great care in handling the package, fully aware of how bad sulfur could smell even in small quantities. Moving to the bathroom, she poked a small hole in the bag before returning to the living room.
Vee sat on the floor, closing her eyes as she focused on her magic, her connection with the Divine. Enochian filled the room as she said another prayer, this time enhancing her senses as well as her strength. It took a minute to acclimate to the new sensations; the hum of the building's heating filled her ears, a low bass occasionally broken by the persistent dripping of her neighbor's bathroom faucet.
She opened her eyes, testing her enhanced vision by reading the nutritional information on the cereal boxes across the kitchen. Finally, she breathed in through her nose, looking for one smell in particular. The most easily identifiable sign of demonic activity - sulfur.
To try and name all the different types of demons would be an exercise in madness. Demons took every size and shape imaginable, and the overwhelming variety of abilities they could wield made hunting them extremely challenging. Thankfully, all demons were born of damnation, and thus shared one important trait. Any demon that drew on its natural magic would inevitably leave behind a trail of sulfur.
While faint, Vee was able to smell the sulfur she'd set up in the bathroom.
She smiled, glad to see her test had worked, then jumped to her feet. Having enhanced senses was nice, but if she couldn't utilize them properly, she wouldn't stand a chance in a fight. She began moving through a series of basic exercises, slowly adjusting to her new skillset. It started slowly, as her enhanced perception dramatically altered how she perceived her own body, but soon enough she felt everything start to come together.
Her vestibular senses were flawless, and she found she now had perfect balance. With each new movement, she slowly retrained her muscle memory to accommodate her enhanced physique. Before long, she felt completely comfortable with her body, and it was time was one final test.
She was currently upside down, her weight supported entirely by one hand planted firmly on the carpet. One leg extended straight towards the ceiling, the other was bent, its foot resting on her inside knee. She reached forward with her free hand, then closed her eyes and focused.
Her magic stirred, eager to respond, but it took a moment to focus it properly. Creation was exceptionally difficult, and Vee hadn't manifested anything in years.
Sweat fell from her temple, landing on the carpet. Her balance faltered, just for a second, as she started the necessary prayer. The heavenly overtones of Enochian filled her ears, resonating with her magic, and within moments she'd achieved her goal.
A glimmering sword appeared in her hand, radiant power emanating from its blade. She moved it around, listening as the steel literally sang with every flourish. It was a beautiful weapon, and she was surprised at how little it weighed; no doubt her strikes would be quick and precise. She continued testing its weight, adjusting her own movements to accommodate the weapon, before she knew it was time to prepare for classes.
With her eyes still closed, she pushed off the floor. Her body sprang into the air, folding into a tight somersault as she inverted one last time. Her feet landed softly, barely making a noise as she flourished her sword in front of her.
Vee grinned, knowing she was ready for a fight.
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Amara grunted as she grabbed another vine, pulling as hard as she could. It shifted slightly, but nowhere near enough to make a difference.
