After a good minutes of waiting near the roadway, Sebastian was there, pulling over to the sidewalk. He rolled down the window and immediately recognized me.

"My greatest apologies, m'lady. Oh, is there a friend that you have brought?" He glances over to Zan.

I nodded and forcefully opened the car door and shoved Zan inside first then I followed.

"M'lady, where have you been? You're nowhere to be seen for about a week." Sebastian sounded worried.

"Sorry Sebastian, I can't answer that..."

"I understand, m'lady."

I glanced at Zan. He still seems upset about something then I remember Grim saying that he goes to Flame's whenever he's having a hard time.

"Sebastian, do you know where Flame's is?"

"Certainly, m'lady. Are you going there?"

Zan jolted up, immediately glancing at me.

"Yes." I answered with a slight smile.

"Y-y-you didn't happen to...watch me go to... Fl-Flame's.... Did'ya?" He stuttered, flushing red....or that's only my imagination. Heck, this darkness is overwhelming my eyesight. I mean, I saw the sun in the farthest corner of the dark sky. It's 12! 12 am! Geez.

"What if I did? Is there anything wrong with that?" I asked innocently.

Realizing this, Zan raised his hoodie and buried his face with it, embarrassed.

"Why are you hiding?" I asked curiously, trying to peek in his hoodie. He just turned around, his back facing me.

"N-n-n-nothing. Nothing at all." What a useless lie. I stared at him blankly.

I threw my hands up and rolled my eyes, sliding my butt to the other side of the vehicle, my side.

I closed my eyes for a bit and let thoughts run into my mind...

------

"Sir, I have located her. She's in England."

"Good job finding her, Tim." The general walked to its subordinate and scoots over to his side. He was now controlling the computer placed in front of him. "Now... Where is this... Flame's?"

"It's located.... Ah! Near Dead Meat!"

"I see...." The general squinted closely to the screen. There was a place named Flame's and just a few blocks away, there's Dead Meat. "Call everyone and gather them in our private jet. We're going to England."

"Sir yes sir!" Tim saluted, then rushing of to the others.

The general smirked at his discovery...

------

We entered Flame's and it's really very similar to what I've watched in the Control Center's monitor. I walk beside the smiling Zan as we made our way to the bar table.

"Eeeyy... Flamey, my boy! The usual!" Zan slammed his hand to the table while Flame is still preparing some other drink for some other person. His back facing us.

"Ok, Zan." He answered politely.

Just a few moments, he finished one drink. I guess Cosmopolitan? And then immediately turned to us. He was surprised to see me at first, his sweat covering all of his face. Is it because of fear or tiredness of being a bartender? Sometimes, I don't really know which is which.

Zan quickly noticed this and wore a frown before putting up a convincing facade.

"Ah, this is Celeste that I'm talking about." Zan introduced me, holding my shoulders then pulled me closer to him.

I was uncomfortable so I shook him away while his grin doesn't fade away.

"What would you like?" Flame asked politely like I'm a customer. I know that he's only acting. I can sense something that I can't sense around normal humans... Same as Zan and Palatino. What's with these humans?!

"Meyer Lemon Rosemary Gin Fizz." I smirk, placing my elbow to the table as I did.

"Good choice and such detail." Flame smiled brightly and started to work on our drinks.

"Actually, I think gin and dubonnet would taste good..." I stared at the ceiling, thinking about it.

"Do you want gin and dubonnet?" Flame asked me from afar.

"Hmm.... No, not really. Continue with my Gin Fizz please." I replied politely.

"Gin and dubonnet? Who are you, the Queen?!" Zan exclaimed.

"Hm? No, actually I'm a princess. Get that right."

"And how are you so knowledgable about wines and cocktails? Aren't you too young to drink?!"

"You're asking how I know wines and cocktails? And you say that I'm too young to drink?" My ear twitched. "Listen, you're talking to a Princess of Demons, who is already 130 years old in Earth and you forgot that I'm an Auden, a family who owns the most famous winery and more."

"Oh right." Zan suddenly remembered. "You haven't mention it for a long time that I forgot... And also, you might not believe it but I'm older than you." He closed one eye, rocked his chair backwards as he folded his arms, palms facing the ceiling.

It's like he's holding two bowls of whatever food and singing "Ah~~~" (9Muses )

"How is that possible? You're 13, right? You're human, right?" I asked in confusion.

"Of course. I'm 13 and a human." He stopped rocking his chair and leaned on the bar table. "But that doesn't mean biologically I'm 13. I was born in 1623. I was surprised to find out that today is 2016. A lot changed since then..." He stared at the ceiling nostalgically.

"H-huh? Then your family....and this bar..." I thought aloud.

"What? No. Only my family was also taken back. This bar stood for 403 years and it looks new because of the bartender, Flamey here." He playfully pointed using his thumb.

"What about him?"

"He's not particularly human..." Then he leaned towards my ear and whispered "so he has some connections."

"Connections with what?"

"........you know what? Just ask him. I'm too lazy to explain." Back with his laid-back personality, back to rocking his chair back and forth, back to putting his hands in his pockets, back to being Zan himself.

After some seconds, Flame is back with our drinks and of course, Zan has fries.

"Flame, give me a bottle of ketchup."

Without any other time wasted, Flame immediately took out the bottle of ketchup and gave it to Zan.

"Thank you." He smiled...then snickered....then smirked.

"Hey C, do you want some fries and ketchup?" Zan went back to his normal self, which honestly freaked me out, and pushed the plate of fries and the ketchup to me.

"Not really..." I told him blankly.

"Suit yourself." He shrugged. Then chugged down the whole bottle... Do humans particularly drink ketchup as water?

I didn't continue staring at that terrifying scene so I just looked the other way while I drink my fruity Gin Fizz.

"Hey C, hey C." That tone... He has something in his sleeve, I'm sure of it. "This bar, myself, has been here for quite a long time, don't you think? Maybe it's time for you to...ketchup!" He bursted into laughter. Soon starting to pound the table... Is he drunk right now?

"Excuse me Flame, but is he drunk?" I pointed my thumb at Zan as he just laughed around.

"Not really. He's always like that."

"Ok, while he's busy laughing around, be honest with me while I talk to you."

Flame quickly changed his expression, then frantically looked around.

"I hope he doesn't mind me taking you." I nodded. "Good. Come with me."

Flame stopped the time. The only ones who are moving are myself and him. I grabbed my drink tightly as I follow Flame towards a chamber. In that chamber, there's a lot of demonic items inside. Flame snapped his fingers and time resumed again, as I observed the flames on the candles swaying about.

"What does this mean? Are you the reason why Zan was able to go to Hell?"

A good moment of silence before Flame was able to speak again. Only this time, he forgot that I'm still a customer in his bar.

"Listen here. I know you're a demon, specifically the Princess of the Demons. The moment I laid eyes on you, I knew... I knew exactly how you can be defeated."

"And how can you defeat me? I'm immortal, my heart is very secured. I don't see any other way how you can. Even Lucifer is too weak for me." I smirked and crossed my arms as I sat down on a rather uncomfortable bed. It's like a sacrificing bed for Satan. Oh Satan, why are you so famous to these people?

Flame, answering my question by doing it, pushed me so that I lay down on my back and secure me with chains, each on my limbs...even my neck.

"Wh-what the--?!" I tried getting out with all my strength as a human and as a demon but to no avail.

"These chains are demon-proof and it can't be escaped by an ordinary human." Flame easily explained.

"Fuuuuuuuuuck!!" I groaned.

"Do you want to know the reaction to wine spilling on fire?"

My eyes widened in fear as he suddenly grabbed my drink and held it above the lit candle on my side. I know what the reaction is, I know!

"I already know so stop it!" I hopelessly shouted out.

"Why would I?" Flames made fun of me, leaning close to my face.

He pours the wine drop by drop, the flames slowly enlarge each drop. It intimidates me. The first time fire actually intimidate me, actually. Ironic how I formally live in a place filled with fire but this human body sucks! It will melt right away and-- oh, this gives me an idea! How am I so stupid?

I used my own abilities and wreak havoc in the place before the fire reaches me. I moved a lot of stuffs in the room and moved them around or break them. Flame immediately noticed this and poured down the wine to all of the candles and set the glass down while he rushes to the stuffs that I'm messing around with.

While he was fixing the Satan portrait and he was not facing me, I swung the unlit chandelier back and forth and left and right.

He turned around and was surprised by my actions.

"H-hey! That chandelier is worth more than your life! Stop messing with my stuffs!"

"Unchain me!" I ordered. "It's either this chandelier is going to break as much as pieces as it costs or you unchain me right now!"

"I already told you that no human nor demon can break those chains off. Not even myself!" He panicked.

"Then how do you get rid of those other people you torture and offer to Satan here?" I asked, almost shouting.

"I don't. Their bodies decay there until there are just bones. That way, I can just remove their bones and chain someone else there."

I stared at him dryly, promptly stopped messing around his chandelier.

"What?" He muttered in confusion.

"Idiot." I shook my head and dropped his chandelier.

"NOOO!!!!" He rushed to his broken chandelier in pain. "You will...pay..." He said in his own demonic voice.

"With what?"

"You're life." He muttered creepily.

With one swift motion, he was about to pounce at me and strangle me, judging by his position of hands, his eyes focused on my neck. I then protected myself with my translucent forcefield, making him bounce back.

I snapped my fingers, instantly turning myself to a dark mist and flew towards him with a smirk on my lips. I was still flying but my forcefield is gone now. I also returned to my pathetic human body, circling around him until he was unable to move due to the fear.

"I almost forgot that I have a lot of other more abilities."

"Why, because you're slowly turning into someone you're not supposed to be? And who might be the cause of it?" He tried messing my mind by using this as a subject.

I clicked my tongue and took my spear, pointing it at him as we speak. "Listen to all of my questions and answer them honestly then I may spare you. Asking questions from me is strictly prohibited, got that?"

"Heh. Why would I listen to you?"

"Uhh, so you won't die? Duh!" I sassed.

"Fine. Whatever you say." He doesn't sound like he's intimidated or something. He just sounded bored.

I drew back my spear and sat down on the torture bed with no fire. To be honest, it's just quite a small spot.

"What are you?"

"Nephilim. Half demon and half angel. My father is a demon and my mother is an angel." His voice sounded like he's doing an ordinary interview.

"What are you doing here?"

"I want to continue my business."

"No other motives?" I asked, looking around this horrible chamber.

"Uhh.... I just listen to my father. He says to torture him, her, that, it--"

"Who is your father anyway?" I interrupted him.

"Satan."

As soon as he answered my question, I laughed louder than I should have!

"Hey! Don't laugh! At least he's not in jail!"

My eye twitched for a second because of his sentence so I pulled a dagger out of nowhere and threw it near him as a warning. He was frozen in place but he flinched when I threw the dagger near him.

"Don't you know that my father is keeping your father alive?" I glared.

"What do you mean?" He raised an eyebrow. How stupid, such an idiot.

"I told you that asking questions from me is strictly prohibited, so I won't answer that now. So first, do you know anything about The Case of the Murders of 666 Demons?" I returned to my emotionless self.

"The Case of the Murders of 666 Demons, huh... That sounds familiar."

"It is one of the biggest topic in Hell and my father was accused and put in jail because of that. He wasn't even the true culprit!"

"Ah! That's right. My father also told me about that! He was almost settled in for the last but someone else barged in and he was murdered instead. That time, the culprit flew with the 666th victim with its blood. Still, neither the two of then saw the culprit, much less their features."

"I see...." I pondered for a little bit. "Well, thanks for the information, Nephilim." I jumped out of the bed and walked out. "Follow me outside. You still have an unfinished work there, right?"

"Hey Princess, do you mind me helping you with this case?" I stopped my steps and turned my heel, facing him with my hands crossed, waiting for the next sentence to become his reason for joining in. "I also want to know about the culprit who's targeting my father for last."

I sighed to hear that reason but nonetheless, accepted. "Ok Nephilim. Make sure to do your job well."

"Heh. That goes without saying, Princess." He smiled. He stood up and as he passed me, ruffled my hair. This made me annoyed and I don't know why. Personal space, maybe?

"Hey! What was that for?!" I turned again, facing him. I was surprised to see a small smile on his lips though I may not be sure as he's standing against the light.

"No reason. It's fun to mess with you for a while."

I blinked twice in confusion for a moment before suddenly realizing... "You just want to annoy me, didn't you?!!!" I pointed my index finger to him as I shouted. It echoed throughout the chamber, the flames grew larger upon my realization.

"Hahaha. Sorry, sorry. Let's go back now." He...laughed... He just...laughed... GRRR!!!

While I'm still busy being mad at him, he grabbed my arm and pulled me outside the chamber and back to the bar.

As soon as we returned, everyone was gone...except for the drunkard who's still sleeping in the bar table with his head hunched in his arms.

Everyone was gone with multiple hints that someone was here and wreak havoc in this place, destroying everything in their way.

Flame was equally surprised as I am...and we both returned to normal once everything's analyzed.

"Aah.. Someone came." We both announced nonchalantly.

"I'll go take care of Zan while you take care of the bar."

"Right." He nodded.

"Zaaaann~~~" I whispered in his ear. He groaned in reply. "Well, the easy way it is!"

I pushed him out of the bar stool and, taking his arm, tried pulling him outside.

"Why don't you just levitate him like you always do?" Flame asked. I didn't know he was watching.

"Are you kidding me? This guy's heavy!!" I explained.

"So demon abilities also have standards..." He commented. A slight pity appeared on his face.

Suddenly, an ear-piercing noise made its way into the bar. I immediately drop down to my knees and desperately covered my ears with my hands.

"What's wrong?!" Flame panicked.

"N-n-noise..." I tried my best to choke those words out. Flame and Zan cannot hear it...

...why?

------

"Good job, Tim." General Howard gave his subordinate a thumbs-up for bringing the demon down.

"My pleasure, sir." Tim saluted.

"What are you guys doing?!" The bartender shouted in anger.

"Do not worry, sir. We are here to bring your life to safety. This little girl here is a demon and she might try to hurt you." Howard stepped in front of Tim and confronted Flame.

"How can you be so sure?" Flame clenched his teeth and his fists, readying himself to fight the two government officials.

"She already murdered two victims-- one in December and another in April." Howard began explaining. "We have proof too. The files recorded that none of the other citizens want to murder someone with no benefit to them. These guys have no benefits to them anyway so why would they murder them? And I read about an article, a kind demon who shared his intel with us in exchange for letting him study in the same school as this girl he's targeting for free, that demons' favorite food are suffering human souls. The two victims are beyond suffering. One is a poor businessman who lost his family, and the other is a drunkard who has nothing else to live for. Do you have any more disagreements, sir?"

"Tch. Can I prove to you that she won't murder anyone again?" Flame said, still with anger visible to his eyes.

Out of nowhere, a loud yawn was heard, echoing through the bar. He sat up and looked around the devastated bar.

"Hey Flamey, what happened to the bar? And why did I sleep here on the ground?" Zan asked in confusion. He stood up and looked around in even more. 360 degrees. "Who are these two? Customers?" He pointed.

"My name is Howard and this is my subordinate Tim. Two of us are government officials." Howard showed his badge and personal ID card to prove it.

"Oh hello there. Did the Queen sent you here?"

"Yes. To kidnap this little dangerous little girl and isolate her. She already murdered enough citizens here."

Zan slowly looked down and saw Celeste's still body. Her eyes are closed and she's placed in front of the two people's feet. He snapped...but instead wreaking more havoc to this poor old bar, he decided to disguise it as "bad puns."

"Howard, huh... Howard are you doing here in such a time? To only plan on taking her down? Tim-ake sure that she doesn't murder anyone else?"

"You're making our names as puns, aren't you? Stop it. It's sickening." Howard glared.

"No way, old man. Not until you get your hands off of her!" Zan glared seriously, narrowing his eyes towards Howard.

"Tim, bring her to the jet. I'll deal with this troublesome meddler."  Howard snapped his fingers, commanding Tim. The latter immediately dragged Celeste's body away, leaving with only Zan, Flame and Howard in the bar.

Howard cracked his knuckles and smirked. "I'm much stronger than you."

"Well let's see about that...." Zan also smirked. "Flame, follow Tim with Celeste!" He ordered. Flame nodded, jumping from debris to debris, following Tim.

Howard turned around, immediately meeting up with a translucent blue wall in front of him. He was surprised to see this. Without anything else to see, he turned to Zan, thinking that he made the wall.

"Where do you think you're looking at? We have a business to attend to, right?" He winked, annoying Howard.

------

Flame jumped up high to reach the jet, which is now flying towards the sky. It made him climb up with all his strength to carry himself.

The jet suddenly moved forward so quickly that it sent everyone to slide down the other end of the wall. First one is Flame then followed up by other more Howard's subordinates then last came Celeste's body, filling the wall with bodies. It landed heavily on Flame's stomach like in a cartoon.

"Oof! Gaahhh....." Flame groaned as Celeste landed on his stomach. He immediately covered his mouth with two of his hands and swallowed...something. "Shouldn't have drink that much..." He thought aloud with guilt.

The jet then calmed down and was steadied, making all of the bodies fall down. First is every subordinate and then Flame. The last one to fall is surprisingly Celeste. She fell down on Flame's back. Flame covered his mouth again and swallowed everything up. "Really, really shouldn't have drink that much."

Every subordinate continued on to their routine like nothing happened and as if it's normal. Tim stands out, reaching out to Flame as he stands in front of him, glaring.

"Are you trying to ruin my job?" He asked suspiciously, narrowing his eyes at him.

"What are you talking about?" Flame asked with a brow raised.

"My job here is to isolate this woman and you're interfering."

"I'm interfering because my friend cares about this woman that you're gonna isolate!" He stood up, gently dropping Celeste's unconscious body. "...and also me. I care about her a little..." He sheepishly added. "But that's enough for me to also protect her, so get through me before getting to her!"

"Hmph." He lowered his hand and took a machine gun placed on his back. "Don't underestimate the subordinate." He readied himself with a stance.

Flame gently sweep Celeste out of the way, behind him. Little did he know that Tim sent another subordinate to take Celeste away and they went to the isolation room in the jet. It's smaller than original but it was enough.

------

I woke up suddenly in a room filled with nothingness. Everywhere I see, there are only metal. Walls, floor, I don't see anything else.

I tried to escape, transforming to my demon form and stabbing spears everywhere. Everything I did is useless.

Who builds a demon-proof room?! And...where is/are the door/s?

I tried standing up but a heavy weight suddenly made it through my legs, making me unable to stand. I looked down at my ankle and saw it tied up to a heavy prison's ball.

Aw fuck, it really is heavy! I can't even push it, pull it, kick it, levitate it, I can't interact with this heavy ball.

I feel vulnerable...

Help me...

I can't even believe that I'm begging right now. But I have no other ways to solve this... I can only just think to myself "help me, help me."

I'm hopeless right now, aren't I?

...gross.... Water again... From this hopeless eyes of mine...