Geon continued his research and eventually mixed four colors. Although he hadn't created any music yet, he felt satisfied just by mixing the colors and realized it was late at night when he returned home.
Exhausted and looking forward to a comfortable rest, Geon's eyes caught the chaotic scene at the Red Castle.
Dogs barking, organization members losing their leashes and falling to the ground, and dogs with bloodshot eyes wildly running around the garden having gained their freedom.
The dogs ran with all their might, biting something and violently shaking their heads. Upon closer inspection, Geon saw that the dogs were killing large gray rats.
More than half of the over twenty dogs were running around leash-free, and even those held by organization members' leashes were dragging their owners around chasing the rats.
Lucy, who had been running on the annex roof, jumped into the air, caught a crow, and landed on the ground, swatting away insects that looked like cockroaches.
The peaceful appearance of the Red Castle was shattered by the attack of crows, rats, and bugs, turning the place into a battlefield.
The organization members, in panic, shot at the rats scurrying on the ground, but it was difficult to aim accurately at the fast-moving rats.
The crows in the sky also did not settle in one place, further increasing the organization members' panic.
As Geon watched the chaotic Red Castle from his car, another car pulled up in front of him. Seeing the window roll down, Geon leaned over to look inside and was relieved.
"Byung-jun hyung?"
"Get in quick!"
Byung-jun, unusually driving from the driver's seat, urgently gestured with his hand. An organization member fired at a crow that darted toward Geon. Geon backed into the passenger seat as Byung-jun sped off the car.
"Buckle up!"
Geon, who had been lying down, turned and barely managed to buckle his seat belt. Looking at the Red Castle through the side mirror, he said.
"What, what's going on?"
Byung-jun, hitting the steering wheel, replied.
"I don't know, it started a few hours ago! We were happy that the bats had gone yesterday, but today it's bugs, crows, rats! Damn New York!! It's filthy here, that's why these creatures are attracted! Let's stay at Shizuka's house tonight."
Geon opened the window and looked back. Seeing about thirty crows flying over the Red Castle, he closed the window and said.
"What's happening…"
"I talked to Miroslav. A disinfection vehicle will come at dawn tomorrow, so let's go to Shizuka's house for today. Oh! Wait!"
Byung-jun, who normally didn't answer calls while driving, saw the name Lynn on the screen and picked up the call on hands-free.
"Hello, Director!"
Lynn's calm voice came through the hands-free, allowing Geon to hear as well.
"Where are you?"
"We're leaving Red Castle and heading to Shizuka's house, Director!"
"Come here instead. Manhattan Hotel."
"Is it safe there?"
"It will be safer at the hotel. Turn around."
"Okay, it's on the way anyway. See you at the hotel!"
After hanging up, Byung-jun pressed the accelerator harder. They soon arrived at the hotel and Byung-jun parked in the underground garage before looking around.
Spotting a small shadow moving quickly on the floor, Byung-jun pushed Geon into the elevator in a panic.
Forced by Byung-jun's push, Geon stumbled into the elevator and hit the wall. Seeing the rats had even followed them to the hotel, Byung-jun frantically pressed the penthouse button.
The elevator ascended from the basement to the lobby, where an elderly couple got on.
Byung-jun, maintaining a calm demeanor, quickly pressed the close button, and as the elevator doors closed, a tiny flying insect entered and stuck to the ceiling.
The elderly couple got off first with a simple nod, and as the two men left the elevator at the top floor, the insect on the ceiling flew off as well.
This hotel had only one penthouse, so Byung-jun pressed the bell without hesitation and waited with an anxious look for Lynn to open the door.
The rustling sound inside was followed by the door opening, and Byung-jun relaxed slightly.
"Director, we're here."
"Come in."
Byung-jun entered the hotel room first, and even after Geon also entered, Lynn held the doorknob and looked outside.
The insect, trying to follow Geon and Byung-jun into the room, hit an invisible barrier and burned up like a mosquito in an electric trap, emitting white smoke.
Lynn looked down at the completely shriveled insect's body and scanned the area with a wary gaze before closing the door.
By
ung-jun collapsed on the sofa and scratched his head roughly.
"Ah, what is going on all of a sudden? Director, hasn't anything come out in the news? An attack by bugs, crows, rats, either in all of New York or just parts of it?"
Lynn, who came in later, shook her head as she sat across from him.
"No, there was no such news."
Geon, sitting next to Byung-jun, checked his clothes to see if any bugs had clung to him and said.
"So, is it just Red Castle then?"
Byung-jun pulled his hair out in frustration.
"Ah!! Miroslav, did you hide a corpse in Red Castle or something? Otherwise, why would such things swarm in the city center!"
Lynn, sitting with her arms crossed, calmly said.
"They said they'll disinfect at dawn tomorrow, so let's wait."
*
Bang!!
"What are you going to do!?"
Excited, Amdusias slammed the table at a café in the outskirts a bit away from downtown Brooklyn. Although there was a loud noise, fortunately, the café had no other customers, and even the staff seemed to have stepped away momentarily.
"Sit down and be quiet."
Paimon, usually devoid of humor, sat in a sleeveless t-shirt and shorts with basketball shoes, glaring at Amdusias.
If it were another time, Amdusias would have curled up and sat down, but already agitated, he yelled in front of Paimon and across from Gamigin.
"Didn't I tell you, if you push the limits, the demons will move! It's not something that can be stopped just by paying Baal and Agares!"
Gamigin quietly put his hands to his mouth and said.
"It's noisy. Sit and talk."
"Gamigin sir! This isn't the time!"
"Sit."
At Gamigin's single word, the air felt like it froze, and Amdusias, without realizing it, lost strength in his legs and plopped down on the chair. Seeing Amdusias's chin tremble, Paimon chuckled.
"See, you should have sat when I told you."
Gamigin looked at Paimon and asked.
"Who moved?"
Paimon, removing his smile, said.
"Forneus, Gaap, Stolas."
Gamigin sighed with relief as if it were fortunate.
"Paimon, I'm counting on you."
"Yes, sir. They are in the 30th rank, so I can stop them. However..."
"However?"
"Forneus is the problem. Gaap and Stolas will back off the moment they feel my power, but Forneus, who commands the water demons, must have noticed that the music the child will create overlaps with his power, so he won't back down easily."
Gamigin rummaged through his pocket and took out a round, black bead and placed it on the table.
"Take this."
The black bead appeared mysterious, as if the Milky Way was flowing inside it. Paimon carefully took the bead with both hands.
"Are you sure about this?"
Gamigin smirked.
"It's magic power I was going to discard anyway. Better to use it this way."
Forneus, who swallowed the bead containing Gamigin's magic power, would rise at least two ranks in the hierarchy.
Amdusias, still trembling, carefully said.
"Are there any movements from the angels?"
Gamigin looked up at the sky and nodded.
"Caliel, or rather, Michael kept his promise."
Paimon, having stored the black bead, said.
"That cat, Lucy, is not just any cat. It's a cat raised by the angels of heaven."
Amdusias widened his eyes and said.
"Are you talking about that cat that bit and killed our creatures during Armageddon?"
"Yes, the one that killed massive and terrifying creatures all at once."
"So, there's no problem with the child?"
After a moment of silence, Gamigin stood up and said.
"Paimon, go and handle it. It needs to be done by dawn tomorrow."
Paimon grinned and eyed the direction of the Red Castle.
"I'll handle it right away. What will you do, sir?"
Gamigin, looking at the crows flying over Red Castle, said.
"I'm going to meet Shiva."
Amdusias, with a dumbfounded look, asked.
"Shiva? Why suddenly meet him?"
Gamigin looked as if he could see the Himalayas and said.
"I'll borrow Garuda."
"Garuda? The bird?"
"Yes, to ask for the child's protection until this situation is resolved."
Paimon, listening to their conversation, asked softly.
"Will he lend it?"
Gamigin, with a smile behind his sunglasses, said.
"He seems to like the child quite a bit, so he'll probably lend it.
We need to keep our involvement to a minimum to deceive the Eye of Cushion. I'll be back, and Paimon, you take care of those three guys as I mentioned. And Amdusias."
Amdusias stood up and exclaimed.
"Yes, yes!"
"Keep an eye on Cushion. If there's an emergency, you can act preemptively."
"But, he's a higher-ranked demon than me..."
"Then stay around the child. Even Cushion won't approach the child directly. Just clean up any messes behind the scenes."
"Yes, I can definitely do that, sir."
"Thank you."
As Gamigin was about to leave the café, he stopped as a small whirlwind appeared on the wooden floor in the center of the café.
A few leaves fluttered in the light breeze, which then intensified and shot up from the floor to the sky.
Witnessing this sudden phenomenon, Paimon stood up in shock and exclaimed.
"Shiva?"
With long black hair, a blue dot on his neck, shirtless, and wearing a large rosary necklace, Shiva crossed his muscular arms and glared at Paimon.
"It's been a while."
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