The first heroes flew helplessly through the skyscraper windows. An immense cascade of bursting glass overwhelmed Lure, compelling her to press her hands against her ears and lie on the floor. She abhorred strident sounds. Bastion approached her, yet he was sucked away.

“We’re under –,“ shouted a poor soul who got swallowed into a black, violet vortex. What lurks in the darkness? Lure knew it. Someone had summoned a manifestation based on emotions, fear and helplessness to be exact. While most struggled, few could resist the might of an S-rank and were forced to submit, drawn into its maw. She saw as her father let go. She did as well. Nobody could have foreseen that the defence mechanics meant to protect from any attacks would fail, causing so many heroes to be exposed to an ambush. Her emotions further drove her crazy when she reached the windows where the magical manifestation was waiting for its meal. Angst, Fear, Confusion, Overwhelming. It sucked her dry, it peeked into her innermost and stole them. It took more. Excitement, Joy, Tranquillity, Love. Lure only saw an endless, bottomless abyss, one that consumes everything.

“Heavens'ward.” A majestic voice reverberated several times, so loud and resplendent that it was probably heard in every part of 3N.

A barrier formed around the vortex, restricting it: the yellow shining sphere actively bumped into the manifestation, thus forcing it to further shrink until it was the size of a pea. Just in time, she was saved.

She lost balance and fell through the destroyed windows towards the street. Before her head became like a coconut opened with an axe, two hands cushioned her impact in the air. Another woman with a cape had saved her life. However, Lure didn’t feel happy, nor sad. She was listless.

A man flew to them. His crystal-clear blue eyes were particular piercing, gazing the soul of those who looked into them. He said, “My ability has cancelled the manifestation. Our comrades are alive, yet scattered around the city. It seems that they didn’t want to anger … it.” He stopped the moment when he realized another girl was listening to the conversation.

“Poor thing. The villains have stolen all the emotions of the present heroes during the ambush,” said the heroine. Her pity was undeniable in her tone.

The man grazed Lure’s cheeks with his uncut fingernails. Rough. Ah, she felt something, good to know, she stated to herself.

“What an incredible willpower. She lasted for many seconds. Since I have cut her off from the nefarious influence of that void fiend, she should regain her emotions in time, probably.”

“What about the other swallowed heroes?” the lady asked.

The S-rank hero sighed, “We need to find the mastermind.” They landed on the ground and let Lure free.

“Sorry, we have no time for you. Please go back and wait in the reception. Don’t do anything stupid.” His words were all well-meant but fell on deaf ears.

I’ll be rich. Rarely felt this most beautiful, elegant man with a fish head so incredibly fortunate. Today, a miracle had happened. A big one. For once he felt like the chosen one, being the protagonist in his own story. Everyone had called him foolish, but in the end, he prevailed where no henchman had succeeded. He had been organizing this raid for weeks. His fellow villains had been harshly criticizing him for his foolishness, for his own delusions, said that one cannot assault the headquarters. But the heavens aren’t impartial, they favour the bolt! It happened. For some unknown reason the energy source of the heroes’ headquarters had been tempered with and most areas in 3N were currently without electricity or other forms of magical fuel. Of course, Piscis had predicted this, not the actual event, but that something similar would happen.

“I must say, I’m quite impressed,” said the man with raven hair, a pencil moustache and a white elegant coat-like uniform with black buttons. He was enjoying the lovely scenery of heroes fighting vs villains and pedestrians running for their life. A rare sight these days, indeed.

“You’re lucky, today is a good day. Your sarcasm won’t affect me.” The brilliant fish head was very talkative because it was his grand day, his achievement, so he didn’t even mind his arch-enemy that much.

“Oh, no. I didn’t mean it like this. The Chinese consider luck as part of your skills.” Thibaut sat under a covered terrace, visibly enjoying the squeaking and crying of the panicking people.

“It is difficult to understand you,” said Piscis to Thibaut while communicating via a device with his subordinates.

“I only tell truisms and bagatelles. I’m feared for my actions, not for my witty remarks,” said Thibaut. Piscis nodded, not because he agreed, but because he still needed his enemy. “Say, your master was so very well prepared. After only 7 seconds after the power loss, his most filthy Majesty, the Grand Snail of Doom and Destruction, had already ambushed the dining heroes. And the harvest must have been plenty bountiful. All those emotions!” Thibaut theatrically waved with his arms. When he had said ‘his most filthy Majesty’, he had even bowed!

Piscis folded his hands, as good as an average salmon can do. “The day you’ll die, I’ll open a charity for abused dogs.”

Thibaut stood up and stretched his legs, “It would be an honour. Oh, generally I don’t mind friendly banter, but are you sure everything is in your grasp?”

The pondering fish head said, after some time, “If you have a piece of advice or an insult, speak.”

“Let’s just say, I believe that you’re not the driving force behind this incident. Wishful thinking does not move rocks.”

“Oh, it does. If it is backed up by competence. It appears that I have found an ally who wants to help my cause,” he proudly declared.

Thibaut facepalmed. He couldn’t take his hands off his forehead, not anymore, it seemed. “Stop. This is too much. I’ll leave. Be prepared for when the true storm blows in front of your house.”

A violet bubble engulfed Thibaut who disappeared with a ‘plop’.

He felt guilty, somewhat. But the wine was simply too delectable. Wonderful. Not only the wine, but his fauteuil felt comfortable as well, as did his socks, a Christmas present from the concierge, a clumsy but endearing woman. Sadly, all good things will come to an end. How many more minutes, ten, fifteen or sixty? Huic shrugged. At least when they come, I had time to prepare. While chaos and destruction were currently omnipresent in 3N, he made a pause, a short respite, for the true hurricane was about to arrive.

He looked through the old photos, of his disciple, his grandchild, his old chess teammates and, of course, of his fellow colleagues who’ll hate his guts from this day forward. Ah yes, a sacrifice. The heroes in movies are always understood by the audience. Real-life is too cruel, too uncompassionate.

An ominous beep sounded in his office. Huic pressed on a button and on the screen a formless being made out of ooze appeared.

“Rarely did I ever get so good intel for free,” said the grotesque being.

Even Huic did not want to offend this being that wasn’t human anymore. Abilities are powerful, but the price has to be paid. This grotesque being had once been a fellow benevolent hero who had become corrupted. Now his inner demon lived in his shell. Huic still wondered if this corrupted being was his former partner or actually a demon. Did the soul turn into a new demon or was it replaced by the inner demon? Many scholars were still debating this topic to this day. Nobody even knew what the inner demon was in the first place, a manifestation of one’s soul or a demon from a hell-like place?

The heroic villain did not shy away from a monster, especially if he can dupe it.

“I guess you captured Strider’s emotions, but neither his will nor his body.”

“My ability has limitations, I’m aware. Killing is easy, but the backlash is enormous. I have already sinned too much by stealing from middle-ranks and below.”

A slight smirk appeared on Huic’s lips. Everything went according to plan.

The ooze laughed, “Oh, I know it was bait, but it was nonetheless too tasty, albeit a bit risky for you as well.”

“It’s true that Strider can’t advance at the moment, but that doesn’t mean that he can never again. You might have moved higher in your ranks, yet you became vulnerable.” His voice was calm, as was his demeanour. Not yet.

The filthy being laughed, cooing. “Oh, Huic, you gambled that the heroes will try to take vengeance on me. How stupid. I got already a big target on my green back. Nobody has ever managed to find my base, even after ten years. And even if you did, can you defeat a greater demon? How so?” He looked delighted, for someone had made a childish joke in his presence.

Almost. “One last question.” On the inside, he was everything but calm, for the stakes were indescribably high. All his planning for the first step was about to unfold. Was it enough?

“You may speak, you did me a favour after all.”

“How much is - ?”

“What?” said the goo, apparently not a big friend of math.

Time. Huic brought forth the power of the sizzling orb of energy and followed the karmic path of sins. Found you.

He teleported away.

A dungeon full of slimy ooze greeted him. “Hello, Maestro! Time to die.” Huic channelled the orb. A splendid lightning spark spread like the roots of a tree through the room, and after less than a second, a gigantic pillar of energy pierced through the atmosphere, entering space.