Navigating through the hallways, she finally found a back door. She pushed it open and stepped into the night air.

As she went outside, she started scanning the area for the cat while rubbing her wrist, which was in pain. She walked around the place that was just trees and some old, discarded items. Suddenly, a small figure quickly descended the branches of a tree and landed gracefully on the soft grass below.

"Ain… you're okay," she said in relief, feeling a bit calmer now after the scary fight with the demon.

"Can't say the same about you. Did you get run over by a truck?" he padded over to her, his tail swishing happily.

"Yeah, kinda." She crouched down to get closer to the cat and petted his head in relief. "We should go now before anyone–"

A dagger flew in their direction, slicing the air right between their faces. Juno felt the sharp rush of air from the weapon's passage, making her slowly turn her head around, her eyes wide in surprise. She stood up and backed away.

"Going somewhere?" Sereph emerged from the shadows, looking disheveled, with a few scratches and his clothes slightly torn. A thin line of blood trickled from a small cut above his eye. "That was a cute little trick back there, Time Devil. Real fucking cute."

Juno's breath hitched as she instinctively reached for her knife only to realize she had dropped it during the struggle inside. Damn it. Her fingers curled into fists as she took a step back.

Ain's ears flattened, his violet eyes narrowing. "Yeesh, Sereph, you look like someone threw you through a meat grinder. What happened? Trip over your own ego?" His tail flicked, but there was tension in his stance.

Sereph let out a laugh that sounded more like a bark, wild and unhinged. He touched the small cut on his face, his hand shaking slightly with rage. "Trip over my ego?" His voice cracked on the words. "Your little pet here thinks he's so clever. So fucking smart with his little games."

Think, think, think. Running wasn't an option; Sereph was fast, and she was already exhausted. Fighting him head-on? Even worse. Ain, however, was as smug as ever. He licked his paw, completely unfazed.

"Oof. Sounds like a you problem." He flicked his eyes toward Juno. "Hey, do me a favor? Next time, let's not get caught, yeah?"

"Shut up!" Sereph's voice pitched higher, more desperate than angry. Another dagger materialized in his trembling hand. "Just shut the hell up! You think you're so clever, don't you?" He took a staggering step forward, his movements erratic. "Playing your little tricks, making me look like an idiot. Well guess what? I'm done playing games."

Ain's eyes narrowed, but he didn't respond immediately. He let Sereph's words hang in the air, the desperation behind them more cutting than any insult.

Juno wasn't about to let this continue, so she stepped forward. "Please, we just want to leave," she said, her voice steady. She didn't back down, not even an inch. "Can't you let us go?"

Sereph's laugh turned hysterical, his eyes too wide. "Leave?" Spittle flew from his lips. "After you made me look like a complete failure?" His grip on the dagger was so tight his knuckles had gone white. "And that scent of yours... you think I'll just let you walk away?"

Before Juno could respond, the unmistakable sound of heavy footsteps shattered the stillness. The forest seemed to close in on them as dozens of demons emerged from the shadows, their eyes glinting in the darkness. They surrounded the pair, cutting off every possible escape.

Ain's eyes widened slightly, but he quickly recovered his composure. "Man, you guys are really bringing the whole circus, huh?"

Sereph's manic grin stretched wider, his whole body vibrating with desperate energy. "See? See what happens when you mess with me? When you think you can outsmart me?" His voice was getting shriller by the second. "I don't know what kind of trick you pulled, but it ends here."

Juno’s eyes flicked to Ain, who met her gaze with a fierce, unspoken promise. He gave her a single, determined nod, this wasn’t over yet. But before either of them could make a move, a deep, chilling voice cut through the night.

The voice was dark, low, and smooth, reverberating through the air as if the very trees held their breath.

"Enough," the voice commanded, sharp and unwavering.

Juno’s heart skipped a beat as she turned toward the treeline. A figure stepped out of the shadows.

The demons hesitated, their movements faltering as uncertainty filled their eyes, a ripple of doubt spread through their ranks.