Episode 24: Pillar of Lust
Hell Realm – Sin of Wrath's Domain Aftermath
Peter, Kent Nagy, and Steve Nikolaidis had barely caught their breath in the dark forest when the sky tore open again. Demonic Hell-Guards — armored enforcers with burning wings — descended in formation. At their head floated a colossal figure wreathed in black flames and golden chains.
Satan, the Second General of Hell and an Arch Demon of immense power, regarded the three mortals with glowing crimson eyes.
"You have amused the Sin of Wrath," Satan boomed, voice like grinding continents. "But your rage is needed elsewhere. Take them to Vera, the Pillar of Lust. They will not fight there… they will break."
The Hell-Guards seized the trio before they could resist. Peter roared and activated his Iron Tyrant form, but a wave of infernal energy suppressed his durability. Kent's super strength and Steve's superspeed were similarly nullified by dark bindings.
"You bastards!" Peter shouted as they were dragged through a new portal. "Kevin needs me!"
They vanished into the swirling gateway leading to the seductive horrors of the Lust Pillar.
Jungle – Sea of Japan Region
Laughter lay twitching on the ground, still trapped in Nathan's Mind Labyrinth. A razor-sharp whirlwind tore through the trees as Garcia Fernandez (No.2 of the Big Five) arrived in a blur of claws. His retractable blades sliced through the lingering illusions and scooped up the giggling general.
"Pathetic," Garcia snarled, claws dripping. "The boss won't be pleased with your failure."
Laughter giggled weakly. "It was… so funny though…"
Garcia vanished with his rescued comrade in a burst of speed, leaving the jungle silent once more.
Guardians En Route – Approaching North Korea
Nathan, Derek, Ferrum (Zach), Tiago, and the newly joined Koa pushed hard toward the border. Their emergency mission to recruit Ri Kwon Jae, the vampire Wrathborn, had become critical now that Kevin's team was captured.
The group moved through dense mountain forests when two figures ambushed them from the shadows.
Araya Chailai, a nimble Thai warrior and one of R. Dogder's top minions, spun through the air with devastating Bicycle Spin Kicks. Her legs blurred into lethal cyclones, smashing Ferrum backward despite his iron form.
Camile Hoxha, an Albanian operative with piercing eyes, activated her X-Ray Vision. "They're all powered. The historian is seeing our past moves. Take the illusionist first!"
Camile dodged Nathan's illusions with perfect knowledge of their positions while Araya's spinning kicks created tornadoes of force that scattered the group. Koa shifted into Jaguar form and pounced, but Camile predicted the trajectory and countered with precise shots. Derek chained lightning while Tiago used Past Sight to anticipate attacks.
The fight was fierce and tactical. Ferrum formed iron walls to block spin kicks. Nathan layered complex illusions that even X-ray vision struggled to fully penetrate. Koa shifted rapidly between beast spirits — Rhino for power, Hawk for aerial strikes. Eventually, the Guardians gained the upper hand and forced the two minions to retreat.
"We don't have time for this," Nathan panted. "Ri Kwon Jae is our priority."
Rhino Valley – Underground Bunker Prison (The Blank)
Deep in R. Dogder's facility, Kevin Leister lay chained in a reinforced cell, his chest wound bandaged but the Mythical Matrix still flickering weakly. In an adjacent observation room, two familiar faces watched the monitors with horror.
Kyle Leister, Kevin's father — a tired, middle-aged man with the same sharp jawline as his son — gripped the railing tightly. Beside him stood Gwen, Kevin's stepmother, elegant but clearly terrified.
"My boy…" Kyle whispered. "What have they done to you?"
A waiter named Chien Jen, a quiet Taiwanese man in a stolen uniform, brought them water. "Drink. You'll need your strength. Dogder keeps families of powerful Glimmers close… as leverage."
In the connected cafeteria, the head chef Torkai Yoshkirle, a burly man from auriona with burn scars on his arms, secretly slipped a small Glimmer-suppressant antidote into food trays for the prisoners. "The Rampager's parents… this war touches everyone," he muttered under his breath.
The Blank – Main Prison Wing
Wyatt, Devonte (still holding a now-quiet Lil Micah), and the wounded Sasha stared through the bars at the dozens of imprisoned Wrathborn. Some were teenagers who had taken Dogder's gifts and regretted it. Others were captured independents.
"This place is a nightmare," Wyatt said grimly.
Kevin, barely conscious in the next cell, whispered hoarsely, "We… we have to hold on. The others will come."
R. Dogder's laughter echoed through the speakers. "Enjoy your stay, Rampager. Soon the whole world will join you."
To Be Continued…