Relin sat in an empty office.

Her face was a carefully constructed mask of content. From a simple glance, one saw a middle-aged office worker with a genuine smile. Her deep brown hair sat in a bun, and she always smelled like black coffee.

However, no one could fathom the depths of her blood-lust. If one looked close enough, the faint twinge of insanity kept her black-eyes alight.

"Archbisop!"

The man she'd been waiting for entered without knocking. Realizing his error, he bowed on one knee.

"Apologies, serendipitous one."

"You're fine," she laughed, "My ego isn't as big as those small-fries."

Breathing a sigh of relief, the man stood. Relin could tell he was still nervous. His forehead twinkled with beads of sweat.

"You've brought good news I hope, Afreet of the all-seeing eye."

Afreet gulped.

"I-I've brought... news."

Relin's facade crumbled; she'd been hearing bad news all week.

"How many are left, Rupert?" she snapped.

This was the alias she'd given Afreet.

Out of all the human names, Rupert was the worst, so she thought.

"S-Se-Seven." His knees were shaking.

"ITS ONLY BEEN ONE NIG- Ahem...., its only been one night, and seven remain?"

Relin wiped a drop of spittle hanging from her lips.

Bloody lipstick smeared on her cheeks; she still wasn't used to wearing makeup.

"C-correct, but I can no longer track one of them with the eye."

"So." Relin took a sip of her coffee. No warmth remained. "Why did you say seven?"

"..."

Rupert swallowed his tongue. He took a few seconds to think about what he should say next.

"T-there was a-a lesser-demon..." he stuttered, "The magicule was eaten b-by a lesser-demon."

Relin calmed her nerves, re-building feigned tranquility.

"Your skill, the all-seeing eye, the most potent tool for tracking... Or so you said, was eaten. By a lesser Demon."

"P-please don't-"

"Shhh, I'm not angry." Relin soothed, "I'm not angry at you, Rupert. This is an improvement, no? Last time none of them survived."

Rupert nodded his head vigorously.

"But, Rupert. Just because you've improved, that doest grant you permission to lie."

"I'm devastated, Archbishop! If you'd like, I'll-"

"I want nothing from you, Rupert. Nothing but justice, and truth is justice! Wouldn't you say so, Rupert?.."

"You're correct as always, ma'am."

"So... SAY IT!"

Her scream echoed through the oval room, but no one besides them would hear it. They were on the top level of SUNs headquarters. Every door was soundproof.

"S-six. There were s-six that survived."

"Good." Relin nodded. "Now your soul will go to a nice place. The gods of the afterlife look fondly upon truth-tellers."

With a snap, one rune on her forefinger activated. Rupert fell to the floor like a marionette whose strings had splintered.

In quiet solitude, Relin prepared a syringe from a cupboard in her desk, drawing liquid from a [{Masterpiece} Stamina Potion]. From the same cupboard, she pulled a red canister.

"Be grateful I'm using such an expensive toy on you, worm."

In the middle of her meeting-room style office, a whiteboard stand connected deep into the floor.

She tied Rupert's torso to the shaft, securing his limbs and mouth with extender cables. She had more than enough.

'Nock,' 'Nock.'

"Right on time," Relin called. "come on in!"

The door opened.

A well, dressed man in his thirties came through, blindfolded.

"Do you know why I asked you to come, boy?" Relin asked.

"No, Archbishop."

"It's because you're one of my best workers, and I love to reward outstanding work."

"Thank you, Archbishop."

"Metis is your name, correct?"

"Yes archbishop."

"take off the blindfold, Metis."

Relin nuzzled the tip of her syringe into Rupert's jugular. He gasped, then began screaming. All they heard were muffled cries, however. Wire glued his lips together.

"Archbishop, what are you do-"

"Just listen, Metis. Watch and listen."

Relin's face was stoic, but her eyes laughed as she poured her canister on top of Rupert's head.

"You will replace this man as the leader of SUN's Surveyor Corpse."

With a snap of Relin's fingers, a shower of sparks ignited the liquid drenching Rupert.

Bubbles of flesh formed like foam, popping with blood and pus. Rupert's skin peeled away.

"Mph! MMMMPH!!"

SUNs fire alarm went off. Overhead sprinklers drenched them, but nothing could extinguish that flame. The floor was tiled, so the fire would stay isolated, and despite the windows being closed, smoke was minimal.

The two of them watched as Rupert's bindings melted. When he fell to the floor, he was free to scream, but no one would come to save him.

When his screams died to moans, and his moans died to croaks, Relin smiled.

"You had a wonderful laugh, Rupert."

Metis dared not speak, even as the room filled with the smell of cooked flesh. He'd seen more than enough.

"You heard it too, didn't you, Metis?" Relin asked, turning to face him.

Artificial rain melted her make-up into a bizarre clown-mask. Every muscle in Relin's face tensed. Her lips were white with pressure.

"..."

"For you, Metis. Serendipity..."