The Triad
Tsi Luen City, Cheena Continent, Earth
***
Tsi Luen was a large city of Cheena situated at the center of the vast continent. The said province greatly impacted other regions because of its power and influence.
Tsi Luen government usually was driven by the Cheenean Triads and one of them and the most powerful was called the Zi Lok Triad.
Zi Lok's arms webbed through Tsi Luen's network of businesses and influential groups that made them untouchable. Money was everything for Zi Lok Triad and they blackmailed people in governance, political authorities, and even the head of the police force through money, injected fear to gain utmost underground power.
Drugs and weapons were the best trades this Triad delivered and corrupted every local government that comprised the said province. Tsi Luen police had come to an agreement that never to interfere with Zi Lok's businesses in exchange for healthy compensation.
Threatening their loved ones was their specialty, from friends, and direct family members to distant known relatives were their extent to leverage their threats.
On the outskirts of Tsi Luen city, Zi Lok's fortress was situated near the foot of a mountain and surrounded by heavy plantations of old redwood trees. Fenced by high concrete walls with sophisticated motion detectors and alarm systems, the fortress was impenetrable.
Inside the walls were beautifully landscaped ornamental plants, a gazebo, and fish ponds that surrounded a modernized contemporary courtyard house that was constructed by a combination of granite marble and mahogany wood.
Zi Lok's new leader, Chien Sung, bowed to no one and was the most feared leader of all Zi Lok's past leaders. Chien Sung was thin, lean-built, with dragon tattoos covering his whole body and his weapon of choice was a samurai. Bringing fear and disorder to the province was his mantra. Drug distribution doubled its market in less than a year and weapons of war were distributed to various neighboring provinces, encouraging rebels to inflict war against the Cheenian government.
Chien Sung wore a Hoari with two samurai swords holstered in his belt. Together with him were his elite Ninja-samurai soldiers cladded with black body vests with various weapons holstered in almost all of their body parts.
They were the most skilled and deadly soldiers of the entire Cheenian continent. Chien Sung sat on the floor at the center of a wide room inside his fortress. His palms pressed on waxed wooden floor slabs, his head bowed in front of a man in a black suit.
"Chien Sung never bowed to anyone." The man in the black suit said.
"I only bow to you Lord Kragus." The Zi Lok leader responded as he gently lifted his head and hands back to his sitting position. "How can I be of service to you, Lord Kragus? Your arrival is a surprise."
"Report first," The Hell God demanded.
"Our operations controlled 90% of the triads present in the Province." Chien Sung boastfully reported, "We controlled almost all the police force and the Military General is in our payroll too. The Tsi Luen Governor is already convinced that our trade vehicles could enter other provinces without further scrutiny. Everything is going well, my Lord."
"Everything goes according to plan, I see." Kragus acknowledged his efforts. Kragus continued, "One miscalculation is Dreygo Mondus. The Death Harbinger in Lith, Demon world. He was smuggled by an angel to stop me." Kragus explained.
"Do you want me to eliminate him, my Lord?" Chien Sung asked.
"I invited him to come to Cheena. I invited him to join us and I know he can be useful. If he was deemed to interfere with our operations and reject my offer, then you can kill him. It is time to extend our operations to the neighboring province, Tenjung. You should mortify our preparations to penetrate their network. This is our ground zero and our power should grow from here."
"You will not be disappointed my Lord," Chien Sung assured.
"Are you enjoying your human body, Belrag?" Asked Kragus addressing the same man.
***
Belrag was one of his Demon Lords who transmigrated with Kragus on Earth. He came from the sin of Envy, from the Seven Powers of Kragus – The cardinal sins. Belrag came in a form of a human and forcibly possessed an unwilling leader of the Triad, Chien Sung.
With the Hell God's power, Belrag managed to possess himself to an unwilling body as this was against the natural laws of the realms. Only willing bodies were used as vessels by Demons. All the knowledge and experiences of the body remained and can be utilized by the possessor.
***
Belrag suited the position because he was rooted from the sin of Envy. When in hell, Belrag was the ambitious one and relentlessly envious of the other Demon Lords. He wanted to be the best of all Demon Lords and aimed to be the most trusted by their lord and god.
"Yes, my Lord. Your will, my hand." He responded without slight refusal.
"Dreygo is weak as of the moment but he is determined. He is sniffing hard to find me and other demons. He wields the Ferrum Minus - a purge blade made by the Angels to collect and absorb demonic powers if killed with the said weapon." Kragus mused.
"I am familiar with the blade, my Lord." This popular weapon was used by the ranking Angel warriors during the first Realm wars of Heaven and Hell.
"I met him on the beach of Meropas but I did not kill him. An angel was with him and I do not want to expose my weakness to the Heavenly beings. They may leverage from it."
"It was wise my Lord. Where is Dreygo now, my Lord?" Belrag asked.
"We will wait for him here in Tsi Luen. He still could trace Demonic presence and I know shortly, he would know our underground operations here. He has more help, a girl seemed to be a prophetess. She had the divine marks on her arms."
"Interesting. A prophetess. She is the real threat, my Lord. If her powers mature, then she would know every move we make and your location." Belrag mused.
***
Prophetess had a divine touch of powers from the Heavenly Supreme. They served as direct channels that linked Earth and Heaven. Their powers matured if the prophets cultivates to discover. Matured powers of Prophets were a great threat to every Celestial being, including demons, for they can mimic the power of the Seers and witches.
They could predict the future through their dreams, they could anticipate catastrophes and large-scale deaths that will happen on Earth. They could directly communicate with Angels and expose in advance the endeavors of Kragus and his demon lords.
***
"You are correct, Belrag. The girl is our priority. Once they step on Tsi Luen, kill the girl with your best assassin." Kragus demanded.
"I won't fail you, my Lord," Belrag assured. He wanted to stand out from Kragus' favorites, surpassing Lust – the closest and the most trusted Demon Lord of Kragus.
"I know you won't, Belrag." A mischievous smirk curved on Kragus' lips.
Kragus walked a few steps away from Belrag and steered his view to the vastness of the Fortress' front yard through a transparent glass wall. Birds chirped along with the ornamental trees and the sound of continuous water flow in fish ponds could be heard.
The sun shone above the sky that touched every inch of the yard and the cold mountain breeze compensated for the heat of the sun that comforted the guards that roam around the fortress.
'This world is beautiful.' Kragus thought. It was different in Hell and even he wanted a taste of ruling a world as beautiful as Earth. Kragus believed that humans were the ones who destroyed portions of the Earth's natural beauty and given a few more Centuries, the Earth's nature will be annihilated and will be replaced by mankind's creation. He despised humans as they neglect the gifts given to them by the gods.
Kragus thought of Nebirus – the Earth god. He knew Nebirus hid in Cheena and he was desperate of finding him. Kragus taunted Arkeus – the heavenly god, to come forth to Earth but Arkeus neglected his invitation.
The Hell God believed if inflicted tremendous deaths and chaos on Earth, Nebirus would appear to stop him but he knew that the Earth God was the most patient of the three gods. Hence, he should be persistent in discovering ways for his brother to reveal himself.
Suddenly, the Hell God felt something. "They are coming, make preparations." Kragus calmly demanded.
Belrag signaled one of his elite ninjas that stood near the door. The ninja immediately spun and opened the door. Came in was their most cunning assassin who used knives in killing his targets. He had knives kept all over his vest and was well-trained in the way of Ninjas.
His kill count was around two hundred high-status targets with various methods of killing. With his kill count, and the targets he had eliminated, had molded the organization's position and reputation in the underground government.
He never failed one mission sanctioned by Belrag and money was not his purpose but to fulfill the innate hunger of murderous nature. His attacks were mostly stealth and even against Dreygo, he could obscure his presence for he was only human.
"Meet them at Tsi Luen airport. Kill the girl first. With her are an Angel and a Demon. Leave them alive. I will be the one to kill them." Belrag instructed.