Upon completing his tutorial and talking with his sister Kurai had to decide where to do his first official mission. Motor City seemed like a good enough bet. He'd jac- err driven plenty of cars before so how bad could it be? As far as he understood it he didn't even have to win to get the rewards so he could just cruise along.

He obtained the Start Button when he arrived in the city and immediately began looking around at the available vehicles. While Kurai inspected a few of the models on loan he received a message announcing that the Ancient Relic Rally would be starting soon. Looks like he was wrong in assuming he'd just be able to take the scenic route and still get something good. He'd have to make his selection soon if he wanted to make it in time.

It was then that he spotted an extravagant horse carriage with no horse in sight. 'Let's choose this one. My steed will more than suffice.' While Kurai couldn't disagree with the demon he was hoping to drive something a lot faster. “Man I don't know how to use that thing! You just want that one so you can drive! I'm tired of sitting in the back!”

Kurai wasn't even trying to hide the fact that he was seemingly talking to himself. A seemingly one-sided argument loud enough for anyone nearby to hear was taking place. They went back and forth on what should be driven and who would be driving. “So what if you're faster! I still want to drive!”

Eventually, he relented and allowed Seere to take the reigns. Literally and figuratively. The red pentacle on the back of his hand glowed as the same pattern was traced on the ground in front of him. From a flash of red light, a man riding a winged horse appeared. Both the demon and its mount were decked out in fantastical dark armor and the man was even holding a spear!

“Wow you're really getting into this huh?” Kurai taunted Seere as they dismounted and he passed off the Start Button to the demon. “You better make this ride worthwhile Seere.” As they put the button in the carriage and hooked the pegasus up to the carriage they assured him. 'Not to worry summoner. With me by your side, we will obtain the hidden treasure for certain. I can travel the Earth in a matter of seconds at my full strength. Winning this race will be naught but child's play.'

Kurai hadn't noticed the gathering crowd while he argued back and forth with his demonic acquaintance. It wasn't unusual for him to draw a crowd with his antics. In fact most times it was his intention. While that wasn't the plan in this case he still managed to cause a scene with his shouting. Not that Seere seemed to mind. If anything he appeared to expect this as he calmly prepared the carriage for the race.

A woman gasping in awe at his demon's mount caught Kurai's attention. As she approached he put on a smug smirk and placed his fists on his hips. Whoever she was she obviously liked the pegasus that he summoned. Of course, she did. Who wouldn't adore a beautiful white horse with wings?

Oh, the woman was Egyptian. How fun. He hadn't been to Egypt in quite some time and suddenly felt a wave of nostalgia for the place. “Yeah I'm going to the Rally once we get everything set up.” The woman was looking for someone to help her in the race. How convenient. Kurai was still pretty weak with him being just level one so another hand to protect him could be useful. From what he'd heard the races could get pretty intense.

“Sure I could use some extra help. The name's Kurai and that's Seere over there. He's a great driver so we can trust him to get us where we need to go.” Despite Kurai trying to convince the demon to allow him to drive he trusted the man to fulfill his duties. Well as much as one could trust an actual demon anyway.

Without much fanfare, Seere popped up behind the man when they were done hooking the pegasus up to the carriage. “I am finished, Summoner. We may leave for the race whenever you are ready.” Kurai jumped from the abrupt voice behind him. “Great. Good job Seere. Let's get going then before we're late.” He then made his way over to the carriage and sat on one of the seats behind the horse. Meanwhile, the demon sat in the center to take hold of the reigns.

panya

Kurai grabbed her hand and gave her a handshake that was perhaps a tad too firm to be completely comfortable. An archaeologist huh? That could prove useful during the race. It was all about old things after all. It wouldn't be a bad idea to befriend her regardless. With all sorts of strange things popping up in the new world it would be nice to have someone besides his sister he could turn to for help. “Hey that's pretty sweet. Have you managed to find anything cool yet? I've been looking for some more old books to read. That's how I got this dork after all.” He pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the demon behind him.

The edges of Seere's lips twitched slightly as he heard his name come from Panya's mouth. “How right you are, Panya.” A beam of light appeared in his grasp before quickly fading to reveal a long gray spear with purple gems between the shaft and tip. He banged the butt of the spear on the ground before continuing. “I go by many names. Glint In The Dark. Graceful Traveler. Relic Seeker. I am Seere, the Seventh Prince of Hell.” With a neigh the pegasus reared back on its hind legs and spread its wings wide. “Now, let us ride.”

The demon took the reigns and by following Panya's directions the group was able to make it to the signup just in time. The woman's flailing caused a scene, but at least she accomplished her goal. Her enthusiasm for the whole ordeal was kinda cute despite the headache she caused some people.

Kurai chuckled when Panya came back with the news of what the staff said. The red pentacle engraved into the back of his hand began to glow as he spoke. “No worries. All we need to do is break the tires of anyone faster than us, right?” The confident smirk returned to his face as he talked about causing carnage on the track.

He raised an arm in the air back at her and Seere began the drive to the starting line of the track. As the group got closer to the race track the area started to change from the city they were in before. The space between buildings grew much wider until there weren't any visible anymore. The road turned into an old cobblestone path that caused the carriage to rock back and forth constantly along the way. Kurai had to grab hold of the seat to keep himself steady, but the demon seemed unbothered by the bouncing.

It didn't take long for them to see the toppled columns and dilapidated buildings of the ruins that would be the setting for their race. The sign that stretched above the entrance to the track read 'Golem Gauntlet'. A loud distant thumping could be heard every once in a while as they took their place at the starting line.

It wouldn't be long before the race started. If they were going to be together it would be best if they knew what they were getting into. “So Panya what can you do anyways? Me and Seere can shoot stuff and go hella fast when we're on the horse. I don't think us riding the horse is going to come into play here though.” At least he hoped not.

panya

“Killer mannequins? That sounds like a dope band name!” While he was somewhat disappointed Panya hadn't found any cool relics in her travels he couldn't expect much from a stranger. Even if she had found something she had no obligation to tell him about it. It's better to keep powerful things to yourself lest someone try to take it from you. Maybe Kurai shouldn't be so open with the fact he summons literal demons from the actual Hell.

Not that one could tell, but Seere was delighted to hear that the woman recognized his name. Maybe this day would turn out to be pleasant after all. He had someone to have a conversation with. Well, one he would enjoy anyway. Let's just say Kurai wasn't the type of company the demon typically chose to keep “Correct again Panya. This one read the books and it seems that was enough of a connection for me to become bound to him through unknown means.”

The fact Panya wasn't a ranged combatant could prove somewhat detrimental if they couldn't get close to whatever was on the track. Whether it be other people or whatever is making that loud thumping in the distance. Hopefully, they wouldn't have to find out what it was during the race.

Kurai's train of thought was interrupted by the entire carriage dropping a few inches from the weight of the newly summoned object. “Jesus fuck what did you just do?!” He shouted as he turned to see what happened in the back seat. Of all things he thought he would see he didn't expect an ancient sarcophagus being thrown around like it was made of paper.

Despite the extra weight the pegasus carrying the vehicle to their starting point didn't seem to have any trouble. “Whatever it doesn't seem to be slowing us down so I guess it's fine...” Kurai grumbled. Seere on the other hand was intrigued by the relic's sudden appearance. “Where did you obtain such a magnificent treasure Panya?”

Since they arrived later than most other competitors they were closer to the back end of the starting line. Broken architecture could be seen on each side of the track as Kurai eyed up the other 5 competitors. Most of them were in the normal sports cars you'd expect for this sort of thing. However, one of them was on a scooter, and another was on a motorcycle.

Though the carriage he was in was by far the strangest. Especially with it riding as low as it did. The comments of the other racers were enough to set off the cantankerous young man. “What the hell are you all looking at?! Mind your own damn business before you regret it!” He stood up and slammed his fist into his open palm. This caused a couple of them to laugh at the boisterous man and for him to try to get out of the passenger's seat up front to fight them. Luckily Seere was able to catch him and sit him down before he could do so.

An announcer spoke through a speaker installed at the starting line to let the racers and spectators know the race was starting. “Alright you ready for this?” Not too long after the countdown came and went. Seere expertly took control of the reigns signaling the pegasus to start rushing forward, but the cart didn't move no matter how hard it pulled.

Kurai pounded on the front of the carriage as he yelled out in frustration. “What the fuck?! Why isn't this damn thing moving?!” The announcer piped up after a few seconds of the two in the driver's seat trying to figure out what was going on. “Oh ho ho. Looks like somebody was trying to have a summon drive for them! That's a no-no out here folks! Better take the wheel yourself, buddy boy!”

Kurai yelled out in frustration again before letting out a long string of expletives and taking the reigns away from Seere. Finally, the carriage began moving down the track. “Yes! Let's gooooooo!” They were lagging behind the rest of the competitors due to the rules he wasn't aware of. “Damn this sucks. Seere just focus on taking out the others and I'll handle driving I guess.” As much as he complained about wanting to drive before he couldn't deny that the demon was much better at this sort of thing. He was kinda looking forward to blasting some people too.. "I'll be sure to defeat our enemies summoner."

panya

The woman didn't disappoint. There was much more to her than met the eye. At first, she seemed like a fool and, in truth, she still looked that way in Seere's eyes. However, her knowledge and possession of an ancient relic intrigued the demon. Panya's explanation of her class was quite amazing. They listened intently to her recounting the story of her research.

“You continue to be intriguing. For a human at least. I suppose since you've shown me something of interest I can allow you an answer or two.” Kurai had to hold back a fake gag as Seere reminded him far too much of his father at that moment. “That is quite a long story, however. Perhaps we should save it for when the race begins.”

After seeing the woman get flustered Kurai felt sorry for snapping at Panya summoning her sarcophagus. She looked like a sad puppy that got scolded for something it didn't understand. He wasn't sure whether to pity her or console her. Not that he was any good at the latter. “Yeah. Whatever. It's fine. If you can toss it around like that you wouldn't know how heavy it is. Don't worry about it.” He muttered half under his breath.

Not long after the race started five competitors turned into four as Panya crushed a vehicle under the weight of her weapon. Kurai let out a loud woohoo at the destruction and had to keep himself from jumping out of his seat. He was disappointed that he wasn't the one causing chaos, but it was better than nothing. The demon even joined in on the fun by continually tossing their spear before turning it into a beam of light and recalling it to their hand so they could do it again. Their target was the woman on the scooter that used to be dodging potshots from the vehicle that was destroyed.

“Well Panya most of what I did before I became bound to my newest summoner was travel. I searched the realms for the most remote locations hiding great treasures. Some may say I was a rumormonger. In truth, I merely kept an ear out for clues that may help those who call upon me. My time in Hell is what one may expect. There is less fire than most people seem to believe, however. It is contained on the seventh and eighth levels.”

Seere stopped throwing their spear and became quiet for a moment. For a brief second their eyebrows furled for just a moment. A wave of displeasure washed over Kurai, but he wasn't sure why. All he knew was that he was pissed for some reason and had a good target in front of him.

The pegasus was largely leading themselves at this point so he took one hand off the reigns to aim a finger gun at the scooter. “Bang!” Kurai pulled the trigger with his thumb and a red barb of energy shot from his fingertip at the wheel of the scooter. An attack from the pair finally hit it's mark causing the tire to pop. The rider drifted off to the side and the number of competitors lowered once again to three.

After another woohoo of celebration from the man Seere began to speak again. “You may ask another question if you wish, but I cannot guarantee answers Panya.” The once-open demon suddenly changed his tune. “It seems there are things we cannot discuss quite yet.”

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Used: Basic Attack x2 (F-Rank PWR damage)

panya

It was no surprise that Panya had an interest in her home country's mythology. Kurai was very interested in it as well. Thankfully with the pegasus doing most of the work driving the vehicle, he could focus on other things. Like shooting at bikes and talking to his new friend. “Yo I hope so! Some of those deities are pretty dope! Wait if that is Tut's sarcophagus then why aren't you cursed? Or are you and we're secretly doomed to die out here in the desert?”

Once the competitor on the bike was dealt with something else caught his attention. A brief smile appeared on Seere's face and the demon began snickering. Their previous bad mood ended rather abruptly. Kurai could tell right off what this meant. There were very few things that his companion was amused by. They were a hoarder of hidden treasures and what could be more hidden than something only they could answer? At least as far as they knew.

He rolled his eyes and chuckled as he began to speak. “Seere stop messing around and just tell her! You know you're going to give in eventually!” From his display earlier he seemed almost giddy to share what they knew. Or maybe Seere just enjoyed teasing those who asked for his help. All demons were mischievous in their own way after all. “You may ask whatever you wish Panya. As long as my summoner wills it there are no limits to the knowledge I may share. If I can answer then I shall.”

As Seere began to speak things became much more calm as the group prepared to take the first corner. “In the words of you humans: things could be worse. There are times when we bicker, but ultimately I do not mind. Being able to see how your world has changed with my own eyes is worth the inconveniences.”

The demon opened his mouth to say more but was interrupted by the sound of scraping stones and the track rumbling. Far ahead of the pack, an enormous sandstone wall rose from the ground. A deep voice read the words engraved on the blockade. “There are two sisters: one gives birth to the other and she, in turn, gives birth to the first. Who are the two sisters?” Three pairs of images were beneath the riddle. On the left was a sun and moon. The middle symbols were a flame and a water droplet. The last had a cloud and a boulder.

“Damn I forgot about the riddles. There's no doors on the wall. Do they expect us to drive into it and hope for the best?! Bastards!” Kurai grit his teeth as he tried to think which of the answer to pick. “Fuck what do you think we should do?”

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It seemed that despite all her research Panya hadn't thought about one of the most well-known things about the sarcophagus. They say that those with high IQs are often forgetful or absentminded. It looked like that was the case here. “I wouldn't put it past them. With all the crazy shit this Earth-Chan has us doing I wouldn't be surprised if you inherited some curse. I mean I even have an ability that sacrifices my health to use.”

Once again Seere was happy to be questioned about his knowledge. Kurai had a similar line of questioning back when they first summoned the demon. The booming voice interrupted before he could answer. Before they began talking about the riddle he spoke up. “There are several Hells. It is not just demons that inhabit them. Each religion has its own version of the Underworld with vast differences between them all.”

Then Panya went on to explain the riddle to Kurai. His frustration melted away when he heard her gush about something she had an interest in. Once again he was thankful that he brought her along. Not only did she know archaeology, but she also knew riddles. Or maybe it was just general knowledge. Either way, it was impressive to him.

As the woman guided them toward the correct path she stopped talking once she saw Kurai's slack-jawed expression. In that moment he was focusing so intently on what Panya was saying he hadn't noticed his gaping maw. He blinked and seemed to snap back to reality when he heard the sound of one of the other racers colliding with the wall. “Sorry. No, I was interested. You're pretty smart Panya. I'm glad you're here or we'd be pretty screwed right about now.”

Kurai turned back to the track after to see what was ahead of them this time. For the moment everything looked clear, but that could change at any moment again. The vehicle even stopped sapping his mana for fuel so they were speeding up as they cruised along a long stretch of track. Unfortunately so were the other two racers that remained.

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