Chapter One

Today is cold and snowy in Zesa City, where the Winter Festival is in full swing. One particular vintage bar on West Road is selling its famous eggnog, which attracts many festival-goers. Inside the bar, there are three girls. The oldest has curly cedar brown hair and forest green eyes and wears a red flannel, scarlet duffle jacket, long jeans, and black Converse. The second oldest has short chocolate brown hair and dark brown eyes and is wearing a blue shirt, a navy blue swing jacket, navy blue jeans, and blue, black, and white shoes. The youngest has long black hair and green eyes and is wearing a white shirt, purple pea-jacket, black pants, and black Converse. Everyone is having a great time enjoying the beautiful decorations throughout the town.

Pixel, the second oldest, brought them into a bar because she was friends with the manager who made great eggnog. The girls were chatting, but Pixel's friends, Jean and Dominique, seemed more interested in Teto, the manager. Pixel was staring at the shrine with a small but heavy statue of a God, cupping his hands. It wore a long veil and robe. For some odd reason, she felt like the statue was staring at her and only her. Whenever Pixel passes a God statue, she hears an echoing voice. It terrified her, and she yearned to tell her mother but knew damn well that her response would always be the same,

'That would mean that our God is here protecting us.'

Pixel despises it. Every night, she dreams of a hazy silhouette looming before her. She strains to discern the figure's identity, but it always dissipates, leaving her disoriented and agitated. As a result, she now experiences a sense of apprehension whenever she comes across the statues of the God of Light, but she brushes off the unease and moves on.

Pixel couldn't help but feel exhausted every time Albert, her mother's boyfriend, came over and started talking about his demon-slaying days. He insisted that Pixel's father was also a demon slayer, and they used to be partners. Pixel's family was fascinated by this and wanted to know more about their father's hidden secrets. But Pixel no longer believed in demons and that they could take over Zesa. When her father passed away, all the videos, pictures, and places where he fought were gone, and as she grew older, her memories faded away, and nothing felt real anymore. As she stood staring at the shrine, she felt a tap on her shoulder, and turning around, she saw her friends staring at her. Teto leaned in, but Pixel couldn't help but feel disheartened by all the memories she had lost.

"Stop daydreaming and listen to what Jean says," scolded Teto, tapping her forehead. Pixel blinks and changes her blank expression into a calm, happy one.

"Heh, my bad. This eggnog and that delicious apple pie made me lose my thought," chuckled Pixel, rubbing her forehead. Jean and Dominique giggled while Teto rolled her eyes and smiled.

"What were you even thinking about?" Asked Teto, now backing away from her.

"Just personal stuff, that's all," answered Pixel, staring at her half-drank eggnog.

"Are you okay at home?" Asked Teto, putting the glass cup down and getting worried. Teto was like a mother to Pixel. Whenever Pixel was overwhelmed, she would come to Teto and let her feelings out. That is what Pixel liked about Teto—being there for her, caring, and listening to what Pixel was saying.

"It's nothing that bad, Teto. It's just—I'm tired of my mother's boyfriend, Albert, repeating the same story about his younger years when he killed demons with my father and how they protected our city. It's getting annoying and unrealistic," let out Pixel. Jean had heard similar stories when she was young. But never knew from whom, and that made Jean more curious. Dominique was sitting there, sipping her eggnog.

"Oh, Pixel. That is just how Albert is. When we were young, John and Albert would always come, and Albert would always tell his stories the whole time. Yeah, it gets annoying. But that's just how he is. My advice to you is to tune out. If he tells you it was crazy, say, 'wild.' Got it?" Instructed Teto. Pixel gave her a thumbs-up, and Teto gave her a thumbs-up.

"Since we resolved this, what are you wearing for the Winter Festival?" Jean asked, picking up her glass cup of eggnog.

"A winter-theme dress that goes by my knee," answered Dominique, taking out her phone and going to her gallery. She taps on her dress and shows it to Pixel, Jean, and Teto.

"Interesting choice of clothing. I loved the design," complimented Pixel.

"Aw, thank you. I knew you would like it," thanked Dominique.

"What about you, Pixel? What are you wearing for the Winter Festival?" Dominique asked, turning her phone off. Pixel needed to figure out what she was wearing for tomorrow.

"Hmm, I'm not sure. I may just come with my casual clothes," shrugged Pixel. She picked up her glass cup and drank her eggnog.

"What? We can all wear the same seasonal clothing," said Jean, hugging herself.

"Then it's settled. We're heading to the Hiroyuki Clothing Store. They sell seasonal-related clothing," asserted Dominique, finishing her eggnog.

"It's alright. You don't have to waste your money on me," told Pixel.

"Even so, Hiroyuki clothes are costly. Are you sure you want to waste money on just one festival?" Asked Teto, cleaning a cup. Dominique thought about it. She bought her dress there for forty dollars.

"Aw dang," sighed Dominique, putting her head on the table.

"Thanks for saving my allowance, Ms. Teto," thanked Dominique, still lying against the table. Pixel raises her cup, chugs the whole eggnog, and puts it on the table. Pixel got up and took out her Zesarian money. She pays for the drink, and Teto grabs it. She thanked her.

"Your special eggnog was the best. Thank you!" Cheerfully thanked Jean.

"It is my pleasure to satisfy my customers," bows Teto. Pixel, Jean, and Dominique walk up the stairs and leave Teto's Bar.

They walk up the icy stairs and down South West Road. Only a few were on South West Road since it looked sketchy. The girls reached Central Town and saw the statue of the God of Light. The girls ran up to it and took out their phones. They each took a picture for great memories. The girls took a seat on the bench and relaxed. They didn't expect to see many people, and the crowd was almost the whole of Central Town. While the girls were trying to catch the snow with their tongues, Pixel's phone rang. Pixel stopped and put her tongue back inside her mouth. She took out her phone and noticed that her fifth older brother, Oscar, had called her. Pixel answered,

"Hello?"

"Pixel! It's an emergency!" Panicked Oscar. Pixel's heart began to race. Pixel sat up straight.

"What happened?" Worryingly asked Pixel. Jean and Dominique heard the panic in her voice and looked at her. They put their phone away and became attentive.

"A demon has kidnapped Eduardo!" Explained Oscar. Pixel leans back and rubs the bridge of her nose. She was tired of hearing the same word every once a week.

"Oscar, demons don't exist. You've been listening to Albert's story too much," Pixel said, confusing Jean and Dominique.

"No! I'm serious! Albert, Felipe, Mishael, and Matthew were injured and sent to the hospital!" Explained Oscar. Pixel wasn't sure what to say.

"So you said that a demon kidnapped Eduardo?" Questioned Pixel, trying to make the whole demon thing since.

"Yes, Pixel!" Pixel nods. She turns her head to Eduardo near West Road. Pixel gets up and checks if it's Eduardo. Jean and Dominique also get up and spot Eduardo.

"Wait, Pixel. Is that your brother?" Dominique asked, pointing at Eduardo.

"Pixel?" Called Oscar.

"Hey, Oscar. I spotted him. He perhaps escaped the 'demon' and has nowhere to go. We're going to take him back home," told Pixel, taking her phone away from her right ear and hanging up Oscar.

"PIXEL!!! NO! WAIT, STOP! DO-" Pixel hung up and put her phone away. Pixel and her friends ran towards Eduardo, who was standing there. Eduardo glanced down and spotted them. He smiled and waved at them. The girls were getting closer to him, but Eduardo turned towards West Road and ran.

"Eduardo! Stop running!" Ordered Pixel. Eduardo ignored her and kept running. The girls carefully went through the crowds and tried to catch Eduardo. Pixel was stunned that Eduardo was running faster than her. Pixel ran a little quicker, and her friends did the same thing.

"Why is your brother sprinting? Does he not want to come back home?" Asked Jean, concerned for Eduardo.

"Who knows? We'll find out once we catch him," said Pixel. Jean was concerned about Eduardo. She didn't know what happened back at Pixel's home, but she would help him and stay by his side. Eduardo and the girls entered the forest, and Eduardo ran up the icy hill like it was nothing. The girls slowed down and took their time going up.

"Your brother must be talented," praised Dominique.

"I'm surprised that he can run up these hills without slipping," Pixel said. Eduardo reached the top and slowed down. He turned around and looked down at the girls. The girls were almost halfway through up the hill. Currently, Dominique is behind Jean. She kept slipping and falling behind. Jean needed to catch up. But only a little behind Pixel. Pixel is trying her best not to fall back. Pixel was taking things slow, so she didn't drop. The girls reach the top, and Eduardo backs away.

"Eduardo, why are you running away? Tell me, what's wrong?" Asked Pixel quietly, taking a step forward. Eduardo jumped back, and a sinister grin formed on his face. He runs into the raging blizzard. Pixel panicked and ran after him.

"Pixel! No!" Stopped Jean. Pixel enters the blizzard.

"Eduardo is acting strange. Is this how he acts?" Asked Dominique. Jean thought about it.

'Whenever something terrible is happening, Eduardo always backs away from it. Dominique said it now. Eduardo IS acting strange,' pondered Jean.

"You do have a point, and we need help with Pixel. I feel like that isn't Eduardo," agreed Jean.

"I would help Pixel, but I'm not sure about this. I have a bad feeling about it," sulked Dominique, not wanting to enter the blizzard.

"Yeah, I understand that it's dangerous. But I will help Pixel and her family. I consider them my second family," asserted Jean. Dominique sees how devoted Jean has become. Jean faced the blizzard and entered.

Pixel was breathing heavily and getting stiff. The blizzard was intense, and Pixel couldn't see Eduardo anymore. Pixel stopped and called his name out.

"EDUARDO!!!" Called Pixel. But no answer from him.

"EDUARDO!!!!" Pixel called again. Again, no response.

"Pixel!" Yelled a female voice. Pixel turns around to see Jean running up to her.

"Pixel! That isn't your brother!" Hollered Jean.

"What the hell are you talking about, Jean? That's Eduardo!" Objected Pixel, looking at Jean confusedly.

"Are you not even noticing his strange behavior? His skills in running up the icy hill? Running quicker? And entering a dangerous location?" Observed Jean. Pixel was quiet. Eduardo was acting bizarrely.

"I guess you're right. Eduardo has been acting differently," agreed Pixel. Out of nowhere, three demons jumped out from the snow and ambushed them. They tackled the girls to the ground. The demons pinned Pixel and Jean's wrists behind their back and felt their hands on top of their head. The girls grunted and were frightened. The girls were out of words. In front of Pixel was Eduardo. His appearance changes into a formal demon with a black fedora, curly black hair, pale skin, black bow tie, black collar shirt, white vest, white gloves, white pants, and black derby shoes. He was grinning widely, which showed his sharp teeth. Pixel was terrified of what she was seeing.

"Such brave girls, I have to admit it. No one would have entered this dangerous weather condition," applauded the formal demon.

"What have you done to my brother!" Angrily asked Pixel. Jean's eyes were shot open. Jean was showing a brooding expression at Pixel. The formal demon kneeled before Pixel and rested his index finger under her chin. The demon on top of Pixel removed his hand from her head. He examined her and noticed the details of her face structure, eyes, nose, and mouth. It was similar to Pixel's younger brother, Eduardo.

"Gosh, you have a similar structure as your damn brother," said the formal demon, ignoring Pixel's question—an angry tick formed on Pixel's head.

"Where is my brother?" Asked Pixel again, her voice filled with aggression.

"Your brother is in the Netherworld chained up with other humans suffering from different mental capacities," grins the formal demon, finally answering Pixel's question.

"Why are you doing this?!?" Snapped Pixel.

"To get my revenge on that idiotic slayer. That senseless slayer who humiliated me!" Growled the formal demon. Pixel stares at him, confused.

"So, instead, I stole someone important from him, and now he has to come and retrieve him," grins insanely the formal demon. Pixel has yet to learn who he was talking about.

'Who is this person? Hol' up, Eduardo? Is it important to him? Slayer? Is he talking about Albert or someone else?' Pixel pondered. The formal demon noticed her confused expression and stood up.

"You seem confused. The slayer that I'm after is named John Medina. He and his absurd partner went up against us and beat the shit out of me," told the formal demon. Pixel froze. All this time, she thought that Albert's stories were a joke. But hearing her father's name makes things sense.

"John?...he's dead," murmured Pixel. The formal demon's pointy ears twitch and grin widely.

"Then that makes it better! There's no one to save your pathetic brother or family without him! This automatically makes me the winner!" Laughs the formal demon insanely. The formal demon snaps his fingers. Pixel and Jean's blood went cold when they heard the pistols click. The demons were laughing and ready to blow their heads off. There was nothing the girls could do about it. As the demons were about to pull the trigger, vines emerged from the ground and impaled the demon's lower back. The demon screams and gets away from her. The pistol falls onto the snow, and Pixel reaches for it. Pixel grabs it, turns her body around, and shoots the demon through their forehead. The demons fall back, and Jean rapidly stands up. The formal demon flew directly at Pixel and slashed her chest as she ran up to Pixel. Pixel gasped and hit the ground.

Jean was horrified. Jean rapidly picked up the demon's gun and aimed it at the formal demon. Pixel hissed and grunted at the pain. She softly touched her chest, and it stung her. Her jacket and shirt were destroyed and stained with blood. Jean was about to pull the trigger when she heard footsteps. Jean turns around and sees a cloaked figure walking up to them. Jean slowly eased her pistols and stared at the mysterious hooded cloak figure. The figure threw their cloak up and revealed her white long-sleeve tunic with black jeans and brown boots. On her side is a gray tuck sheath, which she grabs the handle and pulls out her tuck sword. The formal demon recognizes the sword and glares at her.

"What a big surprise. A Demon Slayer is here to save these pathetic kids," said the formal demon, fixing his fedora hat. He wasn't going to deal with them anymore.

"I WILL TRACK YOU DOWN AND KILL YOU!" Screamed Pixel. The formal demon halted and suddenly felt his heartbeat quickly. Pixel's voice repeated and suddenly changed into a male voice. The formal demon wasn't sure what was happening and tried to stop it.

'What the hell is going on with me?! Why is my heart going wild? Ugh! This girl is something else,' thought the formal demon, clenching his chest. He growls and teleports away. Pixel put her right hand on the ground and used her remaining strength to stand up. She groans and softly touches her bleeding chest. Jean gasped and instantly ran towards her. The figure went up to the girls and stood in front of them. The figure slid her tuck sword back inside her sheath and examined Pixel's wound. Pixel breathes heavily and clenches Jean's hand, trying to bear the pain. Blood drips and colors the snow. Jean wraps her right hand around Pixel and cringes when she sees Pixel's injury.

"Let's take you to the hospital. Come on," said Jean.

"The hospital is too far. I can take your friend to the Novele tribe," the figure instructed.

"Can I come? I can't leave my friend alone. I need to be by her side," proclaimed Jean. The figure smiled at how determined and devoted Jean was.

"Very well. Follow me," accepted the figure. The figure picked Pixel up and got up. Jean stood up and followed the figure. The figure and Jean now leave a harsh blizzard.

As they arrive at the forest path, the figure turns left.

The figure and Jean were walking through the forest path, and Jean needed to figure out how far the place was. Pixel was losing about 30% of blood. Pixel's vision was blurry, and she couldn't keep going. Pixel was breathing heavily, which made Jean more anxious.

"It's alright. She will get the best infirmary treatment," soothed the figure. The figure faced Jean, and Pixel could see how hopeful the figure was. Jean warmly smiled and nodded. Jean looked forward, followed her side by side, and did not leave Pixel's side.