The path behind them dimmed as they stepped into the Collector's Ring. What had been a bright, muted valley before now turned pitch black, as though they'd walked straight into night. Faint white lights flickered high above, mimicking a false moon, casting thin silver streaks over the land.

Ahead loomed a massive, red and white circus, its canopy torn in places, with faint sounds drifting from within. From the shadows above, pairs of glowing white eyes floated in silence, four along the tent's upper rim, others scattered deeper in the dark, watching.

Renny stopped a few paces from the entrance, gaze narrowing. "A circus," he muttered. "So… the beast lives here?" It wouldn't have been the strangest thing. Every beast he'd faced so far had shaped its own domain — timber forest, Kitchen, mountain. This one, apparently, chose spectacle.

Beside him, Myla shivered. "It's… unsettling," she said softly.

Renny glanced at her, then back to the tent. "Relax. If it's beyond us, we'll leave. No shame in that."

That seemed to ease her a bit, the idea that retreat was an option. She drew in a breath, nodded, and together they stepped forward, crossing into the circus.

Lo and behold, the sight before them was nothing like what they expected.

Rows of seats circled a wide, caged arena. Spectators, beasts, pitters, and other warped things filled the stands, roaring with excitement. Inside the cage, human souls and beasts clashed, though fight wasn't quite the word. The beasts were mauling them, tearing through their forms as the crowd howled for more.

Renny arched a brow. "Well… this is a new one."

Myla adjusted her glasses, her face twisting. "What is this place?"

He didn't answer right away, scanning the scene. The air stank of blood and burnt flesh.

She turned to him again, uneasy. "How are we even supposed to find the beast in this? Are you sure we're in the right place at all?"

Renny pulled the map from his suit, flicking it open. "Says right here…" He tilted it toward her. "The Collector's Ring."

At the center of the ring stood a figure, tall, slender, and dressed in a garish mix of purples and greens. His grin stretched wide, almost as if it had been painted on.

Myla blinked, squinting through the flickering light. "Wait… is that the Joker?"

Renny leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. "I'll be damned. It does look like him."

She gave a small, disbelieving laugh. "The Joker in Hell… now that's something."

Renny's lips curved faintly. "Quite fitting, really."

Before Myla could respond, a voice whispered just behind her ear, smooth and mocking. "Oh, do ya think so?"

She jumped, spinning around, only to find another man, identical to the first, standing inches away, that same painted grin on his face.

Renny moved before the thought even finished forming. His hand shot out, fingers locking around the man's throat.

In that instant, two figures dropped from above, wearing dark masks, their white eyes glinting under the flickering flashes of lightning. Each held a curved black blade, both points hovering dangerously close to Renny's neck.

The whole circus froze. The cheering died, laughter cut off mid-sound. Dozens, maybe hundreds, of heads turned toward the commotion.

Renny's grip stayed tight on the man's throat as he slowly scanned the ring. So those glowing eyes I saw outside… he thought. Clowns and ninjas? In a circus? What kind of beast domain is this?

The man in his grip raised both hands in mock surrender, still grinning through the strain on his neck. "Whoa, whoa... easy there, demon! Let's not ruin the act, eh?"

Renny's gaze sharpened. "Who are you? And what is this place? These…" he glanced around at the masked figures closing in, "ninjas?"

The man laughed, breath rasping. "Ah, I'll tell ya, if ya let me breathe first."

Renny narrowed his eyes but finally released him.

The man rubbed his throat, chuckling. "Well, that escalated quickly! Tell ya what, why don't we take this little chat outside? No need to interrupt the show."

Renny hesitated, glanced once at Myla, who looked both confused and uneasy, then gave a short nod. He caught her hand firmly as they followed the grinning stranger out of the tent, the three white-eyed ninjas trailing behind like silent shadows.

***

Outside, the noise of the circus dulled into a low hum, like something alive but distant, muffled by the heavy dark.

Renny didn't waste time. "Are you Muralen?" he asked flatly. "The beast?"

The man threw his head back and laughed, a rich, theatrical sound that didn't belong in this silence. "Oh no, no, no. I could never be those things," he said, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Though wouldn't that be interesting? If I were a beast…"

He turned his head, studying Renny, Myla, and the silent white-eyed ninjas surrounding them. None of them answered.

"No," the man continued, smiling wide enough for it to look wrong. "I am no beast. The ones around ya—my Hands—what ya call, on Earth, henchmen… soldiers, perhaps. They obey my will."

Renny's expression tightened. "Then what are you?"

The man spread his arms slightly. "I," he said with pride, "am the Collector. Together with my Hands, we govern the Four Rings of Hell."

"The four rings?" Myla asked, brow furrowing.

"Indeed," he said. "And where ya stand right now, this desolate little corner, is the first ring."

Renny glanced around at the dark plain, the flickering shadows, the faint sound of distant laughter that seemed to echo from nowhere. "Here?" he asked, skeptical.

The Collector nodded. "Here. This is where souls and demons come to trade, to sell creatures they want gone, in exchange for what we have to offer. A fair bargain, wouldn't ya say?" He grinned, teeth glinting. "And not only that, those who wish to buy from my fine collection can do so as well. I keep my treasures in the Second Ring. I collect anything worth collecting—beasts, demons, pitters, dragons, titans… anything that breathes or once breathed."

Renny's eyes narrowed. "So you know where Muralen is?"

"Know?" the Collector laughed again, almost delighted. "No, no, my good demon friend. I own him. The beast named Muralen is part of my collection."

Myla stepped forward, hope flickering in her eyes. "Then please... please, can we see him? It's important we meet this beast."

The Collector's grin widened, satisfied. "Of course, my dear. I can take ya to him."

Renny hesitated, suspicion gnawing at him. If Muralen's been collected… then what kind of beast could he really be? he thought. Still, he gave a slow nod.

"Fine," he said quietly. "Take us to the Second Ring."

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