I look at the first apartment I found, smashing the door with my feet. I could see the faint silhouettes of humans sitting on the couch, watching television. It would be easy to manifest myself in the room and slaughter them all to the last. Seeing my target, I raised my scythe, and brought it down with a mighty swing.

Fortunately for them, I wasn't after their lives.

The large case with the television lay in ruins, it's destruction mirrored in the normal world by the reaction of the 'ghosts' of the room.

As mentioned earlier, there were ways for us to raise above our station. The simplest way is through age, survive long enough and you become stronger naturally as you become more attuned to the energies of hell and in turn is empowered in return, though this method requires thousands of years to actually bear fruit. The second simplest way is through training if you have some kind of potential already, refining your skills in combat and in use of demonic energy, but this method requires you to already have some degree of potential.

The last method is to simply buy new upgrades from the God of Time and Space, an inter dimensional arms dealer that sells anything to anyone, so long as you have the proper currency, from new weapons, skills, physical enhancements and more. All demons in hell swear by the God of Time And Space.

Speaking of currency, I stared at the small Red Orbs that appeared once I broke down that case. It goes by many names from Macca, Red Orbs and Blood Orbs, but the humans should know them as Philosopher Stones. Essentially they are condensed soul energy, either leaked from humans through time and spilled into Limbo inside objects with emotional significance to those near them, or by crystallizing demon blood which is often rich of this kind of energy. Those Red Orbs can be used as substitute for any kind of mystical material necessary to perform alchemy, and if you know the proper techniques anything is in your reach, so long as you have enough of those suckers.

In terms of quantity, killing a demon would usually give you quite a bit even if he's low level, and killing a human would net a disproportionately large amount if you consider their pathetic mystical abilities as a rule. On the other hand there is a faction in hell that considers killing humans for their Red Orbs a waste since it's more cost effective to farm their overflow amount in Limbo. Obviously this faction doesn't have much members at this moment.

The genius of my escape plan was simple: farm enough Red Orbs to become strong and fast enough that I can run away from all this mess, since anything beat my previous treatment in hell, and I wasn't too far gone to throw my lot with the demon faction or the rebel faction.

It's even more important since the Son of Sparda would probably come and interfere with the higher ups plan, and most likely wouldn't hesitate to murder me to bits. I wouldn't blame him since a more direct backstabbing approach is in the cards later today.

For now however, I had some vandalism to get to.

~~O~~

"Spirits of the past, move among us. Be guided by the lights of this world and visit upon us... Is anybody with us?"

I looked at the four morons trying to contact spirits from beyond, and I'm not sure if they're brave for trying to pull this stunt after a GIGANTIC TOWER was unearthed some time earlier, or if they're so incredibly stupid their parents gave up on them a long time ago.

"I don't think it's working..."

Looking at outside and not seeing anything abnormal, for a demonic incursion at least, I decided to kill some time with those kids. Going at their ouija board I placed my hand on it and forced my way towards the 'yes' answer, the task made easier with this amateur demon summoning ritual they were performing.

"Oh look, it said yes!" Said the leader looking kid, his silhouette almost like a full ghost on Limbo. "Ahem, ok. Who are you?"

S-O-M-E-O-N-E-Y-O-U-D-O-N-T-W-A-N-T-T-O-M-E-E-T.

"Someone you don't want to meet?" He asked out loud, "can't you be a bit more specific?"

NO.

"Oh, uh, alright then. What do you want?"

To give a warning in return of payment.

"Payment? What kind of payment?"

Something you cherish, something material.

He paused for a moment before standing up and going to another room, bringing back some kind of statue of a cat and placed it on the table. "This is my grandmother memento, I will give it to you if your warning is good. What do you want to warn us about?"

Do not venture outside your houses tonight and tomorrow...

I raised my fist above the cat statue.

For tonight demons walks the streets!

With a mighty swing I destroyed both statue and table which it rested, making all room occupants yell in fright at the display.

Hmm, quite a bit of orbs in this one.

Taking my due, I turned the room and left for my next targets.