Chapter 37: Into the Fires of Hell!
As soon as Spawn and Reika stepped into the Hell Portal, they almost immediately found themselves standing in a vast, dark, and barren landscape of hellfire and brimstone. they realized that even the air that they were breathing reeked of death and evil. They approached an enormous demonic skull shaped figure with its jaws wide open, leading down into a deep, dark, and endless abyss. They had been teleported to the gates of Hell. "They are here!" a deep demonic voice announced.
Spawn cracked his knuckles while Reika took a deep breath. "Well, there's no going back now. Let's go!" Reika said after an awkward moment of silence. Spawn only nodded his head before he jumped down the hole. Reika soon followed and fell down for what seemed like forever, until she finally landed on her feet with a forceful impact. Though she wasn't hurt, she was shocked due to the fact that she was knee deep in blood. "Augh! Fuck...so much blood! What is this place?!" Reika exclaimed.
Spawn silenced her as he grabbed her and had them both hide in a corner as several hideous demons came stomping towards their direction. "Keep quiet and let them pass; we won't be able to take them all out at once!" Spawn whispered as he held Reika tightly. Reika couldn't help but blush as she was held by Spawn. "Mmm...he's so warm!" Reika whispered with a pervy grin on her face.
Suddenly, a loud snarling noise was heard. Reika gasped before Spawn clamped her mouth shut and used his cape to cover them both up. Just as they both turned invisible, a large horned demon that had an enormous set of jaws and a thick muscular body stomped right past them. The demon snarled and snuffled loudly as it reared and rolled its fat ugly head around, when another creature of the same kind bumped into it. Both demons then started to butt heads and snarl at each other, until a larger and more powerful demon made them stop by punching them both.
After the short squabble, all demons seemed to stop as the air suddenly grew thick with an ominous aura of demonic energy of some sort. "Find the intruders! They must not reach the Book!" the same deep demonic voice announced. And with that said, all the demons scrambled off to find the intruders.
Spawn turned both him and Reika visible again before they approached a huge set of stairs that led up to a different level of Hell. "Shit! That was too close! Ok, listen to me Kitami! We need to get up those steps; I'm sure that Darrel is up there somewhere with that Bible Black. So stick with me, stay quiet, and do everything that I say. Got it?" Spawn instructed. "Ok, I got it. Raizo...is it me, or have things changed here since we've last been here?" Reika said.
Spawn looked at her with total confusion and shock as she said that. "What the hell are you talking about, woman?" Spawn snapped. "Think about it! We're both practically demons, aren't we? We were born here! I mean...I honestly don't remember much about this place. I mean, all I remember was waking up in a place that was pitch black and I was all alone. I just wasn't expecting this place to be...you know, so bloody and full of these monsters! Do you get what I'm saying?" Reika explained.
Spawn shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I don't have a clue what you're going on about! All I know is that this is Hell we're in, and as soon as I kill Darrel, I want out!" Spawn retorted. Reika sighed impatiently as she shook her own head. "You know what? Forget that I said anything! Let's just go and find that damn book before God knows what else comes after us!" Reika said snappishly.
As Spawn and Reika climbed the steps, the horrific wails of agony from the souls of the damned filled the air. There were also creepy whispering voices that flittered about like bats, as well as the roar of flames that was seen consuming the landscape they were traveling through. Thousands, if not millions, of rotting corpses littered the ground, as well as gallons of blood, guts, and dusty bones and skulls. Some of the corpses were even stuck to the walls. There were also demonic symbols painted to the walls with the blood of the dead.
Finally, Spawn and Reika made their way up to higher ground. The sky they looked up and saw was blood red, and lit by fires illuminating in the distant mountains. "Is this more of what you had in mind, Kitami?" Spawn said sarcastically as he looked around. "Oh! That's not what I meant earlier! I meant...oh, never mind! You're such an ass!" Reika exclaimed. Reika walked towards a stone bridge and gasped as she saw that far down below them was an endless abyss of flaming brimstone and boiling lava. "Shit! That's a long way down! Watch your footing around here, ok?" Reika warned.
As Reika and Spawn crossed the stone bridge, they looked ahead of them and saw another large gate made from the remains of a gigantic demonic being of some sort. "Huh! At this rate, we'll be home just in time for dinner! This is easy!" Reika joked. "Be careful, all right? I don't want to lose you!" Spawn began before he realized what he just said. "Aww, nice to see that you actually do care for once!" Reika teased. "Don't push your luck, woman!" Spawn growled.
When they finally arrived at the large demonic gate, Spawn began to feel really uneasy all of a sudden. "Reika...I have a bad feeling about this!" Spawn announced. "Why, what's wrong?" Reika wondered. "I think we're walking into a trap. So get ready for anything!" Spawn instructed as he drew out his Agony Axe. Reika nodded her head as she stepped into the mouth of the gate, when suddenly the floor collapsed and created a huge gap. Reika took a step too soon and unfortunately fell down into the hole in the ground, much to her dismay. "AIIIEEEE! RAIZO, HELP!" Reika screamed as she fell. "REIKA!" Spawn shouted.
But as that happened, a menacing growl was heard from behind him. Spawn slowly turned around and saw not one, not two...but three Barons of Hell facing him! These monsters were the toughest soldiers of Hell; they stood over 20 feet tall, had tough muscular blood red skin, goat-like legs, blazing green eyes, and large bull-like horns on their heads. The Hell Barons snarled viciously at Spawn, challenging him to combat. "Shit! Reika, whatever it is you're gonna do, do it fast!" Spawn growled as he swung his Agony Axe, ready to accept the demons' challenge.
Meanwhile; Reika groaned as she woke up in a deep, dark, slimy pit. "Ugh...great fucking job, girl! Falling down a fucking hole like that! Of all the fucking things to do in Hell...Argh!" Reika groaned in both pain and self-disgust. As Reika forced herself back up, she nearly puked at the putrid smell of the place. "AUGH! What's that awful smell?!" Reika exclaimed before she stepped in something squishy. "Eww! What is this? Where am I?!" Reika cried out in disgust.
She created an orb of light and was greeted with the pleasant sight of bubbling pools of green acid and ooze. "Shit! What is this stuff?" Reika said as she observed it. She smelled it, but couldn't pick up a scent. "Well, if that's not where the smell is coming from-" Reika began before she heard the sounds of thunderous footsteps.
Reika gasped as she took cover in a small cave as an obese demon of some sort stomped right past her. He was over 12 feet tall, was morbidly obese, and had a strange device strapped to his back that had tubes running into his fat flabby arms. It was a Mancubus, but unlike the other creature Reika and her friends fought back in the surface world, this Mancubus was tougher and smarter due to having more armor and more powerful weapons attached to his arms. Instead of a flamethrower, this disgusting monstrosity had plasma cannons and could also spit corrosive bile from its mouth.
But that wasn't what scared Reika. What scared her, was what she saw this loathsome filthy beast do next. The Cyber-Mancubus approached a cage and opened it up, yanking out what appeared to be a screaming naked young woman. Reika gasped in horror as she saw the poor woman being squeezed by the blubbery behemoth's steel grip. "Oh my God! No...that poor girl!" Reika gasped.
The Cyber-Mancubus opened it's jaws, showing off its teeth despite the screams of the poor woman. "AAAIIEE! NO! GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU MONSTER! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" the poor young woman screamed in horror. The demon ignored her screams and chomped down on her head, ripping it clean off her body and spilling blood everywhere. As the demon loudly gobbled up the poor woman, Reika choked back her tears of rage. "God damn it...I'm gonna kill you, you fat ugly piece of-" Reika seethed before she threw up at the sight of the demon slurping the blood from the woman's ripped torso.
When the Cyber-Mancubus finished eating the poor woman, he decided to eat another one of his captured victims. As he reached inside and grabbed another human, Reika gasped in horror as she recognized who the human was. It was a young man she was all too familiar with, one she thought that she had lost forever back up on the surface world. "No...it can't be! Minase?!" Reika exclaimed.
The young man cursed and screamed as he tried to break free of the monster's grip, but it was no use. "ARGH! Let me go, you fucking lard ass!" Minase shouted as he tried to break free. The Cyber-Mancubus just licked its lips as its jaws opened wide. Reika couldn't take anymore; she had to act now.
She leapt out of her hiding spot with a bound sword in one hand and crackling lightning in the other. "HEY! GET YOUR FAT, SLIMY FINGERS OFF OF MY FRIEND YOU FAT PIECE OF SHIT!" Reika shouted furiously. The monster dropped Minase as he was caught off guard, but Minase was just as surprised as he recognized the woman. "What?! Kitami! It...it can't be!" Minase exclaimed.
Back with Spawn, he was able to kill off one of the Hell Barons by sliding underneath of it before climbing up it's back and chopping off it's head. But the other two weren't about to go down as easily. They began to overpower Spawn with their speed, agility, and brute strength. "Grr...come on, you assholes! I ain't got all day!" Spawn taunted.
One of the Hell Barons snarled at Spawn as he shook his fist before throwing a ball of green hell energy at him. Spawn was able to dodge the attack before he retaliated with some attacks with his chains. But the other Hell Baron grew wise and grabbed Spawn's chains before he began smashing him around like a rag doll. "Argh! Grr...you're really starting to piss me off!" Spawn snarled as his fists began powering up with Necroplasm.
A Hell Baron charged towards him to try and finish him off, but Spawn teleported away before he could be touched. Just as Spawn teleported away, he quickly reappeared and began slashing his Agony Axe at the demon's feet before lunged towards the Hell Baron and began attacking him with his Necro-Punches.
Eventually, the Hell Baron grabbed hold of Spawn's fist and tried to force the phantom warrior away. Spawn groaned in pain as the Hell Baron began to overpower him. Seeking an opportunity, the other Hell Baron snickered evilly as it lunged forward with its claws powered up with hell energy. But just before Spawn could even be touched, the phantom quickly teleported away and the Hell Baron ended killing his own comrade.
Enraged, the surviving Hell Baron roared furiously as he tried to kill Spawn with several balls of hell energy thrown wildly from his hands. Spawn dodged all his attacks and eventually subdued the demon by snatching his legs with his chains and tripped him onto his back.
Not even done, Spawn lunged towards the Hell Baron and hacked off the demon's arms, preventing it from trying to fight back. Finally, Spawn grabbed hold of the Hell Baron's left horn and tore it off his head before he smashed it against his face, killing him.
Spawn cried out fiercely in triumph, though he felt weary from the battle. "Damn! That took a lot out of me...come on, Reika! Hurry up; I can't wait for you here forever! Who knows how many more of these damn things will show up?" Spawn growled. He immediately regretted saying that, as hordes of imps and horned demons teleported to his location and swarmed him. "FUCK! Me and my big damn mouth!" Spawn cursed as he began surging with Necroplasm.
Back with Reika, the battle between her and the Cyber-Mancubus was growing more intense. "Come on, lard cake! Put up a real fight!" Reika shouted furiously as she zapped the beast with lightning. The Cyber-Mancubus bellowed angrily as it swatted its massive fist at Reika, sending her flying away into a wall. "Argh! Is that all you've got, fatass?!" Reika shouted as she broke herself free from the wall.
The monster then fired several shots of plasma at Reika, though the witch was able to avoid getting hit before she retaliated by shooting balls of fire. However, the armor the beast wore protected him from all of Reika's attacks, further angering the witch. "Shit! There has to be a way that I can either remove that armor or find a weak spot!" Reika cursed as she dodged another blast of plasma. "Reika? Destroy the monster's power core!" Minase shouted. "What?" Reika asked before she barely dodged the monster's giant fist. "Destroy that thing that's on his back! That will stop him!" a girl with a familiar voice said.
Reika gasped as she looked up and saw the face of the girl who spoke; it was Yuuki! "What? Yuuki, you're alive?! But how?!" Reika exclaimed. "We'll talk about that later; right now, you need to focus on killing that monster! Otherwise, he'll just make you his next meal...and then eat us!" Yuuki snapped. Reika nodded her head before she chanted a spell and paralyzed the Cyber-Mancubus.
As the beast was stuck, Reika sprinted towards the back of the monster and rammed her fist into the power core. Reika screamed as she tore it out of the monster's back, causing it to screech in pain. "You still hungry for more? Well, here you go! Eat this and die, motherfucker!" Reika shouted as she shoved the power core into the beast's mouth.
The Cyber-Mancubus made an awful choking noise before exploded into bite-sized pieces, earning a cheer from the surviving humans in the cage. "Hooray! We're saved!" a young girl cried out happily. "Way to go, Kitami!" Yuuki cheered. As Reika approached the cage, she was shocked to find out that these young people were her friends she thought that she had lost.
Yuuki, Maiko, Ruri, and Minase; they were all still here! "How? How is this is even possible?!" Reika demanded as she stood there shaking with both joy and outrage. "I don't really know, Kitami. All I know is that after we died, we woke up here in Hell." Minase explained with deep sorrow and regret in his voice. "I guess that means we've been bad, huh?" Yuuki said sadly. "No! You're not bad, ok?! You know why? Because you are going to come with me! We're leaving this place...but not before I put an end to all of this!" Reika said bravely.
Minase stopped her, much to her dismay. "Kitami...it's too late! Skulker has absorbed the power of the Bible Black; he's invincible! Nothing can stop him now that he's in control of the demons of Hell. In fact; he's in total control of all the power in this level of Hell!" Minase explained. "What?! No...that's not possible! He can't have that kind of power, not unless he's completed the Walpurgis Night Ritual!" Reika objected. "He's found another way to gain the power from that book, Kitami. I saw it with my own eyes!" Minase said gravely.
Reika sighed as placed her hands on his shoulders. "Honey...I know things look bad, but we can't give up. Besides; I made a promise to you that I was going to bring you back to Imari, and I intend to keep that promise!" Reika said kindly. "Huh? No, I said that I wanted you to tell her that I said that I loved her and I was sorry for-" Minase began. "You will tell her yourself, boy! You have to tell her how you really feel!" Reika argued. "Kitami, I-" Minase began.
Reika suddenly slammed Minase against the cage, shocking the girls. "Goddammit, boy! Just stop it! Stop it with the fucking self pity, all right?! There are more important things going on here than your own petty bullshit! Now you are going to help me find this bastard and stop him! And then you and I going home with the rest of the others, and you are going to tell that girl you love her! You have to, or I'll never forgive you! You understand me?!" Reika screamed hysterically.
Reika then burst into tears as she sobbed into Minase's chest. "Oh, God...I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to yell at you like that. Minase, I-" Reika wept. "No, Kitami! You're right...if I don't tell her how I really feel about her, then I'll never be able to move on from my past. And I'll never forgive myself for what I've done." Minase said gravely. "Oh, Minase!" Reika cried as she embraced the young man. "Um, guys...I don't mean to rush you or ruin your moment, but uh...I thought we were in a hurry!" Yuuki snapped. "Oh, right! Sorry...hold on, ok? I'll get you out of there!" Reika said before she used her magic to cut through the gate and freed the others.
As Reika embraced her friends, she suddenly realized that they were all naked. "Oh! You poor things! Come on, let's go find you some clothes! I can't have you help me save the world in nothing but your skin!" Reika said half-jokingly. "I think I saw a place where there were some supplies leftover by some of Skulker's mercenaries. Come on, this way!" Minase announced. "Hold on, Raizo...I'm coming, honey!" Reika said out loud.