How does a priest gain access to highly advanced technology? The kind that could tear open holes in space and time and theoretically create portals to new locations. If this were a normal priest looking to answer that question, they'd be out of luck, but for the up-and-coming religious figure known as Valentino, he knew EXACTLY how to get it done. Unlike most worlds which were...mundane, to put it nicely, the world, specifically the version of Earth that he hailed from, was, in short, batshit crazy.
And in such a world, there are people that one would refer to as supervillains or at the very least mad geniuses who are also industrialists and thus have crazy stacks of cash. They had the resources, the manpower, and know-how to get him what he needed; unfortunately, there was one minor hiccup in the road. You see, when it came to the population of his world, even the most intelligent people around were dumb as a pile of rocks, which tragically was both Valentino's greatest weapon and his weakness. A person's lack of even something as basic as common sense played into his power; it allowed him to pull at their desires, as the parts of their soul that contributed to their intelligence were overpowered if said desires were more potent or passionate than the other.
But this worked in the opposite direction as well; if a person knew exactly what they wanted and they already had it, getting them to dance like a puppet on strings was nigh impossible. This is why he was stuck, for every single person he looked into that had what he needed was in some way or another a self-absorbed bastard or bitch who only wanted money, power, and the world in the palm of their hand, which they already possessed.
"Ugh, the one bad thing about everyone being an asshole, they know bullshit when they see it coming..." He groaned as he put a hand on his face, trying his best to figure out where to go from here.
"Trouble in paradise?" The Dark One inquired, a slight bit of smugness present in his voice.
"Why the fuck do you even ask shit like that?" He responded, being a bit more disrespectful than he'd been so far, "I get being upset that I was keeping the plan from you. But last I checked, you can see and hear the same things I can, so you know how the day's been." He pointed out.
"Because I do not understand your actions. I thought you planned to grow your flock until it reached a good size." The Dark One said.
"Well yeah, that is part of the plan, but we still need a way to get in contact with your guys; otherwise, even with my plan, we're more screwed than we already are." He argued.
"Only if they fail." The Dark One stated.
"...Fail...doing what?..." He asked as this was the first he'd heard that.
"I didn't mention this to you, not for lack of trust, but because it could be irrelevant." The Dark One began, "When the Slayer first met my soldiers, it was when he was still a normal mortal. Sent to guard a research facility on a moon revolving around the planet Mars, Phobos to be precise." He explained, "How this encounter unfolded was due to the scientists. They conducted experiments with their machines involving teleportation between the red planet and Earth. However, both ends of this experiment opened a connection to our realm, to assimilate Phobos and invade Earth, all I needed to do was send forth my minions." He concluded.
"Okay, that makes sense, but didn't you succeed in pulling that moon into Hell? Or was my crash course on your history off in some way?" Valentino inquired.
"You are correct. But as I said, the experiments were to prove teleportation was possible between Earth and Mars. These experiments were held on Phobos to shorten the distance as much as possible for the initial tests. Which if they had proven successful would have led to more using the same technology in the facility on the planet itself." He revealed.
"So even though Phobos is dust now and that tech's been scrapped, the stuff on Mars should still be intact." Valentino realized.
"Yes, but only in the outcome that serves us the most." He said, "Keep in mind it has been countless eons since any life has walked on the surface or through the facility. The technology could be too badly damaged from our assault, the weather of the planet, or simply by the test of time, hence why I refrained from mentioning it to you." He explained.
"Yeah, that makes sense. No point in getting our hopes up if it turns out to be scrap." Valentino agreed, "Still, and not meaning to insult your people, but are any of them even smart enough to interact with that kind of shit?" He asked.
"One among them is. He became quite familiar with mortals' workings when his body needed repairs. After an unfortunate encounter with one in particular." The Dark One answered.
"Ah right, the big green steroid." He remarked.
"Surprisingly, no, this was a different mortal." The Dark One corrected.
"Wait, what?!" He shouted, completely blindsided by that.
"I know not who he was, nor exactly how he was able to wound a member of my higher servants as he did. But long before the Slayer's time and our invasion, members of his species tinkered with the idea of summoning supernatural forces to aid them in their conquests. The result was the summoning of this demon who would've slaughtered the population singlehandedly if not for that mortal." The Dark One recounted.
"Holy fuck, this is huge!" He exclaimed, "Do you remember anything about the people who summoned the demon? I mean, my Earth's not too different from his, right? Maybe we had them in our history too!" He suggested.
"Hmm...if I recall correctly...they belonged to an order...a Reich is what they called it..." The Dark One replied.
Elsewhere...
Working with machines made for creatures far smaller and frailer than them would've been difficult in their original bodies. But now, as the five demons spared of the slaughter at the Dark One's stronghold worked to return to their master, they were doing so in new forms. Far closer to humans' size and shape, though still bigger, stronger, and more durable than they could ever hope to be, they also possessed distinct differences from each other. The two gifted in the arcane arts were covered in ceremonial robes; their physiology had a few more eyes than the others, and their horns were much smaller, which made sense given they were the tallest.
The next duo was covered in a great deal of blackened armor, complete with head covering helmets as they had no horns; physically, they were the largest of the group, but this increase in size wouldn't take away from their speed or agility. Finally, despite not being the strongest or the most skilled with magic, their leader was what many would call a perfect specimen as he had no weaknesses, no blind spots, no give or take with any part of his body, combine this with his unrivaled combat prowess, and in short, he couldn't be stopped. Except by HIM, the one mortal who dared to stand against him no matter how many times they fought, regardless if now he stood like a god, it didn't matter to the demon; he'd fight him until the end of time to assert his dominance. Which, if everything went well, would come as soon as he'd like.
Under his direction and guidance, the other demons worked with the machines left behind by the humans without much issue. But seeing as how this was their first time interacting with such devices to this degree; it still took them several days to be sure they were even functional, longer to try and get them all working. Even then, there was a period of experimentation that needed to be conducted. If they screwed this up, they could easily send themselves to the wrong destination or to a random point in the universe they were currently inside.
By the time everything was complete, the machines were working without issue, and they were sure they had the correct coordinates acquired; an entire month had passed. Time, however, was irrelevant; all that mattered was returning to their master without alerting their enemies. And as they stepped through the portal created by the mortal-made invention, all five of them were eager to return to a life of bloodshed and slaughter.
Earth, A Month Later...
"WE LOVE YOU, FATHER VALENTINE!" "YOU'RE THE GREATEST PERSON WHO EVER LIVED!" "THE CHURCH OF THE MOTH IS THE BEST CHURCH EVER, AND I'LL KILL ANYONE WHO SAYS OTHERWISE!" "PLEASE HAVE MY CHILDREN!"
Cheers and shouts like these had become the norm for Valentino, which made sense given how much progress he made over a single month. In the first week, he had half the city his church was based in under his control, week two the other half, week three, he was getting invited onto radio shows, and by the last, he finally got daytime program appearances. Most of the time, this would be seen and regarded as a cult, some narcissist trying to paint himself as the world's leader dictated by a sudden new prophecy of god or the violation of what is written in ancient texts. But this was different; Father Valentine, his alias, was loved by an entire city.
His message was just as bloated and cartoonish as every other religion; he emphasized peace and love above all else for his followers and the world. And these dumb fuckers ate it up like pigs to slop.
"Feel the love~" He sighed blissfully, relaxing contentedly in the fine leather seats of his private car, "All these people, chanting my praises, how nice it'd be if they were on their knees making me hit high notes too." He said with an ear-to-ear grin.
"Enjoying yourself?" The Dark One spoke, which had become a rare treat as the days continued.
"How could I not? I'm quickly becoming the new Jesus, and we're getting closer to getting what's rightfully ours. Honestly surprised you're not just a little bit happy." He admitted.
"I'll show joy when the scent of brimstone mixed with blood fills the air." The Dark One responded.
"Yeah, well, that's still a ways off." He said, getting serious, "Seeing as how your guys have had a whole month to do something, and yet we're still a two-man show, I'm guessing the gizmos and gadgets they found were junk." He told him.
"It is also possible that it has taken them this long. This is why I'd like you to try and restrain yourself from moving things forward too quickly." The Dark One requested.
"Sure, no problem. I may be cracking daytime talk shows, but that's still small stuff. It'll be another week or two before we're filling stadiums of saps ready to swallow what I'm serving." He replied.
For the remainder of the car ride, they rode in silence, the only sounds coming from the cheering masses as well as the vehicle itself. Thankfully the crowds would grow distant as they got closer to the church. Father Valentine requested that his followers not come close to the "holy" building when there were no sermons. By the time his driver reached the steps of the church, all that was left to hear was the gentle breeze blowing, which greeted him when he stepped out of the car.
"Good to be home." He said while closing the door, "Gonna feel nice to fall back on my bed and pass out for the next several hours." He added before ascending the stairs.
Climbing up to the twin doors that led inside, he waited for his driver to depart, not wanting to drop his disguise when he could still see it, though at this point, just like his followers, he probably wouldn't care. But when he reached for the handles, something else stopped him from going inside, and it was the last thing he expected.
"This wind...I know it well..." The Dark One spoke for a second time today, which was unusual at this point, "Disguised by peace, it hides horror, something has happened, and it isn't pleasant." He described.
"Sounds like someone needs this nap just as bad as I do," Valentino commented, finding this sudden rambling to be ridiculous.
"It reminds me of the barren wastes of my domain. Filled with the corpses of fallen mortals and feasts for the hordes, all covered in both dust and decay." He carried on, seeming to ignore him.
"Ah, you're homesick, should've guessed." Valentino said with a yawn, "Tell you what, after I wake up, we'll go do something evil. How's burning down a cancer patient ward in a hospital sound?" He suggested before grabbing onto the handles.
Pulling the doors open, time then came to a standstill, signified by the breeze abruptly ending. The cause, what Valentino saw when he looked inside his church, as something straight out of a nightmare was waiting for him. On the stage where he'd stand behind his podium were five figures, two were on the far left and right and wore hooded robes, two more were closer to the center but still on the sides, and then there was one more directly in the center of the lot, though he sat on the floor in front of the stage. But the sight of five mysterious figures, all wearing either robes or deep black armor, wasn't what made everything pause.
It was what they did to his church, the pews, and even the goddamn windows that turned him into a statue. Bodies hanged from the ceiling by their intestinal tracts, a fair amount of their organs were thrown about the space with large bites taken out of them, blood stained the floors and everything else it touched, and on the windows, their skins were draped over as if to block out the world. Keep in mind, though, that was what disturbed him, not that these corpses comprised of people of all ages, some even being children less than five; Valentino only cared that they ruined his fucking church to make this goretastic display.
"What...in the actual fuck..have you done?..." He asked, speaking slowly as he walked in, letting the doors slowly fall back into place once he let go of them, "You've...you've ruined everything...you fucking no good dirty bastards have ruined EVERY. GODDAMN. THING." He said, gradually getting louder, "I don't know who the FUCK you edgelords think you are, but you're going to be screaming to whatever bullshit you believe in by the time we're done here." He threatened.
In response, the figure who sat in the middle rose from his place on the ground, coming closer while the others remained where they stood on the stage. And when they reached Valentino, who was shorter by a foot or so, they stared down into his eyes for the next few seconds. This allowed Valentino to get a real good look at the ugly son of a bitch; he had glowing red eyes, skin as grey as ash, and impressively long horns coming from his head.
.
.
.
...Wait...horns?...Oh...OH...OH SHIT!
"...Hold on...are you...who I think you are?" He asked because if this wasn't who he was thinking of, then, holy fuck was this the best cosplay he'd ever seen.
"I am the harbinger of Doom. He who is granted the honor of sieging creation for its one true master." They spoke, their voice unbelievably deep and insanely terrifying, "I am sorry we have delayed your plans, master, forgive us." He requested before kneeling.
"...Okay, who the hell is this guy, and why have I never seen or heard of him and his metal band back there?" Valentino whispered to the Dark One.
"You know him as the Cyber Demon, they who stand farthest as Mother and Ressurector of demons, and they who stand further in as Hell Guards." He responded.
"Holy...goddamn...shit..." Valentino said, continuing to whisper, "You crammed these guys into this? That's some talent." He complimented.
"These forms exceed their previous incarnations. Faster, more robust, better in every imaginable way. They are the first of a new breed of demons, designed for one specific purpose." He told him.
"Which is?" Valentino inquired.
"To lay waste to creation, kill all who live in the flesh so they may be molded to serve us better, and to hunt down the one figure who can stand in our way, they are Marauders." He revealed.
"Damn, now THAT is a badass name," Valentino said with a whistle.
"My liege." The Cyber Demon spoke, still knelt on the floor, "We have brought you this offering to show our loyalty remains true and to earn your mercy for our lack of service." He explained, referring to all the meat and blood.
"Just saying, kinda looks like you sampled some of the offerings..." Valentino muttered, now noticing the number of organs missing chunks.
"Rise, Cyber Demon, your efforts are for naught. I expected it would take you time to reach us. Less the devices proved inoperable." The Dark One assured as they could hear him as well, given they were extensions of his being.
"Stubborn they were, but not impossible to repair." He responded as he got to his feet.
"Yeah, pretty obvious since you're standing here. Oh, and by the fact, you ruined my fucking church." Valentino chimed in while crossing his arms.
"You value this temple erected by mortals more than our lord?" The Cyber Demon questioned, a deep guttural growl escaping him at the end of that sentence in a hostile tone.
"Enough. Both of you." The Dark One commanded, which silenced them both in an instant, "We are all gathered now; this is the most crucial time of our retaliation against the Slayer. It should NOT be wasted with pointless squabbling." He asserted.
"Yes, my master." The Cyber Demon agreed while bowing his head.
"Yeah, that's true." Valentino also agreed with a shrug.
"Now that our minds are focused, Valentino, would you care to inform them of the task that awaits them in this world?" The Dark One inquired.
"Hm? OH right yeah, the fuckening." He replied, "Or at least, that's what I'm gonna call it, cause yall are gonna be fucking up some people. Even more so than the random assholes you've decorated my church with." He said, not letting that go.
"Valentino." The Dark One said sternly, not amused by his obsession over the building's current state.
"Right, sorry, won't let it slip out again until the murder's all done with." He promised while raising his hands defensively, "So, here's the who and where you're gonna go fuck up." He said before getting into the details.
A Few Hours Later, Right As The Moon Begins Its ascent...
Ah, being rich is awesome, so is being a social elite, combine the two, and you'll have the tried and true recipe for douchebags. To make it even better for yourself, add in some kids because, unlike regular children from the poor inbreds of the world, these tykes won't just be ten times more annoying, but they'll make you want to strangle them infinitely more as well. Yet somehow, groups of these people were able to gather with each other for posh dinner parties, the kind where no one actually eats anything, and they brag about themselves while making snarky, sarcastic remarks at everyone else. This is the exact atmosphere and environment that was taking place inside a gorgeous massive mansion, for it was regular for all of these people and their families to gather here weekly to increase their natural levels of douche.
"I'll have you know OUR oil operations were increased tenfold since last week. Yes, we had to push some camel jockeys out of their little huts and shoeboxes to do it, but it's not like they're people anyways, right?" A man whose nose was nearly bigger than both his head and ego boasted.
"Well, OUR gold mines have been giving more gold! Sure we have to defile some sacred tombs or whatever, but who cares? Those people are dead!" A woman whose breasts had the same amount of plastic in them as the barbie aisle of a Walmart bragged.
"Oh yeah? OUR factories' productions have been boosted beyond anyone else's! Sure, a few illiterate Chinese children die, but eh, there are billions of them!" Another woman exclaimed, her face so misshapen from countless surgeries she appeared as a sentient abstract painting.
Erupting in thunderous laughter after that, though they were competing with each other, they were all greatly entertained by their cruelty. Unlike their children, of which there were four, and all of them were nearby in the outside garden, which like everything else, was needless extravagant. Two of them were twins at the age of ten, one boy and one girl, both equally creepy and disturbed. The third was a thirteen-year-old girl, rebellious, angsty, your typical done with everything teenager.
The last was an eighteen-year-old boy, smart, calculated; he'd succeed not only his parents' empire but the rest of them if he made the right moves, which he was already planning so far ahead of time. They were in the garden because they didn't care about the dinner nor the company, but their parents wouldn't let them stay at their own mansions to mind their business, so they were stuck waiting out here in the garden until they were done.
"God, how much fucking longer are they gonna take? It's getting close to fucking midnight, goddamn it!" The girl exclaimed angrily, using curse words so much as a means of expressing her identity.
"We could be here until two or three in the morning, depending on how much alcohol they consume." The boy replied in a monotone, uninterested tone.
"At least we're surrounded by all these pretty flowers!" The twins said in unison, adding to their creepy factor.
"Oh good for us thing one and thing two! Maybe some fairy fucking princess will come out and give us all head to make us feel better." The girl said.
"Quiet." The boy told her suddenly, which only worsened her mood.
"What?! Who the fuck you think you're telling to shut up?! Cause I'll fucking kick your-"
Cutting her off by pointing a finger towards the dining hall the adults were gathered in, which they could see into thanks to multiple massive windows; when she and the twins saw what he was pointing to, they understood his command. At some point in the last few seconds, a new person arrived, but none of them recognized him as he wasn't one of society's elite. Dressed in a bright white suit, he both looked and gave off the impression of someone important, not necessarily rich, but still significant enough to where you should be honored by his presence.
"Whoa, who's that?" She asked, managing to speak without swears.
"Father Valentine, the founder and prophet of a new religion that appeared a month ago. He only recently has started becoming a celebrity outside of his followers with some appearances in the media, nothing too major though." He answered.
"Why's he here?" The twin questioned.
"Simple, all of the wealthiest assholes in the country are gathered here for this party, our parents included. He's planning to get in good with them and use them in some way, not a bad plan." He explained, "Now be quiet so we can hear what they're saying." He told them.
"Who the hell are you?" One of the adults asked as Father Valentine came closer to their table.
"Who I am isn't important. It's what I have to offer you that matters." He responded.
"Appealing to their greed first, he's no novice." The boy said quietly.
"Wait, I know you. You're the preacher who's been causing a stir lately. About some religion focused on a butterfly or something?" One of the women recalled.
"A moth actually, but again that isn't important, I can assure you. For I am not here to talk about faith, but power." He revealed.
"What power could YOU have to offer? You're just some crackpot spouting mumbo jumbo on the radio!" A man exclaimed.
"Power that makes yours look like a startup business venture rather than a fully-fledged enterprise." He responded before placing his hands behind his back, "However, this is a one-time deal. If you choose to reject it or to send me away, there are no do-overs, no second chances; in short, you'll be screwed." He stated.
"Is that so? Then out with it, share with us this INCREDIBLE power you have that we'd be so stupid as to ignore." One of them challenged.
"The power to serve." He told them with a smile.
A few moments of silence went by afterward, but they didn't last long before everyone burst into laughter again.
"Now THAT'S funny!" One of them exclaimed through the tears caused by their chortling, "US?! SERVE?! THAT'S RIDICULOUS!" They bellowed.
"It's a good offer. Trust me. You should take it." He said.
"Oh yeah? And what if we don't? What're YOU going to do about it?" One asked.
"Me? Nothing. I have to keep my hands clean and my image spotless. But these guys, oh, they're gonna have a lot of fun with you." He answered with a toothy grin.
Unsure of who he was referring to, he walked back to the two doors that led into the dining hall, and when he pulled them opened, everyone's expressions fell. Two figures, covered head to toe in armor and as big as cars, were standing there; space was not an issue given the building's extravagant design, rooms, and corridors. But while they on their own were intimidating, downright terrifying, it was what they held in the right and left hands respectively that became the focus. Long blunt objects, almost like simple wooden clubs, were how they'd describe them, but there seemed to be empty spaces in the bodies eluding to something either missing or hiding inside.
"I'll be taking my leave so I can get a seat for the show. Please do put on a memorable performance." He requested of them before walking past the two strangers.
Watching him until he disappeared around a corner, once Father Valentine was gone, they entered the room. However, they didn't bother to close the doors, but both the adults and the children outside couldn't tell if it was due to their size or if they knew no one would get past them. Soon it would be made clear why, for, in an instant, both of their items came to life with the glow of crimson red energy, coming from the aforementioned holes taking on the shape of spikes. And once this happened, the murder began.
The one on the left advanced on the closest adult, raising its mace into the air then bringing it down with tremendous power, doing all of this in less than three seconds. The sheer power behind the attack far exceeded anything the human body was capable of surviving; it essentially became a liquid once the weapon made contact, nothing but a puddle of mush remained. Blood, bones, and meat of all kinds flew out in different directions, covering the walls, floor, ceiling, table, and the other people. That's when the second moved as well, in the same blink and you'd miss it speed, it struck another person on the other side of the table, though, unlike its partner, it sent them flying through one of the nearby windows into the garden.
Flying several feet from the building, the body landed in a violent crash, right in front of the twins.
"D-Daddy?..." They both questioned as they looked down at the mangled corpse of one of their parents.
At this point, you'd think all four children would run, that they'd start crying or screaming for help as they fled the garden. But how could they, for the girl and the boy, they couldn't look away from the massacre going on inside, their bodies felt as though they were filled with cement, and they were anchored to where they stood. As for the twins, their horror was entirely fixated on the pile of meat that was once their father, tears welling in their eyes as their bodies began to shake. That's when something else happened, something that on any other night at any other time would've been completely ignored, but now given what they were witnessing and how they felt, it was noticeable as the full moon in the sky.
A breeze, gentle and cold, blew through the garden and against their bodies. Turning in the direction, it blew out of simple reaction; they could see approaching from the darkness on the other side of the area a figure hidden in shadows. A few dried leaves were on the grass between them, with each step the figure took, its heavy feet crushed them, from how slow the sound played out told them they were taking their time. Soon, however, they could no longer stay hidden, fifteen feet away was a patch in which the moonlight shone perfectly, so in a matter of seconds, they'd know what the figure looked like.
The first thing the children saw was blackened armor, the same kind the two beings inside the dining hall wore, but what followed made their chests tighten. Skin as gray as ash, horns as long as their arms sprouting out from the figure's head, and eyeless sockets illuminated by a crimson glow quite similar to that of the maces' energy. Speaking of, they noticed how in the figure's right hand there was a long staff-like object, though they knew from the other two that it had to be something else, it just depended on what the energy would make. Now standing there in the moonlight, they stared at each other, no sounds or words were spoken from either, and a graveyard-like silence took the air as the last of the adults were killed.
Here, an idea came to the boy's mind, for he knew that this figure would kill them too if something wasn't done, and being sharp with his wits, he came up with something that could save their lives.
"Excuse me, sir." He spoke up in a surprisingly calm manner, taking a few steps forward away from the others, "You're here to kill us, right? Because our parents so carelessly mocked your associate." He asked.
The figure did not respond, but it didn't move or try to attack him either, so to the boy, this was a sign that he had its ear for the time being.
"Remaining silent, I see, makes sense; you have to reason to speak to me unless I say something worth your time." He said to continue the one-sided conversation, "Your associate, Father Valentine, said his offer was for servitude. If that's true, then all four of us will be more than happy to accept it, regardless of what it may entail." He promised.
That did it; it got the figure's attention; it walked closer until it was only two feet away. At this distance, the boy could really take in the finer details of its appearance, the texture of the skin, the heat radiating off of the body like a furnace, if there were any doubts that this wasn't real and it was some elaborate costume, they were dispelled then and there.
"You would kneel to our lord? No hesitations, no reservations, you would surrender yourself flesh and soul willingly?" It questioned, its deep and powerful voice leading the boy to believe it was male in gender.
"Yes. Without question or doubt. The same goes for the others." He assured.
"Then kneel." It commanded.
Unable to keep a proud smirk from appearing on his face for his wits had proven true as always, the boy did as he was told and bent one knee to the figure.
"I, the harbinger of Doom, executioner and herald to the true ruler of creation, accept your pledge of loyalty." It said, seeming to knight him with its weapon but without the presence of the energy.
"I am grateful for his acceptance." The boy replied, keeping his head down.
"As you should be." It told him, "However, your flesh and soul are weak and vulnerable. In their current state, they are of no use to him." It informed as it then slowly raised the staff-like object above its head.
"How can I fix these issues?" He asked.
"Die." It answered.
Hearing that made the boy's eyes widen, and his head jerk up to look at the figure, which coincided with the missing red energy being summoned from the staff it held. It took the form of a massive double-bladed ax, the exact kind used for beheadings in executions. Within an instant, the blade was sent downward, it went straight through to boy's body flawlessly, and all the edges of the cut were burned black from the energy; this didn't keep the two halves created from slowly pulling apart as the muscles and bones were now separated, before then hitting the soil with a lifeless thud. Seeing this gave new life to the remaining three children, propelled solely by fear and desperation to live, they bolted from the garden.
But the figure was prepared for this outcome. Reaching behind him on the back of his belt, he drew forth a shortened double-barrel shotgun, which had a very peculiar attachment at the base. It would be this peculiar addition to the weapon that he used first, sending it out on a cast iron chain he aimed for the girl. Sadly for he hit his mark, it penetrated the flesh of her back and went straight through both her lungs, and as her own momentum pulled it at the end of its reach, it yanked her off her feet and to the ground. Unable to scream, beg, move, or struggle, she laid there helplessly, only able to look up in terror as the figure soon stood over her before he then aimed the gun and killed her in a single release of both barrels.
Now only the twins remained, crying their eyes out as they reached the inside of the mansion and began to run through its halls, looking for anyone who was left alive to save them. But in a tragic yet expected turn of events, no one was left; before slaughtering their parents, the other adults, and the other two kids, these monsters managed to kill the staff and security in silence; they were completely alone. Eventually, though the situation's weight became too much, their legs gave out, and they fell to the tiled floor in a sobbing mess.
"M-MOMMY! MOMMY!" They each cried out, hoping that this was actually a horrible nightmare and their mother would come running into their bedrooms to wake and comfort them.
Amazingly, this actually worked. Not a moment later, after they called for her, did they hear footsteps approaching, and when they looked up, they saw their mother with her arms spread wide, ready to hug them.
"Come here, my darlings, let me soothe your souls." She spoke in such a calm and welcoming voice, the volume of which was low and pleasant on their ears.
Wasting not a second, they rose from the floor and rushed into her waiting embrace, burying their faces in her chest as more tears escaped their eyes.
"M-MOMMY! TH-TH-THERE'S MONSTERS! TH-THEY KILLED..." They tried their hardest to tell her but kept getting choked up.
"Shh. It's alright. I know what's going on. And I promise that it's all just a bad dream." She whispered into their ears.
"R-Really?..." They asked much quieter now.
"Yes. All you need to do is keep your eyes closed, count to three, and it'll all be over." She answered.
"O-Okay...one...two..."
CRUNCH
That was the sound of two necks being broken, their necks, but the quick pain of this event wasn't their last sensation. It was a sudden pressure grabbing onto and wrapping around their throats caused by their mother's hands. But only in their eyes had it been their mother who held them; in reality, it was another figure like the other three, though this one wore a hooded robe rather than armor. And now that they were dead, the figure stood upright, carrying their limp bodies in its arms, and walked back into the mansion, heading towards the dining hall.
.
.
.
"Oooooooooh man, THAT was FUCKING INCREDIBLE!" Valentino shouted at the top of his lungs while laughing, his head thrown back as he did.
Sitting at the head of the table with a glass of wine in hand, the only other souls present besides his and the Dark One's were of the five Marauders. Around them were the bodies and other assorted remains of the humans, who had been piled together for a specific reason.
"Have we done well, my liege?" The Cyber Demon asked, speaking to the Dark One.
"Yes, you've done exactly as instructed. In the event, these mortals refused our offer." He answered.
"Yeah, now I get to have all this delicious food and wine to myself," Valentino said with a smile.
"Resurrector, how long before these shells can be made into servants?" He asked.
"Less than an hour, my lord." She answered.
"Great, so once they've been turned into zombies or whatever, they can clean this crap up and start getting us moved into this sweet ass mansion since we own it now," Valentino suggested.
"Forgive my tongue, sire, as I do not mean to question your judgment. But how does this aid us in reclaiming our realm and carrying out revenge on our enemies?" The Cyber Demon asked.
"Oh! Wait! I can answer that!" Valentino spoke up after taking a sip of his drink, "See, you just killed a whole lot of rich and powerful assholes in this world, who have a lot of connections, supplies, and other useful shit. So now that they're dead, I take over what they owned, and we can use it for ourselves." He explained.
"Are there not more mortals who could impede our progress?" The Mother questioned.
"Yup. Which is why we may have to do this a LOT." He replied, "And by now, you might be thinking, why not just go ahead and kill them out in the open and get this shit over with? The answer, because we'd put a target on our heads, and that'd be stupid as hell." He told them.
"Indeed. So we should continue to be ignored by both this world and the Heavens. Which we will do so by holding onto the souls of our victims as you have done this night. Is that understood?" The Dark One asked.
"Yes, my master." Three of them answered in unison, with the Hell Guards remaining silent but still responded by bowing their heads.
"Then be gone for now. Attend to the duties which I have given. And wait until I summon you once more." He instructed.
Listening to his command, they all left the dining hall, leaving Valentino and him alone.
"I must admit, you have impressed me." He complimented, "This moves our plans ahead by a great margin of time, as will the others who are either slain or pledge loyalty." He said.
"Right? I told ya I had it handled." Valentino replied.
"I am still unsure of what part your flock plays, but I assume you wish to keep that a surprise?" He asked.
"Oh yeah. Because trust me, you're going to love their role since it'll be the big finish." Valentino answered before taking another sip of his wine.
(A/N: So you may be wondering why this chapter is...timed this way. Well, the answer is simple, the last two chapters were short, but solely because I needed to cheer myself up. But now going forward the chapters will be resuming their normal lengths, which the focus being on one primary group in the story. I wanted to get all the key players if you will fully be involved before this happens, so from now on we will see chapters from the perspective of one group at a time BUT they are happening simultaneously, hence the one-month time skip here. Just wanted to clarify that before there were questions, so until the next time, peace.