A/N: Was feeling motivated. Might have rushed it. Same deal as last time. See an inconsistency, rip and tear the review section. Also, to the guy who said my writing is, 'overly detailed', fuck you. That is all.
"S-Shitty… bastard!"
Freed Sellzen cursed as his thoughts raced a mile a minute. A dozen emotions passed through him, anger and fear among them as he searched and searched for a way out of this situation. He conjured the many insane contingency plans he'd created over the years, the slippery ways in which he could escape the grasp of death. He was a predator, not prey to be hunted, and he refused to be offed like a little bitch.
He continued to deny the reality of his condition, even as doubt pulsed in his mind, his body convulsing as he coughed, a thick glob of his own blood rising from his throat. Everything felt heavy—his limbs felt like they were made of lead, and his skull felt like it had been filled with tungsten. He tried to ignore the shadows that seemed to stretch over the peripheries of his vision. The burning, aching fire of agony in his chest did nothing to help.
He would make it out of this. He would survive. He always did. There was nobody in this world that had more brushes with death than him, and yet, each and every time, he'd wiggled his way out of its fingers, surviving when many others would have perished. He would live, he told himself.
His eyelids grew heavier, even as curse after curse flew from his lips like daggers. Oh how he wished they were so. How he wished that the fucker who stood before him would keel over and die from his venomous insults. How he wished that he could just think of a fucking way out of this shitty situation!
He grasped at straws, but his pockets were empty. Out of smoke bombs. Out of flash grenades. Out of teleportation crystals. Out of time.
"Grk—Fuck!"
The spear in his chest went deeper, forcing a bitchy growl out of him. The pain wasn't pain. It was agony. Humiliation.
He coughed again, red painting the armor of his tormentor. How could this have happened? He was so careful—so prepared to give this asshole a new home six feet under the ground! The mission was the simplest fucking thing that he could have possibly ever done. Grab the blonde Italian bitch and get the fuck out.
A week ago, it seemed to be the easiest mission he'd ever had the fortune to take. Even stomping the few cockroaches he saw in the basement would have been more of a challenge. But then, all of that changed when this FUCKER showed up. Some silent chivalrous mofo with a fetish for eleventh-century templar crusader armor came from shit knows where and forced Freed back.
At the time, Freed was furious, so fucking angry that he went off to murder some shitty devils and handful of assholes who bumped into him while he was walking down the street. He plotted for a week, planned his revenge, and with glee, he found it.
As much as he loathed to admit it, that asshole knight in glowing armor had matched his own skill. So Freed did him dirty. He lured the blond bitch and her escort into a warehouse with five stray devils. The plan was, the devils would distract the asshole long enough for Freed to get one good slash in and cleave him in half before dealing with the devils and dragging blondie back to base, kicking and screaming if he had to—maybe shut her up by shoving his hard cock down her throat if she got too annoying.
But no. This fucker took all of them in a one v. six and obliterated them. Where the fuck was that skill last week!? The asshole had played him like a fucking guitar!
The spear lodged deeper, snapping Freed back to reality, eliciting a yell from him. That. Hurt. The pain was like nothing he'd ever felt before. Anger seized him.
"AGH—Fucking damn it! Fuck you!" he roared uselessly. He couldn't handle this humiliation. He just couldn't. After everything he'd done to kill this son of a bitch, he would rather backflip into the mouth of an active volcano than endure this. "If you're gonna do it, then do it you fucking pussy! Do it! DO IT—"
His vision split in-half, his agonized yells dying in his throat, falling into a fleshy gurgle. The world went dark, and that was the eternal end of Freed Sellzen.
Asia Argento watched the lunatic's body fall with nothing more than a grimace. Blood soaked the ground around her, bodies the size of trucks piled on the cold floor, and she sat in the center of it all, tired, cold, hungry, and utterly, utterly confused.
In the past week alone she'd seen more violence than she'd ever had throughout her entire life, and despite her naive wishes, the body count only grew higher. She'd become nearly entirely desensitized to blood and gore, but that didn't mean she liked it. It scared her. Made her want to curl up into a ball and cry.
Her only solace was the shining Templar knight that always stood over her, watching, warming, and comforting her whenever she felt lost. And lost she definitely felt.
Slowly, with each passing day, the memories of her past life came trickling in. All was well, until she finally remembered being slaughtered at the hands of what could only be described as a demon. Not a devil, not a humanoid creature in a tux with bat-like wings, but a creature that knew only chaos and violence to the fullest extent.
Her memories terrified her, and she replayed them, watching as the claws of darkness sought to drag her soul down into the depths of the dark dimension. Only, that's not what happened. For reasons she could not comprehend, her soul had stayed anchored to the mortal world, just long enough for her father to reach her desecrated body. And when he found it, cried tears of rage and grief for her, swearing to rip and tear until his body fell apart at the seams, she'd been released, her soul leaving that world—that entire universe before, by means still unknown, arriving in the one she currently resided in.
She had a lot of questions.
For example: somehow, she was aware of how much time had passed before she reincarnated. Why did it take so long? Literal eons in fact.
How did her father find his way to this universe?
What was that thing that had attacked her in her previous life?
Was her reincarnation an act of God?
Was Spearguy a guardian sent by the angels? Or was he linked to her father?
Her head throbbed whenever she thought too much about these topics. Spearguy was always there to comfort her whenever she needed it. The man was powerful. Otherworldly. And as the week progressed, Asia somehow managed to find herself facing off with more than a dozen stray devils. Spearguy protected her, killed them all, and got more skilled in the process. He was her guardian. Her protector. And he refused to let harm come to her. Whenever she needed it, he was always standing by her side.
She was thankful—so thankful for the apparition's presence. She'd developed feelings for him in fact—the feelings that a sister would have for a particularly protective older brother. Asia had even taken to calling Spearguy her older brother sometimes.
But, no matter how powerful her new older sibling might have seemed, he wasn't all powerful. There were a number of times in which he had disappeared and procured food and drink for Asia to survive, but without a direction or a place to call home, the poor girl was running out of luck.
Now, after a week of fighting devils and surviving off of whatever Spearguy could find for her, she was on her last legs, tired, cold, and hungry. Tired of running from those who sought to find her or harm her. Cold enough that she shivered, even with Spearguy's spectral body heat. Hungry enough that she was willing to eat anything that Spearguy could get her.
She'd prayed many times, seeking answers and help from the Lord but… no answers came. She didn't know why she kept praying anymore. When she recovered her memories, everything began to revolve around finding her father. Her faith had slipped. Now, her previous beliefs no longer mattered as much to her. What mattered most was finding father, so she could be loved again. It was all that mattered.
The young maiden sneezed as the cold weather seeped into her skin. She felt the touch of warmth upon her back, and she smiled tiredly. She turned and met Spearguy's helmet. He hugged her. She hugged back. The warmth felt amazing against her skin. How she craved this affection with her father.
A frown came upon her dirtied face. How would she ever find her father? She had no direction, nowhere to start. In fact, she was barely surviving. She wasn't sure how much longer that would last, even with Spearguy's help.
The maiden and the Sentinel stayed in that position for a while. Asia was content to drift away, even with the blood and gore that painted her surroundings. At least, until Spearguy shot up suddenly. The warmth left her side, and she missed it instantly. She looked up at the Sentinel.
"Older brother…?"
The Sentinel motioned behind himself. Asia knew what that meant. As quickly as she could, she stood and hid her petite frame behind that of her guardian's, eyes wide in anticipation. There was a moment of silence.
Then, without warning, the large metal security doors of the warehouse exploded off of their hinges, smashing into the floor, heaps of dust billowing throughout the air. Asia jumped in surprise.
"My my, what do we have here~" a sultry voice asked. The dust settled, and from it stepped a woman of jaw-dropping beauty, a girl with raven-colored hair that flowed like a waterfall, a gorgeous face, and breasts the size of melons. Lightning crackled at her fingertips, dancing elegantly. The woman's gaze found Spearguy. "Hm, looks like somebody had their fun~" She giggled, eyeing the bloodied carcasses of the fallen. Her voice had some strange, overtly teasing quality to it, like every word was meant to get a rise out of somebody. Not that Asia could tell.
From the settled dust, two more figures approached. A short, cute, emotionless girl with impossibly white hair, and a devilishly handsome young man who wore a kind smile on his face. Each of them had unique expressions, but both showed slight amounts of surprise.
"President, it appears that someone else got here before us," the young man said. His smile was plastic. "They appear to be a member of the church… Wait. What is a member of the Order of Chivalry doing here?" The smile became a frown. "No… that's not it either. President, I'm unsure of what sector they are from. Please be careful."
Asia grew increasingly confused as more people stepped in. Who were they? What did they want with her? How did they find her?
"Of course. Thank you, Kiba." From behind the young man, another woman approached. Her hair was as crimson as oxygenated blood, her eyes a blue-green turquoise, her face of beauty unrivaled. Beside her, a young, average-looking man stood, watching dumbfounded. The woman addressed Spearguy. "I must thank you for taking care of these strays for us. Sometimes we devils are busy with more important matters. That being said, we were doing just fine without your interference."
Asia gasped at the blood-haired woman's words. She was a devil. They all were! Her heart beat faster in her chest. They looked so human. Just like the one she'd healed… the one that had brought her grief.
"My name is Rias Gremory, the governor of this territory. I have many questions for you. It would be in your best interest to comply." Rias Gremory, if that was even her real name, appeared to be the boss of all the devils present. Instantly, Asia grew wary of her. "Now, may I have the name of our guest? And what is a member of the Church doing in my territory?" There was a certain, hidden threat in the latter question. Asia didn't like it.
Spearguy stayed silent, still as a statue and like a wall of steel before Asia. He didn't speak, not because he refused to, but because he was incapable of doing so. As such, a tense silence took hold. Asia heard a small growl from the boy standing next to the leader.
"When President asks a question, you answer, asshole!"
A sigh left Rias's lips. "Settle down, Issei." She turned her head to Spearguy. "Though, my Pawn is correct. If you do not speak, I will be forced to detain you. Is that clear?"
No response. The redhead opened her mouth to speak again, but she was beaten by the short, white-haired girl.
"P-President," she stammered.
The redhead gave the girl her full attention. "Yes, Koneko?"
The now named Koneko narrowed her eyes at Spearguy. "… That guy isn't real. He's just a mass of… energy."
"Oh?" the leader raised a brow. "Could have fooled me. So, it's a puppet? If we can capture it, then we can trace it back to its master."
The white-haired girl pointed. "There. A person is hiding behind it." She paused. "Be careful, President."
Asia's breath hitched.
"I see." The leader turned and directly addressed the maiden. "Make yourself known, then. I can't guarantee your safety, otherwise."
Spearguy straightened at the threat. His spear hummed with energy, and he raised it. Asia shook her head to herself. Fearing for both her and Spearguy's sake, she stepped out from behind him. The Sentinel turned his head to her, swiping a hand in front of her protectively. She gave him a resigned look.
"It's okay… It'll be okay, Older Brother."
The devils watched curiously as Spearguy stared for a moment. Then, like glass, he shattered into trillions of particles, small motes and shards of light that levitated, dispersing into the air silently. Asia felt his presence return to her. She smiled at the warmth, then turned to face the devils. If anything happened, Spearguy could materialize from her at the speed of light.
They held another tense silence.
Rias Gremory's gaze was analytical. She scrutinized the girl before her, the way in which her clothes were torn, now nothing but a bunch of rags, barely covering her skin. She was pretty, beautiful even, but that was hidden by her sorry, dirtied state. There was a cross around her neck, but it had seen better days.
The Gremory was cautious as she always was when faced with a potential enemy. However… She could read this girl like a book. The girl wore her emotions on her skin, and it was easy to tell that she was really, really lost and afraid. The emotions seemed so genuine, that Rias considered detaining her anyways. For all she knew, this girl could be a spy with training in the arts of deception. Then again, why would a spy so brazenly wear a cross around their neck? Reverse psychology perhaps?
With a straight face, she analyzed the girl's surroundings. There were five dead stray devils surrounding her, and one half-bisected priest slumped against the wall. The gruesome injury made the heiress grimace, but she was used to seeing such violence. At first, Rias assumed that the priest had been with the girl; perhaps he had perished in whatever fight had gone down here—stray devils were known for their violence after all. But after taking a look at the wounds on every one of the bodies, it became evident that all six corpses had been killed by the same weapon; many of the wounds were cauterized puncture wounds.
Rias looked back at the girl. It was that apparition, or avatar that was undoubtedly under this girl's control that had attacked and killed them, no doubt. Even if her own peerage was powerful, very much so compared to the average young-devil peerage, she had to concede that no normal man would have been able to take out five stray devils and a fully-trained priest.
That alone made this girl a decent threat in Rias's territory. But there was more.
Upon first seeing the man garbed in the armor of what appeared to be an eleventh-century Templar knight, though with much more advanced technology, Rias had gathered that he was a member of the Church. Kiba's analysis had squashed that notion.
After he'd mentioned that the Templar was not of any of the Church's normal military sectors, Rias took a closer look, studying the intricacies of their armor. It was advanced—futuristic even, with a cross-shaped visor that shined a bright blue and armor that was not a simple steel. Rias realized that she had seen this exact suit of armor before, but she couldn't remember where. It had likely been in passing, and she almost wrote the whole thing off as irrelevant minute details, until she saw the small black runic symbol on the Templar's left breastplate. It resembled a sword being plunged into the depths of a valley.
Immediately, Rias knew that the Templar had nothing to do with the Church. Again, she couldn't recall what the symbol meant, or where she'd even seen it, but she knew it was not of the Church. She asked the Templar what business they had in Kuoh as a Church member anyways, if only to keep up the illusion that she'd assumed they were a member of the Church.
Things changed again when Koneko had called for her, not in the usual emotionless guise she kept, but with a stammer. That certainly caught her attention. Even more, the young Nekoshou had warned her to be careful with a certain amount of worry in her voice.
There were few things that could get Koneko to break her mask: Extremely powerful beings of incomprehensible strength, objects and beings of extreme malice, or objects with intense amounts of life or soul energy.
Rias had deduced that the apparition must be the latter of three, considering that Koneko outright revealed that the Templar was naught more than a mass of energy. That deduction was certainly strange to her; she hadn't realized that the Templar was fake at all. That warranted even more caution, considering that it took one of great skill to create golems or puppets that could mimic actual living beings. When she finally decided to focus on the Templar's energy, she found it. She found what Koneko feared.
The mass of energy was incredibly dense. Rias could tell that just a single 'drop' of the energy would annihilate a mid-class devil. What's more, it felt angry. That's when she truly began to worry.
This being, this apparition, this puppet, was incredibly dangerous. A definite threat to her peerage, but not one that they couldn't deal with. The problem was, this puppet was just that. A puppet. Something that someone else of likely greater power created. Fortunately or unfortunately, Rias didn't have to look far.
The master was right there: a little girl, seemingly scared and alone, hungry, cold, and confused. Rias inwardly frowned. When the Templar shattered, she could feel it's energy return to the girl, but it was dull. Invisible.
It made her wonder: the girl absolutely had the power to survive in the human world. Dominate it even. So, why didn't she use it to survive?
A thought occurred to Rias. Maybe this girl's power had just been recently awakened? Maybe she had just gotten into the supernatural side of the world? If so, then she had tons of potential. The prospect of having such a powerful peerage member was certainly enticing. Rias looked at the girl again.
There was an obvious fear in her eyes, but there was no recognition. Anyone worth their salt in the supernatural world should know Rias Gremory's name—that wasn't arrogance or pride. It was a fact. She was the sister of one of the top ten most powerful beings in the known universe: Sirzechs Lucifer. And yet, this girl looked at her like it was the first time she'd even seen a devil, let alone heard of her.
Then again, that cross around her neck told a different story. Rias's eyes were drawn down to it. She could feel it's influence, if only minutely. Either this girl was one of those sheltered priestesses that never saw the light of day, or she was a Christian or Catholic that had just come into the supernatural world by awakening some unseen power. Unfortunately, it was hard to tell. If she'd been wearing the typical priestess uniform, then it was damaged beyond repair.
Rias would have to ask the girl herself. She looked into the girl's eyes again. She was lost, definitely, but if she was scared, why did she recall her guardian? Was she trying to get trust? Maybe Rias was being slightly too harsh on her.
In her peripheries, she saw that each of her peerage members were armed and ready. Her eyes softened at the realization.
"Issei, Kiba, Koneko, search the area and the next few warehouses for any stragglers. Akeno, keep an eye out in the skies for anyone that might try to escape," she ordered. They followed her orders without question, leaving her alone with the girl. Well, not really. Akeno was still watching intently per Rias's unseen orders. Of course, she wanted it that way. To be a threat while seeming harmless at the same time. Instill confidence or trust in the potential enemy such that they let their guard down.
The unknown girl across the room relaxed slightly as her peerage went off to do their tasks. That was good. Until Rias could decipher her intentions, she had to treat the girl with caution. It wasn't cruelty. It was for the better of herself and her peerage.
Still, Rias decided to let up a bit.
"We won't hurt you," she said soothingly, eyes soft. "What is your name?"
The girl looked off to the side, unsure. There was a moment of silence, then she replied. "A-Asia. Asia Argento…" Rias opened her mouth to speak again, but to her surprise, the girl spoke first. "U-Um… Are you… a devil?"
Rias shut her mouth, then considered for a moment. She nodded her head. There was no point in hiding it—the girl, Asia, had heard her words earlier. "Yes, we are."
Her wings unfurled. Asia stared at them, slightly awed, but then her gaze fell to the floor. Rias's gaze followed the girl's. Her eyes landed on the severed leg of what could have been a giant spider. Realization dawned on her once more.
"I feel I should apologize for what happened here. I'm assuming that you must have had a run-in with some stray devils," she said. "Please do not compare us with them. Stray devils like that only tarnish the reputation of us devils."
"I know." Again, Rias was surprised by the girl's answer. "I…" she paused. Rias watched as the girl's eyes began to glisten. "I… h-healed one. A normal one. He seemed so nice…" She sniffed. "I don't know what to do."
Rias analyzed that statement. "… Healed one?"
"Yes." A pair of rings appeared on Asia's fingers, glowing a faint green. A small, bitter-sweet smile touched her lips. "It was a gift from God."
Rias's eyes widened, and she ignored the small, sharp pain that flared in her skull. Asia had Twilight Healing. So she was a Sacred Gear user, and a powerful one at that. Rias had been looking for a dedicated healer for years. However, Asia also referred to her Sacred Gear as a gift from the Biblical God. But, she also healed a devil? And on top of that, why was Asia being so open about everything?
Ugh, this was getting too confusing even for Rias. It was especially difficult since she and her peerage were still reeling from that Doom Slayer debacle a week ago. She couldn't believe it. Someone like that returning from an intergalactic journey? She shook her head. Now wasn't the time.
She decided to ask the question; the elephant in the room perhaps.
"What happened?" Rias asked. She couldn't guarantee that she'd get an answer, and she really didn't know this girl at all, but something told her that she was troubled.
Asia took to playing with the remains of her clothes. "I… he was hurt. He looked so sad and in pain. I couldn't bear seeing him like that—I… I just wanted to help. So, I healed him, but he was a devil… I was… I was excommunicated…" Like a waterfall, tears began to stream from the girl's eyes. "…It hurt. So much."
In an instant, Rias's guise dropped, and any hostility she felt from before disappeared as she put the pieces together. "Oh, you poor thing," she said. With little hesitation, she closed the gap between them, hugging Asia tightly, ignoring her cross entirely. The girl was surprised, but after a moment, she hugged Rias back. The redhead could only rub her back in as soothing a manner she could when the tears truly began to fall, and the whimpering started.
Asia had healed a devil, and in turn, was thrown away by the church and ended up here.
If there was one thing that Rias knew about the Church and their members, especially priestesses, it was that they were loyal and devoted to the end. She couldn't imagine what this girl was going through. For years, those around her had treated her like a friend—probably even like family. To have that turned around, all stripped away because of a simple mistake? Because she wanted to help someone out of the goodness of her heart? That angered Rias. Resonated with her.
And she could tell the girl wasn't lying. Everything she said had been filled with genuine emotion, and there had been no odd changes to her energy that spoke otherwise. On top of that, if this girl had been excommunicated, then the Church or even stray Church members would have had no problem coming to finish her off. Add onto that Asia's struggles, relative helplessness, sadness, confusion, etcetera, and it was undoubtable.
Rias pitied Asia. The Princess of Ruin of all people would know the importance of family. But even as Rias felt for the girl, she saw opportunity. Asia had definite potential. She could see it. Rias couldn't let it go to waste.
By the time Asia had finished spilling her emotions out, Rias's peerage had returned, much less tense, and much more patient. They waited and watched the redhead and the maiden. Rias brushed a tear from the girl's eye.
"Are you okay, now?" she asked.
Asia nodded numbly. "Y-yes… thank you." She paused, as if considering something. "I… I don't think I care about the Church much anymore."
Rias raised a brow. "You don't?"
"No," Asia replied, shaking her head. "I… I just want to find my father."
"… Is that your desire?"
"What?" Asia looked at her, confused.
"To find your father. Is that your desire?"
Asia took on a forlorn look of want. "Yes. More than anything in the world."
Rias hummed at that. "What if I made you an offer?"
The maiden tilted her head. "An offer?"
Rias smiled. "Yes. Become my servant. Become a devil for my sake, and I promise you that I will do everything in my power to help you find your father."
Asia looked at her like she'd grown a second head. "B-become a devil? But… aren't devils evil?"
Rias snorted. "Of course not, silly," she quipped. "Mischievous, yes. Perhaps a little sinful, too. But evil?" She looked at Asia. "Do I look evil to you?"
Asia faltered. "W-well, no, but…" She looked conflicted.
Rias tried another approach. "How about this: make a contract with me. In return for providing you with food, water, and shelter, you work for me. You can leave at any time, but after getting to know how we devils actually are, maybe you can make a decision then. In the meantime, you attend Kuoh Academy, join our club, and help me and my peerage while we help you find your father. What do you think?"
Asia looked up at her with those big, trusting eyes of hers. Rias had to admit, she was very cute.
"O-Okay."
Tannin took a long, slow sip from the irresistible flask of liquid gold ambrosia between his claws, letting out a very satisfied breath, smacking his maw a couple of times. He so deserved this. After the Slayer's debut occurred one week ago, the politics of devil society had been Hell, pun intended. Work was a pain in the ass, but at the moment, Tannin refused to think about it—today was the day of the Rating Game between Diehauser Belial and Bedeze Abbadon, a day in which Tannin could relax and enjoy himself. That didn't stop his thoughts from straying to Lilith's newest resident Primeval, though.
The Doom Slayer's arrival had thrown the world into chaos, and his debut, even more so. Rumors began to pop up quickly, and as Tannin was currently lounging in the Sinner's Circle, he felt it appropriate to perhaps… gossip a little. There was one small rumor that only a handful of people knew of, and Tannin wasn't sure if it was true.
The Blaze Meteor Dragon set his eyes on his perpetual drinking-buddy from across the table. Ajuka looked no different than usual, though he was scratching his head a fair bit more than was necessary. Tannin knew the man was pretty damn tired, all things considered, but he couldn't help the question that came out, the one that has been bugging him all week.
"So… do you believe it?" the dragon inquired.
Ajuka looked up from his fidgeting. "I'm sorry? Believe what?"
Tannin leaned in close, scooting his admittedly small chair forward a couple of inches as he set his drink down. "You know? The thing."
Ajuka stared. "I'm afraid I don't know about this arbitrary thing. You're going to have to elaborate a bit, my friend."
"About him."
"Ah," Ajuka vocalized. "If you're referring to his ownership of the Relics, then yes, I believe so."
Tannin groaned. "No, not that you fool! Of course I believe that, I felt the similarities myself. One of the relics even looks like him—no matter. I'm talking about his circumstances. Tell me: what has been the hot topic of non-political discussion between the other Satans?"
Ajuka took a moment to reply. "Erm..."
The dragon grunted. "Come on. You seriously cannot be that forgetful."
Ajuka merely frowned.
Tannin groaned. "Think, Ajuka! Think!" he pointed at the sides of his head with his opposing claws. "You know? The one that Serafall had so brazenly spilled on her return? What do you think? Is it true?"
"Ah!" Ajuka realized. "Are you perhaps referring to the Doom Slayer's undisturbed chastity?"
The Blaze Meteor Dragon hissed. "Don't say his name so loudly! You know what happened last week."
Ajuka shrugged. "I don't know what you're so worried about. He will be meeting us here very soon anyways." He looked down at the table, as if peering at a watch that only he could see. "Hm, speaking of which, he's cutting it close."
"Well, still. With the political state of things, it is good to be caut—you know what? Never mind that. Do you think it is true, or not?"
The Satan hummed thoughtfully. "I do believe so, yes. After all, a Succubus's instincts can't lie, and according to Serafall, they flocked to him like moths to a flame." He stared at his half-full bottle of one-hundred percent undistilled ethanol. "I do hope this doesn't cause anymore problems. I've had my fair share of politics for the year."
Tannin crossed his arms. "I can agree with you on that, friend." He closed his eyes languidly. It was only a matter of time before he would have to deal with the secret of the true ownership of the Relics of Doom getting out. Adding onto that a second Great War headed by Succubi would give him a heart attack.
The dragon's eyes snapped open when he heard the muffled cacophony of what could only be described as the shrill, harrowing screams of a little girl coming from down the street outside of the tavern. He and Ajuka looked at one another.
"Did you hear—"
Tannin was cut off when he was slammed by a familiar, invisible force of unseeing rage. He recovered quickly, but not before the loud thump of something crashing against the tavern window met his ears, causing it to crack and nearly shatter. Both he and the Satan snapped their gazes to it. Their attention was immediately snagged by the splattering of crimson red against a large web of cracks on the glass. What appeared to be chunks of flesh were smeared across it, most apparent being the remains of someone's colon, torn in half at the transverse colon.
Alarmed, both devils stood quickly as shocked patrons of the Sinner's Circle stared in horror. Though they couldn't see what was going on, their eyes were met with a bright flash of yellow light and a reverberating boom that shook the tavern slightly. There was another incomprehensible scream, likely for help, then the sound was cut off by a bang, replaced by a worryingly loud gurgling. The silhouette of what appeared to be a headless cadaver slumped against the cracked tavern window. Before Ajuka or Tannin could investigate, the tavern entrance burst open.
Like the God of Doom that he was, in the Doom Slayer strode, the Praetor Suit drenched in blood, the closing riffs of Meathook rumbling from it. In one hand, the Primeval held the illustrious Super Shotgun, its barrels shining with majesty and its meathook slathered in gore. In the other, he held the severed head of a hooded devil, their visage pale and their mouth open in an immortalized scream of fear, the bloodied remains of their spinal cord dangling loosely from under the nape.
The Slayer's gaze found the Satan and the dragon. He regarded them by tossing the severed head upon the table, blood splattering atop it.
There was an unusual, tense silence for a moment as the Slayer's rage left him and his aura receded. Once the patrons of the bar regained motor control, chaos erupted.
Devils screamed and yelled, pushing and shoving each other, rushing for the exits that weren't blocked by the Slayer. Against the tavern owner's wishes, more windows were shattered as people jumped through them head first, then flew off into the distance. All that remained after the last fearful patron left was a shocked Tannin, an exasperated Ajuka, an indifferent Doom Slayer, and the tavern owner, who cowered in the corner.
The Slayer looked between the two devils, approaching them with as much nonchalance as a blood-fueled murder-machine could, Meathook fading away. Tannin was gaping at him, but Ajuka was studying the head on the table.
A baffled, "You…" was all that Tannin could muster.
Ajuka, on the other hand. "Hm, you're just on time."
Tannin opened his mouth to comment on Ajuka's casual greeting, but the Satan stopped him without turning his head, raising a placating hand.
"No need to worry, Tannin," he said. "Take a look."
The dragon complied wordlessly. His eyes widened slightly when he studied the face of the Slayer's victim.
Ajuka regarded the Slayer with a raised brow. "I'm assuming you want his identity?"
The Slayer gave a slow nod.
"I see." Ajuka pursed his lips. "SS-Class Stray Devil and Ultimate-Class Assassin, the Eviscerator. He was known for... well, his title speaks for itself." He frowned. "For someone to hire such scum... Someone really has it out for you, Slayer. I am unaware of a devil who would send such a menace to kill you."
The Hellwalker grunted, fists clenched. That was the third assassination attempt this week. He'd seen all of them coming from a mile away. It irritated him that they would choose to fight him when they couldn't offer him even a decent scuffle. He huffed, and the Super Shotgun disappeared from his finger as the Praetor Suit blipped, the blood that dirtied it beginning to burn away.
Ajuka stared curiously for a moment before shaking his head. "Well, then. You did arrive… later than I was hoping. We will have to do away with the story-telling for today." He turned his head to the tavern owner, who was now cautiously peeking his head over the countertop. "Don't fret over the damages, Sal. Oh, and don't worry about your tavern's reputation either. All will be fixed by tomorrow, I guarantee it." The named Sal said nothing in reply, only ducking down fearfully when the Hellwalker looked over. With a wave of his hand, Ajuka did something along the lines of reversing time, and the damages that had blemished the tavern was repaired in seconds.
"Well, I suppose it would be foolish of me to ask for a normal day when the Slayer is involved," Tannin grumbled. The Slayer gave him a light, meaningless glare. "Hm… is Tiamat not with you?"
The Slayer shook his head. Tiamat had left him earlier to prepare for the Rating Game. Apparently, she had her own pocket dimension from which she regulated them.
"We should get going. My niece and nephew will be attending this game with us. I hope neither of you mind," Ajuka said. Tannin's facial muscles twitched the slightest bit, indicating his thoughts on the matter. The Slayer gave a cold, uncaring stare, as he didn't really give a shit. With another wave of his hand, Ajuka conjured a magic circle beneath their feet. "Slayer, I will need your permission to teleport you."
The Slayer tilted his head. He remembered Ajuka teleporting both him and Tiamat from the library a week earlier. Why was this any different? Ajuka misinterpreted the question.
"Giving your permission only requires a thought. That is all," he explained needlessly.
The Hellwalker inwardly shrugged, then complied. A moment later, the world twisted.
When the Slayer's vision restored itself, he found himself on one side of a large, well-lit rectangular room. It was more like a glass box, really. Three of the walls were actually large viewing windows that overlooked a massive arena, and the fourth wall, facing away from the arena, was made of a solid rock—the floor and ceiling was composed of a similar rock. There was an unmanned, automated bar at the back wall, and an array of posh pieces of furniture sat undisturbed around the room, including chairs, couches, recliners, and coffee tables. This was the VIP room, he realized. They were likely in one of Lilith's floating arenas.
The Slayer's gaze was drawn to one of the nearer couches where, to his minute surprise, a dozen people sat. In the middle, a gentle-looking young man with dark-green hair sat, one leg crossed over the other. Draped over his shoulders was some regal cape, and the clothing he wore underneath seemed needlessly expensive. Surrounding the man were a number of girls, all of whom seemed to be absolutely smitten with him, to the point that they seemed almost mindless. They coddled and touched him, desiring his attention more than their own well-being—at least, that's what the Slayer saw. The young man gave him a vibe that made him want to punch something, but he wasn't yet sure why.
On the opposite side of the room, sitting as far away as possible from what was probably a polyamorous relationship, two young women sat. One was a beautiful, well-endowed girl with almond eyes and long blond hair that was tinged blue at the tips. She dressed like that of a noble and held an elegant folding fan. Sat beside her was a much more petite girl with silver hair in a side upswept hairstyle. She wore a noble-looking school uniform of all things.
The Slayer regarded them with little interest. He and Tannin took to following Ajuka who, much to the Slayer's displeasure, led them to the harem couch. The moment the devils caught sight of him, every one of them visibly reacted, whether they flinched or jumped in their seats. Again, to his surprise, there was no screaming, yelling, or swearing—just some unpleasant whispers that he was easily able to catch.
He ignored it all, staring at Ajuka. The Satan dramatically cleared his throat before facing him. "Better to trade pleasantries now rather than later, yes?" The Slayer didn't respond in any visible way. "Right. This is my nephew, Diodora Astaroth." There was a notable flatness, an impassiveness to his tone.
Despite the whispered curses under the breaths of the many girls, the boy, Diodora extended a hand and gave a kind smile. "Greetings. I am Diodora Astaroth. You must be the one they call the Doom Slayer, correct?"
The Slayer stared at the offered hand, his brows furrowing into a steady, unimpressed glare. He could see, feel the malice in this boy's closed eyes. Diodora's mask of amiability was well-built, the Slayer would admit, but really? It wasn't that hard to see the prejudice underneath. The harem of near-mindless drones didn't help Diodora's case. Slowly, the Slayer turned his head from the boy to Ajuka. The Satan had a look of resignation about him. The Hellwalker huffed, then brushed past the offered hand, barely catching the look of disgust on the boy's face.
"Hmph. Brute," a girl whispered.
"Nothing but an animalistic beast. He doesn't deserve your attention, Master," another said.
"You'll protect us if he breaks from his cage, right?"
Diodora smiled. "Of course. I wouldn't let anyone touch my precious possessions." There was a chorus of giggles.
The Slayer ignored them. He didn't come here to meet new people or to partake in whatever fuckfest they were having. He wasn't even aware of who would be attending this shit. He'd only come here for the sake of whatever companionship circle Ajuka and Tannin were trying to create with him, and to perhaps derive enjoyment by watching devils fight each other.
Nonetheless, he continued to follow Ajuka, who led the Slayer to the far side of the room, where the two young-women sat. The well-endowed young woman gave the Slayer a look of uninhibited interest, and the other, petite woman looked more stoic. Both had slight airs of caution about them.
Notably, Ajuka approached them with much more enthusiasm, as well as a warmness to his gaze. "Latia, I'm glad you could make it." He smiled at her.
The girl with the folding fan returned his smile. "I as well, uncle. It has been awhile since we last spent time together."
The Satan gave a short nod of agreement before his eyes flitted to the Hellwalker. "Slayer, I would like you to meet my niece, Latia Astaroth."
"Hello," Latia greeted pleasurably. She rose from her seat. "As I'm sure you know, I'm Latia Astaroth. It is wonderful to make your acquaintance." She gave a curtsy. "I apologize for my forwardness, but you are the infamous Great Slayer, are you not? No worries. If you are a friend of Uncle Ajuka, then you are well-enough with me."
The Hellwalker studied Ajuka's pep and the familiarity with which he gazed at Latia, then he looked into the girl's eyes himself. There was humility and politeness, but also sophistication. If Ajuka held her with such high regard, then she probably wasn't a bitch. He wondered if that notion extended to the other girl, but then again, he didn't really care.
His attention was drawn to her anyways when she rose and introduced herself. "I am Iryuka Glasya Labolas. It is exciting to meet you, sir." She gave the same curtsy.
The Slayer grunted, replying with nothing more than a nod of acknowledgement. He saw Ajuka's smile grow slightly at that.
"Ah, you're here too, Uncle Tannin?" Latia looked past the Slayer, and the Hellwalker turned to see the Blaze Meteor Dragon approach with a large glass mug in his claws that he had procured from the automated bar. It shimmered with a golden liquid.
"Latia," Tannin started, "you've grown since I last saw you. How long has it been again?"
"It's only been six months, uncle."
"Oh..." Tannin scratched his chin before shrugging and taking a hefty swig from whatever alcohol he had in hand. "Er, nevermind that. How is it going?"
Latia hummed. "I am well, but things could be better." She frowned. "Lately, my dear brother's escapades have been… more frequent. I can only hope that he doesn't humiliate himself somehow and tarnish the Astaroth name."
Tannin's face scrunched up in distaste as he eyed Diodora from afar. "With that, I can agree with you. It must be frustrating, seeing the youths of this generation fall so low." He snorted to himself. "Then again, younger devils were never really known for their restraint." He was about to say more, but a light buzzing caught his attention. "Hm… well, I suppose now is as good a time as any to get this game started. Shall we sit?"
There was unanimous agreement between the devils, and only the Slayer continued to stand. He silently endured the stares of Latia and Iryuka as he surveyed the room, eyeing the many pieces of furniture. There in one corner of the room, he spotted a very out of place twenty-first century gaming chair. It looked remarkably similar to the one that had sat before his PC in the late Fortress of Doom.
The devils' gazes followed him as he went to retrieve it. With little care, he righted it and dragged it across the floor noisily before setting it next to Tannin. The dragon gave him a strange look for his seating choice, but didn't comment on the matter. Fists still clenched, he took a slow, awkward seat and waited.
To pass the time, he took to studying the arena. It was very unnatural, so to speak. Nearest to the VIP room was a large, open mesa surrounded by escarpments and dotted by orange, sedimentary buttes. Relative to the Slayer, the left side of the mesa had a large outcropping that led to a huge cliff where a bunker-like structure sat, across from which was an opposite, elevated cliff that led into a desert that was elevated above the mesa, filled with sand dunes and hoodoos, and what looked to be an abandoned town. On the right side of the mesa, covered in a vast forest of what appeared to be pine trees, a stone run led up to a fortified gulag of all things. On the side of the arena opposite of the Slayer, there was a large lake with a series of small islands, on the other side of which were tall, snow-capped mountains with storms brewing overhead and a single, hundred-meter tall metal tower near the top. In total, the arena spanned five kilometers in diameter. The whole arena looked like some procedurally generated bullshit.
Nonetheless, the Slayer's eyes roamed it, and hundreds of battle tactics began running through his mind in an instant. Five minutes composed of idle chit chat that he didn't listen to passed before the game started.
The voice of some devil commentator the Slayer knew naught of emitted from the intercoms, detailing the specifics of the Rating Game soon to commence. As expected, it was a match between Diehauser Belial, Bedeze Abbadon, and their respective peerages. The voice rattled off pleasantries and present VIPs barring the Slayer, then elaborated on the team objectives of the game. This specific game was dubbed, 'Control Points' and there existed five of them—one in each major area of the arena: the desert town, the mesa bunker, the gulag, the islands, and the mountain tower. There were three ways to win: elimination, regicide, or holding control points until the end of the game. The time limit was a long four hours.
After the brief explanation, there was a chime that commenced the battle, and finally, the rating game began.
A minute passed. Then another. The Slayer frowned, deeper than usual. He'd expected to see something happen. He looked at Tannin. The devils had gone back to chatting again. He gave his seat an impatient tap.
The dragon turned to him. "Is something wrong, Lord Slayer?"
The Hellwalker huffed, then gestured to the battlefield. Tannin was able to interpret it without much trouble.
"Oh, yes. To make the rating games as fair as possible, the contestants are given no knowledge of the arena or their objectives. As such, it is the job of the Kings to strategize the moment the battle begins, and whoever is a quicker and more effective leader will gain advantages by analyzing their environments, and moving their pieces throughout them." Tannin sat a little higher suddenly, focusing on the arena. "Speaking of which. Look. Diehauser's team is the first to move."
In the distance, at the border between the mesa and the stone run, a group of eleven individuals emerged from the forest, moving quickly before splitting into four groups of people, three of which had three people and one of which had two. The group of two moved towards the Gulag Control Point, and a group of three took off into the skies, heading straight towards the Mountain Tower Control Point. The other two groups moved in the same direction before diverging, one headed for the Mesa Bunker Control Point, and one headed for the Desert Town Control Point.
The Slayer turned and looked at the devils beside him. Each one of them had palm-sized holographic projections on their claws or fingers that allowed them to manipulate their part of the viewing window, similar to a television. The Slayer had no such ability.
With a short huff of annoyance, he enabled the Praetor Suit's zoom function and took a closer look at the battle. Before coming here, he had taken a peek at the roster and memorized each individual and their evil pieces. Apparently, the pieces granted different powers depending on the piece. The Slayer was interested in seeing Diehauser's tactical decision-making, as the man had been described as a combat genius. The Hellwalker would see for himself if that was true.
He eyed the group of three headed for the mountain first. It held Diehauser's Queen and his Bishops—the magic casters of the group. He wondered for a moment why such a relatively powerful force would be sent all the way out there to hold a tactically terrible point considering Diehauser's 'spawn' point. He took a closer look and saw that the group was actually heading for the clouds above the mountain. Interesting.
The Slayer was aware of the capabilities of devil magic. Were they perhaps moving to manipulate the storm? Time would tell.
He turned his attention to the group of two—a Rook and a Pawn worth two pieces. The Slayer was able to deduce their intent quickly. Since Diehauser's team had 'spawned' nearest to the Mesa Bunker and Gulag Control Points, it was likely that Bedeze would 'spawn' across the arena, totally opposite from the Gulag and near the islands. Considering it's presumed distance from Bedeze, the Gulag required the lightest defense—it wouldn't be strategic for Bedeze to waste time getting through enemy lines to reach it.
The Hellwalker looked at the team headed for the Desert Town Control Point. The group was composed of a Knight, a Rook, and a Pawn. It was a powerful group, considering that the Pawn was worth three pieces. They were a good frontline, but against the power of a Queen? Or even a couple of distant Bishops?
The Slayer frowned as he looked towards the final group—a Knight, a Pawn, and Diehauser himself. It took another moment before the full picture became clear.
Since the Mesa Bunker Control Point was nearest to Dieshauser's spawn point, and since it granted the quickest routes to adjacent control points, Diehauser set up a temporary HQ there. Since the Gulag Control Point was farthest from Bedeze's likely spawn point, it required virtually no defense on Diehauser's part. On top of that, the Desert Town Control Point was nearest to the HQ, making it a good point to capture after the first two. Most strategic however was probably the group heading for the mountains.
Rather than sending them out to capture the Mountain Tower Control Point, the Slayer predicted that Diehauser sent them out to take the storm clouds from the mountains and manipulate them into a protective blanket that could hide the magic-casters, allowing for an invisible aerial bombardment team to strike at any location. At the same time, Diehauser sent the group in a manner that put them right above the lake islands, near Bedeze's likely spawn point—they would distract Bedeze's team, eliciting a response to what was actually a fake assault. Bedeze would send a large, unnecessary force towards the mountain, giving Diehauser more time to set up defenses at control points that he already controlled.
Such a plan would only work if Diehauser moved quickly. Considering that Bedeze had yet to make his own move, Diehauser already had the tactical game in the bag.
"Diehauser is as swift as ever," Ajuka commented. "It is always a pleasure to watch him work. Such talent is only ever realized every few hundred years."
"Indeed," Tannin agreed. "Though, I did hear something about Abbadon developing a trump card of sorts? Perhaps this game will be different from all of the others."
"He was gloating about it a week ago, I do recall," Ajuka said. He suddenly had a thought, then he turned to face his niece. "Latia, I expect that you'll be taking notes? It isn't very often that the top five Rating Game Champions find time to clash."
"Of course, uncle," Latia replied. She already had a notepad hovering next to her. "I will be studying intently."
The Slayer's attention was drawn to the islands, where Diehauser's magic group was soon to pass over. From a small forest near the islands, fourteen figures emerged. They began immediately attacking Diehauser's magic group, but they were much too far to do anything significant. Diehauser's Queen and Bishops weaved back and forth in the air as beams and blasts of magic and energy careened past them at hypersonic speeds. Like flak munitions, the projectiles detonated high in the sky in spectacular elemental explosions, though most, if not all of them missed their targets. A minute passed, and just as the Slayer had predicted, a larger-than-necessary force headed off towards the mountains.
Suddenly, Bedeze's Queen soared into the sky, charging an attack. Energy gathered in a magical circle at her fingertips, and with what looked like a scream of effort, she thrust her hand high, releasing a purple-colored blast into the sky. It homed in on Diehauser's Queen, who turned around at the last moment.
In the next instant, a microsecond before the blast hit, the Slayer caught a sheen of yellow—a shield. Then, the blast detonated. Anyone who happened to be looking at the scene found their visions filled with white. It took the spectators a few moments to realize that Bedeze's Queen had launched the equivalent of a small nuclear bomb.
Though others might have wondered what had happened, those like the Slayer, Tannin, and Ajuka had been easily able to see what had occurred. Latia and Iryuka on the other hand were openly gaping at the display, strangled sounds coming from their throats.
"Such power…" Latia breathed.
Ajuka chuckled. "I would recommend that you get accustomed to such displays, Latia. Ultimate-Class devils toy with such abilities casually."
"I… I see," Latia acknowledged.
Tannin hummed as he gazed at the mushroom cloud that began to form. "Not so wise of Abbadon's Queen to use such an attack. The light, debris, and energy from that blast only conceals the movements of Diehauser's team better. She should have known that the Queen of the number one Rating Game Champion would be able to block it."
"She blocked it!?" Latia inquired, shocked. Iryuka was in a similar state of disbelief.
"Of course." Latia turned her head and met her brother's stare of mild contempt. "Any pure-blooded devil worthy of their title would be capable of something so simple."
Latia's eyes narrowed slightly, but she bit down on her desire to fire back at Diodora. Beside her, Iryuka gave a brief head shake. They focused back on the game, intent on learning something.
As the rating game progressed, the intensity of the battle ramped up immensely. After securing the storm clouds, Diehauser had a massive advantage—any devil that tried to approach the cloud was struck by energy-sensing magic lightning. As such, Bedeze's team was pressed to take cover, lest they be bombarded by Diehauser's Queen and Bishops.
One hour passed in a blur, and by then, Diehauser held three control points while Bedeze held only two: the lake islands and the mountain tower. Without taking out Diehauser's Queen and Bishops, Bedeze wouldn't be able to press the offensive—he had already lost four pawns to them.
So, in a rather impressive display, Bedeze managed to calculate and determine the enemy Queen's and Bishop's flight patterns. To counterattack, he allowed his Queen and Bishops to detonate several miniature magic WMDs along the border of the mountains. The insane heat from the blasts created mushroom clouds that drew in cooler air, eventually taking a good portion of the storm cloud with it, revealing Diehauser's pieces. A massive magical dogfight of sorts broke out, ending in mutual destruction. By then Diehauser had lost both of his Bishops and his Queen while Bedeze had lost both of his Bishops, his Queen, and all of his Pawns.
To his surprise, the Slayer had gotten more invested in the battle than he was expecting. The combat was nothing he hadn't seen before, and while the tactics were strange, he'd seen far more elaborate plots. But, as violence was his forte, it wasn't hard for him to appreciate this sport. Though he saw it coming from a mile away, it was interesting to see how Diehauser and Bedeze continuously turned the tables on one another in terms of advantage.
As the battle continued, Tannin and Ajuka gave their respective praises and criticisms, Latia and Iryuka continued to be starstruck, and Diodora played with his peerage in an inappropriately risque manner whilst commending the pure-bloods and their apparent supremacy.
Another hour passed, and each team whittled the other down. Magic was thrown back and forth across the battlefield, and somehow, the match never got boring. Someone was always doing something that deserved an amount of attention. Pieces clashed, then retreated, planned, then clashed again. Some fell, others stood strong.
Soon, and unfortunately for Bedeze, the outcome of the battle became clear. The last of his peerage was forced to retire after getting caught in a pincer attack. Now, it was just the Abbadon against Diehauser, two Pawns, and a Rook. Despite the grim situation, Bedeze refused to surrender.
After a very uneventful fifteen minutes passed, Diehauser and his peerage grew weary of waiting for the match to end, and they went after Bedeze. With the battlefield torn to shreds, smoking craters and blackened forests everywhere, it would have been difficult to find the Abbadon had they not known that he owned the Lake Islands Control Point. They approached him, forming a half-circle a good distance from them.
"Another match taken by the Emperor," Ajuka quipped. Tannin said nothing, only taking a sip from what must have been his thirtieth drink.
The intercoms buzzed with activity, and whoever controlled them focused in on whatever final confrontation was going on down there. The spectators listened with rapt attention as comprehensible voices were heard.
The Slayer watched as Diehauser began to speak, his mouth moving at the same time that the intercoms buzzed.
"You know what happens now, old friend. Surrender, or fight."
Bedeze sneered, brushing dust from his aristocratic outfit. "You are no friend of mine, worthless Belial," he insulted. "This time will not be the same as the others. If you know what's good for you, you will be the one to surrender."
Diehauser raised a brow before scoffing. "Have it your way, then."
Then, they clashed. It instantly became clear who would win. Though their first blows were equal, colliding with enough strength to crater the ground beneath their feet, Bedeze faltered as Diehauser's Worthless took hold. His peerage didn't even need to interfere. They simply watched as the same battle occurred once again, just as it had the last time they clashed, and just like the time they'd clashed before that.
It was a merciless beatdown. Humiliating.
But... something was different this time. Rather than falling to rage or despair, to crushing embarrassment or even the agony of having his bones shattered, Bedeze smiled and laughed, full of eerie mirth.
Diehauser paused as he raised his fist to strike again, and he gazed down at his repeat opponent. Was that it? Had he finally broken him? After all of these years? Blood poured from the devil's eyes and nostrils, but still, Bedeze laughed, insane. Diehauser frowned. It was time to end this. He pushed the thoughts away, then struck one last time.
The blow connected, and Bedeze was thrown into the dirt at supersonic speeds, tumbling across the ground as hurricane winds flattened what nearby vegetation remained. The devil wheezed in pain, but his smile stayed.
Diehauser approached him. Then, something changed.
Back in the VIP room, watching the ordeal from his seat, the Doom Slayer froze when the Praetor Suit blipped, and Terrordome began to rumble. His fists clenched hard enough to crack Blackstone. The devils near him turned to him, confused when the strange music began to play, but he didn't give them any attention. Slowly, he rose from his seat, his gaze zeroed in on Bedeze's fallen form, the devil still sneering—now laughing.
Blood spilling from his lips, he looked at Diehauser. "So, you continue to fight?" his voice said over the intercom.
Diehauser didn't respond, giving the beaten devil a neutral look.
Bedeze coughed. "Have it your way, then."
For the briefest of moments, Diehauser, in his confusion about Bedeze's sudden maniacal laughter, released his Worthless from the devil. Bedeze took advantage of it.
Beside him, a portal opened in space, and before Diehauser could use Worthless once more, Bedeze yanked. Out from the portal came a small, plastic-looking toy—a collectible. Nowhere and never before had anyone in the universe conceived of such a design for a toy, but there it sat, clenched between Bedeze's bloody fingers. Its most prominent feature was the tank sled it sported, the upper-half of a cycloptic being attached to it.
As fast as lightning, Tannin and Ajuka stood.
Bedeze's laughter went from maniacal to evil in an instant. "Goodbye. Old friend," he finished mockingly.
The collectible glowed for a moment, arcs of red dancing across it. Then, there was Argent. In front of Bedeze, a swirling mass of Argent Energy coalesced. Ajuka audibly gasped. Tannin's eyes widened. Latia and Iryuka sat confused. Diodora jerked in his seat. The Doom Slayer was already gone.
And Terrordome evolved into Doom Hunter Base.
The devils in the VIP room had only a nanosecond to comprehend that the Hellwalker had vanished before their eyes, then the viewing window in front of them shattered in a spray of glass, the edge of the room erupting in an explosion of debris, the Slayer leaping from it, soaring like a comet.
As the swirl of Argent Energy dispersed, it was replaced by the hulking, cybernetically enhanced Super-Heavy Demon of the Telos Realm. Diehauser recoiled at its sudden appearance. He only had one second more to gaze at its horrifying form, then its absolutely SUFFOCATING aura of MALICE slammed into him, freezing him in place.
It was rage. Brutal. Without mercy. Relentless.
The sled of a futuristic tank equipped with machine guns and rocket pods housed the demonic body of a cybernetically enhanced cycloptic being. Its torso was composed of flesh and metal, and its arms were malformed—one carried a surgically attached Argent cannon, and the other had been replaced by a mechanized double-chainsaw that glowed with power. Its single eye had been replaced with cybernetics, and on either side of its head, a pair of evil horns grew.
Diehauser couldn't move, even when Bedeze issued a single command to the demon.
"KILL HIM!"
The demon shifted about, its sled whirring as it hovered, its saws of agony glowing with heat and torment and its sled turned to Diehauser. It peered at him for only a moment, then, with unseeing fury, it roared. Its call incited terror in all who heard it, spawned doubt in those who were confident, and pulled at the very souls of all who saw laid eyes upon it. Diehauser was not spared.
For the first time in years the devil was frozen in shock and instinctual fear. He could do nothing but watch as the weapons of Argent torment hummed. His eyes only had enough time to widen a micrometer when hundreds of Argent rockets appeared and blotted out the sky, thousands of Argent bullets soaring at him faster than he could even see. He attempted to close his eyes, but even then, he wouldn't have been fast enough.
Instinct told him that he should have died then and there, but in the next moment, when he found himself very much alive, and when he heard a hum indicative of energy, he opened his eyes. A man in green plate stood before him, and in his gauntlets he wielded a Chaingun, an Energy Shield guarding him and Diehauser. The devil gaped.
The Doom Slayer glared with more hatred than he'd ever felt since arriving on this world. With the power of a Primeval, the energy of the stars and beyond, his divine aura flared. The Energy Shield dropped, and the demon set its sights on him. His blood boiled as it jerked, recognizing him.
Then, two words reverberated throughout the arena, throughout the intercoms, throughout Lilith and to every devil, every spy, every being that happened to be watching the rating game at that time. Those two words would forever be remembered, and would change the nature of the Relics of Doom to all that knew of them. Two words would go down in history, marking the point where all things about their existence changed, where everyone who had ever witnessed the Great War, the fight for the Relics themselves had their jaws unhinged.
Those two words broke everything.
"SLAYER IDENTIFIED."
And Doom Hunter Base evolved into The Doom Hunter.
A/N: Who doesn't like cliffhangers?
Also, to that one dude who said my writing is 'overly detailed', fuck you. Again.
Now, for the first time I guess I'll directly answer some questions idk.
ZBigGun: I have a question though, is the Fortress of Doom still intact?
Ans: No. It will be rebuilt later though.
Svenion: Is this your own lore, or Doom canon?
Ans: Everything after the Slayer's sealing is my own. Everything before that is Doom canon.
Kawada Akio: Would you be averse to the thought of writing the Doom Slayer as 'asexual' in this story?
Ans: I'll tell you what I told someone else, "Think about it. Billions of years with the singular goal of destroying an evil realm. Never thought about women or relationships, never even considered it. Physical attraction is meaningless to him. Curves and beauty are nothing. Any feelings he might have for someone, even love, won't go beyond anything platonic. He's seen it all, and sexual love is totally meaningless and irrelevant to him." At least, for now. It could change later, but do NOT bank on that.
Anyways, all other recent questions have already been answered personally.
That is all.
SYD out.