Fuck Cali. Fuck Vegas. Fuck Ryoma.
Three simple statements, caused by the heat in my denim jacket as I walk to Inferno. Tying the denim jacket around my waist, thankful that I left the hoodie back home as the pure grey shirt didn't completely repel the heat but it did enough. I treaded forward, closer and closer the casino came, the rough dirt crumbling under my steps as I exhaled and the casino seemed closer, by god does it finally feel good to think that. The entrance comes to me as the large entrance opens up, my arms nearly glowing from under the black bandages as I'm alarmed by the amount of Devils and Demons I'm sensing.
A strong gust hits against my back as I brace against the storm with grit teeth. Suddenly, it let up as a softer gust returned, "What the-?"
I nearly lost my footing when a vacuum came from the entrance of Inferno, trying to suck me in as I fought against it. Leaning back I tried to fight, only for it to stop, causing me to fall on my ass as I flinched only for the vacuum to start once more and I exclaimed in shock.
My eyes spin as, for a second, nothing makes sense as colors and other things pass by. A second later, I stumbled into an air conditioned building. It was a circular room with sections cut out similar to a gear. People moving around with masks, I was confused as to where I am, "Where?"
The only thing that comes to mind when I see around here was the Lotus Hotel from the Percy Jackson series. There were games from roulettes to actual games. But the building…
I gave a suspicious look to the white, red and gold surrounding, the way it brought me here was planned. I don't know how, but the building made a plan to force me in by ridding me of my balance.
As I walked forward, someone stopped me and my blood ran cold.
"Sir, we must ask for you to wear this." The Devil said, his voice being distorted by the power I can feel from him. He presented me with a mask, it seemed like a mask that was colored red and black in one half with blue and white on the other, there were feathers varying from black, red, blue and white on the right side of the mask.
His name tag read 'Eligos' as he showed a handsome man with a large stature made for combat. Black hair and red eyes, I held eye contact for a second before deciding that it may be a bad idea to invoke the wrath of a Devil in broad daylight. Much less one as swole as him.
"Thanks." I say as I grab the mask and put it on, cautiously and warily as he didn't show anything in my actions.
"Enjoy it while you can." Eligos mutters as I grin, trying to hide my fear as I knew that I wouldn't be able to match this man yet.
"Sure will, see ya." I wave away as I walk around.
We didn't break eye contact until we were a ways away until I looked forward and exhaled heavily, trying to regain my composure.
Straightening up, I exhale before muttering, "What is this place?" I started to walk as I saw an ad for Final… Fanta…
Final Fantasy isn't here. Never played it before but I know Final Fantasy isn't a franchise here.
Instead, they have Homu Fantasy, I think.
I'm still poor and live in a cheap apartment, much less have had time to play games. Sue me.
But...eh?
"What the fuck." I mutter as I continue walking around keeping my eyes peeled for any discrepancies between the worlds as I walk around.
I found a lot of things, mostly things that have different names from my world and the new one I was forced in.
And the people, some had the wacky hair colors that were weirdly common here and others reminded me of my old world. More and more passed by me as I huffed, looking for the drink bar as I wanted some Sprite.
And some food would be nice too. But…
You need money for that. I thumb the casino tokens, enough for either a high table game or a few normal games.
"Oh? Are you looking for a game, young man?"
I straighten up at the mundane voice, hiding the power behind it as I turn around.
'Asmodeus' was on his nametag, a mocking grin and horns pointing up with a sharp face and mischievous eyes. Wearing a vest as an employee of Inferno.
Who the fuck is powerful enough to make Asmodeus, the literal Devil that represents lust, an employee to a god damned casino?
"Then, would you like to join me for a game?" Asmodeus stretched out his hand to a 'special' table, literally called 'Asmodeus' table', inlaid with gold and being held up by a leg that shows a woman, covering the more private sections of her body with an arm and what seems like a seductive look.
"Dunno," I admit, "seems a little dicey in my opinion."
"Why? It's a simple game of stakes, nothing more and nothing less." Asmodeus explained. "So simple even an idiot could understand. What more is there to understand, young Grigori."
Once Asmodeus hissed that, I knew something was up.
Before I was Mendez, my parents told me that our family name was Grigori. A family of knights that contracted with Devils for power to fight against monsters so strong that their existence caused natural disasters. Of disgraced knights from another world.
Anything that resembled amusement left my expression as I glared at Asmodeus, "What do you know?"
And like a cat that's caught the canary, Asmodeus smiled, "I'll tell you," before said smile became violent, "for a price."
Around the world in Gael's current world, the people were looking at the sky, from those opening their eyes for the first time to those taking their last breath. What are they seeing that's so surprising?
A screen. There was a catchy tune with a yellow screen and the words 'Infernal Game: Gambling' with a woman dressed as a dealer as she dealt out cards.
Soon, the music stopped as a voice popped up, "Hello~ everybody, welcome to Inferno, your favorite casino located in California~. Today, we have a special game for you all."
Ryoma grit his teeth as he thinks about how he sent a kid out to deal with something that can do this.
"Asmodeus has his first challenger, what's his name? Sadly, anonymity has been asked by this challenger, so all we have is this picture!" It's a picture of a young man with brown hair and a mask. He has a denim jacket tied around his waist with a grey shirt and some baggy jeans.
Ryoma could only curse Gael internally.
I sat down on the other end of the table, far away from the Asodeus as he gave me a satisfied grin and the dealer started dealing out the cards.
We're starting with a simple game of Blackjack, then from there different games will pop up. For every game I get a silver of information about my family from when they were here, but if I lose a game, I lose a part of my soul.
Very unfair but I was desperate and curious.
"It surprises me how easily humans are manipulated." Asmodeus mocked as he peeked at his card. Same mocking smirk with little less than a twitch when he saw them.
"Shut up." My usual somewhat merry mood is gone and replaced with a hostile one being hidden by the mask. My case with Rogue Dragon has been opened and I have set the naginata on my back, prepared for a fight.
"Now, now, no need for such hostility, we have five rounds to get through," his smile becomes demonic, "all you're doing is delaying the inevitable."
Gripping the table as it cracks, the sound relaxes me somewhat as I peek at the cards.
A five and a three. Damn it. Eight. I need an Ace, or the queen, king, or jack. Thank god that the Ace can be a one or an eleven.
Schooling my features, the first round of Blackjack starts.
"Hmm, what an interesting player we have."
"What's more is that he's a Grigori." A hissing voice was heard, vaguely feminine.
"Truly, for someone so lacking in grace to be a part of that family is a mystery." Another feminine voice said, far more classy than the others.
"He truly is an interesting man, I wonder how good his shooting is?" A third masculine voice wondered out loud.
"Sir, why did you allow him in?" Eligos wondered as the boss only chuckled.
"Don't worry," the boss grins, "release them should Asmodeus lose."
The employees, among others, nodded. The boss only continued grinning as he watched the match. A flash of recognition ran through his eyes as he stared at Gael's face and then his arms.
Fuck.
Twenty-two, damn it. One higher.
The dealer had nineteen, and Asmodeus had Blackjack.
Before the fight, we swore on our names that neither of us were cheating or anything similar placed before or during, a strong oath that would strip whoever broke them of their identity.
Is he really that good?
Shaking my head away from the thoughts and Asmodeus' mocking grin, I return my cards back to the dealer as I wander, "You know, I expected you to cheat if I'm honest."
"Hmm? I would have if you didn't force that oath onto me. Even if it is in a convoluted form, even a Devil goes through with his deals. Something your family knew a lot about." Asmodeus started as I waved my arm for him to continue, "I did only say a silver of information." He teased a grin that could have seduced straight men.
My brow twitches as I sigh, "Then, I guess my family was connected with Devils?"
"Quite intimately~." Asmodeus admitted with a wiggle of his brow.
"Then… Contractors?" I ask. A contractor is someone who makes a deal with the devil in exchange for power or something else.
"Yes, at the time, the Devils of this place would lurk in the hearts of your family, hiding from the God of this place and, in return, they'd let the person use their powers." Asmodeus admits as he leans his chin on his palm.
"But, one day, they disappeared and those that didn't go with them were exposed and sentenced to death." Asmodeus said with a sinister grin.
"The Salem Witch Trials?" I ask as he chuckles.
"Ah, Abigail Williams. What a bitch." Asmodeus hissed the last word out to my surprise as an aura of power was released.
"What does she have to do with my family?" I ask. Only knowing about the witch trials and not much else.
"She's the reason why you currently have next to no living relatives. A pseudo-Herrscher. One of Sight. When she tried to bring it to attention, the people were too busy to pay attention to her. So she turned to her neighbors, specifically the ones running from the Church." Asmodeus explains, "The little brat could 'see' it all, secrets, abilities, and things hiding in the shadows of man. So, instead, she accused them of witchcraft. Originally, they were sceptical, obviously, but when one of them used his abilities to protect his family it planted the seed of doubt in their minds. 'If she was right about this one, what about the others?' The only one to escape was the man that fought."
I fell into a silence as I pondered on this information, specifically the fact that he admitted that I may still have relatives. "That's enough on such a drab subject. Now, onto round two."
Nodding, I focused on the game as the dealer sent us two cards and gave herself two cards.
Peeking at the numbers, nine and ten, I bite my lip. I can either gamble on it or I can play it safe.
"Hit me." Asmodeus said as he was passed a card.
Biting my lip, I try to decide, only to feel a hand on my head, "C'mon kid, risk it. Great men weren't made because they stayed idle. The higher the stakes, the greater the payout!"
I don't recognize the voice, but I do know what I want to do. "Double down."
There was silence as the dealer sent me a card. Usually, this would mean that I can get no more cards and have a chance of getting a huge payout, but due to the nature of this game we're playing, this would mean that this would count for two rounds. I closed my eyes as I showed my cards as my eyes widened as I grinned, "Blackjack."
Twenty-one. Asmodeus had twenty and the dealer twenty-two. I won.
And the adrenaline? It was amazing. It went through my body as I shivered and nearly moaned. I couldn't describe it much more as Asmodeus looked amused, "Well, looks like you're getting into it."
My grin didn't leave me as I nodded, "Gotta give it my all."
There was a roulette table replaced when we looked down.
"Roulette huh?" Asmodeus said.
The roulette had two different colors. Red and blue, and there were two little dolls in front. Within the roulette there are sixteen sections, the lower the number, the larger the section, the numbers go from one to eight. Our little dolls had a 'health' of thirty.
"So, what are the rules?" I ask.
The people were staring at the inane game as some gamblers looked on in confusion as the voice returned, "It's Riot Roulette! A game of chance! This game has the gamblers throw a ball into the roulette and call out a number and a color. Guess the color and number correctly, the opposing doll takes double the number of damage, guess only one of them correctly and the damage is equal to the number but if you're completely wrong, your doll will miss." The voice explained.
Everyone looked on in anxiety, unsure as to why this was happening.
"Ready?" I ask Asmodeus as I prepare my ball.
"Ladies first." Asmodeus mocks.
"Whores follow." I added as I rolled before he could say anything else, his face the picture of seductive amusement.
I looked on in anxiety as the ball continued rolling until it landed on a five.
Shrugging, Asmodeus rolled his. Landing on an eight as I sigh.
He goes first, gritting my teeth Asmodeus rolled while calling out, "Blue eight."
The ball rolled as no one breathed when it landed on a blue one.
I flinched as my doll took damage.
Little it may be but it is something.
"Ummm, red three." I roll my ball as it sounds out in the tense silence in the casino.
Finally, it lands on a red three as I grin, my doll dealing six damage against Asmodeus'.
This continued on and on, a straightforward game until I lost.
Our third game consisted of darts. I won. And our fourth game was a memory game, ending with me losing this time.
Our final game was a game of Texas hold'em Poker.
We were getting tired so this was a one round deal.
Laying out the community cards, the numbers were three, six, and a king.
My cards were given as I got a two, four, five, eight and a Jack.
With little fanfare, we showed our cards as an impossibility happened, "A tie."
Both of us had a flush. That's all.
It was incredible. Both the coincidence and the information I got.
Turns out, the Grigori family was one that spanned ages and one of the founding families of the Schickshal where the execution of Kallen Kislana was the last time they ever saw one. Soon after, the family split up, going to different countries and going into hiding. But it's never the nature of Devils to stay hiding. So, most were hunted and put down until only a few were left, and those few shortened into 'probably one' during the Salem Witch trials.
From there, he said that all Devils in my own world are now gone, but somehow, they were able to open one here. Probably by my appearance.
Asmodeus started chuckling, "A tie? Fuhuhuhu~. A tie!?"
That's a bad sign.
A nice jingle appeared on the screen in the sky as the words, 'Bonus Round: Asmodeus' Russian Roulette' appeared.
At that, many parents covered the eyes of the children as Asmodeus pointed a revolver to the sky and fired.
Nothing happened at first but then the forms of the masked spectators and dealer started changing. The masked man got up quickly and unsheathed his naginata from his back, "What the fuck?"
"It's bonus round time~! Seems like Asmodeus has finally lost it~, he's about to show his true form. How exciting!" The voice announced, genuine excitement lacing his voice as the spectators watched on in horror.
Asmodeus's body contorted horribly, two heads being added on either side, one of a ram and the other of a cow as his lower body shifted into a quadrupedal with a demonic look. His complexion became pale as his mouth extended, nearly to the end of his jaw as a long tongue unfurled from his mouth, painting a nightmare in real life.
Everyone was shocked, even more so when he snapped his fingers and gone was the luxurious casino, now replaced with what can only be described as Hell.
"Wooooah folks, you heard it here and now, this isn't just the Casino, Inferno, but a scaled down version of Hell. From here, our guest will now have to fight his way to the top, fending off Lesser Demons, slaying Devils and defeating me for a final prize~. Isn't this exciting~!"
The 'camera' looks around this 'level' of Hell. It resembled a castle with broken down walls and malicious roots looking to destroy all. Lesser Demons treaded the area with little care as the masked man sighs.
"Fuckin' hell." Was all he said as the man walked forward, fearless. "Guess it's time to take out the trash." The young man stabs the naginata into the floor as the camera zooms in, he takes a hold of the staff and grabs what seems like a motorcycle throttle and lever, twisting his wrist back and pulling the lever, he revs it, to the surprise of many, as a fluid falls down the blade and lights up, bathing the metal in flames and heating it up.
Removing the naginata, he positioned himself for a slash as he revved the naginata, each time ejecting a stream of flames stronger than the last one until the flames had engulfed the blade and the street was cracking from the force he was holding back.
Finally, he lunged, nearly disappearing as a trail of flames appeared behind him as he spun, taking out a large numbers of them before propping the blade against the floor, excess force sending him in the air as he grinned, before continuing his spin into a slash, diagonally cutting an Empusa in half as he slid into the castle, the door closing behind him.
"Let's do this!" the young man says as he starts running into the castle.
Where am I? How did I get here? Why are there Lesser Demons all around? Where is Asmodeus?
Questions but no answers would be found. Yet.
Wielding Rogue Dragon as I wait for it to cool down is not fun. Considering Second Wind could activate.
Second Wind is a small addition to Rogue Dragon that I added. Usually, what would happen is that should I swing it around, the thing could catch on fire again, but for it to activate after what I just did, the activation would mean nothing good. It'd melt a bunch of fragile pieces, jam other pieces, and overall force me to replace a bunch of the pieces, some which have to be made custom which is really expensive.
Muramasa was a great smith, a mechanic? Not so much.
Hell, taking a look at it after knowing a bit more about mechanical engineering, the thing is fairly outdated. So now, I have to look for other pieces to replace the fragile ones and improve on Rogue Dragon.
My internal griping ends as an Empusa attempts to stab at me only for me to step back and slash at its claw, loping it off and activating Second Wind as the burst of flames gives me the force needed to lop off the Empusa's head.
And absolutely fuck up the Exceed system. Fuck!
Yeah, the throttle jammed, the lever is loose, the liquid is falling and every shake invokes a weirdly full feeling that reminds me of maracas.
Weapons that have the Exceed system shouldn't make a sound like maracas.
The only sound that comes out of the thing is the revving of an engine.
A familiar spider-web mark appears in the room I enter as I instinctively and forcefully rev the throttle, only for it to snap as I blankly stare at Rogue Dragon.
The throttle…
It came loose!
Damn it! I shouldn't have shown off at the beginning.
A Death Scissor charged as I clicked my tongue. Preparing its scissors to bisect me, I slash upward with Rogue Dragon, parrying the charge as I thrust into its mask, breaking it as I stepped back and bisected it.
Demonic Energy accumulated in my arms as I grabbed Noroi and Shinsei and unloaded bullets into the heads of the Empusas and Hell Cainas.
Leaning back, I duck an attempt of a Hell Caina to bisect me as I lean back and unload a clip of bullets of Demonic Energy into the Hell Caina.
I flip to the side from an Empusa as I spin into a spinning hook kick as the Empusa is sent to the floor as I fall on the floor, unloading bullet after bullet into the now airborne Empusa.
Kicking up, I grab Rogue Dragon and swing the naginata around as I spin from a slash as I cut the leg of a Hell Caina and use the back of the blade to hit the throat of a Hell Caina and onto the floor before raising my hand as long spectral stakes nail the Demon to the floor with the lowering of a hand.
My eyes follow an Empusa with green aura around it, releasing the disgusting green liquid onto a fallen Demon. My eyes widen as the Demon returns on its feet.
Jumping up, I stab into the Demon's stomach and swing, kicking one and bringing the flying menace down as Rogue Dragon stabs deeper and I stomp its head into oblivion before stepping forward and spinning, bringing the naginata around me as the extra weight hits the other demons and then it explodes as it hits against the last Demon.
The barrier goes down as I grit my teeth, "Damn."
Taking a moment in the room, I perform a cursory inspection of Rogue Dragon. The throttle is broken, the lever is loose, there are stray pieces all over, increasing the number of jams in the damn thing and above it all, the Exceed system is absolutely fucked.
Clicking my tongue, I twirl it as I mutter, "Gotta fix it, quick."
While the Exceed system isn't my only skill, it's also a skill I'd like to keep. It's also my fault because instead of replacing the parts and improving it, I only added more to the load.
There was a familiar sound of a blowtorch as I neared a door. The door reminded me of a garage door. I opened it as music blared around me, a small room with a woman in it.
The woman looked like me, same brown hair but with jovial and excited green eyes instead and somewhat shorter, her hair in a messy bun, "Hi there~!"
"Uhhhhh hi?" I greeted back as she nodded.
"Aw, don't be a stranger, you are my cousin." The woman teased as I blinked at that.
"Huh?"
"Well, a long-lost one. This place," he signals to the area around her, "can't be accessed by those who aren't from our family. Sadly, you, me, and one other are the only ones who are currently alive."
I ignore as she continues rambling at a single revelation.
I have a family.
"Hey, you okay?" The woman asks as I jump in surprise as she interrupts my train of thought..
"S-sorry, it's just… I- it's been a while." I stutter as I try to hold back the tears from my eyes.
Noticing my struggle, she grins as she hugs me, I stiffen up and nearly struggle away but she doesn't seem offended, "Those that stand with the Devil-."
"Will perish knowing their destination." I continue the saying.
"A nice shiny throne right next to him in Hell." We speak at the same time.
"Cousin, it's fine, you're not the only one who had it hard, but now, we're here. And you have a job." The woman says as we disconnect from each other.
"Anna Grigori, at your service!" My cousin, Anna started.
"Gael Mendez Muramasa, and Grigori too, I guess." I introduce myself, not knowing how to feel about all of this.
"It's fine. You don't have to. Now, as much as I'd like to talk your ear off, I think that oversized maraca," she points at Rogue Dragon, "needs a fix-up."
To say Anna was overjoyed would be an understatement, especially when she got her hands on the Exceed system and my own notes of Rogue Dragon.
It'd take a while to finish it, so I'm down to Scorpio, Noroi, Shinsei, and my new shotgun, Shepherd along with the Yawarakai-te and Muramasa.
Once my guns were modded enough to Anna's standard, I walked out of the room as Scorpio was prepared to be released.
I continued walking through the dilapidated castle, occasionally getting lost or entering secret areas. The explorer in me refuses to leave any stone untouched.
The throne room would be easier to get to, if it was in the same building, goddamnit.
I was currently outside, where the throne room should be, instead, the bitch is in the sky.
Floating.
Really high up.
This is gonna suck.
I huff, seeing that each floating section has its own Demons. Staring at Scorpio, I breathe as I aim and throw the bladed chain.
It didn't lose speed as it dug into the wall of a room as I'm sent into the sky, being tugged by the chain until my feet hit the wall and I dislodge Scorpio from it and landed on the floor.
I grin at the aftermath of being in the air, I almost miss the Lesser Demons surrounding me.
Though once they started, I definitely didn't miss them. Electricity lines Scorpio as I jump high and spin as the chains extend and leaves cut after cut on the bodies as he lands and throws one to the chest of a Hell Caina as he pulls them into a kick as electricity runs through them and they seize up before falling into dust.
I spin as the chains extend and I throw it, getting an Empusa as I pull them in and have to stop myself from screaming 'Get over here!'.
Once they're close I kick them as I follow with a punch to the ground and stomp on them.
Ducking a Death Scissor, I aim Shepherd at his face and pull as a buckshot of Demonic Energy forces it back before grabbing Yawarakai-te from its place on my back and everything slows as my mind blanks and I feel at peace. Holstering Shepherd, I grab the handle of the katana and lower it, resting the tip of the blade on the ground.
In a movement, I shift my stance, so I'm low on the ground, both arms on the grip of the Yawarakai-te and ready for a slash with the blade facing out instead of in, with my left leg forward and right leg behind me.
As the Demons come to attack me, I take a deep breath as gently and simply, I turn the katana so it's facing in and drag my right leg forward and slash.
A circle appears as all of the Lesser Demons are bisected in half and disappear into dust as I breathe out, re-sheathing the Yawarakai-te.
Once my mind regains the somewhat chaotic noise in my head I continue walking as I try to find a way to the next area.
Nothing is shown until I click my tongue. "Where can I go next?"
There were three more sections until I got to where Asmodeus is.
A gunshot rang out.
Huh?
I wasn't here a moment ago.
Looking around, I try to find where I am, only to see that the houses have changed positions.
What the hell?
Rolling away I cut into an Empusa Queen, as it roars and tries to grab me only to miss as I jump over her. Aiming Scorpio, I throw both sides of the blade chain on its back as I send measured pulses of electricity as it seizes time and time again, dispatching more Empusas and Hell Cainas as it continues thrashing around.
Puppet Art is what this technique is called.
Finally, a final strong pulse of electricity kills the Empusa Queen as I grit my teeth.
Half an hour. That's how long I've been fighting. Little problem admittedly, but Asmodeus is changing the positions every time I get close I'm getting pissed.
"I swear to fucking god-."
Another gunshot.
"Asmo-ah, there it is." The throne room was right above me.
Quickly, I throw Scorpio as it digs into the wall and go up as I land. To the side was a door that led to Anna's own dimension. I knew that Anna wasn't done with Rogue Dragon so I crouched and sat, looking to regain my lost stamina.
I still had the mask on, which was weird since now it rests comfortably on my face. I ponder on whether I should take it off or not. In the end, I decided against it. I don't know much of what's happening, but I do know that I'll win in the end.
Or try to, anyway.
I continue breathing, hunger permeating my stomach as I gain control of my somewhat chaotic thoughts.
All of this that I've learnt is so confusing. I wasn't sent to another world, I returned to my old one. Yet…
What sent me here?
Vergil didn't specifically send me here. Something interfered.
Something, or someone, wanted me here for a reason.
But why?
To kill the big guy upstairs?
That'd be a whole nother thing entirely.
Breathing through my teeth, I get up as I roll my shoulders, "Well, Asmodeus, it's time for one last game."
Walking towards the doors to the throne room, I ignore anything that seems like politeness as I yell out, "Wakey wakey, Asmo-bitch!"
There, behind the throne was Asmodeus, in its shadow, "How pleasant," his human voice said before it distorted as he appeared from behind the beautiful throne of gold and red in his demonic form, "Is what I would say, but losing has never been my favorite action. Much less a tie."
I start walking forward, at a slow pace, "How do you think I feel?" I ask as I roll my shoulders.
"Yes, now, Grigori-spawn," the demonic form of Asmodeus flexes as his eyes become full of wrath, "It is time to kill you!"
A shadow appears from under my bandages as the Muramasa appears in my hand, "Don't think it'd be so easy."
I grab the handle of the blade as my mind becomes warped, madness seeping into it as the complete opposite of the Yawarakai-te. A cursed blade similar to a rabid dog, as long as it cuts something, it'll be satisfied. Removing it from its sheath, I can barely stand the power it exudes along with the madness.
Yet, for some reason, the Yawarakai-te reacts, it cries out in sadness for some reason.
Soon, shadows overtake my person as I growl, my voice distorted as I slashed at Asmodeus, "RAAAAAGH!"
Asmodeus jumps away as I dash forward, barely being able to control my own movements. We collide as he uses his revolver to block the blade as we're caught in a deadlock.
Using my second arm, I push down against the blade as Asmodeus struggles, visibly surprised as I slash and Muramasa tastes blood. It roars in my mind, wishing for more but I reel it in as I re-sheath the blade, mentally exhausted.
Gritting my teeth, I grab Noroi and Shinsei as I aim and fire bullet after bullet, hitting Asmodeus as it roars.
Flinching at the volume of the roar, Asmodeus points his revolver at me and fires. Nothing happens as I find my hands empty of Shinsei and Noroi. "Huh?"
I couldn't think much more of it as I flipped back from the slash from Asmodeus as I lean to the right and duck a final slash as I summon Scorpio and slash at his legs, back and forth we fought. I taunted as I tried to force him to mess up but he didn't as I spun the bladed chain on one hand.
Finally, I dashed forward as I tried to get in close only to have my person grabbed and thrown into the air.
Flying is always an experience, no matter how, even if the way I'm gonna be sent flying is similar to how a volleyball player would do an overhead serve on a ball.
Blacking out as my body is hit with a ton of force, I wake up when my back hits the wall as I slide down. Still alive but injured.
Heavily so.
"Come now, are you giving up?" I must have hit my head too hard, because now I'm hallucinating, "A Grigori doesn't bow down to the odds, he forces them to bow down to him. And if he can't, then he'll do what he can with what he has."
Looking up, a man similar to my father appears. He wore a smug smile and amused eyes while wearing a long sleeveless coat under a short-sleeved shirt, he wore boots and what seemed like bandoliers of knives all over his body.
"You're a smart kid, figure it out. Don't be afraid to Gamble either," the man grins as his eyes become kind instead of amused, "because sometimes, the only way to win is to go all-in!"
My arms brighten from under the bandages as he enters them, to my confusion as I flinch from an influx of information that enters my brain.
Once it's done, my eyes widen as the memories of Tommy Grigori, a good man at heart and a gambler at soul, imparts his past to me.
Along with a little extra.
Looking at my hands, I grip them into fists and grin as I mutter, "Gambler."
My body feels off as memories supply me information of the Gambler style that made Tommy infamous to the Church during the Wild West.
Getting up, I stumble forward as my body heals and Asmodeus growls, "Die, Grigori-spawn!"
He hits both arms on the ground, sending me flying into the air as I grab Scorpio as I fall, evading the hand that was going to grab me as I throw both blades into the shoulder of Asmodeus.
Landing on my feet, I pull, forcing him to bow as a spectral leg overlaps my own as I cock back my left leg and backflip, catching Asmodeus' jaw as he reels back from the strength behind it.
Landing, I chuckle, "Let's do this!"
Dashing forward, I slide under a swipe as I feel the weight of Shepherd, Shinsei and Noroi return to their holsters and grin as I aim Shepherd and fire a buckshot of Demonic Energy into Asmodeus' side before kicking up.
I land on a platform of Demonic Energy and jump up as I evade a second swipe and find myself face to face with Asmodeus' revolver.
Grinning, I raise my right arm and lower my stance in the air. The bullet fires as I release a pulse of Demonic Energy and the bullet doesn't hit at all as something in me seems to fill up.
Landing on the floor, I do the same stance again as he swipes at me and hits nothing as the pulse staves it out, "Right, time for a Payout!"
I release the built-up energy from the hits as Asmodeus reels back from the force.
Grinning, I take the opening and throw Scorpion as it catches his arm as I run forward and reel in the chain as I swing on the arm as I spin over and over until finally, I land on his back and pull and he's forced to spin back lest his arm break. He yells as electricity runs through his body from Scorpio as I jump and force him down as I cock back my arm and overlap it with a spectral one before throwing an uppercut as he's sent back.
Raising my arm, spectral stakes appear as they're sent towards Asmodeus, only for him to aim his revolver at me as the stake continues its journey while I prepare for a Block only for me to find myself at a loss when no bullet comes out but the stakes in the air disappear.
I grab Shinsei and pull the trigger only for nothing to come out as I mutter, "What the..?"
Lacking the time to think further on it, thanks to a charging Asmodeus, I prepare to Block only for nothing to happen when I enter my stance.
My eyes widened, "Shit!" Demonic Energy floods my legs as I jump over Asmodeus and blank out.
How could I use Demonic Energy?
Can I not use it outside of my own body?
The bullets are created by Demonic Energy and Block uses Demonic Energy.
Can his revolver…
He shot up when I appeared here, he shot me when this happened, can he make himself stronger when he shoots himself?
That's fucking broken.
But it seems like he can only do those once. I can't see the revolver on him anymore.
Asmodeus charges, "So, Grigori-spawn, how does it feel to be power-ugh!"
Flinching as I sent a straight at his chest, my demonically-warped arms were strong and durable, abnormally so, even amongst Devils, he stumbled back as I use Scorpio to wrap the chain around his neck, I pull him to the floor and stomp on his face while saying, "I don't need that to be able to run your shit."
He growls as he straightens up, roaring as I'm sent to the ceiling. Landing, I stab both sides of the blades from Scorpio as it wrapped around my chest like a harness, keeping me there until I ordered otherwise.
I felt my instincts go haywire as Asmodeus' revolver re-appeared and he aimed at himself.
Six times he pulled the trigger and each consecutive shot only caused my heart to lower further.
With the first, he healed himself, the second made him faster, the third made him stronger, the fourth placed a shield around him, the fifth gave him wings and the sixth summoned Lesser Demons.
"Oh, come on!" I yell, putting my hands up as they drop. Gritting my teeth, my hand reaches for the hilt of Muramasa, only to be smacked in the head by my own spectral construct that looks like Argosax. "What the hell, you too?"
It didn't respond as it showed me the hilt of the sheathed Yawarakai-te, I was confused since Yawarakai-te was always better with a closer distance and one against one. So, why?
Gripping the hilt of Muramasa, two facts come to mind. The Yawarakai-te calms my mind to the point where it feels like time is slowing down whereas the Muramasa pollutes my mind, losing myself to madness.
But what happens if I wield both?
Grabbing the Yawarakai-te, I unsheathe it as a white aura envelops me that is fought back by shadows from the Muramasa.
Yawarakai-te on my left hand and Muramasa on my left, I sigh, "Let's do this."
Enhanced body dashes forward as I slash at the crowd of Lesser Demons with Yawarakai-te and follow with an upward slash from Muramasa that sends a small crowd up before jumping and spinning, leaving a flurry of slashes on their bodies.
Landing, I slash with the katana around me, leaving a line of white as I slash down with Muramasa as a line of shadows sends the line forward. Plowing through the crowd of Lesser Demons.
I prepare myself as I get low and grab the Yawarakai-te after throwing the Muramas into the air and move as I become something of a blur, slashing from one area to another as Lesser Demons fall before jumping up high and spinning into an axe kick onto the Muramasa as it releases a wave of shadows, taking care of the crowd.
Though exhaustion quickly catches up as I fall on my ass and I gather my breathing as the Muramasa recedes into my arms underneath the ruined bandages and the Yawarakai-te returns to the spectral image of Argosax.
Though, Asmodeus was still flying around.
Wait, he's going for a charge!
Getting Scorpio, I activated the Gambler Style as I spun a side of Scorpio as I waited for Asmodeus to attack.
Finally, he did as I could tell that the force would be unholy from the wind.
Standing still, I waited until the right moment.
Said moment was when I left an afterimage and circled Scorpio around his neck as I held strong as he continued moving, nearly taking me off my feet.
But Scorpio continued to extend as he nearly went up. Running electricity up the chain, Asmodeus spasms as he slows down as I pull the chain with a roar. He falls to the floor as I run up to him, he gets up but I tackle him as I growl and the spectral torso of Argosax appears behind me. Realization hits him as the spectral image releases a barrage of punches at it while I start absorbing Asmodeus.
"It's over, bastard!" I say… but all malice left me as I started absorbing memories.
Of a gambler and the Devil that hides in his heart, of a man rejected everywhere and left to die by those he trusted.
The spectral torso pauses as Asmodeus chuckles, "Seems like you found them. Yes, I was the contracted Devil to Tommy Grigori."
I nearly stop in shock as he chuckles, "Honestly cousin, you truly are a mystery."
Gone were the horns as he smiled with happiness reflected in his eyes, "I know you have no reason to listen to me, but please, help this world."
I didn't say anything, only a thought that was shared by both of us as I sped up the process.
Honestly, what a troublesome situation this is.
At this thought, a green and white casino chip appeared in his hand before darkness overtook my awareness and I fell asleep.
A/N: That's a wrap! Originally, this was supposed to be an Azur Lane Crossover but I feel like this works better. That said, unlike my Genshin story where Cayo has one style, he'll have multiple. If you couldn't guess, "Gambler Style= Royal Guard Style." I have a(hopefully) interesting Arc planned out. So, to specify, Cayo is like Vergil ability-wise while Gael is like Dante ability-wise. The end of this arc has a little something I have planned. It involves the words 'Hellboy'. And no, not the comic character.
On an unrelated note, Resident Evil(Biohazard I think, I haven't played it nor do I know the plot in detail) is weirdly similar to Honkai. I mean, the plague they have is centered by a girl(Herrscher) and a guy becomes a part of it but doesn't lose his sanity and becomes immune(Stigmata). Said plague creates zombies. Look into it more and you'll see what I mean.
Maybe.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it!