Chapter Twelve: The Road to Hell

There was silence between Rachel and Alma for many days afterward. Rachel was used to talking at her whenever she needed to. But Alma was in no mood to listen, and they went about their job without much joy.

Now they were playing Go Fish.

"Got any threes?" asked Rachel, eyeing her cards.

Alma raised a hand in the gesture for a no. She then reached down and raised one of the cards from the extra pack, showing a four.

"Go fish," said Rachel.

Alma threw aside the cards in disgust. Then she stood and stalked over to the window. Rachel rose up and walked after her. "What is up with you, Alma? You've been out of sorts for days?"

Alma looked back at her with a glare. Rachel knew what it was. "Look, what do you want from me? Doku is killing people. He's unleashing fiends on innocent people. Do you really think he'd have let it stop there once we became greater fiends? "We'd become like him, Alma. Killing people like they're just ants."

Alma scowled harder at her. Rachel took the hint. "Fine, fine, I'm going to take a walk."

She dressed in her armor and snatched up her hammer, before walking out.

Rachel made her way through the streets, ignoring the looks she got. She stood out in the skyscrapers and mirrored windows. Fiend hunters were not common. But when they were needed, they were really needed.

The sun was high, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. She wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. She wished she didn't have to wear armor like this, but she found that when she went out, fiends appeared.

Now she began to suspect it was no accident.

"Honestly," Rachel muttered. "What's so wrong with what we're doing now? We get paid a lot; we protect people. So what if it's throwing Doku's plans into disorder."

She went into a bar and sat down. Motioning to the barkeep, she ordered. "Get me the strongest drink you have."

"Are you sure?" asked the man. "It isn't really something young ladies should-"

Fiend blood had it's used. Rachel smiled. "Trust me; I can take it."

"Alright." said the man.

He poured her a glass and slid it across the table. Rachel sipped it and sighed.

"Rough day?" asked the man.

"Family matters," said Rachel. "My sister wants to reconcile with our grandparents."

"What's so wrong with that?" asked the man.

Rachel shrugged. "There isn't anything to reconcile. They just sort of came back into our lives one day and want us to give up everything for them. But my sister really wants to establish some kind of bond with them.

"The way I see it, though, if they were worth it, they would have been there, to begin with."

"Have you considered giving them a chance?" asked the man. "They may be trying to make it up to you?"

Rachel sighed. "Believe me; it's a lot more complicated than that." She finished her drink and was about to order another one. Then there was a road of thunder. Looking out, Rachel saw the outside was going dark. Passerbys ran for cover as it began to rain.

"Thunder?" asked the bartender in surprise. "There wasn't any rain scheduled for today."

Then Rachel sensed them. Fiends, hundreds of them. They were mustering in great numbers. She grabbed her axe. "It's not rain, that's about to fall down. Find somewhere safe and stay away from the windows."

"Why?" asked the man.

"Fiends are coming," said Rachel. Then she rushed out into the street. She felt the rain on her face, soaking her body in the sudden downpour. Wiping away a strand of hair, Rachel unsheathed her axe and walked. Someone else like her would have gotten a cold.

But Rachel felt her blood racing, preventing the cold from getting to her. One more benefit of her blood. Maybe that was why Alma was so interested in it. Maybe…

Maybe becoming a Greater Fiend would not be so bad.

And then portals opened within the fabric of reality. People screamed as fiends came out of them. They ran away. Rachel ran toward them.

She moved aside from a spine and cut the head from a fiend. Bringing around her hammer, she cut off an arm, then split the beast in two. From there she hacked and slashed, driving the beasts before her. Gahrulas emerged and breathed their flame at her. Rachel weaved around the red dinosaurs and struck off their heads.

How she loved this.

She was above any mere mortal. Rachel was destined for far more.

As she fought, Rachel found herself drawing steadily nearer to the apartment. Then she halted. She heard a scream and looked back. A group of people was inside an upside-down car. Fiends were tearing at the sides.

Leave them.

They were of no concern.

Rachel rushed toward them and cleaved down the fiends. That was as much as she had time for. So why was she kneeling down, and helping the people out of it? "Thank you." a woman was saying.

This was absurd. In the time she'd been helping these things she could have killed dozens of more fiends. But what was the point of fighting if not to protect others?

"Get inside," said Rachel, "and find somewhere safe. Go now." More fiend was appearing, and Rachel turned to them in a daze. "I'll deal with these." And deal with them she did. But it was harder now. Something that had been within her, urging her on before, was now silent. She was raked across the shoulder by a claw. A surge of fire singed her left leg.

She killed and killed, but she became weary as she did.

On and on, Rachel fought. And more of the beasts came at her, the closer she got to the apartment. Wrecked cars and bodies could be seen wherever she walked. And it only got harder. Soon she reached the apartment building.

It loomed above her like a dark tower. Rachel felt the will of the Emperor, that creature which had been with her from the beginning. And she knew what he desired. Her.

She wanted to run. The Emperor desired her to enter as it will.

But Alma was within.

So she walked forward in defiance of the Emperor's will. Every step was like through deep water. Reaching the door, she opened it and found the bodies of the staff there. But there were no bodies of fiends. Had Alma not gotten this far?

Or had she not tried at all.

The elevator was out of commission, so Rachel used the stairs. She scaled higher and higher. And she found the bodies of people, but no fiends. Alma might have been fighting in another part of the apartments.

But there wasn't a sound besides the patter of the rain on the windows.

Rachel reached her floor and walked to the apartment. The doors here were broken and shattered. Blood and entrails could be seen within each room. Not a single room Rachel saw had been spared.

All save one.

Her and Alma's apartment door was ajar.

Rachel opened it and looked in. "Alma!"

But Alma was not there. And nothing was changed. Not a thing was out of place. The cards they had been playing with were still lying on the table. The curtains had been drawn aside to let in the sun. Everything was the same.

Why would only this place have been spared?

Rachel knew why. "Doku…"

And then Rachel sensed him. His spirit was rising in the skies above this building. She could feel his mind, searching for her. He was aware of her and waiting. And Rachel could sense Alma as well. But why, she could only sense fiends…

A chill went down her spine.

Rachel raced out of the apartment and found the stairs. She rushed up flight after flight, praying she wasn't too late. As she did, she felt the will of the Emperor. But it neither opposed her nor walked with her. She was a curiosity to be observed now.

She could have been more. Rachel reached the roof and kicked open the door.

Walking out, she saw Alma. Her back was to Rachel, and she was looking out over the city. The distant sound of screaming could be heard.

"Alma!" said Rachel. "What are you doing up here? The people in this city need our help!"

"So you have come at last, Rachel. I am pleased.." came the reply.

Into sight appeared Doku high above. In his hand was the Dark Dragon Blade. He descended down toward Rachel and halted. Alma turned around, and her gaze was accusing.

"Doku," said Rachel. "Why are you doing this?"

"Balance was required," said Doku. "Certain ratios are required between the number of fiends and the number of humans. You and Alma have reduced the number of lesser fiends by a significant margin.

"Thus, this city must be harvested."

"You're insane," said Rachel. She looked at Alma. "Alma, come on! We can still save these people! They don't deserve to die like this!"

"The result is inevitable." said Doku "Alma, their fate was preordained. But you have the power and choice to become far more than that. Many of your ancestors have taken the very path you stand on the threshold of.

"Will you deny them?" He offered a hand. Alma moved forward.

"Don't!" cried Rachel.

She ran forward. But Alma took Doku's hand. Even as she did, Doku drove the Dark Dragon Blade forward, through her stomach. Alma's hand became a claw. The skin became leathery and pink. She grew to greater stature, as her ears became like wings. Her blonde hair became blue tendrils as her shoulders widened to appear as armor. As the blade was drawn out, a gem of orange light appeared in her stomach. The creature that looked at Rachel now was not human. It was a Greater Fiend.

Both faded from sight even as Rachel reached them. But Doku's voice carried to her ears nonetheless. "Night is falling on the realm of mortals, Rachel. And there will be no dawn.

"You may embrace it or be consumed.

"If you wish to face me, or repent your defiance I will be in Tairon. It is there that both your destinies will be fulfilled. Where the Emperor will pass judgment on you both."

Then he was gone.

Rachel remained silent for a long moment. She was gone. Alma was gone. They'd never been apart before now, and now she had abandoned Rachel. She collapsed to her knees, feeling tears coming from her eyes.

Then the screaming reached her. The screaming of people. People with hopes, dreams, and goals of their own. What was Rachel doing? She couldn't think about this now. She wiped the tears from her eyes and picked up her axe.

First, she would protect these people. Then she would settle with Doku.

Doku was pleased to have a partial success and more pleased to be back in his armor. Less so about some of the context. Even so, he knew he ought to congratulate his prodigy. "You have chosen wisely, Alma. The Vigoor Emperor shall have a place for you among his Greater Fiends in time. You will be among the new gods that reign over this world."

As they descended together into the underworld, Alma averted her eyes. He knew what was happening. "You are thinking of your sister, Rachel.

"You need not fear. Despite her defiance, the Vigoor Emperor yet has a use for her. She will come to Tairon to find you, and there it will unfold." No need to provide the details yet. Doku had been more than prepared for this possibility. "Now come, there are some people you must meet."

They emerged out and came before the gates.

There, sitting on a throne, was the Guardian of the Underworld. He was sitting on his throne. His wooly legs were crossed, and his horned head was resting on one hand, propped up on his armrest. He arose as they approached. "Greetings, Doku." He hid his contempt well.

"Greetings, Marbus," said Doku, trying to keep the loathing out of his voice.

"You have brought only one of those you were meant to," said Marbus. "I had hoped that we might see more of a result."

"Sometimes plans must be adjusted," said Doku. "Rachel will be brought into the fold by alternative means."

"Our plans are adjusted all the time when you're involved.." mused Marbus. "Do you have any conception how you've set us back. You lost an entire army of samurai in the Hayabusa Ninja village, let your charges escape Tairon. And then you allowed them to kill hundreds of lesser fiends. Necessitating the destruction of an entire city to fill out the ranks.

"Shall I go back further than the last few months?"

Alma began to shift nervously.

"You would not be sitting on that throne without me," said Doku. "Who was it who engineered the rise of the new order, Marbus? And when was the last time you led an army into battle?"

"When was the last time you did any of the paperwork which results from your antics?" snapped Marbus.

"I have gauntlets instead of hands," said Doku. "I had difficulty holding pen decades ago. How do you expect me to use a keyboard in a digital era?"

"I don't." snapped Marbus. "I have no expectations regarding you at this stage."

"I have no time for this," said Doku. "Our presence is expected by Nicchae and Ishtaros. Now let us in."

"Of course," said Marbus. "However, first there is this thirty page document I need you to read. You'll have to sign before entering the underworld." He summoned a packet and tossed it to Doku.

"Why?" asked Doku.

"It's a document stating that you assume full responsibility if your charge causes damage," said Marbus.

"I never had to fill out this before," said Doku.

"It's a new addition," said Marbus. "Sometimes fallen heroes run into their old archenemies in the underworld. It often gets bloody. You, as their patron, have to assume responsibility for their actions. At least until such a time as they are considered a full part of the administration."

"Alma has been working for us from the very beginning," said Doku. "She does not qualify as a fallen hero."

Alma tapped her foot impatiently.

"On the contrary," said Marbus, "there was a period where she was working outside the Vigoor Empire. So yes, she is a fallen hero."

Doku wished he could just cut the thing in half. But knowing Marbus, he might have put all kinds of smaller clauses to be used as a technicality later. But he would be damned if he was the only one whose time was wasted by it.

"I'm afraid that I find myself unable to read the small text," said Doku, handing it back to Marbus. "Could you read it to me in full?"

Marbus narrowed his eyes. For a moment their gazes match. A silent challenge of will ensued. At last, Marbus snatched it up and opened it. "So be it.

"I, the undersigned, being of sound soul and mind, hereby assume full responsibility for-"

Alma facepalmed.

Author's Note:

So yeah, Marbus is notable as villains go. Despite having a relatively small amount of screentime, he gives a definite impression. More importantly, he's shown to be very important in the Emperor's administration. But Doku is clearly shown as the primary commander of the Fiends. So it isn't at all clear who outranks who.

I thus portrayed them as coworkers who hate one another. I actually do have several reasons for this. Some of them won't say here. However, one reason is that I needed something to take the edge off the constant darkness and action.