Here it is everyone Chapter 2 of Hellish Multiverse. Normally I'd do a bit of an explanation and stuff but not this time. Let's just get right into the chapter!
(Prologue)Chapter 2: All Aboard The Infinity Train!
Back inside the void in the Multiversal Gate Luna was sitting on her desk in their base. Luna was a light-skinned girl with long blonde hair reaching her back. Her hair reached over her left eye and the one left uncovered was colored purple. She had a black and white blouse on with black shorts and noire boots. Additionally, she had a sickly grey-colored scythe leaning on the wall next to her. She was trying to study all she can about the 5 worlds they were encountering
"Luna?" Someone spoke up causing Luna to slightly jump and turn around. The figure behind her was a woman with a galaxy color of hair and unnaturally colored eyes, silver with gold rings. She wore a fancy gown and had a wand/cane in her hand
"Sorry I startled you, Luna. Is something troubling you?" Celestia asked
"Apologies Celes I'm just...worried, yeah Me all of people is worried about those lunatics" Luna laughed a bit before leaning back in her chair. "I know they have Samael, Daichi, and Daigo to keep watch of them but I'm just worried how they'll fare. We barely had any time to prepare for this since Belial made his move immediately"
Celestia then placed a hand on Luna's shoulder. "Have faith in your trainees Luna. They will prevail"
"They have to. Or I'll kill them if they don't make it back alive" Luna said with a slight scowl
As that meeting happened Team 1's capsule finally landed in a forest near a bustling city. The capsule opened and Samael and his group walked out
When they landed their appearances were finally revealed. Samael had pale white skin wearing a white cloak, under it was simple gray along with gray pants and boots with white lining. Behind him was Leyla with a mid-length dress, shoes, and ribbons. Not to mention everything was covered emerald green. Then in the back were the twins Dante and Cyrus. They were both light-skinned with inverted yellow and black hair. They had lightning bolt symbols on their cheeks and both wore the same attire a denim jacket with black pants and black boots
"Samael Sir where are we?" Leyla asked
"The Slayer world I believe. It's a lot different than what I was expecting" Samael responded taking in his surroundings
"Wow! The place looks so awesome! It's so modern compared to our world!" The ever-energetic Dante said with stars in his eyes as he looked at the city
"We need to find this world's government and warn them about the Forbidden 5" Samael reminded them as he looked around before saying "Let's go. Stay close"
"Yes sir," Leyla, Cyrus, and Dante said before they followed Samael into the city. Dante was right: this world was more modern compared to the technological marvel that was their homeworld
"Place is boring..." Cyrus said halfway there. "Where are we going anyway?"
"We need to get to this world's headquarters Cyrus," Samael said before looking around. "Where is Dante?"
Leyla and Cyrus looked back to see that Dante was indeed gone
"WOAH COOL SWORDS!" They then heard him yell as they turned in that direction and saw Dante oggling the weapons of three teenagers
After healing up at the Butterfly Mansion Tanjiro had been assigned to help Rengoku clear out the demons in the Infinity Train along with his friends Zenitsu and Inosuke. What he did not expect to see was an energetic beacon of smiles run up to them and admire their katanas
"Why thank you" Tanjiro responded with a smile of his own while Zenitsu was a bit put off by the energy. Inosuke however...
"Hey! Just who the hell are you?" Inosuke snapped at Dante but then the boy just got up in his face in response.
"Woah is that a boar head! That's so cool! Where did you get it? Is it comfy? How can you see out of it? And while I'm asking these questions how did you get those blades? Why do they look broken? Why do you have two, unlike the other boys?" Dante rapidly fired off question after question As Inosuke just backed up from close Dante was to his face
"Uhhhhh" Inosuke barely knew how to respond to that as Tanjiro and Zenitsu looked on with a sweatdrop
"Dante you idiot what did we say about running off!" Cyrus called out to him as he ran and dragged his twin brother away from Inosuke
"Cyrus noooo! I want to know more about their weapons" Dante whined as Samael and Leyla walked up to the group
"Apologies about Dante. He can be very energetic when it comes to weapons" Samael bowed towards the three slayers
"Oh no, it's fine. His excitement is understandable" Tanjiro waved it off
"Excuse me but...who exactly are you people?" Zenitsu spoke up. "You don't look like you came from here"
"That's because we're travelers" Samael smiled. "My name is Samael. Behind you are my colleagues Leyla, Dante, and Cyrus"
"It's nice to meet you" Leyla bowed as Dante and Cyrus simply gave the group a head nod since they were in the middle of fighting
"It's nice to meet you all. I'm Tanjiro Kamado. These are my friends: Zenitsu and Inosuke" Tanjiro introduced himself and his friends as Zenitsu gave a wave while Inosuke puffed his chest up in pride.
"It is nice to meet you both as well" Samael held his hand out to which Tanjiro took and shook it. However, Tanjiro managed to get a whiff of Samael's scent and his face under the cloak
'This scent... it's dark and familiar...There's something different about him...' Tanjiro thought but tried not to let his worries show in fear of causing a possible fight
"Umm Tanjiro? Mr. Samael? If you guys are going on the train as well we should probably get moving. The train's leaving soon" Zenitsu said
"Oh yes! Come with us and I can introduce you to a colleague of mine" Tanjiro said
"That would be delightful Tanjiro thank you," Leyla said though she could not help but sense his aura since it was telling a different story. 'He seems so kind yet...he's hostile towards Samael. Why?' She thought
"Come now boys we're heading onto the train," Samael said as they followed Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke into the Infinity Train. Cyrus used his powers to quietly snatch four tickets for the group so they didn't waste time. Once they were all inside the train took off
As they walked through various cars Cyrus and Zenitsu had to pull Dante and Inosuke away from the windows due to them having never traveled on a train before
"This Rengoku person, he's a Hashira right?" Zenitsu asked as he dragged Inosuke along
"of course. Along with his fiery hair, I remember his scent too" Tanjiro said
'A Hashira? What could he be talking about? Though if he can remember this Rengoku fellow just by his scent then that boy's sense of smell is truly incredible' Samael thought
They walked through car after car until-
"TASTY!"
That loud voice shook all of them in surprise. "TASTY!" There it was again. When they walked further through the car they had found the source
It was the Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku saying "Tasty" every time he popped a sweet potato in his mouth
"Umm Mr. Rengoku?" Tanjiro tried to get his attention.
"Tasty!" Kyojuro turned towards Tanjiro when he said that
"Yeah we heard you the first 50 times" Tanjiro sweatdropped
'He's an odd one' Samael thought
Once Kyojuro finished his food he put down the bento box and turned towards the group. "It's you. The boy from back at masters"
"That's right, my name is Tanjiro Kamado. These are my fellow demon slayers Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira" Tanjiro said
'Demon Slayers?' Samael perked up at that
"Oooh, what are demon slayers?" Dante suddenly perked up at that and got into Tanjiro's face. "Tell me tell me please!"
Tanjiro was kinda startled from Dante getting in his face but before he could answer Cyrus pulled Dante back. "You seriously need to control yourself" He scolded to which Dante responded by pouting
"Ah and who are these people? More comrades of yours?" Kyojuro asked
"We just happened to run into Tanjiro. Don't mind too much of us" Samael waved it off. "My name is Samael. These are my colleagues Leyla, Dante, and Cyrus"
"A pleasure to meet you all. I am Kyojuro Rengoku" Kyojuro responded with a smile though he didn't take his eyes off of Samael for some reason.
"So Dante about your question. How do you not know what a Demon Slayer is?" Tanjiro asked
"We're foreigners. Didn't have to deal with this stuff so we never knew about it" Cyrus said
"Then allow me to explain. At night carnivorous creatures known as demons prowl in the night preying on innocent people to increase their power. It is our responsibility to eliminate them and keep everyone safe" Kyojuro explained
Samael's expression darkened at that. "Can they be killed?" Leyla asked though Cyrus looked at her like she was stupid for asking that
"Yes. Through Nichirin Blades. We Slayers have blades made of special ore which has absorbed sunlight, a demon's main weakness and with that blade, we unleash our breathing techniques" Kyojuro added
"Breathing techniques?" Samael said with intrigue
"Yes. They are techniques that allow us to mimic the elements themselves with our blades. Like how I use Flame Breathing" Kyojuro explained
"And how I use Water Breathing" Tanjiro added
"Well, now I've heard why Samael and his group are here. But what about you young Kamado?"
"Oh yes, we were given a mission to come here. To aid you since casualties on this train have been rising" Tanjiro explained
"Casualties? Because of demons? Leyla asked
"That's 40 people have disappeared on this train most likely because of a demon. The Demon slayer corps sent a few swordsmen to investigate but they all went silent" Kyojuro said
"WAIT WHAT?!" Zenitsu screamed out in fear
"SO COOL!" Dante said with stars in his eyes while Cyrus face-palmed at Dante's stupidity
'Demon Slayer Corps? That must be the government here' Samael thought before turning to Kyojuro. "Mind if I sit next to you?"
Kyojuro turned to Samael in slight surprise before his smile returned. "Of course"
As the train ride went on Samael and Kyojuro just looked straight ahead, the silence evident from their demeanor. Tanjiro couldn't help but be a little curious as to what Samael could want with Rengoku
"Hey, Tanjiro?" Dante perked up, making Tanjiro turn towards him. "What's in the box?"
"Oh, this?" Tanjiro turned and looked towards the box. He seemed to hesitate on telling him but unlike Samael, Tanjiro had some doubts about him, Leyla, Dante, and Cyrus seemed like good people. "Inside the box is my sister Nezuko"
Cyrus turned towards Tanjiro in confusion while Dante "OOOH "-ed. "Why is your sister in the box?" Leyla said in confusion
"My sister is a demon. I'm having her travel with me so I can find a cure to turn her back into a human. Because of the demons, she's the only family I have left"
Leyla put a hand over her mouth in horror while Dante and Cyrus gave Tanjiro looks of sympathy. They knew exactly how he felt…
"Sorry for asking if that was a bad topic…" Dante said his smile actually breaking for a sec
"No don't apologize it's fine you didn't know" Tanjiro gave them a reassuring smile
"Well if it counts Tanjiro I believe in ya" Cyrus smiled though then that smile quickly turned into a glare. "Though if you tell anyone I said that you are DEAD. Got it?"
"Y-yes, sir!" Tanjiro said in slight fear
"They're getting along quite well," Kyojuro said not even turning to look at Samael
"Yes it is good to unwind once in a while," Samael said doing the same. "Kyojuro, there is something I must tell you now. Relay it to your leaders when you are done here because they need to hear it"
"What is it?" Kyojuro asked
"We're all in danger. Beings more powerful than demons have come to your world searching for keys that'll unlock a gate straight to hell" Samael said
That caused Kyojuro to turn towards Samael, his smile disappearing. "What kind of threat are we facing here?"
"Devils and Cursed Hosts, Humans who have made deals with devils to increase their powers, and the Prince of the Devils. The prince of the devils couldn't find any of the keys here in our homeworld. That's why he's coming to yours. We're going to need all the help we can get if we wish to put a stop to him" Samael said. "I'll let you process all of this information. Please let me know of your answer later on" He then got up and walked over to Tanjiro leaving Kyojuro to contemplate what he just heard
After their little conversation went on Zenitsu was desperately trying to keep Inosuke in his seat while Cyrus was trying to keep Dante from running all over the train. Leyla had fallen asleep and Samael was deep in thought with him having switched seats with Tanjiro after his and Kyojuro's talk
Kyojuro was also deep in thought thinking about what Samael was talking about. 'Surely he must be joking. Our world? Devils and Devil Hosts? Prince of the Devils?' Even Kyojuro was having a hard time believing this
Tanjiro however could not stop staring at Samael in curiosity. "Is something bothering you young Kamado?" Kyojuro suddenly spoke up from his train of thought
"Oh, nothing it's just…" Tanjiro looked at Kyojuro and then looked back at Samael. "It's about Samael...his scent is similar to that of a demon yet it's different at the same time. I can't put my finger on it"
"I see. You're thinking that Samael may be a demon?" Kyojuro said
"I'm not sure," Tanjiro said, though he sounded a bit hurt after saying that. Samael did seem like a good man
Kyojuro took a moment to look back at Samael 'That would possibly explain why he told me all of that information. He's trying to trick me. But I can't be certain if he's lying or not' He thought in frustration.
After the conductor checked their tickets the lights started flickering
'This presence..' Samael thought as he looked up and behind him
'This scent…It's horrible...' Tanjiro stood up as well
"Thank you...very much..." The conductor drawled
Kyojuro was next to follow, turning around and placing his hand on the hilt of his blade. "Conductor. Apologies for the sword. But there is a reason. So please keep a safe distance" Kyojuro advised before turning to Samael's group. "That goes for you four as well"
"No way if a demon is on the train then I want to fight them!" Dante complained but Cyrus smacked him across his head
"Not happening" Cyrus scolded again
The lights flicked once more but once they were back to normal, a demon had appeared in the middle of the seats causing all the people to panic
'So that's a demon? Not exactly what I was expecting' Samael thought
"What a giant. Did you use a blood demon art?" Kyojuro questioned. "It was difficult to detect you. But know this, if you bare your fangs towards the innocent" He then unsheathed his sword, the heat already rising as he stared the demon down with conviction. "I will see your bones turned to ash. With my bright red blade of fire!"
Needless to say, Leyla, Dante, and Cyrus were surprised by the aura Kyojuro was giving off. Though Samael remained calm he too was impressed internally. 'His aura is immense. He may be able to stand a chance against a low-rank devil'
The demon responded to Kyojuro's declaration with a guttural roar.
"Flame Breathing First Form:..."
The demon roared once again and charged at Kyojuro however once hid Kyojuro was right behind him. He moved so fast that barely anyone noticed it
"...Unknowing Fire!"
At the same speed, Kyojuro swung his sword and decapitated the demon with one swing. With how fast he was going Kyojuro ended up crashing through the next car but the job was done. No second later from losing its head the demon exploded in midair
"Amazing…" Leyla said in shock
"And with a single slice…" Tanjiro added in the same state
Looking back at the car he just left, Kyojuro then turned the one in front of him. "There's still one more...Come with me!" Kyojuro announced before running towards the next car
Tanjiro quickly grabbed his sword before running after Kyojuro
"All right!" Inosuke said with glee as he chased after the two of them with Zenitsu looking at them with disbelief and fear.
"Hey don't leave me here!" Zenitsu wailed once he finally got up and ran after them
"Samael what should we do?" Leyla said
"We only interfere if they need help. We don't want to make ourselves suspicious" Samael said but then Dante said
"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" The overenergetic boy grabbed his weapon, a technological foldable sledgehammer before running after the four of them
"Damn it, Dante!" Cyrus ran after his idiotic twin brother. Samael just facepalmed at this
"So much for not looking suspicious," Leyla said before the both of them followed suit
Meanwhile, with Kyojuro most of the people in the car he just entered were already running away from a long towering demon in the middle of the car
One of the civilians was stuck under him with no place to go as the demon trained its eyes on him
"You will not lay a finger on that man!" Kyojuro said, gaining the demon's attention. Then Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu arrived at his side. "Let me make this clear. Your opponents stand before you now"
"DON'T FORGET ME!"
All of a sudden Dante crashed through the car door and smashed his sledgehammer into the side of the demon's face knocking it off balance and smashing it into the side of the car
"Dante?!" Tanjiro said in shock and surprise as Zenitsu, Inosuke, and even Kyojuro shared this response
Then Samael, Leyla, and Cyrus entered the car as well. "Damn it Dante we told you not to get involved!"
"But I wanted to fight it!" Dante whined before he turned and noticed the demon getting back up. "Oh he's a toughie"
Samael then noticed the civilian hiding in the corner. "Well then since the cat's out of the bag now, Cyrus see to it that that civilian is escorted to safety"
Cyrus nodded before his entire body emitting electricity(Sorta like Electro)
"Woah your whole body's glowing?!" Zenitsu screamed in fear and worry
Cyrus merely ignored Zenitsu before rushing towards the man and carrying him back towards their side of the car
"Dante leave the demon open for Kyojuro," Samael said as Kyojuro, although he was still questioning just what was happening, prepared to strike
"Ok!" Dante said as, with one arm and without even looking might I add, he swung his sledgehammer upwards right into the demon's chin almost making it break through the roof. Though as it fell back down Kyojuro made his move
"Flame Breathing Second Form:..."
Kyojuro dashed forward placing himself slightly underneath the demon
"...Rising Scorching Sun!"
Kyojuro then swung his blade upwards in an arc cutting right through the demon's neck, effectively beheading it. Its limp body came crashing back down to the floor before it disappeared. Once it was gone, Kyojuro sheathed his sword
"Now then I appreciate your group's help...but now I have to ask" Kyojuro then turned around staring straight at Samael. "Who are you all? I want the truth"
Dante's smile dropped thinking he screwed his group over
Samael stayed silent for a bit. "Kyojuro, be honest with me. Did you believe what I had told you before?"
"What he told you? Mr. Rengoku, what is he talking about? Tanjiro asked
"What you said about devils and my world. No. I thought you were just being delusional" Kyojuro answered honestly. "That or all 4 of you are demons"
"Demons?! We just tried to help you!" Leyla said in outrage
"Calm down Leyla, that won't exactly help our case. Though I know something that will" Samael said before turning to Tanjiro. "I've noticed you've had some doubts about me Tanjiro"
Tanjiro's eyes widened. "Tell me. Do I smell like a demon to you? Do any of us smell like demons to you?"
Tanjiro was slightly scared at how Samael was able to notice his disdain towards him this entire time. Though he calmed down quickly and took a few sniffs. "No. Though your scents may be familiar they're different from demons. They're different from...humans...too?" Tanjiro slowed down mid-sentence noticing that something like that shouldn't be possible
"That's right. Because we are not from this world. We come from a world that is plagued by war due to the influence of a species similar to demons, known as devils" Samael explained
"A different world?" Tanjiro's eyes widened
"D-d-devils…?" Zenitsu stuttered
"Yes. Their leader, the prince of the devils, Belial is hellbent on opening the gates to the realm of darkness to release his parents, the rightful rulers of devils. However, he has discovered that the keys to unlocking him lie not in his world but several other worlds. One of those worlds happens to be your world" Samael said causing Tanjiro and Kyojuro's eyes to widen even further, Zenitsu was utterly trembling from fear, while Inosuke just didn't know what the heck was happening
"I and my colleagues are members of a resistance hoping to intercept Belial's subordinates and prevent them from getting the keys" Samael explained before his gaze turned from calm to deadly serious. "All of you listen closely to what I'm about to tell you. If Belial gets his hands on all 5 keys and opens the realm of darkness it'll not only mean the end of my world but the end of yours as well" Samael explained
Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Kyojuro were silent after what they just heard. The end of their world? As if Kibutsuji wasn't bad enough to deal with already. The silence continued for a good 2 minutes
"I don't think they believe you, sir…" Leyla whispered
"Don't be so sure Leyla" Samael silently reassured her. 'They have to believe me...or they'll be dooming their own their world'
"I believe you" Tanjiro suddenly spoke up causing everyone to look towards him
"I'll admit it does sound sketchy but...if Samael was truly lying to us then he would have stuttered or messed up a few words. From the way he said and the scent he gave off I could tell that every word he said was the truth" Tanjiro explained
"You could tell if Samael was lying or not just from how he smelled?" Cyrus said in disbelief
"Don't underestimate Tanjiro's sense of smell," Zenitsu sighed. "If Tanjiro believes you then I do too he's never been wrong about these kinds of things"
"I don't know what you were talking about Sammy but if those devils think they can mess with the great Inosuke then I'll tear them to shreds!" The resistance group, minus Dante, sweatdropped at Inosuke's boastfulness and his nickname for Samael
"Well three of you believe me...what about you Kyojuro?" Samael asked looking towards the Flame Hashira
Kyojuro himself was deep in thought. He hadn't been around Tanjiro that long so he couldn't really trust that incredible sense of smell. However when he looked at Samael's the only thing he could see in them was the same thing he saw in Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke: Pure hearted youths who won't hesitate to help anyone. If Samael had been lying about this and was a demon that pure heartedness wouldn't exist
There's also the fact that Cyrus manifested electricity without using a breathing style. If that was a blood demon art then Kyojuro would've caught it but that wasn't the case either. Their clothes didn't look like anything from their era
When you put all the variables together there were still so many things to consider but...maybe they really were from a different world
"Belial's subordinates…" Kyojuro finally spoke up. "You said they were devil hosts...and we may encounter them while they are searching for the keys. Just what keys are they looking for?"
"We're not sure but they'll tear apart the entire world just to find it. They'll also ally with whatever enemies the world they're infiltrating has. In this case, they'll most likely ally with the creator of these demons" Samael explained
'Muzan Kibutsuji...' Tanjiro growled inwardly
"That's why we were hoping to warn the government of this world so they can be prepared and intercept them before they make any headway," Samael said
"I see...Hmmm...alright, I'll believe you. When this is all over we can head to Demon Slayer Crops headquarters. You can inform the master of this new threat. That may not be the same for my fellow hashiras however" Kyojuro said. 'Especially when it comes to Shinazugawa and Iguro' He mentally added
"Don't worry we shall cross that bridge when we get there. Though while we're here allow us to help you with this mission. We can be valuable assets" Samael offered
"Of course. We value and accept your help. Thank you Samael" Kyojuro nodded and shook Samael's hand
With that, the combined group returned to their seats all sleeping soundly after the massive tension situation earlier
Elsewhere in the upper cars the conductor from before was seen running straight through them before he collapsed on his knees. He looked distraught and was in tears
"As ordered I've put them all to sleep, sir! Now please...do the same to won't you...reunite me with my wife and daughter" The conductor tearfully begged. "I'm begging you…"
"Certainly"
Suddenly an unsettlingly pale white hand dropped from the roof before it stood on its five fingers. A mouth had grown on the back of its palm and a light blue grew next to it. Inside the eye was the kanji for one
"You did a fine job," The talking hand said. "Now sleep forever"
With those words said a sudden wave of energy overcame the conductor before he collapsed on the floor.
"Dream that you are with your family again," It said
"Pardon me…" A feminine but tired, almost hypnotic voice said, causing the hand to turn around. Four teenagers, probably around Tanjiro's age
"What would you like...from us?"
"Those who are sleeping now will sink even deeper," The hand said. "Wait here until then. A few demon hunters sometimes wake unexpectedly from sensing a demon. So be very careful when you are tying them up that you do not directly touch their bodies. I must remain in the first car for the time being. 'Til everything's prepared I wish you good luck. You all want wonderful dreams after all"
Back up in the first car, an unsettlingly pale man with a similarly shaped hand to the one from before was standing on top of the first car. "Those 4 others with the demon slayers. Are you sure your puppets can handle them?"
The girl from back in the Infinity Castle was standing behind Enmu. "Of course. Puppets they may be my Dark Disciples are very reliable. They'll drag Samael and his team of fools into their deepest darkest nightmares"
As Samael was sleeping away he suddenly found himself in an open field back in his homeworld
"Am I back home? How did I?" Samael wondered to himself as he walked around
He thought everything was going to be fine...little did he know
"So this is where you were? I never knew that you were such a heavy sleeper Samael"
At that voice, Samael's eyes widened and were quickly filled with tears. That voice...it couldn't be…
"...Brother…?"
The nightmare was just beginning
And Boom! The second chapter is done and done. The Kamaboko squad + Rengoku are now a part of the resistance! We also witnessed Cyrus' powers
Cyrus has the ability to turn his body into a living lightning bolt giving him the ability to control electricity and use it whenever he wants. However he does have a limit to how much electricity he can use and he can run out of power. When that happens he has to sleep for a whole day to recharge
I lost motivation a few times on this chapter so I seriously hope that doesn't happen again(Speaking of which Chapter 5 of Devils and Dragons is coming soon). Anyway, that's all from me! Stay tuned for the next chapter as we get into a bit of Team 1's backstories as Enmu and the first of the Forbidden 5 have finally made their move
Blueheartz out.