Hello, all you sinners. I just want to say that if you guys enjoy Harry Potter, go check out my new fic that is a crossover with Hazbin Hotel called "Devil of A Wizard". Basically, a what-if Harry was adopted into the Morningstar Family at an early age. Also, someone tried to plagiarize this story on Wattpad and used a different title and in Spanish without my permission! The good news is, I won the case and the copycat's account was removed and had to be taken down. Anyway, this chapter is inspired by BoyGoo500 as he thought it would be a cool idea. But first, let's get to the Q&A.
Ndean192: Not a bad idea but I didn't plan that. If anything, he would beat up all of D.H.O.R.K.S. up instead of killing them.
Pirohiko-Baltazar: Not a bad weapon choice and thank you for understanding.
Clown2107: Thanks and No there is no connection to the Hazbin Demons and the Devil Arms of the past. For example, Alastor the Radio Demon and Alastor the electric sword have no connection. But I'm sure Dante wouldn't mind lending it out to them. Yes, Beowulf and the Fallen are angels but lesser angels that are higher than a cherub but turned demon and sinner. As for the last question. Yes and No at the same time on Seviation showing up. Also, he has no connection to that Levitation besides the smell.
Rennie Quesada(Guest): I'm glad you like the story and the pairing, but Vergil is not gonna be here because of good reasons. Also, please make an account cause it seems like you're spamming and some of this seems like I can answer in a PM.
Also, let's try and get this story on TVTropes. Anyway, let's dive into Hell!
Mission 15
Wild Wrath of a Stallion
Ring of Wrath
"That should take care of that," Joe said as he wrestled down the last hell hog and tired it up. "Going to eat good tonight!" Picking up the dead animal as he headed towards the house.
"Already done with the chores, Joe," Lin asked as she saw her husband carry the dead animal in his arms.
"Yep. And it looks like we are going to have a meal for three days thanks to this fellow," the small muscular imp told his wife. "How about getting the kids and we start cutting this porker up?"
"I'll go get them right now," Lin said as she went inside to get her family. There was a lot of work to do since their last farmhand turned out to be an assassin. He may have kept the place in shape, but he hurt their daughter, even if she could take care of herself, and nearly killed one of the higher beings in Hell's hierarchy. She just wished that there was some help at Rough n' Tumbleweed Ranch. "Kids! Go and help your Pa with dinner! He got himself a big one!"
"Never mind that, Lin! Get the youngins in the cellar, quick," Joe shouted to his family.
"Joe, what do yo-" Lin was about to argue but she could tell this was serious as he ran inside the building and grabbed her by the arm.
"Come on, kids! Hurry!"
Sallie May and her brothers didn't argue with their father because of the tone of his voice. They knew he was serious about this and followed him down into the house's cellar. "Pa, what is going on? You haven't been this serious since Satan knows when," Sallie May questioned. But soon, she knew why he was in such a rush to get to the cellar when she saw the biggest firestorm ever coming their way.
The small, yet muscular imp opened the cellar doors as he let his wife and kids go first. "Go, go, go! And be careful of the bear traps," he said as he watched as Lin and the kids made their way down. Once he made sure they were inside, he took a good look around before going down and locking the door behind him.
The time felt like it was passing by slowly as the storm raged on. The family of imps could hear the tearing of wood, shattering of glass, and the howls of other animals were heard as the family huddled together to shield each other. But some of them could have sworn that the loudest animal crying out was that of an unfamiliar horse, which sounded more like a demon than the regular horses in Hell.
Soon, the storm started to die down and after what seemed to be the end, Joe unlocked the chain that held the cellar and opened the doors to see the destruction. The entire ranch was in ruins. The house was barely standing, the livestock was dead and cooked to a crisp and the wheat was destroyed along with other crops. "What the Heaven was that storm!?"
"I have no idea, Joe But whatever it was, it's still going," Lin said as she pointed out the burning tornado in the distance as it took out the other farmhouses along with some imps that met the same fate as their livestock. "I've never seen a flame twister that big and that long. It's not normal."
"Ma? Pa? Do twisters normally leave hoofprints," Sallie May asked as both Joe and Lin wondered what she was talking about. They stood right behind their transgender daughter and saw what she saw. A trail of huge hoofprints was dug into the ground where the twister passed through then disappeared.
"This is no normal storm. Whatever did all this is a beast like no other," the imp father said as he noted the dark ash in the hoofprints.
"What should we do, Joe?"
"I don't know Lin. But whatever it is, needs to be stopped."
Pride Ring: Imp City
"Here you go. Your cut of the pay," Dante told the former circus imp as he handed him his percentage of money that he earned from the rotten sinners I.M.P. killed in the human world while Dante made sure they don't exist anymore.
"Holy shit, that's a lot of money," Blitzo said as he grabbed the cash that the white-haired hunter dropped on the desk. "I'm assuming business must be going well for you."
"Somewhat. Although your targets weren't that hard to kill since you know, they didn't put up much of a fight."
"Look, they deserve to be sent to this shithole for a number of things. Being able to kill a guy might be one, but it doesn't mean they have to be good at it," Blitzo said. "If I knew you were getting paid to kill whatever tries to split your intestines, I would have done business with you instead of that horny owl."
"As I said, I don't swing that way. And I don't even want to know what made you go that way to a married man, whose wife hates him and wants you dead and turned into a rug," Dante said as he grabbed a bottle of whiskey and poured a glass. While he did, the taller imp was barely phased at this information.
"I'm not too thrilled about it either since I need that book just to get my job," Blitzo said as he grabbed the bottle of whiskey and poured a glass for himself.
"That's pretty low. Selling yourself for business," Dante said as he took a sip of his whiskey.
"Like you're the one to talk. I bet you did the same thing," Blitzo pointed a finger at the half-breed.
"That's where you're wrong. I earned my business through a lot of hard work."
"And probably enough demon blood to color that jacket red forever. Either that or the blood staining it is your own," Blitzo remarked as he cracked a joke about Dante's signature coat.
"Half and half," Dante quipped as Moxxie and Millie arrived. "Speaking of, how are you two doing," he said as he looked at the shorter demons of I.M.P. before noticing the look on Millie's face. "Something wrong?"
"Blitz, me, and Mox would like to have a leave of absence for a few days," Millie said out of the blue.
"Fuck no," the taller imp said plainly. "I still have a list of clients that want to have a bone to pick with the dirtbags that got them here."
"Sir, please," Moxxie said to their boss. "This is a family emergency. We just got a call from Millie's parents. They said that their house and their neighbors' homes were destroyed by a weird firestorm like no other."
"Why should I even be involved with your little family issues," Blitzo replied, idly swirling his whiskey around before taking a large sip.
"They said something about burnt horse tracks in the middle of the destruction," Millie answered, knowing their boss had a love of horses, which immediately caused him to do a spit take aimed at Moxxie.
With his face drenched in spit and whiskey, Moxxie grumbled. "Your comedic timing is impeccable, sir," the white-haired imp deadpanned.
"Why didn't you say so?! You can go, but only if I tag along for the ride," Blitzo exclaimed as he slammed his glass on the table out of excitement and ignored Moxxie completely, turning to the white-haired hunter. "We'll collect our next business payment in a few days."
'Burnt horse tracks in the middle of a firestorm? Could it be him,' Dante thought, wondering if it was something familiar he heard about long ago. "Where exactly was this whole thing," Dante asked Millie.
"The Ring of Wrath," Millie replied.
"Ring of Wrath?"
"The Ring of Wrath is Hell's main location for agriculture," Charlie explained to Dante after he returned to the hotel. "The demons that are born there are usually aggressive warriors and ruled by Satan. Not to be confused with my dad, Lucifer. Why do you seem so interested?"
"I think something from my old man's past is there. Is there any way to get to the Ring of Wrath," Dante asked as he looked at the other demons as well.
"Sinners are usually stuck here in the Ring of Pride, but other demons can use their powers or a special elevator to go down to the other rings of Hell," Vaggie explained.
"Well, I'm half-demon. So I guess that means I can go to the other rings with ease," Dante said feeling confident. "Wait, why can't any of you go?"
"Just a law," Terry said as he had no interest in going. "You have to be naturally born in Hell to go, but you may be an expectation since your dad was born here. If you're a sinner, you need to know the right people."
"Kind of annoying if you ask me. But hey, even Hell has to have rules to prevent mass chaos," Lechuza remarked as she had a hard cider.
"Where's my mascara," Angel Dust shouted from his room.
"Lechuza, what did I say about stealing," Charlie gently scolded the harpy like she was a kindergarten teacher talking to a naughty child.
"Do you really think I'm here because of petty thefts," Lechuza responded before several objects fell out of her hair, including Angel's mascara alongside Vaggie's knives and several other items. "Partly," the owl lady admitted, knowing she was caught.
"Give everything back before Vaggie does something to keep you in line," Charlie said, not wanting any trouble.
"Trust her when she says that," Dante voiced as the moth demon looked like she was going to pop another vein.
Not wanting to suffer the wrath of Vaggie, the owl harpy lady quickly scooped the knives she took in her hands, grabbed the rest of her stolen items, and ran up the stairs.
"Why did you have to bring a patient that has a knack for stealing stuff," Vaggie wondered out loud to the red-coated demon hunter.
"Because drug addicts and murderers are not going to cut it with the hotel's reputation," Dante defended his actions. "But I'll get out of your hair since I'm going to the Ring of Wrath."
"I'm coming with you," Charlie told the demon hunter as this surprised him, Vaggie, and the other guests.
"Babe, no. You need to stay with your clients," the demon hunter told the Princess of Hell.
"Then how are you going to get to the Wrath Ring if you don't know where to go," Charlie asked as she leaned forward, smirking coyly as she did. The demon hunter was ready to make his argument, but couldn't since he had nothing. "Thought so. Besides, Vaggie can run the hotel while we are gone."
"Oh no, I'm coming too," Vaggie said. "Wrath is no place to go alone. Since Dante thinks something Sparda was involved with is there, I'm sticking by you while he probably fights it."
"You're just jealous that she's spending more of her time with her new boyfriend," Angel retorted as he came into the room with his mascara fixed up.
"I am not jealous!"
"Actually, she has a point," Charlie brought up. "It would probably be good to see what's happening with Vaggie coming with us to the Ring of Wrath."
Upon hearing the location's name, Angel Dust perked up. "You know, I am getting sick of the city a bit. How about I come with you guys?"
"Hell no," both Dante and Vaggie replied in unison.
"Oh, come on! It might help get me closer to Heaven or whatever," Angel complained.
"It sounds like a great idea," Charlie said with her eyes glittering like an anime character before turning to her lovers. "Can he come? Please?"
Not being able to resist Charlie's face, Vaggie and Dante both sighed. "Fine. Only if he behaves himself," Vaggie told Charlie before muttering to herself. "He had to say the H-word."
"Just stick close, I can't watch all of you since we're also going with those I.M.P. guys from the whole Dread thing," Dante explained.
"Why are they coming," Vaggie asked, ticked off at the mention of the Immediate Murder Professionals.
"The family of the imp girl was affected by something that was basically a firestorm with feet," Dante stated. Hearing this, everyone was confused by the description. However, Alastor smiled as he thought back to the stories of Sparda and realized what may be responsible.
Walking into the elevator station, Dante was surprised by the almost divine-looking area due to all the white and gold. "For Hell, this has to be the nicest looking thing around."
"Daddy, made it when he first ruled Hell and gave the highest-ranked demons their kingdom to rule over and travel to," Charlie stated.
"That explains the heavenly look," Dante remarked, looking around as he remembered Lucifer was a fallen angel and not exactly a demon.
"Yeah, yeah, fancy-looking we know. Why is the princess, the crazy knife bitch, and the porn star coming along," Blitzo asked.
"They wanted to," Dante said with his tone indicating there was no room for arguments.
"Sir, you invite yourself to places me and Millie go all the time," Moxxie pointed out. "Besides, the princess can do what she wants."
"No one asked for your opinion, Moxxie," Blitzo told his employee. "Fine, but keep your girlfriend out of the way."
"I am," Dante said.
To the taller imps surprise, he didn't say 'not my girlfriend' or anything in that manner. "Wait, what did you say?"
"I said I am. Gotta keep my girl safe after all," the demon hunter said as he wrapped an arm around her. "Otherwise her old man will kill me and give my coat to his wife."
This gave the founder of I.M.P. a smug smirk. "Oh, so you two finally hit it off, huh? Who's top and who's bottom?"
This of course made the demon hunter sigh in irritation while Vaggie slapped the imp across the face, getting a snicker out of Loona. "Idiot. He's just as bad as Angel."
"Speaking of, where is he," Charlie asked, searching for Angel before hearing him near the elevator for the Ring of Lust.
"Oh, come on! Let me in! I'm with the Princess here and we're heading to Lust. You got to believe me," Angel said as he was standing in front of the guards in the Ring of Lust.
"I should have known he wanted to just go to the Lust Ring this whole time," Vaggie said as she facepalmed herself. "Angel! Get your ass over here right now or else you'll be sent back to the hotel!"
Feeling defeated, the ex-porn star mumbled to himself as he turned around and headed back to the crew, sitting next to Blitzo. "Sucks that you can't suck the guy off to get on," Blitzo joked. Angel's only retort to the imp was flipping him off with three hands.
"He really is a manwhore, isn't he," Loona asked Vaggie as she looked at her phone. "How can you stand him?"
"I can't. I want to rip his arms out of his sockets and make him slap himself," Vaggie growled as she started to grind her teeth.
"I feel you. Sometimes, I want to rip off my dad's dick and shove it down his throat," Loona told Vaggie. The two of them laughed at their sense of humor. "The way I see it, your client is like a little brother you have to keep an eye on."
"Could say the same with your dad," Vaggie complemented.
"He can be so immature, he used one client's entire advance payment on a horse figurine," the female hellhound huffed.
"Elevator 666 departing for Wrath in FIVE FUCKING MINUTES," the station announcer said before they screamed the last part. The group walked over to the destination before they each sat down.
Ring of Wrath
"So this is Wrath? Not too surprising if you ask me," Dante said as he looked around to see the orange sky and the many cacti surrounding the place.
"Yep, it's so good to be back home again," Millie said as she pressed her face on the window of the I.M.P van. "And when I get my hands on the varmint who messed up my family's home, I'll make them regret everything!"
"Okay, Mills, let me just say one thing. If the walking shitstorm turns out to be a horse of any kind, you are forbidden to kill it, whatsoever," Blitzo said as he drove the van. "That goes for everyone, not even you!"
As the countryside rolled by, Dante began to lie back and relax. "Wake me when we're there."
"We're here," Millie shouted as the van stopped on short notice, making Dante fall off his seat.
When they arrived at the entrance of Rough & Tumbleweed Ranch, the place was in shambles. Plywood holding the house in places, wheat destroyed, livestock dead with mud and dust covering them. "What happened here? It's not like the typical disasters in Wrath at all," Charlie voiced.
"Ma? Pa? Sallie May? Anyone," Millie called out as she got out of the van.
"Mildred? Is that you," Lin asked as she came out of the house holding some planks of wood. Seeing her daughter, the imp mother dropped what she carried to let Millie embrace her.
"Ma! Is everything alright? When you called, I was so worried," Millie said as she hugged her mother tight.
"Lin, just what happened here," Moxxie asked, surveying the damage around the ranch for himself.
Lin turned to Moxxie and Millie after backing out of her daughter's grip, then answered their questions. "The good news is everyone in the family is fine. But we can't say the same for the farm," Lin said. "Your Pa was the first one to spot it before it came."
"And what exactly was it," Blitzo asked as he and the others all walked up to the imps.
"No one knows exactly. It looked like a firestorm like no other. Only it wasn't just that. It was like there was an animal, too," Lin explained.
"Do you know what it looked like," Dante asked as he approached the imp's mother.
"Not really, you're actually standing on its tracks now," Lin said to Dante before turning to I.M.P. again. "Who's the dashing man here?"
Moxxie was the first to answer when he whispered to his mother-in-law. "That's the Son of Sparda, Dante."
Hearing this, Lin gasped in awe before turning back to the house. "Kids! The Son of Sparda himself is here," she shouted. This made Sallie May, her four sons, and Joe drop everything and check.
"Well, curse my boots and saddle my horse. It is him," Joe said as the boys ran like a flock of chickens out of a henhouse.
"Are you really the Son of Sparda?"
"Is it true you beat Mundus like your old man?"
"Is that sword heavy to swing?"
"Are you single," the last question coming from Sallie May.
"Okay, easy now," Dante said before answering the imps surrounding him. "One and two, yes. Three, not really. Four, I'm taken already." Upon hearing that, the imp brothers all gave hushed exclamations of wonder while Sallie May snapped her fingers in disappointment. "Now if you'll give me a second to look at these prints, it will be much obliged." The imps gave him the space he needed as he bent down to look at the ashen prints left behind. 'No doubt about it, this has got to be him', Dante thought to himself before saying one thing. "Zephyrus."
"Zephyrus? Why is that familiar," Charlie asked. For some reason, she thought she had heard that name before.
"I had my suspicions, but it's definitely him," Dante said as he looked to the sky. 'So this is where you were hiding.'
"Hey, mind filling the peanut gallery in? Since you obviously know something," Angel Dust asked.
"Alright, it's only fair since this is technically my mess. Or at least, Dad's," Dante said as he faced the small crowd. "Zephyrus is the name of my father's horse. A stallion that he rode into battle when Sparda slew his brethren for the battle on Earth. Its hooves created hellfire everywhere it stomped. Its wings blew like a hurricane as it soared through the air. Haven't seen him ever since Dad left on his mission and died. Disappeared for a very long time."
"That's why I remember the name! Dad told me about the story of Sparda many times before bed," Charlie suddenly remembered. "But why is he causing all sorts of damage now?"
"That's what we're going to find out," Dante said before looking out into the horizon.
"Maybe he's looking for a mate. I'm sure he's really tense since he hasn't done it for how long?" Angel suggested, half-serious before Vaggie punched him in the ribs.
"Does everything that comes out of your damn mouth have to involve sex," the moth demon yelled at the six-armed sinner.
"Not always, it talks about liquor or how I'm gonna prank my next victim," he said as the female moth demon gave him a deadpan look. "So how are you going to find the bronco? He might be in hiding."
"I can find him easily," Loona offered plainly, admittedly intrigued by the idea of a horse that Sparda rode into battle. "All I need is something to go off of it and done, I can find the target."
"Great idea, Loony! This is why you're the best Hellhound ever," Blitzo said as he praised his daughter.
Loona blushed as she shoved the tall imp aside and took a deep sniff of the tracks while standing near them. With the scent memorized, Loona began to look around for the horse's location before seeing it currently heading west of the ranch. "That way," she said.
"That's my girl! Now lead the way," Blitzo said he ran west of where they were.
Moxxie facepalmed himself as he followed behind his boss at his fascination with horses as he followed him accompanied by Dante, Charlie, Vaggie, Angel, and Millie.
After walking for nearly an hour, most of the group was feeling exhausted due to not changing into proper footwear. "My feet are killing me," Angel said as he felt like his feet were screaming in pain. "How much longer do we have to keep going!?"
"I can't give you an exact time since the horse is moving," Loona said as she was trying to pick up on the trail.
"Can we… stop for… five minutes… to rest…" Moxxie pleaded as his feet were hurting him. "My blisters have blisters."
"Quit your whining Mox, we have a horse to find," Blitzo said, putting down his employee. "You don't see Millie complaining."
"That's because I grew up around here," the female imp said, defending her husband. "Besides, Moxxie's not the only one who's tired," she pointed out.
Trailing behind the imps, Dante and Vaggie had to carry Charlie as she leaned against them. "I knew I should have worn boots," Charlie said with a whine as her legs felt like jelly.
"Why is the stupid horse moving around anyway? Where's it going? What does it want," Vaggie complained.
"Who knows. Maybe it's looking for me, somebody's chasing it, or it's gone mad from being alone for too long," Dante suggested.
Suddenly, Loona stopped and sniffed the air before seeing the trail that the horse left behind started to change direction. Not only that, she picked up something else. "I think all of them might be right," Loona said. "It's circling back around. Not only that, I smell somebody else."
"Really," Vaggie asked, surprised at Loona's information.
"Yeah. It's actually familiar for some reason. Don't know why, though," the hellhound remarked.
"Huh? Don't know anyone else around Wrath we know too well. Except for this one guy," Blitzo said as the first thought that came up was the rattlesnake of an imp that plotted to assassinate Stolas at the Harvest Moon Festival, Striker.
While the Immediate Murder Professionals thought about the possibly familiar scent Loona noticed, Dante saw fresh ash blowing in the wind. "He's close," the demon hunter stated.
The wind blew stronger than before as the sounds of a wild horse were heard not too far away. Hearing it, Blitzo ran toward the noise with everyone else following behind him. Soon enough, the group arrived at a charred field where a ring of fire surrounded the blackened soil near a watering hole. Surprisingly, the water was untouched by the flames despite a large shark corpse left with severe burns on the edge. Seeing the same type of shark that harassed him through his last visit to the Ring of Wrath, Moxxie laughed to himself before he noticed something. "Look," he whispered as he pointed everyone to something approaching.
Walking towards the watering hole was a black stallion with razor-sharp fangs and a four-pronged jaw, making it look like some sort of vampiric equine. It also had a mane and tail that resembled silver flames, several scars across its body that formed patterns similar to a stained-glass window, and large bat-like wings that were currently folded at rest. As it stepped closer to the shark, it swung its head and the fiery mane knocked the demonic fish away like it was nothing but a fly.
"That's Zephyrus," Charlie asked in awe. "He's…"
"Magnificent," said Blitzo as he began to step closer toward the field. "I want to touch him."
"Sir, that's probably a bad idea. He could be dangerous for all we know," Moxxie tried to warn his boss but was ignored by the taller imp as he got closer. "Of course, he chooses to ignore me since he sees a horse."
"Why does he even like them anyway? Charlie, I can understand," Angel questioned as he pointed his right-hand thumbs at Charlie, who had the same face as a little girl that was meeting her idol for the first time and couldn't believe it.
"Says he met one that was very divine or something. Maybe he was tripping balls on some shit," Loona said as she got her phone ready. "Something tells me I should record this."
"Hey there," Blitzo approached the stallion as it looked at him and took a stance before stretching its wings out to look intimidating and flapping them as silvery sparks shot out. "Whoa, whoa, easy there. I'm not gonna hurt you, I just want to pet you is all. Can I do that?" Zephyrus glared at Blitzo, judging what he was going to do.
As the tall imp made his way to the stallion, Vaggie spoke to Dante. "If this is Sparda's own mount, I don't think this will be easy for him."
Blitzo watched as Zephyrus turned away and went back to the water for a drink. This gave the imp the chance to pet the horse. "I love horses. They're majestic and powerful creatures. Wild and free, hard workers, they can endure quite a lot," he said as he reached for the stallion's leg. "They also have big dicks, which I relate to." Immediately after the stallion heard that he kicked at Blitzo and his back hoof struck him right below the belt. The imp was sent flying back toward I.M.P and landing on Moxxie's back, making both demons grunt in pain. Blitzo was in so much agony that he was holding onto his nuts as if they were his most prized possession. "Why did he do that," Blitzo asked with his voice several octaves higher than normal.
Vaggie and Loona laughed hard when they saw Blitzo get kicked in the balls by a horse, but Charlie and the others winced in sympathy. "Guess he doesn't like you," Dante remarked.
"Let me try," Angel said after shaking off the sympathy pain. He jumped over towards Zephyrus and looked the horse in the eyes. "For mooks that won't listen, you just gotta grab by the balls and make them listen," the spider demon said. But as he reached for Zephyrus, the horse turned around and bucked him away, once again aiming for the crotch. As Angel went flying into Blitzo and Moxxie, Vaggie was practically laughing her head off at what she witnessed and fell to the ground as Loona showed her she caught it on camera.
"I actually got it filmed," Loona laughed as she pulled the video back to the moment where Blitzo got kicked. Even playing it in slow motion to savor the scene.
"I think they shrunk," the imp and the spider said, sounding like a pair of chipmunks on helium as they kept a hold on their groins.
After Millie helped her husband off the ground, she turned to Dante. "You don't think he's going to do that to you, right," she asked.
"I'm not those two," Dante said as he began to walk toward Zephyrus' field. When he arrived, the horse immediately faced him and looked at the demon hunter. With a snort, he blew sparks at Dante before realizing he carried the blood of his old master. "I know you used to belong to Dad. Why are you like this?"
Zephyrus snorted as he approached the red-clad hunter. The stallion eyed Dante and the half-demon wondered why he was doing that. Then suddenly, the horse reared back as black and silver flames erupted from below, enveloping the beast. Dante knew that this meant one thing from what he heard about Zephyrus and jumped back. When the flames died down, the stallion was now coated in dark armor that covered his wings, the fiery mane and tail became sharp blades, and the hooves were larger in size. With a loud neighing war cry, Zephyrus' message was clear to Dante and the others watching. In order to stop his apparent rampage, he needed a new rider that was worthy of his power.
"Okay, if this is how Dad tamed you, I'm ready to break you in myself," Dante said as he made the first move and drew Ebony and Ivory. With several quick shots, he watched as the armor prevented the bullets from doing much damage. "Okay, that did nothing. Guess I'll have to try something with more kick," he remarked before switching his dual pistols for Redgrave. He unloaded a barrage of bullets at Zephyrus, only for the horse's armor to tank the shots easily.
"Guns are useless against that thing's armor? What's it even made out of," Moxxie wondered as he watched Dante's firearms do nothing.
"Try using a blade on him," Millie shouted, cheering Dante on.
The demon hunter then summoned Dread and tried using the scythe to make a dent in his armor, only for it to deflect back. Dante dug the blade into the ground to keep him steady as Zephyrus charged at him with his blade-like mane aimed at the hunter. Dante had to dodge, but the horse grazed his arm, leaving a cut and he watched a trickle of blood drop down into the blackened ground. The stallion turned back as he dug his hoofs into the soil ready to attack once more.
"Come on, then," Dante taunted as he beckoned the demon horse to charge at him. Just as he predicted, Zephyrus ran at the Son of Sparda as he used his tail blade like a guillotine, only for it to be stopped by Dante's own Rebellion.
"He stopped it," Charlie gasped as both the demon hunter and the stallion were locked in bladed combat as sparks started to fly.
Dante was gritting his teeth as his boots were digging back from the attack. "You're good. But I'm better," he said as he pushed back, making the horse push forward once more. For a good ten minutes, the two were evenly matched until Dante did something that many could say was foolish. He released his hold as the blade got closer to his head and slid under the tail blade, kicked up onto his feet, and launched himself up onto Zephyrus's back.
Immediately, the black demon horse reared up from its hind legs and started to kick and buck to get the red-clad demon hunter off his back. But the Son of Sparda was holding on to him like he was in a rodeo as he let loose some cheers and only used one hand like some of those cowboys.
"Out of all the crazy shit Dante pulled off, this has to be one of his craziest," Vaggie said as she watched the silver-haired man just hold onto dear life while also clowning around. She had to admit it was impressive to watch, though. "You're getting this right," she asked, turning to the hellhound.
"Oh yeah. Not missing this at all," Loona said as she recorded Dante trying to tame Zephyrus. "If he fails, it'll be a good home movie to watch later."
The horse wasn't giving up though as he stomped the ground to make a quake of some kind to shake Dante off him. But the demon hunter wasn't giving up either and only tightened his grip on the horse demon's bladed mane. "You won't shake me off that easily," Dante said as he put his other arm around Zephyrus' neck and tried putting the demonic steed into a headlock. While it helped with his grip, Dante's grapple wasn't slowing down the horse at all. "Sorry, buddy. This is going to hurt me more than it will hurt you," he said as he took one hand off the horse's neck and balanced himself on the steed. When Dante stood up, he slammed his fist right on the stallion's head.
Zephyrus was hurt from the impact as he stopped bucking, focusing on keeping his balance more than getting rid of his rider. When he felt Dante was still trying to get him to stop moving, Zephyrus exhaled black smoke from his nose before the armor began to heat up. Dante noticed this and realized he had to get off when the tail and mane began to glow silver and orange. Jumping off the stallion, Dante watched as a fiery explosion engulfed the horse and soon swirled around the beast like a tornado.
"If I knew you could do that, I would have brought some marshmallows," Dante joked as he circled the horse while dodging the flames.
"Oh, crumbs. He's in deep trouble," Moxie said as he pulled out the rifle that Dante had given him before. "We should help him,"
Millie put her hand on his shoulder and pulled him back. "Sweetie, I know you're concerned for him, but this is something between a man and his beast. You do not get in between that at all. Besides, he saw much worse than this." Nodding his head, the white-haired imp stayed in place but kept his rifle out in case of outside interference.
As the flames died down, Zephyrus continued to keep his eyes on Dante and soon unleashed a burst of fire from his mouth like a flamethrower. Seeing the fire breath coming his way, Dante dodged before pulling out his newest Devil Arm to test it out on the beast. "This might do the trick," the demon hunter said as he revealed Royal Ace, the set of cards he got from defeating Ace Dukes. He threw the metal cards at the steed and they stuck onto him. The demon hunter continued to do so as the cards stuck themselves to his opponent's armor. Zephyrus didn't mind them at all as he continued to shoot out his flames. Dodging the fire again, Dante then threw the last few cards as he had his back towards the horse. The stallion was ready to charge at the demon hunter, only for Dante to snap his fingers as a large electrical surge struck the black demon horse.
Zephyrus was seeing triple as he struggled to stay standing on his feet. Noticing this, Charlie turned to the Son of Sparda and called out to him. "Dante, I think he's had enough," she exclaimed as she stepped forward. But unfortunately for her, she lost her footing and slid down toward the battlefield. "Aaaagh!"
"Charlie," shouted Dante, Vaggie, and Angel as they watched the princess fall down toward the ashen clearing.
When she got up with a groan, Charlie looked up to see Zephyrus was suddenly next to her despite the injuries he took during the fight with Dante. With the appearance of the newcomer, the horse was curious and looked at the princess. Sniffing at her similarly to a dog, the demonic equine got closer and rubbed his face against her cheek. "Okay, didn't expect that," Vaggie said, seeing Charlie laughing at the horse's sudden affection towards her.
"OH, COME ON," Blitzo shouted angrily at the sight before him. "She gets a free pass and I get a vasectomy from a horse's foot!?"
"She is a princess, so yeah," Loona said, not caring about her dad's feelings. But all of a sudden, the other scent she picked up while tracking Zephyrus became stronger and she turned to see the source hiding in a tree on the far side of the battlefield. "GET DOWN!"
A gunshot rang out as the place went silent for a few seconds. Suddenly, Charlie saw Zephyrus go down while standing in front of her protectively. She gasped as she saw a rifle round that smashed against Zephyrus' armor fell in front of her, immediately seeing that it was from an angelic holy weapon. The horse's armor soon flickered away like a flame going out, but Charlie saw the beast was still alive. "Who did this," she whispered, still processing what happened while Moxxie and Millie went to inspect the round for themselves.
Picking up the bullet, Moxxie knew the type of rifle it belonged to. "He's back," the white-haired imp hissed. "And he's got a new target."
"That snake," Millie growled, still pissed at how Moxxie was injured by who attacked Zephyrus after the fight was clearly over.
"Who did this," Charlie asked as shadows covered her eyes while comforting the wounded horse.
"That would be me," a voice said from the shadows as he stepped forward to see a pale red imp with snake-like features, a set of razor-sharp teeth with a bigger gold tooth hanging from his jaw, and yellow hypnotic eyes while wearing a standard cowboy outfit. "And you're far away from home, little lady," Striker said as he cocked the rifle in his hands.
"You motherfucker," Blitzo yelled as he was fuming with anger at how the cowboy of an imp shot Zephyrus. "How dare you shoot that majestic and violent creature!?"
"Who's this bastard," Vaggie questioned as she held a pair of knives in her hands, ready to fight back if needed.
"The name's Striker," the new imp said. "The strongest imp you'll ever see for the next 5 seconds," he boasted as he aimed his rifle, only for a gunshot to sound out and a bullet to clog the barrel. "What!?" Looking at where the shot came from, Striker saw a pissed Dante holding up Ebony. "Ah, the Son of Sparda. Hope you don't mind if I took your daddy's horse for myself. I thought that since none of the weaklings here in Wrath could handle him, I would break this bronco for myself."
"Sorry, pal. Not gonna happen," Dante said as he slowly walked towards the cowboy. "And I'll give you three reasons. First, Zephyrus chooses his master. Second, I just beat him in a battle before you showed up. And third, you tried to shoot my girl and that pisses me off even more." Pulling out Rebellion, Dante was ready to turn Striker into a pair of boots when he saw the other imps get in front of him.
"We've got unfinished business with this guy," Blitzo said to Dante. "Loona!" Knowing that he was serious, Loona joined Blitzo, Moxxie, and Millie for the inevitable battle.
Striker's only reaction was an arrogant chuckle. "You three know how it went down the last time," Striker said with a rattlesnake's tail sounding as he eyed them down.
"You mean us pinning you in a corner before Loona came in at the wrong time," Moxxie said as he aimed his holy rifle at Striker.
"I mean showing just how outclassed you are when it comes to me," Striker said before throwing his jammed gun at Moxxie, forcing the members of I.M.P. to prepare themselves. The snake of an imp got in between the group and twisted Moxxie's arm, making him drop his rifle. When the gun fell, Millie ran at Striker and stabbed him with a dagger before he threw the smaller imps aside. "Little bitch," he said as Millie was able to injure him the same way as when they last met.
"Try this bitch," Loona said as she went for Striker's legs and bit down on them. The imp hissed in pain, but used his free leg to knock Loona away, making her yelp in pain.
"Loony! That's it," Blitzo said as he drew his flintlock pistol and fired at Striker, only for Striker to block it by using his tail to knock a rock into the air.
"Kinda lame that you have to reload that toy every three minutes," Striker said as he smirked.
"Mine don't," said Angel Dust as he revealed his third pair of arms and a machine gun, opening fire on the imp.
As Striker avoided the bullets, Moxxie and Millie stood up. "How is he so much stronger and faster now? Blitz and I were able to hold him down before," the white-haired imp said.
Paying attention to what he could, Dante noticed that there was something on Striker's outfit that seemed different from the rest of his western look. Pinned on his hat was a star-shaped jewel that gave off a faint glow. "Angel, keep shooting! Vaggie, protect Charlie!"
"You don't have to tell me twice," Vaggie said as she threw her knives at Striker, but the imp deflected them. "Hijo de puta (son of a bitch)."
"Gonna need a lot more than that to take me down," Striker retorted, kicking the moth demon to the side. When Vaggie was knocked away, Striker leaped toward Angel and slammed the spider's head into the dirt. "Now, for the princess," he said with a sadistic grin before bullets flew too close to his hat. "That was close," the spined imp remarked before he turned to see Dante opening fire with Ebony and Ivory.
The Son of Sparda continued to shoot at the imp, focusing his aim on the jewel that seemed to act like a physical boost to him. "Stay away from her, you walking pelt."
"Don't think so. And isn't it risky for you to be shooting at me, not wanting to hit your girl," Striker countered as the demon hunter saw the imp place himself between Dante and Charlie. "And don't make any sudden moves. I got a clear shot from this distance," he said, pulling out a holy revolver and aimed at Charlie.
Pissed that Striker seemed to be getting the better of them all, everyone glared daggers at the imp cowboy hitman as he stepped closer and closer to Charlie. "You did this," Charlie whispered as she stood up and kept looking at Zephyrus. The horse was still alive thanks to his armor, but was hurt badly.
"So what if I did? You gonna cry a rainbow? Wish you could have done something for this animal," Striker said mockingly. "Too bad that will be the last thing you say before-"
Suddenly, Striker was grabbed by the throat and he began to choke when the grip tightened. He saw that Charlie was the one that was holding him in the air as her eyes were still hidden in the shadow casted by her hair. "You hurt him," Charlie said in a tone that was calm, yet livid. "Now you're gonna suffer," she said as her face showed that her sclera turned bright red with anger.
Everyone watched as Charlie's full demon form started to show when her horns grew longer and her teeth became sharp. "Okay, remind me never to piss off Charlie," Dante said as he watched the princess choke the assassin.
"How dare you do this to my friends and loved ones," Charlie shouted as fire raged around her, burning the edge of Striker's hat to ashes. "I'm going to show you what Hell truly feels like!" Raising a hand to the sky, she started to summon a shower of burning hail from above, similar to one of the plagues from the story of Exodus. The flames crashed to the ground, kicking up plumes of smoke and ash as she showed her power, then kicked Striker several yards away from herself and Zephyrus.
When the imp fell to the ground, he could only gasp when a giant piece of fiery hail crashed onto him and shattered. While he survived the impact, Striker saw that the holy star jewel that increased his abilities was broken. "No! I've been tracking that horse for a week and had that charm all ready for fighting it myself!"
"Still alive, huh? Well, we can change that," Charlie said as she lifted her hands in the air and dark clouds started to cover the sky above them. After the sky turned black, a swarm of flesh-eating locusts started to appear, ready for Charlie's instruction to feed.
Seeing he was outnumbered and outmatched, Striker immediately ran away to survive another day. "You haven't seen the last of me," the snake-like imp called out before he disappeared behind a cloud of smoke.
"Don't let him escape," Charlie shouted, but it was too late. "FUCKING SNAKE!"
"Charlie," Dante said as he ran to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's over. He's gone and there's no way he can do this again."
Knowing he was right, Charlie took a deep breath and calmed down, changing back to normal before walking back to Zephyrus. "You think he'll be okay?"
"I'm sure he's had worse wounds than that. But let's get him back up," Dante said as he went to Zephyrus and inspected his wounds. "Yeah, he's not bleeding. That's some tough armor," Dante said as he started to lift the stallion up. "No wonder Dad rode you into battle. You're pretty much built like a tank." Pushing the demonic stallion back on his feet, Dante saw that Zephyrus was already in good enough condition to keep standing.
Glad to see the demon horse was okay, Charlie stroked the horse's neck. "Thank you for protecting me, Zephyr," she said to the stallion, who whinnied before she gave him a hug.
"I believe that's a 'you're welcome', hun," Vaggie said as she smiled at the sight of the princess and the horse.
After Zephyrus broke away from Charlie's embrace, the demonic stallion looked at Dante and the hunter could see that there was respect in the beast's eyes. Zephyrus then lowered his neck towards Dante as if he was bowing to his new master. "I think I know what that means," the demon hunter smirked as he approached the stallion and with a jump, got right onto his back. Zephyrus stood on his hind legs as Dante reared back with him. A bridle, a set of reins, and a saddle made of Zephyr's armor appeared on the demon as he galloped with his master on his back. As the two went for a run, the horse left fiery tracks in his wake. "YEEEEEHAW!"
Everyone watched as Dante seemed to be an expert at horseback riding before Zephyrus extended his wings, then ignited them with silver flames as he took flight. "Now that's just showing off," Angel remarked with a chuckle. "But, uh, how are we gonna take care of a giant-ass pony like him in the hotel? It's not like we have a stable."
Upon hearing that, Millie gasped as she got an idea. "I know where you can keep him safe!"
When Dante and the others returned, Joe and Lin were told everything that happened involving Zephyrus and Striker. "And he calls himself a strong imp," Joe scoffed as he heard that Striker needed a magic charm to match the legendary Steed of Sparda. "But yeah, we can take good care of your boy here," Millie's father said as he and his family gazed upon Zephyrus, who was resting in the newly rebuilt stable.
"So the firestorm was just him protecting himself from Striker. We were so worried about the damages that we didn't think somebody was after the bronco," Lin voiced.
"I still wonder where he even got that jewel," Millie wondered, glad that her parents were understanding about everyone being unable to defeat Striker until Charlie's display of power.
"He probably got it from the same place he acquired his blessed guns," Moxxie theorized. "Whoever it is, they have connections. Weapons you can get after any purge, but that charm seemed different than a holy armament."
"No need to fuss over where that bastard got his toys," Joe said. "He's gone again and without them, he won't think twice about coming around here again." Moxxie and Millie nodded before the latter gave her dad a big hug. After releasing his daughter, Joe turned to Dante. "Feel free to stop by anytime. Same with the princess there."
"Will do. But first," Dante said before whistling. At his master's call, Zeph got up and walked towards Dante and Charlie. "I think Charlie and I are gonna go for a ride."
"Good idea, I'll come with you now that we'r-" Blitzo said as he was about to join in, but the steed once again kicked him in the junk. "You're lucky that I love ponies," Blitzo whined in a pained falsetto while holding his nuts as Moxxie and Millie were on each side of him to not let him fall back.
"I think this should be a lesson in privacy, sir," Moxxie said as he and Millie dragged the taller imp into the house.
"He's not fucking that horny owl anytime soon," Loona said as she captured the kick on film again. "I wouldn't be surprised if his dick became smaller than Moxxie's baby penis."
"I heard that!"
"You were meant to," the hellhound said in a deadpan tone. "This has been fun. Maybe we should hang out more."
"Our doors are always open," Charlie said cheerfully.
"Not looking to get out of Hell. I meant I like you people," Loona said, clarifying she didn't want to be part of the redemption program Charlie ran.
"We get it. Maybe we can have a girl's night or something," Vaggie told the Hellhound. "And I'm sure Bullet will be glad to see you more often."
"Wait, has he been talking about me," Loona asked as she seemed a bit interested at the mention of the Hellhound patient at the hotel.
"I'm not sure," Vaggie said with a smug look on her face. "Maybe you should stop by and find out."
Knowing just what Vaggie was doing, Loona chuckled. "Maybe."
"We'll let you two chat," Dante said as he got on Zephyrus and pulled Charlie up so she sat behind him. "Let's ride, Zephyr!" The horse neighed as they rode out where the sunset.
Charlie enjoyed the ride as the wind blew through her hair and she held onto Dante. "So, where are we going?"
"Anywhere you want, babe," Dante told her. "Sky's the limit."
"How about dinner somewhere that's not a pizza place," Charlie suggested.
"Fine by me. But nothing too fancy either. I'm not too fond of those places and I'm not dressed properly," Dante said as Zephyrus started to fly.
"Dammit! That stupid princess and her powers. I was so close to nabbing that horse, too," Striker said as he kicked the nightstand next to the bed where he was sitting. "Not to mention, I'll be cut off by my supplier cause I tried killing the head honcho's daughter before I could even get close to where I wanted." Suddenly, the phone rang as he picked it up. "Yeah?"
"Am I speaking to Striker," a staticy voice asked on the other line.
"Who's asking?"
"Let's just say someone who has a common enemy with you. And I think I know how to get rid of this enemy."
"I'm listening…" the imp said as a rattlesnake's tail sounded out when he smirked.
And that takes care of that! Now I know what some of you are thinking. "But Vaggie and Angel can't leave Pride, it's unlikely!" Well, it was stated by Vivziepop that Sinners can only stay in the Pride Ring BUT we don't know if the elevator is enchanted or just guarded. In either case, according to Deepcut from Youtube, as I asked this question before, Charlie is implied to have the potential to get sinners like Angel to a different Ring of Hell thanks to hints in official Instagram posts depicting the characters. But we have to get more evidence with Hazbin Hotel coming out. Also thanks to WaterDragonMaverick for the edits and suggestions. Also thanks to Boygoo500 for the idea.
If you guys must know, Zephyrus is named after the God of the west wind in Greek mythology and has several details for his inspiration. The jaws are based on the Horse and Zebra Fangires from Kamen Rider Kiva, his combat armor and bladed hair based on Castastros/Barikion from Power Rangers Mystic Force/Mahou Sentai Magiranger (the horse mecha used by Koragg/Wolzard), and had some inspiration from Hellhorses and Nightmares.
Anyway, who called Striker? What scheme are they up to? And what will happen next? You will all have to find out, next time.