Author's Note: 6072 in block letter's looks kind of like GORZ. Sorry fans, but Kaien will not appear yet. She will soon. I promise.
To Upend Pandemonium
Nineteen Years Later…
The tall, lean yet muscular man with a mane of red hair knelt before Dark Ruler Ha Des, Master of the Abyss. The Dark Ruler inspected a curious weapon in his hands, a zanbato. This massive blade was about one and a half times his height, and he was forced to expend a slight amount of his power in order to lift it. He turned to the one kneeling.
"For nineteen years, you have trained under my tutelage, Apprentice. You were weak when I found you, but now, the Darkness is your strength. You have mastered all aspects of this weapon, an impressive feat. You are ready to be my instrument in this realm. RISE! Apprentice! From henceforth you are GORZ, Emissary of Darkness!"
Gorz rose. He held out his hand, and Ha Des returned his weapon of choice. Amazingly, the apprentice carried the blade like it was as light as a feather. He concentrated, and it began to shrink and change shape, until it became a katana, which he then sheathed. "What is thy bidding, my Master?" He asked, bowing his head.
"One of my long-term goals is to unite the entire realm of darkness under my rule. With all that combined firepower, we can extend outward and conquer the other five realms, and beyond. Of course, those fools in charge of the other regions would never share power with me. For your first official mission, I command you to infiltrate the kingdom of Pandemonium, capture Terrorking and Infernalqueen, and deliver them to me. Without their guidance, the rest of the Archfiends will fall quite easily, allowing the rest of my forces to subjugate them. Is that understood?"
"As you wish, my Master." He turned and began to walk out of the throne room.
"One more thing, I am assigning Dark Resonator and the Vice Dragon to assist you on this mission. This is an exercise in stealth, see if you can use it with them."
"As you wish, my Master." Gorz replied, and he left.
The Emissary of Darkness entered the hall to meet with his teammates. It was strange. Dark Resonator was a short, portly figure in red and purple robes with drums on his back, and his face hidden within the shadows of his helmet. He wielded a rod and a gigantic tuning fork. His Master utilized this rather weak and foolish character as a jester, as he made great music and was a talented storyteller. The grayish-purple Vice Dragon was barely an improvement. It was rather ugly and clumsy, and barely twice the size of a man. Even though it was level five, it was not very strong, either. It is not my place to question. My Master must have a good reason to trust in the likes of them.
"Ah, there you are. Shall we go?" Dark Resonator asked, his Cheshire grin and beady eyes the only parts of his face that Gorz could distinguish.
"Yes, we shall." Gorz answered.
The three of them exited the Dark Ruler's palace, saluting the guards as they did. They headed toward one of the boundaries of the Abyss, an area that gives way to a sort of "in-between" zone, where any other realm can be accessed, if one knows how.
"Oh boy, when this is over, the Boss is going to make me rich, rich, rich!" Dark Resonator cackled with glee, rubbing his palms together. Vice Dragon snorted.
"Quiet! We are here." Gorz reprimanded. They had arrived at the boundary, where the air churned with mixed energy, Chaos. Gorz concentrated and created a portal to Pandemonium. "Brace yourselves and do not let go of me." Holding on to his teammates' arms, Gorz jumped through the portal.
"Whoa!" The jester screamed and the dragon roared as they fell through a tunnel of energy, buffeted by bizarre winds. They came out the other side and landed in a heap at the boundary of Pandemonium.
"Remind me never to do that again." The jester slurred.
"We will have to do that again in order to return home. Now be silent, we must approach the capital city unnoticed." Gorz replied, emotionlessly. Being raised as a living weapon his whole life, the Emissary of Darkness understood little about humor.
Pandemonium was divided into roughly nine sections, with the capital city known as the Ninth Circle. The trio journeyed through the First through Eighth Circles, doing their best to keep a low profile. A simple enough task, just like the Abyss, Pandemonium utilized mercenaries frequently. To be on the safe side, Gorz masked their auras, as the native Archfiends, strange creatures with bony exteriors, would have been able to detect the portion of Ha Des' power that all who serve him share.
After four days, the trio could see the heavily fortified walls surrounding the Ninth Circle in the distance. A unit of Archfiend Soldiers, the rank and file troops of Pandemonium, holding the dreaded Pandemonium Watchbears on leashes, guarded the gates.
"These guys are professional fighters. Getting in will be difficult and scaling these walls is out of the question." Gorz mused.
Hiding behind a boulder, the three of them observed as a cart pulled by two Nightmare Horses, hideous mummified steeds, approached the gate. The cart carried something large, concealed by a tarp. The Watchbears sniffed and growled.
"Halt! State your business!" One of the Soldiers commanded.
"I am just a simple businessman, the Goblin of Greed!" Laughed the driver, a portly goblin in sultan-like robes and a turban. "I came to sell." He proudly pulled the tarp off, revealing a cage.
Inside, bound, gagged, and with Metalsilver collars around their throats, were two little girls. One had long brown hair and wore a black dress with a black bunny hood. The other had long pink hair and wore a white robe with a goat hat. They looked at their surroundings with fright, but with defiance, as well.
"Children?" The Soldiers questioned. "What are you planning to sell them as, slave girls? They are worthless. You have wasted enough of our time, fool." They drew their scimitars, intending to cut the Goblin down. He backed away in disbelief and fear.
"Stand down!" Ordered a more regal looking Archfiend as he emerged from the gates, a disappointed frown on his face.
"Archfiend General!" The Soldiers exclaimed as they hastily saluted their leader.
"Don't you imbeciles know anything? These are the Princesses of the Spellcasters! With them in our control, conquering their world will be that much easier for us!" The General informed his cowering troops. He turned to the Goblin. "Tell me. How did you manage to capture them? I sense incredible potential within them."
"Simple. Being stupid little kids, they decided to be mischievous and go off on their own, losing their guards in the process. Once they wandered near the Spellcaster world's boundary, I picked that vulnerable moment to strike. The brats are perfectly harmless, I assure you. The Metalsilver in these collars prevents them from using their powers." Answered the Goblin of Greed, smugly. He rubbed his thumb and index finger together. "Now. About my money."
"We may discuss business inside. You have done well, Goblin. Your efforts have greatly contributed to our cause." Said the General, as he personally lead the cart through the gates.
"Whatever, I don't really care. I just want my payment and then to leave for my next big score." Mocked the Goblin as the gates closed.
"I have an idea on how we can get past the gate." Gorz stated.
"Really? Let's hear it." Dark Resonator asked.
Gorz punched him in the face and knocked him out. Before the Vice Dragon could react, Gorz knocked him out as well.
Making sure that their bodies remained hidden, Gorz gathered materials from the area and fashioned a cart. He loaded them onto it, hogtied them, and confiscated the jester's tools. He stopped masking their auras and pulled the cart up to the gate.
"What do you want?" The Archfiend Soldiers asked him.
"I am here to collect a bounty. See? Two of Dark Ruler Ha Des' men."
The Soldiers, unwilling to repeat their mistake and earn the ire of their General again, opened the gate. The Watchbears snarled with suspicion but were ignored. "Come on in."
Gorz dragged the cart into the dark and twisted city, a scene out of a horrid nightmare. Captured slaves from all over the multiverse were savagely whipped and bullied by their Archfiend masters.
Torture with no purpose? Master is correct, the Archfiends are fools. Gorz lead the cart to a secluded alley, then gathered some grimy water from a brackish well and poured it on his companions' heads. "Wake up."
Vice Dragon almost roared, but Gorz held his mouth shut.
"You bastard! How dare you!" Dark Resonator sputtered.
"It was the most efficient method of gaining access I could think of." Gorz replied. He returned the jester's tools. "Now, come on."
They continued toward the palace, sticking to the shadows to avoid the Vilepawns, Shadowknights, and others patrolling the streets. Gorz remasked the other two's auras.
As they approached the palace, they spotted Goblin of Greed leaving, his cart now loaded with gold, silver, and jewels.
"Pleasure doing business with you! If you ever need another bounty, call me!" He called over his shoulder.
The trio slipped under the palace gates before they closed. Remaining hidden, they watched as Archfiend General beheld the captive princesses before him and pulled off their gags.
"Be proud, ladies. You are about to net me my greatest promotion ever."
His gloating was cut short when the captive in white leaned forward and bit his finger as hard as she could. He screamed and shook her off.
"You little bitch!" He slapped her, knocking her to the ground.
"Leave her alone!" The captive in black yelled. Dark energy gathered around her, but before she could fire it, it was absorbed into her collar. Her head drooped and she sighed with fatigue.
"Kimura! Come here!" Archfiend General ordered.
A sultry woman with waist-length blue hair, thigh-high boots, a skimpy outfit, and a whip entered the chamber. A Shadow Tamer? This mission has gotten more dangerous.
"What is it, Master?" She asked.
"I want these two disciplined with your special talents. Report to me when they are ready to be presented to our King and Queen." The General replied. He walked out of the chamber.
"My my." She cooed, circling them. "It's been a while since I've had a chance to break such lovely innocents." She stroked the black-clad captive's hair and face, and the princess began to sigh with pleasure.
"What… what are you doing to me?" She moaned.
"I have that effect on many creatures of Darkness. It makes for an interesting contrast for when I do this." Kimura whipped the girl in the butt, tearing part of her skirt and leaving her screaming. The Shadow Tamer laughed.
"Sister!" The other princess cried. Kimura grabbed her by the hair.
"Save your breath. You'll have your turn…"
Gorz dashed forward and beheaded her with one swing of his katana, in a display of barely contained rage. Sheathing his weapon, he turned to the captives, their faces white with shock.
"Do not be afraid. I will not hurt you." He untied them, then snapped their collars. "It is dangerous for you here, come with us." He picked them up and regrouped with his teammates.
"Who are you?" They asked.
"I am Gorz."
"Thank you for saving us, Gorz. I am Pikeru." Said the one in white.
"And I am Curran. Nice to meet you." Said the one in black.
Gorz did not respond. He handed them to Vice Dragon. "Make sure nothing happens to them. Let's keep going."
As they continued toward the throne room, Dark Resonator pulled Gorz aside. "I do not understand. Why did you nearly blow our cover? And why are we helping them?"
"I…I don't know. The sight of Kimura's actions just seemed to heat my blood for some reason and… Because they will be a much more valuable resource in our hands, not the Archfiends'."
"Oh I get it. With them in our control, Ha Des could conquer the Spellcasters. Wow, you're really smart."
Gorz kept silent as he struggled to make sense of the strange sensations and urges he felt. He had not even considered his last comment until just now.
They reached the throne room. Gorz mentally scanned it. Inside, Terrorking and Infernalqueen were discussing with their Darkbishop about some matter of state, while being fanned by some slaves. There were no guards, at the moment.
"My plan is simple. Stay out of sight. I will capture the leaders and use them as hostages to that we can all get out of here. Understood?"
"Yes." The other three besides the dragon replied.
Gorz concentrated and erected Swords of Concealing Light around the throne room. Now, if they attempted to signal for help, it would not reach the guards. He kicked down the door and rushed toward the rulers, their slaves fleeing in terror.
"Shadow Spell!" He cried. Chains of pure darkness formed and snaked toward the rulers, but the Darkbishop lifted his staff and erected a barrier. A spectral dice appeared and rolled… a 6. The chains dissolved on contact with the barrier. "Damn, I forgot about their strange talent."
"You have guts, and talent, to try that. But your life ends here. Guards!" Shouted Terrorking.
"They will not come. I made sure of that."
"Then deal with this!" Darkbishop chanted, and a huge, winged skeleton rose from the floor, crackling with electricity. "Skull Archfiend of Lightning, destroy him!"
The creature unleashed a torrent of lightning, but Gorz dodged it.
Damn, if I use my zanbato, it will just act as a lightning rod. Gorz continued to dodge as the king, queen, and bishop looked on and laughed.
A steam of flame shot out, forcing the Skull back. Surprised, Gorz looked up to see Vice Dragon had delivered it. Placing the girls in the corner, Dark Resonator played a tune, disrupting the Skull's balance.
"Those girls begged us to help you." The jester explained.
"Even with help, you are all doomed!" Infernalqueen boasted. She breathed a stream of flames, Terrorking unleashed a swarm of locusts from his chest, and Darkbishop shot a spray of water from his staff.
Gorz called on his zanbato and swung it, creating a gust of wind and deflecting all three attacks. To his horror, the Skull started to get up.
"Don't worry everyone." Dark Resonator chuckled. "In desperate times, I have an ace in the hole. I happen to be a Tuner."
"A Tuner!?" Everyone cried out at once.
"Correct. Vice Dragon, come to me!"
"No!" The Archfiends attacked again, but Gorz deflected it a second time.
The jester played a tune with his rod and fork, as he dissolved into three glowing stars and the dragon dissolved into five. The stars combined, creating an intense flash of light. To everyone's amazement, a majestic, red scaled dragon emerged.
"We have Synchroed together to form Red Demons Dragon!" He turned to the Skull and breathed a stream of flames, incinerating it. The flames spread to Darkbishop. In fear, he activated his barrier, but the dice rolled a 4, invalid, and he was consumed.
The king and queen cowered. Gorz used Shadow Spell again, and this time, they were ensnared. He then used Mesmeric Control to knock them out. He hoisted them on his shoulders and turned to the princesses.
"Curran, Pikeru, come. We can ride to out of here."
"Yay!" They climbed onto Red Demons Dragon's back. The dragon blasted a hole in the roof and took off.
"Head for the boundary so we can leave this forsaken place." Gorz instructed.
"You're hurt!" The princesses gasped. Gorz had been grazed by the lightning.
"It is nothing. It will heal soon."
"No, let me." Light energy gathered around Pikeru, and she touched his wounds. They perfectly healed, not even leaving scars.
"Huh, why would you?"
"Don't be silly. It's one way to say thanks." Pikeru replied.
They arrived at the boundary after about half a day. Gorz formed a portal.
"That portal should lead back to your home. Now go." The dragon raised an eyebrow in surprise at Gorz's statement.
"But what about you?"
"I said go!" Gorz shoved the two through the portal, which closed.
"I don't understand. What about your big idea?" The dragon asked, confused.
"We completed our mission. That is all." Gorz formed another portal, leading to the Abyss. He and Red Demons Dragon carried their prisoners through it.
To Be Continued…
Author's Note: Dark Resonator does work for Dark Ruler Ha Des, as shown on the illustrations of cards like Mind Trust. I used Vice Dragon as a tribute to Jack Atlas, since Dark Resonator plus Vice Dragon is one of his most frequent combos to summon Red Demons Dragon. Yeah, I like the Japanese name better than Red Dragon Archfiend.
Like I said in the last chapter, this story is partially inspired by Star Wars, particularly Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Like Ha Des, Darth Vader often gave his apprentice, Starkiller, handicaps in his missions, like programming his droid, PROXY, to attack him with intent to kill every once in a while. These handicaps were intended to keep the Apprentice on his toes, and if he died, it meant he was unworthy after all.
The card, Pandemonium, is based on Hell, divided into nine circles in Dante's Inferno.
Gorz's strategy to enter the Ninth Circle is a shout out to the movie, The Scorpion King.
Kimura is named after a Marvel Comics villainess. She is a sadistic woman who specializes in torture and has indestructible skin that cannot be pierced, even with adamantium claws, and has incredible strength and combat skills. She is X-23's archenemy, her version of Sabretooth. She chases X-23 everywhere, eager to resume torment of her favorite prisoner. Like the Juggernaut, her body is completely impervious, but she has no defense against mental attacks, and was taken down by Emma Frost.