Hey everyone, sorry if this was a bit late, I had a busy day. Just a heads up, I'm going to keeping all boss battles that weren't against family members and friends the same for the most part, so that means Lelouch will fight against the same bosses in Lust and Gluttony, but don't worry, Lelouch will fight an old enemy in Greed. I'll give you a hint to his identity: He's in Greed not for obsession over money, but over a certain person. If you figure it out, keep it a secret, don't ruin the surprise.
Chapter 4: The Final Verdict
"Limbo?" Lelouch asked wondering what crime souls had to commit to come here.
"Yes." Diethard began. "It comes from the Latin word for edge, fitting for the fact Limbo is incredibly close to the edge of Hell. Here, souls that were virtuous or innocent, but not of proper faith reside here. Sometimes souls that had a roughly even amount of sin and virtue end up here, but while I say roughly, it still has to be quite close."
"What's their punishment?"
"The denial of Paradise. Nothing less, nothing more. Now then, we must go to the court of King Minos, the judge of the dead, who resides just beyond the citadel. Come now, we have a long walk." Diethard said as he walked up the path which led into the citadel. "The fastest way is to enter the citadel and exit at the top."
"You sure now a lot about Limbo." Lelouch said as he followed Diethard. "In fact, you also knew where Charon's boat was and what the bell meant. How? You said you were imprisoned in Treachery."
"Very good observation skills Lelouch. Yes, I was in the ninth and final circle of Hell, Treachery. After I struck a deal with Michael, he gave me free mobility of Hell until I reach the gates, meaning that no one would attack me."
"You didn't answer my question."
"I'm about to. As you can see, there are no elevators in Hell, forcing me to walk the whole way from Treachery to where I met you. It's because of this that I'm so knowledgeable of Hell and some of its residents"
"Speaking of residents, where is everyone?" Lelouch asked as he looked around and saw no one except him and Diethard.
"Some of them reside in the Hall of Kings, where virtuous kings, philosophers and others reside, but the others have hauled themselves up in some of the other chambers or were killed."
"Killed? By who?" Lelouch asked as he heard the cries of a baby and saw up ahead a baby, maybe a year old. However, this baby's skin was pale gray and had completely white eyes. Instead of hands the baby had the bones grown into curved blades longer than its body. Wrapped around it was the baby's umbilical cord with the placenta covering the baby's groin. The baby walked penguin like towards Lelouch and Diethard. "What- what is that thing?" Lelouch stammered.
"An unfortunate soul. These children died before baptism and thus failed to achieve the first portal of faith. While merely toddlers, they do not escape the clutches of Limbo and its hold on those without sin, but have the improper faith." Diethard said with a frown.
The baby then noticed Lelouch and Diethard and started running like a monkey, using it's blades as hands and moved very fast towards the two, but before it could even get close, Lelouch reflexively took out his scythe, turned it into a spear, and launched it at the baby, piercing straight through it, destroying it. "Lelouch reeled the spear back in and looked where the baby once was and said "Have I really destroyed so many lives that I can now kill a child on reflex?"
"Don't blame yourself. These babes are just like the minions, they have become mindless creatures that are easy to control. Given the fact they're in Hell has traumatized and enraged them. They're the reason Limbo's so empty." Diethard said, but before they could continue on their journey, they heard the sounds of babies and a small shaking. Lelouch turned around and saw hundreds of unbaptized rushing towards them. At that instance, Lelouch started running like crazy while Diethard vanished without a trace.
As Lelouch kept running, he remembered that Cupid Day event Milly held while he was in Ashford academy, but instead of hundreds of girls and a few guys trying to become a couple with Lelouch, this time it was thousands of psycho babies trying to tear him apart. Lelouch then saw Diethard up ahead with an open door. "In here, hurry!" Diethard shouted as Lelouch sprinted with all his might and the moment Lelouch passed through the door, Diethard slammed it shut with the sounds of cries, bones breaking, and clattering of blades coming from outside the door.
Lelouch was panting. Even with his new found strength, Lelouch thought he would never do any physical activities, but a hoard of babies that giggle at killing you really gets one motivated. When Lelouch finally recovered a bit, he looked around and saw transparent figures discussing several different things.
"I'm telling you! God and all other beings were created from mankind's thoughts!" One of them said.
"Socrates, you fool! No matter how sound your theories are, only one thing remains true: We're dead, in Hell, and I don't think pissing off Lucifer by saying man created him will get you anywhere in the afterlife." Another said.
"That's true Plato, that's quite true!" A third said and then they all laughed.
"Where are we?" Lelouch asked, recognizing the familiar names.
"We are in the Hall of Kings." Diethard said. "Kings, philosophers, and those of royal bloodline go here if they're sentenced to Limbo. Also, you might meet someone here you're quite familiar with."
"Huh?" Lelouch said when he turned around and saw a man staring at the wall. He had blonde hair that went down to his neck and was wearing purple, regal clothes.
"No, no, no. These walls are far too bland. If only I had a brush and paint I could do something about this." The voice said and Lelouch instantly recognized him.
"Clovis?" Lelouch said as he began to walk towards the person.
The figure turned around and confirmed Lelouch's suspicions. "Ah! Brother Lelouch! What a present surprise. Are you here to stay or are you passing through? Another person was also passing through. He said his name was Diethard. I believe he was once my subordinate when I was alive. Oh, he's right there." Clovis said taking a quick glance at Diethard. Just like when he was young, when Clovis didn't paint he would talk to Lelouch or his other siblings nonstop.
"I'm passing through, but I'm surprised that you're here." Lelouch said.
"So am I, but I guess ordering the whole wiping out of the Shinjuku ghetto kind of made me one of those good and bad types, so here I am!" Clovis exclaimed.
"Well, it's good to see you again Clovis, and I want to say that I-" Lelouch began.
"No need to say anything else. I forgive you." Clovis said with a kind smile. "What you did was right and I did deserve it. I mean, I really did go overboard."
"Thank you Clovis, that means a lot to me." Lelouch said as he pulled out his cross.
"Lelouch, what are you doing?" Clovis asked, kind of nervous.
"Giving you your rightful place among the heavens, feel free to paint as much as you want there." Lelouch said before shining his cross on Clovis.
"Even though you did many crazy things Lelouch, I'm glad to see that the Lelouch I knew while I was young was still in you somewhere." Clovis said before vanishing into the light.
"Ready to get a move on?" Diethard asked while smiling.
"Yeah." Lelouch responded, feeling a weight come off his shoulders.
After Lelouch and Diethard exited the Hall of Kings Lelouch asked "Will we have to deal with any more of those kids?" Lelouch asked, not feeling like adding child abuser to his list of sins, even if the babies are psycho and dead.
"Don't worry, they remain in the lower levels of the Citadel." Diethard assured him.
"I see." Lelouch said. Neither of them said anything else until they reached the top of the Citadel. There, Lelouch saw a bridge which led to a row of columns that were in a semicircular fashion. Lelouch saw that the souls were going towards it and in the middle of the row of columns was a giant beast with bluish-grey skin that had the torso and head of a human, but the rest was that of a snake. Instead of eyes, the creature had what looked like stitching, the same color as his skin, covering his eyes. On top of his head was what looked like a pillar that was fused to his head and was slightly grayer than the rest of his skin. "Who is that monster?"
"That is the court of King Minos, the judge of the dead. While blind, he uses his other senses to figure out what their sins are and send them to their appropriate circle via transportation by spiked wheel." Diethard said as he pointed to a spiked wheel that, after the King said something, Minos threw a soul onto one of the spikes and pressed a switch on the ground which caused the wheel rotate.
Lelouch watched as the soul fell off the wheel and down into the abyss below. "Please tell me that that's not our method of transportation as well. I'd rather right the Lancelot Albion with a sick." Lelouch said as he saw another soul fall into the abyss.
Diethard chuckled and said "Don't worry. We'll just ask for the right to go around him because behind him is the entrance to the next circle."
"Well then, lets get a move on." Lelouch said as he crossed the bridge.
As Lelouch came closer to the court, he began to hear what Minos was saying: "Fraud!" "Gluttony!" "Lust!" "Violence!"
'If I had to guess, those are the name of some of the circles of Hell.' Lelouch thought as he walked past the spiked wheel just as it prepared itself for its next victim.
Lelouch watched as the blind judge's hand moved over some of the souls until it grabbed one, sniffed it, and said with a tone of disgust: "Suicide." He then threw the soul onto the wheel and pressed the switch to rotate it. Minos then sniffed the air and said "Who comes into my house of pain?" Minos sniffed the air again and said "I smell two unwelcomed souls. One is a traitor and the other…oh my…quite a sinner you are. You must be that brat that Lucifer told us to kill."
"I seek no harm against those who seek no harm against me." Lelouch proclaimed. "I ask you, give us the right to pass."
"You have no right to proclaim your rights to me! I am the judge of the dead and I say your sins are worth the destruction of your soul!" Minos shouted as his tail shot out of the ground, nearly grabbing Lelouch if it wasn't for his enhanced reflexes.
"I say that it's time for the judge to be judged!" Lelouch said as he slashed at the tail. The tail quickly went back down after a grunt from Minos. Minos then tried to hit Lelouch with his hand by slamming his palm into the ground, but Lelouch jumped up to avoid it and then landed on top of Minos' hand stabbing his arm with the scythe in the process. Minos gave another grunt, only it sounded more like Minos was in more pain, and tried to grab Lelouch with his other arm, but Lelouch jumped onto it then towards Minos' face, but Minos successfully hit Lelouch with his snake tongue, knocking Lelouch to the ground. Before Lelouch could get up, Minos' tail shot out of the ground and was ready to pierce Lelouch, but Lelouch rolled out of the way at the last second, grabbed his scythe, and in one swift movement, cut off Minos' tail. Minos yelled in pain, brought his head close to the ground, and tried to grab Lelouch with his snake tongue again. However, Lelouch saw through this and grabbed the tongue as it shot past Lelouch. Lelouch then pulled the tongue to the spiked wheel with Minos trying his best to wiggle loose, but couldn't break free. Lelouch then threw the tongue onto the wheel, stabbing it into two of the spikes. Minos yelled, but it sounded more like an animal's roar of agony. Lelouch then turned to face the judge, with the bottom part of his scythe over the switch. "I think I've reached my verdict, Minos." Lelouch said. "Painful and immediate death." Lelouch then hit the button and watched as the spiked wheel rotated; pulling the judges face in closer and closer, until Minos' face was turn in two by the wheel. Lelouch felt some blood land on his cheek. He felt a sadistic smile creep onto his face, the same one he had when he gave his first geass command.
Lelouch took his scythe off the switch and watched Minos' body slide back to where it was and fall down into the abyss below, revealing a path which was separated by a gap. Lelouch easily jumped over the path and realized the ground and, in fact, everything was a shade of dark purple. "This is the second circle…" Diethard began appearing next to Lelouch after he edited out the part where Lelouch shows his sadistic smile. "The second circle…Lust."
I know some of you might be made over the whole Clovis thing, but I really wanted to put Clovis in here and this seemed like the best place to do it. Besides Clovis, there are three other people (they all come at once) who I plan on having Lelouch absolve. They are in the first ring of violence so don't expect to see them for a while though. Also, the whole baby stampede and Hall of Kings set up was based off how they were shown in the "Dante's Inferno: The Animated Epic." It's not that bad really, give it a shot. Whoops, I think I've talked a bit too much now, bye for now!