No Way Back

by Forsvaret-Komandir

Caught up in a loop of pain and violence, a man loses his simple life in the middle of nowhere and is thrusted into the pits of Hell. When at his lowest point, he finds unlikely friends and a purpose to life in the most unlikely of places. He comes to realize that his mistakes in the past do not determine his future, and the only way to a better life is by moving forward. Post Ep.1

19. Chapter 19

Welcome to another chapter of No Way Back! I know that I missed Halloween by just a day (relative to me), but I guess it is better a little later than never. Yeah, as I was getting close to it, I was trying to get it released by then. However, I guess having another 15K word chapter is going to push that boundary a little bit. It was not my intent to have another chapter be this long. And you all know this it is following another episode of the show, Truth Seekers!

Now, I wish to address one more point before I get into the guest reviews. I wanted to announce to you all that I have decided to diversify the story to another site, AO3. With a little name change (Forsvaret_Komandir instead of Forsvaret-Komandir), I have added this story along with the completed Finding Balance. Feel free to check it out (despite being the same content) to give it some love.

Now, onto Guest Reviews from Chapter 18:

Guest #1: To the guest on September 1st,

It's okay, I also thought it would take place at a beach in hell. Even still, it would be a cute scene if it happens in a later chapter!

Response: Naw. That chapter was meant to lead into this one. That could only happen in the human world. Glad to hear you enjoyed it regardless.

Guest #2: Thank you for the update. Please update soon. I can't wait for next chapter. I can't wait for loona and verosika to confess their love for kyle to him and to tell him that he doesn't have to choose one them. Will it happen maybe after the d.h.o.r.k.s episode?

Response: Do you not know me? When have I ever been that quick with relationship development like that? Jokes aside, I don't see it being that far into the future. First, Loona and Verosika would have to figure out what to do themselves. Hard to say how that will happen right now. Thank you for the review!

Guest #3: I saw in your response to the review of the guest who suggested making Stella an anti-hero, and I do understand your concerns. Though I think it could work, though only if Octavia was ever in danger from the main villain.

I will say, you are correct in that Stella does care far more about status than most anything.

However, I will continue to look forward to the changes you make as the story goes on!

Response: While I don't know Stella's place right now in the story, I am committed to making her something beyond just a side character. As it stands currently, she would most likely stand with the institution that the OC is going to work on dismantling. Unless I am given a compelling reason (I haven't seen evidence that she cares about Octavia's wellbeing, and that is me being blunt. Provide a timestamp if you have some evidence), I don't see me pushing her in the realm of 'good'. Maybe not outright evil, but she is as good as Stolas isn't a cheater.

Guest #4: I'm just going to say it, I loved this chapter! You nailed everything really well!

Now it's time prepare for the confrontation with D.H.O.R.K.S., and fair warning to them, don't mess with Verosika and her crew unless you're willing to get screwed (and not in that way.)!

Response: I am joyed to hear that you loved the chapter, and that I portrayed realistic characters in it. As for this chapter, I would say that Verosika holds her own well enough. It was very hard trying to juggle a lot of characters.

Guest #5: I have a couple of questions for the Truth Seekers chapter.

1. Is the siege of the D.H.O.R.K.S base going to play out similar to the show?

2. What will be shown in Kyle's hallucination trip?

Looking forward to it!

P.S: I think the guest on Feb 4th meant "Onto chapter 7!".

P.P.S: In regards to Lurker no More's comment on August 6th, I actually think that it would either be a good dream sequence (In a later chapter) or a part of Kyle's hallucination in the next chapter (Where each of them have already had one child with him and are expecting their seconds)! But that's only a suggestion.

P.P.P.S: To the guest on September 4th, let's not jump to conclusions just yet.

Response: Alright, I shall answer them as well as I can:

1. There are similar moments, and the general structure to the episode is still there. That being said, there are major differences. I did, however include the only real horror moment from the show.

2. You will have to wait and see. He will have some effects from the gas, though.

P.S: *Shrug*

P.P.S: Won't say anything about it.

P.P.P.S: Conclusions will not be jumped to, and that very much includes regarding Stella.

IOH (Guest): Oh man I can't wait for the next chapter, my hopes for what's going to happen are:

a blood frenzy, something waking up in him and wanting to kill, that could be a good thinking point for him later.

Let him be hurt for showing mercy to someone! Let him learn that being "good" is not always good.

Did someone mention a threesome with two demons horny for slaughter?

As always, thanks for the chapters! stay safe and have a good day.

Response: There will be blood in this chapter. This violence will be rationalized through his earlier desensitization in previous experiences. Hopefully there will be more gray moments for him in the future. As for threesome, not this chapter. XD

Guest #6: Alright, now we're headed for the showdown in the Truth Seekers episode! I'm looking forward to this!

Response: Gooooooooooood. Thanks for sharing the excitement.

Guest #7: I have only two questions in regards to chapter 19:

1. Is Kyle's hallucination going to start off as pleasant and then descend into hellish nightmare?

2. Or will it be more reflective of his personality?

Still, I'm anxious to see what you'll do!

Response:

1. His hallucination will be... different compared to that as seen in the show. I needed to keep it somewhat quick (for plot purposes), but it does make him question things. There is also no pleasantness to it.

2. This is sort of a continuation question. It will reflect anxiousness he shares about his past and future.

Guest #8: To the God of Chaos Dragons, my god, your opening statement is something I've wanted to say but was never able to put into words until now! You are not the only one who thinks that Vivzie has dropped the ball handling Stella. I swear, she's written the way she is just so we can try to feel sorry for Stolas (Which didn't work for me!) by trying to make his affair justified. Yes, I'm aware of what she does in season 1, at least her actions in Season 1 Episode 2, but I think that was justified (At least until she hired Striker in Episode 5 to kill him), even in Season 2 Episode 1, it just felt off. But I kind of like the suggestion you made, though. But I'm not 100% sure her parents would torture her, more likely they'd probably reprimand her (Now I'm kind of worried about Kyle meeting Stella's parents and Andrealphus.).

I'd also check out the videos made by Cartoonshi (Helluva Boss Season 2 is Painfully Flawed) and by MangaKamen (Helluva Boss- the Ever Conflicting Series) if you're interested.

Response: I will try to improve and deepen Stella's character. She still needs to be Stella, but have some depth added. That goes for Stolas also having some depth added to his character. He was the one to cheat, at least in some way. That should have consequences. As for speculation, I would prefer to make my own route rather than just guess what she went through. It allows me to make her a little different.

Guest #9: To the guests on October 10th and 14th,

It's certainly fascinating to think about! Though, we'll have to wait and see if that happens!

Response: Yep you will just have to wait and see. It is more fun that way unless you want to get little hints as to what may happen.

...

That's it for reviews. Let's get to it!

---

Chapter 19: The Truth is Out

Stupidity. That is probably the best word I could use when describing the current move that Blitzo decided to make. The night after going to be beach, Blitzo went off to track down the location of Apple in the same town that we had visited. It should have been an easy little mission had he decided to put his pride and personal feelings for Verosika, but that apparently was too much to ask for. Instead, he decided to only take Millie and Moxxie along with him and left Loona and me to, as he would put it, 'babysit the bitch'.

It didn't help that Blitzo was completely resistant to helping at all from the start. He wasn't happy we went vacationing without him, and he was even more displeased that we went with his ex. The only thing that helped change his mind about helping was Verosika being willing to pay double his rate along with the 'begging' she did through her clenched teeth. Speaking of the Succubus, Verosika wasn't at all happy with sitting around to do nothing. She was fully prepared to do whatever it took to rescue one of her friends. Even her usual flirtatious attitude was absent. She decided to silently pace in place while we waited for any news from the other side.

As if my thoughts were being heard by Verosika, she finally said something, "Does that shitbag usually take this long? He said it should be a piece of cake to find those worthless fucks."

Loona commented back while she sat behind her desk while on her phone, "Well, you know Blitz. He will jump into situations without realistic expectations."

Verosika displeasingly said, "Yeah, I know about his unrealistic expectations…"

I decided to ignore what she was implying here and opted to let Loona respond to her. She let her phone drop a little in thought before saying, "Yeah, waiting around like this can be a bitch. That isn't to say that he won't try, even if it is going to be in his own little fucked up way."

Verosika snapped at the last sentence, "I was willing to put the shit between us on hold just to get Apple back. Like always, he decides to do the worst thing possible."

Loona responded, "I'm not going to argue with you there."

This didn't stop Verosika from continuing to vent her frustration, "This move is just…"

As she tried to search for a word, I decided to cut her off with my own response, "Stupid? Idiotic? Shortsighted?"

The Succubus just nodded before saying, "All of the above. I am paying him more than his red ass is worth. I would have expected some accommodations in return."

I snorted before saying, "If that was expected of Blitz, then I think it has been a while since you have talked to him, Vee." Before Verosika could retort, I continued, "And, yes, that means other than screaming at one another. He was even sour about me coming up with the trip to the beach, and that is why I am here. If he thinks he can be petty and successful, he will choose that route every time."

Before I could get into the conversation with Verosika about Blitzo's choices today, Loona's phone buzzed from an incoming notification. She stood up and picked up Stolas's Grimoire before saying, "They are taking a break."

Verosika seethed, "A BREAK! Did they find her or not?!"

Loona began the process of opening the portal while she responded, "He didn't say. Something like that would probably be said if he found where they have her." Verosika's anger was starting to radiate off her at this point to where Loona had to say something, "If you are going to do something, wait until Blitz is back."

Once the portal opened, some random alleyway came into view. Millie was already at the boundary between Hell and my old world. For some reason, Moxxie and Blitzo were lagging, and the former was currently covered in garbage. No doubt Moxxie was mentioning something that Blitzo was doing wrong with Blitzo not enjoying the criticism. They were taking their sweet-ass time with their conversation.

I turned to Millie who just walked into the office before asking, "How are things going? Have you three found out anything about Apple?"

"No, we haven't." Millie sighed. She then turned to look at Verosika, who was still furious. She then apologized, "Sorry, but we are better at killin' targets when we know more about them. It's been tricky without any sort of information."

Verosika wanted to be frustrated with the lack of progress, but I could see her face beginning to break down into acceptance. She then let out her breath before addressing Millie, "Well, I should be grateful to you and your little Imp husband searching for him. I doubt Blitzo would be doing anything without you two."

Millie beamed at the compliment before turning around to look back through the portal. When I looked back around, I saw a figure appear from the far end of the alley. Without any warning, they fired a net right at Moxxie who was walking right toward us. In the blink of an eye, Blitzo tackled Moxxie to the ground to save him from getting entangled. At nearly the same time, another figure got between us and the two Imps. From their outfits, I could tell that they were exactly who we were searching for, mysterious-looking agents.

Blitzo was the first to react out of everyone. He yelled at Loona, "Loona! Close it!"

There was not even a moment of hesitation from Loona as she began to scour quickly through the book. The command was met with resolve, and the rest of us were still trying to get rid of our shock. When it finally passed, I was calling my sword to my hand while Millie rushed past Loona and me. She yelled, "Wait! No!"

My weapon was in my grip within an instant, and I was already turning to the portal opening ready to help Moxxie and Blitzo. However, neither Millie nor I got the chance to even make it close before the hole closed completely to show the bare wall of the reception area. I disengaged while Millie rushed forward only to have her hand hit the wall. Everyone, including Verosika, watched while Millie stood there motionless.

Her fury began to build right before she began to strike the wall as hard as she could continuously. It was almost as if she were trying her best to open the portal through her might. Tears formed in her eyes before they began to streak down her cheeks.

Realization began to set in, and Millie clawed down the wall before saying, "Shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit…"

In my anger, I clenched the sword in my grasp like a vice grip. Of all the choices that could have been made, Blitzo decided on cutting himself and Moxxie off from an escape. In one way, it made me angry. Something could have been done to help them out. I knew that I was powerful enough to take on whoever those two were.

The larger part of me understood that Blitzo's choice was a smart one. The chances of the two agents gaining the upper hand on all of us were minimal at best. The threat of that is more than enough to understand why the choice was made on the spot. I was frustrated because of it, but Blitzo made the right decision.

Loona reached forward to grab Millie's shoulder. Once she made contact, she explained in a regretful tone, "I'm sorry, Millie. I had to do it."

It was rare for Loona to apologize, especially when it was to someone other than me. However, Millie's mind was elsewhere. She said, "We have to help them!" She then turned around with anger, "Why did you cut us off?! I could have gone in there and done something! Open it again!"

Loona shook her head, "Nope. Not going to happen. Blitz used a total of zero euphemisms, innuendos, and swears. That means he was serious. That also means that I won't be opening that portal until we hear back from them, or-"

Millie had enough of the explaining, so she grabbed Loona by her shirt before yelling in her face, "Open the fucking portal NOW!"

When she was thrust back, Loona looked at me for any sort of guidance on what we should do. My thoughts we quick, and my conclusion was absolute. I responded, "We had a job to do. We can't leave anyone behind."

I could see the resolve build within Loona's eyes until she agreed with us. A small nod was all she gave to the two of us with a serious look. She wasn't a big fan of leaving Blitzo and Moxxie in the alley, either. She looked over to Verosika before pointing over to a closet, "There is an emergency bag that Blitz keeps around for shit like this. Grab it for me and stay here. We shouldn't be long."

Verosika followed Loona's directions before arguing back, "I am not going to sit around like some damsel waiting for you to return! I am going with you!"

Loona said, "It's going to be far too dangerous, and you don't have any combat experience."

This was instantly rebuked by Verosika, "I'm not the same as when we were abducted together. I can hold my own."

Millie yelled over at the two while she grabbed her favorite axe, "Hey! You two need to stop fighting! Our boss, my boss, and her friend are in danger! Just give her a weapon!"

With an exacerbated sigh no one was listening to her, Loona looked around for a moment before she went into some obscure nook to grab something. She then turned around and tossed a pistol and spear at Verosika to use.

The Succubus clumsily caught them before Loona explained, "You use one to stab with, and the other to shoot. Got it?"

Verosika shot back, "Yeah, I'm not stupid."

Loona's form lit up while she transformed into her human disguise. It was only shortly after that Verosika followed suit. Loona then looked over to me as I held onto my sword followed up by looking at Millie who was practically panting in rage. She commented, "Yeah, you two seem to be good."

Seeing as we were all ready, Loona opened up the portal for us to jump through while she slung the emergency backpack over her shoulder. Millie was quick to jump through, ready to engage the enemy. Her prepared posture then diminished to a confused and dejected one. The rest of us followed behind before the portal closed behind us. There was nothing but the darkened alley and cool night sky.

Millie let go of her axe and said, "They're gone… Fuck… What do we do now?"

Before she could get used to sulking, Loona sniffed the air. She then bent down and picked Millie up. She closed her eyes to sniff where the Imp was kneeling just a second ago. Loona opened her eyes and confirmed, "I got a scent. They went this way with those two. From what I can tell, they shouldn't be too far away."

Verosika seemed impatient to move on. She spoke to the rest of us, "Lead the way. We have to get the dipshit, the little one, and my girl, Apple."

I had to add something, "We need to be careful. We don't know what we are running into. For all we know, it could be a fortress."

---

About 20 minutes later…

"Huh… I guess it really is a fortress."

I couldn't contain that comment after we finally found the building that Loona's nose led us to. It was hard to imagine that the three Imps failed to find a place like this while they were out searching for Apple. There seemed to be top-notch security including cameras, spotlights, fencing, and a secure door on the outside of a dull multistory cinderblock building. There were also several guards on high alert stationed on the perimeter and on the roof of the building wielding what looked to be melee weaponry. The final detail would be the bold lettering on the top of the building, D.H.O.R.K.S.

I finally complimented Loona, "Nice job leading us here."

Loona commented after letting out a cough to ease her excited blush, "There's no doubt about it. They ended up here." She got a good look at everything as well before saying, "Fuck… It won't be easy, especially since they seem to be on high alert." Loona turned around before asking, "So, what's the plan?"

Millie sadistically said, "Cut 'em up until we find Blitz, Verosika's friend, and my Moxxie."

Verosika coldly said, "Her name is Apple." She then changed the topic before saying, "While that little plan may work for you, I don't see that working out well for me."

I rubbed my chin in thought, "Verosika is right. We need a real plan. That place is filled with who knows how many agents. While we might be able to take them on, I don't want to risk the well-being of our friends. So, we need to do this as quietly as possible."

Loona's eyes searched everywhere for any minor detail that might help. She finally found her mark before pointing, "There."

We all looked at the building to see a side entrance into the building. Surprisingly, there were no guards posted there, and there were no cameras. It seemed like the perfect place to enter. Now, the question was just how to get into the building since we had our entry point.

Millie smiled before saying, "There's a vent right there. If one of you can lift me, I should be able to open the door."

I nodded with satisfaction, "That all sounds good. I guess we will just have to feel it out when we are in there."

Everyone seemed to be on the same page as we stuck to the shadows when approaching the building. While the cameras were a minor worry, they seemed to be angled too poorly to get a good look at us. Similarly, the guards outside seemed more concerned with either looking cool or having a covert look at how they wore shades even though it was the middle of the night. It was only a matter of time until we made it to the target door.

Once we made it to the door, Loona lifted Millie to the vent so that she could get us through. The female Imp then peeled off the cover before sneaking in. Not even a second passed before the door clicked open with Millie standing proudly on the release. The rest of us continued into the building with me going in last to grab Millie off the door.

The hallways were all boring, gray, and with no discernible detail to give us any idea of where to go. There were too many intersections with no signs of where the right direction was. That left us with only one option, to wander aimlessly.

The task wasn't an easy one. We found out that there were many more agents within the building as we quietly walked through the halls. A few of them were posted in the halls and by random doorways. They carried similar weapons to those stationed outside. They looked to be Japanese in origin, but I couldn't guess any further than that. None of them seemed to notice us, which was very good. I thought to myself, 'The less we had to deal with, the better…'

I couldn't help myself with that thought, and it came back to bite me in the ass almost immediately. The alarm began to blare with a warning light flashing at different areas in the hallway. Agents with various melee weapons seemed to pop out of nowhere. There were at least five immediately ahead of us while only a few came from the flank.

This was not the time to get bogged down in combat. Being noticed by the captors of Moxxie, Blitzo, and Apple meant that they could be in more danger than before. This put us on the clock to find them all.

I turned Loona before tossing Millie to her. I commanded, "Clear us a path. Verosika will watch the back."

Loona nodded seriously, "Got it." She looked back at Millie, who was grabbing a couple of pistols. She asked, "You ready?"

Millie smirked mischievously, "Always."

The two of them charged forward without any thought to engage the multiple agents in the way. The first agent that they came up to charged forward as well and swung their weapon at Loona and Millie. The disguised Hellhound ducked and spun underneath the attack right before using Millie's axe to chop off their leg. Making sure they were dead, Millie shot a few rounds from two pistols into the guy's chest. Before they could get too comfortable, Loona was already looking around at the others before she nodded at Millie for the next attack. Then, she threw the axe hard into the closest agent where it was embedded in their skull instantly killing them.

Feeling some relief that the two had that under control, I turned to look at the three enemies that had staggered near Verosika and me. The first one decided to charge me with a sword at the ready. They swung quickly from the upper left shoulder down to the right. I wasted no time in attacking as I swung at their neck. When they blocked, my sword cut partially through their blade. Their surprise was cut short when I angled around and slid the blade across their throat resulting in a red spray.

The kill should have brought up hesitation, but it didn't. I felt like I was back in a war. There was too much on the line for me to consider any of this. This became more apparent when the next one charged at me with his naginata pointed at me. With the flick of my wrist, I cut off the end of it right before piercing the agent's heart with my sword. He was dead before he even touched the ground. Millie's training had come very much in handy.

The third agent decided to try their luck with Verosika when she saw how I took out her friends with relative ease. I was moments away from jumping into action to help Vee but held off with surprise at the quick movements Verosika managed to pull off. In a flash, she cut the agent's stomach open. When they reacted, the Succubus proceeded to unload four or five shots into the injured enemy. She was dead after the second one hit, but Verosika's anger kept her shooting.

Her anger didn't dissipate as she looked down at the corpse until her eyes connected with mine. In an amused tone, I asked her, "Uhh, where did you learn to do that?"

Calming herself down, Verosika brushed back her hair before responding, "I wanted to learn a little bit after being kidnapped by those gross Envy demons. Your little Imp friend helped a little, and so did Tex."

I commented back, "I was just going to cover for both of us."

There was a little ire in Verosika's look before she said, "You will find that I can take care of myself."

I began to speak to her while turning around, "We should probably help Loona and…" My eyes finally settled on the gruesome scene that the other two left behind. There were pools of blood with multiple agents scattered across the floor. They seemed to have no issues up ahead. Instead, they were already at the far end of the hallway.

Loona yelled back in anger, "Get your asses up here! We're going to need a little help."

Getting a good look up ahead, I saw that more agents had already blocked the way for the two of them. I rushed forward with Verosika slightly behind while we moved on to help Loona and Millie. However, my attention soon moved onto agents further back working on blast door controls with hopes of blocking us off.

I yelled out at the two of them, "Cover me!"

Millie and Loona created a corridor for me to rush forward. For some reason, I had no hesitation in my steps even as the heavy, thick door came crashing down. I managed to get my body between it and the floor in a ready position. The force was impressive, and my legs moved an inch down while I dealt with the weight.

My eyes were set forward to see that two agents were now walking toward me with their weapons ready. Before I could yell back for help, Millie slipped between my legs. In a spin, she cut two walking up to me from legs first before lopping their heads off. She then ran forward to take care of the other agents.

Loona and Verosika ducked under the door after with Loona moving toward the controls. Right before she was able to press the button, the sounds of running echoed behind me. Instinctually, I looked around and used one of my hands to catch the blade aimed at my chest. Verosika was already pointing the gun at the guy, but I was even quicker. I pulled the guy under the blast door before I moved out of the way. The door came crashing down, and the sound of crunching bone and blood splattering followed.

Loona commented, "Damn… That was gruesome."

I released a long breath to relieve the stress that was building up within me, "Yeah, it was. His death was quick. At least he isn't suffering like the rest of them."

I motioned forward to show the hallway of amputated limbs, decapitated heads, and bodily injury that wasn't thought to be possible. The ones that were dead were the lucky ones. There were some of those who were still alive. They groaned in agony while holding onto their nubbed arms or legs, and a few of them clutched their abdomen in a fight to keep their organs inside of their bodies. At the end of the hallway was a very happy Millie. She waved at us with the biggest grin she could muster.

Verosika looked at the Imp with uncertainty, "She is a ferocious little Imp, isn't she."

Loona and I only nodded before walking down the hallway. The sounds of the suffering didn't fill me with as much happiness as those around me. Instead, I chose to ignore them along with Loona. Verosika, on the other hand, seemed to take out her frustrations by shooting a few of them. It finally silenced them. Perhaps she just didn't want to listen to them anymore.

When we finally made it to Millie, Loona spoke, "Nice work, Mills. You are a one-of-a-kind killing machine."

Millie responded, "This is what happens when someone messes with my husband."

For the next few minutes, it was much of the same since entering the buildings. The guards and agents that we faced were shown no mercy. They would be cut down where they stood without a second glance. Then, we would move on to find wherever our friends might be. It was a large building, and there was a lot to cover.

We finally approached what looked to be a more secure part of the facility. There was a metal door with a keypad blocking the way. I couldn't help but mutter, "This looks promising…"

The four of us walked up to the keypad. Our looks were a mixture of confusion and disbelief. This should have been a harder thing to crack, but the '1' was completely worn down compared to the others, which seemed brand new. Whatever idiot decided on that was, well, an idiot.

Millie stated the obvious to Loona, "Try 'one'."

Loona didn't even speak while she mashed the button until the door slid open. We were greeted with a small reception area void of any agents. The bold letters 'D.H.O.R.K.S.' were on the opposing wall over a desk. It seemed like we weren't in a holding cell of any kind, nor any place that seemed to hold prisoners. It looked like the search wasn't complete, yet.

Another pair of hallways later, we finally settled in an area that seemed more likely to hold our friends. A single hallway spread out in three directions. Each destination was only a single bold door with a side entrance. From what I could tell, it was a holding area for interrogation fit with an observation room. Well, that was what the signs said…

The most striking thing that stood out was probably how there was a lack of any agents since getting past that coded door. There were cameras everywhere, so they should our whereabouts. Instead, they were letting us get to our friends. I didn't like it.

Millie broke me out of my thoughts when she asked, "Should we go in order?"

Sure enough, there were numbers for each hallway. After looking each way, I nodded, "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. We don't know what they might be doing in each room."

Loona commented, "Yeah. Something doesn't feel right."

Verosika walked forward into the first hallway while the rest of us seemed a little more cautious. Her emotions had boiled to the point of them being shown through her scowl. Despite showing herself to be able to take care of herself, this all felt like a trap. So, the three of us caught up to her right as she made it to the larger doors.

Verosika peered through one of the small porthole windows that were provided right as I got a look as well. Inside sat Apple in the center of the room chained to a chair. Like a mouse trap, there was only a single source of light on the inside right above the undisguised Succubus. She seemed exhausted, but the small movements of her chest showed that she was breathing.

Verosika exhaled a large breath and reached for the door. I grabbed her wrist when she was about to open it. Her look turned to surprise before becoming furious. She spoke through her teeth, "Do you not see Apple? I am going in there to get her."

I affirmed, "I know she is, but this couldn't be more obviously a trap."

Verosika said, "I can take care of-"

I cut her off, "I know, I know. You have shown that you can take care of yourself. This is different, though. I will go in and get her. Alone." I turned around to Millie before pointing and asking, "Got my back?"

Millie saluted me, "I have you covered."

I wasted no more time before I slowly opened the door. The slight creaking of the hinges of the door was the only sound to be made. Because of this, Apple looked up with fear before her eyes settled on me. Then, it turned to a look of alert confusion. My steps were slow toward her, and she was still processing that I was there to get her.

She finally asked, "What are you-"

I put my index finger to my lips indicating her to stay quiet. I scanned the room, but I couldn't see anything in the shadows compared to the intense light from a single source. My sword was held up in a ready position as if something was waiting to pounce.

I finally said in a hushed voice, "I am here with Verosika. Just let me get those chains off you."

I reached my hand forward and was about to grab onto the metal, but I was interrupted by the sound of a large metal door slamming down over the doors I had just entered. I turned around in surprise to see that there were still windows for me to see the panicking faces of my friends. They proceeded to bang on the doors in hopes of forcing them open. I couldn't even hear them with the sound of gas pumping into the room.

Wait.

My eyes then looked toward the vents on the floor to see a barely noticeable yellow gas was now pumping into the room. I felt my mind bump up another few levels of alertness while I scanned the space. Apple was struggling against the chains. It was almost as if she knew what this stuff was.

I began asking, "What is this-"

I never even got a response before my eyes caught onto a figure in the shadows. Suddenly the lights in the room all flicked on showing that I was completely surrounded by agents donning gas masks. I never even got to respond before the first of them charged forward with a katana before slashing down. The blade struck my shoulder, but it never even made it a millimeter into my flesh.

I couldn't even see beyond the reflective lenses of the mask, but he recoiled when he saw that I was undamaged. The rest of the agents also took a small step back in apprehension. The air was completely still.

My shock faded, and with the spin of my blade, the katana split into pieces. I followed this up with a large slash downward. The agent didn't even have a second before his body split into two pieces. The sound of his body echoed like a wet piece of meat hitting the floor as his blood and mutilated organs pooled.

A fog had formed from the gas. The pieces of the agent were soon covered by the thick vapor. I had yet to know what it was, but it had no physical effects on me. I scanned the agents with a careful eye while I eased my worry about the gas.

Realization soon hit all the agents. Their weapons were all useless against me. Despite being human myself, I must have looked to be some sort of higher demon invulnerable to anything they could throw at me. A look of fury replaced my calm complexion. Here we all were, stuck in a box together. What they thought was a trap for me was completely turned on its head. I wasn't stuck in here with them. They were stuck in here with me.

In an act of desperation, all the agents rushed at me. My actions were quick and aggressive. There was no real way to describe what exactly happened. The heat of combat dulled my thinking down to impulse movements. I couldn't waste with thinking about what they were enduring.

My blade never even slowed down with each strike I made. I cut through flesh, bone, and internal organs. I even cut through the dense metals and wood of their weapons. For some of them, a single strike ended up decapitating an agent followed by another agent getting chopped in two from the chest. The more I cut down, the more panicked they became.

When I was finally down to the last few, I saw that they were no longer concerned with living. A few of them ran to a back entrance. They didn't get too far before the tip of my blade pierced their backs and exited through their chests. My gaze then fell onto the last agent whose muffled scream could be heard through her mask. The more interesting fact was how she pounded on a mirrored glass window.

I finally connected the dots before I rushed forward to grab the agent. I used their body as a bludgeon against the window as I struck it over and over. Blood was slowly starting to leak from the mask after the first few hits, but then it began to increase in flow. The window began to crack until it finally gave way. My groans turned into yells with each successive strike.

In the small observation room was a single agent who stared at me in terror. There was nowhere for them to go. They had activated the trap, and now there was no way out of it. I tossed the corpse of the beat-up agent I used moments ago to the side. As for the other agents, I said nothing as I approached. The only sound I made was a grunt as I cleanly cut through them like they were nothing.

I didn't even realize how much blood was covering me until I took the moment to calm down. I released a small breath and then turned to look over at Apple. She remained completely untouched by the carnage that just took place. I walked over the shattered glass and back into the same room as before. With a swift jerk, I removed the chains that trapped the Succubus.

Apple was uneasy in her first steps out of the chair. I managed to support her before she fully sank to the floor. I was unsure how she was going to treat the situation until she looked up at me. There was no hint of fear from what had just happened, nor was there the usual playful look she usually held. She was tired. Her usual flirtation was void from her voice as she gratefully said, "Thank you."

I nodded before looking to the heavy door ahead, "Let's get you out of here."

Before attempting anything, I allowed Apple to use the wall as support before I walked to the door. I looked at the door before leaning down to get my fingers underneath. With a good amount of effort, I slowly lifted it. The bottom began to warp at my fingers. Unlike the door before, this one seemed to stick in its place.

Apple walked out slowly, and she was instantly wrapped in a tight hug by Verosika right after a swirl of color and light returned her back to her Succubus form. I took a moment to relax. Both Loona and Millie approached me with different expressions. Millie had stars in her eyes as she excitedly looked me over. Loona, on the other hand, was astonished. She simply said, "Damn, dude…"

Millie stated proudly, "I taught you so well!"

While I acknowledged their remarks, I found myself thinking back on what happened. I looked down at my blood-soaked hands with pain and exasperation. I wasn't blinded in a fit of rage. I was completely in control of what I was doing while I chopped all those people down. After everything that had happened, I didn't want to stop. They kidnapped some of my friends, and they threatened me and these girls. They deserved it, didn't they?

A small cough escaped my throat as the gas that had seeped into my lungs came back into my mind. I didn't know exactly what it was, but the agents used it with intent. They were hoping some sort of effect was going to take place, but it never happened. Neither Apple nor I seemed to suffer from any ill effects from what I could tell. So, what was it?

It seemed like my expression seemed to worry Loona. She approached me before touching my shoulder and asking, "What's wrong?"

I looked at my blood-soaked hands before responding, "I don't know. Feel different, but I don't know what's changed." I looked at Apple getting some idea she knew what it was. I asked her, "What was that stuff?"

Apple peeled away from Verosika just enough to respond. Emotions were already boiled over as tears trailed her cheeks, "I-I-It's some sort of d-drug that m-m-makes you tell and s-s-see the t-truth. T-They u-used it on m-m-me earlier, and I-I-I told them e-everything they w-w-wanted to know." She proceeded to cry even more while Verosika consoled her. Then, Apple's form started to falter while she began to mutter, "I just want to get back to Coco. I want to feel her in my arms again…"

Verosika struggled a little when she held Apple up. The Succubus was delirious at this point while she wobbled to stay on her feet. I couldn't tell what exactly was going on, but she seemed completely out of it. Apple was in her own world at this point.

Verosika commented while taken aback, "Uhh, that's something she would never say out loud."

Each available set of eyes then looked at me with equal concern. I had yet to go into a similar trance to Apple. My eyes scanned the faces of Millie, Loona, and Verosika with a palpable level of concern. I felt myself becoming hyperaware as I had in the room only moments ago. Nothing seemed to happen, so swallowed a dry breath before saying, "I-I think I'm good."

I knew something was wrong, but I couldn't tell them. Besides, we had a mission to complete. Both Verosika and Loona shared a look of concern, but they didn't say a word. Millie, on the other hand, decided to say, "The boys are still in trouble. If they aren't here, then they must be in one of the other holding areas."

Loona continued to eye me for a second longer to show me her worry. She then said, "Yeah. Knowing these morons, they probably put them in the second one."

With a swift nod, Millie was the first one to lead the group. With some help from Loona, Verosika was able to help Apple along while I took up the rear. I took my first steps, but then very familiar voices, the voices of my parents, echoed behind me, "Nothing's changed. You are still a killer."

I felt a shiver rise in my spine right when I stopped in stride. It had been so long since I had heard either of their voices, much less seen their faces. I was afraid to even look around at them. However, the minor curiosity in my mind caused me to turn my head to look around. A small gasp escaped me while my pupils shrank.

I knew it was from the effects of the gas, but the space behind me that I expected to be void of anyone had two figures standing there. I couldn't hold back a small breath as I looked back at the two people who raised me. Many of their facial qualities matched my own, especially my father's. He looked like a much older version of me. They hadn't even aged a day.

However, I couldn't analyze that too much. The contempt they held reminded me of the last time I saw them. It seemed like time had passed since I had last seen them hadn't softened their attitudes toward me one bit.

It was ridiculous to think that they were there, but my mother's voice made me second-guess myself. She spoke with disapproval, "This is what you call fixing the damage you caused?"

My father was the next to continue the conversation, "How is taking more life the solution?"

It had been years since the last time I saw either of their faces. By leaving on terrible terms, I found their words only touched upon the truth in a very light way. I muttered a response, "I am here to save my friends."

My father then responded with venom in his voice, "We are not only talking about what you are doing here?!"

My eyes narrowed before I looked at my mother. Somehow knowing she was going to talk next, "How many will die because of what you are doing for Azazel? You won't be able to scrub your hands clean after that, and you don't want to do that. You should have just stayed in the middle of nowhere. It would have been better for everyone."

That stuck out to me. Not only in the way of it being how I used to think, but it also stuck out by how it made me realize what Apple meant by 'seeing the truth'. After leaving the military, I thought that sitting in some forgotten corner and allowing the world to continue was the best course of action for me. I had been powerless to do anything before.

That was no longer the case. Azazel's sword was a burden, but it was a burden with a purpose. With the current suffering in Hell and with the gates of Heaven closed to the worthy, I realized that I had the potential to change things for the better. It's been so long since I have felt this way.

The conflict in my head was short-lived, and I finally decided to walk away from the two. I spoke softly, "I'm done sitting back and doing nothing. I know that what I am doing is right. I don't need you anymore telling me what to do."

Their forms vanished behind me as I felt a small weight lift from me. I continued to catch up to the others before they noticed my absence. While the hallucination was over, I knew that it wasn't quite over. My mind was on edge, and it was only a matter of time before I was faced with something else.

When I caught up with the others, we made it to the next hallway to the holding area. It wasn't going to be as easy as the first one as a handful of guards were already blocking our way. That was our bad news. As for the good news, this seemed to be the right way. They had no reason to hold this kind of resistance for nothing. My focus was back on the present while my eyes scanned the group in front of us. Then, I noticed the small details in the ceiling. It would be a good ticket for us to get into the room quickly.

During our standoff with the agents, I spoke to Millie, "Hey, Mills? I am going to need you for a small task."

The ferocious Imp looked back in confusion with her axe ready, "What do you mean? The room is just up ahead."

"I know, but we don't know what state Moxxie and Blitz are in. I can get you up to that vent, and you could get to them quicker than the rest of us."

There was concern about Millie's features for our little group seeing as Loona and I would be the only ones fighting with Verosika left to watch over Apple. However, the idea of getting to Moxxie quicker was all the motivation she needed. She agreed before saying, "Toss me up there."

I grabbed Millie by the back of her shirt before throwing her up to the ceiling. My aim was good enough to get her right beside the vent with no trouble. She embedded her axe into the ceiling to catch her right before she tore the grate down. Like a serpent, she wiggled herself into the vent only leaving her tail to snape like a whip in her tracks.

The agents looked up with surprise before their attention turned back to the rest of us with renewed vigilance. Loona reached into the bag and grabbed a shotgun. She turned and asked me, "Should we get to it?"

I confirmed, "I see no reason to delay."

The agents seemed ready to pounce first as the first in the group charged forward with their weapons. Loona wasted no time in blowing the first guy's head clean off. The mist of red and explosion of bone, brain matter, and goop following the loud bang horrified those across from us. It even allowed me to cut cleanly through the agent charging me without them reacting.

The rest weren't much of a problem for the two of us to get through as we led the way. Only a matter of seconds passed before we made it to the door that would get us into the room. The design seemed to differ from the first room, but only slightly. We were given access to the observation room in which two agents were looking at Blitzo and Moxxie. They suddenly jumped to their feet when they watched as Millie broke through the ceiling and moved to free Moxxie and Blitzo.

With a growl, Loona kicked open the door. The two agents, a familiar male and female, jumped up from their seats and turned around in a hurry. They didn't have any weapons compared to Loona who was still using the shotgun.

With wrath, Loona pulled the trigger multiple times only to get the anticlimactic clicking of an empty chamber. She didn't let this stop her as she threw down the gun in frustration. She grabbed the female agent in frustration before using her as a battering ram against the glass window into the holding area. She managed to break through without any trouble.

Blitzo and Moxxie looked at us through the now shattered window with surprise. Blitzo yelled, "Loony! Verosika! What in Hell's name are you two doing here?!"

Verosika spat out, "Doing your job for you, it seems!"

Loona threw the agent in her grasp back into the other agent before yelling, "It's no time to argue! Grab your shit before more fuckers show up!"

She jumped into the air before transforming back into her Hellhound form and tossed the bag full of weapons down onto the ground. Blitzo began to search through it for the right weapon before saying, "I'm just saying. Millie and Kyle seem like more than enough to get us out of here."

This time, I responded, "Now is not the time to discuss this shit. We need to get out of here." Right as I said this, the blaring sound of an alarm sounded. This was immediately followed up with numerous agents clamoring through the doors, and the ceiling like they were staying up there the whole time. Each of them held a different weapon of Japanese Eto period origin. I couldn't help but tighten my grip on my sword before saying, "Never mind. I guess we are fighting our way out of this."

Forgetting his previous thoughts, Blitzo chuckled to himself, "Oh-ho-ho. I wouldn't have it any other way. It's time for some serious payback, dick-bags!"

The first move made was by the other side. A rather strong-looking agent threw the hooked end of his kusarigama right toward Blitzo with impressive speed. Before the Imp could even react beyond recoiling, Loona jumped in front of him and caught the weapon with ease in her palm. In a swift move, she managed to wrap the agent up in the change before yanking him right over to our group. Blitzo fired two shots into his chest right before I chopped his head off for good measure. His head flew up into the air before bouncing and sliding on the floor back to the other agents.

It was absolute mayhem from that moment. Loona found herself with a new weapon to use against the enemy. While facing multiple people, she found unique ways to defend and attack. The first guy found out why it was a bad idea to charge an angry Hellhound when his skull cracked from the spiked metal ball being swung around.

The next agent charged in while stabbing and swinging their spear around. Their weapon got tangled in the chain before Loona disarmed them. Defenseless, they were unable to do anything against Loona's speed. Without warning, the chain was wrapped around their face before being pulled like a ripcord. Skin tore from their face followed by a pool of blood.

Loona managed to work her way up to the hooked blade once again before charging forward against two adversaries. She blocked their multiple quick strikes before swiping through both of their throats with the blade. She was prepared to fight the next enemy, but she only came to see that the other agents who were coming toward her position were shot dead. She turned around to see the smoking guns in Moxxie's grasp.

She nodded before complimenting, "Nice shot, short stuff."

Moxxie smirked, "Thanks." His eyes narrowed once again before he charged off in a different direction taking shots at agents that he could see. His aim was immaculate. The Imp never missed an opportunity to spray the room with blood, or even disarm one of the agents only for them to get chopped up by one of us.

Another voice reached out to Loona, and this time it was Blitzo's, "Wow. Where did you learn to fight like that, sweetie? Did I teach you all those moves?"

Before she responded, Loona swung the blade around from the end of the chain before it embedded in a guy's stomach. She yanked it free and scoffed at her adoptive father, "Yeah, right. When would you have time to do that beyond going up to the surface and jerking yourself off to those horse statues?"

He prodded his chin in thought, "True…"

Loona pointed over to Millie without saying a word, and Blitzo instantly got the message. Speaking of the female Imp, she was having the best time in her life. There wasn't a single D.H.O.R.K.S. agent that came even close to her skill. She would spin around their attacks as if she knew that she would dodge by mere inches each time. Sometimes she would even crawl up their bodies before she crashed down on them with her axe. Their arms, legs, heads, and even whole bodies would be cut through while the broadest smile remained on Millie's lips.

Blitzo smirked, "Well, I'm so proud of you Loony! Keep killing like that, and you will be brought on so many jobs!" He then kissed her on the cheek before scurrying off, "Bye, sweetie!"

This infuriated the Hellhound as she continued to cut down anybody that came near her with increased rage. She stayed close to me while I defended a position near Verosika and Apple. I wished I could say that I was doing this only so that Verosika wouldn't get overwhelmed while tending to Apple, but that would be a lie.

Seeing how Apple was reacting to the gas, she continued to mumble about intimate details about her 'romantic relationship' with Coco. I didn't have those urges, and I was coherent. The only thing was that I knew I was going to have another episode. I wondered why I was an exception to the total effects of the gas. I had no urge to spew truths, but I could feel my mind splitting with paranoia at what was to come next. I had a strange feeling that I knew what I was going to see.

I got my answer as I ended up chopping right down the middle of an agent from skull to groin. As the body split apart, my eyes caught onto two figures of my past. My jaw locked at the sight of both Dick and Larissa. Both of them were wearing what they were the moment they died along with the fatal wounds they sustained.

I address the two of them first with vigilance, "Why?"

It wasn't surprising that they knew what I was questioning. They were fragments of my imagination, after all. So, Larissa stepped forward before asking in pain, "Have you forgotten what happened to me?"

Dick swiftly responded with more anger, "Death really seems to like you, Kyle. It always gets close enough to snuff out those close to you, and never close enough to take care of you personally. And you know exactly where we end up."

I began to respond, "I didn't know where you would end-"

"It doesn't matter! In the end, we were the ones who suffered. There is nothing you can do to make up for this." Dick's features showed that he wasn't getting any closer to calming down.

At the side, Larissa's expression was one of sadness. She finally said, "You think anything you are doing will make up for the pain? You know what I have turned into." Larissa's form slowly formed into the one I saw in Hell, her Sinner form. She continued, "Your actions have caused so much loss. Have you so easily forgotten about me, and what about our child? They never had a chance. You should have been the one to die, then maybe we would have had a chance at a happy life."

I shook my head at their barrage of words. I never even noticed how Loona looked around for another agent to slaughter with a ferocious look until her eyes locked onto me. She looked at me with confusion before asking me, "Uhh, are you okay there, Kyle?"

This question piqued Verosika's interest as she looked over as well. Both of their curiosities soon turned into worry about what was happening to me. It seemed like my internal conversation seemed to manifest a little as my fighting had ceased completely. Luckily for me, the Imps were drawing most of the attention by the bloodbath they created.

Back in my vision, I found myself arguing against them, "Yes, you both are dead where I should have been and yeah, maybe things would have been better if I were the one to kick the bucket! Things didn't turn out that way! I'm still here, and I can't keep beating myself up about that. That's all in the past. I am working for a better future." My face was strained, but I found solace in this realization. I muttered, "I have to move on."

Larissa answered, "Is that so? Then, what about them."

What did she mean by that? She pointed over to my side, and then the sound of footsteps entered my ears. I looked over at Loona and then to Verosika before snapping back to Larissa's form to see that she had disappeared along with Dick. From what I could tell, the visions that I was experiencing hadn't ended quite yet. It was like looking through a lens that blurred my vision except for the two of them. Everything that was in my surroundings like the agents, M&M, Blitzo, and Apple seemed to seep into the background.

I felt Loona touch my shoulder, but I couldn't quite grasp what she said, "Kyle, what's happening?"

Instead of hearing what she actually said, her voice to me sounded callous and cold, "I'm going to be just another one who you lose along the way. It's just what happens to those around you. There is no denying it."

I blinked my eyes a few times trying to clear my vision of the hallucinations that I was experiencing. Instead of getting better, the hallucinations continued to get worse. My surroundings turned back into the bleak winter landscape of my old home. There was no sun to get through the clouds, and there was only the wind and snow blowing. Despite this, I didn't feel the cold.

Seeing as things only escalated for me, I began to go the route of denial. Shaking my head, I responded, "I will have none of this! Not from you!"

Behind me, another familiar voice sounded, "It's hard to hear the truth, isn't it?" It was an imaginary Verosika, and she held a seductive tone. She revolved around me like an animal intimidating prey. She continued, "All you wanted to do was sit, drink, and rot away in a place like this because that was easier than caring and losing anyone else. Maybe if you stopped yourself from caring about that little Imp, then maybe you could remain a sad sack of shit."

I clenched my jaw before saying, "That's not how it was! If I remember correctly, I was under threat of dying as well! I never thought any of that would end up like this!"

My imaginary Loona lunged forward while seething, "Stop fucking lying! You know that isn't true! You just couldn't bear to think about how things would end for poor, little Moxxie. You cared too much! You care too much about how things are in Hell, and now you care about us!"

Imaginary Verosika joined imaginary Loona after sensually running her fingers along the Hellhound's arm. She then said, "Oh, he more than cares about both of us, don't you?" She asked the last part while having a knowing look. She then added, "He loves you, and he loves me, but he loves neither enough to let us go. I mean, he already has a target on his back. Kidnappings, bounty hunters, it will only get worse from here."

Imaginary Loona's eyes pierced me as if she were looking into my soul. She then said, "You can't live without any of us, but you're going to lose us. It is only a matter of when."

The strength in my legs began to fail. The sword completely dropped out of my grasp as I slowly sunk onto the floor. I did my best to keep in control of my thoughts and emotions, but my subconsciousness reaching out to me finally got the upper hand. I didn't want to lose anyone else, yet I was on a path that I couldn't steer clear of. How could I possibly move on if something happened to any of my friends, let alone Loona or Verosika? I knew they were special to me. I just hadn't realized how much I needed them by my side and how much fear I had to lose either of them.

My fingers clawed at the snow below me as it slowly faded into the cold concrete floor. The hallucinations began to fade with the fighting coming back into focus. Only a few stragglers were being taken care of at this point. My eyes caught Loona's perturbed look while she was crouched down to me. Verosika, still watching over Apple, could only witness us from a distance.

I could tell that Loona had been talking to me while I had my little vision from her escalated tone, "Kyle, what are you seeing?!" I still couldn't find the words to properly respond. When that happened, she looked over at Blitzo before yelling, "Blitz!"

The Imp boss didn't hear her initially as he managed to gruesomely blow the last guy's head off while exclaiming, "How's that for demon scum!"

Loona screamed more forcefully, "BLITZ!"

"What?!" He looked over at the rest of us with irritation at being taken out of his little moment. His eyes finally looked onto Apple's rather delirious form and my vulnerability. He asked with confusion, "What's wrong with them?"

Loona responded, "They got sprayed by some gas or something."

Blitzo laughed, "Oh, shit! They got gassed up with that truth serum shit. It wasn't the most fun I've ever had while tripping balls, but it should wear off in a few minutes. Moxx and I shared some pretty embarrassing secrets, just like how Moxxie sometimes takes it up the ass from his wife."

"Blitz!" Moxxie was horrified by the intimate details of his love life being spewed from his boss.

Blitzo looked back around and raised his hand, "I swear to Satan, Moxxie, I didn't mean to say that." He scratched his chin, "I guess that gas is stronger than I'd thought. Still saying things that come to mind."

Loona seemed to have had enough of the conversation. She pinched the bridge of her nose before saying, "How about we get the fuck out of here?! We've already gotten everything we came here for."

Blitzo nodded, "Yeah, we've definitely overstayed our welcome. Loona-" Before he could even get another word out, a louder alarm blared followed by the lights going out except for a single red one that continued to blink. They had failed to notice the two agents who tripped the alarm were hiding underneath a desk in the observation room. This alarmed the Imp before he said, "Christ on a stick! Let's blow this cocksickle joint. Loony, how's our exit looking?"

Loona was flipping through the pages of Stolas's Grimoire swiftly before she finally said, "Shit! I can't read a fucking thing in this lighting."

Blitzo was far from happy with this, but he seemed determined, nonetheless. He proclaimed, "Then we are going to fight our way out of this joint." He checked his weapon to see that he was completely out of ammo, "Looks like I am milked dry. What about you, Moxx? Do you have any spare ammo?"

Moxxie shook his head, "I'm sad to say, but I am out of ammunition as well."

Blitzo chose not to blame Moxxie. Instead, he turned to Millie to see that she held onto an alert demeanor despite being exhausted. Her weapon looked to be worse for wear by how much use it had seen. This left only one option, and it wasn't looking too good right now.

Blitzo looked over to Loona before directing her to me. He said, "Shake him out of whatever mood he is in. We don't have time for him to figure his shit out." A more irritated look presented itself when he looked at his Succubus ex, "And I know you and him are friends or something. Why don't you work that whore magic on him."

The sound of footsteps emitted from the only available doorway as more agents armed to the teeth were closing in on the group. With the pressure on, Loona kneeled beside me along with Verosika after she flipped the bird at Blitzo. Neither were experts in comforting, so it was hard to figure out where to start. They didn't even know what caused me such distress.

I, on the other hand, had a lot to say to the two of them. The alarm was deafening to the point of it being hard to focus, but I managed to remember the illusions of the two. I never knew that the turmoil I held within my mind sunk so deep. I also couldn't have imagined how afraid I was of hurting those close to me, especially Loona and Verosika.

I looked over at the sword. The strength that I had gained through it was immense, but I felt that great personal sacrifice was also going to come because of it. It truly was a burden.

Seeing as they were getting nowhere in talking, I finally said, "I never thought that I would enjoy the comfort that you two bring me." Loona and Verosika were stunned by what had left my lips. They looked at one another before they looked at me. My gaze met theirs, but it shared a contrasting detachment compared to my words. I added, "I feel like the longer I stick around in Hell, the greater of a threat I become to all of you. How long until something happens to one of them or one of you? I just don't want to lose either of you."

Loona was the first to respond seeing as she was a little more in practice with the whole comforting thing out of the two females, "What did you see?"

I recalled what I was able to move on from. More specifically, who. However, the current threat to those closest to me cast a complete shadow over all that progress. It felt as if I had moved backward in some way instead of onward. Keeping these images in mind, I began, "My parents, people I had lost, but what bothered me the most was how I saw you two."

Loona summarized, "Did we all say shitty stuff?" I guess that was one way of putting it, so I just nodded in confirmation. Not able to get the full picture, Loona released a breath before saying, "You know none of what we said then is true, right? We don't even know if that stuff you inhaled was truth serum."

Moxxie managed to catch that last part, so he said, "Yep, it was definitely truth serum."

Loona snapped, "Not now, Moxx! Would you prefer I go back to making fun of how fat you are becoming?!"

Moxxie jumped at that before saying, "You admitted that I wasn't-"

Loona ignored him and grabbed onto my hands, "Look, having seen and heard a little bit about your past, I know that shit hasn't been easy for you. Please, don't push us away because of it like you have before. You aren't doing anything by doing that except hurting us. I lo-…" Loona's voice cut off before she coughed and corrected herself, "I really care about you. I don't want to lose you, too." With a shaky hand, she traced her fingers along my cheek to comfort me.

To the side, Verosika had remained completely silent. She was consumed with her thinking while also hearing what Loona and I were saying to one another. She held a closed palm close to her chest while a minor blush remained on her face. The familiar feeling had returned, and it wouldn't leave ever since I admitted to caring deeply about her.

After Loona had finished what she was saying, Verosika moved down and brought me into a deep hug. This was an impulse reaction seeing as 'hugging' wasn't usually on the list of things Succubae were known for. So, this surprised me, and it also surprised Loona when Verosika managed to pull Loona into it as well. There was nothing that Verosika could reasonably formulate into words, so she decided to resort to this action.

It told me enough about what I had seen then and what I was feeling now. I couldn't possibly give the two of them up in some vein effort to spare myself the pain of possibly losing them. I won't be able to get rid of my fear, but this showed that I need to cling to what I held dearly. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would find this kind of companionship in Hell. For now, I could hold my feelings at bay.

I pulled them toward me and held them closer. I finally said, "Thank you. That is what I needed."

Verosika finally said, "There's no shame in a little selfishness, especially when it is like this. You deserve a little personal pleasure in your life. Just know that Loony and I care very much about you." The tone in her voice hardly hid the teasing tone, so I felt a little nervous at that.

To the side and unbeknownst to the rest of us, Blitzo had taken a little time to watch the three of us as we interacted. A certain level of displeasure presented itself, but it was unknown to him if it was because of the affection being shared, or whether it was because of who was involved. He couldn't think too long since the doors to the room slammed open with a lot more D.H.O.R.K.S. agents funneling through to corner the group of demons and me.

Blitzo yelled out, "Are you done having your little emotional breakdown there, rookie? We need you and that fat sword to help lead us out of here! We are a little dry weapons-wise!"

Quickly realizing the situation, we were in, I got up to my feet before nodding. I readied myself for the challenge that stood before me. This wave of agents was easily just as armed as the previous group. There was no way I would be able to take them all on, but I guess the weapons that each of the Imps and Loona had scrounged together were going to have to work.

My eyes narrowed to the first two agents of the group. Compared to the others, these two were the only two with weapons from the modern era, i.e., pistols. I put my body between the rest of the group and the agents while I glared into their shades. The women suit commented, "You demons aren't going anywhere, now. Ha! Don't make this messy for us. We only need one of you."

I felt myself wanting to step forward, but something stopped me from moving. The agents' looks of confidence soon twisted to ones of uncertainty as they watched as my group's shadow twisted to form the larger shadow of a demonic owl. I gazed upon them with a growing critical look until I sensed that something was off. The air felt frigid, and the mist of my breath could be seen. There was a powerful presence among us.

Without warning, one of the many monitors turned on with an audible static sound. It was only one for a few seconds before it shut off completely. I don't think the agents noticed, but the skinny form of an owl demon could be seen in the reflection complimented by his four glowing red eyes. I knew that Stolas somehow figured out we were here. The sight of him should have been terrifying to the other humans brought me relief. I knew that all this shit was over at this point.

Monitors began popping off the wall one after another. The sound of Stolas's voice seemed to emit from everywhere, "Who dares threaten my Impish little plaything?"

Blitzo seemed rather unimpressed by that, but it terrified the agents in the room. The male with the pistol yelled out, "Who was that?!"

The female commented, "Keep on guard. It seems like we have another guest."

The two began searching the room until they caught onto the suddenly appearing footprints approaching their position. The male of the two pointed his weapon over at us in a threatening manner causing me to raise my blade. Before anything could happen, a monitor struck him down to his knees.

Dazed, the agent looked around with confusion until he gazed over at his colleagues to see them all going stiff before kneeling before the female agent he was standing beside earlier. She twitched with a horrified expression on her face. It was apparent that she was fighting for control over her body but was losing quickly.

The male agent slowly approached her as the other agents kneeled with heads bowed to welcome the coming demon prince. He didn't even realize her twitching had stopped as he approached to ask, "Number Two, are you okay?"

Immediately after asking this, the woman's head spun around completely. Her eyes were red, and his smile practically reached from ear to ear. Her voice slowly morphed into Stolas's the longer she spoke, "What's wrong, demon hunter? Never seen a real demon before?"

The other agents began drawing a summoning circle around the now laughing, possessed female agent. It didn't take long before the laughing soon turned into projectile vomiting of black goo. The unseemly display had an immediate effect of fear on the only non-possessed human until the female was able to join him in terror as Stolas's influence over her ended. She stared in terror at what she had produced.

The black goo slowly collected and began to form the demonic shape of the Ars Goatian. His laughter was warped, and many red markings began to stare back into the shaking forms of the two agents who decided that clinging together was their best course of action. The demonic form of Stolas then stalked forward in one last motion to terrify the two. He then pulled back and shrunk down into his normal form while he continued to glare down at the two humans.

He decided that their psychological torture had run its course before he turned around to shut off the alarm. Once pressing the button, the normal lighting returned, the alarm disappeared, and all the locks and doors returned to an unlocked state. A bit of relief overcame the group until Stolas approached us with a stoic look.

Blitzo cleared his throat before saying, "Stolas? Wait, hold on. How did you find us?"

Stolas leaned down before tenderly saying, "That doesn't matter right now, darling. Tell me, did these bad humans do anything to harm you?"

The owl began to check over Blitzo with a careful eye right before cupping his face. The Imp finally responded while adverting the demon prince's gaze, "I'm fine."

"Good." Stolas stood up straight and was silent for a second before he unleashed his anger at us in a scold, "Just what the fuck is going on here?! I heard that one of you little Lust Ring demons got captured, and a couple of you little Imps. Are you all not being careful? You know, I could very well take back my grimoire and send a little message to Asmodeus to get your little group suspended from surface activities for the time being, Ms. Mayday. Speaking of which, how did you find yourself with lower demons from yourself?"

Verosika was still astonished by an Ars Goetian standing before her, and at the obvious caring behavior Stolas was showing toward Blitzo. She still found a way to mumble to herself, "I should be asking you the same thing…"

I began to say, "Look, we were just-"

Stolas cut me off with a strict voice, "Don't you start. I will have a word with you once we get back. I thought you would have the foresight to understand what threats there are for reckless demons roaming on the surface. They are counting on you to keep them out of danger. They could get hurt."

I rubbed the back of my neck with a shameful look on my face. The thoughts of my previous visions came back to me, but they were soon quelled by both Loona and Verosika putting a hand on my shoulder before consoling me with understanding looks. I released a sigh before sharing a small smile.

Stolas continued, "Do you not understand the absolute shitshow it could become if your activities on the surface become known and traced back to me? If YOU get in trouble, I get in trouble. WE don't want that."

Stolas cocked his head as he awaited a response. Seeing no one step forward, Moxxie finally said, "They caught us off guard, your highness. We will be more careful in the future."

Blitzo reinforced Moxxie's words, "Yeah, so unclench your bird puss. It won't happen again, 'kay?"

Stolas hummed for a moment before saying, "Now, we wouldn't want these little demon-obsessed humans convincing others of our existence, would we?"

Moxxie started to say, "What are you talkin-" Realization finally overcame him as he exclaimed, "Wait, the cameras! They probably have tons of video of us here." Moxxie walked over to a computer before he climbed to the top of a pile of bodies that happened to lead to it. He began working on clearing up evidence that had been gathered of their existence.

While waiting for Moxxie to finish up, Stolas couldn't help but look around the room at the carnage. He noticed the large stack of agents in one of the corners of the room. He commented, "My, my, you all were busy before I showed up."

Blitzo commented, "That little pile is Moxxie's work. He went to town with a shotgun."

Moxxie blushed to himself at the compliment while everyone else stood there in shock. Loona commented, "Uhh… What the fuck did we miss?"

That question never even got a chance to get answered before Moxxie turned around and hopped away from the computer. He cleared his throat before saying, "A-All done."

Stolas clapped his hands together excitedly, "Good! Now these little humans will only have information by word to give, which means nothing. It's time for us all to return to where we belong."

Stolas opened a portal to the I.M.P. office with a wave of his hands. Our group led was by Verosika and Apple, the former finally coming out of their dazed state. Loona and I then followed with everyone else in tow. The portal closed behind our group leaving us in a familiar place.

Feeling that some things were unsaid before, Loona leaned over to softly say, "Just know that I am always here for you." The Succubus cocked a knowing brow over at Loona, and that caused her to add, "And I know Vee is there for you, too. Just let us know if you need anything." Verosika blew a kiss over to Loona as thanks.

I grabbed the Hellhound's hand gently while I brushed it with my thumb. I smiled back, "Thank you. This is just another thing to work through and having you two there for me matters more than you know. I will take you both up on that."

Loona wrapped her arms around my neck in an embrace which I quickly returned. However, something, or more specifically, someone managed to push their way between us. I took a step back to see a defensive Blitzo with his arms folded between the two of us. Loona was surprised, then angry. I was confused, but the most hilarious expression had to be Stolas. From what I remember, the owl was carrying the Imp through the portal. He looked down at the empty space in his arms with wide eyes. Blitzo must have bolted over to us.

Back to the present, Loona growled, "Blitz! What the fuck are you doing?!"

He pointed accusingly between us, "Don't yell at me, missy! I watched how you felt him up back there. Something is going on between you two!"

Loona dismissively said, "No, there isn't! He's just my friend, and it's called comforting someone. You should learn how to do it."

Blitzo then defended himself, "I know how to comfort someone, and there was something more going on there. Don't think I don't know about where comforting someone can lead, and I don't want my daughter with some FREAK from the surface!"

Moxxie tried to calm him down, "Sir, maybe you should-"

Blitzo turned his attention to his smaller employee before yelling, "Maybe you should butt out, Moxx, unless you know something!" Moxxie's mouth closed with an audible inhale as he tried to keep his jaw clenched. This drew immediate suspicion onto the Imp as Blitzo asked with a little more force, "Do you know something that I don't, Moxxie?!"

Moxxie clenched his jaw hard as he tried to shake his head 'No'. I knew immediately that it was only a matter of time. He was practically sweating in resistance, but his control was dwindling. It seemed like the truth serum still had enough lingering effects.

Moxxie blurted out, "I found out the two of them have already had sex exactly one time! I found this out when they shared a room at Joe's and Lin's place!" He sucked in a deep breath before shame overcame him and he said quieter, "Oh, crumbs… I'm so sorry."

I closed my eyes after hearing that. The sound of a pin dropping could be heard based on how quiet it became. I counted my breaths while I waited for any sort of violent response from Blitzo. It took a second, but my eyes shot wide open when I heard the click of the hammer on Blitzo's pistol. I was now looking down at the barrel of his gun.

I stood motionless. Millie yelled out, "Blitz!"

Moxxie was first to remember, "Uhh, isn't he out of ammo?"

Blitzo blinked with realization before he yelled, "Oh, Christ on a stick!"

The Imp was about to take a step forward, but Loona blocked his path to me. Her growl was deep in tone, and her pupils were two small dots focused directly on Blitzo. She darkly spoke, "Don't take another fucking step toward him."

His attacks would have likely been futile, but the action of Loona standing between him and me made me silent. I could only watch her defend me in silence. My words would only likely escalate the situation. Both were heated enough as is.

Blitzo looked at her with anger before saying, "Fucking a human! Especially the first one that just wanders into our office! I mean, really, Loona?!" It did not go unnoticed that he avoided his pet names for her right now. He added, "Just what the FUCK were you thinking?!"

Loona started, "What Moxxie doesn't know is that both of us were drunk!"

Blitzo began searching around himself for another pistol before glaring at me, "Did he-"

Loona cut him off, "NO!" She growled to calm herself down before she said, "Look, yes, Kyle and I had sex. There, now everyone here knows, not just Moxxie and Millie!" Moxxie and Millie sat on the couch while they watched the drama unfold. Verosika and Apple both stood off to the side with pleased smiles on their faces, and Stolas stood there awkwardly not knowing what to do. Loona continued, "That's it! It was just a bit of fun, and we didn't know what we were doing! It was nothing more! If you are going to blame someone, then blame me!"

Blitzo frowned. He stopped trying to search for a pistol, and he even glazed past hearing how Millie also knew about it. He was calm enough to ask his first question that wasn't just a simple gut reaction. He asked, "Do you love him, or something?"

Loona went completely rigid, "W-What?"

Blitzo asked with an increasingly hurt look appearing on his face before repeating, "I said it clearly. Do you love him?"

Loona struggled for a moment to respond, "I-I mean, I-I d-don't… I-I-I m-mean I g-g-guess I…" She suddenly went silent seeing as she didn't see the right response to his question. Saying that she did would only infuriate the already agitated Blitzo and create more of a mess. Who knows what would happen? While denying it would probably cool the situation, she couldn't find herself to spit out those words. She didn't want to lie.

Loona's ears drooped back as she began to avoid Blitzo's eye contact. She awkwardly rubbed one of her arms. This seemed to be enough of a response for her adoptive father. He started to say, "I-I don't even know what to say."

He never even got the chance to move to hurtful words before Verosika grabbed the Imp to push him back. She said, "How about you keep your big trap shut and not say a thing. You and I both know that you will say the shittiest thing that you can't take back. So, save yourself the trouble."

Blitzo didn't want to even deal with his ex. He dismissively stated, "Stay the fuck out of it, bitch. If I want to know how much lube to use on a dirty dildo, then I will give you a call. You are hardly the demon to turn to about relationships."

This pissed the Succubus off enough to shove the Imp down to the ground. She then stood over him as he recovered by shaking his head. She seethed down at him, "If you are talking about what happened between us, maybe you should look into a mirror for someone to blame. Don't even deny that you don't already know that. You were always after something else when we were together." As if to hit the point home, Verosika pulled out a crystal. From what I remember, it was what she used to get to the surface.

Stolas muttered just loud enough for me to hear, "An Asmodean Crystal?"

Verosika continued while tears slowly formed in her eyes, "Try denying it, Blitzo. You sabotaged our relationship just so you could get to this. You never loved me the way that I loved you."

It was hard to see when this became about them, but Loona and I weren't going to argue. There was no doubt that Verosika was working an angle. All she did now was wait for him to finally say the words that she expected. He was likely still under the influence of the truth serum seeing how Moxxie was. His resistance only needed to be worn down for the truth to come out.

Blitzo fought for as long as he could before he finally said, "I did love you…"

Verosika's eyes widened at the truth. That wasn't exactly what she expected to hear. The pause she had was only momentary before she snarled down at him, "Well, that didn't stop you from betraying my love for you. You always have to sabotage a good thing because you don't want to get too close to someone-"

Blitzo flinched when he heard that before Verosika added while leaning forward, "Or you act on your own selfish desires without thinking about the damage you will cause because of it." Blitzo sat in silence while he seemed to reflect. Verosika stood up straight before saying, "Why don't you do the right thing for once and stay the fuck out of it. Loona deserves a little happiness in her life instead of being so fucking depressed all the time like you."

No one said a word after this. Blitzo finally came out of it before yelling out, "Get the fuck out of my place of business, you used tampon!"

Verosika scoffed before turning to Apple and saying, "Fine by me. Let's get out of here. I can't stay one more second being near that dried-up piece of shit." Verosika began to lead the other Succubus before she slowed down enough to smile mischievously at Loona and wink at me. They were both gone not long after that with Verosika slamming the door behind her.

I came out of my shock and saw how Blitzo seemed to be begrudgingly listening to what advice he was given by walking away from Loona and me to vent. This left Loona to nervously watch him while unknown thoughts circulated in her mind. I decided to place my hand on Loona's shoulder to jolt her. She turned to look at me, and I consoled, "Just leave him to think it over. He won't like it, but you have to work to live your own life. Wherever that may lead…" I blushed when I remembered how she didn't deny Blitzo's earlier question to her.

Loona smiled at me before placing her available hand on top of mine to show that she was okay. I was about to walk over to Moxxie and Millie to head back to their place after a long day, but I heard the sound of Stolas clearing his throat. He motioned for me to approach him when I looked over.

Seeing as it was best to not ignore his wishes, I walked over. He started with small talk, "I had no idea that my Blitzy had a previous relationship with Ms. Mayday."

I rubbed the back of my neck before letting out a small chuck and joking, "Yeah… I don't think it ended that well."

He nodded in agreement, "I can see that. It wasn't exactly easy to sit back and watch it unfold. Perhaps watching you do the same is what kept me relaxed through it."

"It isn't easy, is it?" He shook his head. Seeing how this ended that conversation, I finally asked, "What did you need to speak to me about."

Stolas looked around to see none of the others eavesdropping. He looked back with solemnity, "The only reason I came to your rescue today was because your activities on the surface have been spreading amongst the top ranks of Hell."

That caught my attention. I sharply said, "What? What are you telling me?"

The owl's seriousness never dissipated, "It is an unknown source of information to me, but it appears as if you have caught the attention of a rather powerful demon. I am fortunate to have evaded this kind of attention. I could get into serious trouble being associated with the negative attention you have been getting. I would say that whoever this mysterious demon is, they wish to get rid of you through popular support with the Ars Goetia and maybe even higher."

I felt a small chill ride up my spine at the thought of what was just happening already being known, and it being tied to me in some sort of way. If I didn't know any better, I would say that I was being spied on in some sort of way. With this revelation, I said, "I see…"

Stolas added, "I have a feeling that this sort of thing is bound to become messy for you, and perhaps even for your little friends. That is why I wish to request a few things of you."

I cocked my brow, "What do you need from me?"

"I wish for you to temper your activities on the surface. We don't wish for additional negative attention to be drawn your way in the meantime, now do we?"

I rubbed my chin, "I guess not. What else do you want?"

He offered, "The other thing I wanted to do is invite you over. Oh! Please bring my grimoire and your Hellhound, uh…, friend with you. I shall let Blitz know of my request, so you shouldn't have to deal with him for that. Besides, I am determined to receive acceptable 'thank you' for my little rescue effort."

Rolling my eyes at the last thing, I asked, "Okay. Are you going to tell me what this is about?"

Stolas cocked his head before smiling, "Afraid not. I do enjoy not spoiling the surprise."

"Yeah, okay. I guess that is fine." I tried to not let it come out, but I was worried about this mysterious demon. Just who were they, and what were they planning? I felt a ping a worry settle within my mind. I had a funny feeling that I was going to figure this out all soon enough.

---

That's all I have to give! Next chapter is somewhat planned following Loona and Kyle with appearances from Stolas, Octavia, and Stella. I guess I really need to figure out what to really do for it entirely. Who knows, it might be a short one being how what I want is going to be rather straight forward.

If you are enjoying the story, I implore you to support the story in any way you see fit. I very much enjoy hearing and seeing all that good stuff from you guys. I am always happy to answer questions as well. I usually work on the chapter when I am feeling motivated, so it is hard to know when it will release.

Now, if anyone is interested, I am going to leave the discord channel code available to any of you. I usually ask for small details, and some ideas are discussed with others on what I should do with the story. You can even just chat with others in it.

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INVITE CODE: 8RT9hC5Aau

That is all I have to give!

Until Next Time,

Forsvaret-Komandir