!BLEH
OK, LISTEN TO ME, I HAVE A VALID EXCUSE FOR THE DELAY
Basically, I was very busy with the holidays at a family business, only to then find the damn insect kingdom on my roof, being forced to get rid of it, along with a bunch of other crap, ant crap to be specific (photos of my roof with a 1/6 taken for the curious in my Twitter).
The icing on the cake? I've been in bed for days because I'm sick, yup, had some shitty days lol, but I guess that serves as an excuse xd
You already know, I don't feel like saying anything else.
where the asphalt embraces the steps of sorrow - Isaac + the weight of an entire body with a 40% participation
'Well, I think this is turning out informative, despite being... slightly counterproductive.'
The non-sinner but still-sinner ran with all his strength, moving to the rhythm of bullets grazing his body, each shot causing a shriek as he felt the imminent danger. Beside him, his companion laughed on every occasion, as if the situation were a simple game.
In the midst of palpable danger, Isaac felt satisfaction drawing a smile on his lips as he jumped over vehicles and easily dodged pedestrians, either by circling around them or jumping over them.
He turned on every street and alley to get out of the range of bullets, maneuvering in the best possible way, all in a desperate attempt to survive, which was strange considering he was already dead. and something that wouldn't be so bothersome IF HE WASN'T CARRYING AN ENTIRE BODY ON TOP OF HIM
*Zrrrrr*
The squeak of the chains mingled with hysterical laughter and the roar of a gun fired inches from his eardrums, all while a little devil pointed the way to go without even looking forward,
'As I mentioned before...'
The experience was strangely educational!, something characteristic of 'Professor Blitz.' It even included practical work in his classes, something Isaac would have appreciated knowing before getting involved…
the first thing he learned, is that theoretically, the anima has a very short cooldown time-
*Zrrrrrrr*
...
Practically nonexistent, exceptionally good for any situation!
*Zrrrrr*
except this one.
After more than 15 uninterrupted minutes of running, carrying the weight of a body on his shoulder, Isaac was excited to discover an unexplored threshold in his physical abilities, whether carrying the weight on top or making abrupt movements like dodging, he felt completely light!
Isaac continued moving forward, aiming to escape the pursuit, thinking that everything was calming down. He could see ahead how the tail of the little devil fluttered ecstatically, only to then feel the clatter of bullet casings hitting the ground.
*BOOM*
…
'Apparently, my eardrums have also been enhanced!'
Feeling the sharp ringing in his ears fade away and watching as the thorns on his head danced once again, Isaac observed with concern how they slowly joined the little devil. Prepared in advance to throw Blitz away to prevent him from suffering the same fate as that sinner, he was ultimately forced to stop uncertainly as he saw the thorns slide down his own shoulder and right arm (where he had the sadistic imp). Acting as a complement to hook the imp to him, anchoring Blitz even more to his shoulder than his arm already did.
Meanwhile, Blitz didn't even notice this. Graceful and horny to use a completely new weapon, he laughed as he shot his pistol with one hand and chained anything he could with the other.
'I wish all transportation were as good as this one!' Those were the few words he could think before feeling like his whole world spun around as Isaac jumped, leaving the imp even more excited, taking it as nothing more than a roller coaster ride
"DOWN," the imp shouted to his driver while poking his head with his elbow. Taking the order with precision, Isaac slid on the ground, trying to stay close to Blitz while maintaining an inexplicable smile on his face. He luckily dodged what seemed to be buckshot as he recomposed himself to keep running and serving as a platform for the turret that Blitz was becoming.
"BLITZ!" Isaac drew the devil's attention, who had stumbled earlier and was now carried on his shoulder with his words. As he turned into a street, trying to take advantage of the uncontrolled traffic to escape their pursuers.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?" the little devil, still smiling, responded to Isaac in a humble manner. His finger pointed to a vehicle driver, triggering and causing a car accident due to the chains' intervention.
Getting rid of several pursuers and attracting new ones, that was the reason they had been running for so long.
"I CAN'T RUN FOREVER, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS?" Forced to shout to be heard over the sound of explosions, Blitz could understand him. He looked around and realized where they might be. He chuckled to himself as his mind devised one last stratagem to end this wonderful moment.
"Move, idiot! An elbow is left-a slap is right. Don't be stupid, and make sure to remember we're talking about my left and my ri-". The devil's order was interrupted when his eyes widened at the sight of an impending car crash. He let out a string of curses as he was taken by surprise, but luckily, he was the only one completely caught off guard.
Isaac only opened his eyes in surprise and put all his strength into his next step to turn it into a jump. Blitz, not lagging behind and still shouting insults, used the anima with the car's driver and made it swerve to the side, overturning it and giving Isaac enough time to jump over it.
And obeying the previous order exactly, Blitz's eyes opened at the same time that his posture decomposed due to the speed his chassis was taking, losing the satisfaction of aiming and shooting, but gaining the damn excitement of having his own horse!
Taking the route as something predictable, Blitz already had a general sense of the path, avoiding the need to look forward. This allowed him to return fire to the group of pursuers behind them.
*Elbow*
Isaac shifted to the right, encountering a street blocked by what seemed to be a helicopter crashed in the middle. He chose to pass over the vehicles, provoking the anger of those trapped in traffic, to whom he weakly apologized as he moved into the distance.
*Slap*
Upon reaching what seemed to be a fence, Isaac was forced to glance confusedly at the barrier to his left. Blitz just shouted for him to keep going, and so he did. He quickly climbed the fence and passed to the other side, deliberately ignoring the commotion behind him, once he cleanly jumped to the ground from the top of the barrier.
*Slap*
Already deep in the alley, Isaac moved faster than expected, so much so that he didn't even notice that the alley was blocked, with another path to his left. Thanks to Blitz's quick guidance, Isaac quickly took this detour, shielding his eyes from the infernal light as he reached the end.
*Elbow*
...
The white-haired teen's head turned in confusion through the entire alley, still carrying the weight of Blitz on top, stopping when he saw that there was no other way but the beginning and the end of this same alley. Looking over his shoulder, he realized that Blitz was laughing excessively, a sign that he felt as a bad omen.
*Ting*
The latch of something echoed as it fell to the ground. Hearing something bounce and screams on the other side of the alley was enough to understand what was about to happen. Opening his eyes in shock and not wanting to experience the inevitable, his legs resumed the race in haste, reaching the end of the alley sooner than expected. He distanced himself from it almost feeling the shrapnel grazing his back. To Blitz's disappointment, the alley's walls proved to be resilient enough to withstand the explosion."
Slightly unscathed by the explosion, Isaac surveyed his surroundings while breathing heavily. He discovered what seemed to be another alley. Without wasting time and alert to the hustle of the streets, to the point of not knowing if it was directed towards them or not, Isaac continued moving along the parking lot sidewalk.
*Slap*
Without even looking and exhausted at this point, Isaac skidded on the pavement (still barefoot) and crashed into what seemed to be the entrance of a building, disassembling his form and rolling onto the carpet once he fell on it.
With an ecstatic smile, probably caused by sensory overload, Isaac knelt while breathing unevenly, nervously searching for the little devil that was on his shoulders a few seconds ago.
"Pfft-" tension left his body as he heard the little devil laughing a few meters away from him, slowly getting up and leaning against the wall, still with some thorns in his body, which seemed to be painless for him.
Annoyance invaded Isaac as he frowned at Blitz, who returned a "screw you and enjoy" smile. Isaac was aware of the attitude and the semi-enjoyment he had experienced during the escape. At least, he enjoyed it a bit.
He wanted to deny it, tell Blitz he was stupid and immature, anything against him, but he could only cover his mouth to avoid being seen laughing.
"You're laughing!" Blitz pointed out judgmentally with a smile, something Isaac simply dismissed as he stood up and approached his new friend, a threat to everyone, even to himself.
Sitting next to him while wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, his body slowly eased the tension, allowing his muscles to relax from the effort, but still giving him a pleasurable reprieve, enjoying the capabilities that this new body provided.
It was... refreshing.
No matter how much he tried to make sense of everything he had experienced; satisfaction flooded his body, breaking any self-imposed rules by his common sense. So, he decided to laugh freely while the imp next to him also joined in.
The only way to express it was simple: he felt alive, more than he could feel before or after the basement.
Strength, speed, endurance... everything was just great. He felt powerful, ecstatic. Hundreds of consecutive actions that he would have thought impossible in his past: the way his fingers climbed the fence, his body crashing into everything in its path as they ran, or even jumping over several cars. These were feats he would have considered impossible.
But he did them, accompanied by someone he shouldn't trust so freely, someone who could be using him for their own benefit, but was also someone laughing beside him while chattering about how exciting this whole experience was, untangling the chain and handing it back to him without even asking for it
The explosions never ceased, the screams only continued, but in what used to be the entrance of this building, things were relatively calm, unlike the external chaos.
"So... It was hot and all, but what the hell are those chains?" Blitz let out a contagious yawn while leaning against the wall, or at least attempting to, as his physiology didn't allow it completely.
"That is..." Isaac was about to speak but stopped realizing he actually had no idea where those chains came from.
Well, not really, the chains, the crown of thorns, and the cloak came from the basement, but... Did that really mean anything now?
...
Despite his rigorous attempts to think, the heat engulfing his body occupied most of his attention.
"I have no idea," his words sounded empty, accompanied by shoulders shrugged in confusion, while his tired eyes wandered to the ceiling, his words seemed to be a slight disappointment to the intrigued imp.
"But... All I can tell you is that it's called 'Anima Sola'"
Out of nowhere, a pinch of dust began to rise, and the fatigued figures of both lifted slightly with uncertainty to observe a red glow in front of Isaac. A glow that slowly revealed what seemed to be a black paper sheet with golden and reddish touches, as well as white letters.
Before it began to descend, Isaac's fingers slowly slid over the sheet with curiosity to explore its content, which seemed to be just words.
Anima Sola
"Repent"
Active Item
"Bind the sin itself"
Isaac's eyes remained fixed on the sheet and-
"Come here!" The imp quickly snatched the sheet from his hand and pushed him aside, with Isaac falling to the floor exhausted, surrendering without resistance. In that instant, he decided that this comfortable floor would be his new abode. Fatigue took over him, making every muscle scream with exhaustion, and his eyes, once filled with determination, now reflected a glimpse of resignation. A sigh escaped his lips as he succumbed to accumulated exhaustion, surrendering to the comforting embrace of the floor, even if only for a brief respite.
...
Uhh... if the floor weren't so comfortable, he would question why he's being so melodramatic out of nowhere.
"Uhh!" Meanwhile, Blitz's eyes lit up seeing the effects of the object, releasing a mischievous smile due to some ideas coming to mind.
*Ring*
Unfortunately, those ideas couldn't progress until he answered the phone.
"Who the hell...?" His mouth shut abruptly mid-sentence, his eyes rolled in annoyance as he read a message from Moxxie.
[Where the FUCK are you?!]
His annoyed growls increased as his own body stood up against his will. He sighed irritably at the sight of the damn elevator a few meters away.
"Get up," his annoyed voice echoed through the hallway, trying to calm it down as much as possible so she wouldn't think his anger was directed at him.
"I don't want to, the carpet is comfy," Isaac didn't even bother to look at him, just grumbled dreamily as if falling asleep while still lying on the floor, even adjusting himself a bit with his eyes closed.
"You know, I'm pretty sure someone already had sex where you're lying, JUST LIKE EVERYWHERE IN THIS DAMN PLACE. Now get up!" Isaac quickly sat up, staring wide-eyed at Blitz and receiving an indifferent smile in response. The white-haired boy stood up from the floor in a hurry, trying to brush off any lint, leaving a disgusted expression on his face.
With the group finally on their feet, Blitz began to move (crawl) towards the elevator. Isaac followed in the same manner he did all day; at least now he felt more comfortable for some reason.
"Is... Is it like this every day?" His yawn seemed to come delayed as he asked more out of curiosity than anything else while Blitz entered the elevator and pressed the button to go to the I.M.P floor.
an indifference that turned into annoyance when his ears were cursed by listening to a completely saturated song by a certain "artist" fond of male genitalia.
"I thought we just entered some building," Isaac said loud and clear, but Blitz took a few seconds to respond, hesitating whether to tell him about a business where they go to Earth to kill people, and considering that Isaac is a certain "type" of person who could kill him if he heard that, it didn't take him long to decide that he could explain that later.
"we're going to my office" the dull tone was still there but masked with what seemed to be a bit of concern, more noticeable by the way Blitz's eyes lingered on the floors going up and by the way his body didn't seem to stay still, moving his wrist nervously, among other things.
Unbeknownst to Isaac, Blitz was keenly aware that this might be the final foolishness his employees would tolerate before deciding to part ways.
"Wait, 'your' office?" Isaac looked at him a bit incredulous, unintentionally offending the imp.
"Don't give me that look!, Almost every demon opens their own businesses. Working for any bastard in this place will either end up with you in a container or in some butcher shop's display." Isaac didn't appreciate the last implications of the imp's rant. On the other hand, he didn't have any objections. Well, he had several, but in hell, literally, no one cared.
However, Isaac harbored several doubts in his mind and seized this opportune moment to pose the most ambiguous one. "How are you still alive?"
He didn't want to sound mocking with his question; he simply awaited the imp's response by his side, who managed to escape momentarily from his current troubles and recollect 'certain' things, chuckling under his breath at those memories from the past. "Well, when I was 5, I did my first act in the circus, a couple of things with butterflies, and let's just say I killed it"
"That..." The elevator door opened just before Isaac could speak, allowing the group to exit and resume moving along a hallway as empty and monotonous as the building's entrance. The only difference was a display window that Isaac ignored due to the uncertainty he felt.
"¿was literally or sarcastically?" His voice, tinged with uncertainty, seemed to receive an unsatisfactory response when the imp stood still in the hallway for a moment, turning halfway. Just revealing how his smile slowly grew as he continued on his way without fully answering.
An attitude that would subside when they reached a door. Isaac watched as this playful demeanor turned restless, opting not to disturb him, he stayed on the sidelines without speaking.
The imp's hand held the doorknob for a few seconds, undecided about what he would say or do exactly. With his phone notifications signaling that he couldn't delay this any longer, he figured he would improvise.
But first...
"Look, forefather of masochism, this will happen if we enter. You keep doing the same shit you've been doing for hours, meaning you shut the hell up and wait for me to finish my stuff. Then, I'll deal with you, and we'll sort this out." Without deigning to look at him while saying this, he only fixed his gaze on the door, still uncertain.
Isaac avoided direct confrontation, simply because Blitz's exhausted tone was evident from afar, from his posture to his words. He really didn't seem to be in the best state, at least physically (it would be surprising if he had ever been well psychologically).
And faced with the doubts swirling in his own mind, Blitz ignored them. Yes, YES, he was a demon and all that crap, but he wouldn't leave someone like the fragile piece next to him on the street after what he did for him! Well, unless...
...
Ugh, WHY DID I HAVE TO RUN INTO SOMEONE WHO ISN'T A PIECE OF SH*T THAT I COULD KILL WITHOUT REMORSE TODAY!?
At least he knows how to be a good workhorse, ¡and that's not something he tells just anyone! (maybe Stolas, but not in the same field).
"HELLO MY HORRIBLE FAMILY!" Without warning, a leg clad in business attire kicked through the door with a strong kick (without somehow breaking it) and entered with a cheerful toned shout while raising his arms as if expecting to be welcomed by someone.
Isaac just peeked curiously through the hinges of the door, not fully revealing himself, finding what seemed to be a relatively empty living room beyond a sofa and a desk with what looked like a box and some other items, in addition to some individuals...
He completely doubted how to call them, to be honest.
But one of them seemed to be a hellhound with gray fur and moderately revealing clothing, who appeared quite irritated by Blitz's intrusion, along with two "imps," dressed as stylishly as Blitz, quickly assuming that these were his employees based on this detail. One had feminine features, and the other masculine.
What can be considered, considering the fact that, at this point, they seemed to be another species.
Did I mention how they seemed to be more of the small type? And that one of them was quickly approaching them, without Blitz realizing?
The aforementioned short-statured imp lunged from the other side of the room towards Blitz like an enraged animal, stumbling and falling to the floor on his way but seizing the opportunity to run on all fours and jump on Blitz, only instead of foam, he was drooling vomit.
"NO FAMILY, YOU LYING BASTARD!" The imp grabbed onto Blitz's suit to be face to face, emphasizing the height difference, splattering a bit of vomit on his suit and leaving a clear expression of disgust on Blitz's face as he tried to pull away.
Isaac took a few steps to the side and decided that this did not need his intervention, standing next to the door a bit bewildered as he glanced at another imp who was about to enter the conflict with a worried expression, while the hellhound recorded everything with a bored smile.
"You burp said you'd bring the money! I don't see any damn money on you! And if you don't have any of that money, I swear I grab your flat ass and... Ugh." The female IMP took the imp by the waist and embraced him, calming him a bit with pats on the back while making a semi-disgusted face, probably induced by the smell of vomit.
"Moxx-, calm down, you didn't even give the boss time to speak!" Her voice sounded... dejected, at least until the mention of her boss, who seemed indecisive and nervous with his words when he saw how his employee looked at him with a smile that didn't doubt him, while his armlocked companion just glared at him with anger, slowly transitioning from feelings of rage to confusion when he noticed the existence of Isaac.
"Uh-um." Nervousness infused the boss's words, looking everywhere but at the eyes of his employees in an attempt to avoid confrontation, causing his worker's smile to falter, even if only for a second. Blitz already knew what he had to do.
"Who the hell is that?" More confused than upset, the smaller imp drew the room's total attention to Isaac, making him a bit nervous as he slowly raised his hand in a greeting attempt after a few seconds of awkward silence.
"Hi-"
Blitz's eyes widened completely as a smirk took over his face, seemingly having devised a plan to get out of this, and that plan began by cutting off Isaac's greeting.
"FIRST, let me introduce you to this useless little guy who doesn't know shit about hell!" Blitz cheerfully grabbed Isaac's shoulder and pulled him into a hug, making him raise an eyebrow in confusion, unconsciously ignoring Blitz's insult as if he had heard it before.
The goat-legged imp seemed unsure of how to react, still dizzy and traumatized by what he saw a few hours earlier. The female IMP just looked at him confused for a few seconds before giving him a small smile and waving with the hand opposite the one holding her companion.
Relatively pleasant greetings, unlike the small growl emitted by the hellhound, who eyed him suspiciously as she prepared to get up from the sofa and leave the room, primarily expressing feelings of uncertainty for a reason she didn't know.
Before anyone could try to do anything else, Blitz tried to play along with this game to get out of this situation.
"He's a stray! You know how I am, I love picking up orphans from the street when they're almost of age~, right, Loony?" His animated speech was met with a fish tank flying towards Blitz's head (which Isaac was also forced to dodge) and a middle finger as she left the room, grumbling annoyed.
"Kids... So damn aggressive at such a young age, I couldn't be prouder..." Isaac let go of Blitz's hand on his shoulder and stepped back a bit, looking at the door through which the hellhound left and at Blitz, unable to comprehend what was happening, especially considering the way the two imps took the situation as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
"NOW! Don't pay attention to his appearance, the little shit here has already messed up in life! But he just needs a few screws tightened to toughen up his ass enough to survive in this place, Now, if you guys fuck yourselves for a second-!" Blitz finished his animated speech, then grabbed Isaac's shoulder and dragged him to the other side of the room with a nervous smile, while the two imps seemed reluctant to their boss's actions, the male showing annoyance and the female discontent as they remained huddled on the carpet.
Isaac offered them a smile and a friendly wave, allowing them to make eye contact before being locked in the office. The duo looked at him slightly surprised before mimicking his actions, somewhat puzzled.
*SLAM*
Rapid footsteps followed the door slam. Isaac curiously looked around Blitz's office, smiling at certain details like the painting in the middle of the wall or even the plant in the corner of the room.
It was curious to see a plant like that in a place like this, but more curiosity was starting to arise about the type of business Blitz was engaged in. Obviously, something related to assassination. You don't carry weapons everywhere for no reason.
...
Forget it.
"Okay, this is the situation." Blitz circled his desk and didn't hesitate to pull some weapons from underneath it, placing them on the table while staring at Isaac.
Who had a certain opinion of Blitz, but honestly couldn't find another reason why he would pull out weapons if not to threaten him. But against his common sense, he supposed that wasn't the reason he took out the weapons and simply sat in the chair, ignoring the voices in his head (his common sense) telling him to chain up Blitz and run out of the place.
"I'm damn broke, don't have a single bill, and currently there are 2 demons out there to whom I promised something that I OBVIOUSLY don't have." Blitz leaned back in his chair and patiently awaited the response, his last resort to this problem. Did this hit hard at his pride? Yes, but it was preferable to having Moxxie vomit on him, like a 90-10 more preferable.
Isaac's eyes wandered aimlessly around the room, as if they were two brainless flies trying to understand the economy of a world he was unfamiliar with (to this day, he still doesn't know if Keeper's store prices were expensive or cheap). Making his way through his reverie, he felt a lump in his pocket that brought him back to reality, opening his eyes wide in surprise as he remembered what he had stored.
But the realization of his own stupidity began to hit Blitz when he saw the weapons on his desk and the person in front of him, realizing how this could be misinterpreted. Blitz cursed himself, and a lot.
"Darn it, that's not what I meant! I was planning to in-" The imp quickly removed the weapons from the desk while nervously trying to salvage the situation, realizing that he should have proposed the idea of trading his weapons for the chain BEFORE PUTTING THEM ON THE TABLE.
"I… have no idea about the economy of hell, but..." Isaac began to rummage through his pocket in search of something he had been given earlier, while Blitz let out a resigned sigh.
The imp's body slumped into the chair, letting out a groan as he realized this wouldn't go anywhere. For now, his only option was to get the chain and-
Ugh, Blitz's thoughts stopped when he found himself face to face with Isaac, who continued patiently waiting for his response, as if he needed to ask for permission to speak.
"I don't know, a wad of bills?..." Blitz murmured a random amount just to say,
*splat*
"Does this work?" The imp's head mechanically lowered until it was literally glued to his desk, observing what seemed to be a wad of bills. His eyes remained open for a few seconds without even blinking.
Until he sat back in his chair, resting his elbows on the table and cradling his chin in disbelief. Obviously, still staring at the money in front of him.
Still too incredulous, his last remaining neurons that hadn't broken in the fall from the fourth floor, died of exhaustion, or were sucked out by a certain feathered bastard, could only produce a thought that turned into words.
"Two wa-"
*splat*
...
The imp's mouth half-opened as the pair of wads remained on the desk, waiting to be devoured by the claws of greed. Blitz didn't sit back down, staring intensely at Isaac, who began to nervously avert his gaze, somewhat uncomfortable in his seat.
"Thre-"
*splat*
The third impact hit the desk like a bomb, with its true impact being gravitational, at least it seemed that way by how the imp's face was glued to the bills, drawing them in like an old lover enveloping the weak with its scent. Isaac chuckled under his breath as he continued to search for another wad in his pockets, which turned out to be larger than he expected.
"F-five?" Blitz's voice came out hesitantly, as if he were uttering his last words before demise. The imp, at that moment, had just spoken his final words.
*splat*
Blitz's heart seemed to skip a beat, calming a bit as he saw that only one last wad had fallen. He was forced to sit in his chair, leaning on one hand while the other held his chest, which slowly settled.
*splat*
...
...
:0
Blitz's body remained static, his heart couldn't take it, at least for the first 3 seconds. He leaped onto the desk, face to face with Isaac. The imp's look, lacking in sanity, could represent many things, and one of them was a question, so clear that Isaac could decipher it.
"No... I'm sorry, pulling wads of bills from my pockets is not a skill," he gave a warm apologetic smile. He didn't even feel disappointed (just a little), and he focused on the money beneath him, getting off the table while glancing between the wads.
"Prostitution?" Blitz looked at the bills as if he were a scavenging animal about to feast, a scene that started when Isaac pushed the bills towards his side of the table.
"Ehh- eww... No, luckily not," a shiver ran down the white-haired demon's body just thinking about it, putting that thought aside and giving a little smile as he watched Blitz count the money, as if savoring something extremely sweet.
"Well, for my part, I'm glad to relieve so much weight from the bastard you killed to get this!"
"Nnnnnoo-" his mouth dragged out the response for a few seconds, retracting and deciding to reformulate the answer with uncertainty.
"No one died, theoretically," were the only words Isaac could say without lying, feeling a bit uncomfortable as he recalled that encounter and gained more awareness of how hell operates in general.
"How bad did it end?" Without stopping the count of the wads, Blitz glanced at him with a mischievous smile, laughing a bit as he imagined the type of sequence it must have been.
Apparently, Blitz underestimated the little ray of sunshine quite a bit.
"It was a bit physical... But I think I destroyed his ego, quite a lot, even though I didn't really do anything." Saying you destroyed someone in hell without lifting a finger is bullshit, or so Blitz would think if Isaac suddenly seemed more uncomfortable talking about it; he didn't believe it, but the money in his hands was persuading him.
"Ohhh, so you destroyed a sinner's pride, left him alive, and on top of that, stole all this money from him!?" Blitz just looked incredulously at Isaac with a smile as he chuckled to himself, finding amusement in something so surreal but entertaining.
"You seem more amusing every moment!" Isaac didn't feel exactly proud of his actions, but for some reason, his smile widened a bit at seeing Blitz's enjoyment.
...
The bills were done being counted, with the imp sighing contently as he sat cross-legged on the desk, reclining in his chair with his hands behind his neck. He glanced sideways as a young white-haired man roamed the room, crouching down and taking a closer look at the plants and, overall, exploring the entire room.
"Well," the imp lowered his legs from the desk as he stood up, catching the attention of the only other person in the room, who approached him after stopping from examining what seemed to be horse figurines.
"You know, fucko, you should tell me how the hell you manage to steal so much money from someone without doing anything. I'd appreciate such a shitty trap, but now, I have to rub these bills in someone's face," the imp didn't hesitate to laugh in advance, thinking about the face Moxxie would make.
Blitz headed towards the door while Isaac wasn't sure if he should mention the part where he didn't rob anyone (or did he... Well, he'll deliberately ignore the fact that he could be considered an accomplice in a betting scam).
A few inches from the door, Blitz's neurons reacted before he turned the doorknob, slowly turning around with a smile that became increasingly wild, slightly worrying Isaac as he saw that smile directed at him, or rather, at the chain on his wrist.
Blitz didn't even have to say a word for Isaac to unwind the chain from his wrist and toss it to him.
And just as it unraveled, it coiled around Blitz's wrist, who happily left the room in high spirits, obviously slamming the door as the icing on the cake.
The room fell silent, and just as the noises were completely still, so was Isaac, staring at the door waiting for something.
"HEY, IDIOT!"
*zzzrrrrrrr*
"AAAAAAGGGGGH"
Isaac looked at the doorknob with concern, hesitating to open it upon hearing Blitz's laughter echoing outside. Assuming that nothing went extremely wrong, he decided not to go out and check.
The sinner sighed tiredly as he stepped back to sit in the chair, rightfully ignoring the shouts from outside.
It was only a matter of time before Isaac fell back into his beautiful trance with the beautiful ceiling, just as he had been all day.
However, deciding that at least he was safe enough in this place, he allowed himself to ponder his situation for a moment.
"What am I supposed to do now?" The murmur came without direction since, as has been his entire life, there was still no one to hear it, and above all, it was directed solely and exclusively at himself.
In the simplest words, Isaac was lost, whether in his thoughts or his body; he didn't exactly know anything.
He didn't even bother to think about the thousands of things he didn't want to think about his life, knowing that it would be useless to do so at that moment. He preferred to focus on his death rather than his own life.
Anyway, even if he tried, there wasn't much to think about his death. He simply kicked the bucket in a horrible way, lived a terrible nightmare, and now he was in a horrible place.
He believed he could survive in an environment like hell... No, he KNEW he could, but he didn't know exactly how, or rather, the "best way" wasn't the way he wanted to "live from now on."
Common sense told him not to trust anyone. If his own mother did so many horrible things to him, what could demons do to him? On the other hand, no matter how many stigmas he had about demons, Isaac was incapable of lying to himself and saying that he didn't enjoy the bizarre moments he spent with Blitz.
It wasn't just the thrill of doing things he could never do before; he firmly believed that he enjoyed the company of the imp much more than many things he did alone in the past. Although he was selfish, egotistical, malevolent...
Well, I think the point could be clear. And yet, he simply liked it. Maybe he found him curious, charismatic, or whatever, but he was interesting.
And his gaze remained lost on the ceiling while his hands rested on his stomach, but his mouth formed a smile, either from the memories or from the irony that a demon was the first to treat him as an equal in years.
"His judgment told him that this whole situation was stupid, but he still liked it.
And hey, it was his damn judgment anyway!
…
'on other matters...' the white-haired guy's mane fluttered in the same way his head did in an attempt by Isaac to shake off those thoughts that would lead to nothing.
Focusing on anything else, Isaac observed the weapons that were on the edge of the desk. Without wanting to touch them but curious about their design, he approached to take a look, but noticed some poorly written papers beneath these weapons.
Even more curious than before and bored with his wait, he slid the weapons to the side and picked up one of the many papers scattered on the table.
In his best attempt to understand the spelling, Isaac quickly discovered what Blitz's business was about, and that left him with mixed feelings...
His breath abruptly stopped, leaving absolute silence beyond the beating of his own heart. He read every word, flipping through different sheets each time, noticing more details as seconds passed.
Definitely...
He thought he would react more to this, going to the land of the living to kill humans? Beyond laughing a bit at the notes on some of the forms like 'insult this bastard every time I see him, he doesn't like horses :-(' or 'scam this asshole'. He just stacked the sheets into a pile, leaving them on the table while continuing to laugh to himself.
No matter how much he thought about it, Isaac honestly didn't care. It might be related to the fact that most sinners making requests objectively didn't seem that bad.
Being sacrificed to a 'higher being', victims of serial killers, some weird stories involving something called 'cartels', there are even some who ask to check on loved ones...
Actually, it was intriguing. Could demons go up to the land of the living? And how is this not public knowledge? Are there more businesses like this?
There were so many questions that... Isaac could spend a good time pondering over this, and honestly, it's more interesting than thinking about anything else, especially if that "anything" translates to "his damn life."
You're screwed bitch - I.M.P
"Now, now, now... What the hell were we talking about? Maybe about my FLAT ASS, perhaps... isn't that right, Moxx?" the words came out mockingly as Blitz sat on the couch with his legs crossed and a smile that widened more and more as he saw the smaller imp on the floor kneel upon hearing the noise of the chains fluttering.
Moxxie just remained silent while he had his arms and head bowed down, grumbling annoyed at not knowing where the hell his boss got those chains from... Still! Moxxie only looked determinedly at his boss. He wouldn't let himself be stepped on this time, and not in front of his wife (he would prove that she is the only one allowed to do that!)
"PFFT" The sound of said wife caught his attention.
"MILLIE! Seriously?" Moxxie looked disappointed as his beloved wife held back her laughter, a appreciative gesture nonetheless. Unlike the hellhound besides her, who spared no expense in the "mockery" and "unauthorized recording."
wonder who this reminds me of.
"Moxxxieeeeee." A mischievous laugh came accompanied by a finger shaped like a gun pointing at him, and an imp returning to his kneeling position faster than he could think.
Without wasting time and swallowing all his pride (HEY, HE STILL HAS SOME), Moxxie looked at the sheet he had in his hands, the sheet he had to read aloud for his "forgiveness."
"B-blitz-, ugh, is the demon-", his eyes opened annoyingly for every word he tried to read, emphasis on 'tried', It wasn't even because he didn't want to say it, it was just unreadable!
This crap looked like it was written by a 5-year-old whose parents beat him! Moxxie swore on his dear mother that if humans found this crap, they would think they made the discovery of the century by finding new hieroglyphics...
The whistle of a demon and the laughter of a hellhound reminded him of his position, and using all his willpower, he narrowed his eyes to try to understand what was written on the sheet.
"Blitz is the best damn boss in all of hell, and it excites me how he treats me and-, sir!, respectfully, I apologize for doubting you, but it is necessary to say-" Moxxie looked Blitz in the eyes and tried to dissuade him using his best tactics to convince Blitz.
In the end, he only managed to have a finger pressed against his forehead.
...
"ANDIWOULDLOVETOHAVESEXWITHHIMATANYTIME." Moxxie's breath became ragged as he tried to recover the air in his lungs after saying so many words together and without pause, he just cursed the situation, thinking that this couldn't get any worse.
*Bip*
Until he heard Loona's phone beep.
Millie turned around in embarrassment to avoid eye contact, while Loona just burst into laughter the same way Blitz was doing.
Slightly satisfied, Blitz got off the couch and with a calm smile approached the imp who was looking embarrassed at the floor, not realizing that the larger imp had positioned himself over his ear to whisper something.
"If you doubt my abilities again, even once... I swear I'll search for every opera singer in life and death and take care of killing them."
D:
A terribly nostalgic feeling overwhelmed him as his face paled; his mind could only imagine the things he would have to endure if opera were to become extinct...
He would have to endure so much contemporary garbage!
Without belittling the current trash.
Now, truly satisfied, Blitz grabbed the collar of Moxxie's suit and threw him while shouting to Millie, evidently towards the door.
"Millie!, catch!" The said person ran at full speed and jumped to catch her husband in her arms. Moxxie, upset by his beloved's betrayal, looked away annoyed, but soon his anger dissipated when Millie looked at him affectionately and pressed her face to his, pacifying him and "forgiving" her wife in the process.
"Well, lovebirds, if you're not going to fuck now, get the hell out!" Blitz pushed them out of the complex with a smile that revealed a hint of fatigue, something the couple noticed.
"Oh, and take this crap and get out now!" The door slammed in the face of the couple, not without throwing two bundles of bills in their faces, making Moxxie grumble while Millie walked calmly to the elevator, happy with her pay and still carrying her husband in her arms.
"Oh, AND THE VAN EXPENSES WILL COME OUT OF MOXXIE'S PAYCHECK." Blitz practically shouted into the air as he remained in the complex, laughing to himself as he heard a scream coming from the end of the hallway.
Feeling exhaustion catching up to him to the point of having to lean on the door, he was forced to compose himself when he spotted his dear daughter in the corner of his eye.
"Loony!" Normally, he would have jumped to hug his daughter, but with the little energy he had, he just opened his arms awaiting a hug
one that never came.
Despite everything, Blitz's smile never faltered in the face of his adoptive daughter's grumbling.
"You can leave now, or you can wait for m-" Loona didn't need to consider the options.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, fuck it, I'm out. See you at home." The not-so-teenager "spoke" to her father, not even looking away from her phone, leaving through the door as soon as she could.
Blitz looked at the door for a few seconds in complete silence, waiting for something, but as nothing happened, he just groaned in pain as he dragged himself and collapsed onto the couch.
'What a fucking day...' Without the strength to speak, Blitz just thought these words, almost feeling a spasm as he savored the sweetness of the cushioned sofa, adjusting his head on the folds and staring at the ceiling.
Blitz deliberately ignored the eye that was staring at him fixedly from the ceiling and focused on more important issues.
For example, the sinner who was currently completely alone in his office with his weapons, the worst part?
The best-case scenario would be that he'd try to assault him, but his ROBUSTass is sure that this bastard is waiting patiently without planning anything malicious!.
Does he trust him enough to leave him alone in this place? Well, trust doesn't exist in this place. It's just waiting to see if they try to kill you or not. And if they don't, well, there you have a new little friend!
Uh
His brain suddenly recoiled when he realized that his life is made up of a pair of imps who genuinely love each other, an adopted hellhound. And did he mention the part where he's banging royalty to get a book that allows him to be one of the few demons who travel to the land of the living?
...
Yes, he has worse things to worry about beyond a stranger who doesn't even know where he's standing. A sinner who ominously seems human and has morals is probably the simplest thing he can currently face!
An egocentric smile reappeared on Blitz's face, ready to end this. But his regret came too quickly when all his bones cracked as he stood up too fast.
with a tense body or not, Blitz would finish all of this one way or anothe! (not without inhaling a bundle of bills for more energy)
"ISAAC, BRING YOUR ASS HERE." Using all the energy drawn from reminding himself that he's the absolute boss, he allowed himself to make his mating cal-
(It's 4 AM, I'm writing this while I'm sick to the point of being in bed, and I have a kingdom of bugs on my ceiling. Schizophrenia is fast, but dementia is faster).
The shout was appropriately answered when a white-haired sinner calmly emerged from his office to approach him, and to Blitz's disappointment, he didn't seem to have tried to take advantage of any of his things, so only Plan A remained.
"Look, I'm screwed, you're screwed. Let's get this shit over with as quickly as possible." Making his position clear, Blitz stepped away from Isaac and positioned himself in the middle of the room, feeling like a real estate agent.
"From now on, this dump will be your lair, hopefully temporarily" whispering the last part without Isaac catching it, Blitz opened his arms in an attempt to point out everything around to make his words clear.
The impatient little devil didn't wait a second and started touring the office, providing Isaac with a basic tour, which, to be direct, didn't explain anything about any place and just pointed without paying attention.
"Kitchen."
"Bathroom."
"A bunch of other rooms that don't matter, oh, and I would recommend not going into the mutilation room unless you're into gore." Without stopping, Isaac just watched as Blitz seemed more and more drained, even yawning before stopping at a door. Isaac looked at him curiously, as it was the only door he didn't skip.
"And here...". As if it were a surprise, the devil kicked the door of the room and, leaning on the frame, just gestured for Isaac to enter.
"Your room." The Imp was so tired that he couldn't even be sarcastic, a total shame for the demonic society.
Isaac observed what seemed to be a room with... just a chest, a bed, and a window that seemed to have been sealed.
...
"'Th-this is a-uugh, just no.'" Isaac's face went from clear disgust to displaying ignorance in the irony of his life.
Similarities were one thing; copying his childhood room literally was another.
Finally fed up with everything, Blitz concluded his tour and headed towards the exit. Snapping Isaac out of his trance and returning to the living room, where he found the little devil picking up some things he had to take with him. But before leaving, he began with the most important rules of coexistence.
"First of all, DO NOT ENTER MY OFFICE; second, DO NOT LUSTFULLY LOOK AT MY DAUGHTER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE CASTRATED; and finally, DO NOT INTERVENE STUPIDLY FOR SOME SHITTY 'MORAL' OF YOURS." Isaac's eyes were wide open in shock at Blitz's shouting, while he watched the imp about to leave through the door. Rather than resentment, he only felt understanding for how irritated Blitz probably felt. Or maybe that was just his attitude
"Out of curiosity," Blitz stayed in the door frame as he looked at Isaac a bit curious, deciding that he would put aside the fatigue and satisfy his curiosity.
"How the hell did you die?" Without a hint of sensitivity, Blitzo asked him something he honestly should have asked before, receiving a dry answer from Isaac, who realized he had no problem talking about this.
"Suffocated in a chest," more than feeling discomfort or fear talking about his death, he only reflected on whether that would be the precise category... Honestly, he had no idea how he died beyond getting into the chest.
"damn, anything interesting about all that?" Now more intrigued, the little devil leaned on the frame, awaiting the answer to his question.
"eh, not much, just a suicide." Upon reflection, Isaac believed that was the best way to classify his death, something he honestly didn't care much about now that he was in this place.
"Well, that's fucked up. bye." And without a hint of empathy, Blitz slammed the door shut as he left, happy to finally put an end to this annoying day while humming through the hallways.
A hum that gradually dissolved into the screams outside over time, until it completely decayed, allowing Isaac to move from his current position and, this time, explore the place more calmly without having to hurry.
A little impressed, he observed how the office seemed to have an included kitchen. Quickly entering the fridge, he found some vegetables and beer cans.
Setting that aside, Isaac began to wander around the place with a calm smile on his face while humming, stopping at what Blitz had mentioned was the bathroom, hesitating for a few minutes, an ultimately deciding to face this as quickly as he could, thus opening the door.
Slowly approaching the bathroom mirror, ignoring everything else it brought, feeling his heart beat to the point of causing a burning sensation in his chest. Isaac placed his hands on the sink a little nervously, leaving his gaze fixed on it for a while, until, with a sigh, his head slowly moved upward.
First finding his shirt a bit bloodstained, a fact that made him a little nervous, thinking that maybe he was hurt in some way, but unknowingly, Isaac found his own face unintentionally when he looked up to verify it better.
His fingers began to press on his face, as if it were a test to feel its nerves and have something tell him that what he was seeing was real, a trance so strong that he ended up ignoring the bloodstains on his clothes, thinking that it probably wasn't even his, and focused on his face.
And... he looked good.
Feeling an overwhelming calm, even completely satisfied with how he looked, he began to experiment with his body, stretching his face and examining every part of it with curiosity.
He couldn't help but be impressed by his own eyes, a bit egocentric, but inevitable when seeing how they literally looked like golden ponds.
He didn't stop there either, taking strands of his hair, stretching them to feel a pull, and sliding his hand through the crown of thorns, causing them to react and become more visible, only to hide again in his mane when he stopped interacting with them.
He couldn't help but compare himself to Eden because of his hair, while opening his mouth to see his teeth and smiling at their condition, which looked very healthy compared to the decayed teeth he once had. He also noticed that they were strangely sharper, leaving a strangely bizarre smile if he opened his mouth completely.
And speaking of smiles...
Isaac tried to fade his own, but the muscles of his face seemed unable to do so, with the minimum being an expression that was barely noticeable but still a smile anyway, although this only happened with his mouth and not with any other part of his body.
Not that he minded much; he's already a bit used to it from Chaos. At least he can control the muscles of his face a little this time...
...
Isaac almost walked out of the bathroom, but he stayed still and retraced his he was in front of the mirror again, without hesitating in his actions. He rolled up his sleeve and flexed the muscles in his arm, only for his cheeks to blush, quickly retreating with an expression of embarrassment for what he had just done.
To conclude his tour, he arrived at what seemed to be a conference room. He quickly approached the windows and looked out over Hell without a fixed feeling.
Streets with a prefix in suffering and agony, or so he would say if it weren't because, in reality, the streets were quite calm for now. Nonetheless, it was still a completely new and theoretically horrible land, and one that was now his new home.
There wasn't much to think about because he simply didn't have options or objectives anyway, just a little sadness at seeing some demons who didn't seem to be in a pleasant place.
Putting that aside, he saw an old TV near what looked like a chalkboard. Feeling nostalgic, he quickly approached, with his fingers about to turn it on with a bit of nervousness for it not being something of his own.
Putting that aside, he saw an old television near what looked like a blackboard. Feeling nostalgic, He surrounded the table that was in the middle of the room and approached with a little curiosity to have face to face something that could be considered one of the factors that destroyed his life, with his fingers about to turn it on with a little nervousness about it not being something of his.
But something happened.
His retinas saw it, slowly turning. He found something: a horse—no, it was THE HORSE, a painting of what seemed to be a horse-shaped beast, appearing massive, a body composed of fire, bones protruding, and a pair of gigantic horns.
He had already encountered many types of demons... But this seemed like something he himself would have created a long time ago, in a time when his only hobby or way of living was drawing. A time when he didn't have to worry about the lack of food or his own life.
And... A time he wouldn't want to go back to, knowing what would happen.
But... That doesn't matter now!
With an excited smile, Isaac's fingers slid over the painting, appreciating something as cool as this. He could only think of one thing, or rather, a part of him that had been dormant for a long time awakened, asking him to unleash his own mind.
Something he hadn't done in years, and something that turned his heart into a speeding locomotive due to nervousness.
With excitement, he returned to the chalkboard filled with doodles and approached with an idea in mind, chuckling to himself at the horse designs and diagrams. Isaac whispered an apology as he erased everything he had drawn.
Finishing, and already having his next actions planned, Isaac's smile wavered as he grabbed a marker with a completely restless hand.
But he had already imagined his own scattered mental work in the place, and his mind could not be stopped now; he didn't let the regulated past be an obstacle to drawing once again.
Tracing a line, his hand stopped trembling over time as he gained precision, aware that there was no one to stop him and forbid him from drawing as in the past. Isaac began to regain confidence once more.
Feeling his hand slide the marker, he noticed the difference now compared to the past. The fine and calm way he could move the marker was something... cathartic. Being able to move completely free and unrestricted, unlike ancient times, which honestly began to matter less to him with each passing moment.
Stopping and moving to draw another line, he couldn't help but marvel at the way his hand held the marker. Beyond how light it felt, it was also easy to maneuver!
He didn't notice much... But his hands were large, larger than he could have thought they would become, and not just his hands...
Isaac was different. He didn't bother to think in what way; he wasn't interested in that because he was only interested in drawing peacefully at the moment.
What were they going to tell him anyway?, Perhaps they would tell him that he would go to hell for his 'sins'?, using such words for their own benefit in an attempt to control him would not work.
Would they threaten to hurt him? No matter what they did to him, the very machinations of his mind already put him through every type of suffering possible.
...
'He'
For the first time in his life, Isaac smiled egocentrically, accepting that he was now dead, and as such, there was nothing and no one in the world that could stop him from doing what he wanted. He didn't feel fear, not the one he once felt. He had experienced death hundreds of times, and he had triumphed even more.
...
The markers ran out, and with them, his drawing. Something simple: a horse, just like the one he visualized, with the only difference of black fire instead of red and larger horns. It wasn't his most experimental work, but the biggest difference of all was that this horse was made by his own hands.
His body retreated until he bumped into the table as he observed his art.
Without caring where he was or what he would do, Isaac climbed onto the table and sat on it quietly, cradling his own head on his elbow as he smiled at the drawing he had made.
Ending his day, Isaac got off the table and wrote something next to the drawing, then walked to his new room and slept like he had never done before.
'Sorry, the horses looked cool, I couldn't help but draw one.'
This chapter was annoying to write lol, and again, I accidentally exceeded the 10K word limit, at least in the pre-translation, sorry xd
by the way, thanks to reality bender for being a beta reader so far xd
Fun Facts with As! (Story facts or future story ideas you might want to know, which may or may not be mentioned in the future, I don't know yet)
*Today I'm not in the mood for this; I'll just say that the scripts for chapters 2-3-4 actually belonged to a single 10K-word chapter, but due to my own stupidity, I ended up stretching it too much. Sorry. If I feel like it, I'll upload that script.
Next chapter 28/01
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