The clown grinned wider, grease dripping from his fingers. "Oh, so you do remember me, Spawny. Was worried this cozy little hellhole had softened you up too much. Guess not entirely, huh?"

Spawn's chains unfurled slightly, their metallic clinking filling the air. "What the hell are you doing here? You're not even supposed to alive."

Violator spread his arms in mock innocence, pizza still in hand. "Hey, don't blame me, big guy. I didn't exactly book a vacation package to come here. Let's just say… I got a ride. And man, this place? Real downgrade from the hell we used to know. I mean, where's the fear? The chaos? The fun?" He laughed, taking another bite of his pizza.

Vaggie glanced at Spawn, her voice sharp. "Who is this… thing?"

Spawn didn't take his eyes off Violator. "A parasite. A monster. A demon who's caused me more trouble than I can count."

Violator smirked, licking his fingers clean. "Aw, c'mon, Al. Don't be like that. We've had some good times, haven't we? All those bodies, the chaos… the good ol' days." He took a step closer, his grin turning sinister. "But look at you now. Used to be the big, bad Hellspawn who didn't need anyone. Now you've got yourself a little cheerleading squad." He gestured toward Charlie and Vaggie with his pizza.

Spawn's chains whipped out, slamming into the ground in front of Violator. The clown didn't even flinch, his grin growing wider. "Touched a nerve, did I?"

"You don't belong here," Spawn growled. "Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of, or I'll send you there myself."

Violator laughed, tossing the crust of his pizza over his shoulder. "Oh, Al, you're so dramatic. But no can do. See, I've got plans. Big ones. And I think you're gonna love them."

The tension in the air was palpable as the two adversaries stared each other down. Charlie and Vaggie stood ready, unsure of what this clown's intentions were but certain he was no ally.

Mammon's scowl deepened as he stomped closer to Violator, his neon-green jester outfit practically vibrating with frustration. The jagged lines of his face contorted into a sneer, his multiple arms crossing in an attempt to look imposing.

"Alright, ya little grease stain," Mammon snapped, jabbing a gloved finger at Violator. "You think you're hot shit, huh? Wreck my park, send some winged freak to trash my ring, and now you're standin' here, laughing it up like it's some kinda joke? You owe me, funny guy. Big time."

Violator tilted his head back and let out a wheezing, guttural laugh, wiping fake tears from his eyes as if Mammon's words were the best punchline he'd ever heard.

"Ah, you're a riot, Moneybags," Violator said, still chuckling. "What if I did send that holy asshole?" What're you gonna do about it, huh? Give me a timeout? Send me to your stupid little funhouse to ride the teacups?"

Mammon's green eyes flared with rage. "Nah, you're gonna work for me, clown-boy. Since you're already dressed for it, might as well make it official. You can start by cleanin' up the mess you made and takin' up a role in my amusement park."

Violator took a deliberate bite out of his pizza slice, chewed loudly, and spat the crust onto the ground. He grinned, his jagged teeth glinting in the dim light of the ruined park.

"Yeah, nah," Violator said casually. "If anything, you're the one who should hand over control of this dump to me. You don't even know what you're dealing with here, Dollar Store Pennywise. And let's be honest," Violator gestured to himself with a smirk, "I'm way funnier than you."

Mammon's face twitched, his temper nearing a breaking point. "Funny? You? Buddy, I'm the King of Greed and comedy. You're just some second-rate circus reject with a bad haircut!"

Violator's grin widened, his demonic eyes glinting with mischief. "Oh, is that so? Maybe I should show you what real funny looks like, hmm? Might wanna take notes, 'cause I promise you ain't the main attraction anymore."

Suddenly, Violator's body begins to quake, his flesh starting to quiver and convulse, as if something was trying to burst out of his body in the most painfully brutal way possible.

As Violator's grotesque transformation began, his clown body seemed to tear apart at the seams. His flesh split and fell away in chunks, writhing tendrils of muscle and sinew bursting free like snakes escaping confinement. The sound was unbearable—wet, crunching, and tearing—like raw meat being shredded, bone and all. Yet through it all, Violator laughed maniacally, his voice distorting into a guttural roar of glee.

When the transformation was complete, the being standing before them was nothing short of horrifying. Violator's demon form towered over all of the onlookers, standing at an imposing 15 feet tall. His twisted, sinewy frame was a patchwork of blackened flesh and bone-like protrusions. His skin was a mottled combination of dark grey and oily black, pulsating as if alive.

His head was grotesquely elongated, shaped like a warped skull with sharp ridges and jagged edges. His mouth stretched impossibly wide, filled with rows of needle-like teeth that seemed to vibrate with anticipation. A long, forked tongue dripped with a viscous, dark-green saliva that hissed as it hit the ground.

Violator's eyes were a glowing, sickly red, set deep into his grotesque skull. They radiated a malevolent intelligence and an insatiable hunger. Jagged horns erupted from his head, curving like the talons of a bird of prey.

His arms were disproportionately long, ending in massive, clawed hands with fingers that extended far beyond what should be natural. The claws themselves were razor-sharp, dripping with an unknown fluid that seemed to melt the ground wherever it landed.

Violator's torso was emaciated yet muscular, with ribs that jutted out like the bars of a cage. His abdomen was segmented, almost insect-like, with patches of exposed bone and sinew glistening under the dim light of the ruined park.

His legs were digitigrade, ending in massive, three-toed claws that left deep gouges in the ground as he moved.

Spikes and bone spurs jutted out from his back, forming a grotesque, jagged silhouette. The faint glow of hellfire emanated from within his body, visible through the cracks in his skin, as if his very core was a furnace of rage and destruction.

The air around Violator grew thick and oppressive, the ground trembling beneath his monstrous weight. He let out a guttural laugh that echoed across the ruins of the Greed Ring, a sound that made even the most hardened demons shiver.

"Now, Moneybags," Violator growled, his voice deep and reverberating like grinding metal, "let's see how funny you really are when the difficulty gets cranked all the way up."

Charlie and Vaggie stood frozen, their weapons clutched tightly as they processed the sheer horror of what they were seeing.

Mammon staggered backward, his mind racing as he tried to process the horrifying transformation he had just witnessed. Violator's monstrous form loomed before him, radiating an oppressive aura that seemed to smother the very air around him. Gritting his teeth, Mammon let out a growl and straightened himself up.

"Well, ain't you just a lovely bag of nightmares," Mammon spat, his voice dripping with forced bravado. "Guess I gotta show you what real power looks like!"

With a sharp, guttural laugh, Mammon's body began to shift and contort. His jester cap's ears elongated, forming sharp, blade-like points. His skin seemed to harden and glisten like gold as four additional pairs of glowing green eyes opened across his face, their gaze cold and piercing. Massive golden legs erupted from his sides, each ending in black, razor-sharp claws that clicked ominously against the ground. His thorax expanded, becoming an arthropod-like shell adorned with jagged black stripes, and his body shifted into a grotesque, spider-like form that towered over the ground.

Mammon's eight legs moved with unnerving precision as he raised himself to full height, glaring down at Violator. His voice boomed with false confidence. "You think you're scary, you overgrown freak? Let's see how you handle the Sin of Greed!"

Violator, however, was unimpressed. His twisted grin stretched impossibly wide as he let out a bone-chilling laugh, his claws flexing with malicious intent.

"Oh, that's adorable," Violator sneered, his deep, gravelly voice dripping with mockery. "Big bad spider boy thinks he's scary. Hate to break it to ya, Moneybags, but I've squashed nastier bugs than you on my way to breakfast."

Before Mammon could retort, Violator lunged forward with terrifying speed, his massive claws slamming into Mammon's golden legs and sending him skidding backward. The Sin of Greed snarled and countered with a swipe of his sharp appendages, but Violator caught them effortlessly, his claws crunching into the gold like paper.

Mammon shrieked in pain and fury as Violator twisted one of his legs and tore it clean off, tossing it aside like garbage.

"Is that all you've got?" Violator taunted, his glowing green eyes narrowing with sadistic glee. "This is the Sin of Greed? You're more pathetic than I thought."

Mammon struggled to regain his footing, but Violator was relentless. He slammed his massive claws into Mammon's thorax, cracking the golden shell and sending the Sin crashing into a nearby ride. Debris rained down as Mammon groaned in pain, his bravado now completely shattered.

Charlie and Vaggie, still standing nearby, exchanged a glance, their weapons at the ready. "We need to do something," Charlie said, gripping her pitchfork tightly.

"No," Spawn interrupted, his eyes locked on Violator. "He's mine."

Vaggie hesitated but nodded, pulling Charlie back. Violator turned his attention away from the whimpering Mammon and fixed his gaze on Spawn, his grin widening even further.

"Still playing the hero, huh, Spawny?" Violator mocked, his voice dripping with disdain. "Let's see if you've got what it takes to stop me like last time."

Spawn stepped forward, his green eyes glowing brightly as his chains unfurled, ready for the inevitable clash. "You picked the wrong hell to crawl into, Violator," he growled. "This ends now."

Violator lunged at Spawn, claws tearing through the air with vicious precision. Spawn countered with his chains, which shot out like serpents, wrapping around Violator's wrists and halting his charge. The ground beneath them trembled as the two clashed, sparks flying as Violator's claws scraped against Spawn's necroplasm-forged chains.

The two titans grappled, trading brutal blows that sent shockwaves through the ruined amusement park. Violator's grotesque laughter echoed as he shoved Spawn into a twisted metal carousel, sending the ride crashing to the ground in a cloud of debris. Spawn quickly recovered, his cape forming into jagged spikes that launched toward Violator.

"Still the same scrappy little puppet," Violator sneered, dodging the assault. "But you're out of your league here, Al."

Spawn's response was swift—a blast of necroplasm erupted from his palm, catching Violator square in the chest and sending him staggering back. "This isn't your playground, Clown," Spawn growled. "And I'm not the same man you remember."

Nearby, Charlie and Vaggie crouched next to Mammon, who lay sprawled on the ground with a visible crack running along his thorax. Charlie reached out to help him, but Mammon slapped her hand away with one of his claws.

"Get off me, Princess!" he snarled, trying—and failing—to pull himself upright. "I don't need help from anyone, especially not you!"

Vaggie crossed her arms, unimpressed. "You don't look like you're doing too well on your own, Greed Boy."

Mammon glared at her, his eight glowing eyes narrowing. "I'm fine," he insisted, though his trembling legs and the ichor leaking from his wounds said otherwise.

"Fine? You're barely standing," Charlie said, her tone stern yet compassionate. "Let us help you. You'll only make it worse if you keep this up."

Mammon grumbled under his breath, his ego clashing with the reality of his injuries. "Just... don't make a big deal out of it," he muttered, finally relenting.

Charlie smiled warmly. "We'll keep it between us," she assured him as she began tending to his wounds with a makeshift bandage from her sash.

Vaggie kept watch, her spear at the ready, as the sounds of Spawn and Violator's battle grew more intense. She couldn't help but glance over at the fight, her eyes widening as she saw Spawn unleash a devastating flurry of attacks, his chains and necroplasm striking in perfect tandem.

"I hope he knows what he's doing," Vaggie muttered, gripping her weapon tighter.

Charlie looked over at the battle too, worry flickering across her face. "If anyone can handle this, it's Spawn," she said, though her voice betrayed a hint of doubt.

Spawn, meanwhile, dodged Violator's next strike, his chains looping around the demon's leg and yanking him off balance. Violator roared in frustration, slamming his claws into the ground to steady himself.

"I'll rip that smug face off your skull, Spawn!" Violator bellowed, his voice a mixture of rage and sadistic glee.

"Try it," Spawn shot back, his green eyes glowing brighter.

Charlie's eyes remained fixed on the battle as Spawn and Violator clashed with ferocity unlike anything she'd seen before. Sparks of necroplasm lit up the night as Violator's grotesque claws tore into the ground, narrowly missing Spawn as he leapt back and countered with a devastating strike from his chains.

The words Violator had spat earlier played on a loop in her mind: "This isn't your hell, Al." The weight of that statement tugged at her curiosity, sending a chill down her spine. She knew Spawn wasn't like any of the other sinners she'd encountered, but this was something else entirely.

Violator let out a guttural laugh as he regained his footing, his grotesque form looking even more menacing in the dim light of the ruined amusement park.

Spawn stood his ground, his green eyes glowing fiercely. His voice cut through the chaos, sharp and unwavering. "You don't belong here either, Clown. Why don't you crawl back to whatever pit spat you out?"

Violator grinned, his jagged teeth glinting as he replied, "Funny thing, Al. I was about to say the same thing about you."

Charlie clenched her fists, the weight of their words sinking in. Whatever Spawn's past held, it was clear that Violator was a significant part of it—and that this fight was far more than just another battle. It was personal.

Violator pinned Spawn to the ground with a sickening crunch, his massive clawed hand plunging into Spawn's chest. The demon's face twisted into a mocking grin as he leaned in closer, his jagged teeth glinting.

"You've gone soft, Spawny," Violator sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "I can see it. You're not used to fighting people who can actually keep up with you anymore. All these second-rate sinners and wannabe demons in this place? They've made you weak."

Spawn gritted his teeth against the pain, refusing to show the agony radiating through his body. His green eyes burned fiercely as he met Violator's gaze. "Everyone goes soft as they get older," he growled, his voice low and deliberate. "It's why they go soft that matters."

With a surge of strength, Spawn's chains shot out, coiling tightly around Violator's neck. Spawn yanked with all his might, pulling the demon off of him. Violator snarled in frustration, his claws tearing free from Spawn's chest with a sickening squelch, leaving a gaping wound.

Spawn rolled to his feet, clutching his chest as necroplasm surged to mend the damage. The healing process was faster than when he'd fought Redeemer, thanks to Violator's lack of divine energy. Even so, the pain lingered, and Spawn could feel the faint tug of exhaustion creeping in.

Violator, holding a bloody chunk of Spawn's necroplasmic suit in his claws, examined it with a twisted smirk. "You can try to justify it all you want, but I know the truth," he taunted. "You're getting sloppy, old man. Too busy playing house with these Hell rejects to remember what you really are."

Spawn didn't respond immediately. He flexed his fingers, testing the strength of his mended wound, and stepped forward. His cape unfurled behind him like a blood-red storm cloud, and his chains rattled ominously as they hovered around him.

"You've got a lot of nerve talking about what I am," Spawn finally said, his voice colder than ever. "But if you think I've forgotten who I am, let me remind you."

Still gripping the chunk of Spawn's chest in his grotesque claw, Violator's grin widened impossibly, a sickening blend of amusement and menace. "You have forgotten who you are, Al," he hissed, holding up the pulsing necroplasm like a trophy. "But don't worry. I'll be here to remind you."

Spawn crouched, ready to strike again, but Violator leapt into the air with unnatural agility, his massive form landing effortlessly on the side of the still-standing Ferris wheel. The metal groaned under his weight as he clung to it like some twisted arachnid.

"I didn't come here to play house with you," Violator taunted, his voice echoing over the ruined park. "I was just here to make a quick collection for my new boss."

Spawn's eyes narrowed, his chains shifting ominously at his sides. "What boss? What the hell are you talking about?"

Violator let out a low, guttural laugh, his body shaking with delight. "Oh, you'll find out soon enough. But trust me on this, Spawn—you're gonna love it. With your help, we're gonna usher in a new era for this Hell and that miserable little dirtball up top. A whole new kingdom of agony, despair, and glorious carnage."

"Not a chance," Spawn growled, his voice low and deadly.

Violator's laughter only grew louder, more sinister. "Oh, but you don't get a say, Al. This is already in motion. It's too late to stop it. And believe me, it's gonna be beautiful."

Spawn launched a chain toward him, but Violator deftly dodged, his grin never faltering. "One last thing before I go," he said, the amusement in his voice dropping to something darker, more menacing.

"The world as you know it? It's over. And it's not gonna end with some dramatic bang. No, no. It's gonna end the way it should—with blood. Lots of it. Blood, screaming, torn flesh, and broken bones. And you, Al, you'll have the front-row seat. Hell, you might even get the best part of the show."

With that, Violator's form began to shimmer and distort, his laughter echoing eerily as his massive frame started to dissolve into a cloud of crimson smoke. His voice lingered, dripping with malice, as he disappeared into the air.

"I can't wait."

The Ferris wheel groaned again, the strain of Violator's absence leaving it teetering precariously. Spawn stepped forward, his chains twitching in frustration as the heavy silence settled over the ruined park.

As Spawn turned, a chill ran down his spine. The body of Redeemer was gone, vanished into the same crimson smoke that had carried Violator away moments before. The eerie, unsettling haze still lingered faintly in the air, as if mocking their confusion.

Charlie clutched her pitchfork tightly, her face pale. "It's gone," she whispered, barely audible.

Spawn knelt where Redeemer's body had been, brushing his gloved hand against the scorched ground. His glowing green eyes narrowed as he observed the faint crimson residue left behind. "Whoever brought Violator here also brought him," Spawn muttered, his voice grim. "And they used Adam's body to do it."

Vaggie's eye darted toward the spot, her grip on her spear tightening. "That doesn't make any sense," she said. "Adam was dead. Everyone saw his body after the battle with the Exorcists. How could they use him like that?"

Spawn stood, his cape billowing slightly as he turned to face them. "Nothing stays buried if someone's desperate enough to dig it up," he said darkly.

The tension in the air was shattered by Mammon's loud, exasperated groan. Still nursing his injuries, the Sin of Greed limped toward them, his spider-like legs retracting as he returned to his usual form. "Oh, great! The holy nutcase is gone, the clown's gone, and my ring is a total disaster!" he bellowed, gesturing wildly at the destruction around them.

He pointed at the wreckage of LooLoo Land, where rides lay in ruins and smoke rose from shattered attractions. "Do you know how long it's gonna take to get this place back up and running? Weeks! Maybe months! Do you have any idea how much money I'm losing right now?"

Spawn didn't even look at him, his focus still on the fading crimson residue. "You should be more worried about what's coming next," he said coldly.

Mammon scoffed, wincing as he held his side. "Oh, don't you start with that ominous 'something worse is coming' crap. I've already had the worst thing possible happen today!"

Charlie glanced at Mammon, her expression both annoyed and concerned. "Mammon, if you're really that worried about your park, maybe focus on helping rebuild instead of complaining."

Mammon's neon green eyes flashed, and he looked like he was about to retort, but then sighed dramatically. "Fine! Whatever. But you'd better believe I'm sending the repair bills straight to my accountants. This is gonna cost a fortune!"

Spawn turned away from the group, his cape shrouding his form as he started walking toward the horizon. "Let him whine," he said without turning back. "We've got bigger problems to deal with."

Charlie exchanged a worried glance with Vaggie, her grip on her pitchfork tightening. Whatever was happening, this was only the beginning—and they all knew it.

Charlie hesitated for a moment, her mind racing with everything Violator had said. She looked up at Spawn, her expression a mixture of confusion and concern. "Al… is it true? What that clown said about you being from another world?"

Vaggie turned to Spawn as well, crossing her arms tightly. "If that's true, it's something we should've known a long time ago."

Spawn's glowing green eyes flickered briefly as he looked at Charlie. She was staring up at him, her face a mix of concern and determination. Vaggie stood beside her, her arms crossed but her expression equally curious.

For a moment, Spawn said nothing. He could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on him. He had been avoiding this conversation since the day he arrived in this world. And now, thanks to Violator, he didn't have much of a choice.

He knew he should have done this already. He knew that he should have told Charlie above anyone else.

"Charlie... I-"

Charlie's phone rang just as Spawn was about to answer her pressing questions. She glanced at the screen, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw it was her father. "It's my dad," she said, looking at Spawn and Vaggie with a mix of confusion and apprehension.

Without waiting, she answered, her tone cautious. "Dad? What's going on?"

Lucifer's voice came through, calm but with an undercurrent of urgency. "Put Spawn on the line. Now."

Charlie blinked, startled. "Why? What's—"

Before she could finish her sentence, a thunderous chime echoed across the Greed Ring, the sound reverberating like the toll of a colossal clock tower. The same sound carried through every ring of Hell, freezing everyone in their tracks.

Spawn's eyes narrowed. "What the hell is that?"

Charlie's eyes widened in horror. "The clock…"

The infamous Extermination Clock in Pentagram City began ticking for the first time in a long while. Its massive hands moved ominously, counting down from 24 hours. The sight of it alone was enough to send waves of panic through the streets.

"What's going on?" Vaggie asked, already suspecting the answer.

Charlie's voice trembled. "The next Extermination."

Spawn's gaze hardened. "Extermination?"

Charlie nodded, her knuckles white as she gripped her phone. "The annual culling of sinners. But this… this isn't supposed to happen! And that clock—it's never shown up in any ring but Pentagram City."

To everyone's shock, the countdown wasn't confined to Pentagram City. All across the rings of Hell, massive ethereal projections of the clock appeared in the sky, their ominous presence looming over every demon and sinner alike.