Raiden spluttered as Minos's grip tightened further on his throat.
His vision had began to fade just as Minos stopped strangling him, dropping him from his vice-like grip. Raiden landed shakily on his feet.
The spectral king cocked his head to the side, thinking.
"You truly are a specimen... thy body may be a machine, but thy heart. It is still human.. thy face is made of living flesh. I bid you - speak."
Raiden blinked twice and took a deep breath, trying to regain his air.
"I.. I'm a cyborg... The army replace most of my body with steel." He brushed his hair out of his face.
"I see," Minos stroked his chin, "now tell me, Cyborg. What thine business with this place? Why did you come down here?"
"I'm not so sure anymore to be honest. Right now I'm working for a guy called 'G-man'. He ordered me to travel through hell and destroy anything I see. Better than being nagged by my wife though!!" Raiden added, fake-laughing.
Minos began pacing in front of Raiden.
"So you mean to say, that there are still humans left alive on the surface?"
"Yeah. Of course there are humans around. At least 8 billion of us."
"8 billion, you say?"
"That's right."
Minos stopped, his back was turned to Raiden.
"No, cyborg. You're lying. Our kind were extinguished long ago by the machines."
Raiden opened a little hatch on his leg, which contained his wallet.
"Here's proof."
He pulled out a picture of Rose, which he had drawn amateur facial hair and curly eyebrows with marker pen.
Minos looked down at the picture and chuckled.
"I take it thou art a father then? Little ones can certainly be mischievous."
"Haha yeah."
"Hm. I'm growing fond of thee. Tell me thy name, and I shall tell you mine."
"My name is Raiden, I'm a cyborg ninja and I was born in Liberia."
"I am Minos, and I used to be King of this layer of hell. I wanted to build a great city for the souls here, but him.. Gabriel.. he came and razed it to the ground. He executed me and trapped me inside my own rotting corpse, infested with demons and parasites. Now you have freed me, I'm going to find Gabriel and exact the revenge I've been waiting for for countless years."
A little bit more information than just your name but okay.. Raiden thought to himself.
"Do you think this Gabriel guy will know how to get out of hell?"
"Yes." Minos replied, "I was indeed going to ask you to follow with me on my journey anyway, so follow along."
Raiden nodded watching Minos walk to the centre of the room.
"So what about my sword?" Raiden asked.
"Don't worry, cyborg. We shall accquire a new blade for thee." Then Minos raised his leg and stomped the ground with a flash of light and crunch of fleshy floor, creating a great hole in the ground which he jumped down into.
"Great... another pit I gotta fall down." Raiden complained as he fell lazily backwards into the hole.
The bottom of the hole was a mysteriously lit corridor made of flesh and bones, a straggling platform leading across a pit filled with acid. Strange liquid dripped from the ceiling.
"Follow me, cyborg." Minos beckoned, and Raiden followed.
They trekked through the long corridor for a while. The silence was awkward and deep, quiet murmering and sickly dripping sounds came every now and then.
There was a sudden, loud, booming voice which reverberated around them very loudly.
"Machine... Minos.. You are trespassing on these hallowed halls. Turn back now, or you will be crossing the will of God!!"
The voice echoes away into nothingness. Raiden stood still, hesitating to continue forward.
Minos looked up in some vague direction.
"Gabriel.." He said, with venom in his voice.
He turned to Raiden, beckoning to keep going. Ahead was a dark doorway, through which was a gigantic cavernous cavity, with a large fence of ribcage bones strung across the middle of the chamber.
There was a bridge between the fence of bones, which they crossed, coming closer to a large red dome like structure.
"So your choices are made," Gabriel's voice was louder, "As the righteous hand of the father, I shall rend you apart!"
Raiden cracked his knuckles as they walked closer to the dome.
Minos was silent, and walked forward purposefully with determination.
They came to a dark entrance, like a doorway straight into the dome.
They walked into the entrance, going only about a dozen metres in when lights came to life suddenly all throughout the inside of the dome. The floor of the dome was flat, however its centre there was a huge eyeball, rolling around wildly.
There was a flash of blue light above the eyeball as a tall figure wearing white-gold European armor with glowing blue wings and halo appeared from nowhere. Gabriel's helmet covered his face, and a Christian cross adorned its front.
"BEHOLD! THE POWER OF AN ANGEL!!" He yelled, withdrawing two flaming swords and swiftly descending upon Raiden and Minos.
Raiden immediately knew he had to disarm one of those swords from Gabriel.
He dodged the angel's charge, who immediately flashed towards Minos, swords swinging wildly.
Minos blocked the blows, each one making deafening cracking sounds.
Raiden jumped towards Gabriel, trying to punch the angel in the face but when his fist was about to land, Gabriel disappeared in a blur.
"Raiden. He's behind you!" Yelled Minos.
Raiden turned around, instantly getting speed blitzed by the angel. He raised his forearms, trying to defend against the unrelenting flurry of blows which blazed with searing heat.
One thing Raiden noticed, was the colour of the blades. One was gold, and the other Blue.
I'll have the blue one. He decided.
Out of nowhere Minos dropkicked Gabriel, sending him flying across the dome crashing into the wall, blood flying in all directions.
"WEAK!"
Gabriel rose back to his feet.
"You need.. more power!" He growled, spinning his swords threateningly.
"Let's try and disarm him." Raiden said to Minos, who nodded.
Raiden sprinted towards Gabriel, aiming to strike a punch at him. The angel laughed, and teleported again. Raiden knew Gabriel had gine behind him, so he dropped to the ground, span around to sweep Gabriel off of his feet. He then grabbed one of the angel's blades, using it to throw him away.
Minos landed yet another dropkick, right to Gabriel's chest, launching him away again .. but leaving the blue sword in Raiden's hands.
Raiden flipped it, feeling the heat on his face and caught it by the hilt. He smiled confidently.
Gabriel seemed enraged. He had turned red, and a shockwave came from his body.
Blood churned beneath their feet as the battle raged on.
Minos stepped forward... but the angel had suddenly appeared behind him. Raiden dashed forward, blocking Gabriel from slashing Minos. As strong as Raiden was, even he struggled trying to fight against the crushing power that Gabriel exerted from the sword.
Minos had turned and punched Gabriel in the face, but the angel disappeared again, dashing away.
"He's dashing away incredibly fast! It's like a blur," Yelled Raiden, "I've never seen speed like this bastard's.."
Gabriel was floating above them, breathing with intense rage.
"I will break you down! Splay the gore of your profane forms across the STARS!! I shall grind you down until the very SPARKS cry for mercy!! My hands shall relish ending you... Here and now!!!"
A sick ass guitar solo began playing from nowhere as Gabriel raced back down, returning to the fight with force tenfold.