"…I'm going to hug you now," Cassie said to me with a gentle smile as we stood over the mangled body of the Imp that had tried to kill the KaibaCorp staff. Which was impressive considering her body was made of stone. Not merely looked like stone but was actual stone. Yet she was able to twist her features into all sorts of different expressions. I had already seen her glower at Crimson before grinning at Aria, giving her a massive hug, then let her face twist into a look of utter annoyance when a miniature version of herself leapt from her shoulder and was caught by Aria, cuddling into her and asking 'Auntie Arry' to protect her.
But now she was focused on me and I couldn't help but let out a bemused little huff. Though while much of her looked like a dragon/human hybrid it was slightly amusing that her face was all Cassie. It made me wonder just how that had come about. Was there some force at work that determined what each Sinner demon looked like? Or was it some magical process when a soul ended up in Hell? I wondered if anyone had ever studied it?
'Probably not, considering its not exactly a topic one can easily study. I mean, do you walk up to a Sinner and go 'Hey, what did you feel as you closed your eyes for the last time on Earth just before you woke up in the shit storm that this Hell? Was it more of a tingle or a tickle?' Yeah, that would go over real fucking well. Just amazingly well. Still, I suppose that someone should look into it… might also help me figure out why some souls are more powerful than others when they arrive down here.'
I had encountered plenty of demons during my months in Hell and I found it so odd that some Sinners were just naturally powerful and others… weren't. Originally I had thought perhaps it was the level of sinning that determined ones power; after all Alastor was one of the most powerful Sinners and he had been a serial killer back on Earth. But then an idle question about Hitler had led me to learn that some of the worst despots and monsters from Earth arrived in Hell… and were promptly put under someone's boot or snuffed out. So it couldn't be that.
I did notice that the power seemed to be like a muscle. One had to exercise it in order for them to maintain it.
'Husk is more powerful than he lets on but he's just broken down because of the loss of his title. There are glimmers though of the Overlord he used to be… if he actually practiced he probably could be insanely powerful.' And that made me mentally smile as I remembered that the reason he had given up was being enslaved to Alastor… but now his soul belonged to me. 'And I plan to do all I can to help build him back up. I have no idea who is in control of the casinos now but I am going to wrest control of them from whatever fucker has them and set Husk to work. Make clear I am still holding his soul to keep him from gambling everything away but-'
My thoughts stalled out as Cassie made good on her promise and slammed into me, hugging me tight. After a moment of being utterly startled I reached out and gently returned the embrace, shifting my hands so they went around her folded up wings.
"I'd say good to see you, Cassie, but we are in Hell…"
She let out a weak laugh at that. "Well, if we all have to be in Hell at least we're together."
"I still want to know how Aria got here!" Martin declared. Caesar and Vencent had gone to go get the rest of the KaibaCorp staff, as apparently a large number of them had ended up in Hell, leaving just Cassie, Martin, and Moose to greet Aria and I. "She is as sweet as sugar!"
"You've never seen her tackle anyone when they insulted Godzilla," Cassie said. "But Martin's right… what are you doing here, Aria?"
"Well, we saw you being attacked on TV so we left the Hellfire Gala… which is sad because Edwin was totally going to defeat Lucifer and win!"
Cassie, Martin, and Moose all stared at Aria before turning their confused gazes towards me.
"Its… it's a long story."
"Shorten it," Martin stated.
"Pegasus used the fucking Millennium Eye to see Cecelia and Heaven decided to boot her to Hell. So she made Duel Monsters down here."
The three looked at me again.
"…that sadly adds up," Martin said with a sigh.
"Yup," Moose said as he oozed over to a burnt out car and settled down on the hood, pulling out a waterproof magazine from his… body… and began to leaf through it.
"Well Edwin," Ozzie said, reminding me he was there, "mind introducing us? Because it is clear that you know these people quite well."
"Friends and employees. Or former employees."
That made Fizz grin. "Oh? Office hijinx? Quickies in the supply closet? He popped up next to Cassie. "Ya know, I'm a lover, not a fighter, but I have heard that sometimes post-fight orgies are the best."
"I'm Ace," Cassie said flatly.
"Oh, I wasn't asking you!" Fizz said with a laugh before glancing at Moose. "Mind giving me his number?"
Cassie frowned at that before looking at Edwin. "So I don't make some grand error… can I hit him?" She hefted her hammer.
"No," I said firmly. "This is Fizz. He's boyfriends with Ozzie here… as in Asmodeus, the Prince of Lust and one of the 7 rulers of Hell."
"So please don't damage my dear Froggie," Ozzie purred before leaning in close to Cassie and whispering in a more serious tone, "I wouldn't like that."
"…right," Cassie said slowly.
Fizz let out a yelp and I looked down to see the Baby Stone Dragon had leapt down and was pulling on his pant leg.
"I'm not Ace!" she said with a giggle before she moved to hump his ankle.
"Great, its like Niffty," I muttered just before Cassie stomped down on the baby, shattering her. "Or not."
"Cassie!" Aria screamed in horror.
"What? I can make more." She gathered up the shards and swallowed them.
"Fucking hell you people are weird!" Fizz declared before turning to Ozzie. "I like'em!"
"Me too. Oh! We should have a dinner party! With fancy plates and all those little finger foods that no one can remember the name of!" He looked to me and added in a side comment, "We tried to have one with the other Princes but Bee ate all the food, Lucifer never showed up, Satan scared the wait staff, and Mammon actually attended."
"…Edwin," Martin said slowly. "Is this… normal for you?"
"Going to be his new normal now that everyone saw how powerful he is!" Fizz said, pointing skyward. I looked up and saw that several different camera drones were buzzing around. As if sensing my notice of them they all turned their attention to me just as I heard the screech of tires and several news vans pulled up to film the carnage.
"Fizz is right, Edwin. Everyone is going to realize that you're an Overlord now seeing this." Ozzie gave a shrug. "No more hiding that fact."
"Yeah, I kind of figured as much." I looked down at Crimson. "Which is why I plan to make sure all of Hell knows how powerful I truly am."
Martin frowned at that. "What do you mean?"
"This isn't a safe place," I told my friends. "Its Hell, after all. And there are ways for you to die and… well… not ever come back. Which might be a kindness, considering all the other things that can happen. You could be forced to sell your souls to get yourself out of a jam and that would make you little more than a slave to whatever sick twisted creature holds your leash. Violence pops up every fucking day… there are sections of Pentagram where, if you don't have power to defend yourself or the protection of one that can, they will literally EAT YOU." I shook my head. "I had at first Charlie Morningstar to protect me… and then I developed my following that made me too important for most of the common Sinners to try and take on. But if the entire KaibaCorp Staff is here I can't count on Charlie's influence to protect you all. She's Lucifer's kid but that doesn't mean much and there are those that would love to try and poke her in the eye.
"No… it has to be me. I have to be powerful enough to protect you all and that starts not just with me revealing myself to be an Overlord but letting all of Hell know that I am one of the most powerful Overlords now. I need to put the fear of ME into them."
"…okay, this is way too fucking heavy," Cassie said. "At least when I'm sober its too heavy."
"Drinks later, power plays now," I said as I hauled Crimson up.
But Ozzie shook his head. "Edwin, I don't like being the bearer of bad news but killing Crimson isn't going to matter all that much." He gestured at the killing field. "Even taking out all these Sharks and Imps… no one is going to care."
"It fucking sucks," Fizz grumped, "but Sinners and Hellborn look down on Imps and Sharks are barely any better. They are just going to shrug their shoulders when they see this. Yeah, you're an Overlord, but this is… expected."
I nodded. "I know. But as a wise man said… people need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy. This isn't how I show off my power." I glanced at the roof of the warehouse the KaibaCorp Staff had been hiding out in. "This is just the stage for my performance. Come on."
And with that I began to walk towards the building, dragging Crimson's groaning form along with me.
~MC~MC~MC~
"Well… that was certainly unexpected!" Katie Killjoy said as she looked to the camera. "For those who missed it… you are a fucking loser who just missed out on so bloodshed and gore from the talk of Hell, Edwin Cerberus."
"It certainly wasn't something any of us expected," Tom Trench declared. "While killing Imps is old hat for most of us the way that Cerberus handled it-"
Katie shoved Tom away from her and smiled as the camera focused on her. "How he handled it certainly was different! Those golden figures he released certainly weren't something I've seen and I've seen everything! We turn to our Sinner Demon expert, Dr. Dickshitz, for more information."
The doctor, who looked like a melted marshmallow and had a firepoker sticking out of his head, smiled and nodded as he reached up and adjusted his glasses with a gooey finger. A few burned spots on his head looked like wispy hair and around his mouth was a dark spot that had been touched by the flames far too long, causing it to crack and break as he spoke.
"It is actually Dirshurtz," he stated. "Hemrick Dirshurtz."
"That's what those creatures were, Dr. Dickshitz?"
"Nein!" he complained. "I am Dirshurtz! Those creatures that Herr Cerberus released were clearly no creatures at all!"
"I think they had to be something, unless you are saying that those Imps and Sharks killed themselves."
"Ah, but that is just what I am saying!" Dr. Dirshurtz turned to the camera. "Edwin Cerberus is clearly a master of illusion. He is able to create figments so lifelike and real that the feeble minded believe them to be the actual thing. The Imps and the Sharks, when confronted with his illusions, killed themselves in terror."
"But we saw them take off heads!" Tom declared as he pulled himself off the ground only for Katie to strike him again with her microphone.
"How do you explain what we saw then, Dr. Dickshitz?"
"Dirshurtz!"
"Oh," Katie said with an overly wide smile, "is that the name of the phenomenon?"
"Nein!" the shrink said only to pause. "Or rather… ja. I am naming it after myself! It is a Dirshurtz, which refers to when something is so startling that a host of people all believe it to be something else. A… shared hallucination."
"Bullshit!" Tom called out from the ground.
"Edwin Cerberus is a mighty demon if he is able to make everyone see that then," Katie stated with just as much sarcasm as she could muster to make clear what she thought of THAT. "We'll get into how mighty he is when we come back."
"And… we're clear!" the director said and Katie at once was moving away from the desk. "Uh, Katie, its only going to be a 2 minute commercial break-"
"Which means you won't have time to apply that false vagina so the latest suit you are fucking can feel anything!" Tom called out.
"But you'll have time to blow a nut you 2 pump chump, Tom!" Katie called back to him before making it to her dressing room. Under her breath she muttered, "I need to make sure that I delete a few things…"
Crimson was done for. That much was clear to Katie. And she wasn't going to risk it getting out that he had been feeding her info about crimes. Oh, getting tips like that was old hat but from an IMP? She'd never heard the end of it even if it was something that every other demon in the news business did. No… she needed to make sure that everything was deleted, so there was no chance that anyone would trace Crimson back to her. She had done too much to get to where she was now. Done some many things and people that she… well, she wasn't ASHAMED but she wasn't going to go screaming from the rooftops about it. And she wasn't going to risk her reputation now for a soon to be dead imp.
Making her way into her dressing room she grabbed the phone Crimson had called her on and placed it on her makeup counter before snagging her trusty hammer. No one would think much of her shattering it; she broke more phones and computers and tablets than there were demons in Hell, after all. Just her blowing off some steam.
She raised the hammer high… only for the phone to vibrate.
It wasn't a call.
No… it was something far worse.
The phone shook before a bolt of electricity raced out of it and Katie had just enough time to duck before it flew over her head. She twisted around only to run into the outstretched arm of a very smug looking Vox.
"Katie. Kate. Katherine. Kathy. How are ya, sweetheart?" Vox said as he easily lifted Katie into the air. "Its been too long since we've chatted."
That was true and it was by Katie's own choice. Vox wasn't someone that she ever had any hope of seducing and it had nothing to do with how he liked to get his pecker wet. No… Vox knew how to manipulate things and now to twist things to his advantage which meant that Katie's own tricks didn't work on him. It would be like some pool shark trying to hustle the world champion. Just couldn't be done.
"Now I was watching your latest story, covering that breaking news concerning your little Imp Informant Crimson-" Katie mentally cursed at that, "-and then I heard you put a bit too much sass on how you talked about Edwin Cerberus."
That made Katie blink in surprise. "What… what do you mean?" she managed to get out.
"Just that I have an interest in him. I have a feeling he's about to do something special and I don't need you trying to ruin it. So… I'm going to tell you EXACTLY what you are going to do when you get back out there… and you aren't going to deviate by a single word. Because if you do?" Vox yanked her close to his face. "Oh… you aren't going to like at all what happens next."
Katie quickly nodded. She could do that. She could easily do that.
"Vox… I know how to handle spitting out whatever a man puts in my mouth."
That made him smirk. "I know… because despite what the rest of Hell might think… you are just a cockroach. You will do ANYTHING to survive… and that includes obeying your betters."
'For now,' Katie thought darkly even as Vox laid out what he wanted her to say.
~MC~MC~MC~
"Yeah…" Edwin said, looking over the roof of the warehouse. "Yeah… I think this will do nicely." He began to pace, still holding onto Crimson by the neck. Occasionally he gave the crime boss a solid kick to the side or snapped his arm, making him moan and groan. The imp had given up cursing out Edwin, realizing that when he did all the man did was heat up his hand.
It was a misconception that Imps were completely fireproof. While they could handle heat and the like they still could be burned; Fizz was proof of that. Granted, it took intense heat to do it, but it could be done.
'Which makes me wonder just how powerful Edwin is that he can make Crimson twitch like that,' Fizz thought as Edwin finished looking over the roof.
"Ozzie? Fizz? No offense but I want you at the far back if you're going to stick around and watch this. Out of the way of the cameras. I want it to be clear this is my show."
"Understandable," Ozzie said, "though you still haven't told us what exactly you are planning?"
"I'm going to show Hell exactly how powerful I am," Edwin stated. "I want them to realize that there is a new commandment… the very first commandment in Hell."
"And… that is?" Ozzie asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't fucking touch what is MINE." Edwin's eyes glowed brightly, intensely, and Fizz found himself shivering even as he felt the heat coming off those two orbs. Aria, for her part, grinned broadly at that; Fizz wasn't surprised at her reaction. Hellhounds tended to respect power and shows of strength. There was a reason why those that adopted them had to prove themselves, as if they didn't the hellhounds would walk all over them. So of course Aria would be thrilled with Edwin showcasing just how deadly he was for all of Hell to see.
"Aria? You want to go human?" Edwin asked.
"Why?" she asked even as she did as commanded, Fizz blinking as Aria shrank down to about half her normal size and looking decidedly human. Even more odd she pulled out a headband with a pair of little red horns on it and slipped it on, making sure her hair hid the band so that only the horns were visible.
"Oh, that's clever," Ozzie murmured. "She looks like Sinner now."
"…no one is going to fall for that."
"Everyone falls for it," Edwin said. "Which is why I want Aria in this form. They already known that I have a Hellhound… but Hell is a bitch to the hellborn, which is fucking stupid and Ozzie we need to have a long talk about why the Princes allow the Hellborn to be treated like that."
Ozzie though laughed at that. "Oh Edwin… don't ever forget who I am." He growled out the last words, tone dark and sinister.
"And don't forget who I am," Fizz snapped, Ozzie at once melting in the face of his annoyance. "Edwin does bring up a good point… I'm not a fan of how we came first but Satan allows Imps to be treated like shit…"
"Satan?" Martin asked. "Like Lucifer-Satan?"
"Two different people," Edwin stated. "Lucifer is actually a bit of a goof. Aria and I are staying with his daughter."
"…okay then," Martin said, sounding overwhelmed.
"Point is that Aria has been moving around in this disguise so people don't treat her like shit and I need to cement that she is under my protection. This is the best way to do it." He motioned for Aria to step forward. "Fizz, Ozzie? Is there a term in Hell for an Overlord's Second In Command?"
Fizz blinked. Not that Edwin had just admitted he was an overlord; after all, Ozzie had suspected as much after their first meeting. No… it was that Edwin would make a HELLHOUND his second. That... that was unheard of and made him hope that maybe Edwin's comments about the Hellborn hadn't been just hot air. That maybe he actually DID care about them and wanted to help.
"Not really, no," Ozzie admitted.
"We'll come up with one," Edwin said even as Aria looked ready to have a panic attack at the mere suggestion, Cassie gently patting her shoulder while Moose nodded in approval. "KaibaCorp Staff! I don't have time to explain everything but in a few minutes… no one will ever fuck you over again."
"Aw!" someone called from the back.
"As in mess with you, not have sex with you. I'm sure you can get plenty of sex."
"yay!"
Edwin's brow furrowed. "Huh… speaking of…" His eyes flashed and there was a brief golden glow around the X on his chest and suddenly he thrust out his hand… and two startled looking Sinner Demons hurried out of the door. Two that Fizz was very sure had been at the Hellfire Gala.
"The fuck is this!" the cat one said as he was dragged forward, a golden bracelet in the shape of a hand pulling him along. "The fuck!"
"I'm not… I'm not for sure…" a famed porn star Angel Dust said before spotting Edwin. "Oh… oh." And then he looked at the cat demon. "OH!" He glared Edwin. "You-"
"Traded for his soul, yes," Edwin said. "And I think even Husk will admit I am a better Demon to hold it than fucking Alastor."
Angel Dust's eyes went wide. "Wait a minute… Whiskers, you had your soul held by Alastor?"
"Of course I fucking did," Husk growled. "You think I worked in that hotel because I enjoy having access to free booze and listening to Charlie and Vaggie have sex?"
"Yes," Angel Dust said.
"Yes," Aria chimed in.
"I just met you and I vote yes," Martin stated.
"Fuck all of you and its also because Alastor forced me to fucking do it!" Husk huffed, folding his arms over his chest and turning away… right before it dawned on him what they were saying. "Wait… you mean that Alastor doesn't have control of my soul anymore?"
"Nope and no, I won't say who I gave up," Edwin said. "Not yet… that's a surprise."
Angel rolled his eyes. "Find then, keep your secrets Growls. What are we doing here?"
"Oh, I'm going to be putting on a bit of a show and I want you two standing with me when I do. Trust me… you are going to like it." Edwin smirked as he moved to the edge of the building and looked up. "Oh… I can't believe I finally get to rip off this line." With that he rubbed his hands together, clearly delighted in what he was about to do, and Fizz wondered just what he was referring to when he referenced ripping a line off. What line?
And then… Edwin answered him.
"HELLO HELL!" Edwin roared, his voice so booming that it nearly caused Fizz to fall backwards, Ozzie just managing to catch him. "Listen you lot, you're all whizzing about… its all very distracting… so if you could just stand still for a moment because I! AM! TALKING!"
Edwin had thrown back his head as he bellowed out the command and Fizz looked up to see that indeed every one of the camera drones had frozen in place, their lenses pointed down at him as Edwin stared at them sternly, Crimson still held up in his one hand.
"Now then," he said, voice still loud but not the great monstrous roar it had been moments earlier, "as you can see some fucker decided it was a smart idea to try and hurt people that are under my protection. As such, I have decided that it is time to show him just what happens when you are foolish enough to do that." He suddenly held up his index finger, wagging it. "But before any of you say "That's just an imp! Why should we care?"… you are right. This is an imp. I mean… who in Hell would stop what they were doing and watch THAT?"
And then… Edwin's dress shirt began to smoke before burning away, revealing his bare chest and the golden key that was embedded in it.
~MC~MC~MC~
Blitzo frowned as he looked at the TV that was in the main conference room/waiting room of I.M.P.. "Hey, doesn't that Imp look familiar?"
"He kidnapped Moxie and tried ta make him marry that shark," Millie stated.
"No, that isn't it."
Loona sighed. "he kidnapped YOU and that stupid clown friend of yours."
"Doesn't ring any bells."
Silence.
"Uh… Moxie?" Blitzo said. "Comedy comes in threes. Need you to say your line, whatever the fuck it is."
Moxie just stared at the screen.
"Right, right, that's your dad. Must be feelin' a lot of complicated emotions right now, what with seeing him about to eat it. Tell ya what, why don't you take a walk and I can reenact the entire thing with hand puppets afterwards-"
Blitzo placed a hand on Moxie's shoulder only for the other imp to grab his wrist and twist it so hard Blitzo let out a scream as fell to his knees.
"Fucking hell, Mox! You trying to outdo Stolas?!" Moxie let go and Blitzo groaned. "You're lucky I found that so fucking impressive."
"Sweetie," Millie said slowly, "do you want us to turn the TV off? I know this might-"
"Don't you dare," Moxie said coolly. Millie honestly had NEVER heard him talk like that before to her. She… well, she kinda liked it.
"…fucking hell, is that Aria?" Loona said, leaning forward only for Blitzo to grab her by the shoulder and tug her away.
"Listen, I think there is only room for one familiar connection to happen with this and Moxie does kinda deserve this one…"
Loona considered that before nodding. "Fair." Blitzo opened his mouth to, well, probably ruin the mood, only for Loona to hear a commotion outside. "What the fuck?"
"Don't worry, I'll hand this," Millie said, marching to the door and flinging it open. "HEY! MY HUSBAND IS TRYIN' TA WATCH HIS DAD DIE! KEEP IT… down?"
Blitzo and Loona joined her in watching several Sinner Demons from down the Hall (what they did Blitzo had never learned because that would make stealing their mail awkward) move towards a door, golden bracelets in the shape of grasping hands clinging to their wrists as they were dragged forward. An elevator opened but instead of revealing a small piss-stained box it instead opened out into a parking lot, the Sinners hurrying through before the door closed.
"…what the fuck?" Blitzo said, for once his employees sharing literally the same thought as him.
~MC~MC~MC~
"Dad?" Octavia whispered. She and her father had decided to leave the Hellfire Gala early after they had both been bounced after the 2nd round; they had enjoyed it well enough but Stolas didn't see the need to stick around and decided they could go for some milkshakes, much to Octavia's delight. It was the perfect way to end the day. Even though she had lost early she didn't feel like a loser at all.
But now they were sitting at the café, watching as Sinners suddenly jerked to a stop no matter what they were doing and turned towards doorways. Some slammed their cars to a stop right in the middle of the road, others leapt from windows to the ground, some froze up completely before turning and heading to whatever entryway was closest.
No one said a word. They just… walked towards the doors.
Doors that all suddenly opened onto the same parking lot.
"I… I have no idea, my dear," Stolas said nervously, wrapping an arm around her.
"Could we… maybe go to Earth for a bit?" Octavia whispered. "Practice my transformation?"
"Yes… yes I think that is a wise idea." Stolas quickly summoned his Grimoire and created the transporting circle.
They stepped through seconds later… missing Octavia's mother being forced through a doorway herself to join the collection of demons.
~MC~MC~MC~
"What… what is going on?" Charlie whispered. "What is Edwin doing?"
All around them people had suddenly gasped and yelped before leaping from their seats and making for the exits. When Angel Dust and Husk had done it Charlie had been surprised but assumed it was just them being bored waiting to see what Edwin would do next. Charlie wasn't exactly a fan of the savagery he had inflicted on the other demons but seeing him hug one of the new Sinner demons that had appeared she realized that they must have been friends at least and family at best. And she could get the drive to protect those he cared for.
But this? All the demons suddenly rising up, heading towards the doors… that led out to the parking lot that surrounded the building Edwin was standing on?
Charlie didn't get it.
"He's sending a message," her dad said softly, staring intently at the TV. "A very important message."
"…oh," Charlie whispered, getting it at once. It was something her mom and dad had drilled into her daily.
You don't take shit from no demon.
~MC~MC~MC~
"You must be as wet as I am!" Vox declared to Velvette. "Look at this… they are still coming!" He was so giddy his screen was going static and it wasn't merely because of the ratings that Edwin was giving him. "You have to wine and dine that bastard, Velvette… no. Better than that. You are marrying him! I'll give you away. I don't care if his name doesn't fit the theme… with him on the team we'll be unstoppable."
"Yeah…" Velvette whispered. Her mind was on other things though. Like the fact that Edwin hadn't needed her power, so that wasn't a motivation for getting a date with her. No… Edwin… Edwin might just want to date her.
She shifted in her seat.
Oh… she was going to make him spray until he made her into a fucking Oreo.
Neither of them noticed Valentino staring at his wrists in shock, his brain trying to figure out why the fuck he wasn't being yanked to join the others.
What was going on?!
~MC~MC~MC~
Millions.
You don't really understand the number until you actually saw it.
The Pride Ring was home to billions of souls. Maybe even a trillion. And at that moment I had 376,974,128 Sinner Demons all gathered around the warehouse. It had taken over an hour for them all to arrive, emerging from the doors of the rusted out cars and emptied buildings that surrounded us. They were crammed not just in the parking lot but long past it.
Some were from Valentino, who had gotten the work started for me.
Most… were my own doing.
Because Valentino, for all his talk… had gotten lazy.
And I had been VERY motivated.
I glanced back at the KaibaCorp staff who were utterly gob smacked by the sight. Aria was nearly drunk at the sight of my power and Angel Dust and Husk had given up trying to appear aloof. Hidden from view Ozzie stared at me… and smirked and nodded.
Good.
I turned to the crowd, my message to the camera clear… and Jackie cackled as he sent out a wave of magic and filled the air with music.
I remembered black skies
The lightning all around me
I remembered each flash
As time began to blur
I looked down upon the demons and felt each and every one of them connected to me. The Thieves of Kul Elna cheered in my head, lusty with the show of dominance. Each one of the damned souls… were MINE.
I sneered.
Like a startling sign
That fate had finally found me
And your voice was all I heard
That I get what I deserve
So give me reason
"Bow… to your Overlord."
As one… all 376,974,128 Sinner Demons… fell to their knees.
So give me reason
To prove me wrong
To wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross
The distance in your eyes
Give me reason
To fill this hole
Connect this space between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies
Across this new divide
I slowly lifted Crimson up to my face, squeezing his throat a little to get him to open his eyes. Then I turned him and I knew many would assume it was a case of me wanting them to see his beaten and bruised face. That it was just a case of an Overlord wanting Hell to marvel at his cruelty.
I had no problem with them thinking that.
In reality… I had a smaller, more personal reason.
"Do you see them all?" I whispered low to Crimson, my voice barely more than a hiss of hot ear in his ear. "They are bowing… to me. I am going to kill a measly little Imp… one that has already been beaten so badly that its only because I don't let you die that has kept you from meeting your final end. There is nothing special about it. They've killed billions of Imps amongst them all. And they certainly don't care who you are. Don't even register your name. Won't even think to ask. Because that doesn't matter. I told them to bow and watch… and they bow and watch."
I paused
"THAT… is power. Power… you will NEVER have."
I felt him stiffen in my grasp.
There was nothing in sight
But memories left abandoned
There was nowhere to hide
The ashes fell like snow
And the ground caved in
Between where we were standing
And your voice was all I heard
That I get what I deserve
And then, in the blink of an eye, I grabbed Crimson's horns. While he literally meant nothing, his death nothing more than a prop for the true show of dominance, I still wanted to do something a bit fun and creative. Something to show Hell they needed to keep an eye on me and not brush aside all I could do. That it would be in all their best interests to remember my power. Brute force.
With a savage rip I tore Crimson in two like he was a wishbone.
The larger half, in my right hand, saw much of his head and most of his torso go flinging out in a spray of blood and the gushing out of his organs. The left saw his horn snap from his skull, tearing away half his face, part of his jaw, and his shoulder and arm all the way to where his belly button should be. I held up the two pieces and let out a roar as I shifted into my full demon form, hands igniting with the fires of a star as I reduced his still twitching body into dust, his bones cracking and breaking before shattering from the utter onslaught of heat.
So give me reason
To prove me wrong
To wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross
The distance in your eyes
Across this new divide
There was no going back. No hiding in the shadows now. Oh, I wouldn't be letting the demons know all I was manipulating. I would still be the spider in their web, weaving my threads and tying people closer and closer to me. But my time of being unnoticed and looked over was gone.
And… more importantly… any hope of leaving Hell.
Heaven… Heaven was something I couldn't go to. Earth either. Because I just declared to all of the Demons that I had those I was protecting and to leave would mean leaving them to their fates.
No… I would stay… forever.
"For tis better to rule in Hell," I whispered, a single tear rolling down my cheek, "than serve in Heaven."
In every loss, in every lie
In every truth that you'd deny
And each regret, and each goodbye
Was a mistake too great to hide
And your voice was all I heard
That I get what I deserve
So give me reason
To prove me wrong
To wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross
The distance in your eyes
Give me reason
To fill this hole
Connect this space between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies
Across this new divide
Across this new divide
Across this new divide
Introducing Edwin Cerberus
Overlord of Hell
The Gilded Demon
The Chaos Of Earth-1H
END OF ARC 1