Hunter’s Blade

C43 – Breaking into Hell

Hunter Palace’s halls echoed with emptiness, barren except for skeletal frames of furniture. Shire couldn’t shake the suspicion that either thieves had plundered everything or renovations had been neglected. He leaned towards the latter. Shire remained wary. During the Holy Church’s conception, there had been a mistaken assumption that fervent recruits would flood into the Hunter Organization. Consequently, numerous vacant rooms and beds were prepared, but in reality, occupancy remained sparse. Few chose to reside within the Holy Church.

He reclined on the bed, arms crossed over his chest.

“Rest, rest. Intelligent beings easily detach their consciousness in slumber. I shall guide you to the depths of hell within your dreams,” Gradiu whispered.

The devil’s presence always raised suspicion, regardless of the timing.

“What’s our destination?”

“Listen, there lies my grand dominion, expansive realms, and legions of spirits under my command. Countless Demon Lords await my decree.”

“All vanished.”

“Incorrect! They remain, concealed from my gaze. Upon my departure, my subjects shall revolt, siding with my erstwhile adversaries, seizing my legacy. Shire, we must reclaim it! For I am the Blade Devil, the mightiest of Devil Gods! Hell’s most bountiful lands are mine to rule!”

“And what do I gain?”

“Power, of course. Boundless power. My palace, my domains, teem with treasures beyond your imagination. Each world I conquer yields untold riches. Those fools never anticipate my triumphant return.”

“Won’t the Lords of Hell detect your return?”

“Indeed, that’s the peril. Our situation is dire, risking assassination by those wretches at any turn.”

Shire stirred awake, devoid of sleepiness.

“Then I cannot recklessly follow you.”

“What? They’ll desecrate my realm, enslave my loyal generals, and torment the spirits of my dominion. Would you have me endure such indignity, cloistered within your soul?”

“It suits you well.”

“You’re insufferable, Shire,” Gradiu chided.

“Yet, I’m not utterly dismissive of your proposal. If the rewards for accompanying you to hell are indeed generous, why not entertain the notion? I’m merely cautious of deception.”

“Very well, then languish here in silence, constrained by mortal constraints. Refuse the allure of easily obtained power.”

“Assuming such power is truly attainable.”

“Fear not, view it as a mere dream. Shire, let us transcend into spirits and infiltrate hell. We’ll fashion devilish forms, masquerading as innocuous fiends. Swift escape after seizing our desires, eluding detection by the King of Hell.”

“What’s our course of action?”

“[Calm, calm…] Shire, lower your defenses. Let your consciousness drift naturally…” Gradiu’s voice dwindled to a whisper, luring Shire’s awareness into silence.

Yielding to Gradiu’s coaxing, Shire relinquished his vigilance, shedding earthly concerns.

His tainted soul slowly drifted from his corporeal vessel. Gradiu’s ebony claw extended from Shire’s essence, wielding its power to rend the fabric of reality and carve a fissure into the void.

“Step inside, Shire. Let’s move swiftly.”

Shire struggled to adjust to his state. This wasn’t like when he had a physical form. His essence quivered; he sensed Gradiu striving to anchor them, preventing them from drifting into the void.

“Quickly now, let’s enter.” Gradiu urged with urgency, “If our souls get caught in this crevice, we’re doomed. We’ll degrade to a lower class. There’ll be four of us then.”

Shire felt a disquieting lightness. Was this the sensation of departing the body? He could barely utter a sound.

“Hey.” He glanced around, “I saw lots of vivid hues beyond this chamber, all blurred.”

“You’ll get accustomed to it. Linger too long outside your body, and returning becomes impossible. Get in that crevice, fool,” Gradiu insisted.

“What about my physical form?”

“Well… It’ll stay preserved for a while, thanks to the temperature. But with time, decay might set in.”

“What did you say—”

Shire drifted into a trance. Drawn by a faint pull, he eased into the crevice. Soon, it enveloped him. He hastened, mindful of Gradiu’s caution. The tangible world swiftly receded.

It felt like being drawn into an immense void. Here, nothing existed but himself.

What a grotesque, foul soul, akin to some unknown incinerated object, perhaps a result of Yafen’s flames. The upper part, black as pitch, melded with an array of colors below, as if marred by unseen impurities. The two segments awkwardly fused, indistinguishable.

“Is this my soul? How did it become like this?” Shire puzzled.

“See, behold your creation. You’ve ensnared my soul. Once pristine, now ensnared by your grotesque mortal soul,” Gradiu lamented.

“How peculiar,” Shire found it oddly fascinating.

Shire witnessed the upper portion of the soul morph rapidly. The ebony essence birthed a peculiar being. Its head, knife-like in form, bore myriad blades upon its arms. A slender frame sported exquisite black blades along its back, seemingly for defense.

“What is this?” Shire queried.

“This is my true form, isn’t it… potent!”

“I thought you resembled a human.”

“Fool, I’m a demon. It’d be odd if I resembled a human. This was Blade Devil God’s true form.”

“Wasn’t he the size of a mountain? Didn’t he cleave the earth with his blade? Your appearance is somewhat unappealing.”

“Idiot, at my level… with a mere thought, I could do that. Pure ‘physical damage’ had reached its zenith. Nothing remained invulnerable. Hence, the crux was to ‘shield’ oneself, ‘conceal,’ and ‘detect’ the enemy. The moment the Chaos Kings sensed my presence, they’d obliterate me. If they revealed themselves, I’d vanquish the rulers of hell without hesitation,” Gradiu murmured.

“So potent?”

“That’s why you barbarian hunters are insignificant and feeble. When the devil descends, all will succumb. How many tiers above your world are we? What entitlement do you have to persist? Odds of victory are nil; corpses and blood will amass!” Gradiu roared.

“We’ll address that when the time comes.”

“Your ignorance and fearlessness, I envy.” Gradiu muttered to himself, realizing he couldn’t intimidate Shire.

Was this hell? The realm of the Evil Demons? Shire surveyed the space. Numerous hazy lights surrounded him, ascending slowly. He lifted his gaze, met by a vivid red glow.

Flames. A ceaseless blaze. Or was it lava? They floated amidst a pool of molten rock! Their souls drifted towards the expanding expanse.

The seething magma beckoned Shire and Gradiu’s souls.

Intensely hot! Shire’s soul writhed in the molten mass, striving to ascend.

Sensations unimaginable in life. He’d become ethereal, senses dulled by half. Just moments ago, he lay in bed; now, he traversed a supernatural realm. The journey was both enthralling and terrifying.

A formidable force tugged downward, threatening to drag him to the depths of the lava pool, back to the desolate abyss. There, his soul would dissolve, unable to return to his body.

“The place we were in earlier is known as the outer rift. The void between worlds. Abandoned realms, fragments forgotten, devolve into nothingness. Even to a Devil God. Only those with peculiar attributes dare linger. Many bold entities dwell there, including some gods from your world…” Gradiu gazed downward.

Perhaps some entities could survive there, but not Shire. He sensed gravity intensifying below.

No, he couldn’t sink. Shire strove upward with all his might.

“Ascend, ascend!” Gradiu urged. “Our souls are feeble, yet it aids us in traversing the interstices of worlds. In my prime, I’d tear vast chasms to cross worlds. Now, a mere exertion does the trick.”

Shire discerned tiny souls sluggishly ascending around him, slower than him. With little effort, he could release myriad soul fragments like these.

“Chaos spawns these wayward souls, infinite and minuscule, oscillating between life and death,” Gradiu observed.

Shire spotted debris atop the magma’s surface, swimming upstream, nearing the pond’s surface.

“What awaits me above?”

“A suitable vessel. Your soul will become a devil in hell. Congratulations.”

Shire leapt from the magma, his soul touching this world’s air, swiftly transmuting into a Devil Substance. Black scales formed, encasing him.

He swam to shore, flames licking his body, yet he felt no searing pain. The devil’s shell resisted fire, mitigating the heat.

“Devil… Devil’s form…” Shire traversed the magma, reaching shore, where a larger devil awaited.

This devil emerged earlier, robust and menacing, with colossal red eyes and black horns.

“Caw! I’ll devour you!” The towering devil charged.

Caught off guard, Shire was felled. The devil tore his arm, his soul swiftly departing.

“Stop it! Escape! Move, quickly! Don’t let me perish here!” Gradiu implored.

Shire desired to flee but felt feeble. This fledgling devil’s form was unwieldy.

His soul ebbed away swiftly.