302 A Surprising Ally #302

"Wait, did you just talk regularly without rhyming...?" I asked with a frown, to which the demon merely shrugged. "You know what, never mind. Tell me what we're doing here in and the asshole of Hell first," I added as I stopped moving, prompting Etrigan to do the same.

After Etrigan killed Asmodeus, he helped me fight the three former champions, and we made quick work of them. I had already grown considerably stronger since my last confrontation with them, and with the demon's help, they didn't even cause too much trouble.

They disappeared, dissipating into flaming particles after we defeated them, and though I didn't know what happened to the three, I didn't care. I had no more sympathy for Black Adam and his wife after what happened in the Rock of Eternity. And I didn't care much for Mary Marvel and the first place.

"You wish to leave, do you not?" Etrigan asked, and I merely gave him a blank look. "To escape hell, you must reach purgatory, the middle ground between heaven and hell..." He added, raising a finger as he trailed off at the end of his sentence.

"To enter purgatory, you must defeat my father, Beliad..." Etrigan continued, raising another finger. "And to cross from Purgatory to the Immortal realm, you must defeat the Triumvirates..." He went on, lifting the third and the last finger.

"The way I see it, you and I may be able to defeat Belial..." Etrigan said, his tone dismissive as he spoke of his father. "However, The Triumvirate are no pushovers... And there's three of them while there's only two of us..." He added, firmly shaking his head.

"I happen to have an intrest in killing all of them..." Etrigan said as he resumed walking, gesturing for me to follow, and I could only sigh and oblige. "But we need help to defeat so many powerful enemies, and there's someone who can help us here..." He concluded, turning to face me as he stood at a ledge overlooking a pitless abyss.

As if on cue, the ground shook, and an enormous figure came to life within the darkness of the abyss, slowly slithering toward us. The creature's finally revealed its form as it emerged behind Etrigan's back, and I barely held back the urge to attack as soon as I saw it.

It was a giant green snake with the grey, deformed face of a woman, serpents for hair, and countless small arms lettering the considerable length of its body.

"Greetings, Ran Va Daath," Etrigan said as he turned to face the giant creature, unfazed by its grotesque appearance. "It has been a while..." He added, mockingly bowing toward the atrocious being.

"A thousand years and more, I've been exiled to this lowest pit in hell..." The creature said, its voice resembling the hideous screeches of countless tortured souls. "And not once did you come to visit your own mother-- and you left me here to rot..." It added as it glared daggers at Etrigan, who seemed to maintain his composure.

"As a whelp, I had no power to reach you, and as I grew more powerful, Belial exiled me..." Etrigan said, unfazed by the creature's attempt to stare him down. "No doubt, frightened by my rapidly growing might..." He added with a loud, smug laugh.

"But I am here now, and the time for Belial to pay the ultimate price is upon us..." Etrigan said, grandly and dramatically spreading his arms apart as he stared the creature in the eye. "Join force is with me, mother. And we will defeat him, alongside The First seated..." He added, reaching his hand toward his mother.

"Together, we shall devour their Souls and claim dominion over hell and its throne..." He concluded, clenching his extended fists.

The creature, Ran Va Daath, didn't reply and turned to look at me instead, much to my chagrin. "And what's this that you've brought to me, my dear son..." She said, giving me a once over with her red, serpentine eyes.

"A tasty little morsel to whet your mother's appetite perhaps...?" She added, and I didn't hesitate to summon my why axe, scowling at the creature as I prepared to attack at the first sign of trouble.

"Feel free to find out, but I doubt it would and well for you, mother..." Etrigan said, causing the creature to pause and turn back to him, seemingly confused. "The Mortal before you defeated archduke Asmodeus and almost slew him in battle..." He added, and his mother's expression changed with every word he spoke.

"He will be our ally in the battles to come..." The demon concluded.

"Ah, mortals... so full of surprises..." The creature with a sly smile as she backed away, keeping a respectful distance from me. "And how does such a mighty mortal end up in hell, pray tell..." She concluded it, sounding amused and curious as she looked at me.

"It's a long story that started with the god of tyranny invading my home and a Lord of Order messing with me..." I replied, still holding on to my axe. "But I won't waste your time with the details... And I would appreciate it if you didn't waste ours..." I added as I removed one hand from my weapon and let it fall to my side.

"Will you help us?" I asked, getting straight to the point.

"Full of surprises, indeed. I'm most curious, but I will not pry..." The creature thoughtfully said. "And if it means I can escape this cesspool, and sink my teeth into Belial's foul hide, then I will gladly help..." She added with a hideous grin, showcasing her sharp fangs.

"But that's enough talking for now. I hunger for Belial's blood and long to tear his flesh apart..." The creature said as she slithered out of the abyss, revealing the hidden length of her body that was buried in the darkness.

"We move now..."

...

Hell

The Gull

"And so my daughter returns to my side after her father's demise..." Said a stunningly beautiful redhead as she sat on her throne, looking down at Marzel kneeling before her. "Why have you come, girl? I sense you wish to ask me something..." She asked, her tone curious.

"Greetings, Lilith, mother of monsters, mother of mine..." Marzel said, slowly raising her head to look at the red-headed demoness. "I will not lie. Today I come to you with a request..." She added, trailing off as she studied her mother's expression to gauge her reaction.

Lilith slowly nodded at Marzel's words, and the latter mediately spoke. "Though I stand to benefit myself, I have a suggestion that will allow you to gain power and Influence befitting your station," She said, reverently bowing her head, much to her mother's amusement.

"Etrigan, the rhyming demon, has allied himself with the same mortal responsible for slaying Archduke Asmodeus..." Marzel explained, maintaining her submissive posture. "Furthermore, the rhyming demon's mother, Ran Va Daath, has joined forces with them..." she continued.

"If I knew Etrigan, and I do... I'd say that he plans to kill his father and march on purgatory..." Marzel went on, slowly gaining more confidence as she spoke. " I'd also say he has a decent chance to succeed..." She concluded and paused as she searched her mother's expression for any reaction.

"Yes. I am well aware of the rhyming demon's wild ambitions..." Lilith replied, keeping her tone and expression neutral as she spoke, much to Marzel's frustration. "But I've still yet to hear your request, daughter of mine..." She added, intentionally pressing Marzel to stop beating around the bush.

"I think an Alliance with that rhyming demon would be beneficial to you, mother," Marzel said through gritted teeth as she firmed her resolve and spoke, left with little option at Lilith's urging.

"You realize that for the rhyming demon to grasp his ambition, he must slay Lord Neron of the Triumvirate..." Lilith said, her expression growing colder and harsher as she spoke, and Marzel merely nodded. "And that I am a loyal servant of Lord Neron..." The demoness added, only to pause as she received another nod.

"And yet you dare to come here, stand before my throne, and brazenly ask that I betray my master for the sake of some upstart?" Lilith asked, and to no one's surprise, Marzel only responded with a nod.

"Truly, you are a daughter after my own heart..." Lilith said with a smile, prompting Marzel to sigh in relief as she stood up. "I hear you were the one to bring that mortal here... I am most curious..." She added, gesturing for her daughter to stand beside her.

"Yes, mother..."

...

Several days later

Hell

Pandemonia

"My lord, Bellial..." Said a lesser fiend as he kneeled before Belial's throne, lowering his head. "Your son has returned, and he brings an army spearheaded by his mortal ally and lady Ran Va Daath..." He went on, keeping his gaze on the floor.

"What's more, Lord Abbadon has joined forces with them..." The lesser fiend added, his tone urgent. "The Triumvirate Lords are aware of the situation. They sent Asmodel to help, and Neron promised to your aid when the battle ensues..." He continued.

"What are your orders, my lord, Belial...?" He asked.

"Knowing my son, he will March straight to my castle with his army..." Belial thoughtfully said. "So be it. Prepare the defenses. We will meet them head-on...!" He concluded as he stood and headed for the throne room's exit.

...

Hell

Pandemonia

'This is kind of awesome...' I mused as I flew in the air, looking down at the horde of demons, chanting battle cries and Etrigan's name in the demonic language, almost like the orc army from Lord of the Rings.

As it turns out, Etrigan was 'that guy' in Hell. He only needed to say the words, and countless demons rallied to his cause. Even one of the Archdukes, Abbadon, turned coat and joined his side.

The guy gathered an army three times bigger than what the United States had in two days, for god's sake. What more can I say?

In any case, Etrigan was just as impatient as I was to get this whole thing over with, so we decided to march straight toward Belial's castle. At first glance, it might not seem like the most strategically sound decision, but we had the advantage, and we didn't want to give Belial the time he needed to prepare.

We needed to and the battle as soon as possible and keep our losses to a minimum since we would tell have to face the Triumvirate, and this was the only way that didn't take too much time.

"Halt!" Etrigan bellowed, raising a fist as we reached Belial's castle, prompting the demon horde to stop instantly at his words. "Come and face me so that you may die with honor, Belial, you coward!" The rhyming demon exclaimed with a scowl, spreading his arms wide.

"There is no honor amongst demons. You and I both know this, my son..." Said A yellow-skinned demon resembling Etrigan as he stood on the castle walls above the main gate. "If you wish to get to me, you'll have to go through them..." He added with a chuckle as he gestured at the fiends on the walls before turning around and leaving.

"That can and will be arranged..." Etrigan calmly said as he watched his father leave. "Charge! Tear the gates to shreds, demolish the walls, and kill everyone in your way!" He added, and the fiends behind him all roared in unison as they charged the castle.

...

Marzel's grin couldn't be wider as she charged with the demons, heading straight for the walls of Belial's castle. Unlike other succubi, she enjoyed fighting and sowing chaos more than the usual carnal pleasures of flesh her kin loved.

But like them, she was an ambitious demoness, always reaching beyond her station. Marzel didn't care for politics. She didn't care for her mother and father, and she didn't care for the rhyming demon and his conflict with the Triumvirate and Belial.

The only reason she came here was to fish for opportunities. Who won the battle or the war didn't matter to her as long as those in power tore each other to shreds, giving her a chance to rise.

She didn't care about anything other than prolonging the battle and making sure that as many Arhcdukes as possible would perish. It's why she went to her mother and suggested the latter join forces with the rhyming demon and the Mortal boy, as she didn't think they had a high chance of gaining victory.

Though Lilith did not give her a straight answer, Marzel knew her mother would not sit idly by and let such a golden opportunity to gain power and Influence slip through her fingers.

Like mother, like daughter, or so they say.

...

'Looking good...' I mused as I floated high near the castle walls, patiently watching as the rhyming demon's lesser fiends scaled the ramparts using nothing but their claws.

I wanted nothing more than to charge in there myself and kill Belial to cut the battle short and hasten my return home. But I knew better. I had no idea what sort of traps the Archduke had in store for us. It would be stupid to go in blind, especially when there was an army of lesser demons Welling to act as scapegoats.

Still, even if charging into the castle was dumb, I had other ways to hasten the battle's conclusion, as in the army of machines inside my inventory. I waited for the demons to reach the top of the walls before I unleashed my Sentry and Spider Drones, and they immediately went to work.

'Hmm... isn't that...?' I mused as I scanned the battlefield to look for openings my machines could abuse and noticed one specific demon running along Etrrigan's forces, slaying the lesser fiends on the walls by the dozens.

'Yeah, that's definitely her...' I smiled, raising an eyebrow as I recognized the demon, rather the demoness, as Marzel. She had quite the convincing disguise, but her original form didn't escape my eye. 'I wonder what she's doing here...?' Though confused, I was content to leave her to her devices.

I didn't hold a grudge over her abandoning me when I first arrived in Hell, as I would have done the same if Asmodeus wasn't such a dump fuck. I'd have gladly used Marzel as bait and left her to deal with her father alone if she stepped through the portal with me, but that's neither here nor there.

I had bigger fish to fry for now.

...

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