The wind bellowed like a wolf's howl, aggressively blowing the grass to the point of uprooting some of the blades and tossing them aside. They blew fiercely like mosquitoes, tickling Oshose, Xavier, Solrac, Nicosal, and Reldaris' faces. The leaves of the nearby trees suffered the same fate, leaving a large volume of the lake's surface coated with tree leaves. Clouds spinning ferociously, glowing a bright crimson red, and what was visible of the lake's water reflected this eerie red spiral, making the lake appear a bloody red color.
Red and blue fire continuously rose from the giant crater in the ground and continued to break through the cloud barrier. And there stood Solrac, Nicosal, and Reldaris by the portal of red and blue flames.
He turned to face Oshose. "Listen Oshose–" started Xavier in a bellyaching tone, but was cut short when he noticed Solrac approaching. He winced. Quivering and quacking in the presence of Solrac, and this shaking became more intensive as Solrac walked closer to Oshose and Xavier. The latter backed away slowly from Oshose. His teeth chattered violently out of sheer submissiveness and fear. Solrac stopped and looked up at Xavier with a seemingly furious look in his eyes.
"Oh, so you did come here, Xavier?" spat Solrac with a pleasantly surprised tone that contradicted expectations. Sweat ran down Xavier's forehead as he shook nervously in place. "I–I–I—", stammered Xavier. "I heard your harsh words –", recalled Solrac teasingly. Xavier now essentially wearing a corpse's face. "– towards Oshose." Thankfully, those words were like necromancy, strong, if I do so myself. Xavier's face his own once again. He let out a sigh of relief and blinked for longer than he should have.
Solrac's eyes widened with elation. He got closer to Xavier and leaned forward near his face. Does personal space not exist with these guys? "I also heard you say that my leadership is better than Oshose" muttered Solrac admiringly while locking eyes with Xavier. Xavier's posture suddenly straightened up. He looked as if he had heard he was being recorded after a prank and badly tried to continue playing along with it. "Y–y–yes…and I meant every word of it," stuttered Xavier with an awkward smile while rubbing his neck awkwardly and looking away. "That's good to hear, because I thought you were going to turn on me for a second," cautioned Solrac softly as he pulled away slowly from Xavier and stood up straight again. "Expecting the worst is the job of a leader after all." Solrac frowned and flipped faces almost in an instant as fast as a Russian nesting doll. He turns over to face Oshose and wears a cold and lifeless expression. Approaching Oshose slowly, he changed his posture to a more focused and serious one. He raises his hand as a sign of attack. "Now then, time to deal with the traitor", said Solrac blankly as he locked eyes with Oshose, who glared angrily back at him. Oshose' eyes glowed red and blue for a split second, then faded back to normal. Two stubby looking things with grooves on them showed themselves on top of Oshose' head in between his two horns. They peeked out every now and then as the wind blew his hair back. Solrac glared at Oshose with a cold and menacing gaze. He raised his fist toward Oshose. "So, how would you prefer to die?", rebuked Solrac with a raised voice, narrowing his eyes, and gazing at Oshose with a look of absolute sadism. "Painful or painless?" He smiled sadistically and stepped on Oshose' foot with the heel of his shoe, making him grunt in pain. "I assure you, each one has their downsides," warned Solrac with a calm yet condescending whisper before he put his other hand on Oshose' cheek. The menacing common-ranked demon looked up at the faux clouds in the sky. "–For example, the painful death would entail countless amounts of physical suffering and torture that seem to never end; however, they can end whenever I feel satisfied. So, you have no control over the end of your torment, but you will cease to exist, and your spirit will go back to the tree of life and rest for eternity. That only happens to reincarnated chumps…like you." The menace gazes back into Oshose' eyes, continuing, "Though if God does not accept your spirit to return to its original state, she will send you to hell. We'll get to that."
"The painless death on the other hand–", gushed Solrac menacingly before he laughed and lost control of his lungs. "Huh-ha-ha!! The painless death will end swiftly, but you will suffer an eternity of memories, good and bad ones," continues Solrac with a piercing gaze. He repeatedly pokes Oshose' chest mockingly; finally narrowing his eyes. "As you can tell, we demons don't typically go to heaven. We go to a special kind of hell, one designed to make even us scream in agony," apologized Solrac with a conflicting tone, as he gets in Oshose' face, staring into his soul. "So, which you do you pick? An eternity of suffering or an eternity of temporary suffering that you have no control of ending?", babbled Solrac with an absolutely insane look in his eyes as they almost pop out of his head. Oshose backs away, draws his sword out of its sheath. and glares back into Solrac's eyes with anger and determination. "I pick killing you, you bastard!", proclaimed Oshose with strength behind his chords. Solrac tilted his head confused. "What? You want to fight me…in your state?", laughed Solrac loudly. "Don't make me laugh!" Oshose steps closer to Solrac, forcing him to back away and take his foot off his "I'm serious," maintained Oshose confidently. "I challenge you to a duel." Solrac scoffs and face palms. "A duel? Don't be stupid", chuckled Solrac while shaking his head in distaste. Oshose walks closer and readies his sword. "That's right," he insisted. "No," spat Solrac with instant disapproval. Oshose just stood there, gritting his teeth. Solrac checked his nails for dirt and blatantly ignored him for a second. He curls his fists, faces, and walks over to Oshose once more. "Well, time to di –, said Solrac, but another interrupted this dispute. "Sir, I think this would be a more fitting punishment," reassured Nicosal with a raised voice while holding back Solrac's fist. Solrac lets go of Oshose and looks at Nicosal questioningly. "How so?", asked Solrac calmly, slightly upbeat, and condescendingly. "Well, since he is so determined to stop you, crushing his hope would make his hell a lot worse for him," soothed Nicosal as he steps between Oshose and Solrac, then finally looking back at Solrac. "Ah, I like that suggestion," responded Solrac jokingly while playfully shoving at Nicosal, but then his tone changed to serious interest and pleasure. He narrowed his eyes, and they returned to a blank haze. "Very well, it shall be done," agreed Solrac as he looks back at Oshose with a defeated expression. "Did you hear that? Your request has been accepted", hissed Solrac loudly toward Oshose. He then smiled and spread his arms outstretched at his sides. "You get the honor of fighting your usurper," threatened Solrac mockingly. He lowers his head to glare at Oshose sadistically. "But you are going to die, Oshose." He walks away from Oshose and back towards Nicosal.
Nicosal walked off to watch from the sidelines. Xavier close by; Nicosal approached him.
Solrac and Oshose take their battle poses. Reldaris on all fours next to Solrac. "Oh boy", thought Reldaris, bored. "Alright, let's go!", shouted Oshose as he readies his sword in both hands in front of him. Solrac extends his claws and holds a lunging position as if he's about to run a race. "We begin…now!!", yelled Solrac abruptly. Solrac gets off to a running start and quickly begins to fly low to the ground. He soars toward Oshose, but Oshose remains calm, standing, gripping his sword. The wind gust of Solrac's speed of flight, practically like jet engine, threw back the blades of grass below and at his rear, leaving a short trail in its wake. Oshose saw the menace, but only stared back at him. This scarcely frightened the menace, who noticed a sparse energy surrounding Oshose. Minutely about to tackle Oshose, however, his target puts down the sword. Catching Solrac off guard; in this fleeting moment, grasping both Solrac's hands firmly in his own. "Agh!?", grunts Solrac in shock as he lay still in the air, time frozen. Shockwaves of vibration crack the dirt and let water flow into the cracks, forming a small stream from the lake. He holds. Retaining his posture, his eyes glow that red and blue again. The light quickly disperses. A sound of intense squealing, like a million car tires swerving echoes for a moment. "I told you, you're the one that's going to die", declares Oshose with his voice reverberating, like a thousand megaphones lined up as he picked up Solrac, and spun him around in a violent circle. Round and round, Solrac went, getting dizzy in the process. He tossed Solrac with great strength, sending the menace flying. The air's reaction caused the ground to feel like it jumped and then fell. The menace tumbling and spinning backwards for a great distance. Grunting in pain with each tumble, which also cracked and shook the ground each time. Oshose panting with exhaustion. His body fatigued as he lowered his body to pick up his sword. Solrac smiles. "Did you think you could hurt me with that shitty attack?", exclaimed Solrac maniacally. Stopping himself from almost hitting the rock wall of the cave-adjacent cliffside with the flap of his dark wings, he begins soaring towards Oshose. The menace suddenly disappeared into thin air. "Wh–hhh–ere is he?", muttered Oshose as he hyperventilated. "His presence – Oh, there he i–" Solrac reappeared behind Oshose, launching a kick to his back, knocking the other weakened demon to the ground. He tastes the dirt, and a trail of blood trickles from his forehead onto the grass. Solrac walks over to Oshose slowly. "Now to finish you", gasped Solrac with annoyance. Before he could do a thing, Oshose grabs his ankle, gripping it tightly. "I will kill y–you!", snapped Oshose weakly, as he is almost out of breath. Glaring at Solrac, shaking from exhaustion. The menace kicks Oshose' hand into the dirt, making Oshose lose his grip. "No, you won't," insisted Solrac, panting. He stands above him and looks down on Oshose. "My, you sure have lost most of your strength," chuckled Solrac, drawing his breath after his sentence. He notices something. "His sword, where is it? Is he hiding it?", thought Solrac. In a split second, Oshose thrusts his blade wayward, cutting off foot of the menace. Blood gushes out of the wound like a river. "Aaagggggghhh!! Ah shit!", screamed Solrac while holding his stump. Walking with a limp, he looks at Nicosal and Reldaris. "Nicosal, Reldaris, take over for me!" He falls onto his butt.
Solrac quickly teleports away to safety. The flesh and bone from his severed foot start to grow back but not fast enough.
"Sir," responded Nicosal and Reldaris firmly, giving a salute.
"Do we understand each other?", whispered Nicosal. "I was not an emo back then. And no, Oshose is sure to lose to you and Reldaris." The hooded demon smirks. "You're right," agreed Nicosal as he walked away. "Huh?", exclaimed Xavier.
Nicosal teleports in front of Oshose along with Reldaris, both through portals of flame. "Well, well, well, you still have some fight left in you," sneered Nicosal. Reldaris picks himself up, now standing on two legs: letting out a sinister growl like a rabid hound. "I'm 'gonna eat your flesh, Oshose," growled Reldaris as he lowers his body a bit, snarling hungrily. His mouth salivating aggressively. "I wonder if you are tasty." Nicosal and Reldaris laughed their heads off in unison like annoying school bullies. Nicosal plants his right foot firmly on the ground, cracking the ground, and then lunges at Oshose. "Yaaaaauuughhhh!!", cries Nicosal. His battle cry echoes through the air. Swinging his fist at Oshose, who catches it instinctively, the force of this catch shook the ground, and shattered it further. The battered Oshose struggles to hold on. "You're a tricky one", remarked Nicosal as he twitched from Oshose' resistance. He lands a surprise punch to Oshose' face. "Just kidding, Solrac is just weak. He just has strong allies," declared Nicosal loudly. Is Solrac even hearing this? The blow sent Oshose flying backwards, past the lake, and near the forest by the mountains. Nicosal follows. "I mean, even I could beat him, but I don't because others will come for me." Reldaris approaches from behind and tries to bite Oshose' left leg, but he dodges to the right. "Don't speak about master Solrac like that! He is my owner!", cried Reldaris angrily. "All according to plan, Nicosal", he thought. Nicosal kicks Oshose in his gut, sending him flying into a tree past a large rock. Oshose lets out a cry of pain. Nicosal walks over to Reldaris. "Oh, cut the crap, Rel," argued Nicosal, annoyed. "We both know you're just doing that to get on his good side." Reldaris thrusted again and is finally able to bite Oshose' left leg. The demon screams in pain, "Aaaauugghhhh!!" The gimp demon dog's eyes widened. "Okay, you got me. I'm scared too," blurted Reldaris, muffled from biting Oshose. "Scared of what happens if I step out of line." Oshose falls to his knees and grunts in defeat. Nicosal and Reldaris approach him, chuckling intimidatingly. "Is that all you've got, Oshose?", laughed Nicosal before he kneed him in the gut, brutally knocking his head through the tree. "Aaaghh," wheezed Oshose weakly. "Time to finish him off," said Reldaris confidently as he pulled out Oshose' head from the tree with is teeth. The demon gimp goes in to slit Oshose' throat with his claws. "No! Solrac needs to finish him off," yelled Nicosal as be held back Reldaris. "You have betrayed your master, and as such, you will die." Reldaris breaks free and backs away. "Wait, please! This wasn't part of the plan!!", pleaded Reldaris desperately. "What plan?", asked Nicosal, pretending to be confused before he chopped off Reldaris' head with an Edge of Execution. The blade sliced through his neck in an instant. The dog gimp's head fell the ground, rolling a couple feet. "The only plan I agreed to was to weaken Oshose, so master Solrac could get the satisfaction of finishing him off." He sheathed his blade. "Demons don't get second chances." Oshose and Nicosal are partially behind a rock. Only Nicosal is visible to Solrac. The hooded demon looks over toward Solrac. "Sir, we've weakened the target. Would you like to deal the finishing blow?", comforted Nicosal loudly.
Solrac, over on the other side of the lake, stretched and shrugged with a blank look. "Nah. I'm bored," said Solrac, pouting. "Feel free to toy with him if you would like."
"Reldaris tried to take your kill, sir, but I stopped him," declared Nicosal dutifully.
"That's good because no one should betray my orders," said Solrac, a bit upbeat. "Good work, Nicosal."
Before they left through the portal, Solrac was setting some ground rules for the mission.
"We're here to kill Oshose and no one else," announced Solrac commandingly. "Killing allies is punishable by death."
Nicosal and Reldaris saluted. "Yes, sir!" they both shouted promptly. For those wondering how demons can work in teams in this alternate hell: it's because of a boy from long ago with no magic. Hint. Hint.
Solrac walked his way back toward the portal of flames, then stopped. "Reldaris, I'd like to speak with you once you get back," said Solrac firmly. He went through the portal the rest of the way.
Nicosal wore an increasingly worried expression. "Damn, he wants to talk to Reldaris," thought Nicosal before he looked over at Reldaris' corpse. "Well, you can't just bring a demon back to life if they were able to be killed by an edge of execution. And I can't go to 'him' about it because I'm the one who did it."
Xavier looked shocked that Solrac didn't do anything to Nicosal or himself. His mouth gaping open.
Nicosal looked back at Oshose. "Listen, I'm not your friend or anything. But I hate Solrac and the fact that he now has control over the Devil's Seven Prodigies," said Nicosal with his head lowered in an awkward voice.
"Nicosal," grunts Oshose angrily. Nicosal bends his hips to the right. "I know you have what it takes to take down Solrac," reassured Nicosal.
"However, I don't know about the other demons he is allied with." cautioned Nicosal. He tried to smile sadistically and arrogant, but he struggled to. He extends his hand to Oshose. "How would you like to take down Solrac with me?"