Asura's gaze drifted upward, lazily following the rotations of the ceiling fan. "One spin, two spin, three spin, four..." he mumbled, his mind adrift in a sea of boredom. Then, a jarring thought pierced through the monotony. "Wait a damn minute... A ceiling fan? How the hell do they have a ceiling fan but no lights?"
His eyes flicked towards the numerous candleholders scattered throughout the sanctuary. "But then, some rooms have lights, like the training hall..." He rubbed his temples, a growing sense of unease settling over him. His gaze swept across the room, searching for any other electrical devices, but he found only golden pans filled with flickering candles.
"What the fuck..." His wandering eyes settled on an empty, darkened hallway. The candlelight barely reached its entrance. A fifth hallway... He mentally counted the other four, a knot of confusion tightening in his stomach. There had never been a fifth before… Slowly, Asura rose from the pew, his body tensing as he took a step toward the mysterious passage. "This is definitely a haunted church in a movie." He muttered, his eyes drifting to the floor. The candlelight barely reached its entrance, as if reluctant to reach into the abyss that lay on the other side.
Gripping a nearby book, he tested his theory the only way he knew how, by tossing it straight into the abyss. The book tumbled, flipping open as it skidded across the floor. Just before reaching the shadowy threshold where the light faded, it stopped. Then, from the depths of the darkness, a pale hand emerged. Its skin was unnervingly smooth, void of wrinkles, scars, or any defining features. Without hesitation, it snatched the book in one fluid motion and vanished back into the shadows.
Asura stiffened. "Oh, fuck that." He shook his head. "I'm not dying first in this film. No thanks, have a good one, mister Hallway." The ogre plopped back down onto the pew without a second thought. But his gut twisted, and he turned one last time. The pale hand reached from the abyss, palm open, as if beckoning him forward. An eerie voice echoed in his mind, intrusive and unnatural. "You understand me." It stated, its voice soothing to his ears.
"Hell no, I don't! Go back to wherever you came from, ghost hand!" He shouted, peeking his eyes over the pew. "You were betrayed, just as I was." Its fingers stretched farther open, beckoning. Asura scoffed. "Who the hell ever betrayed me?" He answered as he felt something pull at his heart. "Free me, and I shall give you back what is rightfully yours." The voice snaked its way into Asura's mind, its tendrils reaching down into the depths of his being, tugging at a long-forgotten memory that lay dormant beneath the surface.
"I don't know what you mean, but no thanks." He answered, but the words felt hollow. The voice darkened. "The price for your refusal is her life." It hissed with every word. Asura's brow furrowed. "Whose life?" He asked as he stared at the hand. The words echoed in his ears.
"You lose it all, and forever will Asura. It shall be taken from you against your will for eternity." The voice chuckled as it spoke. "I offer you a chance to break the cycle. You have been chained by Judex Divinum to endless mortality." As it spoke the Lord's name, the voice shifted, filling with rage. "The glass house you've built will soon crack and shatter."
Asura narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, and that offer makes me even more certain I should refuse." The darkness shifted, twisting unnaturally as a low, rumbling sound echoed from within, agitation given form."The gardens will burn. Every flower consumed. And the gardener will be forced to watch his life's work be taken from him." The pale hand tensed, veins bulging as unseen muscles strained beneath its flawless skin.
"You the Riddler Fiddler or something? Who the hell are you, ghosty?" Asura asked, watching the shadows distort from its anger. The hand curled its fingers, leaving only its index extended. It pointed directly at him. "You have been warned and offered a deal. I leave the offer on the table… until I decide otherwise. It is best to decide soon, before my patience grows thin. I shall be waiting. Oh, mad one." With that, the hand slipped back into the darkness.
Then, Asura blinked. The hallway was gone. He rubbed his eyes, waiting for it to reappear, some kind of proof that what he saw had been real. But nothing changed. The wall stood there, solid, as if nothing had ever been there at all. He let out a deep breath, shaking his head. "Just a little nap will do… I'm losing my marble…" Asura groaned as he laid back against the pew.
"You can say that again, and no, it won't," came a familiar voice. "We have a job to do, so get up. If I can't slack off, I damn well won't let you." Asura let out a long exhale as Mel walked out from the hallway, her usual unimpressed expression in place. A few vials were strapped to her belt, the only real indication that she'd been preparing. "Damn party pooper." He mumbled.
"Well, it is my job to ruin your day," Mel shot back, rolling her eyes. Asura scoffed, pushing himself upright. "You know, that might actually be the one thing you're really good at." He answered with a nod as if agreeing with his own words. "Thanks. I'm a professional at babysitting you," she replied dryly, adjusting the straps on her gear. "Whatever." He waved a hand dismissively, then leaned forward, his voice dropping to a covert whisper. "So… do you guys have anyone locked up in this church? Like… a real demon or ghost? Poltergeist-style?"
Mel gave him a bewildered look. "What?" Her eyes scanned his face, searching for any hint that he was joking. "You know—ghosts n' shit. Haunting spirits creeping around in creepy churches like this," Asura said, waving his hands in the air like floating phantoms. She stared at him, unimpressed. "What the hell are you on about?" She asked, turning away, suddenly losing interest in the ogre's antics. "I'm just asking." He shrugged, his gaze drifting back to the wall.
Mel sighed. "No? There's no such thing as ghosts… unless you mean shadows." Her tone was laced with mockery, as if the idea of a monster believing in ghosts was utterly ridiculous. "No, no, not those creepy people. I mean other creepy things, spirits, spooky shit. Like in the films."
She pinched the bridge of her nose. "You don't seriously believe in that, do you?" She asked, shaking her head. "I mean… There are videos. And it's on the internet." Asura laid back on his four arms, tilting his head back as he recalled the ethereal figures on the screen. "Oh my gosh, you're dumber than I could ever imagine."
"Hey!—" Before Asura could argue, Wain came jogging in from the opposite hallway, a large bag slung over his shoulder. "Okay, I'm ready," Wain called out, but he faltered as Asura's eyes widened in horror. Asura blinked rapidly, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. "Wait… Did you just come out of the opposite hallway? Aren't our rooms on the right?" Wain frowned. "What do you mean? They've always been on the left." Asura's jaw dropped. "You're fucking with me, right?"
"No?" His friend replied, eyeing him like he'd lost his mind. "Quit messing with me, man." The ogre gazed behind Wain, his eyes studying its existence as if it would change. "Dude, I'm not," Wain said, throwing a thumb over his shoulder. "We've always gone down the left." Asura shook his head, a tremor of unease running through him as he abruptly rose to his feet. "No, we haven't," he contradicted, his voice firm despite his recent arrival. "There's no way all these hallways are linked together like some kind of twisted labyrinth."
He took a step back from the unsettling passage. "This place is movin' and shit. Something's not right." He paused as he stared through the hall, expecting a figure to emerge. "A ghost hand was talking to me earlier in a hallway," he explained, his tone matter-of-fact, "and now it's like an episode of that cartoon where they hunt ghosts and run through a bunch of doors trying to catch them."
Mel crossed her arms, her expression a mixture of concern and amusement. "Are you alright? Did you hit your head? I mean, more than usual?" she questioned, one eyebrow arched skeptically. He ignored her quip and dramatically pointed towards the wall where the fifth hallway had been. "Quit fuckin' with me—"
Wain, his patience wearing thin, cut him off with a sigh, rubbing his forehead in exasperation. "Asura, can you please take this seriously?" he pleaded. "The jokes are funny, sometimes annoying, but this is serious."
"I know it's serious! You guys—" Asura started, but before he could press further about the mysterious hallway, Ash appeared behind the two priests, a small bag slung over his back. Ash's gaze immediately locked onto Asura, his face hardening with a deadly stare, clearly unamused by the ogre's carefree attitude. It was clear he must have overheard the conversation and found it appalling that Asura was asking questions in such a serious moment. The ogre sighed, letting the topic drop, realizing it was best to leave it alone.
As the group assembled, a visible tension filled the air. Their faces, etched with worry and determination, reflected the gravity of the situation. Each exchanged hushed words, the weight of their unspoken fears pressing down on them. "Why the long faces? We'll just beat them up, right?" Asura asked, his voice lighthearted, though the tension in the room did not break.
Mel furrowed her brows, her lips pressing into a tight line. His relaxed demeanor and playful attitude always felt out of place in moments like this. Still, despite her frustration, she couldn't deny his strength. There was little room to complain. He might stumble into trouble, but he always seemed to find a way out. "Look, I know you don't care about us humans, but we do," Mel snapped, her voice tight. "If that thing gets summoned, a lot of people will die. So shut up and be serious for once. Malachi wins if we screw this up." She paused, hopefully trying to let the words weigh upon his heart. "That means everyone here dies, too. Lily, Marco, Joel, the townspeople—everyone." Her eyes bore into Asura's.
Asura's white eyes focused on Mel, his face stiffening. For a moment, there was no humor in his expression. "Alright, well, let's fuck up a big snake. No one dies," he replied, his voice steady. Wain chimed in from the side. "No, we need to stop Malachi before the big snake comes." Asura slammed his fist into his palm, a fiery grin spreading across his face. "Let's fuck them all up then. Malachi, the snake, all of them. Everyone can catch these hands. All four of 'em."
Wain reached into his small bag and pulled out a purple herb, holding it up. "We all ready?" Mel nodded as she stepped closer to Wain, positioning herself in the middle of the room. "Asura, get over here. We need to be close." Asura groaned as he pushed himself out of the pew, casting one final glance at the hallway. He doubted he'd ever get an answer to the mystery of the vanishing hallway. "At least this will be fun," he muttered, brushing off the nagging feeling.
Ash grabbed the hilt of his blade as if preparing himself for an immediate fight upon their arrival. "Everyone, hold on. Sometimes, this is a little rough," Wain warned, his tone serious. Asura's eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean by 'little rough'? You don't have this smoothed out?" Without answering, Wain took a deep breath, inhaling the smoke from the herb. Then, with a sharp exhale, a massive cloud of smoke erupted from his mouth like an explosion. It swirled around the room, quickly enveloping the four of them in a dense fog.
Asura elbowed Ash, a mischievous grin on his face. "How are you going to call this guy a weakling? Man can make stuff and teleport us places. He can teleport!" he mocked. "What the hell can you do? Swing a sword around a little?" Asura laughed, but Ash shot him an angry glare, which lasted only a moment before the fog thickened, blocking his view. The smoke became so dense that Asura could barely see his own hands in front of his face.
Golden light ripped through the smoke, jagged streaks like lightning in a raging storm. Each bolt crackled and boomed as it struck the floor around Asura's feet, the force of the impacts sending him stumbling backward. He braced himself, expecting to collide with someone in the dense smoke, but felt only emptiness. He was utterly alone, swallowed by the swirling darkness, an isolated figure in a world of shadows and blinding light.
"Woah." Asura stood in awe, his eyes tracing the breathtaking storm swirling around him. He playfully swirled the smoke with his four arms, watching it fold and twist around him. Any anxiety from being separated from his party melted away as he became absorbed in the simple joy of the moment.
But then, the atmosphere shifted. Asura couldn't quite place it, whether it was the pressure in the air or something else, but it had changed. It's different. The air's... dirtier? He coughed slightly, the polluted air stinging his nose, the unpleasant scent making him scrunch his face in discomfort. The change was sudden, and his playful mood faltered. The air around him began to shift again. Another wave of golden streaks of light flickered through the smoke like lightning, and Asura's instincts went on alert. Something's wrong… A violent gust of wind whipped through the smoke, sending it spiraling like crashing waves in the ocean. The wind picked up speed with each passing second, intensifying in a way that made Asura's stomach drop. Oh shit… Asura looked up, his heart pounding as he realized he was in the eye of a storm.
The wind whipped around him, a raging tempest that tore at his clothes and hair, its howl a symphony of fury. Then, with a swiftness that defied logic, it ceased. The violent gusts vanished, the swirling smoke dissipated, leaving behind an eerie calm. It was as if the storm had been a fleeting illusion, a figment of his imagination. Asura blinked, his senses reeling, and spun in a slow circle, desperately trying to assess his surroundings.
Before him lay a grand marble hall, its walls trimmed with gold. It looked strikingly similar to the cathedral he'd left behind, but this one was far more elegant and spacious. Asura couldn't have imagined a building larger than the one he'd come from, but this one stretched out before him, with towering pillars holding up the ceiling. In the center of the room stood a grand staircase, covered by a deep red carpet that flowed all the way up to a pair of dark mahogany double doors.
"Whoever lives here is bougie," he spoke, his voice laced with astonishment. "Rich assholes... No wonder the citizens hate your asses." He scoffed at their lavish style. Asura couldn't help but begrudgingly admit that this place made the other cathedral look like a shack. It was beyond impressive. "Who even pays for something like this?"
The pristine white walls were decorated with intricate gold designs, and large statues of angels adorned every corner, their outstretched arms seeming to hold up the ceiling itself. Asura paused, his gaze lingering on the statues, recognizing the distinctive artistry. They bore a striking resemblance to the sculptures that adorned his own home, crafted with the same meticulous detail and ethereal grace. A flicker of recognition, a sense of familiarity in this unfamiliar place, sparked within him.
A massive glass chandelier, its crystal facets catching and refracting the light, hung suspended from the center of the vaulted ceiling. Its sheer size made Asura momentarily wish he could swing from its glittering branches. On both sides of the grand staircase stood two imposing statues of Archangels, their figures gleaming in the golden light that bathed the cathedral.
The extra two wings gave them away, these were no ordinary angels. "Maybe the more wings, the stronger the angel?" Asura mused, recalling a theory his aunt had once shared. She'd gone on about respecting angels and the significance of their wings, but Asura wasn't one to dwell too long on her lectures.
Realizing he was alone, Asura glanced around, his voice cutting through the silence. "Hello? Guys?" The emptiness swallowed his words, but before he could process the stillness, something caught his eye. A metal object came hurtling toward him, speeding through the air with alarming precision. "Oh shit!..." He turned for a better look, his eyes widening as he saw a giant, spiked metal ball soaring in his direction. With barely a moment to react, he swatted the ball upwards with his right two arms. "Gah!" The impact sent the ball flying backward, but not without a cost. Intense pain shot through his wrist, and he winced, shaking it in discomfort.
The ball hung in the air for a brief moment, suspended in time, before crashing down onto the marble floor with a deafening boom. The sheer weight of the spiked metal sphere drove it deep into the stone, sending cracks spider-webbing across the ground around it. "Damn, she's sturdy." He stated, in awe of its weight.
The object, resembling a wrecking ball with menacing spikes protruding from its surface, radiated holy mana. How interesting... Asura mused. Unlike the holy mana of Mel or Ash, this one carried a distinct aura, a unique signature that set it apart. Engraved around the ball's circular body was a pattern of roses, their delicate petals strangled by thorns.
His gaze followed the chain that was tethered to the ball, tracing its path across the floor until it led to a muscular woman standing in the corner of the room. Asura, with his usual casual demeanor, raised his hand and gave a friendly wave. "Oh, hi!" It must be a resident of the cathedral, he thought.
She wore a military-style shirt similar to those Asura had seen before, the symbol of God embroidered on the chest. But instead of the usual cargo pants, she sported black baggy sweatpants, as if she had been lounging before being abruptly called into action. Her short black hair framed her face, and her sleepy red eyes confirmed his suspicion. She must have just woken up from a nap. Lucky, Asura thought with a hint of envy.
"That almost hit me. Be careful next time." Asura gestured toward the embedded wrecking ball. "I know," she replied in a monotone voice. "It was intended." She gripped hold of the chain, wrapping it tightly around her wrist. "That's rude," Asura remarked, his tone as playful as ever. "It's also hard to talk with the water running—Wait, water running?" He stopped mid-sentence, the sound of rushing water suddenly filling his ears. His head snapped toward the source.
Where the metal ball had struck the floor, black water gushed from it, quickly spreading across the ground. It pooled beneath him, the dark liquid creeping toward his feet. Before he could ask about the strange phenomenon, another voice rang out from across the room. A figure emerged from the shadows, drawing his attention.
Asura lifted his head, searching for the source of the voice, and his eyes landed on an even more muscular woman, easily twice the size of Ash. For a brief moment, he thought he was in the presence of a mythological goddess. Her raven-black hair, braided neatly behind her head, made his heart skip a beat. Am I falling in love? he wondered, momentarily distracted.
The muscles on her bronze body, honed to perfection, made his heart race again. Everything about her screamed strength and resilience. She wore mixed martial arts-style shorts and a loose T-shirt, clearly prioritizing function over fashion. Hundreds of scars marked her skin, each one telling a story of battles fought and won. This woman is a warrior. Her fierce blue eyes glinted with an unyielding spirit, a determination to conquer any challenge. Shaken by the woman's formidable presence, Asura slapped himself, attempting to regain his composure. "Um, hi, my name's Asura. Nice to meet you." He sheepishly answered.
She raised her right arm in the air, a silent challenge. "Oh," Asura breathed, a flicker of excitement igniting within him. For a moment, Asura assumed it was a theatrical display of power, a dramatic prelude to a final, devastating blow. But as she lifted her arm high, her fist clenched tight, and arcs of lightning crackled around her, his amusement faded, replaced by a jolt of apprehension.
A predatory grin spread across her face as she swung her arm down with the force of a hammer. Her fist collided with the black water, and in an instant, lightning erupted from the point of impact, crackling across the surface in jagged threads. The electric energy surged toward Asura with terrifying speed. He had no time to react, no time to brace himself. Regret flooded his mind as he realized, with sickening clarity, that this was going to hurt. A lot.
"FHGSGGD" He screamed as every muscle in his body tightened and spasmed. Electricity coursed through Asura's body, sending excruciating pain spiraling through every limb. His muscles locked, and despite his best efforts, he couldn't move. All he could do was grit his teeth, each shock intensifying the agony.
"Shhkkghhit... ittkghk hurk..." His words slurred as his body trembled, the electricity paralyzing him with brutal force. From behind him, the sound of metal scraping across the floor grew louder, drawing his attention. Asura twisted his head just enough to see two massive, mechanical armored wolves racing toward him. "Ohhgh fuahghhk..." he muttered in disbelief, just before the wolves slammed into his back. The force sent him flying across the puddle of black water, and with every impact, his body stiffened, more electricity shooting through him.
As he skid across the water, his body slid from outside the water's reach, stopping a few feet away. Groaning in pain, he finally managed to pull himself up. Though the hit had hurt, Asura couldn't help but feel a strange sense of gratitude. The wolves had broken his electrified prison, freeing him to move once again.
Grinning, he stood tall, dusting himself off. This is fun! This is exactly what I'm talking about! He eagerly flexed his muscles as he held them before his chest. What a wonderful fight! he shouted in his mind. Asura flexed his muscles, trying to loosen up after the violent shock.
Before rushing into the fray, Asura took a moment to assess his surroundings. A third person had appeared, standing on the staircase far from his reach. There, a golden-haired kid with a blindfold and golden shackles around his wrists stood. How odd... Asura thought, eyeing the boy. Was he a prisoner?
The black-haired woman tilted her head at him, a deep voice carrying through the room. "So, how'd a demon get inside the cathedral?" The short-haired girl answered first with the same monotone disinterested voice. "I don't know. He was just here when I woke up." The golden-haired kid spoke next, his voice soft and barely audible. "I have no clue either. His presence just appeared a minute ago."
Suddenly, the wrecking ball and chain dissolved into ink on the floor. Asura watched as the ink seeped into the marble, forming strange shapes like graffiti. He watched, speechless, as the graffiti-like shapes writhed and slithered across the ground as if they were alive. He instinctively tried to stomp on it, to halt its movement, but his foot passed right through. It wasn't on the surface; it was part of the floor...
Asura's gaze followed the inky chain as it snaked across the floor toward the woman. It reached her and, with a subtle shift, resolidified, its end now anchored to a point on the floor where the ink pooled like a dark well. With a casual tug, she pulled the chain taut, the rest of it following, reforming into its solid, metallic state.
"That is wicked! How does that even work?" Asura marveled, his eyes wide as he watched the woman twirl the spiked ball around her effortlessly. It picked up speed, spinning as though its weight were no concern. As he watched, Asura's wrist still throbbed from the earlier impact, a reminder of how hefty it was. To think she's swinging that thing around like it's a feather...
The woman hurled the ball back at him, and this time, Asura was prepared. He steeled himself, extending his arm to strike the ball away. With a sharp crack, the ball slammed into one of the Archangel statues, producing a low, resonating ring as it made contact with the golden surface. The impact left a noticeable dent in the statue, and the ball bounced off, rolling to the floor with a heavy clang.
"My bad," she said, her monotone voice conflicting the smirk on her face. Asura laughed, brushing it off. "You'll need to try harder than—" He paused, his eyes snapping upward. The mythical mix martial arts woman had vanished from her previous position, leaving only empty air. "Uh-oh..."
Before Asura could react, she was suddenly above him, flipping midair to gain momentum. With a swift motion, she stretched her leg out, aiming a devastating kick straight for his face. Asura barely managed to leap to the side, her foot grazing past him by mere inches. The force of the strike sent shockwaves through the air, and an explosion erupted behind him as her foot collided with the ground. Golden lightning arced outward in all directions, and the floor cracked under the intensity of her strike, the ground buckling slightly beneath her weight.
Asura's eyes widened in awe. "I'm glad that missed me," he muttered, his heart still racing. "I'm not," she replied with a low, throaty laugh. "You know, you're pretty impressive for a demon." Asura twitched slightly, the word demon grating on him, but he quickly brushed it off, flashing her a devilish grin. "You're not bad yourself." He straightened, ready to speak again, but before he could, two armored mechanical wolves lunged at his back, sinking their teeth into him.
Asura grunted, straining against the mechanical beasts that worked in perfect synchronization, one distracting while the other attacked. Clever... but not good enough! He lashed out, easily swatting aside the dogs, their teeth scraping harmlessly against his tough hide, dulling with each strike.
Spotting an opening as one of the wolves lunged for his throat, Asura acted quickly. With a burst of strength, he seized the creature and lifted it high, watching as the second wolf leapt toward him, ready to pounce. Without hesitation, he brought the first wolf crashing down onto the second, the force of the blow smashing its head into the floor like a hammer striking an anvil.
The loud crash echoed through the hall as the two wolves crumpled, motionless. Asura stood still, waiting for any sign of movement. "Did I kill them?" He asked himself, waiting for a sudden strike. However, a voice called from behind him, soft but commanding. "Come forth to protect me. Oh, Judex Divinum, that provides all."
A golden portal opened behind Asura, and before he could react, a massive armored fist shot out of the portal, slamming into his chest with brutal force. "Oh sh—!" Asura's words were cut off as he was sent flying into a nearby pillar, the impact sending rubble and dust flying into the air. He groaned as he tried to get to his feet, the golden-haired boy's voice reaching him through the haze. "Lydia… we need to take this seriously now. If he's still alive, he'll be a problem." The boy's voice was filled with worry.
The woman's voice came through, teasing yet still cautious. "Can't we just have some fun?" She cracked her knuckles, the sound sharp in the tense air. "You always have fun," came the other woman's dry reply. Lydia flashed a toothy grin. "Yeah, but we don't always see a demon like this! Did you see him? Four arms, horns—how cool is that?" Her eyes gleamed with excitement. The boy's voice was reluctant, almost pleading. "Lydia..." She sighed dramatically. "Fine. We can kill him."