Amidst a landscape carved from obsidian despair, the hellish arena of Charrog and Tammon lay suspended in a chasm that split the underworld asunder. Towering spikes, wrought from the bones of fallen titans, speared the smoldering sky, doubling as perches for the malevolent spectators. The ground, a mosaic of scorched embers and basalt, crunched underfoot, and rivers of molten sin snaked around the arena, casting an eerie glow upon the visages of the awaiting multitude.
The air was thick with the scent of brimstone and anticipation, a blanket of dread that suffocated the weak. Demons of every nightmare, a grotesque pantheon, shifted restlessly, their forms a jagged array of fangs, claws, and the twisted shapes of humanity's deepest fears.
Charrog, the male demon monarch, towers over the assembly, his frame a mountain of infernal might, power rippling from his smoldering flesh as if the fires of damnation themselves were his to command.
Beside him stood Tammon, a visage of seduction and savagery interwoven, her presence a testament to the allure and horror that only a succubus of her stature could embody. Her smile was a wicked crescent, eyes dancing with malice.
"The Order have sent their agents of wrath at usss my love."
"You think so?"
"They're among us. Watching. The Five Thrones knows they can't kill within their own ranks unless attacked. We must think ahead."
"We shouldn't fear them at all. We haven't done anything wrong, so being punished by any means now wouldn't mean anything."
"Yes, my love. But the All Mother..she sees all and knows all here.."
"And yet, she has done nothing, Hm? Or she has informed the Five Thrones, and they are doing something about it. Either way, we're already prepared for anything to come. After the invasion on earth again, we'll become Demon Kings, then Demon Lords."
"Hmmm or maybe we jump straight to demon lord rank.."
"Yes, that would be nice too. As long as you stay by my side, we'll have it all."
"I know, my love."
"We won't get our hands dirty too much. We hosted this arena to collect a team. The Hellsong. They will hunt The witch Elma, down. And they will bring her here."
"Are we going to really kill her, love?"
"After she has created us the elixir we want, she will be of no use. The humans have awakened magic from a foreign world, some sort of light magic. That only magic has come from the realm of the Paladins, the All Mother's first enemies; but it's no for certain. During the first invasion, our advisor claimed to have been dragged to the root of their realm, and has seen a large tree glowing in gold and white, and claimed it has a cosmic color around its atmosphere. That has to be the source of the awakened humans power."
"Our advisor, Rail? Where is he anyway?"
"Sent on a scouting mission against an army of rebellious demons. He'll make it back soon. Those rebels are causing strife here within the lands of Gunnar.
"Mm. So this Hellsong group.."
"I figure the witch is with the brat Gunjo, and she will try and help him. If we can get the two of them at once, then that's good. She's helping me, but in what way.."
"Don't worry, we will. And with this group of beings here to try out for Hellsong, they won't stand a chance."
"They need to be strong, vigilant, and can withstand the curses the witch might put on them. Demons can withstand curses that are of their own caliber, but if it's from a human, then they will affected heavily."
Down below in the arena, there were different types of demons, also demons who had the appearce of demon hybrid humans. All of them clad in dark armor and surrounded by shadowy magic, they said to each other:
"I'm getting bored. Let's get this over with already!"
"All they have to do is say go, and I'm going. I'm clobbering all of you bastards."
"Huh? What are you looking at?"
"Do we really have to kill each other?"
"Psst, you think the Five Thrones are going to show up to watch us?"
"Monarchs Charrog and Tammon said this was an opportunity to become one with the Order, so they might be watching from a distance."
"There's rumors going around that the Five Thrones established some shit caller Contracts. Saying some of those not within the Demonic Order can make contracts with one to two members within it. The ones who make the contract and are successful with it can borrow 30% of the demons power."
Another one chimes in. "I think heard that too. I think some of them are walking around here as we speak."
"I wonder why they did they did that.."
"I heard it requires a huge sacrifice though. Which will turn them into dark spirits embedded within you. And not long ago, contracts are being made all the time since Gunjo is out there and being hunted by those he basically pissed off."
"Yeah, some of them are in here. I can feel it. I'd have to go all out!"
A silence crept across the crowd. Like a bow waiting to snap. The tension palpable, a contract written in the entrails of the weak, binding all to the unspoken oath of violence soon to come.
Charrog said out loud, "Now then. You all may now slaughter each other brutally. Holding back shall get you decapitated. The Order needs members on Hellsong to further aid them."
Tammon sneered a with a seducing grin and tone, "Kill.."
Suddenly, the ground trembled as the first roar of dark magic thundered. Reality warped and weaved under its influence, a sickening tapestry of destruction woven in real-time. Shadowy figures merged with flame, their silhouettes bursting into eldritch energy, as they conjured their most devious spells.
Energy crackled, an aurora of hatred and power that light up the battle. Spectrums of dark magic, unseen by mortal eyes, crisscrossed the expanse, seeking flesh to char and bodies to rupture.
One demon, larger than the others, unfurled wings of smoldering leather and lunged forward, only to be met by a barrage of cursed fire that tore through sinew and spirit alike, leaving naught but cinder and ash, a husk of conquest.
Across the arena, tendrils of abyssal frost latched onto the limbs of a beast whose screams were swallowed by the inferno. The fearsome beast convulsed, frostbitten despite the blazing airs, before collapsing into a heap of icy shards and desecrated flesh.
Another combatant, a chimera of obsidian scales and venom, spat globules of corroding bile that ate through its adversaries, leaving behind pitted remnants of those too slow to evade its caustic embrace.
In every direction, violence bloomed like a perverse garden. Blood did not flow but rather rose in pillars, defying the laws of the world above, a testament to the chaotic realm in which they stood.
A sorcerer, his form a blur of occult insignias, surged with power as he invoked the forbidden dialects. The ground beneath his foes gave way to a voracious maw lined with ethereal teeth, gnashing and consuming indiscriminately.
Amid the tempest of malevolence, a duo of lesser demons summoned a storm of spectral blades. The phantasmal armory danced with grace before lacerating the masses, leaving behind a tableau of severed limbs and sundered hopes.
Above the fray, Charrog's laughter rumbled, a thunderclap of approval. "Such exquisite desecration." he bellowed, his countenance glowing with the reflection of the arcane pyrotechnics below.
Tammon, her voice a siren song laced with venom, cooed, "They are certainly…acceptable." She grabbed Charrog's arm sensually, saying, "We're doing great, aren't we, my love?"
"Never better."
Charrog thought, 'There are some who have made contracts with members of the Order. They show ruthlessness. But that puts a strain on our operations. We'll have to dispose of the band of Hellsong once the witch Elma is taken. The Order members are still inside them, and I can't risk the fact that they could be listening in on us. Either way, I won't speak on certain matters around them. My guess is that the Order began to create a contracts to further rebellions all over hell. Rebellious demons have gathered their dark magic and forged alliances with other rebels to take down strongholds of Demon Monarchs, Demon Kings, and Demon Lords. They built armies large enough to try and take us down, which is the dilemma im facing now. They don't agree with the Order, and their reign of making the other beings of hell feel lesser than them. That's why we have armies. The Five Thrones, they are the founding fathers of the bloodlines, each with their own unique magic and characteristics. They finally had banded together, so it must've hurt them to see there are those that hate them.'
As the final remnants of the weak were torn asunder, the arena thinned, leaving only the strongest, darkest hearts beating within the surviving few. Magic still hung heavily in the air, a looming specter waiting to claim its next vessel.
High above, Charrog and Tammon exchanged a glance, their thoughts aligned in the grotesque beauty sprung forth from chaos, the symphony of destruction that played out before them, a prelude to the greater hunt that would soon unfold.
One of the contestants below, her name was Elliu. She was in the form of a human child, but she had black horns, and red eyes and long messy black hair wearing black sackcloth, and she was sitting on the ground, her sharp jagged black tail waving back and forth slowly as she was eating an obsidian rock.
She sighed, "Hey…why are they not coming..after me…?" She whimpered in a tired tone.
Within her, a voice said, "Perhaps we are not a threat towards them. Despite your from."
"But I like this form…I can't do anything..now since it's permanent anyway."
"Oh, here comes someone. A few of them in fact."
Five demons swarmed her, saying:
"An easy kill!"
"This one's mine!"
Elliu said, "Finally…a fight…"
Her tail dashed side to side, up and down, and the demons and dark beings around her were shredded to pieces.
"Dammit! She's contracted with the Order! I can sense their presence within her—."
SHINK!
His form was split into pieces by her tail, and Elliu sighed, "I'm not..even going all out…"
Her tail blocked all of the incoming magic towards, her, and she continued to eat.
Behind her, was a shriveled up old man looking demon, with a skinny rotten bony place body, pitch black eyes, and long flowy white hair with nothing but a piece of demon bear meat to cover his ass. His name was Yopi.
He was holding a bone of a demon bear which had sharp edges and blood dripping from it.
"Mmmmmmmmmm." He murmured, he couldn't speak at all, onlt groan.
Demons surrounded him, and Yopi dashed past them in less then a second, and bones erupted within the demons from their insides, piercing them brutally.
"Mmm."
He strafed to the right, dodging incoming magic, and he launched his bone weapon froward, and it destroyed a large demon with five legs. The bone came back to him, he caught it, and a voice within him spoke, "We are using that bone well. If only we can use it to find Gunjo, I have a bone to pick with him. See what I did there?"
"Mmmmm."
In front of him, was a demon bear humanoid with a bear head and muscular gray body. He had black fur, and he was wearing black knightly armor. He was a holding a large black sword leaking with a black aura, and he said, "This is getting pretty fun. Don't you think?" His name was Zan.
Beside him, was another being shaped like a human, with short red hair in an undercut style, and he had black and blue eyes, he was shirtless, and had roses coming from his chest and back. He was holding a wrecking ball, glowing with a red aura. His name was Gyun.
He exclaimed with a grin, "HAHA! Weak bastards don't stand a chance against those like us who are contracted. This will be our one way ticket into the Order!"
They blasted forward together, Gyun raised his wrecking ball, leaping in the air, and slammed it downwards, crushing a horse of beings flat.
He laughed, "This is what I live for."
Zan spun his large sword on his back, slid, and swung it in a devastating arc, slashing the beings left to right. He then deflected a few magic attacks with his sword behind his back without looking, and Gyun's wrecking ball swooped in covered in red flames, bashing against the enemy, smashing them against the walls.
Zan said, "Tch. I had it."
Gyun replied, "Too damn slow, beast."
Up above where. Charrog and Tammon were, a voice came from behind them, saying, "Umm, I'm looking for Charrog and Tammon?"
They both turned around, and saw that it was Arlan. Arlan was standing there with his smile, and waved, "How are you guys?"
Tammon and Charrog replied, "Get out."
FWOOSH!
Ancient shadowy figures of dark warriors blasted from the back of Tammon and Charrog, but Arlan chuckeld, "Geez, I only wanted to talk business. But okay. The worst part of this, is I'm not even from here."
Arlan's eyes glowed a bright white color, and he grew a white halo around above his head, and behind him, were giant bright white spirit figures of a bride and a groom, and they were in formation like they were getting married.
Arlan was smiling, as the ancient shadows of warriors exploded into chaos, shaking the arena.
Charrog grunted, "It can't be-!"
Tammon added, "Soul magic…"
Arlan walked forward, saying, "I don't want to fight, I'm saving my all out strength for one guy and one guy only; Gunjo. I've come here on business. I've already killed your advisor as he was being a stalker, watching the Locust demon rebels. They've grown pretty strong out there, and they have a lot of sorcery with them. Let me be your new advisor."
Charrog said, "Do you think we'll just let you talk that way to us? We'll obliterate you."
Tammon added with a seductive tone, "Come here.."
Arlan responded, "Yeah that shit doesn't work on me, sorry. I know you're a succubus. I'll be your advisor, and it appears you have a group going after the Demon's Elixir, Elma?"
"Tch. What do you want out of this? How do we know you're not a spy?"
"Obviously I'm not a spy. Someone with my caliber of soul magic couldn't possibly afford my services or offer what I want in return for my help."
Charrog added, "What do you want?"
"…I want Gunjo. If your Hellsong band is tracking them down, then I want part of it. And obviously hearing Elma is involved with him, he wouldn't be too far, right?"
"An advisor sticks beside us, they don't go with the band."
"I'll get all the information I need from your side. Thus offering my services d an advisor against the Locust demon rebel army. All you have to do is bring Gunjo alive to me. I'm pretty sure by the time they find him, he'll be strong enough to beat me."
Charrog said, "You're hiding something. You have an alternative goal."
Arlan thought, 'Of course I do. Killing you two is one, fighting Gunjo to the death is the second, but my other plan…seeps into why I'm here in the first place. Being from a realm of Paladins, the ones who gave the humans awakened magic, I plan to destroy this place from the inside, and my key to achieving that is right under the Demon Monarch's palace.'
Arlan kneeled, saying with a grin, "Give me this chance." He ripped his own arm off with a grin, saying, "Here ya go."
Charrog and Tammon looked at each other.
Seconds later, the final four of the arena stood side by side: Elliu, Gyun, Yopi, and Zan.
Elliu yawned, "Can we head out now…? It's getting late.."
Gyun said, "I'm so badass."
Zan added. "And they say I'm the delusional one out of us two."
Yopi murmured, "Mmmmmmm…"
Approaching them, was Charrog, Tammon, and Arlan.
Charrog said, "Good work. You four are now Hellsong. All contracted with devils, all of you have strength to outlast the others."
Tammon added, "For this is the will of the All Mother and the Five Thrones, the founding fathers of the bloodlines."
Gyun raised his hand, "One question."
Zan slapped his own face because he knew Gyun was known to be dumb at times like this.
Charrog answered, "Hm?"
"Who are we killing?"
Tammon answered, "No killing the targets, only hunting. You will track Elma down and Gunjo down with the resources and evidence we have. Gunjo is weak now, so catching him won't be hard. It's Elma you have to worry about."
"Easy. Too easy. I always wanted to scuffle with that Gunjo. All high and mighty turned into a damn skeleton. HAHA! It's a classic."
Zan said, "We won't need all of us to fight Gunjo. But Elma is the problem."
"Hell yeah. Forgot about that old human."
Elliu sighed, "Gunjo…enemy…"
Yopi murmured, "Mmmm."
Charrog stated, "Come to the barracks for debrief, Hellsong. Today you will hunt."