"Ariba, Ariba!" Lucky rode the hellhound like a cowboy, almost tempted to throw his shirt and swirl it in the air. But alas, he had more important things to do than that.
While the hound he was riding was too busy to fend for itself, Lucky observed the small ones hounding them ferociously.
"This is not right," he whispered, snapping his eyes at the hound roaring fiercely at the little ones. "They're not the same dogs that I know."
Back to where he came from, the Cerberus, or what those cowards called Hounds, rarely attacked anyone unprovoked. Given they were valiant guardians, they wouldn't back down from any fight. However, they would rather disappear from the mist if a fight had nothing to do with what they were guarding.
"But these guys… not only don't they emit the same sulfurous odor, but they look like a bunch of idiots." Lucky's face scrunched up in dismay as he set his eyes on the tail that he sandwiched in the book. "Hang on."
Lucky glanced at the little hounds and then at the book. He darted his eyes between the two before realization dawned on him.
"I see." He nodded in understanding. "So, that is what it is, huh?"
From what it appeared, these hounds weren't attacking him. It seemed the book Lucky was carrying into this world attracted all of these night specters out of the shadows.
"Too bad this is important to me — hey!" Lucky clasped the hound's black, thick hair, bending over a little. As soon as he did, he whiffed the faint scent of brimstone. His brows rose briefly, but he didn't pay attention to that now. "If you are who I think you are, then listen to me."
A bone-chilling howl echoed, sending harsh waves across the hound's vicinity. Even Nero and Rita, who were already at a distance, couldn't help but raise their arms before them as protection from the debris.
"I'll get rid of them," Lucky added through gritted teeth. "But not here."
The hound howled once more, still fighting off the little ones ferociously. But after a full minute, its front claws stabbed the concrete ground as it jumped. Spinning midair, it started running like a cheetah. The growls behind them resounded.
Looking back, Lucky saw the smaller hounds coming after them. He studied their gaits, their jet-black eyes burning in red, and their speed. Some smaller hounds only had two heads, others had two and a half — their third heads just didn't develop properly.
"They are man-made, aren't they?" Lucky hissed, bothered by the conclusion that crossed his mind. He looked ahead as he added, "That's the only explanation for why those dogs are disgracing the reputations of the Bearers of Deaths."
The Hound didn't react to Lucky's murmurs, jumping over obstacles and biting off any enemy that came its way. However, it didn't attack him anymore. Probably because it had a bigger problem, or there was another reason. Either way, both the Hound and Lucky knew one thing.
They weren't each other's enemies at the moment.
"Turn right!" Lucky commanded, catching a shadow through the thick fog. "Right!"
And the Hound jumped to the right.
More phantom canines came into view, growling, drooling, teeth itching for flesh. They were all coming from every direction, surrounding the bigger hound and the man on its back. However, this didn't faze either the hound or Lucky.
"Kekeke."
Lucky abruptly twisted his neck to the source of the laugh. When the laughter struck his ear again, it was closer. His eyes went wide as his breath hitched for a moment.
It was behind him.
"Kekeke."
Looking back, Lucky immediately caught its pointy, dirty green nose that had multiple little bumps on it, emerging from its invisibility. It was standing just behind him, its wrinkly hairless hands on his shoulder, snickering in his ear.
"I told you, it was your turn." The corner of Lucky's mouth stretched from ear to ear until his small canines were fully displayed. "Gotcha!"
Lucky swiftly grabbed the Imp's sharp nose, causing the latter to panic. It flung its short, slender arms as Lucky squeezed its nose, making it produce a broken, "ke ke ke."
"Tch." He snickered. "Goodbye."
This time, Lucky jumped off the hound's back along with the Imp. He kept the book in his hand while the other gripped the Imp's nose tightly. With the hound's speed, Lucky and the Imp subsequently rolled on the ground where the smaller hounds were dominating.
When Lucky managed to keep his balance on his knee, the smaller hounds leaped in his direction. He ignored them, proceeding to stab the Imp's pointy nose into the concrete ground.
Green, dark mist instantly came out from under the ground. The smell was even more pungent than the foggy air. However, the hounds that were coming at Lucky with their mouths open suddenly disappeared.
"Keee!!!" the Imp shrieked in pain, slamming its little hands against the concrete. But alas, the brief relief it felt when Lucky pulled its nose out of the ground was short-lived because he stabbed it once more. This time, the murky mist was thicker and more repugnant. But a great number of hounds also disappeared.
Lucky repeated the cycle until greenish-black fluid dripped from his hand, and the Imp passed out. Glancing at the lesser demon, he noticed how it shrunk down. Earlier, it had the size of a three-year-old toddler. But now, it shrunk to its original thirteen-inch stature.
"That's quite the prank you've pulled off." Lucky slumped on his bottom, resting his arms on his bent knees. He glanced at his hand, his palm covered with a thick black fluid. "You guys never learn."
Just as Lucky felt like resting because of his troubling headache, he heard a low growl from behind him. A big shadow suddenly stretched over him, and then something sticky dripped on his forehead, down to the tip of his nose.
Uh oh.
Cocking his head back, Lucky caught sight of the big hound from earlier looking down at him with bloodlust. The hound let out a deafening howl straight over his head, almost making his ears bleed from the sound wave it caused.
"Damn it," Lucky breathed out as the pain in his head felt like a hammer had just struck his temple. "There go my million redemption points."
The hound opened its mouth wide and lowered its head to devour him in one bite. But alas, just as it made its move, it stopped and collapsed on its knees.
"Huh?" Lucky instinctively crawled away before the big hound could land on the ground. He watched it fall as its eyes suddenly turned as white as a sheet.
Dust ascended from underneath the hound, reaching the ground with a deep thud. For a moment, Lucky needed time to process his luck. Just now, he thought he was going to die at the jaws of his "former" ally. But suddenly, the hound passed out.
"Is this… luck?" he wondered. "Or just a divine intervention?"
While pondering which of the two sounded more rational, deep lines appeared between his brows. The dark mist slowly exuded from the hound's back. It thickened until its vicinity appeared darker. It was as though its fur was being swept by a soft, painful wind.
"What's… happening?" Lucky squinted his eyes as the hound's silhouette shrunk. After another minute, its large form was gone, replaced by the tiny silhouette of what seemed to be a different creature.
Curious, Lucky approached. Information was key. If he could catch a glimpse of how hounds in this world appear before they die, it might come in handy in the future. But when Lucky came closer, what he saw was nothing like he expected.
There, lying in the same spot where the hound had passed out, was a naked woman. She had dark, long hair, cuts, and bruises all across her body, and a distinct serial number burned on her bruised back.
"Of all the damned creatures you could be, you became a woman?"