The Below.
The land of the dead, an awful, hellish space occupied by fire, ash and brimstone. That is the Below.
The living are barred from entry on most occasions, but there are some exceptions to the rule. Fore example, the warrior Inferno, assigned Guardian of the Below. Despite how powerful his position is, he is far from happy in his current state, after Hyperriox's last visit to the home of the deceased.
Due to his machinations, a dead man had escaped from the Below, and Lydia, the one in charge of the Below was anything but amused. Inferno was now tasked with guarding the entrance of the hellish realm, under constant supervision by Grimm, Lydia's husband and second-in-command.
The unfortunate guardian was bored out of his mind.
"This is so unfair!" Inferno complained. "Why am I being punished for something Riox did!?"
"Please stop talking. This is the 60th time this week you've complained about this." Grimm said, his raspy voice echoing through the fiery red caves. He was wearing a dark purple cloak covering his entire body except his mouth and jaw, and his right hand which he was holding a scythe with. His expression was unreadable.
"This is all your fault, pasty!" Inferno jabbed his finger at Grimm's chest. "If only you hadn't brought me here on that accursed day... And that Geowar! It's also his fault I'm here!"
"Have you ever considered it's actually your fault?"
"Preposterous. I'm perfect in every way." Inferno brushed Grimm off, as the lanky man rolled his eyes. "Boy, when I get out of here, you'll all regret the day you crossed me!"
"Right." Grimm said, and the two men sat in silence.
This was the average day in the Below since Riox's arrival and subsequent departure. Of course, at the end of each day, Lydia would hold an 'evaluation' of the day.
"Still sulking, fire boy?" Lydia chuckled at Inferno, while the man crossed his arms.
"Stop it, Lydia. That is very immature." Grimm scolded her.
"Oh, you're just no fun." Lydia brushed him off. "Now, go to bed kid. Chop chop."
"Mock me at your peril, Lady Death. You will see. You'll all see!" Inferno threatened, pointing his index finger at the couple. Grimm, unreadable as always, didn't even gesture at him. Lydia, on the other hand, laughed at his outburst. Inferno grimaced, turned around and stomped away, mumbling something about revenge.
As Inferno approached the space he called home, he was deep in thought. The same subject that plagued his mind for months was resurfacing again, as if on cue.
Escape.
"Y'know what?" He thought out loud, "I'm just about done taking orders from dumb and dumber."
The vengeful Guardian punched his closed fist into his open palm.
"Tomorrow, I'll do it! I'll get out of here for good!"
______________________________________________________________________
Tomorrow came and Inferno was in his usual post with Grimm.
Grimm was as dull and unreadable as always. Inferno was ecstatic.
"You seem happy for once, Inferno." Grimm commented.
"Well, my friend, last time I came to a very important realization." Inferno said.
"And what may that be?" Grimm asked, not turning his gaze to look at Inferno.
"Why don't you turn around so i can show ya, buddy?" Inferno grinned.
Grimm slowly turned around to face the masked man. The two locked eyes and suddenly, Inferno punched Grimm straight in the face with his strongest blow, sending him flying!
Grimm did a flip in the air and landed on his feet, then, using his scythe, channeled a concentrated shadowflame blast directly at Inferno's face. Inferno deflected with a swift swing of his sword, then punched two fireballs towards Grimm, who rolled out of the way of.
"You've held me back for long enough!" Inferno roared. "I'm getting out of here!"
He started running up the stairs towards the Below's Matter Transporter, but his plans were foiled when another shadowflame blast knocked the key away from the machine.
"Bastard!" Inferno exclaimed, and jumped at Grimm from the high ground the staircase provided. Grimm raised his scythe to protect his head, but instead of landing on him, Inferno landed in front of him, stabbing the ground with his sword.
From the hole on the ground, Inferno created a fire tornado, blinding and knocking Grimm aside.
"I'm the hero the world needs! Why can't you understand that?!" Inferno yelled.
"You don't know what your talking about. Stand down." Grimm calmly said.
"You're funny, pasty." Inferno mocked, and started running towards the key.
Grimm gave chase in response.
The two men covered the distance between them and the key while shooting various projectiles at each other.
The faint glow of the crimson key of the Below led the two men at the border separating Limbo from the rest of the Below.
They clashed blades above the key, and were now in a standoff.
"Back off pops!" Inferno got up in Grimm's face. Grimm said nothing, instead, he kicked Inferno's stomach, grabbed the key and tossed it through the border.
"NnoooooOOO! You clown!" Inferno yelled.
"Don't cross the border, Inferno. The demons will tear you apart." Grimm warned.
"You..." Inferno was at a loss for words. "I'll..." Before he could add anything, Grimm grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him aside.
"We're going back. Your little outburst is over." Grimm announced,and started dragging Inferno away.
Will all hope lost, Inferno pondered what was next. Surely after this, he'd be punished for good.
But then, he got an idea.
"NO!" He yelled, and with a powerful punch, he knocked Grimm through the border, altering a nearby pack of demons.
"I won't be held prisoner any longer!" Inferno announced, then started running towards the key.
The faint red glow had attracted the attention of another pack of demons, which Inferno would have to fight. Before he could get even close though, Grimm grabbed him by the ankle and slammed him on the ground.
"Stop." He stated.
"Fuck you!" Inferno yelled and kicked his jaw, breaking free of his clutches.
Inferno was pissed, and the demons noticed, making way for him to pass to the key, which he quickly got ahold of.
"No!" Grimm yelled, and swung his scythe around himself, knocking some demons aside in the process, and shooting a blast at Inferno's back.
"What are you losers looking at?!" Inferno yelled at the flustered demons. "Fight him back! He's attacking you!"
One big demon decided to take the first step and tried to tackle Grimm. He was no match, but his first move made the others also attack Grimm.
Soon enough, Grimm was overwhelmed, and collapsed under the weight of 20 or so demons.
"I figured you out, pasty!" Inferno gloated. "I knew I couldn't beat you on my own, so I got some help! Ta-ta, Grim Reaper!"
Inferno clutched the red key in his hand and ran away laughing like a maniac. The moment he reached the staircase, Lydia appeared flying towards him from behind, tossing shadowflame balls at him. Inferno punched a multitude of fireballs towards her, but she swerved out of the way.
"Hold it, Inferno!" She yelled. "You're going nowhere!"
"Shuddup, you crazy witch! I'm getting out of here!" Inferno yelled, and swung his sword with enough force to create a furry afterimage, which Lydia couldn't dodge, making her crash-land on the stairs, just as he reached the top.
Inferno started frantically running around the Matter Transporter, inserting the red key and pressing various buttons.
Lydia made it to the top of the stairs, forcing Inferno ot get the key out and start running around again. She jumped on top of him, trying to wrestle the key away. Inferno put up some good resistance, much too Lydia's annoyance.
"I didn't want it to come to this Inferno, I really didn't..." She tried to say, while reading a touch of death.
"Should've thought of that before trapping me in hell!" Inferno said, and kicked her off off and behind him. Lydia fell off the platform and to the ground below with a thud and an awful crack.
"Sorry not sorry, lady!" Inferno cackled.
He put the key in again and headed through the machine, but not before laying his eyes upon Grimm and Lydia trying to chase after him.
Once out, in the basement of the Sowei City castle, Inferno took out the key from the socket, and dumped it in a garbage bin nearby.
"Okay Inferno, this is it." He monologued. "Now, when I get my hands on that Geowar shmuck, he'll pay for what he did to me! I'll show him who the real hero is!"
Inferno then torched the beautiful mahogany door of the castle and ran away into the night, to plot his next move.
One thing and one thing only occupied his mind; Revenge, against those he believed had wronged him.