…
The metallic aroma of blood lingered in the gruesome butcher's room. Strung up with thick intestines are 12 sinners, repenting for their crimes.
*cough, cough
I look over to my right.
"So what are you in for?" the skeleton asked, making small talk to his fellow inmate.
"Huh?"
"Hell, I mean"
I contemplate the eventful 24 hours i've experienced.
"I think they got the wrong guy" I conclude.
Seriously, that idiot god sent me to the literal deepest layer of hell because of some stupid mistake.
*his bones rattle as the skeleton gesticulates
"Me too, I mean- okay, I did maybe open the gates of hell in my word, but that was an accident, okay! Listen, i'm Jambrot the immortal, greatest user of black magic in the whole kingdom of Ysgurtzrdopatopianland, I should be allowed a few mistakes! Well, anyway I got banished here by an archangel after they caught wind of what happened, talk about unfair, and here I am, being harvested for my bones day in, day out!"
This guy is way too talkative…
…
"The kingdom of what now?"
Also what's this about black magic?
"Ahh, I guess it would have been destroyed by the first layer demons, honestly those freaks in limbo are hysterical. Still you've never heard of the sorcerer kingdom of Ysgurtzrdopatopianland? Or me? I'm the stuff of legends you know!"
I see. I've read enough fantasy manga to understand what's going on here.
"We're from different worlds" I declare
*rattle
His skeletal jaw drops to the floor. He reaches down, picks it up and reattaches it.
"Oh. I see"
"You believe me?"
"Well yes, i've already opened a door to another dimension anyway, for a genius like me it's not too hard to figure out. I actually already know people from another world."
Man, this guy's getting on my nerves.
"You know, i've already surpassed something as primitive as black magic in my world" (a complete lie)
"What! Impossible!"
"Hehehe, that's right, I am Asher Geiger, the Alchemy King. In my world a single bomb can evaporate a country-"
"It can't be!"
"I can transmit information across to the other side of the world-"
"Preposterous!"
"Chariots that drive themselves-"
"Blasphemy!"
"Not to mention, buildings which reign higher than the clouds!"
"I-It's unbelievable… I demand proof!"
"Don't get too cocky now bonehead, or i'll have to discipline you with a HOLY BEAM!"
I pull out a torch from my shredded cat pyjamas and shine it in his eyes.
"AHHHH, SPARE ME, OH WISE ONE"
"Heh, guess i'll just let you be my underling then"
'What an unusual wand… and being able to use magic while tied to the intestines of the Magic Crystal Wyrm, anything below Disaster level magic should dissipate- yet he can cast a spell while holding back his holy magic to a non-lethal level. In fact, using holy magic as a demon shouldn't be feasible either! This man, he's in a realm beyond my understanding…' Jambrot thought to himself.
"Yes! It would be my greatest honour to be your disciple, my lordship!"
"H-Holy m-magic…" A vampire in the opposite corner stuttered.
His pale face grows even paler as his eyes widen in horror.
"No! S-stay away f-from me! It burns!"
What the hell is this guys problem. I'm literally hung to a rack like a cut of meat, on the opposite side of the room from him.
"Sorry bout him" A pale-grey ogre with red markings over his body apologised.
"He was quite arrogant when he first came, but after 2 months of butchering… well, even if demons are immortal in hell, they can still go crazy"
"I-It's because he always goes for my wings. Always the g-god damn wings!"
The vampire's two bat-like wings had grown back to half their previous size already.
"He should have pretty high Pain Resistance skill already… could be a psychological thing" The ogre observed.
I was curious at the mention of skills but asking might expose my facade as the Alchemy King.
"Quite obscure isn't it? Using 'skills' ingrained onto your soul rather than magic. I actually made something similar called a homunculus, the culmination of my black magic… In fact, these two are the ones from another word I mentioned! Fascinatingly, it seems most of the residents of their world have this strange constitution which adapts different skills depending on their environment!" Jambrot helpfully exclaims.
"Ah. Yes" I reply.
"Nice to meet you Asher. They call me Clawface"
"Wow, that's even worse than Jambrot"
"Hey!"
"Hahaha, in ogre society we are only named after surviving our first hunt. These scars are from a pack of Blood Hyenas I fought once I became of age"
"Huh? So you were an ogre before coming to hell?"
"Yes… oh you must be like Jambrot then"
"Master! You were a human just like me? Well, I admit I was about to abandon my humanity to become immortal- at last my dream has come true in the deepest layer the underworld…"
"Huh, so how come I have goat legs now?"
"That's what happens when a human goes to hell. Demons like us stay the same though, since this is where our ancestors originated from." the ogre replies.
"I see… so demons originate from hell, but also exist outside in other worlds too, and when a demon dies they return back to hell"
"Sometimes you hear the rare one ascending to heaven, but god's pretty prejudiced against demons, since they're born from sinners after all"
"Anyway as expected of master- for you to be incarnated as a Satyr you must have been a despicable tyrant!"
"Hmm. What's the importance of being a Satyr?" I ask casually.
"Master, a Satyr demon is the same race as Satan, the progenitor of demons!"
"Satan, huh…"
"You should have met him already" The ogre added.
"What? I don't remember-"
Wait- Satyr, goat-features, Satan…
"Don't tell me that freakishly huge goat head was Satan?"
"That's right. Most people who get thrown into the ninth circle are immediately devoured by Satan at the bottom of the Abyss"
"S-scary" The vampire shuddered.
"Ah what a wonderful experience! I could see it; the pinnacle of black magic in that place!" Jambrot proclaimed.
I guess i'd be goat feed by now if Cyclops didn't pick me up. Not that i'm thankful about becoming a renewable resource.
"I simply must go back to observe it! Master, with your power we could easily escape this cave!"
Uh oh…
"R-really? I-Is that true?"
"You're one impressive guy Asher"
"PLEASE TAKE ME WITH YOU" an imp to my left desperately squealed.
The remaining demons continued their ambient groaning, long gone crazy from the frequent butchering.
Well it's not like i'm planning to stay for long either.
"Alright. I, Asher Geiger, the Alchemy King, shall break us out of this devils den!"
"My lord!"
"HURRAH!"
"Y-yes!"
"YAY!"
*bleughhh (ambient groaning)