Assassination Through the Netherworld

A Storm racked across the barren lands of the netherworld, the wake of a disaster.

Gargantuan hurricanes encompassed red devilish flames and black extinguishing flames in this region, far away from the city, creatures roamed the land and either perished or ran this relentless onslaught of flames.

Two figures crashed into one another heavily, producing shocks that travelled through the vast lands.

A halberd against a broadsword, two demonesses.

Jezebel's purple skin peeled to give way to a caucasian beauty with clear eyes, two big red pointy horns and two devilish wings, her entire attire changed into one that represented her regal self, but by now, her countenance had thoroughly changed.

It is clearer than ever, that she resembles a human with horns and wings, her black flames protectively encroached her seductive body, but even then, the crimson flame relentlessly burnt her bypassing her flames slightly.

She's now certain of her inability to bring defeat upon the Duchess but the latter also can't prevent her from escaping if she wishes.

The two of them have clashed, but her flames hadn't reached her even once, she's too fast and nimble, whereas her battered skin showed that she had been burned more than once with her limbs exploding repeatedly.

She considered fleeing, but what about this demoness, what would she do to her master?

"What are your intentions with him?" Jezebel inquired and caught a breath when the two of them landed heavily on the krater they had conceived.

"You're giving up?~" The red-skinned demoness noted her counterpart's intentions of negotiating, she planted her halberd on the ground creating an expanse of red flames and asked with a clear mock.

"..." Jezebel grit her teeth harshly and eventually the demoness shrugged amusingly.

"I don't have any ill intentions with him, in fact, I'm his supporter~"

"Then-" Those were good news for her even if just slightly, but the duchess' amused visage changed and turned into sternness and poison.

"But... that doesn't change the fact that I must punish you for what you have done, my things no one should touch."

'I can't trust her words... but there is nothing I can do either, those three hadn't met her which means that she doesn't intend to involve herself directly.' Jezebel's rage welled up.

"You're going to keep saying that... how do you even know him!?" That possessiveness in her tonality, pissed her off so much, even if she's a duchess, she's not qualified to claim him!

'Sorry, Master... I'm not strong enough to protect your honour...' She

"That's not something you need to know, I could be asking you the same question... wait a moment... t-that's impossible." The Duchess gaped as possibilities ran over her head

"..."

Jezebel knew she had to shut her up for good!

"I want to kill you just as much!" She flashed and flapped her wings, readying her broadsword.

"Then let's slaughter each other! as I expected, we're both sinning women!" The Duchess rejoiced, for millions of years, her 'hunch' hadn't been wrong!

*BAAANGGG!!*

**

**

"W-What is going on?" The demon dropped whatever he was smoking utterly awestruck, he's the one that mercilessly intended to scam those 'protectors' Andrea had brought.

But so far things aren't going according to his plan.

The moment the bear was released from its cell, Fayette prepared to face it, and the bear ran towards them!

But then it stopped in front of Vera and started to lick the girl's face.

"Eh?" The vendor only mirrored Valentine, Fayette and the demoness Andrea's reaction, what is this?

The demons were obviously more astounded, these are violent creatures that even common demons fear, why is this unfurry thingy so... cute?

"I think it likes me." Vera smiled softly and held the bear's head, she also felt comfortable with this bear, it's as if SHE is a combination between a bear and a tree... several branches released from her body.

'Maybe because she's a tree now?' the pair deduced, not very knowledgable with all these fantastic boundaries, but... one plus one is two, right? logic is telling them so.

"Unbelievable..."

"Do you want to put the collar in it?" The demon held the collar and asked with disbelief, perhaps it doesn't even need a collar.

"IT'S SHE! and no, I don't want her to have any collar, you will hear my words, right~?" Vera asked the bear who only proceeded to crash her head softly against her belly as if reassured.

Perhaps reassured that her new owner is this person rather than anyone else.

"Stop stop!" Vera giggled slanting a smile out of her two companions, guess with this they have their transportation and a companion, although Valentine had his apprehensions regarding leaving it collarless, he decided to do as Vera said in the end, she has her sense, might as well give it a chance... but...

His gaze moved to the other unfriendly bear, there is no way this one is hanging around with them without a collar, its mere look would petrify anyone as the magma spewed from its mouth and even now Valentine didn't know if he could defeat it, but truth be told, it looks weaker than a Demon Soldier.

He based all of his encounters with Bellcroft as the standard, until he met anyone or anything stronger.

"You're not going to treat me like that, will you?"He snickered and prepared his knives, he knew the answer even if the creature couldn't talk.

*GROWWWWLLLLL!!*

*BAAANGG!!*

It's a NO.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Fayette's lips quivered, she's worried, a part of him wanted Valentine to get beaten as repayment from before, but against this bear... he wouldn't get beaten, he'd get destroyed.

"Do I have a choice?" The man moved his arm back and forth, stretching, this wouldn't be an easy fight.

"We could just use Vera's bear... you don't need to get this one too." She tried to advise him once more from this madness, the man just said that if things went out of control they could hardly contain the bear.

This is likely the reason why no one has bought it, the man just decided to trust Vera in the 'protectors' argument given by Andrea, he believed they could make this Callisto magma bear submit.

"But we won't get a chance like this again, Faye. The fact that we have a collar reassures me as well."

"Can't we make it submit between the two of us?" She sighed and gave him the last option, but the bastard is stubborn.

"Let me try first, I want to test myself against this bear." He laughed at her intent of having him back off.

"Men... just say that from the beginning."

...

"Are you ready? once it is released, you're on your own..."

The man asked just to confirm, if the bear went berserk they could still lock it within this arena, but then... they'd lose the arena until a demon soldier came to put it back in the cell and who knows how much money that would cost, he's trusting this brat will manage, so far he's been surprised by Vera's prowess.

There is no way a Callisto bear will like a common human, hence, he believes that bear somehow sensed an unparalleled threat from the girl from afar and therefore, submitted.

His fear against Vera was at an all-time high and his subordinates didn't dare do so much as to step in front of her.

"Do it!" Valentine gripped his daggers harshly and his foot steadied on the sand.

The demons opened the lock of the gate and ran away like a headless chicken away from this magma bear.

*BAAANGG!!*

*GRROWWWLLL!!!*

The little bear didn't need an invitation, it immediately blasted through the gates with a crescendo while Fayette, Vera and her bear moved away from the high-likely onslaught.

But the magma bear didn't place the 'weakling' Valentine in its eyes... he instead regarded the other bear and growled, getting an immediate response as Vera had to restrain her bear from charging forward, this 'lady' doesn't know fear.

"HEY! YOUR OPPONENT IS ME!"

Did this little pussy just ignore him!?

An outraged bringer of euthanasia ran, knife in hand slide down, evading the bear's slow swipe.

*BOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMm!!!!---------

!!!

The audience gaped in wonder when the seemingly slow paw of the bear destroyed a big region of the ground behind him.

Valentine was too focused to even pay attention to the result of the paw that would have surely obliterated his life.

*SLASH!*

He tried to horntail first and as expected, it didn't do shit, thankfully, it didn't break either, the entire hit felt as if he had hit a metal plate.

He came out through the other side after getting a good sight of the bear and grinning in annoyance, his next step was to utilize the global weakness males have, their nuts, but... turns out this bear doesn't have nuts!

'What else can I do?' He slashed the back of the bear that was in the process of turning around, this time with the ruby knife and evaded the round swipe that the bear executed.

'The horntail doesn't go through its skin, but the ruby knife does... still, are you for real? lava is its blood?!' 

Valentine smirked at the groans of the beast, this knife worked... but just briefly, this battle is a deadlock, the bear is too slow to damage him but he also doesn't have the strength to produce substantial damage to it, have it submit? easier said than done, but he has a plan.

*WOOOSH!!* 

The bear wouldn't just stop, now that this pathetic human wounded it, it's more than determined to cause slaughter.

*BAANGG!!*

*SLASH!!*

Vera was a little hectic as the entire battle took place, she saw how a single one of those strikes could literally obliterate them and even the other bear behind her got a little frightful.

"Don't worry, He's got it." Fayette waved her hand in measurement, but the woman had been worried a second ago when she saw that cloud of dust and the smoke from the magma, but... once again Valentine looks relaxed.

"Really?" Andrea asked from the back with concern and as a response, felt two piercing gazes more threatening than the bear itself hit her full force...

"Don't even think about it..."

"..."

...

*WHOOSH!!*

"Ufff... that was close."

He cleaned the sweat from his forehead, now the bear is filled with wounds but he doesn't intend to carry on with this method, they need the bears to be optional right away as they're going to be leaving this city, he can't just crawl up to its head and take an eye...

After a few more slashes, he accomplished his objective and the bear was about to stand up in its two feet intending to crash down heavily with its two frontal paws and crush Valentine.

"Throw me the collar, now!"

"Here!" Vera threw hers in his direction and he caught it up just as the bear stood up in its too feet and growled with magma flowing through its rough skin.

He ran towards it and slashed forth one of the legs!!

*GROWLL!!*

After doing so, he retreated and pushed forward with white flames in his eyes and all the strength he could muster!

"HAAAAA!!!!"

*BAAAAAANGGGGGG!!!!*

*GROAALL!!*

Having lots its balance and with a wounded leg, the bear fell on its back heavily, falling atop the magma that flowed through its wounds, pained.

Valentine took this chance and crawled on top of it, with the bear stunned, he placed the collar around its neck but just as he did so, he felt the collar draw a thorn and pinch his hand lightly..

!!!

As if a bloody contract was formed a shadow haze filled it for a moment and then, nothing...

The bear calmed down and he too fell tired, jumping away from it as the magma around it increased.

"Ufff... from fighting terrorists to fighting magma bears." He sighed and slumped on his back, utterly tired and hot, that damned bear is just too hot, he wondered if will even be able to sit on its back and ride it.

*GROWL* 

As Vera and Fayette approached, they stopped when they saw the magma bear struggle on its four feet and walk slowly towards Valentine, immediately Fayette wanted to do something but Vera stopped her, having her recall the collar.

As expected, the bear just slumped down beside Valentine and stayed quiet in there, as if it was just laying low beside its new master, the shiny lava started to gain a milder tonality...

'It's sleeping!?'

"Hey! You can't sleep now, we have to go!"

"..."

The bear groaned slightly and didn't do as its master said... instead, it got into a more comfortable position, took Valentine with its paws and pressed him against its skin!

'What the hell!?' He felt the warm skin of the bear not as rugged as before as if the magma had receded but still, what the hell!?

"I think it likes you!" The three girls approached with the demoness showing a fearful expression even though the battle had already finished as if she just witnessed the devil up-front, quite ironic considering she's a demoness.

"Oh, really? If you don't tell me, I won't notice..." Valentine groaned as the bear snored with glittery colours, this damned beast is clearly asleep...

"Feel not aggrieved, for another lady has entered your life~" Vera followed along with her joke and patted the now calmed bear that was visually regenerating its wounds, the contrast between the two is simply ridiculous.

"Ha?" He doesn't know what she's talking about.

"It's a female, not a male... it doesn't have balls remember?" Fayette pointed at HER with an annoyed expression, this bastard is so lucky that it pisses her off.

"So that's where you were looking all along..." He smirked and evaded a slap that was coming towards his head, the beauty lunged at him with irritation.

"Damn you, I'm serious, it's a female I know it!"

"But you said it's a male?" Valentine addressed the coming vendor who regarded him with pure fear, to think that a protector managed to conquer this beast.

"This thing was dangerous even when it was small, do you think I'm a big enough fetishist to risk my life just to look at its balls?! we just assumed it is male!" He yelled with his subordinates nodding repeatedly.

*Sigh*

"Yeah yeah, I don't know if it's male or female but it doesn't matter, I hope is male though, I already got enough psychopaths in here..."

"Care to repeat that?"

"No, I wouldn't dare repeat it~"

"Say that again! I dare you!"