92 The Show

(Two days later)

- Satan and Moloch -

Moloch was on his knees in front of Satan. Satan's forces stood around them in a circle.

Satan started to taunt Moloch, "You know what I find so disappointing about you?"

Moloch didn't respond. He was afraid to speak.

Satan continued, "You wear your malice on your sleeve. You make it blatantly apparent that you want nothing more than to rule, to torture, to be a paranoid thought in beings' minds. You want but you don't try."

Moloch shakily raised his head and stared at Satan with his one eye. He had expected this. Satan's old mockings were engraved in his mind. He had lost to the demon more than enough to make every word he was hearing feel like deja vu.

Moloch, in a shaky tone, spoke, "Would you prefer I be a greater evil? What do you want? Do you want to be a force for good or a force for evil?"

Satan smiled and leaned down. He grabbed Moloch's horns and moved his eye wrapping up.

Moloch exclaimed, "WHAT ARE YOU?!"

Satan lowered the wrapping and stood back up, bringing Moloch with him. "Satan," He dropped Moloch. "My feelings on "good" vs "evil" are not important. I simply hate wasted talent, and that's what you are. Wasted talent. Wings, magic that grows in strength the longer a battle persists, and the fortune of tricking someone like Baal to keep working with you."

Moloch was shaking his head and body. "Your eyes...your eyes. HIS EYES ARE-"

Satan interrupted Moloch with a kick to the face. "They already know."

Satan motioned to remove Moloch's tongue. One of the demons walked over and cut the tongue out.

"An eye and a tongue," Satan said. "I wish it was on purpose, life lacks poeticism." He sighed.

- Satan, Death, and Kahvis -

Satan, Death, and Kahvis were in the demon's territory. Death came along for safety reasons.

Satan had ordered various curled-horn and four-horned demons to gather their forces into one place. He told them it was about their futures and that they weren't going to be executed. Most had assumed it would be him absorbing Moloch and Baal's forces.

Satan and Kahvis were standing in front of the large force of demons. Death stood behind with Hrom and his scythe ready.

Satan picked his teeth. "I love doing these kinds of things. It's not often a world-class gets to show off these days."

"What if they refuse?" Kahvis asked.

Satan stopped picking his teeth and scowled. "That's like asking me what if they all commit suicide. I guess it's a possibility, just not one worth working around. This is the first step, don't stumble already."

- Satan, Moloch, Kut'thar, Kahvis, Death -

Moloch was dragged out by Kut'thar. Moloch looked broken beyond words. His one eye squirmed more than Kut'thar's. He could barely bring himself to stand.

Kut'thar grabbed the back of Moloch's cloak. "If you want to die, walk. Otherwise, I can take you back to your cell and we can try again later. Much, much later."

Moloch stumbled to his feet. He was still having trouble standing but he did everything he could to keep himself up.

Satan grabbed Moloch from Kut'thar. He flew up and projected hundreds of clones of him and Moloch across the landscape. His voice carried across the entirety of the crowd of demons.

"FEROCIANS, SEVERIANS, THIS IS THE ROOT OF YOUR PROBLEMS!"

Satan spoke quietly to Moloch, "Terrible names. You and the former had no taste."

Satan continued his show. "TO THE FORMER FOLLOWERS OF BAAL, HE IS THE REASON I HELPED DEFEAT YOU. HE HAD THE TEMERITY TO THINK HIMSELF BETTER THAN YOU AND YOUR LORD. HE ALMOST LED YOUR KIND TO DESTRUCTION, EVEN THOUGH HE THINKS LITTLE OF YOU."

Satan started to project images in place of the others. It depicted a conversation between Moloch and Satan.

"Baal is a fool!" the illusory Moloch said. "If we work together we could remove Baal and fully unite the demon races. We could easily kill him."

"I'm not helping you," Illusory Satan responded. "If you want him dead, kill him yourself. I'm not involving myself with your petty issues."

The real Moloch looked up at a smiling Satan. This conversation never happened. He didn't trust Satan enough to risk proposing an alliance. Even if he did he would never mention killing Baal. What he was seeing was the exact reason for that.

The outrage from the demons below shook the ground.

"TORTURE HIM! NEVER LET HIM DIE! THROW HIM TO US SO WE CAN GET REVENGE!" the demons below shouted.

Satan whistled. "This is what you wasted. Look how easy they are to sway. Look how quickly they accept these illusions."

Satan replaced the illusions with him and Moloch once more. "NOW YOU KNOW WHO TO HATE! YOU WERE TRICKED INTO A WAR BY A LORD THAT THINKS NOTHING OF YOU!"

"Tht ws yu!" Moloch tried to yell.

Satan lifted Moloch up. "What was that? Couldn't hear you. You want me to drop you?"

Moloch's eyes widened as he stared at the ground. He violently shook his head no. He knew that if he fell to the demons below he would be ripped apart. They would keep him alive with healing magic as they tore at his limbs and flesh. He knew this because it was what he taught.

Satan patted Moloch's head. "Now now, stay still. You'll get your end soon enough."

Satan's illusions continued their shouting. Everything said was just furthering the demon's outrage.

Kahvis walked up to Death and looked up at the illusions. "I am truly sorry for the loss of your Grim so you know."

Death gave a befuddled stare to Kahvis. "Why are you bringing this up now?"

As Kahvis looked up at Satan's illusions they couldn't help but think about the battle that preceded this. They thought about Death fighting Baal's army on his own. They thought about Lucifer assisting them with the fight against Moloch's commanders. They were overconfident coming into this war and had gotten lucky with the help they received.

Kahvis took a breath and spoke in a grateful tone, "I owe you far more than I think I'll ever be able to repay. You, Lucifer, even Satan. My actions took people from you...and yet you helped me. I'm sorry for calling you passive and complacent."

Death shook his head. "Don't let a couple of ancients showing off shake you. You have a long road ahead of you."

Back in the sky, Satan was speaking to Moloch. "Let's finish the show shall we?"

Satan's illusions changed from provocations to more formal speech. "You are without lords now. You need a new ruler, one, not two. You need a new lord that won't lead you to destruction. That lord...isn't me. In fact, it isn't a demon at all!"

The demons below were confused. Some thought Satan was referring to Death. Others thought it was Lucifer. None could guess who Satan was actually about to recommend.

"I VOUCH FOR THE UNKNOWN, KAHVIS!" The illusions shouted.

The demons' confusion grew louder. None could understand why Satan would suggest such a thing. None wanted to argue but none wanted to agree either.

"THEY HAVE MY BACKING AS THE ONE TRUE DEMON LORD!" the illusions shouted. "IF YOU AGREE TO THIS YOUR KIND WILL BE PROSPEROUS. IF NOT, YOU MIGHT AS WELL GIVE ME YOUR HEADS NOW!"

Satan chuckled. "It really is a shame that you have to throw in the occasional threat. Demons will be demons I guess."

"THE UNKNOWN SPARED YOUR KIND FROM THEIRS!" the illusions continued. "THEY DIDN'T CONTINUE A BATTLE THAT SURELY WOULD HAVE LED TO THE SLAUGHTER OF YOU ALL! WHAT YOU NEED IS NOT SOME POWER-HUNGRY DEMON LORD THAT WILL LEAD YOU TO EXTERMINATION BUT A LEADER WITH REAL AMBITION! TRUE AMBITION!"

"THE UNKNOWN CONVINCED A RIDER TO HELP THEM! THEY WON MY ADMIRATION! THEY LED AN ARMY OF HUMANS TO AN OVERWHELMING VICTORY AGAINST A FORCE FAR STRONGER THAN THEIR OWN!"

With each new sentence, the demons below would slowly shift from confusion to agreement. They bought into Satan's words.

"I heard the unknown has every affinity," Voices below said.

"They convinced the passive Rider to join them in battle!" more voices exclaimed.

"If they won against us with humans, imagine what they could do with our strength!" other voices added.

Satan's smile grew wider. "I'll just add some voices of my own to their mumbling. Better safe than sorry."

Death looked up at Satan.

(Past)

Satan and Death were in Hell. The two were standing on top of one of Hell's walls.

"The humans had another war," Death said.

"Hmm," Satan responded.

"I just wanted to make sure things were okay on your end," Death said.

Satan's tone was quiet, "Could just call..."

Death looked at Satan with worry. "Things will change. I promise."

Satan scowled. "Your promises are worthless. You wanted to check up on me, here I am. I'm fine, so please leave."

Death stared at the ground below. "I heard Arryx-"

"LEAVE!" Satan turned and shouted.

"I-" Death was interrupted.

Satan waved his hand out to the horizon. A mass of illusory corpses stretched out across the land. He waved his other hand and the top of the wall filled with the illusory corpses of Hellspawn demons.

Satan's mouth twisted in anger. "You want to ignore these bodies? Fine. You want to pretend as if we live in a better time? Fine. But don't you dare act like we're friends. You're an executioner, I'm a warden, and sometimes those paths cross, NOTHING MORE!"

Satan brought his hands together and faded the illusions. "Go back to Purgatory. If you need anything, CALL me." He flew off.

(Present)

The demons were shouting "KAHVIS!" over and over again. They had fully accepted their new unknown lord.

Satan was laughing to himself as he held Moloch. He turned his head slightly towards Death.

'I never would have expected you to agree to this. Maybe you're more tired than you let on? Maybe you've given up? Regardless, things will change now. For better or for worse, things will finally change.'

- Satan and Kahvis -

(During the past two days)

Satan and Kahvis were discussing things in a hut.

Satan frowned. "Can we please play a game while we discuss? These conversations are so boring otherwise."

Kahvis sighed. "You asked me here, so no."

Satan groaned. "Fine, I'll make this quick then. What were you planning on doing with the two demon territories after winning?"

"I was going to recruit some of them and let the rest sort the territories," Kahvis said.

Satan tilted his head. "Really? That's such a waste. I have a better idea."

Kahvis gave a distrustful stare. "Why do all this for me"

Satan smiled. "If needing a reason is a deal-breaker then I can just leave."

Kahvis shook their head. They wouldn't turn away Satan's help, even if they didn't trust him.