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With Bare-Bones

Dying isn't the best, so why not make the most of it? Even if all you have is the Bare-Bones to keep moving forward.

grandsetter · Anime und Comics
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95 Chs

Fancy a little Hell?

[Word Count: 2833]

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"Man," Leo sighed, his hand instinctively rubbing his growling stomach. "I should've packed some supplies. Who knew finding a primal devil would be this hard."

Seated cross-legged amidst the gruesome aftermath, Leo surveyed the blood-soaked landscape before him. The once serene grassy plains now bore the marks of a relentless battle, scattered with the mangled corpses of fallen devils.

It had been three arduous weeks since Leo had been damned, and the journey had been far from pleasant. Surviving solely on the flesh of devils, the meat was questionable at best, but it kept him physically nourished. Mentally, however, the toll was becoming increasingly apparent.

At this time, Leo had yet to catch even a glimpse of a Primal Devil, instead finding himself locked in deadly encounters with various lesser devils who sensed his presence and sought him out relentlessly. Unarmed and ill-prepared, Leo had resorted to using the Glass Devil and improvised weapons-ripped limbs torn from defeated devils-to survive. The result: hell had become an even bloodier and more violent place.

Yawning, Leo rose from the ground, his weariness evident in his movements. He scanned the desolate surroundings, a nagging feeling of being watched gnawing at him from the shadows.

"Something has been watching me since I got here," Leo pondered silently, his eyes drawn to the ominous doors that comprised the sky of this hellish realm. He stretched his limbs, eliciting satisfying cracks and pops.

"If it's a test they're doing, it's beginning to get old," Leo muttered to himself, his frustration evident in his voice. Determined to face yet another day in this relentless struggle, he picked up a large bone from the ground, gripping it firmly as a makeshift weapon.

In the distance, three quadruped devils-Zebra, Horse, and Giraffe-charged toward Leo, their mouths drooling with hunger and aggression.

With an annoyed sigh, Leo calmly began walking toward the charging devils, his gaze steady and his resolve unwavering.

"Another day, another devil,"

.

.

.

.

.

.

Lying atop the grassy field, Leo gazed up at the unchanging doors that loomed above him, his body weakened and his breathing labored. He struggled to suppress a cough, the sound echoing in the desolate expanse.

As he lay there, the cacophony of slimy movements grew louder, each plop against the ground signaling the approach of something ominous.

Ribbit.

A solitary croak pierced the air, and in an instant, Leo found himself lying flat on his back, disoriented and disconcerted.

Pushing himself up onto his elbows, Leo surveyed his surroundings, his heart pounding in his chest. His gaze fell upon his own fragmented body-severed in half-his lower half a distance away and his organs spilling out. Despite the grotesque sight before him, Leo remained strangely lucid, bringing his hand up to his mouth to suppress another cough, only to cough up blood into his trembling hand.

His attention was then drawn to the source of the slimy crawling. Before him stood a grotesque amalgamation of limbs, masquerading as a doctor with a nurse's cap precariously perched atop its misshapen head. As it approached, reaching out to touch Leo's mangled torso, a surge of defiance coursed through him. With a swift backhand, Leo struck the abomination, sending it tumbling away with a sickening plop as blood oozed from its injured face.

Ribbit.

Turning his gaze, Leo beheld a nightmarish scene unfolding behind him-a carpet of crimson stretched out before him, each droplet of blood a testament to the sacrifice of astronauts. The astronauts were frozen in a haunting pose as if locked in prayer or submission, their gazes fixed upon their own feet. At the other end of the macabre carpet stood a chilling entity-an embodiment of horror and despair.

The Devil before him was a grotesque fusion of emaciated human bodies. Two bodies served as its legs, while four others formed its torso, each bearing a distinct visage. The first face, positioned immediately below the neck, had no eyes or nose, only a vertical mouth that seemed to devour the darkness. The second face had open eyes and a stitched mouth, locked in a perpetual expression of anguish. The third face lacked a nose, its open mouth revealing a grimace of torment, while the final face bore no eyes and a solemn countenance. Crowning this abomination was a head reminiscent of a pterodactyl, adorned with curved horns. One of the outstretched arms of the first body held what appeared to be a cape woven from the very essence of darkness.

The Darkness Devil.

".̶̨̱̮̟̠̼̮͇̫̫͙͙͉̠͓͚̍̎̅͒̽̎̈̃̅̅͊͆̑͘̕.̷̧̯̱̰̩̱̻̱̘͉̻̮͇̻̤̔̓̓̊͂̎̀͐͑͒̽̀̓͑͋͠ͅ.̴̳̫̣͙̮͕̥̬͓̘̝͙̙̬̼̙͒̾̓̋̇̊̽̈́̆͂̃͝͝͝͝.̴̨̢̛̪̠̝͉̘̞͙̘̱͕̗͖͇͗̆̀̂͋̈́̀̓́̑̋̿͐̌͝͠.̶̡̡̧̣̘̘͚̜̻̫͈̤̹͓̽̍̒̏͗̈́̇̃̽̅̇̈́̔͐͋̚͜.̸̨̛̳̻͍͍͖͈͚̬̟̯͕̥͖̮̓̌̏̃͑̇̓̊̄̓͗̓̀͂͠.̶̡̛̛̤͓̱̬͖̳͔̬̳̗̗̫̩͍̾̾̔̒͊̒͌̾́̉̅̃͠.̷̧̳̲̝̖͓̲̹̻͖͎̭̯̻͒̋͗̅̈́̌̏̌͛́̉̅̽̆̕ͅ.̴̢̡̧̛̘̯̫̹͔̦̼̫͓̙͇͗͆̓̿̓̎́̋͑͆̇͑͌̕̕͜͜ͅ.̷̨̢͉͉̠̺͎̻̠͉̤͓͇̪̼̱͆̀̈̿̿͗̇̈̓̀̏͋̀͑̚̚͘ ̴̝͓̟͍͎̬̙̬͙̝͖̜̼̱̋̑̇̽̈͛̽̄̃͛̐̃̇͐̌͠ͅb̶̡̛̖̖̗̞͓̜͈͕͎̦̖̖͙͑͑͛̉̿͗̀̇̈́͂͒̍̈́͊͘̚͜ɘ̴̢͉̲̹̤̜̹̜̬̭͎̗̻̞̘͊͋̿̈̀̐͋̆̾̔̓͊̕͘͘̚͝v̷̢̢̡̡͍͕̬̻̬̻̦̪̭̬̈̽̃̃̀͑͐̃͂̊̽͊̊̈́̋͜͠i̸̧̡̛͙̭̘̮̬̤̯̯̪̭̦̬̪̿̏͂̌̅̾͊̓̏̀͗͛̕̕͜͝͠ͅļ̸̺̹̙̠̭̩̱̲̲̲̜̺̹̤̠͍̽̋͒́͐̈́̈̀͌͒̀͆̔̓̂͝"

Leo's vision blurred, his gaze growing increasingly hazy as his body continued to lose blood. Struggling to maintain focus, he locked eyes with the Darkness Devil, summoning every ounce of defiance within him.

"⬜⬜⬜ Devil is busy," Leo rasped, his words muffled and disjointed. "It'll take a message."

The Darkness Devil made no discernible reaction to Leo's declaration. Instead, its attention shifted to the injured devil that Leo had previously struck away. Suspended in mid-air above it, a myriad of surgical tools floated, diligently working to repair the damage inflicted by Leo.

Summoning his remaining strength, Leo propped himself up, his body trembling with the effort. Slowly, the Devil he had struck began to inch closer, its twisted form propelling itself towards Leo with an eerie determination.

"Human," the Healthcare Devil called out, its voice laced with a mix of malicious glee and sinister intent. "I am the Healthcare Devil. Make a contract with me. In exchange for saving your life, give me your body."

The Health Care Devil's laughter echoed through the air, an unsettling symphony of derision as it drew nearer to Leo's weakened form.

"Go..." Leo coughed out, his voice strained. "Fuck yourself."

Without warning, Leo slammed the Health Care Devil's head forcefully against the ground, an act of defiance fueled by his dwindling strength. He maintained his grip on the Devil's head, exerting pressure and causing it to emit a pained cry.

"AGGHHH!" the Health Care Devil howled in pain and fury

Using his other hand, Leo snapped his fingers.

SNAP!

A sharp and resounding sound that echoed through the blood-soaked field. In an instant, the scattered droplets of blood ignited, the flames spreading rapidly and consuming the grassy terrain.

The fire danced with an eerie intensity, devouring the grotesque remnants of the battlefield and casting flickering shadows upon the writhing forms of the devil and humans alike. The inferno raged, a testament to Leo's refusal to yield, an embodiment of his determination to overcome the horrors of hell.

As the flames engulfed their surroundings, the crackling of the fire drowned out all other sounds. Leo remained locked in a fierce struggle, his grip unwavering on the Health Care Devil's head. The devil's agonized screams mingled with the roar of the inferno, creating a chaotic symphony of pain and destruction.

The intense heat licked at Leo's skin, but he refused to relent. With every passing moment, his resolve burned brighter than the flames that consumed them

Amid the chaos, the Darkness Devil observed the scene, its eyes gleaming with an eerie satisfaction. It seemed to revel in the destruction unfolding before it, relishing in the clash between human and devil.

Leo, fueled by a desperate determination to survive, exerted all his remaining strength. With one final burst of effort, he released his grip on the Health Care Devil's head and pushed himself away, rolling to the side as the devil writhed in agony.

Coughing and gasping for air, Leo fell back on his back, his body weak and battered. The flames cast an ethereal glow upon him, illuminating the resilience etched on his face.

From within the billowing smoke, a chilling sound of clapping resonated. Gradually, a figure emerged-a grotesque manifestation of fire and ash. The Fire Devil materialized, its sinister smile cutting through the darkness. Unlike the Darkness Devil, this entity took on a more humanoid form. Its skeletal frame was surrounded by flickering flames, its charred skin contrasting with the permanent gray hue of ash that coated it. With each clap of its hands, sparks burst forth, adding to the inferno that raged around them.

The Fire Devil.

As the Fire Devil emerged from the smoke, its eerie presence filled the air. It moved with an unnatural grace, its charred skin crackling with flickering flames that danced along its skeletal frame. Its eyes glowed with an intense inferno, reflecting the depths of its burning malevolence.

"W̷̨͓̖̪̬̜̦̣̪͇̻̲̑̏̌̎̑͂̉̂̀̓͝͝ơ̴̡̧̨̯͙̺͎̠̬̻͇̫̆͊͑̋́̾̓̈̄͝n̴̨̡̧̜̝̬͙̝̠̜͇͗͌̊͋̔͊̿̅̇̕̕͠b̵̢̢͈͎̼̥̤͕̘̖̙̳̈̐̑͑̑̍̈́͊̐̋͋͋ɘ̶̛͙̫̳̠͖̫̘̜̞̹͖͛̓̀̋̈́̇̌̂͋̆͝ͅɿ̸̡̨̣͙͚̫̪̖̠̠̭̮̓̋͐͗͋͗́͊͋͑̚ʇ̶̧̧̛̻͇̥̭̜̟̜̭̥͛̈́̀̈́̋͒̂͋̕͝͠ͅυ̷̛̘̞̣̪̻̺̪̺͖̫̂̓̔͌̌́͛̿̃̐̕͜͜l̴̢̧͓̰͓̬̞͖̠̠͂̐̒̊̃͗̀͆̿͊̕͝ͅ," it said without opening its mouth.

The Fire Devil's flaming form drew closer, its intense heat radiating toward Leo as it crouched before him. Its fiery hand hovered near his upper half, the searing touch leaving a faint mark on Leo's skin. With its stumped hand pressed against Leo's chest, the Fire Devil's burning gaze bore into him.

"You possess something that belongs to me," the Fire Devil spoke with a formal tone, its voice resonating with crackling intensity.

Leo blinked once, finding himself abruptly back in the dark room. He lay on the ground, staring up at the impenetrable darkness above him.

"HAHAHA," the ⬜⬜⬜ Devil laughed, its voice reverberating through the space. "Fire, my old friend. It has indeed been quite a while."

The Fire Devil positioned itself a distance away, settling down on the dark ground with a composed demeanor.

"Indeed," the Fire Devil responded a hint of nostalgia in its voice. "Far too long."

Engaging in their own conversation, the ⬜⬜⬜ Devil and the Fire Devil exchanged words like old companions, occasionally erupting in shared laughter. Leo remained lying on the ground, his gaze fixed on the dark ceiling, his expression displaying boredom and a slight pursing of his lips.

Soon, a familiar pterodactyl head emerged from the dark wall, capturing everyone's attention.

"Ah, Darkness," the ⬜⬜⬜ Devil greeted, a hint of amusement in its voice. "How delightful of you to join us."

"Mhmm," the Darkness Devil hummed, briefly acknowledging Leo before fixing its gaze on the ⬜⬜⬜ Devil's face on the wall.

The conversation between the ⬜⬜⬜ Devil and the Darkness Devil took on a different tone, more formal and business-like compared to the earlier friendly banter. Details about the ⬜⬜⬜ Devil's Devils and Leo's contracts were shared, their exchange laden with purpose and significance.

Seated cross-legged, the Fire Devil observed the unfolding conversation with a mix of curiosity and intrigue. Its fiery gaze occasionally shifted toward Leo, studying him intently.

Meanwhile, Leo found himself growing increasingly restless and bored in the confines of his own mind. He yearned for stimulation and action, uninterested in the intricate discussions taking place. The only aspect that caught his attention was the contrasting feminine tone of the Darkness Devil's voice compared to the Fire Devil and the ⬜⬜⬜ Devil.

As time seemed to crawl within his mental realm, Leo stared up at the dark ceiling, his annoyance subtly manifesting. The Fire Devil, intrigued by Leo's disinterested demeanor, continued to watch him with a mixture of curiosity and a burning desire to understand the depths of his unyielding spirit.

.

Lying on the ground, Leo's patience waned as the conversation between the Primal Devils continued. The ⬜⬜⬜ Devil and Darkness Devil exchanged terse words, their tones growing colder and more calculated. Leo's mind wandered, his gaze fixated on the shadows dancing across the dark ceiling above him.

As the discussion dragged on, the Fire Devil, sensing Leo's frustration, moved closer to him. Its fiery eyes flickered with a newfound curiosity, and a mischievous grin played upon its charred lips.

"Are you bored, human?" the Fire Devil whispered, its voice laced with amusement.

Leo's eyes shifted toward the Fire Devil, irritation etched across his features. "Of course not," he muttered, his voice tinged with impatience. "I totally come here to be a spectator in your devilish gossip."

The Fire Devil chuckled, the flames dancing in response to its mirth. "Oh, but you are far more than a mere spectator, Leo. You possess a power that intrigues us, that disrupts the delicate balance of our world.."

"Uh huh," Leo muttered, his lack of enthusiasm evident.

The Fire Devil leaned in closer, its searing breath brushing against Leo's face. "Your resilience, your defiance-it's like a spark within this inferno. You have captured our attention, and in doing so, you have become an integral part of the grand design."

"That's crazy," Leo muttered again, his disinterest palpable.

The Fire Devil's grin grew as it grew closer its searing head brushing against Leo's upper body. "Now, I believe you've completed the terms of our contract, Leo."

Sparing a glance at the Fire Devil, Leo suddenly felt a violent fit of coughing overcome him, expelling ash onto the darkroom floor. His coughing fit caught the attention of the Darkness Devil and the ⬜⬜⬜ Devil, causing them to halt their conversation and focus on the commotion.

"Wonderful," the Fire Devil commented, observing as the ash piled up.

If Leo didn't feel drained before, he definitely felt drained now. As the final remnants of the Fire Devil's hand emerged, Leo finished coughing up the ash.

Gradually, the ash began to float, reshaping itself into the form of the Fire Devil's hand. The transformation impressed the ⬜⬜⬜ Devil, who grinned in satisfaction.

"I say that's a good place to wrap this up, the ⬜⬜⬜ Devil commented, grinning.

The Darkness Devil nodded in agreement, while the Fire Devil tested its newly reformed hand, opening and closing it with renewed vigor.

"Quite," the Fire Devil said.

All the accumulated events suddenly crashed down upon Leo without mercy. His lungs burned, making each breath excruciating, while worst of all, his throat felt dry.

Returning to the hellish plains, the Fire Devil withdrew its reformed hand from Leo's chest, and the Darkness Devil ceased its touch upon his hair.

Like an obnoxious four-year-old, the Healthcare Devil came knocking again, placing its hand on Leo's chest.

"Human, lets-" It said with a child-like glee only to be stopped by an unexpected SNAP from the Fire Devil.

"Ƨ̶̡̛̞̬̼͚̳̜̬̖̬̼͎̉̾̀͌͒̔̔̆͋̋̀Í̴̭̗͎͖̰̤̜̻̝̰̹͉͒̓̄̀͂̓̾̉̚̚͝⅃̷͈̖̲͓͖̺̠͎̟͈͇̭͗̈̄̓̀͊͌̌́̿͝͝Ɔ̷̢͙̘͈͉̥̳̫̠͇̆̉̑̓̂̓̊̇̓̓̕͜͠Ǝ̴̛̟̗̝͉̫̗̗̦̼̙̭̳͊̀̔̏̊̇̊͂͘͝͝Ѝ̶̮̼̥̜̤͎̲͍͚͉̜̑̌̆̈̀͊̋͆̃͜͝͝Ɔ̷̡̡̧̘̖̤̹̞͚̦͔̽̎̎́̾͌́̓̈́́̕̚Ǝ̵̧̧̻̮͇̜̗̩̱̬̙̫͛̄̒̀̇̈̃́͂͗̕͝," The Fire Devil called out.

"This sucks," Leo thought to himself, his consciousness fading. "Dying feels terrible."

Unconsciously, Leo's grip tightened on the top of the Healthcare Devil's head, causing it to yelp in pain.

"Let's make a contract, you childish bastard," Leo said wearily, his voice laced with exhaustion. "I'll grant you my protection in exchange for utilizing your powers."

"Huh?" the Healthcare Devil let out a confused noise before gasping in agony as Leo's grip intensified.

"Hehe," the Healthcare Devil weakly chuckled. "Do you think you have the strength to kill me, human?"

Leo's gaze shifted toward the doors in the sky, his vision growing dim. "I never said I'd be the one killing you," he muttered.

Before the Healthcare Devil could voice its opinion, steam began to emerge from its body. The primal creature experienced an excruciating burning sensation, tormenting it from within.

"AGHH!" The Healthcare Devil cried out in pain, attempting to escape, but only dragging Leo slightly along.

The sound of bells echoed through the air as a sword pierced through the Healthcare Devil's body, impaling it to the ground. The source of the sword was none other than the Darkness Devil.

"M-Master?" the Healthcare Devil looked up to the Darkness Devil, seeking solace, but received no response. The Darkness Devil simply gazed down upon its subordinate.

A dying human was something the Healthcare Devil could handle, but two Primal Devils posed an entirely different challenge.

Unlike Leo, whose existence held a greater purpose, the Healthcare Devil served as nothing more than a follower of the Darkness Devil. It found itself cornered, with Leo's worth surpassing its own, and now, his offer finally made sense.

As Leo's grip on the Healthcare Devil's head weakened, his life force dwindled with each passing moment.

Witnessing the life fade from Leo's eyes, the Healthcare Devil noticed a perpetual smirk forming on his lips. It realized it never had a choice from the beginning.

"Congrats, you get to reside in my Niddick," Leo weakly chuckled.

Leo began to laugh, pain and amusement blending together, as the Healthcare Devil merged with his body. Slowly, Leo's organs slid back into place, aided by the diligent work of various medical utensils. His lower body was gradually dragged back into position, with stitches meticulously reconnecting the severed tissues.

As the process of becoming whole again unfolded, Leo's laughter intensified, causing his newly mended stitches to reopen and be sewn shut repeatedly until he finally calmed down.

"Ahh," Leo exhaled, his chuckles subsiding. "You primal devils are pricks."

The Fire Devil chuckled softly, while the Darkness Devil stood motionless, its enigmatic presence dominating the scene.

Leo rose from the blood-stained ground, his body feeling unsteady. It seemed that using the powers of the Healthcare Devil came at the cost of blood and an exorbitant amount of money to cover the medical fees.

Stretching his limbs, Leo savored the satisfying pops that emanated from his bones.

Glancing at the two primal devils before him, Leo's smirk grew.

"Let's make a contract," Leo declared, his voice laced with a blend of menace and sarcasm.