Chapter 25 - Hell

After a while, the two clean themselves in the shower with Natasha still having a hard time walking but enough to not be noticed. Enzo went back outside the dimension where only a few hours had passed since they started training. They didn't spend a whole year inside and only a few months as Natasha easily holds control over her powers more than the other girls. 

Natasha is a sole survivor of the red room and shows how skilled she is. In such an intense training that began from an extremely early age turning them into a deadly weapon. She's someone who, despite being human, is capable of amazing feats even without powers.

Enzo found it tragic that she had to go through a traumatic life and now hell-bent on redemption. He could easily hunt down who hurt her but that won't do anything since Natasha should be the one who finishes it and not him. He'll just provide the help she needed if she decided to settle things with her past.

Still, she was now completely different from her former self having less feeling of guilt and redemptions. Natasha was more concentrated in the future than the past which is why she never thought of going back. 

"Ready to go?"

Enzo asked Natasha who nodded and soon found themselves back outside. The two of them walked their way to find the girls since he was planning on exploring again to find the rest of the infinity stone and afterwards searched for a way to find the cosmic entities. 

However it was then his expression turned grimmed that Natasha noticed and was about to ask when Enzo teleported them to where he managed to find his daughters and the young X-Men in daze from what just happened. 

"Enzo!?"

Ororo exclaimed when he saw his expression that usually laid back was furious at what's going on, causing his power to flare up in anger. Enzo used the Mind Stone to find out the situation and only made him angry at what's going on. Illyana had been kidnapped by someone and taken to the dimension of limbo. 

He could reverse time as the entity who took him was outside of the normal space, another pocket dimension where it is unknown to him what would be waiting for him. Enzo left with no choice but to follow her to Hell and try to search for her. 

"Illyana had been taken away by something."

Kitty said as she was the one who was the closest and had tried her best to hold Illyana but couldn't hold for too long and in the end the young girl was gone. 

Enzo nodded and held out his hand speaking in an eldritch tongue while moving his hand creating a complex portal to hell. He didn't have the Space Stone therefore unable to completely be sure where to look for her.  

"Are you going to get her!?"

Natasha asked, looking at Enzo who was serious and received a nod from him then said. 

"I'll go look for her. Don't try to follow me since I'm not sure if the place is safe or we could end up separated. I'll get back as soon as I can."

"No, let us come with you. We can handle ourselves if we ever get separated."

Ororo said determined to follow him through hell itself and Natasha nodded following storms statements

"Won't it be easier if we followed you?"

Enzo looked at them contemplating for a moment since he is unsure what kind of limitation that another pocket dimension would do to them. He had mostly been into his own or extremely small pocket dimension not like pocket dimension that could be considered smaller realities. 

"Alright if we ever get separated try your best to defend. I'll try to find you as soon as possible."

He sighed in defeat since he won't be able to argue with them and if he declined their training would have all been for nothing. Enzo held out his hand and changed their outfit into power enchantments.

"This will protect you two from the corruption of Hell and prevent you from becoming one."

In numerous books he had read, Hell or rather dimension of Hell lord's like Hela and Mephisto has a tendency to encroach creatures into turning themselves as Demons because of the energy inside. The outfit was their uniform with only a few adjustments. 

"Alright let's go. We not to sure about the time in hell-"

"Hell!?"

Ororo exclaimed in surprise with a hint of worry. She was afraid for Illyana who was just an innocent child and thrust into a world of hell itself where suffering and traumatic experiences are all over the place. 

"Yes, we need to go NOW! time is running out!"

Enzo took the two with him jumping into the portal feeling the space distorting and notice how the woman he was holding was nowhere to be seen. He clicked his tongue but was nor worried that much since they were powerful enough to handle themselves for now his main goal is to find Illyana and bring her home. 

Few minutes inside the tunnel finally fell into reddish sand where he looked to find himself in a desolate place where everything was barren. He stood up, spreading his senses and testing his power only to find that his Mind stone and Power stone were being suppressed by the pocket dimension. 

There are many reasons for it, namely he didn't have all the infinity stones to bypass worlds suppressed. This helps him understand that there certainly are limitations in his power when other spaces are involved where laws are completely different. 

'Hmm, is this Demonic energy?'

He could feel the energy in the surrounding was different from Cosmic energy that is essential to corrupting foreigners turning them into demons.

Enzo is absorbed into his body by means of absorption feeling the change going through his body forming his old armor with minor changes turning the white into darker with a red accent.  

He formed a mirror to see that his hair changed into white and red pupils influenced by the demonic energy. Enzo tried shapeshifting to see that he could change it back to normal but the slit in his pupils was permanent. 

He's unsure if it's an unconscious decision or not. Regardless, he wielded more power than before and because of the demon physiology that he absorbed he was able to perfect harmonization with the transformation.

It was then memories began to flood into his mind like water breaking through a dam. Enzo couldn't help but fall into his knees trying to correlate the information realizing something had changed. 

'I see, I'm the True Satan…'

[ The Demon Physiology had turned into Transcendent Demon Physiology. ]

The memories of clones and countless avatars that Yaldabaoth once had spread across reality where his true origin had scattered and changed. However, one thing is certain that the hell he had created and left was not the same. 

'There are too many innocent people cast into this plane.'

He grew frustrated since it was not how things should be. The Hell lord's and demons are so chaotic that it needed a new ruler. 

'Guess I have to step into the throne once again.'

Having processed another piece of his past and soon tried sensing the girls with his parasite only to find that it was cut off leaving him to click his tongue. 

'Not the time to get frustrated. For now, let's see what hell did I end up with, hopefully not mephisto.'

Mephisto is a powerful Hell lord which is the title of Satan since no one dared claim the throne of hell because it would cause a massive war. Enzo insured if he'd win the chance of ending up in his dimension where he has full reign over it. 

They may end up in standstill but the collision could cause massive ripple that might result in reality shattering. However, now that he has acquired something that they don't won't able to go against him. 

He started to walk through the Sandy plains where Enzo arrived at the cliff and looked at the sky where dark clouds and crackling lightning could be seen as the thundering noise echoed, then narrowed his gaze to see the barren wasteland with nothing but the smell of death and misery. 

'I can't use my clone to find the others….'

Since his connection with them was cut off meant that he sent clones then Enzo has no way of knowing if they find them. He decided to act solo for now and trust them to handle themselves. Enzo jumped down before flying into the distance in a random direction hoping to find something. 

He transverse through hell trying to find any life using his senses to find few signals where the demons where an army of demons were fighting each other. It was not unusual as Demons are violent creatures that always find entertainment in slaughter and pain but the scene was unusual as it seemed to be a war of two factions. 

Enzo glances to one side where it seems to be led by a powerful demon that could be a Hell lord or at least potential to be one. The other side is led by a gorgeous and breathtaking beauty that had white skin and hair. She wore a rather skimpy outfit that was literally lingerie hugging tightly to her body wielding a sword that seemed forced to contain the flame of hell.

'A human…'

He can see the woman had an innocence deep within her heart corrupted by the environment she was in. The woman was trapped in hell unable to escape and because he has a [ Transcendent Demon physiology] knew her desire was to return to earth and live normally. 

Enzo continues to watch, curious about the outcome and with his luck might be able to find Illyana. He descended into the middle of the battlefield where his presence instantly caused every demon to stop to observe. 

============

[ A/N: I'll be calling the Cosmic entity Death as Mistress Death while Lady Death is the one here ]

Lady Death was born in medieval Europe, the daughter of nobleman Matthias and his wife Marion, a woman of viking heritage. Ten years after her mother's death Hope lives with her father and on a night witnesses him feeding subjects souls to demons. Months later Matthias is recruiting men for his many seemingly arbitrary campaigns and against her wishes, Hope's friend Niccolo is conscripted.

In spring Matthias returns from battle and as always all the new recruits are dead, Niccolo among them. Rats follow the returning army home and bring plague to their town. On hearing that Agnes, the castle maid, is infected Hope goes to her. Remembering Niccolo's words, she lances the swellings and saves Agnes' life.

This is against the Christian teachings of the time and the already dissatisfied villagers start whispering of witchcraft. This is the last straw, along with the plague, their lord's battles and their dead sons. A mob is whipped up by the local priest, they find Matthias consorting with demons and he is killed. 

He thanks them for this and goes to hell to be lord to the army of souls from his village that he led to slaughter on Earth. Hope is found guilty of witchcraft and sentenced to burning at the stake. 

In desperation she recalls the incantation her father used to summon the demons and chants it on the pyre as the flame rose. The demons answer the call and offer her passage to hell for a renouncement of her humanity. With no choice she accepts and falls to Hell.

In Hell her father casts her into the pit as a soul to add to his army but she mysteriously doesn't perish. Lucifer saves her and offers Hope some of his power to oppose Matthias. In her rage she accepts but feels little different. She is attacked by two large wolves, her new power helps her defeat them.

They accept her as an Alpha and become her first followers. She dubs them the Nameless Wolves. Walking through Hell she is attacked by Cremator, the blacksmith to the arch-dukes of hell, who also becomes impressed by her power and joins her cause. 

His first act for her is to forge her a sword and train her, so she can kill her father. He presents her with her new sword Darkness and the garb Lucifer had made for a creature named Purgatori. 

In her time in hell she has been slowly growing taller, stronger and her hair, skin and eyes becoming white. With the new outfit and sword in hand her change is complete, and she renames herself, Lady Death.

Following Matthias' defeat of Lucifer in battle, Lady Death learns that her father did not truly defeat Lucifer but is possessed by him. She confronts Lucifer and defeats him in single combat.

The battle is fierce but Lady Death wins and absorbs his soul. In one last act Lucifer curses her to never return to Earth while the living walk the surface. She uses her new found power to dismantle Lucifer's hell and reform it into the Endless Graveyard, one grave for every soul on earth that has to die so she might return.

For the next hundreds of immemorial times, she had sought countless ways to return yet none had succeeded and news of Lucifer's death caused other hell lords to invade the hell that she ruled. Such even as the one before her.

She rode her stead slicing through hordes of demons while commanding her subordinate. As the one ruling this hell dimension, Lady Death has natural dominance over demons where normally they would retaliate. 

"Give up! This Hell shall be ours!! A little girl such as yourself who only killed a minor false Lucifer hopes to fight my army!"

Lady Death glared angry into the distance where a typical hulking demon arrogantly looked down at her. However, it is not a lie that she was extremely weak compared to a Hell lord or potential to be one. 

"Ha! This hell is mine alone and those who trespassed such as yourself shall die!"

She imbued her sword with magic sending sword slashes through the air that slice through through the lesser demons while the Pseudo Hell Lord scoff held his hands and destroyed her attacks and shocked Lady Death. This made her enemy smirked in delight.

"Hahaha! Yes this is the power that I willed!! You are nothing but a weak woman!!"

"I'll have you eat those words, bastard!!"

Lady Death increased the output of her magic creating a powerful attack that allowed the Pseudo Hell lord to evade and blitz its way towards her but she managed to evade and slash at his eyes causing the demon to cry out in pain.

"What? Am I still weak to you?"

She jokingly said preparing to attack but grabbed her neck and she struggled to break free while the Pseudo Hell lord glared at her angrily showing his fangs.

"You bitch! I was planning you into one of my concubines but now! You shall be nothing but my slut!"

Lady death spat at his eyes, still refusing to back down without a fight. She had been trying to return for so long and wouldn't stop until she achieved her goals.

"Do you think I'll be broken that easily!? I've been in Hell for centuries and refuse to die until I am free to roam the earth again."

Her thought went to a dream where she was able to step foot into grass and sniff the aroma of beautiful flowers and even fell in love once more but that is a dream that will never happen. 

"Hmph, we shall see about that!"

The Pseudo Hell Lord yelled out and was about to tear her clothes when he felt an immense presence behind him that urged him to kneel down. He notices how the demon that both his enemies and servants stopped moving and kneels down. 

Turning his back witnessed a tall person done in black armor with red lines and wings that was eathereal in nature. It seemed silent observing everything around him while he could see the aura that was comparable to a true Hell Lord. 

"Who are you!?"

However, despite his anxiety did not let it show and demanded the unknown person to identify themselves. This caught the person's attention turning towards him and immediately felt his body slice in countless sections from his gaze alone. 

He didn't say anything and took a step forward. Meanwhile, Lady Death observed this couldn't help but be mesmerized by the person with its manly features and long black hair. Something inside her felt compelled to please him as best she could and his eyes showed a bit of lust that made her feel happy instead of creeping out. 

"Depends who's asking. If you were a pretty lady over there then I would have answered in a heartbeat but seeing that you like a disfigured asshole then no, I won't tell you who I am."

The person mockingly said that caused the Pseudo Hell lord to be infuriated that he was being insulted while acting this calm. He held out his hand and cast powerful hell fire toward him even though it could affect his own allies.  

It blasted towards the person who didn't move and merely stared at the flames until a blew an air instantly dispelling the magic shocking them. Lady Death was amazed by the power that he displayed and saw glimmers of hope in escaping hell. 

The Pseudo Hell lord was shaken by what he had just witnessed since even though he was not giving his all still cast a powerful hell fire that should be dispelled by a mere blowing of air.

"H-How did you do that!? Tell me!!"

The person's eyes glinted, making him let go of lady death and fall into his knees while the person was now in front of him looking down at his defeated self. 

"You have no right to demand of me, Little demon. Know your place…trash."