Flame demon

After a brief suspension of time, reality resumed its flow, only to see the spatial rift below them shrouded and quickly consumed by flames. Burned through space itself? Noah, startled by the thought, plummeted down and landed heavily on a rock, pain enveloping his body. As he witnessed the upper levels of the palace collapse, he rolled to evade falling stones but couldn't avoid them all. A rock hit his shoulder squarely, crushing the shell and flesh beneath, severing his right arm instantly.

Fortunately, the imp bodies were constructed for combat, their sense of pain dulled. Noah didn't feel much, except that he was immobilized.

He lay there, mouth agape, sniffing the air filled with the scent of burning.

Looking up, he saw the upper palace floors tilting and gradually sinking into the molten lava on one side. The dome above him was also cracking, leaving the palace fragmented, revealing the world outside.

All he could see was rock walls—stone, endless stone.

This left Noah bewildered. He remembered being in an underground spawning pool initially. Gladius had cracked open a path to the palace connected with that pool. Could this palace itself also be within another even larger cave? He had assumed the palace was built on a vast, barren land where demons waged war... but it wasn't so. They were still underground.

Was the entirety of Hell this barren, surrounded by magma and rocks? Then, what lay above all these stones and caverns?

"Thinking so hard won't make your life any better," Gladius said with a sinister tone. "Hell is all stone, the most desolate place with nothing but imps constantly fighting."

"We have to go now, or it'll be too late." Noah lay among the rubble.

More flames surged from the gap above, forming a wall of fire.

A pair of black eyes opened within the wall of fire.

"I never thought we would meet again like this, Gladius," the voice was reminiscent of a meteor streaking across the sky.

"Look, Noah, another demon lord, Ignitz," Gladius introduced with a lack of interest.

"You've made friends with a human. That's nice. Tell me about him. I like you, I like your taste, and I like the new faces of this world," the voice of the Flame Demon King was surprisingly friendly.

"See you next time, Ignitz," Gladius said dismissively, and Noah sensed Blade Demon was particularly flustered.

"I said we could chat, exchange views. Why the rush to leave?"

"We've already talked thousands of times, what's one less?"

"We used to clash with swords and fire, fought over water, plains, and a bunch of flowers. We hated each other so much, but ever since you were exiled, this land lost a demon of exquisite taste and uniqueness. Without your flowery eloquence, Hell has become rather dull," Ignitz spoke leisurely.

"You're just jealous! Jealous that I could capture the delectable souls of mortals. Ha! Exile didn't destroy me; it only made me stronger!"

Gladius extracted their souls, intentionally detaching from the demonic matter shell, breaking it down into its original black sediment. Then, wrapping the souls around the collected objects, it drew a new spatial rift on the ground.

The wall of fire slowly stretched.

"Hurry," Gladius urged.

Noah felt time slow as he was enveloped only by the kindly gaze of the black eyes within the wall of fire.

He experienced a sensation of freefall, as if tumbling off a cliff, and then, as if waking from a dream.

Noah found himself in a beautiful palace, propped up by full-chested, slender-waisted, chestnut-haired girls who led him into a great hall. These girls, all wearing semi-transparent veils and thin skirts, tinkled with ankle bells as they walked, noble in bearing, and shyly looked at Noah.

Their bodies were coated with fragrant honey oil, fresh like flowers and honey, the slick touch dizzying Noah.

The hall was immense, fit for a cavalry drill. Noah looked up to see a high platform surrounded by countless worshippers, all clad in white. To approach the elevated one meant ascending an infinite number of steps—the esteemed figure was untouchably high.

"Gladius is not a friendly companion, is he? It often mocks you, Noah. In its eyes, everything you do is just foolish," said the voice of the black eyes.

"Where is this?" Noah asked, dazed. "Who are these people?"

"This is a corner of Hell, my hall. The worshippers come from other worlds seeking light, wisdom, and protection. This is the power of flame; we dispel darkness and drive away beasts," Ignitz explained.

"I need to go back."

"You don't want Gladius in your soul, right? Gladius is Blade Demon, and you are a demon hunter active in an underdeveloped world. You should be hunting demons. Keeping Gladius alive is a shame for you."

"Yes."

"Give Gladius to me. I will strip it from your soul, and you will never be bothered by it again. Your hunting mission will thus be fulfilled, and you will no longer have to live bearing its sins. Rest assured, after that, I will safely return you to the mortal world. There's no need for me to harm or devour you. Your fragile mortal soul is of little value to me."

Noah felt his soul, part him, part Gladius. Blade Demon had seized his soul, insolently inhabited Noah's body, and even tried to take over his consciousness.

This was the natural progression of things. Since he was a demon hunter, he should eradicate Blade Demon.

"You know I'm a demon hunter?"

"I'm perfectly clear about that. You're young and inexperienced, but with grand aspirations."

"..."

"I know what you're thinking. 'Gladius helps me, it grants me power.' But that's just its expedient measure. Think about it, Noah. In time, Blade Demon will grow, and soon its power will surpass yours. Your soul will become its own, your consciousness will become weaker, and eventually, Gladius will seal it away in a corner. It will then become unrestrained, eventually leading to the destruction of your world. After all, do you really think you can control Gladius, prevent it from eroding your mind? Aren't you already being influenced by it every day, your nature changing? This is your only chance to get rid of Gladius. If you refuse, I won't be surprised, but be aware that from then on, you'll inevitably become Blade Demon's plaything, manipulated at will..."

"I..."

"Don't you become more impulsive under Gladius's influence, wanting to cut through everything you see?"

"Yes," Noah admitted.

"Rather than tormenting each other with demons in the mortal world, why not come here and be my honored guest?" Ignitz invited.

In a daze, he saw the hall vanish, and he found himself on a balcony overlooking a sweltering city with temples venerating the flame scattered about. The streets were bustling with more species than he could name, few human-like, but living harmoniously, engaged in trade, traveling, chatting, and socializing.

"This is my insignificant city—Flame Bottle II. All lives, as long as they acknowledge the name of Ignitz, can dwell and enjoy a good life under my protection. Here, there is no high or low, no oppressive taxes, no tyranny. Regardless of occupation, all are dignified and respected, artisans and officials sit at the same table. Different cultures blend, magic and machinery advance side by side. The extroverted can take charge of managing, the introverted can study at home, the diligent have opportunities to realize their goals, and the lazy can indulge in leisurely days of plenty. Disputes are arbitrated, interests protected, and the flames treat everyone justly. Someone like you deserves happiness here."

"Is that so..."

"Your world is still a very backward place, isn't it? Full of blind ignorance, not knowing the force released from subatomic collisions and fissions, not even knowing how to harness steam and electricity."

Was this also a part of Hell? Noah gazed at the city, which even had birds and a sun moving across the sky. The buildings were tall, the inhabitants healthy—a stark contrast to where he had come from. For the first time, he saw an enviable civilization within Hell.

"I would be glad to," Noah felt a stirring in his heart. "You say you can see my thoughts?"

"Your mind evolves things into something comprehensible. A living soul is clear, filled with records. I see your name, your past, those you love, those you hate, what you're proud of, what you regret—it's all clear in your soul," Ignitz explained.

"I've decided to give Gladius to you."

"You've done the right thing," Ignitz stated.

"After that, you can send me back to the mortal world, right?"

"For me, it's as easy as turning my hand."

"Everything must seem very simple to a demon lord as powerful as you."

"You are quite correct."

"Then you must know that we are humans, our souls are incredibly resilient. Perhaps you can skim the surface, know who I am, what I've done, what character I have, and even predict my next actions. But you can't read my thoughts, demon. You can't peer into my mind. I was just testing you."

"…I know, but—you—you—you must—"

Suddenly, Noah found himself deaf and blind, everything around him fading away.

Before Ignitz could say more, Noah and Gladius's souls plunged into the spatial rift, escaping the Flame Demon King's manipulation. He left Hell, sinking into the Gap, traveling through the void, wrapping around the treasures he had found.

It was a long process, with Gladius carefully steering their souls. Noah witnessed currents beyond ordinary scales in the rift, vast and intimidating, yet minuscule compared to the expanse of the Beyond.

Finally, their souls crossed rift after rift, drifting back into that cold room, slowly returning to Noah's body.

His consciousness and body reconnected.

Hands, feet, brain—Noah opened his eyes, his head pounding.

In this cold, stiff place, with no fire in the brazier, freezing to death, dirty and old, Noah thought of the bright and advanced Flame Bottle II, his thoughts flickering. I've made a great mistake. I should have sold Gladius and then enjoyed my days in peace, surrounded by countless beauties.

"We're back! Successfully escaped back! Only a high-caliber, supreme cutter like me could find amusement in Hell!" Gladius crowed, proud of its abilities.

Noah sat up wearily from the bed, feeling terrible all over. His gaze fell on the few treasures scattered on the bed plank, the items he had grabbed in the chaos.

"You don't know how annoying it is to cross spatial rifts," Gladius continued to boast. "Only a genius like me can toy with these complex laws. Let me give you a basic introduction, first, between worlds and worlds…"

"The Flame Demon King was willing to help me, to peel you out of my soul and then send me back, or to live in its beautiful city."

"…It lied, surely you wouldn't believe such a poor lie, Ignitz is an impeccable scoundrel…" Gladius said dryly.

"It didn't lie."