The inside of the lone barn was dark and damp, wholly deprived of the cows and goats I expected to find in there. Every single window had been sealed shut. The hay-covered floor was wet with some liquid thicker than water, and I wasn't sure I even wanted to find out just what it exactly was.
Denji left the main door open, but the sunlight filtering through just wasn't enough to get a read on the place.
"Where the hell is this devil we're after?" Denji shouted aloud, kicking an empty wooden bucket.
I didn't pay much attention to him.
The revelation that perhaps the both of them were even less serious and intelligent than I was came within two seconds of trying to get them to talk about what they did for a living. All I got was some random answers about killing stuff for some government organisation, and nothing about what said 'stuff' actually was.
At this point, I'd begun worrying if Alice had brought me to a boring world in some weird mind game.
"Alice, are you trying to gaslight me into feeling this place is dangerous?"
"I would never do that, master-sir. I am here to advise, yes, that's it. I dare not steer your adventure, no, never."
Shaking my head, I focused on the sound of dripping water coming from overhead.
"That is why I must advise that this is dangerous-"
The moment I looked up, I came face to face with a rather interesting specimen of a creature. He-... It... was twice as tall as myself and covered in black fur from head to toe. I supposed that's why it thought it was hidden up there, only, that ugly bat face was hard to miss, as were the two eyes bulging from either side of its head.
Unexpectedly, the thing was humanoid.
It took a second to tell because it was hanging from the ceiling but the thick muscled arm covering its side was definitely human.
I brought a hand to my chin.
"I didn't know bats looked like dogs, but I did read that they were related somewhere, I think."
Its eyes locked onto mine, and its head twitched like a cheap horror prop. I realised then that the dripping sound earlier was from its bleeding side where it was missing one of its arms.
Just then, someone hit the back of my head. Beside me, Denji suddenly plopped down to the dirty hay-covered floor.
I glanced at Power, "That's the second time you've hit me."
"I-I... Why are you-"
"AH DAMMIT! I'VE HAD ENOUGH WAITING!"
Why was every single one of these cheap third rate villains so loud?
I stepped aside just as the 'Bat Devil' lunged down. His massive fist hit the ground, throwing up wet hay all around... and right onto my clothes. He did not stop there, opening his massive maw filled with jagged teeth and trying to bite down on my torso.
"Master-sir!"
"No. I don't think so." I shook my head and grabbed him by his upper jaw. "Your spit is definitely going to make my clothes unwearable."
Pulling my other hand from my pockets, I reeled it into a fist and punched out. With a swoosh, the massive 'devil' was flung through the air. He smashed through the thin wooden walls of the farmhouse, and rolled and tumbled all the way down the hill we were on.
I glanced at Power again, "Pick up your boy. We'll talk later."
With quivering lips, the horned girl lowered her head, beads of sweat rolling down her face. She was terrified. But, still she clenched her fists, "W-What about Meowy?"
I nodded at the second floor, and did not stop to see if she'd understood. Walking out of the barn, I followed the disturbed soil where the Bat Devil had crashed through until I found his twitching body on the road.
"S..."
I craned my neck. "What's that?"
The one arm he still had was bent abnormally, and he couldn't close his mouth anymore. Broken and bloody teeth lay all over the asphalt. His, I presumed.
"S... Spare... me."
I hummed, "I might. If you tell me where you're from."
"H-" The humanoid bat gasped, "-ell."
Hell?
I bopped Alice on the head for an explanation.
"Ah, ah yes!" She pulled her hat down, "The Devils embody people's fears, they do! They are born in Hell, and come here when they are killed by one another in there."
"I'm guessing that's where he'll go if he dies here?"
She moved her tiny head up and down in agreement.
I crouched down next to the Devil's head.
"Then, I guess dying's not that bad for you, is it?"
"I... hate... you." He breathed out agonizingly.
"That's fine. I don't like you much either. Say, do you think I could visit this hell of yours?"
For a long while, the Devil did not answer. His chest continued to rise and fall painfully, telling me he was still alive. Then, his entire body began to vibrate. Queer guttural noises began leaking from its frothing mouth.
It occurred to me that he was wheezing.
"I wish... you run into... those of us... who have never experienced... death."
If Devils were born of fears, and their power was even slightly proportional to the kind of fear they embodied, then there certainly had to be Devils who came into existence so powerful that there were none to ever challenge them.
"He's talking about the top dogs, master-sir! The rulers of hell, they are. Fears that are instinct for the living."
I held the Devil by the head and grinned.
"I sincerely pray that God grants your wish."
What could be more exciting than coming across such creatures. They were probably super strong, stronger than me even. Oh, how I hoped they really were.
"Madman-"
"Say hello to 'em for me."
-
Power came down the hill several minutes later, dragging an unconscious Denji by his foot with one hand, and holding a white cat in the other. I was munching on some chips with Alice when she arrived. As before, the stench hit me long before she ever even came into view.
I was a bit prepared this time.
"Did you kill the Bat?" Power eyed my chips hungrily.
I passed a chip to Alice. "What do you think?"
"Are you a fiend like Power?"
She let go of Denji and wiped some drool from her mouth. I didn't know plain salted chips were that great a delicacy. She didn't even pay attention to my answer... Sighing, and against my better judgement, I held the bag out to her.
Somehow, it was unsurprising when she snatched it from hands whole instead of having manners and only taking a few.
I didn't mind that.
"It would become inedible anyway." Alice huffed calmly, "Good choice, master-sir."
The talking rabbit had gleaned my reasoning perfectly.
"Now, I remember you hit me?"
...Power froze in place.
-
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