Nemesis of Hell and Evil

Chapter 14: Nemesis of Hell

My eyes are opened and land on the ruins around me. The Pentagon building rests in the distance. I'm undoubtedly in Washington DC, so Belial didn't lie. How odd for the Lord of Lies, but perhaps a greater lie hides beneath or a malicious intention. I can only hope it'd be in our favour.

It's dead quiet and the skies are dull grey. My finger hurries to turn on the radio and call Valerie and Grant. The signal here should be sufficient to reach them.

"Nemesis reporting. Command?"

"It's too late, Nemesis. Hell will arrive any minute now and our forces have been blockaded by demons who guard the perimeter. We don't have the time to break through. Astaroth will open the portals," Valerie says desperately.

"I'm in Washington. I won't let Astaroth succeed," I respond.

"Y-You are? But how?" Grant asks.

"No time to explain. Why is Washington so important? Why does Astaroth intend to bring hell here?"

Something appears in the distance in the sky as it flies over the ruined buildings that once stood proud and tall. A trail of crimson follows it and it lands on the opposite side of the square several dozen metres from me.

A large demon whose face is hidden behind a molten helmet riding his armoured infernal steel, Astaroth has arrived, his great sword in hand. He stops and looks at me.

"I should know known... You wouldn't miss seeing the end," he says.

"There will be no end as long as I stand. If you want to bring hell to this world, you'll have to kill me," I respond and pull my sabre out, readying it.

"Fool! What makes you think you could stop the inevitable? The only reason you live is because of that angel pest!" He raises his sword toward the sky. "I am the Great Duke of Hell, he who will conquer this pitiful world and bring it under my heel! You little whelp will not stop me! This is my fate!" he exclaims and readies his sword.

This is it. The final battle is at hand. If I fail, Astaroth will open a gate between worlds that'll seal our fate. I must hold out, at least until my comrades arrive. I must...

"Aargh!" Astaroth cries out in fury and his infernal steed begins sprinting against me.

I evade his sword and try to strike, but the steed raises its hoof and kicks at me, unleashing magic that throws me back. Astaroth turns back and charges again, this time intending to crush me under his stampede. It's only narrowly that I evade and get back to my feet.

"Behold the pacts and souls I have claimed! Rise and unleash your inhibited fury!" he says and throws his sword into the sky. The steed charges past me and catches the sword in its mouth, promptly burying it into the ground.

Crimson trails leave the ground and shape into deformed demons who charge at me, some wailing. One by one I slay them and they dissolve back into the ground, trails reforming and flying back into the sword. The steed pulls the sword out and I spot that the sword has changed. It's now glowing red with strange symbols on it.

"At him, my loyal familiar! Let their fury be yours to command!" Astaroth calls out.

The steed charges and slashes at me. I evade and slash back, cutting it in one of its legs. This angers it as it charges past and throws the sword at me which I deflect with my sabre. Again, I evade its charge as the sword is pulled out again and raised at the sky. A crimson trail is channelled into the air and a fragment of a Behemoth appears. The demon that appeared during Operation Skyfall...

It fires a discharge at me as the steed charges towards me as well, slashing with the sword. No option remains for me but to dodge both attacks at the same time.