“Are you still mad at me, darling?” Belros asked with a sly smile.

  “I’m not mad,” I muttered.

  “Honestly?”

  “I just wish you’d told me the food was spicy. I can’t feel my mouth. And the blood? Seriously, blood?!”

  She chuckled, taking a sip from her glass. “I like the drink. It has a hint of strawberries.”

  “Yeah, if strawberries tasted like iron and battery acid,” I snapped. “Goddammit, Belros.”

  After that humiliating show in the tavern, I decided we’d lingered too long. We left, heading toward the edge of town, where a massive, intricately carved wall loomed ahead. Its surface shimmered with magical sigils, and white diamonds emitted soft rays of light, creating a protective halo that seemed to bind the town in safety.

  “What am I looking at here, Belros?” I asked, marveling at the sight.

  “This,” she began, gesturing dramatically, “is the Barrier of Mercy. Every town and city has one. It was crafted by Lucifer himself to protect the more civilized monsters from the feral ones outside. Without it, this place would be plunged back into the chaos of the old days. It’s a symbol of our ruler’s benevolence.”

  “Lucifer did all this, huh?” I mused. “That’s...actually kind of impressive. How do you know all this?”

  Belros grinned. “I may not look it, but I’m a really, really old lady. I’ve been in Hell a long time. Seen it all, darling.”

  “My companion’s a walking encyclopedia,” I teased.

  “Knowledge is power,” she said smugly. “The more you know, the better prepared you are for anything. Speaking of which...”

  She turned to me with a stern expression. “Once we pass this barrier, things will get bad. Expect everything that can go wrong to definitely go wrong—feral monsters, bandits, maybe worse.”

  “Anything that gets in my way will die,” I declared, unsheathing my scythe.

  “Oh, you’re so cute, Soda, thinking you stand a chance against Hell’s monsters. I admire your spirit, but it won’t get you far. Trust me—you’ll need more than bravado out there.”

  “I don’t run from a fight,” I said firmly.

  She sighed, exasperated. “You’re not a one-man army, darling. Learn to pick your battles—or trust me to pick them for you.”

  “Fine,” I grumbled. “Can we go already?”

  We stepped through the shimmering barrier, and I immediately felt the weight of the outside world pressing in. The air grew heavier, and the landscape ahead was nothing but barren wastelands. As we walked, we came across a massive, broken bridge. Its surface was lined with gemstones that glowed faintly, pulsing like a heartbeat.

  “What’s the deal with this bridge?” I asked.

  Belros examined it. “These gemstones used to power a protective force field, shielding the bridge from the geysers of flame below. Without it, the crossing is...challenging.”

  I peered over the edge, instantly regretting it. The ground dropped into an abyss of fire and molten rock. “Holy shit,” I whispered, feeling vertigo set in.

  “Careful now.” Belros grabbed the back of my jacket, pulling me back. “If you fall, you’ll burn forever. Trust me, darling, it’s not a pleasant way to go.”

  “Thanks,” I muttered, stepping away from the edge. “So, how are we supposed to get across?”

  She flexed her wings. “I’ll fly us over.”

  “No way,” I said, stepping back. “I’m not doing that.”

  “Afraid of heights?” she teased.

  “I just don’t want to be roasted alive, thanks.”

  Belros rolled her eyes. “Suit yourself. Got a better plan?”

  I took a deep breath, psyching myself up. “Fine. Let’s do this.”

  Before Belros could react, I sprinted forward and leapt off the edge.

  “You crazy boy!” she shouted, diving after me. Her claws gripped my arm tightly as she hauled me into the air. We soared above the ruined bridge, but the real danger soon revealed itself.

  Columns of fire erupted from below, massive and unpredictable. They didn’t just shoot straight up—they twisted and roared like living creatures, spiraling and lashing out as if trying to snatch us from the air. Each pillar surged with an intensity that turned the very air blisteringly hot, and their light painted the surrounding darkness in hues of orange and crimson.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  The first pillar shot up to our left, the heat grazing my face. My skin prickled, and the leather of my jacket began to smoke.

  “Hold tight!” Belros barked, veering to the right. Another pillar exploded ahead, spinning like a fiery tornado. Sparks rained down on us, each ember biting into my skin like tiny daggers.

  “Holy shit! Holy shit!” I screamed, swinging wildly in her grasp.

  “Stop moving, Soda!” she snapped, flapping her wings furiously. “You’re making this worse!”

  “Don’t drop me, lady!”

  A particularly large pillar erupted directly beneath us. It coiled unnaturally, splitting into fiery tendrils that snapped and writhed like whips. One tendril grazed my boot, setting the edge of my pants ablaze. I screamed, flailing harder.

  “Stop squirming, ugh, you miserable little human!” Belros growled, struggling to maintain her grip.

  Ahead, the largest column yet burst forth, roaring like a living beast. Its flames churned with a ferocity that made it impossible to avoid. Belros didn’t have time to change course.

  “Brace yourself!” she yelled.

  We plunged straight through the fire. The heat was unbearable, searing through every layer of protection I had. For a moment, it felt like my entire body was aflame, the world dissolving into nothing but blinding orange and deafening roar. Then, as quickly as it came, we burst through to the other side.

  Belros’ wings faltered, and we tumbled out of the sky, crashing hard onto the far side of the bridge. I hit the ground rolling, trying to extinguish the flames licking at my jacket.

  “My jacket! My awesome leather jacket!” I wailed, flopping around in a panic.

  “Hold still!” Belros snapped, conjuring a stream of water. The icy splash douse the flames instantly, leaving me drenched but mercifully intact.

  I lay flat on my back, chest heaving, as steam rose from my soaked clothes. “That...was insane.”

  Belros stood over me, panting as she brushed soot from her sleeves. “It was stupid,” she corrected, though a glint of relief flashed in her eyes. “But you’re alive. Barely.”

  I lay flat on my back, drenched and exhausted. “Yeah...thanks.”

  “Don’t mention it,” she said, catching her breath. “But that was a close call.”

  “Didn’t know you could use water magic,” I muttered. “I thought you were all about fire and darkness.”

  “I’m not very good at it,” she admitted, “but it worked.”

  “Thanks for saving my ass,” I said, getting to my feet. The road ahead stretched on ominously.

  “This leads to the Demon God’s castle,” Belros said. “But don’t get too comfortable. Trouble will find us.”

  “I’m ready,” I said, gripping my scythe.

  “Oh, look at you, learning!” she teased with a laugh.

  “Shut up,” I grumbled.

  The road stretched on ominously, the oppressive heat of Hell making every breath feel heavy. Before long, we encountered trouble—a pair of massive ogres blocking the path. Each stood at least 15 feet tall, their grotesque forms illuminated by the flickering hellfire around us. One carried a jagged club crusted with dried blood, while the other swung a spiked mace casually, as though waiting for an excuse to use it.

  "Hey, you!" growled the ogre with the club, pointing a clawed finger at me. "I smell it on you. You’ve got the human soul!"

  The ogre with the mace grinned, exposing rows of uneven, yellowed teeth. "Human souls are a delicacy. You’ll hand it over, or we’ll take it."

  Belros stepped in front of me, raising a hand. "Soda, don’t do anything stupid. These aren’t opponents you can handle. Let me—"

  "No way," I interrupted, drawing my scythe. "I never back down from a fight."

  Belros sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Why do I even bother?"

  The club-wielding ogre roared, charging forward. The ground trembled beneath his massive feet, each step cracking the molten rock below. As he swung his club down with devastating force, I sidestepped just in time. The weapon smashed into the ground, sending shards of rock flying.

  I took advantage of his momentary pause, darting forward with my scythe. The blade shimmered in the hellish light as I slashed across his abdomen. A spray of dark, viscous blood erupted from the wound, and the ogre howled in agony. His massive hands clutched at his gut as his intestines spilled out in grotesque coils. With a final gurgle, he collapsed, shaking the ground as he fell.

  The mace-wielding ogre snarled, his face twisting with rage. "You’ll pay for that, human!" He lunged at me, swinging his weapon with frightening speed for something so large. The spikes on the mace gleamed menacingly as they cut through the air.

  I ducked, the mace narrowly missing my head and crashing into a nearby boulder, shattering it into fragments. Seizing the opportunity, I sprang upward, using the momentum to leap high into the air. My scythe glinted as I aimed for his neck.

  The ogre raised his free hand, attempting to swat me away, but I twisted mid-air, avoiding his grasp. With all my strength, I brought the scythe down, the blade slicing cleanly through his thick neck. His head tumbled to the ground, bouncing once before rolling to a stop. The body stood motionless for a moment, as if in denial of what had just happened, before collapsing in a heap.

  I landed on my feet, panting heavily, my scythe dripping with the dark blood of my fallen enemies. The smell was nauseating, a mix of sulfur and decay. I turned to Belros, who was leaning against a nearby rock with her arms crossed, watching me intently.

  "Well?" I asked, trying to mask my exhaustion. "What do you think?"

  Her crimson eyes glinted with amusement. "I’ll admit, I’m impressed. You handled those ogres better than I expected."

  I smirked, wiping the sweat from my brow. "Guess I’m just awesome like that."

  Belros approached, giving me a light slap on the back that nearly knocked me over. "Don’t get cocky, darling. You’ve still got a lot to learn. But I will say… for a human, you’re showing remarkable growth. If only you could see your stats right now."

  "Stats, shmatz. All I care about is getting to that castle," I said, gripping my scythe tightly. "Nothing’s going to stop me."

  "Good attitude," she said, her tone turning serious. "But remember, that was just the beginning. The enemies will only get stronger from here. Don’t let your guard down."

  I nodded, glancing back at the ogres’ lifeless forms. "Bring it on."

  “You’ve got talent,” she admitted. “But if you could see your stats, you’d realize how impossible that feat was for a human.”

  I grinned. “Guess I’m full of surprises.”

  She chuckled. “Let’s hope you’ve got more surprises for what’s ahead.”

  We continued down the road, the Demon God’s castle looming in the distance.