Hell's One: Looking In The Mirror (Past Arc)

Note: This chapter is set in the past and doesn't center on the current timeline of the story. Reading this chapter isn't mandatory for understanding the story, but it would enhance the overall experience. The choice is yours. ( Canon )

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13 (ESV)

"I feel so infinite, yet so finite", the horned-skull masked man says while shedding a single tear.

The henchmen found themselves unable to control their bodies, let alone their own wills. As if under a spell, the crowd of dolls rises and erupts in applause for the performance.

"I always believed in you guys! Congratulations!", Abigail says.

Both henchmen then implode from the inside, utterly annihilating them. Even with blood staining her face, Abigail remarks, "they sure did put up an act."

Mortal Epitaph - an ability where on steps into the wielder's realm, a theater-like dimension where enemies are mere players in a script. With a flick of the wrist, their wills are bound to the stage, forced to act out their final scene. As the curtains draw to a close, their fate is sealed – a swift and inevitable demise, scripted by the wielder's hand. 

"Another one bites the dust, I guess", Abigail says.

Back At The City's Center (where both Chugi and Belya'al had been killed)...

Captain Lisa teleports from one building to another, seemingly eliminating any chance of civilians being hurt or harmed.

Whenever she encounters a civilian, she transports them to an underground bunker institutionalized by the Devil Hunting Organization themselves.

Eventually, all of the buildings have been evacuated.

She then arrives at the site of the "Eye-Incident", where she encounters Captain Elias crawling on all fours, carrying the body of Alastor on his back.

She swiftly approaches him and removes the body from Elias' back.

Consequently, Elias collapses, prompting Lisa to turn his body towards her and exclaim, "Elias! Elias! Answer me, goddammit!"

"I'm fine..." Elias utters in an exhausted tone.

In the urgency of the moment, Lisa disregarded Elias' near-obliterated body and his missing eye.

She just stood there and drowned in utter shock. 

With her hands covering her mouth, she struggles to suppress the urge to vomit. Despite her efforts, she cannot contain it and crawls away to vomit, attempting to conceal her distress.

Elias rises to his feet, his gaze fixated on the puddle of vomit before him.

Gradually, hallucinations envelop him, transporting him to a dimly lit room. A solitary light bulb casts eerie shadows, revealing a mirror standing ominously.

In the reflection, Elias is horrified to see a dog with his own face staring back at him.

"The hell?!" he blurts out in disbelief.

His mind then shifts to a memory of his childhood. He finds himself in Sunday school, the warm morning sun casting a nostalgic glow over the scene. A pastor sits nearby, holding a Bible in his hands.

"The sun's nice today," Elias remarks softly, savoring the comforting warmth.

"Warm, soft, comfy," he murmurs to himself.

Suddenly, the pastor interrupts his reverie, demanding his attention.

"Elias, Elias! Pay attention," the pastor admonishes.

Elias snaps back to reality, his mind racing.

"What does Proverbs 26:11 say? No one here seems to really know what the verse says," the pastor questions.

"As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly," Elias responds automatically.

Once again, hallucinations seize him. The pastor's face begins to melt, along with those of the other children.

Panic grips Elias as he struggles to escape. He lunges for the door, but it remains stubbornly locked.

Desperate, he turns back to face the pastor, now a ghastly specter.

"What is this?!" Elias cries out in terror.

The pastor's accusatory tone sends shivers down his spine.

"And yet you dare to hold a position of such power?!" the pastor's spectral form intones while pointing his finger at him.

With a jolt, Elias snaps back to reality, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Sorry, don't take my vomiting as something that would offend you. It's just that your body's in such a state, it's beyond recognition. Rest easy, Elias! Stop pushing yourself forward!" Lisa reassures him.

As Lisa finishes vomiting, she quickly regains her composure, her words coming in a rush. "Stop? Seriously? After all the bullshit that I've been through, you expect me to just stop? I'm a captain, just like you. So, what makes you think you can just lecture me?"

Elias's voice quivered with frustration as he responded, his words laden with pent-up emotion. "I've been hurt bad, like really bad, but it doesn't even matter anymore. Do you see me right now? My body's been through hell that I don't even care about being physically hurt anymore. I'm more afraid of my mind just breaking, or...or imploding. I don't care if my arm's off, or my other eye's scooped out, or I get decapitated, or if I just get killed, damn it! I just don't want to spiral into suicidal thoughts. I have a sister to take care of! I mean, I just heard that they attacked our main establishment, and now I'm haunted by the thought of my sister possibly dying! Then, what if I kill myself?! I don't want to be miserable! So no, I won't stop moving!"

Lisa then injects an anesthetic serum, carefully puncturing Elias' neck to induce a state of rest.

"Rest easy, Elias", Lisa says.

As Lisa stands amidst the aftermath, a deafening explosion reverberates behind her, echoing from a nearby building. The forceful impact suggests something airborne crashing into the structure.

Once the settling cement dust clears, a familiar figure emerges – Akimoto Hikari, a seasoned Devil Hunter under Captain Aiden's command.

With swift determination, Lisa teleports herself to Akimoto's side, her gaze scanning the scene below for the perpetrator.

Spotting a woman swiftly climbing the building with remarkable agility, akin to a gorilla, Lisa's focus sharpens.

Reacting swiftly, Lisa transports Akimoto to safety before returning her attention to the rooftop threat.

With a commanding cry,

"Ozean der Leere! "Lisa unleashes her power.

Her katana strikes the roof, unleashing a wave of Dark-Matter that engulfs the building, causing it to collapse inward upon itself.