Hell I

"So, Tamamo," Kaito began, "how exactly does the afterlife work exactly?"

Tamamo, seemingly in her element despite the grim surroundings, walked with a confident stride. "It's broadly divided into three main sections for souls: Limbo, Hell, and Heaven." She glanced back at Kaito. "Though I'm sure your human religions have far more convoluted names for them."

She then wrinkled her nose. "I don't know much about Heaven, honestly. Never been invited, or interested in going. But I can tell you this much: I've heard that Limbo is, by far, the worst of the three. A truly miserable fate."

'Heaven is next to impossible to get into.' Durandal added. 'One must either fight tirelessly in the name of the true God, or possess a shred of positive karma so vast it outweighs all their sins, to even hope for entry. It's not a place for the merely 'good'.'

Kaito nodded as he absorbing the information. He found himself almost grateful for this impromptu lecture.

Eleanor, who had been silently trailing them, listening intently despite her initial hostility, couldn't help but interject. "Why is Limbo the worst? Isn't Hell supposed to be the ultimate punishment?"

Tamamo turned with an almost pedagogical expression on her face. "Ah, a human with questions! Good. The netherworld, or what you call Hell, is primarily designed to wash away sins before souls can re-enter the cycle of rebirth. It's a crucible, yes, often agonizing, but it serves a purpose."

She gestured to the desolate landscape around them. "Here, a soul could potentially gain enough power to escape it entirely or even carve out their own domain and rule over a small portion of it. They might even become a citizen within one of its established societies. It's like a second, albeit harsh, life for them if they truly desire to retain their memories and individuality from their past existence."

Tamamo's voice then dropped. "However, it's entirely different for Limbo. Limbo is where a soul that is neither definitively good nor definitively evil awaits its turn to enter the cycle of rebirth. There is truly nothing there. Not even other souls to interact with. They are just left utterly alone, suspended in an infinite, featureless void for an unimaginable, endless stretch of time, simply waiting for their fate. That was the description I heard from those rare few powerful beings who somehow managed to escape Limbo. Complete, existential solitude for eternity, with no hope, no interaction, no end in sight. Just... endless waiting."

A shiver, unrelated to the chill of the netherworld, ran down Kaito's spine. Eleanor's expression contorted into one of profound unease. The idea in its own way, was far more terrifying than any burning pit.

"That's why short-lived species like you humans desperately search for a method of immortality," Tamamo added as if speaking from personal experience. "Heaven is generally out of reach, and Hell, for all its torments, becomes the next viable option. So, I dare say, indulge in your mortal sins, less you get stuck in Limbo." She smirked.

Eleanor stood firm. "I won't listen to the temptation of the devil," she retorted, her voice strained but resolute. "Even if I ended up in Limbo, I'd be glad to know I didn't succumb to depravity and end up here in Hell."

As they argued, the landscape before them shifted once more, revealing a breathtaking vista. From their vantage point on a desolate cliffside, they saw it: a truly massive, circular city in the distance. It was built of unknown dark materials that seemed to absorb the sickly light of this netherworld, sprawling across the horizon like an organism. A network of dimly glowing lines crisscrossed its surface, hinting at intricate pathways and structures within.

A distance away from the city stood a mountain of dull white bone. It was unmistakably the skeletal remains of a single colossal dragon, its ribs forming vast caverns and its skull a peak that pierced the blood-red sky.

"Great," Tamamo said, her tails swishing with renewed energy. "There's a city nearby. I'm starting to get tired of walking."

Kaito glanced back at Eleanor. Her shoulders were slumped, and her rapid breathing was visible even in the thick air. She looked exhausted. "Good point," Kaito agreed. "How safe is a city in Hell, Tamamo? We could find a place to rest up before continuing our journey."

Tamamo scoffed, puffing out her chest. "Safe? With me here, human, nobody would dare mess with us. They'd know better than to provoke a being of my caliber, even in my current state."

 ____________________________

They approached the circular city. Its dark and imposing structures growing larger with every step. At the main entrance, a line of denizens waited patiently. The guard at the gate was a surprisingly human-looking figure, save for the prominent pair of black feathery wing that sprouted from his back.

He meticulously checked the identification of each strange being, some appearing entirely normal, others distinctly stranger—a sentient blob of slime presenting a glowing orb, a creature composed of shifting shadows holding out a skeletal hand.

"Tamamo, how exactly do we get in?" Kaito murmured with a flicker of concern passing through him.

Tamamo, however, merely looked at Kaito and then at a bewildered Eleanor with a confident smirk playing on her lips. "Don't worry about it, humans. Just be quiet and stand behind me. I'll handle this."

It was their turn next. The guard looked at them. "ID, please."

Tamamo materialized a card and handed it to him. The guard took it, his eyes widening slightly as he read. "Tamamo-no-Mae, affiliated with Gensokyo... whoa, your sin score is immense." He handed the ID back, his tone now bordering on deferential. "It's an honor to have a guest from so far away visit our city. Welcome."

Tamamo gestured grandly to Kaito and Eleanor. "These are my temporary servants. I haven't had the time to properly register them yet."

The guard chuckled, waving a dismissive hand. "No problem at all, Ms. Tamamo-no-Mae. Just make sure to get them registered in the next three hell cycles, alright? Come on in and enjoy your time in Pandemonium!"

They stepped past the gate and into the city.

Eleanor finally found her voice. "Tamamo-no-Mae... you mean the Tamamo-no-Mae? The great fox demon from Japan? But you... weren't you killed?"

Tamamo tossed her head back, her nine tails swaying. "As if I would be killed so easily, human! It takes far more than your pathetic nations to put an end to me. Just you wait. Once I recover my full power, I will usher in a day of ruin for your puny nation and all those who dared to stand against me!"

"She won't," Kaito interjected, a tired sigh escaping his mask.

They continued to walk. The city was a surreal panorama. All manner of beings inhabited the streets, some appearing strikingly human, others monstrous in forms Kaito could barely comprehend—shifting geometric shapes, swirling masses of ghostly energy, creatures made of pure, crackling dark light. Yet, despite their forms, the atmosphere was generally peaceful, filled with the murmur of conversations in a multitude of languages, and the cries of vendors hawking odd items from stalls by the side of the road.

Then, Kaito stopped, his eyes widening slightly beneath his mask. Ahead, nestled between a stall selling pulsating organs and a shop emanating an unsettling hum, was a sight he truly didn't expect to be here: a WcDonald's. It looked precisely the same as the ones outside—the familiar golden arches, the distinctive red and yellow coloring, the very shape of the building. It was utterly identical. Kaito found himself tempted to go inside, to see the menu, to perhaps even try something, despite his lingering uncertainty about the edibility of anything in Hell.

Tamamo, however, had no such reservations. "Let's go in! I want to see what it's like!" She was already pulling the door open.

Kaito, intrigued despite himself, followed after her, and Eleanor, after a moment of visible hesitation, reluctantly trailed behind.

They entered and were greeted by a surprisingly friendly and entirely normal-looking human, dressed in a simple black apron. "Welcome to WcDonald's!" she chirped, speaking in flawless English. "A seat for three? Right this way, please." She guided them to a booth.

The interior was more akin to a homely, slightly eccentric diner than a fast-food joint. Booths lined the walls, and at tables scattered across the floor, customers of all monstrous and human shapes ate their meals and chatted, sometimes in English, sometimes in the same unknown. Kaito sat down, Tamamo sliding in beside him, while Eleanor stiffly took the seat across from them.

Kaito picked up the laminated menu. It was strikingly similar to a normal WcDonald's menu, but with "Hell" added in front of every item. "Hell Burger," "Hell Fries," "Hell Shake." The images of the meals looked remarkably normal and edible, even appetizing.

"How do we pay for this, Tamamo?" Kaito whispered. "We can't exactly dine and dash in Hell, can we?"

"The main currency in the netherworld is 'sin'," Tamamo explained matter-of-factly. "The more sin a being possesses, the stronger they will be, and the longer it takes to purify them and forcefully return to the cycle of rebirth. So, it's essentially a power-based economy."

The waitress returned, notepad in hand. Kaito, curious, ordered a Hell Burger. Tamamo, with great enthusiasm, asked for "a mountain of Hell Fries." Eleanor hesitated for a moment, then, with a sigh of resignation, ordered the same Hell Burger as Kaito.

"May I ask why there's a WcDonald's in Hell?" Kaito couldn't help but inquire.

The waitress simply smiled, stating it as if it were a self-evident truth. "Our chain is a popular brand in all locations, sir, be it in Hell, Heaven, or both sides of the world. We pride ourselves on universal appeal."

Their meals arrived not long after. Kaito took a large bite of his Hell Burger. The taste was astonishing – a complex blend of savory, subtly spicy, and deeply unknown flavors unlike anything he'd ever tasted. It was genuinely delicious.

Tamamo, meanwhile, was already chomping down on her mountain of Hell Fries. "Crispy, yet so substantial! Far better than anything the human world has to offer!"

Eleanor, despite her earlier reservations, took a small bite of her Hell Burger. Her eyes widened in surprise as she continued to eat with an obvious enjoyment as the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. Even in Hell, a good meal could bridge divides.

After their surprisingly pleasant meal, and with Tamamo having "asked around", they found a hotel. It was a grand, gothic structure. Its spires piercing the blood-red sky. They entered, greeted by a receptionist who was a polite individual with a goat skull for a head.

"Welcome to the Grand Pandemonium Hotel," the skull-headed attendant intoned, his voice surprisingly smooth. "How may I assist you?"

Tamamo, without missing a beat, declared, "A single room. The finest you have." She had refused to pay more for two, insisting that Kaito and Eleanor were her servants and thus shared accommodations were perfectly acceptable.

They were led to a massive, palace-like room that seemed to stretch on forever, adorned with dark tapestries and strange symbols. Kaito, feeling the accumulated grime and stress of the day's events, immediately headed for the bathroom. He found it surprisingly modern. After washing up, feeling a measure of his tension release, he noticed another door. Upon opening it, he discovered a large, rectangular hot spring. It's warm blood like waters steaming gently. A grotesque demon statue was spewing warm water from its mouth; its eyes seem to be the controller of its flow rate and temperature.

It was utterly unexpected, but the temptation was too great. Kaito sank into the hot spring. He ran his hand through his black hair, feeling the last vestiges of stress leaving his body after his journey through Hell.

Then, he heard a soft click. The other bathroom door opened.

He looked up just as Tamamo, in her petite form, rapidly approached, dragging a visibly protesting Eleanor behind her with an alarming ease. Both of them already wearing towels modestly wrapped around their bodies.

Kaito swiftly slipped on the faceless mark to conceal his identity, while Durandal watched on, floating beside him.

"What are you doing, let me go!" Eleanor cried out, struggling against Tamamo's surprisingly firm grip.

Tamamo merely let out a wild laugh. "You need to enjoy Hell, human! Being stuck up all the time isn't good!" With a final, playful shove, she flung Eleanor into the hot spring. Eleanor crashed beside Kaito with a large splash, before Tamamo herself plunged in.

Kaito was tempted to get out, to make some excuse about privacy, but then he paused. He had been living with Maria, Yumi, and Tamamo for a long time now. He had grown past his immature, easily flustered past self. This was Tamamo being Tamamo. He sighed internally and simply remained where he was.

Eleanor sat up in the hot spring, her white hair fanning out around her in the water. She glared at Tamamo, then her gaze flickered to Kaito, and she immediately recoiled slightly, clutching her towel even tighter, moving away from him to the far side of the hot spring.

Tamamo, meanwhile, was already swimming around with childish delight. Her nine tails occasionally used as a semi-propeller as she approached Kaito's side.

"How was it, human?" she purred, her tails undulating gently in the water. "I expect you to repay the sin I have spent with interest, you know."

Kaito let out a long breath, feeling genuinely relaxed for the first time in what felt like ages. "Yeah, yeah, thank you, Tamamo. And I will do so in the future, I promise."

Eleanor, still sitting stiffly on the far side of the spring, spoke up. "I... I offer my thanks to you as well. Although I don't entirely trust your motives, I know when I'm out of my depth. This place... it's beyond anything I've encountered."

Kaito nodded, turning his masked face towards her. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll get the hang of the supernatural world soon enough, given your combat prowess. You handled yourself pretty well against me."

Eleanor's gaze sharpened, sensing an opportunity to extract more information. "What exactly is the purpose of your Association? You mentioned you're here to investigate, but what's the bigger picture?"

Kaito considered her for a moment. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you more."

He tried to recall Chloe's precise words she used to describe the Association. "Although I'm only an ordinary member, so I don't know all the intricate details myself. Generally, our organization operates behind the scenes, observing, occasionally influencing, and ensuring that the balance of the mystical world isn't disturbed by reckless actors or catastrophic events."

Eleanor took in his words in silence.

"Are you sure about that, human?" Tamamo challenged, shaking of a few water droplets clinging to her ears. "Although those dolls are impressive. The two 'executives' I saw seemed rather ordinary on the grand scale of power. Certainly not enough to 'balance' anything truly significant."

Kaito shook his head. "An executive doesn't necessarily have to be all-powerful, Tamamo. There are many ways to wield influence. You witnessed the Association's capabilities yourself, didn't you? I'm sure they're simply hiding their true power from you, playing their cards close to their chest."

Tamamo's ears twitched. "Hmph. I won't deny that possibility. Deception is a common tactic, even amongst the powerful."

She then approached closer to Kaito, her luminous eyes fixed on his masked face. "However, human. Why is it that you hold no discernible reaction towards the forms of myself or this other human?" Her gaze flickered to Eleanor.

Kaito merely patted Tamamo's head in a casual, almost dismissive gesture. "I'm not a lolicon, Tamamo. And she," he glanced briefly at Eleanor, "is too flat."

'That was rather rude, Kaito,' Durandal's mental voice chided him, a faint sigh accompanying her words.

Eleanor visibly reacted as she instinctively looked down at her reflection on the blood-like hot spring water, her shoulders hunching. Tamamo, meanwhile, trembled slightly upon hearing Kaito's blunt words, a mixture of shock and indignation warring on her face.

Then, with a sudden puff of purple miasma, Tamamo's form began to shift and grow. In moments, she transformed into a taller, more curvaceous version of herself. Her usually petite frame now that of a stunning young woman. She struck a confident, alluring pose directly in front of Kaito, her wet towel now barely covering her dramatically altered physique.

"Still think of me as a mere child, human?" she challenged, her voice deeper, laced with a seductive growl that belied her previous childlike demeanor. "I have seduced entire nations and brought them under my heel, leading them to eventual ruin. Do you truly believe you can dismiss this?"

Kaito watched her adult form, his masked gaze calmly scanning her up and down. Tamamo, even beneath her bravado, blushed heavily under his impassive scrutiny. Yet, there was no discernible reaction from him, not even a blush beneath his mask. He simply nodded to himself, a thoughtful hum escaping him.

"Yeah," Kaito finally stated, a tone of detached observation in his voice. "It's entirely your personality."

In another sudden poof of purple miasma, Tamamo's transformed body shimmered and rapidly shrank, returning to her smaller, more familiar form. She was blushing furiously, her ears flattened slightly, and she muttered, "How dare you... how dare you!"

She then fled from the hot spring.

Eleanor, seizing the opportunity, decided to follow suit. With a quick, awkward "Excuse me," she clambered out of the hot spring and hurried after Tamamo, clutching her towel tightly.

Kaito, now alone in the large hot spring, leaned back, a genuine sigh of contentment escaping him. "Ah, peace at last."

Durandal, floating serenely in the air above him, shook her head in what Kaito could only interpret as disappointment before she, too, silently exited the hot spring room, passing through the solid wall.