Hell II

The next morning, if one could call the perpetual twilight of Hell 'morning'. Kaito sat cross-legged on the sofa he had sleep in. In his hands he held a magical map of this infernal realm. The sheer scale of the charted area was enormous. Locations were dotted across its surface, and it was notable that their current city wasn't the sole Pandemonium; numerous others were marked on the map, each with a number next to them, indicating their unique designation.

The directions they'd received from the cowering shadowy figure hadn't been a lie. The portal to exit this particular Hell and return to Earth was precisely where it had described. However, it was considerably out of the way, and no convenient road or path led directly to it. Not only that, but the map highlighted the entire zone they had to cross in a grim red, marking it as an area of moderate danger.

The threat levels increased exponentially the closer one got to the Soul Devouring Tree and the Overseer Monolith. Kaito zoomed in on the magical map, trying to discern any smaller, less conspicuous paths they might traverse, but it seemed there were none. Their only option was a direct, overland trek.

So, they began their journey.

For a surprisingly long stretch, there weren't any truly notable enemies. Distant, grotesque figures occasionally flitted across the landscape, but none dared to approach. It gave the unsettling illusion that, despite being in Hell, it was relatively peaceful, almost serene.

They walked for what felt like hours, taking a few short breaks, the bizarre scenery becoming almost mundane in its perpetual strangeness.

Finally, they managed to reach the Dragon Bone Mountain. It was even more magnificent up close than it had appeared from the cliffside—a true mountain of skeletal remains, unmistakable as the remnants of a single, impossibly vast dragon.

On the map, the most direct path forward was to cross directly across it, from the colossal opening of its rib cage to the other side.

As they moved forward, picking their way through the skeletal landscape. A strange sort of wildlife scurried around them. Creatures made entirely of dull white bone darted between the ribs, their empty eye sockets seeming to observe the intruders. Some were small, like skeletal hounds, others larger, resembling spectral carrion birds. Yet, none dared to attack as they maintained a respectful distance.

Then, a sudden, ominous gust of wind blew over them and a shadow fell across the land scape.

Kaito looked up.

A massive figure descended from the blood-red sky. It was a Bone Dragon, its form a mosaic of bleached bone, held together by unseen forces and raw spiritual energy. Its size was immense, perhaps half that of Tamamo's giant form. Blue soul fire blazed malevolently in its hollow eye sockets as fixed its gaze on them.

It unleashed a guttural roar that echoed across the desolate plains, rattling the very bones of its mountain home. It was a challenge, a declaration of territorial supremacy.

At least, Durandal materialized in his hand as Kaito accepted its challenge.

The bone dragon swooped down with a low glide. Its massive skeletal claws extended, aiming to crush them. Kaito met it head-on, launching himself forward. Durandal clashed against the Bone Dragon's skull. The sound was like thunder, a deafening CLANG that reverberated through the very ground beneath them.

Tamamo merely stood by, watching the confrontation with an air of detached interest, offering no support.

Eleanor, however, acted. She raised her hands, and a barrage of ice projectiles streaked towards the Bone Dragon. They harmlessly collided with its bones, shattering into glittering dust without leaving a mark.

The Bone Dragon reeled as Kaito's strength overwhelmed its momentum, forcing it to flip onto its back as it falls to the ground. Imbuing more power into Durandal, Kaito swiftly sliced both of its skeletal wings, sending fragments of bone showering down as its wings snapped from its frame. He then began to slash at its body, leaving marks of holy light across its bleached bones.

The Bone Dragon let out another furious roar, struggling against Kaito's assault, before abruptly jumping back. Its sliced wings magnetized towards its body and began to reform. With a powerful flap of its newly restored wings, it ascended, fleeing rapidly into the blood-red sky, vanishing from their sight.

Eleanor stared at Kaito, her earlier shock slowly giving way to awe. "That power... you weren't even trying when you were fighting against us, were you?" Her voice was laced with a dawning realization.

Tamamo begrudgingly gloated. "Of course! Did you really think it was your nation's puny toys was enough to defeated me in Japan? Humans are so quick to overestimate themselves."

Kaito, ignoring their exchange, simply stepped into the air and fixed his gaze on the fleeing Bone Dragon. "I'm going to go catch it," he declared, "and use it as our mount."

Tamamo, her delight evident, tossed a few glowing talismans towards him. "Take these, human. They should bind it for long enough for you to capture it."

Kaito snagged the talismans mid-air and rapidly ascended into the sky. He landed on a vertical bone spire that jutted from the Dragon Bone Mountain and began to run up it. His steps as effortless as if it were a horizontal surface. He reached the peak of a massive rib bone, then leaped, landing nimbly on the dragon's spine itself.

The Bone Dragon, perched momentarily atop the giant skeletal skull of the original dragon, reacted with a guttural shriek of surprise. It immediately began to beat its reconstructed wings, attempting to flee into the sky once again. But Kaito was faster. He pursued, rapidly catching up to the monstrous skeletal form.

With a powerful thrust, Kaito impaled Durandal into the Bone Dragon's shoulder bone, clinging onto it. The blade glowed with holy light, causing the undead creature immense pain as its divine attribute counteracted its very nature. The Bone Dragon shrieked, thrashing wildly. Kaito, undeterred, slapped a handful of Tamamo's talismans all over the creature's body. Instantly, chains of light erupted from the talismans, binding its colossal wings and constricting its skeletal frame.

The two immediately came crashing down, the Bone Dragon screeching in pain and fury. However, Kaito merely stepped lightly off its back onto the air, leaving only the massive Bone Dragon to crash into the ground below. The light chains continued to bind it, preventing its skeletal frame from fully reforming or escaping. The Bone Dragon let out a series of low, mournful sounds.

'It surrendered, Kaito,' Durandal's mental voice chimed in. 'It's begging us to let it go, saying it won't mess with us anymore.'

Unable to directly communicate with the creature himself, Kaito beckoned Tamamo over. "Tamamo, talk to it. See if it'll agree to be our ride."

Tamamo, delighted by the prospect of not have to walk any longer than necessary, approached the bound creature and began to communicate to it. The Bone Dragon responded, its soul-fire eyes still glowing but now with a flicker of understanding. After a brief negotiation, Tamamo nodded in satisfaction.

"It agrees," she announced, turning to Kaito.

Tamamo released the light chains. The Bone Dragon shuddered, then slowly stood up and allow them to ride on top of it.

Eleanor let out a small gasp of surprise as the massive creature rapidly ascended into the sky, its wings now beating freely. Kaito, for his part, held Tamamo firmly in his arm, preventing her repeated attempts to stand on the Bone Dragon's head while flying.

The vista below them was a marvel. The Dragon Bone Mountain rapidly receded, displaying the full, awe-inspiring majesty of the ancient dragon's remains. They quickly approached a vast, dark forest, distinguished by a gigantic, gnarled tree at its very center. As they neared it, the Bone Dragon sharply turned, flying entirely around the edge of the sprawling woods. It then landed gently on a spot outside the forest, near the expected location of the exit point. The Bone Dragon let out a low rumble.

'It's saying that it's a remnant of the Dragon Bone Mountain's soul,' Durandal translated. 'It couldn't stray too far from it, and it absolutely couldn't go near that forest. It claims the Soul Devouring Tree would swallow it whole.'

Kaito nodded in understanding. He turned to Tamamo. "Please give it our thanks for the ride and the information."

Tamamo, with an uncharacteristic flash of sincerity, spoke to the Bone Dragon. It dipped its massive head in acknowledgment before flying up, returning to its home amongst the skeletal peaks. Kaito and Eleanor both watched it go, waving it off until it disappeared from sight.

"This forest is incredibly dangerous, human," Tamamo stated with a serious frown. "Although the map only marked it as moderately dangerous, I can feel an ancient, immense power residing in the center of it. It's best that we stick to the long trip around it."

"Is it partially because you're a spirit in nature, Tamamo?" Kaito asked.

"It's more than that," Tamamo countered, a rare tremor in her voice. "Its aura feels... familiar. Familiar to a Major Apocalypse Beast."

'Major Apocalypse Beasts are merely a myth,' Durandal interjected, a hint of skepticism in her tone. 'And even if they weren't, why would one be here of all places without majorly disturbing its surroundings with its overwhelming power?' Kaito relayed Durandal's words aloud.

Tamamo bristled. "Myth? I assure you, I've encountered a Major Apocalypse Beast before when I was much younger. I cannot be mistaken about this feeling."

Eleanor stepped closer. "If I may ask," she began, "what exactly are Major Apocalypse Beasts? I've heard the term 'Minor Apocalypse Beast' before, but never 'Major.'"

Kaito turned to her, explaining simply. "Minor Apocalypse Beasts are usually considered spawns or lesser kin of Major Apocalypse Beasts. Major Apocalypse Beasts themselves are immensely powerful monsters. Examples include the biblical myth of Leviathan or Behemoth, but there are many others recorded in history, and many more that remain unknown."

"More than just immensely powerful," Tamamo added, her voice regaining some of its usual theatricality, "they are monarchs in their own right, and their authority rivals that of notable gods. Of course, there are other monsters that outclass even them, but their fame and terror are etched deeply into the history of the world."

"I see," Eleanor murmured, her face pale.

"Well," Kaito said, looking towards the ominous forest, "let's get started on our journey then. We'll steer clear of that forest, no matter how long it takes."

They traveled a vast distance until they are bathed in a strange, shifting light. They've reached a rift-like portal that pulsed with an energy similar to the Hell Gate, but was much smaller and more contained.

As they approached, a figure dressed in a simple black robe stepped out from beside the portal, his large staff used as a walking stick. He appeared elderly, his face deeply lined, but his eyes held an ancient, knowing light.

"Two humans, and a nine-tailed fox," the elderly figure said, his voice was raspy but clear. "To think someone would go out of their way to get here."

"Who are you?" Kaito asked, his hand ready to summon Durandal.

"I am but a hermit who resides nearby," the elderly figure replied with a serene smile. "And I'm merely offering you a warning, should you decide to enter that gate."

Tamamo peered at the swirling portal. "That is a gate to the Dark Side of the World, is it not? What's so dangerous about it?"

The elderly figure's smile faded. "So you're aware of its true designation, yet you still seek it out." He sighed. "The desolation beyond this gate is more hellish than any location in any Hells or the Abyss that I've traveled across. The lack of spiritual energy is one aspect, but it's more than that. It is a place utterly devoid of life, of hope, of anything but raw, unending emptiness. It will test your very sanity."

"Ah, thank you for the advice, but we really need to return," Kaito said. Despite the foreboding warning, staying in Hell wasn't an option.

The elderly figure sighed again. "Very well. I shall step aside. But do keep my warning to heart. Many have entered, few have returned whole." He moved to the side, his staff thudding softly on the ground.

With one last glance at the hermit, Kaito nodded to Eleanor and Tamamo. They stepped through the shimmering rift and emerged into a suffocating heat. The blood-red sky of Hell was gone, replaced by a scorching sun overhead. The rift vanished behind them, a one-way trip. Surrounding them was a desolate environment of parched, cracked earth, with only a few sparse plant lives scattered about.

They were back on Earth, but where exactly? Kaito pulled his phone from his inventory, its screen flickering to life. He opened the GPS map, waiting for it to load. His eyes widened behind his mask.

Kaito was utterly confused after such a foreboding warning.

"We're just in Australia."