Peter heard footsteps coming toward him before he could completely heal himself. He looked up and saw the shadowy figure standing before him.
“Who are you?” Peter's breathing was repetitive. The Demon Slayer heard an odd snickering from the shadowy figure. It was petrifying as it echoed in his ears.
He walked slowly towards Peter and stood before him as he sat on the ground. Instantly, he kicked Peter in the chest and rest one leg on him. He noticed that the man was black as a shadow and had a dark, swirly energy surrounding him. The shadow man pointed the sword at Peter’s throat and grinned. He used the sword to rip away the Amulet of Kismet from his neck and cast it aside. Peter attempted to go after it, but the shadow man kicked him down again.
“Who are you—and what do you want?”
The shadow man raised his sword over his head, and Peter closed his eyes.
But then, Peter felt the shadow man's leg moved. He opened his eyes, raised his head, and saw him walking away while he snickered. He sat up and had a questioned expression. The man walked over to the scythe and kicked it over to Peter.
Peter picked up the scythe, wondering if it was a trap. The shadow man held his sword in front, challenging him to a duel.
The Demon Slayer then saw that his sword was also cast away with the crumbles from the motorcycle. He walked over to pick up the Redeemer. When he stooped down to pick it up the man growled at him. Peter heard a loud bang and he jump back from picking up the sword.
When he looked up, the shadow man had a sawed-off shotgun in his hand. He saw him tucked it away under his coat. ‘How strange.’
The shadow darted towards Peter, jumped, and swung down the sinister sword. Peter raised his scythe to block it, but the force pushed him back. A gush of wind parted the dust when the arcane metal collided with his. The Demon Slayer felt the shock throughout his body. The blow caused him to flinch.
From the opposite angle, the shadow swung the sword around after a three-sixty spin. With the body of the scythe, Peter blocked it. He shuddered and closed one eye. With a straight kick, the shadow man shocked him in the chest, but it wasn’t strong enough to knock him down.
Peter regained his footing and held the scythe on one knee.
The shadow man jumped toward Peter with his sword over his head. With only a few seconds to spare, he jumped and rolled away to the side. When the shadow man landed, he sliced the ground in half.
Peter was startled by his strength and gasped from exhaustion.
Suddenly, the shadow man threw the sword at Peter. It ripped through the wind like a ninja star. He ducked, but the shadow man ran toward him with the shotgun, firing at him. As he snapped, popped, and reloaded with ease, Peter blocked the bullets with his scythe, by spinning it around. When the shadow man was close enough, he wielded the blade at his torso, ready to cut him in half. Before it could connect, something sharp struck him in the back and knocked him off his feet. Peter fell to his face, and held his breath because the pain was too much to handle.
The shadow man laughed as Peter used one hand to pull the blade out of his back and cast it aside.
‘How did he do that…? The sword came back and impaled me…’ Peter crawled away. He could tell his liver was punctured. He knew he wouldn’t survive much longer. He looked around for the amulet. Pain and shock consumed him as he desperately searched for it. But he had no luck on finding it, Peter didn’t want to die but he remained still on his stomach. Slowly, he felt his life slipping away from him.
But then, Peter remembered the fruit in his pocket. ‘Yes, of course…Blackheart.’ Secretly, he took it out and took a bite. As he chewed, he felt the pain leaving his body. His wounds began to heal, and his energy returned.
Before he could finish the fruit, Peter felt a strong kick to his ribs. He closed his eyes as the shadow man walked over to him, pretending to be dead.
When Shadow man checked to see if he was still breathing, Peter grabbed his hand. He felt a bizarre energy coming from him, and he knew he wasn’t human. He didn’t seem demonic either.
Peter whacked him in his face, sending him a few feet away. The shadow man’s skin was hard as stone. Peter jumped up, grabbed his scythe, and shot the spear toward the shadow man. The chain wrapped around him, held him from moving. Peter pulled his pistol from his holster and shot him three times in the chest.
The shadow man fell to one knee after the bullets struck him.
Peter put away his firearm, retracted the chain, and drove the scythe’s arrow in his chest—driving him to the ground. Though the scythe went through the hard skin, Peter didn’t know if it would harm him. Peter raised the scythe over his head and struck him again –separating his torso from his waist in a clean cut.
When the Demon Slayer looked at the wound, he saw darkness. Black smoke rose from the body, his eyes turned white, and his teeth clenched.
“What are you?” Sensing that he had met his demise, Peter walked away from the shadow man to get his sword. He looked around for the amulet before he tried to find the path Terrence had pointed out.
Before Peter departed, he felt a strong energy pulling on him. He couldn’t tell what direction it was coming from—until he heard a growl from the being he had just slain. his heart raced in his chest when he saw the shadow man’s torso reconnected to his waist. Hidden in a black smoke, the shadow man’s wounds and limbs mended.
‘This can’t be. What the hell is that thing?’
Black energy and darkness surrounded the shadow man. The shadow man’s body began to transform. Black wings sprouted from his back, horns grew from his forehead, and his body had glowing white tattoos. His hair turned blazing blue.
‘He looks similar to my angelic form. What’s going on? What is he?’
The shadow man’s sword grew to the size of an ironing board, and the handle was as thin as a PVC pipe. He held the sword with both hands, raised it before him, and slowly levitated. The ground trembled under Peter’s feet, and large black spikes shot out of the ground.
Peter did a somersault, and they retreated back into the ground. They came at him in waves, but he avoided them. He saw the amulet gleaming in the darkness and headed toward it. Another wave of spikes shot toward him, and he dove toward the Amulet of Kismet. He grabbed it and placed it around his neck.
Several larger spikes surrounded him, caging him in. When he stooped down to jump out, they stabbed him from all directions. The spikes retracted into the ground, but Peter’s vital organs were damaged. He fell to his knees and threw up blood.
The shadow man descended to the ground and giggled.
The Demon Slayer gasped for breath and fell to his back.
The shadow man jumped, raised his sword above Peter and stabbed it down toward his chest.
A bright light surrounded Peter and shielded him from the sword. The shadow man struggled against the force that was holding his sword. The light launched him a hundred feet away; he flapped his wings to stay leveled.
Peter stood up.
The shadow man gasped at the site after he saw his wounds healed, his tattoos began to glow, and his clothing changed into an angelic armor. His eyes became white, and his skin was chalky. His sword became broader, and angelic wings sprouted from his back. His hair was fiery red.
Peter walked toward the shadow man as the black spikes shot up from under his feet, surrounding him again. He did a three-sixty spin and cut the spikes from under him. With the force from the sword, they rose out of the ground. With his broad sword, he raised the spikes higher and batted them toward the shadow man. Before they impaled him, the shadow man raised his hand and stopped the spikes in midair. He released them, and they fell before him.
Peter raised his hand, and released several white crescent moons toward the shadow man like angry killer bees. They connected with him before he could defend himself and sent him to the ground. The shadow man rolled and screamed in torment.
The Demon Slayer jumped down on him and jammed his sword into his chest,
pinning him to the ground.
The shadow man grabbed the blade, but Peter kept pushing down on it. The shadow man began to create a black energy ball that surrounded them. Purple lightning emitted from it, and he gasped as the shadow man pushed the large blade out of his chest. His body became lighter, and he began to float. The black energy was lowering the gravity’s force around them.
When the sword was out of the shadow man’s chest, he kicked Peter away. Peter flew thirty feet, somersaulted in midair, and landed on his feet.
The shadow man sat up, and the wound in his chest began to heal rapidly. The gravity ball disappeared, and everything returned to its usual state.
Peter called forth his pistol from the ground, and it shot into his hand. When it touched his palm, it transformed into a rocket launcher. Peter fired his weapon, but the shadow man blocked the explosion with his broad sword. The sword began to glimmer in his hand.
Peter cast aside the launcher and ran toward the shadow man.
With the hot sword, the shadow man spun in a three-sixty motion and released a razor sharp white energy at him. Peter managed to jump and do a somersault over it. ‘That move seems familiar.’
The shadow man transformed his shotgun into a Gatling gun. A loud roar rang out as the Gatling gun opened fire on him. Peter shielded himself with his sword while he flapped his wings to stay afloat. The bullets ricocheted off the blade and scattered like fireflies. The blade began to consume the heat of the bullets. He used his wings to shield himself, did a three-sixty spin, and slashed with his sword twice to create an X-energy slicer. The shadow man dropped his heavy gun and rolled out of the way. The energy exploded in his background and trembled the ground.
Peter flapped his wings and landed softly. “What are you?” He searched for his scythe. The scythe of Judgment shot toward his hand and turned into a thinner, longer version of itself with two blades on each end.
The shadow man’s eyes glowed, and he held his blade before him, ready for combat.
Peter said, “I finally figured it out. You have similar moves to mine. The gun, sword, and fighting style are just like mine. You must be one of the challenges the souls spoke of earlier. You’re the first challenge. But how am I facing myself? You look nothing like me. You’re some kind of … I don’t know … but you’re nothing like me.”
The shadow man sheathed his sword on his back, clapped, and smiled at Peter.
“You look nothing like me. You’re some … creature … or demon.”
He pointed at Peter’s feet.
Peter looked down to see what he was pointing at, but there was nothing there. “What is it?”
The shadow man walked closer and began to deteriorate. Like rushing water he scurried toward his feet.
Peter's heart almost jumped from his mouth when that happened. He didn't know what to do. But to his surprise, he felt normal. With the shadow man sticking to him, he didn’t feel threatened. In fact, he felt like his old self—strong, stern, and filled with vigor. Peter then realized that the shadow man was a part of him.
“That’s impossible. You are my shadow? You are a part of me? No.”
But then, he saw shadow man in his shadow state leaving his feet. He slowly converted back into his old self. The shadow man nodded and stood before him as a dark reflection with the scythe instead of the sword.
The shadow man reached up, and a small black sphere with glowing bright purple light formed above him. It grew to the size of a large yoga ball. Peter felt his body pulling toward it. The ball was like a magnet and everything began to move toward it.
Peter stuck the scythe into the ground and prevented himself from going into the sphere. The pressure was too much, and it kept pulling him in. He hung on to the scythe as the blade clawed a line in the dirt. When the blade came loose, Peter was sucked into the magnetic ball. He fought, twisted, and turned as the rocks and debris trapped him in the magnetic ball.
The shadow man dropped his hand—and so did Peter in the sphere. He rolled slowly toward the shadow man. Peter’s shadow used his left feet to stop him.
The Demon Slayer kept struggling to get free. He could feel his angelic powers slowly leaving him.
“What is this?” Peter asked.
The shadow man giggled. In five seconds, Peter’s energy was gone. He reverted to his human form.
The shadow man knelt down before him and patted his cheek. He laughed, and his white fangs gleamed.
“Get away from me! Let me be free!”
The shadow man pulled his feet back and kicked Peter in the forehead, knocking him out cold.
Chapter 24
Queen of the Underworld
Peter awakened and crawled across his bedroom floor. He wondered if he had fallen of his bed. Peter noticed that his opponent had vanished. The shadow man was nowhere to be found. He couldn’t even sense him, but he felt as if nothing had happened. He wondered if he was dreaming. What was he doing in his apartment?
“Sweetie?” a female voice asked from the kitchen. “Is that you? Are you awake?”
Peter didn’t recognize the voice. “Who’s there?”
The lady walked in with a cup on a saucer.
Her beauty stunned him. She had long black hair and the figure of a supermodel. She wore a white blouse and a blue skirt that barely covered her knees. When she walked closer to him, Peter recognized her.
“Ariana?” Peter sat on his bed in confusion.
She rested the tea on the nightstand. “Are you having another nightmare again?”
She sat beside him and brushed his hair from his forehead.
“Why am I here?” Peter looked around for his trousers. He was only wearing his boxer-briefs.
“Now, now. Don’t be hasty. You are not going anywhere, mister.”
“Ariana, I thought you were dead. I thought you died years ago. What are you doing here?”
“Stop being silly, sweetie. You must be having one of your nightmares again. What was it about this time—the big, bad shadow man?”
His eyes lit up. He found his pants on the floor and slid them on.
“Ariana, my sixth wife? It’s impossible that you are still alive. I watched you die of old age a long time ago.”
“Don’t be silly, sweetie. We are here together, living as a family in New York City with our son Claudius.”
Peter looked around for his sword and saw that it was hanging where he always left it; behind the door. He grabbed it, ran back to Ariana, and pointed the tip between her eyes.
“Who are you?” He sounded annoyed. “Claudius is not Ariana’s son. Ariana and I only had a daughter. That was over a hundred years ago. Declare yourself now.”
Ariana smiled and grabbed the blade. “You fool!” Her voice turned cold and hoarse. “You should’ve just stayed in this reality. Everyone knows Ariana was your favorite wife.” She stood up and everything around them burnt away like a newspaper lit by a matchstick. Smoke and burnt papers floated upwards as everything returned to normal to where Peter remembered.
Peter was shocked that he was back in hell. He tried to take the sword from her grip, but it burst into flames and evaporated. “What’s going on?” He was standing about twenty-five stories up on a cliff. He stumbled backward and almost fell off. He looked in her direction, and her features changed into another beautiful woman.
Her clothes changed into a ghastly red and black two-piece lingerie with thorns sticking out of the shoulder pads. Her knee-high boots were black and she wore black mascara and red lipstick. Her hair was long and black.
“Gevurah, you’ve been a bad boy. You know that, right?” She grabbed Peter’s shoulder and ripped the coat and vest from his body, leaving him in his pants and boots. She leaned in to kiss him on the cheek and rub his chest.
“Who are you,” Peter pushed her hand away. “Where are my weapons and relics?”
“Why so hasty?” She giggled and walked toward him again. “What’s the matter, fallen one? Are you scared of me?”
Peter continued to back away. “Stay back.” He backed up to the edge of the cliff, wondering if he would survive a fall. “Who are you?”
“My, my. Don’t tell me you don’t recognize me. Don’t tell me you didn’t read the texts Gabilon gave you about Lucifer’s first servant. The mother of mankind… the first lady.” The confused look on his face made her chuckled. “Still don’t have an idea?”
“Eve?”
“In the flesh.” She smiled and bowed her head. “But in these parts, my name is Lillith.”
“The mother of mankind and of the demons. Why are you here? What do you want from me?” Peter ran to the opposite side of her.
“Lucifer personally sent me here to encourage you to turn back. Stop pursuing the boy and go back to earth.”
Peter sat down on a rock. He knew Lillith was not a threat. She was not going to attack him without a reason. “Why would I do that? I’m not gonna come this far just to turn back. I’m going to get what I came here for.”
Lillith smiled at him. “I thought so. I’ve heard of your stubbornness. You don’t give up—no matter the outcome. Hell is different from earth. Here, you’re powerless. Your God is not here to protect you. Only I can protect you from the wrath of Lucifer.”
“I don’t need your help. I will save the boy and take him back to his mother. I will not fail.”
“You keep telling yourself that, but we both know who you really are. You are a scared little man who is afraid of his destiny. You’re always leaving your loved ones behind and running away from your responsibilities. You are a coward, Gevurah. You know you will fail, but you keep telling yourself that to give yourself hope. You’re trying to put on a show like you are tough and unbreakable, but we both know you’re a loser.”
Peter knew she was right about certain things. He has being putting on a front from the start. He didn’t believe in himself as much as he needed to.
“You couldn’t even fight against yourself—your darker version. Modern-day folks on earth call it the ‘evil twin.’ You could not defeat him. You are a failure, Gevurah, and you know it.”
Hellbound Second Advent Page 22