Hellbound Second Advent

by Decoyar Brown

  “Is that so?” Zack smiled at him. “It’s a good thing we weren’t just sitting around when things were a bit quiet.”

  “Yeah.” Claudius smiled too. “Are you ready to show these demons that coming to earth was their first mistake?”

  “Hell yeah. I wouldn’t be surprise if our former organization shows up here as well. I have a feeling today’s the day when all hell will break loose … literally.”

  Zack activated the switch on his back and transformed into his antibiosis armor. Claudius pulled the Glove of Xerox from his pocket and placed it on his right hand. He took off his sweatshirt, leaving him in a black T-shirt, cargo pants, and combat boots.

  Zack said, “I know you’ve been avoiding the subject of your father, but you have to talk about it. Do you think he’s—”

  “Don’t even say it. My father is far from dead. I’ve seen him fight, and I’ve never seen anyone fight like him. Not even Uncle Gedulah can match my father’s fighting potential. My father fights tenaciously and never gives up. If you ask me if I think he’s dead, the answer is no. He will come back soon.” Tears started to build in his eyes. “He will be back soon. You just watch. He will bring Ella’s son back to her. You’ll see.”

  Zack disabled his helmet to reveal a hopeful smile. He patted him on the back. “Okay, what’s the plan?”

  Claudius was now focus. “I want you to bring me to the highest point above the demons. If I use my inferno flame, I can take out a few dozen of them with a single blow by crashing down on them.”

  “That sounds like a plan. It would be a better one if you could use that force to destroy the tower as well.”

  “I will try. When you release me, I want you to do the best you can to help me take out as many demons as we can. I don’t want us to have too much to deal with if the other knights show up. We need to stop them from going into the town—and those that are attacking the military.”

  Zack grabbed Claudius, and they began to fly toward the tower. They rose as high as ten stories. They could feel an evil sensation from the tower.

  “All right. Are you ready?” Zack asked.

  Claudius raised his left hand –the gloveless one, and a green flame started to rise from it. “Release me.” He rained down on his foes, and the green flames quickly covered him. Claudius plummeted down on the demons without them being aware.

  When Claudius landed, it was like a nuclear bomb had gone off. Hundreds of demons were caught in the powerful green flame. The explosion covered a wide radius and took out more demons than they had anticipated. But it wasn’t enough to damage the tower.

  The explosion got the demons’ attention that were marching to the towns. They looked to see what had caused the uproar. They squealed when they saw a figure flying towards them.

  Zack flew over to stop them. His blue cape flickered in the wind as he accelerated, and his demonic eyes glowed in the dusky atmosphere.

  After he landed, Zack aimed his hands at a few of the Slangers. He focused and created Thunder Bombs. They floated out and exploded, pushing away a good amount of Slangers. They were stunned as they tumbled and rolled away from him. Bones broke, and heads split open. The Slangers kept coming toward him. Zack had to switch to hand-to-hand combat because he didn’t want to fire off his bombs from such close range.

  With his armor’s enhanced strength and his military combat skills, Zack overpowered the demons that stood before him. Numerous kicks and punches flew toward them, breaking limbs and shattering organs.

  Some of the Tempar Ragge rushed in with their twin swords. Their skin was dry and brown. They wore loincloths and big solidified gauntlets. Their long wings were connected to scrawny arms that where attached to their shoulders. They had yellow cat eyes and small horns. They were five feet tall, but they had the skills of ancient swordsmen. Their speed was remarkable. Swords snapped at him like angry cobras.

  Zack ducked and blocked with his demonic gauntlet on his wrist. Sparks flew as the sword banged against his forearms. Zack fought like a well-trained officer. With his fighting potential boosted by the antibiosis armor, Zack fought gallantly.

  Claudius was distracted when one of the Slangers tackled him, but he held his ground. He grabbed the demon’s horns and slammed it to the ground. He looked up and saw five Slangers running toward him. With a few seconds to spare, Claudius shot a green flame at the demon. The creature screamed and rolled around to kill the intense flame. Before the others could get close to him, Claudius kicked the flaming demon. It collided with the others and knocked them down like bowling pins. When the demon connected with them, it exploded.

  “Strike!” Claudius shouted before turning to face ten Temper Ragge behind him.

  From his Glove of Xerox, Claudius called forth the power of Bolverk. When Claudius pushed his hand out, the flaming ghost rushed forward and struck down the Tempar Ragge with its sword. Like a ghostly magical genie, the centaur dematerialized after its feat.

  Claudius couldn’t help but notice that Bolverk’s true form had appeared. The glove had wrapped around his right arm, drawing closer to his shoulder. The power was growing.

  Zack said, “Claudius, it seems like the more we defeat, the more is coming. At this rate, we will be here all day. Do you think you can manage?”

  Claudius summoned balls of flames and launched them at the approaching demons. “I don’t know. The Hellgate below the tower is where they are coming from. We have to find a way to close it.” The green fireballs exploded and send them to their death.

  Zack grabbed a Tempar Ragge by its wing, spun it around, and launched the creature into a few others. “How are we going to close it?”

  “I have an idea. Try to buy me some time.” Claudius rushed toward the Hellgate and jumped over the burning creatures.

  Zack fought a number of Slangers before he shot up twenty feet in the air to see what Claudius was attempting to do. He saw a few Slangers were chasing Claudius, and he fired a few thunder bombs to blow them away from his comrade. A few Tempar Ragge flew up and bumped Zack. Four of them held him down as they fell from the sky. Zack knew the fall wouldn’t hurt him, but he was worried about Claudius.

  The demons panicked when Zack released a powerful force from his body that caused the demons to vibrate. The vibration created microwaves that caused their skin to melt, their organs to explode, and their bones to shatter.

  Zack then vibrated his body and clapped his hands together, creating a chain reaction and a loud echo followed. A gush of wind crushed the demons behind Claudius. Blood and bones scattered, and the demons howled in agony.

  Claudius ran toward the Hellgate and smiled when he saw that Zack had his back covered. He jumped twenty feet in the air, pointed his gloved hand at the Hellgate, and tensed his body. Green flames covered his body, and an extreme heat caused the Tempar Ragge to explode. Bolverk formed again from the young man’s will and shot down into the Hellgate. The demons that were flying and crawling were set on fire by the flaming specter.

  Claudius landed after his somersault and saw his ghost galloping down into hell with its large sword. He could see hundreds of demons looking up at him. Bolverk’s figure devoured them with ease, and hundreds of demons met their demise before they could escape to earth.

  “Zack, that will only buy us a few minutes. We need to finish off the ones attacking the military and warn the people in the town. Let’s hurry and finish off the rest of them.”

  Zack nodded and began to work his arcane magic. He sent a few more thunder claps to finish off a few of the demons.

  Claudius summoned more green flames to burn the demons away. Fewer than fifty demons were standing as they struggled to fight the young warriors.

  As the two were finishing the last of the alpha Slangers and Tempar Ragge, an eerie feeling lingered in the atmosphere. A number of loud booms and explosions rang out from the Hellgate. The demons that were barely alive began to cheer. Zack and Claudius saw seven large demons with jagged talons and long tails emerged from t
he Hellgate.

  One of the demons raised and licked its thirteen-inch talons. Saliva ran down the blade. White masks covered their bird-shaped faces. Blue lightning emitted from their claws the moment they were about to attack Claudius and Zack.

  “Claudius!” Zack screamed. “Get away from them!”

  Claudius slowly backed away as the other demons celebrated. “What are they? I don’t remember learning about them in our studies. Do you recognize them?”

  “Yes. These are also alpha demons. They’re called Fritz Claws.” Zack flew over to Claudius and stood by him. “Do you notice that they look different from the others?”

  Claudius nodded.

  “That’s because they are lords of the upper circle of Sheol. The infamous white demons are the strongest followers of the nine lords of Sheol. We shouldn’t be fighting them. We are outclassed.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. They are that powerful?”

  “We may have to retreat until your uncle or someone comes to aid us. Quick—give me your hand. Let me fly us out of here.”

  “But what about the army? We can’t just leave without helping them.”

  “We can fly in that direction. Come on. Take my hand.” Zack levitated.

  One of the Fritz Claws caught Claudius and Zack off guard.

  Claudius gasped as the demon emerged and reappeared before him. Claudius gulped when he saw the demon raised its talons over its head.

  Zack slapped his hands to release his thunderclap at the Fritz Claw. The demon raised its large hand to shield the destructive air from its face. The thunderclap barely grazed its gauntlet.

  “Impossible,” Zack mumbled.

  The hand that Zack had scratched suddenly emitted a blue electric charge. It slashed at Claudius. His heart thumped rapidly, but Zack was able to jump in and shield him. Lightning flickered after the slash and paralyzed Zack. The demon scratch left five large claw marks in the center of his chest. The Fritz Claw slapped Zack away, and he collided with Claudius. They bounced and tumbled thirty feet away.

  Claudius coughed and rolled around. “I feel like I was hit by a bus.” His chest tightened, and it was hard for him to breathe.

  “Are you okay?” Zack sat up and held the wound.

  “Yeah, I’ll live. Why did you step in to take the blow?”

  “Because I knew I could heal myself. But I didn’t know I would take this much damage. They told me this armor was indestructible, but I don’t think I would survive another hit like that. We have to get out of—”

  The demon reappeared behind Zack, raised its hand, and licked its lips. It roared and slashed down at Zack.

  But then, a large arrow exploded against the Fritz Claw’s forearm. The creature squealed in torment.

  ‘What the…?’ Zack grabbed Claudius under his armpit and flew a quarter of a mile away. The other Fritz Claws and demons were chasing them.

  “What was that?” Claudius asked.

  “It looked like an arrow.”

  “Who shot that arrow?”

  “I have no idea. But I’m grateful.” Zack picked up speed after he saw the Fritz Claw gaining on him from below.

  “Whoever it is showed up just in time. Help me look around for our rescuer.” Claudius looked back and saw that the Fritz Claws were galloping under them at a phenomenal speed. A zealous lightening emitted as they teleported closer to them.

  Zack took Claudius higher into the sky. The Tempar Ragge flew toward them, but Zack’s speed was remarkable.

  “Look over there,” Claudius said. “There’s someone behind that hill.”

  “I see a pair of wings. Oh my gosh. It must be your uncle. Let’s fly in that direction.”

  More figures formed behind the hill, and numerous winged people showed up too.

  Claudius said, “Sweet. It seems like he brought an army of angels.”

  “An army of angels? How exciting.” Zack focused and he was able to make out the individuals behind the hill. “ Wait a minute…I don’t think any of them is your uncle, Claudius. They have a strange sensation to them.”

  “What do you mean? I don’t feel anything.”

  Zack slowed down and lowered to the ground.

  Without hesitation, Claudius ran closer to the winged group while Zack slowly followed in doubt.

  “Shalom … ma nishma.” One of the strangers said. By her hourglass figure they could tell she was a female.

  Zack looked at Claudius in confusion.

  Claudius said, “She’s speaking Hebrew.” He turned to her and spoke in Hebrew also. “Do you speak English?”

  She removed her helmet, and greeted them with an alluring smiled. “Yes.”

  Her beauty struck Zack instantly, and his heart raced. His helmet vanished to reveal his mouth open from wonder. He could tell by the shape of her helmet that she was the leader of the group. She had a bow in her hand, and he knew she had fired the arrow that blew off the demon’s hand. Her large, crescent-shaped bow was carved out of crimson stone.

  “You must be the son of the Demon Slayer and the nephew of the Gatekeeper. My name is Aliyah. We are here to help.” She nodded.

  “Gatekeeper?” Claudius asked.

  Zack said, “She means your uncle. That’s one of his nicknames.”

  All of her followers had one wing on their backs, long swords, and shields that resembled wings. White armor covered them from head to toe.

  Claudius thought that their features were unusual. “Who are you guys?”

  Zack said, “They are the Kabbalist knights—the ones who were supposed to rival the Naraka Knights.”

  Claudius smiled at Aliyah. “Oh.”

  Aliyah’s smile was timid. “You look just like your father. Like him, you are very handsome.”

  Claudius blushed and smiled. “Thanks.”

  Zack dashed before her and said, “My name is Zack Morris.” He reached his hand out to shake hers.

  Aliyah hesitated before she reached out. “Sorry. In my culture, a male should not touch a female in public.” Aliyah raised her hand to Zack slowly.

  Zack took her hand and kissed the back of it. “Nice to meet you.”

  Aliyah smiled bashfully.

  Claudius said, “My father did mention meeting you a few weeks ago. Thanks for your help.”

  Aliyah smiled. “These are my troops. We came all the way from Jerusalem to aid you. My lieutenants are on the other side of the volcano, ready for an ambush—or if the forces of evil have gain an upper hand.”

  Claudius said, “It doesn’t look too good now that those alpha demons are here. If you guys didn’t show up, we wouldn’t be standing right now.”

  “Don’t worry. We will help you the best we can. We’ve been training since birth for this day.”

  Zack activated his helmet after he saw the Fritz Claws racing up the hill. He prepared for an attack, but Aliyah stepped in front of him. She placed her helmet on and pulled an arrow from her back. “My troops and I will handle these alpha demons. Those winged demons are heading for that town over there. Go stop them before they make it into the town.”

  Zack flew off in that direction at her suggestion.

  “Claudius,” Aliyah called. “I was watching you earlier fighting against the demons. I can see the rage within you and the frustration of your father’s failure. Please don’t let that cloud your judgment. Don’t let the dark side consume you.”

  Claudius chuckled. “What do you mean?”

  Aliyah gave an order for the Kabbalist knights to attack the demons that were heading in their direction. She pointed a finger for them to pull their swords and charge toward them “Your father’s righteous legacy is within you, but I’m afraid that your other heritage is slowly consuming your emotions. It may alter your judgment.”

  “Heritage?”

  “Yes, there is darkness within you. That glove of Xerox is a special relic. It is one of the most powerful weapons on earth. If you don’t use it the right way, it may consume you and send you into obli
vion. It may cause you to make irrational decisions. From the way you fight, I can tell you are mastering it. I have a feeling your father is okay. Don’t worry too much about him. Stay level and help us fight these demons—and find a way to close the Hellgate.”

  “Yeah. I’m trying not to think about him too much.” Claudius shook his head “The glove keeps growing. After using it for an hour today, it’s expanded toward my shoulder. I used to be only able to call forth a small ounce of the demons’ powers, but now I can bring them to life.” He knocked on the metal. “And it seems to be getting heavier and more solid.”

  “Just remember this: a weapon is only as strong as the person using it. In other words, you are strong enough to handle the power of the Glove of Xerox—and the other parts of the armor that go with it.” She smiled and charged forward to help her officers.

  Claudius said, “Hey, Aliyah. What do you mean other parts?” She flew up to engage the Tempar Ragge before he could catch up with her.

  Chapter 27

  The Savior

  “Charles, you’re moving too slow,” Gloria said. “Hurry up. We might miss out on the action. At this rate, we might not get anything to cover.”

  The reporter and her cameraman moved over a large rock on the hillside. Like a mountain climber, Charles hung on and pulled himself up. Gloria was only twelve feet up, but she was not too fond of heights.

  Gloria said, “It took us nearly three days to get here. You slept most of the trip—and you’re still moving like an old lady.”

  “Lighten up, woman. I’m going as fast as I can. If I rush, I might drop my camera. If I do we couldn’t be able to record anything in this godforsaken place. And I’m nice enough to carry your belongings.” After Charles reached the top, he lowered his hand, and pulled Gloria up. She struggled, groaned, and forced her way up to him.

  Gloria gathered herself and looked over at the tower. “Oh my god.”

  Charles raised his camera and zoomed in on the tower. “I can’t believe I let you convince me to come here.”

  Gloria said, “Look at those … things gathering around it. What are they?”