The sky of the underworld was a dreary unbecoming thing. It lacked the splendor of the vast expanse of a great realm, even one of simplicity, but Doom supposed that was why it was what it is.
After all, who was he to judge the doomed.
In all his pride and valor, he never for once forgot that he was in Mephisto's realm and so any hopes of defeating the Grand Demon here was a fool's dream. Doom was daring. Doom was not a fool.
Something leapt at him from the shadows but he laid it no mind, simply swinging his hand with the chainsaw and bifurcating its infernal flesh. He felt the trickle of energy that flowed from the chainsaw into the suit he now wore. The crown purchase in his short visit to the dimensional shoppekeeper.
—Chainsaw (DOOM Series): Ah, a venture into Hell, you say. You know you can't go in without this resource engine. A weapon whose sole purpose, just like its brethren, is to shred demons to hell dust. The ultimate melee weapon.
Can instantly kill all low and mid level demons, and kills even high level demons with an extra nudge or two. It also possesses the unique ability to ground demonic essence and convert it into ammunition for other weapons of its kind.
*Needs the Preator Suit to process the demonic energy into ammunition fuel. {Rip and Tear!}
Doom had always seen such barbaric displays of violence, like the one the chainsaw introduced him to, as uncouth and below someone of his magnitude, but the serrated weapon and its penchant for visceral brutality was slowly growing on him.
The chainsaw was not the only avenue of combat open to him in this hellish place. While he still preferred his own magic and his own technology, he couldn't use them, especially his magic, as it was all focused on keeping the spell that was shielding him from Mephisto's eyes active, which was the only reason why the Demon Lord had yet to drop in front of him.
Hiding from a Hell Lord did not come easy, nor did it come cheap. If only the old master of Kamar-Taj had not insisted on being so miserly, Doom would not have had to put down an extra investment.
—Mind Blank (Dungeons and Dragons): This spell grants one of the highest levels of mental defense. Forget about mental shields, think 'NO'.
It grants immunities to ANY form of psychic influence and damage, anti-divination, and all forms of psychic-adjacent tracking and detection.
Simple to cast, last 24 hours, requires no upkeep, high recast value and very eco-friendly.
This effectively hid who he was and where he was from Mephisto as he slaughtered his way to the Hell Lord's deepest pits.
Hell itself painted the perfect camouflage for Doom as it complimented the effects of Mind Blank. While he was safe from Mephisto's perception, the massacre should have caught the attention of the Hell Lord, but that also did not happen because of the nature of Hell itself. Demons slaughtered their own kind just because they had the power to do it in every corner of this infinite expanse. His little culling was the same shade as the bleeding sky.
And that was where the other weapons from the aptly named DOOM Series came in. The purchase of his catalog from the Merchant had robbed Doom of nearly every valuable resource he had, as well as a huge part of his wealth.
Doom had quickly understood the character of the so-called Doomslayer after a few minutes of studying his weapons and at the end of the fifth minute, he found himself having a bud of respect for the man.
He clearly hated the demons more than Doom ever will, and for that Doom granted him a nod of his respect.
All the weapons were designed for the purpose of an efficiently grotesque massacre. They were made for the hands of a man who knew every flavor of death and the quickest way to grant it.
Another weapon that looked like a bastardized variant of a brass knuckle appeared around the gauntlet of his right hand. The chainsaw on his left hand disappeared and in its place was now a shield that would have remained a very normal and sturdy shield if not for the two rings of serrated blade around its edges.
—The Skullcrusher (DOOM Series): A one-handed rapid fire weapon to be efficiently used in destroying demonic hordes. It feeds on skulls, crushes them and shoots out their energy-infused bone shards as high-velocity projectiles. It also builds ammunition fuel with the death of your enemies. A specialty close-midrange combat weapon fit for a slayer.
Crush those demonic hordes. {Rip and Tear!}
Doom dropped down into the pit, uncaring that, just like the previous ones, it was taking him deeper into Mephisto's castle. He landed squarely on his feet by crushing and shredding the demon under him into chunky paste with the revving shield.
—The Shield Saw (DOOM Series): This is the Doomslayer's primary defensive tool and like every one of his tools, it becomes a utility tool for whatever the Slayer needs. If the Slayer wants a shield that shreds his enemies and becomes a ranged projectile, then that is what the shield will be.
It absorbs a fraction of the energy of every blocked/parried attack that can be released as a shockwave. It can be recalled with a thought if thrown.
Truly, anything can be a weapon in a Slayer's hands. {Rip and Tear!}
Doom could feel it. He was getting closer. Very close. Soon, he told himself.
He looked at the crushed demon below him, which it was ought to be, and briefly wondered what it saw before it died. Doom banished the thought. He would never abase himself to profess a desire to know what lesser beings thought of him.
He was Doom. He knew their thoughts of him, and he cared even less for it. Such crippling sentiments and need of appearances were the failings of Richards.
Now that he had finally caught the trace of her, he would not be losing it again.
—Captain Jack Sparrow's Compass (Pirates of the Caribbean): Reckon you an adventure, eh? What? You have no maps, no trail, no signed post, no landmarks, can't read the stars? Ye hearts be gladdened.
This divine item is the single thing you need. A compass that doesn't point North. Where does it point then, you ask? Aye, it points to the thing your heart most desires. Savvy?
A weight settled into the fleshly heart that was under the apocalyptic armor, like wine to a merry soul.
Victor von Doom could sense the miasma of despair that coated the corrupted air of the direction he was heading in but that did not falter his steps. If anything it bolstered it.
With his heart assuaged, he could now bring forth the hurl of apathy and chronic disdain he had for these damned creatures. Truly there was none as magnanimous as he for he had taken it upon himself to strike fear into the hearts of these demons who thought they could prey on mortals. How utterly insolent.
Something landed in front of him and kicked up a huge dust storm not long after he started moving towards his destination.
The Shield Saw was still on his left hand but he swapped the Skullcrusher for a new weapon, the Chaingun.
—The Chaingun (DOOM Series): A rapid spitfire hose with only one function: turn everything in its direction from an obstacle to an abstract suggestion.
It is an anti-demon patented wrist-handled turret and you are to use it as such! {Rip and Tear!}
He started a soft walk forward as the weapon whirred in his hands and started churning out presentation points. The shield in his hand revved up in protest as something shot out of the dust cloud and smashed into the humming shield.
It was a high level demon, Doom could tell. A high level demon that was riddled with holes the moment he arrived. Doom held no pity for its sorry state.
He released the little energy that had built up in the shield and it caught the demon to stumble backwards and that was all it did before its head took on the role of a fraction as it stopped being whole piece by piece, courtesy to the Chaingun.
Uncaring for its already dead state, Doom took two steps forward and zipped down the saw to an applause of demon blood and innards as the two vertical cheese-inspired parts of the demon fell sideways.
Doom was not one to emulate others or to have so frail a mind as to look upon others as role models, but he couldn't deny the practicality of ripping and shredding demons apart just from the apathy and disdain for their wretched kind.
Under the willful nudge of a broken compass and the umbrella of a token card, Doom flagellated his way towards Mephisto's castle, not looking back or even moralizing his actions even after he tore asunder the city of demons that stood in his way.
After descending two more pits, with six pits of a decimated demonic population, he finally arrived at Mephisto's castle and the king was not impressed.
Other than the size and cloud of darkness around it, Doom could say with complete certainty that he had seen better. Wakanda's had more grace and nobility to it than this field of spires.
He didn't so much as knock as he blasted an entire section of the place away. He had been cautious making his way down here in order not to rouse Mephisto's attention prematurely but that did not matter anymore when he stepped foot inside the castle.
While the Mind Blank Spell granted him immunity against any form of scrying, mental probes and divinations, it did little for his physical presence. And besides, Doom was not so conceited as to underestimate the Hell Lord in his own house.
He did not know how long it would take for Mephisto to sniff him out so he wasted no time in following the direction on the compass.
The castle itself was like a separate dimension chucked into a volcanic crypt. Another door was turned to smithereens as his heavy steps carried him closer to his destination.
The last room he entered was empty save for a furnace that was alit in the fireplace and yet the compass was pointing directly at the furnace that was burning with red flames and the screams of tortured souls
He walked towards the flames with the certainty of a man who had done something similar, and in the same kind, grabbed hold of the flames. And the flames grabbed him in turn.
The world around him burned away and he now found himself in what was probably most people's imagination of biblical hell. How pedestrian.
He ignored the falling souls. He ignored the screaming souls. He ignored the crying souls. He ignored the begging souls. He ignored the hell around him because, after years of searching, he finally saw her.
Her soul – drained, weakened and shackled – was held up in a gilded cage of warped gold, porous flesh and bleeding skulls.
He took a step towards her and the bars and chains exploded. Gently he took her and fed her a fluorescent pill.
—Seven-Colored Glazed Soul Pill (Xianxia): A high-grade pill often used to restore a shattered soul or restore memories lost to spiritual trauma.
"And where did you get a soul pill?" Doom did not flinch at the voice, nor did he even react to it as he was more focused on checking and confirming the improving state of his mother's soul.
Seeing that she was fine, he pulled out a black card and pressed it against his mother. The card glitched out and his mother's soul disappeared from hell in the next second.
—"Get Out of Hell Free" Card (Monopoly: Occult Edition): A playing card-sized artifact that compels the nullification of any infernal binds on a soul.
Not in the mood for fire and brimstone? Here's your one time ticket. A little heads up(nothing serious really): demons and hellish overlords don't like when you do this.
Doom finally stood up to face Mephisto and he didn't bother lying to himself that seeing the rage in Mephisto's eyes didn't satisfy him.
"Oh, you audacious mortal. I will ensure you regret that. You will pay for that insolence a million fold." Mephisto said slowly as he descended down a flight of autonomous stairs.
"I wonder, did he send you here?" the Demon Lord asked but shook his head. "No, he's too prideful to do that. He'd prefer to do it himself."
The devil's eyes livened up with a smile that glowed darkly. "Oh, how wonderful. How wonderful indeed. This is about to make my day."
Doom said nothing and simply reached to his back and slowly started drawing something out.
The infant gleam in Mephisto's eyes disappeared while hell stopped screaming as a red unholy glow bathed the soft ambience of hell fire.
First was the hilt of the sword. The second was the red energy-forged blade itself.
"What is that?" Mephisto snarled.
Doom kept his eyes on Mephisto as his fingers curled around the hilt of the sword, hate and vengeance threatening to break the veil of the Mind Blank Spell.
Hearing the drowning wail of Doom's hatred, The Crucible gleamed even brighter.
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