That's the last thing you do before passing. Between your shuttered eyes you can make out one last thing.


An even bigger smile on Lars' face.


The next time you wake up your chained in darkness. You can still reach around a fair bit and waste no time exploring your surroundings by touch. When you get to your face you find it hastily wrapped in gauze and bandages. You shallow and taste dried up blood sticking to your mouth like honey. You really need a drink. With nobody around you start banging your chains against the ground. It makes a loud rattling sound that will surely attract anyone close by.


Nothing. Wherever you are nobody is here. Although, you assume Lars will be back soon. That is, unless he was killed as raving mad men often are. As you sit here hungry, tired, and thirsty you rack your mind trying to remember anything that can help you. Your head pounds with each thought, it feels like a hangover but a 100 time worse. Getting whack in the head may have some long-lasting effect on your mental capabilities.


After a few minutes of fruitless concentration, it hits you. The thing that got you into this mess is what will get you out; Catia. While the alcohol has mostly worn off, your injuries have left you in a susceptible state. Assuming she wasn't lying when she said she would meet you again, she should be able to get you out of this mess. You can't believe you need a demon to rescue you, but you have no choice.


"Catia," you whisper.


A few seconds pass and despair creeps in. Just before you lose all hope a dark cloud appears in the room. It dispels a nauseous fume that ferociously attacks your lungs. You start violently coughing more blood, mostly dry, as you vision blurs. Your eyes shut close and you feel your grip on reality slipping away.


You awaken to find yourself in a metallic cage. This room is much brighter than the one before.


"When I saw you chained I figured a cage would make you feel right at home."


It's Catia and you're getting a very different vibe from her than last time. Your gut tells you to do what she says as you are powerless.


"Now tell me, how come I wasn't the first one to put you in chains?" she says while licking her lips.


"It's not like it was consensual. I was blindsided and nearly died."


She gives you a playful smile and whispers in to your ear


"Tell me everything and don't spare any details.


Seeing as you don't have much of a choice you describe everything that's occurred since you last saw her. You don't withhold even the most irrelevant details.


"It's nice to know you believe I exist. I know it's hard to believe someone this beautiful isn't a figment of your imagination."


Her red eyes pierce into your mind, daring you to think otherwise.


"So, what do you think we should do about Lars?" you ask.


She starts laughing to herself.


"What?"


She walks towards your cage and reaches inside. She puts her hand on your chin and points your head upwards. She locks eyes with you and grins widely


"You're going to kill the captain!"


Later


It took a lot less convincing that you thought it would. Something about Catia just makes you want to obey her, though this time around you didn't have much choice. She didn't give you a reason other than saying


"Chaos sows the seeds of discontent."


Which if you agree with this line of thinking, you are only helping the infernal realm by following Catia. Her influence is so strong you didn't consider any other option. Or maybe you just really want to fuck her. Either way, time to kill the captain.


After releasing you from your cage, she offers to heal you with dark magic. You agree, as you can barely move let alone assassinate someone. What you didn't know is that another demon would be performing the ritual.


"Why is a human stinking up the place?"


"Mind your manners, Jirzan. Someone finally wants you for your magic and you treat them like this?"


"Heh I guess you got a point. They don't call me Jirzan the Lunatic for nothing. Alright tell me what you need me to do."


She whispers into his ear and is too quiet to understand. Though you make out words such as "transform" and painful.


What exactly do they plan on doing to you? Perhaps you should try backing out of this whole ritual.

Back out

"Hey uh guys, I don't know about this. I think it would be best if I just heal the natural way."


Jirzan turns towards you and hisses.


"You insolent fool! You dare turn the opportunity to become a demon, what else do you have going for you in life?"


You instinctively start backing away as he gets angrier.


"Is it my epithet 'Lunatic' that scares you? You humans disgust me. If that scares you I couldn't imagine what you'd think about the meaning of my first name."


Well his epithet played a role, but dark magic frightens you more. Now you're curious about his first name and don't hesitate in asking him,


"What does Jirzan mean?"


He does a little dance and is excited to share,


"Enslaver. My full name means translates to Enslaver the Lunatic. As a shorthand, 'Deranged Enslaver' works as well."


He's known as an Enslaver? Kind of ironic seeing as he is doing Catia's bidding. How did he plan to enslave you with dark magic? Does dark magic break demonic rule or did he have no intent on subjugating you?


"Were you planning to enslave me? How can you just do that, doesn't a deal have to be made?"


"A deal? Why do you think I was banished to earth? I don't do deals and see no reason why I should. All I need is your consent to use dark magic and I can do whatever I want."


Looks like you dodge a bullet. Although, you're still confused about this whole banishment to earth. You thought demons were mounting a full-scale invasion. You bring up your confusion and that only causes him to laugh at you.


"You think I would be near humans willingly? The only reason I'm here is because dark magic is outlawed in hell. Demons tend to stray away from things they don't understand"


"Same reason I'm here," adds Catia.


If not here by free-will, what explains the siege of the capital? How would a bunch of misfits pose a threat to the elite empiric army? As you to reason through it, your brain aches with pain. Damn that hit from Lars got you good.


"Well if he doesn't want to go through with the ritual then my work here is done," says Jirzan.


"Not so fast!" says Catia.


"Eh? Do you want me to kill him or something? I thought you could use the practice."


Catia sighs and places her hand on hip whist saying,


"What about instead of turning him into a demon we make him a Doom Knight? All you'd have to do is teach him a little dark magic and we should be all set."


You don't even know what a Doom Knight is and still don't trust Jirzan to teach you.


"You think this imbecile could handle learning the dark arts? You have truly gone mad! And to think, they call me the lunatic."


"C'mon Zan, you owe me this. Backing out will only lead to more consequences down the road."


This seems to shut him up real quick. He starts cursing as it becomes clear to you Catia has something he dearly wants.

"Fine I'll do it, under two conditions. The first, I will need his full consent to do the initiation spell. Without it, there is no way he could become a Doom Knight. The second, you return Coyote back to me once I finish."


Catia nods and agrees to his terms. She now turns to you and asks,


"Any questions?"

You what's a Doom Knight?

You rack your brain and try to formulate some questions. Everything they've been saying kind of has blurred together. Though you do want to know what exactly a Doom Knight is.


"Doom Knights are slayers of all things good and holy. Think of them as some sort of reverse paladin."


You always thought paladins were self-righteous assholes. They claim to protect others from evil yet persecute the smallest of sins. Who knows, Doom Knights might be more to your liking.


Other questions?

You why you\?

"I told you he would ask this!" says Jirzan.


"We might as well tell him the truth, or he might not join," says Catia.


"Go ahead, though you are putting a lot of trust in a meathead."


Catia explains how if they wanted to, demons could conquer earth in minutes.


"Why don't you then?" you ask.


Catia pauses and starts speaking in a sad tone,


"If we did, I could never return to my homeland. In the underworld, different dimensions are at constant war. When darkness fights darkness, brute strength does nothing. You must outsmart your opponent through trickery and manipulation. That's where you come in."


She goes on to explain how banished demons are sent to lesser domains, such as earth, to earn redemption. Some demons are content with wreaking havoc, but others long for home. Take Jirzan for example, he couldn't care less about the underworld. He thrives of chaos and enslaves all weaker than him.


"The only reason he's helping is because he has no choice," adds Catia.


In Catia's case, she needs to others to do her own bidding to prove she does not have to relay on brute strength. Lucky for her, succubi are experts at having others do what they want. By having you kill the captain, she can prove just how capable she is.


"Making Lars believe you are a demon, and constructing a fake deal with him, proves how I can bend reality to my whim," boasts Catia.


Regardless of what you think of her motivations, it seems the only choice you have is to follow her.


What else do you want to know?