9 grades of hell

There was a man, seventy-one years old, named Edmund Tate, a quiet, devout old man who owned the building where the church stood. He was deeply religious, and one of Pastor Alden's oldest friends. For years, he had allowed the pastor to use the building for free, and their relationship had remained solid through time.

But that wasn't the real catch, it was Edmund's son.

Edmund had only one child, Benjamin Tate, thirty-three years old. Like his father, Benjamin had once been deeply religious. However, some time ago, he had been targeted by another demon, which led to the loss of his soul key. Losing it changed everything. Benjamin became wayward, his life spiraling into habits that displeased his father and strained their bond.

Both Edmund and Pastor Alden had tried to help him, but nothing worked.

That was the door Renny had been looking for.

If Edmund were to pass away, and his rightful heir inherited the property only to throw Pastor Alden out, it would shake things badly for the pastor. That disruption would give Renny enough room to strike at Caleb, without Alden's interference.

The pastor would not want to move, and Benjamin would be adamant about taking him out and using the place for something else. Of course, once he had achieved his goal, he'd probably let the church be.

Although this was his mission, the thought of what he planned weighed heavy on him with guilt. Still, he brushed it off, reminding himself it was only training, none of it was real. The pastor wasn't truly a pastor, just a man who deserved to be in Hell. There was no need to feel guilty for something that wasn't real.

With that thought, he pushed the guilt aside and focused completely on the task ahead.

***

In order to control Benjamin and make him do his bidding, Renny needed to retrieve his soul key as always. After checking the Soul Library, he discovered it was held by a beast named Njaqal. Renny hoped this creature wouldn't be as troublesome as Druvash and at least somewhat manageable like Rokha.

Njaqal resided in a massive, gutterlike pit deep within Hell, a place that reeked so badly it made Renny grimace. It looked as though all the filth and waste of Hell were dumped there. He thought with mild disgust, this place is absolutely vile.

Sighing, Renny decided to use Oliver to flush the beast out rather than go down there himself. He summoned the rothound from the shadow realm, and Oliver appeared, tail flicking, awaiting instructions.

"Go into the gutter," Renny ordered. "Find the beast, make it chase you out here, I'll handle the rest."

Oliver gave a sharp, eager huff and dove into the reeking depths without hesitation.

Renny stood at the edge, waiting patiently. Minutes passed before Oliver finally emerged from the gutter, but to Renny's surprise, the hound was alone, no beast in sight. Instinctively, Renny readied himself for battle, expecting an ambush.

Instead, Oliver trotted up calmly, the soul key dangling from his mouth.

Renny crouched, puzzled, and took the key. "Wait… how come? Where'd you get this?" he asked.

Oliver explained in short, gruff tones that when the beast saw him approaching, it had thrown the key away and fled deeper into the gutter, almost as if it knew that was what the hound wanted.

Renny frowned. "That doesn't make sense," he muttered, scratching his chin. "Maybe you're not explaining it right."

He asked what the creature looked like. Oliver described it as hunched and withered, scavenging through the filth with a long rusted fork in its hand.

That image only deepened Renny's confusion. He hadn't expected the retrieval to be this easy. "Oh well," he sighed. "Nothing ever comes easy, but when it does, who am I to complain, huh?"

He patted Oliver's head. "Good work. Keep watch from the shadow realm."

Oliver gave a satisfied huff before vanishing back into the shadows, leaving Renny standing alone with the soul key glinting faintly in his hand.

***

Renny made his way out of the pit, weaving through a narrow forest path when a voice called out to him from above.

"Leaving so soon?"

He stopped and glanced up. Sitting casually on a high branch was a man in a sleek black suit, one leg dangling lazily. Renny groaned under his breath. Of course.

"Avradren Damaruk," he muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Long time no see, punk," Avradren said with a grin before dropping from the branch, landing lightly on his feet.

Renny crossed his arms. "What do you want, Avradren?"

"That's no way to greet your elders," Avradren replied mockingly, strolling closer with that same infuriating smile. "No greetings? No 'how have you been'? Word is, you're getting famous. Rumors flying everywhere… 'the demon slayer,' huh?" He chuckled. "Can't say I buy it. You can't even harm a hound."

"Look," Renny said sharply, "I don't have time for this."

"Neither do I," Avradren replied. "That's why I'm here. You did me a good favor, actually, by getting that soul key."

Renny's eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me you've been waiting here… You needed it too?"

Avradren gave a slow nod. "Benjamin Tate," he said, his tone light but deliberate, "was a close friend of someone I plan to influence. His key was the simplest way to reach him. I was just about to dive into that gutter myself, but you saved me the trouble."

He adjusted his sleeve, smirking. "Those beasts, the Scavengers, they're pathetic. Hard to spot. Always hiding in filth. Hunting them down takes forever."

Renny reflected silently, realizing that this was exactly what had happened with Oliver. The hound's exceptional hunting skills had made tracking the beast almost effortless. And as soon as the creature realized it was being cornered, it had surrendered the key without a fight.

Avradren, still grinning, continued. "Honestly, I was thinking of another approach… until I saw you heading toward that gutter. Thought I might as well take advantage of the situation."

Renny smirked, shaking his head. "Well, you shouldn't have done that. Now I got it first."

Avradren shrugged, unbothered. "Finder's keepers? Nah, punk. I want it, so I'll take it. That's just the way it is."