Helluva Boss X Reader

Overlord Intro Part 3: The Devil XIII - Reversed

In Tarot, "The Devil" upright may represent self-constraint via your own negative behaviours. Reversed, it may represent a breakthrough, a release of your inner inhibitions. What is truly being released here?

You had the permission, you had the strength, and you had the deal. You even had a new identity you would adopt when you greeted sinners. All that was left was to find out if you could do this on your own.

Being able to track the sinners as they arrived in Hell was the last obstacle you had to face. You had been holding yourself back all this while; you had wanted to be prepared before you took this last step. Now you stood at the cliff's edge, not knowing what would come next. Would you be able to sniff and track the names yourself? You looked like a Hellhound, but that didn't mean you were one. Assuming you actually had the ability was a long shot. Would you need another Hellhound's help? You trusted Loona, but she had made it clear she wasn't going to help you in your endeavors, at least not any more than she already had been. You doubted you could ask to meet her Hellhound friends, let alone talk to them about your plan, without arising suspicion. There would also be no guarantee a Hellhound you recruited would stay loyal, or more importantly, silent. If you failed here, it could be the difference between a steady climb to Overlord status, and the potential ruin of everything you had worked for.

You were holding the list of targets for today. Something was holding you back. If you really did have the ability to track their scents using only their name, that would mean there would literally be nothing stopping you from enacting your plan. Were you really the kind of person that was capable of becoming an Overlord? Loona had warned you of corruption. You could gain power, but lose everything that mattered to you now.

You couldn't put it off any longer. If you coordinated with Blitzø, and you didn't have the ability, not only would it be a waste of time, you would surely be scolded, and he might even revoke his permission for you to contact victims. You definitely didn't want that. You needed to know. Now.

Still wary of smelling the actual sinners' names, you took a sticky note, and wrote Moxxie's name on it. You held it up to your snout, and took a deep breath through your nostrils.

It smelled like paper, glue and ink. You were disappointed, until a series of meanings flashed into your brain. They weren't locations, names, or even images. They were simply unique smells, but you understood what lied at the root of each of them. A path; the most efficient path at that. The carpet beneath you, the wood and paper of the walls, and the steel of the door away from you, distinct from the door that led to Blitzø's office. Moxxie was in the conference room.

You let a triumphant laugh escape your mouth, and you saw and heard shifting from in front of you. The trail of scents disappeared from your mind, and you realized that Loona was once again on the waiting room couch. You had forgotten she wasn't currently on a mission. She had put her phone down, sat up on the couch, and was looking directly at you.

Your eyes quickly darted back to the list of sinners, avoiding her gaze. Had Loona spotted you looking at her? She must've; her full attention was on you. You tried to busy yourself, grabbing the mouse to the computer, before jiggling it around. You weren't actually doing work, just trying to make yourself look less suspicious. You heard the sounds of her paws padding over to you, and then the desk shook as she slammed her hands on it.

Startled, you looked up at her.

"Something funny?" she asked, her tone slightly aggressive. Her eyes were piercing straight through you, to your immortal soul. You were stunned silent for a moment.

"No," you then said quickly, and unconsciously your hand holding the sticky note with Moxxie's name clenched tighter.

Loona's posture relaxed. Then she laughed.