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Several years had passed since the Doom Slayer was crowned the Night Sentinel's warrior king and made the posterboy of their never-ending crusade against Hell. The warrior now donned his green praetor suit (unmodified at the time) which made him stand out as much as he did before with his old marine armor which had long been discarded. He was also given his own sentinel dragon under his command as the dragons were given to the kings of Argent D'nur. The creature was brandished with his marking, the mark of the Slayer, on its face to signify his ownership of it. Despite the years of fighting the demons and developing his bond with the Night Sentinels, the warrior was not satisfied with his work. The demons weren't dead and he had been trapped in this world for quite some time. He was making no progress in avenging his dead family despite all of his talk about killing demons. He felt he had not followed up on the promise he had made to eradicate all of the demons and until he had fulfilled that promise, he would maintain his vow of silence until all of the demons were dead. He never told the Night Sentinels why he stopped talking, it was a change that happened overnight that the Slayer has committed to since then.
The warrior spent much of his time either fighting demons or resting alongside his brothers-in-arms. Xernex was getting ready to take his friend out in the city to enjoy the many luxuries of Taras Nabad as they relaxed after a long day of work. Xernex and the warrior met up during dusk, preparing to leave the outpost for the day and enjoy the night. As they walked across the vast vehicle bay, they could see the gigantic mechanical Atlans tower above the entire area. The peak of Sentinel technology, created as a countermeasure for the Dreadnought which wreaked havoc through Taras Nabad. Never again will they allow themselves to experience that type of pain as they are now well-prepared with their mighty Atlan suits with the power to combat a titan.
Xernex waved goodbye to his men as he guided the Slayer along with one arm around the man's shoulders. As they passed through the streets, Xernex waved at all civilians he passed by. The little children he talked to before grew into successful teenagers preparing to enter the adult world. The people of the city cheered at the sight of the Doom Slayer, a reoccurring event due to how popular the warrior became amongst the people. Radical legends were made about the warrior and his origins despite never knowing who he was but one thing always remained consistent amongst the numerous adaptations of the story: He was the hellwalker of vengeance who will eradicate the demons.
Xernex nudged his fist against his friend's arm as he commented, "Have you heard some of the things they've been saying about you recently?" Flynn said nothing, moving his head slightly to look at his friend. The physical enhancement he received from the Divinity Machine made him grow several inches taller than he was before. He had a much larger physique than Xernex but that didn't bother the lieutenant. "They're beginning to say you're some sort of 'God-machine' created by the Maykrs to enforce their will. I think it's kind of weird considering her chancellor mysteriously disappeared following your debut as the Doom Slayer. Maybe he was scared? Who knows, there's definitely a lot going on that I don't understand. But don't mind me, I'm just rambling on like I usually do. How about we stop by the bar? Drink's on me." The warrior said nothing in response, keeping his eyes focused on the road ahead. He could care less what other people thought of him or what hoaky fairy tail they made about him. He had his own mission to complete and that's all that matters. Xernex cracked one last joke as they arrived at the bar, "I know, no drinks for the mighty green badass."
They stepped into the bar filled to the brim with Sentinels and civilians alike. Many of them were drunk and playing games like madmen. It was easy for the two men to slip into the crowd, unnoticed, as everyone was too busy minding their own business. The room was lit by traditional candles, a customary feature of sentinel bars as they realized it was a much more soothing aesthetic compared to blaring neon lights. The Slayer looked around the bar, taking in the environment as he recollected his memories from his old military life back on Earth. He did have similar experiences with his old team. He had met his wife on the dance floor one night, a woman so captivating he couldn't take his eyes off of her and he felt compelled to ask her to dance with him despite not being open to the idea. Vanessa, his wife, and the only woman he ever loved. No, forget about it, that was all in the past and he has yet to avenge her.
The warrior was behind Xernex as he ordered his drink, looking around the bar and stopped once he noticed Valen sitting in a dark corner by himself. The warrior gently flicked his hand against Xernex to get his attention which felt more like a slap even with restraint. The lieutenant looked and saw what his friend motioned to in the corner. After Xernex grabbed his drink, they maneuvered around the dozens of drunk sentinels to make it to their commander who was hunched over a table, looking down at his thumbs as he fiddled with them with a mostly filled cup of alcohol next to him. Xernex called out to his superior, "Commander?"
Valen raised his head before calling back, "Lieutenant. Slayer."
The two friends looked towards each other out of confusion as Xernex questioned, "Sir.. is everything alright?" Valen let out a disappointed sigh as he looked at Xernex to reveal his baggy eyes.
"No, I am not, lieutenant. My son was killed by the Dreadnought. My only family, my flesh and blood, was snuffed from this world without a second thought. I could've saved him, I should've deployed him elsewhere but not at our own capital city where the demons attacked. I can't help but think that I could have prevented his death but my own ignorance got the better of me."
The two friends looked at each other once more before Xernex explained, "Commander, none of us saw the attack coming and there are clear signs of sabotage from within our own ranks. It was impossible for you to know ahead of time that the attack was going to come."
Valen raised his voice in irritation as he explained, "Do you think that makes it better, lieutenant? The fact that I failed to see the sabotage despite leading our armies cost me the death of my son." The warrior looked down at Valen and felt sympathetic for once. The Slayer couldn't help but reflect on the death of his own family and the grief that washed over him when it happened. Valen's head hung low as he nearly mumbled, "I haven't had a good night's rest in several days. I'm haunted day and night by nightmares of my son being tortured in that god-forsaken place. It agonizes me to think he's in pain because of me."
Xernex felt terrible, he wasn't sure what to say to his commander as the two men took a seat next to their superior and began to try and cheer him up by helping him forget about his grief for a moment. Hours passed in the night and it was time for the men to hang up their gear and call it a night. The Slayer and Xernex returned to their quarters at the Night Sentinel HQ and before they parted ways, the lieutenant had one last thing to say to his friend: "Hey, buddy, I wish you luck with tomorrow's siege. I won't be joining you on this one, I've been assigned elsewhere." Flynn looked at his friend without saying a word, it was kind of awkward for the warrior to think about going on a mission without his close friend at his side. Xernex continued, "I won't see you for a bit so you best stay safe and give those bastards hell while you're at it, okay? We have to do what we can for the next generation so they can be safe while we deal with the difficult stuff." Flynn could never understand his friend's optimism for the next generation. He was never as sentimental as his friend or as optimistic. He was solely focused on killing the demons and that was it but he did respect his partner's selflessness. The Slayer nodded before looking down as the lieutenant reached his hand out for a handshake. The warrior complied as their hands clasped around one another and they gave a mighty shake before pulling one another into an embrace. It was short-lived but it was a testament to their friendship, the ONLY friendship the Slayer had in his life. Xernex was someone he can trust, the man has proven his worth time and time again to the point the Slayer didn't need to second-guess about relying on his comrade. Whenever they marched into Hell, they were together in their crusades. They backed away as the lieutenant gave a quick wave towards his friend and they turned their backs towards each other as they went to their quarters.
The day of their next invasion of Hell came as the Slayer led the charge with his soldiers behind him as always. They had already conquered many territories and it was time for them to conquer the next portion of the dark realm that was unknown to them as they ravaged across the landscape, slaying all those that got in their way. They eventually found themselves atop a large mountain that overlooked the land. This gave them the opportunity to see far ahead and plan their course. They had fended off many of the mountain's hellish residents and weren't planning on holding the position for long. One of the sentinels was looking through a set of binoculars to scout ahead and pointed at something that caught his interest. A large fortress several clicks ahead with a humongous tower shooting a large beam of energy into the sky with several titan demons held in place by chains. The creature's appeared to be enslaved, serving to uphold the structure and its many components. Regardless, it seemed to be important and it had to be destroyed.
Creatures of Nekravol by Mick Gordon
As the sentinels stormed the fortress, they were met with opposition immediately as they were intercepted by the numerous demons of hell from the obesely large mancubi to the towering Tyrants that defended the fortress. The sentinels unloaded their weapons right away as they blasted off the creature's limbs and took them out one by one. The Slayer led the charge as he eliminated the stronger demons that laid down suppressing fire on his comrades. He ran towards the overweight mancubus spraying hellfire upon a small group of sentinels and smashed his fist into it with so much force it popped like a balloon and sprayed blood and hellfire everywhere. They were at the very entrance of the fortress with a large and never-ending staircase leading up to the gates of the building. Nearby, a titan demon was mostly submerged in lava with the molten rock spilling from its empty eyes. A team of Prowlers, a boney and purple creature, raced towards the Slayer, teleporting away once they were close enough to grab his attention. He looked around quickly, awaiting the moment they reappeared and grabbed one by the throat as it attempted to strike from behind. He swung the prowler at its own comrades as the demons collapsed underneath the weight of his power and died. A pinky charged towards him at full speed, preparing to run the Slayer over like a train but the warrior stopped it in-place before hurling it over him and made it's head splattered against the ground.
Four orange lights pointed directly at the Slayer, he looked at the direction of the lights to see a demonic tyrant pointing it's arm cannon at the warrior while charging up it's laser. The Slayer backed away as a large, concentrated beam of energy passed by the corpse of the Pinky and the warrior began ascending the large staircase as he swatted aside demons left and right to get to his target. The demon raised its arm cannon into the sky and unleashed a volley of missiles that rocketed into the sky before being redirected at the Doom Slayer. He moved far too fast for the projectiles as they exploded behind him and destroyed chunks of the staircase and caused parts of it to collapse into the lava. The creature extended its own hellish arm blade to swing at the Slayer but missed once the warrior passed underneath and blew away one of the creature's legs with a mighty punch, causing it to fall back from instability. The Doom Slayer caught the creature by its other leg and began spinning repeatedly to build up momentum before hurling the humongous creature at the gates of the fortress where it's blood coated the doors.
Flynn propped himself in front of the door and attempted to push the gates open but they wouldn't budge. He backed up before running up and smashing his fist into the gates where he dented the gate. He cracked his knuckles in anticipation before repeatedly punching the door like a maniac and he was able to force the gates open, revealing a large area filled to the brim with more demons. The Slayer drew his Super Shotgun and charged towards the demons as he unloaded his ammunition left and right. It didn't take long for the other sentinels to pass through the gates to join their warrior king who was much further ahead and making room for the soldiers to pass through. After clearing out the big area past the gates, the soldiers regrouped to plan their next attack as they talked amongst one another. They speculated that this wasn't a fortress but rather, a factory but they weren't sure what it was producing. They reckoned that the answer they're searching for would be within the large tower shooting the large beam of energy into the sky. With their new target set, the army of Night Sentinels wreaked havoc across Nekravol
The Slayer went from one sector to the next as he annihilated the demons without a second thought. He had a few sentinels follow him to the best of their ability as they felt safe around the warrior knowing he was an unstoppable force of nature. The Slayer didn't like following the paths in front of him as he created new ones by smashing through the walls and finding himself in another room. This would usually leave him isolated from his comrades as the new paths that he discovered would lead to a steep drop that his comrades wouldn't survive.
The warrior had just cleared another area and rammed through the walls of the room which led him into a room with no demons. He looked around the large room which was very different compared to the rest. The room was of a chilling blue color and mostly devoid of light besides several blue flames that illuminated the room in certain corners. All around him, he can see corpses laid on top of beds and a strange essence was being drained from their bodies as they began to lose their shape and slowly deform into something worse. He walked around the room, taking a look at the deranged corpses and wondered if they were human or not. He wasn't sure if he recognized any of these people or not but whatever was happening here, it was sinister. Several Night Sentinels made it to the same room as they charged in, weapons-first. They stopped once they realized there was no threat and their eyes widened once they saw the bodies spread around the room. The Slayer left the investigation to the Night Sentinels as he heard construction happening nearby. He made his way towards the general direction of the sound and stopped once he saw an elderly and frail man walking towards him with a deceased younger man in his arms. He trudged forward, barely able to take a step forward as he seemed very absent-minded. The Slayer didn't understand what was happening, what were non-demons doing here in this factory?
Some of the Sentinels caught up to him as one of them pointed at the old man while informing the others, "That's the crazy old man from the outskirts! What's he doing here?!" The Slayer snapped his head towards the direction of the old man as the soldiers rounded up around the older man and tried to get him to stop and look at them but the man refused to do so. He ignored their calls as he continued walking forward. The soldiers continued pleading for the old man to answer them and as they did so, several of the other Sentinels moved towards the construction sounds to find several thousand of their own people being used as slaves to construct this room inside of Nekravol. Everyone was equally frail as the old man, their jaws slightly sagged and they were as pale as a ghost. They placed bricks in place and moved to grab more while others dug further to make more room. There were several dozen bodies spread throughout the room but were left unattended as their corpses were left to rot.
The soldiers forcefully stopped the old man in place, making him drop the corpse in his arms which made him raise his eyebrows in shock and he tried to kneel down to pick it back up. The men cried out, "Old man, you need to answer us! What's going on here? Why are all of you down here building the demon's factory? Did they capture you? Is that why we haven't seen you all in several years? We thought you were dead!"
The old man didn't answer, still kneeling down to pick up the corpse of the young man that was in his arms. The soldier in front of him ripped his helmet off to reveal the face of a middle-aged man with short hair and a trimmed beard. He cried out, "Look at me, we're the same. We're all from Argent D'nur. Please, you need to tell us what's going on here!" The old man looked into the eyes of the soldier and broke down into tears as he embraced the soldier. The middle-aged man caressed the older man's back to soothe him and it didn't take long for the elderly man to calm down and begin explaining the truth of the situation:
"The maykrs.. Sent us here to build their factories… they have been using us AND the demons to produce the energy to power their world. The energy isn't for Argent D'nur, it's for them. Our bodies, our slayn brothers and sisters are stripped of their life energy and used to fuel the Maykrs. We are nothing to them, they took everyone they considered expendable and forced us to build their factories. They promised us salvation, they said our hard work would secure a place in their world but it was nothing more than lies. I've had to bury too many of our brothers and sisters as we're barely given any food to feast off of. Some of us have been driven mad to the point of cannibalism…" The man began to cough repeatedly due to how dry his throat was. The soldier immediately pulled out a canister of water for the older man to drink. He took it with his weak hands and guzzled it down in one sitting without taking any breaks.
The Slayer heard everything and clenched his fist tightly to the point his entire arm shook angrily. The Night Sentinels all got up and looked towards each other as they processed the information they just heard. All of them felt rage like they've never felt in their entire life up until now. They shared an equal hatred that coursed through all of them, they began to understand a fraction of the Doom Slayer's ravengouse rage. The middle-aged man put his helmet back on as he raised his voice for all to hear, "Brothers, we know what we must do. The proof is undeniable. The Maykrs have betrayed us. No… rather, they have been using us for thousands of years. We were wrong to ever displace our faith in the Wraiths. What I'm going to suggest is treasonous but we are NOT turning against our people, we are turning against the Maykrs who have used us. I say that we should head back immediately and relay this information to our fellow Sentinels but keep our discovery AWAY from the Khan Maykr until the time is right." The Sentinels all nodded in agreement and began to fall back, forced to leave the slaves behind for the time being as they did not have the resources to transport and safely escort several thousand people across Hell. They told themselves they were going to come back for their people once the time was right.
The Sentinels passed through the portals back to Taras Nabad and they were met with the cheers of civilians who cried out to the Doom Slayer who stomped through the city. These people knew nothing, the empty buildings behind them used to be filled with their brothers and sisters, now enslaved by the will of the Khan Maykr and constructing the angel's hell factory. These people revere the Maykrs as their gods but little do they know, the Maykrs don't give a damn about them. Everything they have been told for years is a lie, the heaven they promise is nothing more than bullshit to buy their people's faith and undying loyalty. They were about to reveal the truth, it was time for Argent D'nur to reclaim its independence.
As the furious soldiers passed through the gates of Taras Nabad back into their HQ, they were intercepted by Commander Valen who tried to maintain a sense of professionalism and hid how fatigued and depressed he had become. Valen walked up to the middle-aged man and requested a status report. The soldier took off his helmet, allowing the older man to see the fury in his eyes as he demanded, "I need an audience with the ENTIRE sentinel army. We have just learned of a horrible truth." Valen had to do a double-take as he tried to understand his subordinate and expressed his concern:
"What is the meaning of this? What are you talking about?" Before the middle-aged man could answer, the Slayer placed a heavy hand on Valen's shoulder and slowly nodded. The commander got the message and turned back to his subordinate as he said, "Understood, I'll gather all those I can but I need to know what's going on here, soldier."
"The Maykrs have been using us, sir. They've been enslaving OUR people to build factories in Hell, factories that would provide power to their world. All of the fighting we've been doing? It's nothing more than a vicious cycle of death that just ends up powering their world. It doesn't matter if we die or if the demons die, they still get the energy they need for their world. We're nothing more than expendable to them!"
Valen was taken aback by what he had just heard, he struggled to form words as he processed the information and responded, "I.. find it difficult to believe what you say. But, if what you say is the absolute truth, then we need to be prepared for a fight. I will gather the soldiers to the best of my ability and I will relay the information. Spread the word of this meeting, I have a feeling today is going to change everything." The sentinel nodded and all of the soldiers spread out to inform the army of the gathering. Valen stood in the center of the vehicle bay, watching the soldiers pass by as he pinched his brow. The stress was stacking up. First, the death of his son and now betrayal from the Maykrs, their gods. The commander wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to stay composed but he had to try for his men, he had to.
It took some time for the army to gather up but the Commander stood behind a podium with the Slayer at his side and in front of them, thousands of Night Sentinels stood next to each other so closely their shoulder plates rubbed against one another. However, they were at attention and ready to hear the important announcement that was about to change the fate of Argent D'nur forever. Valen's voice sounded through the speakers as he grabbed the edges of the podium and looked up at all of his subordinates, "Brothers, I come to you with unfortunate news, a truth that has been kept from us from the longest time yet we were just too blind to see it. The Maykrs, our gods that have advanced our civilization unlike any other, have betrayed us. They have enslaved our people for their own end, the corpses of our fallen brothers are used to power their machines while they watch from the sidelines as we suffer! The heaven they spoke of is nothing more than a lie! Propaganda fed to us by the gods to win our faith but it's all one massive deception. I am distraught with this news but TOGETHER, we can win back our independence and free ourselves from the shackles of these false gods."
The Night Sentinels erupted into a chorus of arguing voices as the soldiers began yelling at each other due to their confusion and sudden rage. Commander Valen lowered his eyes, pained to see his soldiers yelling at each other like this but everyone was silent once a large, yellow hologram of the Khan Maykr rose from the center of the room, capturing everyone's attention. The Slayer drew his Super Shotgun immediately as all the sentinels had to hear what the Khan Maykr had to say: "For all of our great works, this is how you reward us for your people's salvation? Had it not been for us, your people would have died off centuries ago. We have kept you alive and gave you a purpose. You are not expendable to us, you are a valuable asset and I assure you that the heaven we speak of is real. Urdak, our home, is a land of many miracles. There, you can be reunited with your loved ones and enjoy a life of serenity even after death. However, only those who believe in the way of the Maykrs are granted that luxury. Those of you who do not place your faith in us will be subjected to everlasting torture in the dark realm."
The sentinels began to group up, shoving each other out of the way as their numbers began to thin across multiple groups. Those who sided with the Maykrs stood on the opposite side of the room from Valen while the ones who sided against remained with their commander and the Doom Slayer. Throughout the chaos of choosing sides, Xernex stood in the center, looking down in disbelief as if his entire world view had been destroyed. Tux and the other members of his team stood around him, awaiting their boss' orders as he tried to come to terms with what was happening. He lifted his head up, eyebrows curled up as he looked to both sides, looking left and right and locking eyes with the Doom Slayer. The two men looked at one another and although the warrior didn't say anything, he was internally begging Xernex to make the right choice and join their side. He was certain Xernex was going to join them, he prioritized the people of Argent D'nur above all else, he wouldn't turn his back on his people and allow them to be enslaved by the Khan Maykr.
Epilogue by Martin O'Donnell
Xernex winced as he walked towards the crowd that sided with the Khan Maykr, turning around to face the opposing army as he exclaimed, "In the name of Argent D'nur, I accuse you of treason against our kingdom! I will not turn my back against my people, no matter what! You are all traitors to Argent D'nur and you will be treated as such! We will not betray our loyal followers who have placed their faith in the Khan Maykr. Their belief is our belief, we fight for our people till the very end!" The Sentinels that surrounded Xernex all raised their weapons as they began to rally around the lieutenant who now enforced the Khan Maykr's will. The Slayer stood on the opposite end, devastated by the fact that his only friend turned against him and betrayed his very own beliefs. He was furious, he was enraged by this betrayal as he clutched his Super Shotgun so tightly, any more pressure would've shattered the weapon in his hand. So this is what the warrior gets for placing his trust in someone? If that's the case, he will never place faith in anyone ever again. No one is deserving of that privilege from him, he can't even trust the people closest to him. From this point on, they were nothing more than enemies. The Night Sentinel civil war had begun and the once proud kingdom of Argent D'nur collapsed into chaos as the insurrectionists fought with their limited resources against their brothers who were aided by the demons and Maykrs alike.
The priests of Argent D'nur, the Order of Deag, had sided with the insurrectionist group and aided them in their civil war by discreetly supplying them resources and intel. The Doom Slayer and Commander Valen led the army against the Khan Maykr while they clashed with Xernex who had been promoted to lead his cause. The war took its toll and lasted many years and King Novik was eventually killed in the conflict in the city of Exultia where his spirit lingers. Sentinel blood and tears were shed in the conflict but an opening was discovered by the priests who informed their side that they have a chance at ending the war. Their mission was to invade Nekravol once more and destroy the factory, thus cutting off the flow of energy to Urdak and crippling the other side which will give the insurrectionists the advantage they needed to win this war. However, once the sentinels had passed through the portal to hell, they were split up across numerous regions of the Dark Realm. It was deliberate sabotage from the Order of Deag who had sided with the Khan Maykr since the very beginning and helped commit many acts of treason without King Novik's approval with the blessing of their god. With the army split up, the demons were able to pick apart the Night Sentinels one by one until there were barely any left.
During the conflict, Commander Valen had grown far too weary of the numerous nightmares he was having about his son's torture and was unable to stand it any longer. The Commander struck a deal with the other side which would result in the resurrection of his son at the cost of the sentinel's connection to the Wraiths, surrendering the keys to the Elemental Sepulchre where the Wraiths laid dormant. However, he was double-crossed in the deal and his son wasn't resurrected the way Valen had intended. His son's heart was used to resurrect the Icon of Sin, an act of treachery Valen would regret for the rest of his life as he was cast in shame by his brothers and sisters. Although he survived the priest's act of betrayal, he chose not to return to Argent D'nur. Instead, exiling himself in Hell where he believed he should be for the act of ensuring his army's defeat. He had, indeed, failed them, and went down in history as the Betrayer. As the Night Sentinels that were split up prepared to face their deaths, they placed their dying hopes that the Doom Slayer would avenge them and fulfill their promise at winning back Argent D'nur freedom. All of their hopes and dreams funneled into the Hellwalker as he passed through their dimension to see the bodies of his fallen comrades strewn across the landscape, pushing him over the edge into a blind rage where he no longer felt or saw anything else besides the death of the demons. Unfortunately, during this rage, the priests were able to trap the Doom Slayer and collapsed a demonic temple on top of the warrior as he was buried underneath all the debris and forced into a sarcophagus for many years until he was awoken once more by Samuel Hayden who was the chancellor of the Khan Maykr in disguise.
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"Once I woke up, I realized I was yet in another dimension far removed from the Earth I came from but things were still the same, the Khan Maykr still controlled the Sentinels with an iron fist and demons were still destroying everything. It was back to normal for me." The Doom Slayer finished, letting out a deep breath as he stood up straight to look out the window to see the sun was beginning to set. He felt very uncomfortable explaining the civil war and chose to give a brief synopsis of it instead of explaining it in full detail, the civil war contained many painful memories and was the primary reason he was who he was when he entered this dimension. Tanjiro was baffled by the information but still had a few questions as he asked:
"Do you know what happened to Xernex during the civil war?"
Flynn looked away, partially wincing before he slowly turned his head back to Tanjiro to explain, "He… fell in battle. I was convinced that the Khan Maykr disposed of her loyal followers once they died but I would've never guessed she would reincarnate them as a demon so they can continue to be her slave. Imagine the shock I felt once he passed through a hell portal as a demon. That grotesque creature was no longer the friend I once knew, he was just another demon. Maybe that rationalization is what made it easier for me to put him down a second- in a second… It didn't matter anyway as he always came back for more after that, his memories were wiped so there was no point in me trying to reach out to my old friend."
Tanjiro grew sad upon hearing the news and sunk his head into the pillow as he asked, "I wonder what would happen if he were to get his memories back, what do you think he would do?" The Slayer remained quiet, not saying a word for a brief moment before answering:
"I don't know…" Tanjiro didn't know either as an awkward silence grew between them until the boy remembered something important and pointed at the praetor suit and asked:
"How did you get that suit then? Was that of sentinel technology?"
The warrior shook his head, explaining as he looked down at his modified praetor suit, "No. I can tell you how I got the armor but I'm unfamiliar with the entity that bestowed it to me."
"What do you mean?"
"It was difficult to describe, I was alone and I was confronted by this orb of… darkness that spoke to me about serving a greater purpose. I know it doesn't look like an orb because It was trying to obscure itself but the Wretch, as I call it, informed me that my true enemy was the Dark Lord and that if I had hoped to end this conflict, I had to stop the Dark Lord. From within the orb, it bestowed upon me the praetor suit which would help me in my conquest against the demons. However, it didn't give me much of a chance to ask any other questions and it wasn't until later when I found out more about the Dark Lord and knew I had to eradicate him. That's how I got here for the most part, I had restored his physical body as that was the only way to kill him and end the demonic threat. However, I fell into a trap set up by the Dark Lord and Xernex baited me into it. Normally, Xernex- rather, the Marauder was normally not an issue for me but he proved to be a much more capable opponent this time around and distracted me long enough to fall into the Dark Lord's trap which is how I landed here."
Tanjiro's eyes widened as everything began to make sense, every question he had about the Hellwalker had been answered in the last couple hours as he now understood why the man was so hellbent on demonic destruction and why he always acted as if he was in a hurry. Tanjiro sat up, disregarding the fact that he was without most of his limbs as he cried out, "Then there's no time to waste! I should be helping you get back to your world!"
The Doom Slayer stood up and told the boy, "You are in no condition to be doing anything." The warrior gestured for the boy to lay back down as he extended his doom blade. Tanjiro was partially scared at first but was surprised once he noticed the Slayer aligned the blade with his only arm and used his finger to measure out the length of Tanjiro's limb in comparison to his blade. The Slayer mumbled to himself as he made the necessary measurements in his head and retracted the blade once he was done. "Sit tight, kid, I'll be back in a little bit." The warrior walked towards the door and prepared to open it but was cut off by Tanjiro saying:
"Thank you, Mister Flint." The man clenched his fist out of annoyance but chose to let it go, hoping to move one from that ridiculous last name but now was not the time to get mad at such trivial things. He opened the door and left Tanjiro in the room by himself.
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Elsewhere, Davoth and the Marauder stood over a cliff in another world, watching the demons destroy the civilization beneath them. They were conquering more worlds while they waited for the Doom Slayer to return.. However, as the city in front of them was burned to the ground, the Marauder's eye twitched as he was getting flashes of his past. He began seeing images he was unfamiliar with until his memories started to come back to him all at once. It was a sensory overload for him as the demon grabbed his head and fell to his knees, trying to cope with the massive headache he was feeling. Behind the Marauder was his loyal group of demonic night sentinels that reached out to their boss. The Dark Lord turned his head slightly so he could see the Marauder out of his peripheral view and raised his eyebrows in surprise once he realized what was happening.
The Marauder was remembering who he was. His memories with the Slayer and his friend's betrayal. He wouldn't accept all of it. The Khan Maykr was a fool to hinder his memories because it only tempered his rage. The anger Xernex felt exponentially multiplied as he picked himself up and realized what his mission was as he exclaimed, "I know what I must do. Yes… it's all coming back to me now. The Khan Maykr tried to make me her puppet but now I am free."
The Dark Lord asked the Marauder, "Then who do you serve?"
"My loyalties… are to Argent D'nur. However, that ship has sailed and there's nothing left. All I have is the Doom Slayer, he is the one I must defeat to exact my revenge. However, I am not powerful enough as I am right now."
The Dark Lord seemed interested with Xernex's current predicament as he turned to face his subordinate and explained, "There is a way to increase your power. However, if you follow through with this procedure, I will not be able to resurrect you as I have done before. If you die despite this, you will be nothing more than a spirit."
The Marauder bowed towards the Dark Lord as he assured, "I will not fail, my lord…" Davoth seemed impressed with Xernex's devotion to his vengeance and permitted the upcoming procedure as he explained:
"Very well. Return to Immora, there is work to be done." The Marauder stood up and followed behind the Dark Lord as they passed through a portal created by the god. The night sentinel gestured for the rest of his crew to follow behind as they each passed through the portal. Xernex was unfortunate enough to be reincarnated with the rest of his crew. When he was given new life as a demon, he was also given a new identity. The Khan Maykr named him the Marauder, Tux became the Avenger, and the rest of their crew were given similar names. The demonic night sentinel squad that served directly underneath the Dark Lord consisted of: The Marauder, the Avenger, the Crusader, the Reaver, the Pillager, and the Raider. Each with an equal and ravenous hatred for the Doom Slayer for what he's done. It was only a matter of time until their fated reunion...