Keeper of Tartarus

*POP* the frog man popped out of my pocket at full size, blocking the attack with his bare hands

"no one will harm the lord in my presence" saying so, he side stepped letting the sword impact the ground and kicking the demon square on the face, which made the demon fly backwards and hitting a wall

"Lord?" I say to no one in particular

These demons are really efficient, they work as professionals, because the fellow that just got knocked out have already asked for back up and the backup is showing up, but I still have trouble believing that's it's called 'back up' because there are enough demons showing up which would have easily pass up for a mini army.

They are swarming the streets and I was at the perfect position, middle of a four-way road. They come on every road, we are cornered. They just keep jumping out of glowing pentagrams; they are just filling the whole four streets gradually

"You really had to hit it to home don't you?" mocked the frog "well look at them make the run ha-ha"

"That's a lousy joke bastard! We are about to be killed, what should we do?"

"Hey kid, the girls said you can fight, Alexia said you have beat her, is that right?"

"Well yeah, but she's just a chick. Though I was holding back, but these guys look like the real deal!"

"What...? You held back, she told me she put everything in her machto"

"Huh? Machto?"

"That's the mighty art of hand to hand combat in the higher realm you idiot!"

"Mmhmm she was pretty lame to begin with"

"WHY YOU...LITTLE! Anyways if you are able fight off Alexia you can hold these clowns for good"

"That maybe the case but even so don't their numbers seem a bit too much?"

"That's not the case kid, numbers like a few hundred barely matter, but the real danger is being stabbed or attacked by a powerful weapon from behind, fighting so many numbers and being it's your first time I don't want to take the risk"

"What are you coming at? Hit me straight will ya!"

"Ha-ha I might hold you to that kid, listen carefully I only have enough mana to make one portal, what do you suppose we should do?

I can get you back to the girls or we can summon them here, we can make the perimeter as the center square bordering every road and each of us take on a direction and fight this fight to the end, for these many demons summoned. The lower demons being in the earth realm after so long will run wild causing chaos, if not dealt. However, be warned if higher demons show up the fight will get tougher, most probably you will battle one of the horsemen.

It is Death, who is leading this search party. If you to come face to face with him, I believe only you of us four can even face him, and there are high chances for you to die. What do you propose we do David? We getting back to safety or do you want to defend your people.

Lay your life at risk, trying to accomplish the inevitable for the sake of your people?"

"Death huh? I'm not sure of the laying my life at risk thing, but I never had the habit of letting anyone else fight my battle and I'm not suppose to start now, summon the girls, we have some ass kicking to do"

The frog guy bit his thumb, with the blood drew a pentagram, made some hand signs and said

"VOID PORTAL NEITHER REALM!"

The pentagram started to glow; the floor became dark swirling fluid energy. The frog guy put his hands in, they kept going like forever and then he pulled out Ale and Sarah

"Sorry girls I just had mana enough left for one portal, need to grab you both in the same one"

"Quite a party you brought us in boys" happily chirped the girls.

'BOYS! Me and him?'-.- "he's being teamed up with me in a category? That the biggest compliment you will ever get fatty old frog" I said while me and froggy glared daggers

"Khamayutho is known as quite a lover in the higher realm," chirped in Ale

"humph then I guess the higher realm is full of perverts with disgusting fetishes," I whispered to myself

Suddenly a flock of demons leapt at me, I made a full stretch kick to the closest demon. I leapt over a demon doing a spinning kick in mid air taking couple of them out.

A powered right heel to the demon behind me knocks it out. Gaining momentum on the attack, I deliver a superman punch to the one in front on me and I flipped back landing an elbow on the demon knocked out, crushing its head to mush

"Hey khamayutho is that thing dead?"

"Not bad kid, you made your first kill"

"Everyone, let's take our position! I take north"

"How does you know that's north kid?"

"I just guessed"

"Good guess kid, being most experienced I'll take south where the numbers are high"

"We'll fill in east and west," said the girls in union

[FROG] "Here's the plan everyone, no one crosses the perimeter and none, alive enemy should get inside the perimeter, if any enemy gets to your behind, your first priority is to kill that foe.

Ale I expect you to clean up first, with your sorcery you can attack multiple enemy and your soul form is hard to attack physically. conjure up a fighting body to hold back your end and you lay back help anyone who's in danger and kill as many as enemies possible.

Sarah fight at full strength, do not hold back, pummel you way, use earth magic to keep the perimeter hard to break in and crush as many as enemies possible. This is how we fight"

"WHAT? ...nothing for me you old frog?"

"Don't you hold us back you pesky runt, and don't cry for help, hope you keep up or I'll kick your ass before they do! You hear me?"

"Geez, that's so inspiring! Care to wager on grandpa? I'm going to knock more of these things than you do!"

"YOU'RE ON YOU RUNT!"

Ale ripped her body open like a butterfly coming out of its cocoon, as she really looked like one, she was all blue and glowing like an angel with purple butterfly wings, the slumped up body, repaired itself and was on a fighting stance.

The angel form draw in a massive lighting from the sky beams of lighting rippled through her hand crackling and twisting. Anticipating to destroy the target.

She held the immense power with ease, I see a smirk appear on her face, she threw the lighting upon the crowd of demons, and I see quite a 100 or more demons turn to ash and even many behind them even more severely damaged and incapacitated.

Sarah my sweet faced girlfriend made some hand signs and mumbled something under her breath and suddenly her lithe body bulked up ripping muscle, not as much as to almost male, but a much stronger and defined female body.

While I was thoroughly admiring her bodywork, well I am a fitness trainer after all. She thrust her fist into the ground and pulled out a massive war hammer, I do not know whether the word massive does justice for it because it is so huge. The entire hammer rippled blue energy like the lighting and thunder with the crackling noise.

She swiftly handled the massive weapon with ease and twisted the like its light as a feather. She then landed a hard blow to the ground after maneuvering a mid-air flip with the war hammer. Smashing upon some 50 or so demons, reducing it to a red stain.

Many around it become unrecognizable they look like crushed meat and bones, but the real impact is when the floor came up like a rogue wave on the sea and throwing apart the entire mass of evil creatures as a wave of tsunami, injuring and tumbling and disorienting more than few hundreds of demons.

"Ha-ha show off" playfully Ale admonished Sarah for her wide display of power

Lastly, khamayutho made his move, I thought his near human body was supreme and powerful, but I was wrong as the frogman transformed into a hulk man. Exactly a green muscled column with a face of a frog, if you think hulk is ugly, wait until you see this one.

"GRRRRR, I CAN HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS YOU LITTLE WISE ASS, I WASN'T PLANNING ON TO BE HANDSOME FOR MY ENEMIES!" saying that khamayutho punched hard into the ground.

He punched hard as the ground lost its balance and a huge column rose out of the ground like a humongous slide of at least some 150 feet aiming at the flock of demons on his side. That somehow cracked me up making me wonder is he going to slide on that huge thing and crash into the demons, wow that is so manly.

Before I could take in the humorous display of power (for a frog, that is -.-). He launched up in the air for some hundred feet. Diving down as a spinning cannon ball descending down faster than a meteorite because, he is blazing ablaze like a super fast fireball.

He did what I almost hoped he would miss or crash, he used the slide to channel his momentum and force without any loss of vigor or speed and crashed into the army of demons who is seeing what is happening but still not believing. 'I feel ya fellas, he one tough little toad, I hope you demons win just against him'.

As the flaming frog ball crashed into its destination, the impact cleared almost 1/3 of the standing foes, the frog guy pierced into the ground, and I do not know. Might he have hit the core? Because I am seeing ripples of magma bursting form the ground burning another 1/3 without any remains of even ash.

"Hmm the cannon ball Magma River, a very complicated move. Khamayutho is still in his prime," commented Ale in a slow state of awe.

"I don't think so, see he still have standing foes, that move wipes out an entire Warfield back in his glory days, but I have to admit, he still got the skills" replied Sarah

'NOW THAT got me wondering all my fight mates got cool move and could kill the entire demons summoned in a move or two and by their cool and casual attitude, with teasing and commenting each other. They are playing; they haven't even started fighting in a serious mode'

"Hey girls can you like give me pointers? You know there is quite a number on my side and I can't whip out my wand or something, all I got is my fists"

"Oh David you are more than capable of handling any powerful or any number of combatants, by far you are the most powerful of us" said Sarah

"I don't seem like one"

"Now you stop that David Ianitoris Tartarus, you are the keeper of hell, the law and order of higher realm. I don't know about you Sarah but he's such a wuss, I'm breaking up with him" was Ale's half-stern half-playful admonishment.

"You're not breaking up with me Ale"

"Ha what makes you so sure?" she countered.

"Because you love me and I'm going to kick some serious demon ass or whatever they are," I said with a gleam in my eyes, 'I've never cared how strong or how many my opponents are, well this many is my first, but there's always first for everything.

I do not care whether I win or lose, whether I survive or die. All I have in my mind is that I have a date with the death and I better start dancing to give her a good time, ha-ha.'

With that note said I take up the fighting stance, the demons on my side are almost pale watching my friend's display of powers, and they are waiting for my first move, in a hopeless effort to prolong their lifetime in mere seconds.

Chapter 6 - We butt heads, shedim and I

I calmed my breath and readied my body for the about to happen battle, no war of limitations of my capacity. I lunged into the first line, knocking a big bull faced demon in middle, the impact staggered him and hunched and he held his belly with a smile?

In addition, I looked around as the evil sneer spread wide on all the ugly and gruesome face, their razor interlocked canines showing out as if everyone whiffed up the smell of their favorite dish and the reality set in.

They expect a blow to disintegrate a few 100 of their number, but a punch from me made the big guy hunch a bit. The reality smacked me with a serious blow to my gut because the hunched big guy let me feel his fist. I flied high and crash-landed in the tarmac. 'Boy I'm in serious trouble!' I looked up at the tall and wide demon, almost a giant of 8 ft looking at me with a victory sneer.

he came in and lift me up and snorted something to his friends I cannot hear or understand him, as I'm being pummeled in my face by his tree like arm and rock like fist.

Ale flared up intense yellow summoning her core energy and ready to decimate everyone looking down on me and Sarah concentrated energy into her rock hammer as the pulsing energy is like thunderbolt from sky

[GIRLS] "We are going in to help him"

[KHAMAYUTO] "Is he the master?"

[GIRLS] "How dare you doubt him? Maybe we should kill you first"

[KHAMAYUTO] "It is not me who doubts the master or his ability, its you two!" he said with a piercing stare

"We... cannot see him get hurt" the girls replied with hurtful eyes

"WAS I NOT THE MASTER'S FAITHFUL SERVANT? WAS I NOT THE ONE WHO CHANNELED HIS SOUL TO THE EARTH REALM DISPITE MY YEARS OF TORTURE AND PUNISHMENT? WAS I NOT SHARE GRIEF IN MASTER'S HURT?" khamayutho finished with clenched fists, which was dripping blood from the intense physical and mental limitation that he laid on himself.

"Girls lay back, the master needs to know, who he really is and he needs to find and believe it on his own" said a more composed khamayutho with a no argument stare.

[ALE] "But he's fighting shedim an evil deity; he never had training and what if the horsemen arrive?"

[SARAH]"yeah, what if death arrives to the battle scene? We stand no chance Khamayutho"

Khamayutho replied with a smile, "Oh yes we do, we have Master, girls I'll fight and die and sacrifice my life with my full consent and joy for him, but I will not deny his identity! I will not deny his ability! I will not deny his birth right for he is our master and keeper of hell!" the girls nodded in reply ignited and bounded by khamayutho's speech believing in David.

I feel the warm copper tasting liquid drip away from my face, I kept receiving blows after blows to my face and I lost the numbers as only the successive blow impact registers me that I am still alive.

With the demons, knuckles cut open and fists hurting he threw me down, as he is bored with my punishment. 'Why am I not dead? Why am I not dying? Why am I still in my full senses? Why had my body not given up? WHO AM I?'

With my mind in whirlwind, the demon decided to finish it as he borrowed a large long sword and aimed it for my head to kill me by stabbing it into my skull.

The very moment the moment where he decided to thrust the sword in, I have become full alert and responsive, and registering everything that is happening around, 'he's slow; I can see him bringing the sword down in a slow motion? Alternatively, am I fast? Am I really that fast?

To think and debate all this in the quarter the time taken for my death blow.' What is happening to me? What should I do?' with me unable to comprehend the situation. The blade in the demon's hand sunk in with a great impact creating a dust cloud around us.

"DAVID!" the girls screamed in shock.

"Girls control yourself, I'm trying to enjoy here" khamayutho mocked with a smile.

As the debris cleared the demon saw me in disbelief staring at him and smiling, he looked down to check his skull crush victory, only to be disappointed as the blade sunk into the tarmac, missing me in between.

"Why can't anything in my life be simple?" I said aloud with a smile.

As the debris and dust, cleared people saw a shadowed figure standing tall and fine and I came into view. My body and mind act and react faster than I could explain; I saw the slow motion of the shedim strike and easily tilted my head to the side missing the impact.

The shedim looking at me standing charged at me with its long sword trying to stab, again I could see the shedim in slow motion. I pushed a finger at the side of the blade, deflecting the path of the pointed tip and blade away from my body and punched the demon at its gut.

Which followed, by a popping sound inside its stomach, I think I blasted an internal organ.

The impact made the demon drop its blade and clutch its stomach, unable to understand and accept its easy win to be a formidable opponent than it cannot handle.

The humiliated demon leapt at me with a series of fist dance, it has a decent technique. Kind of even flawless, but as my fight mode vision set in, everything was in slow motion and I sidestepped and dogged its every attack easily.

For me it is a slow motion fight against me, but for the spectators...

[ALE]"I never knew he could move this fast!"

[SARAH]"he's lightning fast with unimaginable control!"

[KHAMAYUTHO]"That's the tip of the glacier, Dominus is just stirring, wait till he fully surfaces"

[ALE]"wow khamayutho only you can address master by his actual name, now that is an honor. You must have been his very trusted comrade"

[SARAH]"well put Ale. Master never treats Khamayutho as a servant, but has he ever for anyone. Yet still master and Khamayutho share a well trusted friendship"

[KHAMAYUTHO]'clears-throat',"Ummmm girls? Can we concentrate the life or death battle of David?"

The whole area of demons and my companions are not interested in fighting and are very keen in watching my parry with the demon as if this will be the deciding battle. We trade fist, which I dodge and he receives.

Like a disciplined boxing match, we are engaged in close hand-to-hand combat with me having the upper arm, in the happening.

Right fist-dodge-left hook-dodge-leap and elbow dunk to the demons head.

My last blow delivered with a devastating force, which surprised even me as I felt the bigger creature's skull crunch and his neck collapsing. My foe kissed the sand, not capable of standing as it is suffocating itself for breath.

I took up the half-stabbed long sword that should have taken my life to finish the final moments of my suffering foe. Hold the sword like a spear in two hands with the hilt in one hand and supporting the flat of the sword in other, the wheezing demon look into my eyes.

I backed it with a steely stare and drove the metal into its head and put the sword back buried in the ground underneath the head of my foe, gore and blood splatter across. The whole arena seemed quiet with no whisper or breeze of wind.

Chapter 7 - Sarah battles with love against Death

I won the devastated battle of my life. I gave up a bloody roar towards the ever spread congregation of vile creatures.

My roar that echoed over the ever-stretching silence moments ago now sounds the chorus of cheer.

'Did my valiant battle to death win over demon fans? I had to be hallucinating!'

Moreover, hallucinating is what I wish to have because I see a grand creature in the arena, the Reaper from the gym, has entered the battle, the same yellowish pupil less eyes, with their evil glimmer.

"Ahhhaa, god I'm getting that headache again!"

[SARAH]"is it...?"

[ALE]"it is!"

[KHAMAYUTHO]"DEATH, the most powerful of the four horsemen, mirroring the capabilities of HADES the god of hell"

Over hearing my comrade's exchange of astonishment and acknowledgement, I have identified DEATH. 'Ha-ha the irony of position to kill death' my excruciating headache may limit my maneuvering ability but not my humor sense.

I sighed sarcastically wishing the opposite of happening, hoping to gain my ability to move.

"Guys I can't move! This headache is turning my brain into gel!"

[KHAMAYUTHO]"girls, David is still human, death sways a hold over him and his mind. I doubt it can manipulate the lord of Tartarus, but better safe than sorry.

Ale your conjured body protects David, of all harm; Sarah you bore a weapon enough to deflect the Reapers scythe, use it. I will aid you in fighting the horsemen. Ale your soul body fights the lesser demons. Girls any question?

Girls replied in negative, eager to fight the threat to their beloved, looking over the 6-foot man covering his head in a sheer attempt to reduce his pain and wailing uncontrollably.