Cobalt's heart pounded in his mouth as the Devil stared him down, his twisted scythe of dark iron lying braced against his shoulder. He could feel the fire in his stomach, and it was taking every ounce of willpower her had to keep it in check. Trying his hardest to remain standing, the Incubus breathlessly summoned his Leather Whip and met Diate's gaze. He just cocked his head and grinned.

He was waiting for him to make the first move.

Coiling the whip up in one hand, Cobalt glanced over at the captive demons chained up around the edges of the rooftop. They gazed back at him with terrified eyes. Karazelle in particular.

He looked down at his hands. Beneath the surface of the scarred skin, he could almost feel his blood running hot, heated by the furnace smouldering deep down.

His fingers tightened around the grip of his weapon.

No. No more hesitation. No more second-guessing, no more walking on eggshells, no more grinning and bearing it.

No more fear.

So they knew. His students finally knew that an Incubus was not just an accidental hiccup of Succubus genetics. That they were monsters. Slavering beasts with naught on their mind but the rush of the hunt and the prospect of a warm, beating meal.

They would be terrified of him now. But even so, he would not leave them to the mercy of this monster...!

Steeling himself, Cobalt unfurled his whip and lashed it hard at the Devil. He simply stepped out of the way, gave him a smirk, and swung his scythe in a lateral arc. The blade sliced through the air with a terrifing keening sound, almost cutting right through the Incubus' neck had he not scrabbled out of the way in time.

"This is pathetic, Trayer; you're boring me! Ditch the Lust-y facade and come at me already!" the Devil roared spinning on his heel.

Sparks flew from the scythe's blade as it was dragged across the ground, it's owner dashing full pelt towards his adversary. The twisted weapon missed it's mark by a hair's length, however, when Cobalt quickly dashed to the right. But the Devil didn't let this faze him, as he abruptly turned on his heel and slammed the blunt end of the weapon into the Incubus' face, knocking him flat.

"You're an Incubus, man! Fucking act like one!" taunted the Devil, twirling the scythe around.

"Like what?! A mindless animal?!" Cobalt snapped, struggling back to his feet.

He had seen them before, down in the Undercroft. Just glimpses caught through the bars on cell doors as he was wheeled through those cold, dark corridors. The Incubi he saw... shambling men dressed in bloodstained straitjackets, their hands wounded and ragged from clawing at their restraints. He saw the scraps of skin stuck between their sharpened teeth from the hours they spent chewing their own arms, and he heard how they howled and screamed for blood.

Diate grinned.

"Precisely!"

A flash of anger inspired the fire in his gut. Cobalt suddenly leaped to his feet and lashed out with his whip in an effort to surprise Diate. But his opponent merely sidestepped his frail attack and retaliated with a glancing slash that tore a sizable hole in the Incubus' shirt. He cried out and held a hand to the wound, feeling blood seep through his fingers as it stung.

"They were a sight to behold, in a terrible, horrifying way. They stormed the streets of Pandemonium; teeth shining in the light from their burning veins. I saw contingents of fully-armoured Devils fall to them, torn into scraps of rent flesh and battered metal in seconds. Their wives, husbands and children... well, there wasn't anything left of them once the Incubi tore through."

"SHUT UP!" growled Cobalt, wincing as the cut on his chest twinged.

Diate laughed and snapped his fingers.

"AICSA!"

The scythe shuddered and reformed into the shape of a sharp hatchet.

"You'll have to make me, Trayer. But your Leather Whip is nothing compared to the might of the Iron Arsenal. So quit being so coy and bear your fucking fangs at me!"

The Incubus lashed out once more, before twisting the whip in an effort to catch Diate off-guard. But, once again, the Devil dodged his strike, twisting his body and sweeping the axe blade towards Cobalt. He stumbled back just in time to avoid the iron edge, but his foe kept swinging, forcing the Incubus onto the back foot as he aimed to bury the hatchet in the Incubus' skull.

"Why so shy, Trayer?! Come on, let me see your blood boil! Brass would have had me breaking a sweat by now!" cried the grey-skinned demon.

"I told you, I'm not my dad!" Cobalt roared, ducking an overhead swing of the hatchet.

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"But you're Incubi, the pair of you! Monsters like all the rest!"

Turning his weapon around, Diate abruptly struck Cobalt in the mouth with the hatchet's blunt side, throwing him back against the wire fence surrounding the edge of the rooftop. Groaning in pain, a flood of red spilled from his mouth as he toppled to the ground next to the chained-up form of Jelli and Izzbelle. The Oni screamed through the chains gagging her mouth, while the Glutton just cried, sobbing so hard that she ran out of tears to shed.

The Incubus opened his mouth to comfort her, but all that fell from his lips were a few fragments of his own shattered teeth. Choking painfully, he felt the rest of them slide down his throat.

"You try to speak words of comfort, but all you can spit is blood and fear. Poetic, no?" jeered the Devil, wiping the blood off his weapon.

Holding a hand to his mouth, Cobalt glanced over at Jelli. The fear in her eyes...

Deep down, the fire flared. That hot, boiling sensation spread throughout his body for a single, split second. Pain surged and flashed, forcing him to scream in agony as an array of fresh, jagged fangs burst through his bloodied gums, scattering the roots of his broken teeth all over the front of his shirt.

"Agh... gah..." he gasped, running his tongue along the serrated edges of his new incisors.

"Teeth and fingernails are the only weapons Incubi need, Trayer. And you've got an arsenal of them waiting in the wings."

"You'll not get the fight you want, Diate... not from me," he gasped, trying and failing to wipe his face.

Smirking, Diate snapped his fingers, turning his hatchet back into a scythe.

"Then I'll just have to keep trying, then. I'll just have to break and break and break you down, until there's no man left and only a beast remains. On your feet!"

He brought the wicked blade upwards in a keening slice, forcing Cobalt back into a combat stance. The Incubus splayed his hand and made to incant his whip back into existence, only for the blunt haft of the scythe to strike him in the stomach, winding him badly.

"A beast has no need for weapons!" Diate roared, spinning his weapon around.

He snapped his fingers.

"MULLEGALF!"

Forming a wicked flail of twisted iron wire, he swung it at Cobalt. The barbed tails of the weapon ripped through the front of his shirt, rending the garment into little more than a few scraps of cloth and leaving raking wounds across his front.

"A beast has no need for clothes!"

The Incubus staggered back, crying out as his blood was splattered all over the ground. He clutched his tie protectively; thankfully it was still intact.

Another finger snap.

"MAGRIV!"

Forming an iron stave, Diate ducked down low and swept Cobalt's legs out from beneath him. Before he could return to his feet, the Devil slammed his foot down on the Incubus' hand, almost shattering the bones within.

"And a beast has no need for mercy! So again, I implore you! BARE! YOUR! FUCKING! FANGS!"

He began to push his foot down, wrenching a guttered scream of pain from Cobalt as the bones in his hands groaned and threatened to snap. The fire pulsed and flashed with every increased degree of agony, but still he kept that burning rage fettered.

"Why? Must I start bleeding you dry just to see your savage side, Trayer? Because I will, you know. I will tear you open in all sorts of ways," hissed Diate.

Cobalt wanted to scream, but he just bit his tongue as the Devil's taunts rang out all around him. He looked up at the captive girls; watching as Quinn and Lottie gazed on, horrified. Right as Diate prepared to smash Cobalt's hand to dust, he noticed the look in his eyes. Raising a scarred eyebrow, his own crimson gaze slowly tracked over to the demons he had chained up.

"Ah... I see. You're willing to die for them, then? Willing to let them see you die a man, are you?" he jeered as a cruel smile spread across his face.

He leaned down and whispered into Cobalt's ear.

"So how about I keep you alive then, hm? I'll make you nice and comfortable so you may watch as I rip them limb from limb. Does that sound nice?"

The fire flashed. Cobalt shut his eyes and winced as hot pain spread through his body.

"It'll be like old times. Like Rims. Your father's friend."

He clenched his teeth. The fire only grew hotter.

"He was a cripple; already half broken. I'll have much more fun with your girlies."

Too hot. Too hot. Too hot...!

"Believe me, Trayer, I'll have just as much fun hearing their screams as you wi-!"

"YOU BASTARD!"

For just a moment, Cobalt's tenuous grip on the fire in his gut slipped, allowing it to surge through his entire body. Though it was only momentarily, newfound strength allowed him to rise to his feet, striking Diate upside the chin with a surprise uppercut, knocking the Devil back a few paces.

Clutching his face, his red eyes widened as he reached into his mouth. Pulling out a loosened fang, Diate flicked it away and smiled mercilessly.

"There it is. That's what I've been wanting to see!" he cried excitedly, nodding at the Incubus' outstretched fist.

Cobalt froze, staring hard at his arm as a thin trail of steam leaked from the corner of his mouth. Beneath the surface of his skin, he could see his veins glowing dimly as his blood slowly cooled. The scars on his fist glowed an angrier red, until the dark crimson light faded and he nearly collapsed back onto the ground.

"Wh- What...?" he gasped, quashing the fire down.

He was met with a red grin from Diate as the sky rumbled overhead.

"Feels good, doesn't it? Not even your oh-so-noble father could resist the bestial savagery deep down."

Clutching his wrist, the Incubus staggered back, watching in horror as his own perspiration evaporated off his skin.

"Th- This isn't right..." he breathed.

"Just give in already, Trayer. Give in to the madness, before I start dismantling your girls, one by one."

Something was very, very wrong. That boiling rage in the pit of his stomach... If he lost control of it for even a second, something very bad would happen, Cobalt was sure of it. Why was this happening now?! He was supposed to be safe from Incupsychosis! He was supposed to be the exception! Everlast had kept him safe for so long already; why was it failing now?!

Distracted by his own turbulent thoughts, he looked up just in time to see a grey-skinned fist slam into the side of his face. He feel back, but managed to duck beneath a follow-up punch. Gritting his teeth, he tried to fight back, but Diate just shrugged off every attack he tried to make.

"Weak! Fucking weak!"

Taking a step back, he snapped his fingers with a wild look in his eyes.

"ATSAH!"

A lengthy iron spear formed in his hands.

"JUST SHOW ME YOUR FUCKING FANGS ALREADY, TRAYER~!"

His wounds were sapping his energy and it was taking every ounce of Cobalt's willpower to keep the fire in check, but with gritted teeth and clenched fists, he-

The girls. Why were they screaming? Were they that scared of him?

No. Something was wrong. Slowly, Cobalt looked down.

The spear had found its mark, impaling the Incubus before he could even move a muscle.