CHAPTER 14: DEVIL MEETS DEVIL
The Great Depression, Chicago—A dark chapter in human history where even the most notorious criminals face a darkness far beyond their comprehension.
The cold, oppressive air in the speakeasy grew still as the powerful mob boss, Al Capone, sat at the back of the room, flanked by his men. His eyes flickered over the patrons, their hushed conversations drowned out by the faint clinking of glasses. Al was the king of this city, feared and revered in equal measure. But even kings have their fears.
When Jigoku Ma Tori entered, the world seemed to hold its breath. Capone, ever the pragmatic businessman, had felt countless threats in his day, but this man… this presence, unnerved him in a way no one had before.
Jigoku’s eyes, dark as the void, scanned the room with unnerving precision. He was dressed in a sharp black suit, his appearance impeccable, his demeanor eerily calm. His presence was suffocating, like the crushing silence before a storm.
Without waiting for an invitation, he sat across from Capone, his movements deliberate, each action precise and unnaturally calculated.
"Mr. Capone," he began, his voice low and silky, with an unsettling edge that sent a ripple through the room. "I have heard much about you. About your empire."
Capone leaned back in his chair, his hand instinctively brushing the cold steel of his revolver. "You heard right. Ain't no one runs this town but me. What the hell are you doing here?"
Jigoku’s lips curved into a smile—cold, calculating. "Power is fleeting, Mr. Capone. Empires crumble. But chaos… chaos is eternal." His words sent an inexplicable chill through the room.
Capone’s grip tightened around his glass. "So, you’re some kind of philosopher, huh? What’s your point?"
Jigoku leaned in closer, his dark eyes gleaming with an unsettling intensity. "I offer you something far more valuable than power, Mr. Capone. Survival. In a world that is about to burn, I can give you the means to control the flames."
Capone, ever the skeptic, laughed bitterly. "You think you're gonna teach me how to control the fire? I know how to run my business, how to keep the competition in line."
Jigoku’s eyes narrowed, his voice dipping lower, darker. "Control is an illusion. True power lies in embracing chaos. Chaos is a force you cannot control, but you can harness it. I can show you how."
Al Capone paused, uncertainty creeping into his usually unwavering resolve. His pride, his ambition, battled against a rising sense of foreboding. "And if I don’t go along with your little scheme?"
Jigoku’s smile grew ever so slightly, devoid of warmth. "You will be swept away. Like the rest of them. But I believe you are smarter than that, Mr. Capone."
The air in the room felt heavier, suffocating. Capone’s gaze never wavered, but there was a part of him—the part that had survived years of violence and betrayal—that feared this man. And that fear made his decision for him.
"Alright," he muttered, his voice low, "Let’s say I’m listening. What’s your plan?"
Jigoku’s smile deepened, and with that smile came the shadow of something darker, something older. "Patience. All in due time. But remember this—chaos is coming, and when it does, you will either bend to it… or be crushed beneath it."
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JIGOKU'S BACKSTORY: THE MA TORI CLAN AND THE SEVEN PRINCES OF HELL
Jigoku Ma Tori’s existence was not born of mere malice or darkness. He was a living weapon forged from the very essence of Hell itself, a creature designed by Lucifer with the power to transcend all boundaries. His bloodline, tainted by fragments of Hell's most powerful souls—Satan (Wrath), Asmodius (Lust), and Lucifer (Pride)—melded together to create a force of unimaginable chaos. His very being was a testament to the sins that defined Hell, each fragment of power contained within him a separate driving force.
The Ma Tori clan, birthed from this combination, was no ordinary force in Hell. Their dominion stretched across vast, chaotic expanses, and even Lucifer—the so-called King of Hell—feared their potential for destruction. The Ma Tori clan’s thirst for chaos and domination went beyond that of any other faction in Hell. While the Seven Princes of Hell ruled their respective domains with authority, the Ma Tori clan existed as a singular, unstoppable plague.
Despite Jigoku’s terrifying potential, it was his unpredictability that made him the true wild card in Hell’s politics. His power was such that the Seven Princes, even in their combined might, feared him.
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THE SEVEN PRINCES OF HELL:
In the deepest chamber of Hell, the Seven Princes gathered, each a titan of sin and power. Their domain was vast, and they ruled with an iron fist, yet now they found themselves trembling at the growing shadow of Jigoku Ma Tori.
Lucifer (Pride):
"Even I, the ruler of Hell, am powerless before the Ma Tori," Lucifer spoke, his usual arrogance shaken. His pride, once the mightiest in all of Hell, was now replaced by an undeniable fear. "Jigoku's ambition grows, and with it, his strength. He seeks to overthrow the balance of Hell itself. If he isn’t stopped, our dominion will crumble."
Satan (Wrath):
Satan’s fury flared, his wrath burning hot. "He is a direct challenge to my rule," Satan growled. "We allowed him to carve out his own space in Hell, but now he threatens to consume all. If he succeeds, Hell will become a battlefield—a war we cannot afford to fight."
Asmodius (Lust):
Asmodius, the Prince of Lust, leaned back, his eyes narrowing. "He is not like the rest of us. Jigoku isn’t motivated by desire or greed; he seeks something far more dangerous—control over chaos itself. Lust cannot sway him, nor can our enticements. He is a force of nature."
Mammon (Greed):
Mammon, the Prince of Greed, looked at the others nervously. "Power, wealth, influence… these are all fleeting. But Jigoku's power... it is eternal. He embodies the very chaos that Hell was founded on. None of us have the strength to challenge him directly. Even the throne of Hell itself is at risk."
Beelzebub (Gluttony):
Beelzebub, lord of Gluttony, sneered. "All I have ever craved is consumption, but I can see it now. Jigoku will consume all of Hell, and in doing so, he will destroy us all. We must decide—unite against him or risk becoming irrelevant."
Belphegor (Sloth):
Belphegor, the embodiment of Sloth, sighed deeply. "I have seen many threats in my time, but none like this. The Ma Tori clan moves with such terrifying precision. Their ruthlessness knows no bounds. The question now is—do we act, or do we wait until we are overtaken?"
Leviathan (Envy):
Leviathan’s green eyes burned with jealousy. "I envy his power, his ability to command not just men, but the very fabric of existence. While I’ve watched others rise to the top, Jigoku has claimed his dominion. His power is a dark mirror to our own—one that could swallow us whole."
The Princes were no longer just debating. They were afraid. Jigoku Ma Tori, a creation of unimaginable power, was a force they could not control. Each Prince had their own domain, their own methods of domination, but none of them were prepared for the onslaught of pure chaos that Jigoku represented.
Lucifer, with his pride shattered, was the first to speak the unspoken truth:
"We cannot defeat him alone. If we are to survive, we must unite against him. Only then can we hope to contain the madness he brings."
And so, for the first time in the history of Hell, the Seven Princes—beasts of sin and fury—found themselves plotting not against each other, but against a common enemy: Jigoku Ma Tori, the embodiment of chaos itself.