In hell there are nine titles, or ranks, that belong to the ruling class of it's denizens. These titles determine how powerful and how influental they are. The nine titles are, from the highest, Emperor, King,  Prince, Marquis, Duke, Earl, President, Knight and Marshal.  However, apart from Emperor,  these titles are split in two from, for example, King and Great King. Or Prince and Great prince.  

This combines for a total of seventeen titles. The holders of one of these titles can command legions of demons, devils  or other inhabitants of hell while the highest title, Emperor, is given only to Lucifer who reings as the ultimate ruler of Hell. But apart from these seventeen there exists another title that are given to the four most powerful demons of hell whose individual power is comparable to Lucifer himself.

The title is called Regional Ruler. The four who hold this title have absolute power and authority over one of the four cardinal points. Gehenna is the Western Ruler and her domain lies in the western regions of Hell.  

Another one of the Regional Rulers is Asmodeus, the Demon of Lust whose domain lies in the south. The borders of the two people's homes are rather close to each others, comparatively speaking.

From the distance she saw his city, filled with men and woman with horned heads. Below sounds of laughter could be heard. Guards were stationed everywhere, their armor a deep red. She sensed his family somewhere inside, their auras unmistakable. Different to her own silent, empty lands  his was filled with mirth and merriment. It was similar to human cities she had seen, but the signs of corruption where nowhere to be found. It was a place of freedom and not a single one of the residents were unhappy.  

But despite its appearance it was one of the most heavily guarded areas of hell, protected by powerful elite demons and hundreds of strong barriers that surrounded the entire city.

No one has an succeded in taking control of it.

It was an unconquerable fortress.

Who would dare attack it?

It is here, at Asmodeus's territory, that Gehenna launches her assault.

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A young looking man with shoulder-lenghth silver-grey hair and many tattoes along his arms walked past the city gates. The coloration, odd even for a demon, only gave him an air of exoticness that increased his already considerable looks. His near-perfect facial features and air of sensuality mixed with the raw demonic energy he exuded was a heady mixture that few, women or men, could resist.

This was Amsodeus, the demon who reigned over Lust. True to his reputation he was abnormally handsome and at any other time the women of the city would have swooned at the raw sex appeal he subconsciously gave off.

But this time was different. This time his entrance was greeted by a much darker scene.

Asmodeus had only just gotten back to his estate when he saw that everything was in ruins. There were burn marks on the crumbling walls and armored bodies lay everywhere, the stench of blood and death heavy in the air.

Asmodeus traveled alone and so evey one of his guards were stationed here. His legions of demons surrounded the nearby lands and could be here to defend the city in a matter of minutes. But now many of those soldiers lied about in the streets, soaking it in a red hue.  They weren't simply dead, but their horns had been shattered.

He saw children, not dead but eyes empty as they stared at their parents, not understanding why such a tragedy has befallen them. They made no frightful tears, for they had long ran dry.

He was sickened, a fury he had never known before boiling up in him like lava through his veins as he stared at the city he built brought to such a state.

Everwhere he looked riled up untold anger and revulsion. Shards of horns lay everywhere. It meant that the guards died slowly, painfully. To demons, having your horns shattered was the most painful, the most cruel of experiences.  The pain was unimaginable.

Here, not a single corpse had a horn intact, making Asmodeus wonder at who could be so cruel and merciless.

He heard sounds of fighting from a distance and rushed to it's origin, his intent to kill causing the few survivors to shudder.

They looked at his passing figure with dead eyes. Having witnessed unspeakable horrors, they were broken in mind and spirit. No resident of hell was weak, but in the face of the demoness that slaughtered the ones who were supposed to be their infallible guardians like sheep. . . Well, they had no ability to resist at all.

Asmodeus knew, only one person in hell would be insane enough, powerful enough, to cause this. That walking disaster that everyone in hell feared, that nightmare that even their Emperor would not offend easily. . . Only she would do this.

He reached his estate in seconds, seeing his guards with bodies lying in chunks on the ground or stains on the walls. The once opulent mansion now burning to the ground slowly.

"l-lord , , , Asmodeus. . ." A faint voice called out. Asmodeus instantly recognised it. He found a body lying in one of the hallways, dripping blood an even darker shade than his hair and his handsome face grimacing in untold amounts of pain.

" D'avim. . ." Asmodeus whispered. It was the name of one of his personal guards. He had no need for them and so tasked them with guarding his family. Each one was loyal and powerful to a frightening degree.

"S-she's . . . here. She came, . . .so suddenly . We couldnt. . . stop her. Most everyone of the Elite Guard is dead." He rasped.

"Only your family. . . remains relatively safe. Howeverm she took two of them. . .Lady Jezebel and Young Master Maverick, . .  T-to the lower levels of the estate. She wants to use them. . . to open the Vault. I tried, but i couldnt. . .I couldnt help them. Jezebel, one of her horns were broken. Your son, she took off an arm. He held her back so that the rest of your family could excape. Your wife and grandchildren are safe"

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At that Asmodeus suppressed a sigh of relief. At least his beloved with and grandkids were okay. His wife, Sarah, who he loved most in life and his grandchildren who he doted upon. . . At the very least he knew they were safe.

"But in the end, I and Jezebel. . . " Still couldnt get away. The unspoken words hung in the air.

". . . Im. . .sorry. . ." D'avim lowered his head, unable to look his lord in the eye.

Asmodeus' face darkened. Those two were strong, that Jezebel and her brother Maverick. He was proud of his son's actions. To sacrifice himself for family, such courage was commendable. Asmodeus had not done wrong by his son, of that he was sure.

As for that headstrong daughter of his, he knew exactly what she would have done. D'avim being alive was proof of her actions. To her, those she considered family were her life.

D'avim's face was tear-streaked. He looked at his lord, anguish in his eyes. The injuries he sustained were negligible, he could no longer feel the pain. He only felt a deep shame and heartache knowing he failed his lord. He, who was tasked with protecting the lord's daughter Jezebel, had been defeated in mere seconds as he hurried her toward an escape route that her brother risked his life to provide.  

After that, he saw the young woman try to protect him. The older man had know the girl all his life, had even raised her like his own. . .The two were like family. Of course the girl would try aiding him, but to go against that monster . . . She suffered unimaginable pain. He heard loud wails as her horn was torn from her head, his heart crying out in defiance as he tried one last assault. The result was a counterattack of a single palm strike that left him in his unable to move even a finger.

As he watched Jezebel being dragged by her one remaining horn towards the lower depths of the estate he cursed his own weakness.

"D'avim, who did this?" Asmodeus forced the words out through clenched teeth and stared hard at his old friend. He knew the answer, but he had to hear it.

"Gehenna. . .".  The name came out bitter and full of malice, as if it were a curse word. Here, in hell, it almost was.

Asmodeus roared inwardly, his inner voice raw and full of hate.

Why, after all these years, have you done this? What reason could you have to cause such misery? Gehenna, I can forgive many things, even this, but if you kill any of my family I will hunt you till the ends of creation and make you my prisoner, suffering for all eternity!

He knew that perhaps he would not have the power to do this. But he was willing to spend the rest of his life trying if she killed any of his family. A broken horn could be healed if the right person, funds and material could be found but  a life was not the same. At least not a demon's

"That bitch! She kills my citizens, my guards, threatens my family. . .I wont let her do as she pleases!" Asmodeus was now thoroughly lost to his anger. Lust was not the only sin he was associated with. . . Wrath was also one of the traits that defined him.

He left D'avim's side, rushing with inhuman speed through the many hallways of his home.

"My lord, wait! The situation. . .it isnt what you think!"

But before the last word left his mouth, his lord was already nowhere to be found.

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Author's notes: Really short chapter. this was meant to be way longer but i decided to post this bit now. I am already done with a lot for the next chapter. I just cut what i already had done in 1/3  to leave you with this small piece, because im just sadistic like that :)

But im not finished with the entire thing yet. Almost though, expect it either tomorrow or the day after. I  would have been done already and made the chapter a lot longer all in one piece but i was out of town the past day or so and couldnt write anything. So instead of finishing it,  i decided to leave you with the 1/3 that i thought was a good place to leave off at.

The next chapter will include some fighting. Also, i should let you all know now that i may make Gehenna even darker in the future. I want her to come off as unhinged. If you read my comment, (or was it comments?) on chapter 22, then i think you will understand why i want to do this.

Also the titles at the start are not meant to be a system to measure power levels . Well, not really. They have a lot to do with how strong/influential  a demon, fallen angel or other such resident of hell is, but its more. . . well, im not sure how to explain it.

This was a just a classification i found on the hierarchy of hell when i was searching the internet.

Also from what i recall i made. . . maybe three or four characters who i mentioned had silver/grey or white hair ( i dont actually know for sure but including Asmodus that makes three im cartain of) . I want to explain the reason for the coloring later. There is a reason for the color, to be sure. White or silver hair in the story wont be considered as too rare, but it isnt common. And for the characters so far, it isnt really what they were born with, but a result of an outside force.

Okay, well, at least one was born with white hair but that was because of. . . well, i'll explain that in the story eventually.