Akuma looked up and saw a long staircase lined with Torii gates, each standing ominously against the mist-covered surroundings. As he ascended, passing under each gate, he felt his strength draining with every step. By the time he reached the final step, his body was weak, his limbs heavy. The mist thickened, swirling around him like ghostly tendrils. The stone floor beneath his feet was stained with blood, the scent of iron thick in the air.
His gaze drifted forward, and there, atop a throne of jagged spikes, sat a monstrous being. The creature resembled a colossal silkworm moth, larger than an elephant, with saucer-like eyes that gleamed with an unnatural light. Its mouth gaped open, revealing rows of serrated teeth. Eight spindly legs twitched, enormous wings rustled, and from its segmented abdomen protruded a long, venomous stinger.
Akuma narrowed his eyes, gripping his sword tightly. "Who are you? What are you?"
The creature's mouth twisted into a grotesque semblance of a smile before it raised its stinger. With a single motion, a swarm of ten thousand insects burst forth, surging toward Akuma like a living tidal wave.
Panic surged through him. He turned to flee down the stairs, but his weakened state betrayed him. His foot caught on the edge of a step, and he tumbled forward. Before he could react, the swarm was upon him. Thousands of insects forced their way into his mouth and nose, burrowing deep into his lungs. His vision blurred, the world darkened, and then—
Nothing.
When Akuma regained consciousness, he found himself inside a dimly lit cave. Before him stood two doors. One was splattered with blood and bore the inscription Sheol. The other was coated in golden honey, labelled Abaddon.
He stared at the doors, confusion etching his face. "Why does this feel... familiar?" He muttered before breaking the fourth wall, looking at the unseen audience. "When I faced that creature, it felt like some part of me was connected to it. And now, these doors... a test, maybe? A contract?" His eyes narrowed in thought.
"Sheol... I know that name. In the Hebrew Bible, it's the realm of the dead, a shadowy abyss beneath the earth. And Abaddon... it's associated with destruction, the abyss." He crossed his arms. "Both lead to ruin, but which one do I choose?"
His gaze lingered on the blood-stained Sheol. Blood—what creatures thrive on it? Fleas, mosquitoes, sandflies... insects that drain life. "Wait... if Sheol was the safer choice, why mark it in blood? That means..."
A smirk crept onto his face. "This is a trick."
With reckless confidence, he kicked the Sheol door open. Instantly, a massive creature lunged at him—a monstrous fusion of a flea, mosquito, sandfly, and blackfly, standing at least twenty feet tall. Its bloated body pulsed with blood, and from its grotesque mouth, a torrent of crimson shot toward him.
Akuma reacted in an instant. He leaped backward, using the momentum to grab the door. As the monstrous insect hovered, he launched the door like a projectile, slamming it into the creature's eye. The beast screeched in agony, its massive wings buzzing frantically.
Wasting no time, Akuma dashed forward, using the falling door as a platform to propel himself onto the creature's back. With precision, he drove his blade into its wings, shredding them to pieces. The stinger lashed at him wildly, but he twisted his body, dodging the venomous strike before bringing his sword down in a lethal arc.
"Breath of the Sun: First Form – Dance!"
A brilliant slash tore through the air, slicing cleanly through the monster's head. The massive body collapsed beneath him, twitching before going still.
Panting, Akuma stood on the corpse, wiping blood from his face. A manic grin spread across his lips. "Damn, this is fun."
Then, the air trembled.
His grin faded as his gaze lifted to the cavern ceiling.
Thirty more of the same creatures hovered above him, their countless eyes locked onto their fallen kin. Their wings beat furiously, shaking the very ground beneath him.
"Tch." Akuma turned on his heel and sprinted back toward the cave entrance. "Nope, not dealing with that!"
As the swarm descended upon him, he dove into the shadows of the cave, disappearing into the unknown.