Chapter 75: 666 is My Favorite Number

Chapter 75: 666 is My Favorite Number

June 10th, 2089

Dantes POV

Bad dog! Really bad dog! I shouted as I sprinted through the burning ruins of what once was a cheerful little town in Macedonia that had been in the midst of a summer festival. Im sure it was once a charming place, based on the scenic mountainside it was located on and the quaint homes. Unfortunately for them, one of my siblings decided to visit with his minions and ravage everything. The 4-story 3 headed dog with a mane of dead snakes and a chain like tail of bone and muscle barked out in frustration as he continued to try and devour me. Or char me to a crisp. Or melt me into a fleshy puddle. Its hard to tell which one exactly as he kept alternating from breathing fire, spewing acid and simply biting at me.

This is the last of my siblings that I need to convince (pummel), thankfully. My kin are naturally drawn to making and respecting hierarchies of power, so it was rather easy so far to bring them into line. I just needed to beat down the leader, grant them a name and the rest followed obediently. 572 of my 666 siblings have submitted, all that is remaining is bad doggie and his friends. WOOF! DONT WOOF AT ME YOU DAMN MUTT! I KNOW YOU CAN TALK DAMNIT! Cue the frantic pirouetting as the bad doggie started spitting boatloads (literally) of acid.

Pssh!!! My rhythmic evasive maneuvers were effective and quite stylish as well. I should consider a career in dance. Its all in the hips. Cha cha cha! Avoid dog bites with a double backflip. Cha cha cha! Oh, here comes the fire breath again. Go low like in limbo to slide beneath it. Cha cha cha! And then Cerberus uses Tail Whip, a gaming classic! Hop over it like I did in that pick-up game of double dutch yesterday. Cha cha cha! And now RUN!!! The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

Furthermore, only a fool would underestimate this world simply because they dont use magic anymore. The power of technology and industry is matchless in open warfare. Had Cerberus, for example, continued his rampaging without being discreet in the Balkan peninsula he would have been brought to heel. A well-organized army, coordinating with their artillery and air force, could bring him down (not without casualties however).

Teamwork, the strength of numbers, and the relentlessness of machines can bring down all but the most powerful beings and users of magic if one is willing to pay the price. Sadly, many of my newfound subordinates are weak. They barely have any magical capability or intelligence and a few trained soldiers with guns could handle them in a fair fight. An open battlefield would eradicate the majority of them. I would be fine in open war, but what kind of lord would have no subordinates?

Magic may not necessarily be supreme on the open battlefield, but when it comes to smaller-scale engagements and subterfuge there is nothing better. It is simply a matter of quality over quantity. Especially when this world has no defense against it, no way to detect it or even a general awareness of its existence. But skulking in secrecy the entire time would be tooo booooring. Going for a one-hit kill by launching all of the world powers nuclear arsenal while disabling their missile defense systems would be just as dull since I wouldnt even be able to savor slowly corrupting this world. And who wants to rule over a pile of radioactive rubble? So, I simply need to obscure our true nature as we spread terror and destruction in my quest to create an inferno of fun.

I already have a plan for that. There are these wonderful enterprising groups all over the world who are known as terrorists. They actively seek to spread terror and do so in all the most inventive ways. Its disappointing that they all try to use that terror for a political or social purpose rather than simply seeking to spread it for fun, but no one is perfect.

Ah, but if I want to start a terrorist organization I need a cool name! Thats an absolute must when running any organization. Even more so when we will eventually become the most notorious group on the planet! Although well be hiding our true forms, I kind of like the idea of secretly rubbing it in everyones face. And then when it is far too late to stop us, well let them realize the truth. Anarchy, despair, violence and depravity, well spread it all. Itll be bedlam. Itll be chaos. Itll be mayhem. Itll be pure Pandemonium.