Hitman with a Badass System

The sudden emergence of Zariel, one of the Reapers in the service of the god Fourcrux, left them all deeply unsettled. There was a purpose behind certain gods employing Reapers rather than angels, and the God of Necromancy was one of those deities, making Zariel the ideal entity to seize control of Cindy's body.

"What are you?" Gaya's voice wavered with a blend of anger and panic as she sought answers.

"Must I repeat myself, bitch? I am Zariel, a Reaper in the service of the God of Necromancy, Fourcrux," Zariel's chilling words resonated through Cindy's mouth.

Cindy's once-innocent blue eyes had morphed into a menacing shade of yellow, and an ominous green mist emanated from her skin.

"Please, spare her. Release her body," Elidyr implored, his voice laced with desperation.

"You've been harnessing my power to create undead, yet you protest when I use this insignificant vessel. What hypocrisy," Zariel sneered.

"Let her go. You have no idea who you're dealing with," Gaya growled, but her demands only incited Zariel's sinister laughter.

"I know precisely who you are. I possess knowledge of your every secret, including how the God of Darkness staged his death and ascended to the realm of gods," Zariel remarked, his words dripping with malevolence. Cindy, once a sweet child, was transformed into a vessel of darkness by Zariel's presence, which manifested in her unsettling appearance: yellowed eyes, a green aura, and a noxious odor.

"I've been observing you through the undead. They are forged with my power, making each one of them my spy," Zariel gloated malevolently.

"What is it that you want?" Elidyr inquired, recognizing that Gaya's fury had the potential to override her reason. He was relieved that the Dark Queen had thus far restrained herself, allowing her intellect to prevail.

"What everyone desires in this world, and what I crave, is freedom," Zariel replied.

"I'll be unequivocal: I want to break free from my prison in the Nether realm, and you are going to facilitate that. If you fail, bid farewell to this child," Zariel declared. Before Gaya and Elidyr could react, Zariel seized control of Cindy's arms, forcing her to scratch her own face.

"STOP!" Gaya shouted in horror as blood trickled from the scratches. Zariel, inhabiting Cindy's body, merely chuckled.

"If this child's life isn't valuable to you, consider that I know every detail of your deeds. It would take me mere moments to report the God of Darkness to Fourcrux. If he didn't personally deal with your Dark Lord, he'd unleash the entire pantheon upon him. We wouldn't want that, now, would we?" Zariel asked, leaving Gaya and Elidyr with no room for defiance.

"Now, utilize the artifact you unearthed to locate my prison in the Nether realm. Hurry, time is running out, especially for this child," Zariel commanded, chasing them away.

But Gaya and Elidyr remained rooted in shock and helplessness.

"I said GO!" Zariel roared, causing cracks to appear in the golden shield enveloping Cindy. He then raised her arm and twisted it, breaking it with a sickening snap.

"NO!" Elidyr cried out.

"Please, don't hurt her!" Gaya pleaded, but Zariel merely laughed, leaving Cindy's arm grotesquely contorted.

"We're going..." Elidyr grabbed Gaya by the hand and led her out of the hall.

Once they were outside the hall, Gaya vented her fury by punching the wall, causing it to crumble.

"I'm going to kill him...tear him apart...ARGH!" Gaya roared, her eyes welling up with tears.

"We must do as he says, Dark Queen," Elidyr advised.

"This orb," Elidyr examined the glass orb in his hands.

"Did this wake him up?" Elidyr inquired cautiously. Gaya directed her fierce gaze at Elidyr. She couldn't help but wonder if Elidyr's excavation of the orb had indirectly led to Cindy's possession by Zariel.

Feeling the intensity of Gaya's glare, Elidyr instinctively took a step back. However, a teleportation vortex materialized nearby, sparing Elidyr from Gaya's wrath.

"Gaya, what happened to Cindy? Let me see her," Olivia emerged from the portal, her face etched with panic and concern.

"Don't go inside," Elidyr halted Olivia, with Ricky and Daniel following closely behind her as they stepped out of the vortex.

"Why? Azazel said she's here. Where is she?" Olivia inquired anxiously.

"What happened?" Olivia's gaze shifted from the cracked walls to the murderous intent in Gaya's eyes and the worry in Elidyr's voice. Dread washed over her as she considered the worst.

"Cindy is possessed by a Reaper of Fourcrux, the God of Necromancy," Elidyr revealed, sending shivers down their spines.

Daniel and Ricky trembled at Elidyr's words, while Olivia stood there in disbelief.

"Possessed? By a Reaper?" Olivia's frown deepened as she sought clarification.

"The bite from the undead was a method used by Zariel to possess Cindy. He's been monitoring us through the undead in the Nether realm," Elidyr explained, recognizing that Gaya was in no mood to explain.

"Zariel? Is that the name of this Reaper?" Olivia questioned.

"Hmm. He's also the origin of all the creatures in the Nether realm. He claims we need to free him from his prison there, or he'll kill Cindy," Elidyr clarified.

"Let me see her," Olivia insisted in shock. Although she found it hard to believe Elidyr's words, she felt a strong need to see Cindy for herself. However, Elidyr quickly intervened to stop her.

"No, if you go in there, he will harm Cindy," Elidyr cautioned.

"Then we should view her through the Spyders in there," Ricky, snapping out of his initial shock, suggested a solution.

"Gaya..." Olivia turned to her, silently imploring her assistance. Gaya, in response, flicked her wrist, summoning a mirror into her hand.

"Azazel, transmit the feed from my workspace to the Dark Queen's mirror," Elidyr instructed Azazel via an earpiece.

"No, I can't, Lord Elidyr," Azazel's voice carried a heavy gravity.

"What do you mean, you can't?" Elidyr inquired with a perplexed frown.

"He says spying is wrong and threatened to inflict more harm on Cindy," Elidyr conveyed Azazel's grim message. It was evident that Azazel had witnessed the events transpiring within the workspace through the Spyders. However, Zariel was well aware of the Spyders and had issued a threat to harm Cindy upon detecting their surveillance attempts.

"What's going on?" Olivia inquired, growing increasingly anxious.

"He's aware. Zariel knows about the Spyders and has threatened to harm Cindy if we attempt to spy on him," Elidyr explained, leaving everyone even more alarmed and astonished.

"What are we waiting for, then? We must find a way to contact the Dark Lord," Olivia panicked, but Gaya vehemently shook her head.

"If we do that, he'll inform his god of the Dark Lord's survival, leading the entire pantheon to hunt him down in the realm of gods. We can't endanger him in the realm of gods. He doesn't need to deal with this as well," Gaya reasoned, her concern for her husband's safety palpable.

"Then what are we going to do? We cannot allow someone or something to possess our Cindy. What are we going to tell Raiylene?" Olivia inquired with a worried tone.

"We'll do what he asks and keep it all from Raiylene until we've reclaimed our Cindy," Gaya responded sternly, her tone leaving no room for debate.

"You two stay here in case he contacts us," she instructed Ricky and Daniel. Though they were fearful, they nodded in agreement and positioned themselves as vigilant guards just outside the door.

Gaya then contacted Azazel, who responded with an undertone of restrained bloodlust.

"Dark Queen, is there anything I can do to assist?" Azazel inquired.

"Yes, arrange an emergency meeting with Nithroel. We need to gather information about who we're dealing with. She might be the only one who can provide insights about Zariel," Gaya directed before making her way to the meeting hall.

During her journey to the hall, Gaya remained silent, not exchanging a word with Elidyr. Upon their arrival, they were greeted by an ornate golden door with intricate designs. Upon opening it, they found themselves in a room with a circular marble table and a large mirror adorning one wall.

"I told you this isn't the right time for us to meet, Gaya," Nithroel's visage appeared in the mirror. The Goddess of Hunt and Empress of Gondolin appeared as regal as ever, her golden hair flowing and her royal blue robes adding to her majesty.

"It's important, Nithroel," Gaya asserted. Given her position as the Dark Lord's wife, Nithroel allowed Gaya to address her by name rather than using honorifics.

"It had better be. I'm in the midst of a war with the dwarves," Nithroel responded, a trace of annoyance detectable in her voice.

"What do you know about Zariel?" Gaya inquired, her voice laced with concern.

Upon hearing the name Zariel, Nithroel's countenance shifted immediately. Her brow furrowed deeply, and her eyes exhibited an unmistakable discomfort, as though she had heard a name she wished never to encounter.

"Whatever you're contemplating, abandon it. Keep as far away as possible from that reaper," Nithroel admonished sternly. Even as a goddess of the hunt, she appeared visibly disturbed by Zariel's name. This reaction deepened Gaya and Elidyr's unease regarding Cindy's fate.

"He has taken possession of Cindy, Nithroel," Gaya explained, her voice faltering with emotion.

"Idiots!" Nithroel exclaimed, her powerful voice causing the mirror on the wall to crack, forming several fissures that did not shatter.

"I don't even want to know how you allowed that to happen. You have no comprehension of the horrors he's capable of. Without the Dark Lord, you stand no chance against him. Please, tell me you've at least contained him somewhere," Nithroel implored, her voice carrying the weight of urgency.

"He wants us to release him from his cage in the Nether Realm," Elidyr disclosed.

"Don't!" Nithroel's roar resounded once more.

"Some things are better left buried, hidden in the darkest recesses of existence," Nithroel said with a tone of gravitas. Her gaze was resolute, emphasizing the magnitude of their dilemma. It was clear she had a deep and unsettling familiarity with Zariel.

Gaya and Elidyr exchanged worried glances, realizing that their situation was more dire than they had imagined.

"If you break him out of his cage, hundreds of innocent children and people will suffer and die," Nithroel continued, her voice tinged with anguish. "You can't save Cindy by releasing that monstrosity. Sometimes, it's better to let one child die than to allow hundreds more to suffer such a fate."

"Fuck that. I won't let Cindy die, not in a million years. I will find a way to save her, and if that means breaking him out, I will do it with or without your help," Gaya declared resolutely.

Nithroel understood that Gaya was unyielding in her determination, and trying to persuade her otherwise would be futile.

"We must discuss this in person. I hope to make you see reason when I share more about Zariel and the god he once served," Nithroel stated, emphasizing Zariel's past allegiance to Fourcrux. There was an underlying mystery surrounding Zariel's imprisonment, and Gaya was about to uncover it through Nithroel's revelations.