"Observe you demon horde!" "She is here!" "We await your command." "What thoughts plague your mind, Milady?" "Even such as we fear Lucifer's wrath." "Fear?" "I know not the meaning of fear." "Lucifer is a powerful enemy." "We would understand if you choose not to fight this day." "There is no other choice." "Were you not there when I first took an oath as Lady Death?" "The time is now." "We march on Lucifer!" "I will not stop 'til the "Lord of Lies" is dead!" "Come on you!" "Mother, Father, no!" "No!" "Release me!" "Hold still!" "Here's money!" "Take it, and leave the boy." "I have no need of your money." "It's souls I'm after. I've a war to wage!" "Only God can take charge of men's souls!" "Or have you forgotten your place in God's grand plan, Matthias?" "God's grand plan?" "Oh no, I haven't forgotten." "Take the boy, and his father." "You beast!" "He's just a boy!" "No!" "No!" "Mother." "Mother!" "When will the madness end?" "As long as God rules in Heaven, this eternal struggle will never end." "Matthias speaks and God answers." "Satisfied, Priest?" "Perhaps you pray to the wrong god!" "God works in mysterious ways." "Father in Heaven." "Why have you forsaken us?" "I've made up my mind, Hope." "I'm not going back to school at Uppsala." "But Niccolo..." "Our world is not ready for science." "At least not the type I wish to learn." "Then what will you do?" "Go to where l can learn." "Come with me, Hope." "It's too dangerous." "The war." "The plague." "I've heard this all before." "I can't." "Father would never let me leave." "Your father cares nothing for you or your safety." "He's utterly consumed by his personal crusade." "He needs me." "I need you, too." "Since mother's death, I'm all he has left." "I wish she were here now." "She would know what I should do." "I am here." "You are kind and good Niccolo." "Like she was." "Don't ever leave me, Niccolo." "Promise me!" "I promise you." "We are destined to be together in this world, and the next." "Niccolo." "Hope." "Daughter, you disrespect me by ignoring my wishes!" "You know you are forbidden to leave the castle without my permission!" "I meant you no disrespect." "My Lord, if you must place blame, know then that I am the one who is at fault." "I see." "Niccolo, is it not?" "You study medicine at Uppsala?" "I am Niccolo, but I am no longer a student." "I came to tell Hope that I am finished at Uppsala." "Excellent." "My army's always in need of a good surgeon." "I am not a surgeon." "Quiet!" "God can ill afford to lose any more poor souls to the devil!" "Take our new recruit to the camp, there are many fresh wounds to sew." "No!" "Father, No!" "No, Niccolo!" "Hope, we will be together." "It is our destiny!" "Father, I beg you!" "Niccolo is..." "Niccolo is mine, for all eternity." "See to it that my daughter is returned safely to my castle." "You will stay there and reflect upon your insubordination." "I will decide an appropriate punishment for you when I return." "No." "Niccolo!" "Lower the bridge!" "Matthias claims he does God's work." "I say blasphemy!" "God would never condone the useless deaths and atrocities brought about by this madman." "Tonight, this unholy travesty must be put to an end." "Are you with me?" "I conjure thee, invisible Shadow." "I call to thee, llluminators of Darkness." "Destroyers of Light." "I call to thee by the name that I was given." "I ask thy gate be open." "Open to me!" "Open the gate!" "Come and face us tyrant!" "We have a message for Matthias." "It is late." "Come back in the morning." "This cannot wait!" "Onward!" "Niccolo!" "Hope?" "!" "Niccolo!" "Bad timing, daughter!" "Who are you?" "The better question is, who are you?" "Take him!" "Take the blasphemer!" "I see you also do the Devil's work." "I'm impressed." "I am a man of God!" "And yet the blood on your staff would seem to argue otherwise." "I have plans for more, but they'll wait till tomorrow." "As for you, I'm afraid your punishment will have to wait." "See you in Hell, Daughter!" "Unholy spawn of evil." "You shall be condemned to death for the sins of your father!" "God help me... I wasn't expecting visitors." "But I do appreciate the company." "Don't go!" "I see you are awake." "What do you plan to do with me?" "Isn't it obvious, girl?" "I had no part in my father's affairs." "Do you take me for a fool?" "How else can you explain why you were not destroyed by Lucifer's deadly fire?" "I have no explanation." "How long have you been the Devil's consort?" "How dare you!" "He was my father." "Does the devil come to you other than in his earthly guise?" "Now, reveal your witch's secrets to me!" "We have nothing further to say." "So be it!" "You will burn in Hell for all eternity!" "I suggest you make peace with whatever gods you worship." "Confession is good for the soul." "Even one as cursed as yours." "So, you didn't leave after all." "Actually, I just got here." "You will have to forgive the delay." "I am Pagan." "Court Jester to the Prince of Darkness." "And you are?" "No, don't tell me." "Let me guess..." "You are Hope!" "The hopelessly naive daughter of Matthias, also known as..." "Lucifer, the Lord of Lies." "And, thank God, you don't look a thing like him." "God, if I have done anything to offend you, I ask your forgiveness." "Oh please!" "You think that's going to keep you from burning at the stake?" "Get away from me." "You're disgusting." "I need you..." "Niccolo!" "We are destined to be together in this world and the next." "How?" "Not one of my better impressions." "Bastard!" "Why do you torment me?" "Isn't my death enough?" "Mmmm." "Actually, now that you mention it..." "No." "What then?" "I can offer you eternal life alongside your lover, Niccolo." "All you need do is honor your father and take your rightful place by his side." "Honor Lucifer?" "It is a holy commandment." "It's so difficult to keep track these days." "Never!" "Get out." "Get out!" "As you wish, but keep in mind your father's prayer..." "When yours fail to bring you salvation." "We'll be waiting." "By the way... I have grown rather fond of your Niccolo in the past few days." "For the blasphemy and sins of your father and your own sins against God, I hereby sentence you to death!" "Burn, witch!" "Burn in Hell!" "Burn you heretic!" "You may proceed." "No!" "Oh God!" "Help me!" "God please, help me!" "God cannot help you." "You are forsaken." "Niccolo?" "No!" "You are forsaken." "Niccolo?" "No!" "I am waiting for you, Hope." "I am waiting for you, Hope." "We can be together again!" "No!" "You know what to do..." "You know what to do..." "Speak the prayer and join me for eternity." "No, Niccolo!" "No, this is not real!" "You are not here!" "No!" "No..." "Speak the prayer now, before it's too late." "Oh God!" "Speak the prayer now, before it's too late." "I am waiting for you." "Dear Lord, forgive me!" "I conjure thee, invisible Shadow!" "I call to thee, llluminators of Darkness, Destroyers of Light!" "I call to thee by the name I was given." "I ask thy gate be open." "Open to me!" "Consume thy sinner and let the wicked burn." "Niccolo..." "Niccolo?" "Where are you?" "!" "Where are you..." "Where are you..." "He was here a minute ago." "But um..." "Well, I lost him." "You!" "All lies." "I should have known." "What have I done?" "I damned myself, and my soul for a lie." "Things could be worse." "I doubt that." "We are in Hell, you know!" "Believe me, things can get worse." "Lucifer's got what he wanted." "Take me to him." "Take me to my father." "Maybe later." "First, I'll indulge you with a proper reception and adjust that attitude of yours." "Well, this could take some time." "You're turning out to be quite a resilient girl." "We'll fix that." "Oh, come on, Hope." "Work with me." "Work with me." "God help me..." "Enough!" "Enough, I've had enough." "Like I was saying, things will get worse." "I understand my daughter has been giving you trouble?" "She has been quite a pill, but nothing I can't handle, Lord." "Then bring her to me at once!" "As you wish." "Now what, Father?" "I can put an end to all your suffering." "I've heard that before." "You promise much, but deliver nothing." "As my daughter, you possess great power." "Power that knows no equal in Heaven or Hell." "I can teach you how to harness this power." "Together, we can... I've had enough of your lies!" "..." "You promised I would be with Niccolo for all eternity." "Niccolo..." "Niccolo... I wish nothing more than that." "Here is your precious Niccolo..." "And what's left of your dear, departed mother." "Mother?" "!" "Oh God, no!" "What have you done to them?" "God help them." "It's too late for God's mercy." "Their souls are mine." "Join me, and I will set them free." "Hisssss..." "Life in Hell can be beautiful, Daughter... lf you let it." "Desire equals power." "No more lies!" "Kill me, demon!" "Kill me now!" "So be it!" "You'll be back." "Hear me, Lucifer." "Hope is dead!" "I have taken her place." "And I will find a way to destroy you!" "I'm impressed." "The Nameless Wolves are not so easily tamed." "Who are you!" "?" "Have no fear. I am Cremator." "And ever since I first saw your entrance through the Gates of Hell, I knew you would be the one who could defy the Lord of Lies and survive." "I don't understand." "It's a long story." "We have time." "I was once known as the chief weapons master to the Archdukes of Hell." "A slave with the ability to harness the fires of Hell with my own hands." "Now I seek purpose, like you." "What does all this have to do with Lucifer?" "There was a time..." "Long ago, when I discovered that Lucifer's was the cause of my mortal death." "My existence unraveled, as I was forced into slavery to spare the soul of the one I loved." "The torment was more than any soul could bear." "I hungered for revenge!" "Lucifer!" "Now you die!" "I hungered for revenge!" "Lucifer!" "Now you die!" "So, I challenged him..." "Gya!" "and failed." "Lucifer spared my soul, but cursed me with a constant reminder of the truth." "I underestimated him." "I will not make that same mistake again." "And what is that truth?" "There's no freedom in Hell!" "I've merely escaped his clutches for the moment." "As you must have." "The Prince of Darkness is powerful, but he's not invincible." "How is it that you have managed to survive his wrath?" "I am his daughter..." "And I will not rest until I've destroyed him." "Then I see we have something in common." "Come." "We have work to do, if we plan to defeat the Lord of Lies." "What is this place?" "This is the Chasm of Ptolomea." "Here we are safe from Lucifer's influence." "So how will we get close to Lucifer?" "It will be difficult to catch him off guard." "To defeat him will take time, patience and careful preparation." "So when do we start?" "That is entirely up to you." "Your cape, Milady." "You have learned much during your time in Hell;" "yet your spirit seems troubled." "You taught me to be a warrior." "To draw upon my inner strength." "Yet there is a power in me which I cannot control." "You once told me Lucifer said, "Desire equals power."" "Do you remember?" "That was years ago." "I desire nothing more than to destroy him." "And in the process free the souls of my mother and Niccolo." "Still desire has not helped me channel the power we both know I possess." "You have the power, worthy of Hell's kingdom." "What we must now do is focus on acquiring the right tool that can harness the power within you." "A tool?" "That's right." "And I know where one can be found." "So, what are we waiting for?" "It will not be easy." "Nothing will stand in my way." "You have learned to focus your energy through your swords." "The trouble is, they were not forged to withstand such power internally." "I know all that." "When I was Hell's chief weaponmaster, I made a sword, the likes of which had never been seen before." "That sword, named Darkness, belongs to Asmodeus." "An Archduke charged with protecting the gates leading to the seventh level of Hell." "You think this sword is the tool I need?" "There is only one way to find out." "Then it's decided." "Alert our troops." "Milady, if I may suggest." "What is it!" "?" "Better to go in with a small, handpicked team." "Now is not the time for open war." "We could lose the element of surprise." "Then tonight..." "Asmodeus will fall." "Then let us go and plan for the assault." "Wait here." "Haven't you had your fill?" "What more can you take from me?" "Your beauty..." "Who's next?" "Bastard!" "Why?" "Asmodeus' idea of fun." "Why should he have all the fun?" "Asmodeus!" "Death has arrived!" "I'm going to enjoy ripping you to pieces!" "Hellspawn!" "No, Cremator." "He's mine." "Foolish girl, death facilitates the pleasures of Hell." "But it is no excuse for invading my realm!" "What a pity..." "All bark and no bite!" "No, Cremator!" "Too easy..." "Care to try that again?" "!" "Alright demon, let's end this!" "Enough!" "You were right; this is too easy." "Who are you?" "Death..." "Lady Death." "Insolent wench!" "You cannot kill me!" "I am Asmodeus, Archduke of the... impressive, for a Hell-spawned smith." "Asmodeus is no more..." "All that was his now belongs to me, Lady Death!" "Soon we march on the Lord of Darkness." "Stay here and face certain death at the hands of Lucifer... or join us in our fight against the great blasphemer." "The choice is yours." "I will search for weapons and supplies that can be of use to us, Milady." "We should leave at once." "You see, the beast is deranged." "It tried to kill me!" "A pity that such a magnificent animal... must be destroyed." "What's all this talk of destruction?" "Asmodeus abused this poor animal to the point of insanity." "None can approach it." "I see." "We can leave it here to descend on its own private madness." "Or we can put it out of its misery." "Or we can remove these shackles and see what happens." "Milady?" "Easy boy..." "Easy boy..." "Bring me a saddle." "I said, bring me a saddle!" "Easy..." "There you go." "Easy boy, steady now..." "That wasn't so bad now, was it?" "In all my days in Hell... I have never met a soul like you." "Now I have a steed worthy of leading me into battle against Lucifer himself." "From this day on, you shall be Vassago!" "Am I missing something?" "It's not like Asmodeus to ignore your summons." "Perhaps I should see whether his corpulence demands a replacement." "When I need a fool to administer the seventh level, I will call you." "Nevertheless, you have a point, Jester... lnsubordination can only lead to a "forced retirement", shall we say?" "Well, I wouldn't let this minor annoyance spoil your imminent victory." "Life in Hell has taught me to enjoy the simplest of pleasures." "I've waited an eternity for this moment." "You know what they say..." "Time sure flies when you're having fun." "Not only do you play the fool." "You now mock me with your impudence?" "!" "Forgive my indifference, Lord." "A boring jester with nothing more to offer!" "Tell me, what are you good for?" "Even you must admit, I'm one helluva spy." "As if I need any more of your lot!" "I would give a king's ransom for one good laugh." "If you give me a minute, I'm sure I can..." "Leave me!" "You've wasted enough of my time!" "As you command, my Lord." "It seems our daughter has felt the raw power of desire." "I suspect she dreams of freeing your soul." "Soon she will taste all that Hell has to offer." "The bitter and the sweet." "And as for you, you pathetic misguided fool." "I'll never understand what she saw in a weakling like you." "Sleep well, Milady." "From this point on there is no going back." "Fool!" "What makes you think we're in danger?" "!" "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes..." "Asmodeus..." "Asmodeus was stupid, careless." "Without question, still, there is the writing on the wall." "Hmm..." "there is the writing on the wall." "You cannot ignore your daughter's hand in this attack." "Like father, like daughter." "It won't be long before your daughter comes after you." "Ha!" "So you think I should tremble in fear of my ignorant whelp?" "Ridiculous!" "Get out!" "No!" "Wait!" "You once told me how good a spy you are." "Find her." "Learn her plans." "And you said you'd give a king's ransom for a good laugh." "I'll collect that ransom when you laugh over her grave." "Hmm..." "Hope, we will be together in this world and the next. lt is our destiny." "Perhaps you can be of some use to me after all." "Dear Lord, forgive me!" "Here is your precious Niccolo!" "No, Niccolo!" "Life in Hell can be beautiful Daughter, if you let it." "No, Niccolo!" "No!" "We will be together again!" "You are forsaken... lt is our destiny!" "And what's left of your dear departed mother." "No!" "God cannot help you..." "Desire equals power." "I ask thy gate be open..." "Open to me!" "As my daughter you possess great power." "Power that knows no equal in Heaven or Hell!" "Why do my thoughts come back to haunt me?" "This is no nightmare..." "Hell is as real as flesh and blood." "Go to sleep." "Tomorrow, we march on Lucifer." "You'll be back!" "Your daughter has amassed an army." "And by the look of things, she won't stop 'til she reaches the outer walls of Dis." "One other thing, your daughter has changed." "She now calls herself..." "Lady Death." "Interesting... interesting choice for a name." "Lady Death..." "You have served me well." "Now get out!" "But what about my reward?" "I said GET OUT!" "Ah..." "One more thing." "She has... I know all I need to know." "Leave me." "Be grateful I don't cast you into the River Styx as your reward." "Lady Death..." "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here!" "Hold your ground!" "Hold your gr..." "Enough..." "Enough!" "Tomorrow, Lucifer falls!" "You play a dangerous game, Milady... I still do not understand why you gave the order to stop." "We could have taken them." "Lucifer's army has grown weak." "Silence!" "Have you forgotten where we are?" "We are in Hell, Lucifer's realm!" "If I have learned anything, it is..." "Nothing is as it seems when dealing with the Lord of Lies." "Our troops fought well this day." "I did not want to sacrifice our gains on the chance, however remote, that Lucifer's retreat was a trap." "We will rest." "Regroup." "Assess our strategy..." "Then mount our assault!" "Now, see to the needs of your troops." "Make sure the army is ready." "Milady." "Go with him." "Life in Hell can be beautiful Daughter, if you let it." "Know this Lucifer." "One way or another." "I will destroy you." "I'm thinking small advance, perhaps?" "Hissss!" "Pagan?" "Get out!" "A present for the Prince of Darkness..." "Asmodeus' sword..." "The key to her power." "Darkness." "Perhaps I underestimated you." "Take your pick." "Whichever one you like." "Consider this my down payment." "Don't push your luck, worm!" "Milady." "Lucifer has reclaimed Darkness." "How?" "Does it really matter?" "I will notify the guards." "It's too late for that." "Do you really think Lucifer would allow us to beat him in Hell?" "Before I met you, I would have said, "No."" "In an instant, he turns our successes into nothing and leaves me powerless to fulfill my vow." "I still believe you have the power within you to defeat Lucifer." "Power that can only be channeled through a sword I no longer possess!" "We both know that eventually you will no longer need a tool to channel the energy flowing inside you." "I just assumed it would come after we defeated Lucifer, not before." "I know in my heart, that I want nothing more than to defeat Lucifer." "Desire equals power." "The army need never know." "For luck." "For luck." "The time is now..." "We march on Lucifer!" "I will not stop until the Lord of Lies is dead!" "Listen well, my rebellious demons." "I allowed this battle to continue because it amused me." "Death and destruction always amuse me." "Know this..." "You cannot defeat me." "No power in Hell can stand up to Lucifer!" "Pledge allegiance to me..." "And I will make your destruction swift and painless." "Continue this pointless attack..." "And your suffering will define Hell throughout all eternity!" "Never surrender!" "Hope..." "Niccolo!" "You look so different..." "No!" "This is another one of Lucifer's tricks." "This is no trick..." "How?" "Lucifer offered me my freedom... lf l agreed to kill you." "I agreed..." "But only to mislead him." "See, here is the blade I was supposed to use on you." "Yet, despite my deception," "Lucifer made my freedom contingent upon your death." "A life for a life." "I though I'd be able to stay with you, and keep my promise, but I was wrong." "Niccolo!" "See!" "Lucifer knew I would betray him..." "See!" "Lucifer knew I would betray him..." "We don't have much time." "He will come after us." "But there is one way we can still prevail." "Kill me..." "Never!" "Please my love... lt is the only way!" "You are safe now." "I will protect you." "You might be able to protect yourself," "But it's too late for me." "Lucifer is powerful in ways which defy description." "I have only one chance for salvation..." "Kill me and release my soul from this torment!" "Then I will ascend into Heaven." "How can you be certain that my killing you, here in Hell, will set your soul free?" "My faith in God..." "You ask for compassion from someone who has forgotten the meaning of the word." "Yet how can I kill the one I love?" "His demons will soon come to collect my soul." "You can free me." "Do it now." "If you love me..." "Kill me!" "No, Niccolo!" "How could you..." "Kill me now!" "Or my soul is lost forever..." "Goodbye, my love." "Hope..." "We will be together..." "For all eternity... lt is our destiny..." "This day, Lucifer falls!" "So the prodigal daughter returns?" "My plan is nearly complete." "You've changed since we last spoke, Hope." "Hope is no more." "Know me as Lady Death." "Welcome to the fold, my dark child..." "Desire equals power." "Remember?" "And there is nothing I desire more than ending your wretched existence!" "is that so?" "!" "Well done, together we will conquer Heaven itself." "Your dream, not mine." "Burn in Hell, ungrateful whelp!" "The seeds of hatred have made you strong, but you will beg for my forgiveness nonetheless." "Never!" "Forward!" "Don't you see?" "I have corrupted innocence!" "Turned light into dark." "All that is left is for you to join me." "Never!" "Not so fast!" "Your mother's conquest was easy." "The pure of heart are so naive." "You may have corrupted her flesh, but never her soul!" "I wonder if you'll scream with pleasure the same way she did." "Hell spawned bastard!" "Don't blink... heh heh." "Foolish child." "There's no stopping what can not be stopped..." "Huh?" "No more!" "It's over!" "How dare you strike me?" "Quiet!" "You have the power to give back my life." "Do it now!" "Never!" "So be it!" "Eyah!" "I curse you!" "So long as one of my allies walks in Hell... your soul will never go free." "Mother..." "Hope?" "Your soul is free." "How?" "The presence of your purity was enough to bring Hell back into alignment, for the moment." "Come with me, Hope." "Hope is lost." "Pray for her soul as only a mother can." "I will never forget you." "Farewell, Mother." "The Lord of Lies no longer rules Hell." "From this day forth, Hell is my domain." "You do not belong here." "Lucifer has cursed me to an unending oblivion in Hell." "Until all his allies are extinguished." "The day will come when your soul will be free." "If Lucifer's own must die so I may have my freedom..." "Then let the killing begin." "And I shall have their graves waiting!" "Abandon hope..." "All ye who enter here..." "Hah ha ha ha ha!"