Once we were outside the second arena, Toto and Martha were waiting for us. The two of them congratulated us, but before I could reply, we were surrounded by large Demon won that were all heavily ard.
"Bellazibub would like to have a private conversation with you before you proceed to the next arena," One of the Demons said as the other girls huddled closer to .
"Oh no, you don't!" Lexi said, grabbing my arm and pulling back, glaring at the Demons surrounding us. "Galio doesn't go anywhere without !" She snapped, but the rings broke as Bellazibub ca forward to .
Bellazibub had an air of power and grace that spoke volus. Her skin was a deep golden hue, matching the color of her eyes and wings. She wore a suit of armor that showed off her curves and strength but still managed to look elegant. Upon her head was a crown with sharp spikes and a large gemstone in the center that glowed with a mysterious power. In one hand, she held a staff made of black iron, which seed to hum with raw energy. Her presence commanded respect and admiration from all who saw her.
"If you wish to co along, that is fine, but the other two must remain here. I don't associate with the Black Kings Bitches, and a Hellion has no place in this conversation," Bellazibub said, turning her nose up at Toto, who grinned ferally.
"Need to talk where the Black King won't hear your plans?" Toto sneered, but Bellazibub turned back to , completely ignoring Toto, and offering a hand.
"If you will, Cat God?" She asked with a devilish smile.
Sothing about this was bathing .
Bellazibub should have been pissed at , but she was acting suspiciously friendly. I knew that it must be a trap, but I had to find out what she wanted, so with Lexi in tow, I took her hand and followed her.
Bellazibub led us to a door hidden behind the arena, which opened onto a stairwell leading down into a dark passageway. We followed her through the winding tunnels until we reached an office lit by red and black candles. Bellazibub motioned for us to sit, and Lexi and I did so.
"Now, then," said Bellazibub as she took her seat at the desk across from us, "I wanted to talk to you both about what happened with the arena. You see, I summoned those two ancient beasts as a test." She leaned forward in her chair, eyes sparkling with excitent. "You two managed to survive, but this was only one of the first tests. It has been a while since you have walked the layers of the Underworld, and things have changed dramatically," She said, but with an excited smile that I didn't like.
"First, what is with the smile, and treating so friendly all of a sudden?" I asked, then added, "I took your generals, and as far as I knew, you were pretty pissed about that, yes?"
Bellazibub just laughed at and then looked at with a sexy smile and said, "I'm not that angry about it. What I am concerned about is what is going to happen when you get down the 7th layer. The Black King wants to see you, but I am concerned with what you are going to do for her."
"Do you know what she wants from Galio?" Lexi asked, but Bellazibub shook her head no.
"None of us know, and that has created a big stir. The fact that she is on the warpath now because she is waiting for you is even more botherso," she said and then looked back at . "This is why I am talking to you now and not tearing you apart. There are more important things to worry about right now rather than three useless Demons."
"What are you so concerned about? Not to toot your horn, but you are a beautiful Demon. Why are you so against what the Black King is doing?" I asked because I was curious as to why she cared so much.
"For one thing, most of my underlings are what they call 'Ugly Demons,' and only the Generals that I have are beautiful. I prefer to stay on this floor for the constant fighting, but I would live on the lower levels if I could have an arena, but I refuse to do the re-educating that the Black King is putting all the Beautiful Demons through!" Bellazibub said, with her voice rising.
"Brainwashing? Is that even possible for a Demon? Control magic doesn't really work on you since your Constant Energy is different from Upworlders," I explained, then said, "Your 'spirit' or soul," I said, holding my fingers up like quotes. "Always gets put back in the sa body, and in the sa place, you first were created. That, and you are mostly magic. If I were to cut you open right now, you would bleed honey, not blood, right?" I asked, but Bellazibub shook her head.
"While you are right about that, this isn't using magic. She forces the won to spend 7 days watching flashing pictures on a screen with their eyes sewn open!" She explained, and I frowned.
This type of brainwashing is called "Thought Reform," and it is a thod that has been used by many governnts to control the masses. It involves repeated exposure to particular ssages or images, which are designed to change an individual's thought patterns and beliefs. This technique can be extrely effective, but it is also controversial as it can be seen as a form of mind control. ntal institutions took it a step further and began to use physical torture techniques, such as electric shock and sleep deprivation, in conjunction with the images.
"That's horrible," I said, shaking my head in disbelief. "I can understand why you want to avoid that. But what do you expect to do? Even if I get down there, the Black King will never just let walk away." I asked, and Bellazibub smiled again.
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