"Galio! You finally made it back!" Lexi said as I came through the portal, but she looked disheveled.
"Yup, sorry I took so long. What happened here? Did more monsters attack?" I asked, but then I saw a very beaten and bruised-looking Toto and Martha. "Ah," I said.
"Don't awe me! I would have sooner had the entire Underworld attacking me rather than the two of them!" Lexi almost hissed but then drew in a large breath of air before letting it out. "I think that I am going to go back to our world. You actually still seem to know more about this place than I do. So, I think that you will be fine. You are the god of everything, after all, right?"
I blinked at her, but I could tell that she was at her wit's end. Considering how well I was controlling my power now, I was more than capable of finishing this mission alone. Spending time with Tallia, Breya, Grace, and Eliza really bolstered my resolve. I now knew what I needed to do.
"I think that is more than reasonable. Let Eliza and Tallia know then, and I will try to tie things up down here as soon as possible. Then up top as well," I said, and Lexi smiled and slithered over to hug me.
"Do you think that the women will be mad at me for leaving you alone?" She asked as she pulled back slightly, and I gave her purple scaled ass a squeeze.
"The women know that I am a big boy, and I can take care of myself. I appreciate all the help you gave me getting this far," I said, and Lexi blushed a deep shade of purple.
"Thank you, Galio. I'm glad I could help. Just promise me that you'll be careful down here, okay?" she pleaded, her eyes filled with genuine concern.
"I promise," I assured her, giving her a warm smile.
With a final nod and a quick goodbye, Lexi opened up a portal and slithered through, leaving me alone in the Underworld once more.
I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders. The main task at hand was to put an end to Kadeon's tyranny and free his captive Zodiacs, as well as destroy Angelios, who threatened to unleash even greater chaos across all realities.
My resolve strengthened, and I headed back to the Arena where Bellazibub would be waiting for me. It seemed that everyone else in the lower layer decided to stay back after the last fight. That was good and meant that my little Bee Demon friend would be fine.
"Galio! Wait for us!" Martha called as the battered and bruised Demons tried to catch up to me.
"Just take Martha back down to the First Layer, and I will meet you down there. I am just going to be getting into fights and trouble most of the time, so it is best that we split ways for now," I said as the women caught up.
Both Martha and Toto looked a little disappointed, but they understood the reasoning behind my decision.
"Alright," Martha said, trying to put on a brave smile. "Just don't forget about us when you're celebrating your victory, okay?"
Toto nodded in agreement, her tail flicking anxiously behind her. "And make sure you take care of yourself, Galio."
"I will, I promise," I assured them, giving each one a reassuring hug before bidding them farewell as they headed back down to the First Layer.
As I made my way to face Bellazibub, I started to think about what I was going to do going forward. There were still five layers to make it through to get to the Black King. The next one was the Market Layer, then it was the Layer of Charge, The lowest Layer of the Law. After that, there were the last three layers that were controlled by the beautiful demons now. Those were the Layer of Lust, the Layer of Gluttony, and the Layer of Sloth. I knew that battles would lie ahead in each layer, and I would have to face them head-on with determination and strength.
Upon reaching Bellazibub's chamber, I found her waiting for me, a smirk on her pretty insectoid face.
"Well, well, if it isn't Galio! Ready for another round?" she taunted, buzzing with anticipation.
"Not this time," I said, and she sighed.
"I take it that the snake girl headed back up, and now you are heading deeper?" She asked, and I nodded.
"Yup, but I need a disguise. I am going to have to figure out how to get past the guards at the end of the next level and infiltrate the market without arousing suspicion. I'd appreciate your help if you have any useful information or advice," I said, hoping that Bellazibub knew something valuable.
Bellazibub thought for a moment before nodding. "I do have something that might be of use to you. It's an amulet that can alter your appearance; it should help you blend in with the other demons and move through the layers more easily."
She reached into her cloak and handed me a small, silver amulet adorned with strange runes on its surface. I took it gratefully.
"Thank you, Bellazibub. This will certainly come in handy," I said, slipping the amulet around my neck. As soon as I did, I felt my body shift and change, and my reflection in a nearby mirror showed that my demon form was now completely different – still powerful-looking but much less recognizable.
"Now, remember not to use your full power while wearing this," Bellazibub warned. "The disguise won't hold up under intense magic, so try to keep things low-key until you absolutely need to reveal yourself."
"I understand," I replied, grateful for her assistance.
As I headed toward the gate to the next layer, I couldn't shake the feeling that even greater challenges awaited me ahead. But with the love and support of those who cared about me and the newfound allies I had made along the way, I felt confident in my ability to face whatever came my way.
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