The Nine Houses of Hell part 2

They continue their violent combat, which shakes and destroys the entire circle in its wake. Isidro is waiting for Manolo in the courtyard; he could see them destroying the circle with a power.

—Manolo, stop playing around; you're sending the place to hell. — Isidro said he communicates telepathically like Manolo. This distracts him, causing Rage to beat him up, but he manages to counterattack.

—Where does that voice come from? —Manolo wondered to himself.

—It's me, Isidro. I'm using magic to speak telepathically with you. —Isidro replied.

—It's your fault I'm getting beaten up. —Manolo answered.

—And! End that fight once and for all we have houses to install. —Isidro replied.

—Okay, although this fight was helping me psychologically, since facing this demon helps me blow off steam from all the bad blood the clients have put me thru. —Manolo replied, managing to shake Rage off him and said. —It was an honor fighting you; this fight has been very therapeutic for me, but it's time to end our match.

—Oh, and how do you plan to defeat me? Are you going to unleash your full power or what? —Rage answered.

—You'll see, and you're not going to like it. —Manolo replied, lunging at Rage to land a couple of punches, but Rage caught his fists; then Manolo headbutted him and applied a neck lock with all his might until he knocked the wind out of him, leaving him out of commission. Manolo lifts Rage's body and carries him to the house, which is completely undamaged. After a while, Rage recovers.

—Seriously, you knocked me out of commission; that's not funny. —Rage said he got angry about it.

—But winning is winning, so let us do the installation. — Manolo replied.

—Yes, keep your promise. —Isidro answered.

—Alright, I'll let you guys do the installation since the fight with Manolo put a smile on my face and pushed me out of my comfort zone in the time I've been working here. —Rage replied.

—Perfect, thank you very much, Lord Rage. Come on, Isidro, let's proceed with the installation. —Manolo answered as Isidro takes out the materials for the dimensional installation, then begins the work. They proceed to run cables thru the house's pipes, placing the equipment in the spots Rage indicates, since he knows where the demon king of wrath wants it.

—And how do you know this information? —Manolo said.

—The demon king told me, since this is his house. —Rage replied.

—No wonder the knights we've faced know where we need to set up. —Isidro answered.

—It's obvious, although we haven't seen any of the demon kings. —Manolo replied.

—He probably left so he wouldn't interfere, or he had some things he needed to take care of. —Rage answered.

—That applies to the existence of the houses, but there's nothing we can do. —Manolo replied.

— But what's going to happen with the mess you guys made? This could cause problems or even lead to a lawsuit against the company oh my God, what have you done? —Isidro got so worried that his blood pressure dropped and he leaned on Manolo's shoulder.

—Don't worry, I'll take full responsibility; after all, that's what magic is for. —Rage said he's calling his mages to fix the mess they made. In a matter of minutes, the entire circle is in perfect condition.

—Wow, everything's as if nothing had happened. —Isidro replied.

—It's not the first time I've destroyed the circle; when the king of this circle gets angry, I must calm him down with my bare fists, and that ends with the circle being destroyed. —Rage answered.

—Oh, the daily bread. —Manolo replied.

—Yes, I know. — Rage answered, rubbing his sword with his right hand.

—Well, nothing, let's finish the installation. —Isidro replied.

They continue with the installation until they call the center to have the service activated with the device. After this, they teach the knights and Rage how to use the services. Once the services training is complete, they say goodbye, leave the area, and meet up with Vergilian.

—You have great destructive power, Manolo, that godlike power you possess; you could destroy the dark dimension if you set your mind to it.—Vergilian said.

—Seriously. —Manolo replied.

—Of course, if you expand your imagination, you could perform unimaginable feats, but that's up to you. —Vergilian answered.

—Yes, but I wouldn't want to use my power excessively without reason, and I still can't control it properly. —Manolo replied.

—But one day you'll have to do it. —Vergilian answered.

—Yes, but if I had to do it, it wouldn't be out of anger, but because it's necessary. —Manolo replied.

—Be careful with those words; power corrupts, especially when feelings are involved. One question, Manolo: do you love your work? —Vergilian asked.

—I have a love-hate relationship with my job, full of frustration and despair, and a little bit of love. I feel like I'm not progressing, that the way out is getting farther and farther away. I feel trapped; these negative feelings grow stronger every day. If there's any such thing in this dark, evil world, I'm like a nuclear bomb about to explode, but this fight against Rage and the ones I've had lately have helped me calm the urge to blow up that I feel inside. —Manolo got rid of it.

—I didn't know you felt that way, Manolo. — Isidro said, and he added, extending his arms to embrace him.

—Okay, I'll let you know. —Manolo replied as Isidro approached to hug him.

—I don't understand why you're hugging me when you're more screwed up than I am, but okay, I'll accept your comfort. —Manolo answered as Isidro hugged him.

—Can I hug you too? —Vergilian replied.

—You? A hug? A demon? —They both answered.

—I have feelings too. —Vergilian said.

—Okay, come on. —Manolo replied as Vergilian hugged him.

After a few seconds, they pull apart.

—How did you feel, Manolo? —Vergilian asked.

—I felt good. —Manolo replied.

—That's great. —Vergilian answered.

—Yes, I'm glad you're feeling good; I hope it helps with your sanity, but unfortunately I have to tell you that we have work to do. —Isidro replied.

—I know, unfortunately, I know, so let's go, Vergilian. —Manolo answered as they withdrew. Vergilian summons some flying platforms to fly to a flat, clean floor so that Isidro can draw the seal and they can move on to the next circle.

—Welcome to the sixth circle of Hell, where heretics are punished inside flaming tombs. —Said Vergilian.

—What is a heretic? —Isidro asked.

—He's someone who defends a heresy. —Vergilian explained.

—And what is a heresy? —Isidro asked again.

—It's basically opposing the laws, beliefs, and dogmas that the Church has established throughout its existence. —Vergilian replied.

—I understand, and that's why they have to dedicate an entire circle to it, I guess. —Isidro wondered.

—The problem is that heresies confuse and sow doubt, to the point that they can be harmful to the Church's beliefs; that's why, if a heretic attracts too much attention, they face immediate excommunication. Although nowadays there is more culture and heresy is not seen very often, it still exists, whether publicly or privately, and falls into this category. —Vergilian explained.

—Alright, Isidro, stop asking questions. Heretics go to hell, period. Let's go to work. — Manolo exclaimed.

—Okay, Manolo, calm down. I know I'm not a believer... well... now I am. Let me learn about hell. What does it offend you or something? —Isidro replied.

—No, it doesn't offend me; on the contrary, I like that you're learning more about hell, but every time I see each circle, I get an urge to get out of here. —Manolo answered.

—Are you afraid of hell, Manolo? —Vergilian replied.

—It's not fear per se; it's revulsion and disgust. I think I want to be here less than ever for the rest of eternity. I'll do good things; I'll increase my prayer... —Manolo said.

—You're afraid to be here, admit it, Manolo. —Vergilian replied.

—Well, okay. —Manolo answered.

—It's okay to be afraid. —Vergilian replied.

—Yes, thank you very much, Vergilian; you're too good to be a demon. —Manolo answered.

—I'm not as good as you think; I'm only as good as you are because I enjoy your fights against the knights and help you with your psychological issues so you can keep going. —Vergilian said.

—So that's why you're so helpful. —Isidro replied.

—Yes, I know. I am guilty. — Vergilian answered.

— Well, as long as you're on our side, nothing else matters. Although, as you can see, the fights happen if you're on the outside. —Manolo replied.

—With magic, I project my astral self to watch the battles in every detail. —Vergilian explained.

—Interesting. —Isidro said.

—Likewise. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go to the next house. —Isidro replied. Vergilian summons floating platforms on the floor to reach the next house.

They are heading to the circle house. The knight guarding the house asked them to stop; they told him they were there to install the utilities in the house. The gentleman is going to inform his superior. After a while, the knight lets them in, and they enter the house. Vergilian stays outside, while they are led to the guest room where she is waiting for them.

—Welcome, mortals. My name is Harbinger Heresy, leader of the knights of the Sixth House of Hell. I have seen your mortal feats; I know why you have come, but come I wish to get to know you better. — Harbinger said she's a kind of woman similar to a Jewish vampire woman in white-and-gray clothing.

—It's a pleasure to meet you, my lady. —Manolo replied, bowing to her.

—Come, son of God. Let me see you. —Harbinger answered.

She touches his face, then rubs her hands all over it.

—You are indeed a child of God, but something doesn't add up. In this energy, though pure, there are impurities that aren't easy to detect. —Harbinger said.

—What do you mean by that? —Manolo asked.

—That energy you have within you is from God, but it isn't from God at the same time; it's as if... someone is impersonating God to give you that power... but why? —Harbinger replied.

—That's heresy! This cross I have is from God! Look into it! —Manolo exclaimed, feeling indignant, pushing her away and stepping away from her for a moment.

—I love your reaction, but that's what I see; maybe you should look into the powers you received more deeply. —Harbinger replied.

—Okay, I'll ask the person who gave me the cross. Now then, can you let us do the installation? —Manolo answered.

—I'm afraid I can't let you profane this house with your earthly artifacts in this infernal paradise. — Harbinger replied.

—How curious, coming from the sixth circle of hell. —Manolo answered.

— Yes, I know. Isn't that curious? —Harbinger replied.

—And how are we going to convince her to let us install it? —Isidro answered.

—How about this: a race down the mountain. If you beat me, I'll let you do the installation. —Harbinger replied.

—Something simple sounds good to me. —Manolo answered.

—Too simple. —Isidro whispered.

She summons a mountain outside the house. Platforms rise from the ground, lifting them to the summit. The mountain is the size of Mount Everest. From the summit, Harbinger summons some sleds. One of the demons is in charge of giving the starting signal. They climb into their sleds until the demon fires a shot of fire from his finger, signaling the start of the race. The competitors fight to be in first place, but as they raced downhill, navigating tunnels and other obstacles. Some hands emerged, stopping Manolo and Isidro's sled.

—I knew it had to be too low to be true; if that nobody thinks she's going to get away with it, she's completely wrong. —Isidro said as he summoned swords that cut off hands, and at the same time he used a wind spell to propel himself.

Harbinger sees the technicians approaching in his sled's rearview mirrors, so he uses his magic to summon meteorites to halt their advance. Manolo stands up on the sled to punch the meteorites hurtling toward them, all while maneuvering as if he were on a skateboard. Isidro summons a shield to protect himself from the meteorites and their debris, but this didn't stop Manolo from doing what he was doing until the meteorites triggered an avalanche, prompting Isidro to use a fire spell to propel himself forward. They managed to overtake Harbinger, but she yanked them back with a chain to position herself in front of them. Isidro responded with magic of his own, and they began a magical battle, firing spells at each other. Harbinger's magic proved superior, but Manolo, wielding the power of the cross, repelled the excess magic with his fists. However, a vision enters Harbinger's mind of Manolo lifting the battered body of the Dark Dimension emperor, and then Ludovico appears.

—Shh, be quiet; you look prettier when you're quiet. —Ludovico said, as he gestures for her to be quiet.

—Who are you? Are you perhaps the god who doesn't belong here? —Harbinger replied, horrified, looking at Ludovico until he laughed. In that interval, Isidro was able to knock her out of the race with one of his spells and win.

—Okay, now it's going to let us do the installation. —Manolo said.

—Yes, yes, yes, do it, but get out of here. —Harbinger replied, terrified by what they were about to do. Manolo watched them do their work, but what Harbinger had told him left him disturbed, so when they finished he would ask Ludovico about it. After a while, they finished the job. They teach their knights how to use the services, but Harbinger didn't want anything to do with them, so they said goodbye to her, but she kept her composure and bid them farewell, while a specter resembling Ludovico smiled as it took its leave, unsettling her in the process.

—Good competition, although they won by luck, but winning is winning. —Vergilian said.

—Yes, winning is winning, let's go to the next house. —Manolo replied.

Vergilian invokes some flying platforms to fly to a flat, clean floor so that Isidro can trace the seal and they can move on to the next circle.

Next, Vergilian explains the seventh circle of Hell:

>>Welcome to the seventh circle of Hell, where the violent reside. Its structure is as follows:

In the outer ring: Murderers, tyrants, and criminals are immersed in a river of boiling blood called Phlegethon, guarded by centaurs armed with bows and arrows.

In the middle ring: The suicides and those who squandered their own possessions are transformed into gnarled trees in the Forest of Suicides, where the Harpies tear at their leaves and branches, causing them pain.

In the inner ring: Here are the blasphemers, sodomites, and usurers, who are in a burning desert of sand with a rain of flames.

—But how great. —Isidro said he admires the circle.

—Yes, I know... but let's go; we have work to do. —Manolo replied that he admires him too, but he turns around.

—All right, let me guide you. —Vergilian answered.

Vergilian takes them on a floating platform to the house of the circle. As was customary, centaur knights with spears guarding the entrance.

—Hold it right there, identify yourselves, you two. We already know you, Vergilian. —Said the centaur standing to the left of the door, pointing his spear at them. Just like his companion.

—I'm Manolo Restituyo, and this is my partner Isidro Montero. We're technicians from Rare Communications, and we're here at Lord Lucifer's request to install services in this house. — Manolo replied.

—Just a moment while my colleague informs our superior. —the centaur replied, sending his companion to inform their superior. After a moment, the centaur returns and tells them that the superior wants to see them.

Vergilian stays at the entrance, waiting while they go to the courtyard where there's a giant sphere. From the wait emerges a harpy (a woman with a human torso from the knees up, bird feet from the knees down, a human head but a bird's beak, and arms that are an amalgam of human limbs and wings) with biomechanical wings in violet and black, thrusters on her back, and other bio-organic parts in violet and black, semi-nude, armed to the teeth, with short black-and-violet hair and violet eyes.

—Hey, Mami, you look so good. —Isidro said he's impressed by your beauty.

It's not that big of a deal. —Manolo replied, but in his mind, he was saying the exact opposite. —My God, she's so beautiful.

—So you're the technicians who have come to desecrate this house with your technology. —the harpy answered.

—Yes, but don't look at it that way, my lady... excuse me, my lady, what is your name? Manolo asked.

—My name is Violet Violence, knight of the Demon King of Violence's residence, Violenzar. —Violet said.

—A pleasure to meet you, Lady Violet. —Manolo replied.

—Thank you. Now, as I said, I don't agree with the installation of those services, but I have a condition before I can grant you permission. —Violet answered.

—And what is it, my lady? —Manolo asked.

—Let's face off in a Mecha battle in my battle sphere. —Violet replied.

—Oh, I want to participate. — Manolo Exclaimed, who is excited to participate.

—And tell me, do you have a mecha, since you need one to participate, or can I lend you one of mine? —Violet replied.

—No, we'll use our own mecha; give us a moment. —Isidro answered.

— Do we have a mecha? The only thing that looks like a mecha is our vehicle's beast mode, but that's just a vehicle with arms and legs... although... I read that it does have one. Can it really be considered one? —Manolo replied.

—Yes, it has it, but it's an abomination of flesh and metal. Are you willing to use it? —Isidro answered.

—Yes, we're going to use it; I don't trust Violet to lend us a mecha, since she might cheat us. —Manolo replied.

—Yes, I don't trust those knights, especially after what happened with Harbinger on the mountain. —Isidro said.

—Let's go pick up the vehicle from the shop. —Manolo replied.

—Let me go get it; I must make several chalk seals, so I'll be back in a moment. — Isidro answered that he had to cast a flight spell to go seal by seal, ascending thru the circles of hell until he reached the branch.

Once he arrives, he carefully scans the surroundings and heads to the workshop using an invisibility spell. When he arrives, he sees his vehicle parked at the shop that was servicing it. Isidro goes to get the key, but Darius just stares at him.

—Isidro, what do you want now? —Darius Eon said, the workshop foreman who was wearing a pair of goggles. Isidro makes ghost sounds to throw him off and adds. —Enough games, Isidro! What do you want with the vehicle?

—How do you know I'm not a wandering spirit seeking revenge for the abuses the company inflicted on him? —Isidro said, making ghost noises.

—Because I see you thru my special magic glasses that show me what I want to see. —Darius said.

—Alright, Darius, you win. The reason I came here is to find the vehicle that one of the demonic knights challenged us to a mech fight with, and to avoid using theirs since they might cheat us and... —Isidro replied.

—And you suggested he use his own vehicle. —Darius answered.

—That's right. —Isidro replied.

—Alright, I'll let you use the vehicle to test the giant robot mode, but only at level 1. I think that'll be enough; unleashing its full power would wreak havoc on a universal scale. —Darius answered.

—It's that serious. — Isidro replied.

—Very serious, Isidro. —Darius answered.

—Oh my God. —Isidro replied.

—So, let's finish this, I'll drive. —Said Darius, taking the key from the key holder and starting the vehicle. They headed toward the seal, but when Isidro was about to activate it, he added. —Rest, you must have used a lot of your magic.

—Okay. —Isidro replied as Darius configured the vehicle's control panel and then pressed the horn to activate beast mode, but this time the arms emerged with bat wings, and he added. —The seal is too small; we need to make a bigger one, but don't worry, this is already prepared.

Darius keeps searching the board for the right gadget until he finds it: a kind of lantern bearing the seal to go to hell. When the lantern is pointed at a suitable surface, it shoots paint onto the floor, and with a roar it activates the seal, opening a portal to hell.

Once inside, Darius sets about finding suitable surfaces to throw the seal-shaped paint, fire it, and pass through the portal. They made their way through the circles until they reached the circle of violence, which is where Manolo was. They arrive at the house and honk the horn.

—Halt, identify yourself. —One of the centaurs said.

—It's me, Isidro Montero. — Isidro replied, lowering the window with the power window button and sticking his head out of the passenger-side window.

—Ah, Mr. Isidro, it's you. Please come in; Miss Violet is waiting for you. —The centaur replied. The vehicle flies over the house and lands in front of the sphere.

—Miss Violet, we've arrived. Where are you? —Isidro asked and shouted.

—Come in, so this is your machine, but it's a vehicle, not a mecha, unless it can transform. —Violet replied.

—Yes, it transforms, but don't worry, you'll see it when we enter the sphere. —Isidro answered.

— And who is this? —Violet asked, looking at Darius.

—He's Darius Eon, the workshop manager at the branch where we work; he'll take it when we're done. — Manolo said he'll introduce him.

—Oh, it's fine, he can stay here. Come on, I've got things to do. —Violet replied as they entered the sphere, but when they stepped inside, an elated crowd greeted them, along with cameras recording them and snapping photos.

—But what the hell. —Manolo said.

—Welcome to the Sphere of Destruction. I'm Violet Violence, your host, and I'd like to welcome our guests: Manolo Restituyo and Isidro Montero, the famous technicians from the dark dimension who have garnered attention on social media and other media outlets. They will face my battle mechs to prove they are worthy of being installed in this circle's house. —Violet explained to her audience.

—But you don't have to tell everyone. —Isidro whispered.

—Okay, let's get in the vehicle and get this over with. —Manolo whispered.

They get into the vehicle, start it up, and move toward the ring.

—Ready, Manolo. —Isidro said.

—As always, Isidro. —Manolo replied.

Manolo activates beast mode by pressing the horn button for ten seconds until it kicks in, then Isidro sets the control panel to mecha mode and transforms into mecha mode, where the vehicle's front becomes the head, the chest is an amalgam of human flesh, muscle, and metal, the arms have the snowplow split in two as shoulder pads, the arms' composition is skin, muscle, and metal, and the hands feature exposed metal knuckles. Around his waist he wears a loincloth with a belt whose buckle is a skull, and his legs from the thigh down to the knee are flesh and metal, but from the knee down they're the vehicle's rear end transformed into boots. This transformation is like the Hot Wheels Modifighters, just for reference.

—Oh, how lovely! It's a work of art in bio-organic technology. I want it for myself. — Violet said.

—I'm sorry, but this mecha isn't for sale; it belongs to Rare Communications. — Manolo replied, who was at the pilot's controls above Isidro, while the co-pilot's controls were below Manolo.

—All right, I'll accept it, even if it hurts. —Violet replied, and added. —Well, nothing left but to let the show begin.

Three demon-shaped wicks, Manolo activates his weapons: a chainsaw sword made of flesh, bone, metal, and viscera; a bone club; and, on his back, a missile turret and a minigun turret, as well as mechanical dragon wings with thrusters.

*Shen-ray rises and flies, facing the mechs in a hail of projectiles. He evades the projectiles and lunges toward one of the mechs, but their swords clash several times, as do those of the other mechs. Until at one point he headbutts it, stunning it in the process. But when Shen-ray swoops in to slice it in half, one of the mechs intervenes and deflects the sword's strike.

*It's the name of the mecha where Manolo and Isidro are.

—Oh, he defended him. —Manolo said.

—Yes, I see that. —Isidro replied.

—What do you think, Manolo? — Isidro answered.

—Since we're in hell, I imagine the mechs are souls suffering here who were chosen to face us; they must have bonds of friendship, love, or whatever. —Manolo said.

—Isn't it sad? —Isidro replied.

—It's sad, but unfortunately... I don't care. I'm not Superman or Naruto to save them; I'm just a worker, and if they're here, it's because they deserve it, so Isidro, let's finish them off. —Manolo answered.

—Yes, let's do it; I agree with you. —Isidro replied.

Shen-ray fights the mechs simultaneously until one of them gets in the way and is sliced in half by the chainsaw sword. The other mechs avenge their fallen comrade by lunging toward him while unleashing an insane barrage of projectiles, but Shen-ray dodges them until he reaches light speed, allowing him to slice thru the hail of fire and cut one of the mechs into several pieces.

The mecha, having lost its companions, is filled with rage and lunges at Shen-ray. They clash swords several times until he headbutts it, but the mech returns the blow, allowing it to give him a brief beating. Manolo then activates a stun grenade, which is fired from behind by a grenade turret. This allowed him to catch his breath and regenerate a bit, so he lunged at him, tore off an arm, and used it to beat him to pieces while the audience screamed with excitement until he completely destroyed him.

—Congratulations, you've defeated my robots. —Violet said.

—You'll let us do the installation now. —Manolo replied, opening a hatch to communicate with her.

— Still, you haven't convinced me to let you defile the house with your technology. — Violet answered.

—You damned hellspawn, bring your robot, come here, and fight! —Manolo exclaimed.

—Oh, if that's what you want, but first defeat my robot army. — Violet exclaimed, laughing diabolically as the army of robots appeared.

—So, you want to play dirty? Then let's play dirty! — Manolo Exclaimed , activating his power and gripping the control stick tightly, transferring his power to the mecha. Shen-ray screams in pain, but then laughs diabolically, and Manolo joins in as well.

—They're sick, but I like that; let's go, damn it! —Isidro replied and then exclaimed.

Shen-Ray pulls his stomach and small intestine out of his abdomen and takes the chainsaw sword, tying it to his intestines to create Kratos's Blades of Chaos, but in his own way. These are imbued with Manolo's power.

—You know, you could wipe them all out with all the weaponry we have, and even more by harnessing the power of God. —Isidro said.

—Yes, I know... but I don't want to; I want to destroy them with my own hands. —Manolo replied, intoxicated by his bloodlust.

—Well, if you say so, but at least let me take part in this massacre. —Isidro answered.

—Okay, I'll let you use the turrets, so you don't get bored. —Manolo replied.

—Well, what are we waiting for! —Isidro exclaimed.

— Let's go! —Manolo exclaimed.

Shen-ray lunges toward the army, slashing, striking, decapitating, mutilating, and destroying everything in his path. The sphere was completely covered in oil. After a while, Shen-ray manages to defeat most of the army.

—I'm excited by all this carnage, by all this... Violence! —Violet exclaimed as she climbed into a mech and charged toward them, but Shen-ray stopped her with his chainsaw sword.

— Finally, you're ready to fight. Anyone, now I'll show you what real violence is. — Manolo replied.

Shen-ray pushes her back; their swords clash several times, but the minions take advantage of this to attack him. Isidro activates a shield and fires the turrets at them, but they still close in. Violet then uses her minions as whips to damage Shen-ray, who does the same, turning the fight into a chaotic mess that ends up wiping out the rest of the army.

Shen-ray and Violet's mech trade blows until he gains the upper hand, beats her mercilessly, launches her into the air, activates all his weaponry, and completely obliterates her.

—I think we went too far; now who's going to give us permission? —Isidro said, but Violet regenerates out of nowhere, clothes and all, and added. —Forget it, take back what you said.

—It's been a long time since I've had this much fun; okay, I'll let you guys do the installation. —Violet replied.

— Finally! Come on, Isidro. It's time to get to work. —Manolo replied that he's happy about it..

Manolo and Isidro get to work on the installation at the house. After a while, they call the center, install the services, and explain how they work to the gentlemen. Although at first, they were reluctant, Violet asserted her authority and forced them to listen, so they comply with her order. After they show them how to use the service, Darius takes Shen-ray in his vehicle to form to the branch, leaving Manolo and Isidro to say goodbye to him. They meet up with Vergilian.

—That mess was really good. —Vergilian said.

—Thanks, it's part of our job. Sometimes I'd like to cancel these services, but since they're not the account holders and the houses are wired which surprises me, I just want to finish this already; I can't stand being here. —Manolo replied.

— Don't worry, we still have two houses left. —Isidro replied.

—Yes, we're almost done. —Vergilian answered.

—Thanks for reminding me. Let's get out of here. —Manolo replied.

Vergilian invokes some flying platforms to fly to a flat, clean floor so that Isidro can trace the seal and they can move on to the next circle.

—Welcome to the eighth circle of hell, or Malebolge, where the fraudulent are punished in various ways in the ten ditches. —Vergilian explained.

— Yes, thanks for summarizing it because I'm not interested in hearing what they do in each of the pits like you did with the circles. — Manolo Said.

—I'm interested. —Isidro replied.

—Don't worry, I'll show you on the way. — Vergilian answered.

—Thank you, Vergilian. —Isidro replied.

Vergilian summons flying platforms to head to the house of the circle. Upon arrival, the knight guarding the house stops them. Vergilian takes the floor and explains the reason for their visit; the knight goes to inform his superior. After a few minutes, the knight lets them pass and guides them to a room where the knight in charge is.

—Welcome, my name is Philieas Fraud, and you are the technicians who come to desecrate this house with your technology. — Philieas said.

—Yes, it's us, we've already heard this from your other colleagues, now we want to know what you have to stop us. —Manolo answered.

—How about a board game? Whoever reaches the finish line first wins. If you win, you do the installation, but if you lose, you will give up on doing your installation. —Philieas replied.

—Alright, but that last part, it's not you who decides, it's Lucifer. —Manolo answered.

— I know, but I still maintain my disagreement. —Philieas replied.

—Let me call him to see if he changes his mind. —Isidro said he called him, but he didn't answer the call and added. — He doesn't pick up.

—Let's play, so we can get installed. —Manolo replied.

—Yes, let's play. —Isidro answered.

—Please, let it be something simple, nothing extravagant and bizarre. —Manolo replied.

—Don't worry, it will be simple. —Philieas answered, summoning a board and the dice.

—Can I see those dice for a moment, please? —Manolo said.

—Of course. —Philieas answered as he handed over the dice, but this is a grave mistake since Manolo's power nullified the powers imbued in the dice.

—Let me see the board. —Manolo replied, nullifying with his power any evil power it might have.

They started to play, the game was going normally, nothing out of the ordinary, but Philieas was surprised that his die wasn't behaving as he wanted. Manolo looks at him with a mocking smile.

—What is so funny? —Philieas said.

—No, nothing, I remembered a joke. —Manolo answered.

The game continues and Manolo is winning, Philieas can't believe it, he tries to cheat with his magic, but he can't because Manolo's power interferes with it until the game comes to an end and Manolo wins the game.

—That's not fair, I should have won. —Philieas got angry.

—He's going to let us do the installation. — Manolo replied.

—Let's play other games. —Philieas answered.

—Alright. Let's play. —Manolo replied.

They play several games, but Manolo always beat him, so Philieas wanted to play with Isidro, but Manolo always intervened, which made Philieas lose his temper and let them do the installation.

They do the installation, call the center, and show the gentlemen how the service works, except for Philieas who is angry with them and doesn't want to know anything about them.

—What happened that there wasn't much action, where is that ultra violence? — Vergilian said.

—This time there wasn't any, thank God, at least it served as a rest for me. — Manolo answered.

—Yes, it bored me too, but what can I say, what did you expect from the circle where the fraudsters reside? —Isidro replied.

—Yes, you're right, I hope that in the last house I can close with a flourish. —Vergilian answered.

—It's fine if you say so. —Isidro replied.

—Let's get out of here. —Manolo said.

Vergilian summons flying platforms to soar toward a flat and clean floor so that Isidro can trace the seal to move on to the next circle.

—Welcome to the ninth and final circle of hell where the traitors reside... — Vergilian said.

—Leave it there, we got it, let's go home. — Manolo responded.

—I also want to know. — Isidro answered.

—Don't worry, I'll explain it to you on the way. —Vergilian responded, explaining it to him while they were transported by platforms toward the house.

—Welcome to this humble abode, I am the head of the House of Betrayal, Beatrix Betrayal. — Beatrix said as she bowed.

—This is strange, she has broken the status quo, I don't like this. —Manolo whispered to Isidro.

—Yeah, me neither, she's probably very powerful or something. —Isidro whispered to Manolo.

—What's wrong with you that you're mumbling? — Beatrix answered.

—No, nothing. —Manolo said.

—Yes, we only talked about unimportant things. —Isidro replied.

—Alright, I'll let them pass, I'll let them do their job, so if you'll excuse me, I'll be around doing nothing, but I'll be watching them. —Beatrix answered.

—Understood. Let's go, Isidro. Let's finish the job. —Manolo replied as Isidro summoned a creature with his wand.

They begin to install. Isidro takes the materials out of the portal of the storage dimension of Shen-ray's vehicle. They look for the entrance to the pipe, but it's on a pillar with a vase on top.

—We need to move this. Where is Beatrix? —Manolo said.

—I will call her. —Isidro answered, calling her by name several times until she appeared behind them.

—Yes! — Beatrix exclaimed, startling Isidro, which caused him to lunge at Manolo and almost drop the vase, but Manolo caught it.

—That was close. —Manolo replied, almost having a heart attack, breathing heavily, but then he regulated his breathing and added while handing the vase to Beatrix. —Here, holds the vase to move that pillar.

They move the pillar, but when Beatrix hands him the vase, she trips, but throws the vase to Manolo, who juggles to keep it from falling, but it slips from his hands. Isidro casts a spell, but it has no effect.

—It's anti-magic! — Beatrix exclaimed as the vase shattered on the floor.

At that moment, Lucifer arrives at the house.

—Beatrix, I arrived home. —Lucifer said as he opened the door and added when he saw the scene of the broken vase. Beatrix lunges at him, telling a false version of events that blames Manolo and Isidro for breaking the vase. This drives Manolo up the wall, but Isidro anticipated this and showed him what really happened thru a bat that Isidro summoned, which saw everything, and thru a magical holographic screen that projected the bat's vision.

—I understand, sorry for considering them in a bad way. —Lucifer said as Isidro tries to calm him down.

—It's fine, but don't worry, I'll fix it. — Manolo answered.

—No, it's fine, I'll take care of it, after all, with your powers you can fix it, or not Manolo Restituyo. —Lucifer replied.

—With my powers, as you know I have powers. —Manolo answered.

—I'm a demon, I can see what's inside your being and it terrifies me a little how a man as ordinary as you can have such great and immense power. You are like a bomb about to explode, and I want to see what will happen when that bomb explodes. —Lucifer replied, looking him in the eye, and added while making the pieces of the vase float and assembling them, he placed it in Manolo's hands and added. —Focus and make the vase return to how it was before.

Lucifer steps back, Manolo closes his eyes, concentrating his power on the vase, making the cracks disappear and returning it too normal.

—Incredible, you left it as good as new. — Isidro said.

—What do you mean by saying I'm going to explode? — Manolo replied.

—You'll find out when the day comes, but for now, just continue with your work because I want to enjoy your services. — Lucifer Answered.

They continued with their work until the service was up and running and showed him how to use the services.

—Remember that you will always be welcome here in hell, although your stay will be for all eternity. — Lucifer Said.

—I'm sorry, but I belong to heaven, not this dump full of scum. —Manolo replied as they went with Vergilian to a plain to open a portal with the chalk to ascend thru the circles of hell until they reached the gates of hell.

—May this not be a farewell but a see you later. — Vergilian answered.

—If they request additional services and it's our turn, we could come back, but with all the work we have, I doubt it. We haven't had a repeat client. —Manolo replied.

—I understand, well then, we'll see each other soon. —Vergilian answered.

—It was an honor to have been guided by you. — Manolo responded as they shook hands just like Isidro.

They come out of hell, return to the branch.

—What's wrong with you, Manolo? —Isidro asked.

— What's the point of having this power? — Manolo asked.

—Why do you say that? —Isidro asked.

—It's just that with this power I feel invincible, untouchable, powerful, but with all this stress, this helplessness, these chains that bind me, what will happen to me when I reach my limit? I feel like I want to explode because of all the garbage from the clients and the obstacles we have along the way, I can't keep up with so many things happening everyplace. — Manolo answered.

— What can I say, we all want to explode, but channel your anger like you did today against those who want to stop us in our tracks. — Isidro replied.

— But what if I cross the line? — Manolo answered.

— I don't know about that, but if you feel like you're crossing it, slow down, but don't let work stress and everything that's happening to us get to you. — Isidro replied.

— I'm fed up with you telling me that! —Manolo answered.

— And what do you want me to say, we are employes, our work is garbage, but a lot of people like that garbage and want it, and we are the means to give them that garbage. That the environment is different from the human one; I get it, but...—Isidro explained.

— I get it, I'm fed up with this job! Look at what you've become because of this damn job. I'm going to talk to Ludovico, but I don't feel like I'm going to get anywhere with you. — Manolo answered as he walked toward the venue.

Manolo walks energetically, desperate, angry, and furious until he reaches the analysts' office and only sees Hope working on the computer.

— And Ludovico! — Manolo exclaimed.

—Surely, he's at the water cooler talking with other employees. —Hope replied.

— Thank you, Hope. — Manolo answered as he went to look for Ludovico, and when he found him, he saw several monsters laughing where Ludovico was leaning against the water trough.

—Oh, Manolo! How are you! — Ludovico exclaimed as Manolo made his way through the crowd of monsters to reach him.

— I'm...fine. — Manolo answered.

—Don't lie to me, you're not well. — Ludovico whispered, who knows what's wrong, and added. — If you excuse me, I must return to my office, let's go Manolo.

They are going to the office.

—Hope, could you please leave us alone? — Said Ludovico.

— Alright, I'll go to work somewhere else, let me know when you're done. — Hope replied, taking her device that she uses as a kind of laptop, and she leaves.

— Tell me, Manolo, work is driving you crazy. — Ludovico answered.

—I have mixed feelings about this job. I love it because I can fulfilll the dream of having hilarious adventures like in cartoons, but I hate it because I want this to end, my clock isn't ticking down, and I want to have my telecommunications company and make my son's dream come true. I feel like I'm killing myself and have forgotten what it means to live. — Manolo explained with all his soul and all his being.

—I understand, don't worry Manolo, I'm working so you can get rid of this hell called work, I've given you the tools to survive, something that most, if not all, technicians have had to go thru, so you shouldn't complain about it. Maybe you don't like it, maybe you don't appreciate it, but you chose this, so take responsibility. —Ludovico explained, but when Manolo was about to respond, he raised his hand to stop him and added. —And the reason I came here is to save you from being consumed by this job because you just sold your soul to the devil and now we have to kick the devil's ass to break the deal and set you free, so be patient because when the countdown starts, I want you to overflow like you can't even imagine.

—Overflow? —Thought Manolo as he remembered what Lucifer said. —What do you mean by overflowing?

—To vent since you will be one step away from being free, it will be your decision how you behave. —Ludovico replied.

—Alright, Ludovico, your words have reassured me. I will return to work. —Manolo answered, but not before asking a question and added. —A demon told me that the energy of the cross did not belong to God, what do you think about it?

—And you're going to listen to a demon? Don't let them lead you astray; they are beings of pure evil and always want to confuse you so that you fail, especially since you are a child of God. —Ludovico replied.

—Yes, you're right, now I'm leaving. — Manolo answered.

Manolo leaves, and Ludovico laughs devilishly. Isidro is in Sofia's office, but he is interrupted by a call from Manolo.

—You feel better now. —Isidro said.

—Yes, I feel better now, let's go, we have work to do. —Manolo answered.

After a while, they gather, organize all their tools and equipment, and Isidro returns the storage dimension to Shen-ray. They mount Shen-ray and set off on their way to their next adventure in the dark dimension.