Chapter 10 — Hell Walks on Earth
The neighborhood was quiet.
Two thugs sat at an old iron table, with open beer bottles, lit cigarettes, and dirty playing cards on the table.
On the floor, a crumpled newspaper displayed the headline in bloody letters:
> "Teenage girls arrested or killed for crimes committed in the name of a mysterious idol — who is manipulating our daughters?"
The images of girls smiling before disappearing or dying… tore families apart.
The goons' chat
Tomas scratched his thin beard and said:
> — "Zombo is a pandemonium, isn't it? School wars, massacres, girls killing because of some mysterious idol..."
Kioki, laughing between drags:
> — "That crazy Houka from the elite… so stupid. He had it all: money, a hot sister, an inheritance. He threw it all away to become a terrorist."
Tomas shook his head:
> — "If it were me… I'd be living it up. Just having fun."
Kioki changed the subject:
> — "And this idol of the girls? That reminds me of our boss, Gabino. He also likes to manipulate..."
Tomas laughed:
> — "Hahahaha! Come on… if Gabino showed up here right now, I'd shoot that purple freak. I just don't do it because he has an army."
[A dark and empty voice appears]
> — "Hey… you guys."
The arrival of the monster
The two looked towards the voice.
There, standing — huge, wearing a brown hat, red shirt, blue jeans, heavy boots, skin as thick as stone, eyes as dead as coal — was Brenner Souka.
Giant. Fat. Scary.
Tomas raised the gun:
> — "What do you want, you giant freak?"
Brenner answered in a gravelly, grave-cold voice:
> — "The location of your boss... Gabino."
Kioki and Tomas laughed:
> — "Get out of here before we bring your head to him!"
The advance of hell
Brenner began to walk. Slowly. Unstoppable.
Tomas warned:
> — "One more step and I'll shoot!"
Brenner didn't stop.
Kioki shot.
The bullet went through Brenner's chest — no blood. No pain.
Tomas screamed:
> — "What the fuck... he should be dead!"
Kioki, in panic:
> — "SHOOT, YOU IDIOT!"
They both shot. Nothing stopped the monster.
Brenner got close to Kioki.
He grabbed his arm —
It snapped like a twig.
Kioki screamed in pain:
> — "HAHAHAAAAAAH!"
Brenner grabbed his neck with one hand.
Tomas screamed in terror as he fired in vain.
Fire appeared in Brenner's hand.
Kioki begged:
> — "NO! NO! PLEASE— AAAAAAAAAAH!"
The flames devoured his living flesh.
The head separated from the body.
Brenner's hand was still holding the charred head.
The last plea
Tomas, now shaking, threw the gun on the ground and fell to his knees.
> — "Please… forgive me. I have a family. A sick daughter. I just wanted to pay for the treatment…"
Brenner didn't stop.
Slowly, he walked.
Tomas tried to run —
Brenner raised his hand, threw a wall of fire behind him, cutting off his escape.
Thomas bumped into the monster's leg, turned around… and saw the dead eyes staring into his soul.
> — "Please… my daughter… my family…"
Brenner raised his burning hand.
> — "Look at me."
Thomas looked.
What he saw was the abyss. Hell. Death.
> — "I don't spare liars. And even if it were true…"
— "I wouldn't care either way
and anyway."
The neighborhood went dark.
A scream echoed in the silence of the night.
> — "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHH—"
End of Chapter 10 — End of Volume 1