Chapter 2

Was This Hell?

Fighter's eyes snapped open, her body rising from the sheets that had covered her. She was completely naked, the room around her clean and tidy to an unsettling degree.

"Was it...a dream?" She wasn't in her room, but considering the last time she was conscious both of her legs had been snapped, it seemed like the logical conclusion.

"Ah, you are finally awake." Fighter heard the sound of the door opening to be greeted with a strange looking woman.

She looked like a normal woman, except for the eerie third eye that was twitching about on her forehead.

"W-what am I doing here?" Fighter snapped, causing the woman to pout examining the bedridden fighter.

"Your eyes are red now, so that's good. " The woman stared into Fighter's eyes, with each passing second she felt like her soul was about to be ripped out. "Relax, we are probably going to check a few more things."

The woman started to walk away, prompting Fighter to stand up quickly.

"H-hey, wait!" Despite the shame of being stripped bare, there were more important things to worry about than her embarrassment.

The woman before her just ignored the Fighter exiting the room. Of course, this made the situation awkward for the young adventurer. She couldn't very well walk around naked, even given the situation.

"Maybe they're some clothes nearby..." The Fighter grumbled rummaging through the dresser. While it wasn't particularly graceful to be looking through other people's things, it also was tactful kidnapping a woman and throwing her in a random room.

After a minute she managed to find a couple of clothes in the area. She slowly slid them on before finally walking out of the room.

The first the Fighter heard was a strange noise coming from the left, she slowly turned her head, noticing a goblin.

She froze as the creature unnaturally shifted her head. Even though the monster was alive, it was apparent it was no longer any threat.

Its eyes had been torn out, along with its tongue. Even the creature's teeth had been plucked out. Its limbs snapped in every direction. Even if the goblins arms or legs weren't broken, the beast was still chained to the floor through its ankles and throat.

"W-What's happening here?" The Fighter swallowed harshly stepping away from the goblin. Where was she? Her eyes quickly darted to the other side of the hallway.

The house was big, but it was still only a single floor. It had nice looking walls, and it was clear that someone was keeping up with the building, which made the random goblin chained to the floor all the more jarring.

Still, there was an odd smell coming from every area of the building. It smelled both sweat and vile at the same time, like Fighter's brain was still trying to choose if it enjoyed the scent or not.

Fighter continued through the building until she came upon a door, voices echoed from the other side. One of which being somewhat familiar.

"So, how is she?" A male voice asked.

"She's got red eyes, and her legs have healed, so I assume the ritual was a success. She appears to be one of the lucky ones when it comes to physical features too, no abnormalities."

"Eh? Not even a tail or a few extra eyes? That's pretty rare," the voice said.

"Well, I'll be on my way. I have to check with the Impaler," the woman like voice replied as the distance sound of a door shutting was heard.

There was a moment of silence. Fighter wondered if it was even worth opening the door or if she should creep back into her room.

"Oh, you're awake?" The voice asked prompting Fighter to slowly open the door.

It was the Spearman from before, Fighter's heart skipped a beat the moment her eyes laid on him. Truthfully, she wanted to kick his head so hard it would fly off his neck.

"You look pretty pissed off, but I guess it doesn't matter. We need to head to the job listings to get you registered."

"Why would I go anywhere with you? What did you do to the others?!"

The Spearman frowned. "You are annoying. Your other friends are alive. Though they aren't under my care."

"..." She didn't reply right away. Instead, her eyes focused on the nearby windows and doors leading in and out of the room.

"Don't try to run. It'd just make both of our lives harder." The Spearman smiled; his stare felt like it was eating away at her soul. "Anyway, you need to get dressed appropriately, like I said we are getting you registered."

"I'm not going anywhere with you..." Fighter continued to remain stern as the Spearman eyes slowly wandered across her body.

"I suppose, as you are now...I can't force you, but I imagine your friends are there."

Fighter frowned, she had no reason to trust him. Unforntantly she couldn't remain in the house forever, speaking of house.

"Where are we?"

"We are on an Island, so if you tried to run away, you wouldn't get far."

Fighter groaned, the man technically answered the question, but there were plenty of islands in the world. Just calling it an island didn't specify anything.

"Is that the only thing you are going to tell me?"

"That's the only thing you need to know." The Spearman huffed. "Trust me. Things will become clear once you head outside, you've have been asleep for more than a week after all."

"W-what?" Fighter's face went pale. A week? That couldn't be right. It felt like she had only been knocked out for a few hours.

"We're talking in circles, just get dressed. I would have kept your old clothes, but you pissed on yourself, and I wasn't going to wash them."

Fighter held back a hiss. "Where are these clothes by the way?"

"In the washroom, now hurry up!" The Spearman walked away, clearly no longer being interested in the conversation.

Fighter glared at him while he made his way to the nearest door.

"He didn't even tell me where the washroom was..." Fighter gritted her teeth.

She dared not go back the way she came less she encounters the mutilated goblin again. Instead, she opted to search the only free door that was left.

Luckily it seemed that she was right on the money. At least that is what she had assumed.

There was a reflective surface in front of her like a mirror, only made out of metal instead of glass. She took the time to examine her imagining.

Her appearance sent an uncanny chill down her spine. She was...herself, but her skin was paler than usual. Not only that, but her eyes had changed to a piercing red.

"...Something must be wrong with this mirror," Fighter said, looking around the cabinets for the supposed clothes that were left for her.

After a few seconds, she found some that fit her. Though to say they were far from ideal would have been an understatement.

"What? This is it? It'd make me look more like a villager than an adventuer. "

She opted to put her complaints in the back of her mind as she got dressed.

She walked back into the main room. The Spearman was waiting for her.

"Come on."

That was the only thing he said as he left his front door. Fighter hesitated for a moment, but if she was going to run being outside of the house made the most sense.

The moment they left the building, Fighter's eyes fluttered open. It was sunlight, and beneath her feet was stone. Telling her that they weren't at some random village.

Usually, only capitals had stone streets and structures. Truthfully the city was rather beautiful, which made the defining aspect of the area all the more strange.

"It...smells, like rotten flesh." Fighter frowned, covering her face. The stench was surprisingly potent, so much so it made her stomach churn. Despite that, no one else around them seemed to notice it.

Speaking of the 'people' around them, everyone had something...off about them. Be it extra limbs, or random animal parts attached to them.

"What are you spacing out for? Come on!" The Spearman snapped, forcing Fighter to quickly follow.

The deeper they got into the city, the more the imagery clashed with what the townspeople were doing.

"Are those...monsters?" Fighter's eyes noticed a strange hooded figure dragging along a chain of different creatures. Just like the goblin in the house, their eyes and tongues had been torn out, and the strings were hooked through their skin.

"No female monsters this time, someone's going to be pissed..." The Spearman completely ignored Fighter's question.

The two continued, finally reaching a towering building. It wasn't too unlike the guild area where she and the others first took their job. If she knew this would have been the outcome, she probably would have paid more attention to the type of people in the traveling party.

When they finally entered the building, a strange weight fell onto Fighter's shoulders. It was almost empty, the exact opposite of how a guildhouse should be. Sure, there were a few 'people,' but a place like that should have been booming.

"It looks like most of them are doing quests right now." The Spearman eyes focused at a nearby table causing Fighter's to do the same.

One was a blue-haired woman, well dressed. She was leaning against the table along with a strangely familiar face.

"Hey, you're finally awake!" The Rookie swordsmen smiled.

Fighter's body stiffened. He was no doubt the same swordsmen, but something was different about him. His teeth were far longer, and he had the same eye color as everyone else.

"Bastard, where is the Impaler? If I have to do this kind of shit she can't get out of it!" Spearman's words were filled with bile. Whoever this Impaler person was he didn't care much for them.

"Since I woke up earlier than everyone she took me here about two days ago," Swordsmen replied glaring at the Spearman.

"What about you? Where is your brat?" The Spearman looked over to the blue-haired woman.

"It was no good, she woke up this morning but instantly locked herself in her room..." The blue-haired woman sighed, pressing her finger to her head. "She was less than pleased with her altered appearance. "

"That's not an excuse..." The Spearman bluntly replied.

"It is when she keeps cutting open her own eyes..." The woman grumbled. "I told her it would do no good and that they'll heal, but she keeps doing it anyway."

"E-eye gouging...w-wait who are you talking about?" Fighter swallowed harshly causing the Spearman to groan.

"None of your concern, now go up to the Demon Girl and get your registration!"

"No need to be so harsh on her Capturer, her mind is still probably confused by what's going on," The blue-haired woman said. "Also, once she is done registration, I need her to convince her friend to come out of her room."

Fighter heart skipped a beat. It was Mage that she was talking about.

Regardless of the situation, Fighter did what she was told and walked up to the woman standing behind a counter. Like everyone else, she had piercing red eyes, but her cheerful smiled someone alleviated the building tension, that was until she started speaking.

"Wow, a cow like you looks like the type that would have been stripped and raped by goblins while human!" The red-head cackled.

There was a certain disconnect between the Demon Girl's voice and the words she was speaking.

"I'm here to register..." Fighter gritted her teeth, causing the Demon Girl to give her a sideward glance.

"Eh, fine whatever? What's your new title?" The Demon Girl looked utterly uninterested in the entire process.

"New Title?"

"Yeah, you're getting a chance to change jobs. You're a fighter now right? You can change into a few others from there, Grappler, maybe Breaker?"

"F-Fighter is fine..."

"Tsk, whatever, if you were a priest you wouldn't get the choice..." The Demon Girl reached behind the table, pulling out a strange spear-like object.

"W-what's that?"

"Something to break the bonds of the gods and fate, or whatever..." The Demon Girl sighed, then without hesitation, she stabbed Fighter straight in her chest.

Fighter didn't know if she should scream or remain frozen. Blood was indeed leaking out of the wound, and it wasn't a flesh mark either.

No one else was reacting, not even the Swordsmen.

The Demon Girl face slowly twisted into a smile as she yanked out the object, causing Fighter to collapse. She fully expected blood to come rushing out of her body, but once again, her expectations were challenged.

"Huh?" She pressed her hand against the wound, noticing that it was gone. Of course, there was now a hole in her outfit, but that was a far cry compared to having a hole in her chest.

"There all done, any scraps of the useless thing you call humanity is gone." The Demon Girl waved her hand as if shooing a mouse away.

"If we're done, I'm leaving..." The Spearman stood up, preparing to walk out of the building.

"Hmm? Are you not going to escort her home?" The Blue-haired woman asked.

"I'm not a baby sitter. Besides, you said you needed her, so keep her for the night." The man replied as if he was leaving a sick puppy for someone else.

"I swear he has always been like this..." The blue-haired woman pouted before turning her attention to Fighter. "So, how is that body treating you?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Fighter was confused, causing the blue-haired woman's eye to twitch.

"That fool, he probably rushed you out without going into detail..." The blue-haired woman bit her thumb as if wondering how to break the news.

The Swordsmen, on the other hand, was almost giddy to tell her the good news. "He hasn't told you yet? You're a demon now!" The sheer amount of joy in the swordsmen voice was followed by a Fighter bitting her lip.

"W-what? That can't be right..."

"Think about it, you were just stabbed, and your wound has already healed. If you were a human, then you'd probably be dead!"

Fighter froze pressing her finger to her skin. She had assumed it was just the properties of the item, and not her body. "S-stop making stuff up! T-there is no way I could be a demon...I-I mean when..."

"While you were asleep." The blue-haired woman chimed in. "We completed the ritual once you were captured, but before you woke up."

"Y-you did it while I was asleep..." Thinking about it, she hadn't seen any healers, and she was positive both of her legs were broken when she was captured. There was no way a human body could have healed that in a week without some aid.

"What's up with that reaction? " Swordsmen pouted. "With this, we can become more than just adventurers. We can be heroes!" The tone of his voice was...strangely unsettling. Almost obsessive.

"Curse him. He probably passed you off to me because he didn't want to explain anymore..." The blue-haired woman gritted her teeth. "I'll worry about that later, right now what's important is you talking to that mage woman."

"More...important?" Fighter frowned, in a split second her slowly burning anger turned into a fury. "You turned me into a demon, and you are just going to pretend it's not a big deal!"

"If you want to blame someone blame your luck..." The woman snapped back before turning her attention to the swordsman. "What about you, you were her also friend, right? Perhaps you co-"

"Sorry I got better things to do," the Swordsmen cut her off before he stood. "I was only here to see if everyone was registered so we could head straight into doing quest again. If we're not then it's pointless for me to go there."

"A-are you even listening to yourself?" Fighter clenched her fist, causing the swordsmen to shrug.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow." With that, the swordmen left the building.

The blue-haired woman then scoffed. "The Impaler got him wrapped around her finger. I guess it makes sense, someone like him being granted power like this... it can change a man."

"W-what is this place?" Fighter stuttered. "I-Is this hell?"

"Hell?" The blue-haired woman chuckled. "Nothing like that, this is just an island...that's all."

Author note.

I always try to make things a bit uneasy for the reader, even when something isn't directly happening. The strange sights and location were made to put readers on edge. Right down to having metal being used for mirrors instead of glass