Chapter 1: The Battle of Babel
The screams of the many echoed through the streets. The clashing of blades. The roars of battle. Mounds of corpses lay scattered because of a war waged by the forces of Hell. Standing within the corpses, both man and monster alike, Sisyphus stood covered in blood.
“What…Horror,” Sisyphus said, his eyes heavy with the weight of the countless lives lost, a weight he would bear for eternity.
He turned to face his brother, Ares, as he approached with a troop of Peacekeepers.
“The battle rages on, where is Father?” Ares asked, but before Sisyphus could answer a blinding light erupts from atop the Tower of Babel.
“They breached the tower?” Ares asked, shocked, voice filled with concern. However, it was not meant for his father.
“Olivia, she is still up there,” Ares adds, looking to Sisyphus for guidance.
“Go. Get to Olivia,” Sisyphus said as an explosion erupted from behind him.
He turned to meet the hell spawn, sliding the head of his hammer across the ground. Ares did not hesitate as he turned and ran for the tower, the Peacekeepers now stood with Sisyphus. Survival for them was not certain, but still they stood against death. As they stood at Sisyphus’ side they gazed upon a towering silhouette, eyes red with fury.
“I had hoped to fight the Demon Slayer,” Khordak, a Demon of Astaroth’s council, loomed over Sisyphus, “but you will do. Son of Minos.”
Sisyphus tightened his hold on his hammer, the battle that echoed across the city gradually faded into a numbing silence. The demon horde advanced, but the Peacekeepers stood firm and answered with blaster fire; bodies fell, yet the demons pressed on. When the horde got closer, only then did they draw their blades. Sisyphus swung his hammer into the horde, breaking the bodies of a few dozen demons. After he swung his hammer, he let go as he turned and slammed his fist down atop the skull of another, turning the upper half of its body into a pile of gore.
“Such power,” Khordak said, watching as Sisyphus took hold of his hammer again.
Suddenly the roars of battle returned to Sisyphus, the Peacekeepers had fought desperately, but their corpses were added to the rest. Sisyphus could not tell which was which now; and that tore at his soul. Khordak slammed his cleaver into the ground, sliding it across the corpses as it cleanly cut through them.
Sisyphus watched as the bodies of those he failed to protect were desecrated. He rolled his shoulders as he lifted his hammer from the ground.
“I will send you back to Hell,” Sisyphus said, and Khordak laughed.
“Yes! Send me back, kill me! Let me see your rage bubble and boil,” Khordak lifted his cleaver from the mound of corpses.
He motioned for the rest of the Demons to disperse. Hardly did they listen, but they ran off anyway to join the slaughter elsewhere. The two looked at one another, while Khordak was twice Sisyphus’ size, that did not seem to concern the Son of Minos.
“Your death will grant me great renown,” Khordak said, “your skull mounted upon my throne? The Son of Minos! Felled by the greatest warrior the universe will ever see!”
“Is this what fuels your wretched kind?” Sisyphus asked, and Khordak snarled.
“Power?” Khordak asked, tightening his grip on his weapon.
“Delusion.”
Khordak was silent, rage filled his chest as he roared, charging at Sisyphus, raising his cleaver overhead to bring it crashing down upon him. Sisyphus, however, stood his ground. He raised his hammer up and used its shaft to block the weapon from cleaving him in two. The force of the impact caused the bodies to disintegrate and cause Sisyphus to take a knee. He was shocked at the sheer strength of this demon.
“You’re stronger than I thought,” Khordak said, surprised that Sisyphus blocked his attack.
Khordak lifted his cleaver from Sisyphus’ weapon and took a step back, watching as the son of Minos stood, unwavering before the, at the time, unrivaled strength of Khordak. Sisyphus tightened his hold on his hammer, divine energy coursed through his body as he yelled, lifting the hammer’s head from the ground and swinging it at Khordak. Surprised by its weight, Khordak was sent crumbling to the ground. With a blood curdling roar Khordak stood and charged at Sisyphus again.
