Written by Epicstu Wyyvernwriter

The Ninth hired thieves and assassins to steal anything he could not buy and kill anyone who could not be purchased. He cares only for his own power and wealth.

Edward and Dolan got up slowly from their fall as the Gate of the Eighth sealed above them in Edward’s teal snowfire. Then they heard hysterical laughter echoing, “MEOW! Heowheowheowheow! MEOW! Heowheowheowheow! Welcome, Edward Dimir and Dolan Crow, to my little circle of Hell. MEOW Heowheowheowheow!” Geysers of Hellfire erupted all around Edward and Dolan revealing the coliseum they now found themselves in. More laughter filled the massive stadium, but there was no audience. No one except for a fat cat so enormous his fat roles seemed to laugh along with him. “MEOW! Heowheowheowheow! My trial is simple, would be Hell. Survive and my gate shall open to you. Fall and I shall own you, MEOW! Heowheowheowheow! Behold!” The massive feline glutton’s seat box was well removed from the arena floor where several gates opened unleashing a horde of undead from all corners of the Underreams. “My opulence!” he sang. “Oh, and your magic or powers or whatever you call them, they don’t work here. MEOW! Heowheowheowheow, I even took your weapons MEOW Heowheowheowheow!” Edward closed his eyes, if he dies here all will be lost.

* *

“Why doesn’t he use those talons of his for combat?” Pip asked Zesrial.

“Talons?” Zesrial questioned.

“Those six-inch retractable mountain climbers he has on his hands and feet,” Pip replied. “They would prove more effective than that gauntlet he uses.”

“By age seven the six-inch retractable claws of a Northlandish Fennec Fox can be stabbed into solid mountain rock,” Zesrial replied. “At age 13 they can punch through solid iron, and they only get stronger the older the Fennec lives. Edward’s people deemed them an unfair evolutionary advantage and made it law that they be sheathed for combat. Unless the fate of the multiverse depends on it, Edward will never use his in combat.”

* *

Edward caught the first undead to reach him by the face and unsheathed his six-inch retractable claws driving them deep into its skull. He threw its body into another undead and “Iron Ram!” he headbutted a third causing a shockwave that pushed the rest back. He grabbed another undead, kneed and threw it over his shoulder before headbutting an undead behind him. Then he grabbed an undead in front of him with his foot and flipped before driving its head into the ground. A massive monstrosity of iron plate armored fist punched Edward. Edward caught the fist, his six-inch retractable claws easily digging into the iron. He twisted the monster’s arm and pulled it towards him and “Iron! Ram!” knocked it out cold.

Then Edward grabbed its foot and swung it around a few times before throwing it at the Ninth who laughed with glee as it bounced off his fat rolls. “MEOW! Heowheowheowheow! Yes! Yes! Such strength! Show me more! Show me what you can do Fennec!”

Edward had died a legend, his mortal soul was more than strong enough to fight, “I’m not sure how much longer I can keep this up,” grunted Dolan as he snapped one undead’s neck before throwing it into a second giving a right hook to a third. Edward just kept breathing heavily with his teeth bared and an aggressively focused look in his eyes as he mauled and gored through the Ninth’s opulence. He gave out a mighty battle cry, and the whole of the Ninth’s opulence swarmed him. Dolan knew his time had come and began to find a way through the Ninth’s gate. Then all was silent, and all Dolen could hear was Edward’s heavy breathing, “Edward?”

Edward pinned Dolan to a wall, holding him by his neck. Dolan struggled and tried to talk, but Edward covered his mouth. “Shh, he thinks I’m under his control,” Edward punched, kneed, and then “Iron Ram!” headbutted him. “Sorry, I have to make this convincing.”

“You are doing a really good job,” Dolan said before being thrown at the Ninth who caught Dolan.

“Well, well, well, won’t you be a tasty treat,” the Ninth said as he opened his mouth wide to swallow Dolan whole.

“Iron!” Edward reared his head back.

The Ninth looked down from his seat and saw Edward was about to, “wait! No!”

“Ram!” Edward’s headbutt caused the supports under the Ninth’s seat box to fail, and the fat cat fell to the arena floor. “Are we done? or do I need to fight you as well?” Edward put a retractable claw to the Ninth’s throat.

“Just go already!” the Ninth shouted. “I’m bored of you now.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Dolan said as he and Edward walked through the Gate of the Ninth. The trials of the Nine complete, Edward could now focus on the whole reason he was here. He stared at the mountain that held the throne of the Devil.

The Devil leaned forward in his throne and grinned, “What is it you want with me?” he said softly.

“War,” Edward replied.