[Suzerain of Sheol]

As soon as the blade slides free, the woman's veiled corpse sits immediately straight, staring into Dante with mania and terror. Her mouth twists and grinds, though the words that come forth seem to echo from deep within her, unfit to the articulation of her lips.

"You... FOOLS! Does sacrifice mean nothing to you? You have released her upon the world, and you shall be her first victims!" She begins to howl with deranged laughter, her spine arching at an impossible angle, and through her cackling shrieks, "WE DID ALL WE COULD! THE DOOM FALLS TO YOU, AND YOU SHALL BE DEVOURED BY THE ARROGANCE YOU HAVE SOWN! HEAVEN CANNOT HELP YOU, AND HELL ABIDES! HELL ABIDES--"

Her tirade is cut short when her head suddenly detonates, spewing gore and steaming brain matter into Dante's face. An instant later, the deafening, thunderous report slams through the hallway, pale smoke wafting from the barrel of Thomas' hypersonic rifle. He slings the weapon back over his shoulder and turns to the entranceway.

"Hell shall not abide for long," he says solemnly, head bowing. "We come." And he throws back his head, eyes glowing with fervid fury. "WE COME, AND WE SHALL TEAR THEM FROM THEIR NOXIOUS PITS! WE SHALL GORE THEM ON THE SWORD OF RETRIBUTION! WE SHALL BURN THEM WITH FIRES THEY HAVE NEVER CONCEIVED, AND RAIN THEIR RUIN FROM THE VERY SKIES!"

He settles once more, and takes a step inward. "We have come to make this a place of death." Another step. "Let us be on with it."

Hold, Diogenes conveys to him from the mouth of the tunnel. Something stirs in this dead land, and I do not appreciate being followed.

He moves out back into the waste, his khukri in his hand. He can feel the mind hiding out their, but cannot descry its nature or intent. The other soldiers move to cover him, but he waves them off. Again, there is no hostile emanation to be found.

Nonetheless.