Worthless

Chapter One

Groaning as he lifted his heavy, sunken in eyes, Ichimatsu flapped his pitch black wings that were ripped open at parts, raising his broken, crippled body out of his place of rest.

It had been years since he had arrived in Hell, but never once had he been sent off on a mission to bring back new demons. Who would want to use such a broken creature for difficult work anyways?

Ichimatsu, floating just a few inches above the scorching floor beneath him, made his way around his jail cell. It was torture to be locked up in such a lonely place. But that was the point, wasn't it?

Across from his cell, Ichimatsu could hear other forgotten and retired demons, hissing loudly in distress and rage.

Grasping the jail cell door's bars, Ichimatsu grimaced as he ignored the burning hot sensation that ran down his spine. The metal bars were always hotter than literally everything else, but he had been forcing himself to get used to it.

Widening his eyes, Ichimatsu peered down the rows of cells outside of his, his blackened heart skipping a beat at the sight he saw. Osomatsu, the head of Hell, known as Satan, or the devil, twirled a hoop of jail cell keys around his middle finger as he flapped his huge red wings around.

"I wonder," Osomatsu chuckled eerily, peeking into a few of the cells, occasionally kicking or spitting at the ones who hissed at him. "is anyone here fit for the jobs that have to be done?"

A dark glare fell across Osomatsu's face as he stopped in front of one cell, almost as if he were considering letting them out. But he spit at them just like the rest, then continued to make his way closer and closer to Ichimatsu.

"Please pick me..." Ichimatsu thought, his dark heart longing to be set into the world to destroy the lives of the happy. Happiness wasn't allowed in Hell, and it didn't belong on Earth either. Happiness didn't belong anywhere. "I've been waiting for such a long time...I haven't done anything against your will either. I've listened and done everything you've told me to do...for years."

Osomatsu stopped in front of Ichimatsu's jail cell, a dirty smirk on his face. He stopped flying and set his feet on the ground, taking a key off of the hoop.

"Do you see this?" Osomatsu asked, chuckling. "I could do many things with this key right now. What do you think I'm going to do?"

Ichimatsu began to tremble in the sight of Osomatsu. Letting go of the bars, Ichimatsu stopped flapping his wings, falling down onto the scorching floor. Another hole was burned into his wings as his crippled, broken body failed to respond to any action. Cringing in pain, Ichimatsu felt tears well up in his eyes as Osomatsu began to walk past him.

"You're more worthless than the rest of my fellow friends here. Why have I even kept you? Be glad I'm showing you mercy. It's such an unlikely thing for the head of Hell to do," Osomatsu barked, as he placed the key back on the hoop.

Ichimatsu felt his filthy heart sink as he watched Osomatsu spit and kick at other cells, slowly disappearing down the long, endless line.

"Maybe next time..." Ichimatsu thought. "But what if there isn't a next time for me? What if my time here is up? Then what will happen? Surely there isn't a world worse than this one..."

"Ichimatsu," the demon in the cell next to him rasped hoarsely. "If you have obeyed Satan, maybe you will be chosen this time. I remember the last time I was sent on a quest. I brought back hundreds of followers."

Ichimatsu shuddered.

"What exactly did you have to do..?" Ichimatsu asked uneasily.

"Oh, you know," the demon chuckled. "The normal. Turn people away from your goal, then kill your goal."

"Silence!" Osomatsu's voice rang out in pure anger all over the prison. "I would like to know why I have not been able to find any suitable helpers today. Why is that?" he spat angrily.

Osomatsu flapped his wings strongly, causing a great, heat filled wind as he landed directly in front of Ichimatsu's jail cell.

"You've been here a long time, haven't you? Why don't you tell me?" he chuckled, beginning to twirl the hoop of rings around his middle finger again.

"I-I..." Ichimatsu stammered in fear, flapping his wings again, lifting his now burned body off of the ground. "Because nobody l-listens..."

"Listens? Is that what this is about? Have I failed in raising proper demons? What a shame. Looks likes, thanks to your good friend Ichimatsu, I'll be sending you to lower Hell today! I hope you all appreciate his words!" Osomatsu cackled.

Ichimatsu felt nothing but guilt as he watched, one by one, demons he never even knew, be pulled away by heavy chains, not knowing where they were going.

"Why can't you just keep quiet you disgusting cripple?" the final demon spat at him as Osomatsu kicked him down a large hole that disappeared once the demon was no longer visible.

"Now, you seem to be..a loyal one," Osomatsu said, smirking at Ichimatsu as he once again pulled a key off of the hoop. "Today you will be working for me. If you do well, you will be second in command over Hell."

Immediately, Osomatsu inserted the key into Ichimatsu's jail cell, swinging open his door as it unlocked.

"Now, do as you wish," Osomatsu ordered darkly. "I have quite a few things to prepare for you."

Ichimatsu had never felt so wickedly excited in his entire life in Hell.

"Thank you..." Ichimatsu said gratefully, bowing down to Osomatsu.

Osomatsu formed three sixes with his fingers then flapped away, leaving Ichimatsu all alone.