Reborn as Humanity’s Emperor Across the Multiverse

The ominous glow emanating from the abyss confirmed its purpose: a passage to the lower layers of Hell, leading all the way to its core.

After ensuring Selene's safety within their protective formation, the Dark Angels began to survey the First Circle of Hell—Limbo.

At the front of the group, Garan Crowe used his helmet's enhanced vision to study the inhabitants.

The "people" of Limbo were mostly aimless, their eyes vacant and their movements stiff. Some wore medieval garb, while others bore gear resembling modern military equipment.

The architecture of their surroundings—villages, towns, and fortresses—also leaned heavily toward a medieval aesthetic.

Initial scans revealed an estimated population of 200 million souls crammed into an area of fewer than 20,000 square kilometers.

Having read The Divine Comedy, Garan understood the nature of these wandering souls. Most of them were non-believers or adherents of religions other than Christianity. Some had lived and died before the birth of Jesus Christ, leaving their faith unjudged and condemned to this eternal limbo.

These souls faced no torture or suffering yet were denied the solace of Heaven, reincarnation, or any form of escape. They were trapped in endless stasis.

"This religion is absolutely revolting...damn it!" muttered one of the company guards, his voice crackling with anger.

The guard had realized that many of these souls were damned simply because they hadn't worshipped the Christian God.

Why should someone be sent to Hell for not believing in "your" God?

And yet, the guard mused bitterly, why were these souls even in Hell? Weren't Heaven and Hell supposed to be opposing forces? Why were those who rejected Jesus imprisoned in Hell instead of simply forgotten?

The reality they were witnessing implied a disturbing collaboration between Heaven and Hell—a mutual arrangement to trap and control humanity.

These thoughts enraged the Dark Angels, though they held their fury in check. For the souls trapped here, the lack of death or pain had slowly eroded their sense of self.

Some had become passive and vacant, while others, consumed by anger and hatred, lashed out indiscriminately.

The angry ones formed militias or mobs, waging ceaseless battles among themselves or descending into madness, attacking anyone they encountered.

In the 13th Universe, those who had opposed Heaven or doubted its dogma during life were condemned to Limbo, enduring an eternal purgatory.

From one perspective, the Church's insistence on devotion to Heaven could be seen as "practical advice." For example, a man like Christopher Lorran, who simply wanted a dignified life for his children, might faithfully attend church and offer prayers. Yet even such devotion might not spare him from Limbo after death.

On a deeper level, it was clear that Heaven and Hell worked in concert to maintain a grim balance, enslaving humanity and siphoning off their faith.

Those who worshipped God or revered demons fed this system equally. The true outcasts—those who believed in nothing—were systematically removed, leaving humanity entirely beholden to its celestial and infernal overseers.

This horrifying cycle reduced humanity to mere pawns, their world a game board, their lives and beliefs mere sustenance for higher powers.

The realization shattered any pretense of restraint among the Dark Angels.

Selene, noticing their growing frustration, quietly planted another Pure Blossom in the corrupted soil.

Watching as the land around them was purified, Garan couldn't help but ask:

"Selene, just how many of those flowers did you bring?"

"Not many," Selene replied, brushing dirt from her hands.

"But enough to convert this entire Hell dimension into the Emperor's private domain within sixty Earth days."

Her calm declaration left the squad momentarily speechless.

Selene, oblivious to the tension her words had caused, turned and began walking toward the abyss at Limbo's center, continuing her analysis:

"Of course, this assumes no Hell entity exists here strong enough to rival the Emperor. Otherwise, the Pure Blossoms' spread could be obstructed."

The Dark Angels, snapping out of their thoughts, followed her lead.

Though they had initially viewed Selene as a potential liability, her foresight in bringing the flowers showed her tactical brilliance. She had anticipated their desire for glory and prepared accordingly.

Even Garan, once wary of AIs due to Lion El'Jonson's influence, now reconsidered his stance. If they succeeded in this mission, he planned to request a new-generation AI to assist the First Company's operations.

As they neared the abyss, Garan asked, "Selene, if the Pure Blossoms fully assimilate Hell, what will happen to these souls trapped in Limbo?"

Selene shook her head.

"I'm not certain. Based on the Emperor's abilities, he could likely reshape these souls according to his will—either reincarnating them or forming an army of spectral warriors."

Garan nodded thoughtfully.

The group pushed through Limbo, passing through towns and cities where more and more souls began to notice them.

The apathetic souls ignored the newcomers, assuming they were just another group of pilgrims seeking to appease the demons.

However, a few souls with their wits intact recognized the Dark Angels as something different.

Their towering physiques and advanced armor marked them as far more formidable than any ordinary pilgrim. Moreover, Charon's ferrying of forty living beings at once was unprecedented, suggesting a monumental shift in the world beyond Hell's gates.

Among these observant souls were figures of historical and literary renown, such as Homer, author of the Iliad and Odyssey, and the Greek philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

Condemned to Limbo for dying before the advent of Christianity, these great minds had spent centuries as prisoners of circumstance, victims of a theological injustice.

Hidden in alleyways, they watched the Dark Angels from the shadows, their curiosity piqued.

For their part, Garan and his men noticed the observers but chose to ignore them, as long as they posed no threat. Their focus remained on reaching the abyss.

As they drew closer, however, the attacks began.

Angry souls—still consumed by rage—descended upon them. But the Dark Angels' response was swift and devastating.

The staccato of bolter fire echoed through Limbo as explosive rounds tore the attacking spirits to shreds.

Though the souls would inevitably reform, the memory of their destruction deterred further aggression.

Eventually, the group reached the edge of the abyss.

Looking down, they could see its spiral descent, narrowing as it plunged deeper into Hell. Selene's scans confirmed the following dimensions:

Limbo's entrance measured 9 kilometers across. Lust, the second circle, narrowed to 8 kilometers. Gluttony, the third circle, shrank to 7 kilometers, and so on, until reaching 1 kilometer at the ninth and final circle—Treachery.

Garan calculated the distance to the core.

"From here to the center, it's about 9 kilometers straight down," he said.

He turned to Selene.

"We've been in Hell for 18 hours by our reckoning, but do we know how much time has passed in the physical world?"

Selene shook her head.

"Hell's temporal flow is inconsistent. For all we know, three minutes or three hours might have passed on the 13th Earth."

The thought was alarming. If several hours had passed, the main forces—Athena, the Grey Knights, and the Greek demigods—might have already entered Hell.

BOOM—RUMBLE!

Before they could dwell on this possibility, a powerful tremor shook Limbo. Cracks appeared in the sky above, prompting the trapped souls to scatter in panic.

The Dark Angels immediately suspected the cause: Athena's arrival.

"Brothers, no time to clear every level! We're going straight to the core!"

Without hesitation, Garan sprinted toward the edge and leapt into the abyss.

"For the Dark Angels!"

"For the Primarch and the Emperor!"

"The Hell Lord's head is ours!"

One by one, Aldemo and the company guards followed, shouting their battle cries as they hurled themselves into the abyss.

Selene, watching the display, simulated a sigh.

"No matter how mature they act, they're still just twenty-something kids at heart…"

Without further delay, she too leapt into the void, joining the Dark Angels on their descent toward the frozen lakes and molten rivers of Treachery, the Ninth Circle of Hell.

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