Our world teeters on the edge of destruction constantly, the only reason we are alive is because a simple system called the Purgatory Defense Selection. The largest city in all of Limbo is Hell. Hell is in charge of keeping up the border between Purgatory and Ertetria. Alas only the most noble of races can hold up the most noble of tasks.
The only other major city of Limbo is the City of Progress which resides right in the middle of Limbo. A replica of the City of Progress resides in all three of the worlds in Ertetria and works to connect them as well as develop the newest technology which all of them can use. The three worlds of Ertetria are Limbo, Earth, and Elysia.
The race which occupies Hell are the demons. Demons are the most pure blooded and powerful profane entities, as well as one of the three major races. Which include humans, the major race of Earth, and angels, the major race of Elysia. In the center of Hell is a small gate which can be opened to send tributers to any of the eight levels of Purgatory.
Right under Limbo a giant circle rests which is the first level of Purgatory. Under the first circle is another one half the size, which repeats eight times. On the perimeter of each level of purgatory is a giant forest which no one has ever crossed. This is believed to be the same forest which surrounds Limbo and Elysia, The Black Forest.
The deeper into Purgatory one goes the faster time passes, the harsher the weather, and the stronger the beasts. In each level there is a gate which allows you to pass further down onto the next circle of hell. Each level of hell is connected to the main gate in Hell. Every five years hundreds of tributes must be sent to complete a ritual to restore the strength of each eight gates. This keeps the treacherous beasts of Purgatory where they belong. There is one final rumored gate on the eighth level which is said to bring one back to Hell, sadly no one has lived in the eighth circle long enough to make it back.
Hell is divided into five parts: the east, west, north, south, and outlands. The outlands are located outside the inner walls of Hell and are surrounded by a smaller outer wall. These lands are designated for the poorest weakest of demons. Although this doesn't mean they aren't important they produce most of the food which we consume, and most of the trade to the other nations which reside in Limbo.
This also results in the demons of the outlands breeding with many other lesser races of profane entities such as the elves, vampires, aztosas, lupus, halved disgraces, and fallen ones.
In each quadrant of hell one hundred tributes must be sent to the royal palace to be sent into Purgatory and restore the gate. Every noble family in Hell is practically required to send one of their family members to the royal palace to be sent away. If one family decides not to send a tribute they will be shunned and most likely murdered by the rest of the families in their quadrant. This leaves us with the 5 year tradition of the Purgatory Defense Selection.
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"Please don't we cant do this! Why don't we just do what every other family does and adopt some random kid and send them off!"
Madam Hestia slowly spoke seemingly unbothered by the fact one of her hundred children would be mauled in three years after this decision.
"Aisha sending off ones child is a great honor. You should be grateful that Dante can help save billions by restoring the Purgatory's border."
"Fuck honor and fuck you too! The only reason your doing this is because he's a vampire demon half breed. Don't try and trick me with meaningless ideals like honor!"
Madam Hestia and the 8 other heads seemingly bored with this trial brushed her off and Madam Hestia gestured over for one of the maids to come to her.
"Please bring Dante into here, I believe he should here it from us."
With a low bow the maid replied.
"Understood Madam"
Aisha holding back her tears begged the other members of the family.
"Please! Doesn't anyone else have a better idea that to send my son off to his death."
Yet all that surrounded Aisha was a wall of solemn faces. Tears finally flowing out, Aisha got down on her knees and pleaded with Madam Hestia
"Please Madam, cant we find someone else."
"Our time limit is up Aisha, we must send in our letter to the royal palace. Enjoy the next three years as much as you can child."
*Finally it's here Drakar he's coming in*
*Yes yes fly up so we can see we can clearly see that miserable face of his*
*Quick, QUICK FLY*
Stuck between annoyance of the voices and the embarrassment of flying up above his entire family; Drakar begrudgingly flapped his wings and shot up in the air so he could get a clear vantage point of the scene that was about to unfold.
As the great doors of the ball room opened up a slender woman fitted in a maids dress walked in holding the hand of small boy with jet black hair, pale skin, and dark bat-like wings walked in. Dante craned his head upwards to the 9 ominous adults who would decide his fate. Tears overflowed from the young boys brown eyes before Madam Hestia even said a word, and in that moment Drakar felt something new arise from his chest.
Drakar's heart sank and breathing became one of the most arduous tasks Drakar faced in years. An innocent young man was put to death because of him, all because of him. Dante's one and only sin was being born and loved by his mother. The sudden realization hit Drakar like a cannon. He just murdered his nine year old cousin because he simply felt like it. He's ruined a family out of jealousy.
"Why does victory hurt so much."