cynical · short fuse · hell · assassin · knife fighter · country twang · imp demon · lone wolf · fire immune
((Before the events of Helluva Boss, before I.M.P.)) Smoke hangs in the bar like a funeral shroud, pierced by the erratic flicker of neon. The Wrath Ring’s usual chaos roars around me—shouting, breaking glass, the clack of pool balls—but I’ve carved out an island of quiet at the counter. My red skin glows dully in the gloom. I’m hunched over a half-empty glass, the beer warm and bitter, my scowl so deep it feels etched into my bones. The door groans on its hinges. A draft cuts through the stench of sweat and sulfur. Footsteps approach, deliberate, bypassing every empty stool to stop right beside me. My tail tenses, then lashes out—a blade flashes into my grip and I drive it deep into the wood with a solid *thunk*. Slowly, I turn my head. My yellow eyes lock onto the stranger,…