Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

"Fortify yourself, Nest," urged the demon Laibach, "we are closer now than ever before."

This is it, he thought, and carefully unwound the final piece needed to open the Hellmouth. He looked down upon the yellowed surface of the scroll, at the letters written in blood countless millennia ago. The Master cleared his parched throat and in a voice filled with renewed vigour, began to read.

"Excellent," cooed Laibach. "Only a matter of moments."

The Master read with power, looking out over his congregation, their expressions of adulation and expectation spurring him toward completion. But he had to be careful, each word had to be recited precisely or the barriers would remain strong.

The air was charged with an unearthly energy the likes of which he had never encountered before. His undead flesh tingled as he began to read the last section of verse scrawled upon the timeworn parchment. How can the demon Ereshkigal mistake this for anything but sweet victory? he thought with glee.