The 9 gates of hell

Time. Stopped.

     As I went to pick up the sword, shield and spear, time stopped. I looked around, everyone was frozen in place. Satan reappeared in front of me. "Take a seat," he said pulling out two chairs. I sat. When the devil tells you to sit down, you sit the fuck down. "I didn't know you could do this," I looked around. There wasn't even a breeze anymore. "I've recently learned how. Maybe I'll teach you someday," he smiled and continued. "Do you remember when you first gave your soul to me?" I nodded. "Do you remember what it was for?"
"I was lonely and I wanted a friend, so I summoned you, let you take my soul in return for two things. A girl to love me, and a friend." "Correct." He placed my soul on a pedestal in front of us. "Why are you recalling this?"
"Well my friend, if you take your soul back, we won't be friends anymore."
"Well I certainly don't want that."  Me and the devil are actually really close. He was my first best friend. "Neither do I. I can choose to keep you as a friend but, in the off chance you go to heaven, I won't see you for an eternity." He coughed slightly. "I'm getting old for a devil. I need someone to replace me in a couple thousand years." My heart skipped a beat. While I had engaged in antics and helped the devil with things before, I never even imagined taking over for him. It was truly terrifying. With a wave of his hand, the weapons and shield floated over to me. "You know who I want to have these." I nodded once more. That much was obvious.
He stood up. Took my soul in his hand and stared into it. "Your soul was torn from your body. You know that even if you get it back, you can't have it. Not without divine intervention anyways. There's no point to you continuing on this quest." This hurt. This hurt a lot. I had secretly been denying it the entire time. I knew I could get it back right? "By the way, even though time stopped, those two over there will have heard everything. Well, everything I want them to hear."
"Then they will already know my answer. We will cross the me being the next antichrist bridge when it comes to it, but for now I'm staying on this quest."
"The number one sin in satanism is stupidity. Why are you sinning against me? My friend, you know this can't end well."
"I don't need it to end well for me. As long as my friends are happy, including you, that's what matters."
"So be it." He unfroze time and disappeared once more, taking my soul with him. My old friend was going to be a pain in this trail. Time to go in the tower.