"Hey Lachy dearest~, when might this fight of ours be over!?" Eros yelled out, taking the full-frontal assault of Iapetus' attack once more.
"When Pandora get's done, then we'll have won!" I yelled out. In truth, I had no clue how long that would take. The closer I got to the point of my potential death, the more I was unable to see clearly, due to Necessitas' interference.
"Shadow Bust!"
"Pierce!"
Erebus slammed his sword, which the darkness had still taken up the form of the great sword he created earlier, horizontally, sending an explosion of darkness flying in an arc that decimated the spears that Iapetus shot out from the ground.
"Light's, PUNCH!"
Hemera came zooming from behind, slamming her fist into Iapetus, who blocked it with his spear, using only a single hand.
"Nightfall: Night Rain!"
Solid spears of night came rushing from the night sky above, which Iapetus blocked by twirling his spear in the air above him, scattering the night sky away before glaring at us.
Hemera leapt back to Nyx's position, frowning. "Mr. Tall Dude! Just get knocked out already! This would be so much easier if you would!"
"Shut it."
I got sent chills down my spine before I was forcibly shown something.
"I GROW BORED OF THIS FIGHT, NELNEHAT'S!"
Iapetus slammed the tip of his spear into the ground, cackling as the ground itself started to rumble.
"Whoa, is this an earthquake or something~?" Eros purred out, each of us losing our footing as the ground started to crack and fissure around us.
"NOW COME FORTH, MOTHER! LAY WASTE TO THIS WANNABE FAMILY!"
Death.
I gasped, breathing heavily as I looked around at everyone who was still fighting their hardest.
Death.
How long until I have until then? I forced myself to see it again, gasping as I got out of it, fear starting to overtake me.
Death.
"Wh-what the hell did I just witness?"
Death.
Aether frowned before looking at me. "What did you see?"
Death.
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to answer. "It's a big attack, on a completely different level from all the other ones."
Death.
C'mon, there has to be a way to beat that, right? A way for us to win? I closed my eyes, forcing myself to see over and over again.
Death.
"N-no way…" I collapsed to my knees, unable to see a way of victory.
Death.
Aether clicked his tongue before sighing. "Well, it looks like you peasants are dead."
Death.
Overwhelming strength, absurd abilities, what one would call in this instance, an instant-wipe.
Death.
I continued to see, over and over again, the absurdity of it all, something completely out of my calculations, my planning.
Death.
In the end, it might be more fitting to call it, an instant-death.
Death, Death, Death, DeathDeathDeathDeathDeathDeathDeathDeathDeath.
DEATH!
No, get a grip Lachesis! I clutched my shirt, my legs unable to move, but still looking towards the battlefield. I need to tell them, so they'll at least know what to expect.
DEATH!
"Guys, a bit attack is coming!" I managed to yell out, catching everyone's attention.
DEATH!
"You have a plan?" Erebus said, appearing next to me before scowling. "What's wrong, is it that bad?"
DEATH!
"We can't beat the attack, no matter how hard many times I see it," I said, looking at Iapetus, who was occupied with Nyx, Hemera, and Eros. "We're gonna die if he pulls it off."
DEATH!
"Then, we just gotta beat him before that happens, right?" Erebus asked, gripping his sword tighter, the darkness around his katana changing shape once more to form a rapier.
DEATH!
"Yes, so please, kick his ass before we die!" I yelled out, watching Erebus rush towards Iapetus.
"SHADOW JABS!"
He thrusted his rapier, racking up so many consecutive hits as Iapetus blocked it with his metal spear, still only using one hand.
"PASSION'S RUSH!"
Eros managed to slam into Iapetus' side with all his might, which Iapetus blocked with his free hand before throwing him aside like a ragdoll into the wall.
"DAYBREAK!"
Right as Iapetus threw Eros, still dealing with Erebus' attack, Hemera come from the other side, reeling both her fists, her gauntlets glowing a bright red before she slammed into him, causing a bright burst of day to blind us all.
And then.
"Pathetic!"
"Shadow Dodge!"
Erebus grabbed Hemera and dodged away from Iapetus, who was just about to swat her away with his spear.
"And here I thought you would've brought formidable entertainment! But I guess this was always the outcome!"
Iapetus started to twirl his spear around, sending off blasts of wind as he performed such a simple act, using two hands to do so.
"IF THIS IS THE BEST A FAKE FAMILY CAN DO, I HAVE NO NEED TO SEE YOUR RESOLVE ANY LONGER! THE KEY DOES NOT NEED TRIVIAL THINGS, WHEN ALL HE NEEDS IS HIS ONE AND ONLY FAMILY!"
Iapetus gave us a grin that showcased all his teeth, cackling with laughter. "IT WAS FUN, I HAVEN'T HAD THAT MUCH FUN IN OVER 2 THOUSAND YEARS! BUT!"
He let his spear go flying into the air before voicing out his intent:
"I GROW BORED OF THIS FIGHT, NELNEHAT'S!"
He slammed the spear down, the tip plunging itself into the dirt, the beginning of our end fast approaching.
DEATH!
"We're fucked," I said before letting out a weak laugh. "We weren't able to stop it."
DEATH!"
The ground started to rumble all around us, causing everyone to jump back towards me before they lost their footing, gritting at Iapetus.
DEATH!
"Do you have a plan? I'd really not die today, I have new lost lambs I must take care of~," Eros said with the utmost seriousness.
DEATH!
"Damnit, if only Pandora could get done already!" I yelled out, glaring at the girl whose hair had stopped glowing orange and reverted to it's purple underneath the moonless night sky.
DEATH!
"NOW COME FORTH MOTHER, AND LAY WASTE TO THIS WANNABE FAMILY!"
DEATH!
The ground all around us started to crack and fissure, as a monstrous roar bellowed from deep below the ground, causing everyone to hold their ears to block it out.
DEATH!
"NOW DIE-!
"Disappear."
And just like that, the ground returned to normal, the earthquake had vanished, and all that was left was a red-faced Iapetus who had outstretched his arms.
"Huh?"
We were all stunned as we all looked towards our one and only King, who was still restrained in his chair. Pandora had a shocked look on her face before she quickly went behind King, nodding to herself as if resolving herself once more.
"Disappear."
The restraints vanished around him, and King finally lifted his head, his hair covering his eyes and face as he slowly stood up.
"H-he's free," Nyx said, and we could only watch as King finally looked up towards Iapetus.
"Ah, this must've been that bitch's fault. Well, it's no matter, seeing that you're awake and well Key!" Iapetus started to examine him carefully, putting his hands on King's face.
"Oh, it looks like you've prepared yourself well! You can finally bring them back to us for our glorious family reunion!"
"I can't."
"… I'm sorry, I must've been mistaken. Of course you can, you're the Key!"
"I can't."
Iapetus let go of King's face as he glared at him. "You can. You're the Key, the one we've been waiting on for oh so very long indeed. My family and I haven't waited this long just to say, 'you can't' do it!"
"I can't."
Iapetus started to growl. "Of course you can! If you can't, then that makes you useless trash, right?"
"I might very well indeed be the scum of the planet," King said, holding eye contact with the towering Iapetus. "However, I can't do what I can't do. After all, this so call family reunion of yours, it can't happen, since they're dead; my family, and yours."
Huh? I looked between my friends, who seemed equally as shocked from King's words. And we weren't the only ones as well.
"Heehee."
Iapetus let out a giggle before covering his mouth. However, it was unable to stop torrent of laughter starting to emanate from him.
"He, hehehehe, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Iapetus started to laugh uncontrollably, but still King looked him dead in the eye, unwavering in his gaze.
"WHAT ABSURD FUCKING BULLSHIT!"
"THAT'S THE BEST YOU CAN DO!? YOU KILLED THEM!? WHY ARE LYING TO YOURSELF, I KNOW YOU'RE THE ONE, SO WHY!?"
"I can't bring them back, because they're all dead dumbass."
"OOOHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Iapetus screeched with agony as he held himself tightly, starting to arch his back down until his head touched the floor.
"WHAT AGONY, WHAT PAIN, IS THIS ALL FAMILY MEANT TO YOU!? FAMILY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO A MAN, SO WHY MUST YOU INSIST ON DENYING ME MY FAMILY REUNION!?"
"Because, you blatantly say it's 'our' family reunion, when very clearly you just said 'my' family reunion. Or did I just mishear your yelling just now?"
Iapetus shot back up, leaning into King's face, who hadn't moved since the moment he stood up.
"YES, IT'S MY FAMILY REUNION JUST AS MUCH AS IT IS YOURS! SO BRING THEM BACK ALREADY YOU USELESS FUCKING BASTARD!"
"I already told you," King started, slamming his head into Iapetus, blood starting to drip down both their heads, "that they're dead. So, fuck off already."
"Haaah," Iapetus let out before looking directly at me.
"She dies first."
"Pierce."
"Disappear."
Just as the dirt spear was about to impale me, it vanished, not even leaving a speck of dirt on me.
"You, do you really wish to get in my way!?" Iapetus roared out into King's unflinching face.
"Hey, I'm a murderer for killing my family and dear Captain, right?"
"LIKE I SAID, YOU FUCKING LIAR, WHY MUST YOU CONTINUE TO DELUDE YOURSELF!"
"Yeah, I really am a murderer," King said to himself, and a giggle came out of his mouth before he started to smile.
"I killed them. My twin brother, my mother, my father, my uncles and aunts, my cousins, my grandparents and great-grandparents, my dear friend captain, I killed them without remorse, without feeling a damn thing."
King started to laugh as a wide smile appeared on his face. "If I'm a murderer, then that means it doesn't matter what the hell I do to you, right? Especially to someone I cared for so deeply, I killed them in cold blood!"
And for the first time, I was able to see King's eyes, his black eyes that sucked in everything it saw without remorse, without reason, without a care in the world.
"So, I'm gonna kill you."
"PIERCE!"
"Disappear."
Iapetus' attack vanished before it could ever reach King, as Iapetus stood up straight, towering over King.
"Fine then, if I have to beat some sense into you, so be it. But I'll keep you alive so you can watch those friends of yours die!"
King stopped laughing, freezing in place at his words.
"… kill… bastard…"
"Huh? Too frightened to speak?"
"I'LL KILL YOU, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" King roared out, sending fear coursing through us all as his eyes sucked in the piercing gaze that his opponent was giving him.
"PIERCE!"
"Disappear."
"PIERCE!"
"Disappear."
"PIERCE!"
"Disappear."
"PIERCE!"
"Disappear."
"PIERCE!"
"Disappear."
"PIERCE!"
"Disappear."
"PIERCE!"
"Disappear."
"PIERCE!"
"Disappear."
"PIERCE!"
"Disappear."
No matter how many times Iapetus sent out his spears of metal and dirt, nothing could touch King as one shouted and the other simply spoke their respective words.
Iapetus the Piercer.
Depra the Disappearer.
We could only watch as their battle commenced, none of Iapetus' attacks ever reaching Depra, until…
"What might you go by, Key?" Iapetus suddenly said, stopping his vicious onslaught.
"Depra. The Depra King." Depra said simply.
"I see, you truly are a formidable opponent. You must be the leader of these NELNEHAT's, correct?"
"I'm their King, what about it?"
Iapetus thought for a moment before a grin arose on his face. "How excellent! Who would've thought I would've seen the day I face off against all the-!"
Iapetus got cut off as his metallic spear he was holding vanished, and Depra glared at him, baring his teeth as he talked.
"Is all you do speak? It's annoying. I have no intentions of holding a conversation with a dead man."
"How rude, I just wanted-!"
"Who the hell said you could speak again?"
His left hand disappeared off of Iapetus, and he looked between it and Depra, watching the blood pour out before he started to cackle with laughter.
"What an intriguing Key indeed! I have never met such an opponent!"
"Shut up and kneel."
Another body part, this time his entire right leg, disappeared, and he fell to one knee, still holding eye contact with his opponent.
"Never before, not even the Key of old would dare do this! How exceedingly wonderful indeed!"
"Die."
His left arm vanished, and copious amounts of blood were pouring out of Iapetus' body, and still he looked at Depra, a wide grin on his face.
"I see, so that's what you're doing!"
"Die."
His left leg now, and he started to laugh maniacally as he started to lose all his limbs.
"What gloriousness indeed Key! How wonderful, I commend you indeed!"
"Die."
Now just a limbless body, Iapetus was still upright, still laughing as he continued to lose more blood.
"TAKING ME TO MY OWN FAMILY IS NOTHING SHORT OF GENIUS! MAY WE ONE DAY MEET AGAIN-!"
"Die."
The place where his heart was meant to be vanished, and he coughed up blood as he still continued to laugh, forever holding eye contact with Depra.
"WE SHALL MEET AGAIN, DEPRA KING!"
"Die."
And he finally vanished for good, and with him all the blood that had stained the dirt, leaving Depra standing there before he spat where Iapetus was at.
"Crazy about family till the bitter damn end," Depra said before turning to the seven of us, the six of us still conscious looking at the entire one-sided battle in horror.
"You're a bunch of idiots you know that?" Depra said, starting to make his towards us. "I never asked you to come here in the first place, yet you still showed up and almost died because of it. How fucking stupid can you be!?"
We all stood back up as Depra gritted his teeth, rushing towards us as we could feel the waves of anger flowing off him.
"I didn't need any help; you must've at least realized that much!" We tensed up as he finally reached us, wrapping us in a giant bear hug.
"You idiots, what the hell would I have done if you guys died? I care way too much about you to just let you die like that!"
We were stunned as the tears that could never fall filled his eyes, looking between all of us.
"You, you're my precious friends! Like hell I wanted you to come and get yourselves hurt over me!"
"K-King!" Hemera wailed out, tears flooding down her face as she hugged him back tightly. "But we couldn't leave you alone, that was never an option!"
"You must still be an idiot if you think that," Nyx muttered before going in for a hug as well, sniffing as tears rolled down her face. "We're the type to not leave you alone, even when you're at your lowest."
"As someone of the same caliber as me, it would be obvious that you wouldn't die from this," Aether said, pulling his baseball cap down to cover his face. "But, I still had a profound debt to pay to you, that I have only just started to pay back. Of course I have to make sure that you're not dead."
"As if I would leave you alone to fight King," Erebus said, taking off his Kabuto to reveal a wicked grin on his face. "After all, you and I made a promise to fight together, didn't we?"
"And you still have much to learn in the way of love if you think we would ever leave one of our own to get kidnapped without even fighting back, dear King~," Eros purred out, wiping away one of Depra's tears from his eyes.
I let out a sigh of relief as I leaned back against the wall, looking up towards the moonless night sky. Only one part left of this plan to go…
"Lachesis? What's wrong?" I looked back towards Depra before giving him a smile.
"Nothing, I just love it when my plans work out so well," I said, giving him a hug before looking him over.
His cheeks were slightly red, probably from slapping, and it looked as if the restraints had left their mark, probably from when he struggled to get out, but other than that, he looks good.
"What do you mean by that? You planned all this?" Depra asked, and Hemera nodded, grinning at him.
"Yep, she's been planning for this day for almost 7 years now you know! Ever since the day you lost the memories of us, she's been working the hardest!"
He looked between Hemera and I, a stunned look on his face. "For that long?"
I nodded. "Yes, everything I've done over the past 7 years, especially the last 4, were all for this day, when you were supposed to destroy the world."
"Oh, I was meant to do that? Huh, that sounds intriguing, what happened for me to go that far?" Depra asked, frowning to himself.
"Now that I think about it, Lachesis never told us either," Nyx said, wiping away her tears before looking at me.
"Oh, I died thanks to Iapetus, and you snapped and caused everything to disappear, effectively destroying the world."
Depra started to laugh to himself, shaking his head. "Wow, I almost became the man who single-handedly killed everyone on the face of the planet. I guess I better be more careful in the future then huh? Although, something you just said bothers me."
"Uh, what?"
"You died, which caused me to end the world, right? So, which did you wanna save? Yourself, or me?"
I scowled at his question. "Uh, duh, to save you and the world. Me not dying was a plus in the grand scheme of things."
"Liar."
I tensed up at his words as everyone backed away from Depra, whose eyes that sucked in everything glared at me.
"It was for yourself, wasn't it?"
"Wh-What the hell are talking about!? It was all for you, every decision I made was meant to reach this happy conclusion, I promise you that!"
"So, to hurt me that much last year, that was all for my sake as well?" I took a step back, running into the wall behind me as Depra started to close the gap, his eyes taking away everything it put its sights on.
"The humiliating rejection, turning the entire school against me, nearly getting me expelled, all of it was for my sake?"
I could feel the anger welling up inside him, but I stood my ground, staring him dead in the eyes.
"Yes, everything. Even if you had to get hurt tremendously, it was all worth it for this day, wasn't it!?"
He slammed his hand against the wall, leaning in close, his eyes continuing to suck away everything.
"Including the Ass, he was a part of this grand plan as well? You're telling me you're proud of how much hurt you've caused me, all for the sake of this one moment?"
"For the sake of our future, it was absolutely necessary!" I yelled out, unfaltering in my resolve. "I couldn't be the one to save you, it had to be Pandora, and the only way you would've ever have gotten close to her is if I pushed you back enough so you wouldn't need me anymore! But now it's different, you no longer have a need for her, so we can both attain happiness together!"
It was all necessary for the future, for us, because I cared so much about him, because I didn't want him to hurt himself again, because I didn't want him to create yet another regret he would not be able to undo…
"All of it, was for you!"
"All that pain you caused me, the hell you put me through, and you think you can just waltz back in, as if nothing ever happened, using the excuse it was all 'for my sake,' so it must be okay."
Depra leaned in closer, whispering into my ear now. "All you wanted to do was save yourself."
"Y-you're wrong. I-it really was for-!"
"Maybe I should make you disappear as well, for the pain you've caused me."
I felt fear, the same fear I had just felt from Iapetus surge forth, as Depra blinked, his hair hiding his eyes from me once more as he took a couple steps back.
"Ah, I almost forgot! I have something I've been meaning to tell you! It's about the lists about people I love, I put you on one as well!"
I took a shaky breath as I watched Depra return to normal, pulling a well-worn piece of paper out of his pocket.
"I've been struggling to find the right time to tell you this, but I guess this is a good a time as any."
I watched Depra clear his throat before a wide smile appeared on his face.
"I love you, dear Lachesis!" He nodded to himself, as if encouraging himself for the job well done. "Anyway, I love you dear Lachesis. You were indeed, the hardest one to write about my feelings. I've known you for basically my whole life, and I care about you like one would with family. But, you were also my dear childhood friend, only us two of our original trio, which makes you an important friend of mine!
"It doesn't mean you went to the Pinkie Love category, however, since there was something bothering me about our relationship for the longest time now. I remember as a kid I would get embarrassed when you hugged me, or whenever you comforted me after I killed my family, I felt so warm and fuzzy, and it honestly felt as if I could do anything so long as I was with you.
"But it changed when you absolutely humiliated me that day and tore our relationship apart with your own two hands, looking as if you enjoyed it so much! It caused my little heart to shatter completely, and whenever you would try to comfort me afterwards, it would cause me to descend back into that hell they would drag me too.
"So, after much pondering that night, when I was coming up with those lists, a realization dawned onto me: you were the first girl I ever loved! And yes, I loved those three girls who tried their hardest to rescue me tonight, but I loved you in a different way from them, seeing as you were the first and all!"
Depra threw the paper up in the air, a wide smile accompanying his dead eyes that sucked in everything that it saw before continuing.
"So, you are my one and only First Love! First Friend Love, First Family Love, and, most importantly, my first Romantic Love!"
Everyone was stunned into silence from Depra's display, and I gritted my teeth as I managed to renew my resolve once more.
"If that's the case, then that can still be the case! I can be your First Love, and we can be happy together, because you too Depra, are my First Love!" I yelled out, my face flushing red as my heart pounded within my chest, silently awaiting his answer.
"And therein lies the issue, Lachesis," Depra said, sighing as he watched the paper slowly start to flutter down. "If that were truly the case, would you really have rejected me so harshly last year?"
"I already told you, it was all so you could meet Pandora! Everything, all of it was for you! SO WHY DON'T YOU GET IT!?" I yelled out, and Depra glared at me, causing me to stiffen up.
"You know, you don't actually care. This entire time you've been talking to me, you know you're the only one who's been calling me Depra instead of King?"
Eh? I watched the paper flutter down between our line of sight before disappearing before our very eyes.
"Yes, you are indeed my First Love Lachesis; however, that is all that'll you be to me. We no longer have anything to do with one another, and unless you wish to be like that paper just now," Depra said, his eyes starting to suck me in.
"I suggest you leave me the hell alone."
I fell to my knees, crushed beneath him as Depra started to walk towards the exit. "C'mon Pandora, we've gotta blow this joint!"
I watched him leave, hand and hand with Pandora, who was happily smiling all the while.
I gritted my teeth as I tried to see the future, her future, before looking at her in shock.
"How, how is that you can be with him, the way he is now? And why is it, that I can't see your future either!?"
Pandora shrugged, a sly smile on her face. "That's because, I have no future, and Depra is the one I need the most in this world to make sure of that." She waved me a merry goodbye before leaving through one of the many holes within the building.
"Man, I knew this shit was gonna happen, but you never listen, do you Lachesis?"
I growled as I turned to the third person's future who I couldn't see, the boy who proclaimed himself as Hiro. He leapt down from the roof and started to make his way towards me, whistling to himself.
"Damn, you guys are actually really strong. Glad it worked out for you six anyway, well, besides, Necessitas I mean." Hiro stopped in front of me and sighed before looking at the others.
"Hey, you guys should leave with Depra. Lachesis and I need a little chat," Hiro said, smiling at me.
"Will King really be alright?" Erebus murmured, and Hiro slapped him on the back.
"You guys still owe him right? You guys said you would follow this guy to the end of the world during one of our conversations, so hurry it up and go. Depra still needs you guys you know. I don't know what exactly happened here, but all I know is you should support his decision. Now go."
Erebus nodded, looking back towards the battlefield that was one Clymene Corps warehouses and grabbed the unconscious Necessitas.
"You did well, my Dark Empress." He turned to the others before nodding.
"Shadow Step."
And then they were gone, vanishing into darkness to go follow their King.