Paris; the home of the fallen savior of humanity, the Requiem Reaper. Those who gifted the Fallen that title believed that he was the personification of Death given name and form to save humanity from themselves. Maybe it was true, but no one would ever know the truth as the causes of August Rivera's demise would remain unknown for now. When that revelation would come forth into the public's eyes, no one knew- though, there was the main factor that the mass media knew as fact in the case of August's demise. He had allies that aided him in the journey to prevent the Earth from certain destruction- his sisters; Emma and Genesis Rivera. His cousin; Mei Rivera. His rival and best friend; Detective Azazel Karlo. And his brothers in arms; Matthew Johnson and Beau Edmund. Swatting lone strands out of his lengthy mop of light brunet curls, the son of the Chariot, the Strength, fell to his knees in the streets of France's capital. Fingers morphing to a tanned color then back to his normal pale white, Edmund chortled at this sight- snapping his head back in agony. Whispering briefly,
"No. That's not..."
Widening his eyes, a sadistic smirk that would usually belong on Karlo's lips spread against his face, teeth revealing as the rows gritted against one another. Creating unnatural audio that sent shivers down Edmund's spine. Cackling like a psychopath, the echoes of his laughter bounced from the walls his mind was encased within, reeling those who were truly the scum of the Earth toward him.
"You're Edmund, aren't you... you helped that Rivera kid kill Dr. Kuno, didn't you?"
Inquired of him, the Strength's muscles vibrated as his crimson aura brightened and then resid into the depths of his soul. Tips of extremities digging into the center of his palm, Edmund cracked his neck back- ruby pupils illuminated by the darkness of the night. A sinister grin plastered like paint decorating walls, the Strength questioned with a cracking voice trying its best to break out gradually,
"What is... your purpose?"
Pupils broadening and shrinking, the first Subject of Kuno had fingers dig into each side of his head. Mostly the tips of his right palm's fingers burning away the skin that protected the second layer, Beau's expression had switched from psychotic and bloodthirsty to emotionless and apathetic. Strands of lone curls shadowing the radiating bloodied pupils he wielded in the center of his eyeballs, Edmund ripped off the peak of this man's head. Destroying the hide of a skull to grip the squishing exterior of a brain, the Strength's foot swiftly entered the chest of the thug to the right. Extending out his body heat to an exponential degree, Beau's head cracked to the left- dropping his duo of comrades, the final Subject was stunned once more at the man's sudden disappearance. Raising his palm that shined with the heat of a flowing stream of magma, fingers clasped together as if attached by tape that stuck these extremities. Like a blade slicing through flesh, the Strength's hand-cut through the heart of this thug- though the flames that sparked his hand to cut through this man's flesh and blood had ceased like a fire washing out. Hunching over so he could whisper into the ear of this singular throw-away minion, the words he spewed that'd flown and entered the brain of this Subject led to him using his final words as something- utterly useless,
"You're..."
SQUISHHH! Intestines separating from the flesh, bones snapping as they removed themselves from the formerly attached anatomy- the Strength scoffed in annoyance. Shedding himself of the red jacket he'd dawned, he kept it over his arm as he strutted away from the crime scene, muttering under his breath with a brief sadistic laugh,
"Useless creatures... beneath me,"
In the center of the city, there laid the Academy, built upon this rock- the monument was built to praise humanity's savior pierced the transparent clouds. Fragment snapping upward so it'd be straightened above the palm of the Fool Detective, the Key's broken piece destroyed the air around it to attach itself to the put-together Key. All fragments in one place, this ancient relic levitated amid the Emperor's palms- to which he held an emotionless look as he gazed upon the artifact. Bound by the chains of fate, he threw it over to his father beside him, the weapon gliding across the air- the Chariot's adopted son came sprinting in through the entrance. Tumbling over the bump at the front doors, Edmund's parted lips closed once more as his rows of teeth met one another- about to fall over. Mei reached out to halt his continuous movement, catching him before the man could fall as the supposedly more mature Abby laughed at his tripping. A sharp sting came into contact with the rear of her head, rustling around her bunned-up brunette strands- Madi gave a dirty look to her old friend as the Strength's father appeared from behind them. Henry ignored her, embracing his son, Edmund squirmed in the usual offspring-like annoyance before complying and giving his father a reluctant embrace. Watching from the side, Karlo's eyes darted to the side- all of these people with their relatives- the Triplets with their father, the Chariot, and Strength, the duo of Magicians, the Empress with her Fortune and grown Sun. Jason with his daughters, and the Emperor with his... daughters. If only he had someone to connect with, someone of his blood beside the blonde Priestess to his left with her hand feeling the fabric of his bright brunet-tinted jacket. There had to be someone he could share everything with, the truth of his lineage that he'd learned from his foster mother.
"Finally, with this, we'll finally be free of that hellish past... for 40 years now, this thing has tormented our lives,"
Stated Miller in the back, admiring the sight of the Key in the center of Uraku's fingers that shivered from its destructive radiation that pierced the tips of his extremities. Though it stung for a moment, The Guardian held no reaction to the quick sense of pain traveling throughout his mortal form. Just a look of sympathy for the brother he'd lost eons before this event, the way his very Father had locked the boy away confused with hatred and consumed with malice... Morningstar. His soul lying dormant in the depths of the Underground Dimension, the signature magenta aura that emanated from Uraku's bloodline called out to that which lay below. Though monsters with the souls damned to this place bowed to him by force, Lucifer slouched on the throne with the brother of this form at his side. Whispers of an ally he'd believed to be his relative echoing out to his brain, Morningstar popped up from the signature evil slouch. Whispering out to that which he'd lost so long ago...
"Uraku..."
Meanwhile, though the former Jäger der Gerechtigkeit and Empress of the Stars were puzzled by their distant father's apparent message to those who lay in the depths; their brother held no qualms. He hadn't even noticed, as his vision had been apathetically directed to the mat beneath the soles of his shoes. With that, the Temple's Watcher's lids that enclosed his purple pupils reopened, Uraku's eyes gazing upon this unnatural residue from another time...
"It will be safe with my Father; however, I am currently channeling my entire being into keeping this relic safe as this is harnessing the depths of Archangel energy to combat my attempts. Someone should accompany me, should this hellish energy escape-"
"Edmund, go; punishment for being late,"
At that demand, Miller and Colon were stunned, the latter of the two about to step up and object to his Elden comrade. Edmund, frightened of what would happen should the Headmaster and his father converge with their collective powers- decided to cut in the middle pushing his dad back boiling hotter than Yellowstone's supervolcano.
"Alright, alright, I'll go. No need for anyone to get all antsy or whatever,"
The duo of the Guardian and Strength warped away to above the clouds into the Heavens, with the Emperor having duties to attend to, he yanked his daughters by the arm signaling for her to stay in the office while everyone else left. Everyone poured out the location, Artemis passing by everyone and accidentally shoulder checking Henry- the Chariot chuckled as he spotted the Android. The Protectors pulled the AI along so they could join her to celebrate at Mei's bakery, to which Artie protested with a playful smile and chuckle,
"Ahaha, I'll join everyone in just a moment; I must inform my creator of their arrival,"
Everyone went on without her as the pink-eyed AI awaited her turn to spew inside as Cecilia, the wife of her creator, passed with the metal doors to the office enclosing. Chambers locking the daughters and wife of the Emperor within, five minutes would pass before Rivera would exit without his wife and daughters. Likely having been ported to his Penthouse should any battle occur while his father was transporting the Key to the Author, Rivera took a breath of fresh air, inaudible whispering a phrase to himself quietly.
"Sir-"
Abruptly intruding the Requiem's fleeting time of peace, Artemis gifted her resurrector of the information she'd been meaning to gift to him, the man quirking a brow at the end of this statement,
"The kids have arrived,"
Barging through the front door, Rosa rose her arms to the sky crying out to the teachers in the education center, friends behind her holding their cases they'd brought to their vacation's location,
"WE'RE BACK, BITCHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Pushing past her so he can stand in front of her, Whitney greeted the Detective and Headmaster heading their way. The remainder of everyone else normal as Thomas pouted, Lynn pushing the bags against Rosalyn's chest so she could throw everything into their dorms. Azazel crossed his arms over his chest while the Headmaster towered over the pints, shadow masking the group's mixed skin tones. Karlo held the usual unimpressed expression over his lips with a frown as he glared at the teenagers, however, a glance from Rose who'd been attempting to sneak off- caused him to smile. Reminding him of a time he'd lost so long ago of another idiot he'd grown to love, Azazel took a blind eye as she ran with a boost from a sonic wave throwing her forward. The remnants of that group, excluding Thomas, smiled at the information gifted to them by the top of the Academy's hierarchy,
"Welcome back to the Academy. Now that all of you have arrived, I must thank you so much for your retrieval of the final fragment of the Key. Thanks to you; the decades of suffering and hatred are over. All that's left is to locate Ringleader Lynn and we'll have been done with this whole ordeal; and my son's memory can finally rest,"
With that closure, everyone went on with their normal lives, Karlo's phone buzzing as he received an alert for a case he'd been asked to work on and investigate. Coin swirling around his knuckles, Ed nodded to the Headmaster who gave all the kids grateful pats on the head as they all went off to meet with Rose in one of the dorms. Their heights almost matching, the former Crow's hand descended as he shoved his device into his pocket, the duo of partners gazing out at the sky while the sun set below the horizon. With the sight of fiery orange mixing with a bright sort of pinkish-purple, Karlo's blackened strands moved in the chilly summer night. Rivera's chest moved downward as he finished his inhalation of the wonderful fresh air, no longer polluted as Ben took his son's sacrifice to his heart; this was all for him. A smile attempted to break through and stood there as the Emperor inquired of the Detective a question he'd been meaning to ask. About a topic he'd been having theories about for almost two months now, the date being June 25th, Ben asked,
"Why'd you go to Rosalyn first, Azazel? We both knew the dangers of allowing Alex to go unchecked any longer. Was it the police report or something else?"
The rival of the Reaper had no direct answer to that question as he was stunned, rubbing his temples with the middle and pointer fingers of his main hand. The Detective groaned at this inquest, Headmaster reaching out to grab his anatomy before he could collapse- yelling out momentarily,
"Karlo!"
With a worried tone of voice, Rivera caught the man and carefully lifted him into his arms, catching his cellular device from the insides of his pouches. Carrying him as the young man carried his son to the medbay, the Requiem Emperor examined the report with a calm expression, the shadows engulfing him in their darkness- the siblings of the Headmaster were given a text. A location for when to meet him, Madi and Jason walked side by side as the older one of the duo lit a cigar- the duo disappearing into their respective colors. To investigate a crime, what nostalgic memories this would bring back from out of their hidden shell.
Washing the purple out of his hair, Myers' fingers slid through his locks as Lynn stepped back so he could revel in how beautiful his hair looked now being split down the middle. Hands against the right and left of the sink, the dye sunk to the depths as it dumped to the sewers beneath his feet. The Sun pushed the brush against her cheek, the wood exterior pressing against her skin as she pushed out oxygen so it'd enter his left cheek and enlarge it. Whitney quirked a brow impatiently, demanding roughly of the sunny-eyed teenage girl,
"Stop gawking like a senseless prick and tell me how it looks already,"
Startled as she was snapped out of her daze, the glare the boy was directing at her subtly from the reflective surface he was in front of had brought her to meet his demand. Though she parted her lips to speak out and give her opinion, that very same compliance caused her eyes to widen- tumbling over her words. Visions of the past, of memory she'd been wanting to forget revealed themselves- that time when she remained comatose. From the very beginning, as her consciousness was slammed against the concrete and he towered over her anatomy- Superior wielding Asmodeus close to her right cheek, she witnessed the truth. All this time, while she'd hated her father, wanting to escape his monstrous shadow that'd been engulfing her moment by moment; blocking out the sun, there was a slimmer of hope. A spark convinced the young girl that she was truly being controlled, but as it turns out, the Ringleader had made it his choice to destroy his family. From the moment she was born to her beloved mother, she would have been groomed to be the bane of humanity's destruction for the will of the Demons and the fallen Doctor Kuno. But, she couldn't let that stop her, Sunni Lynn would ensure her family name was put to good use. No longer would she be a slave to her father's last wishes, Sunni Lynn would never comply. Not so easily, anyway.
"I-"
"Good job,"
Muttered Whitney, though it was a bit quiet, it had enough bass added to it that Lynn could make out what he'd said and decided to simply step forward so he could finish his sentence. He didn't need her opinion, so, as he snapped his head upward and gazed into his violet pupils that radiated with the darkness of the shadows- he spoke,
"You managed to accept yourself and become better, throw away whatever hope you had left for your father. No path left but the one that lies beyond; and he chose his... he made his path, of his own volition. Took your ass long enough, huh? Slaving away because of someone else, no matter who they are and what they are to you, it's entirely pointless,"
She wondered about what he'd seen with his time there, trapped within the intricacies of his complex mind; the girl could never configure any thoughts on what he was thinking. Without anyone else in the vicinity, Whitney pushed her to the side so her rear would hit the wall for a brief point. Unwavering, she followed him as he informed her of his intense ideology,
"I must say, I'm glad you managed to break free of the bonds you were chained to. You have a ways to go, but you're close to being free. Closer than anyone else besides Am-Alex. What did I see? It was simple, as expected, that motherfucking demon didn't show me anything I didn't know. He just slammed it into my skull with a hammer, my bastards of parents decided to become slaves and give up their freedom for power. To be... secure in the arms of such hellish creatures that don't even deserve a verb to describe them. Do you ask what makes you special? Nothing does, no one is special because everyone is. Because-
We were born into this world. It only matters what we do with that freedom that matters. Stay the way you are, don't let anyone waver you from the present; look to the future. Stay free of those chains, stay free from the Void, stay... stay free. Because there is nothing I hate more- than a slave,"
And with that final tidbit, Whitney had finished, before his arm was gripped by the girl he'd been talking to. There was no blush or sense of appreciation that she gave the boy, as he was expecting of such a primitive creature. Instead, she tilted her head upward so their eyes would meet and create contact. A worried look on her face, Myers' pupils shrunk with the eyeballs widening at the inquiry,
"Are you free, Whitney? Really... truly free?"
It was clear from his shocked expression and the way he gritted his teeth as he stared at her face, brow-raising with another tilt of her skull covered by skin and flesh. Throwing her arm away so it'd hit the wall, Myers continued his descent downwards as another shadow gateway wrapped around his ankles. Lynn rubbed her wrist, letting out a gentle sigh- one foot pushing against the carpet and pressuring against the silky material. Brushing the tip of her pointer against a straight lock over her breasts, she listened as Ed and Hazel cooked together- the sound of vomit entering a toilet's transparent liquid causing Lynn to cringe as the metal doors slid together. Curving around the corner, Sunni examined the duo of friends with Alex holding her hair back wincing in annoyance. Whispering under his breath,
"Maldita asquerosa,"
Rose grumbled, the boy to her rear aiding her as she slammed the back of her head against a wall, crimson hair sprawled out against it. Hands holding onto the sink so the sharpened edge wouldn't dig into her end, Lynn jumped up for a moment as she sat against it. Al crouched down and groaned out as he sat beside his childhood ally, the girl resting the peak of her head against his shoulder as the Sun inquired of her female comrade,
"Why the sudden puking? Did you wake up and first see Alex's new- {Alex: Shut your damn mouth, Lynn} Everything I see it, I want to take out my fuckin' eyes,"
Thomas gave out a softened laugh at that comment, though Amara snarled at their friend, he couldn't help but blow out some air from his nostrils as he heard his friend feel better; somewhat. Though he was curious as well, it seemed sudden, they were all just talking together before Eddie and Haze went to go cook for their little contest. But as an answer, something basic so everyone wouldn't have to worry about her, Rosalyn reassured calmly as she wiped her mouth of some excess fluids,
"Fine. Just the smell; I guess. Wasn't used to it. Lemme go find Whitney-"
Throwing herself up, the soft sort of worried expression Al and Sunni held for the girl only became more obvious as Rosa waved to them. The sliding of mechanical doors audible as she disappeared, Ed querked a brow, tapping Adams on the shoulder so she could continue for a moment without him. She'd left without saying a word? All of them agreed with a simple look at one another, though it was clear from the start; she was dealing with something far beyond herself.
Each step brought her closer to the truth as the Detective rubbed his throat, coughing out as the cup inched nearer to his lips. Sipping the chilled transparent liquid from her cupped hands, Azazel took the wielder of water for himself as he drank it with one hand. Shaking her head in annoyance at his stubborn nature, Blaire reprimanded her husband,
"You need to stop being such an independent brat, Az. Let me help you, you're not feeling well; you need to rest,"
Scoffing, he gulped down the fluids as they healed his throat gradually, sorting through the array of files against his lap as Blaire sat herself up to rest in his lap instead. Karlo made no sort of annoying audio that would throw itself from the interior of his throat, he just held this sort of soft puppy dog face as the man pushed his forehead into the rear of Blaire. Forcefully taking hold of his limbs, Rivera smiled as she dug through the files for him, but as she turned it to the side, revealing the papers that read the truth to her eyes. Brain shattering as she handed the journal Azazel had bought with his own money to her, the Detective searched through the insides with words pressed with ink slathered all over the paper. It read as follows, from the Fool's past consciousness,
"May 3rd, 2052. The commissioner told me to take the day off due to a mental breakdown I had earlier that day, nevertheless, I wanted to dedicate my life to locating Amara. I recruited four other teenage superhumans; Whitney, Sunni, Edward, Hazel... in the end, I met Rose last. Though there was a report, I was halfway to the house before deciding to... meet with Thomas? Why? Maybe something was pushing me forward, something more than just my duty as a Detective to find superhumans. Though, what? I should talk about this with August's dad,"
Certain families utilize psychic connections to communicate or find one another if they're lost, the original Rivera Triplets, the Second Generation that August used to reach out to his younger sister after Celine's death, and the third? Families were shattered, August had vanished away into the depths of Heaven while Ben, Jason, Madisyn, separated by the lives they'd have to take as they evolved into adulthood. Headmaster, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer. Yet, the Karlo family? Ryder's soul had disappeared into the Temple existing between the realm of known and unknown, Azazel had no other family in this universe to talk with, disregarding El as she wasn't blood-related to him.
"She..."
The Headmaster emerged from a momentary flash of azure light, taking a sip from the glass cupped in his extremities, the sting of the alcohol fluids sliding down his throat causing him to breath out freshly. Turning it over, he saw his reflection, sighing; the Emperor thought to himself, 'I look like Shadow...'
"You look like Shad. Nasty, disgusting, drinkin' alcohol, edgy for no reason,"
Madi couldn't help but openly giggle at the topic, pushing her fist against her lips to muffle her laughter as Ben shook his head at such a hypocritical statement. He was right about Shadow, but his brother's clothing that hid his muscled skin was all black. Leather jacket, military pants, the same type of boots, and a black long-sleeved shirt beneath the jacket. Along with a cigar between his fingers that held aerosol as it levitated above into the clouds, and sunglasses over his forehead, Jay just mirrored every single cliche that Ben had read when he was a kid in Wattpad stories. The youngest ones there seemed the most mature, as Ben just glanced to his sister and the duo shook his head silently judging their elder sibling,
"Fuck you both, I heard that shit,"
Patting his sister on the shoulder and pushing Jason so he'd focus on the topic at hand, the sunglasses-wearing former Justice gazed upon the mangled corpses beneath him. Madi just made a disgusted expression, seeing as how brutal the attacker had dealt with these common street thugs, Ben held no sense of emotion. Only curiosity as his watch peeled over his hands acting as a metal gauntlet, not to contaminate any evidence, he lifted the top half of one of their corpses. Jason knelt beside his brother, exhaling a cloud of smoke into Ben's face which led to him dropping the body, dried blood splattering from the inside. Magma rocks clattering out from the slice made by the perpetrator's attack, Madi widened her eyes as the pupils were engulfed by bright radiation,
"What the hell..?"
"Superhumans that can control magma can infuse their body with rocks that can superheat or match the temperature of lava... though, most of them shouldn't know how to use it this well,"
"Meaning the murderer must have known how to control their powers..."
The Empress finished her brother's sentence for her as one of the magma rocks levitated above to hover amongst her hand, checking it, the mineral was cut diagonally in the shape of a blade. Like the same thing Artemis could do with her hands, this was made into a sword that had injected itself into the lower half of the victim's sliced-off body. The rock had dropped from hovering above her palm, it had now landed perfectly onto the steel of the Ketsueki, Jason wielding the sheath in his left hand as the blade had stuck out. The tip against his sister's gut, Madi rose her eyebrow as her arms crossed over her chest,
"So, what you're both sayin' is, someone we know did this. And it wasn't Henry or his husband, both of them are too old to do something like this or have anyone possess them. It's simple. Beau's been possessed by someone, and we're about to have another disaster on our hands-"
Though this seemed to be a major revelation, none of them even reacted as they left the crime scene, instead, Madi took Jason's cigar as the siblings all walked down the sidewalk with one another. Examining the rock further, the scanner behind the lenses of the spectacles identified Jason's claim was the truth, though he'd supposed his brother was just guessing at whatever he'd said five minutes ago. There were traces of Edmund's specific way of heating his body's temperature hidden in this fragment; clearly, they couldn't hand Beau over to the police. They'd have to deal with the consequences themselves.
Laughter bellowed out from their dorm, the teenagers had chosen, specifically, Rose and a blue-haired girl's dorm to bunk in as the girl had been out for summer vacation while they all 'partied.' Alex shook his head in disbelief at the story told by his male friend as Whitney's back stretched over the table, taking a squishy ball in his hand that had acted as a sort of snack while Al, Ed, and Lynn conversated to his right. Faint sounds of the anime they were watching in the background echoing in the chambers of this location, Whitney was about to take a bite of this snack before noticing Hazel's reaction in the corner of his eye. Glancing at her momentarily, he threw it into his mouth as the meat squished out and hit his teeth, it was very warm and chewy- yet tasted amazing. The shell was the best part, as it melted in his mouth, his teeth continuously biting down on this snack- Whitney's eyes widened as he threw them all down his throat... though, it was to Alex's dismay. He'd used his telekinesis to reach out and try and grab another of the Klöße, though cried out in anger as he witnessed Whitney gag on all of the snacks with the Hermit helping him swallow the food with some water. All in all, a pretty chill day for the most part.
Though everyone was having fun, with Rose wandering the halls of the school searching for answers, Whitney was left perplexed. Lynn was free, so was Alex, Ed, and Hazel. Free of the chains of their past as they had others to help them and their own stronger selves to thank for their evolution. And him? Myers had been left clinging onto some sort of fading hope that his sister would come back for him, or his parents had been fighting back against the Superior's influence? No... they chose this path, they chose to kill the girl he'd loved; and she chose to abandon him when he needed her most. There was no path left except the one that remained, the one he needed to follow on his path to freedom- as he was no longer a slave tied down by human relations. He would be free, no matter what it takes. Though there was no doubt that his parents weren't the cause of this, should the demons and angels hadn't ever existed- this would never have happened. On that day, he would no longer be a slave to his past and become a warrior looking to the future as he had vowed to slaughter all remaining creatures in the multiverse that were; made of HELL.
This moment of brief calm was interrupted as the ground rumbled with intense pressure, floor cracking as the concrete split apart to reveal the molten depths. Moving one foot upward that stood against one of the stairs leading up to the entrance, the Triplets' hairs flowed in the wind as the sky parted and turned to red. Their auras revealing themselves, Ben stepped forward as Jason unveiled his katana once more, throwing the sheath to the side with Madi's fists glowing with intense purple radiation. Their father had failed. Blaire fell out of the bed as Azazel jumped out to help his wife, the woman banging her head against the metal floor; Rivera fell unconscious. He didn't need to worry about her, as Karlo carefully placed her onto one of the mattresses, chains emerging from the material-laced platform to his soles and locking her down so she wouldn't tumble with the rumble.
About to locate the kids, Rose stumbled into the medbay and threw herself into her arms as she stumbled and tripped over her feet from the shaking Earth. Warping forward thanks to his father's ability, he saved her from collapsing, Karlo holding the girl close to his chest as the Detective's lengthy and buffy arms encased her. Through the loud noises and sound that plagued the area, he managed to ask her with a boisterous voice,
"WHY DID YOU COME HERE?!"
To which she responded as she looked staring into his heterochromatic eyes- though it was an answer, Rosalyn answered a question with a question,
"WHY DID YOU SAVE ME?!"
A pentagram brought itself into reality as a gateway to Hell replaced the clouds, the Major Arcana finding shelter quickly as Azazel locked the door behind him to run outside. There he was, levitating downward with his demons in tow, the Superior's wings submerged into his back as he landed in front of his enemies. Holding up one finger, that being his pointer, the Devil counted,
"One. Two. Three,"
The Key cracked and snapped itself out from his bones, tearing off the fabric of his turtleneck that covered his esophagus, the Superior revealed the artifact's shape engraved in his neck. No way of getting it back now, there was only the path ahead. The Emperor, the Justice, and the Empress... they had to move forward.
"Four,"
The Emperor snarled in annoyance at the smug expression his other self held over his face, burning with 'Dark Determination', the Detective slid onto the concrete from inside as he stared at the Demon Prince's rear. Whispering a swear under his breath, "Fuckin' bastard," the Fool unsheathed his katana from his spat with the Reaper back then, making eye contact with Jason to the front of the Superior. The end had begun.
"Five. Now, let us begin!!!"
To Be Continued... in Chapter Nine!