"We were born into this world. It only matters what we do with the freedom that matters... because from the day we are born; we are all free,"
The Superior pounded into the concrete, debris emerging as it flew out from the impact his knuckles created once penetrating the platform. Smirking at his doppelganger's apathetic face as the Emperor leaped backward, the Devi rose his arm as the katana slash sliced through his flesh, a wing cracking out of his back as the Devil spun around. Scratching the features of the eldest Rivera's face marks manufactured as a result of the attack, then the Superior sticking out his foot as he dealt a blow from his soles to the center of Jason's chest. Which he easily blocked with the hardened steel of the Ketsueki blade, a grunt emerging from his mouth as some blood spat out from the inside of his mouth. Skidding across the platform, Madi just emerged from a Blanketed dimension in front of her older brother, directing a strengthened plasma-fueled fist at his chest. As she threw a barrage of blows, all charged punches with flesh-burning plasma coursing through her veins- The Superior's limbs swiftly moved as quick as her own. Lifting the soles his feet were covered in thanks to the boots beneath his legs, the Devil flew backward as he continuously blocked the quick attacks. Madi continuously moved forward, throwing more and more blows to overwhelm her opponent; as a fist emerging from a Blanketed reality came in contact with the Superior's left cheek. Shattering the cheekbone, thick audio emerged as a smaller part of the skeletal interior inside of Ben's other self snapped and cracked. Unzipping it as he extended out his limb out of the other realm, the Emperor rubbed his wrist as his brother jumped up behind him- splitting his deadly Ketsueki katana into duo blades. Snarling in anger, the Requiem vanished with the ticking of a clock echoing through time as he disappeared without a trace. Stumbling to the right of the concrete layer he was standing on, the Superior grunted out- gore spouting out from the right side of his lips. Fangs digging into the pinkish flesh on the outside of his skull, the Devilish creature cried out in anguish before a fist drove into the center of his chest. Blasting through the story of smooth clothing that added no sense of armor, Madi stared with hatred into the eyes of this so-called former 'human'. Throwing him to the left, the former Jäger der Gerechtigkeit drove his elbow into the chin of this villain so he could aim upward, soaring deeper into the eyes. Jason smirked, his sister gradually stepping to stand beside her sibling as she watched in admiration of his new strategy; after all, it'd been a hell of a while since all of them had fought together like this. The Superior attempted to break free of the invisible chain known as pain, though, it was impossible. As only more weapons squished their way into his blood and skin, digging into it, scratching through it, and creating an unnatural as metal met flesh. Daggers stung into every inch of his anatomy, thrown through the rear of this Devil then emerging out of his back again sticking through his spine to immobilize him. Emerging from an abrupt burst of crimson lightning that crackled and sparked with the intention of its former form; thunder. With that sound booming through the skies, the dagger obeyed the commands of his neurons, snapping back to the handles he'd gripped in his fists with the extremities tightening- the Ketsueki double blades were rebuilt. Slicing through his body with a clean-cut, Jason's feet skid across the ground as his jacket caught fire along with his boots. Blades sheathed, he flicked a cigar out of his pocket and watched as a stray spark lit the end, catching it in his mouth. Madi scoffed in annoyance, a memory passing by as she remembered a time when they were just kids- playing with the Gifts they'd received thanks to a freak accident in another Universe. Using his fingers to halt his movement, the tip of his extremity's skin skid off to reveal the epidermis by flesh with lines of the skeletal interior. Though it quickly healed as he chomped down on his hand, ingesting his blood, he licked the blood from his fangs and cackled.
All of a sudden, as the Demon Prince was destined to fall to the ground and splat normally; destiny intervened. Yelling out in annoyance at this other figure, the Superior was met by an immense measure of cuts that originated from the tips of fingers. All deep enough to slice an arm into pieces like a carrot, the Requiem Emperor popped out of a blur. Right leg in the air, left knee pointed toward the rear of this creature, he held his right hand above him- fingers all together radiating with ivory radiation. Growling like an animal, he screamed in a moment, the time halted around him,
"THIS IS HOW YOU PAY, DEMON!!!!!!!"
Diving through his now-destroyed corpse, the Superior had been sliced into pieces as he dropped to the floor- blood and gore splashing out as organs and intestines squished out from the insides of the False Prince. The Requiem Emperor wiped excess amounts of thick fluids originating from the insides of a 'human' from his suit as he descended beside his brother and sister, giving out a relieved sigh.
"You really fucked up that asshole, huh?"
Inquired Jason of his younger sibling, to which Ben just shook his head and knelt beside the parts of his former villainous doppelganger. Reforming the head, he gazed upon the esophagus with the engravement of the Key to Hell in it, before it turned to dust in his hand. Snowy curls flowing in the chilly wind accompanied by hellish flames in the sky, Ben's hair color returned to its normal coloration as he stood up straight, wiping the ash from his palms. Madisyn commenting with her hand on her hip,
"I doubt he's dead for good, though. Didn't Alex kill this guy before and now he's back again? Even when you took care of him back then, you knew you couldn't kill him... so why is it so easy now-?"
"Cuz he's letting himself be killed is why. Azazel told me of when he was pierced by the Key in 2037 when he was given it by the Demiurge, and he gained the power of universal travel. The one that tormented Alex might've been a mere illusion, though this was definitely real... doesn't matter, though. In the end, we'll always find a way to deal with such nuisances. We did it three decades a row, after all- or better yet, I did,"
This hopeful statement was something new for their brother; Jason and Madi had both widened their eyes as their relative turned his back to their pupils. Staring at the suit around his rear, the Emperor shed himself of the jacket scoffing as he muttered a phrase indistinctively under his breath. It was if he'd known... no, he'd seen something and was sure of their victory; more than ever before when a tragedy of this magnitude would befall the Earth.
"We need to find the others-"
"I'm coming with you!"
Interjected Azazel to the conversation between the three elders, all of them turning to him as Madi queried a brow and glowed with the determination to end this kin of the man she'd once loved. Stepping back, his hand rested on his sword as Ben's hand acted on its own, slapping his sister across the face so she didn't act out of turn. About to throw a punch back, Jason stepped in front of her- and as the Empress of Light was about to state something in a yelling tone; her elder sibling gave her a look. Just from that, she stood down, Karlo wielding a shocked expression, surprised the Headmaster had performed such a stunt. And to add to it, his face held no sense of emotion, eyes shadowed by the darkness of his curls from his mop of hair covering the peak of his skull hidden in flesh. Bouncing back from the daze, the Emperor held his head for a moment, as if a sharp pain was entering his temples- the Detective taking one step forward as if trying to join without permission,
"No... you are to be with those brats. The kids are the next generation if any of us are to fail, and it's wrong. If any of us should fall into this war, they are to take our place and eradicate the enemy,"
Everyone there hadn't believed what they'd just heard, as Ben pushed through his siblings, he hovered off the ground ascending into the clouds about to vanish before a chain cracked around his ankle. Originating from the wrist of the Detective, Azazel Karlo's anger burst in the form of his crimson aura which took on a more fiery red as he took another step forward as the Headmaster complied and began his descent once more from the clouds. With an apathetic frown instead of the smug smirk he'd held weeks ago, he looked down from his position above,
"What... did you just fucking say..?"
"You heard me, Karlo. Ensure they're trained and ready for the end, if any of my family or friends die, they're next,"
It was a rather quick response, not even one second had passed after that question had croaked out from the throat of the Detective had been answered. Without a hint of hesitation audible in the voice of this man, as the Emperor caught the appalled looks from his siblings to his left, he rubbed his beard listening to Karlo attempt to criticize him,
"THOSE KIDS... Those kids... respect and care for you more than anyone in the world. You took them in when no one could, as they were left out and outcast by this cruel world. Now, you suggest me to keep them safe; not because you care for your students, but so they can sacrifice their lives for some STUPID WAR THEY NEVER EVEN FUCKING WANTED TO BE A PART OF!!! You expect me to go along with this... Rivera?"
"You're wrong. They knew what they'd offer up as soon as they decided to accept our offer, not to mention the brats voluntarily snuck out to involve themselves heading to Lynn's house knowing her father was the Ringleader. I didn't ask for them to do that; I merely took an opportunity that presented itself, Ry-… Karlo. They chose this... this story began with me, after all. I INTEND TO END IT! We are all to devote our hearts until the end! That is our only destiny, Azazel Ryder Karlo,"
Spinning around, he vanished in bright azure radiation that engulfed him and his siblings, throwing them up on a sidewalk in New York City away from Azazel's field of vision. Jason and Madi stumbled out of the brief gateway that existed and destroyed itself in an array of mini-explosions, the Emperor sighing as he wiped the sweat away from his forehead. The former Justice sped over to his brother, catching the man before he could collapse as the Empress gazed at the stars visible in the darkened red of the sky. Inquiring of her younger brother in the arms of Jason Rivera,
"'We are to devote our hearts until the end?' What in the fuck do you mean 'we', first of all? For what are we supposed to throw away our lives for? For years, for half a fucking CENTURY...! What else is left besides the end... Ben?"
"Freedom, and justice. This story began with our mother, didn't it? When she had a fist driven through her chest; heart was destroyed by your very own doppelganger. There's someone above who told her to do that, I know He exists, He is the one who sent Kuno, who bore our father, our Grandfather. For half a decade, we've been trapped on this cage of a planet while there exists another world above the clouds... which I intend to find. And make Him pay for everything, no matter the cost,"
Jason and Madi held reservations of this ideology, the mention of their deceased mother bringing them to fall on their asses with Ben following shortly thereafter. He wasn't wrong, not in the slightest, He in the skies above was responsible for all of this; none of this should've ever happened to them. They should've never been cursed with such power, they were only human. What was the purpose of such wretched creations...?
"When Mom died, I couldn't understand. There had to be something I could've done to prevent it, maybe if I hadn't been so blinded by everything or happy about beating my other-self. I didn't... get it. Why did she have to die? Why did we have to live? What laid ahead in the future that God had us live..? Whenever... whenever it comes to taking back our freedom, or ensuring that justice is served, yes- strength flows me. Whoever said it, 'We are all soldiers chosen by fate'... I choose my own fate. And I am no longer... any... sort... of soldier,"
There exists no fate to push everyone forward; it was only the heart and will of every single human that led to them taking one step into the war that is their lives. Moving further so that they become stronger, Jason gazed at his feet and took another inhale from the smoke emitting from the butt of the cigar. A thunderclap echoed through the crimson skies covered by the thickened clouds, Madisyn rising as she towered over her brother's body as he sat there on the ground. Ripping up from his laid-back position, she gazed into her sibling's pupils, devoid of accountability as he just stared at her. Quirking a brow, he listened to what she'd have to say next,
"I devoted my heart to fleeing dawn, hoping it'd return and bring light to this cruel world. And now, at the nearing end of our journey, after sacrificing the chance to see my mother's name on a tombstone- or to visit our true childhood home, where is it? Where is the gift we deserve after dedicating our hearts to a never ending war that showed no signs of finishing shedding blood? Where the hell is Heaven... Ben?"
A painful silence lingered over this world, the skies filled with demons from another realm existing beneath that of which is known to humanity. Locating their next destination, they all remained stagnant at the sight of these creatures, back in the flesh flying past the clouds- Jason shaking his head with a petty scoff. The tip of a blade dancing around the tip of his pointer, gore dripping out as it manufactured a puddle of blood, the oldest Rivera thought back to 2013. Of the original Universe, they'd lived in for 24 years before it was erased by the Crawling Chaos, the final words of his mother that'd become the gas pushing him forward. 'Make me proud.'
"Right... that's right. This isn't our true home, is it? It isn't the same place where we could go sneak out together, where Ben would whisper and ask if it was okay to go out when Mom was sick. We've... we've been here too long for our good; no matter the relations we've made. The friends we've gathered. I must see her again, I must at least say my final goodbye before I perish. I'll devote my heart to anything; no matter what, as long as the outcome is our mother. I wish to return to the home we lost. That's all I care about now,"
Madi widened her eyes at this sort of driving force; that world had been cracked to pieces, drifting in space in another universe out of their control. That was impossible; wishing they could just see a grave for a short time before freezing up in the vastness in space, then her violet aura revealed itself as she clawed at her brown-turned-white locks. Screaming in frustration, the woman fell to her knees as her nails dug into her skull and reached further until they pierced her bones,
"THIS IS SO STUPID!!!!!! I can't... I can't go on... we left AN ENTIRE FUCKING PLANET TO DIE! TO PERISH, AND WE LIVED!!! FOR WHAT!? SO WE CAN BITTER AND DISCUSS OUR MOTIVES LIKE SOME CLICHE BOOK PROTAGONISTS?!!! FUCK THAT BULLSHIT!!! I can't... I can't ever see her again, no matter the chance we all might get. I'd... slaughter her right then and there without HESITATION!! We have to MOVE FORWARD! NO MATTER THE COST, WE CAN'T KEEP REMEMBERING THE PAST, USING IT AS AN EXCUSE SO WE CAN COMMIT MORE CRIMES! YOU STUPID PIECES OF SHIT NEED TO GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER OR I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU BOTH MYSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Ben stood there without a reaction to her crying out in childish anger, instead, he lifted his foot and kicked her upside the face so she'd fall back. The crimson thick fluids that'd flown out from her throat landing on her face, Jay catching her before she could crack her head open. Though there didn't seem to be any sense of anger or aggression in her face- she just... laid there, the back of her head in her brother's hand as he stared at her. The tears threatening to fall out of the corner of her eyes, the Emperor grunted as he bit down on his bottom lip. Letting his arms fall to his sides, a stray tear had begun its slow descent from the former Justice's eye onto her right cheek. Smiling somberly, Ben kneeled to stay beside his siblings, the woman raising as she brought their heads together, whispering to her brothers with a weak voice, sniffling,
"We'll reach through the clouds and seek out the freedom we greatly deserve. To see our mother once more, and free ourselves of the chains that bound us to this horrible planet... as Mother would want. Not just for her... for Ryder, for Celine; but most importantly, for the son and nephew, we lost that day in January of 2037. Shinzō... o sasageyo (心臓を捧げよ). Devote your heart,"
"Devote your heart..."
"Devote your heart,"
Back at the front of the Academy, Whitney stomped rapidly into the head of a defeated monster, jaw splitting from their skull as he screamed out in anger with his aura darkening more and more,
"More... MORE!!!!!!! YOU PIECES OF SHIT! I'LL SLAUGHTER MORE AND MORE, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS!!!"
Yanking his arm back into the education center, Alex stepped to the side as the boy fell straight onto his ass, with him and Ed taking the place of the shadow-controlling teen. Audio of explosions and flesh ripping apart echoed from the outside creeping in from the bottom of the metal doors that'd slid in front of the entrance. Rose watched, pushing through the friends she'd formed a bond with as the duo of Hazey and Lynn took the tired Myers of his arms and dragged him away. At times, she'd laugh at the way his legs slid across the smooth marbled platform to her soles, but all she held was a pity for her friend. Though he'd been like this ever since he was born, she supposed it was more apparent here than ever before, and as she grabbed the Detective's arm- they made strong eye contact. Gazing at one another, she strongly stated,
"We need to talk... Azazel,"
He fell weakly and stared into her eyes, seeing as how something was driving her further and further to unlock the truth of her heritage. His face fell and he stared at her apathetically, being dragged along to a private location as they sat in front of one another. Shadows momentarily darkened the room in blackness, his rear made contact with the desk scattered with unimportant papers, her bottom pushed against the metal of a seat.
A gentle sigh emerged from the depth of her throat, crossed arms hiding his chest, azure and ruby pupils staring at the reflective platform to their feet. They were at a loss; who was the one to begin this much-needed conversation, 16 years in the making?
"Every day I'm here, remaining on this earth and fighting onward, I'm reminded. Of those, I'd killed, of the lives I'd taken, and the pure life. Before it was destroyed by the 'Angels' above, time and time again, the World was ravaged. Tragedy, war, hatred, greed. But no matter what, humanity keeps moving forward, as if it's a collective thought to move on. At times, I wonder why they all decide to do this, to keep walking on to the next day and don't just end their own lives when something horrible happens? Those who keep going see something in the future. Something to ensure their future, that their hearts continuously beat on. Maybe it's fear of death, maybe it's the thought of being forgotten. Nevertheless, we all seek one thing in this vast Universe, no matter the changes we might make to the society we've created on this planet. Freedom. Who will be the one to find their freedom beyond the Earth and destroy those who've plagued on for centuries? Only those with the will to do what must be done... will be able to tell,"
This was sudden to the ginger, as she was shocked at his serious expression filled with anguish and agony for their future. Though they held one of the most powerful weapons in the Universe; the Requiem Emperor, could they truly break free of the Superior's chains? Knowing they'd attack humanity and attempt to slaughter everyone else as that was the demons' goal, it seemed hopeless. However, he had to move forward, as the thing he'd been searching for had been right in front of his eyes for a month. He pushed himself up and grabbed onto her shoulders, tightening his grip as tears ran down his cheeks- voice turning raspy,
"This... this is the cost. To save everyone, to ensure the freedom of humanity, we must do this. I saw it all, I saw the vision in the eyes of the Headmaster. The world he'd foreseen of a time yet to come... it was personal. He might have said it was for the future of humanity, for his friends, for everyone, that it must occur. He wishes to wipe it all away, he wishes... he wishes for it all to fade into ash! We must change the future he saw, Rosalyn... Rosalyn... Rosalyn Karlo. Your name is Rosalyn Karlo!"
Her eyes widened, realizing the truth, not of her lineage, but the Headmaster's intentions. He kept moving forward with the weight of the future on his shoulders, knowing that nothing might change despite everything he'd tried. Gritting his teeth, he pushed his forehead against her chest and heard the echoes of his cries bounce from the mineral chambers. Tired of the blood, of the bodies piled up that he'd been standing atop of, he'd left Kuno for Rivera. And what did he have to show for it? Being a slave to one mass-murderer, and being a partner willingly to another,
"I'm sorry... I'm so... truly sorry, Rose. I hadn't believed it, I didn't want to lose my mother, I wished... August... I wished he was still here! I didn't wish to be related to some insignificant child I'd never truly cared for... when he could still be here, helping me move forward. If I moved on and accepted you, would he accept that? Would my mother... Ella, would she accept that? I didn't... I didn't want our lineage of MURDERERS TO LIVE ON!!!! But it... it all changed when I heard what you'd done. You saved him- didn't you? Alexander Amara, the teen murderer who'd slaughtered innocents without regard for the families left behind? You were... you were him. You were kind, loving. You're... you're my sister,"
Though he'd expected a punch across the face for his name-calling, instead, her arms snaked around her head and pulled him into a tight embrace. Feeling the warmth of his body against her own, tears threatened to fall as she remembered the vision she'd experienced almost a month ago. Of her mother with that man with curly brown hair and green eyes- yet in the center of it all, there he was. Detective Azazel Karlo.
"I didn't wish to believe it either. I wished there to be something more, that I hadn't been so blind, that I could've been there sooner. Why else would a brother be born if I couldn't save him from the beginning...? I couldn't believe that I'd been so powerless. But as time went on, I knew the truth. I Believed it. That you were here, for me to have someone else. You're my... brother, Azazel,"
As his lips touched her forehead in a sibling manner, the ground rumbled with a violent intent as the Triplets, halfway across the city at this point- turned around. The Emperor growled in annoyance, pushing forward as his brother and sister walked on to locate their allies. Azazel groaned, throwing himself forward then barging through the entrance with all his strength. The spread metal doors split apart, Lucifer catching both as they melted in his grasp, the Demon King cackling as he laid his eyes upon the offspring of the fallen Karlo. Unsheathing his blade and radiating with a 'Dark Determination', the Detective rose his katana over his head as Morningstar snarled. Rebellious humans searching for freedom that would never come, no matter what era he existed within, it always annoyed him to an extent. Scoffing at this irritating excuse of a living being, the Son of God dropped the bodies of Alex and Edward. Cracking his knuckles, his neck snapped around as he spun it around at a 360 degrees angle.
"I've been trapped... too long... now, LET'S--"
SHINK! Blood dripped down in a stream from the center of Lucifer's chest, the tip of a blade having penetrated his blood-red flesh- fluids gushing out and covering the darkened metal of Azazel's blade. Tilting his head at this human, Morningstar rose his fist as he attempted to slam it into the side of Karlo's skull. Jumping back, his feet stuck against the space at the peak of the doors, or rather, where they used to be. Swiftly snatching his blade back, he lodged it into the tip of the King's skull, puncturing his skeleton- and then landing to the rear of the former Archangel. Extremities gripping the metal of the blade and squeezing until it shattered and broke, it reformed to create a ruby trident that pushed against his limb. Spinning it above him for a moment, Lucifer gazed into the red eyes of the Fool Detective. A simple puncture was thrown forward from the tip of the prongs, destroying the oxygen around, Karlo easily flipped over this attack. Light as a feather, he jumped onto the lengthened spear-like shape of the weapon, running along with it with his arms flailing backward. Grunting in anger, a strengthened blow to the chin of this Devil threw him off balance, leading for him to step back. Lucifer screaming in annoyance, he extended out his arm for an easy fireball to emerge from the tips of his fingers, but as the Detective's aura brightened- it absorbed those flames and threw it right back at him. All this happening as Azazel was aimed toward the platform to his feet, flipping through the air, he threw multiple large chains directed at his throat and body. Slicing through them easily as the prongs cut through like butter, the tips at the end of the weapon entered the ground as Morningstar threw himself to the air,
"WRRYYYAGHHHHHHHHH!"
Surprised by this sudden change, Azazel rose his arms to guard against any sort of blows mostly originating from the fists of his enemy. Warping to the rear of the Detective, a simple chop to both sides of his throat caused Karlo to spit out his saliva and blood as his claws dug into the side of the former Crow of Justice. The World ground to a halt as the Devil rose from the grounds below, arm ready to burst through his chest and destroy his heart instantaneously. Wounds healing as the sword cut attached itself, Morningstar smirked with his red skin blending with the blood.
"You were... one move off,"
Ready to cut through his flesh and render him an empty shell, Azazel used the remainder of his strength in stopped time so his arm could easily be sliced off. The same arm as his father's decades ago, Karlo fell to the ground in a pool of blood as Rosalyn widened her eyes ready to run over. That was before she was grabbed by Blaire and kept in a headlock. Lucifer sighing disappointedly, in a despised tone of voice, he gazed upon the fallen Azazel Karlo, reveling in a pool of his blood. Drenching his clothing, the Devil King readied to end him right then and there before realizing something; the best way to kill a human is to ensure they suffer first. Kicking him into the building's wall was composed entirely of metal, cracking his spine so it'd fracture and break, Azazel chuckled weakly as he watched with blurred vision. Lucifer strutted over gradually, scratching his claws over his right arm so he could feel the blood dripping from his body. The dripping sounds entering his eardrums as the gore descended from his limb, the villain from the depths readied right then and there to slaughter him,
"The Empress was wrong to think of a simple human as the Kingdom's ally. Your father's soul remains split... now, all that remains; is you,"
Time slowed for Azazel, as the hand came down ever so slowly, and he witnessed the events gradually. His life flashed before his eyes, the bodies he'd been seated upon, the friend he'd lost along the way toward his redemption.
Is this how I die? To some pathetic little demon thinking himself worthy to rule over the Earth, blind to his insignificance in this war between Heaven and Humanity? Ben saw the future for this world and all others, only he knew what's gonna happen... I wonder what he saw. I wonder which is going to embrace me in their arms? I deserve Hell- but if I have the chance to see my mother, my father... my brother... August. I won't put it past this moment. This is what I deserve... free me of this pain, so I can see you all again- please. Claim your freedom, if this is what you truly desire... Lucifer Morningstar.
The cracking of energy breaking through the atmosphere, spreading apart atoms, and destroying the invisible air that surrounded this area entered their ears. Lucifer had existed for eons and eons, he existed... when the Great Requiem War between Heaven and Hell raged on beneath the Earth and above the Clouds. Spinning around in shock, Lucifer's eyes widened to see the truth, the Protectors with some of the second generation kids witnessing this sight. The gateway broke apart as one foot stepped out, the voice rough and raspy, tired of time. The Emperor's strands of hair flowed in the wind as he recognized the voice, azure aura replaced by white. The same happening to his curls and optics of sight, Ben took one step forward as his white hair flowed in the wind,
"Wow... you look like you fell in a pile of shit, Azazel. Did ja miss me… Crow?"
Ripping the scarf from his mouth so his features would be exposed, Azazel's strength flowed through his veins as he witnessed this sight. Blaire and Rose shocked at the Return of the Requiem Reaper, Death's form had been actualized, there he was in the flesh... Lucifer couldn't believe his eyes. He was... another...
"Augustus... Rivera..!"
Part 1- To Be Concluded in Chapter Ten!