- Death and Lina -
Death watched Izanagi show Xiao the intricacies of the Ame-no-Nuhoko as he suppressed the urge to kill Izanagi. Izanagi was smiling with excitement as he switched the spear's elements.
'Don't. This isn't the same. Izanagi felt he was pushed into a corner.'
"Shouldn't let your thoughts paint your face," Lina said in Lucifer's voice.
Death took a breath. "Don't do that."
Lina spoke in a deep voice, "Every cen-Grim, and most of the decs, knows the story I'm sure you're thinking of. The day you proved to the humans of Purgatory what it means to be the [Hunter]."
"I don't think it's the same," Death said.
"It's not," Lina agreed. "But it bears remembering."
- Death -
(Past)
Death was speaking with a group of three angels. The expression on Death's face was cold, his eyes were narrowing and widening with slight irritation.
"Please [Hunter], please allow us to continue to handle this," one angel pleaded.
"No," Death refused. "Saliel confirmed the information, and the human in question hasn't changed their ways, this is my problem now."
"You can't!" One angel shouted.
Death moved slightly, causing the shouting angel to flinch. Death looked to the third angel for their reason.
"U-u-uh," the third angel stammered, "it'll create m-more problems if Raphael is killed. Even with him gone, more l-like him will take his place. He's made himself t-t-too important to remove through violent means."
"As many as it takes," Death said. "If others want to follow in his footsteps then so be it. The chain ends eventually, and from what I understand, humans are quick to learn when their mortality is involved."
Death stood up and left the room. The three angels started to argue with each other.
"We have to stop him!"
"Feel free to try."
"Gabriel warned us that he couldn't be reasoned with in cases such as these."
"It's our fault for not finding this information sooner. We only discovered the truth because of Saliel's magic combined with Gabriel's investigation, and even then it didn't seem right. It's such a shame, Brother was so excited to have a human named after him."
"Maybe Raphael will convince him?"
"As Father says: You can't convince the sword."
As Death walked, conversations he had with Gabriel pestered him.
'No one is removing killing as an option, we're merely suggesting fear as an alternative. Everyone knows you, your stories, your...ferocity, and it would be wise of you to use that knowledge to your advantage.'
Death stopped walking. Passing humans and angels stared before lowering their heads and walking faster. Gabriel's voice was still in Death's head.
'The sooner you learn how to prevent battles before they even happen, the better you will do for this world. Think, please, think of all the battles you have already prevented through the use of your presence alone!'
'Gabriel...' Death lamented. 'Is your fear for me why you constantly try to stop me from killing? Do you fear that one day I'll hunt you? The angels?'
Death kept walking, his resolve to kill Raphael waning slightly.
'The angels warn, I hunt. He was warned, just like the others. How long has it been? Every human and angel that's been warned has changed...how long has it been since I...'
Death looked around. He pictured past battlefields. Pools of blood, strewn piles of corpses, and a constant look of fear in the eyes of any bystanders that were involved. As the past images faded, he took in the sight of peace before him.
'They wanted me to adjust to this. They told me that hunting has its place but that if I can't learn to live in peace I'll never truly make the world better. I...I'll decide once I speak with him personally. Maybe if I had done so sooner this could've been avoided?'
- Death and Raphael -
"You need to run!" one shaky being yelled.
"What point is there in that?" Raphael responded. "I can't outrun the [Hunter], all I can do is hope to reason with him."
Raphael was a stern-faced man with blonde hair and blue eyes. He sat down and took a sip from his cup. As he swallowed his drink, a deep sigh of regret left his nostrils.
'If he wants to kill me, I'm dead, simple as that. If he doesn't kill me, then that means he's willing to talk, and if he's willing to talk, I have a chance.'
The sound of Death's approach scared the other being away. Raphael took a deep and sharp breath.
"Didn't think you would do me the honor of seeing you coming? I appreciate it nevertheless."
Death took a seat across from Raphael. "Why? Why with all the warnings you've received, have you decided to continue abusing your power?"
"'Abuse'?" Raphael said. "I work for the people, I gain from the people, that's the agreed upon relationship."
"You steal," Death stated. "You steal and use the power of your position for even worse than that," He shook his head. "Why am I arguing?"
Raphael was quick to explain, "Because you want to be more than you are!"
"You were warned," Death said. "Why should I believe you'll be any different after this conversation?"
"Being warned of the [Hunter]," Raphael coughed, "and having him warn you personally are two VERY different things."
"So I've been told," Death said. "Saliel found your truth. He said that you weren't going to change."
"You're missing key information," Raphael defended. "Saliel asked me questions, had Gabriel investigate for him, true, but he never properly referenced you. Neither of them did."
"Saliel warned you about me," Death stated.
"Warned of you killing me, yes," Raphael admitted. "But, he never proposed the idea of what you're doing now. The thought of you sitting down and warning me never came up. The angels, for better or worse, never thought to ask you to personally speak with me. I'm not blaming them, I'm sure you're exceptionally busy, but still..."
Death briefly thought of leaving to go confirm things with Saliel but pushed the thought away. He believed Raphael's words because he was unfortunately well-aware of what the angels thought of him. He was a weapon, not their weapon, but still a weapon. Death understood his relationship with Purgatory better than anyone. He was a champion on one side and an executioner on the other.
Raphael found his opening in Death's contemplative silence. "My fear of you is genuine, and the mistake I made of not heeding the warnings sooner is one I will carry forever."
"You'll have to confirm this with Saliel," Death ordered.
"That won't work," Raphael argued.
"Excuse me?" Death shifted his body.
"What I mean to say is," Raphael adjusted "that as I am now won't work. I think it's best if I am temporarily removed from my position, of course, no question. I can tell you now that I would fail whatever test Saliel gives to me, not because I am untrustworthy but because I am deeply terrified and terror often muddies truths."
"'Terrified'?" Death questioned.
Death knew terror. He had an exceedingly large amount of memories to pull from to know what terror should look like on one's face. Fear was a more complex emotion, something that, from what Death had been told, could present itself in many different forms, but terror was different. As Death looked at Raphael's nervous expression, his eyes narrowed.
"Do you think this is a game?"
Raphael's expression sunk as his jaw lowered slightly and his eyes went wide.
"That look on your face," Death pointed. "THAT is terror."
"N-no games," Raphael shook his head. "I-I think I might have exaggerated for the sake of getting my point across. That point being that I will never do anything after this moment to earn your execution."
"Do you know why I asked you that?" Death said.
"Because you were insulted?" Raphael guessed. "I am deeply sorry-"
"I don't get insulted," Death interrupted. "It's because during my time here I've heard constant talk about the 'game' of politics. Apparently, beings in positions such as yours follow rules similar to a game. I don't know much about games, or politics, but I do know from what I've seen, that the two should not exist together."
"Well, that's..." Raphael was unsure how to respond. "There are times where it can certainly feel like a game but I think that's more the very nature of existence and less any frivolity on the...participants part."
Death tapped on the table. "I was told that killing you will cause more problems than it fixes. That others like you will take your place."
"It..." Raphael hesitated. "The goal of society is to move past the need for purely bloody solutions. Violence is a powerful tool but should be used sparingly, otherwise, you could end up hurting or killing the wrong being."
"Right..." Death stopped tapping. "I want to remind you of one thing before I leave here."
The feeling of relief in Raphael's body was short-lived as Death blinked next to him. Death tapped his fingers on Raphael's chest. Raphael's heartbeat was so strong that he was sure Death could feel it through the tapping.
"I am not part of your games," Death warned as he stopped tapping. "I don't care how important I'm told you are to this place, or how much 'political' damage your end would cause," he picked Raphael up by the neck and looked deep into their eyes, "If you continue to be a monster, I. Will. End you."
Death let go of Raphael. Raphael fell, barely catching the table as leverage. Raphael was paralyzed with fear, unable to form anything other than broken mutterings.
'We'll try it your way, Gabriel,' Death thought as he walked away.
Raphael thought he had readied himself for what would be a quick end. He thought he would be tougher. Despite the unshakeable fear that wouldn't even let him stand, there was one thought that kept playing in his head: He needed to be stronger.