The building rumbled as she landed on its roof, canines swiftly speeding along her sides, Kima continued to sprint. Jumping at proper intervals, moving her arms along with her cycling legs.
"Don't worry about me! Help Ace, go on ahead!" She ordered her beasts.
They left gusts in their wake, flying through the air from a simple leap. Straight ahead, they spotted a twirling duo. A pale fist connected to Naraku's cheek, a two-legged kick sending him higher. Without balance, flailing, Naraku turned his head after beginning to regain composure.
But before he could fully recuperate he was met with the fangs of a wolf. Trapping its victim in a lock, teeth stabbed into the Superior Emperor's face, blood from his face puddling onto a rooftop below. Just before he could slaughter the beast, a shot of lightning suddenly sparked into existence. The wolf returned to mush at her command, legs extending forward just as she was about to land on that rooftop where he sat perched, a shockwave blew her away. Originating from none other than the release of that discharge effectively launching Naraku several feet away. Before he crashed into an inhabited apartment, he was as miniature as a sesame seed before vanishing completely.
Kima's fingers barely captured the edge of the roof, but the strength required to pull herself onto the solid ground was incomplete. However, she could just barely feel a stronger pull soaring her into the air, leading to her inevitable face plant onto the upper platform.
"You could've torn off my arm, ya know!! Watch how you use that strength... Ace..."
Recollecting her posture moments later, there he sat, one leg barely raised, knee pointed upward, his discolored eyes searching the ground as his lips parted, revealing a most unknown revelation.
"Yeah, but you're alive, aren't you? Shut up and focus! Lest we die thanks to your stupidity!"
His voice was so much more mature, yet it whined like a child about her foolishness. Even from Ace's stories, she couldn't shake that feeling. THIS was the Requiem Reaper? The so-called strongest fighter in the history of the Old World? A mere man-child crying about anyone inferior to him.
Feather ivory locks, strewn randomly about as the wind flowed against him, composed lips glistening in fading sunlight. In this brightness, on this day, she'd come to witness the true beauty of Eternal Sight's full spectacle. All those despising thoughts vanished in an instant, a blush painting her snowy-shaded face, Myers said nothing. For the only thought flowing across her mind presently was nothing more than:
'If nothing else, he's pretty, right?'
"Stop staring off into space and focus on the fight ahead!" August advised strongly.
Elegantly skipping along his feet, Kima turned her head from facing his figure and noticed the descending creature. Feet as sharp as knives stabbed into the building, leaving it to crumble with cracks forming everywhere. From August's perspective, as Myers stumbled to land beside him, there was only smoke in the aftermath.
Only with this special sight could he spot that menacing figure rise before even beginning to exit the cloud. None of them froze, both of them ready, Naraku started giggling. Licking behind his palms, his eyelids closed, and the aura suppressed. Neither of them, even with differing experience levels, dared to step forward. However, that might've very well been their downfall, for the second August's vessel twitched the slightest, Naraku had vanished.
Leaving a spherical crater where his feet once stood and a blurry afterimage, August followed suit milliseconds afterward. Kima was deemed a mere witness to the supernatural scenery before her, inhalations sharply followed by quicker exhalation.
Suddenly, an explosion momentarily blinded her front, first experiencing the fireball's brightness, then hearing not only the deafening boom but the shattering of multiple windows behind her reverting to plentiful shards. Their bodies were just barely slow enough for her eyes to rapidly dart as she followed their swift movements. Naraku and August started with a clash, leading to that initial fiery outburst, but instants later, it ended. August initiated two backflips, dodging a hair-cutting slash before it could even occur.
Landing carefully, he launched forward, millimeters away from his face for one second, Naraku's eyes instinctively widened, irises' temperature increasing. Just before he could fire off those lasers, his sight was replaced with blood, and now, August landed behind his enemy, now crouching. Having so easily rendered him blind, he went for the legs, aiming for the Achilles heel. Unfortunately, he was unlucky. Even his limit-breaking speed was no match for his father's power, as the second his hand sliced through the air, Naraku had vanished once more.
This time, the Reaper raising his head, now some feet forward, there was his demonic adversary, abruptly flicking his raised fingers to the side. Still crouching, August now scoffed, touching his index finger's tip to the middle's back. Akin to a sword's thrust, the sharpened edge merely punctured that invisible barrier, creating yet another shockwave from the epicenter to radiate outward.
But that sickening smoke could be sliced apart, Naraku knew this with a mere look, and what more was he met with than a descending fist connecting to his cheek? The knuckles, infused with the enlightenment of forgotten beings the Superior Emperor would name his brethren, could revert that malicious instinct to a higher form of enlightenment. The fabric of his demonic soul was mere moments away from shattering, and with just one punch... that hadn't even released its first victim. In the following seconds, Naraku was sent tumbling down the street.
Could August give up with just one punch? Of course not- how reckless would that be? The strongest of the world had a duty placed on his shoulders; eradicate this evil, save the lives of the New World his father sacrificed his life for. And what kind of Reaper would he be if he didn't utilize that deadly scythe to collect his victims? And so, his palm slid over an air conditioner, legs launching him over an alleyway's head, the Reaper watched from overlooking rooftops, now continuing to sprint.
Transitioning his run into his landing, tumbling into a roll, the surrounding cloud hiding Naraku's figure immediately diminished. Gasping, he flipped, dodging a right hook. After that, landing on his soles, he ducked under a kick, now crouching, August's eyes trained on his enemy's hand. Just spotting the palm aiming at his midsection, a tendril snapped along the wrist, and the arm was torn off as a leg slammed against the being's shoulder.
Blood crunching with strings of flesh disconnecting the limb from its host, chunky puddles of blood oozed out the wound, leaving Naraku to desperately claw at the socket as August stared at the stolen appendage. It sparked with black lightning, or what Eternal Sight perceived it as.
'Interesting. Tearing apart an arm gives you an infection if you hold onto it for too long. If I were anyone else, my heart would already have stopped its beating. Too bad for him.'
August threw the arm aside after his intrusive thought, putrid sparks surrounding extremities evaporating, only for them to reappear traveling through veins, raising his arm. His right arm, the same direction the eye socket scarlet Divergence was slammed into.
"Sheesh, you're weak. Ya know, last time I fought someone, it was Lucifer, and he was pretty weak when I got the hang of it. Especially thanks to my new technique. I was kinda waiting to get humbled by you since I didn't use it at all, but, looks like I was wrong. You're just as pathetic as I thought you were," The Reaper babbled on and on carelessly, impudently speaking with a raised hand, Naraku, with gritted teeth, screamed with a pounce.
"Ooh, it's not over yet!" Rivera excitedly commented.
Naraku's claws scratched the invisible plasma shielding August's self, but this wasn't all. As reckless as he was amidst a simple moment, the Reaper swiped away those invisible slashes, and reached out his hand, attempting to grasp his enemy's face. However, extending his arm forward, instantaneously, it was sliced off at the elbow, and a squelch resounded as the appendage splattered against the concrete below.
'Tch!' The Reaper growled, regrowing his limb from the bones, as it reformed at a hazy swiftness, August witnessed another attack.
To the naked eye, it would be camouflaged, but this certain ability had its downfalls, sometimes, you just weren't fast enough. Luckily, this wasn't one of those times, and instantly, the cleave dismantled the air to pieces, but that was just it. In place of the Reaper was mere space, however, what laid above would soon be filled by a descending angel. A dive with both legs pointed outward, feet aimed into knives, culminating in a dominating blow overhead, sending the signal for destruction as a larger crater sent quakes to nearby homes.
Within the mist, August, now on the ground, slammed his fist where Naraku's face once stood. Slipping out the way just in time, the Reaper's ear flickered, absorbing multiple footsteps approaching their spat. The two exited the haze, now with all limbs regrown, their final fight resorted to simple hands, and the one to throw the first punch was none other than Rivera. An emerald left hook barely sending chills across his face, Naraku's fingers intervened, pushing the limb aside, he went for the neck.
Instead, his extremities bounced against the barrier, instead, the claws were left steaming, giving August an opening. Cheeks squished by invading fingers, the Reaper's grab preordained his fate: for the former Blessed Emperor to fall with August Rivera standing overhead. Naraku would instantly roll rearwards, improving his stance to stand again, he raced onwards, vaulting then kicking at his foe's skull.
Fortunately, the kick worked, August even gritting his teeth, blood pouring out nostrils, he was sent flying down the street; back from whence he came. Carefully landing, then prepping a follow-up, the second Naraku tried to move, he was jerked forward, but not of his own volition, rather, of the tendril entangling his ankle. One tug was just enough for August to smirk with blood on his lip, now with Naraku's flailing body under his whim, he spun around the rope as if it were a spider connected to a web, and eventually, after enough force was accumulated, the False Emperor was launched down the street a second time.
However, he didn't halt naturally, instead, an immovable object halted him, that being the standing Reaper at the end of the road. Naraku had touched against that invisible barrier, for burns to appear on his face, he bounced back at the shield and was left with a final punch to the chest, flying back, now on his knees. Bloody, defeated, August Rivera glared at his wretched enemy with hatred flaming in the pupils' centers. An arm lifted, threads of yellow conjoining together, fusing continuously until it penultimately shifted those golden ropes into a glistening sword, spread over the back of the Reaper's limb.
"Fusing my plasma tendrils is harder, considering it's not physical. That being said, this is a special occasion. Nice meeting you in this New World. Now die."
But this story's end was still being written, and unfortunately, the omnipotent author had not concluded the story at this point. It seemed so sudden, August barely stepping back as an arrow's sharpness grazed his cheek, a scar dirtying his handsome features. He plunged to his knees, expanding his border once more. Magically, the projectiles seemed to singe at the tip, falling to their charred remains before him. Curiously, the Reaper watched as rifles manifested from every nook and cranny, aimed at his toned build.
'Looks like a survival group built after the collapse of this society. Someone must've seen us—then they came out of their house after the second shockwave and saw us fighting. They're not interested in saving Naraku. They're interested in killing me. I can only maintain this form for so long... looks like this is where our fight ends. For now, anyway.'
The Reaper's thoughts led him to one conclusion: retreat was the only option, leading to his back facing his fallen enemy. Intruding upon his ears and his enhanced sight was none other than extras, nobodies with Halloween masks covering their features, ragged clothes hiding their shapes, and arms placed into their grip. Their fingers were seconds away from taking a life. It was like their addiction, wanting to overpower someone for the sake of self-affirmation. But, how could he blame them? They were only human, after all. His hand raised, a supernatural sound accompanying its lifting, his fingers, middle and thumb touching each other, formed a circle, while the remaining three stabbed forward.
A simple ball of Orderly Thunder could erase them all, reduce them to ash stains on the street; it'd be simple. But, many human lives seconds away from being sacrificed for the obliteration of one demon, is that worth it?
All that relied on their survival was but one will, one decision, stemming from one man with infinite power. To end this story of conflict once and for all, not only the hate that demon would cause to all others, but the suffering of its worst victim would consist. But these citizens before his Eternal Sight, they, too, were victims. Consequences of his son's actions...
He lowered his hand and hung his head, the snowy shade of hair overpowered by the return of bloody red, as the emerald coloration from the left eye returned to usual scarlet, his fleeing figure could be sighted jumping from rooftop to rooftop.
Eventually, he'd reach his destination with Kima already inside, mop of crimson edges piercing downward, Ace appeared at m the front door without any scratches. Only questions, pondering the extent of his uselessness.
Of all the times for his father to resurge, when he was all his weakest—how inconvenient. The fate he was resigned to, tortured by sins he regretted for eternity, by actions he could never revert. With one hand on the empty frame as their eyes locked onto him, the setting sun's final glow rendered him a shadow. Little did they know, this was only the beginning of their troubles, as a stampede crashed their feet repeatedly across the street's tiles. The rioters were vengeful, and vengeance wasn't justice. It would breed more anger, more hate, more violence, and eventually, more chaos. And that chaos always leads to one person, born of humanity's bottomless potential for malice.
Patiently waiting for his time to arise, the Jester was provoked by a sizzle of chaos appearing before him. And before Naraku, there he was, on a lone street, Icarus, the only witness to the almighty Blessed Emperor's limping. Callum's sole surviving comrade with lengthened black strands moving in the wind… Icarus smiled.
"He sure messed you up good, didn't he? Standing before the awakened power of Requiem potential; you wanted to crush it, didn't you? Unfortunately, that didn't turn out so well. As per our contract, Herr Gründer."
Icarus's palm graced the chest of the Founder, his limbs regrowing, the blood evaporating, Rivers was finally free.
Free from all that darkness, that otherwordly hatred, now between the Jester's fingers; just one black ball waiting to be ingested.
"But what can you expect from an angelic monkey like that?" Spat the Jester.
Chrollo's chewing was mere background noise, as now, Callum could puke onto the dirty sidewalk. After some rasped coughing sending Icarus to silence, Rivers wiped away his lips with his ragged sleeve.
"Thanks. I take it you'll use that for something righteous? Like the good-spirited person you are, of course," Callum sarcastically joked now facing his ally.
"If only it were in my nature. Now, my turn," Icarus grimaced with a menacing scowl painting his face.
"Right. As of July 25th, 2022, I, Callum Rivers, resign from my position as Riverton's Founder and hereby declare Icarus Chrollo, the Jester, as my new successor, effective immediately. Here you go," The former Founder handed a phone to his new comrade, leaving Icarus to stare at the screen reflecting his indifferent face.
"It doesn't have a password. In the notes are the codes to all of Naraku's research on the Source in my old base on the computers," With that new information spewing from Callum quickly, Icarus pocketed the device and smirked, transitioning it into maniacal laughter.
"Ahaha, noted. Now...
It's the dawn of a new era—"
To Be Continued.