A cold breeze hissed through the air as Onoma stood atop the Statue of Liberty, Adeline sitting beside him. The sky was cloudy and the air was cold, and below him in the distance he could see the dancing lights of the city.
"I can no longer detect the presence of the other Deities." He spoke.
"I see, so they've left the city have they? What cowardice, though I can't say I blame them, after all, I am the ultimate power on this planet." Adeline smiled, "Nothing can challenge me."
"Hm." Onoma replied simply. 'I'm tired of this crazy bitch's conceited nature. I would love nothing more than to kill her, but for now, until I get a better hold of my power, it's better to have her on my side.' He thought. 'Even if she believes I obey her, in reality I'm the one who is manipulating her.'
"Do you doubt my power, Onoma?" Adeline asked then.
"No." He responded, "I am just thinking how perfect it is for us that the others are gone."
Adeline laughed. "Yes, you're right, now that no one is in the way... I can crush this city of sin beneath my feet!"
Onoma nodded, but in his mind he mocked her, finding it funny how easy to manipulate she was. She didn't realize it, but she was already under his thumb.
"There is no one who can challenge me!" Adeline cried standing with her arms wide held skyward.
"You know, I wouldn't be too sure about that."
Onoma turned, caught off guard, but no one was behind him.
"Up here." Came the woman's voice again.
Both Adeline and Onoma looked up to see a woman flying in the air above them, looking down on them. Her eyes twinkled silver as thought they were just stars in the black sky, her hair was stark white and she wore a simple white dress. A pair of large white feathered wings were spread from her back and two metallic horns extended from her head.
Onoma materialized his weapon in a flash of red light.
"Oh? And who are you to challenge me?" Adeline asked.
'Damn fool!' Onoma cursed the overconfident girl, 'Can she not sense the crazy pressure this woman has, or is she just blinded by her confidence?'
The woman smiled. "You may call me Lilith. No need to introduce yourselves, I already know who you are."
"So then are you here to fight?" Onoma asked.
"No. Not yet anyway. Actually, I'm here to extend my hand to you in a truce." The woman's eyes flashed. "You see, I'm about to level this city. And if you don't want to be casualties, I suggest you take my offer."
"Oh? You want to destroy this place?" Adeline said, "Thats perfect. I can see that you are an angel sent to guide my quest of purifying humanity!"
"What?" Lilith asked, furrowing her brow.
"I want to purge the human race of their sins. Blood of purity will flow in rivers!" Adeline explained with psychotic enthusiasm.
"I see..." Lilith smiled. "So does that mean you accept?"
"Yes. I accept, but first, I want you to show me you are worthy of being my guiding angel."
Onoma glared at Adeline. 'Now I know she's just stupid. Does she not know who Lilith is? That's not an angel...' he glared up at the woman above them. 'She's a demon.'
"You want an example you say..." Lilith said, then held out her hand towards the shining city. "How about this?"
Lilith waved her hand in a downward motion. And then the city burst into chaos and flames. It was as though an invisible meteor struck the entire city, crushing every building and scorching everything, leaving nothing but oblivion. Not a single building was left standing in the chaos. The sky was painted an ominous scarlet shade as fires burned below, smoke billowing up into the sky. The only thing left standing was the statue that Adeline and Onoma stood on.
Onoma's body tensed up then. He couldn't move, his eyes were wide and his jaw had dropped in awe. With one simple motion, Lilith had destroyed all of New York City.
•
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•
Akuro felt a buzz run through his body after he and the others had been transported by Makane. He put a hand to his head and grimaced, trying to shake the strange sensation.
"Here we are." Makane spoke.
"That's nice but I think I'm gonna throw up..." Darius said, hunched over, his face pale.
"Are you motion sick or something?" Inari asked him.
"Maybe, maybe not." He responded.
Akuro looked down at Emma's sleeping figure and was reminded painfully of Hope. He shook the thought, trying to forget the past. 'I don't care. All I want is anime, and a peaceful life.'
"So what are we gonna do with her?" Inari asked, pointing at Emma. They all wore similar clothing; thick layered jackets and pants as well as large boots.
"I feel fat wearing this." Darius said, now recovered from his motion sickness.
"I'll take care of her, don't worry." Makane spoke, and then one of her nine tails began to extend and touch Emma's head, her body became ethereal and faded out of existence.
"What did you just do?" Akuro asked.
"I dematerialized her body into pure aura and absorbed it, don't worry, she's safe." The fox spirit replied. "Now then, come along this way."
Akuro let out a long breath, and sure enough it became a dancing cloud that quickly dissipated. It was definitely cold. He looked around the cave they were now in. It was made from pure ice, it's surface smooth and with a faint blue shade. As they walked down the ice tunnel following the kitsune, the ice made faint cracking sounds that reverberated throughout the cave.
The cave then began to twist and turn, curving around a large bend. Then Darius's foot slipped out from under him and he landed on his back, his breath knocked out of him.
"Oi, did you know ice is slippery?" Akuro joked.
"Screw... off.." Darius wheezed.
"With your skills, one would figure you'd be more agile. But nope. You're clumsy." Akuro shrugged.
"Enough, you two. We're here." Inari spoke from further around the bend. She was looking at something that neither of them could see. Akuro extended his hand to Darius, who took it, and Akuro helped him up.
When Akuro and Darius caught up to Inari and Makane, their eyes widened. Embedded in the thick ice was a massive black temple with depictions of gods, demons and giant beings all in combat. Fires and crumbling cities and mountains were etched into the walls, and among them, a high mountain with smaller figures, five of them, standing and facing the destruction.
Two massive doors stood before them, and between the doors was a hand sized circular indentation, which Akuro guessed was the lock. The temple itself was so large that it's entirety couldn't be seen, hidden beneath the ice all about the massive, yawning cavern.
"This is the temple?" Darius asked in awe. "It's massive!"
Makane walked forward, and as she did her body began to grow in size. "Indeed, the temple was constructed long ago to withstand attacks from Titans." She spoke, her voice deeper than before. One of her tails extended towards the lock, pressing gently against its surface. As her tail made contact, runes across the surface of the door then illuminated the entire cave in an eerie aqua marine glow. A resounding *CLICK* shook the ice as the door unlocked, slowly swinging open. And then the ice began to crack.
"That does not sound good." Inari said.
"Quickly, inside!" Makane ordered. "I'll protect you!"
"How will we get back out?" Akuro exclaimed.
"There is another entrance!"
Inarai and Darius ran towards the temple, Akuro hesitantly following behind as they slipped through the crack of the opening doors. The ground then shook as massive chunks of ice crashed down, Makane blocking them from colliding into the temple with her giant tails, knocking the ice chunks aside. When the crumbling ice became too much to handle, the Kitsune returned to her normal size and dashed into the temple after the group as ice then collided with the doors, sealing them in.
"You better be right about that other exit, Makane." Akuro growled.
"Don't worry," Inari said, "I have seen Makane's mind, she's not lying."
Akuro glared at her. "And how do I know you're not lying?"
Inari was silent, surprised by his words. She thought of the boy who had been smiling at her before, the boy who had an odd obsession with anime. Where was that boy now? As she looked at Akuro and she could only see darkness in his eyes, as if she were deep in the ocean and looking over the edge of a drop off that led down into the abyss.
'What's his story?' She wondered, 'Why is he such a double sided coin? One moment he's an idiot... the other...' she shivered as she remembered how Akuro had challenged the gods, a crazed smile on his face.
"Well?" Akuro spoke, breaking her from her thoughts.
Inari's eyes narrowed. "I have no reason to lie. I don't know what your issue is, but you're starting to irritate me. You act as if everything revolves around you, and if things don't go your way you get pissed off. It's like you don't believe in the ability of others, as if you think nobody knows anything and you act like you are the only one who can do things! It's like you have no belief in anyone other than yourself. It's like you have no hope."
Akuro's eyes widened. "What did you just say...?"
"I said, it seems to me like you have no hope." Inari repeated.
"Shut up!" Akuro roared, catching Inari off guard. "The fuck do you know? You know nothing about me, don't act like we're friends! I have no reason to trust you!"
Inari stared into Akuro's eyes. Then she realized it. That darkness in his eyes, it was pain. She bowed her head. "Sorry. Maybe I went too far. I have no right to say anything. But I don't take back what I said. You need to start trusting us if we are to work together." She smiled at him, her anger had faded completely. "Like you said, we're a team, right?"
Akuro's fists unclenched and his eyes softened, changing from anger to a lost, sad look.
Inari felt that she understood Akuro at that moment. He didn't trust others because he couldn't, because he'd been hurt. She didn't know how, or why, but she knew he was in pain, and the reason he was always two sides of a coin was because he was hiding his pain.
"I'm not gonna act like I know you. And I know trust is earned, not given, but right now we don't have much choice. If we want to survive we have to work together." Inari spoke.
"Can you guys knock off the mushy mushy shit?" Darius chimed in. "We've got stuff to do, you know, and I don't particularly enjoy third-wheeling."
"Darius is right." Akuro said bluntly, "let's get moving. Makane, lead the way."
•
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•
"Is this enough?" Lilith asked, waving at the destruction below her. "Is this enough proof of my strength, girl?"
"I have a name, so use it." Adeline said.
Onoma glanced at her. Adeline no longer wore a smile, she seemed serious now. 'It seems the situation is finally sinking in to the psycho.' Onoma thought. Lilith's eyes turned to him at that moment. He froze.
"Relax." Lilith smiled, "as I said before, I'm not here to kill you. But that will quickly change depending on your answer to my offer."
Adeline glanced over at Onoma. 'Damn!' He thought. 'We're cornered. If we decline her we will have to fight her, and the outcome...' he looked at the burning burning city below. 'Will likely be death.' He looked over at Adeline and nodded.
"We accept." Adeline spoke, turning back to Lilith, who grinned maliciously.
"Good," she spoke, "Then together we shall send this world... into oblivion!"