"A fantastic day for a harvest."
The demon almost felt human-like, if not for the blackened eyes.
Arc still lay on the floor, vision hazy. He was on the verge of fainting, yet he recalled what Quill had said in the car earlier.
"Six possessions... one murder," he murmured, believing that he must prevent the death of that person.
He turned to the girl.
"Run..." he barely uttered.
The wound in his back and arms only worsened as he moved, not alleviating even in his white form. It continued to release smoke, hurting him from the inside out.
The girl beside him, who was crying once more, did not leave Arc.
"You have... to go..."
"Mister..."
"Go!" Arc mustered to yell, the wound in his back protesting, making him grunt in pain.
The girl stood up and turned, hesitation in her steps.
The demon smiled and moved toward the little girl with slow steps.
"How delightful."
Arc watched as it walked beside him. "No..." his voice almost drowned by the pounding in his ears.
With every ounce of strength he had left, he pushed himself to grab the demon by the ankle, his fingers tightening on the edges of its pants.
"Persistent, are we?" It looked down at Arc with disdain on its face.
The demon turned and stepped on his back where his wound was. "Stay down, soldier."
"ARGH!" Arc cried out in pain, not letting go of its ankle.
"I said..." The demon kicked him from the back. "STAY!" another kick, "THE FUCK!" another, "DOWN!" and another.
It continued to beat Arc down, stomping on his back multiple times, as blood began to seep through, and the cracking of bones was heard.
Arc could not move. His arm lost all power, and even the energy to cry out in pain was no more.
He lay motionless on the floor, and after the demon was satisfied, it neatly arranged its clothing and hair before proceeding to the girl.
"Now... where was I?"
When he turned, the little girl had already fled, crawling through the rubble to exit from the broken wall.
The demon swiftly jumped at her. A loud crash from behind her set off, and when she turned, it was right before her face.
"Hello, little girl..."
Arc's body twitched. He coughed up blood and forced his head to turn toward the girl. He saw the demon right beside her as his eyelids... closed shut.
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He opened his eyes. His feet delivered a kick straight to its abdomen, crashing into the television. The vision shut.
────────
Eyes now pried open. He stomped on its back multiple times, targeting its back and head, bashing and stomping on it as black blood splattered everywhere. Eyes then were closed shut.
────────
And open. A voice called from behind...
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────────
"There is an old man living by the 5th unit. He's a retired veteran. Check on him," Sycamore's voice crackled through the static radio, echoing through Quill's belt. "And for God's sake, what are you doing? Report to us whatever is happening."
"We're not used to using this, alright?" Quill said as he ran with Pierrot to find Arc. "But we've sealed two over here."
They turned the corner. "Check on the others for us."
"Understood. Keep it up."
The two continued to jog toward the farthest right corridor when they saw the unit they were headed to had a hole in its wall.
They shared a look momentarily and ran as fast as they could, quickly assuming their white forms.
When they reached the unit, they looked through the rubble of the crushed wall... and the scene was horrifying.
Pierrot and Quill stood appalled at the sight before them.
The damage the unit had taken was too grand.
Arc stood by the window, in his hand was the old veteran whose void-like eyes stared at him, grunting out of his grip.
A little girl was unconscious in the corner, lying by a pool of blood.
A sealed demon lay right before her, also out cold.
The two did not know how to approach the situation...
"Arc?" Quill called, his voice trembling slightly.
The atmosphere felt heavy. Smoke was everywhere, thick, spread out, without knowing where it was from.
Arc continued to push the old man up by the neck. Feet dangling in the air, the body almost losing air.
He turned... Over his shoulders, he looked back at the voice.
Quill and Pierrot shuddered.
Arc's eyes were all black.
He continued to grip the demon by the neck.
"Arc..." This time it wasn't a call. It was an expression of disbelief, coming from Quill.
A moment of realization washed over Arc, and he dropped the demon down. It gasped for air, coughing on its knees, holding on to its neck as if it had been severed.
He had regained consciousness. He looked at his hands and felt oddly... great.
"Quill..." he looked up to face them, "Pierrot..."
His voice was still his own. Yet void-like eyes and black smoke swirled around him.
"I—"
Arc's words were cut off by a powerful kick, sending him straight into the wall and through it.
The impact sent chunks of plaster and wood flying, the loud crash shaking the whole unit.
Dust filled the air, blending with blackened smoke. Arc was no longer within Quill's vision. His eyes widened with terror.
"Take care of that one," said Pierrot without looking back.
Quill could only nod slowly. It was the first time he saw Pierrot's powerful kick, let alone delivered to Arc... a member of Malachim.
"Pierrot!" Quill called out before he could run. "It's Arc..."
A short moment of silence was shared between them.
"Demons... deceive," Pierrot said, and darted toward Arc.
Quill was left with worry and confusion. He turned to the old man's body, which lay on the floor.
"I'll take you out first."
Pierrot followed the groan amidst the dust in the air. When it settled down, he saw Arc by a rubble of debris, holding on to his gut.
"Pie-rrot..." He coughed in between words, as the other walked slowly toward him.
"Who are you?"
"It's me... Arc..." The teen was on the verge of crying. "I don't know what's happening to me..." He scooted further into the wall, staring at the glowing eyes before him.
"Show yourself."
Pierrot stepped on his chest. "Who. Are. You?"
"I don't know what you mean..." Arc was terrified.
Pierrot retrieved his foot back and looked up, sighing. He twisted his body, positioned himself, and then delivered a kick to Arc's side, throwing him to a corner.
"Show yourself... or I'll kill him."
Arc, with black eyes, stared at his mentor with fright. He was confused about what was happening. Then a sudden heartbeat resounded once, loud. As the ringing in his ears started, Pierrot picked him up by the arm and flung him to the floor, and Arc coughed up black blood.
Pierrot sent blades his way, to his legs, palms, chest, and neck, and Arc's face contorted in agony.
"AAARGGH!!!"