A large crowd gathered around his seemingly dead body, his lower spin pancaked as he'd been run over by 4 tons of metal, not to mention the pool of blood that grew outward ever so gradually. He was a teenage boy who sacrificed his life to save a stray cat, and luckily made it in the nick of time. A few pedestrians who happened to witness the sight tried sharing their account of what had happened with a few heads tilting in confusion as they did. Had the "Lazy Devil" truly saved a small animal? Was he really that kind of person?
Whatever the case, every spectator present would watch in utter bewilderment as the teenage boy who'd seemingly died, slapped away the hands of the paramedics, his wounds seemingly healed as he stood up. Everyone stepped back, fearing that epitome of "devil" might not be for show, on man in particular having the guts to bellow it out to him. Akuma shot a fierce glare at the man, lost blood streaming down his face only highlighting his bloodlust.
In truth he hated being called a "devil" as it made his dream of one day becoming God seem further from his reach. Of course I'm still gonna call him that. Not like he can do anything to me about it. Heh. Scrub.
Clicking his tongue, he got up, resting his hands in his pockets as he walked away from the bloodied scene. Naturally any pedestrian in his way made themselves scarce, some even fleeing the scene in terror.
"My day has just been so damn dandy." Akuma muttered to himself in sarcasm. "First we these people who swear I'll murder em' just cause' I happened to look their way. A vending machine trying to steal my money. And then I almost died saving a damn cat, who'll probably die next week anyways with how careless these people are. And now you're telling me an Angel wants me to visit some church because God is dead?! I mean that doesn't even make any sense. How does God die?"
Another weary sigh escaped Akuma. A lot of those seem to be coming out of him these days.
"…Though I guess, if angels and such are real, then maybe my goal's actually reachable… I wonder, should I go to that church…? Tomorrow is Friday…"
Before he could finish his thoughts, he heard bustling footsteps reaching ever so close to him, paired with the sound of weapons as well as feint giggling. It was a collection of sounds he knew all too well. A part of him wasn't in the mood to deal with such nonsense, and the other felt ecstatic for the fortune of stumbling across victims he could alleviate his stress on.
Behind him, about a hundred, most of them armed while a few had the guts to use their bare fist. They were wearing the uniforms of a neighboring school and naturally, was led by a gang leader by the name of "Bomi". The name stemmed from the brand of cigarettes he'd always carry.
Bomi took the cigarette from his lips, effortlessly flicking it into a nearby trash bin.
"My boys here have told me some unfortunate news. Apparently, the Lazy De-"
Before he could even finish that sentence, his face had already been smashed in, sending him flying in between his gang. After an awkward silence, the rest of the group all charged Akuma, throwing any kind of honor or dignity out the door. It was a devastating scene, one that anyone could comment wasn't fair in the slightest. All the same, the beatdown continued, the scene a bloody massacre. One hundred men taken down effortlessly by one boy.
Pressing the last delinquent's head into the ground with his shoe, Akuma turned his gaze to the clouds, a habit he often did when deep in thought.
"…Maybe I'll go to school."
***
There are moments in this world when the amount of sleep you're getting feels almost too good to be true. You find yourself questioning, "Has my alarm gone off yet? Could I have overslept?!" It was this exact predicament that greeted him at the start of his day, though it was overshadowed by the remnants of the bizarre angel still lingering in his mind.
The boy, Akuma Tiryns, was caught in a mental tug-of-war, contemplating whether to finally rise from his slumber -a struggle that had already consumed him for a good ten minutes.
Initially, panic surged through him as he thought, "Oh no, I'm going to be late for school!" But soon, a wave of tranquility washed over him, and he reasoned that if he was destined to miss the bus, why not indulge in a few extra moments of sleep? Such solid reasoning had no reason to be judged, and judged it was not.
Though he'd made up his mind yesterday to go to school, he found himself questioning if maybe yesterday's him had lost his mind or something. Surely that had to be the case.
But then it hit him, like a lightning bolt striking out of nowhere, a thought jolted him awake. He was a boy with zero friends, yes, but by now he'd settled with that fact, accepting that such a thing was just a waste of time. Perhaps it was his way of coping, or perhaps it had some solid reasoning behind it. Whatever the case, there was one person he wouldn't mind being close with.
In truth, she was one of his only reasons for still showing up to class, and with her being out with a cold for the past week, he decided to skip the entire week. But -even though it was Friday- there was a tangy feeling urging him that she'd be there today.
With that feeling acting as his only fuel, he summoned every ounce of willpower to break free from the warm embrace of his cozy blanket and the formidable foe known as "the pillow". His strategy for this overpowered boss was foolproof, a time-honored method. Simply rolling out of bed and landing unceremoniously on the carpeted floor below. It was a solid plan if you give it thought. I mean think about it, if your bed is too comfy to get out of, then simply fall on the floor.
After picking himself up from the floor, he limped toward the bathroom, only to be greeted by an unwelcome sight -a disheveled figure lounging there.
"Good morning, sweet brother." Akuma said, forcing a smile that barely masked his irritation.
The response he received was less than flattering.
"Damn man, what time did you go to bed? You look disgusting."
The silence that followed was thick with unspoken words. This unkempt Neanderthal was Tenshi Tiryns, Akuma's older brother, and despite their shared blood, they were worlds apart. While Akuma was a 17-year-old high school junior, brimming with youthful energy, Tenshi, 24, had long chosen a different path, opting to train with their father instead of pursuing an education. The only thread connecting them was their shared hairstyle -both wore in locs.
If you're curious about such details, then I suppose I should tell you that Tenshi had short brown locks with a wilder appearance, as well as two striking golden locks that reached down to his chest. Strangely, that color was his natural one.
"My, I'm as dazzling today as any other." Akuma boasted, choosing to overlook his brother's rude remark.
His gaze shifted to the bathroom mirror, primarily to avoid the sight of his brother's barbaric appearance. However, when he finally glanced at his reflection, something peculiar caught his eye. Behind him, he could have sworn he saw the same wings from his dream, now trailing behind him.
"I-I guess I'm still a bit out of it." he muttered, brushing off the bizarre vision as mere hallucination.
"What-?"
"Nothing."
"Y'know, it's a wonder how you even wake up in the morning… One day you're gonna end up dead with that horrible sleep schedule!"
With that harsh and utterly untrue remark, Tenshi made his way toward the door leading to his room.
"Jokes this early in the morning, huh?"
"Who said anything about joking?"
As he slipped into his dimly lit room, Akuma felt an urge to call out to him just before the bathroom door clicked shut.
"Wait!" he shouted.
"Hmm?" Tenshi replied, pausing to let his brother's voice reach him through the small creak of the door.
"Fu-fu. Did you know the chances of dying to a wild serial killer is lower than your chances of dying to me."
"…"
"…"
"Go to school man."
*SLAM!
"Tuh! Look who's talking. I hope that door breaks."
As if out of habit, he caught a glimpse of his own reflection, a Greek god in the making, and found himself momentarily lost in a mini modeling session. I suppose the bathroom light was just too flattering.
After brushing his teeth and splashing water on his face, he returned to his room. For those curious about the layout, it was the average boy's domain: a small bed tucked in the top right corner, a gaming setup occupying the top left, and a whole lot of nothing everywhere else. And yes, there was a poster on the wall of someone he may or may not have snapped a picture of. Perhaps without asking. But really, who cares about the details?
The school uniform was a requirement for every student, leaving no room for debate about what to wear each day. Yet, you'd never hear any complaints from this teenage boy. In fact, he found the uniform quite flattering on Alice, and if you were to ask her, she would likely claim to appreciate how it suited him as well… She wouldn't.
After donning his uniform and grabbing his phone, he began his familiar descent down the stairs, intending to whip up some breakfast. That was the plan, at least, until he encountered an expected hurdle at the end of his carpeted path, a sight that could only be likened to the devil's work.
"Ah, we meet again, Satan," he muttered, bracing himself for the inevitable showdown. "Today is not your day. My wife has finally recovered from that nasty cold, and I can almost sense her eagerness to see me from here."
This was the second foe he faced daily, the first being the ever-tempting embrace of his pillow.
The scene before him was so grotesque that even the most resilient stomach would quiver at the sight. He took a deep breath, mustering every ounce of bravery to confront this monstrous challenge.
"Wooden floor!" he shouted, poised to leap into action.
His father, stubbornly entrenched in his old-fashioned beliefs, occupied the lower level of their home, steadfastly refusing to cover the floor with carpet, as if enchanted by some unseen force. What was his strategy for the day? Of course, it was his classic move: a bold jump! He figured that if he got the first blow, then it'd be over from there. Unfortunately, that did little for the shiver that followed as he touched the substance we call "wooden floor".
Akuma embraced a refreshingly uncomplicated morning routine, which granted him plenty of time to spare before his bus arrived. You might be curious about how he occupied those fleeting moments. On this particular morning -pretty much every morning- he found himself diving back into the enthralling world of "anime" a past time he often dabbled in.
Before he realized it, an entire episode had flown by, and the urgency of leaving for school struck him like a bolt.
As he approached his bus stop, a grin spread across his face, excitement bubbling within him at the thought of their shared moments. The happiness she brought him was undeniable, regardless of how frequently they met. While their bus stop typically saw a throng of kids, most chose to drive to school a bit later, leaving just him and her in their own little universe. That "her" is his beloved and extraordinary girlfriend, Alice!
Okay so that was a bit of a lie. And by a bit, I mean light years from the truth.
If you want the honest truth and nothing but it, Akuma was just another figure in the bustling crowd, desperately seeking her gaze -an npc if you will. A surge of jealousy welled up inside him whenever he caught sight of her sharing laughter with anyone else -including girls- and frustration gnawed at him as he watched the boys who got to partner with her in class. Alright, I may have been lying a bit with that first part. I suppose he was in a tad bit better spot than the other guys, seeing as they actually talked frequently. Even still, he was beyond hopeless. The briefest exchange with her could send him soaring with joy, as if he had just achieved a personal triumph.
Alice walked with elegant grace, her pink school bag held delicately in her hand, evoking the image of a princess with each step she took. Grades, sports, looks and even personality, she was a model student in all categories you looked.
Akuma's footsteps must have startled her, seeing as she quickly turned to glance his way. In that instant, he'd fallen in love all over again. Time seemed to stand still as he took in her beauty. Her pink hair bounced softly with her movements, and her captivating pink eyes shimmered with kindness and compassion. Even from afar, he could see the gentle curve of her lips, and her school uniform highlighted her perfect figure. He was not one to dwell on the imperfections of skin, but even he was entranced by her porcelain skin.
He was so engrossed that he even spotted the favorite pink scarf she wore.
(Hmph. +10 points for me.) A sense of pride swelled within him for noticing such a trivial detail.
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through, not fierce enough to knock anyone over, but strong enough to send dust particles flying. Unfortunately for him, it also nudged a bottle right under his foot, leading to an embarrassing stumble that sent him crashing to the ground with a loud thud. Though he couldn't see her, he could feel her awkward gaze upon him, and to his dismay, he realized he hadn't even fallen gracefully -his clumsy landing was punctuated by a ridiculous *EEK sound.
(Yep… -10 points for me.)
"Umm… Are you okay, Akuma?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.
(Please just let me die right now...)
"Y-Yep. Juuust fine," he stammered, hastily scrambling to his feet and brushing off his uniform in a desperate attempt to reclaim some semblance of dignity.
"Y'know…" she began, a small giggle escaping her lips. "...You made this weird sound when you fell. To be honest, it was hard to hold in my laugh."