S2 - Chapter 8: Decision
Draco
Yuki: "Stay on your toes!!!"
I dodged a swing of a sword by rolling out of the way. Right when I could regain my balance, another sword swung down at me. I swung my axe upwards, shattering the sword into shards of metal and forcing the opponent back. Once I got to my feet, I found myself surrounded by an army of skeletons.
Yuki: "Come on!!"
I looked up from the stadium to see Yuki in the stands with a bag of popcorn.
Yuki: "We've got to get home sometime this year!"
I rolled my eyes.
Draco: "Shut up and let me concentrate!!"
I gripped the handle of my axe tightly, getting ready to throw it.
Yuki: "Watch your back!"
I quickly ducked down to avoid getting pierced with a spear. In one motion, I threw my axe with so much force that it cut through multiple skeletons. I threw it with a curve, so it spun around me like it was orbiting me. When there was one left, I ran towards it and caught my axe mid run. I leaped into the air and swung down onto the skeleton with all my strength, absolutely destroying it and shattering the ground beneath me.
I looked around at the piles of bones and weapons to hear Yuki clapping from the stands.
Yuki: "You actually did pretty good! But you have a little something in your shoulder"
I looked back and saw a dagger in my shoulder. Despite it being in my shoulder, I felt little pain. I reached back and ripped it out, letting Nether cover up my wound and heal it within a minute.
Draco: "It's weird, I'm not feeling much pain anymore"
Yuki: "You've been beaten down so much in training that you've probably gotten used to it, to an extent at least. I mean, hey, we're closing in on your one year anniversary~"
I glared at her.
Yuki: "Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that"
Draco: "It's fine"
I picked up my axe and pushed the skull off of its blade. I flicked it in my hand and it morphed back into its watch form. Yuki walked over and flicked my ear.
Draco: "Ow!! What the—?!"
Yuki: "Dude, take a breather. Wanna go get some Taco Bell to clear your head?"
Draco: "Yeah, okay"
She held her hand out.
Yuki: "After you go shower and change"
I looked down at my clothes and saw I was sweating a lot.
Draco: "Right, I'll meet you at your place"
Yuki: "Then Taco Bell~"
Yuki pulled out her phone and teleported away, which I did the same afterwards.
I formed inside my house just beyond the front door.
Raven: "Oh, you're home, Master~"
Raven flew out from the kitchen with a slice of cake.
Raven: "Tomorrow is your death day~ Thought we should celebrate a bit with some cake, and maybe some shower se—"
Draco: "Not today... Raven... please..."
She set the cake down on a nearby table.
Raven: "Are you okay, Master?"
Draco: "I'm fine... I just want to shower and change, then I'll head back out and get out of your hair"
Raven: "This my sound strange coming from a Fallen Angel in Hell, but you're really starting to worry me. I haven't seen you smile in months"
Draco: "I'm fine"
Raven: "Master, I'm your guardian, and I can tell something's wrong"
Draco: "I said I'm fine, leave me alone"
I walked past her and into the bathroom. Immediately, I regretted talking to her like that. She had done so much for me during my time here and that's how I treated her.
Even though training was long over, I could still feel my heart racing. My hands were shaking and my head was a mess. No matter how hard I tried to calm myself down, I just couldn't.
Draco: "I'm sorry... Nozomi... I'm making you wait so long... You too, Asuka... Alex..."
After stripping down and turning the shower on to warm up, I walked over and splashed some water on my face at the sink. I looked into my reflection and saw how much my body had improved since coming here. All the training had made me build up muscle, even having some abs by this point. Even though I looked okay physically, I was a mess mentally.
Draco: "What's wrong with me today..."
I looked behind me and saw Raven standing there, already naked.
Draco: "I said I want to shower alone"
Raven: "You know that's not how this works~"
Draco: "It is now, get out"
Raven: "Draco... please..."
She came up behind me and hugged me.
Raven: "You aren't yourself... Let me help..."
As always, lustful feelings overwhelmed my mind whenever she clung to me. It was a way for her to help calm me down, however it got really annoying at times.
Draco: "Fine... But this won't be gentle"
Afterwards, I got dressed, leaving Raven in the bedroom for her to recover. I put my new hoodie on and got ready to teleport. However right as I opened my phone, I saw Asuka. I had set her as my wallpaper a while ago, and seeing her again made me regret everything I was doing with Raven.
I... I wanted my first time to be with her...
I shook those feelings off as I had to clear my head. I teleported to Yuki's house, which was pretty much an exact copy of the mansion she had back in New Jersey. I knocked on the door.
Draco: "Yuki! You ready?"
She opened the door, a worried expression on her face.
Yuki: "You need to see this"
She pulled me inside and brought me to the living room. The massive flatscreen tv was on while Satan himself sat on a couch.
Draco: "What's—"
I looked up at the tv and saw a live broadcast labeled Floor 2.
A bright light shined in the sky, almost as if the sky itself was on fire. Inside the light, a figure with massive wings could be seen.
Draco: "M-Michael"
Satan: "It would seem my dear brother has begun his journey to this circle. Whether it's to kill me or to find you, it matters little. All that matters is that we have a few days at best. If he decides to take his time, we may have longer, however I doubt that"
Draco: "What do we do?"
Satan looked up at me.
Satan: "If he comes here and sees what I've created, he will burn this circle to the ground until every soul that resides here is destroyed"
Draco: "He can't do that!!"
Satan: "He can and will given the chance. In his eyes, I'm preventing Sinners from receiving their punishment. Even though they don't deserve Hell, he doesn't care"
I clenched my fist.
Draco: "This soon... I..."
Satan: "You are not ready, I'm well aware"
Draco: "Then what do we do?"
For the first time, Satan seemed perplexed.
Satan: "Evacuate"
Draco: "W-What?! We can't do that!! He'll destroy everything!!"
Yuki stood in front of me.
Yuki: "We can always rebuild, but we can't bring back destroyed souls. Getting everyone out of here and to a safe place would keep them safe until we deal with Michael"
Satan: "Correct..."
Yuki looked back at him.
Yuki: "Are you okay?"
Satan: "Quite fine"
He stood up, facing me with a serious look on his face.
Satan: "Draco, how far along are you in your training?"
Draco: "Pretty far, another month or two and I would've completed it"
Satan: "I'll test you myself"
He snapped his fingers and the three of us teleported to the stadium Yuki and I were training earlier that day.
Satan: "Yuki, go alert the Sins. Tell them to begin the evacuation. With the number of souls in this circle, it could very well come down to a matter of minutes before brother gets here. Make sure everyone flees to the ninth circle. It will be cold, so be sure to bring some Hellfire with you"
Yuki nodded.
Yuki: "Good luck, Draco"
She tapped something on her phone and teleported away.
Satan: "You will not hold back"
Draco: "Right"
I flicked my wrist and my axe formed in my hand. Meanwhile, Satan's black suit morphed into his armor from the attack on the House of God. In his hands was a blood red spear.
Satan: "If you don't come at me with everything, you will die"
I gripped my axe tightly.
Draco: "Death doesn't scare me anymore"
With incredible speed, Satan had leaped up into the air and swung down with his spear, trying to slice me in two. I swung my axe up with one hand and met his blade, creating a surge of energy between them. Surprisingly, the clash ended with him flying back a bit, however he stayed on his feet. Both him and I were both surprised.
Satan: "I think you're farther along in your training than you're letting on~"
I threw my axe straight at him, quickly running after the throw. He blocked it with his spear, however I used a tendril of Nether to latch onto the axe and pull it back into my hand, allowing me to go in for another strike. He slammed his foot into my stomach, sending me flying back. However I spread my arms and shot Nether tendrils out of my fingers. The tendrils slowly began merging and weaving together until they formed wings, allowing me to regain my composure in mid air.
Satan: "Excellent!! You aren't using it as I would've, but excellent nonetheless!!"
He formed a ball of Hellfire in his hand and thrusted it out, creating a massive wave of flames. I tosses my axe down with both hands, making it cut right through the fire and leaving me an opening to follow. I shot down from the air, following my axe as it got closer and closer to Satan. The second it had gotten through all of the flames, Satan bashed it with his spear to avoid getting hit. Despite that, I followed swiftly behind. Before he could bring his spear back up, I coated my fist in Nether and threw the hardest punch I could. I landed my punch right on the side of his head, sending him to the ground.
He looked up and me and grabbed his chin.
Satan: "I must say... I'm impressed"
He slowly stood up, giving me enough time to pick up my axe with the Nether tendrils.
Satan: "If this is what a year has done to you, I can't even imagine what you'd become after a decade"
Draco: "I won't need to"
I held my fist to my heart, exposing the back of my left hand to Satan. Instead of the symbol of a dragon, a new symbol burned into my hand, duel swords engulfed in flames.
Satan: "The Warrior Bane~ Draco my boy! You've done it!!"
Nether began to swirl around me like a hurricane. I could see the Warrior Bane Symbol glow brighter and brighter until all of the Nether condensed down into my body. I closed my eyes.
Draco: "I won't let him destroy this place..."
When I opened my eyes, they glowed a bright red. My skin slowly began to turn pitch black, as it had whenever I had used the Warrior Bane in the past. I originally thought of it as my rage state, however the only thing in my body at that moment was clear. I wasn't going to let Michael of anyone else hurt anyone. I was going to stop all of this, even if I would have to fight Michael, Satan, or even God himself.
Draco: "I'm putting an end to this"
Suddenly, I heard Satan.
Satan: "Tsk tsk... Didn't learn your lesson from last time?"
He appeared in front of me, his hand directly in my face.
Satan: "That isn't my Bane~"
A sudden force literally tore the energy right from my body, forcing me out of my Demon state.
Satan: "Brute force alone won't get you past him. His sword generates flames that burn your very soul. One clean strike and it's over"
He slammed his fist into my stomach, making me fall to the ground.
Satan: "I'm not going easy on you as I have been. This upcoming battle means life or death for all who live here. Before, you fought to save the living. Now, you fight to save the abandoned. If the people up there died, they had somewhere to go. If these souls die, they're gone"
I coughed a little and looked up at him.
Draco: "Why can't I just give it back to you?"
His eyes narrowed.
Satan: "You'd trust me with the key to overthrowing Heaven~?"
Draco: "I... I know who's side I'm fighting on"
Satan: "And who's side is that, exactly~?"
I clenched my fist.
Draco: "You, you're right. I've been fighting for the wrong side. The good guys are currently on their way to destroy innocent souls. Those souls don't deserve to be punished, they don't deserve to be destroyed"
Suddenly, my surroundings changed. I had returned to that empty field where I had once witnessed the armies of Heaven and Hell clash.
Directly in front of me was me. The me who looked more like a monster than human. He looked like how I did whenever I was lost to my rage, black skin and dark eyes, coated in Nether.
Draco: "Been a while"
He just stared at me.
Draco: "What do you want? I'm busy"
???: "It's time, Draco~"
Draco: "Time for what?"
???: "To become what you were always meant to be"
Draco: "I don't need anything else, especially not from you"
???: "You seem to have forgotten, I am you~"
Draco: "I get it, you're all my rage"
???: "I'm what you could be as well~"
Draco: "Why would I want to be you?"
???: "By letting go of all your mortal views and desires, you will become something much greater"
Draco: "Not happening"
The other me grinned.
???: "You could meet Asuka again~"
My eyes widened.
Draco: "What do I have to do?"
He walked over to me and held his hand out to shake.
???: "Accept me~ We are one and the same. Take on what you were truly meant to be and you will meet Asuka again~"
I hesitated, however the thought of seeing Asuka again took over my head. Every part of my being wanted to see her again. I grabbed his hand. The second I did, I was pulled out of that landscape and had returned to the stadium with Satan.
My dark aura began to return.
Draco: "I won't let it happen. I'm not losing anyone ever again. I'll fight so that I can see them again, Alex, Nozomi, Asuka, all of them!!!"
My body erupted in Nether, so much that it made the ground shake beneath us. Satan himself had to step back.
Satan: "This is why you keep it. Yes, I could very well take it and use it to fight, however it was Father's power. I refuse to use it again. So you, my chosen warrior, will act in my stead. You will defend your home and all who reside within it"
I stood up, condensing all the Nether I could into my body. I turned all that energy into raw power for my body.
Draco: "Try again"
He grinned and set his weapon down.
Satan: "A fine warrior..."
He threw a barrage of punches, so fast that anyone else would've been overwhelmed. However I used my palms to block each and every punch. Not a single one made it through.
Satan let out a hearty laugh as his speed increased, more and more punches flew my way at greater and greater speeds. Despite that, my body was able to keep up. Not a single punch made it's way through. He went for a kick, however I managed to jump up and kick his foot back down to the ground. I then threw a punch so fast that Satan couldn't dodge. He crossed his arms to block it, however the impact still sent him back a bit. He grinned and started laughing.
Satan: "A fine warrior indeed!!!"
He snapped his fingers and a mirror appeared in front of me. When I looked into my reflection, I saw something that filled me with both horror and power.
Both of my eyes had turned dark black with my pupils glowing red. Despite that, my skin hadn't changed at all.
Satan: "You've awakened your inner Demon~ This is what you truly look like"
I stared at my eyes, the longer I did, the less like myself I felt.
Draco: "Michael won't hurt anyone, none of them will. I'll..."
I shattered the mirror with my fist.
Draco: "I'll kill them all if I have to!!!!"
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