Goodbye (2)

Flames engulfed Sedori's entire body as he broke through the atmosphere. His skin began to burn away faster than he could heal as he careened down from the sky, falling down and down. He could barely make out New York, at least what was left of it, as he fell. He was headed straight for the water, and there was no way he'd be able to change his trajectory, he couldn't even move, his body being broken and healed repeatedly.

'Damnit..' he thought. 'I wanted to have an impressive entrance and save the day..' he laughed. 'I really fucked that up.'

He knew he wasn't going to die, but he didn't enjoy the pain that came with falling from the sky. He wondered what happened to the souls of the Origin Deities. He failed to protect them, and it seemed, he had also failed to protect the current Deities. The image of Akuro, cold and heartless, flashed through his mind at that moment.

'What could have caused such a drastic change...?' Sedori wondered. 'I cannot understand this.. it makes no sense.'

He sighed as he came closer and closer to the water below.

'Not that it really matters anymore.. I can't really do much to help right now.'

Then he crashed into the water, the surface erupting as he broke the surface and sank deeper and deeper into the darkness.

•

•

•

Emma slowly got to her feet. She was alive somehow. She was never aware that she was immortal, though, it seemed that she was, otherwise she would've been completely erased by the nuke. She would have been gone, but she wasn't. She was completely fine. But she didn't really care.

She stood to her feet and looked over at Akuro, who stood over the corpse of Zealous's fading body.

"ZEALOUS!!" Came a scream of anguish from Kessana.

An intense heat began to spread through the air. Tetsuno, who had managed to get to his knees, glared up at Akuro, the ground about him becoming magma.

Azazel slowly walked past Emma then, not paying her any mind, as he approached Tetsuno and crouched down so he was face to face with him.

"You always were my favorite, Tetsuno. You are strong." Azazel hissed. "I won't kill you, but if you don't calm down, I won't be left much a choice."

The flames only intensified, Tetsuno's rage growing.

Azazel sighed, then cracked the back of his hand across Tetsuno's face, knocking him to the ground.

"Alright. Let's go." Azazel hissed.

"What about that one?" Akuro asked blankly.

"You mean Gozzu?" Azazel looked over at the small limp demon. "Leave him. He could be fun later on. I think we'd get bored without him."

"Fine."

Azazel held out his hand, a vortex of black aura forming in the air. "Come along then."

Akuro began heading towards the vortex, and then Kessana's voice came.

"I swear.." she growled, shaking with rage as tears streamed down her face, "I will kill you!!"

Akuro didn't even glance at her. He paid her no mind, after all, why should he? She was below him.

"Take me with you." Emma spoke.

Azazel turned to the girl. Then laughed. "Are you certain? What has come over you to make you join us so suddenly?"

"I don't know." She said, staring at Akuro. "I just can't help it.."

Azazel looked back and forth between her and Akuro. "Fine then. You shall come with us, your powers may be useful."

"Thank you."

"Can we go?" Akuro asked, impatient.

"Yes, yes, go on."

Akuro stepped through the vortex, followed by Emma. Azazel turned to face the Archdemons and Onoma. He chuckled to himself. "It's been nice knowing you all, but when next we meet, I shall not be so kind as to let you all live. Goodbye, enjoy your last days."

And then he was gone. The battle was over. The pressure levels returned to normal, gravity becoming natural again and allowing the Archdemons to stand. But they didn't. They stayed still, defeated, and broken. The only one to stand was Tetsuno, who let out a hollow bellow of rage as flames erupted from the earth around him. But even he was defeated, as he fell to his knees in despair.

To be defeated.. it was such a bitter taste.

•

•

•

Darius pushed off the shields that covered his body. They felt much heavier than they should've. As he got to his feet, he found that every movement seemed slow and difficult, his body heavy and sore.

He'd almost forgot what it was like to be a mortal.

He looked across the battlefield, then saw Inari sitting up and looking down at her hands. He began to walk towards her, but everything he did was so damn slow, so painfully slow.

Inari looked up at Darius as he approached. Tears began to well in her eyes.

"Darius.. he's gone.. Akuro.. he's gone.." she said.

Darius avoided making eye contact with her. Instead he stared at his feet, but out of the corner of his eyes, he could see her. It was strange. Why was it that women were so beautiful when they cried? It made his heart hurt. She seemed so helpless.. but he knew she wasn't really. She was strong. Possibly stronger than him.. that's why seeing her cry was so painful.

He wished he could tell her that Akuro wasn't gone, that he'd come back.. but he couldn't bring himself to say that. He didn't know for himself whether that was true or not. When he thought of those cold eyes, he couldn't help but wonder.. was Akuro gone for good? It really seemed as though he was.

Darius walked closer to Inari, sitting beside her. She suddenly sprang at him, her arms draped about him as she clung to him and cried. He wondered if being mortal made their emotions even more intense. He wrapped his arms around her. He knew he felt something towards her.. but he also knew she loved Akuro. He knew she would never care for him the way she did Akuro, he was just a friend. Then he cursed himself. He was thinking of something like that at a moment like this? Why was he so selfish...?

As Inari cried into his chest, Darius bit his lip. The taste of blood, that irony taste, spilled into his mouth as he choked back tears. Then he realized with cold fear and helplessness..

His lip wasn't healing.