Chapter 8: Familiar Faces

Kotori's POV:

Like a missile, the barrage of spheres came hurling towards us. Even knowing Riku has some of my abilities, he wouldn't be able to survive this attack. I pull him by the shirt to the ground and wrap my arms around him tightly.

"W-What are you doing?! Let go of me!"

"KOTORI!!!"

I put up a flaming barrier behind me; hopefully, it will deflect some of the fallen angel's attack. I couldn't do much because my powers are sealed inside Riku.

"It's been fun Riku, thank you."

I close my watery eyes, feeling my tears drip down from my face. I can only hope that he is safe in my arms. I hold him tighter as I brace myself from the attack.

I waited and waited but...

"Huh? What's going on?" I opened my eyes. "Why's everything so purple?"

Suddenly, Riku broke out from my grasp.

"You could've atleast do this first than use yourself as a shield!"

"I didn't do this."

"Then who di- Ohhh?"

"What?"

He points his finger behind me. When I turn around, my heart almost jumped out of my chest as nine familiar people looking at us with a warm smile on their faces.

"Y-You guys came? I can't believe it, all of you are actually here?!" My feet carried me towards them.

When I got close to them, I hug the boy with a blue hair.

"Especially you big brother! I thought I'd never see you again!"

"I'm so happy to see you my dearest sister."

I felt his arms wrapped around me, feeling nostalgic after a long time.

"Ara! ~ Who are you supposed to be young man?"

My ears perked up and my eyes widened. I broke the hug before facing the spirit that I have a conflict in the past. A giant flaming halberd emerged beneath my feet. I took hold of it and pointed it towards the dark spirit.

"Stay away from him Kurumi! I wouldn't let you touch a single hair on him!"

"Ara-ara!~ Kotori-san?! Are you threatening your own ally over a boy?" Kurumi put a finger on her chin while smiling smugly. "Or better yet, a boyfriend perhaps?"

"Sh-Shut up!" My face heats up while my eyes darted back and forth. "S-Stop looking at me like that!"

All of them are wearing an annoying smile on their faces.

"Well Kotori, you have a lot of explaining to do." I sighed.

*Rumble! Rumble! *

I gasped when the ground begins to shake.

"What's happening?!" Natsumi exclaimed.

"Argh! Hey guys?! I can't hold on much longer!" Tohka struggled.

*Crack! *

I look at the roof of the barrier and saw the barrier almost reaching its limit.

"Ready your weapons! We will take him by suprise!" I commanded. "Riku! Prepare to run to safety!"

"W-What?! But I have some of your powers!" Riku yelled. "Let me help!"

"No! It's too risky!" I answered.

*CRACK! *

*CRASH!!!*

"ARRRGGGHHH!!!"

We didn't get a chance to attack because of the vacuum created by the shattered barrier. We keep our feet firm in the ground to not get blown away. After everything calmed down, we all look up to the dark angel on the sky.

"He already summoned his weapon?!" I muttered under my breath, sweat drips down my face.

The blade of his scythe is screaming; screams of the thousands or maybe millions who fell victim by this terrible angel.

"Riku, get into safety now! No excuses!" I demanded without looking at him.

"I already told you, I can help!" He argued back.

"You will only slow us down! Now go!" I glared at him in the corner of my eyes.

I saw him gritted his teeth before running away to find shelter.

"Kotori isn't that a little harsh?" Tohka approached me.

"You will not understand. Also, it's not what I meant to say." I told her. "We need to focus our attention on this guy first!"

I glared at the fallen angel who is looking back at us with his dark hollowed eyes.

"I guess I won't have to travel between dimensions to get rid all of you one by one!" He said with his low raspy voice.

"You can talk?!" My brother exclaimed.

The angel remains emotionless.

"Why are you coming after us?! Answer me!" Shido demanded.

"Power... I need more power!" He roared; raising his decaying right hand to the sky.

It seems like he is commanding the black clouds. It swirled around and unleashed powerful purple lightning all over the amusement park.

"Guys! Watch out!" Shido screamed.

Before the lightning can strike us, Miku steps in and used her voice to block all the lightning that's going to strike us.

"Once I've taken all your powers, not even God can protect these pathetic humans!" He seethed in rage. "He is the only one who is standing my path to vengeance!"

"What did the humans even do to you?! Why them?!" I yelled.

"EVERYTHING!!!"

Pain and grief are pouring out of his voice, his powers are becoming stronger the longer he rages on. He suddenly raises his scythe to the sky, all of the souls that are trapped inside went berserk all around the place.

But what I didn't expect to happen is the souls start attacking all the remaining humans that are panicking around.

"They are possessing them!" Kaguya exclaimed.

To my horror, one possessed human is slowly walking towards us.

"H-Help... Me!" He tried to spoke.

*Cough! Cough! *

He coughed out blood before falling to the hard-concrete floor.

"Mister! Hey wake up!" I run up to him and start shaking him.

"AHHHH!!!"

I was sent back when he started to scream while his body twitched uncontrollably.

My eyes widen when he sprouted large bat like wings while his hands turn to claws, and his skin decayed.

"W-What the?!" I stuttered.

He stops moving when his transformation is over.

"M-Mister?"

He suddenly lunged out; but before he could reach me, he was blasted by Origami's angel, Metatron.

"Kotori!" Shido run up to me; helped me stand on my feet.

All of us look around the chaos we are facing. But suddenly I realized...

"Riku..." I muttered as my eyes widened.

"What's that sis?"

"I need to find Riku, I shouldn't have let him go off alone!"

"Kotori wait! It's too dangerous!"

I ignored them, the only thing inside my mind now is... "Please be okay!"