How The Fuck Do You Kill Death?

Kikidori wiped a streak of blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, his crimson eyes narrowing at the skeletal figure in front of him. The Grim Reaper stood tall and unmoving, its scythe glinting ominously in the dim, hellish light. It didn't bleed. It didn't flinch. It didn't even breathe. And it was relentless.

Swinging his sword with a burst of hellfire energy, Kikidori yelled, "Alright, you bag of bones! What's it gonna take to put you down, huh?"

The Reaper remained silent, merely tilting its head as if amused. It raised its scythe again and brought it down in a deadly arc. Kikidori dodged, his wings flaring as he shot backward, narrowly avoiding being split in two. The ground beneath him cracked and shattered, the sheer force of the attack sending debris flying.

"Great," Kikidori muttered, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Just my luck. How the fuck do you kill Death itself?"

As if in answer to his question, the Reaper lunged forward with terrifying speed, swinging its scythe in a wide arc. Kikidori ducked and countered with a quick slash of his own, but his blade bounced harmlessly off the Reaper's bony ribcage.

"Shit," he hissed under his breath, jumping back again. "Figures you'd have plot armor."

The Reaper didn't respond—because of course it didn't—but the way it tilted its head was starting to piss him off.

"Yeah, just stand there and act all mysterious, you bony bitch!" Kikidori snapped, pacing slightly as he tried to think. His wings twitched in irritation. "You can't be unkillable. Everything has a weakness. Even you, Grimmy."

But what the hell was it? Kikidori had killed countless demons, angels, and gods in his time. Hell, he'd even sacrificed himself to destroy the Unknown, only to come back to life because... well, apparently, being a god had its perks. But this? This was new territory. Death wasn't something you could stab or punch into submission.

The Reaper took a step forward, dragging its scythe along the ground with a sound like nails on a chalkboard. Kikidori grimaced, the sound setting his teeth on edge.

"Alright, think, you dumbass," he muttered to himself. "How do you kill Death?"

He wracked his brain, trying to remember anything—*anything*—from the celestial meetings or his father's teachings that might help. But nothing came to mind.

"Fuck it," he growled, charging forward.

His blade clashed with the Reaper's scythe in a burst of sparks and hellfire. The force of the impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air, and Kikidori gritted his teeth as he pushed against the Reaper's strength.

"You don't scare me!" he shouted, though he wasn't entirely sure that was true. "You might be Death, but I'm the Prince of Hell, and I don't go down easy!"

The Reaper pushed him back with a single sweep of its scythe, sending him crashing into a nearby wall. Kikidori groaned, pulling himself to his feet. His wings were battered, his body bruised, but his determination burned brighter than ever.

"You're really starting to piss me off," he muttered, cracking his neck.

As the Reaper advanced, Kikidori's mind raced. He couldn't overpower it—not directly. But maybe... maybe he didn't have to.

He remembered something Ere'ana had once said, back when they were discussing the concept of death in one of their rare philosophical conversations.

"Death isn't something you fight," she'd said. "It's something you accept."

Kikidori blinked, his grip on his sword tightening as realization dawned. "Oh, you sneaky bastard," he muttered, his lips curving into a smirk.

The Reaper swung its scythe again, but this time, Kikidori didn't dodge. Instead, he stood his ground, raising his blade to meet the attack. The scythe and sword clashed in a burst of energy, but Kikidori didn't falter.

"You're not here to kill me, are you?" he said, his voice low but steady.

The Reaper paused, its head tilting slightly.

"You're here because I died once," Kikidori continued, his smirk widening. "And now you think I'm some kind of cosmic mistake that needs correcting. Well, guess what? I'm not gonna let you decide when my story ends."

Summoning every ounce of his demonic and godly energy, Kikidori let out a roar and slammed his sword into the ground. The resulting shockwave sent the Reaper staggering back, and Kikidori took the opportunity to channel his power into a single, concentrated attack.

"Let's see how you like this!" he shouted, launching a blazing inferno of hellfire straight at the Reaper.

The flames engulfed the skeletal figure, and for a moment, it seemed like Kikidori had won. But when the fire died down, the Reaper was still standing, its cloak barely singed.

"Of course," Kikidori muttered, rolling his eyes. "Because that would've been too easy."

The Reaper raised its scythe again, but Kikidori held up a hand, his expression shifting from defiance to something softer.

"Wait," he said, his tone surprisingly calm.

The Reaper paused, its empty eye sockets glowing faintly.

"I get it now," Kikidori said, lowering his sword. "You're not here to kill me. You're here to test me. To see if I deserve this second chance."

The Reaper didn't respond, but it lowered its scythe slightly.

Kikidori took a deep breath, his wings folding behind him as he straightened. "Well, guess what? I do deserve it. I've got people who need me. A daughter to protect. A wife who'd kill me again if I left her alone. So you can take your test and shove it."

The Reaper tilted its head again, and for a moment, Kikidori thought it might attack. But then, to his surprise, it stepped back. The scythe disappeared into the shadows, and the figure began to fade.

Kikidori blinked, his sword still at the ready. "Wait, that's it? You're just gonna leave?"

The Reaper didn't answer, but as it vanished completely, Kikidori could've sworn he heard a faint, echoing chuckle.

"Yeah, you better run," Kikidori muttered, sheathing his sword.

As the corridor returned to its usual eerie silence, Kikidori let out a sigh and leaned against the wall. "Fucking Grim Reaper," he muttered. "I swear, I need a drink after this."

The End of Chapter 7