Scorched Twilight

Chapter 23: Brethren

Mephisto seemed to visibly become shaken when he mentioned his Arts, but he nodded regardless.

Mephisto: Yes, they will transform into the Herd once they perish.

Y/n: Perfect. They should be able to buy us enough time to get to the Western District, W or Mudrock should be there to seal the passageways.

Faust: What about Ch'en?

Y/n: Phoenix stole my map, and the route they'll be taking will take significantly less time than ours. How many are we?

Mephisto: 27. A quarter of them are Faust's men, the rest are mine.

Y/n: That's a little more than I expected, but we have room if we adjust a bit.

The plan was going so-so. The Western territory of Lungmen was his, and he managed to convince Ch'en to come with them, and if Mudrock, W, and Big Bob were doing their job, then the cannon should be finished. Y/n never thought he would see the day where his plans was brought into action, but here he was.

But he also had doubts, what if Misha or Alex decides to betray them? Or maybe the Reapers already dealt with them? It was also brought it once in his brainstorming sessions the topic of outside influences, like what would he do if Wei Yenwu decided to bring his men to stop him or Ursus would bring the Fourth or Third army into Chernobog. Things especially the latter would severely mess up the framework of his schemes.

Azeth: You should really stop overthinking once in a while, focus on the now.

Y/n: I'm sorry. It's hard when this has been meticulously planned for the last two years.

That "Sorry" made Azeth snort, it was an apology that didn't mean anything, especially with how much sarcasm was laced in it.

Azeth: Meticulous? Ha! Christy could make an Operation in a quarter of the time and still make yours looks like a instruction manual for kids!

Y/n's lips curled a bit. Remembering some fond memories, Azeth did as well, having a shit-eating grin watching him remember.

Y/n: God I miss her.

Azeth: Of course you do, you miss all of your old friends.

Y/n: If only I gained the ability to manipulate time instead of... this.

He looked at his palms, in one hand a small blade was made from the dried blood that escaped from his wounds. In the other had Phantasms sprouting out of him like petals in spring.

Azeth: Oi, you should be grateful at how many times my Phantasms saved you.

Y/n: Yet you couldn't save them.

Azeth: Are you really gonna go into this again? Even if I could help you go back in time, I wouldn't, you know why? Because time isn't something you just move around whenever you please, those in the higher plane will allow you to manipulate a little gravity or have the brightness of a small star. But for time, changing it comes at a steep price with its own consequences and repercussions.

Y/n: And maybe at a steep cost, they could have lived a better life, found a better outcome.

Azeth: And what about you?

Y/n: I don't matter anymore, it's my life for the lives of many, maybe even you too.

Azeth:...Why?

Y/n: Maybe I have something wrong with my head, or maybe you really are my brother. I can't see the difference between a demon and Azeth anymore...