「Angel's Voice」Nanase Riku [DISCONTINUED]

6 - Hero's Doubt

"What happened?" Riku's voice echoed throughout the scene of clouds and water.

The angel before him had a horrified look on her face, her hands covering her mouth. "Kujo Tenn wasn't even there to summon the Devil's Voice. . ."

Riku's eyes widened. He knew exactly what this meant. The Devil's Voice could affect him without Tenn's presence. Just upon hearing Tenn's voice, even through a speaker, his energy was drained and he was overpowered. Even using the Angel's Voice wasn't enough to combat or shield him from it. That was just how powerful the Devil's Voice was. 

"Riku," The Angel's voice was dark. "I may have underestimated the danger Tenn poses."

"N - never mind that!" Riku said, his voice shaking. "I fainted. . . I fainted in front of a whole audience, our fans! In front of my friends! I let them down..." He bit down hard, trying to hold back the tears that started to overflow from his eyes. Images of the chaos that was ensuing right now as a result of his incapability flashed through his mind. He could see it— the worry on everyone's faces, the press coming for their throats, the fans despaired. 

"It's all my fault," he muttered through his choking tears. If only the Angel was stronger... If only it could nullify the Devil's Voice.

"Stop telling yourself that," the Angel glared down at Riku. "It's the work of the Devil. Hell seeks to harm while Heaven's duty is to protect. You took a dangerous path despite that being the path the Devil's user is supposed to take and yet. . . You won't stop, will you?"

"I'll never stop," Riku cried. "I need to reunite with him. . . I need to stop him. I've made it this far. Now isn't the time to give up!" The years of silent suffering played through his mind like a film. From the day Tenn left to when he became an idol — the first spark of hope. If he gave up now, he would be giving up his whole life, his family. 

"There's no way to get through with you, huh?" the Angel let out a sigh. But it wasn't one of disappointment. The corner of her mouth went up.

Riku wiped his tears, trying to stop the flow. "I'm sorry, my Angel." Truly, he felt guilty. He had dragged this holy woman through all of his troubles. But a part of him also told him that none of this would have happened if the Angel hadn't somehow infiltrated him and the Devil to Tenn. 

Why couldn't we have been born normal? What made us so special?

"I guess it can't be helped," the Angel said softly. She hovered over by his side and wrapped her arms around the frail boy. Her embrace had a warm and comforting feeling to it. "Whatever path you choose to take, I'll always be by your side. Remember that."

"Thank you. . ."

- - -

Riku woke up to the sound of a vent blowing. His red eyes blinked a couple of times, adjusting to the moonlight blinding his puffy eyes. He pulled himself up into a sitting position and analyzed his surroundings. He was in a hospital bed. The window next to him had its blinds open. Outside, he could see the bustling lights of cars, signs, and traffic lights a long distances way down. It was night. The clock on the opposite side of him read 1:05 in analog. What an inconvenient time to wake up.

But Riku wasn't alone. At the side of the bed, was Iori with his face buried in his arms. His raven-colored hair was messy and untended to. His presence was comforting despite not being awake. 

So you've been by my side. Riku couldn't help but to smile. He grabbed his phone which was sitting on the nightstand nearby. Pressing the power button, he noticed it had been two days since the outdoor concert. There were a few texts from his fellow Idolish7 members wishing him well. Tsumugi had bombarded his notifications the most though — typical of her worrisome tendencies. He decided not to reply to any of the texts though since he had just woken up and didn't want anyone to be bothered by him at one in the morning. Instead, he went to the news. And there it was, a nightmare of articles about the passing out of idol Nanase Riku during a promotional concert. Riku scrolled through the headlines with his thumb.