When Logan opened his eyes again he found himself in the hospital. He was too weak to move and could barely breathe. The only sounds he could identify properly, was Kat sobbing and Jona talking in a furious tone. Logan turned his head towards the window and spotted a man standing with his arms crossed. The light blinded Logan, making it impossible for him to tell who the man was, but his first thought was: ‘Keisuke?’
When his mother realized he was finally awake she screamed his name and hugged him. Kat continued crying but she seemed more relieved. Logan was attached to three packs of blood which were almost more than half empty and a water pack to replace the loss of blood and fluid. Jona stopped talking to Lucas and turned to Logan, then walked towards him. Logan turned his head one more time to see the man clearly, but he was gone. In fact, Logan wasn’t even sure he had been there. The nurse removed the oxygen mask from Logan's face and excused herself.
After a couple of hours Logan’s mother left the room to take a call and closed the door behind her.
“W-what happened…?” Logan muttered, but was barely able to say a word.
“What happened…’ Jona started to say while uncrossing his arms. “Was that, that asshole, tried to kill you.”
“Stop saying that!” exclaimed Kat slamming her hands on her laps.
“Yeah, man. You don’t know that for a fact. Keisuke was a really good friend of his, he would never do that.” Said Lucas.
“I do! Don’t bullshit me!”
“wha… Jona… what do… you mean…?” Said Logan with the greatest effort he could find to speak.
“Sigh… Look, Logan… I followed you to his place the other day and---
“Other day? How long…”
“Three weeks ago.”
“What....?”
“Logan you don’t understand what he did to you, do you? How much do you remember?”
Logan didn’t answer. He couldn’t. The only thing he really remembered was Keisuke’s crimson red eyes looking straight at him.
“That… wasn’t him…”
“Logan, for the love of god!, he completely destroyed your left lung and you lost more thant half your blood. If it wasn’t for that man, you would be dead!”
“That … that wasn’t Keisuke…”
“…”
“what man?”
“I don’t know. This Chinese man, that brought you here.”
“What was his name?”
“He didn’t tell me. he only told me its meaning… which is pretty useless.”
“What is it?”
“… Like a dragon.”
“Excuse me?” said the nurse as she walked in. “I’m sorry, guys, but visiting hours are over. I'm going to have to ask you to leave.”
As everyone walked out, logan stared at the room. Lucas put his arm around kat and pat her shoulder with his other hand to try and calm her down. Logan could hear him whisper something to her, but couldn't hear what he was saying clearly. Jona was the last one to leave. He turned to logan before leaving the room, shook his head, sighed and finally left the room closing the door behind him.
****
“Jaw-Long!” Logan screamed, well, tried to, as he pushed the gate open. He put his hand on his wound as he rested his weight on a tree.
Jaw-Long jumped behind him and gasped.
“Logan?! What are you doing here?! You should be at the hospital!”
“I… need to----
“Rest! Did you walk here?!”
“N-no. Was it you?.... at the hospital?”
“Yes… NOW GO BACK!” he screamed pointing at the gate. Jaw-Long was finally being competely serious and seemed rather worried.
“No I… have to talk to him… let him know I'm not angry…”
Logan lost his strength and almost fell down, when Jaw-Long caught him. He put Logan’s arm around him and held him close to himself.
“Alright… at least let me help---
“Why were you there?”
“…”
“Jaw-Long… tell me.”
“The lord told me to accompany you until you woke up… As a thanks… since you accompanied him…”
“T-take me upstairs… I need to talk to him…please!”
Jaw-Long let go of Logan slowly when they were finally in front of Keisuke’s room.
“I can take it from here… thank you…”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah…”
"I'll stay close by, incase you need me."
"...Thank you..."
Jaw-Long walked away slowly and then disappeared. Logan opened the door and found Keisuke sitting, with french frie behind him, hugging his knees, crossing his feet, and hiding his face.
“Keisuke?” he said slowly
“…rry…”
“what?”
“I'm sorry… Logan… I didn’t mean to hurt you…”
Logan walked up to Keisuke and, with all the effort in the world, sat down next to him crossed legged.
“Keisuke I ----
“Why are you here? I could have killed you…. Why would you----
“That wasn’t you.”
Keisuke turned his head to Logan and stared at him with is red eye covered in tears.
“No matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t see you. That wasn’t you, Keisuke. I don’t know you enough, so I can’t just judge your character like that… but… I know you enough to know that: you’re my friend and that, despite of all those rumors… you’re a really nice guy. You wouldn’t do something like this to anyone.”
“…”
As Logan spoke Keisuke could see his obvious effort. It was hard for Logan to speak and his breathing was really heavy.
“Besides, if you’re that worried, instead of sending you little ninja man, you should’ve just visited me at the hospital.”
Keisuke raised his head to look at Logan. His nose and mouth were still hidden. Even though, Logan could now see both his eyes and noticedt that: those black markings weren't only on his arms, but all over his body.
“…”
“You knew I was here every day, didn’t you?”
“…”
“How?”
“I... could feel your presence. It actually made me very happy to know you were there beside me… but… when I opened my eyes… all I wanted was to kill someone. You… just happened to be there…. And I … lost control… I... this is why my dad wanted you to leave… he didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“Keisuke… just tell me what’s going on. You can trust me.”
‘Demon!’
‘What the fuck?!’
‘Get away from me!’
“Leave.”
“Keis----
“Are you deaf?!”
“…”
“I said leave!!”
Logan didn’t move he just looked at Keisuke, with a despondent expression. Suddenly, a girl’s voice was heard in the distance, causing Keisuke to abruptly raise his head and turn towards the window. He stood up as fast as he could and jumped on the window frame holding himself with one hand. Logan stood up slowly and looked out the window. He could see a black haired girl walking down the street with a white dog.
“Who is she?”
“No one.”
“She looks pretty.”
“She’s just a girl… I’ve been watching her ever since she was little.”
“Why?”
“Her parents died. And… she was supposed to die too. I broke the rule and saved her.”
“What rule?”
“My job is to take away life… and collect the soul…to send it to be purged.”
“But…”
“I don’t know why, but I didn’t want her to die, yet.”
“But that’s a nice gesture.”
“No. it’s not. I did something cruel to her, by saving her life.”
“What? Why?”
“A person dies when her/his mission in life is fulfilled… by saving her life I just made her live and empty life. With no goals… ”
“But she seems happy.”
“She’s not.”
“But if you were able to save her… doesn’t that mean that it wasn’t time for her to die?”
“No… it was time for her… but I stopped it.”
“How do you… know?”
Keisuke turned to Logan and pulled a book closer to them without touching it. He opened it in a certain page and showed it to him.
“what’s in it?”
“Dates.”
“Dates? For what?”
“Death. Her name is Tomoyo, she was supposed to die in April 27, 1995”
“Wait… she’s older than us. How could you been----- Keisuke, how old are you, really?”
“What does it matter?”
“Keisuke… it matters to me.”
“I was born, when I should’ve been created…”
“Keisuke?”
Keisuke jumped down the window with a violent aura around him.
“That’s enough. Get out.”
“No, I’m not going to lea----
“GET OUT!”
The moment he screamed black fire covered the room. Logan raised his arms in front of his face and backed off. French frie understood her master’s worries and stood up. She walked towards Logan growling and roared at him.
“GET OUT!!”
Jaw-Long appeared from behind Logan, having sensed his lord’s violent, demonic, aura, and got the boy out of the mansion.
He put him down slowly as Logan put his hand on his chest.
“you a’right?”
“ngh…yeah… I'm fine…”
"Your wound is bleeding again… I’ll take you back to the hospital. C’me on I’ll carry you until we reach the street. You shouldn’t have come in the first place.”
“Is… Is Keisuke going to be alright?”
“I don’t know… It all depends on him, now...”
"Were is his father?"
"Gone."
"where?"
"Where the dead get sent off to."
"What?!"
" My lord will have to deal with this by himself. There is no one who can help him…not even I can help him…"
Logan turned his head to the side as Jaw-Long spoke. There was nothing he could do...
[Three years later]
“Come on, Logan! If we don’t hurry up we won't make it to the top before night falls!” screamed Jona from the distance putting his hands around his mouth. “ Quit starring at that weird ring and let’s go!”
Logan put his hand down and sighed.
“okay, okay! I’m coming!”
****
“ahh… I’m so glad we finally finished all this bullshit!” said Kat extending her legs in front of the camp fire.
“Yeah… too bad we’re still missing three more years of uni.” Replied Jona as he snorted and laughed.
“Thanks for killing it , lil’ bitch!”
“You’re welcome sweetheart.”
Lucas turned to Logan, who was just staring at the roasted fish with a blank expression to later turn back at his ring.
“What’s the matter, bro? tired?” He asked
“no…I’m just…I just wonder if he’s alright… it was all my fault, after all…”
“You mean the bastard who tried to kill you?” Said Jona with anger as he slammed the empty plate on the ground.
“He didn’t try to kill me!! And if you ever say that again, I’m personally going to kill you!”
“…”
“S-sorry… I … I just have so many questions….”
“Yeah, well… we all have questions Logan. But no matter how big they seem to you, they are probably just stupid.”
“What?”
“It’s like…. The word ‘scent’… is it the ‘s’ or the ‘c’ that’s silent? Huh? Tell me!”
“My brain hurts…” said Lucas putting his head down.
“what’s that got to do with anything?” Asked Logan (wondering if it was the ‘s’ or the ‘c’ )
“Nothing, see my point?”
“I don’t think you see your own point, Jona.”
“Can you look at me when I'm talking to you, Logan?! Will you stop it with that ring?!”
“I didn’t want to say anything, Logan, but isn’t that…” said lucas pointing at the ring.
”That day… when he opened his eyes… he just gave it to me… he said… that it was his mother’s… he entrusted something this important to me… and yet…”
“He stabbed you…”
“Jona…. He has had a huge problem with his mind… that winter day… I just… I just know he wasn’t being himself… I just really hope he’s okay... it was really ugly.. the way his mother died... and now I think his father died too...”
“If you’re that worried why didn’t you ever pay him a visit?” asked Lucas to prevent Jona from saying anything.
“I did… his house had been completely burnt down…. What if he died in the fire?”
“…”
“Logan…” said Jona. “ I know I don’t know this guy… but I remember you said something like: he’s not allowed to be around people because his father thinks it’s dangerous. What if the fire wasn’t an accident?”
“damn it….”
Logan stood up and sat next to Katherine. She was trembling as she put her hands closer to the fireplace to try and warm herself up.
“You alright?”
“No… why the fuck are we camping int he mddle of winter?!"
“Sigh… ‘cause Lucas and I can’t make it during the summer… we both have jobs and we can stay longer this way.”
“I hate the cold…”
“ Look, it’s going to snow tomorrow. Won't you enjoy the snow at least?”
“ I guess.”
“ that’s great! Come on guys, we should get some sleep. Lucas, you’re stuck with Jona. Me and Kat will share.”
“what do you mean stuck?!” exclaimed Jona feeling more than offended
“I don’t care being stuck with him. just don’t get too love-dovey or I’ll have to join you guys.” Responded Lucas mocking Jona even more.
“Oh, yeah! You guys are dating now! Don’t be loud okay? I actually want to sleep tonight” Said Jona forgetting all about the previous insults.
“Come on you guys….quit being so embarrassing! Go to sleep!” exclaimed Logan.
Kat laughed in the background as she entered the tent.
The next day seemed pretty normal. It was the first winter snow and everyone was playing around with it. Logan grabbed a whole bunch of snow and, with Lucas’s help, put it down Jona’s shirt. Jona curved his back as much as he could and screamed in a weird way pronouncing the word ‘cold!”. Kat made a snow ball and threw it at the back of Logan’s head while he laughed at Jona’s reaction. ‘Leave my poor baby alone!’
Logan laughed at playfully ran towards Kat tackling her down and cover her face with snow. Kat started screaming and laughing as she tried to get Logan off of her when Lucas and Jona came to the rescue. Lucas held him down as Kat raised his shirt and said: ‘all clear, Jona.” Jonathan grabbed as much snow as he could carry and slowly (for emphasis) walked towards Logan. When Logan saw Jona coming closer to him he started to struggle in an attempt to break free.
“NO! no, please! Jona! I’m sorry! Nooo!”
“Sorry, bro. This is revenge.”
Jona lifted the ball of snow up in the air when the earth started shaking followed by a loud noise. Everyone stood still staring at the white forest, Jona dropping the snowball, and when that noise was heard again a step back was taken. The noise started to get louder and louder. It was approaching them. When a man as white as the snow, with no hair and no clothes,except for a linon cloth covering his lower area, appeared from between the pines. everyone turned around and ran off, but Jona stood there paralyzed as he looked straight at the man’s eyes. They were completely black, had black tears running down and blood all over his mouth and hands. Jona immediately came to the conclusion that it wasn’t animal blood and that made him not be able to move even more.
“JONA!!” screamed Logan after realizing he was being left behind as he turned to see the man. The same man was just looking around until he spotted Jona and started to make his way towards him. Logan stopped running and turned his body to face them both. “ Jona! Come on, don’t just stand there! Move!
The man ran towards the trembling twenty year old boy. Kat stopped running and after some seconds so did Lucas. Kat shook her head and screamed “Jona, PLEASE!”
A roar was heard in the distance. A beautiful black lion jumped over the rock near Jona and stood in front of him, protecting him.
“French frie?” Logan though as he stared at her in confusion, still admiring her majestic beauty.
Hysterical laughs were heard in the distance as a figure dressed in black appeared. The figure was a man not too tall not too sort, he was wearing black nail polish had a mask covering mouth. black hair blue eyes….. chains. Hanging all over his suit and dragon tattoos all over his body adding reason to the piercings he had all over his ears and face. Logan couldn’t believe his eyes. The moment this person laughed again Jona was finally able to react and turned to him.
“it’s you…” Jona sighed and the man gave him a friendly ‘heh’.Logan looked at him with a smile. It had been so long…“Jaw-Long!”
“Hiya, twerp! How you doin’?”
He said as he removed his mask and smiled at the creature with violent eyes. His eyes were wide opened again and wore his usual smile from ear to ear.
The ‘creature’, that looked like a mere demon, was just standing there after F.F had arrived.
“good…” he replied doubtful as the images from that winter night form three years ago came back at him. Logan put his hand on his chest as he put his head down. Suddenly, Logan gasped and threw his head back at where Jaw-Long was standing. “Wait… if you’re here then that means-----
“sawry, lad! No time for talkin’” Jaw-Long took one of the chains and started to spin it. “ Got to get rid of this one…” he said as he wrapped the chain around Jona and pulled him back. Jona landed on his butt, his knees up and his hands, holding his upper body, behind his back and turn his neck as much as possible to look at Jaw- Long “Well don’t just stand there shrimp! Waddya want his disgustingness to kill ya?”
“Um..”
Jona was about to reply when Jaw-Long didn’t give him enough time. He just charged at the 'demon' with no hesitation and struck him down with no effort. Jona and Logan smiled, but Jaw-Long didn’t budge. He knew there would be more. He extended his arm to the side and turned his head to the boys; he then proceeded to put a finger in front of his mouth and signaled them to be quiet while saking his head slowly from side to side letting out a silet "shh". Jaw-Long stood up slowly and took steps back, still facing the forest, where he suspected, there would be more. Logan walked up to Jaw- Long and put his hand on Jaw-Long’s shoulder who responded with looking back at him with a serious expression.
“Jaw-Long, if you’re here, does that mean----
“Holy shit!” Exclaimed Lucas interrupting Logan’s question once more.
Everyone turned to look at Lucas who was just staring straight at the sky. Jaw-Long gave Logan, who was looking at Lucas, a modest smile.
“Hope that answers your unfinished question, boy~” He said and then turned back to look at the lion which was still on guard.
Logan turned back at Lucas and finally turned his head to the sky. Jona hand his hand on his mouth and Kat had them both on her head pushing back her hair in astonishment.
Jona put his hand down and looked straight at what everyone was looking at. “Holy shit… he’s got wings….” He muttered.
Logan dropped his mouth opened and looked directly at him with a lot of mixed emotions. It was fear, happiness, confusion and daze all at the same time.
“Keisuke…”
The moment Logan pronounced his name, Keisuke started to laugh hysterically and then stopping over and over as if he was trying to hold it back. It was winter after all and his usual whispers had become screams that would never shut up once again.
Keisuke lowered his head and looked back at him. He wore a smile that was so devilish it made the creature’s look like a kind one, those eyes… they were blood red and screamed for violence having the pupil closed so much as if there was a beam of light pointing right at them. The area around his iris was also black and he looked older. Forgetting the fact that he was supposed to have twenty years of age he looked around thirty. His black straight hari fell gently on his shoulder. His jeans were rolled up to his knees, and a little ripped. He wore no shirt, causing the snowflakes to fall directly on his markings causing the voices to go wild. over his shoulders he wore a dark cloak ripped form the bottom that looked of a fine quality, almost up to a cloak a high prince would wear. Keisuke extended his hand to the side and the scythe appeared from the ground. It floated up until it reached his hand and he held it pointing at the forest. Jaw-Long bowed to his lord and took out a Chinese war sword and placed it in front of him in a defensive position. A noise similar to the one the, now dead, demon had made was heard. Except this time, the sound was of a million more. Keisuke placed the scythe in front of him and, just like that, he let go of it. The weapon fell freely right in front of Logan stabbing itself on the ground from the handle. Keisuke went down slowly and stood on the steel blade stained with human blood. Logan’s blood. After he had rested his whole weight on the scythe he squatted and, as he removed his dark gray, ripped, cloak , he turned his head to Logan. More specifically, his chest. Logan put his hand on his chest and smiled.
“It’s alright Keisuke, it healed completely… I won't even have problems breathing.”
“I know.” He replied.
Even though Keisuke smiled to him as he spoke his voice tone startled Logan. Keisuke felt his fear and asked : “do you prefer the way I looked back then?”
“no… I just…”
“Would prefer it if I looked your age?”
“…”
Logan didn’t reply. Keisuke’s voice changed tone to the one he had used when he had stabbed him. every time Keisuke spoke his tone changed from the evil tone to his normal, kind, usual one. It was cold and the markings were starting to hurt, however; he was doing a fine job hiding the pain he felt. His heart was crying, his mind was somewhere else, his soul absent… Keisuke was unstable and could become worse than the creature itself, being more violent and more evil than it now doubt.
Keisuke stood straight. The ‘markings; were now back to ‘normal’ but his body really seemed like the one of a man’s.
Keisuke turned his head back to the forest making Logan being able to look at his whole back. His wings were completely black, but with the light they reflected a dim blue light.
“Y-your wings… they’re----
“…Inverted.”
“But, why?”
‘Daddy, daddy! Look! If I cross my wings I can carry myself in the air! I don’t need to fly! I don’t--- why are you sad?.... Why is mommy crying...? ‘ Kesuke closed his eyes slowly and took a deep breath as he remeberd that one night.
“It doesn’t matter anymore.” Keisuke extended his wings and then crossed them over to the opposite side, then drew them back again. Keisuke opened his eyes again. ” they’re useless either way.”
“… What about… what about the voices?”
Keiuske's eyes opened wide in shock for such question.
“I’ve never gotten along with them better.”
He said as a blood thirsty smile grew in his face and his eyes opened as wide as he could looking straight at the frozen forest.
Keisuke jumped down from his weapon and walked towards Jaw-Long carrying the scythe upside down. He walked firmly and, when he arrived next to him, put his hand on Jaw-Long’s shoulder.
Jona made his way to Logan, but wasn’t able to bring up anything to say to him; while Logan’s breathe trembled, he turned to look at Kat and Lucas who were standing still far away from them.
“Logan, we have to go.”
“…”
“Logan!””
“I...”
“Just let Keisuke handle this shit alright?”
“I can’t just leave him here!”
“Dude, you’ll get in his way!”
“NO! I need to figure out what he is, alright?! Otherwise how am I supposed to help him?!”
“Dude, stop trying to help him! I’m not trying to be mean, but the only thing you’ve done so far is trouble him! He can handle the demons on his own!”
“What the hell, Jona?! I know y---- demons?”
“…”
“You know what he is and you didn’t tell me?!”
“Look, Logan, I was---“
“WELL?! TELL ME!!”
“…”
“JONA!”
“… a shinigami.”
“ What the hell is that?!”
“Well if you had read the manga I gave you, you would know!”
“...I read manga…. Lots of ‘em!”
“… you called Keisuke Chinese and you keep calling the Chinese man a ninja… no Logan, you don’t.”
“…”
***
As Jona and Logan continued their completely irrelevant conversation, Keisuke and Jaw-Long stood there watching, waiting, for the rest of the demons to attack. The earth trembled so suddenly and so strong Keisuke lifted himself of the ground and suspended himself in the air. Jaw-Long dropped on his knees and put his head down as he put his hand on the floor. Trees started to fall and, as everyone was on the floor, the earth stopped shaking.
"gaah!" exlcaimed Lucas. "Why do all this weid shit always happen to us?!"
“HA-HA!!”
“Lord?”
“Get ready, Jaw-Long, it’s about to start. AND I WANT YOU TO BE PREPARED!! JUST AS I AM!!”
Jaw-Long swallowed at his lord’s unsteadiness. Keisuke let himself fall on the ground and landed sitting on his heels, bending his body forward with his wings extended to the back; his left hand was resting on his knee while his right hand held his scythe with his arm extended to the side. His blood boiling, his smile from ear to ear and his lion backing off slowly as she sensed danger. Keisuke turned to Logan and Jona and said:
“leave.”
“you heard ‘im!” said Jona and pulled Logan by his arm and ran the other way.
“Wait, Jona! No! I can’t just leave!
“Are you shitting me?! who the fuck is leaving?! No way in hell am I missing this!”
Jona pulled Logan to the back of a rock that covered them completely. Lucas and Kat ran and took cover somewhere else.
Trees started to fall as some weird creature started to make his was towards Keisuke and Jaw-Long. ‘lord Keisuke’ commenced to laugh hysterically as it approached him. His laugh getting louder as it got closer every time until his laugh echoed through the mountain top. Men started to emerge from the forest all dressed differently but with more clothes than the demon Jaw-Long had previously killed. Some had scarfs, others wore gloves, most of the clothing consisted of pants and shoes but not all of them wore shirts. They all looked different as well. Even so, they were almost the same; Pale skin, black eyes, black tears and all of them had some kind of blood splatter on their clothes or skin. Then, after most of the army was all outside the forest, one single demon stepped forward. It looked far stronger than the rest and Keisuke remembered him in no time. Not only had it been the demon who had screamed from outside the shield the day of the ‘massacre’ but he was also the demon who had marked him. All that pain and the whispers who prevented him from sleeping and causing nightmares when he was able to sleep, all the people he had previously hurt in the past, all those times of despair, were all thanks to that one single demon. All of a sudden he became Keisuke’s main target. The demon began to speak but Jaw-Long was not able to comprehend what he had said, Keisuke, however, was a different story. Since his body had become impure by the acts of demons he could be considered to be half demon, and, thanks to that small little fact, he was able to understand their complex language only fallen angels could. The words he spoke were roughly put and that annoyed Keisuke sensing arrogance and feelings of superiority coming from the man.
“I TRIED TO WARN YOU… GOD OF DEATH…” He shouted spreading his arm and smiling with hostility. “YOU ANGERED MY LORD! HE IS HUNGRY AND TIRED AND HE WILL FEED ON NOTHING BUT YOUR SOUL!!”
Keisuke proceeded to tell Jaw-Long what the creature had said, to which Jaw-Long made a joke out of and laughed at the stupidity of the daemons.
“ha! If he’s sooo angry; why the heck did it take him sooo long to do something about it, eh?”
Keisuke smiled at his servant’s words since he agreed with the fact that three , almost four, years was , in fact, a long time for a daemon lord to attack.
“Or has your so~ called ‘lord’ been trying to gather up the strength since my lord has already sent him back to where he crawled out from already?”
“HOW DARE YOU?!”
“Jaw-Long… I need you to gather your strength. Don’t waste your time with the soldiers. I’ll take care of them, you just focus on attacking the general. But don’t kill him, he’s mine to rip apart.”
“Yes lord. What about his so called ‘lord’?”
“we’ll kill him too. But we need to get rid of the little pests first. We don’t want them to get in our way and he won't come out until necessary. He’s not that hard to figure out. COWARD! JUST LIKE THE REST OF ‘EM! ALL OF THEM ARE NOTHING BUT A PILE OF FILTH!! Just keep Logan and his friends safe, since they’re stupid enough to stick around.”
Jaw-Long nodded modestly with his hands in front of him and took to steps back. Killing the soldiers was not going to be a hard task. He had done it countless times before and succeeded in every single one of them. He had even managed to pull the innocent souls that were so savagely devoured and not every shinigami could do that.
The army proceeded to move forward. It walked, then fastened it stepped, then jogged until they finally started to run toward the angel of death waiting for them, in ecstasy. He laughed frantically and jumped on his scythe once more to take a better look at the size of the mountain he was going to break into pieces by himself. Even though he had never had to destroy an army alone.
He had allies before, allies that were there technically there by force, but still were a good help. He stopped receiving help from his superiors five years before he had stabbed Logan. The only sword that had the ability to kill a shinigami, as easily as killing a human, had been stolen and, for his luck, he was immediately blamed, forgetting his entire blood line, everyone there treated him like a mere demon. Even though this was true, it couldn’t have been a demon either. Demons and humans weren’t known to be able to touch a sword that pure and which was only used after a ‘death’ retired. Death is equal to all and even shinigami must have an end, death is necessary for life to go on.
When the demon army had almost reached both him and Jaw-Long, French Frie ran next to her master and stood in a defensive position as she growled. Keisuke jumped down and grabbed his weapon just like his father would carry his own. – with the scythe upside down and the blade behind his body.-
Keisuke ran toward the army, which in reality wasn’t that big, followed by Jaw-Long. It wasn’t going to be easy doing it with only two allies, but he was going to have to endure.
‘HA-HA~!”
Keisuke laughed as he unpinned his scythe from the floor. He hid his wings and ran towards the enemy with no hesitation. He started striking them down one by one. However; he was talking damage himself and every scratch the demons made on his skin was becoming a ‘marking’. Logan’s breath quivered after noticing that small detail. He knew each scratch was more painful than the other and his physical pain was increasing by the second.
“He’ll be alright” said Jona slowly after noticing Logan’s troubled expression.
“How do you know?”
“…”
“What if he gets killed?”
“He’ll definitely win, Logan. No way is he going to let himself get beaten by those things.”
Logan turned his eyes back to the battle. He closed his eyes shut, taking a deep breath, then continued watching closely.
Keisuke suddenly stopped and took in a deep breath. The ‘soldiers’ were all around him and the general smiled victorious.
‘ Well, my little shinigami, looks like my men have you surrounded.’
He said in his ‘weird language’ as Keisuke likes to call it. However, to his surprise, Keisuke did nothing but smile. He revealed his wings once more and replied in the same language the man had spoken.
‘I am so sorry for all of your soldiers… It’s nothing personal…”
The god of death charged at his enemy and started striking them down easily. Keisuke jumped out of the circle he was enclosed in and the ones closed to him jumped after him. he knocked them away from him with his wings; when he landed he pushed himself u, hid his wings once more, and twirled in the air cutting all the enemies near by. After he landed again his scythe wouldn’t stop slashing them down. He turned it again and again defending himself and attacking the demons. One after the other, they fell down dead or unable to move. Almost half of them where down when Jaw-Long joined him, standing by his side once more. This time, not even an order would make him back down. He hadn’t forgotten the order he had previously given him about focusing on the general, but it would be faster if both of them got rid of the useless filth that was getting in the way.
Jaw-Long held two swords. Each had to be handled with both hands, but he was strong enough to hold them each in one hand and be able to draw them flawlessly and without wavering. Jaw-Long threw back one of his swords – the one from his right hand.- and was stabbed on the floor after landing. His chains went loose and he quickly attached more knives in different lengths of the chain. He then waived the chains in the air cutting heads and other body parts with every movement he made. Jaw-Long jumped and kicked and spun his body in the air causing the chains to slam everywhere causing even more damage to the enemy. Even though striking them was easy, the number was indeed large and it was starting to wary both of them out. Especially ‘lord Keisuke’ since he was unstable both physically and mentally.
Keisuke fell on the ground with his knees after the last of the demons was killed. Jaw-Long rushed to his lord.
“I'm fine… take care of the general.”
“Yes.”
Jaw-Long disappeared in the middle of a smoke bomb he had thrown covering the whole area and appeared again behind the ‘man’. French frie joined him but, even though Jaw-Long was fast for any man to see him coming, this general was a demon and he did not need to see him, he just needed to feel him. French frie was kicked and, making a hurt-like noise, fell on the cold snow. Keisuke gasped and turned quickly to Jaw-Long, who was about to strike with a small ‘kunai’ – he had gotten it as a gift from Keisuke some years ago.- when the demon turned around and grabbed him by the neck.
“Jaw-Long!!”
The man slammed the boy, on the ground. He let out a sound of pain and grabbed the man’s arm as he slammed him on the floor again. The demon threw Jaw-Long in the air and kicked him three times. One in the air, another one in his stomach slamming his body to the floor again, and a third one after picking him up again and kicking him mercilessly causing him to fly and hit the back of his head against a tree. Jaw-Long tried to stand up again, but his body gave up on him and went out cold.
“Jaw-Long !!!”
Keisuke stood up as fast as he could and made his way to the general, who was waiting for him so excitedly he began to tremble.
When Keisuke was close enough to the man, he jumped up and, with the scythe on his right hand, which was crossed over his left side, he tried to slash him. the general easily dodged the attack and threw a blow on Keisuke’s stomach. The blow was so strong it made Keisuke cough blood. The man kept striking him nonstop and mercilessly.
First he attacked Keisuke’s upper body with his fists and then he coordinated kicks with blows. Keisuke wasn’t able to do anything else but to back off. The general grabbed his arm and elbowed the shinigami in the face, to later on knock out Keisuke’s scythe form his hand. The weapon flew and landed, stabbing itself on the ground, next to Jona, who quickly grabbed the weapon and put it to safety.
The general grabbed Keisuke by the hair and threw him on the ground. He pushed him down with his foot on his lower back and grabbed Keisuke’s wing ripping it out slowly. After the wing was ripped out, and the man threw what was left of it on the cold snow, Keisuke screamed. The God of death put his hand over his shoulder and began screaming louder and louder.
The man picked him up by the hair once more and threw him far away from him. Keisuke picked himself up as much as he could, but was only able to bring himself up to his knees. He had his hand over the back of his shoulder and the other one fist punched on the snow. The markings had started to burn again when they made contact with the flurry. He tried to hold it in, but in the end, he wasn’t able to. Keisuke threw his head back, then dropped it again and started screaming. As he tried to hold it back the man began to walk toward him again. Jona shook his head in fear and ran to Keisuke.
“Jona!” screamed Logan, but he paid no attention to him.
Keisuke began getting dizzy from all the pain and was about to give up when Jona kneeled in front of him and slapped him as hard as he could. Keisuke returned to his usual self in that moment. As if Jona had woke him up. His eyes turned bright blue again and looked forward to the future. As his irises turned white again, Keisuke looked straight at Jona in confusion.
“Come on man, don’t do this! You’re better than this! Stronger than them! You’re the only one who can beat the shit out of this guy! Don’t give up on us!”
Keisuke didn’t reply to him, but he nodded quietly. Jona was right; if he didn’t win this fight, everyone’s lives would be in danger.
The general smiled at the sight of target.
"How touching!" he exclaimed. The moment Jona turned to the man a knife scratched his arm and he fell to the side. It did nothing but a small scratch, but Jona let out a sound of pain after landing on the snow. Logan screamed calling for Jona. Jona put his hand over the wound and backed off, pushing himself with his legs, still on the ground as he tightened the gripp on his wound. Keisuke narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw out of anger.
He stood up and took a deep breath.Keisuke walked toward the man and picked up the sword -that Jaw-Long had previously thrown- with his left hand. As he walked slowly, but firm, Keisuke extended his left wing to his right hand and, with no hesitation, ripped it out, letting it fall on the ground. In that moment the voices quieted down and the markings became numb. This fight wasn’t between a demon and a cursed god anymore. It was between Keisuke and an evil man who had dared defy him.
Keisuke stopped, fixing his angry glare at his target.
The real fight begins now.