'So, then...where are you going first, (y/n)?'
"The national park," I swung a leg out the window, finding purchase on a thin ledge underneath my window before switching my grip and allowing myself to hang from the windowsill. With both feet firmly planted on the ledge, I inched my way over until I couldn't hold onto the windowsill anymore, reaching out to one of the thick water pipes next to my room. Holding my breath as my weight shifted over the meter-wide gap, I clung to the water pipe for dear life, slowly moving my footing over to the cast iron piping joint.
Just a few more meters and I'd be on the ground.
Looking down every few steps, I realized that the pipe didn't lead all the way down to the ground like I originally thought, veering off at a sharp angle back into the building. I'd have to jump down from a meter-and-a-half off of the ground.
Biting the inside of my cheek, I worked my way to hanging off the crook of the pipe with my hands, feeling my feet dangling in the air.
This landing was going to hurt.
Letting my hands relax, I slipped off the pipe and fell to the ground, hitting the ground with both of my feet. The sting from my unprepared feet rocketed up to my hips, the nerves crying out in pain as I fell towards the concrete, my instinct to cushion myself falling just as flat as my body. I breathed in sharply between my teeth as I pushed myself off of the ground, quickly checking to see if I damaged anything and sighing a little as nothing immediately presented itself.
'Get up and go!'
The national park was on the other side of town, almost a twenty-minute run from the shelter, and I don't think I had a lot of time left on my hands. Hopping up and tucking my right leg under me, I took off from a runner's starting position and headed towards the national park, praying that my stamina held up.
----
I nearly collapsed as I vaulted over the simple barrier arm, stumbling to catch my footing as my lungs worked overtime. I had made it to the park, but now I had to see where they were.
If I remembered the layout of the park correctly, then the biggest open space that was away from street viewing was in the middle, surrounded by picnic areas and thick trees that provided shelter in the harsh daylight. Pushing myself a little further, I started to hear yells in the darkness that were accompanied by occasional flashes of light. Panic sent my body into overdrive, pushing me through the lazy hills and into a flattened plain, running through a thick treeline to see two figures on opposing sides of the field.
I couldn't tell who was who in the darkness, shoving my shirt to my mouth to try and quiet my wheezing and panting as I leaned forward to keep myself up with one arm on my leg.
"You've become quite the thorn in my side, Azrael! It's a shame that you won't get much praise in Heaven for fighting me," I heard a growling voice laugh out, the sound coming from the figure to my left. I remembered the voice from the dream with Karamatsu and Ichimatsu, instantly labeling it as Satan. There was no trace of Osomatsu's voice left.
The other figure remained quiet, standing still.
"No retort?" Satan sounded slightly disappointed, tearing something off and casting it aside while something whirled through the air. Metal clinked together and the figure shifted position, holding some kind of spear, "I brought out my favorite toy for you to play with, and you have nothing to say about it?"
"You're wasting both of our time," The other figure spoke, sounding male and female at the same time, "Stop this charade."
"'Charade'?" Satan lowered the spear a little, "We haven't even started playing, and you're calling this a 'charade'?"
He rushed towards the other figure, vanishing in a blaze of crimson fire as the shockwave from the heat and pressure nearly threw me to the ground. Digging my tired feet into the dirt as much as I could, I braced myself as I saw Satan collide with Azrael, hearing the horrible rend of metal on metal as they stilled for a brief moment before a low chuckle sounded. The noise rolled into a loud howl of laughter as Satan staggered back a few steps, Azrael unmoving.
"Inhabiting a human body for so long has made you weak," Azrael commented, "Your host dies tonight, along with the others."
"A Virtue...killing a priest? Wouldn't that make the big man upstairs mad at you?"
"That human has never been a priest."
"Oh...he didn't like that," Satan rolled his shoulders around, a hand reaching up to his neck, "Not that it matters."
'Osomatsu is going to die if you don't do something.'
This was insane. This was a fight between a Prince of Hell and a Virtue, one of the higher ranks of heavenly hosts. It's something that I had no chance of surviving...so why was I running towards it?!
My legs moved with purpose, the muscles tired and throbbing from the long run but still finding some kind of hidden strength to keep going as I ran towards the two figures, step by step. My heart raced with adrenaline as fear began to creep into my mind. I was a bystander, someone that had no chance of surviving a clash between the two.
But I didn't want to see either brother die because of me.
Closer and closer, each running step pushing me over the low grass, the moonlight now exposing details of the two figures to me.
Azrael's host...was Jyushimatsu. He stood in long white robes that wrapped around his body in multiple layers, the sleeves flowing down to the grass and completely hiding his arms. I could barely see patterns of yellow and gold throughout the fabric as it wound all around his frame, like a child wrapped in a queen-size bedsheet. His neck and lower face were hidden by the folds, the white fabric molded into a wide loop that rose about seventeen centimeters from his shoulders. There were glittering gold markings across his upper face, forming some kind of runic pattern that I didn't understand, swirling around his eyes and streaking across his forehead and the bridge of his nose. Jyushimatsu's eyes moved from Satan to me as I came closer, his pale eyes locking onto mine.
There were no irises or pupils.
"...and right on time," Satan spoke from my left, drawing my attention to him, "The priest's pet."
I couldn't tell where Osomatsu ended and Satan began. The face was the same as Osomatsu's, but the emotion that it displayed was far removed from what I'd seen him give me. His mouth had completely shed the usual smirk, favoring a wicked sneer that partially revealed slightly sharpened teeth. The dark eyes that once held kindness were now full of rage, the sclera completely black with small glowing pupils of red that seemed to pierce my very soul. His face was marked with burns and red lines that surrounded his left eye, spreading out in a symbol that seemed to mock a dual-halo pierced with spears. The cassock was partially shredded with the pellegrina cast aside and the collar loosened. In his hand was a solid black staff, something that looked to be a mockery of the papal ferula at the top before shifting into a thickened spear towards the bottom...the weapon looking very similar to the glaive that Karamatsu had brought to the fight years ago.
"You know, you're quite cute up close," Satan raised a finger to his chin, leaning in a little as the look in his eyes shifted to a lustful stare, "That's a good look on your face."
His hand reached out towards my head, fingers splayed wide as I was suddenly pulled away, a tight grip wrapping around my left upper arm and yanking me backwards. Flames burst from Satan's fingertips, partially blocked by Azrael's sleeve as he raised it up as a shield between Satan and myself. Quickly taking another step forward, Azrael shifted his arms while letting me go, thrusting both of his hidden hands forward into Satan's chest, sending the Prince sprawling backwards into the treeline across the field.
Standing up slowly, Azrael looked down at me, a neutral look still present on his face. I could only look at him in shock, raising my eyes from where Satan was shoved...or rather, thrown to.
"You are meant to be here."
I couldn't respond, my tongue suddenly heavy in my mouth. I thought I was going to be reprimanded, not expecting the support for my decision. Despite not being able to tell if he was looking at me, I felt his gaze shift from me to somewhere behind my shoulder.
Risking a glance to look behind me, I saw nothing but a moonlit field devoid of human life. I returned my focus to Azrael when there was a sudden chill in the air, seeing him look towards an incoming rolling ball of fire, the flames igniting the nearby grass as it sped towards us. The heat grew as it came closer and Azrael remained where he was. It grew to feel like the sun on a hot summer's day or a baking oven with the door wide open, my skin crying out for relief as I turned away to feel the heat shift from my face to my back.
Darkness swallowed the field again when the fireball suddenly disappeared, the chill air offering some small comfort against my hot skin. The rustling of fabrics and clashing metal filled the air before a choked cry drew my attention behind me, turning to see Azrael pinning Satan down with his own spear, the blade deep within his chest.
"Oso--! Jyushimatsu, stop!" I yelled as I scrambled to my feet, rushing towards the two beings as panic tripped my tongue to say their hosts' names. Neither of them flinched as I reached for the black spear, the metal coarse and hot against my skin like a burning brand. I cried out in pain as my right palm felt like it was boiling against the shaft, fresh tears blinding me as I tried to pull the spear out of Osomatsu's chest.
The weapon slid out a few centimeters before all resistance vanished, the blade grating against bone and muscle as I tugged it out. The metal shaft felt like it was welding itself to my hand, the pain increasing tenfold as I struggled to open my hand to see the skin bubbling and curling away from the weapon, cracking and tearing off in layers as the spear fell to the ground. I couldn't move my right hand anymore, the muscles quickly shrinking and becoming non-functional, my whimpers spiraling into strained cries as the reality of the wound dug itself into my head. An agonizing scream tore itself from my throat as I clutched my right hand to my chest, cupping it close with my other hand and bending over Osomatsu's body.
"Then you side with him."
Through my tears, I felt an arm wrap around my back and pull me close to someone, the familiar rough fabric soaked with blood. The arm moved upwards towards my head, a hand resting on it before pushing my face into their shoulder.
"You...kill her...and you'll be judged...just as harshly as I..."
My eyes widened as Osomatsu spoke in broken phrases, his voice pushing past the one Satan used. The burn on my right hand screamed in pain as it was flattened between our bodies before the nerves were completely shot and ceased to register anything more.
"She has sided with you."
"(Y/n)'s still human..." Osomatsu coughed out a retort, sitting up as far as he could go. I could hear his wheezing breath dance across my hair, smell the iron of his blood, and somehow knew that he would push himself even further.
I pushed away from Osomatsu, looking into his beaten and bloodied face that was stained with soot and ash. He shifted his eyes back to me, a slight bit of confusion resting in them as I stood up out of his grasp. Turning towards Azrael, I held his blank stare for as long as I could.
"I came here to try and prevent this. You're brothers from the same family, and you shouldn't be fighting each other like this. If you're really an angel, then why can't you forgive him for what he's done?" I motioned down to Osomatsu with my left hand, "Isn't that what the Bible teaches us? To forgive and love one another?"
There was a heavy silence covering the field before anyone spoke or made a noise. Jyushimatsu's shoulders rose a little before lowering back down, his eyes never breaking from mine.
"I will pray for your soul."
Pain flowered in my back and abdomen, my body forced to take a step forward as a black blade emerged from my stomach. The blade continued through until it hit Azrael in his stomach, sinking deep before stopping.
He didn't flinch from the surprise hit.
My face froze in shock as I looked down to see something wet trail down my waist and legs, soaking my shoes and dying my white shirt a dark color, the pole of the spear completely pierced through my core. My hand wrapped around the spear shaft pinning Azrael and I together, something bubbling up in my throat and coating my chin as I tried to cry out. The spear was slick, my fingers not able to find purchase on it to pull it out. A chill began to creep up my body that started at my waist, moving up and down towards my chest and legs.
"Ah, shit," A laugh echoed from behind me, "Sorry about that, babe, but if you want to be with me, you really need to lay off that church talk."
It was a mixture of Osomatsu and Satan's voice, the laugh almost sounding just like Osomatsu alone. I tried to turn my head towards him, the chill sweeping up my shoulders as I couldn't move my body anymore.
Osomatsu stood there with a hand scratching his head nonchalantly, the chest wound still pouring blood as he smirked at me. Smirked. Slightly tilting his head to the side, he looked down at me with red eyes.
"No hard feelings, (y/n)."
I couldn't believe it. It was Osomatsu that had speared through me, Osomatsu that used me as a distraction to attack his own brother.
The rest of the spear was pulled through me, making me stagger forward and fall flat onto my gouged stomach as Azrael twisted the black spear in his hands, the blood somehow not staining his clothing. He wasn't even bleeding where the spear had plunged into him.
In fact, there wasn't a single wound visible on his body.
I felt wrong. I should be crying out, screaming in pain, or something, but I was silent as my blood spilled from my wound onto the ground. There was a sharp laugh of pleasure above me before the sound of metal clashing filled my ears, the sparks of the fight briefly illuminating the blood-soaked field.
The sounds started to fade as my vision blurred.
----
"Ah...damn..." I heard someone click their tongue, someone's approaching footsteps crunching against the rocky ground. The ground underneath me felt like gravel against my skin, uncomfortable to lay on. I moved my hands under my shoulders and pushed myself into a kneeling position, taking a moment to look around me.
A dark blue sky stretched above me as black clouds streaked by, like time was passing faster for them compared to everything else. The horizon was unbroken except for someone squatting close to me, their deep black hood and cloak softly fluttering in some unfelt wind.
"I wasn't expecting that to pan out the way it did," He spoke calmly, two green orbs glowing in the shadow of his hood as the wind partially exposed the lower half of his face, "Maybe the next go-through will be more productive."
He stood up and held out a hand towards me, a black fingerless glove covering it. The glove looked well-used, the rough pads of the palm worn down with age. It felt right to take his hand, so I settled my right hand in his grip and let myself be pulled up. His hand shifted around mine and led me closer to him, walking alongside me as the black clouds flew by overhead.
"Who...are you?" I found the strength to talk, confusion sweeping over me as my hand ghosted over my stomach, searching for a wound that was no longer there.
"You'll remember eventually," The man turned and winked at me before quickly picking me up by my waist and moving me to his other side, "Woop...careful."
A body had materialized where I was walking, the black fabric torn into shreds and soaked in blood. It was a male, laying flat on his back with his eyes looking up at the sky. The clothing he wore sparked something in my memory.
"Osomatsu!" I cried out, trying to run to him but was held back by the other man.
I remembered what happened, the betrayal that occurred. The man on the ground flinched a little and looked over at me, his dark eyes full of sorrow.
"(Y/n)...?" He whispered, my name leaving his lips as a satisfied smile curled them upwards, "Then...I am free..."
"Why?! Why did you do it?" I struggled against the man's arms holding me close to his chest.
Osomatsu closed his eyes as spiked chains, red as a burning flame, burst through the ground around him and wrapped around his body and limbs before diving back into the ground, tethering him down fast.
"He didn't give me any choice, but I'll be paying for it for a long...long time. I'm sorry, (y/n)...I love you."
I screamed in either frustration or anguish...and I didn't know why.
The chains tightened even more, pulling Osomatsu down into the ground, the sharp stones and gravel giving way. He wasn't even fighting against them.
"Stop...Stop it!" I cried out to anyone, falling to my knees as the man fell with me, his head against my back, "Osomatsu, no!"
I screamed as Osomatsu was dragged completely underneath the gravel, a flash of red outlining where he used to be before fading. The man released me from his hold and I crawled over to where I last saw Osomatsu, my fingers digging through the gravel as if I could find him a few inches under the surface.
"Why...?" I looked over my shoulder towards the cloaked man, watching him stand up as his bright green eyes focused on me, "Why did you stop me?"
"You would've been dragged down to Hell with him," He adjusted his shirt and hood, "That's not where you're supposed to go, and I would be in a lot of trouble if I let you do what you wanted before his sentence was carried out."
"You could've saved him in my stead!"
"If I did, he would've had a problem with it," He motioned behind me with a wave of his arm, drawing my attention towards a figure off in the distance. It was wrapped in a brilliant shining light, forcing me to look away or risk blinding myself if I stared too long, "Angels don't like it when we mess in their business. Plus, he's kinda my boss right now..."
My heart dropped.
There wasn't a way to save Osomatsu...I was too late, and the damage that I possibly could have helped with happened when I wasn't even around. Tears fell from my eyes and soaked the ground underneath my dirtied hands, the sobs guttural and full of sorrow. I don't know how long I cried.
When my sobs grew quieter, I looked back to see him extend his hand towards me again with a soft smile spread across his lips.
"Come on, (y/n)...let's get you ready for the next one, okay?"
Placing my hand in his, the man led me away from where I had last seen Osomatsu, each step erasing my memory of what had happened.