William sleeps with great trouble. He tosses and turns. He argues with Edlic Jiza. And when he does finally sleep, he dreams of the bloodshed that has just happened.
He relives it, miserable at the sight. And the flames burn as intensely as they did before. He tries to run, but Edlic Jiza’s flames compel him to fight on.
The scene turns white, and then softens. William likes the empty space. It calms him. He takes a deep breath, and sighs with relief.
“We do not have long.” Seras says calmly.
William turns and sees her. Her face is even more beautiful than he imagined, but it is tinged with pity at the sight of him. He feels bad just for making her feel bad.
“I’m sorry ma’am.” he says softly.
Seras smiles and waves a dismissive hand.
“Don’t worry, it’s fine.” Seras says nicely.
Seras sighs and looks away from William.
“I didn’t come here for nothing. I have come to ask of you an impossible task. Your dreams tell me you have realized Edlic Jiza is not the justice you seek.” she says with determination.
William takes a step towards her, his eyes beginning to water.
“Yes, he’s a madman. He only wishes to slaughter anyone with the slightest bit of sin. I’m horrified it’s gone this far.” William says desperately.
Seras looks back at William with sad, determined eyes.
“Then you must end his rampage yourself. When you awaken, kill yourself.” Seras says firmly.
William is horrified by this, and steps back several feet.
“No, isn’t there another way? Can’t you redeem me?” William asks desperately.
Seras sighs and looks down.
“Perhaps I could help you reach a nicer afterlife. But I can’t give your life back. You should be dead. And for the sake of the world, you must die.” Seras says sadly.
William begins to cry, but his body stands firm.
“You’re right. I hate to say it, but you’re right. If I don’t do this, no one will be able to kill him.” William says miserably.
Seras walks away from William. And William awakens in his bed. He stares at the ceiling with a blank, miserable mind for a few moments. This confuses Edlic Jiza.
“Hell is wrong with you? Snap out of it.” Edlic Jiza says annoyedly.
William’s misery is replaced with anger, and he gets up. He storms to the kitchen, and begins searching for a knife. His desire for suicide is sensed by Edlic Jiza, and flames erupt from his body as he tries to pin William in place. But William barely manages to refuse. His search is slowed, and the kitchen around him begins to erupt in flames as he rips open drawers. But he still searches.
“Why are you doing this!? Calm down or else! If you’re going to throw your life away, I’ll make sure you’re useful with the time you have left!” Edlic Jiza snaps furiously.
“Fuck you Edlic Jiza! I’m sick of the slaughter! I wanted to kill Lawrence Catoman! Not some random fucking town!” William yells angrily.
William finds a knife, and drives it to his throat. But his left arm forcibly stops the knife an inch from his throat. The left arm rips the knife out his right, and throws it aside. Then the left arm is cocked back to his hip, and William is uppercutted by Edlic Jiza’s left arm.
William falls to the ground, unconscious. His head cracks open against the wooden floor. Edlic Jiza sighs with annoyance, and opens William’s eyes.
They’re different now though. They’re black, with white irises and a furious red pupil. Like Edlic Jiza’s eye.
“William, you really just had to throw that fit, huh? We could’ve done so much together.” Edlic Jiza says annoyedly.
Edlic Jiza makes William stand up, the flames coiling tightly around William’s body as he does. The crack in William’s head turns white, and a foot high flame leaks out of it.
Edlic Jiza smiles with William’s mouth.
“I can sense what will unfortunately be my final target with this vessel. A group of powerful sinners. And a shard of a God. A worthy end.” Edlic Jiza says happily.
Edlic Jiza walks out the house, completely in control of his vessel. He claps his hands together, and white ethereal wings grow out his back. He flaps them multiple times, climbing into the air. Then he does a powerful flap, and zooms ahead. He heads out of the town at high speeds, heading towards his target.
A large group of twenty men ten miles away. They ride on black horses wearing black clothes. Leading them is a man in a black suit with two golden revolvers, one on each hip.
His name is Hoover Johnson, and he is the leader of Manifest Destiny. A small, secretive branch of the West Gamma government. Their goal is to investigate supernatural occurrences, and destroy anything that would harm their country.
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“Today men, we have an Avatar of Edlic Jiza on the plate. A dangerous foe which will become only more powerful as we fight. But do not fear. Your efforts and sacrifices will not be in vain. West Gamma will love you for it. Even if its citizens never know your names.” Hoover says seriously.
The men listen silently. They have heard something similar to this on many missions. They know they are at best unknown heroes. But they are extremely necessary.
“Edlic Jiza would slaughter any citizen who so much as stole a jawbreaker from a candy store. He needs to be put down.” Hoover states firmly.
They can hear the faint flapping of powerful wings. Hoover pulls out a revolver, and his men draw their weapons a second later.
“He comes. Do not fear. We have the Power to do this. It is Destined we win this battle. Just have faith in your Fortunes, and fight to the bitter end!” Hoover says with determination.
Hoover raises his golden revolver, and fires a shot into the air. A bolt of golden energy shoots out for several feet, then explodes above them. This golden energy then surrounds the group in a golden dome.
Hoover’s eye burns with a golden flame as he concentrates on this dome.
Seconds later, a white holy beam crashes into the dome. White sparks fly off the dome as it tries to break through. But the dome holds firm.
Edlic Jiza is within view of them. He’s the size of a fly from their view, but he’s there. Hoover’s men take aim at Edlic Jiza.
“Aim true!” Hoover commands with determination.
His men’s guns glow golden, and their bullets fly surrounded in the golden energy. This power makes their bullets fly straight for Edlic Jiza. But they just burn against the flames wrapped around his body.
Edlic Jiza flies closer, the beam intensifying as he draws near. But as he comes closer, Hoover grins.
“He’s already on his last legs! We just have to make him burn up the last of his vessel!” Hoover declares happily.
Edlic Jiza hears this, and pours his all into the holy beam just to make Hoover regret saying this. And indeed he does as his dome begins to crack.
“He really does grow stronger as he comes near.” M.D. Agent 1 says nervously.
“Do not be scared! Fight with your greatest Power!” Hoover commands with determination.
The M.D. agents become surrounded in a golden energy, giving them great courage. And they feel Power enter their bodies. They begin to become eager for this fight.
Edlic Jiza is finally within a hundred feet of the Agents. His beam is now five feet wide, and burns the very air around it. Hoover’s dome is cracking loudly like a crystal breaking.
“Split up and surround him!” Hoover commands with determination.
In unison, the agents split cleanly in half and dash out the dome. Edlic Jiza roars, and sweeps the beam across the desert. He’s aiming for the left half, but most of them manage to steer clear of it. One Agent has to make his horse jump over the beam, and it barely sticks the landing.
Edlic Jiza roars with fury, and creates a new weapon in his hands. A five barrel gatling gun. Each barrel has a small wing sticking out the tip of it. And Edlic Jiza spins a black lever as he fires down upon the Agents.
The Agents can not dodge this storm of holy bolts, and find themselves barely withstanding it. But the golden energy around them helps block the holy bolts, and more importantly, compels them to keep living despite the burns from the bolts.
Edlic Jiza glares intensely at Hoover, and roars furiously.
“Destiny! I know these are your men! Which one of these bastards are you?!” he yells furiously.
Hoover Johnson chuckles confidently.
“They are all facets of my will, and reality is my playground. I am everywhere, Edlic Jiza.” the M.D. Agents say in unison.
Hoover points both his golden revolvers at Edlic Jiza.
“Fall!” he commands with great determination.
Chains shoot out the revolvers and fly towards Edlic Jiza at high speeds. Edlic Jiza opens his mouth, and fires a holy beam at the chains. The beam covers it, and for a brief second, it seems as if they’re gone.
But then they shoot out the sides of the beam right by Edlic Jiza’s face, and wrap themselves around his wings. He struggles to stay in the air, but the chains are too much for him. He begins to fall several dozen feet.
As he falls, he fires upon the Agents and curses them. It is a short barrage before he crashes into the ground. Edlic Jiza has no grace, so he takes the full brunt of the fall. His right leg breaks as it hits. Then his body smacks into the ground, and his left shoulder is broken. He breaks two upper ribs. And his concussion becomes severe.
But his furious flames quickly begin healing his wounds, and allows him to keep fighting.
“Edlic, you brave idiot. I always enjoy watching you fight to the bitter end. Always at the expense of another’s life. We’re similar in that way, ya know. Except my men live way longer than yours.” Hoover says fondly.
Hoover and the Agents quickly approach Edlic Jiza and surround him. They gallop circles around him, popping quick shots. They melt against his aura, but each shot gets closer and closer.
Edlic Jiza fires wildly into the Agents. Many are hit, but only two that were already wounded fall from the barrage.
“Edlic Jiza, kneel to Destiny, the Lord of Life itself!” The Agents and Hoover yell in passionate unison.
They all fire golden chains out their guns, and they quickly wrap themselves around Edlic Jiza. The chains tighten around him, especially his knees. But Edlic Jiza refuses. His strength has grown much since they have finally gotten this close to him. He breathes in their sin, and pulls on the chains. They crack in his monstrous grasp.
Hoover clicks his tongue. He points his two revolvers at Edlic Jiza.
“Men. Ready your weapons. And fire with your greatest strength.” Hoover commands angrily.
In unison, the Agents aim and unleash a powerful barrage of large, golden bullets. They quickly cover the entirety of Edlic Jiza’s body, hanging inches from his body, slowly melting. But they get closer, especially when more bullets just push others in.
Edlic Jiza looks down at himself, and chuckles bittersweetly.
“I should’ve known it’d be you that’d put this bastard down. Why’d you even start shit with him anyway?” he says with bittersweet amusement.
Hoover smiles.
“I liked his land. I wanted it. So I took it. Plain and simple.” Destiny states confidently.
Hoover fires two bullets. They are bigger than his head. And they slam into Edlic Jiza’s body with great force. But Edlic Jiza doesn’t even flinch. His body’s right side has been crushed, and he doesn’t care since it’s not really his body. It’s William’s corpse.
“Alright, it’s time for this to end.” Edlic Jiza states firmly.
Edlic Jiza stretches his fingers out to a rigid point, and stabs it through his chest. He then charges holy energy into his body, and begins to glow bright white.
Hoover suddenly begins to gallop in the opposite direction.
“Run, he’s activating his death curse!” he yells seriously.
The Agents chase after Hoover, making the horses gallop at their highest speeds.
Edlic Jiza laughs, and begins to chase after them on foot. Even with a broken leg, he can still manage to keep up. The flames melt his bones back together just enough so he can give chase.
Some of the men look back fearfully, see Edlic Jiza glowing brighter by the second, and make their horses gallop as fast as they can.
“Die, you fucking sinning bastards!” Edlic Jiza yells furiously.
He explodes in a massive white explosion of holy energy. It expands rapidly, quickly covering the distance. Half the agents are vaporized within seconds.
Golden energy flies from where the dead Agents once were, and fly to Hoover. They seep into him.
Hoover shoots his revolver, and creates a dome of golden energy around him.
The holy explosion grows closer, vaporizing the last of his men. But Hoover doesn’t seem to mind. Their deaths are only concentrating his power.
The golden dome becomes dense and an inch thick. The holy explosion washes over it, the dome withstanding the explosion. A furious hiss erupts from the contact between the two energies.
Hoover slows his horse, and begins to walk through the ongoing explosion. The furious white flames try tearing their way into his dome, but it means nothing.
“My power is too much for you, Edlic Jiza.” Hoover states confidently.
With that, the explosion begins to dissipate. And soon, all that remains is Edlic Jiza’s large, stone arm.
Hoover turns around, and approaches the arm. When he draws close, he fires a shot at the arm.
“Be sealed for eternity.” Hoover commands confidently.
Chains shoot out the revolver, and quickly wrap themselves around the arm. Then a golden fist forms above the arm, and slowly drops onto the arm. It seeps into the arm, the sound of burning flesh filling the air. And leaves behind an image of itself on the arm’s bicep.
Hoover pulls on the chain with great strength, and the arm flies towards him. He catches it with one arm.
Hoover sighs, and pulls out a large black cloth. He wraps the arm up with the cloth. And ties it to the back of his horse.
“Now, it’s time to put another piece of you on my shelf.” Hoover says smugly.