I've read many books in my life and watched hours upon hours of TV shows and movies full of conflicts and action, but nothing could prepare me for seeing such a colossal battle with my own two eyes. Marley's abilities were totally different. In the book, he was just a young swordsman. Magic or advanced techniques were unknown to him, but he had the strategic thinking, courage, and support of his friends, which allowed him to eventually overcome any obstacle that appeared in his path.

A. J., on the other hand, stayed exactly the same. Dark magic, blacker than night, was flowing out of his hands and wrapped itself around the blade of his scythe. Then, with a powerful swing, he sent it flying against Marley. Along with that, he was also capable of controlling his chains and creating bone structures, however, those stood no chance against Marley's strength. In the first seconds of the fight, Marley punched through one such bone wall like it was nothing. He didn't even have to use his magic. A bright light flashed for a second as he managed to cut A. J. with his enchanted blade. This was new as well. The sword was meant to be normal, old, yet well-maintained, but whatever happened to Marley clearly did something with his weapon too. Death immediately jumped away and I saw the clean cut going through one of his ribs. Fortunately, the Deaths didn't feel as much pain as humans, so he just took some steps back from the threat and put his hand over the fresh injury. I was just hoping that the other members of the council knew what they were doing. Their lack of support was slightly irritating.

A. J.'s skill with the scythe was very satisfying to watch. He was swinging it around with elegance and ease. But even though each swing was charged with the black magic, a magic that would consume anything it touched, it still wasn't enough. Marley was dancing among the flying black strikes with very little effort. I saw the attacks hit the ground, leaving behind many large holes and marks. But the Nordan's hero didn't seem like it would bother him. In fact, I could almost say he looked bored. Eventually, he managed to cross the distance between him and the Death and punched him right in the skull with a massive force. A. J. flew a few meters away and I swear I heard his jaw crack loudly throughout the silence of the night. The sound of breaking bones sent chills down my spine.

Marley didn't take a break for a single second. In movies, the villain would almost always get arrogant, boast about his strength and stop attacking for a while, giving the hero a chance to stand up, spit out his teeth and blood, and continue fighting. But this was not a movie. He was beating A. J. left and right, purposefully using only his fist and feet to damage him as much as he could with the blunt force. I saw him stomping on his arm and head, seeing how much the bones of an undead skeleton would be able to withstand. When I peeked back at the white Death standing next to me, I saw the way she was watching them - not blinking at all. Her eyes were filled with pity, while her frowning eyebrows and clenched fists were literally screaming anger all around. And yet, she did not move.

At last, after the brutal beatdown, Marley was finally ready to finish the job. He raised his sword high into the air. It began to glow, faintly at first, but eventually, it changed into a bright beacon, shining into the dark night. Just as he was about to strike the Death down, the others attacked. One of the reapers, whose body was literally consisting of dark smoke, surrounded Marley and with the help of his allies, they managed to restrain him. It was almost stunning how fast they managed to do that, given A. J. previous struggles.

"Do you really think you can win? Protecting that good-for-nothing God?" Marley was finally ready to let his mouth do the talking, instead of his muscles.

"Eddie has far more power than you or any other creature in that damn cult of yours. That's why you want him dead. He's a treat to your master. Once we teach him how to use his powers, you know none of you will walk out of this conflict alive. It's over." I was surprised to hear A. J. talk so much. Although his voice was magical, so a broken jaw wouldn't really be a problem, I expected him to be in so much pain he wouldn't want to say a word even if he could.

"You are nothing but idiots. The only reason you're helping him is because you want to be back in charge. I know how things were before. Death was something people feared. All of your worlds had mortality in them. It was a law nobody could escape. You were indestructible, ruling your little worlds from above, knowing that our worldly problems are none of your business. You were lazy, selfish, and proud. But now that the barrier between the worlds has collapsed and the cataclysm is upon us, you finally see that there's someone more powerful than you. Someone who can rule over death, the only law that was thought to be unbreakable. And you can bet that whoever gets the power, in the end, will create a better world, one without the grim reapers." All the Deaths slowly approached Marley.

"We want to repair the world because we've seen them all. The Innocent souls of the common people. Those who live and die because of the catastrophe you've brought upon this place. We're doing this for the little folk. If you remake the world, everyone will die. Heck, they are already dying. Killed in your search for Eddie's power. We will make things right again." A death shrouded in a cloak made of a few loose pieces of black leather and dark smoke approached Marley and placed his two sickles around the hero's head. I always loved the design of that weapon. My girlfriend designed it for me when I was suffering from a creative block. That's why I always held it deep inside my heart. The hilts were made of one piece of bone, and the blades, crafted out of steel, which has been exposed to the energies of the void, were sharpened by the high-speed current of souls, which were flowing over the edge of the weapon like a bright fluorescent liquid of turquoise color.

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"Any last words, Marley?" The reaper was not messing around. He was the least patient out of all the Deaths.

"You know... you really should've killed me the moment you could." That statement caused quite a significant confusion among the council members. "You didn't notice it? HAHAHA! That's perfect!" Marley smiled as if he'd just won the lottery. "I was stalling."

What happened next is hard to describe. It all happened so quickly that I barely remember it. Out of somewhere in the distance came the sound of a gunshot. A glowing red bullet flew right towards A. J., but one of the other Deaths managed to deflect it with his scythe before it could cause any harm. But as if the projectile had a mind of its own, it didn't stop. It bounced off of several metal objects, scattered all across the ruined part of the city, creating a symphony of noises, before finally finding its mark.

That all took about two seconds. All we saw then was A. J.'s skull as it flew to pieces after being hit with the projectile. I was stunned. Somebody just died in front of me. Death just died in front of me. When his lifeless body fell to the ground, a wave of anxiety washed over me dragging me back into the darkest depths of my own mind. I've never seen with my own eyes, how quickly people truly die. No final words, no powerful monologue. No goodbye.

*See? This is all your fault!

*He's dead because of you!

*Just because you couldn't die...

*It should've been you!

*You're so selfish!

*You don't deserve this second life!

The Deaths all ran up to their fallen comrade. None of them could cry, but I could hear the grief in their souls. This was the first time any of them lost someone they actually cared about. Deaths didn't have children, family, or friends. They were always alone. That's why now, seeing the death... no, the passing of someone they could call a part of their existence, they realized just how mortal even they were.

"Heh... Haha... HAHAHAHAH!!!" Marley's laugh echoed throughout the empty streets of Nordan, waking up all the reapers from their shock. But only of them had the strength and will to go up to the hero and finally silence him.

White, the kindest of the Deaths. She jumped down from the roof, gliding slowly towards the ground like a feather, and approached him as a parent approaching their child. There was something strange about her. The aura around her body was suddenly glowing brighter. With each step she took, her gown seemed to get more and more torn to pieces, and her bare feet were leaving glowing marks on the ground. That was not part of my books. Far more than death, I feared the unknown. This was my world, yet there was so much I didn't know about it. She walked up to Marley and he finally stopped laughing.

"As the Death, I forgive you... hero of Nordan." Her voice was calm as a summer breeze. She lifted her arm and gently grabbed Marley's left hand.

"But as a friend of A. J. I bestow upon you the punishment..." her voice changed. It now felt more like a deep ocean, swallowing anything that would dare to take a swim in it. "...of torment." At that moment, Marley's hand began to melt away. Skin, flesh, bones, all of it. It started at his left arm and moved all over his body until there was nothing left but smoke. White stood there, watching. Those cries of pain were something I will never forget. As soon as Marley's screaming stopped, her gown slowly returned back to its normal state and the aura's glow returned to its original intensity.

My stomach was not strong enough to handle it. I leaned over the edge of the roof and threw up. That attracted the Deaths' attention. I could see how quickly White gasped when she saw me, possibly realizing what she'd just done. With the blink of an eye and a small flash of white light, she was back on the roof with me, patting me on my back as I continued to empty my stomach. In the meantime, the other reapers scattered, sweeping the streets like a dark plague, looking for the one who fired the bullet.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry you had to see that. But it was a punishment well deserved." I had a hard time speaking, so I just replied with a slight nod and another horrid noise. I could not help but feel afraid now. White's touch was soft and gentle, but it was hiding such a terrifying weapon.

"I'm sorry Eddie. I know he was like your son but..."

"That was not my son." I had my mind clear about that one thing.

"Marley was a hero who never gave up and saved the world with his outgoing attitude, optimism, and bravery. Whoever that was, it was not the person I created." It seemed that those words were a relief for White. She lifted her eyebrows and gave me a slight smile.

"I didn't give you those creepy powers. Where did you get them from?" I tried to break the uncomfortable silence between us. White was clearly caught off guard by this question. She looked into her lap and started to nervously play with the gravity-defying hair.

"I... I don't know. But it feels like this power was always somewhere inside me. I mean... I knew exactly how to use it. And although it does make me stronger... I'm scared, Eddie." Seeing her without that crazy optimism or smile on her face felt wrong.

"Don't worry. I can help you figure it all out." At that moment I was still in quite a shock, so I didn't have much to say, but it seemed that even such a little comment improved her mood. She slightly lifted her eyes and looked at me with a childish grin on her face.

The Deaths started to gather in the middle of the devastated part of the city. Clearly, they had no luck with the mysterious gunman.

"White, can you get me down from here?"

"Yes, I can. But is it safe? You could get shot, or killed, or..."

"Just do it, please." I wanted to stop her before she comes up with a terrifyingly long list of all the things that could go wrong if she'd get me on the ground. She nodded, grabbed me by the hand, and smiled. It was weird to blink and suddenly be somewhere else, but I adjusted to it relatively quickly. The Deaths were all staring at me as if my arrival was the surprise of the day.

I climbed onto a piece of rubble, looked at all of them, and said something I never thought would leave my mouth.

"I'm sorry for what happened today. You came to save me, and I truly appreciate that. I have no idea what is happening around me. It is... horrifying. Absolutely. But you were willing to help me and so I will try my best to help you. I will do what is in my power to fix this world. That much I can give you in return."