I ran harder and faster than I knew I could. I moved through block after block of Center City's concrete jungle. On the horizon I could see the very edge of the Estate Bridge as the sun hung just above the tip of its spires. I was almost there, I just had to keep going. By the time I arrived at the Estate Bridge, the sun had long since progressed closer and closer to the edge of the horizon. Lights of blue and red filled my vision as I set my sights on the fleet of police cars pulled over haphazardly across the bridge. The sounds of gunfire were plentiful. Something wasn't right. Wherever Nina went, Reaver was bound to be close by. Sure enough, as I proceeded further along the war torn bridge, I encountered the Demon of One Thousand Bullets. Held in his clutch was the shirt collar of an officer who had been shot through the head and throat. He sent me a fearsome look with his golden eyes. The look of a soldier who had temporarily forgone humanity in favor of pure killing intent.

"You here to stop me?"

"I could care less. You're just in my way."

"Some hero you are."

"Never claimed to be one."

Reaver let off a small chuckle as he let the corpse in his hand drop the floor with a vile splat.

"You know, the way you're standing there is a lot different from three years ago."

"Funny. You're the first person to say I've changed at all."

The two of us smiled briefly before carrying on with the only thing we knew how to do. In seconds I was onto Reaver. I had cleared the distance between us and got in too close for comfort. Reaver quickly swiped at me with his knife. I bent backwards away from the knife swing and quickly struck my foot out and tripped Reaver. Reaver summoned several Mind Gates as he hit the ground. Bullets and buckshot rained down on my position as I escaped into negative space. Reaver quickly stood back up and summoned more Gates to his side, covering himself in a bulwark that surrounded his body. He never expected me to be standing directly behind him.

"Good evening," I said with a sly twinge, startling the old war dog.

Reaver rolled forward into cover and quickly summoned a rifle to his side. He fired a burst only for me to vanish from his sight. He was cursing under his breath now. He was starting to realize he was outclassed, or his heart just wasn't in the fight. I appeared next to him and sliced into his stomach. Reaver spat out blood as my blade cut into him deep. I sighed to myself and let Reaver hit the ground. His regeneration was never very good, in fact it was practically nonexistent, but he wasn’t going to back down that easily. Reaver quickly let a Mind Gate envelope his body, using his imagination to heal his wounds. I grinned. In that moment I understood the risk he was taking. If Reaver wanted to stay standing, he would have to make sure he didn't lost focus.

"You sure you want to keep going?" I asked as I recalled my blades.

"I made a promise. I don't have a choice."

I nodded and summoned my blades to me once more. Reaver unleashed his signature field of firearms and rained hellfire down upon me. I ran as fast as I could, erasing bullets that came to close with my dark blade. Reaver reached for his knife and summoned his signature revolver. He fired three rounds with pinpoint accuracy. The first two shots I dealt with, but the third hit me in the shoulder. Reaver moved in to take the advantage. He stabbed me right in the same wound his gun inflicted. I clenched my teeth tight and ran my light blade right through his gut. Reaver smiled as blood started to trickle down from the corner of his mouth. Reaver quickly stepped back and repaired his wounds with his Mind Gate once more. I ran towards him as he healed himself, my blades ready to strike. Just as I was about to sink my blades into him, I was met with unexpected resistance.

"Who the-!?"

In that instance I was face to face with a woman I had never met. A woman with white hair and red eyes. I leapt back almost instinctively as the woman lowered her blade. Reaver immediately rushed forward and attempted to run his knife through the back of her spine. She quickly leaned away from the strike and grasped Reaver's arm throwing him forward towards me. Reaver hit the ground hard next to me after I stepped aside. I rose from the ground, flinching from pulses of painful aftershocks.

"I thought I knocked you out…" Reaver growled at the woman.

"You did."

I turned to Reaver as he readied himself against this new threat.

"Who the hell is she?"

"No idea, but she's been one pain in my ass."

Reaver immediately fired several rounds from his revolver only for the woman to raise a barrier formed from peculiar objects. Seemingly from nowhere, the white woman called forth strange grey boxes. As Reaver pulled back, the strange woman quickly opened up an array of Mind Gates and rained down missiles on top of the two of us. Reaver and I dove out of the way of the girl's barrage as quick as we could.

"How in the hell can she do that!?"

"Don’t you remember what Genesis said?" asked Hell from within my mind.

Sooner than later, Genesis' voice began to sound off like a chime throughout my consciousness.

"All Demons are capable of learning to open and control their Mind Gate, the ability to make their imaginations reality. In truth, however, all humans have this potential. Being made into a Demon merely speeds up the process and enhances the potential."

I threw up my palm and fired a light beam right at the woman. She felt the wind escape her lungs as the beam hit her square in the chest. I dashed forward with my swords grasped. Our weapons met and I took my chance to retaliate. The woman lunged forward with her sword. I deflected her thrust and moved in for the kill. Another missile crashed down at my position to prevent me from getting too close. I leapt away and stared down the woman as she picked up one of the peculiar grey boxes that were embedded in the pavement. In mere moments, the peculiar device transformed into a spear. The woman pitched the polearm straight at me. I quickly caught the spear midflight and flung it back at its creator, who caught it without breaking a sweat. Reaver snuck up behind me and laid down suppressing fire on the woman. She cast down her box shaped missiles into the ground, building her a piece of cover. She leaned against her peculiar containers as bullets shredded themselves on the tough material. I rushed forward, taking advantage of the opportunity. I leapt over the strange woman's cover and brought my swords on top of her. She blocked my surprise attack and swung at my shoulder. I ran my dark matter blade along her weapon and erased it from reality. Out of pure instinct, the woman opened up her Mind Gate once again and I felt the full brunt of one of her missiles hit me in the chest. I was knocked back several feet and rolled along the pavement for a few more. When my body finally slowed to a halt I saw the woman preparing to lay down a barrage on top of me. As the pale woman set loose her missile strike on my position, I saw a black coat dash past my sight. With blade in hand he deflected and destroyed those mysterious metal boxes rocketing towards me. The pale woman ceased fire and let the dust settle. From the mist of rubble emerged Genesis. Her gaze turned bitter as Reaver approached the swordsman and stood beside him.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Just like the old days, huh?" Reaver remarked.

"Yeah. Heaven! Terra! Get moving, we'll handle her!"

Without question, Terra grabbed me by the arm and we took off in a run. Reaver laid down suppressing fire on the woman's position allowing us to slip past. The woman turned and tried to send forth another barrage towards us. Reaver fired a single shot from his revolver that scraped along the woman's neck. She turned back at her assailants as her eyes began to glow with battle frenzy. Reaver grinned as he reloaded his revolver and spun the cylinder.

"We're not done yet."

*****

Terra and I kept running along the bridge littered with dead policemen. We were getting closer and closer to the Arcturus Estate. The burning husk of the old mansion was in sight. As I took just a few steps further, a pistol shot rang out, stopping me in my tracks. I scanned the area and saw a young police officer pointing his gun at me. I fired a burst of light beams forcing him back behind cover.

"Stay back! If you know what's good for you!"

Another gunshot rang out. I ducked and fired another burst. I watched as someone left their cover with their gun drawn. He had white hair and red eyes. Another one. Something was definitely going on. Three people with those same features. I knew it couldn't have been a coincidence. I watched the muzzle of his gun flash and a bullet hurtle towards me. Terra quickly threw up a stone wall in front of me to stop the bullet.

"Heaven! Go!"

I nodded to Terra and broke off into a run. Terra stomped her foot on the ground and sent a surge of earthen spires rupturing forth along the ground beneath the officers' feet. The two policemen fled their cover, provoking Terra to charge forward. She kicked off the ground hard and practically flew towards one of the officers. Her stone entombed fist collided with the soft, pale flesh of the white haired officer's face. He hit the ground hard as his ally unloaded on Terra. Terra threw up another wall to serve as a shield. The frustrated detective unfurled his baton and rushed Terra's position. Terra grabbed the baton as it swung down towards her skull. With one punch she sent the officer flying back into the hard body of a derelict police car. With a resounding thump, the officer lowered his head. He was knocked out cold. The white haired officer stood back up as he laid his eyes on his fellow policeman. Emotion began to well up inside him as he laid his hateful gaze upon Terra.

"You…," he began to speak in a gravely and shaken voice. "How dare you hurt my brother!"

The officer screamed out at Terra and sent shockwaves ripping along the bridge. Terra found herself retreating slightly as her enemy prepared himself. If there was ever a time he wanted to learn the extent of his ability, it was then. He wanted nothing more than to do far worse things to the Demon before him than what he his brother endured. That was when it appeared. A Mind Gate that enveloped his whole body.

"What!? How can you-!?"

Terra stood paralyzed in slight shock as the officer emerged from the Gate changed. Bolts of red lighting sparked and arced along his arms as his eyes flashed with energy. He struck out his hands and bolts of lightning shot forth at Terra. Terra cried out as the sudden surge of electricity coursed through her body. As she came to her knees, the white haired officer approached her slowly.

"I am Deputy Philip Lane. I'm going to make you pay dearly for hurting my brother,"

Terra looked up at the enraged deputy while his body charged electricity. With a smile, she lowered her head in defeat and merely offered in return a single word.

"Terra."

Philip nodded with acceptance. He was pleased to know the name of the first victim his powers would claim. A disturbed grin began to stretch over his face as he relished in thoughts of frying Terra alive with his newfound power. He had no idea of the hole he was falling into. Terra grinned back at Philip as she rose back to her feet.

"So Philip, you can use a Mind Gate. Then let me be the one to demonstrate its potential!"

Terra focused all of her mental strength on a single image and amplified it to an immense size as a colossal Mind Gate tore its way into the space of reality above Terra.

"Earthshaker!"

From the Gate came a massive form of Earthshaker. It was far too big a weapon for Terra to wield. The sheer size of it made the attack look like a meteor strike at a distance. Philip was stunned as he tried to dodge out of the way. Earthshaker collided into the ground and with a bright flash it detonated like a bomb. The very foundations of the bridge shook. The remaining windows in those empty vehicles shattered in unison. Philip was forced into the ground as the pavement cracked under the pressure of the explosion. Terra slowly walked forward as the dust began to settle. Philip clenched his teeth tight as he struck out his hand and launched a bolt of electricity towards Terra. Terra leaned to the side and dodged the shot with minimal effort. Before long she was in front of Philip with the heel of her boot digging into his stomach.

"Not gonna lie, you had me kind of scared. Not every day you get to meet a human who opened his Mind Gate. But you still have a long way to go before you're any good with it."

Philip simply stared up at Terra. His anger reaching paramount levels. Terra merely smiled down at the fledgling Mind Gate user. The sense of defeat overwhelmed Philip and before long he gave into grief and screamed. A single consistent cry of frustration rebounded across the sky before being swiftly silenced by unconsciousness.

*****

Finally I reached the burning husk of the Arcturus Estate. Soot soaked fire engines and corpses of fire fighters littered the now desolate courtyard. And within the center of that fresh hell stood the Devil herself. Nina in all her fiery glory. A sickening grin seemed to stretch between my cheeks. A deeply buried part of myself missed the old war.

"About time you came crawling back," Nina commented with a sly and haughty expression.

I said nothing as I summoned my weapons to my hands.

"Nothing you want to get off your chest?" Nina asked.

"I know why you killed my father."

"Well, yeah. I did it because I wanted to."

"That's bullshit and you know it!" I shouted back

Nina froze in place, her eyes widened with the slightest semblance of fear.

"My father killed your parents, didn't he?"

An awkward and tense quiet fell over the two of us as the crackling of flames filled our ears.

"I'm sorry they had to die-"

"Don't talk as if you knew them!" Nina shouted as a bolt of flame sped just past my face.

I sighed to myself as I pointed my black sword towards Nina and glared at her like a predator ready to strike.

"You killed my father, my father killed your parents. That's all we need to kill each other."

Nina remained silent as I stood my ground and put forth an ultimatum.

"We have two options; either talk this out, or kill each other here and now. The choice is yours."

Before I had the chance to say anything else a burst of fire bolts darted towards me. I deflected and batted away the sudden rush of projectiles and flashed a scowl towards the wicked pyromancer.

"So that's how it's gonna be huh? I'm sorry…"