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Forty Three: Temporary Still, My Demons

Third Person

~

Chains burst from the ground, a slithering mass of metal and loops reaching for anything and everything in sight and piercing through the bodies of the flying insects.

Arius forced his astonishment aside quickly, this wasn't the time to be taken by surprise, he leaped to the side to avoid the pointed edge of a sharp chain dashing at him. He regretted it almost immediately as a dark presence appeared at his side.

He barely managed to spring back as the large head of a hammer came crashing down on the spot where he'd been standing. His boots skidded on the ground as he tried to find his footing, staring awestruck at the three-horned demon holding a replica of the Keeper's staff, but this time with a hammer's head on its top end.

'So fast,' he scowled to himself trying to assess the situation. Even one of his lookouts hadn't been able to warn him in time.

"You let him get away Luci-chan," the larger demon controlling the chains said in a mocking voice.

"I'd have been faster if your worthless pieces of scrap metal weren't in the way!"

"Excuses, excuses, just admit you're the rusty one!"

Lucifer scoffed, about ready to fire something back when Kira's voice echoed in his mind, and judging by the way she addressed them, he guessed Mammon could hear her as well.

'Will you two shut the hell up and focus on the fight already?! I can only keep this going for so long!'

He'd figured that out as soon as she brought them here. This new level of power was still struggling to find its place in her body.

'I want someone to check up on the boys and once that's done you can both take him down. Hurry!'

The two demons faced each other and nodded in wordless exchange. Mammon struck the two metal bracers on his hand together causing two chains to rise on either side of him, thick heavy tendrils almost the girth of two wide cars.

"Watch and learn kid, this is how you make people dance to your tune!" He barked out diving for Arius who was moving about, doing his best to avoid touching any of the chains already reaching for him.

Lucifer sped over to the two unconscious boys, swinging them both over his shoulder and taking them to the side of the street that wouldn't be affected by the fight in the meantime.

Troy sputtered to consciousness almost as soon as he hit the ground, a soft hiss of pain leaving his lips. He forces his injured body into a sitting position and his eyes open to see the figure hunched over Kuro doing some sort of spell.

He summons some of his recovered energy into his hands, ready to fight, "Who are you, and what are you doing to the brat?" He orders.

Unimpressed, condensing grey eyes turn to assess him through thin-rimmed glasses, he notices the horns almost immediately and his instincts to attack flare even harder but his body is too worn to move.

"Demon," the word leaves his lips with venom.

"Lucifer. It's good to see you're just as much a little shit in person," Lucifer waved dismissively before turning back to Kuro, "I have no idea what transferring Dark magic into your system would do, so heal yourself with your healing ability or whatever."

"I can't use it on myself," Troy admits. His naturally enhanced healing would have to settle for now, but unlike Kira, he couldn't direct it or increase its effectiveness. He couldn't feel any broken bones so was at least thankful because those took longer to heal, "I'd rather die than accept magic from demon scum either way."

"Boo-hoo, my poor self-esteem," Lucifer mocks, deadpan as he continues his work, the younger child was more drained than he'd expected. He'd have left him to the blond but both their auras were weak, "It's a wonder how these two put up with you, the girl especially since she's not in love with you. She's out there burning her limits to keep us here and protect you two."

Troy turns in the direction of the noise from the fight, "So that's the one called Mammon out there?"

"Summoned two demons at the same time because her precious friends were in danger." Lucifer hums, the word 'friends' drawn out and icy, finishing up and gets to his feet.

"Friendships are meaningless to people like me, people perish but I won't."

"Because you're the angel of God destined to defend humanity from the claws of darkness?" Lucifer snarks, grey eyes dancing with amusement as he glared down at the young blond, "Spare me the bullshit, you're just as human as everyone those two! A little bit of rare magic doesn't make a difference."

He twirled his staff turning one end into a scythe blade and lining it up with the boy's heart, "A pretty face can only get you so far 'Angel boy' unless you plan on subduing the world like Nightmare or killing anyone you don't like the way we Demons do, you'll learn that people won't understand you just because you expect them to. Give them a reason... blind trust can only get you so far."

He withdraws his weapon and turns to leave, "And drop the attitude when I'm here, makes me want to gut you open, Vermillion might be more grateful once she gets over it," he adds and vanishes at almost the speed of light, a dust trail rising in response to his movement.

Troy huffs, arms crossing over his chest as he seethes. Yelled at during school, beaten up by some lowly villain subordinate, and scolded by a Demon, his day possibly couldn't get any worse.

"What the hell?" Kuro whines, rubbing his head as he sits up from the hard pavement of the alley. He blinks his eyes open, flinching, "Kira! I've got-"

"She's fine," Troy cuts him off with a sigh, "At least I think she is. She summoned the two demons she could talk to."

"Lucifer and Mammon?! They're here?! On this plain of existence?! Right now?!"

Troy nodded, understanding the younger boy's excited tone, he couldn't believe it himself when Lucifer had spoken his name.

"Looks like Kira pulled through again," Kuro said with a small smirk on his lips, "But I'm worried she won't be able to keep it up for long. Summoning demons to this plain and keeping them here is tiring for those who aren't Summoners."

"Which means we should heal up fast and join in so we take him down with the five-on-one advantage."

"I feel almost good as new though," Kuro beamed flexing his arms and legs.

"That's because Lucifer gave you some of his magic energy to speed up your healing process."

"Demons are on another level," the younger boy sighed, "How 'bout you?"

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"I'll be good in a minute or two-"

A surge of power swept through the area, cutting their conversation short and putting all their hairs on end.

"Don't tell me..."

"Bug freak just leveled up again," Troy scowled as he pushed himself to his feet and stretched to get the blood flowing through his veins once more.

"Break's over then, you sure you're good?"

"Just have to be careful," he said before summoning his wings and launching out of their hiding place.

Kuro bit back a groan of exhaustion before leaving as well.

***

Jade frowned in irritation as she froze another swarm of insects that had tried to attack a group of civilians.

Seeing Kira summon those demons had elevated Jade's worries a bit before she managed to escape Momo, but now she was in the open and opted to join the fight, the bugs seemed to have increased in number. Forcing her to the rooftops, to freeze as many as she could to save the people.

Her eyes went to another big screen still showing the events of the battleground, Kira was still on the ground yet to come out of some sort of trance state and Jade didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.

The boys had teamed up with the Demons and we're taking Arius on. Unfortunately, the tide of the fight kept changing, Kira's power fluctuation was showing its effect of the Demons as they seemed to vanish in and out of existence. How long could she hold on for?

"C'mon guys," she urged under her breath, wishing she could be in two places at once, "I believe in you."

***

"You did well bringing your pets here Demon Keeper, but that won't be enough to stop me!" Arius' screamed manically as he dissolved into insects to dodge a strike from Lucifer's hammer.

"The hell are you calling pets, punk?!" Mammon scowled as one chain managed to grab the villain as he reformed and slammed him into the ground.

Arius hissed, feeling his magic drain significantly but he recovered in time to vanish as a lightning bolt came down on him. He appeared in a dark nook away from sight.

Those Demons were proving difficult and though he could see them fade and solidify occasionally, he was sure the Keeper would do all it took to keep them here long enough to weaken him.

His range had increased but he couldn't spawn as many minions as he should after a two-hundred-meter radius. He was weakening, but he could still take them out if he put his all into his next attack.

He pulled his minions back from the outer ends of the radius, "Take care of the men, I'm going for the girl." He ordered silently to himself.

Almost immediately, the area over the battlefield darkened, a swarm of smaller bugs diving down at the bots and the demons. A deafening buzz rumbled through the area as the four males found themselves unable to see through the maelstrom insect bodies.

"What the hell?!" Mammon cursed loudly, "I can't see a bloody thing!"

"They're not attacking," Kuro called back in observation, "Just..."

"They're distracting us!" Lucifer finished, the feeling of Kira's magic keeping his form here falter caused the realization to sink in quickly, "He's going after, Vermillion!" He yelled, quickly conjuring a gust of his own whirlwind to clear an opening through the body of flying pests.

He enchanted his vision, the field opened up before him but it was too late, Arius was a few inches from Kira, blade poised to strike at her neck.

Lucifer was about to lunge, the chances of him making it in time were slim but he couldn't let all they'd worked for centuries go down just like that.

He was stopped by a cold chill down his spine, a feeling not his but belonging to the master of the Seal.

Kira?

Every being in the ruined street seemed to come to a slow grind, Kira got up in one smooth, swift motion, locking her gaze on Arius whose eyes were now wide in shock. Her bright green eyes were now dark inky pools, and the skin on her forehead split open to reveal another eye. Black with multiple green rings instead of pupils.

"The human heart can hold only so much self-loathing until it becomes a stagnating pool," Kira said in a voice not her's. Multiple eyes like the one on her forehead spawned around the field, and the bugs began to turn to solid rock mid-air and fall to the ground.

"Shit!" Mammon and Lucifer curse, each of them grabbing one of the boys and placing hands over their eyes before closing theirs as well.

Arius tripped to the ground, confusion making him look down to where his stiff feet had turned to stone-cold marble. A scream lodged in his throat as he turned back to the Keeper who waps now looming over him in a squat position.

"Once the process starts, it can't be stopped. You clamor for power but all you truly have in your heart is the envy for those who didn't go through your struggles," the Keeper smirks, but Arius knows this isn't the girl he fought, "A truly pathetic fate to die to your vices."

Arius can feel the stiffness spreading all over rapidly, angry tears trailing down his face as he reaches for his dropped sickle. His fingertips turn to stone before he can grasp it and the burn starts to reach his neck, he can't close his screaming lips, breath doesn't reach his aching lungs and almost too quickly, he can't feel anything. He sees nothing but darkness and the aching pain of his own heart until the feeling aspect is gone and he fades to nothing.

The remaining insects in the air stop buzzing immediately, and one by one, they all slowly burst into dust, falling to the ground in a flurry of translucent wings and useless dust particles.

"You may open your eyes now," the Demon possessing Kira's body says as the bleeding eye in her forehead closes.

The Demons let go of the boys and open their own eyes. Troy rubs at his skin where Lucifer had grabbed him like he'd been contaminated with some sort of virus. The Demon scoffs in return.

"Otōto," Mammon calls with a small affectionate smirk.

"Little brother?" Kuro huffs out a quiet laugh at the endearing term.

The Demon turns to Mammon with an annoyed look, "Don't call me that!"

"Give us a warning before you pop up like that, Levi," Lucifer grumbles, forming his giant hammer and bringing it down on the statue that was formerly Arius. It's crushed in a second, leaving only fine gravel as the weapon vanishes.

"I didn't want to, believe me, I knew she wasn't ready but the girl forced me out even when she knew the flare of her abilities wasn't stabilized," Levi huffs.

Lucifer can tell obviously, Kira's body is beginning to literally steam as the seconds pass, "I can't believe she's still keeping us here as well. You should go."

Levi pouts, making Kira's face look more childish than she already did, "Fine, whatever, once I go she'll be in pretty bad shape," he turns to his brother, "Don't have too much fun without me, big oaf," he says as a taunt before leaving Kira's body.

Mammon is there to catch her before she hits the ground, "It's time we go as well Boss, you can take a break now," he tells her.

She nods barely, breaths coming in heavy as she tries to come out of the trance state. He sets her down on her feet, still supporting her with his shoulder.

The two slowly start to fade, almost as she touches the ground. Lucifer turns to the boys, "Get her somewhere safe, and don't leave that here," he points sternly at the sickle before he vanishes completely.

Kira falls to her knees, gasping in a lungful of air like she was almost suffocated, "Shit!" She sputters grabbing at her chest and falling further into the ground, "Why the hell does everything hurt so bad?!"

"She's back," Troy huffed sardonically.

Kuro instead dives on top of her, "You're back!"

"I think you broke a rib," Kira cries, tears falling down her face as he helps her up. Her whole form is trembling and she can feel tingles of both pain and excitement zipping through her skin, as well as... relief.

She looks up at the insect-free sky and lets a warm laugh of satisfaction bubble up from her aching chest, she almost falls on the ground from the joy, "We did it, thank goodness!"

She hugs the boys, Troy pulls away almost immediately, she ignores him, "I was so worried about you two," she sobs. She was unable to stop her thoughts from going back to their first fight together. When they'd almost been eaten by Jurōgumo and all could do was worry and hate herself for not knowing how to do anything.

"If he'd just killed me, he'd have fed you two to bugs alive and it'd be so...so..." She breaks down into more sobs.

Troy could feel a headache coming on the more he tried to piece this girl together, and he could tell by Kuro's perplexed expression he was having the same problems as well.

One minute everything is all about her and the next, she's risking her life for hundreds. The blond sighs, opting to give up for now at least.

The humming sounds of the news chopper flying closer brings the trio back to reality. The middle of a destroyed street wasn't the best place to take their well-earned break.

Kira rises to her feet, forms her staff, and raises it to the camera, they'd won and the people deserved to know they could rest easy in the meantime, "Get us a portal out of here Kuro, I think I'm about to pass out."

"Aye Captain," he chirps, feathers falling from his wings to do just that.

Troy takes up his cue just as quickly, "Shield your eyes," he warns before flaring so brightly that he blinds the camera crew in the chopper for a full minute.

When the glare vanishes, the trio of heroes is nowhere to be seen, unaware of the cheering people that had watched their triumph.