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"Akira, please. Don't leave me here alone!"
No one answered. The heavy quiet that followed his voice only made him feel more alone.
After the armies of demons and devilman had ripped each other apart, the earth had grown eerily still and quiet. Gone was the lush paradise that his father had created all those millennia ago. His perfect creation, teeming life and promise. Now, all that remained was a barren rock suspended in a lonely orbit around a dying star. Up above, the moon sat in two shattered halves, a trail of jagged debris trailing off into the inky nothing of space, a testament to the awesome force wielded by the two of them in their final battle.
Akira's body was freezing in his arms. His natural body heat was well above a human's, making the chill of his best friend's corpse all the more evident. Tears ran down his face, dripping onto the devilman's still chest.
He hadn't even known he had killed him, that he had poured his heart out to the remaining half of his former friend's body. There was no telling where the devilman's legs were; their battle had spanned the entire globe.
"You can't leave me like this. I'm all alone," he begged, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. He didn't fight against the tears as they streamed from his eyes.
Silence followed as he hugged Akira to him, possessively. I won. I won, and I’m not happy. Why couldn’t you just listen to me?
"Was it worth it?"
The tears stopped at the deep, resonant voice that shattered the quiet. Snarling, he turned to face the newcomer standing over him.
"Was it worth it to betray Father? To have your kingdom? Was it all worth it, Lucifer?" the towering figure asked him. Clad only in a pair of loose white pants, he shone like a new star, with bright, blinding light emanating from the pair of wings outstretched behind him. Hair like liquid night lay swept back on his head, tied with a silver cord. At his hip was a magnificent sword, the scabbard polished and pristine, a fiery ruby inlaid in the hilt.
"Hello, Gabriel," Satan answered. It had been eons since he had seen his brother. "You're looking well. How are things in Heaven?"
The angel frowned deeply. "Busy, ever since your work down here." His piercing eyes were wells of stoic sadness as he beheld the ruined landscape. “So many souls…”
"I'll bet," Satan said with a smirk. "I'm sure Father is happy now, having all of his precious humans with him in Heaven. Tell me, did he weep when I set them at each other's throats? Did he cry out when they destroyed themselves, killing each other out of fear? When I showed him just how flawed his creations could be?"
He gave a venomous smile when Gabriel's hand tightened around the hilt of his sword. "Ever since that day you tried to overthrow Father, I have dreamt many times about killing you. You broke Father's heart."
"Oh please, he has no heart. All he wants to do is create these little ant farms where he is the one in control and everyone has to as he says. He pokes and prods, and gives all these rules in opposition to every instinct they have. It's amazing that whenever you tell a human not to do something, that's exactly what they just have to do. I just, gave them the ability to see past his lies." Gabriel's hand hadn't left the sword.
"Why are you really here Gabriel?" Satan asked. "I know it wasn't to check up on your dear big brother."
Gabriel took a long deep breath. "I'm here for the boy."
Satan's eyes grew wide. "NO! You can't have him! He's mine!" He tightened his grip on Akira's body, daring his younger brother to try and take it away from him.
"He is the only soul yet to be collected," Gabriel explained, pointing a finger at his sibling. "You may have left Father's side, and he yours, but you cannot disobey him."
"Yes I can!" Satan spat back. "In case you've forgotten, I just destroyed all of his toys. I brought about man's end. I burned his Eden. This is my earth now. Mine!" He bared his teeth in a feral snarl, challenging Gabriel to attack him.
"As much as I would love to have you dead on my sword, Father has forbidden it. I'm to let you live," the angel admitted with disappointment.
"Oh really? Has dear old Dad finally learned to love his prodigal son?"
"Lucifer, don't make this any harder than it needs to be. Just let me take the boy."
"NO!" Satan shrieked. He charged towards Gabriel, claws out and ready to rend his brother to shreds. He swiped wildly, but Gabriel evaded him with inhuman speed. A bright light flashed as Gabriel struck him across the face with his fist, sending the fallen angel flying back.
"Just stop Lucifer. I might not be as good as Michael but I'm still a better fighter than you are."
Satan jumped up and snarled. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" He brought his hands together and conjured a ball of blistering hellfire between his palms. It built more and more, until he thrust it at Gabriel with all his strength. Yet the angel caught merely raised his hand and the unholy flames bent around him, the tongues of dark fire dissipating into nothing
"Last warning Lucifer. Stay down."
"My name, is, Satan!" Shrieking like a madman, the twelve winged angel launched himself at his brother, all sense abandoned to his rage.
Suddenly his abdomen bloomed in pain, growing warm and sticky. Gabriel twisted his sword, glowing blood running down the blade before it dripped onto the ground below.
Satan coughed up gold ichor. "I thought Father said not to hurt me," he laughed.
"He said that I couldn't kill you," Gabriel corrected before pulling the sword out of his brother's gut. "You'll live, for however long you have left."
"What, what do you mean?" Satan asked weakly as he collapsed, his hand trying to keep his insides inside of him.
"Come now brother, we always knew how this would end." Gabriel swung his bloody sword, leaving an arc of golden blood on the ground before sheathing the weapon. "Ever since John wrote the final book, everyone knew you wouldn't rule for long. The scriptures dictated so. In the end, Father still wins. This earth will be reborn into the paradise it was meant to be. You're nothing more than the wildfire sent to cleanse the world, to prepare it for the next phase." The angel strode over to Akira's cold body, gently closing his dead eyes and picking him up. He cradled Akira like a newborn babe, gingerly holding him to his body.
"Please," Satan begged, dragging himself over towards Gabriel's feet. "He's all I have left." He struggled to reach up to touch Akira's hand, but Gabriel moved just a step out of reach.
"I pity you, brother. You were the greatest of us. You were our big brother. Now look at you." Gabriel's eyes were full of disappointment, the sadness now a roiling ocean. "I hope you enjoy your reign, however brief it may be. Michael's already on his way with the legions. Your time is almost up."
"Gabriel, please…" Satan pleaded. Fresh tears began to pour down his chest, soaking the ground as he continued to crawl after the angel.
"Goodbye, brother."
In a flash of light, he was gone, and Akira with him.
And Satan was truly alone.
The fallen angel collapsed onto the hard rock, bawling and blubbering in his solitude. He never even noticed the pillars of light descending from the heavens, the armies of his father come to finish their work, with his youngest brother at the forefront.
Then everything exploded in brilliant light.
…
Akira's head felt like someone had used his head as a punching bag, and then threw through ten stories of concrete. Ryo must have clocked me good , he thought to himself.
Wait, Ryo! Immediately, he sat up, looking for that bastard that had betrayed him and taken Miki away from him. He snarled as he thought of all the ways he was going to kill that lying son of a-
He quickly came to the realization he had no clue where he was.
Everything was bright, and warm, and smelled crisp and clean. He was lying on a simple slab of polished marble, dressed in a loose fitting white shirt and pants, with no shoes. It appeared he still had the body from being a devilman, his arms still cords of muscle and his abs hard as a rock.
Slowly, he slid off the stone bed, his bare feet not making a sound. He looked back and forth, not seeing any exit, and yet he didn't feel trapped.
"Good, you're awake," a soft voice observed. The voice belonged to a short, bearded man with a sun tanned face and crow's feet. He was dressed identically to Akira.
"Who are you?" Akira asked.
"I am Peter. I'm here to welcome you to your new home," the man answered.
"My new home?"
"Yes. Welcome to paradise, my son." Peter turned and stepped through an arched doorway that Akira swore hadn't been there before. "Come. There are some who are eager to greet you."
Akira followed Peter through the door, which disappeared as soon as they passed beneath it, much to Akira's surprise. But outside was even more surprising.
There were no words in Akira's mind to describe the sight before him, other than, heavenly. The sky was the purest shade of blue. Warm sunlight bathed everything in sight, giving everything a peaceful, ethereal gleam. There was no real scenery to speak of, merely an inviting whiteness that stretched on forever.
Yet he could see everything in the whiteness, and yet nothing at all; people dressed in white strolled by, everyone with a smile plastered on their face; streets that sparkled like gold; a great ocean that glittered like a million diamonds.
"Is this…" he trailed off.
Peter nodded. "Welcome to Heaven."
"But, but how am I here? The demon, the war, I was fighting Ryo and-"
"And you died," Peter said bluntly.
I, I died?
"Do not feel sorrow, my son. You did everything you could do. All occurred just as it was meant to. And now, the flock has been called home."
"But, how can I be here? Amon possessed me," Akira argued.
"And you fought him back," Peter explained. "You retained your human heart, your soul, and as such, you were redeemed. A true warrior against evil."
Akira ran a hand through his hair, breathing deep. “And–and Ryo?”
Peter’s face grew hard for a moment before returning to its original expression of serenity. “The would-be-Usurper is no longer a concern.”
He’s gone. Ryo’s gone. A long sigh escaped Akria’s lips. It’s over.
“Let us not dwell on these things anymore, my son,” Peter said with a grin. “After all, you're in Heaven.”
I'm in Heaven . Akira felt his face break out in a smile so broad he thought his face would crack. "Wait, you said someone was waiting for me?"
Peter nodded. "More than one someone," he said, gesturing with his hand at a clutch of white clad figures.
"Akira!" Taro nearly knocked Akira over after tackling him in a hug. "You're here." Akira hugged the boy back as Noel and Akiko came up and mimicked their son, enveloping Akira in a warm embrace.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he sobbed as held them, feeling his cheeks grow wet.
"There's nothing to forgive," Noel assured him. "You did your absolute best. No one can ask any more of you."
"We're all in a better place now," chimed Akiko. "And now you're here with us too." Akira smiled in spite of his tears.
"Oh come on, get a grip you crybaby."
Akiri wiped his eyes and sniffled, turning to see Miko. Her white dress flowed around her waves and her hair was pulled up into a tight braid. Like Akira, she still looked like a devilman. "We're in paradise now. There's no room for tears here," she said with her new level of sass. Behind her, Wamu and Gabi both nodded, the former gang members smiling toothy grins.
"You two bozos got into Heaven too?" Akira observed jokingly. They may have been a pain in his ass back on earth, but they'd earned his respect when they'd elected to stay behind and help protect Miki.
"Yeah, well, turns out trying to save innocents from a whole bunch of crazy people is a pretty good thing in the Big Man's eyes," Wamu said. Somehow, he had managed to keep his hat in Heaven.
Gabi nodded, his dreadlocks bouncing. "And it turns out, the J-Man's a big fan of' our lyrics. Who'da thunk?"
Akari laughed with them until his eyes landed on the next two people. Immediately, he ran to hug his parents, barreling into them as he grabbed onto them with desperate arms.
"Mom. Dad." Any other words he wanted to say stuck in his throat.
"Shh," his mom whispered, stroking his hair. "It's okay now Akira."
"We're here buddy," his dad reassured him. "And I'm sorry you had to deal with what happened at the airport. No son should have to kill his parents. Even if they are possessed by a demon."
"I'm just glad you're here," Akira admitted. "I'm just sorry I didn't get to bring any of the shoes you sent me." Both of his parents laughed at his joke.
Everyone's here, he thought, his heart swelling with joy. Except…
One final person came into view behind his parents.
Akira felt his mouth go dry and his heart hitch in his chest.
Miki Makimura was just as beautiful as he remembered her. More so, clothed in an all white sun dress, a halo of light illuminating her smile. His feet felt like lead as he struggled to walk over to her. When she finally was within arm's length, he stretched out one hand and cupped her cheek. She leaned into his touch, eyes closed in content.
"See? You came back. You kept your promise." Her voice was all the motivation he needed to capture her lips with his own. She tasted like only Miki could, like peppermints and sweat and sunshine. Her arms wrapped around his neck, deepening their connection. An eternity may have passed, or just a few seconds. He didn't know, and he didn't give a damn which one.
"Hey facesuckers! Break it up, will ya?" Miko demanded, causing them to break apart. "You guys have all of eternity to do that, at least stop doing it in front of me." Both Akira and Miki laughed at their friend's joke.
Eternity, huh? the former devilman thought to himself as he observed his family, blood relations and otherwise, keeping Miki wrapped up in his arms.
I can think of worse forevers…
Fin