To Christina Exon for winning 1st place in the DGM Fanart competition April-June 2014

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Allen gazed up at the night sky that was masked by clouds. The night air was cool and unsettling. He had slipped away while Bookman and Lavi were sleeping. He reached over and clutched his shoulder. He was glad it was almost healed, but he was still stiff from the injury. Bookman had spent several hours trying to ease the pain as he treated the wound, not that it did much good. Tyki Mikk had attacked him just after they split up.

"Well well! It looks like Tyki couldn't kill you this time!"

Allen jumped out of the way as a blue bomb froze the ground where he had been only a moment ago. Turning to face his attackers, Allen sighed "What do you want?"

"Shouldn't that be obvious?" Devit sneered. Jumping from his perch in the tree he landed right in front of Allen. "You can't run from fate."

Allen took a few steps back. "Fate?"

Jasdero, who was still in the tree, laughed. "Tyki failed so the Earl sent us, hee!"

"You should have let him kill you. Tyki would have killed you quick, we are going to make it slow and painful." Devit grinned sadistically and pointed his gun at Allen. Jasdero leaped down with his gun at the ready.

Allen activated his Innocence and took a defensive stance. "You can't kill me." he growled. He wouldn't let himself be defeated by someone like them.

"Brother, I think he wants to fight back, hee!" Jasdero grinned and pointed his gun at Allen.

"Then we should indulge him." Devit turned his gun on his brother. "Shall we?"

"Yes, let's, hee!" Jasdero pointed his gun at Devit. They both fired.

Allen's heart skipped a beat as the pair of Noah were enveloped in smoke. He knew what was coming next. Jasdevi. He was ready. As the smoke cleared Allen got ready to attack. A figure began to take form. Allen took aim and launched several blasts of energy.

Jasdevi summoned a pentacle-shaped screen to block Allen's attack and immediately countered by manipulating his hair.

Allen just barely dodged the long, blonde locks. He was slower than normal, but he had enough strength to hold his own. He fired more energy bursts, but again they were easily blocked.

"I'm disappointed! I was hoping for a challenge!" Jasdevi complained. "Maybe I should just kill you now." again he manipulated his hair.

Allen cried in pain as his shoulder was struck. He wasn't fast enough to move away. He retreated a few yards as more hair came at him. It was like a dance. Allen avoiding Jasdevi's hair and Jasdevi trying to hit Allen.

"Hey now! Don't run! Is that what they teach you exorcists?" Jasdevi taunted. "How come Tyki had trouble killing someone as weak as you?"

Allen clenched his jaw. He refused to be provoked by Jasdevi. His wound throbbed painfully, but he would not give in. He refused to acknowledge this Noah. "Perhaps the Earl has lost his touch. After all, for him to rely on you is rather pathetic."

"Shut up! I won't stand by and listen to you insult the Earl!" Jasdevi jumped into the air. "Red Bomb: Burning Red Planet!"

Allen braced himself and returned fire. He managed to hit Jasdevi's leg. The attack hardly phased the Noah. Allen focused his Innocence and changed the barrel of his weapon into a sword. "You won't win." Allen growled. He lunged forward with his arm prepared to strike. He was aware that he was getting tired, but on the flip side, so was Jasdevi.

Jasdevi manipulated his hair to form something like a blade and met Allen head on. He wasn't about to give in. Neither of them was going to yield. Neither of them wanted to die.

Allen's arm burned as the blood flowed from the wound. The new wound was in the exact spot that the one caused by Tyki was. He repeatedly struck Jasdevi, or rather he tried to. Each attack was blocked by Jasdevi's hair. It was almost as if Jasdevi was trying to prolong the fight. No, that didn't make sense. Why would he want to drag this out? If he was trying to show up Tyki, then wouldn't it be best to end this quickly? Allen didn't know what to think. It didn't matter now because he would be the one to end this. He lunged forward planning to win this now, but was stopped by Jasdevi's hair grabbing his ankles. Allen had no intention of letting it end here. He sliced right through his blonde bonds. He took advantage of Jasdevi's moment of shock and ran his arm through Jasdevi's chest.

Jasdevi fell to the ground, smoke enveloping the Noah.

"Oi!" a voice came from one of the trees a few yards from where the wounded Noah were. All three turned only to find Tyki Mikk sitting there with his Teez fluttering around him. "Devit, Jasdero, the Earl wants you two to return now. Forget about Allen Walker."

"What?" Devit protested from his place on the ground.

Tyki shrugged. "I'm only doing as I was told." he held out his arm and the three Noah were taken away by the Teez.

Allen fell to his knees, exhaustion washing through his body.

"Allen!"

Allen glanced over his shoulder. Lavi and Bookman were running toward him.

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Eric's Alan: My facts about Jasdevi may or may not be off.