Beloved Child, Beautiful Angel

Round 1

"Are you lost?" a soft, concerned voice asked from behind.

She froze in her tracks at the sound of the voice, her expression nonplus save for the glint in her ocean blue eyes. A light gust of wind from an open window gently brushed against her face, the strands of golden hair on her head swaying lightly against the breeze as she stood in the middle of the dimly lit hallway.

"Um… who are you?" the voice asked nervously.

This should not have happened. This was supposed to be a simple assignment, to observe this household and the mortals within before returning to the creator himself. Why the creator chose a warrior of her rank to such a task, a task even the least amongst the hierarchy of hosts could accomplish, she had no idea. She was never one to question his commands; she had learned many eternities ago that his words have and always will be trustworthy, his wisdom incomprehensible and well beyond even to those of her ilk. For those reasons alone (and there were many reasons), she trusted her creator unwaveringly and simply obeyed regardless of how seemingly out of place it may look on the surface.

She knew of these particular mortals she was to observe. In fact, much of the world knew of this family, a lineage of mighty and awesome warriors whose strength was legendary amongst men and her kind alike. Blessed with both incredible strength well beyond mere men and a fighting style honed and passed down through the generations, it was not surprising to see this lineage of proud warriors eventually build a mighty empire for themselves, an empire that rivaled the wealth of even the richest of nations. As such, while some stories over time may have been exaggerated or even fabricated, all amongst her rank knew well enough to never underestimate their might, for even the demons would hear of their name and tremble.

Still, this was supposed to be a simple assignment, an assignment even the lowest ranking of her kind could accomplish without fail. Every agent the creator would send for such tasks knew well enough to keep themselves from being revealed, making vast preparations especially against such mortals of revered strength. She took extra precautions to avoid being spotted by both men and invention alike. She had enacted various contingencies should a part of the plan failed. Through the vast power invested to her by the hosts themselves, she made sure the heads of the family themselves would be unable to see her. She had been quite successful at her task, yet somehow…

"Huh? Are… are those real!?"

She gasped as she felt a slight tugging sensation on one of her large, immaculate wings, which was followed almost immediately a sharp prick of pain. Reacting to the painful sensation, both wings involuntarily twitched and snapped open, eliciting a quiet gasp from behind followed by a quiet, dull thud on the floor. Expression hardened, teeth gritted, and blue eyes now ablaze with the white hot fury of the heavens, she spun around to look her offender in the face…

…and just as quick as her rage had sparked, her anger fizzled just as quickly as a pair of large, frightened brown eyes looked back into her own.

"I – I'm sorry!" the boy yelped. "I… I didn't mean… to… I just wanted to touch…" he stammered while fumbling with a large, white feather in his tiny hands as he scrambled backwards in a failed attempt to get back on his feet. "Please, please take it back!" he pleaded on his knees with his head prostrate to the ground, raising the feather in his hands as high as he could to the air.

She covered her mouth in shock. She didn't know which was worse, the fact that this mere child somehow managed to discover in spite of her power, or the fact that she almost impulsively tried to hurt him.

"Don't hurt me…"

Her expression softened at the frightened display before her. Folding her majestic wings, she regained her composure, straightened herself, and watched the still fearful boy for a moment. She opened her mouth, wishing to speak, yet no words came out. After all, she was never one to express herself through many words, but rather through actions. Shaking her head at herself with amusement, she gracefully took a couple of steps towards the trembling child and knelt down on one knee. Reaching out with her right hand, she gently lowered his tiny hands to the floor. Then, placing her fingertips underneath his chin, she gradually lifted his head until the two were face to face.

The boy's trembling stopped, his fear dissipated from his eyes. Instead of being afraid, he was now awestruck by the woman before him… if he could even refer to her as a mere woman to begin with. Certainly, she had the outer appearance of a beautiful woman, one clothed in an elegant ensemble of white silk with gold embroidery strewn along the edges of her outfit. However, as he continued to stare absentmindedly, he soon realized she was much more than that. Powerful, dignified, wholesome, authoritative, serene, somehow through gazing into her deep blue eyes he sensed all of that, and many more which defied mere description.

That, and she has wings. Enormous, angelic white wings.

And no one else noticed she broke into his home.

Though her initial reaction to him made him fearful of his life, upon seeing her up close, somehow he felt at ease in her presence. She was, as far as he knew, strange, yet he didn't seem to mind.

And she could not help but gaze back curiously at the boy. She had seen many a mortal over countless millennia, watched as their young constantly came to the world, vulnerable, pure, and innocent. The boy gawking back at her was no different from the others. The child himself was no more than four years old, having yet to fully experience life in both its grandiose wonders and its inherent dangers. Save for the short, black hair brushed back neatly into an unusual point at the top of his head, a trait she noticed was found in just about every male in the bloodline in various shapes and sizes, he was otherwise… perhaps not unremarkable given the stories of this family's remarkable feats, but he seemed rather ordinary.

Without warning, the boy dropped the feather from his hand, scrambled on his feet, and reached out to touch her face. Forgetting all manner of consideration, he gently patted her cheeks with his palms, much to her further amusement, placed his hand on her nose, and lowered his hand to her lips.

"No, no, you are real," he mumbled under his breath.

She smirked at the remark, as she gently reached out with her hand, and caressed the boy's cheek, looking into his eyes with a curiosity of her own.

"Wait!" he said, pulling himself away. Turning momentarily away, he hunched down to the ground to pick up the white feather he had dropped. Grasping it clumsily in both hands, he quickly ran behind her, much to her confusion, and, carefully inspecting one of her wings, attempted to place the plume back where he had pulled it from. "I think I took it from there. It's… it's not staying…"

What a strange child…

Gently turning around, she gazed at the boy and giggled sweetly at his act. Grasping his hands into her own, she guided the feather away, gesturing both at the white plume and the boy with a courteous nod of her head.

"But it's – "

She shook her head once more, patting the child's hand with a smile.

"I can keep it?"

The warmth of her smile was all the answer he needed. Laughing excitedly to himself, he raised the feather to the air, and gazed at it with both curiosity and wonderment.

"Oh, oh, I forgot," he said, turning his attention back to her. Taking a step back, the child brushed himself, straightened his posture. "My name is Kazuya… Kazuya Mishima," he said, pointing his thumb to his chest. "Pleased to meet you," he added with a bow of his head.

Kneeling on both knees, her smile widened as she returned the gesture with a slight bow of her own. "Kazuya," she whispered to herself.

Hunched over slightly, she clutched her bloodied left arm, gasping for breath while struggling to maintain focus. Her once immaculate skin was littered with various cuts and bruises, her elegant white robes now a tattered, shredded mess of claw marks and blood. In spite of the wounds inflicted onto her person, she stayed her ground, wings rampart, and eyes ablaze with power and fierce determination as she stared down her prey, currently buried underneath a pile of ash and rubble.

She had fought countless evils over many eternities, some worse than others, and yet regardless of the challenges she faced, she overcame them and was ultimately triumphant. The hour was at its bleakest it would seem, yet as dark as the world around her may be, she remained dignified and poised, the lone beacon of light and purity. This battle will be no different than the rest. She will triumph.

For his sake, she had to triumph.

Just then, she heard a low rumble. Releasing her hold on her left arm, she straightened herself and, with a single flap of her wings, slowly levitated herself off the broken ground. She let out a quiet sneer as her surroundings suddenly shook all around. Wasting no time, she raised her arms in a gradual, rhythmic circle, crossing them in front of her now lowered head. As she performed this motion, golden waves of light slowly gathered into the jewel hanging on her forehead. Then, with a loud battle cry, she snapped back her arms, and unleashed a beam of heavenly justice onto the evil buried below.

The piles of rocks and debris exploded upon contact. Eyeing the burnt embers below, a part of her hoped that would be the end, yet she knew better. This particular monster had been a thorn on her side to say the least. A stubborn, persistent beast, one that doesn't know when to surrender in spite of the defeats she had dealt it personally.

Sure enough, pillars of fire erupted from the ground, new fissures of molten lava began to form, and the world shook violently all around, turning the dark, ashen battleground into a fiery hellish pit. Within the centre of the newly formed crater came another explosion, sending forth thunderous shockwaves in every direction.

Shielding herself with her wings, she felt both shockwaves and stones slam against her appendages with monstrous force while struggling to keep herself afloat. When the rumbling subsided, she slowly unfolded her grimy wings and directed her eyes downward.

"Rrrrr…. Enough…" a voice growled.

Letting out a grumble of her own, she watched a bluish nightmare rose on its taloned feet. Crackles of indigo surrounded the demon's silhouette, illuminating its shape, yet hiding much of its form within the sinister energies save for three luminous crimson orbs on its head. Then the energies subsided, the battleground barely lit by the remaining fires on the ground.

"I… had… e-nough!" its voice echoed.

Without warning, the beast stretched open its dark, leathery wings, and darted to the air towards her. Stretching out its right arm, the beast directed its claws at her head, intending to rip it off her shoulders. In spite of her weakened state, she managed to dodge the charge to the side, the claws creating fresh new wounds along her cheek, but otherwise managed to keep the rest of her head intact. With a defiant roar, the demon spun around in midflight and, with wings swept back, quickly dove towards his target once more. Unable to dodge the second attack, she raised both gauntleted arms in a criss-cross fashion and braced for impact.

"Ugh!" she groaned, pushed backwards from the force of the blow, but also managing to stop the demon's forward momentum through inhuman strength. With another grunt, she bowed her head beneath her crossed arms and, with concerted effort, pushed the creature off of her.

Bellowing a primal roar, the monster lashed out with a balled fist, the strike managing to connect to her vulnerable face. She recoiled back from the blow, yet managed to remain levitated in the air. With a loud shriek, she countered the creature with a forceful right hand of her own. The punch hit its mark, sending the demon reeling.

Screaming out in frustration, the creature charged her again, lashing out with both claws outstretched. Reflexively, she caught the demon's charge by the wrists, holding back the momentum as though fighting a wild animal. With gritted teeth, she raised her head and stared straight at the face of the evil she hated…

…who so happened to also possess the face of the man she adored.

Tail thrashing, the creature bellowed another roar as ominous energies gathered into his eyes. With a gasp, she quickly released her hold on its wrists, and dropped backwards just as it unleashed its hellish cannon of death.

The ground below exploded from the beam's impact, sending a new pile of rubble to the air. When the rumble subsided, both monster and maiden glared at each other, gasping for breath from the toil of their fight. They studied each other silently, both combatants battered, yet remained poised, neither one letting up.

"This… finally… ends…" the creature grunted. Catching its breath, the demon straightened its posture, holding its taloned right hand over a purplish mark across its chest…

…a brand given courtesy of his father which served as a constant reminder of the hell he went through. Indigo lightning crackled from his fists and surged throughout his entire body. All three eyes brimmed with hatred and bloodlust as he summoned every ounce of strength he could muster.

"I… will… rid you…. once and for all!"

With that declaration, Devil Kazuya attacked.