Chapter 7:
Time had no meaning in this dimension, death had no meaning, life…had no meaning, but pain did, at least for Krad. The constant bombardment of slashes, thrusts, and strikes was endless as the blade's wielder would never tier, and its victim would never die. But the blade was not the only inflictor of Krad's pain, the strangely malevolent glowing light from behind the bound angel was slowly seeping away all of Krad's memories. However, though the pain from the sword was far worse then the slightly cold mist that clouded his mind draining him of his identity and past, Krad knew he could do nothing to stop the blade and focused all of his energy on protecting his few precious memories.
This item was immensely powerful and could have taken any mortal soul without a problem, but Krad was a being of pure magic…powerful magic, and the only way to absorb Krad's soul…was to break it. An attack on the mind and body at one time was overwhelmingly painful and devastating, though Krad did his best to ignore the blood pouring out of him and the horribly burning wounds that now covered his body, once white clothes were torn and crimson, magnificent white wings, once graceful and awesome, were now broken and stained with red, were this dimension capable of allowing death, Krad would have died long ago. But the everlasting agony of life in this place was suffocatingly harsh and real, Krad in fact did want to die…but he wanted to die with his few precious memories in tact, memories of his kindest host, memories of being free to live with a will of his own, memories of…of…Dark. If nothing else…he wanted to keep his memories of Dark, if there was a god listening to him at that moment, he begged to be able to die with the memory that he loved someone…and was loved in return.
"How much longer do you think you can hold out Krad?" Damous asked as he sharply ripped his blade from Krad's gut causing the fallen angel to bit back a scream of pain and cringe, "All of this pain could end, no more suffering…isn't that what you want?" The knight asked in admiration and irritation at Krad's stubbornness to give up and submit to his wicked mistress.
"…Tch…" Krad coughed out with a smirk, "…Guess that's another horrible trait I inherited from my… 'Great family'…" Krad said with a slight chuckle, as it hurt to even breath.
Damous looked up at the angel as their eyes met, cold and lifeless human eyes with rebellious golden feral, and the knight returned the smile, "Indeed. It would seem so. Your resistance is admirable…but foolish. One way or another you'll have to give in, why not save yourself the trouble?"
Krad was silent for a while and unbelievably tired, but he never took his eyes from the knight and glared at him, "…As long as I have something to live for…I'll do just that…and live." The ice demon growled adamantly.
"Once you've forgotten everything, I wonder if you'll still remember what it is you're suffering for." Damous replied coldly and raised the blade again. He knew Krad must have at least forgotten the last two hundred years of his existence, names, faces, victories, and defeats, all forgotten the longer he chose to remain unbreakable, the more he began to lose. It wouldn't be long before Krad became nothing more then an empty soul with no identity, past, or memories…nothing but a broken and dying light in the darkness…and then, that light would go out, swallowed whole by the dark.
"…" He was right…Krad could barely remember the faces of his former hosts, names of the countless humans and demons he had met in his long life, he couldn't even recall how long he had actually existed! But he remembered Satoshi's face, Daisuke's, and Dark's…and he knew his energy was fading…soon these memories would fade too, and the thought made his chest tighten and his heart constrict. To lose those would be to lose his reason for staying alive. "…Well…I haven't forgotten them yet…" Krad said in a barely audible voice and returned to looking back at the knight, "So don't expect me to break any time soon."
Daisuke was silent in front of Dark as the two stood facing each other outside on Daisuke's balcony as Satoshi slept just inside. Dark had told Daisuke everything…including the terrible reality that Krad's body would soon fade away unless his soul was returned, Satoshi would be devastated…and so would Dark.
"…So you're saying we have to retrieve that sword…or else…?" Daisuke asked looking up at his second soul as Dark stood leaning against the railing with his arms crossed, his face was grave and to be honest, no matter how hard Dark tried to hide it, …scared. The phantom thief nodded sadly and looked out into the sun-bathed city below.
Daisuke followed Dark's gaze out over the city and sighed, "…You weren't powerful enough last time to seal it on your own…do you think you can handle it without…Krad?" Daisuke asked turning back to Dark who was still looking out to the nearly deserted area below, as it was now noon and everyone was at work or at school.
"…I won't let Krad die, even if I stand no chance. Regardless the out come…I have no choice." Dark said adamantly, "But…you do…and that's why, I have to ask you to do this for me." Dark replied with almost a silent plea tied into his words. "I can't let you take this risk against your will."
Daisuke nodded his head and then looked down at the ground for a while. Dark was actually giving him a choice, in the past Dark would have just done what he wanted whether Daisuke liked it or not…including coming into contact with the sword in the first place. However much Daisuke wanted to decline and stay as far away from the sword as possible…Dark was asking him for help, if he didn't do this Krad would be gone forever…Dark and Satoshi, the two people he cared about most in the world would be heart broken and devastated. And though it took a long time for Krad to gain his trust, he had come to accept Krad as a friend as well, and Daisuke Niwa would never abandon a friend in trouble. Against his better judgment, Daisuke smiled and looked back up at Dark who was now looking at him with fearful and saddened eyes.
"…Heh, we're a team Dark…and I don't plan to change that any time soon." Daisuke said with a reassuring smile, "So when do we leave?" Daisuke asked with the most sincere expression of hopefulness in his eyes.
A part of Dark wanted to leap forward and smother Daisuke with his deepest affections of thankfulness and relief. He had feared that Daisuke would say no because of his fear of the sword taking Dark the way it took Krad, but here Daisuke was, willing to face death and most certain defeat with him to save a creature that at one time in his life tried to annihilate him. The bond that he and Daisuke shared was so strong that Daisuke was willing to put everything on the line to help save Dark's other half, and he couldn't find any words to tell him, Thank you. All Dark could do was smile at Daisuke and give him a nod of approval, and Daisuke could read his every emotion from there.
"We're leaving for the museum…tonight." Dark said and stood up tall.
"I'll go tell mom to send out the letter…" Daisuke said as he was about to rush inside to tell Emiko, when Dark caught him by the shoulder. "Ah…wha…?" Daisuke stumbled in surprise and confusion as he looked up at Dark.
"Not this time Daisuke…" Dark said firmly, "This time, we're not doing it for the glory…" Dark replied as Daisuke stared at Dark in confusion, "We don't need those morons slowing us down when we're already racing the clock."
"But…well…" Daisuke began and then stopped, that did make sense, and the police would only slow them down…Daisuke nodded and then looked back inside, "…What about Satoshi?"
Dark looked at Daisuke a bit surprised and then looked inside to the still sleeping child in Daisuke's bed, "What do you mean?" Dark asked a bit confused as to Daisuke's vague question.
"I mean…what will happen…to Satoshi if…if we fail…?" Daisuke asked as a lump entered his throat and he quickly repressed it.
Dark hadn't thought about it, but then again he had never thought about failing. He supposed that if Krad did…fade away…Satoshi would end up like the rest of Krad's and Dark hosts after they were thrown back into eternal sleep, Satoshi would become normal and ordinary, or as ordinary as Satoshi Hikari could possibly be. Their old hosts would go on living long after Krad and Dark had departed…many times Dark would meet his old hosts again through their descendants. Krad on the other hand…from what the fallen angel had told Dark…would pray that he never met any of them again.
"…Daisuke, we're not going to fail." Dark said at first comfortingly then his tone hardened, "And don't you even for a second think that, got it?" Dark said glaring down at Daisuke.
Daisuke nodded quickly, but not because he feared Dark, for he knew that Dark would never hurt him, but to try and convince himself that they wouldn't fail, that even if the odds were against them…they would succeed. "Right, let's go."
A moment later they were down stairs, and one look at Dark's face told Emiko that Daisuke had accepted this impossible mission, but no matter what she said, Dark was going to go through with it…and so was Daisuke. Emiko and Daiiki had moved the lifeless Krad to the downstairs area where the Niwa family magic was preformed in hopes that the highly magical field around the ancient room would help sustain Krad long enough for Dark and Daisuke to get the sword back. However, Daiiki had made it very clear that though the magic will help keep Krad alive longer…it would only be delaying the inevitable unless the angel's soul was returned.
It was now some time around two or three before Emiko had found a vague blue print of the Director's suit in the University's mansion where the head of the school lived. Emiko had guessed that since this is the only area accessible to only one person, that the sword was hidden somewhere within it's walls. Daiiki was researching all he could on the 'Ketteiteki Yasumidokoro' in case it had anymore hidden talents, but very little was known about the prison for souls to begin with, and whatever he did manage to find was vague.
While Daisuke and Emiko were working on strategies, and Daiiki was researching, Dark was by Krad's side as the body of his other self lay motionless on the alter in the center of the magic filled room.
The Phantom Thief stood over Krad looking at him with saddened filled eyes and a painfully breaking heart. He couldn't live without the blond haired angel…neither could Krad live without Dark; he knew that's why Krad took the fatal hit for him…because he would have done the same. No matter how many times Emiko and Daisuke tried to convince him that it wasn't his fault, he couldn't help but want to kill himself for being so weak that he did nothing to stop this from happening. And now…he Krad lay, cold and empty…the only thing Dark was grateful for was that Krad could feel no pain.
Dark bit his lower lip as he felt the terrible wash of guilt and sorrow building up within him again. He wanted nothing more then to tell Krad how sorry he was even if it meant going through with this suicide mission. No matter what the cost, tonight, he was either going to die trying to get Krad's soul back, or have his own soul endure the same terrible fate that Krad's must be feeling at this exact moment. He chuckled at the thought, the great phantom thief, Dark Mousy, was actually admitting death and defeat before he had even fought the battle? If only Krad could see this now…would he be disappointed, or laughing at his greatest rival for more then three hundred years?
"…Looks like I'll be joining you soon, Krad…" Dark whispered to aloud and a sad smirk crossed his face, "One way…or another."
Damous growled as he frustratingly pulled his blade out of Krad's chest, continuing to strike the fallen angel now was like butchering a punching bag. The screams of pain and agony had stopped long ago yet he knew Krad was still alive; in this dimension you couldn't die…only endure eternal suffering.
"Mistress…this is no longer working…he is the most stubborn fool I've ever seen!" Damous yelled aloud, though secretly admiring Krad's perseverance, for even now in this state his mistress could not completely absorb him.
The red light behind the angel harshly radiated and slowly faded back into its original glow.
Damous bowed bitterly and looked back at Krad as he raised the sword again. He looked to be unconscious, but he knew that being unconscious in this world was as possible as death. Krad could hear, feel, and sense everything that transpired around him…though his energy was so dangerously low.
Krad had grown to exhausted to acknowledge the excruciatingly painful assault from the blade, and he was now growing to tired to fight off the entity in his mind slowly draining his memories and his will to fight. He was vaguely aware of how he came to be in this pitiful state…sometimes he wasn't sure if he had really died and this was hell or not. Earlier he had even asked himself why he was resisting and enduring this nightmare a moment longer? But something inside of him was adamantly refusing to give in…something was telling him that he did have something to live for, but who the hell was worth all of this pain? Black wings? Dark hair? Wine colored eyes? For some reason this faded image in his mind gave him a reason to resist the overwhelmingly powerful temptation to allow himself to be swallowed whole by the cold and desolate darkness. But who was this? Who was this person that he could barely make out in his mind? He felt as though this person had once meant a lot to him…that this person was some how close to his heart…did he even have a heart?
'All of this can end now…the pain gone…the suffering gone…the agony gone…'
But…I want to know who this person is…
'Death can free you from this torment…release yourself from the chains of mortality and I will grant you peace…'
Is this my fate? Was I meant to die like this?
'Submit to my loving embrace…and I will allow you to have your eternal sleep…'
Sleep…I'm so tired…Peace? …Can heaven be granted in hell?
'Break your will…and I will break the chains that hold you to this place…submit to me, and Heaven will be yours…'
Heaven…Hmph…heaven is for angels…not demons…and therefore… A DEMON CAN NEVER GRANT ME HEAVEN!
'Refuse my will and suffer for eternity…'
However much Krad wanted to fold under the blissful words of the voice softly resonating in his head, he clung to that one image in his mind determined to live through this hellish nightmare and find out who this person was. But how much longer could he hold out? How long had he been here? A few hours, a couple days, a year, a century, an eternity? He couldn't remember, not that it mattered…perhaps he had done something so terrible in life that the gods had sent him to this ever lasting hell to atone for his sins. Then he would show them…he would survive this torment out of defiance! This was going to be his last stand, he was going to use every ounce of power he had left to kill this voice in his head, and if he failed…then the darkness take him.
Notes from the Author:
SORRY SORRY SORRY! Cries I know, I'm like super late on updating this, but I've been really busy getting ready for college, and a job, and scholarship crap, and books, and errands, and …Oi…I'm bushed…faints So forgive spelling and grammar errors…I had like half of this chapter finished for about 4 days and I was rushing to finish the rest so I could put it up. Bows Forgive me!
I hope you all enjoy this chapter, because the next one will be a wild ride! Will Dark finally steal the 'Final Resting Place' or with the blade of vengeance steal his soul? And with Krad so close to breaking, will Dark even make it in time?
Till chapter 8! Bis Spatter! waves