Disclaimer: I do not own High School DxD, Madoka Magica and the Spawn franchises nor do I profit from the writing of this story.
Author's Note: First off many apologies for taking my time in updating this story. Considering that I have other projects that I need to work on this story had remained on the back burner for quite a while. Unfortunately I'm going to be concentrating on one other particular project for a while before coming back to this story so it might be a while before I update again. Never fear I will never abandon this story. I'll make the next update as juicy as possible. Enjoy the next chapter.
Yuuma awoke to the sound of cruel laughter.
Through her blurry vision she made out the distinct shapes of men surrounding her. They all looked to be Chinese and were all muttering in their native language. Gathering her bearings she saw that she was in a dark room with a only a single, dull light that was conveniently placed over her.
On either side of her she saw the still unconscious forms of her human friends, Matsuri and Ryou. They seemed to be tied down to a chair by thick ropes.
It was then that Yuuma realized that she too was bound.
"You finally came to. Wonderful."
The Fallen Angel looked over to find the face of a cruel looking man whom she assumed was the leader of the men around her. She did not respond and instead stared defiantly at him.
"My name is Chang and I am a top ranking member of the Dragon Syndicate. Perhaps you have heard of us? I'm sure that there is news of our organization all over your country as your feeble little yakuza are giving way to our power. That being said you should know that we are not to be trifled with."
Yuuma could not help but roll her eyes.
"Your point?"
The man's face instantly screwed up in anger as he rose his hand and promptly back handed Yuuma harshly.
In her human form the blow stung smartly but not enough to where she was going to cry out. Instead Yuuma continued to stare defiantly at the large man before her.
"Hitting an unarmed woman. Jeez what a big man you are. Is your precious syndicate in the habit of recruiting cowards who need the comfort of twenty men to interrogate three women? How sad."
"How dare you! If you weren't so damn important then I would have cut your tongue out by now!" roared Chang.
"I'm so scared. Now come tell me what it is that a gang of Chinese men would want with a helpless Japanese woman like myself? Not thinking any naughty thoughts are you? I hope not." said Yuuma sarcastically.
It looked like Chang was really going to lose it but then remembered how their leader hated unnecessary distractions and instead controlled his temper as he soon started to speak.
"You see our leader believes that you have been spying on us. There is a very important operation that we have going on right now and you happened to be there watching us."
Yuuma wasn't sure what this weird Chinese man was talking about until she remembered that debacle over at the dock a couple of nights back. It was now coming back to her.
"How can you prove that I was there?" asked Yuuma sternly.
It was then that Chang produced a picture out of his pocket. It showed Yuuma, in her Fallen Angel form, in the sky. Yuuma's eyes widened a bit which was all that Chang needed as confirmation.
"You see. You're that spy from that bastard Yukojiro. You deliberately led us into that ambush that cost us many lives and now we are stuck in the middle of a meaningless war because of you. So what we want to find out is how much does that yakuza bastard know? You better tell us everything and don't lie otherwise I may forget my orders and do something...unsavory towards you." threatened Chang.
It was at this point that both Matsuri and Ryou began to come to. At once Matsuri made to scream but was instantly silenced by a gag that was placed on her mouth. Ryou looked frightened as well but did her best to remain composed.
Chang looked amused to see the two other women wake up as he soon addressed them.
"You see you guys are here because your friend over here wanted to play detective and got herself caught up in a mess too big for her to handle. I guarantee that none of you will leave here alive but if you all cooperate we'll make sure that your deaths are quick and mostly painless."
Matsuri started to cry at this point. Ryou also looked like she wanted to cry as her composure was slipping and her body started to tremble. Still she did not scream out.
Despite the fact that she considered her two human 'friends' as nuisances she still felt bad for them. They were blameless in all this and it was because of her carelessness that they were in this situation.
She knew that she was in a precarious position.
Yuuma did not want to transform because that would mean that both Matsuri and Ryou would know her secret. It would also attract the attention of any nearby supernatural beings that might be looking for her.
As she was wanted by both Noble and Native demons as well as the Angels she knew that transforming would be a huge risk.
If she did not transform then she could very well die. Her human form was frail and prone to damage. It was, in every way, designed to replicate that of a real human body down to its frailty. It was a great way to hide herself from enemies but also left her defenseless if a conflict did occur.
"So what is it going to be miss spy? Are you going to fess up and tell us everything that you know or are we going to have to start hurting your friends first to get you to talk?"
It was times like this that Yuuma wondered why humanity was even allowed to be protected. Those sanctimonious bastards in Heaven kept preaching on about saving human souls and such and yet here they were in the midst of this hell pit with humans that could very well pass for demons.
Humans were inherently cruel to not only themselves but every other life form around them. Yet the Creator still saw it fit to save such a flawed creation?
At times Yuuma wondered if the Eternal Father pitied humanity, like a bystander who pities a mentally disabled child. She wasn't sure but what she did know was that their position had now turned dangerous and that she needed to make a choice soon.
Damned if I do damned if I don't.
If I transform then I might as well shine a spot light on myself and announce to every Angel, Fallen Angel and Demon in the area that I'm here.
Then again if I don't transform then I'll die to a horde of humans and chances are in a very cruel and inhumane way. And that's not even counting any other disgusting possibilities. I can tell that half of the men in here have already undressed Matsuri, Ryou and I with their eyes. How disgusting.
I think I'll take my chances. I'm sure that my two friends will keep quiet once I save their worthless lives.
With her mind made up Yuuma started to laugh to herself. The Chinese boss didn't take to this very well as he soon spoke angrily.
"What are you laughing for? Are you seriously beginning to go crazy in fear you dumb bitch?"
"Fear you say? As in I fearing you lot? Hardly. I'm just laughing because you're all dead and you don't even know it."
"What was that you bitch?"
Yuuma no longer answered as her body started to glow a menacing magenta color. A few of the men that were there seemed to take a step back in hesitation but Chang foolishly stood his ground.
It was then that the ropes around Yuuma suddenly disintegrated from her power as a pair of black wings sprouted from her back. Her body grew taller by a few inches and her muscles had grown considerably. She was scantily clad but armed with a deadly looking Holy Lance which was aimed at the Chinese boss.
Chang was flabbergasted by this turn of events that he could hardly even speak. Raynare smiled at him before swinging her lance clear across his body.
The Chinese boss had a look of utter disbelief as his body slid apart with the torso falling to the ground while the lower half still stood. It was then that Matsuri screamed that the Chinese men all around Raynare pulled their guns out ready to shoot.
Knowing that she had a split second before they would fire Raynare quickly made her way toward a petrified Ryou and panicking Matsuri and held them close to her body as she covered them with her immense wings.
It was then that the reports of gun fire started to echo all throughout the room. Splinters of wood and dust flew into the air. After having shot at Rayanare's location for a good ten seconds they soon ceased. There was no way that she could be alive with all that gunfire.
However when the dust cleared it showed Raynare still hunched over her wings protecting both Matsuri and Ryou from the gunshots. All around Raynare were the bullets which failed to penetrate her supernatural body.
Without a second thought Raynare went on the offensive as she moved faster than the eye could see and started to cut the men down. In panic they started to shoot again. This caused more harm than good as many of the men killed each other in friendly fire. It did not take more than thirty seconds for Raynare to dispatch all twenty men at once.
All around the room were the bodies of dead men, some dead by Raynare's Holy Lance, most dead by their own comrades. Both Ryou and Matsuri looked over at Raynare in fear as she approached them.
"Y-Yuuma is that really you?" asked Ryou as she trembled.
"Yuuma is the name I gave to myself when I started to hide as a human in this country. I did not want to show you this side of me. Now that you have seen me in this form your lives are now in considerable danger."
Matsuri was still crying however Ryou found enough strength to put aside her fears as she continued to question Raynare.
"If you don't mind me asking what are you hiding from?"
Raynare's expression fell as she answered this question.
"I'm wanted by many factions. Some benevolent. Most cruel and evil. I cannot afford to expose myself like this lest they catch me."
"But you killed over twenty men in less than a minute! You were even immune to bullets. I have a hard time seeing anybody being able to hurt you."
"Believe me there are beings out there that far outstrip me in power."
It was difficult for Ryou to believe that supernatural beings could possibly exist. Her parents were very down to earth people and she was by extension. Even now she had a hard time believing that the angel like being before her was even real.
"So this whole Yuuma thing was just an act? Then again I guess it makes sense since you never wanted to hang out with us. And to think it was because we thought you had an overbearing boyfriend. Makes us sound kind of silly." said Ryou sadly.
"I'm sorry but I can no longer stay with you. If you continue to associate yourselves with me you'll only bring danger to yourself."
It was then that Matsuri recovered. She looked over at Raynare's sad expression and her heart went out to her.
"I guess we should thank you then for saving our lives. But let me ask you something Yuuma. Did you really enjoy our company or were we just...annoying you?" asked Matsuri seriously.
Raynare smiled glumly as she heard the question.
"I could hardly tolerate you Matsuri. You have to thank Ryou for saving your life on countless occasions. Had it not been for her you would probably be dead right now. But now that I look back I can safely say that I did enjoy being a human short thought it was. To be fair the only other time that I was this content was when-"
Thoughts of her time with Issei and their dates together suddenly came to Raynare's mind. At once she remembered how she slew him in cold blood for possessing a Sacred Gear. The boy had genuinely loved her. He had wanted to spend his future with her. He treasured her...loved her.
No one had ever loved her like that before.
The guilt started to eat her up as she gripped her Holy Lance tightly as tears started to stream down her face.
"Y-Yuuma...what's wrong?" asked Matsuri kindly.
"Sorry. Just thinking about something I truly regret now. If only I could take it all back..."
With that Raynare started to transform back into a human. Her Holy Lance dissipated into thin air while her body shrunk down back to where she was as Yuuma Amano.
She was naked as she started to sob quietly to herself.
"Issei...I'm so sorry..."
At once Ryou and Matsuri went to her as they held her close to them.
"Look we can't pretend to know what's going on with you Yuuma but realize this. We're your friends and we're here for you. So don't be afraid to talk to us. We may not understand at first but we care enough to try." said Ryou.
Yuuma knew that it was foolish to form attachments to humans. Even if they turned out to be kind they lived such short life spans. A human life time was short compared to Raynare's long life time.
However in the depths of her loneliness and guilt she reached out to them. It was not like anyone else cared for at the moment. If these humans wanted to be her friends then who was to stop them. She would take comfort in their company and appreciate their concern even if they didn't understand what they were getting into.
"You guys are going to get yourselves killed. I can't protect you from all threats if they decide to come for me." said Yuuma quietly.
"We don't care about that. Just let it all out. There is no need to be strong right now. You already did your part. Let us do ours." said Matsuri softly.
It was at that moment that Raynare realized that she didn't need to continue going on alone. She had already killed one human that got too close to her. Yuuma refused to make that same mistake again.
I hope you can forgive me Issei.
If I could take it all back then I would.
Issei...I hope there comes a day that we can see each other again.
When we do I'll be sure to love you as you deserve.
Issei...
With that Yuuma finally succumbed as she let the dam loose as she started to weep in earnest. Her two friends joined her as they held her close crying with her as they did.
"By order of the Church we hereby come to claim your life Hell-Spawn!"
These were the words that Spawn heard as he attempted to force his body from prone position. The two feminine figures stood before him; deadly and beautiful with nothing but utter hatred in their eyes towards him.
Seeing that their quarry was in no hurry to move Xenovia slammed the holy sword, Durandal, on the ground causing the earth to vibrate from the shock. She reached behind her head and removed what looked like a clothed sword. The sheets exploded instantly to reveal a fearsome looking blade.
"You see this Hell-Spawn? This is one of the fragments of the legendary sword, Excalibur. Its sole purpose is destruction and nothing more. Behold and see your death for the likes of you will never be worthy of Durandal."
With that Xenovia exploded in a burst of speed that was so fast that Spawn hardly had time to jump out of the way. Xenovia struck the dumpster where Spawn had just been at with the force of a meteor. The ground exploded as a great pit was rent from the impact. Debris erupted into air as Spawn was surrounded by dust.
Unfortunately for him he wasn't given anytime to rest as the twin tailed girl, Irina, lunged at him from nowhere using her samurai shaped sword to cut him in half. Spawn stepped as fast as he could to avoid the blow but felt the blade still scathe his arm. This small cut alone caused him tremendous pain as his neon green colored blood spurted from the small wound. The urge to simply kneel down and roll over in pain was overwhelming.
"What's wrong demon? Is my Excalibur Mimic too much to handle for you? You should know that any demon that touches the shards of Excalibur will suffer excruciating pain. Fitting for someone who would turn his back on our Holy Father and sell his soul to a demon."
Spawn knew that he was in trouble.
These girls were masterful swordsmen and were well versed in the art of combat. Meanwhile he was only beginning to get a grasp on his powers. This fight would have been lopsided had he just fought against one of them but against two he knew that his chances of making it out alive was slim.
Gritting himself for battle Spawn glowed a menacing green as chains erupted from the ground. They were molten red and Spawn was burned when he touched them. However Spawn bore the pain silently and gripped the chain before him. It wreathed and struggled under his grip for a moment before finally cooling down and becoming solid once more.
Once armed with his weapon Spawn then dashed forward as he made his way toward Irina first. She seemed to be the weaker of the two girls. He would finish her off quickly before turning his attention to Xenovia.
Irina expected this and rose her sword to meet him in combat. Spawn launched his chains toward her in an effort to disarm and immobilize her. The twin tailed girl parried one of the chains fiercely while grabbing at the other with her hand. This was a mistake as Spawn glowed green and caused the chain to turn red with blistering heat. Irina screamed in pain as she let go of the chain but her momentary distraction was all that Spawn needed as he closed the gap quickly.
Unfortunately Spawn was unable to capitalize as Xenovia came from behind him with her sword, Excalibur Destruction, raised high in order to smite him. In an instant Spawn turned as he grabbed the sword by the sides with his hands and narrowly prevented his skull from being caved in by the dull, blunt blade.
It was then that Spawn felt like his hands were going to disintegrate as he felt indescribable pain from holding the sword in place. He roared out and Xenovia smiled as she pushed down on Spawn forcing him back.
"Foolish! Did you not heed the words of my comrade or were you simply being arrogant? Merely touching our swords will bring you immense pain."
With that Xenovia pushed down even further causing Spawn to stagger. He could hardly hold on to the blade any longer. It was like he was holding a white hot iron on either of his hands however Spawn knew that he could not let go. To do so would mean instant death.
It was then that he felt another presence behind him and saw that the other girl already had her sword raised to administer the killing blow. In an instant Spawn sent his chains out managed to bind Irina's sword while he managed to use his strength to deflect Excalibur Destruction to the side. Ignoring the burning in his hands he rushed forward toward Xenovia and tackled her harshly. She was sent flying back as she slid on the ground from the impact.
Turning his attention to Irina he used the remainder of his chains and sent them out at her. Irina narrowed her eyes as she then used her ability to transform Excalibur Mimic to a harmless looking arm band causing the chains around it to fall limply. Spawn was not expecting this and was left open as Irina easily avoided the chain barrage sent at her and closed the distance between the two of them as she elbowed Spawn on the stomach harshly before being striking him on the head with a strong kick that sent Spawn crashing against a brick wall. Irina then took the arm band and transformed it back into the samurai like blade that she had before.
Nearby Xenovia managed to recover from Spawn's counter attack and raised herself to her feet. There were a few minor cuts and bruises but for the most part she was fine. She then went over and took her place next to Irina as they stared down Spawn harshly.
"Not bad Hell-Spawn. Most other lowly demons, native or otherwise, would have fallen already. However God has already cast His judgement on you. Prepare to be sent back to that fiery pit where you belong." said Irina harshly.
Spawn could only laugh cruelly when he heard this.
"How presumptuous of you little girl to know what God has already decided. Did He take the time to tell you while we were fighting?"
"You would mock our Eternal Father damned as you are? Very well I see that your current punishment isn't enough. I will enjoy punishing you in Our Lord's name."
"And here I thought that your God was kind and forgiving." replied Spawn sarcastically.
"I would hold my tongue if I were you Hell-Spawn. Every mocking word from your mouth will only bring you more torment by our hands." threatened Xenovia.
"You would bring me torment? Foolishness. Your God has already brought me insufferable torment."
"Rightfully so!" spat Irina.
Spawn could only shake his head.
"Even now you condemn me. It's plain that you are slaves to your own faith unable to discern what is truly going on in the world around you. You would issue death and judgement in the name of a Deity without ever asking as to why such judgment was warranted to begin with. How sad."
Irina narrowed her eyes in anger before retorting.
"We don't need your pity Hell-Spawn! We walk the path of the righteous, for what is good and just! You are an abomination. You threw away the blessing that God has given you and sold your soul to a demon. You brought this fate upon yourself. Now prepare to die!"
With that both Irina and Xenovia closed their eyes as they took a deep breath. The air around them became still as both their bodies glowed a soft white. In an instant they snapped their eyes open and disappeared from sight.
Spawn could barely defend himself as he used his chains to block Xenovia's sword while narrowly avoiding a piercing stab from Irina. Spawn was given no time for respite as Xenovia parried the chains away. She came rushing at him as she swung her might Excalibur of Destruction causing the air to whistle from the swings.
Xenovia was pressing him too fast and hard for him to come up with an effective counter and all he could do was dodge. This was made worse as Irina came from behind. Seeing this Spawn jumped out of the way and rolled on the ground before standing back up quickly.
Spawn was then pressed again this time by both Irina and Xenovia. Each seemed to coordinate with one another moving as one body. Xenovia would swing overhead to cause Spawn to duck only for Irina to come from below to meet him with an upward slash designed to behead him. They would alternate their attack patterns, one of them pressing while the other rested momentarily.
It was a battle of attrition one which Spawn was quickly beginning to lose.
Jumping back as far as he could Spawn used his chains to life up a nearby dumpster and proceeded to throw it at the two girls. Irina easily dodged out of the way while Xenovia held her ground before yelling out harshly and slamming her sword against the dumpster. Despite the force and weight of the object Excalibur Destruction had no problem in tearing it clean in half. Trash and filth exploded in the air as Xenovia felt it stain her uniform.
"Disgusting." spat Xenovia as she dashed toward Spawn with renewed vigor.
Spawn sent out his chains once more but Xenovia parried them harshly causing Spawn to go off balance. Seeing this opening Xenovia came at him with a spurt of inhuman speed and slammed the metal guard of her sword on Spawn's stomach.
Green blood exploded from Spawn's mask as he felt like his diaphragm exploded. His body seized up as he fell to the ground. Despite the pain Spawn tried to heave himself up but his body simply wouldn't listen. It was over.
Xenovia stared down at him condescendingly as she was joined by an equally contemptuous Irina. They stared at him coldly as Irina then came besides Spawn's prone form and held her sword by his neck.
"This is the end for you Hell-Spawn. May you burn for eternity for your blasphemous ways against God."
Spawn could only look up helplessly as he saw Irina raise her sword as she prepared to administer the killing blow.
Is this it?
Am I to be defeated here and then sent back to Hell to suffer for all of eternity?
Will I never be able to see my beloved again?
Yuuma...
All I ask is to just see you one last time. That's all I want.
It was then that something throbbed on Spawn's arm. A voice was speaking to him from inside his head as the world around him seemed to suddenly go in slow motion.
Fool.
To think that you would fight two elite warriors of the Church armed with shards of Excalibur with your paltry powers. Did I not say that I would assist you in your time of need?
And how was I to know when to summon you?
Your biggest problem is your inability to ask for help when you need it most. It is that stubbornness that will get you killed. You are formidable Hell-Spawn but your powers are finite. There are foes out there that will require more power than what you currently have. You have not yet mastered your demonic powers. This will come in time.
Realize that you also possess a power outside of those of your demonic ones. You are in possession of a Sacred Gear. More specifically your Sacred Gear is that of the Balance Breaker whose power was so great that even God was wary of it. You are not ready for such power but I can afford to give you enough power to defeat your foes at this time.
You would give this power to me freely?
Of course not. Only a fool would believe that such power would come at no cost. You must offer something to me so that I deem you worthy of my powers.
What do I possibly possess that you would wish for me to offer you?
How do I know that? Only you can determine what you are willing to sacrifice for my powers. Now decide.
Why do you insist in answering me in riddles? Just tell me in plain words what it is that you want and I will give it.
No one has ever asked me this before. Tell me Hell-Spawn do you even comprehend what it is that I would ask of you if you were to leave such a choice to me?
What does it matter? I can't think of anything that you would want.
Would you go so far as to offer the love of your life as a sacrifice to me? Would you, in the time to come, offer the blood of Yuuma Amano as a tribute to my power?
I would kill you before you lay your hands on her.
I see. So there are limits to what you would be willing to sacrifice for my power. Very well. At the least I have ascertained how far you would go. Thankfully I do not need or want the blood of a Fallen Angel as tribute beautiful though she may be.
Then get to the point.
At a later time I will tell you what I truly want if you wish for me to offer you the entirety of my powers. For now your right arm will do. That should be enough power to defeat your foes. Now off with you and don't die otherwise I'll make it a point to go to Hell and make sure you're toasted thoroughly.
With that Spawn felt the world suddenly speed back up to normal. There was renewed strength in his body as he was able to suddenly roll out of the way of Irina's death blow. Spawn felt his arm throbbing as he looked down to see what looked like a golden gauntlet with red claws.
What the hell?
It was then that the gauntlet suddenly roared out.
"Boost!"
Spawn felt a surge of power flood through his body. For a moment he was in disbelief as to what he was feeling.
This power...
No need to be awed. This is but a small fraction of my abilities. However it should augment your demonic powers to where you should be able to dispatch your adversaries. Go now! Your boosted power will only last ten more seconds. Take them out quickly!
Looking over at the two girls Spawn narrowed his eyes. They looked at him with some disbelief but otherwise kept their frigid expressions.
Without wasting anymore time Spawn soon dashed toward them with such speed that they were not prepared for it. Using his chains Spawn wrapped them around Xenovia before she could retaliate. They coiled around her and squeezed tightly preventing her from moving any further. Excalibur Destruction fell to the ground as it clanged loudly.
Meanwhile Spawn then turned his attention to the still stunned Irina as he grasped her throat harshly and slammed her against a nearby brick wall causing her to drop Excalibur Mimic. He lifted her lithe body as he started to squeeze her throat. Irina started to claw feebly at his chained wrist but to no avail.
"Pray to your God. You have been His faithful servant all your life haven't you? Surely He must know of your devotion and save you from certain death."
Irina could not answer as she still struggled fiercely against Spawn's grip. In the throes of death Irina felt her bladder suddenly empty as a stream of urine started to drip from her leg to the ground. Tears were beginning to form on her eyes as she realized that she was actually going to die.
With all her remaining strength Irina managed to speak one word.
"P-Please..."
It was then that Spawn felt his head suddenly assaulted with memories of a different life. A life that he had as Issei Hyoudou. A childhood that only now he realized existed and in all these memories was a tomboyish girl that was always at his side.
I-I-Irina!
With a mighty roar Spawn tossed Irina onto the ground harshly as she grasped her throat and coughed repeatedly.
Why! Why is it now that these memories come to me? Damn it!
Meanwhile Irina looked up to find Spawn holding his head while he cursed loudly. She wasn't sure why Spawn had decided to let her go and forgo his sure victory. Irina was frightened of him but also curious and could not help but venture forth a question.
"Y-You spared me. Why?"
Spawn turned around and at the sight of Irina's face the memories came back in full force. He stared at his hands as they quivered then turned his attention back to Irina. He narrowed his eyes at her as he replied.
"If I were you I wouldn't be asking stupid questions. Just consider yourself lucky. Not get the hell out of here before I change my mind."
With that Spawn released Xenovia from the chains binding her. At once she leapt to her feet as she grabbed at Excalibur Destruction and charged at Spawn.
Irina would not have it as she stood in Xenovia's way.
"What are you doing? We must make him pay otherwise-"
"That's enough Xenovia! We're done here for today. I would rather I got out here alive than die in this dank alleyway. Now stand down!"
Xenovia looked like she might ignore Irina but soon yielded as she lifted her sword and placed it on her back. She then held her hand out and Durandal, which was still embedded on the ground nearby, was summoned to her. Once Durandal was in her hands there was a soft glow around the sword before it disappeared from sight.
"We cannot let him live. We were ordered to bring about his death. If we fail in this mission then-"
"We'll worry about that later. Now please can we leave?"
It was then that Spawn decided to interject.
"You should listen to your friend. I could have killed her at anytime and you as well. If you truly want to throw your life away then it's no concern of mine. My kindness only goes so far."
Xenovia narrowed her eyes as she spat her retort.
"As if a Hell-Spawn like yourself would know the meaning of kindness."
"I knew enough to spare your friend."
Xenovia wisely chose to stay silent. Instead she proceeded to take Irina by the arm and held her close.
"This is not over Hell-Spawn. We will yield for now but mark my words. You will regret letting us live today."
Spawn did not answer as he turned his back to them and soon started to descend deeper into the alleyways his red cape billowing in the gloom of night. His figure soon was absorbed by the darkness and soon he was gone. It was like he was never even there.
Xenovia kept her body rigid and ready for battle until it was clear that Spawn was truly gone. It was then that she turned her attention to Irina who was still trembling.
"Hey are you alright?"
"I-I nearly died...so powerless...I couldn't do anything and...and-"
The last of Irina's strength vanished as she started to break down and cry in earnest as the reality of her near death experience hit her full force. Xenovia held her tightly as she did her best to comfort her friend. They had been together in many battles but not once had they ever been so close to death.
Even in battles where they were hard pressed there was always something that they could do, some sort of way or strategy that still gave them a chance.
Here it seemed that their adversary, Hell-Spawn, had suddenly decided to stop toying with them as he released the power of his Sacred Gear and with that power completely immobilized them. As much as Xenovia hated to admit it she would never have been able to free herself from those chains. Had Spawn really killed Irina then she would not have been in any better position to defend herself.
The fact that they were still alive was baffling. Weren't all native demons and their pets supposed to be cruel monsters that wanted nothing more than to cause everyone else pain and suffering?
Irina too was having conflicting thoughts as she continued to sob on Xenovia's shoulder.
Hell-Spawn.
For just a moment I saw guilt in those demonic eyes of yours.
A true demon would never have felt guilt about taking my life. No. They would relish in it, take the time to make my suffering all the more painful. And yet here you were looking almost ashamed for nearly taking my life.
And then you said my name.
It was only a whisper but I could hear it. But how? I never told you my name.
I wonder...just what are you Hell-Spawn?
Author's Note: Well here is one chapter updated. I should update another chapter tomorrow. As I said I won't be updating this story for a while so I want to squeeze in one more chapter tomorrow before I concentrate on some other projects. Anyway let me know what you all think so far. Did the fight between Spawn and the girls come out alright? I hope so. Anyway hope you enjoyed the chapter.