AN: Hey guys, here's the next chapter, which I've posted on the same day as the previous one to try and make up for the wait (I said "try" because I'm aware that my chapters are really freakin' short). Now, believe me when I tell you:
The end is beginning.
Tomoki clenched his fists tightly.
"Just like that..." he said through grit teeth, turning towards Daedalus. "Just like that, it's all over!?" Daedalus was taken aback by the sudden outburst. "It can't be over! Not after everything that's happened so far!" Daedalus shook her head regrettably.
"There isn't anything more we can do for Achos," she said quietly. Tomoki looked away from her and back up at the sky, a sad expression coming over his face.
"He's in Minos' hands, now."
Minos sat on his throne, leaning on his left fist with a seemingly bored expression. Keiro stood silently at his side, staring out at the courtyard outside the palace. The silence was disturbed when a figure flew in through the courtyard and landed on its feet at the entrance of the palace.
"He's finally arrived," Minos stated monotonously. Keiro merely nodded in response, not uttering a word. Walking until he was in front of Minos, Achos then stopped and stood where he was, looking up at him from below the steps leading up to Minos' throne.
"Here I am," Achos declared. "Now what do you want with me?" Minos didn't say anything for a long time, simply staring at Achos through the bangs that covered his eyes. Achos stood tensely, slightly fearing Minos' answer. After a long moment of silence, Minos spoke two words:
"Kill him."
Keiro nodded and responded, "My pleasure, Master."
Lifting up his arm, he thrust it forward and sent one of his appendages hurtling towards Achos. Reacting quickly, he dashed backwards, narrowly avoiding the blade that was now lodged in the floor. His eyes wide in shock, Achos looked back up at Minos.
"What's going on here!?" Achos shouted. "I thought I was supposed to come back here-"
"So that Master could lock you back up?" Keiro finished, shaking his head and retracting the blade he'd used. "No, no. Who ever said anything about locking you back up? You're too much of a threat to everything around you, so Master asked me to have you terminated once you came back to the Synapse."
"I'm too much of a threat to everything around me!?" Achos asked incredulously. "You had this abomination kill four people, Minos!"
"Four people..." Keiro scoffed. "You make it sound like a big number. You know, I could have killed everyone in Sorami City if I wanted. No, watching you and- the ones that were still alive anyway, your friends suffer was much more amusing for us to watch." Achos' expression contorted into a look of pure rage. He felt something snap, and he wasn't able to control himself.
"You... you sons of bitches!" he screamed, activating Nemesis. "YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" Minos was unfazed.
"Finish him," Minos ordered, and Keiro dashed at Achos, who did the same thing. Achos struck at Keiro, who blocked the sword with his appendages. Spreading them out, he pushed Achos back and wasted no time in advancing on him. However, he managed to dodge Keiro's strike and attempted to retaliate, only to have Nemesis blocked again.
He's too skilled for me to be taking him on alone, he thought. I need help. Pulling back from Keiro, Achos turned away and sped out of the palace, flying away from the Synapse and heading back towards Sorami City.
"Follow him. Don't let him gather reinforcements," Minos said, and Keiro turned back and nodded. Then, in a menacing voice, he said:
"I'll be back, Master. With his head on one of my blades."
Everyone sat in the living room of Tomoki's house. Astraea and Nymph, who'd taken serious damage, leaned against a wall in fatigue.
"There has to be something we can do," Tomoki muttered. "Something. Anything."
Nymph, meanwhile, was torn between her personal emotions. She loved Achos, and deeply cared for him. She worried for him in such a way that it made her chest ache. However, at the same time, he'd just practically tried to kill both her and Astraea just so he could leave, and a part of her was angry at him for that. She just didn't know what she wanted to do. She didn't know if she wanted to try and save Achos, or leave him to whatever fate he was going to face.
She didn't know anything anymore.
Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door. Tomoki reluctantly stood up and went to go answer it. Opening it, he was surprised to find an exhausted Achos at his doorstep, who was hunched over and leaning against it.
"Achos, what are you-"
"I need to see the others. Now," Achos demanded, out of breath and breathing heavily. Tomoki rushed back inside, and in a few seconds, he was met with the faces of Tomoki, Ikaros, Nymph, Astraea, and Daedalus. It pained Achos when he noticed the angered looks of both Nymph and Astraea, but he pushed the feeling aside and focused on what was important in that moment.
"Look, I'm sorry. All of you," he said, his breathing becoming steady, "but I need your help now."
"Our help!?" Astraea asked incredulously. "You just tried to kill us!"
"Just let me finish, Astraea," Achos said, trying his best not to get irritated. "Keiro was waiting for me. Minos wanted him to kill me on the Synapse. Keiro's on the Synapse."
"What?" Nymph asked, confused.
"He hasn't been hiding in Sorami City. He's been in the Synapse, waiting. Now, what I'm asking is for you guys to come with me. So we can finish Keiro once and for all."
"Why should we help you?" Astraea asked, folding her arms and scowling at Achos, who sighed and looked down at the ground in shame and frustration.
"Just this one time," Achos said, lifting his head. "This first and last time. Then I'll go away. For good." Nymph looked down at the floor, her face displaying a sad and thoughtful expression.
Can I really do this...? she thought. After some contemplation, she made up her mind, a look of resolve now crossing her face. Yes, I can. I'll fight with Omega for one last time, because... I love him. Nymph looked up and stepped outside.
"I'm with you," she stated. Achos smiled at her and nodded. Ikaros stepped outside and joined Nymph, nodding in agreement. The three of them then looked at Astraea, awaiting her response. After standing firm for a few moments, she closed her eyes and sighed, still looking agitated.
"Fine," she muttered, stepping outside with the other three angeloids.
Achos looked at them all, smiling, and said, "Thank you all for standing with me today."
"Um..." Everyone turned to a small voice coming from inside.
"Can I come, too...?" Chaos asked, standing at the doorway and looking up at the angeloids nervously. Achos shook his head.
"It's too dangerous," he answered. "You're just a little girl."
"But Chaos is a Second Generation Angeloid like Keiro," Nymph said. "Won't she be able to help?" Achos looked down in contemplation. After a while, he raised his head and nodded, although in a seemingly reluctant manner.
"Okay, you can come," Achos said, which caused Chaos to smile and giggle happily as she stepped outside with them all. "But you have to promise to be careful." Still smiling, Chaos nodded.
"Don't worry. I promise," she said to him. Achos smiled back, and he also nodded.
"Okay then. Let's-"
"End this. As cheesy as it sounds..." Everyone looked up in shock at the deep and haunting voice from above them. Keiro was floating in the air a short distance away from them, expanding his array of blades.
"I couldn't have agreed more."
