Disclaimer: Characters used in this work of fiction belong to Takeshi Konomi-sensei.
Warning: Possible grammar/spelling mistakes and missing words/letters. There may be mentions of violence and killing, as well as shonen-ai.
Ita's sharp heels clacked on the surface of the deserted roof of the tall and abandoned building. She slowly, taking her time, walked to her Lord and dropped the unconscious human by his feet.
"It is done, my Lord." She smiled that disgustingly sweet and loving smile, bending her body slightly forward. "What else can I do for you?"
Grausam didn't bother to look at hear. "Nothing. The Keeper, did you kill her?" even as he asked that, Grausam's eyes were on the unconscious human by his feet, so fragile and easy to kill.
"Don't touch him." A quite feral growl reached the ears of the two demons. It seemed to be belonging to a wild beast, rather that someone that is, more or less, similar to humans. "If you touch him I will kill you, Grausam."
The demon Lord looked away from the human, his red eyes slowly, almost lazily, shifted from the limp body to his own son, abomination is what he called him, nailed to the wall of the neighboring building. Ryoma's hands were pierced with silver nails; the blood long ago had colored them black, making him hang helplessly, just being held by those nails that tore his flesh little by little. His blood had colored streaks of black that went down the wall, small puddles were forming under Ryoma's feel already.
Grausam smiled; a bone chilling action that allowed the demons to see the cruel and highly amusing, for him, shards of thought that were forming in the Lord's head. "Ohhh…? And how will you do that? Curse me to death?" a laugh of twisted amusement followed after those words, even Ita looked scared.
Ryoma couldn't answer to that.
He was weak. So very, very weak. His magical power was all gone, his time here was all gone… He allowed for them to capture Fuji and even kill Yumiko, who was supposed to be one of the top Keepers. It was all because he was weak and couldn't protect anyone. First his mother, then Yumiko and now… Now Fuji will be joining those who are a part of his sin.
"My Lord," Ita quietly spoke, her usual mood back and slightly sensual voice now directed only to the man that will decide their fates, "should we start?" there was excitement in her voice that Ryoma didn't like.
Grausam looked thoughtful for a second, as if he couldn't pick between two fun things what he could be doing. He looked down on Fuji again and smirked. "We should… But it won't be any fun, if this thing sleeps through it, now will it?"
"Wait…! Don't you dare! STOP IT!" Ryoma yelled, the desperation in his voice only adding to Grausam's amusement. It was like adding fuel to fire, nothing will be able to stop it now.
There was a pained cry when the demon's foot collided with the human's stomach. Fuji's eyes momentarily were open, the electric blue filed with confusion and fear. Fuji clutched his abdomen, trying to sit up, his eyes shifting from one figure to the other. He yelped again when the sharp nails of Ita's fingers scraped the skin of his scalp and then grabbed a hold of his hair, pulling some strands out as she did so.
"My, my, my… Aren't you a lively fellow?" she cooed, staring right into Fuji's eyes. "Look to your right, now would you? I'm sure you will like what you will find there." She released her hold on his hair, allowing Fuji some space to move.
Grausam only watched.
The human teen froze when his eyes found Ryoma, the one demon he called his partner. The golden-eyed teen was covered in various wounds, the biggest and most dangerous being the long cut wound over his throat. The way he hung like a used and abandoned rag doll, pinned to a tree, so that it won't run away.
"Ry-Ryoma… Oh god…" Fuji didn't know how to react. "Wait… Why, isn't he your son?" he turned to Grausam now, not exactly sure why he had said so, but knowing that it was the truth.
Grausam raised an eyebrow. "Son? That abomination, my son?" he laughed, a sick kind of laugh, like the one he had used earlier, "Are you stupid? There is nothing more humiliating that having that as someone who bears my blood. Disgusting."
There was a sharp blow of wind and crimson colored the concrete roof they were on.
Fuji stared numbly at the ground, the pain still not registered to him. His right hand went to his chest and touched the ripped shirt, now wet and warm, only to see his skin covered with his own blood once he could see it. No one could tell what he was thinking right now, if he actually was. Fuji had an unreadable expression on, his face getting paler and paler as the seconds ticked by.
"Oh my, he doesn't get it that he's been injured. How sad." Ita sighed, twirling a lock of her hair between her fingers. "And here I was hoping to see something more interesting. Lame." She then turned to Ryoma, "Can I play with him, my Lord?"
"Hmm…" Grausam looked just as bored as he sounded. He examined his fingers, dirtied with Fuji's red blood and tch-ed in disgust, "Have fun then, Ita. I still want to play with this thing here." He walked closer to Fuji, who was still looking at his smeared hand, frozen.
Ita smirked, he red lips parting a bit as she giggled. "This will be for my toys." She seemed to be crazy for that one moment. As if, the two that Ryoma had dealt with were her own children.
She stopped walking only when she was close enough, so that her hand reached to the wounded demon teen with no problems and she didn't have to exert herself while doing so. It was like she was a cat, searching for some easy entertainment, and Ryoma was a mouse, stuck in one of the human-made traps.
If I could just get to Fuji. It was a weak though, a wish to be more exact, that went over and over in Ryoma's head. Even if he wasn't in a better situation himself. I have to get out… Shit, it burns.
"What are you thinking about there? Your eyes are jumping from the human to your hands all the time." Ita leaned a tad bit closer, but not close enough to allow Ryoma to touch her. She seemed to have figured out Ryoma's train of thought, "Sorry, that won't be happening. Not while I am playing with you."
There was a swish of air once again and this time black liquid covered the ground by Ita's feet. Her eyes hone with a maniacal glint, as if the very thought of making someone suffer brought her joy; a sick and twisted joy that only came when she was in control.
"Ghnnhh…." Ryoma choked back the cry of pain that forced its way out of his mouth when the long metal Misericorde style dagger pierced through his stomach, right beneath his rib cage.
It wasn't that it hurt, or it wasn't that the wound was serious, in comparison to what he already had. The loss of blood, the fact that Fuji could see just how weak he was, the fact that he couldn't do a thing to protect himself and Fuji; it was all those things together that chained him to that wall.
He felt the Misericorde being pulled out and then once again piercing his flesh. Ita was laughing like mad all the time, her hands moving in swift, well-known movements, like this wasn't the first time she had gone out of control. Again and again and again… A stab there, a cut wound there… His death wasn't far.
"I couldn't do a thing…." A broken whisper was all that managed to get past Ryoma's lips before he closed his eyes and allowed his head to hang down, limply, helplessly.
Lifelessly.
"Ehh… that's the only fun I get? Boring." The demon lady sighed, her dagger serving as a poking stick to make sure that the freak of the demon race is dead, or not too far from it. "My Lord, I think he's dead." Ita spoke, her voice happy and bouncy, like she just did the best thing imaginable for the sake of her race.
"That's good to hear." Grausam didn't seem to be impressed. Instead, he turned to Fuji, "Now, it's time for you."
It burned.
It burned, burned, burned, burned and burned. It burned with such hot and uncontrollable fire that it hurt to even breathe. His chest hurt, his headache was back again, even stronger, there was this uncontrollable ringing in his ears. And…
Emptiness.
Fuji no longer cared for his own injury (he couldn't even feel it anymore). All that he could do was stare at the slumped and lifeless form of the demon that had called himself his mate. He had watched the whole thing. He had watched how Ryoma had refused to cry out in pain, the slightly interested face that the man in front of him had made, the twisted excitement on the woman's face..
"No…" he quietly whispered out, not paying attention to what the two demons were talking about now, "No, no, no, no…! Ryoma.. Ryoma, wake up! Please! Wake up!" he didn't know exactly when it had started, but he was crying and yelling now, refusing to believe that Ryoma is…
"Shut up." The cold voice growled and Fuji was kicked again. This time it wasn't his stomach, but his side.
The human teen slid back, clutching his side and at the same time trying to somehow numb the pain that came from him chest, now so much stronger than before. He could feel the hot liquid on his hand again, but he tried to be strong and keep the pain to himself. Just like Ryoma had.
Fuji looked up at the demon that was now walking closer to him. Those red and emotionless eyes seemed to be observing, studying his every move and breath. The look alone was enough for his body to feel like million chains were keeping him in place, restricting his movement. Denying him freedom to choose his own fate.
"You are a monster." Fuji said, not breaking the sudden eye-contact that he had with the demon Lord. "You are nothing more than a monster." It was hard to keep his voice from shaking.
Grausam stopped. He raised one of his eyebrows, as if something that a mere human, a mortal with no powers, said made him care. "So?" he asked, not really hoping for an answer. It was just to make fun of the human who had such pathetic last words.
The demon Lord stepped on Fuji's hand, the one that Fuji used as a supporter to be able sit up. He waited a few seconds and then allowed his whole weight to come down on that hand, moving his foot as if he was squishing a bug. The cracking noise and the way that Fuji was forced to yell out were enough for the demon to know that the fingers under his foot were broken.
"Stop, stop, stop, STOP!" the way that Fuji was begging even made himself feel sick. Is this was all that he was able to take? "Please, stop it… I can't.. No more…" he started to sob, not being able to control all the emotions raging inside of him.
"Yes, beg. Beg more and maybe I won't make this long. Foolish human." Ridicule was the only thing that laced those words. There was no sign of mercy or even a promise that he will do like he had said.
After the demon Lord stepped off from Fuji's fingers he moved his hand again, this time making another wound on his chest again, this time opposite of the first one, making an 'x' symbol-like shape. Red once again danced before Fuji's eyes.
Ita's pleased laugh sounded so very far in the background in Fuji's head. There was only this strange feeling left, as if he was floating or maybe falling. For a brief moment the simple thought that Ryoma might have felt the same shot in his mind, but then the darkness and the feeling of peace took over.
But if it meant that Ryoma would get all the strength that he had left… Fuji didn't mind dying.
"He's dead too?" Ita walked a bit closer, already bored with the show. "This one was even more boring than that thing over there." She nodded in Ryoma's direction, sighing at the end of the sentence.
"Seems so. And here I was hoping to have some more fun." Grausam shook the blood off of his fingers, looking at it as if it was the most disgusting thing he had ever seen. His face twisted in a mix of disgust and boredom.
He turned around, deciding that it was time to leave since the matter that had been taking longer that expected was over now and the air and lack of magical energy in this world was not enough or good enough to be of any use for him. "You can do whatever you want with them. I don't care." Grausam waved lazily with his hand at Ita.
She smirked, those red eyes dancing with animalistic thrill and want from blood. Her heels clacked against the concrete and the echoes of it rang the bells of yet another bloodbath to happen, even Grausam didn't want to see that; it was too disrespectful for someone like him.
Ita already had her Misericorde raised up in the air, ready to use it, when her shriek filled the air, black raining down on Fuji and the concrete, mixing with red. Grausam quickly turned around, his eyes widening both in surprise and horror (something that happened very rarely) at the sight that greeted him.
The black katana, a weapon that Rinko had given her son, was now piercing Ita's body, right though the heart. The demon woman could only look down on the blade dumbly, her fingers letting go of the Misericorde and blood trickling down her chin. There was no way that even a demon would survive when his/her heart was destroyed.
"How the hell are you still alive, filth?" Grausam didn't seem too sad that ita was no more, a cold boy was all that was left, hanging on the black blade. He sounded even a bit interested.
Ryoma pulled the blade out of Ita, her body falling helplessly on the ground. There were burn holes on his palms, obviously from the silver nails that were still in the wall, he didn't acknowledge his father's voice. Ryoma hadn't even heard it. When he turned around to face the demon Lord it was only to reveal that he was halfway to becoming a Lost.
"Interesting." Grausam mumbled, his own Talibon style sword appearing in front of him. "So this is as far as you are willing to go? Well then, amuse me, son." He smirked, the long coat falling off of his shoulders right before he dashed forward.
He swung his Talibon up, Ryoma blocking the attack and sending a kick to Grausam's stomach. The demon lord evaded that kick and did a spun on one leg, to send a spinning kick to Ryoma's head, which he succeeded in doing. The young demon flew back from the force behind that kick and collided with the wall.
But, seeing as he was slowly becoming more like a Lost, he didn't show any feelings of pain, only got up back on his feet and after a moment of staying still, analyzing the situation, he was the one that ran forward, his katana ready to be used. Grausam couldn't see Ryoma's movements this time; the blade made contact with his shoulder, leaving a long and deep wound behind.
The demon Lord didn't make a sound, only used this chance to slash another wound on the bleeding body, tearing the clothes and flesh even more. Though, when his Talibon came close to Ryoma, the unconscious demon caught it, breaking the blade in bits and pieces. That was what surprised Grausam, thus making him woundable enough for Ryoma to do the same thing he did to Ita – stab Grausam with his katana, right through the heart.
"Seems like you won, shitty demon. I hope you are happy now. But, you can't hear me, can you?" Grausam slumped on the concrete roof, laughing to himself, "Can't believe it, that stupid whore of a woman was right… I'm getting old." with those words he suddenly disappeared, leaving everything he had started behind.
Ryoma was panting hard, hardly keeping control over his body, and dropped his weapon, moving to where Fuji was lifelessly lying on the ground. Once he was close enough, the demon fell on his knees and leaned down to his mate. Once their lips connected a white light covered everything around them, blinding those who were not meant to see.
"What, you back here so soon? What could the great leader of demons want now?" the skeleton-like woman asked in her raspy and unused voice.
Grausam looked down on her, in those eyes that could no longer see. "I came to tell you, trash, that, no matter how disgusting it sounds, you were right." He forced the words out of his mouth.
Rinko blinked, the skin on her face stretching even more that it already was. A smile, that of a mother's, bloomed on her face. "I see. So Ryoma did it. My son did it." First time in years, she sounded so very happy and proud. She was at peace now.
"If he lives that is." Grausam spit some of the blood in his mouth on the floor, "Sadly, stabbing me in the heart doesn't work." He casted another look at the woman that had given birth to the child he regretted having.
Rinko didn't say anything back, like she usually would. She merely smiled, continued to, and slowly closed her eyes, her body loosing the balance it barely had kept. "As long as he has done it, I am happy." She said and fell on the floor, the rattling of chains filling the chamber.
Grausam didn't stop looking down on the woman, his look unreadable and stiff. With a final look of utter repulsion he snapped the fingers and the chains disappeared. He then picked the still breathing human up and turned to leave.
"I can't believe I am doing something like this." He muttered as a final goodbye to the chamber.
Fuji woke up with an ear-splitting scream. His boy was on fire, the unstoppable pain roaming through his every fiber. Only when he got used to the surroundings of his own room, did the teen calm down, his breath uneasy and body covered in sweat.
He shakily sat up, not used to the brightness of the day and franticly looked around. I died, I was dead. But.. No, why? Ryoma.. Ryoma's where..? Even when every move hurt, he still tried to get out of the bed and go somewhere.. Anywhere.
"Sleep. I'm here, so get back to sleeping." A voice, so familiar and calming reached Fuji's ears.
"Ryoma?" he looked to his right. There, on his bed, was sleeping a black cat-like animal, all covered in bandages and looking up with golden eyes at Fuji. "I thought you… What happened?" Fuji couldn't form sentences properly anymore, relief flooded over him. He was alive.
The cat closed his eyes, his head resting back on the pillow and mumbled: "Another day. Now, just sleep." It wasn't an order. He simply said it to calm his mate down.
"Ok. If you say so." Fuji smiled. He got back under the blankets and sighed, maybe after he wakes up again things will start to get better and clearer.
A/N: -disappointed look- you can probably all guess I got fed up somewhere in the middle and then inspired again and then raged again. This was the most… Annoying? No… Difficult? Part of the whole fic. Why? I have no idea.
I just ended up hating my own work in the middle of writing this. Now I like it again.
And this is the last chapter for 'Nightmare'. No more sequels or omakes or stuff like that. Because this is already longer that I thought it will be. And has so many stupid cliffhangers left…
This is it! Thanks to all those lovely readers that reviewed (and they weren't many, I tell you that) and thanks to those that that didn't.
See you in the next creation of mine!