Chapter 22: The Demon Dragon VS The Human Investigator!
Things couldn't get any worse than what they were now. Zack was wounded, Kokichi was still kicking and ready to fight, and to make matters worse, the abandoned building they crashed in was going up in flames, all thanks to the explosion that the helicopter left. Needless to say, the entire situation was getting out of hand real quick. However, it seemed as though Kokichi was just as injured as he was, so it was probably safe to assume that he wouldn't last much longer either. Zack growled in annoyance. He did not need this shit today.
"Geez, what are you, fuckin' Jason Voorhees? I find it hard to believe that you could survive that crash."
Kokichi merely smirked, his hand brushing the blood from over his left eye, "I think you know why we both survived. It's merely the demon blood that defiles our human bodies. Hehe, isn't it helpful?"
"Now that, we can agree on."
Kokichi chuckled lowly, as he gripped his coat and undershirt tightly, before ripping it off of his person. On his back was the tattoo of an evil-looking dragon, one that covered his entire back. A bit of the tattoo spilled to his shoulders, allowing for Zack to get a good idea of how much large it was. His body was coated in brushes, gashes, and knicks, one of which being deep enough for blood to leak down his chest and towards his lower torso.
"You've been a worthy adversary, one that I could possibly call my rival. I'm happy to have been able to meet you."
Zack raised an eyebrow, his left hand holding his wound gently. He didn't understand it. Was money even the clear motive? It was just such a basic reason, one that a Saturday morning villain in some show would have. Was it really that cut and dry, or was it something else?
"I don't get it. You have everything you want here. Money, women, respect, you have all of that. So why is it that you're so dead set on getting back to the living world? It can't be just for cash, right?" Zack questioned, his stare only growing more intense. Kokichi silently chuckled.
"Well, I might as well just tell you, since this is your end. You already said this, but when I obtained these powers, I had ruthlessly murdered my men. I couldn't stop myself, nor could I save them, and to make matters worse, I was dragged into hell, alone and useless once again," his glare grew murderous, "and it was all thanks to him; The demon in white."
Zack raised an eyebrow, as he continued to listen. The demon in white; that wasn't a name he was too familiar with, nor was it a title he had ever heard. That meant he had to be giving said demon a name based on their look. Another question, another piece to this mystery that only meant to challenge him.
"The demon in white? What does he have to do with anything? Is he the one who gave you his blood?"
Kokichi scoffed, "Not only that, but he's the one who gave me that book. He said it was the last of it's kind, told me that it was the only means to help protect me and my men!" he huffed, his anger slowly morphing into sorrow, "I should have never listened to that bastard. Demon's are never to be trusted. They always have some sort of desire at your own expense. Thus is why, I'm taking that book. That demon is somewhere, and I must find and kill him!"
Zack silently watched, his mind slowly recollecting and analyzing his words. He didn't refute that fact that he lost his men, people who were dear to him in some sorta way, but there was one thing that you couldn't do in front of him. You could never lie to him. Zack's face slowly grew a dark glare, his hands clenching tightly.
"I've heard a lot of stories, but that bullshit is the biggest cop out I've ever heard!"
Kokichi's eyes widened, his face holding a mixture of shock and anger, "Excuse me?! How dare you disrespect my men! They all deserve to be-"
"I'm not saying that you didn't lose your men, that much was obvious, judging from the alter in your office," Zack interrupted, "But you blaming some asshole for all the shit you pulled is another thing! What about all the demons you killed, the ones you hurt, for no reason!? They didn't need to die, especially when you had everything here! I understand you wanting to return to the real world. After all, hell is a shit place at times, but why would you need to kill for that book?! You could have just requested to be taken back to the living world, but instead, you toyed, hurt, and potentially murdered people just to get at it!" His teeth clenched, his right eye growing a darker shade of red, "You weren't doing this for them, you were doing this because you could! Just because of some fucked-up power trip! Anyone who'd hurt innocent people, even if they are demon, are just selfish bastards!"
The silence filled the room, the only thing heard being the crackling of flames and breaking of wood. He was speechless, consumed by an unwavering, boiling anger deep within his chest. Never had he been told those things straight to his face; spoken in a way that made him look deep within himself. Was what he said true? Was his motives changed along the way? Did hell change him, or was he always like that? No, that couldn't be! He knew why, he was the only one who knew his own reasons! Yet, here he was, being told this by a lesser being! Hell, he couldn't even consume the demon within him; he could tell by his eye. It was still the same red and silver color, whilst his was a dark ebony. He was weaker than him, like all the rest.
"...It would seem that we really are meant as enemies, hm? A human-demon hybrid of justice and truth, and a demonic yakuza of the chaos. Ying and yang, we both thrive and live..." He stood up straight, his height instantly towering over Zack's, "but that's about to change. Show me your resolve, Trevle-san. We'll see who is truly fit to live!"
With that, he slowly got into a fighting stance, his fists clenched and held up for the brawl. Zack stared, as he picked up the steel rebar. It was pointed with a sharp edge, the perfect weapon for his style. From the very beginning of this, he hated to bloody his hands with weapons, hated the fact he had to kill to survive against demons. To him, the more he lived in hell, the more he saw them as people; normal people who lived their lives in a world where they had no choice but to be ruthless. It was a dog-eat-dog world in hell, more so than the living world, and, in a way, Zack understood that. There was nothing any of them could do but play with the cards given to them. This time, however, he wouldn't have any remorse for him. Though he was feeling bad for the fact that he was changed thanks to this "Demon in white", he still couldn't forgive the many times he tried to hurt Loona and his friends, all because of his excessive greed and desire for more. This was personal, and he was going to make sure he didn't hurt anyone ever again.
"Kokichi Nagasaki, I've been requested by my boss, Blitzo of I.M.P., to kill you. This will be my first hit. So, apologies if my execution isn't exactly quick and painless."
Kokichi merely laughed, his face twisting into the most deranged look you could ever witness, "There it is! That demonic spark that people like us have! You're definitely gonna make this a battle to remember!"
Zack growled, before the two simultaneously launched forward and sprinted towards each other, as if a bell had been rung in their minds. Each of them held a malice towards one another; one for his family, and the other for his desires. Kokichi was the first to strike; his left foot stomped to the ground, as he threw his right fist forward, aiming it at Zack's face. It was rather slow, possibly due to the injuries he had obtained, so it was easy for him to block it. Zack quickly caught the punch with his left hand and, with the other, he quickly dragged the blade of the robar against Kokichi's forearm, before kicking him back and away from him. It would prove fruitless, however, as Kokichi would quickly grab Zack's necktie and pull him closer, catching him off guard. Using the momentum of his movements, he slammed his forehead against Zack's nose, knocking his head back and throwing him off balance. Kokichi smirked, as he pulled him back again, this time opting for a punch to the stomach. It instantly connected, sending harsh waves of pain through Zack's body, as if he was just hit full-force with a baseball bat. This, however, would be the perfect chance. With a quick thrust, Zack slammed the metal bar into Kokichi's shoulder just deep enough to hit the ligament within. He grunted in pain, his grip on Zack's tie slipping.
"There, now's my chance!" Zack thought, as he gripped Kokichi's face tightly, and with all his might, slammed him harshly to the ground, using gravity and his tight grip to pull his weapon out of his opponent's toned body. The flames grew hotter around them, as Kokichi gripped Zack's ankle and threw him off his balance, before getting on top of his body, his legs keeping his arms bound to his sides.
"Not bad! You're quite resilient," He shouted, before slamming his fist straight into Zack's nose, "but I'm just more experienced!"
With the raw power of a truck, he began to repeatedly punch and ram his fists into Zack's face, forcing blood to spray from his mouth and nose. With every attack, his vision grew blurry and his skin bruised. He was tough, really tough, but there was one thing that he lacked. He focused on the now, whilst Zack planned his every move. Before he could feel the next blow attack at his face, Zack reached for the robar and with as much force as he could, slammed it deep into Kokichi's lower back. The tip entered, before exiting his stomach, forcing his punch to lose it's mark. Zack quickly moved his head to the side and pushed him off of his body, before slamming his heels against Kokichi's face, pushing him back even further.
"Geez, your shit at staying quiet. Don't you know that's how you let your opponent know what you're about to do?" He panted out, as he wiped the blood from his chin. Kokichi merely stood to his feet and pulled the robar from his side, chuckling lowly and angrily.
"So you're saying you know my every move? Well then, prove it!"
Kokichi would then start his Sprint towards Zack, his frightening laugh filling the battle ground. Zack stared at him, his heart pounding against his chest. He knew he couldn't fight him head on, it'd be impossible. So, he'd have to subtle for a bit of a different approach.
"Okay, let's think about this! Asshole is a rush down type, meaning that he's always gonna try and run towards me. Not only that, though his punches are strong, his right hand holds more force, meaning his right handed. So, if I take that into account...!"
Kokichi reeled his right fist back, as he closed in on Zack's position. It was just as he said, his right hand was his go to. Zack smirked, as he leaped forward and over him, but not before giving him a swift kick to the back of his head. It wouldn't prove much though, as Kokichi quickly turned on his heel and went to slam his right fist against the back of Zack's head.
"Predictable." Zack mumbled, as he slammed his elbow against his incoming fist, throwing off his movements. Using this to his advantage, he quickly turned to face his opponent and with all the force he had, he quickly socked his right temple, his thumb harshly jamming into the opponents eye. He knocked him off balance and forced him to stumble back, his hand holding his bleeding eye. Zack, however, wouldn't let up the assault. With as much momentum, strength, and speed that he could muster, he harshly and repeatedly crashed his fists against Kokichi's jaw, nose, and even neck. He could feel his punches doing damage, as bruises formed on his person, with the occasional shot of blood from well-placed shots to the nose. He just kept going and going, putting forth all of his anger and hatred for him into every blow, before finally ending it with a heavy uppercut, knocking him into the air and back down to the ground. Zack panted heavily, his body trembling and tingling with adrenaline. Was he down for good? Though it seemed like it, Zack didn't buy it.
"Get up. I know that's not all you got." He spat, as he slowly back up and away from his person. Kokichi, giving a smirk, slowly rose to his feet and wiped his mouth of his blood. Seemed like this wasn't over.
"It appears I underestimated you. You're actually quite strong for such a small human. Good, that just means I have no reason to hold back," his left eye throbbed and glowed, as he chuckled lowly and menacingly, "You see, my friend, I know you didn't consume the demon essence. You instead decided to destroy it, like the fool you are. In doing so, you've locked yourself from the full extent of this power. Let me show you, just what I mean!"
The ground slowly began to shake and the air around them grew cold, even with the flames that burned around them. It was as if his own presence was making he tremble. That's when he saw it. Deep within his demonic eye, something seemed to be moving, as if it were a dark black fog that traveled within his ebony eyeball. It was just like when Zack's before he destroyed the demon essence.
"I don't need to give up what makes me human for power! I can kick your ass with my own abilities!"
"Hmhm, then let's see you prove that, my friend. For now we reach the final round! Don't hold back, or I may just kill you too quickly!"
Before Zack could even move, Kokichi lunged towards him, at break-neck speeds, catching him off guard. Using his quick movements, Zack jumped back, forcing him to slam his fist against the ground.
"Damn, he's fast!"
Before his body could hit the ground, he felt his ankle get gripped and, with extreme force, was thrown through a nearby wall, destroying it. Zack skidded and rolled against the ground, his body screaming in complete pain. As soon as it hit the ground, Kokichi sped towards him and harshly kicked his chest, flinging him forward and against a nearby wall. Zack's body throbbed in agony, as he quickly picked himself up just in time to dodge another one of Kokichi's punches. This one was strong enough to completely destroy the already burning wall! Zack growled, as he quickly backed up.
"This isn't good! He's too fast; I can't study his movements with him moving like this! There's gotta be some way that I can stop him, use his speed against him!"
His eyes widened; he could feel Kokichi's presence behind him. He was moving fast, but he had just enough time to dodge his kick. It just barely missed him, instead passing his body with just enough space for Zack to counterattack. He quickly gripped his leg and, using his elbow, he slammed it down against his knee. He could hear the harsh snapping sound of his knee breaking under his weight. Using Kokichi's momentum, he flung him through the wall, panting heavily. He could barely stand at this point. He may have had gotten in a few lucky hits, but right now, he was getting nowhere. He had to land a fatal blow, and quickly!
Kokichi slowly got to his feet, the attack seemingly not phasing him. He was slowly growing more and more dangerous, deadly even. There was nothing he could do, not with what he had now. He had to think of a plan. He slowly stepped back, doing his best to keep some distance between them. That's when he noticed it. The floor was really weak, so much so that enough force could utterly destroy it. Not only that, but he also caught the sight of a rope. Luckily, it wasn't caught in the fire. His eyes widened with realization, a plan soon forming in his mind. There was only one way to get him, but first, he had to use a very important skill in every RPG; provoke!
He stood as straight as possible, as he did his best to keep his breathing steady, "What's wrong? Is that all you got? I was hoping you'd be a bit harder to fight than that!"
Kokichi lunged towards him at full force, but this time, Zack was starting to get a good grasp on his movements. He dodged to the side towards the rope and grabbed onto it. He had to keep going, keep using his chances to counterattack to set up the trap.
"Come on, give me a challenge here! Don't you wanna give your men a bit more of a show, or should we round them up to see you get your ass beat?!"
Kokichi growled, as he leaped toward his opponent. Zack, catching his movement, quickly kicked off of the wall and up towards the roof, where he quickly looped the rope on one of the rafters tightly. He landed on the ground, his trap in place. All he needed was to get the other end of the rope right where he needed it. There was only one way he could do that, but it definitely would be dangerous.
"Oh yeah, that's right, if you killed them, that means that they'd most likely be here in hell! Why didn't you go meet them? Oh, I get it, you're scared to."
Kokichi, boiling with rage, threw himself to Zack, his anger helping him achieve his quick speeds and his raw power. His words kept cutting him like a knife, as if he were insulting his very being, though technically, he was.
"Shut up! You don't know shit!"
Zack smirked, as he continued his heckling, while ducking underneath Kokichi's attempt to tackle him, "Oh, I know a lot of things. It's kind of my job as an investigator. You're just being a pussy! Too scared to meet them eye-to-eye. To apologize for your mistake. Sounds kinda like somebody's a bit of a shit leader, huh?!"
"Shut the fuck up, you waste of space!" he screamed. His constant leaps and bounds made the ground shake and tremble, as Zack narrowly dodged and escaped his attempts to tackle him. He was almost there, he just needed one more push.
" Aw, did I hit a nerve? Is somebody being a bitch? Well, good, just means that I'm right about everything. Everything is your fault, you're to blame. How about you go back to wallowing in your own shit, bitch!"
"ENOUGH!!"
Before he could move to get away, Kokichi reached for him and tightly gripped his neck. Zack grabbed onto his wrists tightly, his breathing instantly getting cut off from any air. He was livid, his eyes seeing nothing but blood-red rage! Any little thing could set him off now. He slowly raised him off of the ground, keeping him at eye level with him.
"You know, you're more of an irritation than anything else. You don't have a right to say anything about me. After all, you never found or searched for your own parents when you came here," Zack's eyes widened, his throat feeling as if it were being crushed, "That's right, I know all about you; Killing your own father, living alone as a hermit. You're just a pathetic as I am. The only difference is that I made my way. I destroyed, killed, and stole to get where I am. What did you do, huh?! What do you have to show for it?!"
It was getting harder for him to breathe. With how things were going, he'd end up suffocating. Not just from his hand strangling him, but from his words too. Did he really have anything to show for it? Was he just as much of a coward as he was? This entire time, he wasn't even worried about finding his parents, even when this was the best chance to do it. Could he have found them? Did he have anything? With a gasp, Zack glared at him, "Nngh, y-yeah, you may be right that I was avoiding that thought, but you're wrong about one thing..." he slowly smirked, "What I have to show for all of this shit, is my new family, and my smoking hot, big tiddy, goth hellhound girlfriend!"
Before he could shout a rebuttal, Zack slammed his head against his nose. While his grip released his neck, allowing him to grip the rope and loop it around his neck. He tightened it harshly, cutting Kokichi's airflow off. Phase one complete; now for the fun part!
"Alright big guy, let me know if there's an afterlife for demons!"
And with that said, he swept his legs from under him and grabbed his face. Using all the strength he could muster, he slammed his body down against the already weak floorboards, causing them both to fall through the newly made pit. Everything seemed to go so fast; Zack's body was now at the mercy of gravity and whatever was below him. Within seconds, he found himself crashing through multiple wooden floors, until he finally came to a halt, his person crashing against a large desk. Zack groaned loudly in pain, as he laid in the wooden rubble, his body tingling and numb from the constant abuse.
"Goddamn it, that hurt like a bitch..."
He slowly opened an eye. Was he able to do it? It was quiet, and not only that, there was only one crash. To his relief, it did work. There he was, Kokichi Nagasaki, hanging by his neck like a gruesome windchime. In a way, it made Zack sick, knowing that he went out of his way to kill him in such a terrifying way, but at least he was able to kill him quickly. He could even see the shocked look on his face, a clear sign of how much he hadn't foreseen this chain of events.
"I would make a joke about you hanging in there...but I've got nothing..." he grunted, as he did his best to try and get to his feet. His body, though miraculously not broken, was still completely exhausted. Hell, he could barely keep his fading consciousness going any longer than what he could. Right now, he was completely at fate's mercy. The building was still burning down, and if he had to guess, it'd only take about half an hour for it to come crashing down. Again, everything seemed hopeless, but at least it wasn't all in vain. Though he was surely going to die, he was still able to keep everyone safe and protecting them. That's all that mattered to him; that's all he truly wanted.
"Heh, geez, can't believe I'm gonna die right at the end. Isn't..that...something?" His vision grew blurry and his eyes were getting heavy, as the adrenaline and the lack of blood from his wound made him feel more and more exhausted, "Sorry guys... Sorry, Loona..."
This was it, this was all he could do at this point. He was going to lose his life, with no ability to live an afterlife. His eyes soon closed, and his body began to relax, with each breath he took being more and more silent. This was the end of him, he knew it.
"Hmhmhm, now now, we can't have you dying yet. Your deal has yet to be fulfilled."
--
As soon as the tired screeched and skidded to a halt in front of the burning building, Loona jumped from out of the vehicle. She didn't have any time to lose! Zack was still in there, and if he was still fighting Kokichi, he'd need all the help he could get.
"Wait, Loona, wait!" Octavia cried out in an attempt to stop her advances. Her words would fall on deaf ears. There was no stopping her now, especially if Zack was hurt. Her anxiety and fears were all attacking her at once, sending her into an fight or flight response. She, of course, was all about the fight right now. She sped through the entrance and headed towards the stairs, her heart pounding with each bound and step she took. The entire establishment was in flames by now, making it harder for her to breath, due to the suffocating smoke. The rafters and floorboards were all on the verge of falling apart, until it all came crashing down.
She stumbled and wobbled, as the ground creaked and trembled, "Zack?! Where are you?! Come on, speak to me!"
She had to find him quickly, the building wouldn't hold up much longer! After what seemed like hours for her, she made it to her desired floor.
"This is the floor they crashed in! Hang in there Zack!"
With her left shoulder, she rammed against the door, forcing it open. Her eyes would widen in shock, as she looked at the state of the crash. The once functional helicopter was now nothing but a hunk of metal, as the sea of flames coated and burned the inside of it. The sight only imbued fear in her body. Was he actually in there? Was he lower? How could she even tell?
"O-Okay, okay, calm down. Usually, in this situation, Zack would look throughout the area and search for clues. I just gotta be quick about it." She mumbled, as she looked around the burning scene. She could catch the signs of a struggle, judging from the broken walls, as well as the blood stains that littered the floor. She grimaced. What if that was Zack's blood? She shook her head, as she slipped through one of the holes in the wall, entering another room. This room was much more damaged than the former, especially with the large hole in the center of the floor. She instantly caught the sight of more blood, most likely from the two's scuffle.
"Damn it, I don't have a lot of time! Where are you Zack?!"
That's when she noticed it. Hanging from the rafters was a rope, and from how tightly it was being pulled down, it meant that something was tied to the other end. She quickly stepped towards the hole in the ground, bracing herself for what was to be seen. She hoped, no, prayed that it wasn't Zack; that he was still alive and breathing. She peeked down into the hole, her eyes catching the sight of Kokichi's lifeless body dangling below by his neck. She huffed in relief. Though it was a gruesome sight, she was just happy that it wasn't Zack.
"It he's down there, that means that Zack would probably be a couple of floors down!"
She quickly sprinted back down the stairs and into the smoke infested lower floors, her arm covering her nose and mouth. Her eyes burned and watered from the excessive smoke, but she didn't care. The only thing that mattered to her was finding her investigator.
"Zack!? Can you hear me?! Where are you?!" She cried out in between coughs. She crouched down lower to the ground and searched throughout the room. It was the last room that had a hole in the ground, so this had to be where he landed, right? She searched for what felt like hours, feeling more desperate to find anything that meant he was alive. Her eyes would soon see the remains of a destroyed desk. It laid right underneath the last hole in the floor above her. This had to be where he landed! She bolted to the desk's remains, in hope that he was still there.
"Zack, I found-!"
She froze, all the hope in her body seemingly vanishing without a trace. The one she desire to see most was gone, with a pool of blood left. She instantly grew more worried than what she ever felt. Where was he?! Did she just miss him!? Was he somewhere else?! She didn't know; she just didn't know!
"Loonie?! Where are ya?!"
Her eyes widened in shock, her ears invaded by the sound of Blitzo's voice and rapid footsteps. She turned towards him, as he screeched to a halt in front of her.
"Blitzo! We've got a problem! It's Zack, I can't find him anywhere, and he's hurt bad, I know it! We gotta look for him!"
Blitzo frowned, his coat acting as a makeshift filter from the smoke. He felt bad for his daughter, and definitely for the investigator, but as it stood, he had to think about situation. Searching this entire place was gonna be way too dangerous, especially with the building literally on its last legs. Besides, from the looks of things, Zack had already escaped.
"Loonie, I understand you're worried, but we gotta get outta here now! If we don't, we're both gonna die in here!"
Loona's eyes widened, appalled that he would even consider just abandoning Zack like this, "But Dad, what about Zack?! He could be in here!"
"That's unlikely! Look at the blood," they both turned their heads to the pool of blood. To her surprise, it seemed to trail to the other side of the room, before completely stopping out of nowhere, "There's a trail. That means someone carried him outta here! If we wanna find him, we're gonna have to broaden our search!"
Her eyes softened and her heart squeezed with fear. She just didn't know what to do, what to believe. If he was right, that meant he was at least taken out of the building, but if he wasn't, then Zack could possibly die, crushed by the burning rubble. Blitzo, noticing her indecisiveness, gently touched her cheek.
"Just trust me. He's okay, and we'll find him, I promise."
Tears fell from her eyes. She was so scared for his life. She didn't know if she could trust anyone right now, but at this moment, she had to put her trust in her father. Otherwise, who could she trust? Without another word, the two sprinted back towards the stairs and down to the main entrance. If they were gonna find Zack, they had to hurry. After all, there was no telling where he was or what condition he was in.
--
"Nngh...what...?"
Zack was at a loss. He thought for sure that he'd be dead via blood loss, smoke inhalation, or burning; hell, he thought it would be all three at once! Yet, he didn't feel like he was dead. He just felt, odd. He couldn't describe it, but if he had to, it almost felt like he was floating in the air.
"I'm...alive...?" He mumbled in disbelief, as he slowly opened his eyes and sat upright, his head throbbing and his eyes blurred. He slowly rubbed his eyes, hoping to help his vision return to normal. With a few rubs and grunts, his vision began to return, but with it came more questions. His eyes widened and his heart stopped, as he stared at his surroundings in utter disbelief. Zack was in the night sky! Stars sparkled everywhere, and below him were nothing but dark clouds. There wasn't even ground where he was. He was standing on nothing but the air!
"Wh-What the hell... Looks like I'm not in Kansas anymore... Wait, does hell even have a Kansas? I should ask Millie later."
He stood to his feet, though a bit unsteadily, as he gently touched his body. Miraculously, all of his wounds were healed! He still felt a little sore from the battle he was in, but there was no blood or anything leaking from out of him. It was amazing, but concerning as well.
"My wounds are healed... What's happening right now? Someone had to have brought me here..." He inhaled deeply, before shouting into what seemed to be an endless void, "Hey!! Anyone out there?! Helloooooo?!"
No answer, not even an echo. He huffed, as he slipped his hands into his pockets. Was there really anywhere to go at this point? If so, where would he walk? There was literally no place to go; he'd just be walking aimlessly.
"Well that just fuckin' figures. Who's ass do I have to kiss to get some answers?"
"I'll be happy to give you some of those answers," Zack jumped in surprise, as he turned to the voice, "thought I'd rather you not kiss my rump."
He couldn't believe it. Of all the people to be here, it had to be Alastor! His usual grim, though creepy, was a bit of a sight for sore eyes. After all, he'd rather be here with someone he knows, rather than a complete stranger.
"Not a problem, wasn't gonna do that anyway. Are you the one who brought me here?" He asked, his left eyebrow raised. Alastor, with a twirl of his cane, slowly stepped towards him. He seemed extra giddy today.
"That I am! After seeing your tumble, I thought I'd bring you here and help with your wounds. No need to thank me, though, all in a day's work."
Zack blinked in confusion. What was he doing in a burning building, and why would he save him? It couldn't have been just from the goodness of his own heart. No, he had been around Alastor for a bit, and every single thing he did was for a reason. Making Loona attack him, instigating the fight the day they first met, and giving him all that information when Niffty seemed dead. It was like he was guiding him, but to what?
"I'm just gonna assume you've been watching me the entire time, but what I don't know is why you brought me here. Everything you've done has been for one reason or another, so this time shouldn't be different. Not only that, but if you were just trying to save me, you would have just taken me to the hotel, or even the I.M.P. building. But no, you took me here. So, spill it, Al. What's going on, and what have you been planning?"
Alastor merely smirked, before letting out a hardy laugh. He was amused, entertained even. Was that his reason? Just for his amusement?
"Haha, ever so sharp, are you? Hmhm, as expected from the demon-human investigator," he slowly reeled from his laughter, "You're right, Mr. Trevle. There is a reason why I brought you here."
Zack crossed his arms, his left foot tapping against the ground, "And that would be?"
Alastor's smirk would slowly turn into a normal grin. However, even though he was smiling, he could tell that he was serious. There wasn't a hint of playfulness in his eyes.
"I brought you here, so that you can make good on our deal. You remember, don't you?"
Zack's eyes widened. He did indeed remember that. The deal that he and Alastor made not too long ago.
"Yeah, I remember. The one we made on the train. Which, by the way, you never told me what you wanted."
"Merely to make sure you didn't stray from your path! If you had done so, then there's no telling what could happen, my friend."
Zack rubbed his chin. He hated to admit it, but Alastor was right on that merit. Things turned out okay as it was, but there really was no telling what could have happened if he knew the full extent of what he was asking. Still, he definitely just wanted whatever he agreed to that day to be gotten done and over with.
"Okay, maybe you've got a point. Alright, so what is it you need? Want me to find someone? Maybe kill a demon? Make you some jambalaya?" Zack listed, counting them off on his fingers.
"As enticing as the last option is, I'm afraid that's not it. No, my friend, I merely want you to meet someone."
Zack stood in just pure disbelief. Here he was, thinking it that he needed him to do something so big and dangerous, yet all he desired of him was to just meet someone; maybe have a chat with them. Usually, Zack would be a bit irritated, but at this point, he was just completely numb. With a huff, he shrugged his shoulders. What's the worse that could happen at this point?
"Alright, fine. Who's this person you want me to meet?"
Alastor merely smirked, the sound of static enveloping the area. He snapped his fingers, a portal appearing behind him. It was at this moment that he gripped his cane tightly and began to speak into it.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, demons and harlots, presenting the man who's known of your existence since you first exhibited your powers, the one who had just been dying to see you, and the one who you've all been waiting for!"
He paused for suspense, as he stepped from in front of the dark red portal. In a matter of seconds, a new face slowly began to walk out of the demonic entrance, one that Zack had never seen before. It was a male, one who was dressed in a pair of white slacks, a white undershirt, a long white coat, a red and white striped vest, black boots, and a white top hat with an apple ornament on it. His skin was pale all except for his rose cheeks, and his eyes were a bright yellow, his teeth sharp and pearly. His lips were curled into a large grin, as he held his cane tightly in his hand, staring daggers at the human investigator.
Zack's eyes widened in shock. This man was completely dressed in white! Was he the one who tricked Kokichi?! Before he could even speak, Alastor continued his introduction.
"Please welcome, Lucifer Magne, the king of Hell!"
Zack merely stared, too shocked to say anything at all. If what Alastor said was true, then that meant the one who wanted to see him was the actual king of hell! The one who was at the top of the spectrum in terms of power, the ruler who everyone feared at some level! His presence was enough to make Zack feel so small in comparison. Needless to say, he was completely mind-fucked!
"Again, you have GOT to be shitting me..."
To Be Continued...