Author's notes: Finally, this annoying part is over! It took awhile but the three chapters of this mini saga have been finished and now we can head straight towards the end! Did you all take some Tylenol after reading chapter 9? Well, you'd better keep that Tylenol bottle with you because this one will really blow your mind. At the end of this chapter, I will go more in depth with the creation of Setsuna, Kuroyami, and Chiriko and how their story relates to RK. Btw, Cobra your opinion slightly differs from mine. I think that both Aku no Tsubasa and Nostalgic Feelings have their own strengths and weaknesses. You see, Aku no Tsubasa is my first Disgaea fic, not to mention the one story I had in my head for the longest time. Nostalgic Feelings came after reading Illuminet's 'White Flower' fic, though I'm making this fic more original of course. Aku no Tsubasa, I think, has better battles and is more Disgaea-like, which is what I wanted to do. Nostalgic Feelings was more of an original idea spawned from Illuminet's fic that has more romance, more drama, and a more developed story. Since Aku no Tsubasa came first and is heading towards the end already, I'm putting all my attention on it. Don't worry, cuz Nostalgic Feelings will be continued.
Anyway, we left off with Laharl, Etna, and Gordon facing Setsuna, Kuroyami, and Chiriko in a final battle that will completely de-stabilize the Eternal Apocalypse. However, Setsuna and the others still have many hidden secrets ready to be unleashed. Can Laharl return Flonne to this world, and will we finally learn Setsuna's true purpose? Find out by reading onward! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own Setsuna, Kuroyami, Chiriko, and Miyuki but everyone else belongs to Nippon Ichi and it's associates. After all, I don't own Disgaea as well as Rurouni Kenshin, which parts of the Setsuna's story was based off on. Wish I did though…
Episode 10: Laharl's True Power Awakened (Messiah of Light and Darkness part 3)
All it took was one crackle of thunder in the dark skies of the Eternal Apocalypse. That one crackle started the battle that would decide the stronger being as Laharl, the Overlord of the Netherworld, along with his vassal Etna and Slayer Gordon face the Dark Priest Setsuna, allied with Kuroyami, the demon Hitokiri, and Chiriko, the Celestial Angel. Laharl and Setsuna, despite the crackle of thunder, remained still. Their allies on the sidelines strike each other with their weapons with all their might. This battle will not only decide the worth of Laharl's power, but the fate of his Fallen Angel…
On the right side of the field were Chiriko and Gordon. To any onlooker, it would look like a total mismatch, but Chiriko had showed Gordon his power once before with his Chi Gun and Chi Whip. This time, he had a new weapon, the Chi Yo-yo. Gordon once again had to rely on his own strength and the blaster at his side. Defeating the Chi Gun and Chi Whip was difficult, but what made the Chi Yo-yo different from the other two?
"I'm sorry, Gordon-san." Chiriko, the Celestial Angel, said to Gordon. "I'm bound to Setsuna-san's orders, so I cannot let you pass. I mean, I'm not e—"
"Don't worry." Gordon, the Slayer of the Netherworld, said with dignity. "Now that I know what's going on, I know you're not evil. However, I cannot simply stand around and watch like this. I will beat you down with all my might."
"Thank you for understanding, Gordon-san." Chiriko held his yo-yo tightly in his hands, pointing it at Gordon. It was time to see what this new weapon can do. "Now I don't have to hold back!" Chiriko wound up his yo-yo and tossed it at Gordon. Just like the other Chi weapons, the Chi yo-yo was glowing blue and unwinding much farther than a normal yo-yo should.
Seeing that Chiriko was making the same mistake, Gordon smiled as he grabbed the string of the yo-yo. "Haven't you learned from the last battle? Even if it's an energy yo-yo, I can still grab onto it and pull you in!"
"Not if I do this!" Chiriko snapped his fingers. A sparkle of blue covered the string. "Come out Chibi Bunny!" Suddenly, to Gordon's amazement, the yo-yo itself became a fairly big bunny plushie, which had a mind of it's own. That same bunny pulled back and punched Gordon right in the face, and slammed him to the ground. Not giving Gordon any chance to retaliate, Chiriko let the yo-yo go into a sleep and made it travel across the ground. "Chi Yo-yo Flaming Parade!" Soon, the yo-yo started to ignite, and Gordon was once again hit by an attack that looked like the walk-the-dog move. Gordon was able to get up, but he had already taken some big damage, which added to the injuries from earlier. "This Chi Yo-yo is the easiest to manipulate. I can send it just like my Chi Whip, but I can transform it into many things, making it even more unpredictable…as well as more powerful." Now that Chiriko has a new weapon, can Gordon defeat him?
However, he wasn't the only one with problems. On the left side of the field, Etna and Kuroyami were dueling it out once again. From the last two experiences, Etna had learned not to attack Kuroyami until she knew when to attack. However, this was even more difficult now that she was fighting him alone.
"What's the matter, Etna? Afraid to be cut by my blade?" Kuroyami taunted her as he kept darting all over the field. Etna couldn't match him in power if she couldn't hit him, and she knew she wasn't fast enough to catch him. There was only one way to do this, and that was using a clever trick. He's too fast. The only way he'll move in, is when he comes in to attack. But if I attack, I will be too slow to counter him. Unless… Etna had an idea, but it was going to be a risky one. She stood still until Kuroyami was fairly close. She took this as her chance to stab him, but all her spear got was air. Worst of all, Kuroyami was now behind her. "Nice try, but I'm too fast for you, Etna. This time I'll make sure you're down for good!" Since Etna had no chance in reacting in time, Kuroyami tried to counter her attack with a stab. Blood spilled out of Etna. Kuroyami was about to laugh…until…
"What are you laughing about? This fight isn't even over yet!" In Etna's hands was a Prinny. Not just any Prinny. It was one of the weak Prinnies she used against Laharl and Flonne several episodes ago (see episode 2)…and Kuroyami had stabbed it with his sword. "Sorry, but you're about to drop dead. See ya!" Etna quickly ran out and ducked for cover. In that instant, the Prinny exploded, and Kuroyami was caught in it. There was no way Kuroyami could've escape unscathed. "Phew…that was close."
"But it's not over yet!" Suddenly, Kuroyami appeared behind her and slashed at her with his sword. The sword, luckily, hit her neck, which was protected by her collar. Etna jumped out of the way and held her spear firmly in her hands. Now that Kuroyami has seen her strategy, there was no way he was going to fall for it again. Etna was in deep trouble.
Meanwhile, Laharl and Setsuna had been staring each other off while the others were fighting. In a critical battle such as this, Laharl and Setsuna couldn't take another step at each other. Both of them did not know what they were facing. Laharl remembered that Setsuna would not be using his talismans. If he were to make a reckless charge, then he would open to a counter. He had already felt Setsuna's thunder punch, and that did a number on him. He had to charge when he was ready. Setsuna, on the other hand, was waiting for Laharl to attack. Laharl's ability, from Setsuna's perspective from the last fight, was outside of his reach. When an opponent goes up against a known master, the master usually waits for his opponent to strike. Laharl's inability to read Setsuna's flow made it harder for him to attack, so the stalemate continued. Then, the second lightning stuck, and soon, the two charged forward with their weapons. Their voices roared through the sky as they closed the distance. Within seconds, they both had their back to each other. Setsuna had small scar on his cheek from Laharl's sword, but Laharl was already on the ground, wincing in pain.
Laharl couldn't understand how this could happen. Normally, a sword would easily overpower a staff…but… "How? I thought I hit him. A blade is supposed to more powerful than a staff…so…"
"It's because of my priest staff." Setsuna said as he held his staff in front of him. The staff's cross had a dark blue glowing color. "The main weapon of a priest, his staff, is always polished and refined to take down any demon. The cross, especially, has imbued with anti-demon powers. A simple touch can burn any demon. Also, ever since I performed the pact, my staff had transformed to include demon powers as well. So now, this staff can take on angels and demons. That is why I can do this!" Setsuna pointed his staff at Laharl. Suddenly, a familiar energy began to charge into it, which shocked Laharl. The holy energy that was gathering in that staff… It can't be! "Holy Arrows!" Setsuna had confirmed it. The powerful arrows of light that were coming at Laharl were the same as Flonne's. The thought stunned Laharl, allowing the arrows to hit. What made this even worse was the fact that they came out of the priest staff, causing even more damage to him than Flonne's original attack. "Holy Arrows is an attack that angels, such as Flonne and Chiroko, have learned. As one who once worked for Celestia, I have seen it performed so many times that I can perform myself. You don't stand a chance against me as you are now."
"Stop bluffing. Our duel doesn't end after two attacks." Laharl got up from the ground, but the damage he took from Setsuna only added to the injuries from the previous battles. It won't be long till Laharl falls. "If you wanna see how much power I really have…then stay around and watch as I beat your ass to the ground!" Laharl charged forward, sword in hand.
Setsuna, however, saw this as yet another reckless charge. "Why must you resort to something so useless? Oh well, it's your choice whether or not your life and Flonne-chan's life on the line." Setsuna charged forward with his staff once again. As the distance closed, Setsuna attacked Laharl with his staff. This time, Laharl did not attack with his sword. Instead, he parried Setsuna's attack and grabbed him by the neck. Laharl then took this opportunity to slam Setsuna to the ground.
Without giving Setsuna any time to recover, Laharl pulled back his fist and charged it with his fiery energy. "Blazing Knuckles!" His flaming fist slammed right into Setsuna's face. The force of the attack created a large crater in the ground. Laharl jumped out of it and awaited for a response. There was no voice or sound coming from that crater. Could that mean Setsuna has been defeated? However, the presence of demonic energy confirmed it. Setsuna wasn't defeated. In fact, he was just getting started.
"To think you would get so strong in such a short period of time. I'm impressed." Setsuna applauded the young Overlord. "I guess that means that I'll have to be a little more serious this time." This time, Setsuna waved his hand in circular motions, gathering energy the more his hand moved. Thunder crackled through the air as his hand motions gained speed. Then, he raised his hand high in the air and summoned a great power from the sky. "I call upon the roaring the thunder from the sky. Come down from the heavens and strike my opponent! Chain Lightning!" Suddenly, a blast of lightning was shot from the sky, heading towards Laharl. Laharl was quick to dodge the attack, but as the lightning hit the ground, it bounced and continued to bounce about. However, unlike the similar talisman attack from last time, the Chain Lightning was bouncing around wildly.
Something was awkward about this attack and Laharl knew it. However, he couldn't make out what Setsuna was doing with a lightning attack that just keeps bouncing all over the field. It didn't even look like he had any control over it. Laharl was unsure of how to react, so he just kept watching the lightning ball jump all over the field. The only change that Laharl noticed was that it kept moving faster, but it was moving everywhere but where he was standing. I could wait and counter Setsuna, but that might be what he wants. If I stand my ground, he could probably blast me with a long range attack, which could push me into that lightning attack. I can't let that happen. I guess there's only one thing I can do: hit him from long range with Overlord's Wrath! With that in mind, Laharl began to summon the power of hell pyre out of the ground. "Overlord's—!" As he raised his arms to summon the fireballs, he felt a dramatic surge of energy. Then, within a few seconds, a blast of lightning shot out and sent punishing blast of energy on him, disrupting his attack. In turned out that the Chain Lightning attack did hit him, but Setsuna never had any control over it. How did it…?
"There's a reason why it's called 'Chain Lightning'." Setsuna explained. "The lightning I cast chains itself to any build up of energy, so anyone who performs any type of energy attack will be disrupted by the lightning. However, by using Chain Lightning, I too am susceptible to the attack, therefore all I can do is wait until my opponent reacts to it or use only physical attacks until someone sets it off." Setsuna raised his hand once again to summon his power. "Chain Lightning!" Setsuna summoned his lightning attack once again. This time Laharl was more of aware of what it did, so he charged at Setsuna with his sword. Little did he know, that was exactly what he was waiting for. As Laharl leaped over the sparkling lightning, he raised his sword above his head, hoping to land something on him. Just as he was about to reach him, Setsuna thrust his mighty staff at Laharl's body. The cross on top of his staff grazed Laharl's side, forcing blood out of the now wounded area. Laharl collapsed onto the ground a few feet away from Setsuna. Not only was the cross that hit him nearly a blade, the cross itself was anti-demon, dealing much more damage to him than any sword or axe. Setsuna looked down on his fallen opponent. He held out a hand, and began to chant a soothing prayer. "May your soul enter the inevitable circle of reincarnation and…" However, Setsuna stopped the prayer midway and put up his staff. The staff blocked the incoming sword, but the attack was powerful enough to knock Setsuna a couple of feet.
"Stop thinking like you have already won this battle." Laharl groaned as he struggled to get up on his feet. However, once on his feet, he began to stagger a bit. The two other battles took a toll on Laharl. It was already hard enough for him to stand. Yet, Laharl refused to give up at all. "I'm not giving up…not until we get Flonne back."
"I'll say this again. Stay down if you don't want to get injured. You're not getting Flonne-chan back if you die so why don't you give it up now."
"Shut up! I'm not losing to you, and I'm not going to give up on Flonne! This time I'll make sure I beat your ass to the ground!" Laharl roared at his opponent. A sudden burst of energy began to surge throughout Laharl's body. Almost anyone could feel it, especially Setsuna. He could tell that Laharl was now gaining power once again. Of course, Laharl would need a lot more than power and rage to defeat Setsuna. With Laharl back to his senses, he picked up his sword and rushed towards Setsuna. On his way towards Setsuna, he began to charge his fiery energy into his fist.
Setsuna didn't think highly of this attack. He knew that even if Laharl could reach him in time, the Chain Lightning was still on the field and could zap him afterwards. As Laharl closed in, Setsuna pulled up his staff to block the attack. He hasn't learned. Looks like I have no choice then… Laharl brought down his sword on Setsuna, but it was block by his staff. Now that Laharl was off guard, Setsuna proceeded with countering his attack. Just as his attack was about to hit, Laharl spun his body to the side, causing Setsuna's attack to miss. While Laharl twisted his body to the side, Setsuna noticed one other thing: the Chain Lightning attack was coming for him. That's when Setsuna realized what Laharl was actually doing. Laharl wasn't necessarily charging energy to attack Setsuna. He was using the energy to make the Chain Lightning follow him across the field. The sword attack was only an attempt to distract him, so that Laharl could spin to the side and let the Lightning strike Setsuna. He couldn't believe that Laharl was able to pull off such a trick. He has quite a talent as an Overlord. He really is Krichevskoy's son…
Just as Laharl had planned, the Chain Lightning flew by him and hit Setsuna with its powerful blast. However, Laharl wasn't just going to let the Lightning do all the work. With his fist still burning, he slammed his fist into Setsuna. "BLAZING KNUCLKES!" This time, when his attack slammed into Setsuna, he made sure that his fist drove downward and into the ground. When his fist made impact with the ground, a fiery column shot out and engulfed Setsuna in flames, which propelled into the air. By this time, Setsuna had noticed a great increase in Laharl's power. Both the power of his punch and fury of his flames were even greater than when he first saw him. That's when Setsuna realized what was going on. It has awakened. The true power that sleeps in him has finally has awaken. Finally, I get to see the true power of the bond. While Setsuna was still flailing through the air, Laharl took this as his chance to bring out his great balls of fire. He rose his hands into the air, and soon, there were millions of fireballs surrounding Setsuna. Then, with one wave of his hands, Laharl commanded his fireballs to destroy Setsuna. "OVERLORD'S WRATH!" With no way of dodging the air, Setsuna took the hit. The vicious fireballs hit him all at once and exploded into a massive supernova. When the smoke cleared, Setsuna was falling head first back to Earth. Laharl thought he had finally defeated him…until Setsuna flipped onto his feet and landed perfectly onto the rocky ground. However, Setsuna had taken heavy damage from that attack, making him fall onto one knee while using his staff to keep him up. It seemed like the two were dead even at this point.
"I have really underestimated you, haven't I?" Setsuna said as he struggled to get up with his staff. He pulled himself back onto his feet and pointed the staff at Laharl. His deep amber eyes were glowing ominously as he stared at Laharl. "This time, I'm not going to hold back. You'd better be prepared for one wrong move may leave you with more than just a couple of injuries." Now Setsuna's body began to surge with energy. His power had been magnified and was about to be unleashed on Laharl.
Now that Setsuna wasn't holding back, Laharl would have to put all his energy into defeating him. There was no backing out now. Laharl had to pull out all the strings. "Neither am I. I won't show you any mercy, Setsuna! I will get Flonne back, not matter what you do!" Both their energies had been magnified. They were overflowing with energy. And they were not going to hold back. This was it. Only one was going to walk out alive. Even with this in mind, both Laharl and Setsuna remained confident in their ability. They were going to put everything into this battle. "Let's go!" In that instant, the two charged at each other. The true battle has begun.
Meanwhile…
"Chi Celestial Orbit!" Gordon was already facing certain death on the sidelines as the fury of Chiriko's yo-yo lashed out at him from every direction. While Laharl was fighting Setsuna, Gordon took on the child angel, Chiriko. At first glance, it would seem that Gordon had an advantage over Chiriko. Gordon was taller and stronger than the little tyke. However, Chiriko's energy was greater than Gordon's by a huge margin, and his own weapons allowed him nearly unlimited control of it. Despite his injuries, Gordon wasn't going to give up. He staggered to his feet, breathing heavily. His injuries were fairly severe, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. He pulled out his gun and tried to blast Chiriko, but Chiriko's yo-yo spun a shield for him and then lashed out at him again. Despite that, Gordon got up and charged at Chiriko with all his might. "Please Gordon-san, stay down." Gordon wouldn't budge. He just kept charging head first into Chiriko. Seeing that Gordon was just too stubborn to listen, Chiriko decided to attack him again. "Chi Celestial Orbit!" The yo-yos once again came lashing at him. However, Gordon did not stop, he just plowed right through his beating. Chiriko couldn't believe that Gordon would push himself all the way through his yo-yo net.
Gordon was now within range to give Chiriko a crushing blow. Because Chiriko was small, the damage from Gordon's attack would be enough to almost knock him out. Gordon pulled back his fist, ready to slam it right into Chiriko's face. "Gordon P—!" Just as he was about to punch Chiriko, his chi yo-yo and chi whip grabbed his legs and arms, restraining all of Gordon's movement.
The chi whip and yo-yo that grabbed Gordon pulled him towards Chiriko until he stopped a few inches in front of him. When he was stopped, he felt something hit his chest. When he looked down, he was shocked to see that Chiriko's yo-yo and whip were bounded to the chi gun, and that the chi gun's barrel was now right on his chest. "This is my ultimate attack. Once my chi whip and chi yo-yo ensnares you, all I have to do is unload all my energy into the chi gun. There's no way of escaping this, Gordon-san. Now please stay down, for the last time." The Chi Gun was now glowing a brilliant blue color. The energy that was being charged into the gun was enormous, enough to put out Gordon for good. There was no way Gordon could escape this one. It was all over for our Slayer of the Netherworld. "Buki Chi no Ougi: Chi Seki no Arashi!" There was only one thing left for Chiriko to do: pull the trigger. Within seconds, Gordon would be finished. Suddenly…
"Defender Team Combo: Thursday Smasher Cannon!" Just as Chiriko was about to pull the trigger, an enormous blast hit him in the back, which not only disrupted his attack, it freed Gordon from the whip and yo-yo snare. Gordon didn't know who saved him from certain death, but the voices he heard from a nearby mountain made him realize who his saviors were.
"Gordon, are you alright? Please give us a sign!"
"You look like crap, Gordon. You're just lucky we were here to help."
"Blip beep. I am relieved Captain Gordon. Your justice has served you once again."
Gordon couldn't help but flash his trademark smile. Standing on the mountain were his three comrades. "Good work, Jennifer, Kurtis, Thursday. Now allow me to finish him off!"
Jennifer was relieved. Despite all the injuries he received, Gordon was still alive and willing to finish what he had started. Jennifer had unwavering faith in the Slayer of the Netherworld. "Go get 'em Gordon!"
With his comrades cheering him on the sides, Gordon rushed towards Chiriko again. Chiriko, seeing that Gordon was coming for him, tried to ensnare him again with his whip and yo-yo, but Gordon simply hit them all away. Gordon was already within range to finish off Chiriko. Before he did anything, he smirked at Chiriko and said, "You may have been my enemy, but I admire your courage and your utmost loyalty to your master, Chiriko. I'm glad to have fought an adversary such as you. Now it is time to finish this! Gordon Blitz!" All Gordon needed was his first punch to connect, which it did. In that instant, Chiriko was battered from all sides. Each punch, each kick grew with in strength and added more damage to the attack. The flurry of hard hitting attacks was endless, and Chiriko could not escape it. Finally, Gordon sent Chiriko flying with a powerful uppercut, and took out his blaster. With its power charged to the fullest, Gordon shot a devastating blast at Chiriko. Chiriko was then engulfed in a powerful blast. There was no way for Chiriko to continue. He had lost, but even then, he was still smiling. Before he disappeared, he said some parting words. Gordon-san, you—no, you and your friends are incredibly strong. She really was right. The power of your friendship has grown so powerful that you four, together, defeated me. Please continue to fight in the name of justice, Gordon-san… After his last words, Chiriko had disappeared. He was no longer in the sky. The Celestial Angel had been defeated.
Gordon smiled. The battle with Chiriko was over. Now all he had to do was put all his faith on the Overlord. "Finally, he's finished. Even if I was aided by my friends, I'm glad to have fought an opponent like you, Celestial Angel. Etna, Overlord…may Flonne's love guide you defeat your adversaries…for now…I need rest…" After that, Gordon's eyes began to close, and soon he collapsed to the ground.
Jennifer, Thursday, and Kurtis rushed to the aid of the Slayer. Fortunately, when Jennifer checked Gordon's condition, she breathed a sigh of relief. "He's alive…he just needs rest."
Kurtis nodded in reply. "Yeah, Gordon went through three battles, and put everything in every one of them. He definitely deserves it."
"I shall aid Jennifer in Gordon's recovery, blip beep."
"Thank you, two." Jennifer looked down at the unconscious hero, whose head was lying on her lap. Even with his body battered and lashed all over, there was still a smile on his face, the same goofy heroic smile that always makes Jennifer happy, because despite everything he's gone through, he always seemed to smile. Jennifer couldn't be any happier. "Please rest…my hero…"
On the other side, Etna was having even more trouble with Kuroyami, the demonic legend of the 'Great Betrayal', than Gordon, who fought Chiriko. When Gordon was fighting Chiriko, Gordon had greater physical strength than Chiriko and more stamina, which allowed him to brave through the child's attacks. Etna had absolutely no advantage over Kuroyami. Her only possible advantage was the range of her attacks, but with Kuroyami moving at such a furious speed, she could never land a single hit. She was in deep trouble from the very beginning.
"Admit your defeat now Etna! You have no chance at defeating me!" Kuroyami exclaimed as he darted all over the field. Occasionally, he'd nick Etna with his blade just to annoy her.
Etna's injuries, though not damaging, were already adding up. Besides Laharl, she had taken the most damage out of the three from the last two battles. Even though they were given some time to rest, none of them had healed. In addition, Kuroyami kept nicking her with his blade, which gave her another scar or tattered a part of her outfit. With Kuroyami moving so fast, there was absolutely no way that she could hit him. Maybe if I annihilate him with an incredibly strong attack, I can defeat him…but can I get a shot at him if he keeps moving so fast? Wait…maybe if I… She had an idea, but this one was also very risky. She was a little hesitant in using it, but she didn't have a choice. She had to take the risk or be killed. …to think that I'm actually gonna be using Gordon's idea…but it might work. Etna, just like Gordon in the other battles, stood still and let Kuroyami dart all over the field.
Kuroyami scoffed at Etna's foolish attempt to catch him. "Fool! Even if you could counter, do you think you could turn in time?" Despite Kuroyami's taunts, Etna remained perfectly calm and composed from where she was standing. She simply waited for Kuroyami to make his move. "So you won't budge? Fine, then I'll have to put you out of you misery!" Kuroyami charged at Etna, with his sword in hand, ready to finish her off. Just as he was about to reach Etna, she turned and swiped at Kuroyami with her spear. As expected, Kuroyami easily dodged it, and was now behind Etna. He rushed in to slice her…only to realize that he had been stabbed in the stomach. "Wha…but how? You tried to swipe me with your spear! You couldn't have turned fast enough!"
"Yeah, I swiped you with my spear alright! The butt of my spear!" Etna was right. She was holding her spear incorrectly the entire time. When Kuroyami rushed forward the first time, she tried to whack him, but instead of using the blade, she tried to hit him with the shaft. When he moved behind her, she tricked him into rushing forward and stabbed him with the spear. "Looks like I won, Kuroyami! Give it up!"
"Hehehe…so you really think you won? Well, get this: I've been so used to this type of pain!" To Etna's surprise, Kuroyami easily pulled out the spear. He was now holding the blade over his head, which was dripping with blood. "You see, the 'Great Betrayal' was a time of great destruction and chaos. As one who has lived through such a dark era, I have become used to pain such as this. It will take more than a stab to defeat me, I assure you. And just so you can't stab me again…" Kuroyami took out sword and sheared the spear in half. Etna's most treasured weapon has been split into two pieces. No…father's spear… "Without this thing, you're powerless against me! You may have your energy attacks, but without any way to hit me, you have no chance! Face it Etna, you've lost!"
"No, not yet!" Etna charged at Kuroyami, only to be battered by the sheath of his sword. She fell to the ground. She had become so weak. It was hard to see Kuroyami on top of her, with his blade already caressing her cheek. The cold blade sent a chill up Etna's spine as it kept caressing her cheek over and over. She didn't know why Kuroyami was doing this. Rather than take her life, he just kept sending that chilling sensation, which made Etna feel sick. "You're so disgusting…"
"Don't worry, I won't kill you just yet. You were one of the few people who actually stabbed me. In fact, you're the only girl who has ever wounded me like that. I just want you to feel my sword before you leave this world…besides, don't you love this feeling?" Etna could not respond. The feeling of the blade was just overwhelming to her. Kuroyami, after caressing Etna with his sword one last time, raised it above his head, ready to give her the final impalement. "You really were worth fighting. Now die!" Suddenly, Kuroyami felt something grab his arms. Then, he felt something grab his legs. Soon, his entire body had been restrained. Etna, whose eyes were closed the entire time, kept wondering what happened to Kuroyami. Why did he stop…? When her vision began to clear, she looked up at where Kuroyami was standing. To Etna's surprise, there were about fifty demons on top of him. They had restrained all his movements, preventing him from even touching Etna. As her vision cleared even more, she realized what kind of demons they were.
"Zombies…?" That's when Etna heard a familiar voice.
"Etna-san!" Etna easily recognized that voice. She turned around, and saw the familiar pink haired demon racing towards her.
"Aramis, you're alright!" Etna almost cried. Aramis had taken severe damage earlier during their first fight with Chiriko. Now, he had fully recovered, making Etna feel relieved.
"Yup, and ready to help you finish him off!"
It was then that Etna's trademark grin returned. Yup, she had a plan. "Good, cuz I got a way to finish him. Do you mind if your zombies get hurt in the process?"
Aramis shook his head and smiled at Etna in response. "Not at all. Just help me put them back together."
"I'll make sure I do." Etna then turned to Kuroyami. Her hand was now glowing pink. "Kuroyami, you may have destroyed my father's spear, but thanks to Aramis, you're trapped. I'm gonna finish this once and for all! Chaos Impact!" Etna then made a swipe with her hand, and soon, millions of energy arrows were shot at Kuroyami. Since he couldn't move, he had no choice but to take the hit.
However, Kuroyami began to laugh. It seems that the arrows hardly even touched him. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! Is this what you meant by finishing me off? How pathetic! Wait, WHAT THE?" Before he realized it, Etna was holding an enormous energy ball in her hands. Its size was almost greater than a meteor, and its power was enormous. If that hit Kuroyami, he would be defeated for sure. However, his grin didn't leave him. "You're not going to hit me with that, Etna. Once I kill off all these zombies, I'll be able to move again!" Kuroyami broke his arm free from one of the zombies and cut off each and every one of the zombie's legs. Without any feet to hold them to the ground, Kuroyami was free to move. However, he still couldn't budge. "What? I thought I destroyed their legs, how can they?"
"How about checking out the zombies before you pass out?"
"Checking the zo—oh no…" Oh yes. When Etna threw the energy arrows at Kuroyami, she wasn't aiming at him at all. What she was aiming for was anything that could keep him where he was: meaning Aramis' zombie's chest as well as some of his clothes. It was over for Kuroyami. There was no way of escaping Etna's attack.
With the energy sphere at it's fullest, Etna smirked for a few seconds at Kuroyami and winked at him. "Sorry, but there's someone else on my mind, Kuro-kun! Now…DROP DEAD!" Etna, using her remaining power, sent her energy sphere flying at Kuroyami. Kuroyami couldn't escape the attack. Etna's Chaos Impact crashed into Kuroyami. The damage it caused to him was enough to finally finish the battle. However, Kuroyami began to grin, chuckle, and then finally his laugh crackled through the air. Hehehe…HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Well done, Etna! Your power has indeed exceeded my expectations! I accept defeat to you! But prepared for I may come back…and when I do…I will make you mine…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! When the smoke cleared from the attack, Kuroyami was no more. What was left were the two pieces of Etna's staff.
Now that the battle was finished, Etna went over and picked up the two pieces of her spear. A small smile crept onto her face, remembering Kuroyami's last words as the wind blew through her flowing hair red-pink hair. "Well Kuro-kun…next time you face me…come up with a better pick up line…" Suddenly, Etna fell backwards. It was expected, especially after three tremendous battles. Luckily, Aramis caught her before she could hit the ground. "Don't worry, Aramis. Just let me rest. Right now…all I want to see…is Laharl-sama beating Setsuna's ass to the ground."
In the middle of the battlefield, the battle between Laharl and Setsuna had was dead even. After Setsuna had announced that he would more serious in this battle, both combatants tried to overpower each other with each ferocious attack.
"Shadows of darkness send your demonic archer and impale my opponent! Demonic Arrow!" Setsuna pointed his staff at Laharl, and in that instant, a dark version of Holy Arrows shot out at Laharl. The attack not only inflicted Laharl with major damage, but it sent him flying into the air. However, the grin on Laharl's face only indicated that the air had only given him an advantage.
"Blazing Knuckles!" With his fist engulfed in powerful flames, Laharl dived towards Setsuna and slammed his fist into Setsuna and into the ground, which engulfed Setsuna in more damaging flames. As Laharl recovered from the impact the ground, he swatted Setsuna, who was still engulfed in the flames, with his sword. Setsuna tumbled and staggered backward, but recovered from the attack.
"Bring down let your judgment rain from the sky and punish the wicked! Chain Lightning!" Using his powers, Setsuna once again brought down his homing lightning attack.
Since this was the third time Setsuna used the attack, Laharl knew how to handle this. "You showed me this attack twice already! I won't be falling for any of your tricks!" Laharl simply charged at Setsuna and swiped him with his sword. Setsuna blocked it, and soon it became an all-out brawl. Laharl kept swinging his sword at Setsuna, but was on his guard, for he knew that any damage done by Setsuna's staff can and will cause major damage to him. Setsuna kept guarding against Laharl's attack.
At one point, Setsuna tried to thrust his staff at Laharl, but Laharl quickly dodged it and tried to counter. However, when Laharl charged at him again, Setsuna used the butt of the staff and tossed him near the Chain Lightning. Fortunately for Laharl, he was able to stop himself from reaching the Chain Lightning. Now Setsuna was holding his staff near the bottom, as if his staff were a long sword. He then began to chant again. "Oh holiest of warriors, lend me your power to conquer evil once more! Celestial Ragnarok!" Suddenly, the staff began to emanate a tremendous amount of energy. That energy engulfed the staff, and soon, the energy resembled that of a humongous sword. With this newly created energy sword, Setsuna rushed towards Laharl.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Don't you remember the Chain Lightning you cast earlier? You're about to get z—GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" It wasn't Setsuna that was zapped, but Laharl. Because Laharl was the closest to the Chain Lightning when Setsuna charged up his powers for Celestial Ragnarok, Chain Lightning was rushing towards Setsuna as expected. However, Laharl was in the way during charge of energy, and so ended up hitting him instead. Since the Chain Lightning paralyzed Laharl, Setsuna took his chance and strike him with his energy blade. The attack caused major damage to Laharl's body as he flew several threw the air. Just as Laharl was about to hit the ground… "OVERLORD'S WRATH!" Even while moving through the air, Laharl was able to summon his demonic hell pyre attack from the ground. The crimson fireballs all made contact with Setsuna and exploded, causing damage to Setsuna. Not giving him any room to recover, Laharl summoned all his powers for his ultimate attack. "METEOR IMPACT!" Suddenly, giant meteors began to rain from the sky and were headed towards where Setsuna was. Laharl jumped onto one of the meteors, and rode it down towards Setsuna. Laharl put all his power into this one, hoping that it would be enough to bring Setsuna down. However…
"Celestial Ultima Wave!" Suddenly, a white beam of light shot out from Setsuna's staff and shot at Laharl. The attack made contact with Laharl and caused extreme damage to him while destroying the meteor he was riding. However, this neglected to destroy the other meteors, which all crashed onto Setsuna. Laharl fell from the sky and onto the ground. Luckily for him, he was still able to get up, but he was now breathing heavily after facing Setsuna's furious attacks. Setsuna, who has also taken heavy damage, was also breathing heavily, using the staff to support him. Everyone who was watching were amazed at the level of power these two were fighting at.
"These guys are unbelievable…" Aramis said in awe of all this.
"Both of them have so much power. After surviving all those attacks, I'm surprised that they're all still alive…" Jennifer noted, while placing her hand on Gordon. He was still knocked out from the last battle.
"Blip beep…Thursday is unable to scan power of the Overlord and Setsuna. Their power might overload system."
"But it looks like they're down to their last breath." Kurtis noted. He was right. Judging from all that was going on, it seemed like they couldn't go on. With all the energy they had, they probably had enough for one final attack. "Could this mean that they're even?"
"I wish I could say that…but no…" Etna said with a grim look on her face. "Even though it looks like Setsuna was going all-out, he hasn't shown his ultimate attack. The Prince, however, has already shown him Meteor Impact, which could mean that Setsuna has one more trick up his sleeve." While no one wanted to believe it, what Etna said was true. Setsuna could still be hiding something. There was still a chance that Laharl could lose.
After catching his breath, Setsuna stared at Laharl. Laharl was almost done catching his breath. Suddenly, Setsuna began to smile. It wasn't a malicious grin either. It was his usual calm smile. "Laharl-kun, I must say that your strength is impressive. To think you could draw out so much power in so little time. But I want to ask you this: do you know where that strength comes from?"
Laharl didn't know how to answer. It was unusual for Setsuna to ask him such a question before facing a life-and-death situation. In addition, Laharl himself didn't know where he acquired so much power. His sword was still the same and he hasn't learned any new attacks, yet his power grew over three non-stop battles. Seeing that he had no answer, he replied, "No…I don't…"
"Well this is my belief, but I believe that your powers sleep deep within your heart and awakens when triggered by something. To me, power sleeps in the heart and awakens in the darkest hour. Do you know what that is?"
"No."
"It's your love for your friends…and your driving will to protect others."
Laharl couldn't believe it. There was no way he, the hater of all love, could be driven by love itself. "N-no way…I'M A DEMON! I'M SUPPOSED TO HATE LOVE!"
"Just because you're a demon doesn't mean you're supposed to hate love." Setsuna told him. "Deny it all you want, Laharl-kun. Your power awakens every time someone is in danger, especially Flonne-chan. Whether it was against Seraph Lamington or Overlord Priere or me, every time Flonne-chan was in dangerous, the power deep within your heart woke up and allowed you defeat those two as well as nearly defeat me."
"How did you—?"
"Know? Let's just say that I have some really big contacts on my side." Suddenly, Setsuna's eyes became serious again as he held his staff in front of him. A new type of power was surging throughout his body. "My powers also come from deep within the heart. However, the power in my heart is always awake. Do you want to know why? It is because of the true goal of my mission: my atonement."
"Atonement?"
"There was a grave sin I committed during the Great Betrayal…one that I shall never forget…that is why my mission is so important to me…and that is why I will defeat you now…" Setsuna began to spin his staff in front of him. The more it turned, the faster the spin became. "This attack has rarely been seen by anyone. I have used it only once, and its summoning power is too long, but it is definitely my most powerful attack. The only time I used this was in my battle against Kuroyami during the Great Betrayal, so prepare yourself for this!" Setsuna began to hear the voices in his head again. It was the voices of Chiriko and Kuroyami.
"YOU'RE GOING TO USE THAT ATTACK! THAT ATTACK IS TOO POWERFUL!"
'Setsuna-san, it's too dangerous for both you and Laharl-kun! What if you accidentally kill Laharl-kun!'
It's a risk I'm willing to take…a risk to see if those four are right…Lamington-san, Krichevskoy-san, Rayne-san…and Flonne-chan. I will see this through. I will see how strong this bond of theirs is.
'But what if—!'
Chiriko-kun, you remember what she and I said: his love awakens his true power. If that is true then maybe he'll survive this. Now it is time to perform my ultimate attack. Setsuna kept spinning the staff with his one hand, and placed his other hand near his face, as if he were praying. Soon, he began to say one final prayer. "The origin of all power, lend me your aid once more to vanquish my opponent. The four worlds bring out the origin of power. Celestia, let your holy power shine of me and bring forth embodiment of judgment…"
Laharl didn't know what to make out of this. Setsuna was just standing there, just saying some kind of prayer. Even if it was a powerful attack, it was taking too long to recite the full incantation. Maybe he accepted defeat and is now praying. Well, here's my chance to defeat him now! Laharl charged forward with all his might and swiped at him with his sword. Setsuna didn't move at all. He just kept spinning his staff and chanting away as he let Laharl hit him. However, it didn't look like it had any effect on Setsuna. In fact, he was still praying. "There's no way his body got that strong! How did my attack not effect him?"
That's when Etna realized what Setsuna was doing. It was no simple prayer. It was something that may cost Laharl his life. "Prince, you have to hit him out of that!"
"What do you mean? He's just praying cuz he's admitting defeat!"
"Are you stupid or something? Don't you remember what he said? He said the reason why he uses talisman is because his more powerful non-talisman attacks take waaay too long because they need immense summoning power!"
"So then that means!"
"That's right! He really is using his most powerful attack!" Etna was right. Setsuna would only pray and chant just to perform an attack. Since this attack needed a longer chant, this was going to be his most powerful one.
Laharl need to hit him out of it, and fast. He kept swiping and punching Setsuna, but he continued to stand, unfazed by any of Laharl's attacks. "What the hell is going on? How are my attacks not working?"
"He must be taking the hits and trying endure them!" Etna exclaimed. "He's not going to let you him out of it!"
"Well if you can endure all that, then try and take this! Blazing Knuckles!" Laharl punched his fiery fist attack, yet it did absolutely nothing to stop Setsuna. Setsuna continued to chant. "How's that possible?"
"Earth, let your lush green land and might elements come forth and aid me. The power of man's great technology concentrate your power on me to destroy my adversaries…"
"OVERLORD'S WARTH!" Laharl let loose the great balls of hell pyre onto Setsuna. They all made contact, but even after all those attacks; Setsuna remained unfazed, continuing to chant. "Is it even possible to get him out this attack?"
"The great dark world known as the Netherworld, cast away your differences become one, both normal and alternate. Give me your unstable powers. Let your dark powers consume me and bring forth the Armageddon."
Laharl needed to knock Setsuna out of this attack and fast. If this was truly Setsuna's greatest attack, then Laharl was in deep trouble. However, after hitting with so many hard-hitting attacks, Setsuna didn't even budge. There was only one thing left that Laharl could use: his ultimate attack. "METEOR IMPACT!" High in the air were meteors raining onto the field. Laharl jumped onto one of the fiery rocks drove it as hard as he could into Setsuna. The other meteors followed with him as he obliterated the field. Rocks, dust, and all other debris scattered all over the battlefield. As he landed, Laharl looked into the smoke to see if Setsuna was still performing the attack. As the smoke began clear, Laharl couldn't believe his eyes: Setsuna was still standing with his staff twirling, still chanting. Not even Laharl's ultimate attack could make him budge.
"Great souls of purgatory. Those still looking for the path reincarnation come forth and grant me your power. Allow me to gain your former power in the form of energy. Now all four powers return to origin. Open the seal that will end all battles. Bring all your power forth into thy seal and obliterate my opponent! KYUUSEISHSU NO YAMI NO OUGI: SEKI NO SEISHIN SUETSUKATA!" Now that the entire incantation has been completed, Setsuna threw his staff into the air. Suddenly, the staff began to give off a strange aura that vibrated throughout the entire Eternal Apocalypse. The aura soon turned into a giant seal that glowed a brilliant gold color. The seal actually looked like gate, a gate that was holding enormous amounts of energy. A sudden chill rushed through Laharl and everyone else's spines. This attack could really kill many beings in a single hit. No wonder Setsuna didn't want to use it. The seal, along with the staff, floated in front of Setsuna, gathering as much energy as it could. "Laharl-kun, I wouldn't be surprised if you tried to leave. As you can see, the energy gathered in here is too enormous for you to handle. The Kyuuseishu no Yami no Ougi: Seki no Seishin Suetsukata is strong enough to almost take down Lamington as well as Krichevskoy. I can stop it now if you want, but you must give up on Flonne-chan. Are you willing to accept my offer?"
Laharl looked down to the ground and remained totally silent. He couldn't take on that massive energy, and if he died it would be a waste. He looked over to where his vassals were. Aramis, Jennifer, Kurtis, and Thursday all nodded their heads. Even if he was occasionally a mean Overlord, there was no way they wanted him to die. In addition, if he died, Flonne would have to suffer nothing but guilt. Laharl looked at Gordon, who was still unconscious. He had risked his life in his three battles against Setsuna, Kuroyami, and Chiriko. It's amazing that he was still alive. Laharl then looked at Etna. She did not have any response. Her face was shadowed, covering her saddened expression. The wind was blowing through her freed hair, which was flowing wildly. No one could tell if she wanted him to risk his life or not. Then, the thought of the one person he was fighting for, one who had continually risked her life for him. The one he promised to risk his life for. His one true angel, the one that always smiles for him. Flonne, lov…
Laharl-san!
"NO!" Everyone gasped. Laharl had rejected Setsuna's offer to be given mercy. Even after witnessing the immense power of Setsuna's ultimate attack, he was not going to give up. "I'm not giving up! I'm not giving up on Flonne! Never ever! I'm going to beat your ass to the ground until I get her back!"
"Has the last minutes of your life clouded your head?" Setsuna snapped back at him. He felt that Laharl had finally lost it, and was now in total denial. "You're facing certain death right now. Are you that foolish to risk your life on someone you're not going to never getting back?"
"I don't care what you say, you damn priest!" Laharl grasped his sword tightly in his hands. The burning look in his eyes showed nothing but determination. A powerful aura had surrounded his entire body. "I'm never gonna give up on Flonne! I don't care if it kills me! I will get her back!"
"I see…then I guess I have no choice…" Setsuna placed his hands together, as if he were praying. He then gave the final command. "Gate of unyielding power, open and let my opponent know your awesome might!" With those very words, the seal opened up like a gate. As it opened, Laharl and the others saw nothing but white light coming from the seal. The energy coming from it was immense. There was no way anyone could have that much energy. Setsuna gave the final order. "Fire!" In that instant, a brilliant beam of energy was streaming towards Laharl. Laharl made no move, no attempt to dodge the attack.
Everyone on the sidelines was trying to get him to budge but Laharl wouldn't listen to any of them.
"OVERLORD, GET OUT OF THERE!"
"LAHARL-CHAN!"
"…don't die…Laharl-sama…"
Die? Are you kidding me? I'm not going to die. Not until I get her back…after all…
'Your love for me is great…Laharl-san…'
Fl—
'You have truly understood the power of love…please let that power aid you in your darkest hour…'
Heh…I still hate love…but for once…I will bring love into this battle Flonne…for it was love…that led me…to you…
In that instant, everything in front of Setsuna was engulfed in his power beam attack. All of Laharl's vassals were luckily on the sidelines, but Laharl himself had taken the hit. Nothing could be seen as the white light blinded everyone's vision. Setsuna's ultimate attack truly was the ultimate attack. There was no telling what was destroyed at this moment.
After nearly a minute, the light finally waned along with the energy. When the energy finally waned, the gate disappeared, and Setsuna's staff fell toward Setsuna. As he caught it, he looked over at where Laharl was standing earlier. There was deep ravines caused by the attack and rocks and dust were everywhere. When the dust finally cleared…there was nothing there. Absolutely nothing. So he did die…
On the sidelines, none of the vassals could speak. The couldn't believe that Setsuna's attack could do so much destruction and, after all that, kill Laharl. The attack must've been so powerful that it destroyed his entire body, so that there was nothing left.
"Laharl-chan…"
"Prince…Laharl-sama…" Etna couldn't hold back her tears. The demon she promised Krichevskoy to protect was no more. Of everyone there, she had felt the most pain. After everything she's done…Laharl was now dead. "LAHARL-SAMA!" Then…
"Geez…Etna stop crying already! You look so stupid when you cry!" Everyone gasped, especially Etna and Setsuna. Setsuna turned around again to see where Laharl was. Setsuna kept looking around until his eyes shot wide open. Everyone tried to see where he was looking. They looked up and none of them could be any more amazed: Laharl was coming down from the sky with probably one of the biggest meteors he ever had. Following behind him were other large meteors, ready to smash into Setsuna. Laharl had pulled off a miracle. He had actually lived through Setsuna's ultimate attack.
Etna wiped her tears and began to shout at Laharl. "DENKA NO BAKA (Prince, you idiot)! YOU SCARED ME FOR A MINUTE!"
"Heh…save your scolding for later! We have a priest to finish off!" Etna clearly agreed with Laharl, and so everyone who remained cheered him on. Laharl then turned his attention to Setsuna. He was ready to end this battle once and for all. "Setsuna, you've put up a good fight, but now you have wasted nearly all your energy. Face it, dark priest! You lose!"
Setsuna knew Laharl was right. With all that energy wasted, there was no way he had the power to counter Laharl's ultimate attack. All he could do was take the hit. Despite that, Setsuna could not stop smiling. It was almost as if he expected to lose. He then looked up to Laharl and finally exclaimed to him, "You are indeed very powerful! I succeed to you Overlord Laharl! Now finish this!"
"With pleasure!" Laharl's meteor was now coming down at Setsuna an extremely fast rate. There was no stopping this fiery inferno. This truly was the end of the duel. "METEOR IMPACT!"
As the great molten rock of hellpyre reached Setsuna, he began to talk to himself. He was almost happy that Laharl was going to kill him. Laharl-kun, your love for Flonne-chan has really brought you through this entire ordeal. I'm sorry for causing so much to you, but please know that you have passed my test. Now you have one more test. Do you have the heart to pass it? Soon, the molten rocks collided with Setsuna, causing a fiery uproar throughout the already unstable Eternal Apocalypse. The blaze of the explosion that ensued could be seen from afar, where two familiar demons were watching.
"Did he…?"
"Yes, Laharl defeated Setsuna. Setsuna must've really pushed himself so hard just to test him, but he was able to do it, and Laharl has passed test."
"No, I know that. I'm glad that he was able to defeat him but…"
"Don't worry. I'm sure he's alright."
Back to where the battle finally ended, Laharl was breathing heavily. He had put everything into that last attack to assure his victory over Setsuna. He stared at the crater that his ultimate attack created. Laharl hoped to find Setsuna defeated and unconscious down there. When the dust finally cleared, Laharl neither laughed nor boast. All he did was mutter to himself, "…it's over…"
"Prince!" Etna was rushing towards Laharl. She stopped right next to him to catch her breath. Both of them were heavily wounded from their battles. When she finally caught her breath, she asked Laharl, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, these wounds don't hurt too much anymore. At least, now that this battle is finally over." Laharl observed Etna's body. She too had suffered heavy damage from her battles, especially against Kuroyami. One of the straps of her leather bra had been snapped off, both her ribbons were torn, and she had scars all over. Worst of all, her father's spear was destroyed. "Maybe I should be asking you that question…"
Despite the damage, Etna had her smirk on her face. She wasn't about to let that get in the way of their victory. "Don't worry about me. I've had some rest, and one day in the Hell Hospital will get us back on our feet in no time. I do have more of this outfit as well as my ribbon and I'm sure if we go into Item World, we can have my father's spear repaired, so there's nothing to worry about…except…hey, where's Flonne-chan?"
Laharl was about to respond, but he realized that even after defeat Setsuna, Flonne was still absent. He remembered that Setsuna promised to return Flonne if he defeated him, but Flonne hadn't returned. Laharl began to grit his teeth, feeling that he had trusted his enemy way too much. "THAT BASTARD!" Laharl jumped into the crater, hoping to find Setsuna's body. Etna followed after him. Laharl had found the body, but there was no life in it, and Flonne was nowhere to be seen. That's when Laharl realized something. When he defeated the Seraph, he spared his life and Flonne returned to life. However, if Setsuna was dead…then… "No…if I killed him…could that mean that…Flonne will never come back…?"
"That can't be!" Etna exclaimed in denial, but it was true. If Setsuna was the one who made Flonne disappear, then he was the only who could bring her back. However, if he was dead… "No…Flonne-chan…"
Laharl fell to his knees, feeling that Setsuna, despite his death, really won. Tears began to flood his eyes. He felt so heartbroken, for he could never see Flonne again. He could never tell her his true feelings. This pain was unbearable. It felt like the whole world was crashing down on him. This was the first time he truly wanted to protect someone…yet he couldn't do it. He almost wanted to die right now. Then…he started to feel warm. It was that warm feeling that he felt those few times where Flonne hugged him, or that one time he carried her back to the castle. He then realized that this warmth…was coming from his chest, near his heart. He touched that warm feeling, to find that there was something there. He looked down near his chest and found the one thing Flonne gave him before she turned into a Fallen Angel. Flonne's pendant… It was giving off a warm glow that slowly took away the pain. But why is it glowing all of a sudden? Wait…didn't Setsuna say…?
'Power sleeps in the heart and awakens in the darkest hour…'
Laharl noticed something else giving off a similar energy. He traced that energy to Setsuna. Could it be…? Wasting no time, Laharl rushed over to Setsuna and started search through his lifeless body for a clue.
Etna, not knowing what was going on, was a little puzzled. She didn't know why Laharl all of a sudden had the urge to go over and search Setsuna. "Prince, what are you doing? How come you're searching him?" However, she saw an anxious and determined face on him. She knew he would only do this for one person. Etna decided to say no more and help him search for his clue.
They kept searching, using the pendant's glow as its guide. The glow got stronger as they got close to finding it. Suddenly, the pendant brilliant glow glowed at it's strongest. The pendant was hovering over Setsuna's chest. Laharl moved Setsuna's cloak to the side, and found the source of all the energy. The pendant was reacting to one of the charms. Of course, there was only one charm that it was reacting to. It was the charm that was glowing just as brilliantly as the pendant. The one nearest to his heart, his double-cross. So that's what he meant…that must mean that attack… "I found her…"
"What do you mean, Prince?" Etna asked him.
"She's here. She's inside the double-cross!"
Etna gasped in surprise. She couldn't believe him, but she tried her best to agree with him. However, this did raise one question. "How did she get in there?"
"It must've been when Setsuna used that one attack on Flonne. That attack must've sealed her in here." It all came together. Laharl and Etna had solved the mystery of Flonne's disappearance. "It makes sense now. That's why he said she wasn't in this world. She was sealed into the cross. At least…we know she's safe now…" Laharl sighed, and soon a smile crept back onto his face. Not his usual demonic grin, but a softer smile, one that had been rarely seen.
Etna couldn't help but smile with him. She was too happy for both him and Flonne. However, that happiness soon waned when Etna realized that there was still one problem left. "Wait. Prince, how are we going to get Flonne-chan out of there then if she's stuck in there? None of us know that kind of sealing magic, so what do we do?"
Of course, Laharl didn't even think of that. Neither of them had any type of magic that could seal or unseal a being, so unless they find a way to do it, Flonne will be trapped in there forever. Laharl tried to think of anything that could bring back Flonne, but so far his mind was blank for ideas. Laharl thought of threatening Setsuna into bringing her back, but that was impossible since he was, well…dead. In addition, he couldn't think of anyone who could unseal Flonne. After all, Setsuna was the only person he met who perform seals. Soon, something clicked in Laharl's head. There was one other person who could do something similar to Setsuna. He just hoped that this person would be able to do this. "Hey Etna, once we get back to the castle, tell Katy to send a message to Seraph."
"Seraph? Why?"
"Well if he can kill angels by turning them into flowers, then maybe he might know how to seal."
Etna agreed with him. Since they had no other leads, it would be best to let the Seraph handle this. "Alright then. We'll have to bring the double cross over there though."
"Right. I'd better take it right now." However, the second Laharl ever touched the double cross… "GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! IT BURNS!" He couldn't even get his hand on it. He began to shake his now reddened hand in pain. Laharl glared at the double cross, wondering why it was burning him. Laharl began to grit his teeth. "Damn it! I can't even lift that thing without getting many hands burned!"
Then it occurred to Etna why Laharl was in pain from touching it. "Prince, his double cross charm is still a cross, and crosses, just like Setsuna's staff, are anti-demon objects!"
"What?" Laharl remembered exactly what Setsuna told him. An attack from Setsuna's staff does more damage to a demon because of it's cross, which makes it a powerful anti-demon weapon. Since Setsuna's charm was also a cross, Laharl couldn't touch it either. He wanted to cuss out loud, or even destroy Setsuna's body. Then Jennifer and Thursday dropped right into the crater.
"Laharl-chan, are you alright? Where's Flonne-chan?"
"I found her in the cross, but I can't touch it!" Laharl's rage was building within him again, but he tried to calm himself down, seeing that there was no point in getting angry if it would cloud his mind again. That's when he came up with another brilliant idea. "Jennifer, I hate asking this but can you do us a favor?"
"Yes, what is it?"
"Try and pick up that cross." Laharl pointed to the charm around Setsuna's neck. "We're bringing that to the Seraph, so we can bring Flonne back. Etna and I are demons so we can't pick it up, so maybe if you were to…"
"Don't say another word. I'm on it." Jennifer walked up to Setsuna and slightly touched it to see if she would suffer any affects. However, when she touched it, she too got shocked by the cross. She quickly pulled her hand away. Luckily, since she slightly touched it, it didn't do as much damage to her. "I can't do it either!"
They couldn't believe it. Even Jennifer, a human, had been rejected by the cross. "No way! You're human! How can the cross reject you too?" Etna exclaimed.
"Maybe if Thursday could do it…"
However, Thursday declined to help. "Blip beep, sorry. System will overload due to shock. Because Thursday is a robot, Thursday will suffer from a power surge. Sorry…blip beep."
"So that's it then…" Laharl muttered with his head down.
"No… Etna almost wanted to cry again. After everything they had to endure, they had realized that they may never get Flonne back. It was too hard on everyone, especially Laharl.
Laharl wanted to cuss at himself. They were so close to getting Flonne back, but one more obstacle prevented them from returning her. What made him feel worse was that he couldn't keep his promise. He promised to give everything he had to return Flonne back to life, but in the end, he couldn't get her back. The pain he was feeling now was unbearable. Everything had come crushing down on him. In his mind, it felt like the end of the world for the most important person in his life was taken away. A small tear fell from his watered eyes and onto something. Suddenly, Laharl's pendant began to glow again. Again? Is it trying to help me? Wait, maybe it's not necessarily the pendant but…Flonne. She's trying to tell me something! What is it? Laharl moved the pendant around to find their next clue. Soon, it began to glow it's most brilliant light. Laharl checked what it was resonating with and it turned out to be none other than Setsuna's staff. That's when Laharl realized what it was trying to point out. Setsuna's staff. Of course…wait a minute…what am I saying? That thing's gonna shock me too! Laharl was hesitant in listening to the pendant. Setsuna's staff was also an anti-demon object that could easily burn Laharl if he were to even touch it, much less grab it. However, the pendant kept resonating with the staff. Laharl didn't know what to do now. If he didn't do anything, then Flonne will never come back, but if he tried to use the staff, he might kill himself. With all the injuries he had received, if he were to experience more pain, he might actually die. What am I supposed to do? I don't want to leave Flonne…but I can't die…I don't… Then he began to remember his promises. He promised to protect. He promised to fight for Flonne. He promised…to risk his life to save her… I'll take the risk! With that, he grabbed Setsuna's staff with both his hands. Everyone around him gasped in shock that he would risk such a thing. Just as expected, a painful shock surged all over Laharl's body. Laharl was now screaming in pain.
"Prince, stop!" Etna pleaded her master. "It's too much for you! You might die!"
"Listen to Etna-chan!" Jennifer pleaded Laharl. "If you die and Flonne-chan comes back, how will she feel?"
Despite the warnings, Laharl kept his grip on the staff. He tried his best to bear the pain as he staggered towards Setsuna's body. "I made a promise before I left! I promised to risk everything to for her! Flonne has sacrificed herself too much for me! Now it's my turn to sacrifice for her! For some I!" The one thing in his heart had finally surfaced. Etna and Jennifer heard it with their own ears: Laharl would do anything to bring back Flonne even if it means losing his life in the process. His pure determination in returning her made them silent. They couldn't say anything that would stop him. Laharl struggled with the staff. The pain it was emitting got more painful the longer he held it. Despite that, he tried to bear all of the pain. Finally, he was on top of Setsuna again. Laharl stared at the double cross on his neck again, which was resonating with the staff. Then, using all the strength he had left, Laharl made the staff touch the double cross. Using his remaining strength, Laharl tried to speak to the staff and the cross. "I know that I am not your master, but please, for the sake of the Fallen Angel Flonne, obey my command and return her to me!" At that moment, the entire field had become white. Everything was silent. Nothing could be seen. It looked like the world had ended. Then, the white light had waned. As it began to fade, Laharl fell onto his knees and looked at his hands. They were red and covered with burns caused by holding the staff. Not just his hands though. His entire body had a tint of red from the sting that the staff had caused. Laharl sighed. "My entire body is aching. My hands are really burning…I didn't think it'd be so painful…" Suddenly…
"Don't worry. I will heal you of your pain. After all…" …a soft hand reached out and placed it on Laharl's hand. "…you need rest." Everyone gasped when they heard that sweet voice, especially Laharl. He almost thought he was dreaming, but his eyes trailed over the soft hand up the silk sleeves. They soon spotted beautiful long golden blond hair that ran through her wings and all the way towards her tail. Then his eyes moved upward to see more of her features. His eyes were greeted with a smiling face with passionate pink/red eyes and a red ribbon to top off her hair. These features belonged to only one person. That person was the one Laharl sacrificed everything for. The one he braved through three incredibly powerful legends for. The one he risked even his life for… "I'm here for you, Laharl-san."
"Flonne…" Laharl remained silent for a few second, but he couldn't contain himself any longer. After everything he has done, she had returned to him. "Flonne!" Etna and Jennifer didn't say anything. After all, they did not want to break this moment. They were not only happy to see Flonne again, they were happy to see that Laharl, after sacrificing so much, had finally found his happiness. However, this happy moment didn't last long. Just as Laharl got up, he ran to up to Flonne and…whacked her over the head? Etna and Jennifer just stared blankly at him as Flonne's eyes began to swirl from Laharl's hit.
"Ow…what did you do that for, Laharl-san…?"
"That's for breaking your friggin promise, you Love Freak!"
"But Laharl-san!"
"But nothing! I thought we made a deal! You said you wouldn't take any hits for me, and what do you do? You end up screwing yourself over with your love ideals, you stupid Love Freak!" It was apparent that Laharl was really mad at Flonne. After all, she really did break her promise to not sacrifice herself, but she ended up doing so after saving him from Setsuna's sealing technique.
Flonne, seeing how much she had hurt Laharl, bowed her head in sorrow. "I'm so sorry…" Then, she felt a warm hand on her cheek. She looked up, and there he was. Laharl was smiling softly at her, glad to see that his angel had returned.
"Let's go home, Flonne." Laharl's words sent a tingling sensation all over her body. After all, she had really missed Laharl after spending all that time in the cross. For the first time in her life, she had felt Laharl's true feelings.
She nodded happily. It was for them to go back home. "Yes. You need rest. All of you."
"Welcome back, Flonne."
"Welcome back, Flonne-chan!"
"It's good to be back." As Etna, Jennifer, and Thursday climbed out of the crater, Flonne turned towards Setsuna's lifeless body. She did know whether he died or not, but she decided to do what was right. She placed her hand over Setsuna, which began to glow with energy. Kami-sama, please bring life back into Setsuna-san. Suddenly, the blue glow transferred onto Setsuna. Before the blue glow could do anything, Laharl's voice called out to her.
"Hey, Flonne c'mon!"
"Alright! I'm coming!" Flonne then left Setsuna and climbed out of the crater. As she got out, she began to think about Setsuna. Even though he caused so much pain for Laharl, Flonne couldn't help but wish for his life to continue. Setsuna-san, Laharl-san may not want to say this, but I do. Thank you so much for everything you've done. While I'm upset that Laharl-san was really hurt by all this, you have really taught him so much. Thanks to you, not only did he begin to realize his true power, but you have taught me a valuable lesson about love. Something I have overlooked…
Flashback"Nnn…where am I?" Flonne slowly opened her eyes. For last several minutes, she had seen nothing but white. It seemed like she was trapped forever. Now she seemed to be back in the Netherworld. To be more specific, back in the Eternal Apocalypse. She tried her best to remember what happened earlier. "Hm…we were fighting Setsuna-san when…I let his beads hit me! Oh no, Laharl-san must be worried about me! I have to find him and help him beat Setsuna-san!" Before she could take another step, she felt something tug on her sleeve. She turned to see who it was. It turned out to be a young boy. In fact, he turned out to be an angel, which surprised Flonne. Phew…I thought it was Setsuna-san. Aw…it's a cute little angel. He looks so young and innocent. I wonder if he can help me. "Hello little one. My name is Flonne."
The innocent little angel was jumping for joy. "So you're Flonne-san! You're just as pretty as I imagined you to be!" His comment made Flonne blush a bit in embarrassment. The boy decided to introduce himself. "My name is Chiriko! Do you want to be my friend?"
"Oh, of course! I would love to be your frie Ch—Chiriko? As in the legend?"
"I think so." Chiriko said with his arms crossed. "Someone told me I was a legend for defeating Kuroyami." Flonne couldn't believe it. The legend she had drawn on Laharl's hand before they left the castle was standing before her. Not only was Chiriko her favorite Celestial legend (aside from Seraph Lamington), he was such a cute little boy. She felt so giddy inside. "Flonne-san, do you wanna be friends?"
"Of course, I do!" Flonne exclaimed as she took his hand. "I've always wanted to meet you."
"Teehee, I've become a celebrity, haven't I?" Just as they were about to play…
"Chiriko-kun, can I please have a word with her?"
"Mou…I didn't get to play with her yet…" Chiriko moaned, annoyed that his time was up so fast. Flonne started to have a bad feeling. The voice that called out to Chiriko sounded very familiar. Oh no…it can't be… "Setsuna-san, I didn't even have enough time…"
That's when he entered the field. The black cloak. The priest staff. The three charms. Those happy blue eyes. These belonged to only one person. "Well, if we have time left, I'll let you play with her. For now, I just want to talk." Flonne's prediction was true. It was Setsuna, the one Laharl and the others were facing. She was too surprised to do or say anything, for she knew how fierce and powerful this opponent was.
Yet, Chiriko remained the same happy child despite the appearance of this powerful figure. "Hai! Arigato Setsuna-san!"
The way Chiriko carried himself right now shocked Flonne. She couldn't understand how Chiriko could be so calm around someone so dangerous. "Chiriko-chan, Setsuna-san is dangerous! He nearly killed several of my friends!"
"Your friends? But Setsuna-san wouldn't…oh you mean Laharl-kun and everyone else. Oh yeah, I know about that! I just fought them a few seconds ago." Chiriko's response only made Flonne worry even more. Chiriko, the angel she believed in, had fought her friends. Did this mean that he too was her enemy? She couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it. "Flonne-san, are you alright?" Chiriko could see a worried look on Flonne's face, which made him feel guilty for fighting her friends, not to mention the fact that she believed in him. "I'm sorry…Flonne-san…but I am tied to Setsuna-san now. Both me and Kuro-kun. I wish I could be friends with your friends…but I am under Setsuna-san…and…"
"That's enough." Setsuna interjected. "Chiriko-kun, it's not your fault. That is why I wanted to bring Flonne-chan out. I need to talk to her right now, so please leave us."
Chiriko agreed. Before leaving Flonne, he said to her, "Please forgive us for hurting all of you…" With that, Chiriko transformed into a blue soul ball. The soul ball flew to Setsuna's charms and went inside it. When that was over, only Setsuna and Flonne were left.
Setsuna walked over to Flonne, but she backed away from him. She was scared since she was now all alone with her enemy in front of her. She angrily shouted at him. "Don't touch me!"
"Now please, Flonne-chan." Setsuna said, trying to calm her. "I just want to—"
However, Flonne resisted him. She wouldn't give him a chance to say even one word. "I don't want to hear it! You hurt all my friends back at the castle! You hurt all my friends here in Eternal Apocalypse! And now, you have kidnapped me! I'm sure its really hurting Laharl-san inside! Don't come near me! If you do, I'm going to have to fight you!"
"First of all, you were the one who dived in front of my attack to protect Laharl-kun, so that was pretty much your fault…" Setsuna reminded her.
"Well…I guess that's true…but…"
"Flonne-chan…" Setsuna began in a very calm, passionate tone. "You believe in love. You love all living things, no matter who it is. You are a forgiving person who listens to what everyone says and gives them respect. That is what I heard from Seraph Lamington-san."
Flonne gasped. She couldn't believe that someone like Setsuna would know the Seraph. "You know…Lamington-sama."
Setsuna nodded in agreement. "Yes, I have known Lamington-san for a long time. He has told me all about you. He told me about how kind you are to everyone, even those who oppress you. You're always looking to resolve things without making anyone feel bad. However, with the way you're acting now, you're not living up to Lamington-san's words." Flonne bowed her head, knowing that he was right. She's never was like this, even as a Fallen Angel. Instead, she was acting like any demon or angel, not giving Setsuna a chance to speak. It felt like she had lost herself back there. Luckily for her, Setsuna began to chuckle and smile at her, almost as if everything was better. "Oh, don't worry about it. I just needed to remind you of who you are. You are Flonne, the angel who brings love to all, no matter who they are. It is because you are such a strong believer in love and the unity of all living things that I want to talk to you. Will you now listen to me?"
Flonne looked up at Setsuna, smiling happily just as the cheerful love freak would. "Yes, I don't want to shun you away like that. Now that I think about it, there's no way someone like you would hurt me after saying all that. Just know that I'm sorry for the way I acted…"
Setsuna chuckled again. "Like I said, don't worry about it. I'm just glad you're yourself again. Now please listen to what I have to say."
It's been about thirty minutes. Setsuna clearly explained to Flonne his plan. He told her what his true purpose really is the. The reason for his duel against Laharl. The reason why he has Chiriko and Kuroyami with him. The reason why he's here…
"You mean…this was all…to unite the two worlds?"
"Well, this fight is only a part of my mission." Setsuna explained to her. "I'm sure Lamington-san told you once before that you and Laharl-kun are the knot that will unite two words, correct?" Flonne nodded. She remembered that Mid Boss told them that after she returned to the world as a Fallen Angel. "Well, I wanted to see the true power your bond held. My ultimate goal is to unite the two worlds as atonement."
"Atonement?"
"The completion of my mission, I believe, will atone for all the sins I have committed." Flonne didn't want to even ask him about it. She knew that whatever happened to him was a pain that Setsuna could never erase and would be hard to bring up, so she simply continued to listen. Setsuna continued. "I never really had a plan over it, so I became a traveling priest to help everyone out and try to slowly change the way angels and demons think of each other. Of course, there were many failures. Too man to count. I knew that if I wanted to complete this mission, then I really had to find a plan. Then one day, I met Lamington-san, Rayne-san, and Krichevskoy-san."
"Wow! So that means you're acquainted with all the rulers?"
"Not just acquainted." Setsuna said. "We became fast friends. It was great to find three people who shared the same views I did. So we all quickly came up with a plan. Our plan was to make the new generation of demons and angels to not be afraid of one another. Once we get that done, a demon and angel's thoughts of one another may change. What we needed, was a young demon and a young angel for our plan to work."
"So who was that young demon and young angel?" Flonne asked him. Setsuna simply smiled as he stared at Flonne. She didn't really know why he was staring at her like that. All she knew was that it had something to do with Laharl and herself. That's when she finally realized what he meant. "You mean…me and Laharl-san…"
"Yes. Your bond is important to everyone." Setsuna explained to her. "If we want to unite the worlds, we need someone to set an example for all beings. Who better then to choose the son of the Overlord and an angel who loves all living things. It is because of your bond that we will one day see a new world." Flonne began to blush. She couldn't believe it. Together, she and Laharl would make a big impact on every living thing. For a Love Freak such as herself, she couldn't be more delighted. However, Setsuna had more to say. "However, I was unsure of whether or not your bond was strong. It's true that it takes time, but I needed to see some progress. That's why I chose to duel Laharl alone. I wanted to see his power."
"But then, you won't see the power of our bond if the of us are apart." Flonne disagreed with Setsuna. To her, if she and Laharl weren't together, then there is no bond. Just them separated. "Our bond is strong if we are together! It's the power of love, friendship, and teamwork that pulls us through!"
"I agree." Setsuna told her. "The power of love, friendship, and teamwork is a power that should not be underestimated."
"Then why are you separating us then? If we're not together, there is no love, friendship, or teamwork!"
"I'm sure teamwork may be somewhat hindered," Setsuna calmly told her. "But the power of love and friendship never leaves."
"But—!"
"Flonne-chan, do you remember when you were turned into a flower?" Setsuna asked her. "When you saw Lamington-san after coming back, what was he like?"
Flonne didn't know why Setsuna was all of a sudden asking this question, but she tried to remember what happened. "He was…on the ground…"
"And Laharl-kun defeated him, correct?"
"Yeah, but I don't get it…what are you trying to say?"
"Flonne-chan, Seraph Lamington-san is currently the most powerful angel in the universe." Setsuna reminded her. It was pretty obvious to her though. The title of Seraph is given to the head of Celestia, the most powerful figure in Celestia. "However, Seraph Lamington-san was defeated by Laharl-kun, who to my knowledge originally, was weaker than the Seraph. However, he was able to defeat him." Flonne knew that he was right. Even if Laharl was powerful, he didn't have the strength to defeat the Seraph. All she knew was that he was driven to defeat him, but determination alone is nothing. "The angels, I'm sure, have been pondering how Laharl-kun defeated him. However, I know that answer. Do you know where true power comes from?"
Flonne was a little surprised when Setsuna asked that question. For someone who loves love so much, she didn't really have much of an answer, but she did her best to give a good one. "I…don't really know where true power comes from. All I know is that true power sleeps within every one of us…that is until something triggers it."
Setsuna smiled, seeing that this really was the Flonne Lamington trusted. "Wow, you were able to understand so fast. No wonder Lamington-san chose you." Flonne let out a small giggle before Setsuna continued on. "You are pretty much right. True power does sleep somewhere and awaits something to trigger it. That power comes from the heart. No matter what someone does to make them stronger, their true power is unleashed when something awakens it. Now Laharl-kun was able to defeat many different foes, whether it is Seraph Lamington-san or Overlord Priere-chan. His power, however, was triggered by something. Do you know what it is?" Flonne thought about it for a few seconds then shook her head. She really didn't know what makes Laharl so strong. "His power…is triggered by love and friendship. His determination to protect his friends, including you." Flonne was surprised as well as embarrassed. She couldn't believe that Laharl's power came from love and friendship. And his power surfaces whenever Flonne was in danger, making her feel more embarrassed. "You see, even though he denies it, his true power awakens whenever his friends are in danger. You've witnessed that many times, including his battles with Seraph Lamington-san and Priere-chan. You see, love doesn't always mean that you are together. There will be times when you two will be separated, such as now. What this duel is testing is not his ability to work with his vassals. That, I believe, he has mastered. What I am testing is whether or not you have shown him enough love to trigger his true power. If he truly didn't love you, he wouldn't have defeated so many powerful opponents. You can even ask Chiriko-kun, for he was just recently defeated by Laharl-kun." Flonne just kept getting more surprised by the minute. He was able to defeat the legendary Celestial Angel. It was too hard for her to conceive. "Flonne-chan, I must thank you for showing Laharl-kun all the love you could give. If it weren't for that, he wouldn't have defeated all those powerful enemies. I am sure he will pull through."
Just as Setsuna was about to get up, Flonne tugged on his cloak with a worried look on her face. Something still bothered her. "Setsuna-san…now that I know that you're a nice man…I can't stop wondering…what will happen during your duel? Will Laharl-san die…or will you…"
Setsuna chuckled again and patted Flonne's head to reassure her. Then, with a very calm smile, he told her, "That, I cannot predict. However, if you believe in Laharl-kun, he may be able to win. It is your love and his love that awakens power. In a way, THAT is also the power of love, friendship, and teamwork. No matter how far apart you two are, your feelings for each other will never change. I'm sure the saying goes 'love travels a thousand miles', correct?"
Flonne happily nodded. Now she knew he really was a good guy. Despite all the pain he had caused to everyone, it was all an attempt to unite the worlds and strengthen Laharl and Flonne's bond. Flonne couldn't be happier. "Yes, love is eternal, that is why I love it so much. Thank you for telling me all this. Now I know that you really are a good person."
"No, thank you for actually listening to me." Setsuna thanked her. "If anyone else had been in your shoes, they would've run away a long time ago." Flonne giggled to herself hearing that comment. "Now I'm sure Chiriko-kun wants to play."
"Oh you're right! It was my dream to meet him!"
Setsuna chuckled again and pulled out one of his pendants. "Alright, Chiriko-kun, you can come out now!" In that moment, Chiriko appeared before Flonne once again, even more anxious and cheerful than before.
"Let's go play, Flonne-san!"
"Yeah!"
End of FlashbackSetsuna-san, thank you so much for reminding me of love's power. It was because of love that Laharl-san was able to defeat you and return me back to the world, despite all that happened to him. I pray that you will live on and one day complete your mission.
"Hey, Flonne." Flonne turned to her side, where Laharl's bed was. They were all back in Hell Hospital. Laharl's hands and his stomach were wrapped in bandages thanks to the wounds he got from his earlier battle. "You're kinda spaced out. You alright?"
Flonne shook her and smiled at Laharl. She felt better knowing that Laharl really does care for her. "No…I was just thinking about someone…"
"Wait…who's this someone…?"
"Teehee…you'll figure it out."
"Tell me now!"
Flonne, of course, resisted. "No. I'm not telling."
"Flonne!" Suddenly, Flonne hugged Laharl, making him calm down a bit. Before, her hugs would make him scream even more, but this time it made him feel so calm. The feel of her soft skin overwhelmed his senses. Her fragrance placed Laharl in some sort of trance that he could never escape. Everything about Flonne at that moment…was just so…calming Then, he slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep right in Flonne's arms.
Flonne's smiled at the sleepy Laharl and just kept running her hands through his hair. She then noticed that Laharl's head was slipping off her hands onto her chest. A sudden shriek escaped her lips, but instead of slapping him off, she simply smiled and kept his head on her chest. It appeared that their feelings for each…have grown. For now Laharl-san, just rest. After all, that someone I was thinking about…was you…
Back at the Eternal Apocalypse, Setsuna was still lying in the crater. There seemed to be no movement, no trace of life in him. It truly seemed like he was dead. Then…
"Wow, looks like someone's got hit a little too hard." (Kuroyami)
'I hope Setsuna-san is alright…' (Chiriko)
"Don't worry. He's alright. Flonne even healed him…though he really didn't need it. See, he's getting up now." Kuroyami was right. Setsuna was moving again. He was a bit dirty from the battle, but otherwise he was alright. He shook some of the dirty and rocks from his hair. He looked to the side. A red spirit and a blue spirit were right next to them. These were obviously the spirits of Kuroyami and Chiriko. Without Setsuna's magic, they could not manifest themselves into a solid form, so of course they appeared in the form of spirits.
Chiriko was overjoyed. 'Setsuna-san, you're alive!' Setsuna nodded and began to get up. Suddenly, his eyes widened. There was fear in his eyes, as if something had happened to him. 'What's wrong, Setsuna-san?'
"How hard did he hit you?"
Ugh…cramp… The two spirits fell over, despite the lack of a solid form. After worrying his spirits with his battered body, Setsuna had the nerve to complain about a cramp.
"SETSUNA!"What? I do have a cramp! After about a minute of arguing, Setsuna was able to get up again. In fact, despite all those damages, he was able recover so quickly. He dusted the some of the dirt in his jet black hair while shaking rocks from his cape.
As he was doing this, Chiriko asked him, 'Setsuna-san, you were talking about your mission being a way of atonement earlier? You never told us about this. What was that about?'
"Chiriko-kun…I'm sure Setsuna doesn't want to talk about it. Like he said…it's a grave sin…but I'm sure it has something to do with that demon girl you had an affair with during the Betrayal." Setsuna's eyes shot wide open after hearing that from Kuroyami. Obviously, Kuroyami hit it right on the dot. "I knew it!"
'Setsuna-san was in love with a demon?' Of course, this was big news to Chiriko, but it was true. Setsuna was once in love with a demon.
"It's been his reason for this mission from day one. You know Setsuna, it's been over 3500 years. Just get over her already, you've done enough."
Setsuna shook his head and began to smile. Sorry, but I can't get over her. It's because of her that I have seen the pain of every race. Before I met her, I thought demons were the only things considered evil. Now I realize that I had been a fool all along…besides…
Setsuna-san?
What is it?
I wish everyone would be like us. I wish they would realize that all demons aren't evil. Then maybe one day…we could truly be together.
You really think so?
I know so!
Fine, then I promise to unite all the worlds, so that one day, we could truly live happily.
Will you keep that promise?
Don't worry, I'll do my best for your sake…Miyuki-chan…
I have killed so many for the sake of the happiness of the angels and humans. But I realized that all I have been doing is taking away happiness…especially from you. I've killed your only family…for the sake my ideals. But don't worry. It all ends here—no…MIYUKI-CHAN!
Setsuna-san…if you still love me…please…keep your promise and unite all three worlds…
Miyuki-chan…
"That one day I had to let go of Miyuki-chan…there was one other thing I promised…" Setsuna pulled his dark hood over his head, which covered his face. He looked up to the sky, which started to become a little calmer. "I promised that I will never let anyone suffer the same fate I did. I may have failed once, but there is one thing for sure: Krichevskoy and I…hope that Laharl-kun…does not suffer the same fate we did…"
"That is why we're here, isn't it?"
Setsuna smiled as he turned to the figures behind him. He knew exactly they were. One was a beautiful yet devious demon with long purple hair. The other was a young girl with a white jacket with a calm aura. "Of course. One day, our goals will be accomplished and soon the worlds will united, right Krichevskoy-san?"
"Yeah. I am sure that Laharl and Flonne will truly bring unity between the demons, angels, humans, and all other living beings. Speaking of which, Kirei and I would to hear your analysis of our son."
"Of course."
Next episode
Etna: Something is coming. Something that will—
Chiriko: BE FUN! LET'S MAKE IT ENJOYABLE!
Etna: pushes Chiriko away: Well that something is about to—
Kuroyami: Take over anything in my path! Everything will be mine!
Etna: pushes Kuroyami away: But there's nothing to fear fo!
Chiriko: Chiriko the Celestial Angel will save the day!
Kuroyami: No! Its Kuroyami, the Shadow Hitokiri, will cut the throats of all opposers :explosions:
Setsuna: Next time on Legend of Etna: Dynamite of Boom! Watch out cuz we're gonna have an explosion on our hands! There, I finished it for you Etna-chan. Uh…why are you holding that Etna-chan… :explosion:
Even I'm confused right now, cuz this chapter was so hard, so don't worry if your head hurts. I'm so confused that I can't even explain how I got up to this point. Well anyway, it's about time I fully explained the purpose of Setsuna and everyone else. Their purpose in this fic was to add a little more to the purpose of Laharl and Flonne's bond. I didn't want to use Mid Boss just yet, so I wanted to make up one more character. Soon, I came up with idea of someone in a black cloak using a priest staff but I couldn't come up with a name. I finally decided to use my avatar, Burnfist/Tsuruko Shirai, as the black cloaked character, but those names just didn't fit. I kept looking through other manga and video games until I came across one name: Setsuna. I thought it sounded right, and since it sounded like Setsunai, I chose that name. His last name 'Kyuuseishu' is supposed to mean messiah. Personality-wise, I made him into a darker Himura Kenshin, you know from Rurouni Kenshin. That's why he's very dense a lot of the time, but incredibly serious during a battle. My only problem with him was that I did not want to turn him into something that was so powerful that he could easily hand Krichevskoy and Lamington's ass. That's why I was having trouble with this part. I still think I made him too powerful, but I guess it couldn't be helped. At least I turned him down a notch.
The other two characters: Chiriko and Kuroyami are based off my avatar's alter egos: Chibi and Yami. The reason why they were added was simply because I have this habit of having those three characters together. Plus, they added more to why Setsuna was fighting in the first place. As for personality, Chiriko is similar to one of those bright happy kids who like to play around a lot. Think of Momiji from Fruits Basket. As for Kuroyami, he's more of a combination of different cool evil villains. The ones I think are most like him are Hitokiri Battousai (As in Kenshin when he starts killing) from RK and Yami Bakura from Yu Gi Oh (Which explains the evil laugh). Of course, the problem was that I needed to make a big cohesive side story to it, which eventually became the big war 'the Great Betrayal'. This, of course, gave birth to Miyuki, Setsuna's lover. That's when everything started sound so much like RK, which may be why this chapter sounds very confusing. Hopefully, this will be cleared if I decide to write about the Great Betrayal (of course I need support so tell if you'd like a fic like that)
Anyway, now that this chapter is finally over, Aku no Tsubasa will be heading towards it climax. What's the climax? I can't tell you. You have to wait. Let me just say that someone who has been hiding for quite some time reappears before Laharl. Can our favorite demons face our next challenge? Tune in next time.
