Akira stared up at the window above his bed. He watched as the cool dark of night began to shift to the purple hue of dawn. He hadn't hardly slept that whole night waiting in anxious anticipation knowing today would be the day he had to save his parents. He knew it wouldn't be easy, no doubt the demons would interfere in some way, he just wished he knew how exactly. He had asked Miko to stay on standby just in case, but he hated to do so, he hated bringing others into his mess, even If she was willing. He sighed, massaging his face, and sitting up knowing it was pointless to try and stay any longer. With his sensitive ears he could hear Miki's parents beginning to stir from downstairs anyway, he figured he best insure his head start.

Hurrying down to the first floor the hybrid adjusted his clothing putting the finishing touches on his preparations for the day. He could smell the mouthwatering scent of breakfast being prepared by Miki's parents in the kitchen but knew he wouldn't have enough time to enjoy it. Last time he recalled leaving at nine but that clearly wouldn't suffice, with brief parting words he rushed past the kitchen.

"I gotta go, I should be back soon!"

"Huh? You're not staying to eat Akira?" he heard Akiko holler from the other room.

"No, I have to meet my parents at the airport!" he called back, slipping on his jacket.

"Oh, well okay, be careful, and tell Kaori to come by her old friend, I haven't seen her in so long!" Miki's mom poked her head out from around the corner. She had a large smile and excitable eyes. Akira tipped his head back to her as he was about to let himself out the door, but he was stopped once more hearing the sound of a soft voice.

"Akira? Where are you going so early? Is it about your parents?" Miki asked in a sleep-ridden tone. Akira could see she must have just been woken up as her hair was still in a mess and she was wearing her robe coming down the stairs.

"Yeah, I gotta get there before anything else does," he informed.

"Alright, and you have Miko on standby if you need any help, right?" Miki confirmed. He could tell she was getting herself all worried and worked up. He put on a soft grin for her and gave her shoulder a light shake.

"Yeah, I'll be fine Miki. I'll see you in a little bit, okay?" he slightly chuckled.

"Okay, let me know how it goes and if you need anything, okay?" she said watching him wave to her from the doorway.

"Will do!" with that he was out of the house and mounting his motorcycle. Miki watched him the whole way out of sight with contemplative features only ceasing to do so feeling Tako brush up beside her. She pet him pleasantly, feeling him hum with appreciation.

"Aww Tako, I sure do hope he'll be okay. I don't suppose you'd know how I could help Akira either though, huh?" she jested. However, the question was followed by the flick of the cat's head. He peered up at her with a knowing look in his eyes. Miki noticed as her expression came to be one of curiosity.

"Well, there is something…" Tako spoke with a thoughtful look.

"Huh?" Miki watched him, in truth not expecting a real response.

"Get dressed and come with me!" the cat instructed as he himself made his way out the door.

Miki was in shock for a second before her body caught up to her mind. She nodded her head and shot up the stairs. She wasn't sure what this was about, but she'd do anything if it meant helping out.

Akira made hast through the city, pushing his bike to its limits and avoiding the other drivers around him, buying as much time as he could. This proved to be an effective tacit until there was almost nowhere left to slip through.

Something had stopped the traffic leaving it to pile up and the devilman to worry. He wasn't sure what was causing the delay, but he knew he didn't have the luxury of waiting to find out. He frowned with a determination in his eye as he debated his next move, and a risky one at that.

Throwing his apprehension to the wind Akira steered his motorcycle to the shoulder of the highway racing ahead of everyone else. He got a few curses for his actions but those were meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Jumping ahead of the line Akira could begin to see what was triggering the jam. It seemed like a portion of the bridge up ahead had been damaged. Akira didn't like this; it seemed a tad too convenient. Either way he pressed on, he wouldn't let anything stop him from rescuing his parents this time, but the trouble of the situation was brewing. Akira would soon run out of shoulder to keep riding on, and the reality of the thought was daunting. However, it seemed it wouldn't be for much longer.

Only a ways ahead there was an off ramp, it was blocked off but nothing Akira couldn't quickly squeeze through. Without a second guess the hybrid zoomed through the barriers blocking the off ramp and descended it. Luckily there didn't seem to be any official personnel around to stop him, he could have laughed at how perfect it had worked out. While he may have lost some time on the highway all he'd have to do is make it back to the main road for a redirection.

The next task was to find the nearest main street. The off road had taken him down close to the water's edge and the road itself didn't seem all that well kept. The area had become startlingly eerie, and it seemed the morning's water had created a bit of a gloomy fog.

All of this sudden change had put Akira on edge, something simply just wasn't right. The road he was on seemed to be a small bridge of its own as it passed over a patch of water. Shortly after crossing Akira decided it would be best to turn back and see if he could find a better road to take.

Swerving to the side with all his weight he turned the bike around with a screech and began to head back the other way. Somehow the fog that had rolled in became much thicker, it was hard for the teen to even see where he was going. He had been going back the direction he came for much longer than it took to get here. It was as if it wasn't even the same route; it was far too long.

The alarm bells were going off within the devilman's skull, and he could feel his instincts begin to push to the forefront of his mind. In a stunt of frustration Akira took off as fast as the bike could go straight into the fog, hoping to catch something on the other side. At last he saw something but in doing so his stomach sank.

He jammed on the break as he observed a figure in the mist, and a familiar one, but it shouldn't have been there.

"Miki?" Akira squinted questioningly.

"Akira!" her pleasant voice chimed. The devilman felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. It sounded just like her and the silhouette was in her exact shape.

"Akira! Come on, let's run!" she said it so quickly and was gone even faster. A jolt electrocuted the devilman into action as he hopped off the motorcycle. She had run off, but he wasn't sure where too, she was nowhere in sight, in just a blink he couldn't even pick up her scent.

"Miki!? Where did you go? How did you get out here?" Akira asked, utterly baffled. The only response he got was the sound of her giggles. He felt the goosebumps shiver over his skin now as his feet slowed to a stop. This wasn't possible Miki couldn't possibly be here, there was no way.

"Akira, come, run to us!" his mother called. Akira's head whipped around to see the voice's owner but could see no one there.

"Come on son, we've missed you!" his father added from seemingly thin air. It felt like a weight had been placed on his chest, as his breath struggled to come, and his heart writhed within his ribcage. He knew then something was egging him on. He couldn't smell any other person around nor even see them. If his loved ones really were here, they would have been kidnapped but their tones didn't indicate any kind of panic or concern.

"Who's out there! Show yourself, I know this is a trick!" he shouted in ire.

When no reply had come, he felt compelled to secure the absolute safety of those most vulnerable to him. He pulled out his phone and in no time flat had contacted Miko.

"Akira what is it?" the devillady answered.

"Miko, I'm sorry I had to call you but something strange is going o-on," Akira had spoken clearly on the other end, but the phone was starting to sound staticky. Miko's forehead creased picking up on the oddity and the urgency.

"What is it? Where are you? I'll be right there!" she insisted.

"No! N-no! I need you t-, I-I," the line was glitching out even worse now, not aiding Miko's worries.

"Akira what is it!? The phone keeps going out!" she notified.

"M-Miko, I don't know w-wher-e I'm-, P-lease just make sure, m-my parents- alright, and M-Miki too, p-please," his message came broken but Miko could put the pieces together.

"I will, I'll head up to the airport now. Are you sure you're going to be alright?"

"I-I, d-don't-" his words were cut off by an abrasive droning buzz.

"We're sorry, but the number you have reached is unavailable-" Miko turned the phone off hearing that with a sickening pit forming in her gut. She knew there was no time to waste, she set off from her grandmother's apartment without even saying goodbye and was already typing on her screen. She tried calling Miki first but to no answer, only remembering Miki had lost her phone after doing so. Miko could have rolled her eyes at the situation, her next best option was Taro who she was already dialing.

"Hello?" the young boy's voice asked.

"Hey, Taro is Miki with you? It's Miki Kuroda," Miko tried to put on as pleasant a tone as she could muster for his sake.

"No, I don't think she's here, why?"

An icy bolt coursed her veins, "What do you mean she's not there, where did she go?"

"I don't know, she left with Tako not too long ago," Taro answered. Miko felt a tiny bit relieved knowing she at least had Tako there with her. She figured she didn't have the time to stop by and try to find her, nor did she want to risk Taro leaving the house and having his own parents exposed. Miko made the tough decision to leave it as is.

"Alright, just stay there with your parents okay, I need to go meet up with Akira," she told him and once she heard his agreement, she departed the conversation. Now free from the phone she booked it to the airport on bated breath pleading over and over she was doing the right thing.

Akira shot daggers down at the phone hearing it go dead. He no longer had the luxury of having back up but at least his parents and everyone else might be better off. Finally he growled and allowed his body to change putting up his guard. The fog had seemed to get that much denser. Akira opened his wings and flew up to see if he could get a better view around him.

"Akira."

The sound of that voice stopped the devilman in the air. He hovered for a moment and steadily turned, feeling the rush of heat flush from his heart, and settled on his surface. He didn't see anything, just a yellowish glow emitting from deep within the clouds. An anxious wrath corrupted his expression as his eyes became practically unblinking, swooping down to investigate what it was.

"Akira, you've been looking for me, haven't you," the same voice spoke again, and this time Akira was sure. He despised this voice even hearing it ignited a primal rage he just couldn't denounce. The devilman now flew much faster towards it tensing his muscles, reading himself for an immediate fight.

"You, you're doing this! I won't let you best me, not this time!" he spat. "You have no idea what you've put me through! How badly I want to see you suffer for what you've done to me!"

Akira advanced towards the light, but it seemed the closer he came the further away and dimmer it got. He forced himself to go even faster, he wasn't going to lose him not when he was this close.

"Don't you run away! Come here and face me you coward!" in a huge clap Devilman had thrusted forward speeding by like a rocket. It seemed once he had done that however, the light was completely gone. The unjust anger he felt was immeasurable. He felt his lungs pushing air in and out with a beastly force as his fangs clenched and a menacing grunt came from his throat. He couldn't have gotten away; he was just there.

"Where are you!" his shout rumbled the surrounding area. He paced around searching frantically for any trace of him and in doing so it appeared the haze was starting to thin. He stepped out into the clearer patch and the next thing he saw made absolutely no sense, snapping him out of his daze. Before him was the Makimura's house standing just as he had left it. He drew back ever so slightly knowing this couldn't be.

"Akira! Akira come on, let's go inside I'm sure dinner's waiting!" he heard Miki's voice but once again did not see her. He took a gulp and with wide stiff eyes scanned the environment. Just as he had thought he was the only one inhabiting this seemingly vacant space.

"Well, come Akira, come inside, come back to me…" Akira heard the door to the house open and when he looked back to his horror no one was standing there. The wings on his head nervously pulled back as the fur lining his back erected fearfully. He felt his feet move in the opposite direction without him even thinking to do so.

"Come on son, run back to us! We've missed you so much, haven't you missed us?" that sounded like his parents. The unease was ripping him up inside slowly he shook his head and went even further away.

"Please, please Akira, we love you, don't leave us, don't leave us…" the sudden fright in their voices brought out the same feeling in Akira.

"No, no I don't want to leave you, but you're not here!" he dismissed. At last he turned his body to face away completely but that was a mistake. The next thing to fill his line of sight was the faces of his dead parents mixed into the cloud bank. They looked horrified, almost as horrified as he felt. The devilman gasped, jumping away.

"Mother! Father!"

"Akira, why did you let this happen to us?"

"We weren't the best parents, but we loved you, please don't let us die."

"We love you Akira, we love you Akira, we love you Akira…" the more they went on the more they sounded like a broken record. Their repeated statement began to slow and sound more and more distorted as the devilman gripped his face and winced his eyes shut. It wasn't real, it wasn't real, he desperately tried to convince himself over and over.

"No stop, I wanted to save you; I love you both. I didn't want you to die! I tired, I tried!" he pleaded.

"Akira, look at me," Miki spoke to him. Akira didn't want to lift his head; he stayed where he was listening to her.

"Akira, please, the baton, take the baton!" he heard her beg and each time he crumpled in on himself further. "Akira! Please don't leave me again, Akira!" her voice shrieked a bone chilling cry.

It was too much; he couldn't help himself as much as he despised doing so, he looked up only to see everything he wished he could forget. Her house was up in flames just like that tragic night. Everyone he knew and loved; he could see them in pieces burning away to nothing. His parents, the Makimura's, Miki's severed head resting on the ground on full display. Akira's emotions felt as though they would burst from him, like an overfilled water balloon, they would destroy him. The pain, grief, guilt all came back to him and spilled out in tears. These memories he had ignored and pushed back all haunted him at once. He had all the strength a man could ask for and yet he was helpless.

The ghostly disembodied sounds of those closest to him didn't stop, it only got worse.

"Akira, where were you?"

"Didn't I matter to you?"

"We loved you, Akira."

"Akira, why didn't you save me, why didn't you save me, why didn't you save me…"

Finally he had struck his limit, a roar ripped from his lungs as his wings thrusted open. He needed to leave, he needed to get away from it all. He flew so fast he went crashing to the ground again but without a faulty step he kept on clawing his talons into the dirt and frantically running away. All he could do was run as his mind caved in on itself. He kept running further into the clouds hoping to end up anywhere but where he was. He wasn't even thinking about what was around him; it was irrelevant, this world was nothing but a nightmare.

He could hear the faint changing of voices suddenly, it began slowly but steadily grew.

"Devilman, Devilman, Devilman!" it was chanting just like the kinds from his dreams. All around him the shadows of his devilmen stared down at him. He could feel the pressure of their expectations press on him. Yet another group of his own he had failed. He wanted to get away from them too, he wanted to tune everything out, he just wanted to be left be.

It seemed the moment he deflected his own qualms was the same one everything appeared to change, ever so subtly. The chanting had changed but this time Akira could deduce the difference.

"Amon, Amon, Amon," they went on. Akira felt repelled by the name but that feeling of pressure only became that much more suffocating. He shook his head as if to expel what he was hearing. In doing so he found he had to stop. He stuck his claws into the ground making himself stand still as he looked up to a huge being obstructing his way. He remembered this figure, as a matter of fact he doubted he could ever forget. Standing ahead of him in the fog was the image of the great demon king Zennon.

"Amon, what do you think you're doing!" he scolded with his arms crossed.

Akira was taken back. He didn't even know how to respond aside from a shake of his head.

"No, I-I'm not-"

"Oh, please Amon, no more games and no more running!" Zennon barked. Akira didn't understand why he couldn't respond, his hatred for the demon king was great and he could effectively take him, but for some reason he was stuck in silence. There was an invisible hold he had over him that made Akira stay where he was.

"You are the greatest warrior our kind has ever known. Your valence and strength are our greatest asset. Yet you choose to defy me, right when our kind is on the brink of the divine war!"

"Just because I defy you doesn't mean I've turned my back on demons," Akira rebutted. He was shocked at his own actions. He couldn't have said that, he knew nothing about it, but he did so anyway. It was like he was playing a character on stage but against his will.

"If you truly cared about the survival of demons, you would join me!"

"No, you don't care about devils that are weaker than you. You only care about the demons that aid you!" Akira argued, feeling the emotion push through his tone. He wasn't sure where this was coming from, but these feelings were starting to feel as if they were his own.

"All demons will parish, regardless of strength if we don't bane together, we must follow lord Satan's command! Only he knows God well enough for us to stand a chance!" the king snapped.

"No, I'll never follow that maniac, he only looks out for himself! He'd wipe out all demonkind if it were to save his own skin!" even Akira's own vigor came through in that statement.

"Whether you like him or not, you will fight for us! With the powers you possess it is your duty to defend our kind from God. If you want to remain stubborn then the blame for our race's extinction will rest with you!" Zennon barked.

Akira felt as though he was holding up the universe itself, the stress and strain practically smothering him from the inside out.

"My destiny is my business alone, and I don't need you or anyone else to tell me how to do it!" he retaliated.

A silence had come between them but also a tension that proved thicker than the fog they stood in. His eyes could have pierced holes through the devilman but he stood his ground regardless. Nestled deep within his anger Akira felt an ever-present sense of fear chilling his core. At first, he thought it was for the sight of Zennon, but it wasn't until now did he realize it wasn't the demon king he feared it was his expectations. His, and the hopes of all the demons, all their kind that had entrusted him alone with this impossible task. He feared more than anything that he would fail his people.

"You are a waste of a demon warrior," Zennon stated cold and blunt.

Akira knew those words weren't directed to him, he knew they were meaningless to him, he was no demon, but for whatever reason he still felt the sting. Before Akira could even register what had taken place the figure of the demon king had been reduced back to the mists he had come from. It was all so mind boggling. Was this a vision to induce some kind of horror or was it a memory? It seemed Akira wouldn't have the privilege of thinking on it further hearing the rising voices begin around him again.

It was like a hellish choir was blaring all around him. The voices he had run from to escape had caught up and followed him here. He cringed as if he were in pain as his hands flew up to cover his ears. The reaction to flee was instinctive at this point as he took off once again. He could hear their disparaging pleas in his advances to avoid them.

"Akira, where are you going?"

"You're running from us again!?"

"Please don't let us die, Akira!"

"Please don't abandon us Amon, we'll die without you!"

"Save us, save us, save us!"

The force could split the devilman open. He was rushing forward but was going nowhere. It was like trying to escape a boiling pot that had turned into an inescapable ocean.

Suddenly when everything was piling on all at once, everything he thought he had buried away, had come to resurface again. The last thing he saw took his breath.

The image of a demoness had appeared right before him in a flash. He knew he'd never seen a demon like this before and yet looking upon it he felt petrified, for this demoness shared scarily similar features to someone he did know. It wasn't exact and it was disfigured with demonic attributes, but he could have sworn she looked just like Miki. Worst of all this being was made of solid stone. Her face forever imprinted with the scream of her demise.

That was it. He couldn't take this psychological torment anymore. Akira beat his wings down and escalated upward. He didn't care what he heard or what may have tried to assault his vision, he would break through these clouds, he had to or else die trying.

Finally he could see a ray of light, real sunlight. Akira made a break for it. He cut through and at last he could see what was around him. The sight he beheld was jarring to say the least. The mainland was now merely a soft haze on the horizon. The place he had originally come from was almost nearly out of sight. He gasped and looked down, noticing he had been on a huge piece of seemingly moving land. His brow creased in dubiety but soon it became sharper hearing the sound of low rattling cackles.

The fins on his head stood at attention as he whirled around to see what had been causing all this disturbance. With huge might something began to rise out of the sea, and the longer Devilman watched it the more he came to the unsettling realization of what was going on.

The laughing got louder, and at last as the water cascaded down its neck the horrid face of his tormenter showed itself.

"Jinmen!" Akira snarled.

"Haunted by the ghosts of your past, Devilman? Fear sure is a powerful weapon, and you've got so much to spare!" Jinmen laughed as his tail came flying out of the water. Akira only had a split second to react as he looked around to see his massive tail coming down to swat at him. The devilman managed to dodge but struggled to catch his stability after. The turtle continued to swing trying to slash his foe out of the sky. All the wrath Akira had built up came through full force towards the demon. He was practically seeing red as he dived down punching Jinmen without mercy or resilience. The demon's head flung back from the attack, but he wasn't out, he came back with a wide-open mouth nearly snapping down on Akira. He had escaped his colossal jaws but merely by an inch of his tail.

The devil just kept coming. His sheer size made avoiding his assaults almost impossible, and hardly ever gave Akira the opportunity to make a counterattack. The moment Devilman found an opening he came in for it like a flash of lightning. He was so close to leaving a blow on the villainous reptile but just as he was on him the vision of Miki's brutalized body appeared before his eyes. He retreated feeling the clench of his heart.

Jinmen's hoarse chortles ejected from him, "What? lose your nerve!?" Akira was still overcoming what he had seen as the demon's tail came to smack him away. Devilman was tumbling through the air. He fought the gales as he tried to regain control. He created a ripple right above the water as he swooped himself back into action just in time. He hovered there for a moment to catch his breath, though it wasn't a very peaceful recoup. He could hear the voices in the distance again, the ones that cursed him. The closer Jinmen came the louder and more unbearable it got.

"Please don't leave us."

"Will you let us die?"

"Some hero you are."

Akira's arms swaddled around his head once more, doing everything in his power not to let the cruel words get to him. His features warped ruthlessly, staring intensely at the demon reproaching him.

"Aww, is something troubling you Devilman? Your own fear and doubt perhaps," the devil got a rise out of himself. Akira didn't respond, only remaining where he was, keeping true to his stern appearance.

"Your time is up, human; you can't fight your fears!" he gapped his maw open, readying himself to snatch his opponent up. Akira's brow lowered and his eyes watched vigilantly in anticipation. Just as Jinmen was coming down is when Devilman veered out of the way. He swiftly came around and landed back on the turtle's shell, deep within the foreboding mists.

"I might not be able to fight my fears, but I can face them!" he shot back at the demon landing forcefully and punitively.

"Suit yourself…" Jinmen chuckled.

Akira found himself clocked in the fog yet again and this time the specters that plagued him were far less merciful. It seemed like whichever way he looked he was forced to relive the most traumatic moments of his life. Akira took a deep breath, calming and relaxing his body and mind as he knelt down against the turtle's shell. Of all the monster's he'd battled and all the scars he'd collected in his life this was by far one of the most trying tasks he'd ever had to endure. Regardless he fought for his peace of mind, in the center of his chaos he strived for serenity. The chanting he heard, the sore words that danced around his ears and the sights he had closed his eyes to, all toiled to steal his attention. He wouldn't let it; he couldn't let it. He sat there in meditation, drawing into himself, remembering why he was here and what he was fighting for. These ghosts were remnants of the past, but he was here to save his future.

Finally his eyes opened again rigidly. For the first time he could see through these illusions. There was no mistaking it anymore, none of these things were real and he wouldn't let it control him anymore.

Jinmen's head flipped around to see his prey. His eyes tapered and his mouth turned into a nasty frown. Baring his teeth and slapping his tail into the sea's depths, Jinmen hissed.

"What is the meaning of this!? How are you unaffected by my mists?"

Akira didn't even need to speak back, the look he gave him said enough. The courage Jinmen believed he had snuffed out was bleeding through on full display.

Jinmen scowled, "Very well, if I can't crush your sanity, I'll still crush you!"

Akira sensed the reptilian's tail heave from the water. Looking back he witnessed it dropping down to squash him like an insect. On impulse the devilman brought his face back down and centered his thoughts in deep musing. He could practically feel the shadow being cast over him and growing ever larger as his expiration neared, but he stood his ground.

The turtle put on a monstrously gleeful expression; he could almost taste his victory; it was right there within an inch of his claws. However, inexplicably his tail stopped just above Devilman. Jinmen commanded his muscles to keep moving down but the most he could muster was to flick his tail to the side. It was then he understood, he could feel the severity of the situation. His body and that of the devilman were forming a connection. He could feel the strength Devilman possessed, and his gammy little heart nearly leaped from his chest in elation.

"You fool, you're trying to merge with me!? Please, be my guest! Give me your power, I want it all!" the demon crowed.

Akira could feel the will of Jinmen now surging through his nerves. It was an unsettling miry-like feeling. Overall the devilman felt as though his whole body was being polluted and he had to fight to clear it out. He pushed back, enforcing his spirit against the devil's, but it was harder than Akira had previously believed. It seemed any moment he got the upper hand Jinmen would infiltrate his mind and Devilman would have to start over again. On top of that the visions hadn't relented one bit adding yet another thing for Akira to oppose. One after another he could see his loved ones in torment and feel his foe pushing for more and more control over him.

Taking heavy rattling breaths Akira took in all that was around him for a split moment, seeing all his loved ones. Before they had hindered him, overtaking him in anxiety but now he could see them and he knew, then and there, he wouldn't let it happen. He wouldn't battle against these possibilities; he would fight to make sure they never came to be.

Jinmen was feeling confident in his win now, seeing Devilman cave in on himself. He could have celebrated, knowing now the power and might of the once great Amon would soon be all his. Though suddenly, a blunt shift challenged the demon's assumptions. All in one go he felt the ground he had gained slip away from him like a landslide back to Devilman. Adrenaline raced up and down through the turtle's body as he put up his resistance, but it was meaningless.

He could feel his tail move without his permission and as hard as he grappled to regain his agency over it, nothing worked.

"No, this can't be! Give me back my tail!" Jinmen howled.

A slight grin came across the devilman's grit teeth, feeling himself taking domination over the foul devil. Slowly but surely Akira was making progress working his way throughout the demon's body and Jinmen was becoming increasingly more distressed.

"No, stop this, stop this now!" the devil begged. Devilman had no intention of giving up now as he felt his power at last creep up to the turtle's neck. Akira forced the turtle's head to turn around and press down, as Jinmen's eyes spread open in horror. The devilman felt the heart of his enemy thrash and his mind scramble to fight him out but it was too late. With Jinmen's own tail he lifted it and sliced the demon's head clean off. All at once Akira felt the opposition fall apart and the strength of his vanquished combatant transfer into his own.

For a moment it was like he was suspended in time at last letting his form relax. He breathed in and out a few times, but he wasn't done, not just yet. Using the turtle's tail once more he dove it into the shell of the deceased demon's back. He raked it through cutting the shell right down the middle. It was like a flush of warm vapor came spilling out of the wound. Akira watched it twirl and dance loosely into the air. At times he could make out the faces of those that had fallen to the devil so many times before and now after all this time they were free for good. This blissful moment of accomplishment couldn't go on forever and Akira was alerted to that fact as he noticed the devil's body was starting to flood with water and sink.

Devilman detached himself from the worthless body, only keeping the power he had obtained from it as he took off into the sky. Before he had left the island sized turtle he swept down and grasped his motorcycle to take with him. He flew back to the mainland only glancing back once to see the demon had all but been swallowed up by the ocean.

When Akira had made it back, he landed where he knew no other people would be. He turned back into his human shape and was finally back on track to meet his parents. He sped down the road hellbent on being there for them.