The weight of the world around the devilman was stifling. He stared down the devil before him as it chastised and derided his name.

"Come now Amon, you promised me a fight!"

He punched him right in his daze-stricken face. Akira didn't prepare for the attack at all; despite seeing it coming, his shock was just too much. He could hear him coming still, he forced himself out of his mindset and faced the demon. It may not have made sense, but he did know he had to protect his parents at all costs.

Akira stiffed his muscles and came charging at the imposing creature. They struggled between themselves in their scuffle. Devilman wasn't there to play games, but it seemed his opponent couldn't get enough of the thrill and excitement of the battle.

"Yes finally, show me your true power. I want to see what all those demons were raving about centuries ago; I want to see what made you so special!"

His rival didn't give him much mind. He couldn't care less what his reasonings were, he just needed him dead. After taking on quite a few blows and scrapes, Akira managed to grasp the creature by the throat. He squeezed without mercy until it popped, coating his hand in blood.

Akira's breaths came hefty. He waited in place, making sure this time there was no way he could recover. He noticed another one of the beastia's tails fell off, this time he was much curiouser about it. Even more notably just as that had happened, Akira could see the general's neck rapidly begin to reconstruct itself. It looked absolutely impossible, but there it was.

The next thing the devilman knew he felt the feline's strong back legs come up to kick him away. His claws left oozing scratches along Akira's stomach, but even with that, the young fighter didn't have time to linger on his own wounds. He came back to his feet and held his ground as the general started to circle him.

He hummed amusingly as he eyed Akira with a curt stare, "Hmm, seems your power isn't so great against a being who is practically immortal. Each and every one of my tails is a life. A life I took as my own, and now I will take yours and those two humans there as well!"

Akira's fangs came together, he didn't need any more explanation, nor did he care to. All he wanted to do, all he needed to do was kill him, kill him once and for all, and he did. He did so over, and over, and over again. In countless many ways and countless many scenarios, but the task was becoming daunting. Devilman was becoming increasingly exhausted from this fruitless battle and had made almost no progress.

Atrocious laughed harder and louder the longer this went on, "You truly are pathetic Amon. I can't believe it all really just was an act!"

The blue fighter was becoming wobbly on his feet, but still attempted to swing. However, his offenses were overpowered by the generals as he punched him squarely in the face.

"No wonder you ran away and failed us! You damn coward, any of us could have been greater than you!"

Akira's head shook limply, "I-I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Oh, course you wouldn't, you've buried yourself so deep in there how could you remember? Your so ashamed of yourself! And rightfully so," he punctuated his point with another punch.

Akira's vision was becoming dizzy, and his aim was becoming more and more unreliable. Even though all of this his spirit wouldn't let him fall, it could have killed him, but he was determined to die standing.

"You were the one destined to bring our kind to salvation, you were The Devil, shadowing God's might himself. We believed that you know. Our soldiers looked up to you, put their faith in you, believed that you would protect them. We believed in you…" an unusual tone of genuine distraught was present in his voice. It stuck around for only that second, before his voice turned vile once more.

"And then what did you do?" he snarled.

The devilman couldn't talk, all that came from his mouth was his own blood. He spit it out but couldn't manage more than that.

"What did you do!?" he roared, pushing Akira back against the wall with his hand on his throat.

For a split-second, flashes of what were once things Akira had only witnessed in his nightmares came to the forefront of his mind. He was staring between a massive army of devils sweeping almost all across the Earth, and an encompassing void of light. He was in the middle of these two sides; these two tidal waves set to crash. He knew he was meant to do something, as much as Akira hated it, his heart went out to the demons. Though perhaps it wasn't his heart that ached this way.

Looking on he was supposed to protect them to save them, but something got in the way. Something familiar, something he deeply despised with his every being. Even in his dreams, the sight of Satan was a bitter, conflicting view. For whatever reason, he pursued the angelic being, he went to fight him, to end him, and left behind the rest. A sinking dreadful lump was left in the pit of his core as the vision slowly began to fade and he found himself once more at the general's mercy.

"You abandoned us…"

Akira felt the demon's fist press harder on his throat. His consciousness was flimsy, and his mind was still very much clouded. It was becoming harder for him to decipher the real world from a dream. His body felt looser as the air came harder. Steadily he felt as though he was falling backwards, falling into a deep sleep.

Despite his internal struggle externally something was changing. The physical form of Devilman was starting to shift ever so slightly, he became sharper and much more shadow-like. General Atrocious noticed this as well, and seeing it before him for the first time killed his confidence. He seemed startled and tried even harder to suffocate his opponent, but that attempt would not last.

A brawnier hand came to clasp down on the general's wrist. It was like the devilman suddenly had a new life to him, a new strength. Looking into his eyes the demonic cat could see they were not the same, they had a familiar yellowish glow to them the devil knew far too well.

The once Devilman could smell the fear in the general, and rightfully so.

General Atrocious slowly shook his head and began to stutter, "N-no, it can't be! It can't be you…"

No response was needed, the only sound that filled the room was the sharp snapping of the demon's wrist and his howl of pain after. With this newfound power, this being rammed his opponent back so far he went crashing to the concrete floor. A halo of cracks formed around the general's head decorating the floor surrounding him. The heavy talons of this beast pushed the panicking feline in place, keeping securely in one area. He tried to claw and kick at the legend but his little scratches were like that of a kitten's on his enemy.

"Why are you doing this! I am one of your own, we were allies!" he tried to beg.

The bright, yet shrouded eyes of the now much larger devil stared down at him like that of daggers. They were stern, unflinching, and cold as was his voice.

"You were never an ally of mine, nor that of demonkind."

Atrocious felt his blood freeze and his heart stop in place. The next thing he knew he could see his rival open his jaws revealing his intimidating fangs and a worrying glow at the back of his throat. The general's fur stood on end, knowing there was no running for him.

It came so fast and so fierce there was no pain at first. His tails burned up one after another at an alarming rate. When finally the undeniable feeling came back to him it was scorching, like the sun itself was falling on top of him. This relentless ray of broiling heat, directed straight at him, ate up his centuries of lives like nothing. He could feel his power diminishing and the true end of his existence drawing nearer.

"N-no, p-please, please!" it was all the general could muster. As a matter of fact, it would prove to be the last thing he'd ever speak.

When at last his final tail had been destroyed the rest of the demon's body went along with it. There was almost nothing left of him aside from a now coal-black skeleton with the skin burned into it, and his face forever frozen into a scream.

The deadly ray of molten heat lastly began to calm down, as the once Devilman closed his mouth once again. He threw down the carcass with no care, as he caught his breath.

Not far away, the terrified couple clung to one another as they witnessed firsthand the power of this creature that had taken hold of their son. The two of them would have turned and run long ago, but Reijiro's leg had been damaged in the fall, making his movement difficult. Their stunned shock didn't help either, but now they couldn't stall any longer. Kaori struggled to help her husband up as they leaned on each other to try and get away. Their sudden stirring didn't go unnoticed as the remaining devil turned to view them.

He could feel the horror they expressed, and see the devastation on their faces. Witnessing this, deep in the pit of his soul, something mourned.

The great being shut his eyes, and slowly his body started to shift once more. His edges dulled themselves out and his form started to shrink into the familiar outline of Devilman. To the two cowering humans, the transformation was noticeable but not the least bit comforting. The creature they saw before them simply was not their son. Not a trace of him was left; and as they struggled to try and rush away, Akira was coming too.

His head was fuzzy, and he wasn't sure what exactly happened. All he knew was this: that demon was dead, that he could make out his parents, and the fact that they were running away started to come to him. It felt like his heart had endured a lashing as he saw their desperate attempts to escape, to escape from him.

He shook his head as the crushing feeling cased his chest. No matter how he felt, he had to suck up his hurt and go after them. Their sudden resurgence of fright at seeing him in pursuit was not unexpected but still disappointing.

"No, stop, don't be afraid! It's me, It's Akira! I'm your son!" he harrowingly tried to explain as he caught up to them.

Anything he said didn't seem to stick with them. The devilman couldn't even blame them though, with the circumstances and how scared they were, he couldn't expect them to understand immediately. He hated to hear them scream, but the limited time they had already was depleting far too fast. He scooped them up ignoring their shrieks and pleads and started to rush them out of the building.

When sunlight met his eyes, it took a moment for him to see but he could hear the impending threat before he saw it. The sound of gunfire enclosed him and instinctively he covered his parents with his arms. His sight adjusted quick enough for him to avoid the bullets as he spread his wings to take off. He swooped low enough to grab up his motorcycle in his talons and as soon as he had everything he came for, he flew higher and higher into the sky. He was nicked a few times by the military's ammunition, but soon he was far enough away it was no longer a concern.

His parents were shivering in his arms, as well as each other. He could hear them sputter in distress but couldn't make out clear words. He wanted to ease them and let them know it would be okay, but he worried they still wouldn't really listen to him. Regardless, he had to try. He had to try and break it to them.

"Mom, Dad, it'll be okay. I'm going to protect you. I promise it's me, I still have the heart of a human, just the body of a demon!"

His attempts to explain fell on deaf ears, much to his expectations. They were too far in a panic to be reasoned with. He figured all he could do was get them to safety and break it to them slower there.

Looking ahead, his target was not far. The Makimura's was just in reach, and seeing it gave him some sense of solace. Once there, he could protect everyone he needed to in one spot. The prospect was so inviting he flew even faster. Just as he was practically diving over the house, he could see another group coming near. Initially, his guard went up, but on closer inspection, it was exactly who he was needing.

"Miko," Akira said gratefully under his breath. He could see she had the rest of Wamu's gang with her much to his appreciation. All except for one, but that person would have to be dealt with later.

Swooping in, Akira placed his bike down in front of the house and continued into a sprint towards the home as he shifted to his human form. He got his still stunned parents inside and left the door open for Miko and the rest. Once Akira made sure everybody was safely inside, he slammed the door shut and locked it tight.

He took a breath and leaned his forehead against the door for just a moment, allowing his head to catch up with his body before facing the chaos again. He could hear behind him all the commotion, the sounds of people's exasperation and endless questions.

"Miki, who's place is this?" Kukun asked. The rest of the gang unanimously questioned along with him.

"It's a long story, it's a friend's house. We'll all be safe here," she answered soothingly.

"Kaori, Reijiro, are you both alright?" the sound of Mrs. Makimura's voice was tender and soft.

"Do either of you know what's going on?" Noel gently tried to probe. The Fudo's were still all too flustered to rationally speak, but their gazes stayed strictly to their son.

Taro, who had been sticking close to his own parents, came out to see what all was going on himself. He glanced between Miko and Akira, searching for clues himself. Miko made quick eye contact with him to stay under wraps as she anxiously waited to hear what Akira would order next.

Finally, after resting himself for only a minute, Akira could feel each and every eye land on him. He knew he couldn't wait any longer. Everyone there looked to him, and they needed him now more than ever. He gulped and steadily turned about to face everyone.

It was deathly quiet. The tension could be felt all the way to the devilman's heart. He glanced around the room taking note of everyone's lost expressions, especially those of his devastated parents. Theirs was almost too much to handle, he could see their tear-soaked faces and feel it lightly leaking onto his own.

"What are you? What are you and what have you done with my son!?" Kaori, at last, broke her silence. Her husband held her close and stared at the devilman with the same scornful eyes.

Akira rose his arms in an unthreatening manner. He could feel the suspension immediately arise amongst the group towards him and see the concern in Miko and Taro's eyes.

"Alright, I know everything is confusing and you're all scared, but I promise you, I'm doing everything in my power to protect you all-"

"What are you!?" his mother's cracking voice demanded once more. Akira felt knocked off place hearing her grief, his stern face fell somewhat but he tried to keep going.

"It's me, I'm Akira Fudo, I'm your son, but I'm also a Devilman-"

"A what!?" Wumu cut in, dismissing his explanation. Akira felt the tightness of the room worsen, and all the people he cared for and loved begin to pull away from him.

Wamu was especially becoming defensive. The image of one of his closest friends being ripped apart and horrendously killed still fresh in his memory.

"Please, please you have to trust me. A devilman is someone that has the body of a demon but the heart of a human. All those others you see were demons, not devilmen. It's the demons that are causing this attack and trying to frighten everyone!"

"Bullshit! What makes you so different from all those others that tried to kill us!" Wumu continued to press.

"Please, I'm telling the truth. I know you don't remember me, but I was the kid in the boat that day you ran into Miki Makimura. I'm still the same person!" he now directed his confession to the gang leader.

"Akira what is the meaning of this?" he heard Noel's voice sound, clearly becoming agitated by the events and the discourse in his house. He could see Mrs. Makimura begin to recoil at the sight of him as well. More and more of his surrounding allies were becoming hesitant and he could feel it. He was losing ground and losing control. His own feet started to back away now as he heard their voices all around him, pressing him. The devilman took hold of his head and tried to shut it out.

Miko and Taro watched as if on pins and needles as their gaze darted between Akira and each other.

"Hey Miki, maybe it's best we leave. This guy sounds dangerous," Kukun whispered in her ear. Hearing that come from his mouth was her final straw. She glanced over at him with a hurt expression, one he could not fathom.

"What's wrong?" he asked befuddled. She didn't reply back in words, instead, she made her way next to Akira's side catching his attention. Steadily his arms lowered allowing her to take hold of his hand and hold her ground beside him. Not long after, Akira felt his other hand be taken by a much smaller one. He wasn't surprised when he saw Taro on his other side, being as brave as any devilman before him.

Feeling both of them there with him raised his spirits once more. It reminded him of his goal, for who he fought for, and why.

"We are not your enemies; we are here to protect you. This whole time all we've done is do everything in our power to keep you all safe!" Akira spoke out with vigor.

The group seemed entranced, it was a chilling mix of surprise, concern, and distraught. None of the devilmen were all too comfortable with it and when the next voice came it confirmed their worries.

"So you're saying we've all been led here by you guys? All of you are like this!?" Gabi broke his silence.

The devilmen fidgeted back, now feeling more othered than ever.

"We've been lured in right where they want us!" the other gang members protested. It was clear the family members were also distressed. Taro could see the look on his mother's face, as she clasped her hand over her mouth staring at him with watery eyes. Miko wasn't fairing much better herself, she could see Kukun and how much he clearly didn't want to believe what he was hearing. He didn't jump in like the rest of his friends, only stayed put and kept his view on Miko.

"I'm sure there has to be another explanation," Noel attempted to ease the group, but the fear was already running too high, even for him.

"And if there's not, we're dead!" Wamu added in.

Their comments were piling up, their debates becoming more heated, the smell of fright was inescapable. The devilmen felt more and more backed into a corner, that feeling only becoming that much worse when Akira could hear the click of a gun. One pointed directly at him. Hie had been quiet the whole time, but only now did he let it be known his severity. It was all like before, only somehow even that much worse, he had struggled so hard to protect these people, only to end up with them fearing him.

The parents audibly gasped their disapproval with a gun being pointed at their children, but the situation was already far too serious. As much as they hated to see it, they themselves couldn't tell if these beings were even their kids any longer.

"No, I swear, we're not demons, if you kill us, you'll all be in danger!" Akira attempted to reason one more time. He moved his hands from his friends and instead placed his arms around them defensively.

He heard all their words at once, some in objection and others in support, it was all too much to decipher. All Akira could do was hold his own and hope for a miracle, and it seemed for once, that hope would pay off.

He could hear the light pitter-patter of feet coming down the stairs, they sounded frail but encouraged. His eyes glanced up to better glance at what this was, and when he saw her an unbelievable mix of emotions enveloped him. He was so happy to see her but her condition appeared worsening. She held Tako in her arms who somehow looked more worn out than her. All the others noticed her approaching as well, coming off as rightfully worried.

"Miki, stay back! We don't know if it's safe," her mother whimpered.

Miki heard her mother's plight and with a shrimpy smile, she reassured her. The girl continued on her way and much to the shock of the humans and relief of the devilmen she stood strong with Akira and the rest.

"There's no need to be afraid. If it wasn't for Akira, Miko, and Taro we would all be in grave danger. They've been risking their lives to protect us, and I know they've saved mine multiple times. They're still the same people they've always been: friends, a brother, a son, a dear loved one. They haven't changed. I believe in them..." the young witch said weakly but firmly. Her expression of defense brought all the humans to a hush.

Her head now turned to address Akira himself. She looked up into his eyes, and with the utmost pure sincerity, she opened her mouth once more.

"… I'll always believe in you."