Miles above the ground and scattered with obscuring clouds, Akira still knew exactly when to land and where. It was the muscle memory of several lifetimes recalling every nook and cranny of his army's hideout. On impulse, he pulled his wings in and gracefully descended close to the main entryway. Before completely meeting it however he did a thorough once over, making sure there had been no followers. When he was sure he was alone he slipped his way into the tunnel and shrunk himself back down to his human size.
The maze he walked through was still familiar to him, he breezed through it in nearly half the time it took most others. When he, at last, made it to the great hall he was flushed with ease seeing his men and loved ones inside all safely tucked away. Upon his presence, he heard an uproar of cheer call out in his honor.
He smiled at them as we passed by all the familiar and comforting faces. He hadn't even made it halfway in when suddenly he was nearly knocked to the floor in a huge encompassing hug. His parents had rushed him and taken him into their arms without a moment's hesitation.
"Oh Akira…"
"Thank goodness you're alright, son," his parents exclaimed.
The devilman slowly became accustomed to the fondness of his new company, his mind was still set in a war-driven and militant manner, but that was slowly beginning to evaporate. It took many moments but soon he settled and returned the gesture of his loved ones. Releasing an earnest sigh of relief.
"I was more worried about you guys," Akira spoke and soon his eyes met the others as he displayed his gratefulness to them all. He couldn't help but notice, however, that one was missing. He didn't panic though, he knew she was there, he felt her, he just didn't know where.
"Has anyone seen Miki?" he questioned, his vision overlooking the crowd.
"I'm over here!" her voice met his ears like velvety petals. He turned to see her and Tako both sprinting towards him. He caught her tightly in his arms and twirled her around a time or two. The reunion was finished off with a light kiss on the gleeful girl's cheek. He could feel the plumpness of her smile on those rosy cheeks and in turn, it livened his own features.
"I'm so glad you all made it here safely," the devilman announced to his friends, family, and troops still hugging his lover. They celebrated his presence with joyous applause. Pulling away from Miki but keeping her hand in his own, he balled up his free fist and displayed a confident smirk.
"And now that we're all here, the real fun can begin!"
In speaking that sentence Miki could see Akira's devilish side become excited with his fangs showing through more distinctly. This seemed to get an eager stir going through the rest of the devilmen as well.
"Our next course of action is to find Satan. We need to track him down and when at last we catch him, he'll be all mine. The rest of you can do what you will with the rest of his disgusting lackies, but his punishment will be delivered by myself alone," Akira appeared tickled by the thought. A huge acclimation followed the statement with each and every one of the hybrids jumping up giddily. It was like watching a group of children await a treat they just couldn't contain themselves from.
Miki glanced at the other humans. They were listening but seemed unsure of how to react or what they were even expected to do. The witch couldn't help but feel similar.
"Commander, how do we plan to chase down Satan?" one of the devilmen asked.
There was another spark of excitement in the devilman's eyes as if waiting for someone to pose such a question.
"That you'll leave up to me and Miki," he turned to her in confidence. He may have appeared sure, but she couldn't help but feel completely lost. He picked up on this and with a motion of his hand he assured her he would clarify later.
"We'll instruct you where to go and when to act. Don't worry, we have the advantage this time around. We have the resources, willpower, and more people on our side than ever. We'll get back at those demons, I swear. We'll get back at them for every time they made us suffer, for every time we had to watch our loved ones be killed, for every time we had to slog through Hell!" Akira growled with the ferocity of countless tortures.
The others appeared to share this same reaction as they jumped up to howl along with their leader.
"Get the patrol going, we need troops to ensure constant security around our base. Everyone else, sit tight until we complete our plans," Akira finished with a sure nod of his head. His army heeded his instructions diligently as they all began moving into place. Miki felt Akira pull her hand as he started to lead her away. She also noticed him signaling to the Buddhist priests, seeming to request their company as well. They followed, not stalling for even a moment. Before Miki knew it, it was her, Akira, Tako, and the priests all making their way to that separate room where she had performed her meditation. They entered the room unaware of the suspicious eyes that watched them.
"Alright, I've gathered the four of us because we have the best chance of pinpointing Satan's location. Once we find him and slaughter him this war will at long last be ours," he gripped his hand.
"That sounds promising Akira sir, but what of the wrath of God?" the Buddhist priests queried.
The devilman commander seemed a little put off guard by the question. His brow knit together curiously.
"What about it?"
"Terminating Satan alone is difficult enough, now fighting off the might of God almost seems impossible. If God is not defeated as well, we run the risk of resetting the world either way, making our efforts pointless."
A hush came over the small gathering. The leader crossed his arms and wore a contemplated face. He didn't seem all too thrilled with the reminder. Thoughtfully and with a lump in his chest he pondered on the situation. Miki watched him feeling an uncomfortable thought creep into her mind. She didn't want to speak it, knowing how unfavorable it might come off, but even still she couldn't help but feel the words form in her mouth.
"Well," she started steadily. "What if we don't kill Satan immediately, what if we kept him around long enough to find out God's weaknesses?"
Like a whip, Akira spun around to face her, "No never! There's no way that sadistic monster should live another second!"
Miki recoiled slightly upon taking the sudden and rash reaction. Seeing her like that instantly brought Akira back to his senses.
"I-I'm sorry Miki, I didn't mean to sound like that with you," he ashamedly sunk. "But you have to understand, we have to kill Satan, there are no two ways about it. He's the reason we all perish."
The girl in question grimaced, "Yeah, I know but what else are we gonna do? Doesn't he also fall to God, isn't that why the time resets in the first place? If we have a common enemy maybe, we could work together-"
"No, absolutely not Miki! I'm not putting you all in jeopardy by having him around! He wants nothing more than to hurt me, don't you understand? He wants to destroy all of you because he wants to see me crawl back to him so he can use me again, I refuse!" the devilman iterated vigorously. "We'll think of something else; I'll see to it."
The air in the room had become stifling. Miki's face had become hot as she locked eyes with her avoidant partner. Her brow creased as her frustration pooled onto her features.
"Well, what else would you like to do then?" She did not raise her voice but there was an evident bluntness to her tone. Akira heard this and at last laid his gaze on her once more. His features softened modestly. He could see the agitation that buzzed just under her skin. He signed, speaking silently to her through his eyes he showed his regret and his partial compliance. She could understand this, and from his compromise she made her own, relaxing her tension she opened her mouth again.
"What would you like for me to do?" she asked gently but no less serious.
The leader waited a moment, taking the brunt of all their stares for a few critical seconds.
"Just see if you can track him. We have to at least know where he is. The monks can help you search."
Miki nodded her head to the devilmen in question, they all appearing just as ready. Everything was in place and yet before the witch could make another inch forward, she noticed Akira staring grimly out the room's door, his arms crossed stoutly over his chest. She could tell the stress he put on himself for everyone else, even if he never verbally spoke it, she could see it.
The girl didn't even realize how long she had been watching him until he suddenly tensed his body. He was noticing something, what it was, seemed to be just beyond that door frame. Now that he was alert, Miki also couldn't help but sense something herself. It wasn't anything bad, and come to think of it, it was familiar, so familiar in fact she hadn't given it any thought.
"Come out, I know you've been eavesdropping," Akira spoke like a disappointed father.
From the shadows shuffled out the figure of Wamu. He looked on at the leader with a displeased look.
"I couldn't help but notice you don't seem to have a plan for the rest of us. What are we humans supposed to do? Just cower back in fear, pleading the rest of you will save us, huh? I didn't come all this way to be babied. I came to help fight!" Wamu spoke vehemently.
Akira looked back at him for a good long while with a motionless face. Miki was, in all honestly, surprised how much thought he was giving a request she once desperately had to convince him of.
"We'll think of something for you guys to do."
The commander didn't seem to put too much emotion into the response. He continued to walk, heading to exit the room, but before he left completely, he turned to look the gang leader right in the eye.
"Because you're right, I can't just keep you all down here forever," with those parting words he carried on. Miki was left wondering what exactly he was considering, it was hard enough getting him to allow her to help, and she had to spend so much time practicing her craft. It baffled her what he would ever allow the rest of the humans to do.
Just then he stopped and partially turned his head back. Miki couldn't see his face, but she could tell he was acknowledging those who were behind him.
"Tako, how about you come with me and Wamu's gang? We'll see if we can come up with something for them all to do," Akira instructed.
Tako who had been patiently waiting amongst the others, quickly flew up to meet up with his summoner. Wamu in a slight daze of shock shared a glance with Miki, who appeared just as unsure himself. This moment didn't last, however, as Akira's voice broke through the confusion.
"Are you coming, Wamu?" he said still staring forward. The gang leader seemed suspended in the moment for some crucial seconds, but before he knew it, he was overcoming this sensation. He threw on a determined smirk as he followed after the devilman and called to the rest of his boys.
Miki wasn't sure what to make of the situation. Curiosity ate her alive. How badly she wanted to go after them and see what was up, but she was left to sit and speculate.
The first thing to draw her out of this state was the sound of the Monks gently coaxing her back to the task.
"Ms. Makimura, would we like to begin our search?"
She stumbled for a moment; she heard what they said but there was a slight delay in her reaction.
"O-oh yes of course. I'm sorry to keep you all waiting."
"It's no trouble at all. Now, let us start with-"
The devilmen were cut off by a slight knocking on the doorway. Whirling her head around Miki instantly caught eyes with Miko. Her rigid features were as serious as ever, and yet they were softened towards her friend. A common trait she had noticed about devilmen.
"I'm sorry, am I interrupting?"
"Huh, oh no, you're okay we haven't started just yet," the witch explained. "What is it?"
The devil lady slunk against the entryway; she seemed casual yet dubious.
"I was just wondering what Akira and the gang were up to. Mayuta went along with them. He's pretty eager to go along with whatever it is."
"I don't know, Akira didn't tell me. He just wanted all of them to come with him and Tako. I'm sure it's nothing bad though, he's probably gonna give them a task to do. Wamu was pretty antsy to help out in some way and I'm sure Kukun is too," she reassured with a smile.
Miko's face remained stagnant with only a nod of understanding, "I see. So, what are you guys doing?"
Miki was a tad reluctant to answer. She trusted Miko, but she knew how enraged the devilman tended to get when Satan was mentioned. Regardless the girl swallowed her woes and began.
"Akira wanted us to see if we could track down Satan. He wants to destroy him as soon as possible. I figure he just wants one last thing to worry about," she shrugged. Deep down however Miki knew that wasn't the main reason. The truth was much darker than that, as much as she didn't like to think about it, Akira had a nasty hatred inside him. It worried her, but she hoped that somewhere within him that sweet and forgiving boy somehow would prevail.
"Hmm, I wonder what they could be doing then?" Miko asked somewhat disinterestedly. "Well, if you could use any help, I have nothing to do."
Miki's warm and rosy cheeks grew into a smile. She shared a confirming look with the Monks before, welcoming Miko to stay.
"Yeah, you can stay with us, the more the merrier after all," she kindly spoke.
Miko couldn't resist the small simper that came over her as she entered the room and sat down amongst the others. She peacefully aided in their meditation as Miki and the monks, at last, began their search for the unholy lord.
Walking along the darkened corridors Akira walked ahead of the humans. To the devilman this was a simple and easy feat, but to those behind him, if not for the light of Tako's tail, they would be sorely lost.
"So how much further we gotta go, yo?" Gabi piped up.
"Not too much further, it should just be around this next corner," he answered, continuing to face forward.
Tako's eyes fidgeted, he recalled where they were going from the timelines before. If what he predicted came to pass, Tako had to admit he was shocked Akira would take such a risk so soon. He flew close to Akira, resting on his shoulder much like a parrot.
"Akira, are you sure you want to try this on them so soon? It was only experimental before," Tako murmured.
"We were desperate for men before; we have more time now. This could work, if nothing else they'll be able to defend themselves better and survive without us having to keep watch over them. They could actually make themselves useful to us, we have to at least try," the leader explained.
The cat accepted his reasonings and asked no further questions. When the group finally came to the end of their short journey they entered a new room. It was large but not to the extent of the great hall. It was almost completely barren, all except for a few broken bottles and the shattered glass those left behind. Akira simply kicked the stray glass aside and motioned for Tako to begin something the rest of the group was still lost on. The cat flew around and began to light the candles that were mounted to the walls, allowing the humans a better scope of their surroundings. They waited and watched for a moment until Wamu, at last, broke the stifling silence.
"Yo so, what are we supposed to be doing in here?" the young man queried. Akira didn't act as if he heard him, despite being in direct earshot. Instead, he shuffled through the rubbish that accumulated in the room's corners and pulled out a piece of discarded chalk. He returned to the center of the room and began to draw out something on the floor. Tako guided his exact movements, making sure everything was just as it should be.
By the time he was done, drawn there on the floor was some kind of pentagram. He tossed aside the chalk as he rose back up. The gang looked confused whereas the commander rolled over them in deep musing. He targeted Hie particularly, sending him a deathly glare.
"What is this?" Wamu attempted to ask again. At last, Akira reciprocated his contact, and with a calm smirk, he replied.
"This is a portal, or at least it will be when Tako and I are finished with it."
There was a hushed murmur of discomfort that came over the group. Wamu's eyes grew wide for a moment, already having a sinking feeling about what kind of portal this would be. He hesitated to ask but knew he could not avoid the question.
"A portal to where?" his voice quivered.
Akira's face remained collected and his voice was hauntingly mellow when he spoke again.
"It's a portal to Hell, and you guys are gonna help me figure out what it takes to deliberately become a devilman."