Chapter 20: The Last Words of Suman Dark

"Once you begin 'The Fall' you can't be helped." Komui begins as he switches the phone to hear other ear. Lenalee called her brother after saving the little girl to ask him about the 'The Fall'. "The Fallen continues to destroy until they die, or... they're killed by Akuma from the outside. You simply can't save one who has 'Fallen'."

"That's a lie..." Lenalee says from the other side of the call.

"It's not a lie. Calm down and listen carefully, Lenalee." As Komui continues to talk to Lenalee through the phone, Johnny places a hand on Reever's shoulder and he looks at the bespectacled scientist.

"Squad Leader Reever, Suman has 'Fallen'? What do you mean?" Johnny asks.

"Johnny," Reever says. "It's when the Innocence goes on a rampage. When it happens," he faces forward, staring ahead. "Within 24 hours, the body is taken in by the Innocence and is destroyed."

Johnny looks at Reever with terror.

"'The Fall' is something that only a few of us know about." Reever adds as another scientist begins to speak to him.

"What will happen... to Suman!?" Johnny interrupts.

No one, even Reever, answers Johnny sudden question.

"I... I've play chess with Suman a few times before. You know how our rooms are close to each other's. Right now, I've got 38 wins and seven losses against him... He seems to be aggravated that he loses to me so much, so when we would see each other in the cafeteria he would ignore me. Even right after he returns from a mission, he comes to play chess." Johnny tells them with his voice shaking.

Tears then begin to stream down his face and he forces a small laugh.

"But actually, I knew... He... was lonely." He sniffs and asks again. "What's going to happen to Suman...?"

"I told you." Reever says. "He's going to die."

Johnny falls silent and the room is once again filled with Komui's voice.

"If 'The Fall' ends, Suman's Innocence will return to its normal form. Retrieve the Innocence before the Akuma do." Komui orders. There is a small silence from Lenalee.

"What does that mean? Brother." Lenalee says. "ARE YOU TELLING ME TO WATCH HIM DIE!?" She asks, incensed.

A Komui silence answer her question and she is silent again.

"Retrieve the Innocence." Komui repeats. "This is an order from the Church. What if Suman's Innocence is the 'Heart'? Do you not understand that?"

"He's our companion..." Lenalee argues.

"Suman might not think that way anymore."

"What do you mean...?"

"This is confidential, but... There's a possibly that Suman betrayed the Church. Remember the other day when the Church suffered more than 100 deaths? Right before that, there seemed to be a message to the communication group. It said: 'Give me the names of all the Exorcists that exist right now and give me the information on all the finders.'" Komui informs Lenalee. "There is a lock on the communication golems that allows only the voice of the holder of the golem to use it. We traced and found out it belonged to Suman. And the one who used it was Suman. Usually it's not strange for an Exorcist outside to ask information about his companions. The communication group told him the information without talking to the command room... and right after that, our companions were attacked. Of course, there was no proof that he gave the information to the enemy, but there is a possibility. And now 'The Fall'. If he asks for mercy from the enemy and betrayed the Church, everything would make sense. Suman betrayed God."

"That's a lie..." Lenalee denies as she cries. "That's impossible. That's... a lie."


Back in China

Allen is still holding Suman back and in return, Suman continues to push him against him. Alice stands next to Allen, holding tightly to him.

"Please stop, Suman. I beg of you. Don't get caught up in the Innocence. You want to live so much before! I saw a young girl in your memory. As a compatible person, it was the last memory of your daughter." Alice pleads. "'You don't want to join the Church'. But you chose to join the church so that there would be money to help your daughter, who had an incurable disease. You don't want to die. You were supposed to have left, to never see her again, but you yearned for your family. You sold our companion's just so you could live on."

When Alice didn't hear a response from Suman, she grits her teeth tightly before speaking.

"DIDN'T YOU WANT TO LIVE, SUMAN!?" She yells and this makes Suman falter when she then faces Allen. "The Innocence is on Suman's right arm... You have to cut his right arm along with it, Allen."

Allen nods and says, "Even if he loses an arm, he'll live."

"I believe he wants to live. You have to do it, Allen."

"HERE WE GO, INNOCENCE..." Allen shouts, but suddenly his invocation gives out, his arm cracking.

"Allen... did you hear that?" Alice asks him as she stares at his arm. Then Allen's fingers begin to contort unnaturally and he screams out in pain. Alice covers her ears from Allen's sudden scream. Not knowing what to do, she watches Allen screams in agony.

'It hurts. It hurts. IT HURTS! IT HURTS!' Allen repeats in his head. "SOMEONE...!"

Overhead, without Allen to stop it, Suman's Fallen One form recovers and continues its attack on the village, killing the people within it. Allen collapses in pain and Alice runs over to him. She falls to the ground next to him, trying to see what she can try to do to stop his pain.

"Sto...p..." Allen begs quietly, his voice almost inaudible.

Suman doesn't stop until he sees a child in the village below calling out his father.

"Dad." The child calls out repeatedly to the body of his father. Tears streams down the child's face.

Reminding Suman of his own daughter and the time when he left his family to join the Church. His wife was on the ground, weeping into her hands and his daughter, a few feet away from her crying mother, watching his leave. Suman could only offer a small smile to his crying daughter as she begging not the leave. Remembering, Suman's tears falls down his face as he calls out his beloved daughter's name.

"Jaime..." Suman calls out.

Suddenly, Suman's time runs out and his Fallen One form begins to deteriorating. Both Allen and Alice look up at the crumbling torso in shock.

"Suman...?" Allen calls.

"It's breaking apart...? Why...?" Alice asks.

"Suman is..." Allen attempts to go to him, his arm is wracked once again with debilitating pain.

"Don't push yourself!" Alice tells him as she gets up on her feet. "I'll go see if I can get Suman... Wait here, Allen!"

Allen watches Alice go and then stares at is arm.

'My left hand... won't make it.' Allen thought. "It hurts and it's harsh. It's painful and sad. I can't... fight anymore. I can't do anything."

Just as Allen starts to give up, Timcanpy arrives and smacks Allen.

"Timcanpy." Allen says as he stares at the golden golem. When Allen shows no signs of trying, Timcanpy bites his ear and Allen yelps in pain.

"Wha-what are you—?" Allen asks, but Timcanpy bares his teeth in Allen's face. "... Huh? Wait, are you... mad at me...?"

Timcanpy opens his mouth wide.

"UAHHHH! Sorry! Okay! I'm sorry!" Allen apologizes quickly. "I'LL TRY!"

After shouting that he will try to do what he can, both him and Timcanpy calm down.

"I'll try..." Allen smiles and pushes himself off the ground. "Let's go help Alice...!"


Alice reaches to where Suman's human body is and sees him crying.

"Suman!" Alice calls and Suman looks up.

"Exor... cist." Suman replies.

Alice smiles and climbs closer to him.

"I'm Alice" She introduces with a smile.

"Weren't there... two of you?" Suman asks as he watches the female Exorcist get closer and Alice nods.

"He's—" She begins, but stops when she hears a voice calling her name.

"Alice!"

Alice turns and with eyes wide, faces Allen, who obviously is having difficulty climbing.

"Allen!?" Alice says as she reaches for his hand and pulls him up. "I thought I told you not to push yourself..."

"Sorry... But no matter what, I need to be here. I want to try." Allen replies as he turns, facing Suman. "Suman... We're here to help. I'm Allen."

Suman stares at the two Exorcists before looking down.

"My life... will end soon. I'm going to die... This monster will... probably disappear too." Suman says. "I'm sorry... I wanted to see my family. Forgive me." He apologizes with a smile.

Allen grits his teeth as he raises his left arm, then forces the invocation of Cross, even though it is breaking down.

"Suman. I'm going to amputate the Innocence in your right arm from you, using my Innocence. I'll be able to pull you out then... But my left hand is broken and it has no strength." Allen tells Suman.

"I'll pull him out." Alice says and looks at Allen. "Although I don't know if I'll be able to pull him out myself..." She glances at Allen's left hand.

Allen nods and smiles at her before facing Suman.

"As Alice pulls, you must bite my hand, and never let go!"

"Allen... Walker..." Suman calls, shocked as he looks at Allen then at Alice. "And Alice... Lakefield."

Both Allen and Alice smiles at Suman and instantly, Allen plunges Cross into the space beside Suman's human body, reaching out for Suman's Innocence. Suddenly, Allen begins to scream in pain.

"...Ah... Stop..." Suman begs as he glances at Alice, who can't do nothing, but wait for Allen's signal to pull. He then turns to Allen. "It'll take your life!"

"A—H!" Allen screams.

"Stop... I killed them... I killed my friends and all those people... Stop it already!" Suman pleads again, but falls silent when Allen extends his right hand to him.

"I-I'm... I'm alive..." Allen tells Suman. "I pray that the people around me... will be happy. I... I'm... wishing for y-y-your... happiness."

Crying, Suman bites down on Allen's hand and holds on. Alice, upon seeing Suman's decision, she wraps her arms around Suman's body and pulls.

"I want to live... I WANT TO LIVE!" Suman shouts.

Allen yells as he breaks Suman's connection to his Innocence and completely destroys Suman's Fallen One form. The villagers below watches quietly as the being disappear from the sky.


In the forest below

Allen regains consciousness and feels Timcanpy nudging him. He opens his eyes and sees Alice, lying next to him, unconscious. He lets out a sigh of relief before looking up to see Suman a few feet away from him.

"Suman...?" He calls and smiles when he confirms that is really is Suman. "Suman!"

Happy, Allen begins to crawl toward Suman. Once the male Exorcist is in front of Suman, he places his right hand on his shoulder.

"You're alive... That's great, you're saved! Now you can..." Allen exclaims, but stops when Suman doesn't answers. "Suman...? What's wrong...? Please say something. Suma..."

Allen's eyes widens in shock when he witnesses Suman's eyes drift apart and begins to drool.

'There's no vitality in him. He doesn't talk or respond to me either. There's no soul. He's alive... But his soul's dead.' Allen thoughts as something begin to shine in his hand. He looks down and in his left hand is Suman's Innocence in the form of a shard. His left hand trembles and he begins to cry.

"Why..." Allen says quietly as he lowers his head to the ground before yelling in frustration. "WHY!?"

After thinking about Suman's case, Allen sits up and calls Timcanpy.

"Timcanpy, get Lenalee and the others. This doesn't mean he's dead. He's still alive." Allen tells Timcanpy as he stares at Suman. "We'll take him... back to Headquarters."

Just then, Suman's body begins to form large boil-like growth then results in Suman's body exploding bloodily from the waist up. Allen's eyes widen in disbelief as a hatted man appears behind him.

"Suman...?" Allen calls as he stares down at Suman's bloody remains, then turns around when he feels a presence behind him. He sees a tall, hatted man who only smiles when their eyes meet. "N... Noah...!?"

"Come, 'Teez'." The hatted man commands and Allen can only watch in continued shock as countless butterflies begin to come out of Suman's blood.

The purple and black butterflies with playing cards suits adorning their wings begin to swarm around Allen.

"They came from inside... Suman's body..." Allen says. "What are they...!?"

Then, Tyki orders them to return to him and the butterflies all fly towards him, disappearing into his hands. After all the Teez return to Tyki, he looks at his hand in amusement.

"Well, well... Perhaps you've gotten bigger now." Tyki remarks as a large Teez butterfly grows out of Tyki's hands.

Retaining their butterfly-like appearance, but now bears a skull in the middle of their wings have stripe pattern. He kisses one out of two before speaking.

"Bye-bye, Suman."

"You...!? What did you do...?" Allen asks.

The Noah smile disappears when he takes a closer look at Allen. "What the!? You're... Cheating Boy A?" He says, ignoring Allen's question.

"Huh?" Allen says as he stares at him in confusion.

"Oh, I see. You don't recognize me as I am now." He notes as he gets down to Allen's eye-level. "Actually, could you be Allen Walker?"

Allen responds my backhanding the Noah with his deadened Innocence arm. "CUT THE CRAP! What did you do to Suman...!? DID YOU KILL HIM!? ANSWER ME!"

'His hand... its Innocence.' He notes as he holds the cheek that was backhanded and then chuckles as he cheerfully responds to Allen's question. "He was my enemy... Shouldn't I kill him? Well! Since you didn't run after seeing my power, I'll tell you about it. Oh, mind if I smoke?" The hatted man pulls out a cigarette and exhales.

'Damn it... This sucks. With my body like this, I can't stand up, let alone fight.' Allen thought and glances at Alice. 'Alice still hasn't regained consciousness, but I doubt she's in the condition to fight... Damn it...! If only I was stronger... If I was stronger...'

"This," The man begins as a black and purple butterfly land on his finger. "Is a Teez. A cannibal golem created by The Millennium Earl. It's in butterfly form because of his taste. When these guys eat humans, they breed and multiply. But that's their own ability, not mine. The Teez are just a tool." He then places the cigarette between his lips and raises his hand. "My ability... is this." Without any warning, Tyki shoves his hand through Allen's chest which surprises the Exorcist. "Don't worry, you won't feel any pain." The Noah reassures when he sees Allen's expression. "My body can pass through anything... except for what I want to touch. So let's say that perhaps, while I'm pulling out my hand... I think to myself that I want to touch your heart, boy. Without even making a cut on your body..." Tyki demonstrates by pulling his hand slowly back towards him, but stops when he comes into Allen's heart.

Allen's eyes widens as his heart begins to beat faster.

"I can take a hold of your warm heart, and rip it out. I can take out your heart while you're still alive. How do you think that'll feel?" Tyki asks with a smile. "This is how you're friends died. Boy, will you die too?"

Proving his point, the hatted man then grabs Allen's heart and looks up at Allen's face. Allen gives him a determined, fearless look, not answering which makes the man stare at him in bewilderment. "You ruined my fun." He says, removing his hand from Allen's chest without harming him. "I won't take it. My glove would get dirty anyway. That's why I usually let the Teez eat 'em. Suman cooperated with me a bit. So instead of killing him off, I turned him into a nursery for the Teez... Thanks to him, there are a few more of them." He drops the cigarette and stomps on it. "Too bad, boy. I wanted to play cards with you again," He tells Allen as he pulls out a checkered card and spins it on the tip of his finger. "If we met while I was in my white form. But right now, I'm wandering around killing people who are connected with a certain man."

The checkered card stops spinning and floats in front of Tyki with the checkered side facing Allen.

"Boy, are you 'Allen Walker'?" The hatted Noah asks with an eerie smile. When Allen doesn't answer, he grabs Allen by the throat and asks again. "Tell me, boy. Are you 'Allen Walker'?"

"You~ are~ correct~" The card, Keeper of the Gate: Cell Roron confirms. "This~ guy~ is Allen~ Wal~ ker~"

Cell Roron glances up at the ceiling for his three dimension cell and finds Allen's name.

"De~lete~" Cell Roron says.

The Noah, in response, touches Allen's Innocence arm. "Perhaps your Innocence will kill you." He says as he severs Allen's arm from his body and releases his throat.

Allen helplessly watches in shock as his arm falls to the ground, both severed ends starting to break apart.

"Did you know, boy? We can destroy the Innocence. Both Noah's Family... and the Earl."

"Stop..." Allen says.

"All the Innocence I stole from the dead has already been destroyed. If any of them of the ones I destroyed was the 'Heart', all of the Innocence that you guys have would have been wiped out. That's the sign that it was the right one. I wonder what your Innocence is, boy?" He explains as he looks around and sees Suman's Innocence shard. "That over there... is Suman's Innocence, isn't it? Is Suman's Innocence destroys itself when I demolish your Innocence… it means that yours was the 'Heart', boy."

As Allen screams out for him to stop, the hatted Noah plucks the Cross from Allen's severed arm and crushes it in his hand. He glances at Suman's Innocence, which is still intact.

"What? I missed... Oh, well. My current job is to assassinate all the important people anyways."

"De~lete~" Cell Roron reminds him.

"Okay, okay." The Noah replies as he starts to walk towards Allen.

"Run, Tim..." Allen says as Tyki approaches him. "Take Suman's Innocence and run."

"Timcanpy shakes his head.

"Go." Allen repeats. "If you don't... everyone... will be unable to look for Master. You must go."

After initially refusing to follow Allen's words, Timcanpy takes Suman's Innocence and flies off.

"Woah." Tyki says. "Well, that was a wise decision."

"Thank you Tim..." Allen says. Tyki closes his eyes and orders several Akuma to go after the golden golem.


~Meanwhile~
On Anita's ship

"...What the..." Lavi says as he holds onto a rope for support. "Something... just now, something was sparkling way out there."

"Something bad is happening..." Mahoja notes as she glances at the sky. "The dawn looks as though it is spilling with blood."

"LAVI!"

Lavi looks down and sees a tattered Lenalee.

"Help me..."


~Elsewhere~
In the forest

Alice is slowly regaining consciousness and barely sees the Noah bending over Allen's body and a Teez comes out of his hand.

"Just make a hole on his heart, Teez." He orders as he aims the Teez at Allen's chest.

'Stop...' Alice thought as tears are on her eyes.

"It's better if this brave fellow is given a bit more time before he dies. He will die as he agonizes over the fear invading his body, as blood pours from his heart."

"Don't... do... it..." Alice mutters quietly that the Noah can't hear.

He plunges his hand and the Teez goes into Allen's body which makes Allen cough up blood. As he pulls his hand out, Tyki takes the silver button on Allen's coat that bears his name, then notices the deck of cards he had given to Allen when they first met on the train. He picks them up and stares at them.

"...Have a nice dream, boy." He says as he spilling them on Allen's wide-eyed, prone form. Just as the turns to leave, he sees Alice on the ground. "Ain't she the girl that the Earl about to get?" He then tilts his head to one side and glances at Cell Roron, who is now quiet. "Not on the Earl's list, huh?" He thought and approaches the female Exorcist and notices tears streams down on her face. The Noah scratches the back of his head and sighs. "Man... Even though the Earl said to get her, I can't stand seeing a girl crying." He bends over to Alice and about to wipe off the tears when water suddenly spurts upwards causing the Noah to jump away as the water covers Alice. "What the heck?"

Then the water floats up and turns into a sphere as Alice's shadowed silhouette floats straight upwards but her clothes is different from the usual Exorcist uniform since the shape of her clothes is what appears to be robes.

"Is this what the Earl was talking about her 'powers'?" The hatted Noah questions when Alice raises her arm at him and sends two sharp streams of water at the Noah which he dodges but the streams follows him. "Hey, hey, hey! Is this even allowed?!"

Alice then makes a claw with her hand making the water shoot behind the Noah and coils tightly around him.

Feeling the tightness on his body, the Noah notices about her. 'Isn't she aware what she is doing? No... Her power is only protecting her. Even without her memories, her power is the last line of defense at her state...'

He then sighs in exasperation. "Geez. In that state, I can't capture her like the Earl told us to..." The Noah says and uses his power to slip off the hold and lands on the ground before turning around and walks away. "I hope we meet again, Alice Lakefield."

Sensing the threat disappeared, the water that encases Alice breaks apart revealing that she still wears her uniform and collapses next to Allen. She then opens her eyes slightly and sees the bloody Allen.

"Al... len..." Alice calls and trying to reach him but doesn't have the strength to. "Don't... die... Allen..." Then her sight starts to get blurry and goes unconscious.