Lenalee ran towards Devina, dropping her uniform on the bathroom tiles, kneeling before her friend.
"Devina?" she called but the girl did not look up. "Devina, Devina," she shook her shoulders, gripping them tightly and Devina's eyes were focused again.
They widened in surprise. "What is it? What's happened? Is everyone okay?"
"Everything's… fine. How long have you been here, Devina?" Lenalee asked, getting to the point.
"I just- I just got here… I left the meeting and came straight here." Devina said, studying Lenalee.
"But Devina, that meeting ended at least two hours ago," Lenalee said softly, "are you… alright?"
Devina didn't answer right away, she pulled back and lent against the wall behind her, drawing her legs and wrapping her arms around them. "I'm… I will be. I just don't know how to deal with what I'm feeling right now. Allen is… Allen is d… dead because of me." She finally managed to utter it and it was enough to restart her sobs. "So, I… I honestly don't know why you're talking to me right now. You cared for him a lot, and I killed him, so why are you talking to me right now?"
Lenalee struck her right across the cheek, and Devina gasped then held her bruised cheek. "That's enough, Devina…" Lenalee said quietly. "That Noah is the only one to blame for anything that's happened to Allen. It wasn't your fault,"
Devina nodded, "I know you're right, but it was my Innocence that doomed him and whatever you say can't change that."
"But you did it to protect him," Lenalee argued.
"But he's dead anyway." Devina smiled bitterly and then she laughed. "He is dead, anyway." She got up and turned off the shower then started walking away from Lenalee.
"Devina," Lenalee called.
"Don't worry, Lenalee. I've lost friends before, so I'll be okay, but I've just… never killed one."
Devina went back to her room and put on her new uniform, one that looked exactly the same as her older one but with more material, apparently. While taking off what remained of her uniform, Devina spared herself a moment to finally look at what had remained of her outfit. Her suit had been torn in two halves, a cropped top, and a pair of boy shorts. She tried to ignore the embarrassment, at Lavi having seen her like this, tugging at her center, so she decided to climb up deck and see if anyone needed her help.
But there wasn't anyone on board. She was about to turn around and head back to her room when she spotted him. Lavi was leaning his arms against the wooden rails, a black ace between his half-gloved thumb and index. He was staring at it, examining it as if it might reveal the mysteries of the world. Devina realized he was too immersed in his thought, having not noticed her presence yet.
Lavi's head was swimming with Bookman's words. He kept hearing the Old Panda's voice, repeating that he shouldn't get too involved with the war; that he was only the successor to Bookman and nothing but, that he should remain an observer, that he was on the Order's side to record history. That's it. "I'm not their supporter…" Lavi's mind seemed to be playing tricks on him, because all of a sudden, he could see nothing but the smiling faces of his friends, Allen and Kanda and all the men he'd come to know, and Miranda and Lenalee… and Devina. He could hear Bookman telling him to remember his goal. "Keep recording, and keep moving forward," he buried his face in his arms, resting on the rail, "a Bookman has no need for a heart."
"Lavi!" Devina's shout brought him back to the ship, and he wondered how long she'd been standing there. "Lavi, behind you!" Devina jumped, trying to make it in time, trying to push him out of the Akuma's way, but she made it in time to get caught in his spinning kick, sending her and Lavi into the mast, a spiraling bundle, breaking it.
"Title: The Corpses of Exorcists," Devina heard the Akuma say and she panicked. She had landed on Lavi, her small frame practically on his lap. His arms were scorched and lip by his side. He'd wrapped them around her to shield her. She lifted herself up, her arms on either side of him. "Lavi, Lavi, are you okay? Lavi!"
Within minutes, Miranda's Time Record had managed to heal his wounds. Lavi's jade orb flickered and then focused, intense. "Devi?"
Devina was flabbergasted, "don't call me that," she said with a frown, before shoving him and standing up.
"Oww, I've just received and injury, you know?"
"And now you're healed." She said, turning to assess the situation, but the Akuma was right in front of her, right in her face. Devina stared up at the tall armored demon; it was a rather odd one, clad in bronze armor, immaculately tall; it towered over her and it had ginger long hair peaking from its armor. Devina gaped, before she remembered she herself was a weapon. She grinned. "You're a fast one,"
Miranda, Bookman, Krory, Lenalee, Anita and Mahoja had all sensed the Akuma's presence and felt the ship shake when the mast broke down; they had rushed to the deck and were gawking at the sight of a single Akuma inflicting so much damage. Miranda's Innocence took effect, fixing the broken mast.
"Gouka Kajin, Hi Ban," Devina was startled, her attack halted as Lavi took charge. She had found his fire seals quite captivating, how the flames caressed her without really burning her skin. Not all Innocence is destructive, a voice inside her reminded, and she grimaced. Her grimace deepened when the flames disappeared, revealing they hadn't had any affect on the Akuma. Nor did Lavi's extended hammer, which had landed on the demon, but it stood unfazed and unaffected.
"Title: Why Aren't You Dead?" it asked Lavi. He seemed to be struggling with the fact that his Innocence had done little to no damage at all, the shock evident on his face.
"Why isn't this working?" Lavi asked no one in particular, as he pushed his hammer at the Akuma, but the Akuma merely pushed it back with its head. It seemed to snort before it sent Lavi and his hammer flying back into one of the sails. Devina had watched everything unfold intently, and the Akuma's hand hadn't even pushed back the hammer before it was sent flying, taking Lavi with it. She couldn't fathom what was happening.
The Akuma hadn't spared Lavi a minute before it flew up to him, inches from him. Devina knew Lavi was too stunned to act, so she hopped onto one of the masts, focused her energy and sent a flying barrier of bones to block the Akuma's attack. But the moment the Akuma punched into the barrier, it liquefied once again, and Devina heard herself and Mahoja scream at Lavi to dodge, but he couldn't move.
Bookman was quick to act, sending a mass of sharp needles to land between Lavi and the Akuma's approaching fist.
Devina didn't understand what happened. She didn't understand why her barrier had failed to protect him, and she was swallowed into a pit of shame and guilt. Lavi could've died…
"Heaven Compass, Needle of Spells, North Crime," The needles backfired, dissolving and then piercing every inch of the Akuma's armor, nailing it to a mast.
"Devina, are you okay?" Lenalee asked, stepping up beside her. She could notice the newest Exorcist was not, though; her eyes wide with panic and disbelief.
"My… Innocence," Devina gasped, "it's not… doing what I ask of it. It just… Lavi could've died."
Lenalee shook her head, "Miranda's Time Record is activated and Bookman managed to help him," but the young Exorcist didn't know how to console her friend.
At the mention of Bookman, Devina turned to scout what became of the two Bookmen and saw Lavi slide down the white sail. "Gramps," he called the old man.
"You idiot, scaring me like that!" Bookman yelled, making Lavi fall down the rest of the way. Devina almost laughed as Mahoja caught him between her arms.
"Devi, are you alright?" the Bookman successor asked her and she flinched.
"I told you not to call me that, Lavi," she pursed her lips. "I'm fine, but I think my Innocence is acting up,"
Lavi stared at her a moment too long and then said, "Maybe you should leave this to us,"
"Yes, and have the floor wiped with your blood, like it was going to be just a few seconds ago," she pointed out.
"Title: You Should've Finished Me Off, Why Didn't You?" and Devina felt her heart stop and her skin crawl.
"I will finish you shortly, but first, I have a few questions," Bookman replied, calmly. Devina had never seen the old man fight, being too busy to pause and stare on the last battle, but there was something very admirable about it, now that she was witnessing him let loose. "Where did you come from?" Bookman asked.
"Title: I Was Created From the Soul of a Japanese Nobleman."
"Since you've decided to appear here, on this ship, it can't be a mere meal hunt. Did the Earl give you the order?" Bookman interrogated.
"Title: Would You Like To Know Cross Marian's Location?" Bookman's eyes widened momentarily before the monster chomped its teeth into Bookman's arm, dragging him up, flying, flying higher up towards the sky.
Lavi called after Bookman, then dropped his hammer, headfirst, extending the handle, and flying to follow his mentor. Devina was breathing hard and she felt like she had to help, like she had to do something. She tried to form a plank beneath her feet to carry her up but she didn't know if it would last. She couldn't let Lavi handle it by himself, he was clearly not managing well, and Bookman had just been injured.
Her plank beneath her, she began to levitate steadily. "Devina, get down," Lenalee called after her but she ignored her and soared higher, faster, when her connection with the plank did not break.
She was high enough now, to feel the old man's needles falling millimeters from her face, hanging on Lavi's heel. She could sense his dread, palpable enough to reach her.
"Title: The Old Man and the Moon," she heard the Akuma's voice before Bookman came tumbling down the same way his needles did. Lavi rushed forward with his hammer's handle and grabbed him in his arms.
"Lavi, is he okay?" Lavi looked down and was startled to see Devina catching up.
"What are you-" but he cut himself off and winced as his injuries returned. He hissed before he started calling out to Bookman, trying to wake him up. "Gramps, gramps, gramps!"
A little moment later, enormous thunderous rods shot down from the sky, hitting everything and everyone, and Devina struggled not to let anything touch her, flying simultaneously to pick Bookman out of Lavi's arms, who seemed to be struggling to hang on to his hammer. The thunder striking would not stop. She expanded the plank she was on and had it partially liquefy to form vines, wrapping around Bookman to keep him in place.
Before Devina could form any tangible plan, she could hear echoing footsteps, and she noticed something approaching, climbing up Lavi's hammer. She realized it was Lenalee, running up with her Dark Boots, but they seemed different, like an evolved form of the previous ones. "Lavi, Devina, take Bookman and return to the ship. I'll handle this one."
"Lenalee, stop! He's a level three! He's different from other Akuma! Don't-" Lavi hissed, and Devina turned reluctantly to look at him. "LENALEE!" he called after her, and Devina heard the desperation in his voice, enough to snap her in two.
"Lavi, hop on! I'll drop you back on the ship and head back up to help Lenalee," Devina floated and got near him. "Come on, there's no time to waste."
Lavi growled before jumping onto the plank with Devina, gripping his hammer and minimizing it back to its original size.
"Lavi, I need you to hold on to me," Devina tried not to squeak, tried to hide her face, tried to hide the blush dusting her cheeks. But Lavi obeyed, wrapping his arms mechanically around her waist, slightly leaning into her. She could feel his labored breaths on her ear, his nose at her neck, and she realized he was about to lose consciousness.
Devina had to make a tremendous effort in order to remain focused on the plank bellow their feet. She plunged down, leading her plank toward the ship. She could feel it slipping beneath her, she could feel her energy seeping out into the atmosphere and she knew she had to hurry; she had to land on the ship.
There were only three more feet between her and the ship when the plank disintegrated into wetness, and the three Exorcists were freefalling.
Krory managed to grab Lavi, Mahoja held onto Bookman and Devina fell a little ways off from Miranda. She groaned, her limbs cracking and protesting as she attempted to stand, but in moments, Miranda's Time Record had set into motion. She propelled, forming another plank and she was off.
"DEVINA!" she heard Lavi shout but she couldn't bear to look at him and she couldn't manage to take him either because her Innocence was being a useless piece of crap. She knew, however, that Lavi would be miserable if something would happen to Lenalee. Hell, if she were being rational – which she wasn't – she would realize she'd also be miserable if Lenalee were to die. She only added speed, her plank protesting beneath her, but she ignored it.
Devina was ascending at an impossible speed when something plummeted towards the water, plunging. Devina's heart cinched, hoping against all hope it was the Akuma falling down the drain. Her dread was met when she heard the Akuma say "Title: The Saint Who Fell Into Darkness," and her plank was gone. She was skyrocketing down toward the sea and she was falling fast, fast. She could barely lift up her arms against the wind, raising them to cover her face as she was thrust into the cold ocean water. Devina felt her lungs rupture.
Her eyes opened and they burned but she needed to find Lenalee so she fought against the salt and squinted, trying to locate her friend. She found Lenalee levels under water, and Devina pushed against the current and her lungs almost collapsed. She tried to grab onto her friend, but Lenalee was draped in an illuminated golden chain. As her hand moved past the chain, an electric current ran through her. She seethed, before she pushed her hand forward, closing around Lenalee's wrist. Devina pulled up her friend, gripping her arm so tightly, her eyes flung open.
On their way to the surface, Lenalee pulled back her arm and gestured for Devina to go on. Devina nodded hesitantly and worked her feet to swim faster. She soon discovered Lenalee had done that to activate her Innocence to the highest level. The chain wrapped around her had stretched as Lenalee's Innocence created a bubble of sorts around her, and then Lenalee was swimming towards her, faster than ever, in a golden-chained crystal ball.
Devina reached the surface, only to be sent bellow it again when Lenalee skimmed the surface, causing a tornado. She couldn't stop herself from swallowing salt water, and she tried to resurface but the waves were crashing against her, sending her further back inside the ocean's loins.
Devina's consciousness was slowly slipping from her. Her eyes nearly closed, her lungs felt like they were filling to the brim with water, and her muscles were relaxing. Death wouldn't be so bad, and she felt so, so tired. Her eyelids were drooping, as if gravitated, and then Lenalee screamed, and Devina's eyes widened, and she remembered she was not supposed to be drowning. She came here to save her friend. She came here to spare Lavi the anguish of losing the girl he secretly − or really openly − loved.
Devina's two feet were surrounded by her nullified bones liquefying, and her Innocence seemed to be cooperating of its own accord, forming two little circular mats underneath each foot out of the liquid that had seeped.
She was finally out of the water, gasping for air. She hadn't been out of the water for two seconds when Lenalee's body was sent flying into her, colliding forcibly. Devina forced her foot mats to remain in place and she tried to hold Lenalee back but those chains around Lenalee sent shocks of electricity running through her again, and she formed a barrier between the two of them, expanding a footing to keep Lenalee in place.
"Lenalee, we need to work as a team; you're going to die like this!" Devina rationalized.
"Devina, you need to get back to the ship. Your Innocence is going to get you killed," Lenalee was breathing hard, barely managing to finish her sentence.
"Stop being such a self-sacrificing bitch! This won't bring Allen back!" Devina yelled and Lenalee froze in place.
"I don't know who's being self-sacrificing here, Devina…" Lenalee said, before whisking off toward the Akuma.
"Lenalee!" Devina screamed after her, gritting her teeth. She grumbled incoherently before she floated towards the Akuma, her patience having grown too thin. She was ready to kill that monster.
Lenalee was trying to kick the Akuma; her leg was sharply angled to land on its face, while the Akuma was ready to land a punch to her gut. The two collided, fists and legs, and Devina heard Lenalee's ribs crack under her skin. "I am growing so very sick of you," Devina muttered before she harnessed her energy into a countless dozen arrows, all aimed at it. She then found just about enough energy to come up with a sword, similar to the one she fought Kanda with, and Lenalee's eyes widened, seeing it for the first time.
Devina dashed toward the Akuma, her sword behind her back, before she swung it at the Akuma and then ran it across its armor, slashing it from head to toe.
"You bitch," the Akuma screamed, finally recognizing her as an enemy. It had ignored her because her Innocence had seemed so feeble and not worth destroying but now, it realized it had made a mistake. The Akuma was standing on thin air, before her in a second, and Devina turned to run away from it but gripped her hair and dragged her back, Devina screamed in pain, before she lifted her sword arm, aiming for another attack but the Akuma was fast and it gripped her sword arm, stopping it midair. The sword disintegrated and she gasped in surprise; the Akuma grinned gleefully.
Her Innocence formed a barrier between his fist, inches from her nose, and she gulped down, appreciatively, regretting that she called it a piece of crap earlier. Lenalee tried to land in a kick but the Akuma stopped her by grabbing hold of her approaching foot.
"Is that the best you can do, Exorcists? I'm afraid it won't be enough to kill a sturdy Level Three type like me." The Akuma boasted.
"Level Three have types?" Lenalee managed to ask it before it landed a hit on her stomach, again.
"Stop hitting her, you piece of shit," Devina yelled, ramming a thick barrier straight into the Akuma's face. It seemed to still.
"I am growing sick of you, you little fly." Devina heard the Akuma complain and she almost laughed, gleefully. She grinned but it was wiped off when the Akuma tossed Lenalee at her again. She was too busy forming barriers and keeping Lenalee from falling to notice that the Akuma had reappeared behind her. "Title: You're Dead," and his leg collided with her ribs, and she was falling again. The air had been completely knocked out of her as she splashed into the water, unable to scream.
The Akuma turned to Lenalee and it began to ram its fists and legs into her relentlessly. "Have you given up, Exorcist? I thought you had a bit more of a fight in you." Lenalee wanted to get Devina, she needed to save her. She was suppressing a sob because Devina had left everyone behind to come save her and she was right here getting her butt mulled by the Level Three. Lenalee's Innocence was at its limit, as well, but she called onto what's remaining of her energy to help her win the fight. She could feel the scales appearing across her face and then blemishing the rest of her. She was going to win and save Devina.
Lenalee was falling, having received so many kicks that sent her flying down towards the ocean, but she forced her boots into another attack. "Enbu, Kirikaze," she sent her stirring tornado flying at the Akuma, who in turn told her it was not enough to beat him as he slashed at the wind. She was standing behind him, ready to attack before he even noticed. "Shittsui no Tougi: Tetsukase," she was held upside down, her Dark Boots transformed into a morass of blades.
"How sad… This will never cut through my armor," the Akuma said.
"You're wrong," Lenalee replied. "You're out of energy." And she was right. His golden chain, which had been illuminated by a hot pink energy suddenly turned back to its gold limp form, releasing Lenalee and falling right onto the Akuma.
"Lenalee, stop!" Devina was out of the water, and flying up to meet her friend.
"I'm sorry, Devina. Please tell Lavi I am sorry for acting very selfishly before, he was hurting for Allen as well,"
"You tell him yourself!" Devina pushed against the wind, willing her mats to go faster "Lenalee, Lenalee, stop."
"This is the final attack," Lenalee plummeted down the sky, crashing into the Akuma. The Akuma struggled to push against Lenalee's collision. She was unstoppable in her brass-bladed armor and the Akuma's chains, which still surrounded her.
The Akuma sent an attack of his own to meet Lenalee's. There were two blasts of opposing energy now, and the impact created a massive explosion.
Devina was forced back into the water, her skin sizzling and her face burning and her eyes blinded by the light. Her lungs gave out and her heart kept thumping, Lenalee, Lenalee, Lenalee.
Author's Note: So sorry! I totally forgot yesterday was Wednesday, so I hope this (lengthier than usual) chapter makes up for it. I'm also sorry for the two week hiatus. I didn't realize I was staying in Egypt so long.
Please send me your thoughts! I really like to hear from you guys!