Author's notes: This is the Eleventh Chapter, guys! Sorry for waiting so long, it took me very much to write this chapter and it's not easy. I hope you're liked the special chapter, although I have to admit it, it wasn't a part of my plan to post it now. It was meant to become another side story from this one. But really...I know girls like some fluffiness, heck; I'm not that different... -_-
But what in the world!? More than 50 views in a week for the special chapter...!? OAO;;;
Heck, only that chapter and the beginning chapter that had so many views while others barely had 2 for early December...! Oh my God, now that is what I called as terrifying! ROFL!
Btw, have you read the newest chapter yet? I must say that the mysteries go deeper and deeper than I have anticipated. I mean, how far Mana and Nea had been involved in this matter exactly? And the Earl...oh God, I think I'm going to faint with his true face behind that Noah's skin not to mention his odd yet terryfing nature! O^OIII Seriously, what on earth is wrong with this guy? And way to go Johnny, I like the heroic part where he saved Allen from Earl's attack, now he's become one of my favorite characters in DGM. XD
Also, I'm in my final year so I must focus more to my study rather than my fanfic and it saddened me a lot but I have to and I must. So please be understand if I have my updates slower than now despise I'm making sure of you, I'll not abandon this fic because honestly, I also loved to write this fanfic and have many persons read it as well, even far better if there're reviews and building critics as well.
And it's the time for reply all the previous reviews, everyone!
For SnowShiro-Kitsune14: Aha! Glad you're liked it and found it cute. XD I was hesitating and had no other choice in order tomake everyone not too disappoint because of my lateness on update. Well, if I have more time besides writing the current story, I'm going to make more drabbles. Let's hoping that I can make it, okay?
For The Black Guard: Yeah I know. I kind of hesitate if everyone like the special chapter when I posted this but apparently my pessimism thought not proven. And... wait...So in Russia, hair and combs are sticks at glue? I just acknowledge that! Wow...! XD I want to post a new chapter as soon as possible but the mid semester really got me and I'm sad because I can't have enough time to write it. Moreover I got a huge writer's block due to my absence of writing the next chapter and it was sucks! I'll try to keepit up, okay? And Good Day/ Night for you too. X)
And for evelvet: You're welcome, friend. :D Glad you liked the special chapter! XD But I'm afraid that in this chapter there're not many fluffiness as the chapter more focused at the fight and the struggles. You don't have to worry though because I'm planning to make some fluffy scenes of Ellen and Noctis. Keep watch for this story, okay? ;)
Disclaimer: …It's very obvious. If I do own DGM, I will put Allen as a girl and have her trapped in triangle love ship between Kanda and Tyki and perhaps some fan services in here and there. XD LOL (Just kidding)
Warning: This fic have gender bender, some spoilers, possibility of AU, few swearings, and bad grammars. I wish it was…sigh TTXTT
Alert: Now because I'm entering few chapters filled with battles, I really, really need someone's help who can write a fight scene A.S.A.P! I can imagine some scene of fights but like I said before, I'm clueless in martial arts and some advanced sword fights. Please send me a message if you want it! I'll wait in here.
The God's Clown and the Prince of the Sky
Story11: CORRUMPO
…
…
This is a fantasy based on reality…
…
The darkest story that ever happened in this beloved land of Earth…
…
This is a story about the silver maiden who struggle for her own destiny and the black prince who was being force to part away from his home…
Both young woman and young man were meet each other and made relationship under circumstances. Ever since that, many things happened to them as they went through them. Pain, gratefulness, joy, anger, sadness, happiness…
As the time goes on, the relation served only to grow deeper and stronger together with this, surpassed the bound of friendship. Until one day…
The maiden promised to the prince that she will stay with him and help him with all efforts she could provide for him go back to his home. She was sad at the fact the prince had himself far away from his home and family, alone in this world which unknown to him. The prince, touched by the maiden's offering help, swore to her that he will protecting her no matter what happen that he'll be by her side as long as he's still and could remain in this world. When the prince said that to her, the maiden was very surprised and yet couldn't help but feeling very thankful and happy toward the prince. Nobody had said anything like that to her before. At a moment, she felt that she was special to him and she liked it.
…
In the end, both of them are fell in love to each other. The maiden fell for the prince's unlimited sincerity and the prince fell for the maiden's pure kindness.
At finally, they became a pair of lovers.
…
But sad for them…
…
The tragedy surely shall befall onto them, sooner or later…
That's why this story was said to be the darkest story ever.
Death shall reign over the night, tears will fall to the cold floor of Earth, sorrow surrounded around like a veil of snowfall, and pain was the only thing that all left behind…
Separation can not be avoided for it was fate...
…
But even in the darkest clouds, there was a silver lining in there even though it was dim but it was always in there...
...
Shall we begin?
Watashi wo yobu nowa dare…?
Suikyou ni odoru, netsu ni ukasareta kono sekai de...
JRASH..!
SLASH!
SLASH! SLAAASH!
JRAAANK! CRAANK...!
Inside the barrier, where the orphanage's building currently located, a battle between Akuma and the Exorcists was erupted already.
The sounds of swords collide with something hard and banging noises were continuing to echo through the room.
Flashes, shadows, and sparks were dancing around the battlefield, accompanied the exchange of clashes between Ellen and Kanda versus Level 4 Akuma.
Ellen and Kanda continued to push their opponent away from the injured children. Each other of them were giving their blows and attacks as they avoided and dodged the Level 4's counterattacks. Both of them now were covering in bruises and minor burns which they got from the current battle. Meanwhile, Marie was staying near the children and protecting them yet at the same time, he more than ready to give some back up at the silver haired young woman and the dark long haired young man. In the other side of the room, Link stayed in his guard, ready to give a hand with Mother Superior, Emilia, and Timothy were hiding behind him, watching the battle with anxious, worry, and awe.
Ellen was dashed near the Akuma when suddenly, the Level 4 held its hand and Ellen saw a ball of fire formed in its palm in no time. Smirking, the Akuma threw a blast of fire at her direction. Saw it coming toward her, Ellen must twisted her body to left side in desperate to avoid the blast and she had to landed harshly away from the most powerful and grotesque Level 4 Akuma. The blast exploded behind her and she shielded herself with her white cloak.
Around good 3 meters away from the young woman Exorcist, the heat of the blast also overwhelmed Timothy and both woman. Emilia let out a restrained scream as she hugged Timothy protectively and closer to her, Mother Superior herself was holding the brown haired woman tightly and the blue haired boy, clutched her eyes tightly from the blast's heat and wind which came to them. Link had to shield his face from the heat as he using his own body as a shield to them.
Kanda landed not far from her before he was leaping and attempting to slash the Akuma's torso, in which the angel like creature dodged Mugen with paper like distance between them and threw a somersault kick. Kanda blue eyes flashed dangerously as he let out a light snarl and had raised his left arm in defense and clashed against the powerful kick. Much to his annoyance, the Akuma pulled its leg to spinning and threw the second somersault kick with another leg. Kanda had to take faster move to beat the Akuma. The long haired young man leaped from where he stood a while ago in lightning speed, he moved forward and avoiding the kick, he was using his hand which had Mugen within his grip. Kanda punched hard the Akuma at the face, and sending the winged Akuma into backwards due to the great force that being put within the punch.
The dark blue eyed young man pulled his hand then continuing his attacks with Mugen. He was slashing the katana straight to the Akuma's vital spot only to be missed because the Level 4 agility to step aside, Mugen only got its right arm. It even wasn't a critical wound despite the katana had injured it deeply. Narrowed his eyes, Kanda was swinging the katana again and again in order to hit his opponent, in which so far it had yet to injury the Akuma. Kanda was displeasing by this fact and he forced to increasing his speed in order to move faster and to get the hovering Akuma.
FWOOOSH!
SLASH!
SLASSH! SLASH!
Houseki no you na uso mi ni tsuke sasou.
Amaku midarana manazashi ga karamitsuku...!
"Why don't you stay still and let me cut you, you stupid Akuma...!?" Kanda roared angrily, thrusting Mugen to the Level 4's direction and it avoided the deadly attack by jumping few feet, making it hovered above the owner of Mugen from its previous spot.
"Isn't the answer very obvious, Girly Samurai?" The Level 4 sneered dauntingly.
A vein popped at Kanda's head and the air around him dropped frantically until few Celsius as a dark aura starting to ooze out from the long haired young man's direction. How he hate so much when people were calling him that taboo word! He pretty much aware that he had a rather handsome, almost feminine face if you also counted the long hair but come on, he was a man for God's sake and it hurt his pride whenever someone called him girly or even worse; mistook him as a girl! And it happened more than once as far as he remembered and it pissed him off!
"Say it once more and I'll make sure that you'll suffer the living hell." The dark long haired young man's voice was filled with darkness and cold fury.
"Oh, scary." It cooed mockingly. "Let's see if you can make it."
Ellen saw the whole exchange between Kanda and the Level 4 and had a thought that it was the right for escape Timothy and the whole orphanage's residents. Ellen was wasting no time to spin her body toward Link's direction so she could come face to face with the braided blonde. Her eyes met his as he was catching her look and from the firm yet pleading look she gave, Link easily got a good guess that she wanted him to save the residents and proven right.
"Link! Get them out from here and keep them safe in somewhere else, do you hear me...!? Bring them and the children away from this place, hurry...!" Ellen shouted filled with requesting and urgent tone at the blonde young man far across her.
Thankfully Link reacted rather fast and didn't question her request more far. He gave a slight yet firm nod at the silver haired Exorcist who still parried the Level 4.
"I understand." Link gripped Emilia's upper arm and lifted her from the floor together with Timothy and Mother Superior. "Let's go, we have to get out from here fast."
"What!? But what about yourself...?!" Timothy protested.
"He's right. What about you and your friends...!? We can't leave you all in here!" Emilia screeched worryingly.
"You're better worrying about yourself!" Kanda snapped impatiently.
"The Akuma's here because it's after you who have the Innocence! As long you has it stuck on you forehead, they will be after you and will not hesitate to hurt those around you! This is the very reason why we must take you to the Black Order even you'll not agree it yourself...!" Kanda directed this at Timothy who now had this stunned look on his childish face.
The words were struck him very hard. The red wine eyed boy almost couldn't believe it as horror feeling invaded him. This creature was really after him and the jewel on his forehead? And they went as far as hurting those who he deeply cared about or perhaps...perhaps even killed them? His mused thoughts were getting cut as Ellen shouted toward them once more.
"We'll be fine; your safety is our main priority and we can't let Timothy's being capture by the Akuma." Ellen reassured the pony tailed woman. "Now go! Let us take care of this!"
"But...!" Emilia started to protest when she was being cut off first by the silver haired Exorcist.
"There's no time!" Ellen voice was firm and finality within. It signaled to them that it was the final decision for them, whether they like it or not.
"GO...!" Ellen shouted with all her strength.
Timothy and Emilia couldn't protested anymore because Link then helped them to rise from the floor and had Timothy, Emilia, and Mother Superior at their feet a moment later.
"The children. We must get the children first." The head nurse reminded with deep concern and Link nodded as his reply.
"Let's move." Link urged as they started to running toward the children at first.
The Level 4 saw that and being an Akuma, it had been ordered by the Earl himself to capture and bring the blue haired young boy who was having the Innocence and to kill everyone else. The Akuma's eyes gleamed dangerously toward Link and the others. A cruel smile stretched on its lips.
"A-Ah, don't go yet." And with that, the Akuma abruptly disappeared and from the corner of eyes, they could saw the gruesome creature was coming at them with a ball of heat energy formed within its hand.
Marie immediately took an action and brought both of his hands into the front.
"You're forgotten that I'm still in here." He stated firmly, ten rings on his fingers were ready. "I'll not let you near them."
The moment that the angel demon creature realized what he was going to do, it was too late already as Marie activated his Innocence.
"Noel Organon...!"
Aragaenai…
Unmei no kakera tsunagiawase uzuku honnou!
At his command, strings were coming from the rings and tangled the Akuma before it ever reached the running children. He held the winged Akuma in there using all might he had, trying to stop the grotesque creature at any cost. The Level 4 was obviously being displeased by this hindrance so the grotesque creature began to struggle violently from Marie's strings and to Marie's anxious, the angelic demon creature even went as far as letting out such dark aura in which no doubt not a good sign for them, Marie then shouted at both his fellow Exorcists as he held the Akuma staying still.
"Kanda! Ellen! Now!"
"Alright!" Ellen stood up from the wooden floor.
"Che! No need to remind me!" Kanda scowled and both of them were darting from their previous spot and went to attack the Level 4, weapons ready on their hand. The angel demon creature narrowed its left eye in disdain.
"Some of despicable Exorcists you are..." The Level 4 snarled lowly.
It suddenly stretched out both hands and grabbing the strings he could reach at that still bond the said strongest Akuma. Marie was being made shocked by this unexpected move.
"What...!?"
The Akuma was giving the bald Exorcist a cruel look that perhaps even could rival a Noah.
"You've underestimate too much me, stupid Exorcists."
Before Marie could ever pulling his strings of Innocence away from the vile creature or inactivate his Innocence on top of that, the Level 4 jerked the set of strings he had grabbed and throwing Marie at Kanda's direction and caused the two of them slammed together toward the wall at far behind and made a large hole on it.
WHAAAM!
BLAAARR!
"UGH―!"
"GAH!"
Ellen snapped her head with wide eyes and gasped without sound.
"Marie! Kanda!" Ellen called worriedly toward the direction where Marie and Kanda had just being crushed at.
Not good.
This was not good at all to the silver eyed young woman. In fact she had a feeling that this situation would head to worse should it continued like this. Her left eye wasn't function as it was because of the barrier, Timothy and the others in the middle of danger they never, ever face before, Noctis was outside the barrier, who knows what he did or faced in there and it was just a matter of time before more of the Akuma appear soon. It was the last thing Ellen wished to be happen and it far better didn't and wouldn't happen at all. She had to find a way to destroy the Akuma somehow and quickly or all of them will be doomed for sure!
Ellen's instinct suddenly reacted to give a warning to her and she knew at that very moment that the attack was coming.
"Where did you going, huh?" It asked cynically as appeared right before her and threw a back spinning kick.
Ellen's silver eyes widened at the oncoming assault.
"Ukh!" She quickly brought her huge sword to block the kick completely and the Akuma's kick soon connecting with her Innocence.
BAAAAM!
A loud clash echoed through the entire room, it had successfully startled Mother Superior, Emilia, and Timothy while they were helping the injured children. Ellen had to narrowing her eyes in order to shield them from the violent wind created by the impact as her white locks fluttering wildly. Ellen could feel the impact through her arms which held sword of Exorcism. The impact even pushed her back by a foot at least. Gritted her teeth in determination and will to not lose, the snow white haired Exorcist struggled to deliver the horrible creature a powerful slash. She was pushing the Akuma away before she jumped forward and swinging her sword to perform a downward slash.
The angel demon creature once again dodged the attack but Ellen wasn't about to letting it go as she did a front flip slash attack before she fished the attack by spinning her body and swung her sword 360 degrees with incredible speed no way a normal human ever possessed.
SLAAASH!
The Level 4 was successfully being hit at it torso as the gash of wound went existed immediately after. The damage gotten worse as Ellen used the chance to stabbing her sword into the wooden floor and swung her body with kick aimed straightly the Akuma's already injured torso. The kick's strength had made the angelic demon creature smashed into the opposite wall with loud crash and as the following result, the entire room got shook because of the impact.
BLAAAARR!
CRAAAAASH!
The crushed sound had gained Emilia and Timothy's attention upon helping the children. Emilia snapped her head to the direction where the crash source by and she couldn't help herself to starring at the huge hole and Ellen who had stepped back to the ground with her sword still stabbing into the floor. The female Exorcist didn't let her guard down as her silver eyes were keeping scanned the hole before her, awaited the Akuma to reappear. Timothy gaped at the scene in awe and astonishment. The evil creature called as Akuma was incredibly strong and it had hurt the children, destroyed the orphanage, and not to mention it almost hurt Emilia and Mother Superior. And yet, the very meanie Exorcist, the bald Exorcist, and the white haired Exorcist fought it to the point they could rivaled the Akuma's strength. It made him wondering were all these Exorcists this incredibly strong?
Shinku no tsukikasa ga terashidasu shinjitsu ni.
Moroku kuzuresaru yume wo yami he to tsukitateru.
"Oh my God..." Emilia stared incredulously at Ellen's capability to fight the Akuma. She never knew the younger young woman was this strong!
"Awesome..." Timothy whispered amazedly.
"You can admire them later. Ma'am, have we got all the children?" Link kept his professionalism intact.
"They're all in here and mostly fine but the injury..." Mother Superior stole a worry glance at the boy within her arms. He looked so tiny and fragile somehow and it saddened the nun.
"I see..." Link narrowed his mahogany colored eyes.
"Let's go, we can't stay in here any longer, it's too dangerous for us." Link lifted one injured child and cradled the girl into his strong arm. "Follow and stay near by me, don't ever get separate!"
They started to run to the exit and followed near Link and Timcanpy flew over their heads, staying near Timothy as long as possible. Ellen saw them from the corner of her eyes, relieved because the weight on her shoulders was being removed slowly as they finally had managed to retreat to the safer place and that would leave her with only 2 main problems, oh wait, make it 3 problems with Noctis. Ellen was concerning, very if she might able to add, about the short haired young man who had been after the suspicious nun, probably a broker, and now still in outside the barrier and surely couldn't enter it. But with the current situation in the hand and a problem mainly named as Akuma, the silver haired Exorcist had to prioritized Timothy's safety at first no matter how concern and how worried she was toward the euclase eyed young man. Once they were totally gone from the sight, she let out a relief sigh.
'Good. They're managed to running out from here; I don't have to worry about them anymore since Link also with them. Hopefully Link can find a safe place for them, even better if he can get them out from the barrier. Now about both of them...!'
A groan came from the direction where Kanda and Marie had been thrown at. Ellen quickly recognized the voice. Her silver eyes darted at the kneeled figure behind the hole, who was happening to be Marie and beside the Exorcist with the headphone; Kanda also kneeled with deepening scowl at his handsome face, totally pissed off and ready to kill the Akuma at any given moment.
"Ouch..." Marie groaned and rubbing his back head. "That hurt a lot."
"Marie? Kanda!? Are you alright...!?" Ellen felt even more relieved as they were relatively fine.
"-Cough- We're fine, exclude the new scratches and bruises in here and there." Marie coughed once.
"Damned Akuma..." Kanda grumbled darkly under his breath while he was rising from the floor and the debris. "Now I have found one more reason to destroy them very quickly and as soon as possible."
'At least they're not hurt so much and still capable to fight...' Ellen sighed exasperatedly at Kanda's behavior.
Before she could think any further, the air around her was shifting drastically in alarming phase. Something was coming into her direction and. She knew what it was since Ellen already too familiar with the horrible feeling she got from the Akuma. Once again, her instinct was telling her that she must blocked the attack so Ellen raised her sword and blocked the angel demon creature's arm a little too late as she got pushed back violently by the attack.
CLAAASH!
"Hmm...You're not bad at all, although you're being unavailable of using your left eye." It slightly mocked.
"So what if I can't use my left eye!?" Ellen snapped sharply.
It wasn't like she would lose her ability to sensed and see the Akuma's soul permanently because she pretty much sure with her suspicion that she couldn't use her left eye must be because of this barrier. She still had her Innocence intact to her and she still kicks the Akuma's ass if she wanted to. Ellen wasn't some weak girl and she would show it to the grotesque creature that even she couldn't use her left eye; she still can fight and beat the Akuma.
The winged Akuma looked very amused with the determination expression which the silver haired Exorcist gave.
"Can't have you always in the upper hand, Ellen Wal..."
DOOOM!
At the very stealing moment, Kanda already behind the Akuma and slammed a kick toward its face, literally overthrowing the Level 4 violently and away from both Exorcists. It flipped back and gained its balance once landed both of it feet ton the floor. Ellen couldn't help but to sweat dropped at the scene that had just happened in front of her.
"Kanda!" Ellen called the long haired Exorcist in bewilderment.
Kanda ignored the female Exorcist and had his dark blue eyes fixed deadly, alone at the Level 4. He raised Mugen steadily.
"Give me a damn break, I'm still not finish with you yet..." Kanda wiped of the small trail of blood came from his mouth. "And that was a payment for calling me girly and threw both of Marie and me."
The Level 4 smirked defiantly. "Oh? So you're still can move after all."
Dark blue eyes flashed deadly. He shifted his fighting stance into ko gasumi no kamae* stance a as his voice lined with ice stated calmly.
"Die and rest peacefully." Kanda jumped and leapt through the air.
When the distance between the long haired Exorcist and the Level 4 Akuma closed, the dark blue eyed young man did a cutting move through the other side. The Akuma dodged it but Kanda was far from being finish yet. Kanda shifted his hold on Mugen and he made a vertical cut to the right side of the shoulder which known in kenjutsu as kesa giri technique, slashing the angelic demon creature as the vertical line of injury appear from right shoulder into middle abdomen. He then readied Mugen as well as the scabbard. In no time, the dark blue eyed young man was being surrounded by powerful aura.
"Mugen: Nigentou."
Kanda's aura burst out into wave of energy before it coated him, Mugen and its scabbard. Using the speed that could rival lightning, Kanda quickly slashed the Level 4 at least three times, and successfully injured the Akuma even though there weren't many.
The winged Akuma eyes narrowed a little further and a ball of fire formed in no time within its grasp before the vile creature throw it straight at Kanda. Kanda had to twist his body so the fireball didn't hit him and instead hit the roof, destroying it completely. Saw that Kanda was in trouble; Ellen wasted no time to give him a hand although it would only made the samurai more annoyed and didn't approve it completely. He couldn't face the Level 4 alone for the Akuma was the most powerful from all Akuma which Earl Millennium had been created.
She had to act, now.
"HAAAAA―――!"
Ellen was letting out a battle cry and dashed forward almost like she flew, her white coat went blazing because of the flight. The Sword of Exorcism was being held tightly in her hand and the beautiful female Exorcist ready to giving a hard strike to the now floated and arrogantly smirking Level 4 Akuma. The winged Akuma stretched out one of its arms and thrust forward.
Soon, the huge sword and the Akuma's arm clashed at each other and creating sparks of fire during the clash. Ellen clenched her teeth tightly as her eyes flashed in determination and she was adding more of her strength. When she managed to forced back the Akuma a little, Ellen immediately readied her second attack as both of them pulled up from their own opponent and they were parrying.
A moment later, Kanda entered the battlefield once more to fight the Akuma.
Marie was staying at his place yet he set a firm stance and ready at any second to give his fellow Exorcists a hand. This time, he had to be more careful; he couldn't approach or held the Akuma just like before. He had to find another way to restrain the angelic demon.
And the battle continued with more intense, fiercer, deadlier, and rougher attacks than before.
Oshiete… eien no sono saki ga aru nara.
Nani mo iranai...
Michishirube wa anata dake...!
Meanwhile at the same time at outside the barrier...
Anata wo yobu nowa dare…?
Sugata no nai, tsumi ni torawarete samayou hitori.
Sharp looking red eyes were keeping the alertness and held high concentration as they continue to search any weakness from the creatures which happened to called as Akuma, the Earl's and the Noah's followers made from tortured souls and forced back to come into the world by the ones who summoned them before Earl Millennium ordered them to kill the humans who called them and wearing their skin once they did.
A blank mask that devoid of emotion held firmly in that handsome face and feature. His lips pursed into a deep frown.
Right arm gripped hard a black colored falchion, it kept slashing and slashing as much as it could manage at its target while the owner of the falchion had to dodged all the attacks those coming to him at the same time as much as he with his speed and agility.
A Level 2 Akuma, the one with rabbit ears like and just as fat as pig, snuck up behind the young man and ready to bore its hand onto the human flesh when it found the human disappeared abruptly with flash of blue light from the sight and the next second the Level 2 knew, the fat Akuma was being attacked by destructive explosions.
The human landed few feet from the explosions eyed the explosion cautiously. He knew how far the damage from the offensive magic he just threw. It was the very basic magic he used from all magic he learnt during his life as the Great Crystal keeper, yet it can damage a heavy armor should he use it in right way and power. But then again, his opponent was not a human at all so its body must have to be stronger than normal armor. He had to cautious on whatever will appear from there. Once the debris and the smoke cleared slowly, to his troublesome yet ironically right guess, the said Akuma emerged. It was having light damages in here and there yet void of greater damage, and leaping to his direction, followed by its brethrens from behind.
Mabataki mo dekinai hodo sosogareru ai ni!
Tomadoi nagara oborete shimaisou...!
Noctis gritted his teeth; he was already beyond pissed at the moment to the point he could feeling his eyes burning red from his anger.
The black short haired young man ready in his stance and hardened his grip in his falchion again. He was trying to do any damages he could think of, started from Fire, Ice, Earthquake until Stop magic, but the Akuma, especially the one that reached Level 3, proved to be such troublesome opponents. Even with his skills and magic, he found an irritating fact that they weren't that easy to be defeat. He had to admit half heartedly that they even far more irritating than his arch enemy.
Were they really that strong? Then how he was supposed to defeat them? He had to help Ellen and the others! It was obvious that he hadn't had much time. The next option he must choose was advanced magic. He hadn't use the advanced magic and he hadn't use all of his skills yet so he still had the chance to become the upper hand and winning but the question now, how big the chance anyway and could he do it?
Koko ni iru yo…
Itetsuita toki wo tokasu sore wa sasayaki no kairou...!
Suddenly his sixth sense was alarming him that something vicious came from his right side. Eyes slightly widened, he was spinning his body halfway and with his falchion, he blocked a flying kick from another Level 2 with one big eye, just at the right time almost too late even. Noctis cursed under his breath for not realized such attack earlier. Not over from there, the hat wearing Akuma with huge mouth on it hummed thoughtfully and the next time he knew, the vile creature pulled itself and another Level 2 with the rabbit ears aimed a spinning bird kick toward him.
Saw the attack was coming onto him; Noctis dropped his body to the ground and out from the spinning kick range. Once he was out from the range he launched his own ground kick to the grotesque creature before him and successfully hit it. The Level 2 was forcing to back away from the human. Before Noctis could draw a breath however, the Level 3 Akuma caught his guard by flew above him and approaching him from behind left direction.
Startled, by the time Noctis was facing the vile creature, the armored Akuma had its right arm lifting high to above as if faced the sky and slashing down toward Noctis, ready to chop the young Lucis alive. The alarm inside his head was ringing so loudly, his instinct screamed over and over at him to move away but with the gap between him and the oncoming attack dwindling quickly. Growled in frustration, Noctis was immediately doing the dodge move he could think at.
Maichiru gin no hana yuumoku ni utsukushiku.
Musebu koenaki koe ga kokoro wo kakimushiru.
He brought up his left arm and summoning another similar fashion sword with his falchion into his already opened palm. Gripped it, he was twirling the sword so its hilt facing him and shot it upward. The similar falchion was making contact with the Akuma's side arm and created few sparkles during the clash. Noctis forced the Akuma's arm to move away both from its original track and the target, almost at the same time he also pushed away the Akuma itself with greater force. The Level 3 slightly surprised at the power which the human had show to it just now so it must jump backwards from its target and bad from the Akuma, it accidentally made a huge mistake.
The moment Noctis saw there was a good distance between him and the Level 3 Akuma, the red eyed young man increased his speed rapidly as twisting the sword in his left hand back to the former position. When the armored Akuma noticed something was wrong, Noctis stretched widely both of his arms and spinning his body 360 degrees, created a tornado of slashes with the Level 3 as the target (AN:/Remember Cloud's move at the tunnel when he fight Yazoo and Loz at FFVII:AC? Yep, that one). The attack had cut the Akuma across the chest plate and throwing the Level 3 out of the battlefield.
Noctis landed back roughly at the ground as one sword went disappeared in dust of crystals, leaving only his falchion. Then a dark blur was shadowing him from above when he sensed another threat came onto him. He snapped his head just in time when the fat Level 2 with the rabbit ears (Seriously, he started to reconsider to use Summon because the particular Akuma was that annoying) hovering in the mid air and about to hit him with a punch. The young Lucis was forced to jump backwards before the Akuma's fist colliding with the road and destroyed the area where Noctis had just stood a while ago in the process. Upon saw the result, Noctis fought the need to shudder. The Akuma's power reminded him of the Behemoth in his world should the beast was throwing his foot in anger. The one eyed Akuma then glanced at his way.
"Hmm...Not bad. You have a good skill in there for not being an Exorcist." The Akuma with one eye praised calmly. It voice however went colder and merciless in a second. "But how long you're gonna make it…?"
Kotaete… kowarenai, joujitsu ga aru nara...
Yoru wo tobikoe ima, ai ni iku...
Noctis left no choice but to parry with the one eyed Akuma. With the gracefulness like a cat would possess, he was doing a back flip movement in the mid air. The falchion within his grip now changed with the weapon that having similarity with boomerang and threw it toward the Level 2's direction. The Akuma with rabbit ears' like was seeing the attack and jumped high, dodged the boomerang completely. Noctis caught the boomerang which swinging back to him and changed it into falchion as he charged toward the fat Level 2.
ZRAASH! CLASH!
JRAAASH!
The two of them exchanged their own attacks. Kick, dodge, slash, parried, kick, and thrust, the clashes kept continued between the human and the Akuma. Bad move for the main heir of Lucis for it had made him unaware of his surrounding as his concentration completely focused at the fat Level 2. He was unconsciously revealed an opening.
The vile creatures did very aware of this and they weren't about to let go this golden opportunity.
Suddenly...
Noctis felt a jolt of shudder through his back, at that very moment, he knew a danger was near by and he had to get away, fast. He pushed the Level 2 back and about to turning around, but he was way too late...
DOOOM...!
The sound of kick connected with flesh was echoing thorough the battlefield. Noctis' left side of abdomen suddenly got burning intensely by the pain sensation and he felt as if his every bone would break and shatter into small pieces. Or were they already...? The kick's strength had threw him backwards onto the road, he fell with a medium crack formed beneath his body and his grip on his falchion loosened, caused him to let go his weapon. The falchion flew away before it fell with loud clattering and gone in swish of dust crystals. After he coughed a few times, Noctis gritted his teeth both in pain and anger. He struggled a lot to arise from the stone road he had been laid on. His whole body was hurt but sharp sting at his injured abdomen stopped him from his attempt to arise.
"Ugh―!" Noctis groaned as he clutched his hurt abdomen tightly.
What annoying opponents he had in here! He had got hit by Link twice times but those hits were nowhere as painful as this kick! It was like he smashed by berserk adult Wyvern. Now he really needed to reconsider the bastard as the most annoying enemy he ever faced. His musing was being cut by a series of chuckles.
"Hehehe! For a non Exorcist human, you're quite strong...!" The armored Akuma stood not far from him and now chuckled like a hyena. The fat Akuma with rabbit ears approached the Level 3, also chuckled in the same way. "This is getting interesting, don't you think?"
The question surely was being added toward the one eyed Akuma which had this intriguing expression as it rubbed its chin slightly.
"A strange human you are." Its eye never left Noctis and scanned him thoroughly. The Akuma's tone sounded curious. "You're not an Exorcist and yet you have odd power I've never see before."
Mabayui negai wa sou…itsumo tojikomete.
Mitasarenu sukima kizutsuke umeru...!
Noctis frozen upon hear it. Well, he had showed to them that he wasn't really a normal human and he didn't bear the odd shape of cross he often see at Ellen's uniform especially that identified those who wear it as Exorcist. However the freak one eye surely wasn't talking about that, judge from the tone it had use. It got Noctis' concern to be honest. This was beginning to sound bad for him.
The question left his mouth before he ever realized it. "What do you mean..?"
"Don't you see my eye in here?" The Level 2 pointed at its eye.
Noctis instantly growled in irk, he didn't see the point in here. He wasn't stupid, just not in the mood for paying such details at the Akuma because he far more, more focused at how to destroy them and not letting them entered the orphanage. Heck, he wasn't care if the one eyed demonic creature had some moustache below its eye, a single lock curly behind the hat, and horrible sparkles around it (AN:/Recognize or feeling familiar at the description at least, people? Cookies for those who can recognize it :D ) or the others Akuma wore ridiculous pink tutus!
"Yeah, and what's the problem? It's not hard to notice a freakin' big eyeball at your face..."
"Usually the human who is looking into my eye will turn into a doll as soon as I activated this ability. I've tried few times to immobilize you with the power which my eye has. And yet... it didn't even have the smallest effect on you." The one eyed Akuma explained further, its huge eye still watching Noctis curiously.
"Every time I attempt to make an eye contact, somehow I can't turn you into a doll. My power is always being deflected by something that coming from you. I've already prepared if the one that deflected my eye power is Exorcist but to deflected by you..." It eye narrowed a little. "And even to the point I must tell my special power to human like you...But then again you're not so normal, are you?"
Noctis' spinel colored eyes widened slightly. Was what this Akuma really said it for real? His brain quickly processed this important information. He didn't know what exactly had happened but it seems that his magic somehow had a different work with the power of the Akuma as same as the Innocence.
It wouldn't be impossible if his magic might be working a lot different, especially when it matters with Innocence and Dark Matter. Lavi had told him that to simple, Innocence was being affiliated as the energy of light while Dark Matter affiliated as the energy of darkness and completely evil. And they could affect each other because they bound to the main law that darkness and light always fighting each other.
But his power and magic, it wasn't affiliated with one of them; it couldn't be affiliated with both Innocence and Dark Matter! His power even could be very different from them because his power affiliation was the death, either not simply light or darkness because in his world, his magic was a combination between light and darkness! Perhaps that was the reason why the Akuma's special power didn't work at him, because it connected with Dark Matter while part of his power also had darkness magic. So if both Dark Matter and part of his magic symbolized with minus, they would deflect each other. Magic was divided into 2 main magic, white or light magic, which mostly defense and healing magic while black or darkness magic mostly offensive magic and curse. Realization came down and struck him at that very moment. Was this the reason why his offensive magic didn't affect the Akuma much? Because he attacked them with the darkness affiliation magic?
So that was why he couldn't do much damages to them, unless he had to used the higher level of black magic, he could use white magic to destroy them! Indeed the white magic mostly was defense and healing magic but white magic had a plenty of offensive magic. In fact, he remembered all of those attack based white magic which mean he could used them all. Perhaps this way, he could release the tortured souls inside the Akuma! His mused was getting interrupted as the voice of the Level 2 Akuma with cowboy –or wasn't- like appearance, asked him.
"Your power is feeling different. I can sense it. Your power isn't Innocence and either Dark Matter. What are you exactly…?"
Noctis sent his most deadly glare toward the grotesque creature. He had no intention to answer such question that came from his enemy.
"I have no interest to answer you." Noctis answered tonelessly.
Then a deadly silence fell between them. Tenseness was increasing and the atmosphere grew heavily as the other Akuma watched the talk between their brethren with this human in mild curiosity. The Level 2 was quiet as it narrowed at the cold reply and its eye kept continue to staring, this time with sharper look at the ruby eyed young man while the black short haired young man gave the Akuma the best cold glare he got. They kept stared at each other like that for a moment. Soon however, the tenseness was being broke as the one eyed Akuma made a sound as if a person would sigh in totally disappointment.
"Such a shame...You're an interesting human actually..." An ominous aura began to radiating from the Level 2. "But then this is Earl's order, I'll have to finish everyone, including you in that matter."
Red eyes flashed brightly, triggered by the furriness that suddenly erupted from inside him. He then casted an offensive spell onto them with the coldest voice he ever managed toward his enemies. Magic circle with ancient symbols and runes came alive on the ground where the Akuma's group was standing and the blue lights like souls came to exist.
"Quake."
BLAAARR!
The earth beneath the vile creatures suddenly shook violently and before they could comprehend the situation, the rocks with various sizes went erupt and arise from the ground and attempting to crush them with terrifying force. The armored Level 3 and the one eyed Level 2 managed to leap from destructive magic but the same thing wasn't going well with the fat Level 2. The Akuma was a second too late before the rocks got it and trapped the ominous creature. Noctis immediately chanted one of offensive white magic he knew and maimed it at the entrapped Level 2. Runes were dancing around his lifted hand before they disappeared and a bright light appeared.
The bright light made from pure holy energy surrounded the fat Akuma and in no time it exploding and blew some parts of its body. It let out a shrill of pain as from it feet to its abdomen and its left arm completely wiped off from Holy's explosion. Although he looked expressionless, Noctis actually sending his thanks to Etro at the inside because the fact that white magic was working well at the Akuma. One down, two goes, at least for now. When the white magic wore off, the heavily injured Level 2 crushed into the ground. Saw one of them literally got injured by the human, the Level 3 snarled dangerously and looking with murderous eye at the helmet.
"B*tch! You'll pay for that...!" The Level 3 roared from its lungs and it rushed to Noctis' direction before bring its arm, aimed at Noctis' heart.
By the time the arm reach the black spiked haired young man, he abruptly teleporting himself into the air above the armored Level 3, he quickly summoned back his weapon, this time a western spear like weapon appeared within his grip. Eyes flashed slightly in bright red color; he then charged forward and parrying the armored Level 3. It wasn't long before the odd fashioned hat Akuma also participated and attacking the heir of Lucis.
The unbalance battle continued fiercely between one human and two remaining Akuma.
Hate no nai hikari ni kogareteta.
Fuan ga mata yasuragi motome, sakimawari kurikaesu...!
The battle inside the barrier wasn't any better than Noctis. Inside that orphanage's building, a certain snow white haired Exorcist struggled with teeth and nails to destroy the Level 4 Akuma with her sword with help of Kanda who scowled ever since the angelic demon creature had mocked him with all those girly mocks, while Marie stay behind and watch the entire battle, seeking a moment in hope giving a help to both his fellow Exorcists.
"Death Orbs!"
Ellen shouted loudly as she was creating some large explosions with her Sword of Exorcism when she swung that huge sword toward the vile creature which both she and Kanda had been fought since then.
BOOM! BOOOM! BOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!
The sounds of explosions filled the empty building and followed by harsh blusters as the result. However despite the amounts of power she had use to use that attack, the Akuma emerged from the explosions, uninjured. The attack wasn't finished yet as a shadow covered the angelic demon creature. Kanda was already awaiting the Level 4 by hovered above the vile creature, ready with his sword, Mugen.
"Mugen: Kaichuu, Ichigen!" Kanda was slashing Mugen horizontally and creating a lot of odd looking and flying creatures. They had dark scales, four glowing red eyes and long, sharp teeth that ready to tear the angelic demon apart.
The creatures flew in incredible speed toward the Level 4 but the strongest level of Akuma stretched both of its hands and creating a huge and terrifying energy ball before threw it into them. Both the attack were clashing and both of them exploded, shook the building and destroying more of the orphanage's part as a result. The winged demon with heavenly like features was about to make a counterattack but Ellen had preceded ahead the vile creature by swinging the Sword of Exorcism vertically and the strongest level Akuma must avoid the huge sword. Kanda resisted the urge to scowl at the failed attack; he couldn't lose his control yet. They must search another way to defeat the insufferable Akuma...or else.
"Che! What a pain in ass!" Kanda snapped his head toward the older Exorcist. "Hey, Marie, is there any way to keep this stupid Akuma stay still and we can just kill it!?"
"I can use my Noel Organon once more but I'm afraid that the Akuma must have being cautious about it and now the Akuma becomes more alert than before. It will not let itself near by me and keeping the distance quite far as the Akuma is fighting and dodging the attacks." Marie told the long haired samurai.
Kanda was letting out a low growl of annoy. "Can't use that method again, huh?"
"We just have to make the Akuma distraught completely, to be truthfully. However it will be quite difficult because the Akuma has been cautious, very if I can add."
"Make the sh*t thing distraught completely, huh?" Kanda clenched Mugen tightly. "Let's hope that we can find the right moment to catch him off guard and finish this once and forever."
Meanwhile, the battle grew intensively as the Level 4 exploded the floor where the silver haired Exorcist was standing before. Appeared from the hot smoke, Ellen was hovering above the Akuma by using the wind's explosion and bringing her Sword of Exorcism down. But much to her distress, the evil Akuma was avoiding the sword for the umpteenth time that day and went flying to the other side so the angelic demon wouldn't get hit by the female Exorcist. The Akuma then threw itself with terrifying speed at Ellen. Gasped silently, Ellen struggled to bent down just in time as she felt the grotesque creature was passing above her head by few centimeters and the harsh wind that rushed following after. She rolled her body three times and stepped her feet at the floor, glaring at the now stood Akuma.
"Just a little more and I miss him, again!" Ellen gritted her teeth in frustrate.
The angelic demon creature scoffed loudly. "Huh, you can't defeat me with that lame attack of yours."
"I dare you to try me." Ellen replied daringly, eyes stared firmly and with stubbornness. "And don't think that I'm a weakling, this is only just starting and I can still fighting you. Don't forget there're the three of us in here and you're alone."
"I highly doubt that." The Level 4 retorted cynically. "Do you think it's only me who came here, alone? You're really a moron."
Shinku ni somaru tsuki, kanashimi wo kirisaite!
Moroku kuzure saru yume wa ketsui ni kawaru.
Ellen was aghast by this information. Her grip on her sword tightened. "What!?"
Marie couldn't help but choking slightly at such exclaim. He clearly didn't want to believe it but if what the Akuma said was true...
"Don't tell me there're more than at least 2 Akuma that attack this place..."
Kanda's reaction didn't any better than the bald Exorcist. His right eye twitched in pure peeve. "I should've suspected this since beginning..." The dark long haired young man muttered sullenly.
"Do you think that I'm lying to some lowly human like you?" The strongest level of Akuma narrowed one of its eyes, smirking with that evil intention of it. "They're probably already in this place and capture that boy without any problem, perhaps after they're kill few of the children and the rest of your friends."
Ellen's silver eyes narrowed dangerously at the Akuma's drawl and her sword's movements suddenly became faster and deadlier than before as the winged demonic creature parried her without any difficulties.
"I'll not let you going anywhere near them not even Timothy, let alone capture him, as if. Over. My. Dead. Body." Ellen reprimanded and she really meant her words as she pushed her sword a little further.
The Level 4 had this cruel smirk on it doll like face and feature.
"See? I've told you that you're a moron, not to mention a one hell of weak Exorcist."
"Like I care...!" Ellen activated another ability of her Innocence. Several of pure and white colored ribbons were appearing from her cloak of Innocence. "And I'm not as weak as you've thought! Crown Belt!"
The ribbons then shoot themselves with the angelic demon creature as their solely target. When the angelic demon creature was seeing the sign of the white ribbons, it snorted displeasedly. Probably the Akuma didn't understand why it had to be ribbons from all things the Exorcist was having to use on the Earl's follower.
"Keh. Ridiculous weapon you have in there." The Level 4 was about to flying with its wings.
"Oh no, you don't!" Ellen wouldn't let the angelic demon whisked away that easily. She controlled the ribbons so they could snatch the Level 4 and not let the Akuma floating freely. The white ribbons material like then shoot up and managed to grab the strongest level of Akuma before coil around their target and bounding strongly so the Akuma couldn't break it easily. Ellen waste no time to grab the ribbons with her right hand and use the white colored ribbons to throwing the Level 4 to certain direction.
"Kanda...!" Ellen shouted to the Mugen's holder direction and threw the winged Akuma.
"Got it." Once again, the light colored aura was coating the holder of Mugen along with the sword and the scabbard itself like the last time. "Mugen: Nigentou, Hakka Tourou...!"
The Level 4 narrowed its eyes and increased the dark aura it had rapidly and burned the ribbons at the process, when Kanda already in front of the Akuma and did eight lightning speed slashes toward the grotesque creature, forming a flower form like. The attack's strength had thrown the Akuma to the other side of the building and crashed few walls, but not completely out from the orphanage's building. Kanda landed at the floor as the aura that coated around him disappeared from the sight since the attack had been finished.
"That should have him slow down." Kanda stared in scanning manner at the hole he had just made.
"It should have..." Marie then took a chance to glancing around and sweat dropped. "But it seems we've made too much damage more than necessary..."
Ellen also sweat dropped and smiled nervously at the oldest Exorcist. "I wonder if we can recompose the orphanage later..."
"Well, it's that sister complex brother's job to do, not us." Kanda responded plainly.
"Err, right..." Ellen replied unsurely but she quickly went back into serious mode and facing Marie. "Marie, I'm going to after Link and Timothy and check if they're fine along with the others as well. Is it alright for you?" Ellen asked urgently.
"Go." Marie answered. "Let me and Kanda take care the rest in here, we must protect him no matter what happen."
Ellen gave the bald man a thankful smile. "Thank you."
"Just go already." Kanda huffed heavily.
Ellen sighed expectantly at his reaction but the beautiful Exorcist decided to shrug it of and go to Link and Timothy's place.
"Right on the way." And with the words, she dashed out from the room, leaving the remained two Exorcists behind, and gone from their sight. It was then Kanda did a heavy and annoyed sigh.
"I really need to send all of my complaints to that sister complex four eyes, after this mission is over..." Kanda tightened his grip on Mugen, his face wasn't the happy one.
"Well, we didn't expect any ambush will come after all, there's no need to be upset like that."
"Let's just finish this freakin' annoying battle alrea..."
A loud boom was coming from the direction where the Level 4 had been throwing a while ago and both of samurai and headphones man turned their head in alarm. Before they could digest what has happening, a dark blur came from the dark smoke and as the nearest, Kanda was being smashed to the side rather harshly by the dark blur.
"Ukh!" Kanda grunted under his breath as he got threw away.
"Kanda!" The headphones holder shouted in worry. Kanda was quickly regaining his body's balance and did a triple flip on the ground before stopped completely with a thud.
"I'm fine!" The owner of Mugen gave a quick reply.
Kanda threw a glance toward the blur had just been. The blur slowed its phase a bit and it was revealed that the Akuma still intact and seems to having no fatal injuries although there were cuts caused by Kanda's latest attack. What gained Kanda's attention and concern however wasn't the emergence of the Akuma but rather he focused at the arm's appearance of the Level 4. A huge Gatling gun replaced its arm and placed firmly, a heavy weapon on top of that and Kanda suddenly had a bad feeling about it. The Akuma was smirking victoriously at the long haired young man, making the bad feeling got worse before the angelic demon creature flapped its wings few times then flew through the door with a whoosh sound and gone from the sight. Marie approached the Mugen's owner as Kanda raised from the floor.
"That Akuma?!" Marie asked in concern.
"Gone." Kanda narrowed his eyes in disdain. "And no doubt that bastard is following Ellen's trail. Double sh*t!"
"This is not good, we must after them quickly!" Marie went alarmed.
"Isn't it the very obvious act for us!?"
The two of them took off and running fast through the corridor, after the Akuma and their comrade. They were hoping that they could get in here right at the time.
Oshiete… eien no sono saki ga aru nara.
Nani mo iranai...
Michishirube wa anata dake!
Aaah…
(Metro Baroque, Blood C: The Last Dark Ending, Nana Mizuki)
"Don't keep runaway, you b*tch!" The armored Akuma thrust its left arm toward the black prince's direction. Noctis gritted his teeth and dropped down his body as the Akuma's arm missed him by one or two centimeters.
"Haste!" Noctis did a quick cast onto himself and his movements abnormally went faster than before at least twice times.
His forms became a dark blur and it was making the Level 3 even more anger and displeased. It tried to follow the short haired young man's move and attack him but with the Haste enhancements, the young man blocked all of the slim Akuma's attacks with that falchion of his with rather easily. The Level 2 appeared behind and threw a cross kick. Noctis spun his body and blocked the aimed kick with his arm before he grabbed the leg which the hat wearing Akuma was using and threw the Level 2 to the opposite side. That was when the Haste spell wore of and his speed went back to normal state.
"Why you―!" The Level 3 growled and the armored Akuma was shooting him a powerful spinning kick. "Take this!"
"Thundaga!" Noctis chanted and as fast as ever, several lightings were descending from the sky.
Both the grotesque creatures were avoiding some of them but the moment they got distracted, that was when the red eyed young man quickly casted another higher destructive spell. His red eyes shone brightly for a second. He aimed his already stretching hand and maimed it at both Earl's followers, shouted with all his mighty.
"Fira!"
The black magic came up with bigger and deadlier explosions than before, the vile creatures did their hardest to avoided the attack also but the explosions got them better with armored Level 3 got struck at the entire left leg and right shoulder, while the one eyed Akuma had one of the explosion hit its eye and initially burned the eye. Both of the Akuma shouted painfully at the injuries they've got just now. The Level 2 clutched its eye while the higher level Akuma went howling with gripping the shoulder injury. It wasn't even ended in there. The moment pain was more bearable and the armored creature laid its eye on Noctis, it was the last straw to be pulled out for the certain Level 3. Therefore, the armored vile creature had vowed it would do anything to destroy or vaporized the human before it.
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU...!" The armored creature roared fierily and blindly attacking Noctis.
"Cih!" Noctis clicked his tongue and was about to avoiding the Level 3 Akuma when a kick landed on his side head, eventually smashed him onto the ground harshly. He didn't what kind of boot the Level 2 was wearing, but it must have a sharp edge in somewhere on the sols since the kick had managed to injured him as blood began to flowing freely.
"Gah!" Noctis shook his head with a vengeance, hoping that the pain and the dizziness would go away in that way. He pressed the injury with his left hand and raised from the ground.
And the Level 3 was using this chance to get its revenge on the filthy human. "DIEEEE...!" The armored creature brought down its right arm at the kneeleded Noctis. The short haired young man was ready to block the oncoming attack, only to be smashed again at the ground by the foot of the one eyed Akuma this time the Level 2 kicked him at the his left shoulder, cracking the arm bone of him. He fell with a loud thud yet manage to roll away from both Akuma. The Level 3 stopped abruptly when its brethren stood in front of the armored creature.
"Wha-What the h*ll?! Go away...! Let me finish him!"
"No." The Level 2 answered flatly. Its only eye shut close due to the burn injury the Akuma received.
The Level 3 wore what people could describe as incredulous expression. "Why...!?"
"Change of strategy. We're going to capture the boy. Now." The injured one eyed Akuma pressed the last word. The full armored Akuma didn't agree immediately. Instead, it looked devastate.
"But what about that trash over there...!?" The higher level Akuma protested loudly.
Noctis watched the entire discussion with weary eyes. His labored breaths and some medium and heavy injuries had weakened him a lot. Not to mention the fatigue began to overwhelming him and his eyelids were somehow heavy and threatened to close any time. Things became more difficult since he couldn't let his guard down yet. He had to cast the cure spell however for a reason, he couldn't do it in front of eyewitnesses, let it human or Akuma.
"Leave him." The Level 2 replied coldly. "We clearly have waste our time to fight him and if we continue it, our mission will be fail for sure. The boy's our main priority and that is the purpose why we're in here at the first place, remember that."
The young man's spinel colored eyes snapped widely upon hearing it. He straightened his body as he fixed his gaze toward the Level 2 Akuma.
"What...?!" Noctis went alarmed.
"You heard me, human." The one eyed Akuma was stating rather icily, the tone of its voice went colder drastically. "We're not going to waste our precious time with you anymore for capture boy is our priority."
"But the human...!" The armored Akuma tried to argue the Akuma with cowboy attire and the Level 2 gave its brethren a deadly glare which had shut the higher level almost immediately.
"This is Earl's direct order and we're going to obey it, like it or not. As for the human..." The one eyed Akuma was glancing toward Noctis' direction uncaringly. "We'll deal with him later, along with those Exorcists. And help our injured comrade."
The Level 3 looked as if he wanted to retort the other Akuma but it then swallowed back whatever the words it was going to say. The higher level Akuma then threw the look that full of disdainfully.
"Keh! If the Earl's say so..." It snarled. "You're lucky that I'm not going to kill you from now. Must get the boy and beat the Exorcists first."
"Like I'll let the two of you do it..." Noctis' voice latched with venom. "You'll not touch any of them, not even the single hair of them."
"I'm afraid that it has to be done..." With that exclamation, the Level 2 started to walk away from the spinel eyed young man. Much to Noctis' displeasure, the Akuma was approaching the orphanage's door and made the young man angrier than before.
"Get back here, you bastard...!" Noctis roared angrily and after the leaving Level 2 Akuma.
Before he ever reach the one eyed Akuma, the armored Akuma appeared abruptly in front of the young man and before he could dodge it, the vile creature gave him a reverse roundhouse kick straight to his stomach and the attack had thrown Noctis with huge force and hit the building's wall behind.
WHAAAAM!
BLAAARR!
A crack appeared at the wall where Noctis was being struck by and the sound of loud crash clearly heard, followed by the sounds of cracking bones. It was causing the short black haired young man to shout painfully and shut his eyes tightly from resisting the burning pain.
"AAAGH!" He let out a scream of pain as he could faintly tasting the chopper smelled liquid in his mouth in which surely came from internal injury.
His whole body felt weaker than before at the moment and as if to make it worse, his magic went inactivated due from the powerful kick he got in there, and the falchion fell from his grasp, clattering onto the ground before it gone completely. Once again Noctis coughed up blood and went limp, he still had his conscious and yet it was barely holding him from falling into the faint.
"Serve you well, stupid human." The armored creature scoffed.
"Enough." The Level 2 said. "We need to go as soon as possible."
The Level 3 rolled its eyes in annoyance but did follow the lower level Akuma. "Yada yada..."
"Let's go." The one eyed Akuma gestured.
The armored Level 3 didn't bother to glance at the young man's figure anymore as both Akuma went to the entrance of the barrier. Noctis, left behind, was did try to rise from the crater where he was at. He coughed once and struggled to move his numb body, trying to reach the Level 2 and the Level 3.
"No..." Noctis clenched the wall behind him. "Stop...right there..."
But his voice was too weak and too far to be heard by both the Akuma as they kept continue to walk away from him and finally, both the armored and one eyed Akuma arrived in front of the door and entering slowly. The One eyed Akuma was the first one followed by the armored Level 3. They didn't open the door but just merely walked in as if the door was just an illusion and rippling as they entered the barrier. And then, they were gone from the short haired young man's. Leaving him alone at the outside barrier.
Noctis eyes went as wide as saucer with devastate.
"No―!" He shouted in restrain voice, the twisted feeling of anger, frustrate, and panic had overtaken him already.
He had just let them left! He had just let them go away from him and it was unacceptable! He couldn't believe that he can't hold up them and defeat them completely! He had failed to defeat them and now they've entered the barrier, it got worse quickly as the images of everyone's within the barrier kept flashing in his mind.
Timothy! Miss Galmar! Link! Marie! Kanda! Everyone!
ELLEN...!
Meanwhile...
Outside the orphanage, around 20 meters away...
"Are they will be fine?" Emilia couldn't help but glanced at the children in Link's and Mother Superior arms.
"They're mostly fine and they should be, but few of them are having the mild burn injury, I'm afraid that they need to be treating, soon." Link did a quick check to every corner; dark brown colored eyes were trying to find a way to out from the barrier and scanned any way to escape with his skill as a CROW.
Link, together with Emilia and Timothy had got out from the orphanage's building with the children. One problem was solved but then another appeared. Apparently they were in some kind of another dimension due to the barrier that covering the orphanage. It was indeed dark in here and void of any sign of buildings aside from the orphanage's building. This founding had made Link to analyze his surrounding in hope he could find a gap and use it as a way out, in which he found none so far and it was beginning to frustrate the blonde CROW despite his hard control to keep as calm as possible. If the barrier indeed placed from outside, then there was nothing he could do since he at the inside.
Not to far from both Emilia and Link, few of the children were sobbing shakily while the others looked clearly scared and hugging each other to comfort themselves. One girl then asked the Mother Superior with teary eyes and that little voice of her.
"Mother, can we really get out safely from here?" Her pair of green eyes stared at Mother Superior hopingly; her voice was trembling a bit along with her small figure.
The old and kind nun then offered her a comforting and a very gently smile. The nun was hugging the girl close to her. Her hand was patting the girl's wavy red hair with affection while her other hand kept the little girl close as the nun tried to soothing the child. Few children immediately followed the girl and hugging the nun tightly and seeking some comfort. The nun's smile widened a bit in understanding at this act. Her hands circled them carefully.
"It'll be alright. We'll get out from here safe and sound..." She said with hushed voice and kept patting the girl. "It'll be fine. God will be protecting us from harm, I promise you. I'll be alright in the end..."
Emilia stared at the old nun and the children guiltily. She was torn between whether to tell them this news or not. The pony tailed woman turned back to Link with a begging look.
"How we'll get out from this place if a barrier said to be place around the orphanage? Is that meaning we can't get out as long as the barrier still intact?" Emilia argued. "There's must be a way to exit from here..."
"That's why I'm trying to think a way to get us out from the barrier..." Link still scanned the area around him. That was when Timothy did stare at the braided blonde and then making his decision to call him with slight hesitantly.
"Hey, Mister..."
Link was staying quiet but the CROW member did glance at the light blue haired boy's direction, mahogany colored eyes blinked few times in slight curious. Timcanpy landed at the top of his blue haired head, looking down at the boy curiously.
"Hm?"
When he managed to get the braided young man's attention, Timothy went unsure for a while to ask some questions at the braided young man but the boy finally steeled himself and he looked straightly. The calm yet highly guarded dark brown colored eyes then met curious yet slightly scared red wine colored eyes. Link was waiting for the boy to talk first for he became curious a little. Until a few seconds ago, the red wine eyed boy was having this blank and devastated look on him. But now, he had that expression which demanding for answers although his gesture showed otherwise as his fisted hand trembled ever slightly. Link had to admit that he began to admire that look despite Timothy was a boy and perhaps a little brat to some people.
After a brief pause, Timothy asked the very first question that had been disturb him ever since these guys show up and got under attack by that...thing.
"The creature backs then, the one with wings...and similar like a doll." Timothy shuddered at the memory. His gut was telling that something definitely wrong with that creature, whatever it was. "...What is that thing exactly?"
Link stared the boy with calculating eyes. Few moments passed between them before he finally gave him a short yet held details explanation with his deep and steady voice.
"To be put simple? That's Akuma, the Earl's and the Noah Clan's follower. It's an evil creature made from the soul of the deceased that had been summoned by lured the forlorn one to call the soul with Akuma's skeleton as the toll. Once the deceased was being called, the Earl will order them to kill the one who call them and then wear their skin and continued to serve him. Mind you, there're more of the creatures like that one in outside there."
Mother Superior was putting her right hand and covered her gasping mouth. She had that sad and pity gaze on her kind eyes.
"Dear Lord, poor of them. They shouldn't and must not do that, no matter how sad they are to be leaving by the person they loved forever..." She said forlornly.
Contradicting with the nun, the blue haired boy instead had those wrinkles on his forehead. "The Earl? The Noah Clan? Just who the heck are they...?"
The boy then was earning a glare from Emilia. "Timothy, language!" Emilia warned.
Timothy couldn't help but face palmed and let out a frustrate groan at this. Really, mind language at the serious situation like this one? Give him a break already!
"Emilia, come on...! This is not the time!" Timothy argued back.
Link meanwhile, ignored their fighting as he was continuing his role to explain. "The Earl is known widely as the Earl of Millennium, together with the Noah Clan, the said descendants of Noah, they are the Black Order and also Exorcists' main enemies, especially the Earl Millennium himself. They've become the humankind's enemy from the ancient time. He's the one who having ordered that Akuma to attack us."
This got Emilia's attention as she snapped her head at the mention of the last part and Timothy's as well. Horror painted at both of their faces. Link couldn't really blame them; they were living a normal, well, actually a semi- normal life technically if you considered Timothy's past and his stealing actions, at least until this morning.
"You mean he's the one who after Timothy and the jewel on his forehead...!?" Emilia exclaimed rather loudly, startled the children and the gentle old nun who still soothing them. Emilia mumbled a quick apologize.
"Even you do want to not believe it, unfortunately you're correct." Link replied tonelessly.
Timothy face was beginning to pale. He touched the jewel out of reflect, his fingers trembling upon touched the cold gemstone like.
"You've gotta to be kidding me...!" He shouted in horror. "They- they do all of this...only for this thing!?"
Before Link ever had any chance to answer back the boy, an odd voice had beaten him first from forward.
"Well, well. Look who's at here..."
Link stunned upon he heard the odd voice. His whole body was staying still as if he got frozen by a huge block of ice. However it didn't last long as his instinct reacted badly and it urged, not to mention alarming the blonde that something dangerous came and he suspected that it was the matter he had been worried about since a Level 4 attacked the orphanage. He could tell that the owner of the oddly low voice was dangerous. The voice itself was a dead giveaway after all. It sounded threatening and sinister, not to mention was hiding something malicious behind it. Did he had to add more that the golden which rested at Timothy's head suddenly tense and showing its teeth, growled warningly at whatever it was behind him? Another voice soon replied and his fear was proven right, much to the irony.
"It seems that we've save our time enough to retrieve the boy."
Link snapped his head and his mahogany colored eyes then fell at two odd figures that were being hidden by the shade of the shadow. Both of them then stepped out from the shade and finally, finally Link and the others could see the two newcomers completely. They were both Akuma just as Link had expected. Judged from their appearance, it seemed that the other one was a Level 2 while another was a Level 3 and...
...Wait.
Link was frowning quizzically at the evil creatures before him. There was something that wasn't right on those Akuma, something which suppose not to be there at the first place...
That was when Link's eyes catch several burn marks in both Akuma. His frown was happening to be increased more when he noticed that both Akuma had been injured at least in one or two places, the taller one had those burns like injuries on the leg and shoulder while the one with odd hat injured at the eye because it had it eye closed and he saw the black colored of ash on its eye. Moreover, the braided young man could smell sharp burning smell which was coming from those burns. He also noticed there were some light until medium scratches in here and there on their body. Link pulled his lips down in bafflement. Judged from those burns injuries and the sharp smell, they must've got themselves into a fight not too long ago. The injuries were the result of that fight. Now the question was: Were they being hurt by someone before they went here? But by who? So far as he knew, there were no other people other than him and the Exorcists that had capability to fight the Akuma by near except...
His mind then clicked at one conclusion as he put the clues together and it struck him like a huge snowball.
Noctis. He had forgotten about him. The short haired young man was still at the outside and still. And if those vile creatures indeed came from outside the barrier...he must be the one who injured both Akuma somehow. It should be impossible for he wasn't an Exorcist. But then, Link himself was a CROW and he could fight Akuma with his magic ability and he had witnessed Noctis' demonstration of power at the HQ before with that odd sword. The dark brown eyed young man shouldn't be surprise if the older young man had one or two tricks under his sleeve and hurt the Akuma. His trails of thought had to be interrupted as the taller Akuma, must be a Level 3, asked it brethren.
"What about the rest then?" The higher level Akuma asked again.
The odd hat Akuma stilled for a moment it shrugged carelessly. "You can whatever you want with them, I guess."
Emilia was approaching and hugged Timothy close to her, gear painted on her beautiful face. The children went terrified and did seek protection from Mother Superior by hiding behind the old nun. Link was eyeing both Akuma warily as he in his fight stance, ready to draw his switchblades at any second.
"Really?" The Level 3 gleamed dangerously. "Alright! Then in that case, I'll just kill all of them~. It had been bad enough with the bastard at the outside."
A pair of dark brown eyes widened alarmingly at the mention of this 'bastard'. They must be talked about...
"You've fight with Noctis?" Link shot the question. It was more like a firm statement rather than simply asking question. He saw the expression on both vile creatures changed darker than before.
"His name's Noctis, huh? So you did know him after all. No wonder he have those extraordinary power even though he isn't Exorcist. He has giving quite trouble not too long ago..." The Akuma with injured eye commented darkly.
"And what that does mean...?" Link asked tonelessly but he couldn't suppress the surprise emotion.
"Look what he has done to us! He beat one of us with that power of his and pissed the hell out of us...! Thanks to that trash, now it's only the two of us that manage to get inside the barrier!" The armored Level 3 burst out with high voice filled with anger, successfully scared the children more. The kind nun had to hug few of them tighter in order to calm the children. Timothy and even Emilia were started to tremble in fear.
Link stayed quiet but now he had his suspicion proven right. Noctis was really the one who did this to both Akuma, Link noted mentally. And if he wasn't wrong, the Level 3 said that he beat one of them so that means there were at least 3 Akuma aside from the one Ellen and the others fought now. Apparently, the older young man was quite strong to even battle 3 Akuma at the same time although they were at the lower level than the Level 4. He even managed to get a Level 3 holding a grudge toward him. Despite the slight admire he had toward Noctis, Link resisted the urge to face palm right in there and at that moment. Just, what did he do at these Akuma...?
The Level 2 took a glance toward Timothy. "That boy...so you're acting as the watch dog to protect him?"
"And what if I am?" Link replied sharply. The odd hat wearing Akuma didn't reply back, instead it turned at the armored Akuma beside it.
"You know what to do..." The Level 2 reminded coolly at its brethren.
The Level 3 grinned maniacally and stepped forward and stretching both its arms, showed the claws it had. "Time for some fun～!"
...Sh*t.
Now they were not being safe anymore and as if to make it worse, Link was the only one in that group who had the capability to fight the Akuma back. With the Exorcists were currently fighting the Level 4 and the older young man still at the outside, technically only him and Timothy who could fight. However Timothy was a child and on top of that, he had no experience to fight Akuma despite the fact that he could use his Innocence fairly well. Link cursed mentally and took an act in order to protect the children and mostly, keeping Timothy Hearst away from those Akuma's hands at any cost even it means he used his very own life.
Damn, now he wished that he didn't stuck here alone while protect the children and battle the Akuma at the same time.
"―Cough! Cough―!"
Noctis was trying to free himself from the crack that had trapped him for a while. He kept coughed so hard and the small amount of blood was flowing from his lips. His breaths were heavy and his steps unsteady. He winched slightly as he was moving a step. Out of reflect, Noctis clutched his abdomen and took a sharp inhale, trying to bear the pain of his injury. The red eyes had long changed back to their original color. The sky blue colored eyes narrowed toward the door where the 2 Akuma had gone. He cursed under his breath for his incapability to defeat them all and most of all, he was anger at himself. He couldn't believe he had let them got away and he couldn't do anything to stop them. Now he had to find a way to enter the barrier and that if he was lucky enough. He had to help Ellen and the others and he hadn't much time to do this.
"...Dammit." The euclase eyed young man fisted his left hand and it shook from trying to control his anger.
"Kuh..." A weak voice quickly snapped Noctis from the consuming anger and had him stunned for a second before he recognized the owner of the weak voice, too recognized it even.
"!"
He turned sharply his body and soon found the fat Akuma which he had forgotten until a while ago, laid few feet away from him and struggling hard to raise from the cold and hard road. Well, it was not completely fat anymore since the white magic he cast before did a good job to destroy or blast some parts of its body to be precisely. Soon its eyes caught the young man's form and let out a low, shaky growl. He stunned at how the Akuma was even that stubborn but he kept his eyes and his distance at the rabbit eared creature. Well, it wasn't a lie when he thought that the grotesque creature did annoy him to the point it pissed him but really, seeing the Akuma's state, he would not going to attack the dying Level 2 for now.
"How..." The Akuma asked slowly, its eyes narrowed sharply and accusing. "How can...I've been beaten...by a mere human like you?"
Noctis went deadly quiet at this. He blinked once and staying still for it seems that there were more things the Akuma about to say and it was indeed.
"...We're...Akuma...There's no way that a human...other than...the Exorcist can defeat us..." The dying Level 2 continued, its voice was getting weaker and weaker. "And yet with that power...that strength...it's impossible...what are you exactly?"
A long silence formed between the human and the Akuma. Theirs eyes still fixed at each other, one was looking with perplexity and anger while other just completely staring down with unreadable expression. The silence was being broken once the young man sighed heavily and dropped his arm from the injured abdomen. He closed his eyes for a moment before he reopening them back and the color of his irises went back to spinel color due to his magic was being activated.
"...It doesn't really concern you of whom am I..." Noctis stated above whisper, his tone was very quietly almost to the state that his voice sounded holding no emotion.
Then he was slowly approaching the fallen form of the blasted Akuma. Once the short haired young man stopped right before the dying Akuma that glared toward him yet far too weak to attack, he was kneeling on one knee, and had his right palm faced the Akuma's face. White magic lit up immediately and soon after, the runes began to form once more and the blue lights from before started to appear again, they were floating all around the young man. Its dagger eyes met emotionless red eyes that were staring straightly. However, the Akuma could detect the bitter and sad tone despite his flat voice.
"You can't defy the law of the death forever, you must return to your true place..." The short black haired young man said quietly.
The light then illuminated brightly and swallowing the Akuma's figure. It visions soon began to blurred but it could hear clearly the human's voice. The dying Akuma could make one whole sentence the human was saying. Unfortunately the fat Level 2 couldn't think any longer as the grotesque creature heard the human's voice, strangely now sounded soft and calming, and echoed into its rabbit ears like.
"You don't have any concern about this world anymore." The red eyed young man's voice flowed rather smoothly and for most of the part of it, gently.
"Go and rest in peace. May Goddess Etro is welcome and greet you in there..."
The Akuma fallen into the darkness as the creature catch the very last word from the young man. Funny, the Akuma thought. It should be angry at the young man for causing much trouble for them, the group of Akuma. The fat Akuma should held a crudge toward the odd human. They were existed to destroy and kill humankind after all. But...
But...
"Holy."
Somehow for a reason when the creature sensed that bitter yet gentle voice of him, the fat Level 2 was not angry anymore, in fact, the Akuma felt a bit more peaceful. That was sounded funny to the Akuma, not to mention it did sound offending the Level 2. And to its irony, the fat and rabbit eared Akuma didn't care about that anymore. That and the dying vile creature concluded that the human wasn't bad at all. He had prayed the Akuma with sincere after all.
Then the Level 2 knew nothing more.
TAP! TAP! TAP! TAP! TAP!
"LINK...!" Ellen was trying to call the blonde while she kept looking for any sign of Link, Timothy, and the others.
Ellen was very worried about them and her silver eyes darted to every direction, hoping to find a glimpse of blond hair or light blue hair. Ellen couldn't find them until now, thus only added more anxious feeling to the white haired female Exorcist. The snow white haired young woman slightly regretted her decision to send them away and had such risk to run into other Akuma. She also worried about Noctis' state at outside there, if there were indeed more Akuma walked around, he surely would run a risk to meet them too. Ellen moved both her legs faster and faster. She should have knew this from the beginning, how could she was this stupid!? She had to find Timothy and Link as quickly as possible. She mustn't let those Akuma get anywhere near them! Wasn't giving up, she called the name of the blond haired young man once more.
"Please answer me, Link...!"
But before Ellen had run further than this, much to her shock, the angelic demon creature she had been left and supposed to be taken care by the snappish samurai and bald man of her fellow Exorcists, emerged from behind her and somehow, one of the Akuma's arm had changed into heavy weapon a.k.a Gatling gun like weapon. Although she couldn't use her left eye due to the barrier, she was being well trained enough to sense evil intention to certain degree from her battles with the Akuma. Ellen breaths hitched and her eyes went widely in disbelieve when she felt that evil intention of the Level 4. The Akuma was here already?! But that was impossible, the Level 4 supposed not to be following her that fast! Kanda and Marie were staying behind to take care of the Akuma. Was the winged vile creature had beat Kanda and Marie?
The Level 4 smirked cynically and questioning the silver haired young woman.
"Can you really afford to be worrying over others?"
The dark and dangerous tone under the Akuma's voice had alarmed the silver eyed young woman and thus leads her to take an action to activate another ability of her Innocence.
"Crowned―!" Ellen was about to use her white cloak as a shield but the angelic demon had beat her first by raising its Gatling gun arm.
"Too late." The Level 4 stated cruelly and with that the terrifying heavy weapons was shoot. Loud bangs of Gatling gun then echoed through the entire corridor and even through the whole building.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
"Aaaakh!" Ellen coughed a pile of blood as the bullets were hitting her at some places and hurt her a lot.
Since she had a parasitic body, the poison made from Akuma's blood within the bullets would never harm her but even without the poison itself, the bullets were still can making serious injuries to the snow white haired Exorcist. The bullets also made some good holes on her Innocence white cloak, stained its white and so pure color with the red of her blood that coming from her bullet injuries. Her grip on the Sword of Exorcism loosened and her conscious beginning to fade slowly as her eyesight was becoming blurrier and darker. Her body suddenly felt so heavy and she was falling forward when the female Exorcist saw blurry form of Marie and heard him shouted something she didn't quite understand, then she know nothing after that.
"Ellen!" Marie shouted her name as the beautiful Exorcist's from fallen to corridor's floor with loud thud before them.
Before they ever reach the beautiful Exorcist, the winged Akuma turned its body and now aimed its weapon at Kanda and Marie. Soon, the Akuma was firing its Gatling gun arm mercilessly.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
"Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!" It continued to shout as the Gatling gun kept firing and accompanied with loud bangs.
"Guh―!" Kanda grunted but he contune to blocked each bullet directed to him with his Innocence sword. Beside him, Marie blocked all the bullets by using those Innocence strings of him.
"It seems that's not good enough." The winged Akuma was commented thoughtfully and then raising another arm. A millisecond later, another Gatling gun was forming and the satisfied yet cruel smile on the Akuma's face widened.
"Now die...!" The Akuma laughed maniacally and ready to fire it toward Kanda and Marie.
"Another one...!?" Marie shouted in incredulous.
"Bastard!" Kanda was pissed off as he kept parrying with the oncoming bullets.
The angelic demon raised another Gatling gun and firing the bullets. Although both Exorcists had tried their hardest to blocked and defended themselves from the bullets shower, their didn't had strength any longer for this. It kept continue like that for only God knows, the Akuma was firing while the samurai and the headphones man struggle so they never ever got hit by the poisonous bullets.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
BANG!
"Agh―!" Marie winched when a bullet hit his headphone and it was being thrown away by the bullet's force.
'Sh*t! My headphones...! There're too many sounds...!' Marie thought.
BANG!
At the moment he was getting distraught, another bullet hit both his right forefinger and middle finger in between. Both Marie and Kanda had their eyes widened drastically.
'Dammit! He's got shot!' Kanda cursed in inside.
The Level 4 grinned maniacally at the scene. "Equipment type Exorcist have human bodies, the virus will kill you easily!"
Then out of sudden, ignored the angelic demon creature exclaiming, Marie wrapped few of the strings around his forefinger and middle finger that started to be covering by black star marks and in one moment, the bald Exorcist cut both his fingers off from his hand. The winged Akuma lost its grin and now watched as the cut forefinger and middle finger of the human turn color into completely black and shattered as soon as they hit the ground. Marie took a slight breath and stayed calm.
'Before the virus could spread...in an instant and without hesitation...' The Akuma's eyes were widening, stunned by the shocking action. 'He cut them off.'
A shadow suddenly was looming at the winged creature from left side, the figure had Mugen ready in slash position.
"Mugen: Shangenshiki―" Kanda's dark blue eyes glowed at the shadow, similar with wolf's eyes even for just a brief moment. His voice was sharp and cold and dangerous.
"How foolish." The Level 4 said.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
"Dying would be much easier but you're still acting so foolish." The angelic demon had the Gatling gun's changed its direction and now shot the dark long haired young man continuously. Kanda fell onto the kneeled position with one hand was being pushed against the wooden floor. He let out few shaky breaths as he supported himself.
"Ukh!" Kanda gritted his teeth, bearing the pain from the bullet's injuries.
'I didn't want to admit it...' Marie struggled with his breaths. 'But it seems with just the three of us, this is...the best we can do!'
At the outside of the building, Link's situation was almost as bad as the Exorcists. He fought not only 1 but 2 Akuma at the same time and was giving him hard time to deal with them. Meanwhile, at the corner of the battlefield, everyone, including Mother Superior, Emilia, and Timothy witnessed the whole fight. Timcanpy flew near above his head, showed the sharp teeth of the yellow colored golem.
"Mister!" Timothy called worriedly as he watched the exchange blows between the slim armored Akuma and the blond haired CROW. The Level 3 aimed an elbow attack only to be blocked by the young blonde's arms. Link got pushed back by the force and yet he steadied his stance again.
"Run! Don't mind me, just run from here...!" Link shouted as his back was facing the boy.
"Right!" Emilia complied dutifully and snatching Timothy's hand, ready to drag the boy away. "Mother, let's go!"
The old nun gave a hasty nod before turning to the rest of the children around her. "Come..." Mother Superior nudged the children to follow her and the younger woman. The children obeyed the gesture and began to running away. And the Akuma saw it.
"Not so fast..." The Level 2 was looming at them and in a blur, the grotesque creature had passed the still clashing Link and the Level 3 Akuma. Link's dark brown eyes widened slightly.
"What!?" He darted his eyes at the passed Level 2 that approaching the escape group that mostly consisted of little boys and girls with only two women as adults.
"Hey, where you're looking at...!?" The armored Level 3 threw a side high kick which forced the blonde to focus back at his enemy.
The one eyed Level 2 had arrived behind Emilia and Mother Superior, using both its legs to did double spinning kick and slammed both women quite hard. Both of them were letting out a scream of pain as the attack landed onto their body. The blue haired boy was gasping loudly at the scream and the boy brought his head to saw that the brown haired woman and the old nun he was very much care about, fell quite far with loud thuds. Horror painted over his face. "No! Mother Superior, Emilia!" He screamed in fear, when the Akuma suddenly had its attention onto him.
"Gotcha." The Level 2's lined with victory and its cloak was shooting from the creature's body, wrapped Timothy and instantly captured the boy.
"Waaaaa―!" Timothy cried out in panic.
"Timothy!" Emilia pushed herself from the ground, her eyes widened fearfully.
Link turned his head to found that the red eyed boy had captured by the Level 2. He cursed rather loudly at this. "Sh*t!"
"Okay! That means you can die now!" Chuckles had escape through the Level 3's mouth. Its eye narrowed in glee.
"Wha...!?" Link darted his mahogany colored eyes but a kick had reached and slammed him right at the face. The powerful force had thrown the long haired blonde and crashing the dark dimension floor far away from Timothy and the children's group.
SMAAAASH!
WHAAAM!
"Hahahahahaha!" The Level 3 laughed so hard with deep amusement.
"Do you think you can take us?" The Level 2 stated questioningly.
"Mister...!? Mister!" Timothy was glancing at that direction, searched any sign of the braided blonde. He then shouted at the Level 2. "Lemme go, stupid! Lemme go!"
BAAAAM!
At the very stolen moment, much to their incredulous, Link got up from the ground and shot himself, gave a hard kick at the Level 3's face and slammed the armored Akuma at ground to the point the land beneath the Akuma destroyed into pieces. The Level 2 Akuma, which had its back facing Link and about ready to go, was glanced around in shock.
"!"
"I may not wear black uniform, but I have black wings." The braided young man gritted his teeth; his look was more than ready to beat the Akuma.
"I can't destroy you but I can banish you!" A talisman came out from inside his right sleeve and coming into his palm. The spell writing within the talisman started to let out a light.
"Spells give me power," The blonde fisted the talisman before bluish electricity came alive and dancing around his fist. The talisman's spell had changed his fist and entire arm slightly. The sleeve was torn because of the spell's effect. His entire arm was being enhancement by the spell. Link didn't even gave a pause as he was looming toward the Level 2 Akuma."Skills release it and my mind becomes my fist."
"W-wah! He's coming after us!" The one eyed Akuma cried out in panic.
"You bastard!" The stronger level of the vile creature was after the blonde CROW.
"Hold your breath!" Link shouted commandingly at everyone near, especially Timothy. At his command, everyone was obeying and either put the hand onto their nose or simply holding the breath. Emilia and Mother Superior shielded the children while Timcanpy helping Timothy held his own breath. Link had raised his fist and flung it with all mighty he had.
Secret Spell!
BOOOOOM!
"Curaga." Noctis casted the healing spell onto himself.
He was surrounding by the sky blue colored aura and the wounds in his body started to close by themselves, including the injuries at his head and his abdomen. About a minute later, all of his wounds healed but not the whole of it. His breaths weren't labored anymore and the fatigue was gone for good. However, although the spell did cure his injuries most of it and seemed to left no trace or sign of his external injuries, the internal injuries hadn't fully healed yet such as broken bones, so should he was being attacked at the same place, the injuries will went as bad as before, perhaps even more than that. He had to be more careful at the oncoming battles. Noctis stood up carefully from the ground and had his euclase at the barrier's entrance.
"Now..." Narrowed euclase eyes were staring at the door in scrutinizing manner. "What kind of magic I should use in order to enter the barrier?"
'They entered it easily and just gone like that...Shall I give a try?'
Noctis was stooping down to reach a small chuck of rock, simple result from the earlier battle he had with the Akuma. He glanced at the rock and threw it straight to the door. When the rock touched the door however, the barrier went active and some kind of black electricity formed and bolting at the young man. He was quite shocked by the reaction but he quickly teleported himself back to the road so he wouldn't got hit. Yet he had miscalculation when one of the flow electricity was shooting at least twice times more far than he had expected and aimed for his face. The young man had no choice but to dodged the ominous flow and made a cut on his left cheek. It then struck the lamp behind him and ultimately destroyed it in the process.
BOOOM!
Bzzt! Bzzzt.
"..."
Noctis' right eye twitched few times both in annoyance and pain, not to long after he hissed quietly. He immediately regretted the choice for standing too close with the barrier. But with this, he now acknowledged the fact that the barrier was meant to be entering by Akuma only and it will electrocute anything aside from the creatures and he not an exception from that rule as well.
'...Okay. Option no. 1: Enter the barrier without a spell, scratch. Damn, that's hurt.' Noctis huffed harshly.
He casted a quick Cure onto his grazed cheek and as soon as the cut on his cheek healed properly, he decided to use certain spell that would allowing him to enter the barrier, with a note he must enter the barrier rather fast once he cast the spell. It was a spell that can remove the status enhancements from the target, the barrier made from field of dark energy or at this term, some amounts of negative energy that would be meaning the spell had effect on this barrier. The catch was, this spell's effect didn't last long and he was running a risk to tire himself from the spell which means he wouldn't have any much energy left once he entered the barrier, so he couldn't give the Exorcists much help. But time was running out and if he didn't enter the barrier and help the Exorcist...
"...I guess I have to use 'that'." Noctis pinched his nose in suffering way. "Hope that spell can work in this barrier..."
The black prince closed his eyes then steadied his stance and concentrating on channeled his magic power. Crystal flakes appeared and floating as well as some of blue lights around the short haired young man as the sky blue colored of magic circle made from the light sprung to life and was forming behind him. He opened his eyes widely before pointed his opening palm at the door.
Dispell!
The spell soon clashed the barrier hard. The barrier was immediately reacted at the intruder energy and making its resistance. The resistance had given him difficulty a lot but after steeled himself, he then pushed his magic power further away. In the end, the Dispell won and quickly made an effect toward the barrier, removed the negative energy forcefully. The barrier around the entrance was being lifted and a dark hole appeared in front of Noctis.
"Okay..." Noctis inhaled deeply and wearing a determined face, ready to face whatever that waited him in front of there.
"Here I come!"
Dark.
At first, she only saw the color of darkness that lay before her eyes.
There was nothing but black.
And she somehow couldn't move her body. She felt numb and dull pain in all over her body, it made her breath difficult. The feeling was leaving her pondered on what was going on her.
That was before she realized that she actually had her eyes closed and she hadn't open them until now. It took her few moments to actually realize that she had been in the middle of battling the Level 4 with Kanda and Marie. It took her few minutes to remember with clearly that she was being unconscious temporarily from the Level 4's shoots. It took her few minutes to registered the information that she got shoot a lot from the angelic demon's Gatling gun, which explain the numb and dull pain sensation she felt earlier. At the brink of her conscious, Ellen Walker caught some crackled sounds from her communication device like earring. Started to regain her conscious back, Ellen tried and struggled to listening at the sounds which became clearer at each second passed, and finally, there was a voice who Ellen knew.
"Mister!"
Ellen opened her silver eyes half way, recognized the voice as Timothy's. Looks like he was still safe and sound, the news had relieved her. The silver eyed Exorcist was overwhelming by the fatigue and she almost couldn't move her body because of it. Ellen even barely gripped the Crowned Clown properly; she almost let the big sword away from her hand.
"Mister! Mister, are you okay...!?" Timothy's voice trembled and she could hear the faint sobs of the boy.
"Timothy, what are you doing by staying in here?" Link voice was dry and judge from his slightly hitched breath, he must had got injury. "Go..."
"No! I can't do it, you're injured!" The 9 years old boy was refused.
Link couldn't give his answer to that boy; he got an attack from the Akuma. Ellen was pretty sure enough because she heard something being slammed so hard and the braided blonde responded with his voice.
"WHAAAAM!"
"Ukh!" Link grunted painfully, a thud that sounded quite far was following a second later.
"Mister!" A shout came from Timothy and this time it was totally in panic.
Another voice, this one filled with malevolence and evil, no doubt an Akuma, was saying that he would come with the vile creature when a bang echoed. And another bang was echoed. And another. And another, until 6 times and the sounds of the bang halted immediately. Ellen then heard Timothy's voice in devastate, calling the name of the pony tailed woman that had took care of him.
"Emilia!" Timothy's voice came out again, called out the woman's name.
"Let go of that boy!" Emilia was shouting determinedly although Ellen acknowledged that the woman's voice trembled a bit.
Ellen went very concern at this. While she must admire the woman's courageous attempt to safe her pupil from the Akuma's hands, Emilia was still a normal human and therefore, she would became an easy target for the Akuma just like Timothy as well. If the situation indeed getting worse, one wrong move and the pony tail haired woman was as good as dead; that was the last thing Ellen ever, ever wanted to be occur. Timothy's reaction wasn't better from her. He was clearly freaking out with the woman's action; Ellen could hear it from the boy's voice.
"Emilia, you idiot...! You'll get killed...!" Timothy was about saying more when more loud bangs of gun echoed again. However Ellen knew very well the fact that the normal gun had little effect on Akuma.
"Stuuupid." The evil creature, follower of the Earl said. "I'll tear you apart and use your ruined guts to spell out 'I'm sorry'."
The time seemed to be halted for the Parasitic female Exorcist. Her silver eyes went as wide as saucer. She could hear the sounds of her heartbeat drummed loudly in her ears. Everything seemed to flowing so slow, then without warning time went faster rapidly and forcefully as a desperate shout of Timothy came from the communication device.
"STOP IT―!"
The terrified shout of Timothy had successfully made Ellen regained her strength. Determination flashed within her silver eyes and so the snow white haired Exorcist twirled her body and rose from the floor. She even rose too quickly and it made her coughed few times. She struggled with her body to stand up even though it was shakily because her power not fully returned, not to mention with the injuries she got from the Level 4. Ellen was so damn tired, she wondered a bit if she could defeat the Akuma in this stage of condition. However this was a critical moment and she didn't want to waste her time by laid on the floor. And that was when Ellen heard those voices, snapped her from her thoughts. There was a sound of something that withholds an impact, a shuffle, and then a pause for a second. Then that voice, the voice of that Level 3 Akuma, audible in her communication tool.
"Hey," The vile creature asked in bafflement yet sharp tone. "What are you doing, Level 2?"
She heard Timothy's voice was filled with anger at the question. "Don't...you dare...Don't you dare hurt Emilia!"
Ellen was beyond stunned to hear it. It sounded like Timothy from the tone the voice was using, but the voice...
It wasn't stopping in there. The voices and shouts, most likely from Emilia and Timothy could be heard at the background to the point Ellen couldn't hear what the sentence or words they had said. She only could make few words such as 'possess' and 'transform'. Then, more surprise was coming when she heard a practically familiar, very familiar, roaring and angered baritone voice.
"GET LOST FROM HERE, YOU STUPID AKUMA...!"
Her tiredness suddenly vaporized to nowhere at the moment she heard the voice of his, the voice of a young man in which she began to accustom with. She stopped moving at instant. Ellen had a thought that she might be hearing things and temporary deaf from the Gatling gun's sound, but the voice was pretty much real and loud to her to be heard. She had various emotion played on her beautiful face. Confusion, relief, concern, but most of all...
"Noc...tis?" Ellen whispered softly the young man's name in disbelieve between her coughs.
"Mister! Mister, are you okay...!?" Timothy shook the CROW's left arm shakily. He was standing beside the blond haired young man who clutched his right arm. His arm was still numb from the earlier spell so he couldn't use it for temporary. Link took a moment to glance at the standing boy beside him, slightly frowned and confuse why the light blue haired boy hadn't go yet. He did aware that the red eyed boy was feeling concern toward him. It wasn't too surprising since he had to use offensive attack that had quite demanded a cost to him. But the situation wasn't' safe yet and Link pretty much sure the Akuma hadn't gone yet.
"Timothy, what are you doing by staying in here?" Link stiffened at the dull pain in his right arm. "Go..."
"No! I can't do it, you're injured!" Timothy shook his head stubbornly.
Link was about to scold the boy when the armored Akuma abruptly appeared in front of him and the moment he snapped his head, the Level 3 kicked the blonde very hard at his left side, practically threw him away from Timothy, and leaving the boy with no defense.
"Mister!" Timothy cried out but the Level 3 Akuma had got into his way, hand had risen and about to take the boy. Timothy gasped and took a step back. The demon was chuckled amusedly.
"And now you're coming with us―" The Akuma got cut by a feminine yet fierce voice.
"Timothy...!"
BANG!
PING!
The next time Timothy knew, a bang was echoing and a bullet hit the armored body of Level 3 Akuma although it didn't make any damage, not even a scratch. A series of bang were soon followed after, hit the Level 3 continuously, the bullets themselves pinged against the strong armor of the grotesque creature in the end. Despite the bullets indeed didn't hurt the Akuma, it did stopped its action from lay its hand to Timothy and it looked at behind the red eyed boy and the braided blonde.
"Huh!?" Timothy blinked rapidly and had twisted his body when he spotted Emilia was holding a gun. She was standing not too far from Timothy and left the kind old nun and the children behind. The gun barrel she held was still smoking from the shoots. Timothy gawked at the sign of the brown headed woman. He called her name in disbelieve. "Emilia!"
Should the boy take a closer look onto Emilia, her right arm had already shaken from the fear. However, being a daughter of Inspector, Emilia was being taught that she wouldn't fear easily and save those who need her help. It wasn't like she would be back away from saving the boy she had been cared deeply with. Even that would be meaning if the enemies she faced weren't humans but a bunch of monsters, she had to protect Timothy from them. With determined yet teary eyes, she stood firmly in front of Mother Superior and the children, choked the gun of her given by his father for protection, and pointed it again at the armored Akuma and hat wearing Akuma.
"Let go of that boy!" Emilia shouted, ready to shoot the gun.
Timothy gawked incredulously at the brown head woman of his mentor. Has she gone nuts already!? She couldn't beat them with only a gun if a spell like the blond haired mister not even injured both of Akuma! She was going to kill herself and Timothy wouldn't let that happen to her!
"Emilia, you idiot...! You'll get killed...!" Timothy tried to stop her but no avail as Emilia was shooting the armored Level 3 with her gun.
"Stuuupid." The armored creature stated mockingly. "I'll tear you apart and use your ruined guts to spell out 'I'm sorry'."
In the speed that incredibly fast, the Akuma shot itself and already had both of its arms to crush to crush the brown headed woman. Emilia stopped shooting her gun as she gasped in shock and all she can do was standing in there, not able to move her feet, even when the demonic creature was looming toward her direction. Unison screams were shouting behind her who belonged to Mother Superior and the children, crying out her name in fear and panic. Timothy, in desperate, tried to reach them by run at the fastest speed he could achieve. But the distance between the boy and the ambushed woman was too far and too great. He wouldn't make it in time. The Akuma would kill her without doubt before he ever stopped the creature.
"STOP IT―!" Timothy shouted desperately and angrily, finally broke into tears.
'Why?' Timothy mentally asked none other to himself. 'Why must I see this...!? I don't want to!'
Why must this happen?
Why him? Why they must target him and hurt those he cared so much?
He couldn't take it anymore. He cursed the fate, he cursed himself, and he cursed his own weakness. Angry because he was about to witnessed the death of Emilia that-although he didn't want to admit it-as same as important like Mother Superior and the other orphans to him. Angry because while everyone was doing their best to protect him, he couldn't do the same with them, and all he did this time nothing but to run and run. Angry because while he had awesome power he got from the red jewel on his forehead, he was powerless and not able to defend himself from those grotesque creatures.
His mind then replayed all the memories started when he was started to stay at the orphanage around 2 years ago, the time he spent with Emilia to study while everyone encouraged him, the day when he eavesdropping from behind the door on the information about the possibility that the orphanage will be closed, the decision he made that day and started to use his power to stole precious items from the museums for the sake of the orphanage, taking and possessed many people in order to steal, the day he met those black uniform guys, the moment when that silver eyed young woman said he was the worst by using others to take what not his possession. The word had slapped him harder than he had ever imagined. The light blue haired boy was never feeling this...weak and useless for 9 years his life.
He couldn't protect Emilia, he can't protect Mother Superior, he can't protect his fellow orphans. In the end, he just bothered and destroying the life of the others'. Suddenly he couldn't help but thought was this how the people he had possessed feeling when they got captured by police and jailed without knowing anything what they had done since he took control of their conscious?
Helpless and nothing he could do?
Was there really nothing he can do...?
Must he have to watch Emilia died in that monster's hand?
'I...'
Despair.
Love.
'I'm...'
Obstinacy.
Bravery.
'...I wouldn't allow it.'
He wouldn't allow it, ever.
'I'll not let them.'
A strong will to protect the others.
To become a shield that preserved them from any danger and enemy.
To become a sword that would destroy and slash the enemy and the danger itself, not a burden that incriminated those he cared and loved.
"I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIIIIIS...!" Timothy swore with anger determination, his tears already fell to the mother of earth.
And the sword of the fate was fallen onto him, his fate already sealed with this.
The red jewel on Timothy's forehead reacted at his emotion, it shone brightly in white bluish color for a while before it reduced a bit and a kanji letter of '開(kai; release)' appeared within. An odd symbol was also forming at his forehead skin around the still shone jewel. Behind him, a spirit like mist appeared by the time the jewel staring activated. It were having a pair of eyes and mouth that showed sharp teeth like Timcanpy and despite the form quite creepy, the spirit emitted a positive aura unlike the Akuma. It then echoed in Timothy's head, the mist like spirit vocalized a sentence in telepathically way.
"Divine Possession."
Timothy felt like he was floating, unaware that actually his soul was being separated from his body. With the help from the shadow, his soul flew toward the hat wearing Level 2 near by and left his body stumble, ready to fall if Link didn't hurriedly came with hurriedly dash to beside the boy and catch the boy's body. Link who witnessed the whole event was surprised. He didn't expect the boy would activate the Innocence this fast or in this situation. Lowered the boy's body he lifted his head toward the Akuma. He couldn't pint point the reason, but he had a good intuition that something was going to happen soon and he better not take his gaze away. Meanwhile, at the moment the boy's soul get in to the Level 2's body, the shadow was had the Level 2's soul inside its mouth. The shadow was starting to chew the Akuma's soul. Still wasn't aware of the shadow and focused at saving Emilia, Timothy, with the Akuma's body jumped toward Emilia shielding her from the attack. He received most of the attack's power, the cloak like cloth then wrapped around both the Level 3's hands. The cloth tightened and completely stopped the armored Level 3's movement. The higher level Akuma did stop at that time but not without looking frowningly at the intruded Level 2.
"Hey," The vile creature narrowed its eye, scanned another Akuma in front of it. "What are you doing, Level 2?"
Timothy ignored the question and instead tightened the grips on the Level 3's arms. "Don't...you dare...Don't you dare hurt Emilia!"
The armored Level 3 was narrowing its eye in alarmed, aware that something didn't set right with another Akuma. In seconds count, the jewel on Timothy's forehead was fully activated, the jewel shone grew stronger rapidly not before the Akuma's body the light blue haired possessed decomposed in sudden almost like the body destroyed by the light. The power of the Innocence did further as the Akuma's body changed into something else.
"Take the possession of the Akuma and activate Innocence mode." The spirit floated behind stunned Emilia, almost finishing chew the Akuma's soul. "Now just watch. This is 'Divine Possession'."
The creature's flesh completely metamorphosed into smaller figure, its injured eye became a pair of eyes and healed in instant, the cloak like arms changed into a pair of real arms. When the transformation finished completely, the light dispelled revealed the transformed Timothy. Stood before Emilia and the Level 3, was a humanoid like figure with outfit that pretty similar with crossover between clown and jester. Overall, one would think it was a cool form he had in there. However once he recovered from the transformation process, he was too shock to take a look at his new form at the time he touched his hidden face and did shout loudly.
"WHOAAA...!? I'M TRANSFORMED!" Timothy shouted astonishmently and startling Emilia as the result. "Wait, does that mean I can possess these guys too...!?"
"That voice...?! Timothy, is that you!?" Emilia asked in incredulous. She couldn't help but to sweat dropped at the boy.
An alien voice was coming from nowhere then warned Timothy. "Idiot! Don't turn around!!"
Timothy spun his body at the warning and found the Level 3 Akuma ready with the ball of energy between both hands. The Akuma was about to throwing the attack when out of sudden, the barrier behind them was opening abruptly, then a dark blur came in before the enter gate closed not too long after.
"GET LOST FROM HERE, YOU STUPID AKUMA...!" A familiar deep voice roared angrily, stopped the armored Akuma from its action. The eye placed at the helmet head of the Level 3 blinked once, twice.
"Huh―" The Level 3 recognized that voice in instant, spun its slim and exoskeleton like body, it saw a bright flash of sky blue colored light from the corner of its eye. The next second, the Akuma had its face was being planted deeply by a dark boot army.
WHAAAM!
Everyone was staring widely and held their own breath at the scene held before their eyes as the sound of the kick connected with flesh echoed quite loudly. Some of them even had their mouth gaped in shock just like Timothy, Timcanpy, and Emilia. Despite the shock, Timothy let of his grip on the higher level Akuma, let the evil creature flew away from the impact. Link had found himself stunned at the rather funny scene before he diverted his eyes at the kicker. He didn't bother to hide his surprise when he saw that face and recognized who was the dark boot's owner. The leg that kicked the armored creature's face then pulled away and landed with light thud. The Level 3 got throw away before the Akuma twisted that slim body and steadied both feet on the ground, shaking the helmet head from the dizziness.
"Ugh! What the..." Once the vile creature got a better look toward the new incomer, the Akuma's eyes were blazing in anger. "YOU―!"
"My Goodness..." Mother Superior stared in astonish at the person that had just arrived. Noctis stood between Emilia with the armored vile creature. His clothes dirty and had small damages from the scratches; he also had dried blood on his forehead and his lips, not to mention he also had those dust all over his body. Yet, he gripped his trademark falchion firmly, red eyes trained at the Level 3 Akuma before him.
"You...! How did you get in here!?" The Level 3 shouted angrily and in disbelieve. Noctis tilted up his head a bit.
"Guess." Noctis spat sharply, his angry hadn't gone yet for the armored Akuma.
Emilia stared at the young man in surprise. She wasn't expected him to be appeared in here at all. A tug at her sleeve had Emilia fixed her eyes at the transformed Timothy, the transformed boy was eyeing the Inspector's daughter with worry.
"Emilia! Are you alright...!?" Timothy asked frantically. "What the h*ll you've been thinking just now? You almost had me got a heart attack in there! That idiot Inspector would've kill me and castrate me alive...!"
Emilia did blinked few times. Was she dreaming in the midday and hadn't waked up yet? She knew this sounded stupid but seriously what had happened to Timothy...?
"I'm fine but...What happen to...you?" Emilia hesitantly pointed her finger at Timothy.
Timothy blinked.
"Uh...I don't know?" He replied slowly.
"...Timothy? Is that...you?" A baffled voice asked from behind Emilia.
Both of them were finally remembered something as they lifted their heads toward the dark figure stood. Emilia was recognized him and couldn't help but surprised since the figure supposedly can't enter the barrier. And yet, here he was. The brown headed woman found a pair of red eyes was locking with wide and unreadable gaze at her own eyes. Emilia stunned at the change color of his eyes. Since when did his euclase eyes turned into bright red colored eyes? Thus the way they were gleaming...
"N-Noctis...!?" Emilia spluttered.
"Yeah, it's me." Noctis still frowned and had his eyes fixed at Timothy. "What are you doing in that...form?"
"I don't...wait. What are you doing in here...!? How did in feakin' way you get in here?!" Timothy asked.
Noctis sighed tiredly. "I use my power to get in."
"...That one?" Timothy repeated frowningly.
He nodded as reply. "The very same one."
At the reply, Timcanpy flew toward the short haired young man and circled the young man, growled in soft and low voice as if the golem wanted to complain what took him so long to reach this place. Noctis gave a weak and wry laugh at this. "I know. I'm sorry."
"I'll kill all of you...!" A roar broke through their conversation and instantly had gained their attention; the three of them snapped their head at the forgotten Level 3 Akuma. The Akuma seemed really furious now. Timothy looked stunned and had no idea what was he supposed to do at the moment but Noctis brought his falchion to front and went into fight stance.
"Timothy, go from here with Miss Galmar, now."
"Oh no, not with you too, it has been bad enough with Mister!" Timothy groaned, wondered what the heck were wrong with these guys. They should be worried about their own safety, not him or the orphans, they were the ones who fighting those things and had their lives at the stake of life and death. Were they idiots?
"More likely you're the idiot." The same voice from nowhere stated nonchalantly.
"Huh!?" Timothy blinked few times and the baffled then soon change to anger as he glared at Emilia. "Did you just call me idiot!?" He accused.
Emilia retorted angrily. "No, I don't!"
"I'm right here."
"!" It was at that moment Timothy finally took a notice of the mist like spirit behind him, still chew that Akuma's soul.
"We've been together so long but instead of activating it correctly, all you did was possessing humans."The spirit explained as it chewed the last part of the Level 2's soul, witnessed by sweat dropped Timothy. Then strange thing happened as the mist spirit began to formed into human figure. "I was inside you but until you acknowledged my existence, I couldn't appear."
Much to Timothy's stun, the spirit resembled Timothy's adult version and wore kimono like clothes and instead having around and big jewel, he had this cross flower like symbol written on his forehead.
"I'm Divine Possession's 'Second' –Tsukimikami-."
"...Is that me?" Timothy's face went paled at the sight of mature version of himself.
"Oh this? I just borrowed the image you had of yourself inside your head. It's easier to talk that way. Does it suit me?" The spirit, now called himself as Tsukimikami 'Second', turned his spirit form.
"What's going on!?" Emilia looked as baffled as ever.
"Look, Emilia, it's me as a grown up!" Timothy ignored the pony tail haired woman and pointed at Tsukimikami's direction. The boy then was having a pair of puzzlement red eyes stared at him.
"Timothy..." Noctis began unsurely. "What are you talking about? There's nothing in there."
Timothy gaped widely. "But...But..."
"Oh, I forgot." Tsukimikami spoke calmly, gained back Timothy's attention at him."I guess I should have mentioned that you're the only one who can see and hear me. Not even that magic user guy can see me."
"No way..." Timothy's left eye twitched. "How can't they see you?"
"I could explain if you want, but hey, in front of you."The spirit warned the boy.
Timothy had his head shifted to front when the armored vile creature came at him only to be stopped by Noctis's falchion.
"Noctis!?"
"I'm very sorry to say this to you but you must keep focus when there's an enemy in front of you." Noctis reminded him with dry tone.
"Get of from my way, trash!" The Level 3 howled angrily.
"I should be the one who said that." Noctis snarled at the Level 3. Timothy watched with wide eyes as the short haired young man pushed the Akuma and rushed forward. Both of them engaged into the battle once more, leaving the 9 years old boy behind with Emilia. He witnessed the short haired young man capable to battle the Akuma with that sword of his. He was strong just like that snow white haired young woman and her friends, just like when the blond haired young man.
Would he always ended up watching them fought for him and everyone from the corner? Timothy wanted to help them, he also wanted to protect, he didn't want to be the protected one anymore, but just how he must do it exactly? What he could do for them? Timothy replayed the memory when the dark long haired young man and the bald man mentioned about Innocence and pointed it at his forehead jewel. Ever since he got that jewel, he had that power to possess the other humans and finally made a decision to use it for orphanage's sake, so it wouldn't be closed due to the financial problems. He remembered at the time he used the Link's body, the boy could use his attack and ability. And now he's in inside the Level 2's body. This made Timothy paused as a question popped in his mind. Could he do the same thing with this body as well?
"...Hey." Timothy called the spirit. "They said 'Innocence', didn't they? Are my power's from this Innocence?"
Emilia jumped a bit at the mention of Innocence. She hadn't forgotten what that long haired young man said to her and Mother Superior. He did mentioned about would be taken the light blue haired boy by themselves to Black Order as Exorcist should the jewel on his forehead indeed Innocence. She tightened the grip on her gun unconsciously and whispered quietly. "Innocence..."
The spirit of his Innocence smiled approvingly. "That's right. Your current form is proof of it."
There was a long pause between the boy and the Innocence spirit. Timothy looked unsure on how to call the spirit since he didn't know his name. "Er..."
"Call me whatever you please, Master." The spirit replied.
"...Okay then, Tsukimikami." Timothy stood fiercely. "Tell me how to defeat that guy...and helped black nice guy."
"With your current power, you can only defeat until Level 2. You can't fight the Level 3 because you'll have no chance. But," Tsukimikami smile grew into smirk when Timothy was about to disappoint and complain.
"You can lend a hand to that red eyed mister. Wanna try it?"
Meanwhile...
"You're one heck of cockroach, aren't you? Why can't you just die and go to hell?" The creature snarled and hurling a high kick.
"I don't recognize the word of surrender." Noctis gave an equal snarl and parried the Level 3.
"You're such foolish humans, all of you. No wonder you're rather dying easily by us." The armored Akuma was giving a punch in which Noctis dodged barely.
The short black haired young man brought up his falchion and colliding with Level 3's left arm. "Don't forget these foolish humans are capable for killing you. Now it's only you alone."
"Let's see about that..." The armored Akuma threw a kick and was about to aiming at Noctis' lungs when a kick from flying Timothy had got the Akuma first at the side, both of them instantly shot toward the orphanage.
Noctis couldn't help but to blinked dumbly. He just stayed in there with falchion ready to swing. He kept stilled like that for a moment before he snapped from his daze and turned his head following the direction of Timothy and the Level 3 had went in incredulous. Did he just saw...?
"Timothy...!?" He mouthed.
"Looks like now he can use his Innocence with properly, even though I'm not sure if he can or can't use his power wisely since he's a child." A calm voice managed to get the older young man's attention.
The owner of a pair of red eyes looked at the injured blond haired young man stood not too far from him. That was when Link noticed how the color of Noctis' eyes had changed into bright red from light blue. He could also sense -now thinking about, why he didn't notice it before?-somehow familiar yet different flow of energy emitted from him, just like when Noctis showed his power. Familiar because it reeks with magic, different because it didn't feels like the magic he used. Link didn't sense any of that at normal condition, in which he concluded the change of Noctis' eye color had something to do with the power. Link couldn't help but to think it was similar like Ellen and her Innocence.
"Link." Noctis' voice filled with relief, didn't notice the look Link gave at him. "Sorry for took so long. How's your condition?"
Link sighed as he was brushing slightly his clothes from dust. "Nothing too serious, I'll be fine. So, how's the nun you're followed?"
Noctis narrowed his eyes questioningly but he did still answer the blonde.
"I caught her reported us to someone at the phone box no too far from here. Who's she exactly?"
Link resisted the urge to scoff hardly, he just sighed heavily in the end.
"A Broker definitely. They're humans those works to Earl for gaining on money solely and nothing more. May I ask where she is now?"
"Can't move her body even she's want to. She's still alive, though."
Noctis glanced around hastily before fixed back at Link. His voice went alarmed. "I can see the whole occupants of the orphanage are here but where're Ellen, Kanda, and Marie?"
"They're fighting the Level 4 inside the building." Link gave a quick reply.
Noctis raised an eyebrow frowningly. "Level 4?"
"The strongest from all levels they can achieve, the strongest level of Akuma we ever face." Link was looking straightly at him. "That particular Akuma's even far stronger than those two."
"...You've gotta to be joking me." Noctis was looking at him in devastate.
"This isn't a right situation for joking and I know you've been aware for that, Noctis." Link told him, there was a warning and slight annoyance underneath his tone.
A loud explosion suddenly exploded from the orphanage's building. Link and Noctis snapped their heads at the explosion's direction. Then another explosion was following after, not far from the first explosion. Both of young men then looked at each other. They were staring in tension and wariness, both the member of CROW and the black prince did aware very much that the battle not over yet. They also knew that the danger hadn't out from the sight yet. There was still one more Akuma left, even now somewhere within the building, the Exorcists fought the Level 4 with all strength and abilities they had. They had to go in there and help them finish it for good.
"Is that...?" Noctis alarmed.
"It must be the Exorcists. We will talk more about this later. Just how many Akuma you met and can you still fight at all?" Link added more when he got that shock look from Noctis. "I know it was you who caused those injuries on both the Akuma since you're the only one who at the outside with them before they came here, and it's only you having that odd power of yours. Besides, I've just saw you fighting that Akuma, not to mention your red eyes are giving a dead way already. I can feel magic in there. Now I ask you again; How many Akuma you met earlier and can you still fight?"
Noctis opened his mouth but he instead shook his head exasperatedly. "I only got 3 Akuma so far, there are no others than them, and I've defeat one while Timothy's...you knows already."
"You defeat one? How?" Link looked distraughtly.
"You don't want to know." He clutched his side. "And fighting? I don't think I can fight any longer; I'm injured and I've using too much power in order to get in here."
This immediately got Link's attention. His mahogany colored eyes narrowed at the mention of the older young man was being injured.
"You got hurt?" Link's tone sounded concern despite the calm face facade he was putting now. "How bad is it?"
"Few of my bones are broken if you're excluded the external injuries, I guess..." Noctis grimaced slightly.
Okay. So the older young man's condition wasn't even better than him. Link could easily say that Noctis' condition practically worse than him. He would said it was a miracle that the older young man still alive after battling few Akuma, despise the fact that he never faced them before. However as much as Link concerned about Noctis' injuries, he needed his help. The braided blonde couldn't defeat the rest of the Akuma by only himself and the Exorcists. He was hoping the older young man's ability was able to help him defeat or at least fight the slim and armored Akuma.
"How longer you can use your ability to fight?" Link asked again.
Noctis calculated for a moment. "Don't know, but I don't think I can last long than 3 minutes."
"That will be fine with me. I took you can giving me some supports from behind?" Link narrowed his mahogany colored eyes.
Noctis nodded determinately. "I'll do my best, don't worry."
The blond haired young man nodded approvingly and brought several of his talismans from another sleeve. "Good. I beg your aid in this battle."
"You don't need to ask me." Noctis chuckled softly.
Link's lips curved a bit then replaced back by his solemn expression. And yet his voice filled with mirth amusement. "I'm just doing my duty. Don't mind it if you want to."
Link then glanced at Emilia. "Miss Galmar, we have to help the others at the inside and leaving you behind. I believe that you can take care of yourself along with Mother Superior and the children?"
"I can, but what if there're others Akuma coming here?" Emilia stared anxiously.
"I think it's only them that came here. You don't have to worry." Noctis replied.
"...I hope you're right." Emilia then half begged at them. "Please help Timothy and keep him safe."
Link nodded.
"We will."
Ellen had been struggled to rise from the floor.
It wasn't an easy thing to do since she had several injuries she got from the Level 4's bullets. Her body was hurt and burned in pain almost in everywhere. Her chest felt heavy and she didn't have any power left on her. However, the snow white haired Exorcist knew their time didn't much left. They couldn't fight with the angelic demon Akuma like this for much longer; they had to put it in end. They had to bring Timothy to the Black Order as fast as possible before something else appeared and she didn't wish for that. Ellen was in kneel position when the wall before her suddenly destroyed. The figures which she knew as Akuma, passed through and seemed to be fighting among each other. They ended up landing harshly at the wall at the opposite, effectively stopped the battle between the Exorcists and the Level 4.
"What...!?" Ellen snapped her head straight to both figures of Akuma.
"The Akuma are fighting among themselves...!" Kanda voiced his thought in bafflement.
"Did they have a falling out?" Marie blinked.
Ellen was having a confuse session with her friends, only to noticed that the area around her went darkened and got shaded. She almost thought it as a cloud shadow before she fully realized that they were still inside the barrier and there was no way a cloud shadow would be in here. And much to her shock, the shade was growing bigger rapidly in which meant that something came and about to falling from above her. Alarmed, the silver haired female Exorcist did tilt her head upward with wide eyes.
"Eh...―!?"
CRASH!
"E-Ellen!?" Marie stuttered when he heard a crash sound came from Ellen's place.
Much to his relief, the young woman seemed to be fine. He could hear the soft groan of her a brief pause later, Marie take a deep breath. Ellen clutched her throbbed head with her right hand, Sword of Exorcism laid beside her. It was quite hurt, Ellen had to admit it. She got a good hit from whatever thing which had fallen to her. Actually, what the thing that fallen just now? It shaped like a human being...
"Oww...What just now..." She frozen when she stared onto Timothy's unconscious body. "T-Timothy!?"
Ellen then spotted her yellow colored golem floated timidly. Her confusion was growing more than ever. She wasted no time to ask the living golem. Timcanpy was looking so panicked and circled Timothy's sleeping body, so it would no wonder that the golem's gesture did concerned the female Exorcist. One more thing that did concern her was why Timcanpy brought the boy here when she obviously told the golem secretly to follow and make sure everyone's safety at the outside? Was something also happened with Link and the whole orphanage's occupants? Were the Akuma had got them first? Ellen really, really hoped from the deepest of her heart they wouldn't meet the Akuma. She hoped it would never happen. However everything was possible to occur in them included the possibility to meet other Akuma and got assault. This left Ellen no other choice but to ask her golem, she had to know on what's going on with Link and the children.
"Timcanpy? What has happening with him and where's Link and Emilia!?" Ellen saw Timcanpy pointed its cross shaped face to behind her.
"Ellen!"
The snow haired female Exorcist found herself stunned at her place. Glanced around slowly, she was staring at two figures of blond haired young man and short haired young man, jogged toward her direction. Ellen almost couldn't believe her eyes. Kanda and Marie also got surprise as well; even the Level 4 stopped its movement to take a glance at the 2 new incomers a.k.a new players in this game. They were Link...and him. Ellen almost couldn't believe on what she saw. Yet he was here, walked beside Link with falchion on his grip while Link held his talismans and ready to use it whenever he need them. The feeling of relief washed over her, she was very glad they still safe and sound even though questions did popped in her mind. Wasn't he supposed to be outside the barrier? But how did he get in here!?
"Noctis...!? Link!? Oh Thank God, you're here!" Ellen exclaimed with a weak and tired smile.
"Sorry we're late." Noctis replied guiltily.
"Where had you been all of this time, Noctis!? You have no idea how shock we are when we realized that you're following the nun." Ellen then gasped shockingly at the time she saw how dirty they were with those dust, dried blood, and bruises. "And what have happened to you too...!? You're just look like had been through in the middle of war!"
"We've just got into a fight with those Akuma." Link responded blandly.
"What?" Kanda narrowed his dark blue eyes. "Then are you two alright?"
"I'm fine but Caelo..." Link took a glance at the short haired young man.
"You're injured?" Marie looked very alarmed, thus also alarmed Ellen and Kanda too. Noctis shifted uneasily when he was trying to avoid the Exorcists' gaze, especially he wanted to avoid Ellen's worry gaze. He really didn't want to tell them and made them worry in the end.
"Err, it's―" However Link was cut him already.
"He's suffered broken bones. He can only give us some supports at this rate, otherwise his injuries would've gotten worse than should be necessary." Link then noticed the glare which Noctis sent. "What? I'm just stating the obvious; I don't see the need to hiding it."
"Gee, thanks..." Noctis muttered sarcastically in which Link completely ignored it.
"...You've met and fought the Akuma?" Kanda eyed him deadpannedly.
"More like we ran to each other, wouldn't let them enter the barrier, and finally, got injured at the process." Noctis responded wryly.
"You what―!?" Ellen couldn't help but to shouted disbelievingly.
"How?" Marie asked incredulously.
"Trust me, you don't want to know."
"Noctis, what have been you thinking at? You shouldn't have fought the Akuma all by yourself! You're lucky that you don't have to face the ones of Level 1 and Level 4. You could be shot by their poisoned bullets since they have guns and die instantly from the poison if you're not being very careful!" Ellen scolded him; she was already in her mother hen mode.
"Ellen," Noctis resisted the urge to facepalm. "I'm afraid while you had the right to worry and scolding me, we can't discuss this right now. Timothy's need our help."
Ellen's forehead furrowed. "Timothy? What do you mean, Timothy is..."
It wasn't taking too long for Ellen when the silver eyed young woman finally noticed something did seem odd. Her mind quickly replayed the memory when both evil supposed creatures passed in front of her. She recognized the other Akuma as Level 3 from the armor. On the other hand...another Akuma somehow looked out of the place to her, like it wasn't even its true form and mixed with something else...Timothy had an Innocence that could possess a person he wanted to take control and if Noctis mentioned the boy need their help, then...
Ellen took one big conclusion from the pieces she was getting in shock.
Oh no, please don't tell her...
"Oh God, you don't mean...Is the odd Akuma just now..." She blabbered nervously.
"The one who just kicked the Level 3 is indeed Timothy." Link explained loftily. "And somehow, he's taken control the Level 2's body with his Innocence ability."
Elle's silver went as wide as saucer. "Eeeeh...!?"
"What!?" Kanda bewildered. The boy did what...!?
"We have to help him; he can't beat that Akuma since he just awakened his power." Link explained further.
WHAAAM!
"...! What the―!?" Kanda catched the flew body of Timothy to another direction and slammed to the wall, caused by the Level 3's punch.
"Timothy!" Ellen shouted the boy's name.
"Hasty little fool." Tsukimikami gritted his teeth in annoyance. The spirit had attempted to explain the 9 years old boy but much to his incredulous, the boy had almost no patience at all and took it rather hasty. He had no choice but to took control of Timothy's body and ran hurriedly after the boy, took Ellen, Noctis, and Link off guard completely. He was scolding the boy while in the way. "Would ya try to listen' ta me already?!"
Ellen blinked few times before she stared at both young men, also stared back at her with equal confusion.
"Eh? That accent...He doesn't sound much like he did before..." Ellen sweat dropped.
Suddenly, Noctis caught a movements from the corner of his eyes and his red colored eyes widening alarmly as he heard a faint click of gun he grew to familiar during his time as a keeper.
"Watch out...!" Noctis snatched both Ellen's and Link's upper arm and teleported them away by using his power as rain of bullets showered the place they had been stood a moment ago. The three of them stole a glance at ruined wooden floor, there was a gaping hole now existed on it.
"...That was close." Link muttered once they were out from the shooting range.
"Noctis...did you just teleported us?" Ellen stared widely at Noctis.
"More or less." Noctis replied quickly.
"Looks like he's still lacking when it's come to power. Interesting Innocence he has, though, not to mention that we have some interesting elements today. You have a unique power in there." The voice brought everyone's attention back at the Level 4. Marie and Kanda brought their Innocence weapons and Ellen shielded both Noctis and Link, sword was ready within her grip. The winged Akuma smirked arrogantly.
"Now hurry up Level 3, kill the boy." The Akuma told to the Level 3 at behind.
"I'll crush him..." The armored Akuma's body changed into much bigger and bulkier form from its previous slim form. It then dashed straight toward Timothy's direction. "At maximum power!"
"Not good!" Marie exclaimed in alarm.
Ellen caught some movements from both Link and Noctis. They made a move as if they wanted to do something. Ellen's eyes widened and she shifted her body and trying to stop from whatever they were going to do.
"Wait, where're you―!" Ellen was a second too late as Link and Noctis disappeared at the same way in flash of blue sky colored lights and dust of crystals. Ellen couldn't help but to let out a small gasp of blanch and worry.
"Link! Noctis―!"
So... cliffhanger, everyone? Had no choice but to cut it since it suddenly became too long for a chapter. Sorry about that. I hope this will satisfy your curiosity for the new chapter. Do you love it? Hate it? Please give your opinions and reviews in here!