Chapter 13
Setting Fire To My Soul
There was a soft scraping of leather-on-leather as Kid Crusader navigated through the wreckage of the once lively suburban. His brown eyes constantly darted side-to-side, keeping an eye out for anything that might give him a clue as to what happened here. But he couldn't help but fear that his angelic friend was involved. It had been two days since he received the message of her dire situation, he could only hope he was in time.
His search didn't last long, for his amongst the deadening quiet Kid Crusader picked up the faint sound of weeping. He quickly identified the direction it was originating from and sent forth in that direction. He came upon yet another ruined street, but farther down there was a weeping girl with a wing upon her shoulder.
"Razgriz," he cried as he ran to her.
Startled by the sudden outburst, Razgriz's wing swung forward acting as a shield for her. Kid Crusader stopped when he saw this and spoke her name again in a much softer tone.
"Razgriz, it's me…"
Her wing slowly folded itself back and she raised her head from her arms. Her face was softened by tears, and her eyes were red. Her clothes were torn and they had lost their brilliant color, now they were shaded in gray. They were ripped, torn and the seams were beginning to come undone. She gave him a small smile as she wiped away her tears.
"Daniel," Her voice was so small that if there had been the slightest sound it would have blocked out her voice.
Kid Crusader returned the smile and he began to step forward…
"Don't come any closer," she cried.
He immediately stopped, confused by her sudden outburst. Her eyes locked with his in a threatening glare indicating she meant it. Kid Crusader was confused, was he not sent here to help her?
"What's the matter," he asked again, taking discreet steps towards her.
"I didn't want you to come, to see me like this," she wept.
Kid Crusader was still confused, so he pressed harder and continuing to make sure she didn't notice his forward motion. "That's why I came. I heard you were in trouble," he stated. "What happened here, what happened to you?"
Razgriz began to cry even harder and she buried her face back into her arms. She pointed weakly with one of her hands off to the side, indicating the neighborhood. "I did this, I didn't want to but I did. He's become too much for me..."
The angel hadn't noticed that the present day Templar was now standing over her, looking down at her with caring eyes. He held out his hand to her and she gazed at it with uncertain eyes. Kid Crusader didn't know what she meant by 'he', perhaps she referred to Lucifer. If this was so, than he had even more reason to help. "Then don't take him on alone, let's do it together. We'll win, and he'll be gone forever."
Kid Crusader knelt down in front of her, continuing to hold out his hand to her. She looked at it in doubt, and then slowly reached out her own hand to take. It slowly neared his hand; her fingers slowly wrapping themselves around his palm, and then stopped. She hung her head sadly, her long white hair hiding her face from sight.
"No…"
Kid Crusader cocked his head. "Razgriz…what's-"
Suddenly her hand shot forward and her fingers wrapped themselves around his neck. Her fingernails began to dig themselves deep into his skin, causing tiny trails of to drip from his neck. Kid Crusader gagged as he desperately tried to take in a breath of air, grabbing her arm in an attempt to release himself.
She then rose to her feet, continuing to hold Kid Crusader in her crushing grip. His feet were barely touching the ground and his face began to turn white from the lack of oxygen. Razgriz lifted her head up to him, her hair parting to allow him full view of her face. An angry snarl replaced her quivering lip and her eyes were now deep red.
"NO!"
Razgriz hurled Kid Crusader into the last standing wall of a house down the street. It came crashing down around him, covering him from his neck to his feet in loose wooden splinters and concrete. Kid Crusader cocked on the dust, but thankful that he was able to draw in a small breath of air.
Suddenly Razgriz ran at him with incredible speed and launched herself high into the air, her dove-like wing wrapping around her like a shield. A dark aura pulsed from her body; the tips of her wing injected themselves into her opposite shoulder until the wing had completely changed exit points. Her wing then thrust itself outwards; her arms and legs extending to their full length. The Demon Lord Razgriz had taken control once more.
Kid Crusader - dumbfounded at what had just become of his former guardian - laid where he was. Though he didn't stay there for long, Razgriz rapidly descended onto his position and slammed his fist into the earth where Kid Crusader had been a moment before. Kid Crusader had barely enough time to regain his balance when Razgriz lashed out at him with a large katana that had materialized out of nowhere. Instead of trying to dodge the swing, which was impossible concerning Kid Crusader's current lack of balance, he allowed gravity to pull him out of the way.
The sword barely grazed Kid Crusader's hair, taking a few strands with it,
and ricochet off the asphalt. A large gash suddenly appeared in a surviving wooden wall a few feet away from the wake of the sword. The wall then toppled over, sending dust into the air.
Kid Crusader, taking advantage of Razgriz's vulnerable state, leapt to his feet and began to put some distance between them. He didn't get far before Razgriz tore his arm from the ground and took flight, spiraling a few times before tackling Kid Crusader from behind. The two crashed to the ground, Kid Crusader leaving a permanent indentation of his face into the front yard of an abandoned home. Razgriz leapt into the air, soaring high into the cloud layer, before retracting his wing and allowing gravity to pull him back down onto his foe.
Kid Crusader barely had time to pull his face from the ground before Razgriz smashed it back in by his fall. Kid Crusader scream of pain was muffled by the earth, and Razgriz merely smiled with pleasure at his pain. He then grabbed Kid Crusader's cross, still strapped to his back, and hefted him off the ground. Razgriz curled his arm back for a throw, and threw Kid Crusader into an abandoned home.
He crashed through the remaining door frame and hadn't even touched the ground before his face was caught in the grip of Razgriz's demonic hand. Razgriz then proceeded to drag Kid Crusader at top speed across the broken floor boards, scarring his back, and rammed him through the other side of the house.
Razgriz stepped back from his battered opponent, looking down at him menacingly with his teeth gritted. Kid Crusader moaned as he tried to lift himself off the ground, but only managed to get into a half-sitting position.
"Did you think me to be so easy a prey," Razgriz spat. "That I would just roll over and die!"
Kid Crusader groaned in response.
"Frail human, I am a Demon LORD! My blade has pierced many souls, all without opposition. So what makes you think a human could match the power of a Demon," Razgriz fell upon Kid Crusader in a knell and struck him across the face with his fist to emphasize his point. "Tell me, who is inferior?"
Kid Crusader turned his had to face the Demon Lord's gaze. His face was battered and he had a trail of blood from his nose to his mouth. The choir boy smiled and said. "You. It'll always be you."
A look of sheer hatred spread across Razgriz's face. His lips curled back to reveal his carnivores teeth, and his eyes became an even darker shade of red. Razgriz slammed his fist again in Kid Crusader's face, but he only continued to smile and repeat.
"Always you…always you…"
Razgriz unleashed his fury upon Kid Crusader, one blow after another, over and over again. A normal person would not have been able to remain conscious under this amount of punishment, but Kid Crusader continued to repeat the phrase over and over.
The Demon Lord let out scream of anger and hefted Kid Crusader to his feet. Razgriz snarled upon seeing that Kid Crusader was still speaking.
Razgriz shook him violently. "What are you mumbling know?"
Kid Crusader still had a weak smile on his face. His voice was a bit groggy, but Razgriz managed to make a few of the words he spoke.
"I…I can do all things through G-God who st-strenghtens me…I can-,"
Razgriz suddenly head butted Kid Crusader, creating another cut across his lip and allowing more blood to spill down his face. He spat in his face and continued his snarl.
"So he strengthens you huh! LOOK AT YOURSELF," Razgriz screamed. "You're barely able stand, let alone breath. If he is so powerful than why have I broken you!?"
"Have…you? Or is it y-you who are broken?"
Razgriz slammed his right fist into Kid Crusader's gut, causing him to scream in pain and spew blood across Razgriz's chest.
"Hardly," was Razgriz's reply. He began to beat Kid Crusader across the face and chest until Razgriz was satisfied that Kid Crusader would not have the strength to stay conscious for long. He looked around for a moment, scanning the area for a suitable mount for his battered opponent. His eyes fell upon a wooden poll that was splintered at the top.
Razgriz smiled and dragged Kid Crusader by his collar over to the poll, and hung him by the collar, using the poll to support his weight. The Demon Lord then took a few steps back until he was a good five feet away, and summoned his katana.
"Now," he began to gloat. "While you stand weak and beaten before, futilely praying to God to save you. WITNESS MY POWER OVER HIS!" Razgriz pulled his arm back for a strike "AND DIE!"
Razgriz thrust his blade forward for a stab, aiming right for the heart. The blade cut through the air swiftly, tracing contrails in its wake. It came within an inch of Kid Crusader's heart, and then suddenly stopped. Razgriz stared at his sword in shock, finding that it could not force it any further. He looked angrily at Kid Crusader, but his head was still bowed.
Razgriz pulled his sword back and struck again, this time from a higher angle. But as the blade neared Kid Crusader, it was reflected by an invisible shelled, keeping him from harm. The Demon Lord let loose a barrage of attacks in anger, doing anything he could to penetrate the shield.
"WHY-" Razgriz screamed as he began attacking with his katana again, "CAN'T-I-HIT-YOU!"
As the sword neared Kid Crusader, it suddenly stopped. Stopped right in mid-air a foot away from his face, and this time Razgriz could not retract it. Nor could he move his own arm.
It was at that moment that Kid Crusader suddenly lifted his head. His bruises miraculously disappeared, and appeared as if the injuries Razgriz had inflicted across his whole body never happened. Kid Crusader met Razgriz's stunned gaze, staring deep into his eyes. Kid Crusader's eyes were now aglow in holy light, and it became painful for Razgriz to continue looking. But he could not shift his gaze, or close his eyes. It was if the light shining from Kid Crusader was rendering Razgriz unable to move his own body.
Kid Crusader reached up with his arm and grabbed the katana by the blade, suffering no injuries from the sharpened metal.
"It is because he does not want me to die…"
With those words Kid Crusader flung the sword back, temporarily causing Razgriz to lose his sturdy balance. An orb of light shone brightly in Kid Crusaders fist, and clenched it. This caused magnificent streams of light to leak through his fingers, again playing havoc with Razgriz's eyesight.
Kid Crusader then leapt at the fumbling Demon Lord, pressing his fist deep into his gut. Razgriz let out a cry of pain as the orb entered his abdomen, causing his entire body to spasm in pain. Several seconds later, the orb returned from his body and Kid Crusader took it to his own chest and stepped back.
Razgriz collapsed to the ground in agony, clutching his abdomen. He glared with a great hatred at the boy and snarled: "What did you do?"
Kid Crusader looked upon him with the same emotionless look as before. The space behind him was rippling, as if something were displacing the air. Razgriz looked closer, seeing the ripples begin to take shape, and a figure became outlined in a blue mist. It was the Archangel Razgriz.
"Reclaimed a lost soul."
The Archangel Razgriz looked down at her counterpart with nothing more than sheer hatred. In her right hand she wielded a sword crafted from lightning, wavering in and out of existence. Kid Crusader reached behind his back and wielded his Golden Cross, clenching it in both hands.
The Demon Lord grinded his teeth in anger and his eyes burned with hatred. How dare this kid reach into his soul, she belonged to him.
He let out an almost animal like roar as he grabbed his katana and launched himself into a low flight. He sped quickly towards Kid Crusader, but instead of attacking him head on he folded his wing back, using it as a drag chute. His body swung forward, allowing his demonic feet to make contact with the ground. A huge dust cloud aroused from the earth and engulfed Kid Crusader, blocking his line of sight.
This would buy Razgriz a few precious seconds, and he would use them wisely. Razgriz jumped into the air, using his continuous momentum to land at Kid Crusader's backside. Razgriz then spun a full 180 degrees, bringing his sword across in a horizontal slash.
The blade cut through the cloud and abruptly stopped as it impacted. The force of the swing was so strong the dust cloud was blown away, leaving them both in plain view. Razgriz smiled cruelly, imagining how Kid Crusader would look from the strike. His smile quickly faded to see that his sword had not cut into Kid Crusader, but had been blocked.
A sword wrapped in blue mist, its form in the shape of several bolts of lightning, had denied the Demon Lord his killing blow. A sword branded by his doppelganger, the Archangel Razgriz.
Kid Crusader looked back to the Demon Lord, seeing a stunned look upon the demon's faceThe Archangel Razgriz flung the Demon Lord's sword off of her own, and allowed Kid Crusader to face his opponent.
"I'M STRONGER THAN YOU," the Demon Lord howled, "STRONGER THAN HER! YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD BY NOW! NO HUMAN CAN MATCH A DEMON!"
"I already told you: 'God does not want me to die'," Kid Crusader replied calmly. He took a few steps forward, causing the Demon Lord to actually take a few steps back. "Until the day comes that God has deemed your life to end you are immortal. But when it does come, you are inescapably dead. Today is not my time, but it is yours."
Kid Crusader stopped his advance.
"So lay down your arms and go quietly for you cannot defeat me. Not while I am wearing his armor."
"What armor, all I see are rags," Razgriz spat.
Kid Crusader shook his head in disappointment. "Are you so fallen that you cannot even see what is in front of you? Can you not see that I am wearing the Full Armor of God, his Belt of Truth…"
Seeking to take advantage of his foes monologue, Razgriz leapt at his enemy, sword ready to strike. He swung vertically but Kid Crusader saw the attack long before it came.
"Shoes of Peace," he continued, jumping out of the way, completely evading the blow.
Razgriz turned to meet his foe, but was surprised to see a change in his appearance. Kid Crusader's belt had been transformed into a gun-metal colored steel belt, and a black cloth hung in front and behind of his legs, both ends bearing a red cross. His leather boots had become silver armored boots that came up to his thighs, it's armored plating overlapping giving it the look of old Roman Legionnaire armor but had plate's that ended in a V shape.
The Demon Lord shook off his surprise and attacked again, this time attempting to drive his sword into his chest.
"…Breastplate of Righteousness…"
A plate of armor engraved with a red cross on the front suddenly replaced Kid Crusader's cloth shirt, its designing bearing resemblance to the boots his was now wearing. Razgriz's blade could not penetrate the armor, but got caught in one of the faults along the armor.
"Shield of Faith…" said Kid Crusader, snapping the sword in half with his gauntlets that now replaced his sleeves.
The Demon Lord stared in disbelief at his broken sword. This wasn't possible, this sword was supposed to be unbeatable; he had stolen it from the Great Serpent himself.
"Helmet of Salvation…"
A band of silver rose from Kid Crusader's chin and stretched up and around his cheek bones and connected at his forehead and temple.
The Demon Lord Razgriz dropped his broken sword and turned to run, building up speed for take-off. But Kid Crusader was not about to let him escape. He took off after him, his feet slowly rising off the ground. Within seconds he was flying, his guardian angel acting as his wings, and he gripped the shortened end of his gold cross in one hand and the elongated end in the other.
"And the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT!"
With one swift stroke Kid Crusader pulled on both ends of the cross, and it came apart. The elongated end fell away as if it were a sheath to a sword, revealing a double-edged blade cast in fire.
Kid Crusader swung, slashing Razgriz from shoulder to waist. The blade left no mark, but the effect was still present. Razgriz began to stumble, clutching the area where the blade had struck his heart. He looked back to his foe, now the victor in this battle.
Kid Crusader did not return the look, merely reattached the piece of the cross to sheath his sword.
"It is finished," said Kid Crusader.
Razgriz's gaze turned to the ground and said in an almost sad voice: "So it is." He instinctively looked at his hands, seeing that the veins that once glowed red were going dark.
Kid Crusader turned his back to the defeated Demon Lord, and began to walk back the way he came. "And now I leave you. Your master can claim his own."
And with those words, the arms of Lucifer reached out to claim their prize. Latching onto the Demon Lord Razgriz with an unbreakable grip, and pulled him down into the earth with them. The River of Fire would be his home. He vanished beneath the surface, but not without uttering a final word of warning. "If I die so does she, I am her body and without it she cannot live."
Kid Crusader let out a sigh of relief, his armor vanishing to reveal his normal attire. His mission was done, and there was no need to fight anymore. But the Demon Lord's parting words clung to his mind. He was right; the Archangel's soul had been ripped from his body, what would become of her?
Suddenly a slight chill grazed Kid Crusader's shoulder, and he instinctively looked. He saw the Archangel Razgriz smiling down at him, looking happier than she had been in years.
"Don't worry about me," she said as if reading his thoughts, her voice sounding like it was an echo of a voice long since silenced rather than her actually speaking at that moment. "I've shed apart of myself that needed to be remade. I'll go be with our Father, and when the time has come he shall remake me into something better."
She leaned down and gently kissed him on the cheek.
"Thank you."
A beam of light shot from the Heaven's and surrounded Razgriz in a holy light. She gave one last smile to her friend before disappearing into the sky.
"I'll always be watching over you."
And with that she was gone, leaving Kid Crusader alone in the abandoned suburban neighborhood. Having no more need to stay here, he decided to go back to his home in Puerto Rico.
But he did not realize that far above him, at the Gates of Heaven, the Holy Spirit in all his glory looked down upon him with a smile. Tony Daniel, the young boy who fought in the name of the Father as Kid Crusader, had done well this day.
The Holy Spirit looked to his right to see Ari, the young angel who had fallen long ago and abandoned her name, smiling as well. He placed his hand on her shoulder like a caring father and she looked up at him in reply.
Though a sinner, Tony's heart and soul were with the Lord, and in the darkest of pits his trust would never waver. His faith would always triumph over his fears, but sin would always arise no matter how strong he was.
But he was still the Lord's creation, and like all his creations it was declared that:
"It was good."
Coming Up Next: "Memoirs of a Geomancer"
Disclaimer: The name Tony Daniel is actually the name of the man who created Kid Crusader. Kid Crusader's ethnic background (Irish, Puerto Rican) are also taken from Tony Daniel.