The staircase was dark.
It was too dark for Issei. He couldn't see a damn thing, the only sounds were the repetitive clanks of his footsteps and it was dusty. The omnipotent human wanted to get the job done, go home and peacefully sleep in his house that doesn't have a hole in the wall.
Issei really needed to thank Rias for fixing the hole in his wall.
"So…where exactly does this take us?" Kiba asked from at the back of the group, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Issei didn't turn to look back at Kiba as he spoke, his eyes focusing on the stairs he couldn't see through the darkness.
"We'll find out when we get there." Kiba didn't respond. There was nothing more to say, after all. If Issei didn't know where it was taking them, which he honestly didn't know where it was taking them, no one would. So there was no point in trying to force an answer out of someone who has no answer to a question.
"Are you sure Kokabiel's here, Issei?" Akeno whispered to break the tension between the members of the small group.
"I'm almost certain he is. If Freed was waiting there, he must be guarding something." There was a short silence before Issei heavily sighed. "I'm talking about the Stray Exorcist." Issei had to elaborate what he meant when he was talking about Freed as no one other than him knew who he was. The Gremory Peerage didn't respond to Issei's elaboration.
An uncomfortable silence fell upon the group for the smallest moment before Rias interrupted it with her own question. "How did you know this staircase was hiding under the altar, anyway?" Issei remained silent as he was not intending on answering the question. He couldn't really answer the question without seeming suspicious as he could only mention his omnipotence. He could lie and tell Rias that Freed had told him it was under the altar, but he was sure that the Devil group had heard their earlier conversation.
"It was a hunch, of sorts." Issei had finally responded. His answer seemed to satisfy the Devil as she remained silent for the duration of their short journey down a dark staircase.
Eventually, a soft light flickered against the walls as the group approached the bottom, Issei sighing in relief as he was able to see again. In front of them was a giant stone door that had many intricate symbols carved into it in a strangely artistic manner. "This reminds me of a dungeon from a video game." Issei muttered to himself.
He approached the door, a hand raised as he prepared himself to push the structure open, but as he touched the stone, something threw him backwards. Koneko caught the omnipotent human in her arms and held onto him with an iron grip. "Not safe?" She asked, her eyes following the lines of symbols.
Issei shook his head in response. "No, it's not safe. I'll probably have to destroy the door with magic." Issei pried Koneko's hands off of him and jumped out of her arms, landing on his own two feet with the flourish of an arm. "Stand back, everybody."
Issei let a few seconds pass to allow the Gremory group to back away from the door, his foot tapping against the floor in a steady rhythm. He glanced behind him, seeing that everyone was a safe distance away from the large door, and clicked his fingers.
The door twisted and contorted as Issei's overwhelming magic surged through it, causing bulges to appear on the surface of the door. It pulsed once, twice and then exploded on the third count, sending giant chunks of rock all throughout the hall and onto the staircase. A few of the larger chunks bounced past Issei, over the Gremory group and onto the staircase where they lodged themselves, blocking the way they came from.
Issei deadpanned. "Are you serious? This actually reminds me of some anime and video games." A wave of dust suddenly exploded into the air as the roof of the staircase caved in, effectively making sure the human and his Devil friends couldn't escape in case of an emergency. "Well, the only way is forward, then." Issei muttered to himself in disbelief.
Issei stretched his arms out in front of him as he watched the rising dust cloud, waiting for an opportune moment to strike. "He I go!" He whispered to himself as he quickly burst through the dust cloud and into the room that the door was protecting, skidding to a stop on a hard stone floor. Needless to say, the room was not what he expected and it was different from the last time he had seen it.
Its ceiling was still high but was made of a grey polished stone. The walls were made of a similar material but had red banners covering most of it. The floor was made of a white stone that Issei thought was marble because of its pale glistening shine. A crowd of Fallen Angels and Stray Exorcists stood on the edges of the room as if they were anticipating Issei's arrival, a multitude of sneers and smirks tainting their already tainted faces. Kokabiel sat upon a lavish throne as if he was a king.
"Oh? You figured me out, human." Kokabiel bellowed from his seat on his throne, his loud, strong voice echoing around the room. The Fallen Angel jumped to his feet with crossed arms and stared down at Issei as if the human was nothing but trash, a smirk plastered on his face.
"Full of confidence, are we?" Issei responded with a grin, using a single leg to support most of his weight as he too held folded arms against his chest. "We'll see how quickly I can crush both your confidence and your pride." Kokabiel huffed in amusement as Rias and her peerage emerged from the settling dust cloud.
"Relying on some friends, are we? I thought we would have an…honourable duel." Issei chuckled in response, his grin widening.
"Honourable duel? You don't know the definition of honour." Kokabiel rose an eyebrow.
"Is that so? Very well, then." Kokabiel clicked his fingers and watched as his loyal warriors swarmed Issei and his Devil friends, many bullets and spears of light raining down on them. A red barrier that was made up of magic circles surrounded Rias' peerage as Issei dove into the swarms of Stray Exorcists, bodies flying as he slowly made his way to Kokabiel.
Issei pulled his head back and gathered as much air as his lungs could handle before he released it with a roar, watching as waves of his enemies were pushed back by a cyclonic gust of wind. He hopped over their bodies and approached Kokabiel with his hands jammed into his pockets, his face marred by an annoyed frown.
"I didn't expect you to make it this far." Kokabiel had to raise an arm to block the wild punch that was sent his way, surprised from the speed that Issei had displayed. He was faster than their last encounter, that much was certain, but how did he had achieved this level of speed in such a small amount of time that left no room for training was unknown to Kokabiel. A few hours ago, Issei was struggling to beat him in hand-to-hand combat.
Kokabiel was quick to note that Issei's fists were now travelling faster than his eyes could see. There was a reason for this, however, as Kokabiel was not utilising his full power. When he takes form in the human world without Azazel's knowledge, he needs to suppress his power with a magical seal to avoid the attention of other supernatural beings. It was a minor inconvenience and an annoyance as the aftereffects of the seal left an uncomfortable feeling inside of the Fallen Angel's body, but as Kokabiel shattered the seal with a large burst of magic that sent Issei flying backwards into a throng of Stray Exorcists, the feeling had disappeared.
Kokabiel was ready to end Issei's life.
Kokabiel peered down at a fist that he had unintentionally clenched, feeling the power of his grip draw blood from his palms. Kokabiel glanced up at Issei as he rose from a pile of unmoving bodies, his hair shadowing his stoic eyes.
Issei wasn't angry. No, he had no reason to be angry. It's not like he actually cared about Raynare or Rias and her peerage; he only felt pity and a slight regret from had occurred in the past – both in this timeline and his own unreadable past. Too many things had happened and he felt the need to lash out on someone, something that could handle his full power. He didn't even know why he was acting so out of character; lately, whenever he is injured, he noted that he tends to form irrational thoughts and anger that fuelled his desire to kill.
And he had found that something that could be killed. Kokabiel, the Angel of the Stars, was standing in front of him. The Fallen Angel that most thought was one of the most powerful beings in existence was nothing but a tool that could be used to demonstrate Issei's true power; Issei had been holding back for far too long now. His pointless acts of seeming weak and powerless were over. He was ready to unleash everything he could. It wasn't that he was weak even when he was pretending to be weak. Issei could crush everyone as if they were mere ants under his shoe. There were no worthy challengers in the vicinity. Not even Kokabiel could be deemed to be worthy; his power was far too small when compared with an omnipotent being's limitless strength.
And Issei was ready to give Kokabiel a taste of his true power.
I had once known what it had felt like to be loved. That light sensation that grips your heart and fills you with a comforting warmth was the only thing that was keeping me alive. But I no longer care for my life as I have no one to love…I have no reason to live anymore because no one loves me. Nothing is tying me to this dastardly empty existence anymore and I embrace my non-existent future, hoping that there is no such thing as life after death.
The sweet embrace of an empty mind was what I craved. I just wanted to die and I thought that Issei would have granted me my wish as he mercilessly tortured me.
Issei…although he had inflicted the worst pain I could feel upon me, the short time I had spent with him was 'fun'. He alleviated my mental pain and I thought he was going to bestow me with the love that I had come to crave. It didn't have to be romantic or overly intimate; I wanted to feel as if I was worth something because I have no value and am ultimately useless. Not even a powerless human would want me.
So, as I sit here in the darkness, holding my knees to my chest as my dead eyes stare at the dirt floor, I can't help but wonder why. I can't help but wonder why I won't kill myself. Why? I've told myself countless times that I'm better off being dead. No one cares for me anymore and I have no real friends. No one would miss me if I suddenly died. Not even the man that I had once loved…
But Issei had offered me life when I was giving him death. Would I not be branded as a fool if I was not accepting of his offer? This human had offered me a reason to live again, after all. He had made me human, the thing I had once protected. So I am no longer a Fallen Angel and I now have a chance to start a new life, a life that will lead me to the love that I crave. Knowing this, shouldn't I despise death and embrace the future?
Alas, nothing changed within me as I came to know that shocking truth. My empty heart remained empty, my silent mind remained silent and my motionless body remained motionless. Unmoving, unfeeling and unthinking. I wanted to end my suffering already but I didn't have the means to do so. My magic has been sealed away, I'm too weak and afraid to end myself with my own hands and there's nothing around me.
I sat in an empty darkness, sitting on the dirty ground, wishing that I would die.
I want to die.
I want to die.
I want to die.
Issei wiped a sliver of blood that had escaped the corner of his mouth. He stared down at it for a split second as he regained his breath, finding that he was reaching his limit. Kokabiel wasn't faring much better in the face of his enemy. Several bones had been fractured or broken in the short but fierce fight and a few organs had been punctured.
But Kokabiel didn't pay attention to his physical condition or pain. As long as he was able to defeat Issei, he was fine with his death. He had lived too long and had seen too much pain and corruption to the point that it had slowly driven him insane, forcing him out of Heaven and into the Underworld where his old companion Azazel had welcomed him with open arms.
If only he could return to the days where life was truly peaceful. How he craved the touch of his deceased friends and family. All he wanted was his memories of the past to become real once more. His first lover, his first friend, his first kill…he wanted to return to the time when everything was simpler.
However, he knew that that was impossible. Turning back time was not something that could be accomplished by any known being in the universe, so Kokabiel had to deal with his grief and suffering as he warded off Issei, watching as his loyal warriors were mercilessly destroyed by a small Peerage of weak Devils.
So, as he stood in the middle of the stone hall, facing the strongest enemy he has ever gone up against, he grinned. He grinned because he was going to kill his opponent and claim the title of a victor, even if it meant he had to die in the process. He didn't care about his life anymore. He didn't care about anyone or anything anymore. All he wanted was to win.
Faster than most eyes could see, Issei and Kokabiel threw themselves at their opponent at the same time. Countless amounts of punches, kicks and magic attacks were thrown around as if they were nothing, the mere wind pressure from their final confrontation threatening to blast the both of them away.
Both warriors steeled themselves and held their ground, slowly becoming weaker, slowly losing their power and slowly losing their lives. Issei endured a blow to the solar plexus, blood shooting from his mouth in a crimson spray. Kokabiel clenched his teeth as he suffered a kick to the neck, his head snapping to the side as blood seeped through the gaps in his teeth.
They were at a stalemate; they would both die before one killed the other. There was no competition anymore. If they did not put all of their strength into a final attack, they would die together in a pitiful hellhole that no one knew about.
"Kokabiel…!" Issei screamed as he pulled his fist back, a dark blue flame engulfing his fist in an extravagant flicker of light.
"Issei!" Kokabiel responded with his own scream, his hand outstretched as he gathered all of his magical power into his final attack.
Issei burst forward in an incredible displayed of speed and threw his fist into an uppercut, his face inches away from a large magical circle that would definitely blow his head off. Issei's fist continued its trajectory upwards but, just as it was about to connect with Kokabiel's chin, missed as the Fallen Angel tilted his head back.
A grin of pure malice spread across Kokabiel's face. "You fucked up, Issei. You absolutely fucked up!" A giant cloud of grey smoke filled the room as an explosion of epic proportions came forth from Kokabiel's magical circle, effectively ending Issei's life.
"Ha, what a waste of talent." Kokabiel spat a glob of blood on the floor as he struggled to stand upright, his legs slowly losing their strength to the point that Kokabiel was forced to collapse on the spot.
Off in the distance, amid the sounds of an ongoing battle, a distant shout was heard. Kokabiel turned his to the side, finding a silhouette standing in the smoke as he smiled, realising that his time was up. He didn't know if he had actually killed Issei and he couldn't care less. He was dying and was going to meet his friends in whatever afterlife there was.
But, just as Kokabiel was about to release his attack, Kokabiel had felt something in the atmosphere shift. It wasn't the mood of the fight; the actual air in the surrounding had changed in some way and it had allowed Issei to survive the blast.
"So I've been outsmarted, huh…?" The smoke was blown away by a gentle wind.
Issei hovered in the air, his hands in his pocket as he stared down at Kokabiel. The human didn't move. He didn't make an effort to say anything. He stared down at Kokabiel, watching as the Fallen Angel struggled to move his arm.
Kokabiel didn't kill Issei. His attack wasn't even close to hitting the human.
"You should just…end me already…" Kokabiel's sight was growing dimmer by the second.
"Is that your final wish, Kokabiel?"
"Yes." The conviction in Kokabiel's voice was too strong. He had accepted his fate and nothing would change his mind. Kokabiel wanted to die at the end of a glorious battle to prove to himself that his life was worth living, even if it would end shortly after. He didn't mind if he had survived the fight, either. Kokabiel would have committed an honourable suicide next to the corpse of his opponent if it came down to that.
"Then so be it." Issei pointed an outstretched hand in Kokabiel's direction, a small magical circle appearing. "Your life and everything it stood for will soon disappear."
Kokabiel watched as the silhouette dispersed, a small smile forming on his face.
He would meet his lover in the afterlife and that was all he could have asked for.
An explosion rocked the area as Kokabiel's body was devoured by an inferno.
Hi. It's been a while. I have no real reasons. I'm lazy, irresponsible and dealing with some inner turmoil. Although, because of that inner turmoil, I feel as if the quality of this chapter is greater than anything I have ever produced. People who have followed me for a while, what do you say about that?
By the way, did you like the chapter? I knew it took a long time, but it's better than nothing, right?
Anyway, I'll see you in the next chapter, whenever it comes out. Thank you for your continued support.