Disclaimer: Tekken is the property of Namco Bandai!

A/n: This chapter is going to get kind of gory so…yeah…you've been warned!

Sacrifice

Julia shakily stood up and looked around at the Gateway. She saw all of the demons glaring at her; they wanted her to die. Now.

She turned to Jaez with a pleading look, and hoped that she had some sort of plan to get her out…she had to…she said that she never let anything happen to family…right?

"Slash!" Veldor suddenly called out. Julia jumped as his voice echoed off of the wall behind her.

"My lord," Julia saw the enormous green-skinned demon that had nearly killed her over three months ago when he had gone to kidnap her. The one that had been considered "too brutal." He stepped forward and saluted Veldor by putting his fist across his chest and bowing.

"Why don't you do the honors…I know you've been wanting to kill her since you first saw her," Veldor looked up at Julia with a malicious grin.

"Yes Sir," Slash also grinned, revealing all of his pointed teeth.

He stepped forward and drew an enormous sword from a sheath attached to a leather belt around his waist. The silver metal gleamed with a frigid light and Julia could see that the surface seemed almost flawless. He stepped up onto the platform and stood less than fifteen feet from Julia.

Julia shrank back in horror until she ran into the stone wall. She could feel her heart pounding faster as each second crept by. Slash stepped forward and Julia couldn't help but whimper and close her eyes. Why wasn't Jaez doing anything?! His glowing eyes grew brighter and he lunged.

As Julia waited for the final blow that would end her life, she heard the sudden screech of scraping steel.

Julia opened her eyes and saw that Jaez was standing in front of her. She had blocked Slash's strike!

Slash's face distorted in astonishment as he saw Reaper standing before him, her sword locked against his. Her eyes were glowing even brighter than his in savage ferocity. In one swift movement, while Slash was still in shock, Jaez knocked his sword aside and reached forward with her left hand.

She put her hand over his heard and dug her claws into his chest. Blood pulsed out from around her fingers and dripped down his stomach. Built-in armor or no…Jaez' claws cut through his hide like broken glass through silk. Effortlessly.

Slash howled out as suddenly a glacial sensation erupted from his chest and began to spread out through his torso. He fell to his knees as Jaez continued to use her talent to end his deplorable life. Less than five seconds later, he tumbled back over the stairs that led up to the platform and crashed into the demons below. His wound continued to pump out grisly, red blood as his lifeless eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. They would never glow again.

Jaez stood defiantly at the top, glaring at the demons below her. Blood dripped from her hand and pooled in small puddles near her feet. She raised her bloody had to grasp the hilt of her sword and raised it in front of her.

"I never let anything happen to family…" she spat as her upper lip curled and a snarl escaped her throat, "Enough with the charade!"

The demons had been so stunned they hadn't even moved. But that was all over now. Several shrieked and launched themselves at her. Jaez jumped forward and impaled the demon that had attacked first, without drawing out her sword, she swung it to block the next demon. It cut straight through the first demon, while severing his arm as he reached down to claw at his wound. Blood sprayed out from his missing limb and his slashed torso, covering everyone around him in a sticky scarlet goo. Again Jaez locked swords with another demon, and again she disarmed him. He looked up in shock as she brought her leg up and planted a kick in his chest with enough force to pierce through both his skin and his heart and send him flying back. She heard his spine shatter as he hit one of the pillars that stood warily on the far side of the chamber.

Jaez saw two demons on either side of her. They charged forward to impale her with their swords, but she was too quick. Jaez spread her wings and jumped up causing the two demons to crash into each other. The sick sound of steel penetrating flesh was heard as they fell before their own blades. To make sure that they would never stand again, Jaez came back down and crushed their skulls with the heels of her boots.

Reaching down she grabbed one of the swords of the demons and pulled it out. It's bloody blade shone starkly in her hands and as the next demon approached, she swung the sword back and then launched it at him. The weapon did a complete 360 degree turn before it found its way through the demons throat. More blood sprayed and the demon flew back with the force of the blow. His head toppled off as the sword continued its rotations. It was so sharp it hadn't even slowed down as it cut through his skin and his neck bone. Like a knife through butter…indeed.

Julia stared in horror as Jaez battled with the demons ruthlessly; almost animalistic ally. Blood continued to rain down and she felt the warm, disgusting liquid as it hit her cheek. She was so terrified she could only cower back against the wall.

"OBSIDIAN!" Jaez suddenly bellowed, "GET JULIA OUT OF HERE!"

Julia looked up to see Obsidian jump over the hoard of demons and land beside her. She had been trying to distract the demons from behind so that Jaez would have an easier time taking them down one by one. Julia gasped as she felt Obsidian wrap her arms around her and then suddenly pull her to one side as a demon maneuvered himself around Jaez and tried to get Julia. Obsidian let Julia go and pulled out her own slender sword. She pushed Julia behind her and slammed her sword into his stomach.

Jaez looked back to make sure that Obsidian had gotten to Julia. In that one instant of distraction, a demon lunged forward. Jaez saw that Julia was fine and as she looked back to her attackers, noticed the demon's proximity. She tried to block his sword, but it was too late. Jaez gasped as she felt the cold steel of the sword pierce through her chest…through her heart…and pin her to the wall. Her sword dropped from her hand and clattered to the ground. A second demon charged forward and impaled her through the stomach with his own sword, further trapping her against the wall. Blood seeped around the entrance wounds and began to drip down her front. A thin rivulet of scarlet ran from the corner of her mouth as she struggled to breathe.

Jaez felt her knees give out but she couldn't fall. The two swords were keeping her in place.

"JAEZ!" Julia screamed in horror as she saw blood sputtering from her mouth, "JAEZ!!"

Obsidian grabbed Julia again and pulled her away. A sudden tingling sensation coursed through Julia's entire body and when she looked down at herself she cried out.

She was …disappearing?

No. She was de-materializing just like Obsidian was…

Obsidian held onto Julia and began to hover back through the wall. Julia looked to Jaez and saw an infuriated Veldor walk up to her and without saying a word, reach up…and slide his claws along her throat…like a knife through butter…

More blood spewed forth from Jaez' new wound and Julia saw that her eyes began to grow dull. She saw Jaez' body spasm few times and then fall limp, propped up only with the aid of the swords.

The last thing that Julia saw before Obsidian whisked her out of the temple, was Jaez' blood-- viscous and crimson--- running all the way to the center of the seal…

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A/n: Uh oh…that can't be good, can it? What will happen now that Jaez' blood has touched the seal??? O_O

Next Chapter: "Apocalypse"