ACT XVI : VEHEMENT

Megumi jumped back at hearing Ismaire's voice, wide-eyed, searching for something to say.

Nightmare was already readying for the fight that was to come. "Since when were you the authority on the actions of everyone you ever come into contact with?"

"Oh, shut up. What makes you think you have any right? Taking advantage of her when she's like this is a new low, even for you. You honestly thought you were going to get away with it?"

Nightmare snarled. "You do not control me, human, nor do you control her! That is a fact I believe it is high time you accepted!"

Ismaire glared, a dangerous edge entering her eyes. "No, for once you're right on something - I don't control her, or you, but as her friend I can and will protect her from monsters like you. Forget what Azoth has said - I'll kill Lucifurius myself, just as soon as I'm finished killing you."

Nightmare barely managed to draw his sword and parry as Ismaire lunged. She was fast, but rage had blinded him to his disadvantage. He swung for her legs, missing completely and receiving a kick to the stomach that caused him to stagger back. He slashed again and she ducked to the side, swiping up at his head, grazing his jaw as he tried to dodge.

While he readied for another strike, she managed to catch him in the arm, deepening the gash she had left earlier. Another kick to the temple made him falter, staggering back, and she jumped up with her feet on his shoulders, leaping off and forcing him to the ground.

This time, the scythe blade did cut into his neck. He felt the blood start to run and realized that he had lost this fight when something stopped the path of the steel across his throat.

"Ismaire," Megumi said, her voice sounding surprisingly strong for how upset she had been moments before. "Stop."

Ismaire glanced at her, noting the grip she had on her arm, preventing her from moving further to kill Nightmare. "Don't try to defend him, Megumi. He's a monster, that's all he ever will be, and the fact that he'd try to take advantage of you is proof enough of that."

"He didn't!" Megumi insisted, her voice breaking again. "He didn't... I kissed him."

Ismaire stared at her, astonished. "Megumi... You..." She shook her head. "Why? I've always known you to be a better judge of character..."

Megumi looked down. "I have no right to judge anyone's character after the things I've done."

"You're not the same as him."

"Are we really so different? Ismaire, he is entirely another person now, and I love him, and he loves me. There's nothing you can do to change that and, regardless of what you may think, he is not the monster the stories tell him to be." She looked down. "...You'll realize that. Perhaps not now. But you will."

Ismaire finally moved the scythe away and stepped back. "I don't see how I will. But if it's what you say, then I can't convince you otherwise. I'm sure someday, I may be able to come to terms with this. But I will never approve. Never. He is not what you deserve, Megumi. Someone like him is only ever going to drag you further down into the insanity you're trying to escape." She shot Nightmare a hateful glance. "If you ever do anything to hurt her, next time I will take off your head, even if she tries to stop me."

Without another word, she walked off.

After a moment, Nightmare got back to his feet, clutching the side of his head where he'd been kicked. He would have been far more angry, but right now, he didn't have the energy for it.

Megumi reached for him, shaking slightly. "How bad is it?"

He shook his head, wrapping his arms around her. "Don't worry. I'm alright."

She didn't seem to believe him. "Your neck is still bleeding..."

"It's not deep," he assured her.

"So you think," she said with a frown. "...I shouldn't have kissed you."

"Why not? Because of this? I happen to think it was worth it." He winced as he said it, though, which did not help in proving his point.

"Your self-preservation instincts are some of the worst I have ever encountered," she muttered, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Maybe. But it doesn't matter."

She lightly touched the bruise on the side of his head. "Yes. It does. It matters to me. What if she had..."

"I wasn't going to let her. I still have to kill Lucifurius and inherit your immortality, remember?"

"Perhaps we should consider doing that sooner rather than later."

"I can make it until then."

Megumi sighed. Neither of them said anything for a while.

"...I don't want to fight in these wars anymore," she said finally, in a quiet voice. "I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of living while I have to watch everyone else die. I'm tired of all of it."

"When it's over, I'll make sure you don't have to fight again."

"No... That's not your burden to bear."

"It is if I'm going to spend the rest of eternity with you."

"Or at least the next few centuries." She pulled away. "I'm not sure I should leave you alone with Ismaire as angry as she is. I don't trust her not to attack you again."

"Admittedly, I don't either."

"You'll just have to stay with me, then," she said, taking his hand. "Rest would do us both good before we have to face Lucifurius's army again."

He followed her back to her quarters, glancing over his shoulder a few times to ensure Ismaire wasn't following them.

It didn't matter, though. He'd face her as many times as was necessary if it meant he could stay with Megumi. Because in the end, it didn't matter how badly Ismaire ever injured him, because the pain was insignificant. Megumi was now, and would always be, all he ever needed.

In the days to come, reinforcements arrived, the army increased in size, and the ever-persistent forces of Lucifurius attacked mercilessly from sunset to sunrise, never seeming to dwindle in number.

They would only need to hold them off until Lucifurius was defeated, but Nightmare wondered how much longer they would be able to keep this up. He would fight forever if he had to, but the rest of the troops did not seem to show the same dedication.

Ismaire hadn't allowed Megumi onto the front lines, fearing another lapse of sanity. Megumi remained towards the back, mostly involved in giving orders. At the end of each day she seemed increasingly more exhausted, and her facade of composure and confidence was slipping.

Whenever Nightmare asked if she was alright, she would smile weakly and tell him not to worry, though that didn't stop him.

He had to end this soon. There would be no moving forward until he did.

But he fought on, day after day, waiting with anticipation for Lucifurius to finally show himself, give him a chance to strike, to end this war and forever keep Lucifurius from destroying that which had finally given him a purpose, given him meaning beyond a mindless executioner.

Nearly three weeks passed.

And, that day as he stood on the battlefield watching the horizon, staring off into the darkness, waiting for the monsters to once again show themselves, he was met with only silence, until a voice he had thought himself long rid of spoke into his mind.

I have had enough of these useless feints, child.

The time has come for you to make your choice.

Will you once more stand by my side, killing all those who oppose me? Or will you remain an enemy, will you choose death?

At the end of it all, it truly matters little...

For with you or not, I shall bring all the omniverse to its knees, all shall speak my name with terror and reverence!

I will become what I have always been meant to become - ruler of this world and all those beyond!

Death! Death to them all!