Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim to own this franchise or any of its characters.
Afterwards
DWOAV
"The third test is a test of will. Do you have the power to fight for you freedom?" The orange haired man asks.
Yes. I have more power than anyone could ever hope for.
"Well the next test is a test of will. So if you have strength then show it. You are all weak right now and in this world of soulless demons and monsters dancing in human skin you need will to seek out what you believe in and if you so happen to seek redemption then it will be found. I want to see you accepting the strength against yourself and your sins that you've hidden away. True strength is in all those feelings that you all believe that you have cast behind. Weakness is anger and pain so release it at last!" He rants with passion seeping out.
Aki used to have so much passion. What happened to her? My Aki. I want her back. I didn't mean what I said or did but you lost yourself. Aki why won't you come back? I love the old you. The one that used to scream and whisper passion, fire, thorns. This new you is an insincere replacement that stole you awayn if you could come back then I'd never hurt you again. I didn't hurt you though, I hurt her but I'm still sorry. Sorry that you felt her pain. Sorry that you will never feel my love again. Oh Aki. I will fight to meet you wherever she sent you. Because we are the same.
"So the game is to fight yourself, the self that is dark." He smiles.
"Hmn, physically, mentally, emotionally or all of the above?" Paradox asks.
"Whichever you choose. You simply must destroy the dark within and open yourself up to the light." The man smiles.
He's quite passionate about this.
"I'd rather not fight my darker self." The dark man on Paradox's floor says.
"Well tough cookies." The man laughs.
"He scares me. What if we swap places again?" The dark man asks.
"I won't let that happen alright?" The man reassures the other.
"What about little brother?" The dark man asks. "His other self scares me more. I want to take his on as well if I can."
"You can't but it's nice of you to offer. You two are really close aren't you? I can respect that. I hope you win. You as well Paradox. You seem like decent fellas, if completely batshit." The man laughs.
I have no intention of you allowing you to let them win. A test of will you say. Well my will is stronger than anyone's. I want to see her. I need to see her and I will. So if I must crush everyone in my path, even though it seems a little extreme, I will. To tell her how I feel without interruptions from Yuusei or her other half.
"Ho, this is something I'll do excellent in." The blonde woman smiles.
"Sherry has been teaching me and Demak about true power so we'll certainly be in first for once." The green haired girl smiles. "For love."
Placido scoffs at the word. Frankly I'd have scoffed years ago. Before Aki. Before the possibility of Aki.
"Honestly? You think power comes from love?" Placido laughs.
"Only pain results from it. And that's why you must hold fast to the love that doesn't hurt with all te power from pain you have required and then end it!" Kiryu announces.
Fools. Ah when you go among fools you must be foolish as well. I am a foolish man. I'm foolish and I'm sorry. Aki.
"Heh, feel free to believe what you will it won't change a thing. Forever or redemption? Pain or ascension? A declaration of war on the darkness inside yourselves is necessary so then. On your mark! Ready! Set! Will!" The man cries.
Several people drop to the ground. One of them being my teammates. I'm surely the last to fall. As usual. I am always the last, the late one. Not like I care. No colour changes this time perhaps. Maybe. I hope not. It's getting rather tiresome.
"Ah is it time?" My other self asks.
He's the mirror image of me. Almost. With his red and white clothing as an offset to my green and black and his hair draped over an eye. Why the man almost makes it too easy. This image clearly isn't me but rather another aspect. One that's still died in their blood. What. What blood? There never was any blood. Crafty little blackbird, thinking he can confuse my memories. The last thing I recall is seeing Aki.
"I wonder if she can ever forgive us." He ponders. "We destroyed her body and are destroying her mind. It won't be too long before the fire dies, the rose withers and the mask shatters. That Witch with the thorny exterior is never to return and so you seek to destroy the radiant blooming rose that replaced her. She'll never return as you are not strong enough. As she doesn't love you anymore. Isn't love the strongest thing in the whole world? Isn't that what you said Eugene? Isn't it?"
Eugene. Nobody's called me that in such a long time.
"Ah you can't be me as I am certainly not that foolish. The Witch and Aki are one and the same the new persona is the fake. Aki will return to me as she still loves me and will forgive me for the violation as it wasn't towards her but her replacement. Love is the strongest thing, especially our love and she will return to me through it."
"You don't love her. You have never actually loved someone in your entire life. You lied as a child about understanding feelings, morals, pain, love and love. Your parents always knew you were a monster and that's why they tried to send you away when you got older. But they couldn't could they? No. You struck them down before they had the chance even though you told them that you loved them every day. What kind of man uses their own family?"
"My family didn't love me and I didn't love them. What's your point? Anyone that gets in my way ought to die."
"Ah, so that's why you hate Yuusei because he gets in your way."
"I hate him for taking Aki away and replacing her with this woman."
"Ah but you took Aki away and you replaced her with The Witch. The Witch will burn as she deserves and all the things you have built will burn as well. And Aki will happily ever after with her white knight. The one whom's heart is connected to all others and you will rot here alone as you deserve."
"Why do you think I'm so foolish? When I met Aki she was already The Witch. And don't you understand that even if the fire she uses becomes used to light furnaces The Witch will never burn as she and I are flames themselves!"
"Flames you say? Then where are your flames? Where is your passion now?"
I light a hand up with the smoldering orange and yellow and red and red flames. When you dance with fire you will always get burned.
"Is this enough passion or should I turn up the heat?"
His hand does the same with an icy blue flame.
"Still using red Eugene? That's showing lies. Blue I the colour of ice and shouldn't you at least burn how you are? Burn people with the coldness inside your heart."
"What coldness? There is only passion here so if you believe in coldness then you are sorely mistaken."
"Ah are we feeling particularly witty today?"
"Actually yes."
"This is probably the wittiest you have ever been Eugene."
"Stop talking already."
I don't like to use force but sometimes it's necessary. I charge forwards with a hand full of flame. I am quickly stopped by cold permeating my entire body. The frost bites at me incessantly. I burn it way with the red. Red like roses. I miss roses. I miss sitting beside her.
"I'll take this as a declaration of war then. When I destroy you I'll be free to have this body Eugene and then I'll be the center of her universe. Give up. You are weak compared to me. Give in."
"I'm sorry but that isn't on the agenda."
I silence my own words with a flaming fist to the throat. He quickly recovers and knocks me down with the ice. The ice crawls up my leg. It burns like tears after a dance. Like blood. I wonder what will happen when Aki doesn't see me. When I don't see her. I have to see her. I need to see her and anything else from now on is completely unacceptable!
I stand up shakily and deliver a sharp kick to the stomach of my alter ego. He cries out. I kick him down again and laugh and laugh.
"I will destroy you and any others that oppose me in the most brutal way possible so you should be scared. If you have an objection then it's best if you leave right now. The end of everything you know and everything you hoped to achieve is closing near."
My other self actually looks like he's in fear. He should be, after all he is an enemy and all my enemies will burn, from on now. This is a declaration of war against all those that try to stand in the way of Aki and I. Alright? I am her God and she is mine and we have no intention of dying. I hope you understand.
"So any last words Eugene?" I ask the trembling me.
"Why would you kill the last humanity of you?" He asks.
"Because you are weak and weak and because you are an enemy. This is a declaration of war against all enemies. Consider this the message."
I light a fire on the other self and walk away. As per usual when something burns the aroma of fresh bacon wafts through the air. My heart burns. My head hurts. Yet I am fully satisfied. I wonder how Placido and Kiryu did. Kiryu most likely defeated his. He has quite the bites. Placido tried his best but his will is weak as he's rotting from the inside out. I wonder what rotted clockwork men look like. I want to see.
I will meet Aki wherever she is. If you find me distasteful then you are my enemy. Understand? And all enemies shall burn. Even Yuusei, especially Yuusei. I want to make her watch as well. So the woman that replaced Aki will fear me and hide away. And she should be scared as I vow to destroy her in the most brutal way possible. I'll destroy her with flame and thorn and then it will be Aki and I alone just like it was meant to be. And we'll die happily ever after not with him. That is my declaration.
I wake up and Kiryu is crying in the arms of the dark man. Ah what happened while I declared war? I suppose I'll have to ask Placido.
"Placido what happened here?" I ask with a kind smile, a smile that I thought I had long since stopped smiling.
"Kiryu apparently killed the part of him that he sold to a thing. And he's back to how he was before he did it. Well almost. There's residual issues that have to be worked out. Oh and the black guy, Rudger and his brother Rex killed theirs as well, same with Carly, the green haired woman and Demak. It's actually kind of brave. Maybe some humans are at my level." Placido explains.
Thank you Mister Exposition. I really needed that.
"Ah I have declared war on all that oppose me and Aki so you better be afraid as if you interfere I will crush you in the most brutal way. If you have any objections then you are an enemy. Understand?" I ask them all.
"Yeah save it Divine, or should I call you Eugene?" The man asks with laughter.
I growl at him. I will see Aki, the real Aki and consider this a declaration of war the her that stole her way. I will destroy you and everyone you consider a friend in the most brutal ways possible for her.