Disclaimer: This chapter was written months before the actual chapters of the manga, thus if there are some incoherences with canon, that is the reason why. In this chapter it also starts to apply the violence warning.
Chapter 10. Dark Diving
Makima, sitting in the armchair of her dark mahogany desk, was scrutinising all four of them with her bright ochre eyes, from Power, moving on to Denji, then Aki, in the middle, and finally Angel, as she continued to flip through the reports Aki had handed her earlier.
"So, Hayakawa, if I understand correctly we are dealing with a terrorism case?" she asked once she had finished reading the papers.
"Yes, Miss Makima. On April 1st, there will be an event at the Jigoku nightclub in Roppongi where the attack will take place."
Everyone was tense at that moment, even the Blood Fiend, who was usually heedless about those kinds of concerns; Angel could sense it perfectly.
"In precisely four days, I see... and moreover, the ones behind this machination are the devils of the case I entrusted to you, right?" she settled back in the chair, resting her elbows on the desk. She crossed his fingers between them and rested her chin on them, scrutinising Aki carefully, not shifting her stern gaze from him, not even blinking, waiting for further explanation.
"Exactly."
Angel saw the boy return the gaze with strength and confidence.
"We have been investigating and have come to this conclusion, the Deception Fiend, the Love Devil and a human accomplice are behind it. Power can confirm."
Hearing the name, Makima moved her head slightly to focus all her attention on the girl.
"Power, it was you who smelled the fiend's scent, wasn't it?" she uttered those words more lightly in her tone. She hinted a very faint smile, but the same impassive and stern expression she had been giving Aki just now still reigned in her eyes.
"Of course it was me!" the girl pointed to her chest with her thumb, though Angel had noticed the slightly restless tone in her words. "Without me Topknot would never have understood anything."
"Could you describe it?" Makima urged her to speak. She tilted her head slightly to the side. It creeped Angel out the way she seemed to be studying them all from head to toe. It was unbearable. He wondered if Aki also felt that same sensation or if it was just him, and probably the Blood Fiend, who was intimidated.
"It was reeking like burning smell, almost acid," she replied, bringing her index finger to her chin thoughtfully.
"It's probably related to the fact that the body housing the fiend burned to death," Aki added.
"However... there was also another strange smell mixed in with... it seemed like some kind of leather" she added hesitantly.
"Leather, you say?" asked Makima surprised.
"Yeah, it wasn't very strong and it was really weird."
Makima continued to look at the files, Angel noticed that she had lingered over the page of newspaper on which the story of the two sisters was written. The corners of her lips curved upward, imperceptibly. She seemed satisfied.
"Well, Hayakawa, this is your case so you will carry it out," she announced as she lifted her arms from the desk, and settled comfortably against the soft back of the chair.
"It is quite natural to me, Miss Makima," he replied servile.
"The safest way to stem the damage as much as possible is to infiltrate and stop their plan at the very moment they are carrying it out, precisely before they can complete it. It is useless to try to stop them before the event because they are probably not preparing any devices or guns, they would be of no use since they are devils," Makima declared as she crossed her legs. She turned the fingers of her hands together barely folding them and lowering her gaze focused on them, a sign that she was scheming who knows what. The expression on her face suddenly relaxed and she blinked, just once; perhaps she had found her answer. He turned her bright irises back to Aki. She was so creepy, Angel couldn't help but think of that every second he was in her proximity.
"Hayakawa, we can't bring many Devil Hunters or policemen inside the club, we can't raise suspicion among the people who will be there, so it will only be the four of you to go inside. There will be a support team outside but everything will depend on you."
"The fiend and I are very suspicious... the horns, the wings," Angel made known to her. She turned to face him, rotating the chair by just twenty degrees. She rested her elbow on the armrest, clenching her hand into a fist and gently laid her cheek on it.
"You can't back out, angel, no excuses. You have to go, remember that we work in pairs here: you with Hayakawa and Power with Denji. I can't send them alone against two devils. Besides, they are also very suspicious at the moment, you will have to dress appropriately to not be suspicious. Trust me, your wings and Power's horns will perhaps be the most normal thing in that place," it was the first time in the meeting she was addressing him and she was also scolding him in a patronizing way... It especially made him nervous when she spouted those obvious things: he wasn't going to leave Aki alone against that beast who had already attacked them once, putting them in serious danger, it was a given, he didn't want to pull himself out of that job. Also because it was equally evident to him he would help defend and help his partner. It was absolutely irritating how she kept putting words and intentions in his mouth that didn't belong to him. He really wanted to snap back at her but did not, he did not want to expose his thoughts of caring for Aki in that way. They were certainly none of her business. He looked at her boredly, hoping she sensed at least a modicum of how much he was annoyed by her. Their otherworldly eyes met.
The scarlet swirls sent a shiver down his spine. He swallowed and lowered his head, continuing to observe Makima from under his long red wisps. He saw her turn back to Aki, smiling. Why was she doing that? Why was she burdening Aki like that much with work and responsibility? And why was she watching him as if she had found a new toy to use? Makima's intentions, her thoughts, whatever she was feeling or going through her mind, had always been a mystery to everyone, but Angel was sure all of them were nothing more than playthings to be used as she pleased. Some more than others. There were those she seemed to care about the most, certainly Chainsaw had the upper hand in this category, and lately, it seemed that Aki had sparked some interest in her as well. While, he was certain, he belonged to a far below category, perhaps because he was a devil, Angel had speculated.
"So I will get you all the necessary things before the date. Take care, Hayakawa, this is an operation of utmost importance."
"We will not disappoint you! Pardon us," Aki replied still obediently, making a slight bow. Chainsaw looked at him and after a few seconds imitated him. Makima's expression melted into her fake smirk.
"No, one last thing before you go -Angel heard her enchanting voice- remember that it is forbidden to give blood to devils voluntarily, Aki. Don't get into trouble."
That bitch. Aki had saved him without even thinking twice by giving him his blood.
Aki barely squinted his eyes as he heard Makima call him by his name. He seemed to be completely somewhere else with his head, his clear eyes focused on the woman as if she were the only person left in that room, as if everything depended on her. Angel gave her a dirty look as soon as he realized it. He was jealous, tremendously jealous. Aki no longer looked like him at that moment, he looked like someone else. What the hell of influence did that woman have on all of them to make everyone behave so strangely and unnaturally? He hated her. Did she want to turn Aki against him? Did she want to take him away from him? He didn't know. He could get over being treated badly by her and not even be considered, but in no way could he tolerate what she was trying to do. He clenched the fist of his arm where the new chain had sprouted a few days earlier. He felt it pinch.
Aki did not answer; he seemed to come to his senses suddenly. He turned and walked out of the room followed by Chainsaw, who kept turning his gaze first to Makima and then to him, ranting about how unfair it was that she had called Aki by his first name. The Blood Fiend followed them quietly, remaining silent. Angel looked one last time at Makima; he had used all his strength to give her the most hostile look he had in his repertoire. He stepped outside and closed the door behind him; Makima smiled back at him, almost devilishly, he was sure the intensity of the golden gaze would haunt him for several nights.
The train sped through the tunnel, its wheels snarling on the rails of the tracks producing a cadenced noise. The lights outside, hanging on the tunnel walls, were moving fast, fading and brightening in accordance with the movements of the convoy. They were in the last coach, heading toward Roppongi, and it was already past midnight. It was empty, or rather had emptied to the disadvantage of the others cars, as soon as the four of them had taken their seats.
Aki was sitting, leaning his head against the pole to his right. His loose hair, which moved following the acceleration of the train, gave him a slight tickled his neck. He felt the leather jacket tightening on his arms, more so than the black turtleneck underneath, and at the same time he was annoyed at how the denim pants with large pockets fit him. He was used to the smooth black ones and the wrinkle-free shirt of their uniform; he had been wearing those clothes longer than any other kind of outfit. His trusted katana kept him company, leaning against the seat next to his leg.
The train stopped and the mechanical voice announced the stop: only one more to go before he reached his destination. He felt Angel's head fall back toward his leg because of the hard braking. He was sitting crouched on the ground between his legs, resting his head on one of them, barely dozing.
He could not see him well, because he was covered both by his own wings, which were sticking out of a dark gray denim jacket, and because of the cap of the same color, which he was wearing to hide his halo. The angel turned his head slightly upward to address him.
"Do they always behave this way?" he asked with an exhausted look in his eyes and an equally tired and sleepy voice, barely raising his index finger to point to the show before him: the reason why only the four of them and a very few other brave people were left in that coache, peering at them warily.
Power was standing on one of the seats, twirling and fluttering her dark flounced skirt, intoning, or better say singing completely out of tune, a rhythmic melody. Denji, for his part, was backing her up, trying to follow her song with a few scrambled words in English, assumed Aki - it was hard to tell - joining her in the dance; throwing himself to the floor and trying to twirl around, rubbing himself on the dirty coach floor in his wide-sleeved green sports jacket, which did not quite reach to cover his forearms. He tried not to think about how much he had spent the day before on clothing for all of them, and how Denji had decided that wiping the train floor with new clothes was the proper way to thank him.
Aki huffed in exhaustion and replied, "Yes...Denji, please get up."
"You're a party pooper! I never went to a nightclub," replied the ungrateful man as he hurriedly got up from the floor. "We are getting ready for the party! Don't you say anything to him? You are corrupt! COR-RU-PT!" he accused him pointing at Angel, who at that moment had squished his cheek even more on Aki's thigh.
"And get a room while you're at it," he added in an impatient tone.
"Shut the hell up!" fumed Aki nervously at the sideswipe, blushing. "You've never been to a nightclub because you're underage!"
Power leapt from her seat and landed, slamming as hard as she could on the sky-high soles of her platform shoes, causing such a ruckus that a boy sitting at the front of the carriage, absorbed in listening to music, spun around startled. She got so close to Aki's face he could clearly see the sharp orange eye shadow he had put on her eyes earlier.
Power had insisted so much they had to be perfect for that evening, 'the coolest in the disco' to be precise, and had forced him not only to put makeup on her, because she couldn't do it herself, but also on himself, with black pencil in the lower rim of his eyes.
Her theory was he would look even more gloomy, with the black clothing and grim gaze, so no one would suspect he was a mole. Power had insisted everyone should suffer that same fate, but Denji had managed to escape her by lockng himself up in the bathroom, and Angel, after much pleading on the girl's part, to keep her quiet, had reluctantly agreed. Nevertheless, Aki had to admit to himself that he had been really good with his handiwork; he had done a really good job.
"Have you already had your good time? Now it's our turn," Power smiled mischievously after saying those words, showing him all her sharp teeth. The blush made her even prettier than she already was, perhaps in the eyes of an outsider she might even look like a calm and innocent girl.
"We're not going there to have fun, you know," Aki replied dejectedly, looking away from Power's infuriated eyes. "You need to get that out of your head, if that's your intention..."
"Yes yes, 'we're not going to have fun,' we know that," parroted Power, turning and this time hanging from the ceiling, beginning to traverse the carriage climbing on the various hooks. She got another compliant scolding by Aki.
"You've said it a hundred times already, we're not dumb! When it's time to beat the bad guys, we'll give it our all, but first the fun," Denji backed her up with a sly smile plastered on his face and showing off his biceps.
"No..." he clenched his eyes shut to keep his calm. " Rather, listen to me carefully. If someone approaches you, you must not listen to them. Do not drink, do not smoke, do not take anything from anyone. Is that clear? Always stay together."
He did not feel at all reassured by that situation.
"Yes of course, of course ... Does that apply to you?"
Was he accusing him?
"Denji, I'm serious. This is about work, and at work you have to be sharp all the time, understand? We can't afford not to be at our best."
As an answer he received only dubious looks: it was useless, they would do as they wished.
The train stopped again, Power with a flip descended from the ceiling and exited the carriage, followed by Denji who had stuffed his hands into the pockets of his shorts. Aki woke Angel and signaled for him to get up, resting a hand in the middle of his wings. He retrieved his weapon, hiding it behind his back, under his jacket and in his pants, and followed the other two.
They crossed the crowded station. The ceiling, supported by the compact metal bars that weaved into a regular pattern, was very tall and induced a strong sense of disorientation in him, making him feel minuscule compared to all those meters of height. The place was dark, despite the bright lights, and the gray surroundings made him intimidated him.
Everything was metallic and cold, conveying to him a sense of neglect despite the structure looking new, making the atmosphere even more shady. It was an ordinary subway station, like all the others there were in Tokyo, but he was unnerved by that atmosphere; probably for the reason they were there at that moment. People, mostly youths his age, were walking through the corridors in a hurry to head to the nightclubs in the area. They arrived at the flight of stairs that led back to the surface. They began to climb and, with each step, it was possible to hear the chattering intensify. Lights began to appear more and more overbearingly in his field of vision, almost monopolizing it, however, not the yellowish ones of the classic streetlights; they were overpowered by the fluorescent ones of neon signs. They did not even have to walk that far because in front of them, across the street, stood imposing the place where they had to infiltrate.
With the large, smooth, opulent columns supporting part of the sloping roof; two large flames hanging from the end of it, laid in cages with funereal black gratings, from which sprouted a few pikes; the dark walls that alternated shades of deep red and brown; and, last but not least, the fluorescent red lettering that rested above the roof tiles, reciting the kanji of the word Jigoku; he had to admit that the place lived up to its name.
Aki took a deep breath and pulled from his pocket four documents that had been handed to him by Makima that same afternoon.
"Let's go over the plan and then we'll go inside." A slight agitation made room within him as he uttered those words. "Denji, Power, what do you guys have to do?"
"We have to look for the PR chick or the fiend," Denji said boredly.
Aki remained silent, waiting for one of them to continue reciting his instructions.
"When we find them or have any information, we will call you with the radio without being seen by anyone," continued Power tamely.
"Well, as soon as we get inside we separate into two groups and start the mission. You two do not separate for any reason, are we clear?"
"Yes, yes," they replied in chorus.
"Angel this goes for you too, always stay close to me," he added thoughtfully, handing him his ID. Angel moved his head slightly, nodded, and began to scan his card with mild interest.
Aki handed the two boys their IDs. Denji and Power reached out their hands to take them, but Aki drew them back to himself before they could grasp them.
"What did I tell you before?" he questioned them diffidently.
"Ehh? Come on, stop now and give us 'em, we got it." Power slammed her foot down, furious.
"I can't find a girl here either, I guess," Denji huffed contritely, still with one hand in his pocket and looking at his feet.
Saying he was worried was an understatement. He squared them again, suspicious, and reached out his hand toward them again. The two kids pounced on the documents before Aki could do anything else.
He then adjusted the katana on his back as best he could and headed toward the club, with Angel walking silently by his side and the two roommates a few steps behind him.
They arrived in front of the entrance, a few meters from the front door, which was controlled by two bouncers. The place looked even more impressive up close. The columns were massive and tall. Aki raised his head and eyes to look at the roof above his head. He noticed that, right behind the spot where the two large vivid torches hung, there were two statues of Chinese dragons with their jaws wide open; they seemed to be fueling those red flames.
He lowered his gaze again. The wooden gateway was black, with multiple carvings that he could not quite understand. It seemed to be very expensive and elegant, almost completely out of place in that building. They passed the columns and Aki noticed that there were two other statues, identical to each other, behind them: they represented two fatigued men carrying a large boulder on their backs.
"Hold it, the documents," the tall man, taller than him and fully dressed, blocked him with a pumped arm.
All four of them handed him their cards. He scrutinized them, quickly moving his eyes from them to the four of them, finally laying them on Angel. He lingered for a few seconds before speaking. Aki swallowed in agitation at that hesitation.
"You look young," he said earnestly, turning to Angel.
"Haven't you ever seen a short adult?" he provoked him boredly.
Aki exhaled a sigh of relief. It seemed that Makima had been right: there had been no comment about Angel and Power's particular appearance. It was natural for him to wonder what kind of people usually frequented that place. The bouncer squared the document once more and handed it back to Angel, huffing a 'none of my business.' They opened the tall doors and the four entered.
Aki had never gone to a nightclub either, but what he found before him was nothing different from what he had imagined: the dimmed lights and intermittently colored LEDs went from warm blue to violet and then to red before his eyes in a hypnotic play of colors; a large black-lacquered staircase, just ahead, descended downward, leading to the huge dance floor. Above it troned, many meters high, the great spinning strobo-sphere, reflecting the artificial light. Dozens and dozens of people were dancing wildly to the rhythm of the deafening electronic music, raising their arms to the sky, jumping, shouting, shaking their hair and grinding against each other. They seemed almost like a single entity moving on its own, endowed with a single intellect. There was also another very long staircase leading upward to the second floor.
Aki did not even have time to take another step, as he scanned his surroundings, that he saw Denji being dragged by a staff boy.
"A welcome cocktail, on the house!" he announced enthusiastically as he carried him off by a wrist. He was also invited, along with Angel and Power, impetuously escorted, pushed toward the elegant and exclusive lounge to their left. The four looked doubtfully at each other.
"'We don't drink," Denji said for all of them, declining the glass they were insistently offering him, holding it out in his hands.
He had to admit, he was almost proud of Denji...almost, if it weren't for the fact they were being extremely suspicious at that moment.
Angel, as if he had read his mind, reached out and took one of the glasses, starting to drink sonorously from the straw, then turned and walked away from the lounge as if nothing had happened. Aki went after him, freeing himself from the insistent staff.
"What I said earlier applied also to you, too!" he scolded Angel agitatedly. "What do we do if it's contaminated?"
"Devils also recover from toxins ... so you're welcome," he explained, sucking noisily on the bottom of the glass he already finished. Once empty, he set it down on the tray of one of the waiters who was passing by frantically. "This place is very well served for a nightclub, they really didn't spare any expense," he then commented.
"The night was advertised as an exclusive and out-of-the-ordinary experience, perhaps to attract more people..." Aki sighed wearily. "How do we want to split up?" he turned back to Power and Denji.
He widened his eyes.
Behind him there was no one.
He saw them on the stairs toward the dance floor, excitedly walking down them, even skipping a few steps.
"I guess we have to go upstairs. That staircase seems so tiring to climb..." puffed the angel.
Indeed, the climb had been long. The second floor was much higher than it looked, at nearly five meters above the ground floor, and many more, than the dance floor. In front of him was an expanse of sofas and private tables. People seated were gambling, others were drinking, smoking cigarettes or whatever. On the small sofas were secluded couples exchanging languid effusions and way too sexual for a public place. Aki looked away, embarrassed, and turned to his left: there was a long, dark wooden railing that faced directly onto the strobo-sphere and the fray. The music there, to Aki's delight, was slightly less deafening, since they were far from the DJ station. He couldn't stand too much noise; it distracted him, and at that moment he was trying hard to do his job as best he could. To tell the truth, that place and the whole situation made him extremely uncomfortable.
Cheers rose from below.
Angel and he leaned over the railing to see what was going on.
Screw the coverage and the recommendations! In the center of the dance floor there were Denji and Power dancing in coordination, capturing everyone's attention. Once again Denji was on the floor spinning around. Angel laughed slightly at the sight. Aki turned to him and looked at him sternly, as if scolding him.
"Come on, it's fun... they didn't listen to you at all" Angel teased him, and a slightly mischievous grimace appeared on his face.
"It's not fun" Aki moved closer to him until they were face to face a few inches apart. Aki looked down on him while Angel gazed up at him in amusement. The LED lights alternated on Angel's delicate face, as if caressing him, coloring him with ever-changing hues. That atmosphere was intoxicating him.
He moved closer and closer and was convinced, at that point, that Angel wanted to steal a kiss from him. Passionate or not, he could not have said... but he figured, as he closed his eyes, he could make up for it himself, in case the answer did not satisfy him. The mere thought made him fulfilled... he felt captivated, unable in any way to escape that strong attraction. All inhibition, which usually blocked him completely in public, not allowing him in any way to indulge in displays of affection, had strangely disappeared.
He felt a slight cold breeze on his neck.
He opened his eyes wide.
He stopped just before their lips met, tearing a disappointed sigh from Angel.
He heard a light, crystalline, inaudible laugh.
He turned his head sharply to see where it came from, but saw no one.
He walked fast to the back of the room, where there were some doors.
"Aki, where are you going?" asked Angel, concerned, trying to keep up.
They walked past the couches occupied by couples, intent on smooching each other.
The cold had increased so much that he felt the jacket freeze on his arms.
"Something is wrong here."
He quickened his pace more, leaving Angel behind.
Aki had already reached the doors.
He opened one.
On the ground was a pile of fresh snow.
How had it gotten there?
His heart was pounding.
Again he heard laughter blowing coldly, directly on his ear.
'Are you coming to play with me, Aki?'
The familiar voice was exactly as he had last heard it, more than nine years before. It was like receiving a bucket of ice-cold water straight on his face. His heart sank into his chest. He began to break into a cold sweat.
It was not possible, not once again with those hallucinations.
Not him, too.
He was shivering.
Aki turned around. He saw a small shadow dissolve.
His heart began to beat even faster from anxiety.
He then shifted his gaze to Angel. There were four people around him, who had pinned him down. They were holding him by the arms and wings, annoying him, and he could not get them off his back in any way.
He was supposed to do...something?
"Aki, get out of there!" Angel yelled at him, worried.
But Aki had frozen on the spot. Sweat was beading on his forehead. He could not move. Once again they had deceived him. He felt his breath getting heavier and colder in his lungs. His mind was reliving memories and thoughts he was trying hard to push aside, to make them quieter and less cumbersome. But in his head, the roar he had heard that day, so loud it left him deaf and made his ears ring for several minutes, had returned overbearingly.
While he was in the grip of those dark memories, the inevitable happened. One of those people grabbed Angel's wrist. His whole life was sucked out of him.
He fell lifeless to the ground with a dull thud. An imperceptible noise compared to the loud music that kept going. One of the other boys who were chasing him screamed in fright, fell backward on his butt from the shock. He screamed, and then so did the other boy to his right, demonically, as if possessed.
The screams kept growing around them; all the people, one after another were letting themselves go berserk. On the couch, one of the girls, half undressed, tightened her hands around the neck of the boy, on whom she had been rubbing just before, beginning to strangle him with such force it did not seem to belong to her at all. Nothing but pained gasps and saliva came out of the unfortunate man's mouth, until he too was lifeless. Aki shifted his gaze back to the tormentors. Angel was moving away from them, retreating back as they started a fight. One of them landed a punch straight in the other's face, breaking his nose and stunning him completely. Blood flowed, from there and elsewhere, soaking the floor. He heard the sinister thud of blades plunging into flesh. The dark stream on the floor grew in quantity and density, from the people who kept killing each other, it ran until it reached the parapet and then began to cascade down like a waterfall. The cacophony of agonizing and painful screams filled the entire disco, completely overpowering the music. The dissonant noise was giving him a severe headache, knocking him out, and seeing those scenes made his stomach turn. The bile threatened to rise again.
Until a loud clap of thunder was heard.
All sound stopped for a single instant.
It was followed by a great roar: wood, stone and glass were shattered.
It was like what he was hearing in his head. His legs gave out and he fell to the ground in shock. He stopped the impact with his arms right in time, holding himself up.
He raised his head.
He saw, for a very brief moment, a huge dark spot flash past his eyes.
It fell downward.
Everything trembled, above and below them. Angel crouched on the ground instinctively to keep his balance.
The ceiling above the dance floor was cracking, gutting and crumpling in on itself. There was a chasm where the strobo-sphere had hung just before, its mirrors now shattered into a thousand pieces on the scarlet floor, drowned in dark blood and eerily reflecting the bright lights, the terrible spectacle of lifeless people and the rubble that continued to fall. The floor continued to shake beneath his feet. The crackling of high-voltage electricity burst in, Aki and Angel turned toward the source. Another part of the ceiling began to crack and collapse under the weight of the large kanji of the neon sign, which were tumbling inward, pulled by the wires. They impacted the floor, splitting into large pieces, the light still running and crackling over the edge in the spots where the LEDs had not been severed. More blood gushed below the Jigoku words spreading like wildfire across the dance floor.
Another quake came, Aki felt it directly in his legs, and then the floor cracked as well, but he realized it too late, when there was already nothing left under his shoes and he was falling. The music resumed with its electronic melody, as if it was mocking him as he fell.
"AKI!" cried Angel, realizing what had just happened, falling into the rubble as well. He spread his wings wide and jumped in pursuit. He gracefully avoided the collapsing stones.
Hearing him, Aki finally reacted and stretched his hand upward, trying not to think about the impending impact: Angel would catch him and he knew it.
Angel reached down and grabbed him firmly by the wrist, carved by the chain, sinking his fingers into her forearm as much as he could to make sure Aki would not accidentally slip out of his grip. Aki clung to his wrist gripping it tightly, under his fingertips he felt Angel's smooth skin and the two incisions.
His fall came to a halt and Angel glided to a point above the chunks of kanji. He landed him and Angel perched on some rubble above him.
"Thank you," Aki sighed relieved.
"You're welcome... We have a big problem here," he complained bored, nodding his head. Aki looked ahead of him.
A girl approached them from the back of the room, swaying on her high-soled black heels, placing precisely one foot in front of the other, as if she were modeling on a catwalk. She was wearing flashy clothes: a long tight skirt with a deep slit on her dark, battered left leg; a white blouse that draped from her shoulders, with a deep cut-out, and above it a bulky pink fur coat. Her very pale, platinum hair was gathered in two thick braids that formed two rings behind her ears, embellished with two large silver hoop earrings. Another section of hair was braided just above her head, crowning it. Her face was completely covered by a black mask and two large, flashy, white, designer sunglasses.
"It smells burnt...that's what the Blood Fiend talked about," Angel explained annoyed by the smell, taking off his gray cap and releasing his halo, which with a bounce returned to its natural distance from Angel's red hair. He stowed the cap in his pants pocket and fixed his hair, giving it air again.
The girl giggled wryly as she heard him speak and lifted her glasses from her face, resting them on her head, revealing elongated, ice-blue eyes. Aki unsheathed her katana from its scabbard, standing at attention again, recognizing her colors. He tried to put his thoughts aside; he had no time to get lost in them.
"I use seven years, forgive me," recited Angel still perched beside him. The halo moved forward, widening and slowly letting out a long, curved obsidian-colored blade. He pulled it by the tip allowing the creation to proceed faster. A large black and red scythe emerged, he took it in his hand and tapped the staff on the ground, standing beside Aki.
"'Oh come on, so you don't even need my introduction," said the girl tossing the mask away from her mouth revealing the big sharp smile cracked at the sides like it was pottery. "Did you enjoy also today's little prank, human? Or was it better last time?" he laughed again, then falling into a squat and laying one hand on the floor. Aki gripped the hilt of his katana tighter and gritted his teeth nervously.
"'We'll play now, don't worry... Ai, arise!" the fiend's eyes were full of excitement and her lips were pulled into an eerie smile.
All the blood on the dance floor, from the dozens of now lifeless bodies, began to move, as if it possessed a mind of its own, in great clumps toward her hand. It clumped together and began to deform into a huge bubble that began to take on consistency, engulfing the girl as well. It continued to grow, until it became large enough to finally take on a recognizable silhouette. The skein molded itself into another girl: her skin was diaphanous in contrast to the heavy dress with its blood-red and black skirt, pompous at the waist, which then fell straight down with a thin layer of black tulle for the rest of her long legs. The plump chest was supported by a black and red corset with lacework. The long smooth black hair, which almost touched the floor, where not a drop of blood was left, also took shape. Her face was framed by very short bangs, two sharp, long side locks and two high pigtails. On her head was a white, curled maid's bonnet. In his arms, adorned with long white silk gloves that left his fingers uncovered, she was holding the white-haired girl. He leaned close to her face and placed a kiss on her lips. The other threw her hands to her neck and let go, deepening the kiss.
To the right of Aki and Angel, noises were heard distracting them from the scene.
A pile of debris exploded and the roar of chainsaws echoed. Denji, transformed, emerged from beneath them.
"Powy?!" he asked the girl, who was underneath him, taking her by the arm.
"It's okay," she replied, getting up with his help; their clothes were creased, dirty and both were already bleeding from the deep scratches caused by the collapsed roof.
"Denji, Power, are you all right?" asked Aki alarmed, casting a quick glance to check their condition, not breaking his guard as the other two approached him slowly.
Hearing their voices, the two girls broke away with a loud pop, a trickle of saliva joining their tongues. The white-haired girl turned to look at Angel and Aki, as Ai put her back down, still not opening her eyes and with her mouth tightened in a small pout.
"And now that we're all here, we can play!" commented the fiend. She did not even finish speaking that Aki found her standing before him, one arm transformed into a sharp blade, ready to slash him. He managed to parry just in time, blocking her. The clash between his katana and the sharp arm generated a cascade of sparks. She was strong, almost as strong as when they had clashed the previous time, only her appearance seemed drastically changed. Aki held his stance, arms trembling and swords moving just under their yoke of strength.
On the other side he saw, out of the corner of his eye, Ai launching herself at him without wasting any time.
She lifted part of the tulle, first sank her sharp, lacquered fingers and then her whole hand into her leg, causing some blood to spurt out. She quickly pulled out a large black, serrated machete, ready to strike him from behind. Angel promptly flanked him, parrying the blow with his scythe. They were back to back, both parrying the blows to the best of their ability. Aki gasped from the effort and then spoke to Angel, "We won't... last long like this."
Denji and Power also sprinted to join the melee, splitting between the two enemies. Denji approached the Deception Fiend and without wasting any time threw a hook toward her head with his chainsaw. She ducked in time.
Even Aki avoided, in the nick of time, the spinning blades that were aimed at the enemy, throwing his head back, dodging the chainsaw only thanks to the foresight of the future. He saw the sinister sparks of the machinery pass right over his eyes. "What the fuck, be careful with those things!" he scolded Denji furiously. The enemy, meanwhile, had dissolved and disappeared into thin air.
Power, however, had flung herself at Ai. She prepared one of her spears by generating it from the palm of her hand, ran toward her, and with one swift blow thrusted it into her temple, piercing her skull.
"Serves you right, bitch, that way you learn not to make the ceiling collapse," she commented with satisfaction. Ai replied nothing, not moving an inch, as if nothing had happened. She rested her finger, of her free hand, on the tip of the spear and pushed it back, driving it through her head again with inhuman force, until she drove her sharp nail into her temple as well. It generated a small fountain of blood from the wound. The black liquid flowed with difficulty over her diaphanous face, given its viscous consistency. Power avoided the other side of the spear, which had been sent back to her, by crouching down just in time.
Angel looked at the scene frightened: Ai had not yet opened her eyes, was this just a plaything for her? She pulled out the long, dripping nail from her temple, which healed in a few moments.
"You are ... completely insane," Aki sighed, holding the scythe vigorously. He kicked the staff, hoping to catch her by surprise and break her guard. He succeeded, let go of one of her hands from his grip and slipped it under his jacket, unsheathing a large, slightly curved knife. He tried to strike her. He succeeded, but she took the blow as if it was nothing, and the wound healed immediately as well. Aki looked at the scene worriedly: this was going to be a difficult battle.
"Ai, this way," the fiend shouted to her as she reappeared. Hearing her, Denji began to run toward her ready to strike. Power retrieved her spear by unhooking it from the head of Love Devil, which soon after dissolved like water. Fast and accurate Power threw it toward the Deception Fiend. The weapon sliced through the air, reaching its destination. It grazed the girl's cheek; she had managed to dodge at the last second.
"'Stop, stop, everyone! Time out!" she tried to catch their attention by waving her hands forward and then mimicking a T with them. "Don't you think that's a little unfair? Four against two. Why don't we have a turn-based battle?"
"No, as if you get to choose!" replied Aki seriously, still holding his katana high.
"Is she dumb?" shouted Power back.
The Deception Fiend sighed theatrically.
"Ahhh, what a mess," she brought her hands to her head. "What to do?"
"..." the other remained silent.
"You're right!" her face lit up.
"You don't let your guard down when you fight!" Denji had arrived in front of the two and hurled himself at the fiend. He was ready to slash her, but Ai got in the way: she raised a foot and with a perfectly timed stomp, deflected the blow. The chainsaw collided on the floor with a great clang. Cracks were created on impact.
"What the fuck," he complained, trying to move, unsuccessfully. Everyone ran toward the two enemies, narrowing the distance, ready to strike the Love Devil and free Denji from her grip. Aki tried to strike her by wielding the katana, but she moved with a graceful backward leap, then stood there, impassive, as she adjusted her tulle.
"Look at you, Mihon, didn't you say you would do it all by yourselves?" a foreign voice joined the conversation. They turned toward where it came from. Aki saw Angel twitch nervously beside him. He decided not to move and stay by his side.
A short girl with long blond hair was approaching. She pulled the lollipop from her mouth and smiled visibly.
"Shion, it was about time!"
"I'd like to understand something first," she said as she continued walking, "Were the house offerings not to your liking?"
Now even Power looked slightly intimidated.
"No drinking at work!" replied Denji to her, getting up and running his long tongue over his sharp teeth.
"'Look at that, he's even more responsible than you are!" she commented, widening her elongated black eyes, instigating Mihon. "Black hair- she turned to Aki - how was the entertainment? What about the music? Everything always has to be on the top in my events."
"You are human, why do you do this?"
That was all he could think of at that moment.
"Aki, you're wrong, that...that's not human, her smell is more nauseating than these two put together," Angel hurriedly corrected him.
"The rope, it's her!" confirmed Power.
"Biiingo!" he put the lollipop back in his mouth and gritted her teeth.
She brought her hand forward and snapped her fingers.
A monstrous mask appeared before her face. The small mouth was filled with long, pointed, sharp teeth, between which the lollipop stick was still wedged. Two horns, curved backward, similar to those of a gazelle, formed on her forehead. The arms were replaced by many whips.
"She is like Denji..." said Aki under his breath from shock.
"First the human, then the fiend, then the devil, and finally Chainsaw, got it?" she blurted, as she settled back into position. "First, though, I have to make it up to you, I have to provide better entertainment... Let's see. What contracts does that have?"
"Future and Angel Devil," Mihon replied.
"Future, huh? Great, I know exactly what to do!" he laughed with delight.
She twisted all the whips in one hand to form an even thicker one, resembling a large log.
Aki had a vision.
"JUMP!" he shouted, then put as much strength as he had into his legs.
She waved the new whip, making a big sweep. Both Denji and Power nimbly avoided it; Aki barely managed it. Angel did not make it in time and was hit, falling to the ground ruefully. He groaned in pain. Dazed he barely got up, massaging his head.
Another vision.
"DOWN!" he shouted again. He saw Denji and Power crouch down. He grabbed Angel by the head with one hand, lowering him just in time. The other whip traveled over their heads, impacting through the rubble and hitting some of the columns. More floor fragments fell from above. They did not even have a moment's rest that Mihon and Ai dashed at them, wielding their weapons. The fiend pointed again at Aki, who, however, did not have time to bring his katana up to defend himself. To shield him was Angel, extending a wing. The blade shattered against his feathers, cutting them off, and Angel hissed in pain, cursing. Ai also arrived and Angel managed to block it just in time with his scythe.
On the other side, Shion continued to frantically move her whips, following the drop of the music, leaving no room for Denji and Power to stop and prepare a new attack.
"That's right, dance to the beat!" she exclaimed as she continued with her movements.
Power managed to hop on one of the larger whips, running toward the enemy, and Denji, taking advantage of her distraction, went outside Shion's range, also sprinting toward her but from the opposite direction. The two of them prepared a synchronized strike: Power created a short, curved blade, lacerating part of her head, sideways, from which a jet of blood forcefully spurted; while Denji, turning on himself like a spinning top, inflicted several deep wounds on her arm and abdomen, with the chainsaws. Those wounds, too, exploded in a violent, scarlet spray from the pressure. Shion spat out blood and some streams began to flow more slowly from the slit on her forehead, covering part of her monstrous face and then dripping from her chin, but she did not flinch much. Denji and Power overtook her after their attack. Power whirled around and Denji grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her toward him. He spun her around a couple of times, bringing the girl even closer to his body.
"Did you want us to dance?" Denji taunted Shion as he made Power do the last pirouette, as she landed straight in his arms.
"Then taste our paso doble," the girl completed his sentence with a stage cambré, throwing all her hair back and bringing one of her forearms to the forehead.
She raised her leg theatrically, causing part of the ruffles of her skirt to rise, and abandoned herself completely in Denji's arms. An amused grin appeared on her face as she pointed at Shion with an air of defiance and superiority.
Author's note: Hi! Welcome back, I hope you liked this chapter. It took a while to come out because I had to submit my thesis and college is kicking my ass. I think it is the longest part of the fic by now. Of course the whole point behind this was to dress our guys up eheh
Also I love the Whip Hybrid, it's kinda ironic that when I have to translate this chapter, she is also back in the main series. Thank you for reading, see you next week :3