(A New Fate and A new destiny comes crawling it's way towards our heroes. Let us see what happens next from here.)
Bold = English Conversations
Bold + Italics = Japanese Conversations
Fate 13
The 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi's NOL base, a normally bustling place filled to the brim with NOL soldiers seeking to do good. In the real world it would have been an empty place due to the current circumstances of the world but even in this world, the place seemed empty. However maybe that is for the best for the predator that currently lurks it's hallowed halls. His footsteps echoed with each step he took as his eyes were scanning, searching for his prey.
"Where are you…" He said as his eyes scanned around his surroundings, a sense of restlessness building up in him as he wanted to hunt for his prey right away. He wanted to feast and chew on the person his eyes saw, his eyes could never forget. Even when he saw all the other delicious prey he could have had his blood only boiled for the one he saw. He needed to find him again, feast on him again, have his fists meet his blade once again.
Before he could finish his train of thought, he immediately sensed that his prey was watching him, his eyes glaring at his very body. The man couldn't help but feel his body tremble as he thought he was the one hunting for his prey but the fact that he was the one being hunted instead. "Come on now… Do not tease me like this. I am right here! Come after…" Before the man could finish his sentence, he immediately raised his arms out of sheer instinct.
As soon as he did, he felt two impacts. The first impact was the familiar sense of steel clashing on his steel like flesh and the second impact was a powerful punch that would have easily broken the bones of a weakling. The impacts collided to cause the ground beneath him to crumble as he grinned and responded by grabbing the blade and fist respectively, tossing the culprits towards the various pillars.
The culprits easily recovered, phasing through the pillars as if they didn't exist and recovering as they did so. The man stood his ground as he shook his hands greatly, his blood excited by that simple clash. "You really do remember me huh...Mad Dog." The first culprit, Sora Minakaze said as he stepped out of the pillar's cover as the Mad Dog Azrael's grin grew wide, finally bearing witness to his target once again.
"You expect me to forget our clash? I devoured you yet here I find myself wanting to eat you more!" Azrael said as he cracked his fists. "You gave me a taste of your true power and I cannot help but feel a hunger grow within me. It's almost unbearable how delicious our fight was." Azrael said as another person walked out upon hearing that. "To think that you fought this crazy bastard and got to live to tell the tale." The woman, a squirrel beastkin to Azrael's eyes said.
"Indeed… That's just how much of a monster that man is Makoto." Sora said as Azrael's grin grew. "And who is this woman beside you Mr Miracle Bringer? I believe we have never met." Azrael said as Makoto couldn't help but shiver, feeling his gaze come her way. "Nobody that you would be interested in fighting Mad Dog…" Sora said as Azrael saw Sora step in front of Makoto, his body unconsciously shielding her from the danger that she was faced with. It was not that she was a weakling, the punch she delivered had strength in them, but the man, Sora Minakaze simply wanted to protect the woman in front of him.
"If you want to get a fight out of me Azrael, I'm sorry to say this but today's not a good day." Sora warned as Azrael couldn't help but feel annoyed upon hearing that statement. "And is that because of that woman you are protecting? Because if it is, I can easily make that a non-issue." Azrael said "Hey you! I won't take that kind of lip from you asshole." Makoto replied with venom as Azrael couldn't help but grin from that comment.
"At least you have some bite woman, maybe I should try playing…" Before Azrael could finish his sentence, Sora immediately lunged forward, slamming the Rev arm right at his own guard, causing the two to clash. "So that woman's your trigger huh…" Azrael said as Sora simply glared at him at that moment. "I have no problem fighting you any time Mad Dog, but you will leave her out of this. She has nothing to do with us fighting." Sora said as Azrael couldn't help but scoff.
"I will decide if she's worth my time or not. And that will depend if you bore me." Azrael said as Sora simply sighed upon hearing that. "I really really do not want to be wasting my time and energy on you right now. But if it will satiate you for now, I will play with you Mad Dog." Sora said as he delivered a kick right at Azrael's stomach, making him cough a bit as before Azrael could see what happened next, Sora brought down the Rev Blade down Azrael's head.
"At least you are going to try and make things interesting Miracle Bringer!" Azrael said as Azrael did not bother trying to block and instead swung his fist right for Sora's chin all while he weaved his head to the side. Sora saw this attempt to knock him out and did the same. The chain reaction of these set of attacks was just the two men dodging their respective attacks. Makoto felt a chill go down her spine as she knew if she tried to step in now, it would just put her and Sora in danger. Sora knew in order to ensure Makoto did not get involved in any way, he was going to have to let a bit more loose against Azrael.
Sora meanwhile understood that Azrael was only fighting him because of the performance he put up. The fact that he retained his memory of him told him that Azrael didn't forget prey that gave him a rush. "To think I would face a prey I already defeated… CALL ME IMPRESSED!" Azrael shouted as he tried to give Sora a lariat only for Sora to raise his the Rev Blade and use the handle of the Rev Blade to parry and deflect the attack to the side.
"Sorry if I am not impressed by your fondness for me." Sora simply replied as he then used the handle of the Rev Blade to bash Azrael in the head as both men knew they were simply feeling each other at that moment. Azrael simply grinned at that moment. "Well aren't you being cheeky, You're holding back on me." Azrael said as Sora simply shook his head at that. "Well sorry if I am not exactly throwing haymakers left and right, I got other fights ahead of me and I am sorry to say, I am not eager to fight you right now." Sora said.
"Sora…" Makoto said as she felt the urge to step in at that moment and take over. She could fight someone like Azrael but she was not sure how long she would last if that were to happen. "But if I have to… I will respond to your challenge." Sora said as he changed the Rev Blade to it's arm form and attached it to his stump. Azrael then saw the black and red aura manifest over it as Sora could feel his blind right eye act up again, slowly becoming hot as Azrael saw Sora's right eye slowly become the color blue.
"Good...I like that spirit!" Azrael shouted as Makoto felt he air change greatly as she saw the tattoos on Azrael's body slowly start to dissipate. "Enchant Dragunov… Level 2." Azrael said as the air shimmered upon hearing him say that. "So this is the power of the Mad Dog…" Makoto said, feeling the sheer power that was present in the air as she did not know how to react. Any idea of her intervening in this fight right now were dashed as she knew it would be better for Sora to handle this battle.
Sora did not need to say a word at that moment, he just knew that Makoto knew that she should stand by the side and watch what happens next rather than get involved. Sora gave her a soft smile before lunging forwards with a flying knee. Azrael slowly raised his arms up to guard but felt something was immediately wrong when his eyes were quick to catch on how there was a black mass that began to form on Sora's knee.
Azrael at that moment was correct to take a quick step back, breaking the ground in the process as Sora's knee formed a Black Beast head that tried to bite where Azrael was. Sora did not stop there as even though his attempt at a bite had failed, his attack was still ongoing and he was ready to continue attacking as he slammed the Rev Arm down on the ground. Normally he knew this kind of attack was reckless and would expose him but thanks to his new body, he can do some more reckless stuff by having a Black Beast head cover the gap that would have formed from his whiffed attacks.
Azrael meanwhile couldn't help but have a grin slowly grow on his face. Wasting no time, Azrael tensed up his feet and immediately lunged forward, smashing right through the Black Beast head but not completely shattering it and dragging along his war path. Sora felt the Black beast head that was behind him get dragged away as his senses immediately kicked in at that moment, telling him to dodge if he wanted to live.
Sora immediately jumped into the air as he saw the Black Beast head that was ripped off him get tossed where he was, immediately dispersing back to Seithr at that moment as Sora immediately turned to face Azrael, not letting his gaze turn away from the Mad Dog. Azrael did not hesitate to lunge for Sora, arms ready to grab Sora as tightly as they could to slam him to the ground. Since Sora was in the air, his movement options were limited but that was something he could solve with the use of the Rev System.
"ENHANCED GEAR!" The Rev System shouted as Sora clicked the brake at that moment and raised the palm of the Rev arm towards Azrael. "OROSHI!" Sora yelled as a sudden chill blew down Azrael's spine as Sora fired from the Rev Arm a sudden blast of pure Seithr right at Azrael's way. While normally such an attack would serve little effect, what he felt instead was a violent pushing wind that forced distance between him and Sora.
As soon as Sora's feet touched the ground, Sora immediately focused and activated Balmung at that moment. Makoto who watched from the sidelines felt her vision focus as now that she used Balmung herself, she understood how it worked to an extent. While she couldn't see the full process in front of her eyes, she had an idea of what decision Sora was going to make as Azrael was still in the middle of recovering from Sora's Oroshi.
Azrael meanwhile only saw Sora in front of him only to for a moment later see Sora right in front of his face, delivering a strong kick towards his stomach. Azrael quickly and instinctively focused his red aura to protect his stomach from any potential injury as he still felt the impact of the blow he took send him flying. Sora did not relent in his pressure as he gave chase to the airborne Azrael, changing the Rev Arm back to it's blade form
"Kazakami!" Sora yelled as he slashed right towards Azrael's chest. Azrael could feel the blade connect on his chest and a small cut begin to form across it. Azrael's grin turned to a true smile as he was happy to be wounded the way he was. He was finally able to taste some damage on his flesh and that gave him a delight that he did not expect to receive. This was the rush he was seeking as Sora felt Azrael grab the Rev Blade at that moment and pulled him closer to his face.
Sora then felt Azrael grab him by his collar and not let go. Sora could feel Azrael's fist tighten as he felt the bloodlust of the Mad Dog simply grow. "More… Give me more!" Azrael shouted as he tossed Sora right towards a pillar, prompting a Black Beast head to form behind his back and act as a cushion to prevent further damage. As Sora slid down the ground, a sensation immediately struck him as he allowed himself to slide down the pillar for a little bit before the Black Beast head immediately leapt in front of him to try and shield him from further damage.
Azrael was not fazed by this attempt at protection, throwing his whole mass towards Sora to try and pierce through Sora's defenses. As he smashed through the Black Beast head, he saw that Sora had already vanished, already above his head as Sora without hesitation delivered a flying axe kick right at his exposed head. Normally moves like this would have been such a risky undertaking but thanks to Balmung, Sora was able to make such risky moves.
Makoto thought that would be enough to put someone down but then remembered that Sora was dealing with the mad dog. He was not to be underestimated and doing so would be a dangerous thing. Azrael grabbed Sora's leg and without hesitation tossed him to the ground as he could. Sora felt the air immediately rush out of his lungs and through his mouth as Azrael tried to follow this up with a fist down Sora's face. Sora himself was able to tilt his head to avoid having his head caved in and wrapped his legs around Azrael's arm and tossed him to the ground.
Azrael himself was quick to recover from this attempt, getting to his feet first as Sora had to roll from his back to his feet. Azrael used this small gap in Sora's recovery to immediately charge up a distortion drive. "BLACK HAWK!" As soon as Sora heard the mad dog's war cry, Sora immediately braced himself for impact, having a Black Beast head eat him up and form a defensive dome around him.
"STINGER!" Soon Sora felt the impact of Azrael's fist slam down on the Black Beast head, smashing through it's teeth and prompting Sora to deflect the blow to his side, preventing further damage. Soon the two individuals took a step back from each other, their eyes watching each other for the slightest gap they could exploit. "Just as exquisite as you were the first time. You truly have not been a disappointment ever since that awakening." Azrael said as Sora scoffed upon hearing that.
"I didn't become strong so that you can be entertained Mad Dog…" Sora said as Azrael laughed upon hearing that statement. "Oh I do not need any reason for your strength. All I care for is that you are able to deliver me your full strength." Azrael said as Sora could feel the aura shake around him. Makoto herself felt her whole body tense as she couldn't help but subconsciously take a step back, not realizing she had done so until she took that step.
Was this fear she felt through her body? Was this her body's way of telling her that danger was coming her way and that she needed to take a few steps back before things got worse. She did not know how to interpret what her body was telling her but she knew she had to respect the clear danger that was present in front of her. She may be stronger than she was before but that didn't give her any right to be complacent and not respect the clear show of strength in front of her.
"Let me guess, you got stronger because of love." Azrael guessed as Sora and Makoto were caught off guard by that comment. "You would be surprised to hear how many people talk about how they cannot afford to lose to me because they have someone waiting for them. Way more common of a reason than you would think." Azrael commented as Sora couldn't help but wonder how relevant that was to the current fight. "It's simple really, if motivations like love and friendship really gave strength, why were they still so boring?" Azrael said.
"I…" Sora did not know how to respond to that comment, unsure what the Mad Dog was thinking. "You're right… Love and friendship doesn't give someone a power boost like it does in tv shows." Makoto said as Sora was surprised to hear her say something as this entire time, she had remained quiet. "What it does do however is give someone the resolve to see something to the end. You cannot tell me that you don't remember the fight those men and women gave you in their desperation." Makoto continued as Azrael was about to scoff at her comment before remembering a certain old mercenary group and how feverishly they fought for their captain.
"Does having someone you care for make you stronger? No not really. But it lets you fight with everything you have." Makoto said as Sora couldn't help but smile upon hearing that and nodded his head at that statement. "I feel the same way she does. Hate that response? Take it up with her." Sora said as Makoto smiled upon hearing that statement. Azrael himself wanted to scoff upon hearing that but as he looked up, he couldn't help but find himself intrigued by what he was looking at, the sense of trust that was between the two people in front of him. It was clear that more than love was involved.
"Well… When you put it like that… I must disagree." Azrael said as Sora and Makoto felt the air around them change yet again. "But I hate talking about stuff when my fists can do the talking. ENCHANT DRAGUNOV LEVEL 3!" Azrael's chant soon made the ground shake and visibly crack. Sora immediately felt his danger sense kick in as he raised the Rev Blade to block only to feel like he was being struck by a truck at full speed.
Sora knew instinctively that he needed to get serious himself before things got worse. Sora angled the blade to act as a ramp, forcing Azrael to launch himself towards the sky as Sora grabbed Azrael's ankle using a Black Beast head and tossed him as hard as he could through a few pillars. Sora then gave chase as Makoto stood back and watched as Sora got to work. She knew at this point, if she were to get involved she was going to very likely get caught in a tightrope of death and danger that she would need to continuously walk.
"Right Makoto… time to do what you can do." Makoto said to herself as she decided to do something else entirely. "Sora. I am going to go on ahead and try to find Ragna, You keep Azrael busy for as long as you feel comfortable to." Makoto said through their shared communicator as Sora simply grunted through the communicator, showing he understood her intent. He knew this was probably for the best as staying together right now may be more dangerous as Azrael is something enticed by challenge and seeing two opponents may tempt him to fight them both, wasting time they may not have.
"Oh? After all that talk and she is leaving you behind. So much for…" Before Azrael could finish his sentence, he felt a strong punch land right at his jaw. His feet gave out underneath him as he realized he was struck at the chin, causing a temporary loss of control to his legs. Azrael then saw Sora grab him by his head and begin to slam the Black fist he had right on his head, making sure he felt each and every blow as Azrael's aura protected him but eventually Sora managed to chip through the aura, giving Azrael a small cut on his forehead.
Normally, most people would not be bothered by what they had felt as a cut would be a cut, no matter how small it was. But for Azrael, he felt a rush, a high where he had not felt before. Azrael simply raised his hand, prompting Sora to stop not out of concern but out of caution as he had thought Azrael was going to produce an attack from his open palm but he then saw the mad dog touch his forehead and see the blood that was on his finger.
"Is this… my own blood?" Azrael questioned as Sora realized that something was going to happen after that reveal, deciding that he had to prepare himself for the worst to come as Azrael began to laugh, his laughter echoing throughout the halls and causing the ceiling to shake, making some loose parts of the ceiling fall in the process as Azrael tapped his forehead on the wound. "I was right to remember you. Screw devouring you! I just want to keep fighting to my own heart's content!" Azrael shouted as Sora felt his blood chill at that moment.
Sora saw a child like glee on Azrael's face. A smile that would normally be reserved for a child's happiest moment was now plastered on the face of a devil. Azrael charged towards Sora and Sora himself could see clearly that his movements were getting faster. His attacks sharper and his body being fully used as a weapon. Sora sheathed the Rev Blade towards it's sheath to further power it up but before he could rev the blade, Azrael grabbed the handle and kicked Sora, causing him to lose his grip on the weapon in the process.
As he did so, Azrael quickly and without even a second thought tossed the blade right towards Sora, intending to skewer Sora with his own weapon. Sora however saw this coming and focused on Balmung once again, feeling his eyes flare up in the process as Azrael soon saw Sora evade the point blank attack and immediately fire a bullet right at Azrael's face. He formed his red aura to catch and send it back but the impact he felt from the projectile was enough to shatter his aura instantly.
Sora stared at the power of the new gun Caroline gave him in sheer awe. This was probably the strongest gun he has used so far and he couldn't help but smile at the result. This was iron that he could use and iron he was going to use to the fullest. Without hesitation, Sora began to fire shots at Azrael, the Rev System automatically charging up the necessary energy needed to fire and Sora pulling the trigger. Normally Sora would need to load in a bullet but thanks to Balmung, Sora was able to cheat the process of reloading and just focus on firing the bullet.
This wouldn't have been possible before. Normally he was only able to move between one spot or the other. However whatever Makoto had done with the forging of the contract has finally allowed Sora to use Balmung in new ways. One of those being the ability to fire his gun without needing to reload and that was something that he would never thought was possible in any way. He did not let that get in his way as he continued to lay down fire.
Azrael's skin was hard and tough, no bullet was going to pierce him but the welts and bruises that were now present on his arm excited him. Pain… This was pain he was feeling. And he was taking visible damage on what was his perfect body. His body that had never seen damage before was now taking damage from this nobody he had never heard off, that had long eluded his grasp. Where was this man in the world when he was fighting in the civil war? Where was this man when he was finally subdued. Where was this man when he was released and started fighting everyone. Why did he only show up now in that arena? Azrael's mind was racing with several questions and every other prey he ever had in mind was simply vanishing, becoming irrelevant.
'Ahhhh… This high… This high is what I have been seeking! The grim reaper? The Black Knight? The Dragon of Kagutsuchi? They all are strong but none made me bleed! Made me feel pain! Made me feel the sweat off my brow! They scheme think and plot their own machinations but this man...This man is facing me off without such tricks! JUST PURE POWER!' Azrael thought as Sora saw Azrael suddenly vanish as Balmung immediately triggered and let him know the danger that was coming behind him, prompting him to take a position to place his gun on Azrael's stomach.
Azrael himself glared right at Sora's eyes as Sora pulled the trigger, sending the Mad Dog flying. He soon found himself crashing through a bunch of pillars and rubble, kicking up a dust storm as Sora kept his gun trained towards Azrael, waiting to see what happens next. "Enchant Dragunov… Level four." As soon as Sora heard Azrael say that, he immediately felt the impact of a kick as Sora took a deep breath, glad that Balmung had shown him what was going to happen to him in that millisecond. But the speed Azrael had gone, it was near maddening the speed he was moving.
The fact that Azrael was moving as quickly as he did and Balmung was still able to give him the ability to see what would happen to him as a result was simply amazing. It made Sora wonder if speed really was a limiting factor to Balmung at this point. But that was not the time for him to think, he needed to focus on surviving as Azrael himself knew that judging from how Sora was able to intercept his attack, he was going to be fine trying to survive a blitz from him.
"Try not to die. I want to see how far you can dance." Azrael said as Sora felt his blood chill upon hearing that, realizing that Azrael was going to fight even harder than he had ever done. Azrael himself must rarely go to level 4 so he must want to see what he can do at this rate of power. Sora merely gritted his teeth and soon found himself being barraged by a series of punches, each relying on Balmung's future sight to be able to block as Balmung struggled to find gaps where he could attack.
Azrael's fists first went towards Sora's face but Sora was smart enough to realize that was a fake and using the Rev Arm, made Azrael punch the metal elbow of the Rev Arm. While it was not enough to break his hand, it was enough to cause momentary pause as Sora quickly and without hesitation delivered a stomach kick right at Azrael's stomach. Azrael flashed Sora a small smile before charging him once again, Sora ducking as wind blew across his hair.
"Trust me. I have no intentions of dying one bit." Sora said as he swept Azrael's feet, prompting Azrael to recover by placing the palm of his hand to the ground. Sora felt the ground crumble as Azrael's hand was enough to cause a crater, showing to Sora the amount of power this man had. "Good! That's how it should be! Survival of the fittest!" Azrael yelled as he pushed his speed even further, prompting Sora to keep his guard up even more if he hoped to survive Azrael's wrath.
But Sora knew that guarding at this point was futile so he closed his eyes and began to focus even further. 'If I can do what I did with Balmung to the hand cannon… I should be able to do the same with my moves.' Sora thought as he focused on Balmung, focusing on finding a move that he would be able to exploit. As Azrael came in with his foot ready to attack, he found his foot being slapped down to the ground as Sora immediately countered at that moment with a space counter.
As Azrael spun helplessly, Sora immediately followed it up with a corona upper, his fist landing right on the mad dog's jaw. Azrael felt his world rock briefly as Sora struck not only with power but with technique as while Azrael himself was never a man of technique, he could easily recognize how Sora's techniques allowed him to easily strike the Mad Dog without worry. However unlike others who would flaunt their secret technique to his face, Sora did no such thing, attacking Azrael with his strongest attacks.
Azrael then felt his leg get grabbed as Sora tossed him as hard as he could towards the ground, a black beast head manifesting behind him to give chase. Azrael liked what he saw and relished the chase he was being given. Sora was clearly still holding back but despite that, he did not relent in trying to actually end the fight. Sora Minakaze did not make the mistake like so many of his victims would make and try to conserve their energy or in his eyes, simply stall and bore him to the point of simply destroying them.
Sora at that moment pointed his gun towards Azrael's location and fired several bullets his way, slamming Azrael with lead as he wanted to make sure Azrael wouldn't stand up too soon. He could hear the sounds of his shots landing before they no longer did as Sora's feet touched the ground, panting a little bit as he realized that he was starting to reach the limit he could reach with Balmung. His bones didn't hurt as much but he felt exhaustion kick in.
Azrael's laughter echoed throughout the air, making Sora tense as he did not know what to expect next. He readied the Rev Blade on his side, waiting to see what kind of attack Azrael was going to throw next. He then heard the sounds of bullets dropping down to the ground as that told him that Azrael had managed to stop all of his shots as he saw Azrael's arms bleeding and a grin present on his face. "Ahhhh… So this is what it means to be in a fight to the death? To think I had been denying myself this pleasure this whole time." Azrael said as Sora didn't hesitate and dashed ahead, slashing right at Azrael's chest.
Azrael himself grinned at that moment, happy to see that Sora himself was not going to hesitate attacking him while he talked. That told him how serious his opponent was taking him at that moment and how he needed to respect the power this man had otherwise he would be the one defeated. "Now Now. Let's not be too hasty here Mr Miracle Bringer. This fight we must savor." Azrael said as Sora couldn't help but scoff upon hearing that, not saying anything after that as he knew himself that saying such a thing wouldn't matter to a meat head like the Mad Dog.
But in a shocking twist, Azrael released his grip on Sora's sword and slowly backed off. "And fight to savor I will do. Your heart's not in this battle but on her isn't it." Azrael said as Sora tensed his grip on his blade and gun, unsure how to handle the situation that was brought to him. This was clearly not a trap placed by Azrael to get his guard down as Azrael is not the kind of man to waste with such ideas. So if Azrael really did intend to let him go then what goal did the mad dog have for him.
"Oh don't get me wrong. I really really want to fight you right now. But I don't want to spoil the taste my victory would have knowing your heart was not in the battle." Azrael explained himself as that gave Sora even less of ease as he felt tempted to not take Azrael by his word but at the same time, the chance for him to go back to Makoto right away would be something he would take. "I can sense it, that squirrel woman matters to you more than our battle and while continuing this fight would be nice, I would rather you actually put your heart into it." Azrael said as Sora slowly lowered his weapon.
"So instead I will watch you, my eyes hunting you down. When you say you are able to fight me with all you got. When you can toss away the hesitancy in your heart right now, I will challenge you and when I do, we will have a fight that will tear the very fabrics of reality itself." Azrael said as Sora struggled to process what he had just heard. The Mad Dog? Actually deciding to leave him alone by his own volition? He wanted to pinch himself but crazier things had already happened to him so this was the least crazy thing for him to experience.
"So what's stopping me from just ghosting you when I have the chance? You know very well that I don't need to hold you up to your word." Sora said as Azrael's face immediately changed to that of a serious expression. "I will not let you vanish from my eyes Sora Minakaze. I don't care about this world's strongest any longer, they all are just appetizers to your strength. You are the only one whose made me taste my own blood, made me feel like I am being challenged. As long as that is true I can never forget or let you out of my sight."
Sora couldn't help but feel both touched and disturbed by Azrael's choice of words. The fact that the Mad Dog himself saw him as someone strong enough to be worth his time was something to admire and fear. Admire because that is probably the strongest type of comment a person like Azrael was capable of. Fear becaause that means that Azrael will hunt him down and possibly do everything in his power to kill him. He did not know how to feel about this set of circumstances but at the very least, if he is able to get to Makoto sooner the better.
"In that case… Go ahead, Hunt me if you want. But I won't be ready to fight you any time soon. So if you play nice and don't cause trouble for me and my girl, I promise to give you a fight that will be all out." Sora promised as Azrael chuckled at that. "And how do I know you will hold your word and not just try to ghost me?" Azrael questioned as Sora closed his eyes upon hearing that before taking a deep breath. "Because I never break any promises I make. I was taught and raised by good people and they taught me a promise should always be upheld. And you don't need to worry about any organization or party getting involved." Sora said as he knew that his choice of words had probably sealed a future duel with what is proving to be a growing rivalry between him and the mad dog of all people.
"Good...Good. Now run along. Your girl's waiting for you no." Azrael said as Sora simply sheathed the Rev Blade on his back at that moment. "Don't go telling me what I should and shouldn't be doing Mad Dog…" Sora said before without wasting any time, running off the direction Makoto had gone to. As Sora disappeared from his sight, Azrael slowly restored the seals of his power, each time he did so he could feel the pain his body had long suppressed become more and more acute.
It was not enough for him to crumble to the ground but enough to make him fall down to one of his knees. He felt his body tremble but he couldn't help but feel an excitement grow inside his heart. He panted a little bit, feeling exhaustion hit his body for the first time, his breathing audible and his body screaming in pain. All new sensations were hitting him and they were all a delight for him to experience. He did not know whether to laugh or cry at his newfound lease in life. Finally. Finally he had found someone who can stoke the flames that have long since burned out.
"Sora Minakaze… Do try your best to live up to my expectations…"
As Sora left the Mad Dog to his own devices, he cannot help but wonder about the deal he had made with him. Sure he was no longer going to get into any fight against the Mad Dog for now but eventually he would need to face off against him in a true fight, a fight where he wouldn't be able to run. Knowing the Mad Dog himself, the fact that he was left alive and allowed to roam clearly told him that Azrael was simply hungry, waiting for his prey to get fat and plump for him to feast. Sora did not feel comfortable being that meal at that moment.
But Sora knew he had to shove all of those thoughts down the back of his mind. That will be something for future him to worry about when that day comes but now he needed to focus on getting back to Makoto. A worry began to bubble up the surface that something was going to happen to her again and he cannot help but hurry a little. If something did happen to her again, he did not know how he was going to react to that situation.
Sure Makoto was stronger and sure Makoto was clearly getting used to her new power but she was still quite green with Balmung in general. She would have to deal with what he had dealt with before and the strain may cause her to slip up and that may be fatal. At that moment, Sora's worries overpowered him and prompted him to give Makoto a call at that very moment. "Makoto… Makoto do you receive this?" Sora contacted as Sora took that time to wait at a pillar, resting his back on it as he waited patiently.
"Makoto? Are you there? Are you receiving this call?" Sora asked again as Sora waited again. He knew from Caroline's explanation that there was no way to interrupt their signal so it had to be that Makoto was currently being held up… which meant that she was currently facing off something that warranted her entire attention. That was enough for Sora to start picking up his pace as he felt his body become sore. While he took minimal damage fighting the Mad Dog, he still couldn't stave off the exhaustion Balmung brings with each cast. The one thing that was left in his mind as he picked up the pace was simply all Makoto…
And what kind of danger she had found herself in…
GREETINGS LOST SHEEP OF FANFICTION! HOW ARE YOU ALL DOING ON THIS FINE DAY!? I am personally doing well myself and life has been treating me well so far. I am just happy that I am able to produce for you guys my two chapters a month. I was a bit worried that due to time commitments on my end I wouldn't be able to meet it but thankfully I managed to get this out for you guys to read. I hope to continue producing quality work for you guys to keep on reading and enjoy.
SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT TO SORA MINAKAZE AND MAKOTO NANAYA!? WHERE WILL FATE TAKE THEM NEXT!? WILL IT LEAD THEM TO HEAVEN OR DRAG THEM DEEPER TO HELL!? HOW WILL MAKOTO REACT TO SORA'S BARGAIN WITH AZRAEL!? AND WHAT IS CURRENTLY KEEPING HER BUSY THAT SHE IS UNABLE TO TALK TO SORA AT THAT MOMENT!? All this and more on the next Fate.
Oroshi: Down Wind
Kazakami: Up Wind