Shame of the Order
By Mardrena
Reiou Kenji had an awful lot to occupy his time lately. Aside from moonlighting as a stalwart Paladin hunting rogue sorcerers and putting down troublesome demons, his career as a famous author took him far and wide across the globe, and the income helped sustain a comfortable lifestyle for himself and his lovely wife Aniko. He had a full schedule of speaking tours, book-signings, and pitches for new books to his publisher. The few days of downtime between his whirlwind tours he spent playfully with Aniko, hoping to eventually start a family. After centuries of keeping a low profile while maintaining the legacy of the Order, he looked forward to having someone to pass his legacy onto when it came time for him to ultimately retire. Even though he aged very little thanks to his half-demon nature, his distinguished greys would only continue to grow over time.
Reiou pecked away at his antique typewriter in his office and peered at a half-finished page, scrutinizing for typos. Granted he had an editor to take care of these pesky details, but he preferred to handle things himself. He had wanted to have this book half-way finished before the weekend, and before some other domestic mystical threat reared its ugly head to eat up yet more of his time...
"Um, Mister Kenji? I know you said not to interrupt you...but there's a call waiting for you on line two...says its urgent and he needs to speak to you directly. Something about an 'old acquaintance'?" his secretary chirped meekly. Reiou glanced at her. Of course he wouldn't bite her head off for merely doing her job. He nodded appreciatively and she shut the door, leaving him in solace to answer the private call. Reiou swiveled away from the typewriter and picked up the phone.
"Reiou Kenji, author extraordinaire. How may I assist you today?" he greeted politely. His smile faded and his eyes widened and he slowly rose out of his chair, bracing his free palm against the top of his desk. "...who is this...?" he hissed softly.
"Reiou...I know it's you...I could tell from the photo on the jacket of your books...there's no mistaking it...please...I need your help! I can't stay in one place too long! Your next book signing...I'll wait for you out back after hours. It's not safe for us to meet in the daytime. Even calling you like this is taking a huge risk. You're the only one I can trust! Please!"
"S-S-Sure...of course! I'll do everything that I can!"
"Thank you...this means everything...please...stay safe!" The call ended and Reiou set the phone back in its cradle and sank back down into his chair. His back tingled as if his wings itched to sprout from his shoulders and take off right away to meet this man.
"Never would I have imagined...that others of the Order would have survived this long...a fellow half-demon no less!" Reiou covered his mouth with one hand. He had prospered well enough with his talent for writing and his magical skill as a Paladin, but in all of his centuries of living in plain sight he had never encountered a fellow survivor. Granted, his alias as a prolific author had only taken off in recent years with his growth in popularity elevating his profile on the international stage. Reiou tapped his fingers against his jaw. This could change everything. He'd spent centuries in the past moving from place to place as he hunted the Soul Hunters on his quest to revive Aniko. Now that they had finally reunited, they had eagerly chosen to settle down in Japan, which had been so generous to them.
Reiou rubbed his fingertips together. He had to take into consideration this might be a ploy to draw him out. Why now after so long? Then again, he had his wealth to fall back on. A bedraggled survivor eking out each day for centuries might not have that opportunity. Half-demons could conceal their natures easily enough in the modern age, but he'd spent so many centuries honestly believing only he and he alone survived...He'd have to make some changes to his upcoming itinerary.
Even though his reputation and rock-star status ensured a stable income, some days Reiou couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed at the way women swooned over him when he went to these signing events. Normally after such events he'd meet up with his agent, enjoy some food and drink, go home spend some time with Aniko before starting the day over again. This time around Reiou had more serious business to tend to once the long line of avid readers and devoted customers had dwindled. He waved farewell to the bookstore staff and exited the building. Instead of calling for a car to pick him up, he slipped out back where the unexpected caller said to wait for him.
Reiou frowned, the same unease from the other day nagging at the back of his mind. If this survivor meant him ill, he could easily take care of himself. Even back during the glory days of the Order he had a well-known reputation for martial prowess. It made no sense for a fellow survivor to approach him with hostility. If anything, the man's tone sounded desperate...as if he were being hunted somehow... Answers would have to wait until he could appraise this man for himself and spirit him away to safety if need be. Reiou tilted his head up when he spotted a man in a drab brown trenchcoat standing just outside the range of a street lamp. The man fidgeted in place and looked impatient.
He turned to face Reiou and his features lit up with hope. Reiou immediately recognized him: no wonder this poor wretch had stayed in the shadows so long. He hadn't even risen to page, just barely above "stable hand" back in the day. Reiou frowned and swiftly walked towards the man. He had so much to grill him on: how many other survivors escaped the Great Purge, what happened to the leadership, whether any relics had survived intact or had fallen into unsavoury hands...
The man moved to meet Reiou halfway but had barely taken a step into the lamp before halting and cringing as if the light burned somehow. His face contorted in dismay and he shook his head and clenched a fist, whimpering under his breath. "No...no...nooooo! Please, no!" Reiou frowned, wondering if he somehow referred to him. "Noo...noo...NOOO!" the man screamed as if in pain and tried to move forward but struggled as if something held him fast. "NO! NO! NO!" Reiou noticed a shadowy mass behind the man, like a second figure. He saw what looked like a hand clamped atop the man's shoulder and the man's body appeared to break apart into tiny particles like dust and swirl towards the intruder. Reiou cried out in alarm and ran towards the man, reaching out to grab him by the wrist. An invisible force burst outward, pushing him away.
"REIOU! HELP ME, PLEASE! HELP ME!" the man pleaded as his body began glowing bright gold and disintegrating rapidly. Reiou lunged again, trying to grab the man by the shoulders. He caught a brief glimpse of sinister eyes in the shadows behind the man and once more he felt himself repulsed with unnerving ease. The poor wretch screamed and screamed to no avail as his body converted completely to light and whipped through the air like a flickering flame under a brutal wind. The faint screaming that accompanied the stream of energy flowing into the intruder's arm sent shivers down Reiou's spine and he watched helplessly as tendrils coursed along an outstretched hand before seeping into the palm and vanishing entirely. The fingers curled shut and the figure took a step into the light.
"Well well now...Reiou...it's been quite some time..." Reiou flinched upon hearing the voice, recoiling a step as the figure revealed itself. The man peered down his narrow nose at the Paladin, and a terror seized Reiou that he hadn't felt since his youth in the Order. "I knew the minnow could lead me to a greater catch...but never would I have expected you..." Reiou immediately recognized him as an Inquisitor, a pitiless man who had gleefully tortured demons, half-breed and pure alike. He wore a neat white suit with a short coat over his shoulders and regarded Reiou with icy blue eyes. Short-cropped blonde hair crowned his head and his nose looked sharp enough to cut a ream of paper.
"What have you done? He was a fellow member of the Order, no matter how humble!" Reiou hissed. The Inquisitor arched an eyebrow and sniffed.
"He was impure. That he escaped me for so long is an embarrassment on my part. Now you...you...are far more interesting prey...I admit I had my suspicions for years before the Great Purge, but I could not verify without solid proof. What else am I to deduce through the evidence presented before me?" Reiou tensed, his training and oath demanding that he fight a wicked man who had unjustly taken a life, but every fiber in his body screamed to withdraw and seek safety. The Inquisitor smirked and paced off to the side, with Reiou circumventing him, maintaining his distance.
"You attack indiscriminately, without reason or remorse! He was no enemy of either of us! He honored his oath far more faithfully than you!" Reiou accused. The Inquisitor cocked his head to the side and smirked in a cold manner that once more stirred a palpable fear in Reiou.
"He was a half-breed. 'Oath' and 'half-demon' do not belong in the same sentence..."
"You paint half-demons with a broad brush! Not all are evil! Some are able to control their natures, others try to cleanse themselves and become human!"
"Ah, Reiou...even after so many years, you remain just as naive as back then...there is no 'place' for half-demons in the world of men. I have consumed hundreds of such pathetic creatures...and you will be no different. I will draw your essence into myself, and in this way," the man took a step towards Reiou and outstretched his hand. Reiou backed away when he saw light flickering along the man's fingers. "You will ultimately serve a higher good in the fight against evil."
"YEAAAGH!" Reiou swept his arms before himself and the back of his tailored suit shredded as his black-feathered wings unfurled from his shoulders and he tensed, springing into the air without summoning his Paladin armor. With any other craven foe he would have drawn his sword and fought, but he knew on an instinctual level that he stood no chance against this man and whatever spell he utilized to absorb half-demons so easily and without any chance of resistance. The Inquisitor remained standing under the lamplight and watched as Reiou beat into the night sky.
"I always suspected your true nature, but now I have ironclad proof! Flee all you want, Reiou! I will find you soon enough and deliver fitting judgment upon you, blasphemous half-breed! I will find you and end your existence...and punish any and all who associate with you!" Reiou flinched upon hearing that, cursing himself for withdrawing so hastily. He couldn't face this foe without proper magical wards and preparations...but first he needed to protect those close to him...
Aniko Kenji hummed to herself as she fawned over a new flower arrangement she'd spent the better part of half the day assembling to complement the "Heaven's Ocean" painting on the wall. She raised an eyebrow when she heard a tap on the window and walked over, cocking her head and making a puzzled frown as she undid the latch and opened the patio. "Reiou! You could've called if you were going to be coming home late from your signing. What, you didn't feel like driving? I suppose you had some 'Paladin business' to deal with?" Aniko commented, making note of Reiou's shredded attire as he entered the room and folded his wings.
"Something like that...listen, Aniko? I wouldn't ask this of you if it weren't crucial, but I need you to pack up some things and head out of town for a few days. By yourself. I can't risk any harm coming to you! Please!" Reiou gently grabbed Aniko by the shoulders, quelling any protests from her. "Go overseas, visit Europe or America...or better yet! Go off-planet! Visit Thanged! You'd love Tirmutua, it's gorgeous! It's like a slice of Eden! You could even spend some time with the Last Bangukian. She is a healer of great renown! I'm sure you'd hit it off swimmingly! Aniko, I'm begging you: it's too dangerous for you to be here with me right now..."
"Okay...if you insist...but please, Reiou...promise me you won't get in over your head..."
"I promise...on my honor as a Paladin..." Reiou kissed Aniko on the forehead and embraced her tenderly before pulling away and patting her shoulders once more. "I'll fly with you to the Gate, then after that, I have some more Paladin business to take care of..."
Mia Koji opened the front door, looking very puzzled to see Reiou on the front step. "Reiou! It's been months! Please, come inside!" Mia invited and Reiou entered the foyer, shucking his coat and hanging it on a nearby rack before entering the house proper. "I know you like to drop in but I must admit this is kind of sudden. I would've fixed some tea for you had I known. Aniko didn't come with you?" she queried, noticing how Reiou seemed kind of distracted.
"She's...out of town. A little sightseeing tour, you could say. I'm sorry for imposing on you on such short notice, I truly am, but I-I simply wanted to see you." How can I say "thank you" enough for all that you've done for me? You and your beloved grandfather... "It was like ships in the night at that Blood Dawn festival on that other world. How is everyone, by the way?"
"Oh, well Ryo and Ryu are right this way if you'd like to say hi. Ryo! Guess who decided to drop on by..." Mia announced as she led Reiou to the dining room. Reiou spotted Ryo seated on a chair close to the table next to a foam mat set up over the floor. An auburn-haired toddler lounged atop the mat with various toys scattered about him. Ryo looked up lazily before raising both eyebrows.
"Reiou! Well look who decided to fly in out of the blue. Your tours keeping you busy?" Ryo rose from his seat and strode over to extend a greeting.
"Naturally. And this must be young Ryu who I've heard so much about? Aniko wasn't kidding: He certainly takes after his mother a great deal," Reiou stepped to the side to get a better view of the boy. The table had blocked his view when he first entered the room. Ryu tilted his head up when he heard a voice and saw a well-dressed man with short black hair and gentle green eyes. "My goodness, how he's grown..." Reiou began as he leaned down slightly.
"Birdie!" Ryu crowed and raised his arms, opening and closing his fingers excitedly. "Birdiebirdiebirdiebirdiebirdie..." Reiou raised both eyebrows and stood back up and stepped back to stand next to Ryo, pointing at Ryu slowly.
"...He...he hasn't actually seen me before, has he?" Reiou asked out the corner of his mouth. Ryo shook his head and shrugged. Ryu hadn't stopped singing and wiggled from side to side, gleefully proclaiming this newfound knowledge for all to hear.
"He's definitely special..." Mia began. Reiou tried to listen to her but his gaze kept drifting to the singing toddler as Ryu hadn't stopped singing and bobbing where he sat.
"Birdiebirdiebirdiebirdiebirdiebirdie..." Ryu seemed to delight with experimenting with new tunes and clapped his hands together to accompany the beat. Reiou nodded and politely smiled at Mia as she gushed about how smart Ryu had proven to be but he cast an exasperated glance out the corner of his eye when Ryu showed no sign of stopping. "Birdiebirdiebirdiebirdiebirdiebirdie..."
"Um, pardon me...if I may..." Reiou politely interrupted Mia and stepped over some toys to stand next to Ryu. He crouched down and reached out, gently tapping Ryu on the nose. Ryu finally stopped singing and stared up at the black-haired man. "Not birdie, demon," Reiou gently admonished. Ryu stared at him bewildered and rocked back and forth where he sat.
"Birdiebirdiebirdiebirdiebirdiebirdie!" Ryu resumed singing and clapping. Reiou sighed and stood back up and stepped away to stand next to Ryo.
"You really should consider enrolling him in a special school..." Reiou muttered to Ryo, who nodded in agreement at first before doing a double-take and scowling at Reiou.
"Well you must be famished from being on the road so long. Here, I can fix up a quick lunch for you and we can all sit down and catch up with each other-" Mia began and turned towards the kitchen. Reiou held up a hand and shook his head.
"Please, you need not worry about me. I really shouldn't impose on your generosity more than I already have. I need to get back on the road regardless. I just...wanted to drop by to say hi," Reiou assured and smiled radiantly. Ryo raised an eyebrow, reading the tension beneath the cheer. "I missed the opportunity to formally meet your son the last time. I can see now why he's so unique. Another time, perhaps... Maybe we can have a couple's night out at a nice resort. It'd be my treat. Now, if you would excuse me..." Reiou bowed politely and took his leave. Mia looked dismayed but wished Reiou farewell and stayed behind in the dining room with Ryu. Reiou retrieved his jacket and headed out the door to his car. He heard the creak of the door behind him and growled softly in exasperation.
"Hey, Reiou...you didn't just drop in out of the blue to say hi and turn around and leave..." Ryo began. Reiou turned to the side slightly and watched as Ryo walked up to stand next to him. "I'm getting the distinct impression you came to say farewell...is there something going on we should know about?" Ryo prodded. "This isn't some sort of suicide mission is it?... If it's something you need help with, you know we're ready and willing..." Reiou regarded him levelly and inhaled deeply.
"It's Paladin business, Ryo. Stay out of it," Reiou stated firmly. "It's nothing I can't handle...The last thing I want is to give Mia cause to worry, so please, keep this private. As a colleague...as-as a friend," Reiou managed and flicked a glance at Ryo. "I ask that you respect my wishes. I don't need or want help from you. This is my shame to bear..." Ryo remained quiet and nodded solemnly. Reiou seated himself behind the wheel and drove off, leaving the estate behind. Ryo watched him leave until he moved out of sight and narrowed his eyes in concern.
Reiou left his car parked at his residence and transformed into his Paladin form, taking flight out of sight of prying eyes. His car wouldn't be able to quickly ferry him to the remote locales he used to cache his vast arsenal of relics and weapons. He alighted next to an overgrown dolmen in the Scottish Highlands and gently tapped a sequence of runes carved into the surface. The runes shimmered with power and a rectangular portal opened. Reiou stepped through into a pocket realm that looked like a mossy cavern with hewn stone walls full of alcoves. Reiou strode along the corridors, scanning the treasures housed within. He reached into cubbyholes and fished out a select few gilded ornaments, slotting them into matching indentions in his armor.
These were no mere decorations, but powerful protective wards designed to shield his soul from attack. If he hoped to face this insidious Inquisitor and the profane power he use to consume the souls of half-demons, he would need to fortify himself appropriately. He drew his sword and inserted blessed gems into slots on the crossguard and pommel. He retrieved a tiny tome filled with holy inscriptions and affixed it to his belt with a golden chain. Reiou let out a half-hearted chuckle and shook his head. He could just imagine Kento of Hardrock teasing him about looking more like a "proper" Paladin.
How had things come to this? Reiou paused in inserting another relic into his gauntlet and sighed. In some sense...it was all his fault...
He never forgot the sight of his parents' crucifixion, how once his mother had been outed, all of his father's good deeds and long years of service went out the window. Rather than fall into the trap of bitterness and resentment, Reiou took the Order's teachings to heart and sought salvation through service, biding his time until he came of age and honed his skills, ultimately joining the same Order that had slain his parents and persecuted half-demons such as himself. He believed if God created all things, even demons had a purpose to serve. It was easy enough to conceal his nature from the rank and file, but thanks to his mother being a higher caliber of demon than the usual rabble, he could sense quite a few half-demons that had joined the ranks, seeking to prove themselves much the same way.
Things went well and remained quiet for the most part for several decades, but as with all things, all it took was one screw-up to ruin everything... It was supposed to be a simple local purge, the scouring of a small village of feral demons and related pests like imps and boggarts. No grand crusade or campaign, but even among pure-blood humans, there was always that one showoff...
"YEAAAGH!" a burly Paladin with a blocky face and an unkempt mop of rusty hair shrugged off an attacking horde of demons that threw themselves at him relentlessly. The second they hit the ground they made a frenzied scramble to attack again. Other Paladins in the team had their hands full dealing with demons in other corners of the village. One imp would be easy enough, but two dozen would be a problem for any human Paladin... The burly Paladin glanced to the side when he heard a frightened squeal and saw a girl cowering near a wall as a quartet of boggarts closed in, gibbering sinisterly and no doubt debating amongst each other what to do with such innocent flesh. The rusty-haired Paladin glanced into the distance: all of his brothers were already heavily engaged. By the time they dispatched their targets and came to assist, it would be too late. The Paladin scowled and bared his teeth.
"RAAARRRGH!" He threw his arms wide mightily, sending the imps flying. Before they hit the ground, he slashed about with his sword with superhuman speed-even greater than that of a human Paladin-and quartered the fiends mid-air. His skin had turned into a ruddy brown and a dozen short knuckle-sized white horns poked up from his scalp. His armor creaked as his muscles swelled and his eyes glowed bright yellow as his half-demon form gave him greater strength. The boggarts barely had time to squeal in terror when they saw a bigger monster descend upon them and hack them to bits, blood flying off in great sprays, some splashing the girl as she huddled near the wall. In the time his brothers had spent battling a scant handful of demons apiece, the half-demon Paladin had slain dozens.
"Ahhh! Ahhh! Monster!" the girl bawled. The half-demon's eyes dimmed and he frowned dumbly.
"Monster? Oh, sorry about that! You don't have to worry about me! I don't eat children! Anymore at least...I've been clean twenty years, honest! Please don't cry! You're safe now!" While he tried to gently assure the child, the other Paladins had finished mopping up and noticed the commotion and the altered appearance of their brother. They stared at him wide-eyed in shock. "Um, Brothers? A little help here? She's just scared. Maybe we can reunite her with her mother at the nearest bastion…" The other Paladins approached and gathered around, their initial surprise giving way to disgust. "I didn't mean to scare you, little girl! Normally I keep myself hidden. You could say I was just as scared as you..."
The ogreish Paladin blinked when he noticed his fellows closing in. Two of them grabbed him from either side, holding him fast by the arms. "Um...Brothers? What are you doing?" Two more Paladins grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him down to his knees. "Brothers...? I-I don't understand..." One Paladin drew his sword and stepped to the side, raising it high as the other Paladins pushed the half-demon forward slightly. "Wait! Brothers! No! Please! Wait! I-!"
*SPLUCH!*
The ruddy-skinned horn-studded head bounced onto the ground and rolled back and forth slightly, the face frozen in a mask of disbelief. The little girl looked too traumatized to process what had just happened. The other Paladins stared down at the corpse with disgust, completely disregarding that he had served alongside them for many years and had counted them as brothers.
"A demon pretended to be one of us?! Revolting..." a Paladin snarled.
Then came the inquisitions...because one brash half-breed thought he could prove himself a defender of virtue by defending the meek and be showered with accolades regardless of his demonic nature, the leadership immediately thought hordes of demon-spawn had infiltrated their ranks. Reiou first saw him during the "interrogations" which followed...
*KRAAK!* A gauntleted fist struck the jaw of a young man bound in chains. "Confess! You were in close confidence with the transgressor! Silence will not grant you salvation, verily your fate has already been sealed. It is to God you must admit your sin! Do so now and spare yourself infernal ignominy." He looked a pitiless sort; tall, gaunt with sharp features and icy eyes. Short blonde hair crowned his head and he seemed to regard anything besides himself with a supercilious glare. "Confess!" he bellowed, his cold voice echoing through the vaulted ceiling of the holy sanctum. Nearly every senior member of the Order occupied the seats on either side of the room with the highest leadership occupying a booth in the center of the stands.
Reiou ground his teeth behind his lips, exerting every fiber of his being to keeping his temper in check. It took all of his training to fight the impulse to fly to the side of the tormented victim and break him free from his chains, but with this many Paladins in close proximity, they would be upon him before he even spread his wings... The leadership showed no sympathy towards the poor lad, grumbling amongst themselves absently. The Inquisitor backhanded the boy again, sending sprays of blood onto the polished tile of the sanctum. "Confess!"
"I must object!" Reiou's gaze snapped to the far end of the sanctum and he spotted a veteran Paladin of great renown, an elderly man with a balding crown and neat, straight hair draping down over the back of his neck. Reiou sighed inwardly, thanking this man for the strength of will to do what Reiou himself dare not. "There are outlying villages under our domain in need of protection! Our resources are better spent abroad than amongst one another levying baseless accusations and torturing squires! I implore the leadership, end this farce!" the veteran Paladin spoke emphatically in the direction of the gilded booth. The doddering elders grumbled amongst each other, seeming to weigh his words.
The Inquisitor glanced in the veteran's direction and nodded curtly. Without warning, two Paladins flanked the veteran and seized him by the arms. "What!? What is the meaning of this! Unhand me! How dare you!" he sputtered as the Paladin-Enforcers dragged him out onto the floor of the sanctum. "I am a Paladin of good standing! I demand you release me at once-!" The Inquisitor strode forward and stopped to stand infront of him as the Enforcers forced the veteran to his knees. He reached into the sleeve of his robe and pulled out a bejeweled object that looked like no holy relic Reiou had ever seen. He raised it to the veteran's forehead and the embedded gems flashed brilliantly as the veteran stared ahead aghast. When the light subsided, a collective shout rose from the observing crowd upon seeing the transformed veteran. His skin had turned light blue, two thick horns curled from his forehead, his ears had extended into short points, and his lower canines jutted up over his lip as thick tusks.
"Clearly the contagion extends far deeper than even I imagined..." the Inquisitor drawled.
"Please, I ask that you not judge me too harshly! I've served the Order faithfully for many years!" the half-demon veteran protested. The elders gasped and exchanged horrified glances, each wondering if the other was a half-demon in disguise. The Inquisitor snapped his fingers and a half-dozen Enforcers labored to push a hulking contraption onto the floor of the sanctum. Reiou's eyes widened in horror when he recognized the brazen bull: an instrument of torture so insidious the Order reserved it for only the most heinous, most unrepentant of heretics and demons. One pair of Enforcers pushed open the heavy hatch while two more pairs strode forward and seized the half-demon veteran and the barely-conscious squire by the arms and dragged them towards the device.
"What-What!? What are you doing? He's innocent! Stop! Stop! Please! Stop! This is wrong!" the veteran shouted to no avail as the Enforcers all-but shoved the squire within the cavity. "Please! Stop! For Heaven's Sake! Stop! He's just a boy! HE'S JUST A BOY! STOP! STOOOOOOOP!" the veteran pleaded as the Enforcers hauled him up as well, throwing him into the gut of the bronze beast and slamming the hatch shut. The rest of the Enforcers piled kindling beneath the body and drizzled copious amounts of holy oil before setting torch to the pile. The observing crowd could hear the thumps of fists against metal as the veteran beat futilely against the sanctified interior designed to keep the strongest demon from escaping. As the licking flames grew into a hungry blaze, the anguished screams of the two captives emerged from the gullet of the contraption like the bellowing of a cow. As the flames reached a vigorous blaze, the Inquisitor smiled with an almost ecstatic glee.
Reiou stared ahead grimly, his fist clenched over his knee. He could see out the barest corner of his vision the Inquisitor staring in his direction: whether indirectly or not, Reiou had no idea, but he dared not return his gaze even the slightest bit lest suspicion fall on him as well. Clearly the relic he used to expose the veteran's demonic heritage required close proximity, but Reiou knew he could not afford to let that horrid man and his insidious relic anywhere near him.
Reiou had made his plans that very night, using his powers to discreetly pilfer a significant number of artifacts, scrolls, tomes, and relics from the Order's holy vaults, leaving behind powerless copies to avoid arousing suspicion. It mattered not to him what their absence would cause: they would either be used to prosecute more innocents or squandered by the weak in a futile effort to protect themselves. He couldn't bear to remain within the Order halls while they turned upon each other, but when the Lord Archivist was found murdered within the Forbidden Archives, the Great Purge really kicked into high gear, with the Order leadership authorizing the deployment of "Purifiers"...
"Clear your minds and fear not, for your souls shall fuel the fires of righteousness, and your bodies become instruments of holy might!" a cleric intoned to a group of gathered Paladins. He spoke an incantation and tongues of golden flame floated before their chests before melting into their bodies. Their skin seemed to erupt with gold flame and their eyes burned brightly as the spell consumed their free will. "Now go forth, my Purifiers! Hunt down the wicked and scour them from these hallowed halls!" the cleric commanded. The newly-created Purifiers turned and shuffled away, their gait jerky, their heads rolling about on their necks. They moved as if possessed...and not by the Holy Spirit...
Screams echoed through the halls as the advancing squads of Purifiers cut down any in their path, from the lowliest scullery maid to fellow Paladins. "Well done, my brothers! Together, we shall root out the evil that has infested our Order!" a senior Paladin crowed. He cried out and coughed up a gout of blood and pitched forward, the hilt of a blade sticking out from his back. A Purifier stood behind him.
"A-A-All are t-t-tainted...a-a-all m-m-must be PURIFIED!" The Purifiers shuffled forward, driven to destroy anything they perceived as evil. Reiou had planned on making his escape under the cover of chaos as Purifier squads rampaged through the Order halls. He had secreted away enough of a trove of relics that he felt comfortable would remain out of unworthy hands. Still wearing his father's armor, he stole into the dark of night, not stopping to assist anyone.
As he dashed across the battlements, he spotted a trio of Shield-Maidens pelting down a courtyard path towards an open gate. They skidded to a halt when a Purifier shambled into the opening, blocking their exit. "Brother! Please, let us pass! Do you not recognize us?" a young Shield-Maiden protested. Reiou tensed, tempted to swoop down and intervene, but he fought back the urge and kept moving, casting a reluctant glance over his shoulder.
"All...are...tainted...all...must be purified..." the ensorcelled Paladin growled.
"We are not demons! Please! Stop!" the other Shield-Maiden argued.
"He's not after you two...he's after me..." the third Shield Maiden stepped forward and drew her sword, brandishing it before her. The other two watched bewildered as violet light erupted from her feet and rose higher, sweeping over her like a curtain. Her legs had changed shape, like that of a deer resting on dainty cloven hooves. A long thin tail snaked out from her backside, ending in an arrow-shaped tip. Her skin had turned pale pink and hair white with black ridged horns curling up through her locks. A short pair of bat-like wings stretched from her shoulders.
"Y-Y-You-you are a-?" one of the other Shield-Maidens sputtered.
"Hey, don't think so poorly of me! It's been a blast, truly! Go, run, I'll buy you some time!" the half-demon Shield-Maiden ordered waved to the side. The two human girls glanced at each other before taking off down another path. Instead of attacking the half-demon, the Purifier lurched after the pair. "What-? Hey! Eyes on me, you brute!" the half-demon sprang infront of the Purifier.
"All are tainted...all must be purified!" came the guttural reply as he drew his sword.
"You stupid Purifiers! You're nothing more than mindless berserkers! You're worse than demons!" the half-demon maid snarled and nimbly parried an erratic slash from the Purifier. An unearthly moan rose from the bewitched man's mouth and he began striking wildly, screaming like an unholy beast. The fleeing maids hesitated and watched in horror as their half-demon sister defended herself from the crazed Paladin. "Run! Don't stop running! Get out of here! Go! Live your lives! Have lots of babies and grow old and gray! That's the highest honor you can give me! Just go!" the half-demon cried. Tears in their eyes, the other two Shield-Maidens fled. The half-demon smirked before returning her attention to the Purifier, who continued thrashing and slashing without abandon.
She glanced to the side, startled upon hearing the hollow moans of more Purifiers. She could handle one easily enough, but more would be tricky. As she backed up past a column, she glanced to the side and saw a Purifier standing mere inches away. Her eyes widened in realization as the Purifier stared at her blankly for a moment before his face contorted in rage and he lunged, slashing wildly. She managed to parry multiple strikes while moving backwards step by step, but a single slash struck true and threw off her cadence and another Purifier buried his blade in her shoulder. The two fleeing maids looked over their shoulders and cried out in horror when they saw her mortal wound.
"G-G-Go..." she whispered as she fell. The Purifiers swarmed around her, slashing downward with their blades, butchering her in a frenzy of blood. The maids shrieked and pelted down the corridors. They yelped and skidded to a halt when a Purifier blocked one hallway and turned and rushed down another only to be blocked yet again. They searched in vain for a way out, but saw none as Purifiers closed in with their shambling gait. Reiou squeezed his eyes shut in dread upon hearing their distant screams as the Purifiers tore them to pieces...
Once safely beyond the bounds of the keep, he took wing into the night, leaving behind the burning carcass of the Order citadel. He couldn't get the image out of his mind: of the smirking, smug Inquisitor, that ultra-sanctimonious villain who delighted in torturing noble half-demons.
Reiou finished the last of his preparations, clicking the final relic into place. Every available slot on his Paladin armor had been fitted with a protective ward, the very same he had stolen so long ago in the thick of the Great Purge. Even though all Paladin armors had been designed for such wards, never before had a single Paladin so thoroughly equipped himself. Truly, a small army of such fortified Paladins could have lain waste to Hell itself had the Order so chosen. Reiou emerged from the hidden cairn and sealed the entrance behind him. Once he returned to Japan, his aura would be like ringing a dinner bell to a monster hungry for half-demon essence. He shot into the horizon on jet-black wings of retribution. No matter the danger to himself, this time he would put an end to this madness.
He touched down in the middle of a street between two construction sites and flapped his wings briefly, sending dust spiraling about him. The less collateral damage the better...he need only wait...and thankfully, it didn't take long for a figure to approach the far end of the street.
"How disgraceful, for a fiend such as yourself to adorn himself with the holiest relics of the Order..." the Inquisitor snarled as he approached Reiou, stopping a short distance away.
"I have upheld my oath far more stridently than you, despite my demonic heritage! The God I grew up knowing would never have sanctioned your abhorrent actions!"
"My only mission is to purge this world of demonic influence, regardless of association! Demon-blood has no place in the world of Man."
"Your zeal has blinded yourself to reason! If it hadn't been for you and your Enforcers and 'Purifiers', we could have had half-demon allies fighting for redemption!"
"Reiou...do you not realize what you say? ALL demons are sworn enemies of the Order! They are vermin to be exterminated, regardless of how much human blood they possess!"
"I have endured these long centuries because of my noble blood, but what of you? 'Man'? What devilry did you employ to prolong your life far beyond your allotted time?" Reiou demanded. The Inquisitor sniffed and tilted his head up slightly.
"I employed the most potent and holiest of spells to turn myself into a living weapon, an instrument of retribution. Through the long centuries I have hunted demon-kind and absorbed their essences into myself, extending my life so that I may fulfill my divine purpose! I have become an Archon, a being of holy might empowered to scour evil from the world!" the Inquisitor proclaimed. Reiou seethed indignantly, appalled at this attempt to justify his actions.
"Sorry to burst your bubble, buddy! But that's not what you're turning into." Reiou whirled to the side and looked up towards the roof, spotting a lean figure standing casually on the very edge. It sounded like Ryo, and at first glance it looked like Ryo, only he appeared very different... Even in broad daylight, he found it difficult to make out highlights on the pitch black skin. The wind wafted through the flame-red hair and orange eyes with yellow pupils regarded the two. "You're becoming a Legion, a mish-mash of demons doomed to go nuclear and blast a hole between the Mortal Realm and Hell itself." Reiou caught a glimpse of thick inch-long fangs as he spoke. "Demons will pour into this world and consume every living thing in their path. Billions will die... Is that your definition of 'saving the world', mister high-and-mighty Paladin?"
"I see...if that is to be my fate, then so be it! It is the will of God! The innocent will ascend into Heaven, and the wicked will descend into Hell! That is the truest form of judgment!" the Inquisitor proclaimed and tilted his chin up, utterly unrepentant.
"Yeaaaahh, I'm not about to let that happen. I got a kid to look after..." the demon drawled with Ryo's voice tinged with a slight echo and he flipped forward and dropped towards the ground.
W-When did this happen?! Ryo?! A demon!? Reiou stared at him, bewildered.
"Yeah yeah, I know you said you didn't want any help from Ryo, so I figured you can't turn it down if it comes from Demon Ryo," the demon grumbled as he landed neatly on the pavement just infront of Reiou. He straightened himself and squared his shoulders, keeping his gaze on the Inquisitor.
"Demon Ryo"? Is this...could...could this be...?
"He's…he's had a passenger at some point, hasn't he?"
"It's not something we like to talk about…"
This must be the presence I sensed in him the last time...but I didn't sense anything from him earlier, and we stood right next to each other! "Demon Ryo" seemed fairly relaxed in the face of the Inquisitor and wiggled his thick black claws in anticipation. He seems fairly benign...but is this the demon acting like Ryo or Ryo acting like a demon?
"So another hare leaps before the wolf...it matters not," the Inquisitor smirked. His form seemed to blur as he dashed forward so quickly even Reiou with his upgraded powers didn't see at first. He gasped when he saw the Inquisitor clamp both hands upon Demon Ryo's shoulders. "I will take your energy into myself and add your power to my own!" Sparks of golden light began leaking from his fingertips and Demon Ryo's face contorted in a disgusted grimace. "In this way, I shall use your tainted power for a greater good! And through me you shall serve God!"
"HANDS OFF THE MERCH BUDDY!" Demon Ryo backhanded the Inquisitor, sending him skidding back on his heels several feet. Reiou blinked, startled that he'd repulsed the Inquisitor so easily when he himself had been forced to flee the last time. The Inquisitor straightened himself and sniffed, his cool veneer slipping momentarily.
"Impossible! No demon can withstand my power! How were you able to resist my touch? Unless...unless...no...no, how could you?! You-you've merged!?" the Inquisitor accused. Reiou glanced at Demon Ryo in alarm.
"*EEERK* Wrong! It's called conviction! I have something worth fighting for! That gives me power. Love gives me strength! I'm not about to let the world get destroyed by a power-hungry holier-than-thou little weasel such as you!" Demon Ryo stated and punched the air in the direction of the Inquisitor, loosing a blast of fire that pushed him back further.
This guy is strong! This isn't some garden-variety devil; he's in a class of his own altogether! Where did Ryo find a being such as this? Reiou readied his sword and stepped up alongside him, eyeing him warily. ...is this the "aid" Ritho spoke of? "You must realize how futile this is, Brother. Let us end this before it escalates any further! If what he said is true, you must relinquish your power before it becomes too unstable. Our oath is to protect mankind, not usher in its destruction."
"Dude, will you stop trying to reason with him?" Demon Ryo interjected abruptly, drawing an awkward glance from Reiou. "It's pretty obvious he doesn't think he's done anything wrong and he's perfectly willing to sacrifice countless innocents in the name of his 'greater good'." On one hand Reiou painfully understood the truth behind his words, but on the other he found it unnerving Ryo would say something so cold, even under the influence of a powerful fire demon.
"Your lies fall on deaf ears, 'Brother'! I have spent too long accumulating this power," the Inquisitor snarled and shrugged his arms, golden sparks flying off of his sleeves and bolts crackling up and down his body. "I will complete my mission no matter the cost! Until every single demon-half-breed or pure-is exterminated from the world!" Reiou scowled, noticing the increasing rate of discharges.
"Answer me this then: Where did you get this 'power' from? Our elders never would have allowed such extreme measures, even during the Great Purge! Spells such as this were kept under the highest level of security within the Forbidden Archives. Only the knowledge of demons and ways to combat them with divine might were permitted into circulation." Reiou demanded. The Inquisitor closed his eyes and smirked, tilting his head back slightly in the same supercilious manner as back then.
"I 'liberated' the knowledge in order to undertake my holy task." Reiou's eyes widened in dawning revelation as he put two and two together: the death of the Lord Archivist had been the catalyst for setting the Great Purge into motion in the first place. All these years Reiou blamed himself for being too much of a 'model half-demon' and inspiring others to join the Order, and nearly everyone blamed a pure-breed for the Archivist's death. "I could not allow anyone to stand in my way..."
"Why have you trespassed in these hallowed halls, my son?" the Lord Archivist queried.
"I seek the knowledge to absorb demons and use their essence as a weapon," the Inquisitor replied.
"I see...you must know such knowledge is forbidden for a reason. I cannot allow you to leave. Your mind must be cleansed of this profane rite, for it will only lead you down a dark path from which there is no salvation," the Lord Archivist sighed and placed a hand on the Inquisitor's shoulder. His eyes widened and he gasped in shock and looked down shakily past his voluminous beard to his chest where the Inquisitor had quietly stabbed him through the heart. He tilted his head up jerkily and clutched at the folds of the Inquisitor's neat cloak.
"I am sorry, Father, truly I am, but I need this knowledge in order to carry out God's will. I cannot let you stop me, not now..." the Inquisitor withdrew his hand and let the elderly man slump to the floor. "But I assure you...your 'sacrifice' will not be in vain…" He had struck so quickly not a drop of blood stained his robe. He sheathed the knife under his sleeve and stepped out into the hall. "MURDER! MURDER! A FOUL DEMON HAS SLAIN THE LORD ARCHIVIST!"
"From there, it was so easy to operate with limitless authority from the Order. I harvested my first souls then..." Reiou caught a glimpse in his mind of the Inquisitor approaching the corpse of the burly Paladin in the mortuary where it was to be prepared for holy cleansing. The Inquisitor reached out with a quivering hand and smiled with pleasure as he absorbed the half-demon's essence, the confused spirit howling with anguish. Much later after the half-demon veteran and the squire were cooked alive, in the dark of night beyond prying eyes, he opened the hatch of the brazen bull and claimed the essence of the veteran Paladin, drawing his soul from the ashes. And after that, as the Order shook in its death throes as the Great Purge reached a gruesome crescendo, the Inquisitor came upon the mutilated corpse of the half-demon Shield-Maiden and with an almost orgasmic glee devoured her spirit as well.
"Even though the Order perished that night, it lives on within me! They still exist within my body, you know: beating, clawing, screaming? I can feel them every minute of every day...they rage against their confines, pressing against my flesh from within, but they will serve my purpose whether they like it or not!" the Inquisitor whispered as golden energy flickered up and down his arms. Reiou's lips peeled back over his teeth and he lost all sense of composure, his fingers tightening about his sword.
"FIEEEEND!" he shrieked and lunged forward in a great bound, flapping his wings for momentum. "IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU THE ORDER BURNT TO ASHES! EVERYTHING IS YOUR FAAAAAUUUUULT!" Reiou bellowed and launched into a series of rapid strikes, the Inquisitor barely managing to parry and block using energy blades and shields.
"Oh now he goes full demon..." Demon Ryo quipped, his burning eyes blinking in mild surprise. He sprang forward to assist, using martial arts combined with demon fire to attack the Inquisitor while Reiou had him distracted. The black-winged Paladin pressed the attack, driven with holy rage and empowered by his upgraded armor. Just as it seemed the Inquisitor had finally met his match, he threw his arms to the side, unleashing a burst of golden waves that sent Reiou and Demon Ryo skidding. Discharges rippled up like waves from his arms and shoulders as his power approached critical mass.
"He's too powerful for us to defeat him directly...even with my armor fully-empowered, I cannot penetrate his defenses with hundreds-if not thousands- of souls flowing through his body. I don't suppose you know how to stop a Legion?" Reiou asked ruefully. Demon Ryo scratched his head, the thick claw parting the red hair around the tiny horns.
"If I recall correctly, the Big Guy's Son managed to disperse it into a herd of pigs..."
"Well we don't exactly have a herd of pigs handy...but I do know a spell that can grant demons absolution...theoretically, it should work on even half-demons. I just need to get close enough to him."
"You leave that part to me my man!" Demon Ryo smirked and winked, flicking a claw before vanishing in a burst of flame. Reiou blinked, startled at first when he thought he'd abandoned him. The Inquisitor growled indignantly and took a step towards the lone Reiou. His furious gaze remained so focused on the Paladin he failed to react in time when Demon Ryo materialized directly behind him. The thick black claws found purchase on the waistband of the neat white suit the Inquisitor wore and tugged up mightily, managing to draw the waist all the way up to the shoulder.
"INFERNAL WEDGIE!" Demon Ryo crowed in delight as the Inquisitor howled in fury.
"...well...don't look a gift diversion in the mouth I suppose..." Reiou grumbled. The Inquisitor turned slowly to face Demon Ryo, fingers splayed and flesh seeming to pull tight against the tendons.
"You...INSOLENT DEVIL!" His hand shot out and grabbed Demon Ryo's wrist, attempting to absorb him again. Demon Ryo grunted from the strain but held fast as his will remained strong.
"HAAAAAAHHH!" Reiou descended upon the Inquisitor like a vengeful angel, but instead of trying to impale him with his sword, he placed his armored palms upon the Inquisitor's shoulders, uttering a series of Latin incantations. Demon Ryo placed his free palm on the Inquisitor's chest, channeling heat into his body to keep him from breaking free of Reiou's grasp. "I call out to the High Heavens! Absolve these demons of their sins! Grant them passage and welcome them through the Gate!" Reiou finished his spell and masses of golden light seemed to peel away from the Inquisitor's face. He stared up in awe as he recognized the souls of his slain fellows: the burly Paladin, the veteran, the Shield-Maiden, and the bedraggled survivor. They smiled at him in gratitude briefly before dissolving into shafts of light that streaked upward, followed by more and more liberated souls.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" A powerful burst sent Reiou and Demon Ryo flying with Reiou hitting a wall back-first and Demon Ryo skidding across the pavement on his side. The two sat up and saw a wide smoking crater where the Inquisitor had been.
"Did he detonate!?" Demon Ryo fretted, eyes wide in horror. So far only smoke wafted up from the pit, no demonic flames or capering imps seeped forth.
They first saw the Inquisitor's head as he trudged up the wall of the pit, then the rest of his body. From the neck down he looked emaciated, borderline skeletal without his stolen powers. "I see now, how great of a threat half-demons such as yourselves truly are...all the more reason why I cannot abate in my mission! If it takes another thousand years, I will reclaim my powers! I will absorb every demon I can find and start over anew!" the Inquisitor raised his bony arms to the sky and splayed his spindly fingers. Reiou remained where he'd landed, utterly spent. Even after all the Inquisitor had done, all the lives he had taken, all the destruction he'd wrought...he found now he couldn't quite bring himself to simply kill him in such a pitiful state. Even with the loss of his powers, he still clung to the rabid zeal of being absolutely right... He couldn't hate such a wretched man...he could only pity him.
"What?" the Inquisitor gasped and looked at his arms and saw the skin crumbling away into dust. "No! No! Without souls to sustain me, my body is starting to unravel!" Sure enough, centuries began to catch up with him as his already desiccated flesh flaked away from his bones. "No! NOOO! I must have souls! I shall start with you!" the disintegrating man stumbled towards Reiou erratically as his toes and feet began breaking apart until cracked stumps remained. Still, he kept moving, reaching out with his spider-like fingers towards Reiou.
I...can't...move...! Reiou could only stare ahead blankly since channeling the spell to so many spirits had left him completely exhausted. The Inquisitor bellowed with indignant rage as he approached while his body continued crumbling.
Demon Ryo sprang between them and thrust his palm at the Inquisitor, knocking him back with a powerful blast of fire. While it did not kill him right away, it kept him at bay long enough for time to finish claiming his body. "NOOOOooooo!" the Inquisitor moaned as he stumbled backwards, his body turning to dust as he fell. "My...veeeengeaaannnnceee..." his voice lingered as his bones broke into ash before they even hit the ground. Reiou had recovered enough strength to stand and stepped forward to stand just behind and to the side of Demon Ryo. The two stared solemnly at the patch of dust as the wind scattered the remains across the street.
"Hah! You Indiana Jonesed him!" Demon Ryo chuckled toothily.
"...what?" Reiou made a puzzled scowl.
"You know the scene in the movie where the Nazi guy drinks from the wrong cup and ages, like, a thousand years?" Demon Ryo explained and shrugged absently, glancing at him then at the remaining dust. "The fool thought he could cheat death in the name of his 'holy mission'. He believed he served God...in the end, he ultimately damned himself completely..." While Demon Ryo spoke, Reiou slowly raised his sword and began waving his palm over embedded relics. Demon Ryo glanced at him out the corner of his eye and frowned, whirling around and clenching his fists. "Hey! What gives!"
"I am sorry, but I cannot allow a demon to inhabit the body of a Ronin Warrior..."
"C'moooon dude...we practically saved the world together! Doesn't that automatically make us best buds?" Demon Ryo protested and shrugged, waving both hands. Reiou hesitated, more from fatigue than lack of confidence. At full strength he could probably easily subdue him, but even with his fortified armor, he lacked the strength to commit to a duel at this time. "Hey, I have dibs on this body. You got an objection you can take it up with Ryo." Reiou noticed the subtle change in his voice, how it sounded more gruff. "We have a bargain, and I've adhered to the terms we negotiated."
"You lie! Ryo would never bargain with a demon!"
"Mayyybeee...but I kinda-sorta threatened to possess his wife..."
"That's even worse that you blackmailed him!"
"Ehhhh 'blackmail' is such a harsh term...I prefer to think of it more along the lines of twisting his arm. Hey, think of it this way: I'm more like a roommate who's kind of a jerk but still pitches in for rent and groceries." Reiou opened his mouth to protest. "And does chores around the house!" Demon Ryo held up a claw at him. Reiou grit his teeth and started to speak again. "And helps with the dishes!" Reiou frowned and stared at the demon blankly.
"...you...you do dishes?"
"Look. If you attack me just because I'm a demon, you'd be doing the exact same thing that Inquisitor guy did: painting all demons with a broad brush by assuming they're automatically evil." Demon Ryo pointed at Reiou and scowled. Reiou sucked in air through his teeth and relented, sheathing his sword. "You know, I thought about joining your little 'club' back in the day, but I quickly changed my mind when you all started 'purging' each other. You weren't subverted by demons or infiltrated by cultists and sabotaged from within. You collapsed through your own paranoia and tore yourselves to pieces. All you could see was the enemy...the other..."
Reiou remembered such an incident during one of his secret raids. He spotted two pages chasing a younger lad, cornering him and beating him with wooden clubs.
"Demon! Kill the demon! Kill the demon!"
"Stop this madness right this second!" a priest intervened and grabbed one page by the shoulder and pulled him away. "You two should be ashamed of yourselves for such blind fanaticism!"
"He is a demon sympathizer! He consorts with demons!" the other page snarled at the priest.
"That is preposterous! The only demons running amuck in this sanctuary are you two! How dare you speak so insolently to a senior member of the-ACK!" the priest cried out when the other page thrust a dagger into his throat. He toppled back, clutching at the wound and sliding against the wall.
"There is no place in the Order for demons or their lackeys...where do you think you are going?" The younger page had tried to crawl away in the confusion but the two older pages seized upon him and dragged him up by his arms. "We cannot kill you until you have divulged all your secrets!"
"We shall take him to the Inquisitor! He will pry the truth out from him!"
"Yes! We shall take him to the Inquisitor! The Inquisitor! HAH HAH HAAAA!" Reiou had remained hidden during the entire scene, horrified at the needless violence, and that their excited chanting sounded no different than the gibbering of feral devils themselves...
"Look, I get that demons have a bad rap with the whole 'sowing chaos and discord' and everything, but what you all did to each other...that was just plain vicious..." Demon Ryo growled and flicked a sideways glare at Reiou. "That spell you used to absolve spirits...I bet dollars to donuts it came from your 'Forbidden Archives'." Reiou said nothing, but silence proved answer enough. "I knew it! You all were more obsessed with destroying demons than even trying to redeem them! So much for your precious 'Order', so big on 'salvation'! You all were far crueler than any devil you fought..."
"...very well then...I will hold my peace...but I'll keep an eye on you lest you forget that power-"
"Power corrupts, yada yada! You've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times, and I have heard it a thousand times!" Demon Ryo bobbed his head and shrugged. "But at least I know where Ryo's heart is. I mean, it's not like he's asking me to fill his boots with gold or anything..." Demon Ryo grumbled and folded his arms over his chest and turned away from Reiou. "Like this one guy, I was giving him enough gold each month to buy a small town, and what does he do? He cuts the bottoms out of the boots! Next thing you know there's gold all over the place! Seriously, who does that?!" he turned to face Reiou and waved his hands palm-up and shrugged in exasperation.
"Just...make sure you don't get out of line...or I shall give you a lesson in humility..."
"Hey, humility is getting your butt whooped by a priest on the steeple of his own church. For a cross-eyed dude he sure had a mean haymaker..." Demon Ryo grumbled absently.
"And if you so much as harm a hair on Ryu's head..."
"Oh you don't need to worry yourself about me! I'm actually pretty good around children," Demon Ryo waved reassuringly. "But I could never eat a whole one!" Reiou's eyes widened briefly and he scowled in anger. "Dude! Rent a sense of humor!" Demon Ryo protested and let his arms hang. "Look, you want to speak to the man in charge, be my guest!" Reiou watched in awe as Ryo reverted to human form nearly instantaneously.
"Ryo! Is it true you entered into a bargain with a demon? How could you! You should have called me! I could have helped prevent this!" Reiou argued.
"There wasn't enough time. I didn't want Mia to live with the burden of having a demon inside of her. The bargain states that I'll keep full control as long as the Demon Ryo persona is manifest. As long as I keep him contained, I can at least use his power to do good..."
"Ryo, this is a demon we're talking about! Demons aren't boy-scouts! They don't 'do good deeds' for the fun of it! They have their agendas and pursue them to the exclusion of all else! Ryo...I...I could try to exorcise you...it'd take alot of energy and preparation...but maybe-"
"I appreciate the offer, Reiou, I do, but I gave my word and I should abide by it. The demon's held up his end of the agreement so far. I should do the same."
"...Ryo...if I didn't know any better...it sounds like on some level you want to keep the demon..." Reiou commented, raising an eyebrow and eyeing Ryo warily.
"...What kind of demon was your mother?" Ryo asked abruptly. Reiou grit his teeth, incensed about Ryo changing the subject, but personal honor compelled him to respond.
"...She was a lilin...a seducer of men..." Reiou recalled watching his parents die.
"My love...save yourself! You can use your power...break your bonds...flee to safety..." Reiou's father pleaded from where he hung on a cross. Reiou's mother-in demon form-gazed at him warmly and shook her head, smiling weakly.
"No, dear husband. My place is at your side...unto death..." She tilted her head up with great effort and stared into the distance, her gaze reaching Reiou as he cowered in the shadows, a terrified little boy. My son...I beg of you: do not hate the humans. They fear that which they do not understand! Do not let hate take root in your heart. Fill it only with love...and try to see the good in mankind...
Many years later after he had joined the Order, he had the chance to talk with a kindly priest-the same priest who years later would meet his untimely end at the hand of the crazed pages.
"Father? Is it possible for a demon to become human again?" Reiou asked, genuinely curious since he contemplated purging himself of his demonic heritage, fearing he might succumb to evil.
"Hrm...well...I would not say it is un-possible...but it is extremely rare...and extremely difficult! Not many demons pursue that path because they enjoy having power and revel in causing mischief and destruction." Reiou frowned, disappointed. "But it is possible for a demon to attain absolution and become fully human. They must lend use of their power to three virtuous individuals-one for each part of the Holy Trinity-and they must not be corrupted by power. This is nearly impossible to accomplish, of course, since power is inherently seductive, and very few demons commit to this trial. Demons who crave absolution and sincerely aspire to be human are called 'Repentants'..."
Reiou stared at Ryo, wondering if that is why the fire demon attached itself to him. Ryo stared into the distance solemnly. Because you saved my life, even as a devil, I will abide by your wishes, Ryo...but please, promise me you won't let your Heart of Virtue become corrupted by power...
Reiou entered through the door this time clad in normal wear. He'd swung by the cache to deposit the relics he'd withdrawn. He entered the living room to find Aniko sitting on the sofa reading a book. She looked over her shoulder and her face brightened upon seeing him. "Oh! Good! I was worried I came back too early!" she all-but flung the book onto the sofa and sprang off, jogging over to Reiou and hugging him gently. She seemed to sense his exhaustion as she didn't hug too tight and stepped back, patting him on the chest. "You didn't say anything about the gods on that world! Ritho said I should return and wait for you, and the healer, Tanjanira, said you'd be completely wiped!"
"I'll manage...I had some time to recuperate on the flight home..." Reiou offered. "What about you? Did you enjoy your trip?"
"Well...I just hope you're not too exhausted...I don't want to knock you off your feet..." Aniko teased and giggled softly. Reiou blinked, mightily confused. "I have some wonderful news!" Aniko reached down and clasped his hand between hers and cocked her head to one side. "I'm pregnant!" she chirped.
Reiou stared at her dumbly, truthfully too tired to collapse in shock or jump for joy at the prospect of becoming a dad.
AOD Soundtrack
1. Living in Plain Sight-Stand Inside Your Love-Smashing Pumpkins
2. A Pitiless Man-Inferni-Two Steps From Hell
3. Ultra-sanctimonious-Undefeated-Two Steps From Hell
4. Aid Unlooked For-Kick Start Your Heart-Motley Crue
5. Strength of Conviction-Everlasting Gaze-Smashing Pumpkins
6. Wonderful News-Letters To God-Two Steps From Hell
Ryo stared past the throngs of jeering Nobeyls all the way across the lake of burning liquid. His gaze came upon a familiar figure standing leisurely on a rock outcropping on the opposite shore. Witheren-Maiden of Blood and Thanged's Goddess of Righteous War-had one boot heel braced against the stone and draped an arm lazily over her knee, her fingers closed about her halberd loosely. She smirked at Ryo and slowly raised her free hand, wiggling her fingers at him mischievously. Ryo's eyes widened in dawning horror. She's right there...!
"IN YOU GO!" Myr Chedryn crowed in a sing-song tone and gave Ryo an almighty shove, sending him toppling headfirst into the Spectra Pits.
Twist the Daggur Slowly
Author's Notes
There are two folktales Demon Ryo references inspired by an old book of strange tales and mysteries I have in my personal collection: General John Moulton, the "Yankee Faust" and Reverend George Whitefield and his duel with the Devil. According to legend, Moulton sold his soul in exchange for gold, but greed got the better of him and he tried to outwit the Devil. Enraged, the Devil reclaimed the gold but seized the General's soul upon his death. Reverend Whitefield-a puritan gigachad and absolute unit-engaged in a Family Guy-style chicken fight with the Devil, ultimately yeeting him off the roof, creating the Devil's Footprint rock formation that can still be seen to this day.
I've mentioned before how my interest in A CERTAIN SHOW ABOUT TWO BROTHERS ROAMING THE COUNTRY HUNTING MONSTERS IN A CLASSIC CAR was permanently soured by an ex-coworker buddy because not a day went by without him nerd-ejaculating about it without me being able to get a word in edgewise... He once claimed to have "insider knowledge" about an "un-aired spinoff" self-funded by the original series creator where a half-demon and a half-angel team up to hunt monsters while pursuing a disgruntled man-supposedly portrayed by Jason-David Frank (RIP)- who had forcefully captured and bonded with an angel and used his power to absorb demons to power up, becoming a Legion that would eventually detonate and open a rift into Hell. He claimed to have full episodes he'd downloaded off the internet and promised to show me but never did. Unless I'm presented with evidence to the contrary, I am 100% convinced this was my ex-coworker friend's personal fanfiction he tried peddling in an effort to impress me and get me to "let down my guard". I decided to repurpose the concept around the Legion for the primary antagonist in this chapter.
(Warning: Long Tangent!)
This is the final collaboration with Cypher. I say that when really it was mostly my idea, he just signed off on it. It was one of the last things he did before I had to cut ties with him. I always felt Reiou was something of an underappreciated, underutilized OC of Cypher's and I wanted to give Reiou a proper sendoff and let him ride into the sunset and leave on a high note. This is the last we will see of him in Age of Defiance. With the exception of currently existing chapters, going forward, everything that was brainstormed between myself and Cypher has been permanently and irrevocably decanonized. I contemplated having Roth kill off Kai instead of Bautan in Ch. 4 but decided against it thinking it would come off as too cheesy. No, I have something very special planned for Kai in the future...
I think part of the reason that it took so long to get around to this point is because it has taken many years for the realization to sink in. There is no quantifying the level of damage Cypher attempted to inflict upon my work. There were probably dozens of red flags I missed or willfully ignored because I valued him as a friend and trusted his creative input, but perhaps I should have gotten the hint when he wouldn't shut his ever-loving pie hole about A CERTAIN FANTASY 90'S ANIME, "SHINY IRON BALLS" and "TWINCEST"! I gave him every consideration...and in the end he spat in my face for it.
I gave him gifts of my heart: hand-made drawings, a fired-clay jewelry box with a sculpture of Raurgoth on the lid, a quillow my Mom made out of custom fabric...none of that mattered to him. Because I refused to embrace his hedonism, he stopped being able to see me as a friend...all he could see was an enemy, the "other". Because of him, my opinion of an entire group of individuals has been permanently destroyed. I will never have another friend such as him again...truthfully, because I will never allow such a monster within my creative circle. If it were a matter of difference of opinion, it wouldn't bother me so much, but he wished physical and financial harm upon people such as myself and my elderly parents: not because of any slight we committed against him directly, or any palpable harm, but because our beliefs did not conform to his.
These days I pretty much just ignore any criticism about my vanguard Tanya Sanada. She started out very much boilerplate Mary Sueish when I first started writing over twenty years ago, and I've actually toned her down a great deal from her earliest iteration. I was advised early on to "make her more vulnerable", but apparently some people's definition of "vulnerability" is basically giving a female character the "Casca treatment"...from Berserk. I'm just not going to listen to any feedback about Tanya being too much of a "girl boss", because she's supposed to be bitchy! That's her character! She maintains that wall because she's stark terrified if she lets her defenses down just a little all the bad stuff will barge in, and she's been burned so often before in the past she's pretty much hard-wired to react with hostility. It takes her a very long time to admit someone loves her and respond in kind.
I'm fairly certain Cypher is incapable of original thoughts since all of his "ideas" aped pop-culture references. I'm not talking veiled homages, tributes, or nods. I'm talking verbatim plagiarism. Like "a gang of seven assassins", or a "living spaceship named 'Ship'", or "a race of planet-killing aliens named the fucking VORLONS". Cypher kept giving his characters everything-proof-shields. Oh, you have a colossal dragon character? Oh well my character has a dragon-killing magic-bullshit superweapon he just pulls out of his ass! Oh you have a cosmic superbeing capable of manipulating matter on the basest level? Well my character is so much more powerful even though he's just a mortal prick who's quirky and retarded and smug for the sake of it. Oh, you have a technological genius? Well my character is ten times smarter and can take apart anything they come up with and speak even more languages.
Cypher insisted on inserting a character named Tyndal into the narrative. Tyndal was never named in AoD and he only made a brief appearance in the original draft of Cataclysm War. He was the very modern model of a modern Gary Stu. He was super evil. More eviler than evil. More powerful than Talpa, more powerful than Mal Daggur, more powerful than Beastlord. He was super evil, and he couldn't be stopped by anyone. Cypher pushed very hard for a plotline where Tyndal would make his formal introduction by infiltrating Tanya's mind and basically violating her in her dreams.
Aside from the plotline he pushed about Katrina being turned into a Feral, I noticed Cypher had a rather unhealthy preoccupation with rape, specifically against women. I've heard it said that people like him end up the way that they are because they themselves were preyed upon in their youth. Cypher didn't seem to like the idea of a happy ending, or good triumphing over evil. Apparently because his life and soul are so ugly and warped, everything else must be ugly and warped as well. I came to the realization that I was no longer writing the story as I envisioned it...I was writing what he wanted.
About that time I started the AoD Rewrite project, and even though I tried to keep Cypher as a friend, I noticed he became increasingly distant, and I excised his OC's Tyndal and Taiki from the Cataclysm rewrite because I felt they did not really contribute anything to the story itself, they were just there because Cypher wanted them there. I cut them from the rewrite and told him as such and why, and he apparently took great offense to that but chose to simply sulk than engage in debate. I gradually came to the realization it wasn't the fact that he "needed space"...he was pushing me away.
It's been quite some time since I cut him loose, but I've come to the cold realization how much of a depraved individual he truly was. Because Tyndal was his OC...and he pushed so hard for my OC Tanya to be raped...I can't help but think of it as him desiring to act out this fantasy against me directly. When I confronted him about comments he made behind my back online, he wasn't the least bit contrite. One of the last things he said to me was "those are my honest feelings". Something that stuck with me since that day was he'd "cut most people out of his life because of their positions". And that raised alarms with me: how many others were there? As much as I was raised on the idea of the epiphany, of realizing one's mistakes, I can no longer cling to such a hope with him. I have checked in on him from time to time and he is still full of hate for anyone besides himself. His creative soul is well and truly dead. If he was willing to cut ties with a friend of over twenty years, than that tells me he will never have any friends...only people too afraid of offending him to offer an opposing view.
Apparently these days characters aren't allowed to have developmental arcs. Somehow its a requirement that unless they are an insufferable bitch with no nuance, they have to be violently assaulted for no other reason than to make it as explicit as possible. There is a planned storyline in the Three Wars mega-arc where-without going into spoiler territory- a recently introduced character corners Tanya and tells her to her face that because she "guards herself", he has made her a target of his lust.
KENTO TURNS THAT GUY'S NECK INTO A FUCKING PRETZEL! And while Tanya is horrified at what Kento did, she's far more terrified at what the sleaze planned to do to her. There's a moment between them that simply would not happen if I followed Cypher's line of thinking and had Tanya get raped because it's what Cypher wants because he's a soulless pervert, and because everything else has to be just as soulless and perverted as himself! I will never forgive him for what he did. I can no longer think of him as a fun anime nerd into video games and writing, not without being reminded of his vulgar proclivities. I can no longer even see him as human.
Before the end, he told me our friendship didn't mean as much to him as it used to. Well it meant something to me. He told me once he lost interest in my writing. Fair enough...I lost interest in the smut he started churning out when he demanded every character and his literal mom be written a certain way. He told me I didn't need his help anymore. He's right. I don't need my creative energy being hijacked by a sex-crazed psychopath who thinks every female character deserves to be violently raped! Friendship with me is not a Trojan horse one can use to sneak their repulsive ideals into my works. There are specific genres for that crap, other authors specialize in that: I'm not one of them! If someone makes friendship conditional on embracing their sadism, and that refusing somehow inflicts harm, then DO. NOT. LET. THE. DOOR. HIT. YOU. WHERE. THE. GOOD. LORD. SPLIT. YOU!
I fully and thoroughly disavow Cypher as a writer and a person. I write this now so that I will never forget what he's done, and what he continues to do, and in the hope that this serves as a cautionary tale for anyone who finds themselves in a similar hostile and abusive situation. Cypher has exposed himself as a thoroughly repugnant individual who plotted behind my back to sabotage my narrative by infesting it with lewd themes and borderline pornographic filth that would make Kentaro Miura and Go Nagai blush. I write in the vein of 90's action/adventure cartoons of old. There is no place for his vulgar elements in my stories. He deserves nothing less than absolute uttermost contempt. If he continues to cling to his abhorrent beliefs, if he continues to delight in vulgarity and perversion, if he continues to wish harm upon people for no other reason than they exist, if he continues to buy into this fantasy that he is somehow righteous and everyone else is evil, if he is unable to turn from his path even when confronted with facts and logic and hard evidence...then he is forever and for all time dead to me.
Unless a direct request is issued, I will leave existing co-written chapters as they are, un-omitted from AOD as a lasting reminder of what once was. Much of this I wish I could have told him myself, but because he is a coward afraid of confrontation and criticism, he shut himself off from anything more than terse greetings, ghosting me towards the end. If he wishes to voice a rebuttal to my grievances, he is more than welcome to. I will listen. I will afford him the courtesy he couldn't stomach returning in kind. I doubt I will ever truly get over what he's done, and it will probably haunt me for the rest of my life how one of my oldest, dearest friends could have degenerated into such a sad, soulless, hateful creature...