(For those who don't know who that Harpy beast is, watch episodes 3 and 20 of Devilman Lady)
Chapter 26: The Power Of Amon
For the next 15 minutes, Akira and Jun quietly made their way into the forest, the latter following the former, the only things breaking the silence being the chirping of several species of birds, the occasional crow caw and the wind blowing by, caressing the leaves of the trees and the grass on the ground.
The silence was broken by Akira lifting a fallen tree trunk that was in the way with just one hand before casually pushing it away with about as much effort as one would have peeling off an orange, impressing Jun slightly. It wasn't much of a feat compared to other things she had seen and done, but witnessing how casually and with how much little effort he did it was intriguing to her eyes.
"There's a small hill over there. We could use it to get a better view of our surroundings." he declared stoically, not even turning towards her before resuming walking. Jun simply followed him, but inside she was slightly surprised to see how calm, dead-serious and focused he was. He was usually such a kind, cheerful and laid-back young man, but never before had Jun ever seen him so distant and emotionless. He reminded her a lot of how she usually was back when she was getting used to her new nature, a time in which the strugge between her humanity and the beast within highlighted her weaknesses and only served to exacerbate her brooding problems. Maybe they had a lot more in common than what she had previously thought.
But then again, he was the leader of the Devilman army back in his world and he led them in countless battles for two decades. Of course a leader had to appear and act that way. Still it was quite the departure from how Akira usually was.
Then as they went onto the small hill, after taking a look around, Akira glanced towards Jun and with his head, motioned her to follow him while declaring "This way."
For the next 10 minutes Jun did just that. And while she did occasionaly spare a glance to the trees and foliage around them due to the sounds of the environment catching her attention, such as the birds chirping and the wind caressing the trees and grass, she coudn't help but stare at Akira with her golden eyes. And it wasn't just because of how handsome he looked, even as a Devilman, what with those well developed muscles, fur, tail and head wings. It was because of how similar he looked to her. She still had a hard time believing that he was her counterpart from another universe.
Right then a thought popped up in her mind, among others: Akira's age. Ever since she met him, she thought that his age was similar to her own, but then she heard that the war between Demons and Devilmen that lead to the extinction of both races apparently lasted exactly 20 years or more. How old was he really?
Letting her curiosity get the better of her, she asked "Can i ask you something, Akira?" with mild interest in her voice. Akira merely replied, without even turning around "What is it?"
"Back when you told me about your past, you mentioned that the war between Devilmen and Demons lasted 20 years, right?" she asked again, taking Akira by surprise. Why would she want to know more about that right now, with the task at hand?
Nonetheless, he replied "Yeah." before glancing towards her, his left brow raised and asking "Why are you asking me that now?" his voice ice-cold. He wasn't particularly in the mood for chatting right now, given what was at stake.
Jun's lips parted from each other slightly in surprise at how cold he looked and sounded. Nonetheless, she regained her composure before replying hesitantly "Oh…. Nothing really. I'm just curious to know how old you actually are." Having learned that he had a normal adolescence before becoming a Devilman the day she met him, Jun thought that Akira looked too young for someone who had fought in a war for 20 years.
After seeing how taken aback she was by the way he replied to her, Akira's cold eyes softened up, realising that he shoudn't have used that cold tone towards her. He then answered, this time with a calm and relaxed tone "Well, i was 17 when i first became what i am." with a hint of shyness causing Jun to raise a brow at him in surprise. But before she could reply, Akira declared "Which would make me a 37 year old now."
Jun's eyes widened slightly in surprise. He was 37 years old? But why did he look so young? And also she didn't expect him to be so shy about it. She guessed that becoming a Devilman didn't completely take away the timidness he had as a teenager.
"You're 37? But why do you look so young?" She asked in curiosity and interest, while coming closer to him, wanting to know why someone 15 years older than her was still this handsome-looking.
"Apparently being a Devilman, at least in the world i came from, slows down your aging. It would seem that four years of human age would only be one to a Devilman. Which would realistically make me a 22 year old appearance-wise. That's because demons have a much longer lifespan compared to humans. Don't know if it's also the case for Beasts though." he answered casually, intriguing Jun. She wondered if something similar will also happen to her. But given that she had only been a Devilman for just more than a year she coudn't know that yet. Still, being able to keep your youthful appearance like that for such a long time was quite interesting to say the least.
"I see." she replied simply with a hint of interest at the reveal that appearance-wise, he was basically the same age as her. Noticing the weird way she was staring at him, Akira raised one of his eyebrows and asked "Something wrong, Jun?" pulling the demonic amazon out of her thoughts and earning a surprised look on her face.
"Oh, nothing. It's just…. All of this is so new to me." she replied hesitantly. She had seen so many new and terrifying things ever since she became the Devil Lady that she stopped believing that the impossible existed. And yet here she was, surprised to learn that being a Devilman, at least in Akira's case, slowed down your aging. Just when she thought she had heard and seen everything.
Akira merely stared at her, his face devoid of any emotion, hiding his surprise at seeing her reluctancy to believe all that she had seen and heard ever since Akira first told her about the world he came from and what he was. She then continued "I didn't think things could get any more outlandish and inexplicable after everything i went through." with a disbelieved but at the same time saddened tone before turning towards Akira, her golden eyes meeting his black ones "I guess life always has a way to surprise us the more we live, heh?" beaming up ever so slightly, in an attempt to lift the mood of the conversation.
Akira's face however filled itself with sadness as those words hit him deeply. Did he even live in those 20 years of war? No, of course he didn't. The only thing he ever had in his mind for two whole decades was getting his revenge on Ryo who had caused the death of everyone he cared about. Nothing else mattered. It was the only thing that kept him alive for so long. But that wasn't living. There was no more joy, no more reason to live, nothing. Even if he would have succeded in defeating his former best friend, he would have had nothing more to live for since his world was in ruins and everyone he had cared about was dead.
He then lowered his head downwards slightly and replied "Well, i didn't exactly get to live those 20 years in the best of ways." with melancholy in his voice, taking Jun completely by surprise with the sadness in his voice. Her beautiful golden eyes softened up and filled themselves with pity towards him. It dawned on her that he didn't really live for those two decades. All he did was fighting, fighting and fighting, driven only by his desire of revenge against his former best friend Ryo, who was responsible for the death of every single person he cared about.
Jun began to realise at that moment that what he endured was even worse than what she had been through. At least in her case, she had become a Devilman only a year ago and despite having lost Kazumi only five months ago and gone into four months of coping and heavy depression, thanks to Akira she had healed. Not only had the man she loved lost everything just like she did, he had to cope with that pain for 20 years instead of Jun's mere four months. She coudn't even imagine how he must have felt living for so many years like that.
Instinctively, she grabbed his left hand with her furred right hand, causing him to stop. While it wasn't the best of times for this right now given what they had come here for, she coudn't bear to see him like this.
"Akira….. I'm sorry. I shoudn't have said that." she called out, apologizing for what she had said to him. Had she known that those words would have reawekened those memories, she would have never uttered them.
Jun's soothing, angelic voice gave him back his strenght, his resolve. It reminded him of what he was now fighting for. He turned towards her, meeting the Devil Lady's golden eyes with his own, grabbed her furred hand with his right one and spoke "Don't be. All of that doesn't matter anymore. What matters now, is that i'm here. For you." his voice as gentle as the wind that was blowing by.
Jun's eyes shaked in a mix of affection and warmth at his gentle voice. Even as a Devilman, his gentleness was still there. Akira truly was the kindest half-devil she had ever met. The same kindness could be seen in his black eyes which remained the same as those of his human form. A reminder that Akira, no matter everything he went through, never threw away his humanity.
"Akira…." she called out, her voice filling with the same warmth present in her eyes, before Akira took his left hand from Jun's own and placed it on her right cheek. He then declared, with a gentle, loving smile "I promise you, Jun: whatever may happen, i will never leave your side. This time, i will be the one to protect you, just like you did to all the people you cared about."
Jun's heart began to beat faster in joy and passion due to the sincerity, the love and the resolution in Akira's voice. He may have lost everything but he now had her. She was his new reason to live, his happiness. Jun was starting to realise only now that, without even knowing it, she was the one who healed his heart, just like he did to her, the one who gave him a reason to fight once more.
She then smiled serenely at him before placing her right hand on his left one on his cheek. She then spoke "As will i, my love." while closing her eyes, first with happiness which then turned into seriousness, regret and concern as the last word left her mouth, while taking his left hand off her cheek. She then reopened her eyes and declared solemnly "We have to go. We still have things to do, and people we have to protect." Deep down, she didn't want any of this. She wanted Akira, wanted all of him. But right now there were others in need. As saddening as it was, all of this had to wait at least until all those people would be rescued. And if they would be lucky enough to see the end of this day.
Akira nodded, his happiness replaced by the same seriousness Jun had. Now it was not the time for doubts and insecurities. There were people who needed their help. He then turned back towards the way they were headed before declaring firmly "Come, Jun. Let's give those people their freedom back." he then began to walk again while Jun simply nodded and followed him again.
After a few minutes of marching, they arrived at a clearing, a field of grass surrounded by trees with several small rocks on the ground. Things seemed so peaceful around, but Jun was having a bad feeling about it. It was too quiet. Far too quiet. As if on clue, as soon as they made it half-way into the field, Akira sensed something which caused him to stop, surprising Jun.
"Is there something wrong Ak-" she began, only to cut herself mid-question, as Akira extended his left arm outwards on the left with his palm facing towards her. He then glanced towards the demonic amazon and shot her a glare that implicitly ordered her to stop, which Jun did after giving him a nod.
Akira then took a few steps forward before closing his eyes and folding his arms around his chest earning a puzzled look from Jun's face. She didn't immediately understand what he was doing. However her puzzlement turned into surprise as soon as Akira, after several seconds, reopened his eyes and declared "Did you really think you could hide your scent from me? Show yourself!" he demanded while unfolding his arms.
Sure enough, a feminine voice answered not too long after Akira uttered those words "Impressive. I didn't expect you to detect me so early."
It came right from the trees in front of Akira. Then, a woman with short white hair, red irises in her eyes, clad in a turquoise coat, black trousers and shoes emerged from the forest right in front of the half-devil. Standing a good 20 meters before him with her hands in her pockets, the woman, with a dark, malicious smile, declared "The rumors were true after all. Your resemblance to our greatest enemy is quite astonishing." her voice completely devoid of any fear or dread, earning a cold scowl from Akira. Whoever this woman was, he could easily tell from the color of her eyes alone that she wasn't human. And as if her attitude and lack of fear and dread towards the two devilmen didn't immediately give it away, whatever her intentions were, they were far from friendly and she also happened to know his girlfriend.
Jun on the other hand was taken completely by surprise by the reveal that, whoever this woman was, she knew her. With a scowl forming on her face, she came at Akira's side and demanded "Who are you? And why do you know me?"
The white haired woman's smile dissappeared at those words, replaced by a hateful scowl. Turning her gaze towards Jun, she narrowed her eyes towards the Devil Lady before answering "Wretched traitor. Have you already forgotten what you truly are? Are you still refusing to evolve? Then i shall remind you….." while taking her hands off her pockets, causing Jun's jaw to drop in shock as similar words were spoken on that fateful night, the night in which Kazumi's parents were murdered.
Her eyes then turned fully red and glowed, startling Jun, while Akira remained impassive, before she roared "OF WHAT YOU STILL HAVE TO ATONE FOR!" her voice assuming a deep, reverberating, monstrous tone before her entire body shaked and began to distort itself.
(OST: "Monster Suit" (First part, from 0:00 to 1:34) = Yu Yu Hakusho soundtrack = watch?v=v4iotMOWcfA&t=92s )
The woman's body doubled in size, tearing all of her clothes apart, her skin assuming a light blue color as her limbs lenghtened. White scales covered her legs as a spike sprouted from each of her knees while her ankles snapped backwards and her digits were reduced to three on the front and one in the back, each ending in a recurved claw, giving her feet that resembled those of a bird. Blue feathers covered her lower body, the inside of her legs and her lower arms while the digits of her now scaly hands were also reduced to three, all three of them ending in sharp claws. The same white scales of her legs also covered her breasts as well as the bones of a pair of large white feathered wings that had sprouted from her back which were connected to what appeared to be a trio of clawed digits that made up the top her shoulders. A feathery tail emerged from her rear and finally her neck elongated itself slightly while her hair grew longer and turned up into what appeared to be a mane of feathers similar to that of a Bateleur Eagle only longer and pointier. This coupled with her face distorting itself, widening up along with her mouth which filled itself with sharp teeth, made her head resemble that of a dragon. Now standing three meters tall, the monstrous creature let out a dark, maniacal laugh, chilling Jun to the core.
The Devil Lady's eyes widened in shock upon witnessing that woman transforming into the same blue and white Harpy-like beast that participated along with another one in the murder of Kazumi's parents.
"YOU!" She growled, pure fury replacing the shock in her eyes and voice, while clenching her hands into fists and taking on a stance, remembering all too well how that beast picked her up by her head with her claws before lifting her up hundreds of meters into the air and dropping her, sending her plummeting down back to the ground. Had it not been for her finding out that she could sprout wings out of her back at will, she would have died that night.
"Hehehehe…. Have you missed me traitor?" taunted the harpy-like beast after chuckling evily while giving her a wide, toothy, taunting smile. Akira's scowl grew even more upon realising that the monstrous creature in front of him had a score to settle with Jun.
"You're a Beast! One of Satoru's henchmen!" He exclaimed in scorn, while also getting into a stance after quickly putting two and two together and having now recognized her scent as being not that of a demon.
"How perceptive of you, Amon. Too bad that it won't do you any good." replied the Harpy, while shifting her gaze from Jun to the spitting image of the Demon Hero, while narrowing her eyes towards him in contempt. She then declared mockingly "Just like how it didn't do any good to that worthless human's parents."
Akira at first didn't understand what that Harpy meant. However he was in for quite the ghastly revelation when Jun's eyes widened up in shock before filling up with even more raging fury. She then bared her teeth and roared "MONSTER! THEY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH ALL OF THIS!" with such unbridled wrath and indignation that it chilled Akira to the core. She sounded so ferocious and animalistic that he was having a hard time believing she was the same woman he had fallen in love with.
"On the contrary, traitor. They died because of you." spat back cockingly the Harpy, not at all intimidated by Jun's wrath, angering her even more. But those words also caused her to close her eyes and lower her head towards the ground in sadness for no matter how much she tried to deny it, in part that Harpy was right. Kazumi and her parents were targeted and murdered for the sole reason of removing Jun's human roots and allow her to fully awaken, in an effort to make her join Satoru's ranks. Had Jun not arrived in time, Kazumi would have suffered the same fate her parents had.
But as she clenched her teeth more, this time in sorrow, Akira came closer to her and asked the Harpy "What the hell are you talking about?!" while narrowing his black eyes in disdain towards the beast in front of him. After the red-eyed Harpy simply responded by letting out a dark, cocky chuckle, Akira bared his teeth towards her, his anger spiking up and roared "ANSWER ME, YOU OVERGROWN PIGEON!" with such fury and disdain that it brought back Jun to reality.
"She…. She was there….." she weakly muttered, while trembling like a leaf due to the events of that fateful night still firmly embedded into her head. Akira's eyes widened up, his anger briefly dissappearing from his face, before turning towards her and asking "What?" in concern.
Jun then reopened her eyes and lifted her head back up before screaming in a mix of anger and grief "She was there the night Kazumi's parents were murdered!" causing Akira's jaw to drop in shock with a gasp. He then remembered what Jun revealealed to him six days ago. That Jun brought Kazumi to her home after their parents were murdered by a beast.
Immediately clenching his mouth in anger, he turned back towards the Harpy-like beast and demanded "Is it true?!" but the beast's toothy smile merely grew, outraging Akira even more. He then demanded again "Answer me, you wretched creature!"
Amused at Akira's threat, the blue and white humanoid Harpy let out a short laugh, narrowed her red eyes on Akira's own and replied "HA! Why does it even upset you so much? You didn't even know that puny human. Besides, i didn't even kill them. I only made sure that a colleague of mine would do his job." she then raised her left arm, pointing her left index claw towards Jun before declaring smugly "She is the one entirely to blame. Had she accepted her true nature instead of betraying her own kind, they would have been spared."
Those words once again hit Jun deeply, for in part, the Harpy was right. Had Jun fully awakened perhaps…. Just perhaps….. Kazumi and her parents would have been left alone.
But as soon as her eyes once again filled with sadness and sorrow and she began to lower her head downwards due to the pain that was coming back, Akira put himself in between her and the Harpy, causing Jun to lift her head back up and a surprised and worried look to replace the sadness on her face. Regaining his calm and composure while still making no effort to hide his contempt for the Beast in front of him, he demanded again "And you say that while others like you are being held captive and purposely starved by the one you serve? Why are you even helping him? Doesn't it tick you off to know that others like you are now suffering because of him?" wanting to know what motivated this scumbag to fight.
In response, the Harpy's smile grew even more and she smugly replied "Not at all." causing Akira to once again lose his composure, his anger spiking up and exclaiming "What?!"
The red-eyed Harpy merely spread her arms with her palms facing upwards before declaring "It is said that there are humans who will sell their souls to the devil for power, right? Hehehehe….. Beasts can do it too." her voice full of cockiness and self-assurance at her superiority.
Those smug words reignited the fury and the outrage within Jun. But what really sent her over the edge was what the Harpy said next "Besides, they are all traitors who have refused to accept who their are, hiding among humans and pretending to live just like them. But no matter how much they try, they won't be able to escape their hunger."
"BASTARD!" Roared Jun in pure wrath and indignation while coming at Akira's side "Your own kind is being tortured by the same monster you serve and you are fine with it?!" she demanded while pointing her right clawed index finger at the blue and white Harpy, beyond disgusted by what she heard.
With another short laugh, the Harpy replied with her smug, toothy smile still on her mouth "HA! What is "our kind"? In serving Master Satoru i have protection, i have power! And who better to hunt down a treacherous beast than a more powerful beast? History is written by the strong, by the ones that survive the winnowing that is natural selection. That is what it means to evolve! That, is my kind!" she proclaimed proudly while putting one of her arms in front of her with her palm facing upwards.
Akira and Jun narrowed their eyes in utter contempt and disgust towards the beast in front of them. The former realised that there was no point talking sense to her. She was rotten to the core just like the worst the demon race had to offer.
As for Jun, she bared her teeth towards her. Hurting other humans simply because they were associated with her was one thing, but hurting other peaceful beasts who wanted nothing more than live their lives in serenity and quiet? Much like the one it served, this beast was even more vile than how she remembered.
Chuckling even more evily, the Harpy beast smiled even more in amusement upon noticing their anger and outrage and spoke "Oh, don't try acting all holy. There isn't a single one among you whose loyalty coudn't be bought…" while narrowing her red eyes towards them.
However, the Harpy was in for quite the nasty surprise when Akira suddenly smiled back cockingly and spoke "Oh, please." causing her to gasp in bewilderment and her red eyes to widen "You creeps will say anything just to make yourselves feel better. But in the end…." he continued mockingly, while putting himself in between her and Jun, catching the latter by surprise due how taunting he sounded. He then declared, even more mockingly than before "You're just trash."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" exclaimed the Harpy beast in a mix of shock and anger, caught completely off guard by Akira's insult.
Amused by her reaction, Akira's smile grew even more before he replied "Mmph Haven't you heard? Or have you sold off your ears to Satoru too?" taunting the beast even more. Jun who was just behind him could only stare at him in bewilderment, not believing how confident and cocky her boyfriend sounded right now.
Growling in anger at being belittled, the Harpy spat back "You will regret that!" causing Akira's smile to widen even more. Having seen what an utter scumbag and smug snake this Harpy was and coupled with her involvement in the murder of Kazumi's parents, he was now eagerly looking forward to tearing this oversized chicken apart.
(Soundtrack Ends)
Meanwhile, at the Crusaders's hideout
Atun made his way to the tower of the mansion, the highest point of Satoru's hideout, which housed the important individual that had fallen into their captivity a month ago and whom the demonic couple were intending to use as a bait to lure Amon out.
Stopping before another see through metal gate, just like those of the cells present in the lower basement, he spotted said individual sitting in a chair next to a window with bars just like those of the metal gate, the only thing present in her room of brown walls and floor. A woman of unspeakable beauty that had long straight light blonde hair, green eyes and a face so beautiful it put those of greek sculptures to shame. She wore a white robe akin to those of a spouse and if it wasn't for a pair of large feathered white wings that came out of her back, she would have easily come off for a normal human. But while this woman looked just like an angel, in truth, she was anything but.
The woman, oddly enough was playing with several birds, which had been her only company in her days of imprisonment here before she heard Atun's steps. After noticing him, the woman, with a gentle smile, told the birds "Fly, little birds. Return to your free and peaceful life." and then gently ushed them away watching for a few seconds as they flew away through the gaps in the barred window.
She then turned towards Atun, who stood behind the barred gate of her room (which really was no different from a prison cell) with a cold, emotionless expression before declaring "You waste your time, Atun. I have already made it clear to you that i will never help you."
A smile formed on Atun's lips at those words. The one in front of him was renowned for her courage and defiance against the odds among her kind in spite of her unusual appearance, completely devoid of any demonic features. He then replied smugly "That i am sure, little dove." earning a scornful expression from the angelic looking woman in front of him.
Incensed, the winged woman replied in disdain "There is only one person who can call me like that. And that is not you." while narrowing his eyes in contempt towards the demon in human form in front of her.
Amused by her reaction and assured that her next reaction to what he was about to tell her would have been dramatic to say the least, Atun grinned even more before replying "Then you will be delighted to know that he is coming here."
The woman's green eyes and mouth widened in shock and disbelief as soon as Atun pronounced those words. She then got up from her chair and, still in disbelief, she spoke "A-Amon….. is coming here?" earning a nod from the demon in disguise in front of her.
"Exactly. Although he still does not know that you are here. I would love to see the look on his face when he will find out." Declared grimly in satisfaction Atun, causing the woman to gasp in shock, knowing all too well what the demon hero in front of her was intending to do.
Rushing towards the gate, stopping just mere inches before it, the woman begged "Please, Atun! You don't have to do this! There must be another way to settle your feud!" clear distress and panic radiating from her voice. Atun merely smiled even more but before he could reply…..
"How amusing. A demon worrying about a traitor of its own kind." came a familiar, creepy childish voice from behind Atun. The demon hero merely turned slightly to the owner of the voice, the leader of the Crusaders.
The woman gasped at those words, turning her eyes towards the young beast who asked mockingly "He is the reason you are here in the first place and yet you are willing to defend him? Because you love him? Foolish woman. There is no such thing as love in this world. It is nothing more than a fabrication created by humans to justify their desire to reproduce. Why would you, a creature so superior to them in every single possible aspect, let yourself be ruled over by such a feeble and limited emotion?"
Scowling at Satoru's belittling lecture, the woman closed her eyes, turning away slighty and replied in defiance "You are wrong. We demons understand that concept. And love is not worthless. Yes, it can also bring sadness along with happiness…." she paused before reopening her eyes, narrowing them towards the young beast before declaring bravely "But had i not loved Amon, i would not be here now! My love for him is my reason to live! My love for him is what gave me the purpose of my life!"
The young beast merely listened in amusement at the angelic woman's delusions and only replied with an amused scoff, not even bothering to try and talk sense into her, for it wasn't worth the effort in the leader of the Crusaders's mind. The woman then turned back towards Atun before pleading "Which is why i beg you to not fight him, Atun! What will it even bring to you in the end? What did he even do to deserve your wrath? You used to be friends all those eons ago!"
Atun in response, simply smirked before turning away. But before he took his leave he glanced back one final time and replied with an amused tone "Nike, you will never understand. After all, you were never a warrior. Of course concepts like a warrior's pride and integrity never meant anything to you. But worry not, it will not be long before you will see your beloved Amon again."
And with those words, Atun left, leaving the winged woman, now known as Nike alone with Satoru. The young beast then chuckled darkly and declared grimly "I hope you are at least content with the way you have wasted your potential, demon. With your superior intellect and talents you could have been so much more. You are no different from those filthy apes who have refused to evolve." with pure glee and mockery in his voice towards her. Nike simply scowled spitefully at Satoru, narrowing her eyes towards him as he left.
Now alone again, Nike thought back to everything that happened before and since her rebirth in this new world, three months ago. Unlike the vast majority of her kind, Nike was fond of humans due to the kindness and the good they were capable of, hence why she chose to take no part in the demons's campaign against the human race. Ideals and pride never mattered to her. The only thing that ever mattered to her was him, the demon she loved.
"Amon…" she called out, while putting her hands on her chest, near her beating heart. Her desire to be reunited with him was what gave her hope, what gave her the strength to move forward, to bear the pain of imprisonment. And even if she had been in the captivity of Atun and his consort, Lilith for a whole month, they never harmed her. But that was only because of her past with Amon's rival, who used to be a friend of hers, millions of years ago, until that fateful day…..
"Please….. be safe…" she called out again, wishing him the best of luck. When Nike heard that he had turned against his own kind, that he had been conquered by a human, she coudn't believe it. But she never got the chance to see it with her own eyes. Perhaps, if she could have met him, maybe she might have been able to bring him back.
For now, she will endure her captivity for just a little longer. She knew that he was coming for her. And even if he wasn't the same Amon he used to be all those eons ago, she knew that maybe, deep down, he didn't forget her.
Back at the clearing
(OST: Battle Time (short version) = Yu Yu Hakusho Soundtrack = watch?v=iRnN2IEh1rs&t=4s )
Once again the sounds of the environment were the only thing breaking the silence as Akira stared down the Harpy-like beast in front of him while Jun simply stood behind him. She had witnessed the same confidence and cockiness from Akira on that time they effortlessly beat up that gang of ten thugs in the alley several weeks ago. Now she was about to witness him in action for the first time in his true form. And she was in for quite the treat.
"Stay back, Jun. I'll take care of her." he commanded, pulling her out of her thoughts and earning a surprised and concerned look on her face at how authoritative and calm he sounded. She had never seen him like this.
"Are you sure you don't want me to help you?" she asked in concern, while putting a hand on his left shoulder. Having already faced the Harpy in battle not once but twice she already knew how dangerous she was, in spite of possessing no special abilities aside from her strength, wings and claws.
Glancing back towards the Devil Lady, Akira replied calmly "Save your strength for the battles to come. Besides, you have already defeated her in the past, right?" earning a nod from her.
"I have. But that's not the p-" she began, still unsure of how well Akira woud have fared against her, only for Akira to place his right hand on her her own before gently taking it off his shoulder, cutting her off mid anwer. He then smiled reassuringly and spoke "Don't worry, i'll be fine. And besides….." reassuring her before he turned back towards the humanoid blue and white Harpy, took several steps forward and declared with a smug, confident smile and tone "This overgrown chicken ain't even a warmup. I'll make this quick." while cracking his knuckles.
In spite of being angered even more by Akira's insult, the Harpy grinned even more before stating "HA! I'd like to hear you say that again, after i'll carve your heart out of your chest!" while spreading her feathered wings and lifting herself off the ground with several flaps of them, gaining a few meters of altitude before hovering some 20 meters off the ground.
Akira simply watched as the Harpy took off and hovered 20 meters from the ground before chuckling darkly and declaring "It's pitiful really. How such a powerful demon like Amon allowed himself to be taken over by a puny human. It's no wonder his race was oblit-"
"Are you gonna fucking squawk around all day or are you gonna fight me, birdbrain?" Taunted Akira, his smile dissappearing from his lips, interrupting the Harpy mid-speech, having lost his patience for this sorry excuse of a monster. Jun, who was left utterly speechless by what Akira said, was trying with all of her might to keep a satisfied smile from appearing on her face. She had no idea of just how cocky, confident and arrogant Akira could be. He loved to taunt his opponents. Deep down she admired his flippant and confident attitude. It was the complete opposite of her mostly introverted nature and deep down, she wished she could be as confident, cocky and nonchalant as he was.
That insult was the last straw. Growling in animalistic fury the harpy roared "INSOLENT HUMAN! I WILL PUT YOU IN YOUR PLACE!" before launching herself towards Akira. Much to Jun's concern, Akira remained still and closed his eyes, not even taking a stance
"Why is he not moving?" she mused in concern in her mind. She could only watch as the Harpy began to close the distance while bringing her right arm backwards, reading her claws for one quick, decisive blow.
"AFTER I'M DONE WITH YOU, THAT TRAITOR SHALL FOLLOW YOU IN THE DARK PITS OF HELL!" roared once again the Harpy, while swooping down even closer towards him.
But as she finally roared "NOW DIE!" and began to bring down her claws on Akira, intending to cut him apart, the Devilman finally opened his eyes and with a roar, launched himself in the air at the same height the Harpy was with a jump and brought back his right arm too, spreading his clawed fingers, intending to use the same attack, the bird-like beast in front of him was intending to use.
Jun could only watch as Akira and the Harpy both striked at the same time, crossing their paths in the air before landing at each other's original position, now ten meters apart from one another.
(Soundtrack Ends)
Jun's jaw dropped in shock and her golden eyes widened and were shaking at what she had witnessed. Akira appeared to slightly double over as purple blood began to gush down towards the ground, apparently coming out of his abdomen. As soon as she heard the sound of spurting blood, the Harpy turned around and grinned evily in satisfaction.
"Did you like that? That was only a taste of my claws and i can tell that it takes more than that to put you down." she asked, voice filled with malice, bloodlust and glee, before she brought her right hand in front of her with the palm facing upwards before proclaiming "Come at me, little man! I want to hear you scream and twitch in despair as i devour your heart!"
However she gasped slightly in surprise as Akira, still with his back facing her, closed his eyes and began to chuckle deviously, his upper body shaking before it turned into a mocking and confident laugh while at the same time the purple blood stopped falling out.
"Why are you laughing? Has the fear of dying driven you mad?" she demanded tauntingly while narrowing her red eyes towards him. She was in for quite the shock, however, as Akira straightened his posture before he gradually stopped laughing and turned towards the Harpy with a confident, smug smile on his face, completely unscathed.
"What?! Not even a scratch?!" she exclaimed in disbelief at the fact that the one in front of her was completely undamaged by her attack. But why did he bleed then? And why was he hiding his right arm away from her right now?
She was taken even more aback when Akira spoke casually "Gotta say, your nervous system leaves quite a lot to be desired." mockery and disdain being clearly heard from his voice.
Angered and confused as those words, the Harpy demanded "What the hell do you mean "my nervous system"?!" wanting to know why Akira was acting so confident and unconcerned. Her outrage grew even more when he turned away, intending to leave, so she yelled "Don't turn your back on me! The outcome of this battle still hasn't been decided!"
At that moment however, Akira turned back towards the Harpy and asked casually "You sure about that?" while lifting up his right arm from his side.
The Harpy's jaw dropped and her red eyes widened up in horror and disbelief as her gaze saw that in his right hand, Akira was holding a severed left forearm that had blue feathers, a hand covered in white scales that ended in three fingers each with a recurved blue claw. Then, after a few seconds, the Harpy managed to muster up the strength to take a look…..
…. And sure enough, much to her shock and panic she realised that her left forearm was in fact missing. As soon as she saw it, her pain signals finally reached her brain, purple blood began to sprout from where the forearm had been severed and the Harpy shrieked "WH-WH-WHAT?!" before screaming in pain, falling on one of her knees and clutching what remained of her arm. She was so hell-bent on tearing Akira apart for his last insult, so full of adrenaline and excitement at that prospect that she didn't even feel it when Akira swiftly ripped off her forearm as they clashed at a speed that greatly surpassed the blue and white beast's own.
"I….. I can't believe it… He was so fast…" Mused Jun in her mind, her mouth hanging open, not believing what her two eyes had seen. She was left utterly speechless and in awe at how quickly Akira had torn the Harpy's forearm off. Granted, she could fly faster than the speed of sound with her wings but Akira didn't even need them to accomplish what he did just now. What was even more astonishing was how easy he made it look, how there seemed to be no effort in his swift and precise movements.
She was pulled out of her trance of amazement by Akira declaring mockingly "You're lucky i'm feeling generous today." he then tossed the severed forearm back towards the Harpy, turned towards Jun and spoke "Let's go. This is all a waste of time."
As he then turned around and began to walk away, the Harpy, utterly outraged by the humiliation and disrespect Akira had given her, lifted her gaze back to the half-devil, still clutching her severed arm at the elbow-joint and called out "H-hold it right there! I'm not done with you yet!" but Akira paid no attention.
Enraged at being ignored, at having her confidence and pride shattered on top of being made a complete fool out of herself, the Harpy roared "I SAID I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET!" and proceeded to reattach her severed forearm back on her elbow-joint were the skin, muscles and bone reattached themselves due to the regenerative powers of the Devil-Beasts. And after letting out an even louder roar of primal and animalistic fury the Harpy took off to the skies and swooped down again towards Akira, this time intending to bite his throat off with the sharp teeth of her dragon-like mouth while declaring "TO HELL WITH YOU, WORTHLESS HUMAN!"
Noticing that Akira wasn't paying any attention, panic and fright filled Jun's eyes and mind and she called out "AKIRA, LOOK OUT!" and began to sprint towards him, in an attempt to keep him out of harms's way but she was too far away from both of them.
However Akira, against all expectations procedeed to once again shock Jun. With a sigh, he growled, turned around and as soon as the Harpy was a mere second from deliver her fatal blow, he punched through the Harpy's abdomen with his right arm faster than she could blink.
The white and blue bird-like beast could only let out several wheezes and gasps in pain, spit blood and look on a mix of shock, disbelief and fear with her wide red eyes at the muscular arm that was now embedded in her abdomen, which had punched through her body, shattering many of the organs in its abdomen, before coming out from her back, purle blood gushing out uncontrollably from both the front and back of her body.
But before she could mutter out her disbelief through her gasps, Akira mockingly declared one last time "You really are a slow learner aren't you, birdbrain? Too bad." while looking her in her red eyes, instilling in her the primal fear that every animal feels when threatened. The fear of death.
The immobilized Harpy, held with her feet off the ground began to struggle to free herself but it was all for naught. Akira, with an apathetic and scornful look simply unclenched his fist and swiftly brought his right arm upwards, slicing the Harpy like beast in half from the abdomen up. Liters and liters of purple blood gushed out from the slain beast's torn body as it fell backwards on the ground, hitting it with a sickening thud before a pool of its purple blood surrounded it.
Jun was left utterly speechless, her golden eyes and mouth wide open, gasping in utter astonishment and disbelief. He took that beast down with next to zero effort. Even with her newfound experience and increased strength, she didn't exactly have the easiest of times against that Harpy-like beast the second time she fought it. And yet Akira took her down with such ease that it shocked her. There was simply no contest. The Harpy was so outclassed that it was like seeing a lion taking on a fully grown african elephant. That was how wide the difference in power between those two was.
"Akira…" she called out hesitantly, her golden eyes shaking in pure amazement and awe. She had just witnessed the power of Amon, one of the greatest heroes of demonkind, the demon Akira had conquered. And it was even greater than what she had expected. Ever since she saw him in his demon form for the first time, she was curious to see just how strong he was compared to her. But never would she have imagined that he was this powerful, to the point were those that seemed like indomitable monsters to normal humans, were nothing but pests to him. What was more impressive was that Akira didn't even seem to use the full extent of his strength against that lesser beast. The Devil Lady began to realise at that moment that he was as strong as her, perhaps even more so. Maybe this time….. things would turn out differently, now that she had someone of this caliber of power at her side.
Akira took one last look at the slain body of the beast in front of him, before shifting his gaze to his right arm, covered in purple blood. He had at least expected that beast to wound him at least once, given how intimidating and majestic its appearance was but in the end the Harpy was no match for him at all. It acted all tough and sure of itself when in reality it was nothing more than a lesser beast, no more powerful than the usual lesser demons he had slaughtered by the hundreds back in his world. As some would say, it bit off more than it could chew. Its pride, self-assured superiority and cockiness was what ultimately led to its death.
He then turned towards Jun and with a confident smile, he remarked "And here i was, thinking they were going to make it difficult for us." snapping the demonic amazon out of her thoughts and her trance of amazement.
Jun then smiled back confidently and replied simply "Yeah." now knowing for a fact that the man she loved was also a very powerful, capable and experienced fighter. For the first time in quite a while she began to feel confident, assured that maybe this time things were going to turn out for the better now that the wielder of the power of the demon hero Amon and former leader of the Devilmen on another world was at her side.
And so the two devilmen resumed their path towards the Crusaders's hideout, now having a good idea where to go thanks to where that Harpy beast came from. At the same time, another crow who had witnessed the "battle" between Akira and the Harpy, if it could even be called that, spread its wings and took off.
It then headed back towards Satoru's hideout. Entering the window of the main office hall, where the young beast was discussing his next course of action with his four most powerful henchmen in their human disguises, it turned into its beast form and kneeled, catching all five of them's attention. Satoru then spoke "You may speak." granting the crow the permission to talk.
"My lord, Harpy has been defeated. It was Amon. He took her down with little effort." simply replied the big eyed crow without any emotions. The five beasts in front of it either sighed or scoffed.
"As expected. After all, she wasn't much to speak of, compared to us." remarked Izumi in apathy, already knowing for a fact how the white and light blue bird-like beast would have fared. More importantly this was the proof that Amon was just as powerful as their greatest enemy.
"Well, at least we now know that this so called "Amon" is no pushover." Added Higa with a mischievious smile, hardly waiting to have a chance to fight him.
Kitano then turned towards his master before asking "What shall we do, master? Shall we give them a warm welcome?" with a hint of eagerness and sadism in his voice.
But before Satoru could reply, another crow entered the hall. This one, unlike the other one appeared injured, with a gaping hole in one of its wings and a deep cut on his chest and left arm. It squawked before landing on the floor, besides the other crow before declaring "Master, we have an urgent matter on our hands!"
"Out with it. Speak." commanded coldly Kitano, annoyed to have been interrupted. The injured crow then did as he was asked "My patrol was attacked by what appeared to be a pachyderm like creature with two gigantic horns. All four of my men were slaughtered. Only i was able to survive."
All four of Satoru's elemental servants gasped in shock at what they heard. A third individual going after them? Who could have find out what they were up to? And for what reason did that creature come here for?
Satoru, however merely smiled darkly in amusement. Things had just gotten even more interesting. He then spoke "Is that so? Fufufu…." while letting out an amused chuckle "Then of course, we should reply in kind to this act of aggression." he then turned towards the other, uninjured crow and commanded "You. Take 24 of your brothers and sisters and show that foolish creature what happens to those who oppose us." with a calculating and dark tone. His crows were after all expendable, unlike his four most powerful henchmen. No matter how many he would lose, he could always produce more and more with his psychic powers. And the same could be said for some of his lesser servants such as the Harpy. While they had served him well and were useful assets, they were nowhere near as valuable as his four Crusaders.
With a nod, the uninjured crow left to gather 24 others like him before they took off in search of the creature responsible for slaughtering four of them. Izumi then turned her gaze towards her master and asked "And what about those two traitors?"
Satoru merely answered without turning towards her "Remember the favor Atun asked us. He wants Amon all for himself. As for that woman on the other hand…" he paused, turning towards all four of his trusted servants "You will all get your chance to play with her once she and her companion arrive here." he declared gleefully, gaining an evil and satisfied smile from all four of them.
"But for now double the patrols, Miss Izumi. We can't have any more trespassers attempting to interfere now can we?" he asked her, mischievious smile still present on his lips. The beautiful black haired woman replied zealously "Of course, my lord. It shall be done." before she took her leave to gather more of his servants before briefing them and sending them out to patrol the territory around their base of operations.
In spite of this fleeting setback, Satoru was as confident as ever. That woman and her new companion were close. It woudn't be long now before they would come here. His plans were now in full motion. And with so many servants at his command not to mention Atun, Lilith and the demoness's own 50 servants, he was assured that this time no one would have stopped him.