The Archdemons (2)

Two figures sat at the edge of a bridge, staring up at the stars above the pit that was once a famous city. The first figure sat at the edge, her feet dangling, while the other leaned up against a pillar, his arms crossed. Both had hoods pulled over their heads, but from underneath the faint glow of their eyes could be seen, a dim emerald green.

"Well, I can't say I was expecting anything good, but this is worse than I would've expected." The boy said, he was maybe sixteen or seventeen.

"The gods love their games, but it would seem this time it'll bite back at them." The girl spoke.

"You think that kid's the one?"

The girl bowed her head, strands of hazel brown hair whipping in the wind. "I honestly believe he is. I know what he's like, and when push comes to shove, he'll bring around the change this world needs." The girl looked up the sky. "This time he's our hope."

"How can you be so sure?" The boy asked, "what if he decides he just want to kill everything? For good."

"Well, he certainly has the power to end the world, and if it comes to that ending... well I can't say that wouldn't be my fault." She answered. "After everything he's been through, I wouldn't blame him for ending this world permanently. In a way that's the goal though, is it not?"

"You never did tell me how you know him. What's the relationship between you two?"

"A bridge much like this." The girl answered.

"Is that supposed to clear things up?" The boy asked, confused.

"It does, more than you think."

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"Alright." Akuro said, approaching a group of gathered demons. "Which one of you is Zealous?"

The Archdemons were a strange assortment of beings. First was Tetsuno, the Incarnation of War. He was a tall, thin demon with a plain red mask over his face. He was lanky and his arms hung below his waist, he wore ragged, torn robes that were held to his body by rusty chains. On his back was a massive weapon twice his size wrapped in cloth. He was twitchy and his head hung to the side, as if he was half asleep.

Second was Xell, known as the Fate Weaver. As Gozzu had informed Akuro on the way, he had the ability to change fate, by tying his cursed thread to his arrows, his is able to manipulate the aura of anyone his arrow strikes, not just that but he can control their actions as well. Xell was shorter than Tetsuno but he was more fit and less janky. He had a lazy posture and four arms, one of which held a black pipe to his mouth. He wore a black cloak and thin plates of armor. His face seemed to look human but his teeth were sharp and two small horns protruded from his head. Chains were wrapped around his back arms, hanging down from them almost like a cape.

Then there were Sallius and Razzaiel, the sisters of Bitter Scorn. They were identical twins, both wearing kimonos and both with long hair but up in a bun. They had dark skin and the held one another's hands and seemed close. The only difference between them was that Sallius wore a white and blue kimono and had stark white hair. She also had a horn on the left side of her head that looked like an ice spike more than it did an actual horn, and her eyes were a cold blue as well as her sharp nails.

On the other hand, Razzaiel wore a black and red Kimono and had a black horn that looked like magma rock with small cracks emitting orange-red light, and her hair was jet black, while her eyes and nails were red. Both sisters had a set of chains wrapped about their shoulders and waits, going over their assets and down their arms, the chains meeting together. Both sisters wore the same chain, holding them together.

Kessana was the only other girl out of the Archdemons. She was tall and had an elegant figure with lush skin. He face was that of a model, pure beauty, and her black eyes sparkled like a night sky. Two elegant black horns curled from the back of her head and point up. She had elf like ears and long, silky black hair. She wore a black dress with frills and elegant silk scarves, silver specks threaded into the fabric like twinkling stars. As thin set of chains was wrapped around her waist.

And Mettrag, known as the glutton or the Plague Brute, he was large and obese. He wore no armor, only and large black cloth around his waist, while the rest of his body was wrapped in thick, rusted chains. Pores grew across the demon's body and and grotesque rashes and growths covered his skin. His head was large and he had a huge underbite, no horns but he had large ears and metal was embedded into his head like scales.

Akuro took not of the fact that every one of the Archdemons seemed to have chains about their bodies, when he thought of it, Gallatine and Edo did too. He wandered why that was.

And then there was the last Archdemon, Zealous, known as the Harbinger of the End. Akuro's eyes fell on the figure he guessed was Zealous as they approached him.

Zealous was tall, standing at about seven feet, and he was heavily built. He wore a set of black armor plates that were held together by silver chains while he wore a black cloak underneath the armor. His arms were crossed as he approached Akuro. His presence was much like Akuro's, so in a way it was familiar, but also intimidating.

He looked startlingly human, his face was handsome and he had a sharp jawline. He had two small fangs and sharp, narrow eyebrows while his eyes were dark and thin, his irises a blood red while his pupil was white. He had short gray hair and four large horns, two curling from the side of his head pointing forward while the other two protruded from his forehead and were much smaller. A collar covered his neck, reminding Akuro of dracula or a cheesy vampire movie.

"So you are Zealous, right?" Akuro asked as the Archdemon approached.

Zealous stopped an inch away from Akuro, looking down on him, his eyes locked with Akuro's. "I am."

"Well, I don't give a damn if you are the true heir to the throne or some shit like that." Akuro said. "I'm king now, and if I need to show show you my strength, then I will, but I can't say you'll get out alive."

"You are no king, you are not even a demon. You will die for your insolence, boy." Zealous growled.

"Ugh, come on, just kill the brat already, Zealous." Kessana said, waving her hand dramatically.

"Yes! Kill him! Bloody, bloody, make it bloody!" The two sisters cheered in unison.

Suddenly the arena became cold, and everyone in the expansive dirt field froze, their eyes on Akuro and Zealous, who were ina stare down, the ground at their feet cracking, pebbles and small rocks slowly rising into the air around them. They both became blurry, as their pressures emitted with such force that is obscured them from anyone else's vision. Inari found it hard to breathe then as she felt like she was being crushed at the bottom of the ocean.

And then the entire coliseum shattered.