Climax, Part 1

The next words that I hear, are words that I never in my wildest dream would have thought of.

Words that I loathe, from the bottom of my heart.

And words that will change the trajectory of my life forever.

"Luis Tramontana-" Death continues, one last time.

"YOUR DEAR OL' DADDY, LUIS TRAMONANA SR, SLAYER DOKUSEI, IS PESTILENCE, OF THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE!"

Death smirks at my agony, while War cackles and Famine snickers behind him.

Ella covers her mouth with her hands in shock, and even Mikey's eyes widen.

"No…" I sadly whimper as I drop to the ground on my knees, tears forming at the edges of my eyes. "It's not true…it's not true…"

But deep down…I know that Death's words are true.

Words that I've realized for a long time, but words that I've ignored.

My entire body begins trembling.

I feel the strength that my body was coursing with earlier, just a mere second ago, with the drive to defeat my enemies once and for all…instantly flood out of my body.

My katana slips out of my hands and clangs to the ground. The katana I held onto so dearly…the katana that's a memento of my father, and the katana that symbolizes the me as a Pro Slayer…gone…

My head grows dizzy. It goes completely blank. All I want to do right now is go to sleep and, when I wake up…oh, I don't know. Maybe I want to go back to 2002 where I had a loving family. Or 2014 before I was a Pro Slayer. Just anytime other than today.

That's where I want to be.

"Dad…?" I softly whimper as I peer up to face my dad, who's eyes remain that eerie toxic green and purple color. "It's not…true…right?"

My dad is silent.

"Dad…?"

"Pestilence! Death exclaims as he turns to face my dad, who leers back at Death in response. "You look well! How long has it been? Five…thousand?"

"Somewhere within that ballpark," my dad growls.

"D-dad…" I stammer. "Why are you answering Death when he says "Pestilence"...?"

My dad doesn't answer me.

"I see you've had another son while you've been gone-" Death continues with a smirk as if I'm not even here. He's purposely taunting me. "-Pestilence."

"I have a new wife, as well," my dad answers.

New wife…another son…what the Hell are they talking about?!

"I'm also a Pro Slayer now…" my dad continues.

So it's true.

It's true.

It's true it's true it's true it's true IT'S TRUE!

I scream and jump away from my dad, slipping on the ground in the process. War and Famine snicker at my pathetic display. Quickly, I snatch up my katana and scramble back up to my feet, aiming the tip of my katana's blade at my own father.

No…at Pestilence.

"Dad…" I stammer. "I mean…Pestilence. Why…are you here. WHY ARE YOU FIGHTING ON THE SIDE OF HUMANITY IF YOU'RE ONE OF THE FOUR HORSEMEN?!" I roar. "ARE YOU A DOUBLE-AGENT, LIKE FAMINE?! DID YOU PLAN TO BETRAY US AFTER ALL THIS TIME?!"

"Why…" I then whimper. "WHY DID YOU TRAIN ME TO BECOME STRONGER?! WAS IT WAS THAT YOU CAN CONVINCE ME TO JOIN THE SIDE OF THE DEMONS?!"

"THEN WHY DID YOU MARRY MY MOM, WHY THE FUCK WAS I BORN?!"

"Luis," Pestilence then replies at last after a moment of silence, causing me to perk up.

"Yeah…?" I growl.

"Stand back," Pestilence orders as he extends his right hand out to Mikey and the other three members of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

"I'll end this war now."

A lime-green, noxious gas begins leaking out of the pores of Pestilence's arm and flies towards Mikey and the other three members of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Some of the poison gas leaking out Pestilence's pores floats through the air towards me, causing me to cough heavily as I clutch my throat in agony. Meanwhile, Ella -who's standing even closer to my Pestilence- drops to the floor and writhes on the ground in pain, foaming at the mouth.

"Luis, take Ella and run," Pestilence orders. "Get as far away from me as you can."

I gulp. "Right…" I croak out as I weakly push myself up to my feet then toss the unconscious Ella over my shoulders, slowly stumbling away.

But I'm interrupted when Death says; "Necromancy: Spinal Blockade," as dozens of sharp bones jut out of the ground around Ella and I, forming a cage of bones and prohibiting the two of us from being able to get away.

I then turn around to see Pestilence's poison gas fly towards Mikey and the other three members of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

War then punches her fists together, as a small Invicnisphere bubble forms around her right hand. "Invicnisphere: Bubble Prison!" War then shouts as she slams her right fist into the ground, the Invicnisphere bubble that was around War's right hand then extends and wraps around herself, Death, and Famine, protecting the three Horsemen from Pestilence's poison gas.

Meanwhile, Mikey aims a singular hand at Pestilence's poison gas and releases a small black fireball, which flies towards Pestilence's gas. When the two attacks collide, My dad's poison goes combusts in a rush of flames.

"What gives, why didn't you protect me too?!" Mikey snaps as he turns to face the three Horsemen, just as War's Invicnisphere bubble dissipates back into her rainbow Cursed Power. "Not that I need your help, or anything!"

"Just because we have an alliance, doesn't mean we need to protect each other," War answers Mikey with a smirk.

"Luis," Pestilence calls to me, causing me to perk up.

"Yes…dad…?" I softly ask.

"Just because I was one of the Four Horsemen, doesn't mean I'm with them now," Pestilence answers, causing my eyes to widen. "I'm fighting on the side of humanity. I was with Nestant Village, trapped in Hell all alone, married to your mother, and working as a Pro Slayer in Hell's Jaw far longer than I was with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. There are only three Horsemen now. "Pestilence the Plague…" I left that name behind long ago."

"My name is Luis Tramontana now."

"Right…" I reply as I draw my katana again and reinforce its blade with my dark-blue Cursed Power, using it to slash through Death's bone prison. Slowly, I set Ella's coughing body down and take a step forward, standing beside Pestilence as I clutch my katana tightly between both of my hands, and get into a fighting stance.

My dad's eyes widen. "Luis…" Pestilence softly begins to say as he stares down at me, but I interrupt him.

"I have a lot of questions for you, but I'll save it for later, alright!" I snap. "For now…let's just focus on defeating the Four Horsemen once and for all!"

"-Dad!"

A soft smile spreads across my dad's lips as he turns to face the Four Horsemen again, drawing his katana and aiming it at them, resuming a fighting stance as well.

"Right, son," my dad replies.

"LET'S GO!"

"Extend-o-Blade…" I begin to say as wind begins swirling around the blade of my katana.

"Extend-o-Sword…" my dad begins to say as poison gas begins swirling around the blade of his katana, as well.

"HURRICANE SLASH!"

"POISON PORES!"

With a roar, my dad and I swing our katana forwards while extending their blades, sending two crescent-moon shaped emissions of dark-blue wind and lime-green poison gas. Mine and my dad's attacks fly towards Mikey and the remaining three members of the Four Horsemen, before merging together, and forming a giant tornado of poison and wind.

"HEAVEN-PIERCING PLAGUE HURRICANE!"

Mine and my dad's giant poison hurricane wrap around Mikey and the remaining three Horsemen, in a giant explosion of lime-green and dark-blue Cursed Power.

After a few moments, mine and my dad's attack dissipates, revealing Mikey lime-green and dark-blue Cursed Power. Mikey coats himself in his Flames of Destruction as a shield. Death constructed a cage of bones to defend. War formed an Invincisphere bubble around her to protect herself. Famine wrapped her kraken tentacles around herself to block. One by one, Mikey and the remaining three Horsemen then disengage their shields, leaving them mildly injured, but not fully wounded.

With a roar, I resume my Blue Demon form and prepare a Wind Blade then charge Death, just as I had done before. In response, Death smirks at me and crosses his arms, making not a single effort to counter my charge.

Once in front of Death, I swing my Wind Blade towards him, who again, doesn't move. Instead, War leaps in front of Death, using an Invincisphere- coated fist to block my attack and punch me in the stomach, sending me flying backwards.

Famine then smirks as she extends a hand out to me as well, her fingers turning into red, meaty tentacles which fly towards me, wrapping around me and slamming me into the ground, before reverting back to Famine's hand.