1 Betrayed

The hero known as Avian crashed to the ground. His body skidded along the floor as his torn wings hung bloody from his back, and the open wounds that covered his body bled freely through the holes and gashes of his shredded costume.

But none of that mattered. He had made it just in time to reach his goal as his right leg gave out from the strain. All of his energy had been spent while fighting one of the Demon King's subordinates known as Cryromancer. With the Demon King close, he needed to hurry before his body gave out.

As Avian picked himself off the ground, his eyes filled with rage and determination. He couldn't risk victory for even a second to look and see if his fellow heroes were winning. For even a moment of hesitation would be the end of him, allowing the Demon King's minions to collapse on him, finally overwhelming his body.

Though he couldn't see how the battle was going, he could hear, and with his advanced hearing, he could pick out individual details from the battle. He could hear the sounds of warfare dying down as heroes that united together to defeat the Demon King died. With every death and fatal wound, the sound of talents against demons lessened.

One by one, their lives came abruptly to an end; the sound of death throes subtle but not impossible for Avian to pick out, each muttering in the moments of their deaths. Some wish for a miracle to happen, a belief that it would end the battle.

He knew the names of all the fallen and he felt remorse and guilt fuel his determination to continue.

A cold hand clasped his arm. Avian looked down to see his best friend and his fellow hero, Seraph. He had the talent foresight, which allowed him to see what the person he targeted would do for an hour. Avian looked down to see a spike impaling him through his stomach. "I saw us die, I saw you die." He whispered with pleading eyes. "You can't". Avian sadly shook my head, tears forming in his eyes. "I can't turn back now" He whispered back as Seraph died in front of him.

"You did not die in vain," Avian promised as he forced his damaged body to move the short distance across the ground to the Demon King's throne, leaving a trail of fresh blood behind him.

The sounds of battle slowly faded as he approached the Demon King, and Avian started sweating heavily. He clutched the gun in his right pocket as he closed the gap between him and the Demon King. After a few seconds, the Demon King was a few feet away from him. Avian pulled out my gun and shot him with no fanfare. Unsurprisingly, the bullet just pinged right off him.

Without any warning, the Demon King lifted his hood.

Avian's heart dropped when he realized who it was. "Cynthia?" He managed to choke out. She nodded and bit into the corn dog in her right hand. "How could you," He said, dismayed. Soon bile came up into Avian's mouth but he swallowed it down. The shock was replaced by rage. "YOU KILLED BILLIONS, YOU MONSTER!" he roared and charged at her. The charge was more like a pathetic limp though, for his right leg was shattered.

Cynthia quickly sidestepped him and stook out her left leg. Like an idiot, Avian tripped. She sighed and started tutting. "You heroes can't see the big picture," she said, with a frown on her face. "The world is a bonsai tree, and I'm just cutting off the unnecessary parts," With a casual flick of her wrist, Avian felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. He looked down to see an obsidian spike impaling him.

"See you later, Jasper" and she walked away, chewing on her corn dog. Avian screamed in rage. But soon the rage was replaced with acceptance. This had been the last effort of the dying race of men. A refusal to go quietly in the night. One opportunity, to give heroes around the world a chance to end the attacks of the Demon King. And yet the sacrifice was not enough. Even with the battle comprised of the greatest heroes, it was not enough. Avian had been forced to engage with Cryromancer, and though he managed to kill him, he had been mortally wounded, his side tore open, and his heart destroyed.

Though he was dying, Avian was still able to move by sheer force of his rage, allowing him to evade death for a time.

Is this the end?, Avian thought as his breathing grew more labored, and his thoughts grew hazier. He tried to ignore the blood that was pooling under him and the cold that was chilling his bones, but he could no longer. The sharp pain that came from his torn wings was constant.

Avian slumped to the floor, dead.