Prologue II: Blinded by the Lights

Outside of the window, there was only the deadliest of nights in Los Angeles, homeless and drunk squandering their last drops of alcohol, it was Friday night. 

Nevertheless, they still had to give way to the convoy of heavy-duty vehicles.

'Someone is going to have a really bad night!' They thought, wondering what sort of drug lord warranted such a response, the logo of the vehicle: CIA.

"I want a clean operation. Carl Peterson has confirmed the objective is at the penthouse, we have green light, and this is exclusive inside intel. We have a team in the Los Angeles Airport and all border check is advised, we can't fail this time" 

The leader of the squad gave orders, and showed them the map of the building and the location of the objective... also, he warned them about the potential obstruction of a third party.

"Remember, we're not the only ones after this guy... keep your eyes open!"

"That guy dared to come back, he's not taking us seriously" One of them mocked, holding his rifle, he even thought this level of response was overkill for a man who was just a rumoured miraculous massagist, he merely followed orders and believed that was merely his surface background, deep down, he was a druglord with great ties to a Colombian cartel or something like that. 

Little did he know... the reason for Ray Lux's apprehension was something way deeper than that. 

"Sir Jackson, all I have heard are goods about him, what crime has he committed?" Another member of the squad asked the leader who just sat back down after finishing the briefing. 

The man's eyes shone in red light for the briefest moment beneath his glasses as he looked at the faraway location of the building from the vehicle's window.

"Existing..."

**

**

The average citizen's eyes were closed, unaware of the deep world that lay beneath... quite literally... the underworld. 

"I'm counting on you, Lieutenant Jackson. I suspect the houses of Bael and Naberious have already placed their eyes on him, but he's quite the slithery fellow... one day he's in Toronto, and the next he's in Ontario. He's very skilled in managing his identities to keep under the radar".

"We will get him this time, Lord Belial... but I have questions. A sacred gear? a longinus at that? isn't that power just a mere Twilight Healing?"

"The Twilight Healing alone is already a very useful sacred gear. That is not the case for Ray Lux's power... From what I have known it goes as far as to be able to recover lost limbs and heal mental illnesses, such is not the capacity of Twilight Healing. Although we can't confirm it until we have him in our hands, there is a legend of a mythical longinus with power equal to that accursed spear but not for destruction, instead... it is for creation".

"That is?"

"Longinus: Manus Septem Dierum (The Hand of The Seven Days)".

"It sounds frightening".

"Ancient devil myths stipulate the following, when the biblical god created humanity, angels and devils... that was the sort of power he was using. When he created the first thirteen Longinus, he inadvertently placed this power in as well. Let alone an angel or a devil, it is not the sort of power that a human can wield without consequences... unlike Twilight Healing, this power can heal the very Gods".

"I understand".

"We must have it no matter what... I will stand by as well during the operation in case we have unwanted... guests".

**

**

It was supposed to be clean and easy, a small squad's job, yet they had taken a whole unit. In and out, take the guy and leave. 

The squad parked at the edge of the Eastern Columbia Lofts, it was dead in the night, almost midnight on Friday, the nightlife was going wild but there wasn't any other chance. The squad made their way to the reception swiftly and then... that was when things started going not so right. 

In the reception, they saw a group of people wearing black tux, black glasses and fedora hats. 

"What the hell, who are these people?" 

It wasn't how they looked, it was the dark aura they were irradiating. There were three of them, two of them were at the opposite side of the counter while the last one was behind the counter with the receptionist, the lady looked frightened and it was like some forcefulness was going down. 

"CIA, I want everyone out of the building now".

"That's not going to happen, Officer Jackson".

"What-"

*WHOOOSH!!*

As fast as lightning a streak of light shot from the hands of one of those men in tux, Jackson gasped and evaded it, but the squad member behind him didn't... the spear of light flashed across everyone's eyes and mercilessly impalled the squad member, piercing him across the chest and leaving him stuck to the wall, bleeding himself to death. 

"The Septem Dierum belongs to us fallen angels, Filthy devils stay out of this~"

"ATTACK!"

*PA!*

*PA!*

*PA!*

*PA!*

"HAAAAA!!!"

**

**

"W-What the hell is going on? Why are they shooting?"

At the top of the penthouse, a naive Ray was wondering what was even the need to start shooting their guns downstairs. His plan was simple, when they tried to imprison him, he'd take his gun, start shooting and they would have to kill him in self-defense. 

There was no way he would allow himself to be captured to be some lab rat. 

"Two different groups are trying to capture me?" He groaned and had his survival instincts kicking in, 'Do I want to die, Ely? What should I do?'

"Four to be precise".

!!!

At the furthest end of the balcony, standing on top of the ledge and looking at him eerily, was a man. This man had silver hair and a handsome face that begged to be punched. 

"My name is Rizevim Livan Lucifer~ I'm here for the Septem Dierum, Ray Lux".

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Mr Long-ass-name".

Having reached this junction, Ray pointed his gun at the man and began firing. What happened next astounded him. 

The bullets bounced off like they had just hit rock-hard steel. 

"What...?"

WHOOSH!*

The man nearly teleported as his white robes and armour fluttered, landing next to him and whispering next to Ray's ear with a tone of amusement like he was playing with a little rat. 

"A pitiful intent at trying to get yourself killed... I'm afraid I must keep you alive to retrieve the sacred gear but don't worry, Ray... I'll make sure you suffer as much as possible before eventually gut you with a sickle~"

"You fucking psycho!".

If there was even a time when Ray felt afraid, it was now. 

*PA!*

*PA!*

*PA!*

Shots were fired but they didn't do anything to that man.

*BAAANGG!!*

A slap was enough to send Ray flying with a bleeding mouth, crashing against the liquor bar.

"What a disgusting power indeed, you smell like him... the Biblical God. Just watching you makes me want to vomit.

"S-Someone... E-Ely..."

"What is it now? Praying for someone who will never come? A god that is dead?~"

His closing steps resonated, Ray coughed a mouthful of blood with an aggrieved gaze, struggling to stand up. This wasn't how he had planned to die.

He put his arms forward towards Rizevim and that was the moment the silver-haired man's pupils contracted. 

*WHOOSHH!*

His body flickered like a phantom, reappearing far away with his eyes struck in fear, but nothing had happened... Ray hadn't done anything. This made the latter curious as well as to why the monster had such an odd response, but what followed after was a billow of berserk wrath. 

"You damn human!".

*BOOOOOMMMM!!!!*

Someone landed in the building, shaking it all up as the shots continued to ring downstairs. Another party had arrived, standing between Rizevim and Ray. 

"Diehauser".

"Rizevim, I never thought we would see each other here. I thought many would be after the Septem Dierum... I didn't think you'd be one of them".

"Who wouldn't be dying to grasp a wisp of the true godly power of our bastard father?~"

The discussion grew to a still as Ray walked up to the man he recognised as Diehauser.

"Please help me... I will pay you anything".

*WHOOSHH!*

A swift movement of hands was all it took.

"Die, kid".

"U-Uh?"

Ray's head fell off, torn away from his body before everything became darkness.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING, DIEHAUSER!".

*RUMBLE!!!*

"If it was someone else... but I'm unable to defeat you. Before you beat me and take the Septem Dierum, I'd rather it disappears for another few millennia".

"BASTARD!"

A magic circle engulfed Diehauser as accursed black flames began to be released by Rizevim who looked in helplessness at Ray's corpse. A burst of flames shot through, engulfing the whole building and calcinating it and everyone in it. 

The Famous Master Massagist was gone. 

**

**

I died... just like that. 

That man or monster, whatever they were... his name was Diehauser? I'll thank you in my next life, you just saved me a future of torture.

I looked down and there was only darkness taking me away. I was naked and there wasn't anything else in this grey world aside from this darkening shade. Is it Limbo? Is it Darkness? Is it the underworld? Is it the netherworld? I wished...

"You're not going away just like that, Ray Lux!".

Oh shit, it is Rizevim!

The darkness morphed into a hand that tried to grasp my legs.

"What the hell is this?! Let me go!"

"The Septem Dierum is mine!".

*RUMBLE!!!*

It was then when I thought that even my afterlife would be just despair, that she appeared once again in front of me. I knew it... I knew you wouldn't abandon me.

"Ray!"

"Elysir!".

The light above was so blinding that it fought the darkness, coming from beneath. That light transformed into a hand that took my arms, while the darkness grasped my legs. 

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

I heard Rizevim flabbergasted at this odd occurrence, I struggled to kick his darkness away as the warmth of Elysir engulfed me, I didn't know what the hell was going on. Where am I, what are they? I don't care... all I care about is that I can get to see my woman again.

"MERE MORTAL, TRYING TO BE RAMPANT IN FRONT OF THIS GODDESS, KNOW YOUR PLACE!"

*FIUSH!!!*

A ray of light shone from the top, engulfing the darkness completely as the existence of Rizevim became nothing but a thought. I let the warmth engulf me and before I knew it, I was in someone's arms... feeling happiness and comfort of a level I had never ever experienced

"My Ray..."

She hugged me and cried... I cried too, it had been some hollow ten years without her.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, but it had to be this way... you needed to die so I could extract your soul away from that mortal flesh".

"Can we be together now? can we go to that place where you are?"

She bit her lips and shook her head much to my grief.

"Not yet, but now you can come to me... I'll make it happen, Ray".