Breaking Out

I was confident enough that Azag wouldn't pose much of a problem after all. For one, I could see how he used evasion tactics, he was checking the waters. And that meant he felt threatened. Perhaps of the power surging within me, at least that's what I imagined. I remembered how Chopper had asked me multiple times if I smelled something. What he was really trying to discern was whether I could sense the demon.

"You lot are such rude visitors", Azag appeared from our right this time. The two of us averted our attention to him.

"This ain't gonna get nobody nowhere, pal", Chopper observed.

Naturally, Azag already knew that. Still, I was tired of this exchange as well. If Chopper knew this was an illusion, he also knew how to break through. The calm that I'd seen on him earlier meant he'd figured everything out already.

"I don't mean to intrude but...", I interrupted, "there really isn't a thing you can do here, Azag. You know, I did hold up against Lucifer, if only barely, but he's the king of all of you. So, I'm thinking, you ain't got nothing on me. Isn't that-"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, brat."

"Well, in that case, lets go all out one on one, you and I. Drop this game you're trying to play and lets just get this over with."

I didn't notice how Chopper reacted to that proposal but since he didn't stop me, I figured no harm was done. Naturally, I already knew Azag wouldn't want to go against me. In fact, I didn't think I was stronger than him but there was certainly something he found threatening about me. I couldn't help but think it had something to do with Nasty II. As to whatever it was Azag was going so far to avoid, I had no idea.

Azag broke into a laughter at my proposal. And until he was finished, neither of us spoke a word. Then after he had had enough, he wiped off the moisture forming at the corner of his eyes and smiled like a serpent.

"I don't think your friend here would fancy that. After all, he intends to be the one who puts this body out of his misery. That's what he owes to the man he loved. Isn't that right, dear one?"

I looked at Chopper who looked barely impressed by this claim of Azag's. I felt like I'd lost my place to say a thing.

"I see", Chopper muttered, "I understand you can't tap into the depths of his soul after all. That sets me at ease, then. There's no harm in telling you though...although that man and I aren't what we used to be, but for whatever friendship we once had, and whatever hatred that followed, I'm the only one Wolfe belongs to."

It was rare to hear Chopper taking Wolfe's name. Chopper then averted his gaze to me, as if letting me know it was time to break out. I slightly nodded before he shot Ivory right at the center of my forehead. I grabbed it within inches of impact, perplexed.

Soon as my eyes went back to Chopper, he'd already closed in, plugging an uppercut in before I could move.

I was thrown back. I lost focus of Azag and was instead concentrating on collecting myself and getting back up instead. I quickly moved, keeping my eyes on Chopper, with a questioning look on my face. I was ready to fight back now.

"Make this easy, kid", he spoke, carrying an annoyed look on his face, "You wanna get out or what?"

"To hell with you", I moved back instinctively, "With all due respect."

Chopper sighed, "Where's Ivory?"

Indeed, I had dropped it just as I was thrown back, I didn't know where it went though. Although, I was able to spot it quickly, near Chopper's foot. Soon as I'd spotted it, Chopper flicked it, with some abnormal force of his foot, sending it shooting towards my head again. I managed to dodged enough for it to avoid my forehead but instead it slashed my eye.

I stumbled back, as the blood gushed out. I hadn't yet regained my balance when Chopper grabbed my head from behind. I was going to jerk him off me but he wasn't playing around either.

"You first, kid", saying, he turned my head in a way in which heads really aren't supposed to be turned. I heard a single crack, that's all really. It was a whole new experience to die by his hands too.