Mael
0.05s
His eye flashed a hateful glow as the chains came down on him - like a demon's jaws. He jumped back and spun to escape their grasp, but even with his speed, they came inching ever closer. Closer, until they were close enough to kiss his body. That's when his blackened body turned one final time and...
BLAM BLAM BLAM!!
0.23s
In less than a second, a hail of divine bullets shattered a dozen chains. His body flowed like a storm, gunning down the incoming bindings with terrifying precision, firing at his blind spots and weaving through them to evade the rest. "Kh-!" However, Aruna was not so weak that a few bullets could match it. Her rage. Her resolve.
0.47s
It slammed against his ribs, coiled around his arm, and choked his throat. His windpipe was crushed in an instant, his life was eroding from his body for that moment. But at that moment, he shot the chains and freed himself. He heaved for a moment, his glare burning up at Aruna murderously.
But she wasn't in front of him.
Only dozens of chains.
BOOM!!
The sands kicked into the heavens as the impact of all these chains crashed the beach's grounds with explosive force. He couldn't be seen anymore, let alone be felt. Had Aruna done it? Had she repelled the legend?
1s
"You've gotten stronger."
1.000000000000000000000000001s
A violet beam fired with unmatched speed and power fired out of the sand cloud, with such heat and power it melted the sand beneath it into glass. Even as it led the way to a torrent of blackened bullets, its message was simple.
"I won't fall so easily."
And as his form soared from the debris, she could feel it in its entirety. A broken chain lying by his feet like a shackle. On his left arm, a massive shattered chain, dragged along and corrupted by his grasp to be wielded by him alone. On his right, a raw degloved mix of meat and bone, its hide likely ripped open to remove one of the chains. But clutching that blackened gun nonetheless.
His wounded, bloodied body, the bones poking out of its ribs. It wasn't immortal, it could be defeated.
And the weight of his everything crashed onto Aruna. A black aura so wrathful, so raw, it'd melt everything into its immutability.
Aruna, even Lucy, could all feel it at this moment. It wasn't some kind of control of the mind, no, it was far simpler. It was the feeling of prey inside the jaws of a predator.
The true terror of the Archangel of Death.
"Kneel before me." Its attacks wouldn't cease until it died. And he wasn't dead yet.
Mael
But the attack never came. An overwhelming feeling of disorientation was the one thing that let him notice his feet were off the ground. The wretched feeling of warmth assailed him, pinned his arms, and tried to wrap around him. "This doesn't concern you. Stand aside. I-
But it was too late. Lucy touched him, and he touched her. And what was once lost was returned to him, entering every pore of his body and stretching it to the brim.
His eyes shot open, crowned with a pained gasp.
There was once a monster who'd point its blade at a woman and her own child.
A sinner who'd cut down its kin and rejoice.
Drink from heaven's own delusion.
A soldier who had known nothing but war, and was ultimately betrayed by it.
Who'd cut down the one thing he ever loved.
"The union of heaven and hell is a sin most grave."
Arrows of light rained down, surrounding Asmael like a holy crown of spears. A towering assault of burning light, purging. Killing. The demons who tried to resist fought bravely, only to be cut down and butchered like animals. Men, women, elders, children. All those of impure blood burnt to the Accuser's arrow of justice.
And the attacks wouldn't stop.
And the tears wouldn't stop.
"Rejoice. Praise His name and repent with eternal rest."
As islands were burnt and heavenly cities torn to ash, the archangel and his armies kept razing the unfaithful. The sinners. Those who must be judged above all else. The soldier's entire life was nothing more than a war that had never ended. It was only fair. It was just.
A woman and her child laid before his cold gaze, clutching at each other in fear.
His arrows pointed downwards.
And-
"My own wife.... and child...?"
The brightest of lights swooped over the earth, burning into the sky. Followed by a monster's blood-curdling scream. What was she doing to the former angel? What did she show him? As he turned his head to face Lucy, the monster of monsters looked back and shed a bloody tear.
"I don't need... anyone else. Being punished for my sins....for all eternity... is fine." Such words were a true struggle to muster, yet the smile on his lips was far easier to show. For just a moment, there was no fight in his body whatsoever. "What you showed me... that was no lie. Unbelievable... it's too cruel. Death by your hand would be less painful. Thank you."
Can a soldier who's only ever known the horror of war - learn to find peace?
"But I can't stop now. It's too late to stop. No one... stops. My war won't end until I can make all of them pay. The voices, I can still hear them cursing at me. If I can at least make this world livable for them, then maybe I can quiet my phantoms. I can't let that thing live."
But was that thing the grace... or himself?