Chapter 55: Pride

Even though blue flames were dancing all around them, silently burning, the temperature was not rising at all. Exactly the opposite happened as it got colder and colder as Frederick, Sylial and Hiyori started to tremble, knocking their teeth together. 

 

“Keep your eyes shut for now.” said Everlong, his voice traveling forward like the icy winds of Antarctica, his breath leaving small, sparkling ice flakes in the air. “Now…” tilted his head, watching the darkness that was also shaking, distorting, the previously quick, flapping tentacles were moving ever so slowly or not at all. A lot of them had blue strands of flames coiled around them, turning them completely solid before they crumbled into nothingness.

 

“Who are you!?” groaned Jibil, already forfeiting to battle against his fire, trying to tear herself free and escape back to Hell. 

 

“Your daddy, and I’m here to spank you~” chuckled Everlong and with a breath, a sea of flames exploded out from his body, engulfing everything around them.

 

The trio could feel them pass by, chilling their bodies down to their bones but besides that they were left unhurt. The same could not be said for Jibil. Her being, the unnatural darkness was burnt away painfully and frighteningly quickly. Whatever she tried to think up, whatever she tried to do, everything was futile and pointless as she was eaten away like a dried leaf, thrown into a blazing fire. 

 

“Stop! I-” shrieked but Everlong just watched the blackness being replaced by eyehurtingly bright, blue flames. 

 

“You are nothing.” answered Everlong for her, his body exuding unquestionable pride and dominance as he looked down at her “Just go and disappear.” snapped his finger as the flames burnt her away, leaving behind truly nothing. The light of the lamps immediately returned, but only for a moment before their bulbs were frozen solid and shattered simultaneously. 

 

As his flames quickly retreated, back into his body, the falling pieces of glass sounded as if someone was playing a maddening piece on a xylophone as they landed on the hard ground. The first to open her eyes was Hiyori, snapping her head towards Everlong. She could barely make out his silhouette in the now natural darkness but his blue eyes were still glowing. It was a strange light, a cold gleam, not human at all. Gulping, she stood up with shaking legs, walking before him and smiling weakly. Her lips, curling upwards would have been unseen by anyone else, but for Everlong it was completely visible… and surprising.

 

“Are you okay?” asked softly Hiyori, putting away her dagger, holding Everlong’s hands “Brr, they are really cold!” shuddered, starting to rub them together for him, trying to warm them up.

 

“Um, I’m fine.” smiled, truly surprised, watching her, letting her do it without a second word. 

 

The second to open his eyes were Frederick, looking around, slowly calming down, fixing his clothes before turning towards Everlong, watching him in the dim darkness, thinking about who knows what. 

 

“Don’t.” whispered Sylial, who also regained herself finally, placing her fair hand on Frederick’s shoulder. She felt how he was fiddling with his short staff, drumming on its shaft with his fingers, thinking that a surprise attack would probably succeed. “Right now he is still his old self. Attack now and he will kill you! Without hesitation.” leaned closer, whispering into his ear “You only heard about him and never truly fought him!”

 

“Aren’t you the same?” groaned Frederick, tearing his shoulder away but his fingers slowly calmed down around his weapon, stopping their annoyed, irritated tapdance. 

 

“Yes, but I watched him act through Shards of Remembrance. He is brutal… exactly what His army needs when Judgment Day comes!”

 

“Hmf.” snorted, turning around and heading out, going towards where the lights were still on, leaving without a second word. 

 

“Oh… it broke!” came Hiyori’s surprised voice. Sylial, letting her body emit a gentle, golden light, brought a dawn-like scenery before them so they could see. 

 

Hiyori was holding up her wrist, watching the completely dimmed bracelet that had cracks going around it, barely holding together.

 

“Your flames probably overloaded it.” walked up to them Sylial, rubbing her own hands, still seeing her own breath as she spoke. 

 

“It served its purpose.” smiled Everlong, tapping on it as it broke away, falling to the ground, clanking like some kind of scrap metal. “Now it's just junk, without any power.” 

 

“Aw, too bad, I liked it!” sighed Hiyori, surprising Sylial with her calmness. She felt that it was not just a play or putting up a strong front, she really was calm and happy that everything was over. In her mind, Hiyori did not question Everlong at all.

 

“Your soul should be a great addition.” murmured the angel, watching Hiyori, licking her lips but drew back her tongue when her eyes met with Everlong’s for a brief moment. 

 

“Let’s go! We eliminated the Trespasser. You can make your report, this should be a worthy deed for an angel!” stretched Everlong, like if he just finished a good exercise, walking up to his dropped revolver, picking it up and holstering it. 

 

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“We’ll see! The deal fell through so the Sigil Bearers may not be happy about it.” shook her head Sylial and even if it did not matter for her, she still aimed it as a warning towards Everlong. 

 

“We’ll see!” shrugged the man, not really bothering with it.

 

“It was a trap! Like they would blame us! No?” protested Hiyori, looking up at Everlong while they were leaving.

 

“Don’t bet on it!” smiled back at her, rubbing her head, playing with her hair. 

 

…

….

…..

 

Back at the parking garage, Hiyori and Everlong were leaning against their car, smoking. Sylial already left and there were no clues as to where Frederick disappeared to. Not that it bothered Everlong at all. After climbing back to the surface, they went and visited Sheby, who they found in a slightly confused state. With the death of the Knight of Leviathan, she was free from her little manipulation, already realizing that all those memories were only implanted in her mind and completely fake. Luckily, she was fine and wouldn’t be in further danger.

 

“She looked sad.” spoke up Hiyori, taking a drag from her cigarette. “I kinda… felt pity towards her.”

 

“Those were very subtle and effective memories.” replied Everlong.

 

“Yeah, and realizing that you felt something towards someone who did not even exist… ouch! I could see it in her eyes! That was harsh!” 

 

“Demons.” shrugged his shoulders Everlong “They just as much love playing with emotions and the mind as torturing others phisically.” 

 

“I see!” sighed Hiyori “What about you? Are you really okay? That was some… otherworldly power!”

 

“I’m fine.” smiled reassuringly “I can handle it.”

 

“Does it have… drawbacks? Like… hypothermia or something? It was extremely cold! Even your skin started to turn bluish!” said, watching Everlong’s face and fingers, making sure he was back to normal.

 

“It does have drawbacks, that is why I hate turning to it, but there are times when I must!” admitted, finishing his cigarette as they got into his car.

 

“We should head home so you can rest!” exclaimed with a hurried voice, worried he felt sick but he just hid it too well.

 

“Ahaha, not that kind of drawback!” laughed Everlong as they slowly exited the garage and started driving home, going through the almost empty streets in the deepest hours of the night. “It feels… great… extremely great! And wrong, at the same time!” explained with a small smile on his face “The problem is I know, I love the feeling, it makes me high, drunk on power! And here lies the problem…” looked at Hiyori with one eye “I know myself. I know that I like that feeling… I love being that powerful!”

 

“Then…” blinked Hiyori, trying to come to an understanding.

 

“Pride.” answered with a simple voice “My own pride. I’m a human and I won’t let him burn away my humanity and turn me into a demon! That is all.” said with a clear and strong voice, clearly closing down the conversation. Hiyori still had some questions, almost spilling out from between her lips but in the end she held back her tongue, only nodding at him. 

 

For the rest of the road, both of them remained calm, until they arrived back at the office and to her surprise, all of the lights were on and when they got out of the car she could hear jazz music coming from the office’s open window. She was stunned at what was happening, looking at Everlong who simply sighed, saying something that froze the blood in Hiyori’s body.

 

“Come, it seems my ex-boss has come to meet us.”

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