TWENTY-EIGHT

Kicking the door to the rooftop open I could see Ban, Kenji, and Korku. Ban held an old book in his hand as he read from it. I couldn't understand the words, but I could feel the power in their meaning. Soji was in front of Ban, he was tied down to a table. I could see him still and unmoving. He wasn't dead yet. I knew that. He wasn't dead yet.

"Ban!" I yelled and the Great Demon paused as all three men turned around to look at me. Ban lips parted in a smile as he move closer to Soji. If he thought that I was going to stand by and let him kill Soji he was wrong. Ban had to have known that.

"Stall him," Ban told the others and Kenji rushed towards me as Korku went for Fang and Able. I rushed towards Kenji as well. I have been meaning to kill him for some time now. I kicked my foot out connecting with Kenji's stomach when he leaped at me. He flew across the rooftop and I smiled.

I wondered if Kenji could feel my newly found powers in that kick. He rose again quickly and rushed towards me again. Swinging at me I blocked his attacks. He moved like lightning. He was so fast, much faster than the last time we battled. Of course, I was faster as well. Even with his new speed I matched him blocking every blow that he sent towards me.

Kenji kicked me in the chest and I backed away. Turning to Able he and Fang were taking on the Fear Demon. Able had a sword in his hand. Each new cut he made seemed to burn the demon. His blade must have been blessed in order for it to do that. They had a white mage. I'm sure Soji power was infused with all of the weapons in that church.

I allowed my eyes to wander back to Ban and Soji. Ban was reading as he pulled oils onto Soji's skin. We still had time. We could still stop this. I kept telling myself this as Kenji was charging towards me again.

Reaching into my pocket I took out a blue stone. Kenji watched me as he laughed. I smiled at him. He shouldn't laugh at things he didn't understand. This stone was the beginning of his end. Holding it between both of my hands I started to chant the words needed for this spell.

I wondered if the spell would be more powerful now that I gave up my humanity. I didn't feel different. I had the same thoughts. I felt the same about Soji and Ban. Maybe I understood my feelings towards the both of them a bit more. I wouldn't call it love, but I liked them. It should have sickened me to like Ban, but I liked him.

The stone was heating in my hand as Kenji came for me. I laughed inside of my mind. Of course, he didn't want me to finish my spell. Muttering the words under my breath I only had my feet to defend myself with.

Kicking and blocking Kenji I was holding him off with some fancy footwork. He backed away from me his blood snakes shooting at me. I ducked, dodged, and flipped out of the way as they were shot at me in an endless barrage. I hissed when one of them bit into my shoulder. It's fangs sunk further into me. I almost lost my focus as its body was being sucked into my blood through the wound.

Turning towards Able he was on the defense. Korku was attacking his sword hitting it again, and again with his long nails. The demon had gone into his true form as he attacked Able. I watched as Able dropped his guard for a split second, and the demon stabbed his nails through his shoulder. Able backed away hissing with pain as his blood dripped down his arm. Fang was at the door attacking any demon that thought he was coming on the roof with us. I couldn't tell if we were winning or not.

My eyes shifted to Ban, who now had a wicked jagged blade in his hand as he continued to read from his book. I needed to get over there, but first I needed to take care of Kenji. I could feel the snake moving through my blood. I needed to finish, saying the last three lines of the spell I threw the stone, and it frozen in the air as if some invisible net caught it.

I started on a new spell backing away from Kenji so that I could get his snake out of me. I could feel it slithering towards my brain and that was the last place I wanted it to be. The blue stone vibrate mid-air then cracked.

Kenji laughed out, and I felt his snake bit into my brain. Closing my eyes, I told myself I was stronger than it. Blocking off sections of my mind I started to isolate his parasite into a corner. It would deal with it after I was done.

Turning around I watched as Able rammed his sword through Korku's heart. The demon stumbled away from him for a moment. Looking down at his body the cuts that he had gotten throughout the course of his battle started to glow white. A bright white light was coming from his body.

His eyes, his fingertips, even his ears were giving off this harsh pure light. When he opened his mouth to scream in pain, I could only see a light inside of him and then he shattered into a million pieces. The light turning those pieces into ash before they could even touch anyone.

I smiled, that was one demon down and two to go. Focusing on Kenji and the stone again a hand came out.. Another followed, and then a head poked out. Its was a boar's head with huge tusk and small beady black eyes. It looked around spotting me before a shoulder came through the stone.

Slowing the body of a human started to come through only this human was five stories tall. I watched as Kenji looked up at the massive beast I had summoned from the deepest depths of hell. Smiling the last time I used the blue stone nothing as powerful as him came from it. Yet another testament to how powerful I had become by giving away what little light had reminded inside of me.

The beast of hell looked back into the stone. Reaching in it pulled out a hammer that was just as big as he was and swung it at Kenji. Kenji leaped out of the way as the hammer crush the floor of the roof where the Blood Demon just was. The force of the attack sent a shock wave over the roof, and Able fell to his knees.

I watched as Kenji jumped, and moved out of the was just seconds before the huge hammer slammed down where he just was. He didn't have time to go on the attack since the Hell Beast had him on the move. I wanted it to kill him. Flatten him like a pancake, step on him, and crush him like the worm he was.

Kenji frowned going for the beast at last. The sky seemed to open only above the Hell Beast, and it rained blood down on him. I could see smoking raising the Hell Beast's body as Kenji's blood rain burned like acid. Growling to myself slightly I didn't want Kenji to win. He was weak and pointless. He needed to die already.

I looked to see Able leaning against one of the walls holding his shoulder. Fang had gone back down the stairs probably helping Ayase and Rai. The Hell Beast was keeping Kenji busy enough so I set my sights on Ban.

Rushing for Ban, Kenji came from nowhere and planted a kick to my face. I flew back from the force of it slamming into the wall and hitting my head against the stone of the tower. I saw the Hell Beast kick Kenji, and he was the next one that was sent sailing across the roof. He hit the edge and went over. Rush to the edge Kenji had vanished before he hit the ground.

"Find him," I told the Hell Beast. He had bowed to me before he vanished as well. Looking over at Able he was no use to anyone as he cuddled his wounded shoulder. Then there was Ban, the last link in this chain.

I rushed forward, and without stopping he jumped up and kicked me in a chest. I stumbled away touching my chest knowing that it was bruised from the force of the kick. I was a little winded, but that wasn't going to stop me. I came at him again, and he kicked me yet again. I leaped at him again, and he dropped the dagger grabbing my throat.

My feet dangled in the air as Ban held me. He wasn't even looking at me. His eyes were in his book as he read the spell. I tried to pry his hand off of me, but his grip was like iron though. I couldn't remove his hand from around my throat. He was squeezing tighter, and tighter.

My vision was starting to tunnel. It was getting harder to breathe. There was darkness at the edge and it was pulling me in. I was dying, even with all my new strength Ban was still stronger than me.

My eyes shifted as I looked at Soji. He was lying so still on the table. Soji was about to have his life, his light stolen from him. "So . . . Soji . . ." I had whispered before the darkness closed in on me, and all was lost.

There were lots of faces that I didn't know. Names that I couldn't remember. Then one stayed. It whispered into my mind as if it was trying to implant itself. Blake, I didn't know who he was. I felt like I should. Blake, he was someone important. Why didn't I remember him?

My eyes flew opened and I looked around to see Kenji and the Hell Beast. Kenji was in his true demon form, and his snake body was wrapped around the Hell Beast's squeezing him tightly. I saw Kenji's eyes go to me as I shifted and started to stand up.

He had smiled before he bit into the Hell Beast's throat. The beast screamed then in a pop vanished from between Kenji. I looked at the blue stone and, it shattered along with the beast that it had held. This wasn't how I picture this going.

Ban slammed the book that he had been reading from shut, and all eyes went to him. He was looking at me, and then he looked down at Soji. I growled as Ban ran his hand over Soji, moving his fingers up Soji's shirt.

"Ban!" I yelled his name and he laughed at me.

"I wanted you to wait in your room, Natsu," Ban spoke as he picked up the dagger he had before. He ran it up Soji's body and I swallowed. How was I going to stop him? He was still stronger than me. I haven't even killed Kenji yet. What was I suppose to do?

"Zero, you came." Soji eyes were open. His head was turned slightly as he smiled. Ban had looked down at Soji before he plunged the dagger into Soji's heart.