Death's Mantle 2

by Harmon Cooper

  His shotgun in his hands now, Lucian fired two slugs straight into the angel’s side, blowing off his arm.

  Lucian charged Hashul, cracking the butt of his shotgun against his face, even as the angel tried to conjure enough power to blow Lucian off.

  Lucian’s head went right, his body to the left, as one of Danira’s golden cherub crows decapitated him, cutting straight through the armor covering his neck.

  “Shit!” Lucian said as his decapitated head hit the sand, bouncing once, Hugin whisking over him to engage the cherub crow.

  Lucian managed to see Danira at that moment, a firm look on her face as she continued to engage the twin Deaths. She was now in head-to-toe armor, the only way Lucian able to recognize her being her hair.

  And he couldn’t help but have this feeling she knew what had just happened, that she was purposefully ignoring him.

  One of his Grim Mechas landed, and scooped Lucian’s head into his arm.

  His replica advanced toward Lucian’s body, which continued to try to strike Hashul with the butt of his shotgun.

  Grim Mecha touched down, handing the head to Lucian’s body and taking over, repeatedly stabbing the angel as the man tried and failed to fight back, his replicant guarding Lucian while he healed.

  Once Lucian’s head had mended back to his body, he got into position again to take on the angel, only to be tossed aside by tendril-like fingers that came for him, Gaspard suddenly appearing to Lucian’s left.

  “We’re on the same side,” he started to say, batting away the fingers as he got back to his feet.

  “You know very well what you did here, Lucian,” Gaspard said, baring his teeth, his hair a mess now and partially covering his face. “You have caused an all-out war.”

  “It wasn’t me who caused it.”

  “This is going to be very painful for you.”

  Rather than respond, Lucian kicked up into the air, his carbine forming under his arm. He began unloading his magazine at the man, even as Gaspard’s sharp fingers tore in Lucian’s direction.

  He flew to the right; his injurecrows careening into Gaspard’s body, tossing the Death back to the shoreline and filling the air with sand and smoke.

  Lucian took this moment to toggle his weapon from carbine to zero-point energy field manipulator mode.

  Once he did, he squeezed the trigger, a wave of force latching onto Gaspard, Lucian able to repeatedly slam him against the shoreline, waves washing over the man as he tried to free himself from Lucian’s weapon.

  But Gaspard was a more experienced Death, and it wasn’t but a second later that a flying blade cut Lucian’s arm off.

  That same arm fell down to the sand, sprouted legs, and continued to trigger his weapon.

  Lucian landed, ignoring the tendrils now coming for him as he stopped in front of his opponent. Even though it was hard to hold with one arm, he went for his MX-11, and he was just about to fire at Gaspard when a new portal opened up.

  A man dropped down to the beach, Gaspard saying something under his breath, something that sounded like he was afraid.

  The man was clad in all black, clearly a member of the Progeny of Darkness. Instead of a cape, he wore a trench coat, replacing a set of robes with black jeans, a black button-up shirt, and a black hat.

  “It’s Wyatt, you fool, the Death Hunter,” Gaspard said as the man in question parted his trench coat, revealing two six-shooters on his belt. “You’ll never be able to…”

  Lucian was sent to the ground before he heard the report of the man’s revolver. The man did the same to Gaspard, Lucian managing to roll to his side as Wyatt approached the two.

  “So you’re the new Death come to raise hell, right?” Wyatt asked in a thick southern accent, still aiming his revolver at Lucian.

  “I wouldn’t say I have come to raise hell,” Lucian told him, “but I keep seeming to find myself in situations like this.”

  Wyatt was quiet for a moment, the Death Hunter not at all concerned with the battle still happening behind him.

  A blast from one of the angels came searing in his direction; Wyatt simply lifting his revolver in the air, completely absorbing the attack with his weapon.

  He spit, and ran his tongue along the inside of his mouth before speaking again. “Good to know. I’ll be dealing with you in due time. But for now…”

  Gaspard sprung forward; Wyatt cracked him upside the head with his revolver. He quickly got on top of Gaspard, a rope appearing in his hands. He fired two shots into the back of Gaspard’s head, Gaspard going limp as Wyatt strung him up, his rope glowing with energy.

  “Now you stay right there, boy,” Wyatt told Lucian, the brim of his hat shielding his eyes. “You’re next.”

  “Like fuck I am,” Lucian said as he fired at Wyatt with his MX-11.

  The Death Hunter absorbed Lucian’s blast, just as two angels came swooping down with swords rimmed in golden energy.

  Wyatt managed to shoot one of them out of the sky; the man quickly made his way over to the other angel, grabbed her by her wing, flipped her over, and fired two shots into the back of her skull.

  Gaspard managed to turn his head and look over at Lucian, the sand now sticky with his blood. “Leave, you fool… Leave…”

  “I ain’t done with you yet, boy!” Wyatt called over to Lucian as the Death Hunter took down the next angel.

  Lucian looked to Old Death to see him being overpowered by Lord Lifton. The opposite could be said about Leliel in her match with Mastima, the angel clearly winning the fight.

  The twin deaths were still taking on a couple of the angels including Danira, Lucian’s Grim Mechas, Menor’s ax and crows adding chaos to the fight.

  And he was just about to do it; Lucian was just about to port away, to live to fight another battle when a purple pillar of energy struck the center of the beach, throwing everyone off their feet, including Wyatt.

  Azazyel appeared, the angel’s gunmetal gray armor spreading up his arms as a sharp mask formed over his face.

  Chapter Thirty-One: All Involved

  Old Death raised his sword at Azazyel. “Well, if it isn’t the mumblecrust from Manchester. En garde, you worthless sack of buzzard dribble!”

  Lucian’s predecessor lifted into the air; Azazyel met him in a matter of seconds, striking Old Death so hard that the man was sent spiraling backward, straight into the water.

  “It appears as if everyone has decided to come to the beach today,” Azazyel said in a grave voice, locking eyes onto Lucian. “Aside from someone I’ve been looking for.”

  Movement to Lucian’s left caught his attention; Wyatt grabbed Gaspard, a portal appearing, the Death Hunter vanishing with the Committee member.

  Lucian barely had time to register what had happened, but he was glad that there were fewer opponents now.

  “I’m not done with you yet!” Old Death shouted at Azazyel as he emerged from the water, his robes swelling forward until they formed what almost resembled a giant bat. The fabric crashed down onto Azazyel, hardening instantly as he tried to fight it off.

  Figuring he would try to help, Lucian equipped his particle-beam cannon and aimed it at the Watcher.

  It took a moment to charge, Azazyel still trying to fight off Old Death’s robes when Lucian blasted him, his action taking Leliel off guard. The angel dove for cover.

  Seeing an opportunity, Mastima charged forward, driving her scythe into Leliel’s stomach.

  The angel cried out, but managed to push the female Death away with her ax. She leaped into the air, the wings on her ankles propelling her forward as she cut Mastima’s arm off.

  A purple pillar of light bore down onto the beach; Lord Lifton sprang into the air, the twin Deaths got out of the way just in time to avoid being vaporized.

  The angels started to gather, all of them now in a cluster with Danira at the center, who seemed to be hesitating.

  Upon gathering her wits, she motioned the angels forward, the group flying toward the first opponent they c
ould reach.

  The twin Deaths ended up engaging the three angels; another fired shots from his energy-rimmed wings at Azazyel, who continued to fight his way out of Old Death’s robes; another couple came toward Lord Lifton, including the ones that Wyatt had shot earlier and the male angel known as Hashul.

  The battle was back on as Lucian’s Grim Mechas returned to the fray, explosions sounding off as his injurecrows met their targets, more sand and rubble thrown into the air.

  Lucian knew it was coming, even as he continued to try to microwave Azazyel, he was well aware that there was an opponent heading his way.

  Danira landed, but rather than fire upon Lucian, the angel struck him in the face with the butt of her gun, Lucian stumbling backward and losing his grip on his weapon.

  Silent as ever, Danira aimed her weapon at him. Lucian’s cape swelled forward and disrupted her shot, the blast cutting off to the right and bringing down some of the cliffside rock into the ocean, his favorite bench disappearing as well.

  And as much as he hated to do it, Lucian knew that he would have to engage her.

  He rushed forward with his claws drawn, knocking Danira’s weapon out of her hands.

  His lava sword formed; she responded with a blade of her own, made of golden fire.

  Lucian advanced on her with a calculated swing, Danira easily dodging his attack.

  He managed to twist around and bring his sword up, kicking out of the way just in time to avoid her next strike.

  Danira landed behind him and pressed off the ground, her wings lifting her as she spun into the air. She dropped just before Lucian and tried to sink her blade into his stomach.

  His armor protected him, her blade slipping off to the side as Lucian brought his own sword back, going for an overarm hack that was destined to land.

  Danira fell to one knee as Lucian drove the enhanced blade into her shoulder, cutting through her armor.

  “I’m sorry,” he started to say, Danira’s only response being a grunt as she lunged forward, tackling him to the beach.

  The two rolled toward the shoreline just as Azazyel unleashed another blast of energy from the heavens, this one coming within a few feet of them.

  They stopped, Danira now on top of Lucian, fear racing across her face, evident even though she wore a sharp mask.

  “You didn’t mean it, did you?” Lucian asked suddenly. “When you attacked me…”

  Straddling him, Danira pulled her fist back and punched Lucian so hard that he could have sworn his mask cracked.

  He tried to buck her off; she gripped him even tighter this time, cracking another fist against his chin.

  He managed to flip her around; a spinning scythe flew in their direction, Lucian pressing down on Danira as it razored over their heads.

  The scythe returned to its owner, Mastima, the female death trying to best Leliel yet again.

  “Argh!” Danira kicked Lucian off her, the angel bursting forward and latching onto him, torpedoing straight up into the air, well past the fight.

  Lucian was familiar with this move; remembering that she had done it to him once before.

  “I know you don’t mean any of this,” he shouted as he got his bearings, as they spiraled higher and higher into the air. He quickly checked his Soul Points, seeing that he was close to the halfway point:

  “Lucian…” Danira said, her voice tinged with anguish as the two reached an apex in the sky, the battle still raging beneath them.

  “I don’t want to fight you.” Lucian pressed away from her, his MX-11 appearing in his hands.

  He pointed his energy weapon at her, Danira staring at him defiantly. “Is that what you plan to do, demon?” she asked with a snarl.

  “You’re the one that attacked me…”

  Lucian glanced down, and even though they were pretty high up, he could see his predecessor struggling to overpower Azazyel, Old Death mostly on the defensive.

  Lucian was just returning his attention to Danira when another purple column appeared in the sky, this one directly next to them.

  But rather than fire down to the beach, it sucked both of them into a vortex, shooting them out the other end. Danira and Lucian landed onto the beach below, leaving a crater in their wake.

  “Are you okay?” he asked her as one of her angels flew in the air above them, the woman struck out of the sky by one of the twin Death’s slinky swords.

  Lucian crawled over to Danira, noticing that her armor was cracked now, that she was moaning in pain.

  She lifted her arm, and as she did it started to turn black, to wilt away.

  “What’s going on?” Lucian started to ask.

  “Lucian…” Danira said, her mask instantly disappearing.

  And even though he never tried it before, Lucian pressed his energy forward as he had done multiple times before, imagining himself healing her.

  To his surprise, Danira’s arm started to return to its normal color, her fingers reforming.

  “Lucian, don’t…”

  “Just hang tight…”

  “Demon…”

  “Angel…”

  Danira shoved him away.

  She sprung to her feet, her sword in her hand, hesitation on her face as she looked him over. Danira quickly scanned her arm to see that it was completely healed. And for a split second, a soft smile came over her face, the same type of smile she’d given Lucian when he’d created chocolate for her.

  “We don’t have to fight…” Lucian nodded toward the ocean. “I have a surprise.”

  Lucian turned in the direction of the sea, and as he did the waves started to part.

  It took a moment for everyone fighting to see the absolutely enormous mecha lifting from the water, but once Grimzilla was visible, most everyone stopped fighting for a moment to watch him hover over the ocean, the waves now lashing against the shore.

  Grimzilla’s eyes shone purple as cannons began to lift off his shoulders, the robot’s energy blades forming.

  “You are so ridiculous…” Danira said.

  Grimzilla began his attack, hundreds upon hundreds of injurecrows swarming toward the beach. The mecha’s concentrated energy blasts that cut through some of the angels, reaching the Progeny of Darkness.

  In response, the twin Deaths opened a portal and left, quickly followed by Lord Lifton.

  “That’s my boy!” Old Death screamed, using the distraction to charge at Azazyel.

  He lunged forward, black injurecrows flying in between his attacks, explosions kicking up sand, Old Death now focused solely on killing his opponent.

  But Azazyel was fast, and clearly stronger than Lucian’s predecessor.

  He grabbed the man by the throat; Old Death’s head exploded.

  Before it could even begin to reform, a bolt of energy lifted from the ground, striking Old Death’s body and blowing out the top of his neck hole, turning him into a fine, bloody mist.

  “No!” Lucian cried as he flew toward Azazyel.

  He was struck backward by a series of energetic gusts that sent him flipping toward the sea.

  Still not ready to give up, and all but ignoring his Soul Points, Lucian lifted in the air toward Grimzilla, the cockpit on the front of his creation opening.

  He landed inside, and as the hatch started to shut, information appeared on the reflective screen in front of him.

  He focused all of his firepower on the fallen angel, and as he did so, Azazyel rose into the air, his arms forming into two darkened blades as he flew toward Lucian.

  Lucian swatted him away using Grimzilla’s towering energy blade.

  The rockets on his feet helped Lucian spring forward, Grimzilla slicing at Azazyel as the tiny man blocked each attack.

  Anguish now on her face, Leleil faced Azazyel; Mastima turned her focus to Azazyel as well, the Progeny of Light gathering around Danira. Lucian’s only goal now was to finish the Watcher.

  No matter what.

  For his predecessor, for Yoshimi, for himself, and even for the
Progeny of Light, who had been struggling with the man for ages.

  Reticles cascaded across Lucian’s pane of vision as retractable cannons on his creation’s body traced Azazyel’s every movement.

  And just as Lucian felt that he was starting to get the upper hand, that it looked like Azazyel’s power was beginning to wane, Lucian’s mecha was struck by a purple pillar of energy from the sky.

  Everything short-circuited for a moment, the cockpit shaking, alarms going off.

  The trauma caused a health bar to materialize in front of Lucian, one indicating that he wasn’t going to be able to take more than a couple shots like that.

  “Not strong enough,” Lucian said, chastising himself for not pouring more of his mantlecore into his creation.

  But this was supposed to be a Hail Mary, and as Azazyel flew at him again, Lucian released one of his fists, the fist exploding from his wrist and driving the fallen angel into the cliff, deep enough that the top began to crumble, Azazyel at least nine or ten feet in by the time Lucian’s fist reversed its trajectory, returning to his wrist.

  “Did I do it?” Lucian said to himself, looking at his own Soul Points and seeing that while there had been some change, his creation was taking the brunt of Azazyel’s attacks.

  He could see Danira floating above the beach, her angels with her, all of them turning toward the cliff where Azazyel had crash-landed. Lucian’s Grim Mechas joined them, ready to engage, as did his crows, Leliel and Mastima making up the rear of the group.

  Lucian could see their facial expressions now on the screen before him, all of them enlarged, a conversation taking place between Leliel and the angels, Mastima chiming in.

  And for a moment he thought that they were about to engage one another, that the fight was going to go on indefinitely until people ported away.

  But this wasn’t the case.

  All of them made toward the partially exploded cliff together, where Lucian used to sit on his lone bench, their weapons at the ready.

  And as Azazyel started to emerge, they all attacked at once.

  The man was able to bat a few of them away with his wings, which were starting to grow larger, Azazyel also using his bladed arms to block their attacks.