Azure Akuma [Fire Force x M!Reader]

«|| 07. The Rookie Games

"Ridiculing us with fire? It's hard to imagine that a Flame Person lacking self-awareness could do something like this." Lieutenant Hinawa muttered, and you couldn't help but frown in discontent.

        The soft pitter-patter of collective feet from bare to covered hitting the ground was the only thing that resonated off the walls. The six of you squeezed into the narrow hallway, doing your best not to knock anything over.

        "It's so quiet, almost like no one's here. Is there a Flame Person here, or were they mistaken?" Shinra asked quietly. You only let out a slow exhale and turned your head to take a look at a nearby picture frame. In it, you saw three people; the mother, father, and the small little girl smiling brightly.

        "He's in the living room, according to reports..."

        "And there was that Death's Head Flame earlier, too. This might be related to all of the incidents as of late, so keep your wits about you." Captain Obi ordered, and you all followed him silently. Deep, deep down, something tells you the Death Head Flame wasn't the work of the Infernal who you were soon to meet, but you didn't dare voice your thoughts out loud. The shuffling of feet continued to sound until you had reached the opening of the living room, the scent of burning flesh welcoming you in.

                "Wel... Wel... come." The Infernal gurgled out. He made no movements and only sat still in a polite manner. I can't imagine the pain he's putting himself through by just sitting there. Shinra had also voiced his concerns, the same as yours. You couldn't help but nod, but Arthur's face remained impassive.

        "Leave the soul's repose to me." He finally spoke, and you couldn't help butting in.

        "But he's just sitting there; he's not hurting anybody. Isn't there a place we can send him?" Captain Obi only looked at you with sadness welling in his eyes and shook his head slowly. He faced the picture frame of the family next to him downwards. "Isn't there?" you asked again.

        "Dumbass! That old man's sitting there suffering through imaginable pain from the flames. I'm going to set him free." As the words rolled off his tongue, he whipped out his Excalibur sharply, and you turned your gaze elsewhere. "This suffering cannot continue any further. Sleep peacefully by my Excalibur."

        "Flames are the breaths of souls..."

        Iris then began to start the prayer, and Arthur walked up to the Infernal's backside.

        "And black smoke is the souls' release, ashes to ashes..." Placing Excalibur's hilt up to the back of the chair, Arthur finally pierced the Infernal's chest, and the older man went limp, his flames already disintegrating. "Oh, soul... go back to the raging flames."

        You clasped your hands in a tent-like gesture and solemnly closed your eyes. "Latom."

        Captain Obi then walked himself between you and Shinra and asked a question, the guard on his helmet obscuring his face. "Is it difficult?"

        Your response was immediate. "I... y-yes, sir." Shinra nodded as well.

        "That's fine for now, but the time will come when you will have to do it. The most frightening thing about this job is getting used to it..." Captain obi trailed off, and you all sat in an oddly comfortable silence. No one dared to break that tranquility. The sudden sound of crackling above you is what drew your attention, though. The ceiling began to crumble, and that's when everything went wrong. Debris quickly began to fill your lungs as the seams of the house began to burst.

        "The roof's coming down!" Shinra yelled, and by instinct, you grabbed Iris and began racing through the door. "Hurry! Pull back!" The captain instructed, and you all wasted no time in doing so. Though, with one look behind you again, you noticed that Captain Obi had still stayed behind, a picture frame in his hand.