Apocalyptic Returning

Chapter 20: The Devils Curtain Call

It took only a second for all the rage and hate filling Ian's mind to fade to the simple emotion of fear. The sight of Lone Star stumbling back, right arm missing, filled him with pure paralyzing dread. That simple action from Atroz forced his brain to finally understand how arrogant it was to think he could take on the Devil himself.

Atroz took a step forward and grabbed Lone Star by the throat, effortlessly raising him into the air. "Farewell my enemy." Atroz announced before piercing his sword into Lone Star's chest.

A moment of silence followed as Atroz deactivated his blade, letting Lone Star fall to the ground beneath him. After slowly turning around, Atroz stared down at Ian with glowing red eyes. He then began to take slow steps forward until he was looming over Ian, his red blade forming once again.

"Am I dying?" Lina thought while watching her own blood pool on the floor around her. Laying there on the street, face on the ground, she was hanging on by a strained thread.

"You are." Allistair's voice answered.

"Why?" Was all Lina could think of in the moment.

"I can't answer that." Allistair responded.

For an uncomfortably long moment, there was nothing but silence filling Lina's mind. That was until Allistair finally decided to speak up, unable to stand by any longer as those around him fell one by one.

"But there is something I can offer you." Allistair informed. "A choice."

"A choice?" Lina questioned.

"Yes, a choice." Allistair confirmed. "But unfortunately for you, neither are in your favor. So, knowing that, do you still wish to hear me out?"

Another uncomfortably long moment of silence followed Allistair's question before Lian gave her answer. "I just want to live."

"I know." Allistair said solemnly. "I'm sorry."

Stumbling back and dropping to his knees, Ian glanced up at the looming figure of Atroz as he fell backwards. A deep slash lay along his chest which poured blood out onto the ground around his body. In his hand, his grip on his broken sword weakened with each passing moment until it fell into the pool of blood.

Another battle had been won by the Devil yet there were no feelings of accomplishment or satisfaction. All he could feel was the slight sense of his instincts telling him his battle was still ongoing. Then, before he could make any sort of movement, a wave of energy washed over him followed by the word he hated yet awaited the most eagerly.

"Overdrive"

Turning his head slightly, Atroz watched as Lina rose from the ground back to her feet. Red energy swirled around her body as her wounds healed. Taking a step forward, Lina walked until she reached Lone Star's body and kneeled beside him.

"Lina." Ian spoke while watching Lina through blurred vision. "You can't fight him...you need to run."

"Lina's not here right now." Allistair spoke in his own and Lina's voice simultaneously. "So, for now." Allistair stood up and peered over at Atroz. "I'll be your opponent."

"There's a familiar voice." Atroz stated. "Allistair, I believe. Didn't I kill you?"

Hearing that caused Allistair's hand to twitch before he raised it into the air. "You don't even bother to remember the names of those you've killed." a mass of nanotechnology formed in his hand and began to morph into a new shape. A handle as long as a man was formed from nanotechnology before the blade of an axe formed on its end.

"Do you remember the name of every ant you've ever stepped on?" Atroz challenged as Allistair pointed the large two-handed axe at him with a single hand.