Author: Vincent Rodger | Banner: Vincent Rodger
Chronicles of Conflict: Episode 3
Tokyo, Japan, 7 AM
Just the start of another day.
His hair was not yet tied up, wearing white soft clothing and sandals as he yawned, waking up to start his morning routine by walking over to the coffee pot. Opening a cupboard and reaching for the bag of coffee grounds before closing the piece of furniture, quickly making a fresh batch of coffee for the morning.
The young man looked over to his unconscious roommate, the Blood Fiend, Power, sleeping on the floor in the living room. Her cat sat on her stomach while purring, waiting for her to wake up, the girl snoring as food covered her dirty clothes from the day prior. A slight smile formed on his face before his gaze looked upward, seeing a younger man than himself standing on the balcony, his body turned back to him as the wind slightly brushed past.
It had been only a few days since their encounter with the Bomb Devil, a young girl who had lured Denji into a false sense of trust before attempting to take his heart just as many Devils had in the past. That had broken his heart even more, as he still waited at the cafe they had spent so much time together at. Reze never appeared, the bundle of flowers that the hybrid had brought for her being eaten in the cafe as a strange act of heartbreak.
It was weird. When they had first met, Aki had genuinely detested Denji. Only being in this job to get a better life and a pretty girl, Ms. Makima being so out of his league that they weren’t even playing the same sport. But… the past several days with Denji moping around, it made him feel a mix of sympathy at the general situation and empathy that someone so close to him was hurting. They lived together, ate together, worked almost every case together since Makima brought the poor boy into their lives. Seeing him so low, it hurt to watch.
He took a deep breath, walking out of the kitchen and past the unconscious Power to open the door to the deck, quickly wrapping his hand around a cigarette within his pocket before closing the door behind him. Sitting in his chair, as he did every morning for a smoke, he looked at Denji with sorrowful eyes. “You wanna talk about it?” Aki asked with sincerity, wrapping his hand around the lighter before lighting the cigarette, the smell of tobacco quickly surrounding the both of them in the cold air.
“What is there to say?,” Denji said with a broken voice, continuing to stare at the city below as the sun continued to rise. “She’s gone and that moment of happiness is gone with it. Every girl I have met has tried to murder me so far and every Devil is after my heart, not Denji’s heart but,” He spoke as he placed his hand on his chest, closing his eyes as he pictured the genuine joy he had with Pochita growing up in the environment that they did. “Chainsaw Man’s heart. Just a vessel for whatever greed they got I guess.”
Aki took a long drag of the cigarette, taking in the words that his friend was saying and truly considering his feelings with what he would say next. “I know this may come off as heartless, but the truth of the matter is, is that the Bomb Devil-”
“Reze,” Denji interrupted. “Her name is Reze”
Aki was slightly taken back by the statement but simply continued on with what he was saying. “Reze… wasn’t who you are meant to be with, the feelings that you may have shared together, even if a small part of it was real, wasn’t the full picture.”
“Do you wish she was still here?”
“Reze? After killing so many Devil Hunters that I have known for years and the general public that were caught up in the fight, no, I don’t-”
“I meant Himeno, sorry.” Denji interrupted once more. “Do you miss her?”
Slight anger burst forth from Aki as he stood up, taking another drag of the smoke before speaking with a raised tone. “What kind of question is that!? Of course I miss her, we worked together for so long, she was a great friend and partner and-”
“She really wanted you, you know,” Denji continued, stating with such a hollow look as he continued to just stare at the city below. “That morning when I woke up at her home, we made a deal. She was going to help me get with Makima, while I would have been her wingman with you.”
The statement took Aki back, remembering the letters that he had read in his hospital bed given to him by Himeno’s sister after the incident with the Yakuza attempting to kidnap Denji for his heart. The attack took her life as she gave the Ghost Devil everything she could offer just to save him, the only thing left behind being a heap of blood-soaked clothing.
A great morning surrounded by friends ending in such a horrible way, her sacrifice going in vain as he used the one weapon that she dreaded him using, costing more of his life in an attempt to kill the Katana hybrid…
Then his time was taken even more as he held onto Angel’s hand during the incident with Reze, going from two years worth of time to a little under, two months of his life being erased from the process. He thought back to her almost everyday, only having her in his memory and the various pictures that he held onto. Her smile, her laugh, the various memories collided into each other at an alarming rate as he held onto consciousness every passing day. And with that, a brimming hatred continued to overshadow the possible love he could have had.
Vengeance against the Gun Devil had truly taken everything from him. That fateful day his family was killed by the strongest Devil known to man, it had sent him on a spiral that would only end with his death, or the destruction of the Gun Devil once and for all.
He stayed silent for a few moments, taking in deep drags of the cigarette in an attempt to finish it off quickly rather than enjoying the moment. “The day after she died, her sister came to visit me. It was after you two had left, being left alone with my countless thoughts as I continued to read the letters that Himeno had sent her,” he slightly choked as he continued to speak, staring at Denji in front of him. “I wish that I had realized sooner how she felt.”
Aki stepped away from the conversation, finishing the cigarette before opening the door back inside. “The coffee is finished being brewed, I suggest that you drink some and get something in both of your stomachs before we depart for work.” The older of the two closed the door, his mood soured by the conversation which struck at his core, gently kicking at Power’s side which disturbed Meowy’s peaceful rest.
“Wake up, we are going to work soon.”
Power yawned as she opened her eyes, staring up at Aki as he walked into the kitchen to pour himself a cup of Coffee. “You cannot command me to do anything, Topknot!”
“If you get out of those dirty clothes and get ready properly, I’ll give you some gum.”
“Yes my liege!” She sprung up to her feet, a smile filled with pride made its way to her face as she dashed into the bathroom to change. Aki once again slightly smirked, a chuckle leaving him as to how easy it was to get her motivated with the proper bribe, only for the phone to ring which broke the moment. He walked over to the house phone, wrapping his hands around it before answering.
“Hayakawa residence, this is Aki.”
“Good morning, Aki,” The smooth voice of Makima stated as she started the conversation, the soft tone putting him into a sense of ease. “Are you three heading here soon?”
“Yes actually, Power and Denji are getting dressed as we speak,” Aki stated as Denji walked back inside, looming glum as he walked into his own room to change. “Is something the matter?”
“As a matter of fact, a most urgent assignment occurred this morning. It would seem that someone had managed to break into our headquarters during the night shift and slaughtered countless Devil Hunters in his way, it was unlike anything I have seen.”
“Did the Devil take anything?”
“Well that is part of the issue, I am not so certain this was a Devil or Fiend, but the bloodshed and footage might make you believe otherwise. And yes, the man managed to steal our most important asset.”
The realization hit like a freight train going at full speed, slamming into him with wide eyes with his heart skipping a beat. “The fragments we have collected of the Gun Devil over the years were stolen right out of our hands?”
“That is the case, yes. A most troubling scenario indeed, please make your way with the others here immediately. This takes top priority.”
“Understood Ma’am, we will be heading over shortly.” Aki hung the phone back up, pressing his thumb and index fingers into the bridge of his nose as frustration rose to the surface at an alarming rate.
The one thing that he needed to acquire his revenge, his one mission which had cost him everything so far in his life, was stolen by enemy hands.
Whoever had taken the fragments, would pay with their lives.
***
Crossroads Cafe
The V in his system was devouring him.
Even after a long night of killing Devil Hunters and stealing those damn fragments, the various wounds he had gotten were nothing compared to the tumor in his brain, created from reaching out to the power that should have never been obtained. But after everything was said and done, he didn’t regret that, even if it cost him his humanity and life.
“My English is a bit rusty,” the cafe worker stated as he put a cup of coffee in front of the dying man, blood soaked into his clothing. If not for the scent of death that surrounded the man, the barista wouldn’t have batted an eye. Instead of attempting to call him out for whatever illegal slaughter he had partaken in, he needed to be very careful with his words or else it might cost him his life. “But what would you like in your beverage sir?”
“Just the same as I do my tea,” he answered with honesty, coughing a bit into his hand which made a few specks of blood appear on his limb. “Milk will do, same with a bit of sugar.”
The cafe worker nodded as he turned around, quickly grabbing the ingredients needed for the request.
A man who was very close to the dying customer sat beside him, almost matching his description to a T. They would have been the same age if he had survived the war, being left behind in a blood and mud-soaked gutter on the battlefield instead of being brought back like several other men years ago. He wore a suit with a tie, reflecting the coughing, cancer-diagnosed lunatic’s trenchcoated look, the pair wearing almost all black with slight differences between their shirts.
“So you’ll kill God knows how many innocent Japanese civilians to get what is in your pocket, but you won’t pull the trigger on killing every last one of those Supes?” He stated with venom, a wicked smile aborning his face as he looked over to Billy. “That virus would do the trick without hurting a single normal person, but whatever softness you still got in yah, it’s holding you back.”
Butcher gave the mirage a glance, attempting to ignore the horrible statement. “We are talking genocide,” He replied with a stern tone, the cafe worker turning his gaze behind him while shaking for a moment as Billy continued to speak to himself. Becca appeared on the other side of him for a moment, her soft touch brushing against his back as if she was still alive, even as she had died in an accident some time ago. “An entire group of people gone, wiped off the fuckin’ map. We would be no better than any of those bastards in Vought Tower.”
“Bullshit!” Joe yelled at full volume, slamming his fist into the nice counter in front of him. “You know damn well that what those pen-pushing scientist fucks cooked up in that lab is the best chance of killing Homelander-”
“I literally have the better option in me fuckin’ pocket,” Butcher stated with rage, pulling out the small box filled with the fragments of the Gun Devil, holding onto it as he shook. “Even if that damned Devil wipes out an entire city, that would be better than hurting those not remotely involved with this. Children with V around the globe, Annie, Kimiko, Ryan-”
“RYAN KILLED GRACE!” Joe’s rage reached its boiling point, the darker side of Butcher standing behind him, talking into his ear quickly. “You would still see salvation in that boy? Despite how Becca raised him, he is just like his-”
“Don’t you fuckin say it!” Butcher stated as he quickly rose from his seat, meeting Joe’s wrathful eyes with his own.
“Don’t say what? That he is just like that rapist piece of vile scum Homelander? That Becca failed in making him a normal boy? That you will never be his father!?”
That last one struck a nerve.
“That boy just needed someone! Grace kept pushing him into a corner, he felt pressured into being a weapon instead of a normal fuckin kid!” Butcher started to break into tears, pure anger and sorrow entering his dying heart before a violent coughing fit sent him to the floor, the illusion of his wife quickly rushing to his side to comfort him. “That was my fault, not his…”
“Oh boo fucking hoo,” Joe stated while rolling his eyes, scoffing at the man before him on his knees in a puddle of tears and regret. “Cry me a river, pussy, it won’t bring any of them back. All we have now is THIS.”
“Butcher,” Becca stated while turning Billy’s head, her eyes meeting him with tears flowing down her cheeks. “You have to stop this, thousands will die if you don’t. Just like you said, those that weren’t even a part of the feud between you and that bastard.”
“I can’t…” He stated truthfully, taking moments to regain his composure. “He took everything from us… our future, our son, everything,” Butcher stood up to his full height, breaking his own heart with every word that followed. “It’s too late for me, Becca.”
The cafe worker carefully placed the cup of coffee onto the counter before stepping back, fear quickly rising through his entire being. Butcher turned towards the man, raising the glass up before taking a quick drink of the beverage. “What a lovely cup of joe if I do say so myself, thank yah.”
“It is not an-any problem, sir,” he stated as he continued to walk back into the break room. The look of fear on his face was haunting, a quick flash taking Butcher back to that horrible war that took so much from his younger years. “If you’ll excuse me.”
Butcher smiled as he continued to drink the coffee, wanting to have one last moment to himself where he still considered himself human. The cup dropped, shattering onto the counter by accident as his grip slipped, his hand shaking violently as he stared at his limb. “Can’t even have a cup of coffee without fuckin’ up, typical.” The dying man filled with hatred placed some yen onto the counter, paying for his drink before walking out of the cafe entirely.
His Boys were all locked up in federal internment camps, or on the run from the fascist government taken over by Homelander and those cunts up in their ivory tower. No more voices of reason were left in his life to not pull the trigger, to kill the bastard that ruined their lives, except for his own delusions in the form of his deceased wife. His own guilt manifested.
It was time.
The illusions created by the tumor within his skull disappeared once more as he kept walking forward, looking to the sky as he held onto the box of fragments as if it was a gun itself.
He would make a deal with this powerful Devil, an entire city for the life of one lunatic wearing the American flag. While a part of his humanity was still pulling him to do the right thing and just die alone in some motel room of the disease, he couldn’t rest just yet. He hadn’t earned it, the bastard needed to die first. “Life isn’t fair, ain’t it?” He asked himself as he looked towards a nearby roof, hoping that he could simply call the Gun Devil by offering a deal, a sign of faith he supposed… He laughed to himself, thinking that faith was the last thing he had even after the years of beatings he had earned from his father in that horrible house, or seeing the depths which humans could sink to.
This world had Devils, especially within Japan, so there must be Angels and God hovering above.
In this wretched world, was the destiny of every living being controlled by a divine power? Whatever the case, he no longer had control, even over his own will.
***
The car door closed behind them as they parked in front of the Tokyo Public Safety Headquarters, police tape covered the entire area and the crowd which surrounded them were in complete shock as they talked amongst themselves.
Dried blood covered the destroyed entryway, and it seemed to cover the halls of the building from the little glance that the group could get. Quickly, Aki reached into his pocket to pull out his ID to verify his business here, even before the police officer could say a word. They allowed the trio into the crime scene, walking through carnage that still stank of rotten meat and iron.
Who the hell could have done this? They must have had a contract if they could simply walk into their base of operations and not only slaughter everyone in the way, but grab the Gun Devil fragments from their grasp. The whole situation pissed him off to high hell.
“Hello Aki,” The smooth voice of Makima stated as she waved them down with a smile, standing in the hallway looking at the carnage before them. “I am glad you all managed to get here as fast as you could.”
Denji’s frown started to transform into a smile, waving as he spoke. “Good morning Ms. Makima,” His tone was different from before, every other time they had seen each other it was like a puppy meeting its owner with excitement, but perhaps the loss of Reze had changed his attitude somewhat. “This is pretty brutal.”
“It truly is,” She responded in kind, a warm smile masking insidious intentions made its way to her face. “Such a loss of life right in our home is unacceptable, you will find the man responsible for this.” Makima reached into her pocket, wrapping her hand around the photograph of the culprit and revealing it to the trio.
“An American?” Aki asked as he looked at the photograph, not paying attention as Power sneakily started to eat some tiny remains that were scattered across the wall.
“A good guess but no, the footage shows him speaking with an accent matching that of British origin.”
“Man that sucks,” Denji added, rubbing the back of his head. “Some tea drinker did all of this?”
“Do we have a general direction of where he was headed with the fragments?”
“Unfortunately, that is also unknown at this current moment,” Makima replied, putting her hand to her mouth as she began to ponder. “I would still guess that this man is still within the city, we managed to find out his name due to the international news. It would seem that this man is a terrorist in America.”
Aki focused on what his superior was relaying to him, especially that word “terrorist”. America had recently seemed to fall into fascist dictatorship, even if the American people bought into it, it was clear as day to the rest of the world. A blonde man wearing the flag as a cape proclaiming the end of Starlighters and anyone who would dare stand against the Superheroes of Vought, it was truly baffling how the entire country had managed to fall under that spell.
Then it clicked, his eyes widening as the realization hit like a truck. “What is this man’s name?”
“Billy Butcher is the target,” Makima replied. “We looked into his background, and it seems that he has a very interesting past. Veteran of the Falklands War, brother killed himself while he was deployed, married until his wife had gone mysteriously missing. While we don’t have all the details, it would seem that Homelander is at the center of that last part.”
“Then I believe it is safe to say that Butcher plans to use the Gun Devil against Homelander, but what could he offer to make a deal against him?”
And just as he asked that question, screams were heard outside, causing the group to charge back into the world to see a looming shadow hovering above. Aki’s eyes widened with pure fear, that day flashing before his eyes as he finally managed to see what his vengeance called for his entire life, now stood above him.
The Gun Devil had arrived in Tokyo.
Its massive form was ethereal. Bullets connected to each other like tentacles made up the bottom of the gigantic monster’s form, the arms were as if an artist had welded multiple high caliber rifles together in an expression about war, an open rib cage revealed thousands of human skulls embedded into its chest. A wretched maw filled with fangs turned with an eyeless skull, the barrel of a pistol formed the rest of the head just like that of Denji when he would transform into Chainsaw Man.
Aki hadn’t seen it that horrid day, only seeing the gust of wind eradicate his home in an instant the moment his younger brother had stepped into their house. But now, fully seeing the beast that had taken away everything made him shiver slightly. Anger and determination to kill the Gun Devil rose to its apex, but before he could say a single thing, the arms of the Devil turned towards them and opened fire.
Buildings were reduced to rubble as thousands of human beings were turned into mists of crimson, spraying across the surroundings as a blur which crashed down on top of him. He had only managed to dodge the onslaught as the future flashed before his eyes and determined his movements just enough…
He didn’t know how long he had been unconscious as he came to, his body pinned under rubble and surprisingly not as hurt as he believed he would have been, pushing the remains of concrete off of his body to find a horrific sight.
The air smelled of death, smoke rose to the sky and fire consumed nearby neighborhoods. The Gun Devil was once again gone, as if it was never there, just like…
Ash fell from the sky like snow, the young man forming tears as he began to dig into the rubble, looking for anyone to be alive. He couldn’t have been the only one to survive, not again.
He had never told Denji and Power how he had felt, that they were the closest to a family he had ever had just as he had never told Himeno how he felt the same as she did towards him… “NO NO NO NO NO!” Regret washed over him as he continued to dig, only being met with small chunks of human flesh that were once people, puddles of blood covering the ground and his body the more he dug into the mass grave that was once Tokyo.
He screamed into the sky, slamming his fist into the concrete beneath him at full force, ripping into his hand as tears fell onto the ground. An overwhelming sense of self hatred entered his mind, being quickly followed by a deep sorrow which ripped into his gut like a heated knife.
The name of his prey was proper as rage consumed him, standing tall with heavy breaths knowing that the man responsible was within this city and alive at that.
Aki Hayakawa had once again survived the Gun Devil, the world around him becoming nothing but a blur as vengeance would consume him. There was nothing in this world that would stop him from killing Butcher.
***
Hours prior…
He took a long swig of alcohol from his flask, the act that he was committing was an atrocity but it was better than the alternative, as much as the darker side of his brain protested. He held onto the gun fragments with his palm, opening the box to reveal the shards slightly moving, pointing towards the direction the Gun Devil was moving.
“Well, got nothing better to do than take a crack at it,” He stated as he stepped forward, a small cough exiting his mouth as he did so. The dying man stared forward, his face being stern and determined in his next action even as the illusion of Becca stared at him with sorrowful eyes.
“Billy… Please, you can still stop, it isn’t too late. I wouldn’t have wanted this.”
“I’m sorry love,” He stated with a tearful eye and forced smile, looking past her towards the horizon in an attempt to spot the being he was summoning forth. “But that man died when he held you in his arms while you bled to death. Forgive me.”
She disappeared from his vision, vanishing without a trace and with that the horror would begin. “Oi! Gun Devil!” He shouted from the rooftop as loud as he could, having faith that the demonic entity born from Hell itself would hear his plea. “Let us make a deal, yah? You kill that cunt Homelander for me, and I give you the entire city! How does that sound?”
His plea for mass murder was answered with silence, the air brushing past him with a cold breeze that matched the feeling he had down to his soul, if he still possessed one that is.
“Well well well…” A familiar voice spoke up, making Billy take in a deep breath as stress began to rise within his brain. “So much for that fucking plan. Not too late to smuggle back to America and just… release that damn virus-”
“Shut up,” Butcher stated with a firm tone towards his hallucination, venom quickly rising. “It’s been only a moment, impatient bastard.”
“Oh, I’m sorry that your call to the divine with nothing to show for it has me skeptical,” Joe Kessler stated with sarcasm. He went to speak more, only for a looming shadow to descend from the clouds as if an angel of the apocalypse had heard the horn to begin armageddon. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
“Yes,” Butcher stated as he put his hands into his trenchcoats’ pockets, his voice turning into a sorrowful tone. “We are.”
The Gun Devil turned towards the british man, the soldier that had fought in two wars for seemingly an eternity staring back at the demonic entity. With a smile and a nod, Butcher commanded the gigantic being to commence with the massacre.
In which it replied in kind, opening fire within a moment’s notice at the city below, transforming the metropolis into a hellzone in an instant.
The part that was still human within Butcher was calling for him to do anything to stop this, the voice of his wife echoing a plea within his mind as images of his “Boys” rapidly appeared before him. Hughie ending the mirage as his form blended in with that of Lenny, his younger brother.
Not a single person from his past would agree with what he was committing, this mass slaughter just to kill one man, but if he didn’t, those that fought against corruption for so long would be nothing but ash in the wind. His soul was forever tainted, had been since the war, but now it was stained crimson with the lives of an entire city.
The human part of him was nothing more than a shell now, his soul replaced with a burning hatred that rivaled the fires of hell itself.
He watched as the Gun Devil continued to move forward, bulldozing through Tokyo like a child would with wooden blocks to reenact a monster film, the entity continuing to move forward past the horizon. “Looks like he’s bee-lining towards America, maybe this was worth the trip after all.” Joe spoke as Billy slightly collapsed, puking across the rooftop as the cancer ate away at him.
The part of him that was still human, even if he wished it not to be, was disgusted.
***
Now…
Billy continued to walk through the ruins of Tokyo, the city being so eerily silent that it was disturbing, it was as if the ghosts of the deceased themselves were also swallowed by the Gun Devil’s wrath.
The only sound he could hear was the sound of his own footsteps and the voices within his brain crying out to him. They were so close to killing that white whale, the nightmares would come to an end as Homelander’s heart was turned into nothing but mush. And yet, he still heard his own ghosts haunting him.
He took in a deep breath, not paying mind to them as he pressed forward. It would take some time, but he would eventually find an airport and return to America with the death of Vought and the freedom of his comrades, wherever they were.
Ash continued to fall on his form like snow, covering the ground as far as the eye could see. It was as if a natural disaster had claimed the world around him, and with that came the images of a better life. He saw himself and Becca dancing in their living room, smiling and laughing as Christmas was near, their tree fully put up. It was followed by a life he wished he had, playing with Ryan in the snow as they chased each other in the yard.
They couldn’t understand the hatred in his heart for this possible life to be taken away from him and still be on this holy crusade to kill the bastard, but he didn’t need them to. After all, he would soon die as the Temp V ate away his brain, and Ryan would be given a better life with the death of both himself and the boy’s father. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t be better, Ryan,” He stated with genuine heartbreak in his voice before anger returned to his mind as he saw a mirage of his father grabbing the belt, his hands wrapped around a younger version of himself’s hair as he was pulled from a closet. “But just like him, I am no good. Poison even.”
His thoughts were cut short as he heard a sudden shift in the air, his brain going off like an alarm to be on his guard, only managing to catch the blade of his attacker at the last second. Turning his gaze to see a much younger man stare at him with pure hatred, the leader of The Boys pushed him back with a simple shove before tossing him aside. “That some nasty luck ain’t it lad?” He asked as he stared at Aki, the Devil Hunter breathing heavily as he stared with hate. “Surviving what happened in this city, the whole place is a bloody ghost town now with only two people in it.”
“You aren’t a person,” Aki stated with pure venom. “Name matches the description, Butcher.”
“Oh? So you know of me then lad?” He spoke with a smile, baiting the young Devil Hunter as he reached into his trench coat and wrapped his hand around a crowbar, revealing the weapon to his opponent. “Must be a Devil Hunter with a contract then, huh? Sorry about murdering any or well… all of your friends, but it had to be done.”
“What could possibly excuse this act of slaughter!?” Aki roared, slightly shifting in movement to prepare to strike.
“I guess there isn’t really one anymore,” Butcher spoke truthfully, staring at the man before him. “Nothing matters but that cunt in Vought Tower being dead, so all due respect, go fuck yourself.”
That was the last straw.
The Devil Hunter entered a proper stance as he stared at the terrorist before him, that devil-like smirk making his hair stand up and skin crawl. It didn’t matter that he was human, he could tell by the eyes that the man before him wasn’t a Devil or Fiend, and usually they would announce themselves as so. There was a specific human-like nature in the way this bastard spoke.
Aki dashed forward, an attempt to quickly slice the head off of his foe, only for the Future Devil to grant him the sight needed to dodge what was to come next. The crowbar swinging an uppercut would have shattered the sword with unworldly strength before sending him flying, his eyes widened as he managed to duck underneath the strike before it made contact.
Quickly aiming the blade to the gut, he managed to almost puncture flesh, but was stopped by William wrapping his hand around the sharp weapon. “Twat,” the Superhero killer stated before swinging at Aki with his free hand, his fist connecting to the ground below while the Devil Hunter landed with grace a distance away. Quickly, the last Hayakawa formed his weapon free hand into that of a Fox, closing one eye while shutting the other.
“Kon.”
While he didn’t think that she would have responded after the ordeal with Katana Man, finding the meal to be so distasteful that she had abandoned him seemingly permanently as a result. But it would seem as if luck was on his side. The Fox Devil emerged from thin air, her bleach white fur glowing in the radiant ash-filled battlefield as sharp fangs reached out to swallow Butcher whole. He smiled as her maw wrapped around him, a loud chomp being heard as a shockwave was sent out.
Her unique eyes turned towards Aki, a growl exiting her maw as regret washed over her decision to listen to the contact for one last time. “This is the most foul thing I have ever tasted!” She roared before her life ceased, golden beams of light emerged out of her skull, a display of gore washing upon the ground below as she was sliced in two. William stood there with that same devilish smirk, now covered in the crimson that was once the Fox Devil, his eyes burning with radiant yellow light.
The veteran stepped forward as he whistled for a second, his grip on the crowbar tightening with each passing second. “Do you have a contract with some powerful Devil?” Aki demanded towards his foe, preparing to once again go on the offensive.
“No, nothing of the sort,” Butcher replied while reaching down to the ground and grabbing a piece of rubble, the debris bouncing in his hand as he kept catching it like one would do a baseball. “I have what you would call an enhancement in his system.” Eyes began to glow once again, prompting Aki to make the first move in an attempt to dodge the blast, but he had misread the soldier’s intentions.
If not for the Future Devil, it would have cost him his life.
William threw the piece of debris towards Aki at sonic speeds, the sound barrier sending a boom as it rocketed towards him. The Devil Hunter swung, slicing through the broken concrete with ease, only for Butcher to start running at him. “Does he aim to get into close quarters?” The last Hayakawa thought to himself, watching as a fist came close to making contact with his chest, only to parry the strike at the last second.
The first real blow had been made on William, clumps of black goo covered his hand as flesh was cut through, a small puddle falling for a moment onto the ground. Aki’s eyes widened as the wound quickly healed, the serum within Butcher’s veins managing to repair tissue, even as an after effect was forming cancer within his body.
The soldier reached out once again, this time managing to wrap his hand around Aki’s throat, raising him into the air before slamming him into the broken concrete beneath their feet. He screamed, pain rushing through him as he bounced off the ground and blood coughed out of his mouth, but even so, Aki had made a quick recovery back to his feet.
His hand reached up to his mouth, looking down to see his limb completely soaked with ichor, his gaze returning to William who was once again on the offensive. His foe was extraordinarily strong, it was as if he was fighting Reze and yet this man claimed to not have a deal with a Devil so perhaps… his assessment of being human was wrong. “You can’t be human, not to do something as horrific as this, what are you? The “Supervillain” Devil?”
A laugh left Butcher’s mouth as he paused, ceasing his charge while leaving himself open. “Guess you can call me that, I kill diabolical supes as a hobby.” Aki swung with his sword, aiming to slice through Butcher’s throat, only for the killer to dodge the attempt on his life before swinging once more. The blow missed as a few seconds of the future were revealed to the Devil Hunter, managing to dodge out of the way before slicing across the torso, the attack striking true.
The attack would have killed an ordinary man instantly but yet, the V that was killing him was forcing him to still breathe. A man burning his very soul with the coals forged from a hatred unlike any other, the cost for vengeance was everything.
He raised the crowbar once more, this time the weapon clashing with the sword of his foe as he held back strength. He needed to punish himself for the horrific act he had committed, even if he saw it as for the betterment of the world… No, that was a load of rubbish, he did it because he wanted to. The veteran just wished to have a little more fun before returning home to live the last of his days alone.
They traded blows, sparks shooting out as both weapons continued to clash, Butcher building pressure further as he continued to swing the piece of metal. William had not noticed that Aki had reached into his back as he continued to parry his blow, wrapping one of his hands around the hilt of the extra sword that was on his back, revealing a unique nail-like blade. “Oh?” Billy stated with curiosity as the lad had managed to not only gain a secondary weapon but was impressed with the fact that he could potentially dual wield.
Aki swung with precision, the unique blade puncturing his foes flesh with rapid swings, the world around them turning black for a moment as a strange voice spoke. “Three.”
“Oi! I am sick of your shit.” William stated as his eyes glowed bright gold, twin lasers firing so close to Aki, but he had managed to dodge once again due to his contract. The heat vision cut through the environment like a knife through butter, only missing Aki by the minimum required amount of space before he thrust the nail once again through Butcher’s chest, earning a blood filled cough as a groan of pain left his mouth.
“Two.”
The heat vision ceased as he was forced to gain distance, not wanting to push his luck, as a small part of the man still wished to live through this ordeal. Aki, however, pressed forward, the sword swinging forward with incredible speed, only for this time a black tentacle to erupt from William’s chest and catch the blow. “What!?” He screamed as the disgusting mass threw him further away, only for other limbs to follow suit, tendrils lashing out at rapid speed as they approached him. The Devil Hunter managed to block the first strike from landing true, quickly dodging out of the way before parrying another oncoming blow, but it would seem that this was not the true goal.
Butcher just had to get him still long enough to properly land the shot.
Golden lasers raced forward in an act to incinerate the man, aiming directly for his chest, only for Hayakawa to manage to land on the cancerous tendrils while charging forward at incredible speeds. “Fuckin diabolical,” Was all Butcher stated as a laugh left his mouth, being genuinely impressed with his opponent’s resolve to finish the fight.
The nail once again punctured through flesh, this time being thrown like a javelin through Billy’s stomach. “Curse! Kill him now!” It didn’t matter that it would cost more of his life, with everyone he had ever loved gone due to this monster before him, the least he could do was send him off to hell and avenge his new found family.
“One.”
The dark void quickly devoured Butcher, his senses being thrown off completely as an endless darkness wrapped around him. He couldn’t even find the words to say as he quickly felt no control of his body.
“Zero.”
He couldn’t see what was ripping into his flesh with sharp talons and fangs, but he was helpless to defend himself, the eerie sight ending with the man in a puddle of blood covering the ground with Aki standing over the body.
Blood erupted from his mouth as he slouched over, his hand wrapped around the hilt of his sword as he barely clung onto consciousness. The Curse Devil had managed to land the finishing…
“Son of a bitch, mate,” Butcher stated as he rose back to his feet, the tendrils ripping away the nail from his body as blood erupted like a waterfall from his mouth, another set of the cancerous limbs keeping him from falling onto the ground. “All of this to kill a cancer patient, what a lad you are.”
The two stared at each other as their lives were continuing to be cut short, the pair at death’s door as they continued to rip into each other. Before Aki could make a move, black tendrils launched forward, wrapping around the arm which held onto the sword. They ripped his sword away from his grasp by removing the limb entirely, earning a horrific scream before another struck across his chest with a crack like that of a whip, the attack sending the Devil Hunter flying into rubble.
Even with the Future Devil’s sight, he didn’t have the strength or reaction speed required to dodge any further attempts on his life. Aki Hayakawa stared at his removed arm before returning his attention back to his foe, a tendril puncturing through his stomach as another wrapped around his legs and shattered them with minimum pressure.
The Devil Hunter struggled to breath, his sight becoming blurry as pain flared through his entire body, blood trailing down his mouth onto the black limb. Butcher carefully walked over to the young man, being held helplessly in place as he reached into his front pocket and wrapped his hand around the box of cigarettes. “This stuff will kill you, you know?” William stated with an earnest laugh that was cut off from a horrific coughing fit, his hand being on his chest as he struggled to find the strength to stand but continued to do so anyway.
Focusing on the end of the cigarette carefully, William had managed to light the tobacco with his heat vision before taking a long drag from it. “So any last words? Any regrets?”
Aki’s life flashed before his eyes, the small time that he found himself to be happy as she kept popping into his vision. The four of them eating a meal within their living room, the woman who desired him feeding him pieces of steak from the dinner they had cooked together, the room filled with laughter and smiles as the group bonded. His hand twitched as his arm raised forward, fighting through the pain just to reach her, feeling a strange sensation that Himeno’s hand was wrapped around his own. Tears began to shed as he saw himself, Denji, and Power much younger, the mirage of his youth appearing as it did on that horrific day he had lost everything.
The group played in the snow as their cat watched from the porch, laughter once again filling the air as they continued the snowball fight.
His gaze returned back to reality, looking at his killer before spitting blood onto his face and with venom spoke. “May you rot to your very soul.”
“Fair enough,” Butcher stated before the heat vision punctured Aki’s skull in an instant, his brain becoming mush as a hole exited the corpse. William dropped the carcass to the ground, continuing to march forward as he wiped away the blood from his clothing the best he could, continuing to smoke the cigarette he had taken from his kill.
Far far away, watching the final events occur before him as he stood on a pile of rubble, was a unique entity laughing. Three pairs of eyes staring at the horrific sight before him with a sinister glee, the ethereal being clapping before speaking. ‘It is just as I had said Hayakawa, the worst death!”
The Future Devil had claimed what he wished to see, the death of a man that could not change his fate. After losing his family and country, the young man could not fathom the strength needed in order to kill his foe, a useless crusade to avenge those that could not be avenged.
The man responsible for taking away his second chance at life would walk away alive, even if he didn’t have much time left, he would not die from the wounds given to him by Aki.
A death fitting of a man in his profession.
The End
Next Time on Chronicles of Conflict, Guts vs. Sauron (Berserk vs. Lord of The Rings)
