Johann could do nothing as consciousness slowly slipped from his grasp and the world around him turned black, the light slowly vanishing from his sight, all smell, all sound, even the overwhelming pain and the warmth of his own blood running across his chest, everything growing distorted, heavy, dull before finally vanishing entirely, leaving behind only cold, unforgiving darkness.
Johann opened his eyes, attempting to inhale sharply, though he would draw no breath, take in no air, finding himself unable to do so. For a few seconds, the panic began to rise as he gasped and failed to inhale, turning his head frantically in an attempt to grasp what was going on. He could see nothing, sense nothing, all around him only ink-black hues, charcoal darkness, a great, vast, unending nothingness that extended as far as he could see into all directions and dimensions. He sat up, still unable to comprehend, to follow the chain of events that had just occurred, the absence of pain causing him to, initially, bear no mind to the gaping, bloodied wound in his chest. It was only after a few moments the man noticed the smears of blood across the entirety of the white uniform cladding his body. The panic began to rise once again, the argent-haired male grasping at his chest, the edges of the hole in his torso.
"W-w- ...", the words began to stumble in his mouth, the best he could produce in this state of utter perplexity and disorientation an incoherent stutter at best, something that didn't resemble words. It was then his eyes would fall on the angelic Lord of War, the Second Seal.
The Nephilim sat a few meters away from him, cross-legged and on the dark, universally onyx ground below. He bore the same wound in his chest and through his back, facing away from Johann.
"M-Mars?", it was all he managed to bring forth as he stood up, the Second Seal turning his head slightly, looking over his shoulder. All joy was gone from the angel's expression, the signature grin faded away into a stone-cold expression of nonchalance, indifference, no, disappointment even. The fact that the Second Seal wore such an expression in and of itself was strange, Johann paying little mind to this circumstance.
"Mars, what happened? Where are we?". Mars did not respond immediately, instead turning his head back towards the endless darkness around them, sighing deeply before standing up.
"This is my fault", he spoke softly, not least to the God of Ishgar's growing concern.
"Though it is my nature ... I should have controlled my emotions". Johann had no idea what was happening, taking a step towards Mars.
"I don't understand ... what is going on?", the question prompting Mars to turn around, revealing the tears silently running from the Seal's eyes over his face. Johann's eyes widened.
"I apologize to you, Johann von Weiss, as my vessel, for you share my fate". The Lord of War's tone and voice were surprisingly soft. Mars shook his head.
"You and I, We both, have died". Johann took a step back, his head instinctively looking around.
"W-what are you saying, Mars? That's impossible. No one ... they don't ... they can't-", the Second Seal interrupting him with a simple gesture, raising his hand.
"And yet, my friend, it is so. What you see before you, around you. This is Limbo. We have died ... and now must await our transition to Paradise".
Johann took another step back, another one, stumbling backward and onto the ground, his hands rising to his head, a soft word escaping his word, a word laced with doubt and disbelief.
"No ...", he began shaking his head, tears building up in his eyes.
"No. No No No No No. This cannot be", the streams slowly starting to flow down his cheeks, dripping onto the black ground before vanishing into nothing. Mars looked at the mortal that had served as his vessel his entire life, his brows narrowing. For the first time in what appeared like millennia, the Seal felt ... regret. Pain. Empathy.
"Tell me, Johann ...", Mars began stepping towards the cowering, broken man before him, kneeling down slightly,
"... do you fear death?". Johann's brought his tear-filled gaze up to that of the Second Seal, his dual-colored eyes meeting those of the Lord of War, deeply red pupils mustering him intently. His response was immediate, though his voice was quivering and barely more than a whisper.
"Of course I do". Mars nodded. He had expected no less.
"Death is not the end, Johann. It is simply the beginning of a new stage. Paradise is a place of indescribable grace, you know". Mars smiled weakly, Johann lowering his gaze again.
"Paradise? ...", he repeated the word.
"Will I see them there?", Johann asked bluntly, the smile vanishing from the Second Seal's face once more.
"No, I'm afraid not". The answer was honest.
"Then what good does Paradise do me? I have failed, Mars ...", Johann raised his knees to his bloodstained chest, his hands wrapped around his legs.
"... time and time again, I have failed. I tried to become stronger for them, I tried to become strong so I could fight for them, to protect them. Protect everyone. And now you tell me I will never see them again? So ... again, again and now forever, in a pathetic display of incompetence ...", the man's voice cracked in pain, turning into a pained cry
"... I have failed". The Seal did not need to listen to the man's voice ladened with sadness, despair, and agony to know what the other felt. Their souls were connected, Mars, naturally, feeling the same emotions as the argent-haired male before him, an emotion arising within the Nephilim that, quite possibly, he had never felt before. Not towards a mortal, an enemy, anyone or anything, the uncomfortable, irresistible wave of guilt sweeping over him like a tsunami as he grit his teeth. If anyone was to blame ... it would be no one other than himself ... right? Mars froze in place, his brows narrowing.
"Johann ...", the Seal's voice would ring out, for the first time in all of history, adopting a sorrowed, hesitant tone.
"Is it time to go already?", the Vice President's voice rang out, weakly, broken.
"No". The determined answer caused the man to look up, once again meeting the Lord of War's stare, though the Seal's expression had changed from tranquil and accepting to a look of determination, sternness.
"Do you want to die?". It was a silly question.
"What do you think?",
"Answer me",
I don't want to die. Mars gave the other an acknowledging nod.
"Then, and I need you to listen closely, vessel, there is but a single way for you to remain". Johann was about to open his mouth, Mars interrupting him with the same gesture from before, raising his hand.
"You need to listen and let me speak before it is too late". The God of Ishgar hesitated for a second, though gave the Seal a nod.
"Good".
"There is a way to stay on this mortal plane you so cherish, though ...", Mars paused, lowering his gaze a little
"... it will bring not just you and me both more pain, more suffering, more death than you could ever imagine, but also them. You will place all of them in danger. If I, if we go through this process, it will never be like it used to, and everything will change". The Lord of War paused for a second before continuing.
"It is a selfish request to make of me, but I have brought forth this situation with my own selfishness. I wished to impress my father, and for my Pride, you and I have been punished, although you bear no fault". The Second Seal did not avert his gaze, and stated this calmly, with not much more than a hint of remorse in his voice, though that was enough. Knowing the creature, Johann understood that this was not exactly an everyday occurrence.
"It would be selfish to force you into Paradise with me, so I make you an offer, and offer that I dread, and I hope, with every fiber of my being you will reject, for it will open a gate that cannot be closed again". Mars sighed deeply. The next words were not easy to produce, but he had to follow through.
"You and I will open the Second Seal of the Apocalypse. I will embrace the demon granted to me by my father and curse both you and me with immortality".
"Curse?", Johann asked with perhaps a little too much confusion in his voice. To the man, it seemed like an offer that a devil would make someone who decided to sell their soul, something so desirable countless men, women, mages of all kinds had pursued it with every means available to them. Mars was quick to respond, his voice almost hissing.
"A curse it is indeed, Johann!". The Second Seal frowned.
"You will see all those you love wither, you will see them die before you and you will be able to do nothing about it, forever. Over and over again they will move on to Paradise, you, I, we will stay behind, forever unable to join them, for all eternity. Do you understand what this means, mortal? Do you even remotely grasp what this curse entails? I am sacrificing my greatest desire, to finally return home, for your selfish wish. It is a curse, Johann von Weiss, though it is also my offer. The decision is yours. I will not hold a grudge against you, no matter what happens, provided you will grant me the same privilege. So, what is it that you wish for? Eternal life on this plane or the next?".
"I ... I-", Johann managed to produce only a stutter. The Seal, with this decision, was asking too much of the man. The dead God of Ishgar was overwhelmed, he needed more time to think about it, though was interrupted by the deep, heavy toll of what sounded like a massive bell, turning his head to the side to see a bright, blinding light in the distance.
"It is time, Johann von Weiss. You have to make a decision ... now". The man glanced over to the light, and back at Mars. There was only one real choice for him.
"I will remain". Mars nodded, the broad grin returning to his expression.
"Very well ... tssehehe ... TSSAHAHAHAHA", he buried his face in his hands for a second, laughing, giggling, cackling violently before taking a step back, extending a hand towards the God of Ishgar, his eyes closed.
"We will show them the true might we possess, Johann!". The silver-haired man reached forward, wrapping his hand around Mars' arm as the Seal wrapped his around the vessel's, runes flaring up on both, burning across their skin and towards the open wounds in their chests, a bright, deeply sanguine red glow igniting where their hearts had once been.
"I open the Second Seal of the Book of Life: War!". Within Johann's open chest, blood began to swirl on a vortex of red, an object beginning to crystallize within, a dark, ebony-colored lacrima forming as the wound around it closed back up, a single, heavy pulse rushing through his body, a heavy thud, the beat of a heart.
"And the world shall know that War is coming, ..."
Another heartbeat would course through the man's chest,
"... for when it comes, ..."
blood pumping through his veins,
"... and where it comes, ..."
oxygen filling his lungs ...
"... and whence it comes, ..."
... as his senses returned to him.
Mars opened his eyes, the black in the sclera of both oculars replaced by a saturated shade of crimson red, his pupils that of a demonic creature and of a darker, wine-red hue, black slits splitting them in the middle. Johann closed his own eyes, reopening them just a moment later, his eyes sharing the appearance. A wide, crazed grin like that of the Second Seal spread across his face and warped his natural expression as both men spoke out, continuing in perfect unison, their voices overlaying
"... the living will envy the dead"
On the cold, bloodstained altar, the same heavy thud rocked the frigid stone, Johann's body lifting from the ground slightly before sinking back to it, remaining there, still and unmoving for a few seconds of almost palpable tension before, quickly, the vessel ripped open its eyes, revealing the same demonic slits, red pupils and crimson scleras. The ground below the altar would erupt in blinding light and in an unparalleled display, in an explosion of magical force, 7 magic circles flared up and would expand explosively, spanning the entire battlefield, each circle larger than the next one, before collapsing back inward at the same speed they had appeared, all reaching the vessel at the same time. With the same sound of a massive, heavy bell, the circles compressed, slamming into the form of the Second Seal's vessel, which had risen up from the ground, sporting a wide, toothy grin. Within seconds, the blood on the altar began to rise, the blood around the altar, the blood on the entire battlefield began to rise from the ground, rushing towards the Seal, covering its form in a massive vortex of sanguine color, a storm of crimson liquid, which lasted for just a few moments. The blood that had encased the man would fall to the ground, hundreds of gallons splashing into the cold earth and covering it in a sea of red. With the curtain of sanguine fluid now gone, the true form of the demon was revealed, an 8 foot tall skeletal, wolf-like demonic creature with a blood-red body standing where the Vice President had been defeated and killed just a minute earlier, massive, ink-black antlers stretching towards the sky and glowing, cardinal orbs of red sitting in empty eyesockets.
The beast unleashed a colossal, guttural roar that echoed across the entire battlefield, the ground below trembling as it did, the creature instinctively turning towards the source of its anger: The yet undefeated Demon Lord ahead. Without delay, the demon would leap of the altar that Mura had created, slamming into the ground before spreading it's 4 legs, anchoring itself in the ground before opening its boney jaws. Within an instant, it would gather a mass of energy within it before firing off a laser-like beam at the demonic overlord behind this entire operation. Although out of his line of sight, the blast would impact before, in less than a second, engulfing a portion of the battlefield that spanned several kilometers in nothing but flame, heat, an explosion of a gargantuan inferno that darkened the skies for a few seconds. Thousands of lives, slaves, demons, the demon lord himself, would be extinguished in the blink of an eye, thousands upon thousands crumbling to nothing but ash. The shockwave was the next thing that hit, expanding outward as the imposing swirl of flame and dust began rising up into a mushroom cloud, leaving behind nothing more than a glassed crater. The demon got ready for its next charge, the blood that stained the ground around him once more rising up, beginning to form countless spears of crimson liquid that hovered above the creature, the demon unleashing another roar to have the weapons burst forward and slam into those that had survived the onslaught of flame, the blood multiplying with each creature that was struck down, with each demon, with each slave that lost their lives, the Demon of War and his curse would grow stronger and stronger. Between all the events that occurred on this battlefield, the demon army had been decimated to nigh nothing and lost all of their leaders. The rest would be easy pickings. They would stand no chance.
Word Count: 2,669
Word Count Total: 7,977 / 6.250
Total Thread Word Count: 26,831 / 25.000