The Death Of A Dying Man

I saw the comments. I didn't like it, but HELLFIRE had a point. I made my decision. I told Daniel that he may need to kill me. I had a plan, and it would have to end in my death.

Of course, things didn't work out that way. We followed the Nightlanders to Silvermist's hideout, where she was meeting with William Dawson, the Shadow Man. She asked him to bring Daniel elsewhere so that she could fight me. He pulled Daniel into the shadows, but just before he vanished, Daniel tossed my old sword over to Tony. Silvermist's thugs charged at us. I drew my knife and Tony and I started fighting them off. It went decent at first, but then they disarmed me and broke my knife.

I gave in at that point. I allowed the darkness to consume me.

They were dead within minutes. I had devoured all of them.

“You've done well,” Silvermist said. “Just what I expected.” She sped toward Tony and knocked him out. “Now, we can fight.”

“Wait!” I said.

“What?” she demanded.

“Release Seraph,” I told her. “Take me instead.”

“What?” she asked. “You would willingly offer up your body to the Dying Man?”

“You just saw what my body is capable of,” I said. “I'm stronger than a mere Lilim. I would make a much better host.”

This was my plan. To trick Silvermist into entering my body. I had planned for Daniel to kill me, and hopefully destroy Silvermist in the process. I know killing the host doesn't guarantee the death of a Dying Man shard, but I figured it was worth a shot. And if Daniel couldn't kill me, the least I could do was try to keep Silvermist suppressed. Estren's able to control HELLFIRE somewhat. I figured I might be able to do the same to Silvermist.

“You're right,” Silvermist said. “You are much more adequate choice.”

She slithered over to me, and grabbed my shoulder. It happened. Silvermist was entering my body. I could feel her trying to control me, and I resisted. I fought back as hard as I could, but she was strong. I had one option left. I entered the depths of my mind.

I've never been inside my own subconscious before. It wasn't what I had expected. The skies were black, and the ground was covered in dark, multicolored sand, with raging rivers on either side of me. A woman stood across from me. She was made of ice, and was surrounded by cold mist. This was Silvermist's true form.

“You've pulled me inside here, to fight me,” she said. “I don't like being tricked.”

“And I don't like Fears,” I said. “Looks like we both have a reason to hate each other's guts.”

We started fighting. My power against hers. She was strong, and I lost the upper hand really quickly. She was about to extinguish my mind from existence. But something happened. The air around her began to crack, and she was torn out of my mind.

I came to, and Saw a man standing over me. The phantasmal figure of Silvermist was being held by the throat, in his hand. She dissolved and was absorbed into him, just like when Estren took HELLFIRE from me. The man was skinny, as if he hadn't eaten in a long time. He had a mask on. It had a symbol that looked like one of the Vision's eyes, only vertical, surrounded by chains, and with a fancy letter A on top of it all.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“I am the man who the Vision fell in love with,” he said. “In a way, Benjamin, I am your father.”

“That's... that's impossible!” I said. “You can't be alive, after all this time!”

“I am,” he said. “I attained immortality through the use of Chaos magic, and I have been the Game Master's prisoner for many centuries. Now let's get down to business.”

The symbol on his mask changed into the number 100. Then it became 99. Then 98.

“What's happening?” I asked.

“A countdown,” he said. “This mask is old, and lacks some of the traits that modern day Game masks possess. But it has one power they do not.”

81.

“And what's that?” I asked.

78.

“When the timer runs out, the mask will destroy my body,” he said. “Along with the Dying Man within me.”

69.

“No!” I exclaimed, trying to run to him and rip his mask off. I've been alone my whole life. I couldn't let my ancestral father die now, right after I learned he was still alive. A silver light shot from his hand, and wrapped itself around me, keeping me away from him.

“Even I can't hold the Dying Man forever,” her said. “I have to destroy it.”

“What is this!?” I demanded, trying to break free of the energy holding me.

56.

“This is mana,” he said. “It is the power that me and many Scions have come to wield. Memorize its feel, and seek it out when this is over. I am giving you its secret, so that you too can learn to control it, and use it as your weapon.”

45.

“Listen to me, Ben,” he said. “I thought I had lost everything. I had given up hope. But then I learned of your existence. I learned that I still have something left. I don't want to lose that. I want you to live.”

28.

“You are my legacy,” he continued. “Keep fighting on. Before I go, I'm going to give you a gift.”

20.

The power encasing me flowed into my body, and I felt my darkness subsiding. T was still there, but the light had been drawn out to balance it.

“I've spent my life merging light and darkness together,” he said. “Darkness shouldn't be feared. You can control it, as long as you use it in conjunction with the light.”

“The light?” I asked.

13.

“There is light in your heart,” he said. “It will always be there. That light is love.”

1.

“Goodbye, my son,” he said.

The mask glowed, and his body was engulfed in silver fire. There was nothing left except for a burnt spot on the floor in front of me.

I don't know how long I sat there crying. I had just watched my last blood relative burn to nothingness right in front of me. Do you have any idea what that feels like.

Then I noticed the mirror. It was laying at the edge of the room. One of the thugs must have been carrying it. The Mother Of Snakes rose from it, and hovered over me. I stood up and faced her, wiping the tears from my eyes.

“Are you hurt and broken?” she asked.

“No,” I said. “And I'm not scared either. I'm not afraid of you, or the darkness!”

“Oh really?” she asked.

That's about when Daniel came in.

“What the hell is going on?” he asked.

“So, this is the fabled Devil Killer,” the Mother Of Snakes asked.

“Stay back, Daniel,” I warned him. A few feet from me, Seraph started moving again.

“Ah, you're awake, “the Mother said. “Come, it is time for use to go.”

“No,” Seraph said, looking scaredly into the Mother Of Snakes eyes. “I- I don't want to.”

“Oh?” the Mother Of Snakes asked,

“I've been through too much,” she pleaded. “I don't wanna go back. I've had enough of all of this.”

“It is not your choice,” the Mother Of Snakes said.

It never is, I thought to my self, scowling at how cruel these “masters” are.

“You are my servant,” the Mother of Snakes said. “You've had enough when I say you have.”

She began moving toward Seraph, but Daniel fired the gun I gave him- the gun I took from the tournament- narrowly missing her head. That brave, brave idiot. Well, I suppose it's a bit hypocritical for me to say that.

“She said she doesn't want any more of this!” Daniel said. “Leave her alone!”

“Very well, Devil Killer,” she said. “Our time to fight has not come yet. Until then, I shall leave you alone. But from now on, sleep with one eye open.”

She vanished back into the mirror and I angrily stomped on it until in was in tiny little pieces.

“Are you okay?” Daniel asked.

“I'm fine,” I said. Then I motioned to Tony and Seraph. “I have to go for a while. Take care of these two.”

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“I have to find something,” I said. I was going to fulfill my father's dying wish. “Mana.”

I used the God's Way and teleported just outside the hotel. I could have just teleported straight into our room, but fuck it, I was too tired to be accurate. I went inside to grab my things, and saw Reika standing there.

“What do you want, Archie?” I asked.

“I just wanted to tell you that you've done a good job,” the Archangel said. “You may not have dealt the felling blow, but without you Silvermist would still be causing us problems.”

“There's a price for every victory,” I said. “My last relative is a part of you now, right?”

“Nope!” the Archangel said. “Believe me, I would have loved to make the Ace Of Chaos mine, but his soul is laced with mana. I can't take those kinds of souls. He will likely drift between life and death for all of eternity. Or cease to exist all together. Either one.”

“Well, if that's all your here for, then why don't you leave?” I asked.

“I will in a moment,” it said. “I just want to reward you.”

It produced a cloud of black mist, which solidified into a folded shirt and jacket and a black and purple short sword, which he left on my bed before vanishing through the God's Way.

The shirt is interesting. If I think about using my second mouth, it automatically peels apart to expose it. The jacket is also really durable. Tried burning it. Didn't work. I suppose I might as well use then. And the sword's cool I guess. Jagged blade, razor sharp, comes with a sharp-edged hand guard. I guess this'll come in handy.

Well, I guess I'm finished typing. I got my things, and left. Now, it's time to find some mana.