Till the Last Breath

by Alvin Atwater

  When we held hands like some dumb witch coven, I charged solar energy into my back. I soon felt a strange pressure there.

  “Damn Epex, way to be dramatic man. Wings of fire, really?” Devante said.

  Before I could respond, all of their essences poured into me and we took off. I opened Paradise Realm to my mind, guiding our landing spot. There really wasn’t much time to find Amelia—a couple of seconds is never—but I did get us to the side of some restaurant.

  From there, we saw the scale of the fuckery. There were bodies everywhere—wounded, dead, and some just…mangled. At this point, I began to wonder if we made a truly grave mistake coming here.

  Someone who could do this right on Paradise Realm territory is not a being we wanted to fuck with—not even let him catch a whiff of us.

  “I think we fucked up coming here,” Devante said literally a millisecond before I could say.

  “Amony…” I froze when I saw Amony’s wide eyes.

  She took a deep breath and let it out.

  “Let’s find your goddess then go,” she said.

  Being as sneaky as possible and using the chaos, I led my friends toward Amelia’s presence. Toward the Venus palace. Sin held rear guard, a strange glowing sword at the ready. The power emitting from that thing felt off. Well if it contributed to keeping us alive, I wouldn’t fucking complain.

  Just then, a giant meteor fell from the sky at what looked to be a million miles per hour and slammed into the Venus home. The shockwave nearly swept us off our feet—we were at least a few hundred meters from the palace. The cloud-like ground shook. Golden street lights fell over.

  Amony’s quick-thinking saved us. The force field that surrounded cracked but held. Somehow... the Venus palace still stood. Then I saw him, the Red Dragon floating in midair, cloak fluttering, hood still hiding his features. I noticed two figures standing on the roof of the Venus home, looking right at the cloaked being.

  Mother Nature and Natural Selection and holy shit, they were pissed. When they both shot into what I could only assume were divine states, I thought the pressure would crush me. My heavenly-being senses simply became numb, overloaded. We truly needed to get the fuck away from here and fast.

  “We’ve got to go,” I said. “I’ll just have to trust in Amelia, but we really can’t afford to be around this fuckfest when it starts.”

  “No argument here,” Elly said.

  Before we could move, the Red Dragon suddenly looked at me. I couldn’t see much because his face was shadowed, except a grin.

  “And where do you think you’re going, my descendant.”

  Chapter Forty-six

  The red cloak’s minions of masked gods appeared behind him, though on the ground. The beast was still about fifty feet or so in the air. A being wearing a dragon mask called to him.

  “Your lordship, what do you mean descendant?”

  The red dragon turned back to the advancing couple of Mother Nature and Natural Selection. They flew, maybe rocketed toward him, heavenly-light swirling around them in a way that made them look like rising suns. Yeah, that’s not a clash my friends and I needed to be around.

  “You didn’t know? Hm, of course you wouldn’t,” he said, voice still calm, steady, calculating. “Capture him.”

  I charged power in my back—the minions were at least fifty yards away. My friends and I joined hands, but the hope that boiled within vanished as I realized the realm was locked. And there was no time to draw a deity circle to negate Conus’s hold.

  “No use,” I said, “we have to make a stand.”

  “Epex, those are no ordinary gods,” Elly said. “I...I’m not sure about this.”

  “I hate to admit it,” Devante said, nervousness in his eyes for the first time. The normally confident sorcerer could turn many situations into a humorous jive. He looked weary. “Humans and gods aren’t balanced combatants.”

  “No use running,” Amony said. “They’ll just teleport in front of us.”

  The masked group of what maybe twelve gods blurred for us. Sin stepped ahead and held forward his freaky sword. The masked group actually stopped, unsheathed their weapons but appeared to be weary of Sin’s sword.

  A fuckload of pressure so strong, I felt my bones vibrating from the molecular level, boomed way above. That insane fight begun. If Mother Nature was here, I could only assume the Venus sisters were assisting their family. Where the fuck was the Helios clan? I pushed that thought away to focus.

  “That sword,” the dragon-masked being said. “Interesting. Never thought I’d be seeing Nova again after that day. You’re not Dante but someone close to him. Give it here, boy and don’t make me ask twice.”

  “Hold,” I told Sin, sensing his eagerness to jump into the fray. The essence I felt from that one was just the reality I had to face, an ocean of ancient power that didn’t make sense to me. “That’s what he wants.”

  I turned on state three. The masked group didn’t even flinch, unimpressed. I tried to bind them to the ground but something around them, perhaps their essence, prevented my power from touching theirs.

  “So you’re the corruption?” I said to the dragon guy. He seemed to be the leader. “Betray your entire homeland to follow him? You know that’s not going to end well.”

  He laughed. “I sure hope you don’t believe that. If you’re his descendant…listen, let’s make a deal. In exchange for your friend’s lives, you’ll come along willingly.”

  “Don’t you fucking dare, Epex,” Elly said.

  “You’re in over your heads and you know it,” he continued.

  “Enough!”

  We turned to see Amony aiming her hands at the ground. She muttered something. Tendrils of light and energy and heat blasted from her and struck the entire group. That blast didn’t do jack shit—I still felt their presences—but it created a shit ton of smoke. So much for negotiating for their lives. But this smoke—I stopped thinking and just ran behind her.

  What I just barely noticed that there were many more of us—fake versions of us, running in different directions as groups. Illusions. The ancient witch was a genius.

  Once again, the hope that I thought was there, drained away again. Mother Nature and Natural Selection fell right in front of me, panting, beaten. The masked group surrounded us.

  The dragon-masked being appeared on my left, hand on my shoulder.

  “Did you honestly believe that a childish human trick like that would actually work? If only you knew how long we prepared for this. To put the universe back in its rights. To put the rightful rulers in place. You were supposed to be in the depths but if he’s your ancestor, then show some pride. No…we’ll teach you. It is not your fault for being so ignorant.”

  Then the blow to my stomach came, dropping me down to my knees, right on top of Mother Nature. The super goddess’s ragged breathing made my blood run cold. She was dying. She was really dying. Fuck. This couldn’t be happening. I felt myself being hurled on someone’s shoulder.

  Well, fuck this, I didn’t plan to go down without a fight. The sounds of my friends fighting seemed to jolt me into making a decision. Taking in as much solar energy as possible, I engulfed into flame form. The being holding me yelled, dropping me fast, patting his burns. There was a jagged smoking hole in the spot where he held me. I saw pale skin.

  “You’ve done it now, Epex Helios,” he said. “I’ll make sure your death will be known as an accident.”

  The dragon-masked was not talking to me. No, Amony flooded the place with illusions. He probably caught on a second a later, but we already scooped up Mother Nature and Natural selection and ran.

  `By “we,” I mean Sin and Devante. Elly, Amony, and Layla fended off the others with deception, not having to engage themselves. I could tell they’ve practiced this on their own time—we’ve never fought this way together.

  My jaw dropped at what Sin did next. He made sure Mother Nature was in a safe spot, withdrew his freaky sword, and blurred into the battle
, his eye color fucking red. Covered in endless orangish light, he swung Nova once.

  A giant Chinese-dragon made of fire and energy roared as it emerged from the tip of the sword and blasted the gods to their backs. The dragon vanished, but an orange outline appeared around the edges of Nova.

  “That won’t be enough,” Sin said as he retreated, “so let’s get the hell out before the real problem gets here.”

  I nodded then took off with the others. We wouldn’t catch them off guard again. And killing immortals wasn’t something I was sure Sin could do with Nova. Still, that badass sword could create fire dragons? What else could it do? Ghost’s prized sword.

  Chapter Forty-seven

  We didn’t get far before I heard the Red Dragon’s voice everyone and nowhere. By the looks on everyone else’s faces, they heard too—all in our heads.

  “Followers, behold, the birth of a new era. As promised, I will give you control of your chosen lands, restore things to their rights, clean up the pollutants and this universe and the next will be reborn into peace. For those who are confused, unknowing to where you belong, I am not your enemy. Come to me and let us clean up this mess. A mess which only brings forth pain, misery, unfair eternal punishments with no hope of redemption, cruelty, anarchy, dirty waters and dirty lands, rape, murder, hunger, prostitution, homelessness and poverty, greed, misplaced pride, and the foul system. The King allows freewill but enforces no law. I have a better way. It will start with ending all of those who supported the King’s way. After I personally dethrone him, we’ll work together towards something a great. And if you want to continue to live like crap, come to me anyway, let me show you. Let me change your way of thinking. For those with youth, still can be saved. As for my descendant. Cardinal, get him. I’ve got words to speak to that one.”

  I looked at the grim expressions of my friends’ faces. We were in something way over our heads. As much as I trusted my goddess, my worry for her actually started to manifest. Pushing away the thoughts, I decided that she could take care of herself. She was strong.

  We were currently hiding out in an empty restaurant, Amony attending the two powerhouses. They showed no signs of recovering.

  “Conus’s lock on the realm may be to get them inside,” I said, “but it won’t hold forever.”

  “Let’s talk about the immediate issues,” Devante said, “like how this Cardinal guy is coming to bag you up like a grocery item.”

  “Assuming he finds us,” I said, with no meaning in my voice. If I remained here, it’d only be a matter of time. Damn. Hunted again. Devante gave me a look signaling that he was unconvinced. “Fuck.” I slammed my first against a table, denting it. “Nothing is making sense right now. They’ve planned this under our noses, revived the freaking beast of all things, and plunged Paradise Realm of all places into chaos. We can’t even get out of here.”

  “Are you able to contact your father?” Sin said.

  “And what? I’m pretty sure he’s scrambling around, doing something,” I said. “Me showing up to his doorstep wouldn’t…” I paused. “No one knows I’m alive. No one should have any idea that I’m the one he’s calling descendant.”

  “Do you believe it?” Elly said.

  “Fuck no,” I said. “And even if I was, there’d be no difference in my actions. His little speech sounds sweet and sugary on the outside but the reality is that he’s going to kill the gods, kill the King, and enslave not only humanity but probably the entire universe.”

  “Damn,” Elly said. “I know he’s crazy powerful and all, but I’m pretty sure won’t get that far. Catching people here off guard is one thing, but going to the King’s realm is suicidal. How do you think he’s going to pull that off?”

  “Good point….” I paused as the answer came to me like a premonition. “Sin, I sure hope they don’t suspect your father having a super deadly ancient book. That’s the only way I can see this going his way. I wish I could warn Ghost.”

  “Conus…”

  I looked at Mother Nature, laid out across the table, eyes barely open. I hovered over her to listen. “Your father…he can contact anyone in…the depths. He…he should still…be at the Helios palace. You’ve got to let him know.”

  “I really don’t want to go out there,” I said. “Not when everyone and their mothers either want to kill me, capture, or make me some weapon.”

  “It matters…not. The one called Cardinal, the traitor in the dragon’s mask, can locate you at whim.” Mother Nature placed her hand on my cheek. “Be strong, son-in-law. Please. You’re…the only hope we’ve got left.”

  “You don’t have to go alone,” Layla said.

  “It’d be better if I do,” I said, already hating myself for the statement. “That way you won’t panic anyone for being an outsider. I’m going to take on full state three and get there as fast as I can. But first.” I manifested a marker and drew the deity-trapper. “If I’m not bad or if shit hits the fan, get out of here.” I looked at Sin. “Protect them with Nova.”

  “Of course,” he said. “And you be careful out there. As much as I want to tag along, I’m going to trust you.”

  I pat his shoulder.

  “If you’re not a demi-devil, then what are you?”

  Sin shrugged. “Like I told you back when we first met. I’m neither. Same goes for you.”

  I nodded.

  “Get going dipshit,” Elly said then hugged me. “And you better get back here alive.”

  Sin’s eyes were wide.

  “Are you having an affair?”

  “He’s too pure for that,” the succubus said then sat back down. I nodded at Devante.

  He nodded back.

  “Take care man. Don’t go dying on us.” We shook hands.

  “Yeah, I’ve still got a score to settle with you,” Layla said. “And its name is Zap.”

  I frowned.

  “Tell Zap I said fuck off.” She smiled.

  With a wave, my body combusted into state three. The sun was still high in the sky, so I filled my tank.

  I poured out my senses to see if I could locate Amelia’s presence. No dice. That worried me.

  After silently settling my inner debates, I looked toward the direction of my childhood home. The sounds of fighting, screams and yells of pain, and cries were palpable.

  This Red Dragon guy turned what’s supposed to be a place of peace into a war zone. If he were a demon or devil, I’d gladly eliminate him. Hell, Mother Nature or any of the others would’ve done so long before I got here. But…what exactly is the beast? Is he really a dragon? Did dragons exist?

  He was in human shape of course, so whatever the prophetic passages of biblical tomes say about him were more than likely in metaphor. It’s too damn bad I had no idea how to contact the King’s realm. I’d get Michael here asap.

  Where were the fucking Knights when you truly needed them? I pushed aside the thoughts, focusing, and speeding up my pace to a frantic sprint.

  The ground in front of me exploded. The shockwave pushed me back and soon, I saw a mask staring at me through a wall of vanishing flames. His robe was completely repaired. I internally groaned—the Helios household was just ahead in the distance. Not that that mattered anymore. Cardinal had caught up to his prey. Fuck.

  Forty-eight

  “This is your last chance, boy,” Cardinal said as he walked toward me, silver heavenly-light surrounding him. “I worked hard, day and night, to set this up. I coordinated it all for the greatest of good so that everyone will have a fair universe to live in and I’ll be damned if I let some brat like you spoil it all.”

  Anger filled me like the rush of magma through a volcano, before the eruption.

  “So,” I said with venom in my voice, “I went through all of the bullshit because of you? Burned in Hell, the depths, and for what, to become your slave. The very one behind this shit just to revive the beast? YOU MOTHERFUCKER!”

  I ripped open the lock to state four, so fucking pissed, needing to kil
l this asshole—so much burning, so much blood, so much terror because of this fuckface.

  I blurred at him, dodged some piss poor punch and got him in a chokehold. The fucker elbowed me in the gut to the point where it hurt too bad to hold on then catching me off guard, gave me the punishing kick backward.

  “Just because you get golden wings in the sun does not mean you can take on me, foolish boy,” Cardinal blabbed.

  I got up, thankful that forcing state four didn’t take away my sense of self. This was probably a free pass. This state however…with the sun out, I felt ridiculous strong, insanely so, almost intoxicated. Cardinal had no idea.

  I was just new to it—but…I blurred to him with a flying kick that sent the motherfucker into a building. The sound of it crumbling made me grin for only a second. A move right out of an anime, right?

  I didn’t bother celebrating too early. There was no telling what the Red Dragon’s personal blowjob giver would do or what trick he had up his sleeve. I didn’t want to find out—no fuck that.

  I held one hand into the hair and charged a ball of solar, one as big as a house, then searched for his presence. He was getting up, silver heavenly-light flaring in anger.

  That’s what worried me though. Silver heavenly-light is the strongest—a visual representation of insane power leakage.

  Oh well, fuck it. I aimed and launched it at him. At a hundred miles per hour, it smashed into his location then the sound of an explosion filled my ears like awesome music. A giant chunk of building seemed to blur from nowhere—and the next thing I knew was pain, a face full of concrete. My back hit the ground hard. My wings didn’t interact with matter thank goodness.

  “You stupid boy.” Cardinal walked toward me with a manifested sword in his hand. “I’ll kill you then your friends, your family, and defile the goddess you foolishly cherish. I’ll crucify her, right in front of you then drink her blood like an enemy of the battlefield.”

  I stood up…but Cardinal…Cardinal’s movements changed. He moved faster than I could keep up, leaving blurry trails behind him. His sword slashed across my chest before I could see it. Warmness... blood seeped from the wound, but I refused to fall. I dodged…no, I thought I dodged his other sword slash but he got me again, creating an “X” on my chest.