Lies in Deceptive Shadows

[skyacezero]

"In order to kill a Demon Lord, you have to cut off their head," Darryl said. "And beleive me, it's alot harder than it sounds," he added.

It was Lilith. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she quickly went past Keera. Something was odd about her now. Her voice was much more gentle and benevolent than what she normally sounded like.

[Amara<3]

"Well there's how many left of them? I'm sure there's enough of us to have at least a two on one fight. No one said we had to play fair," Kaminari said and Izuki smirked. Akui also did, but hers seemed to be for a different reason. "I doubt they do, so let's not waste any time."

"We should go now and rip them apart," Akui said Sora swallowed a bit awkwardly, but nodded in agreement along with most of the girls.

"Were you not listening?" Kaori suddenly asked. "Just because there's more of us doesn't mean we're stronger. They're a lot harder to even touch, forget about killing. We'll do good if we knock out one or two, I think." She looked at Darryl. "When you got the last ones, did they retreat once one of them was killed, or did they keep fighting you?"


It puzzled Keera for a moment, but she watched Lilith pass her rather quickly. "Hey, Lilith," she said and didn't wait for her to stop. "I'd very much appreciate getting back to my job. I don't want them thinking something happened on my break." She showed no emotions while saying this, no 'please' or 'thank you' at the end, just a flat out 'bring me there' but without an 'or else'.

[skyacezero]

"I fought them one at a time, but Leviathan and Beelzebub were the weakest of them," Darryl said. "No matter if they lose one, they always have a replacement waiting, but seeing as how Mephistopheles was the only replacement so far, I'd say their a little short-handed,"

"Um, of course," Lilith said shakily without facing Keera. Something was definitely different about her. "But before you go, there's something I'd like for you to do something for me," she said.

[Amara<3]

"You'd think to take out the stronger ones first," Izuki said in a disapproving voice.

"Why do that Izuki, when you can slaughter the weaker ones first, and get down to business?" Akui said in a dark tone.

"Taking out stronger ones first makes it clear that you mean business," Izuki growled at Akui and Kaori cleared her throat, but Kaminari spoke first.

"Things don't always work out the way we want them to, Izuki," she said and turned ti Akui. "Taking out the weak ones just to kill them is a ridiculous reason to murder. Think about it logically. These Demon Lords obviously aren't stupid."

"Darryl, do you think that they want Keera as one of the replacements?" Kaori asked, fear struck in her eyes. The girls fell silent, waiting for Darryl to confirm Kaori's biggest fear.


"Are you okay?" Keera asked Lilith, though she didn't seem worried, maybe a little concerned, but it was only just there. "What? Have Lamia talk to you? That wouldn't be a problem, I'm sure."

[skyacezero]

"It's pretty obvious she's a candidate, unless she's already taken a crest insigna into her body, in which case she's already becoming one," he said. "You see with the current exception of Maltheus and Belphegor, Demon Lords have no physical presence and as such, they require host bodies. Uh, for example," Darryl picked up a stick. "Say this stick is Keera's soul. When Keera accepts a crest insignia..." Darryl bent the stick so it cracked. "It'll, in a sense, 'fracture' her soul. Now ordinarily, after a while, this would cause someone to lose their sense of being, but something fills that fracture over time, that's when a Demon Lord begins to spawn," he explained. "At first, the Demon Lord is only able to converse with their host, they talk to each other in the host's mind. Eventually they get strong enough to take over their host body, though at first they have to limit the amount of time they spend in that host's body. Over time, the Demon Lord eventually becomes strong enough to replace their host body's conciousness,"

"No, that's not it," she said. She turned around and almost immediately, one would notice that Lilith's eyes were green now instead of their normal deep violet. "I want you to give this to Darryl," she said and took out what looked like a charm of some sort.

[Amara<3]

Kaori was quiet for a moment, as if she knew something but didn't want to say it. She looked down, then away, and actually turned away from eveyone. She'd heard Keera ask if something could be removed by the gods, and she was told no, not without her drying. "Can it be removed?" she whispered to Darryl, as she was closer to him than anyone else.

"Keera, talk to me," Michi suddenly said and looked at the portal. There was a few moments of silence, and then a sigh, like a whisper through the forest where they were.

Keera looked at the charm, then at Lilith. "I'm not willing to give gifts between either party. I'll take it with me, but I will not guarantee he'll get it." She said and reached out for, then hesitated for a moment as someone else spoke in her head. Then she continued to take the charm and tucked it in her pants pocket. She sighed and talked back in her head.

"What is it?" Keera's voice came through the air, also like a whispering wind. It seemed tired, and beaten up.

"Where are you?" Michi asked out loud and another sigh, more prominent as a voice, then silence for a couple moments. They seemed to stretch on forever, then she spoke again.

"Hell, as I've been told. Is there a problem? I'm coming back in a minute." Keera purposely failed to mention the charm on purpose. She wanted to see Darryl's reaction when he saw it in her hand.

"I need to ask you something."

"Go ahead," her voice never changed from it's tired state, and she didn't even seem very interested in the question.

"Do you have an insigna?" A soft 'mmmm' noise came from forest, and Michi cleared he throat. "Do you or no? We need to figure this out."

"Yes," Keera whispered, and another sigh. "Keep Kaori safe, if she dies... just don't let her. Promise me. I'm keeping Lamia at bay right now. She's driving me insane. I have to go."

"Wait!" Kaori called suddenly and there was silence. "Keera, please, we're going to help you!"

[skyacezero]

"It can be, but only Maltheus can remove it," Darryl said. He hear what Keera had said. "Damn, we're working on borrowed time," he said. "We'd better get back,"

"Keera, listen, I know you want out, and I do, too," Lilith said. "If Necrolon combines that charm with his shining form, it should purge a Demon Lord from their host body, the downside is that it might kill the host's conciouness and leave the Demon Lord," she said. "That's why I want Darryl to test it one me," se said. "If it purges Lilith, it'll be safe to use on you," Lilith opened a vortex. "Go, now, before Lilith takes over again,"

[Amara<3]

"Are you sure?" Kaori was almost in tears, and the look on face said she was starting to take back what she was doing. If she were safe, Keera would be okay. If she gets hurt or dies, something will happen to her sister. She felt an ache of something worse than losing a mate, that horrible, depressed, hopeless feeling of losing a mate was nothing compared to what she felt if she had to lose Keera. Not ever seeing her was tough, but dying and leaving her or having her die was going to be worse. "I don't know what to do," she said as the first tear started to snake it's way down her cheek. "There has to be another way."


Keera looked at the one she knew as Lilith, and her now green eyes. "How do I know you're not lying to me?" she asked as she stepped towards the vortex. She knew that if Lilith 'took over' again, the vortex would probably close. She didn't wait long enough for an answer or to wait and see Lilith's eyes come back. "If you are..." Keera said before stepping through it. That sentence was one of those "You'd better not be, or else" without the actual words being said.

Keera stepped into the bright sunlight at the warehouses, and pulled the charm from her pocket. She couldn't keep it out too long or someone might see it and ask questions. She put it back in her pocket and kept a steady run all the back to the office. She suddenly found she wasn't hunger anymore, and it would stay like that. Keera rarely had to eat with this body.

[skyacezero]

"Kaori, if there is another way, we'll find it," Darryl said. He stepped over to where the time portal was and turned around to face everyone. "Listen, I'm not going to lie, but if you choose to follow, there's a chance that some or even all of you might die. If you feel like like backing out, go ahead, I won't stop you or hold it against you,"

[Amara<3]

"No, we're saving her. We wanted to help her many times and she's denied us each and every time. She has no say in this anymore." Sora said and stepped toward the barrier. "And what ones of us takes part in, we all take part." The rest of the girl's faces were the exact same in response, and Kaminari brought Kaori into her arms.

"We're getting Keera back. Come on, you have to bring us there to help her. We know what she means to you, Kaori. She's a very important part of us too."

Kaori swallowed and wiped the tears from her eyes. A new look started coming over her face. Determination. She took a deep breath and nodded. She took Kaminari's hand and reached for Darryl's. She seemed to be feeding off of the atmosphere the other girls were putting out, and Akui actually smiled at Kaori in a soft, encouraging smile. "Taking two at a time is quicker."

"We could come through if we're just touching you right?" Sora asked and Kaori nodded. "Then we can at least go by four. We'll hold onto your arms," she said and Izuki stepped forward. Sora and Izuki each took a light hold on one of Kaori's arms. "Let's go." Kaori took a deep breath again and walked through the portal with the three of them and Darryl.


In the forest for both of the worlds it was becoming darker. Nikko swallowed and Atokata put down her hood. Her dark brown hair fell around her face in soft layers, her silver eyes looked almost grey and started looking like the Moon. "Nikko, are you sure you want to go?" Nikko nodded. "You'll have to stay hidden, your powers weaken when the sun goes down."

"Yours grow in the night. That was our deal when we became the way we are. Don't die on me." Nikko whispered and Atokata smiled. "Besides, I have weapons too, if I have to I've gotten lots of practice in the last few years of moderate peace."


Kaori looked around, and nothing felt right in the forest. Nothing had felt right going through either, she'd gone anyway. Turning back was never as easy. Everyone let go and Kaori stepped back towards the portal, but looked around with worried eyes. "Be careful," she said and disappeared back through.

[skyacezero]

"Will do," Darryl said. There was rustling nearby and a man with demonic wings carrying a staff with a red stone at the end emerged. "You're finally here. I've been waiting," he said calmly. "Barbatos..." Darryl growled. "What's this? You've brought friends?" Barbatos said in the same calm tone. "Look out, he's one of the Demon Lords I told you about," Darryl warned.

[Amara<3]

"Come on, next four," Kaori said Nikko looked at her for a moment. "What?"

"I was just thinking... is there a possible way that more than four could go at once?"

Kaori smiled. "We can see. You have to be touching my skin and can't let go until we're safely across the portal." All six moved forward to her at once, two grabbing her hands, two holding her upper arms, two holding her lower arms.


"Bright side, there's only one of them right now." Sora said.

"Doesn't matter," Izuki growled. "We'll knock 'em all out one by one if that's how they want to do this." Kaminari glowered at the Demon Lord, as if angered and sizing him up to take him on her own. "They're not getting away with what they're doing to people, especially Keera."

[skyacezero]

"That's just perfect, I broght a friend along, too," Barbatos said, and right on cue, the trees behind him were flattened and a large, lumbering, quadpedal Dark Hunter emerged and bellowed. "For those of you with no knowledge of Dark Hunters, this is a Behemoth," Barbatos said.

[Amara<3]

Izuki clapped. "Akui will love this creature," she said and moved out of view, like a blur. Sora watched Izuki disappear but Kaminari kept her eyes on him. She was intent on waiting for the Demon Lord to attack first, she'd learned that making the first move was often a bad idea.


Keera headed to her office again, rolling the charm over in her hands and looked at the clock in the restaurant she usually went to. Not much time had passed. She still had a little while left to go see her sister and talk over the charm with Darryl. She turned to go to the portal, and then stopped. She saw in her mind that Kaori was starting to bring the reinforcements over but... Barbatos was there too. "Had to have been waiting for them," Keera concluded and slowly walked in their direction.


Kaori stopped for a second, and swallowed. "I have a bad feeling."

"Of course you do. Now come on, we have to go over there now," Atokata said quietly, prodding. Owari gave Kaori a little nudge which made her walk through the portal with them.

[skyacezero]

"Shall we?" Barbatos said and slammed his staff on the ground. several penticles appeared on the ground around him and started fanning out. Each emmited a burst of energy that would obliterate anything over it. Darryl dove away as soon as one appeared under him. Two more appeared under Sora and Kaminari.