Dancing In The Void

The darkness itself trembled with anticipation.

Three standing together on one side of the bridge, and Katherine, standing alone on the other. Neither side yet dared make a move. Uriel turned to her companions in this combat, Wrath on her right, and Insect on her left.

"Listen closely!" She began with a shiver of trepidation in her echoing voice. "We are all wounded and weak from our earlier battles, so we must cover for each other's openings if we want the slightest chance against her. I'm the biggest liability here, I cannot see, I can only vaguely tell where everyone is, only vaguely able to tell what everyone's intent is. Wrath, Insect can't speak, you must be my eyes and her mouth in this battle, okay?"

"Alright. She n-nodded." Wrath said approvingly.

"Good. If we all charge Katherine, we risk just getting in each other's way. I'll stand back, try to fight from the air, support you two, take openings whenever I can."

"S-scared to attack h-her, Uriel?" Wrath said with a smirk.

"No, just trying to fight smart for once. Besides, I just know you're itching for revenge against her."

"Enough talk, here she comes!" Wrath shouted.

The bridge cried out with the metallic sound of Katherine's boots as she charged towards them. The three of them prepared for her attack, but she stopped before she got in range of any of them, instead flipping in place. Her halberd shone with crimson fury as she brought it down onto the bed of the bridge. The force of the impact traveled through the surface of the bridge in the form of thorn roots, creating a wave of wood and stone that surged towards them. Uriel jumped high into the air at the beating of her wings, and from there she created a wall of light in the path of Katherine's attack. She continued, pressing the wall forward with her mind along with all the debris it stopped while making its outer edges curl in around Katherine.

The huntress seemed unphased as the giant cylinder of light enclosed her, as she twirled her weapon and unleashed two twin slices in a blinding red flash. In the next instant, Uriel's light shattered like glass. She grunted in annoyance, but also satisfaction as she dismissed the fading shards. Her grandiose lightshow distracted Katherine just enough for Insect and Wrath to attack her from two opposing sides, as if in a pincer. Wrath charged first, both her blades aiming to kill, but Katherine quickly deflected them before they could land. But she continued, with unrelenting fury. Wrath fought like a wounded animal, screaming and shouting with every thrust and stab, but Katherine was empowered by her demonic crown and she deflected each blow with cold precision.

"HRRRYAH!" Katherine grunted as she lunged towards Wrath, finding an opening. Her halberd however was instantly stopped by a black bolt hitting it from the side, changing its trajectory. Katherine took a quick glance at her weapon, realizing the blade was stained with blood. She slid back, switching focus to the one responsible. A rain of red needles pierced through the air towards her. Katherine huffed as she jumped and pirouetted backwards through the air, her eyes locked on Insect as she swung her arms wildly towards her.

"You… betrayer." Katherine called out, her voice placid and emotionless. "How does it feel to be standing there, fighting alongside them as if you deserve anything less than execution?"

"No one… cares!" Uriel shouted from above as she conjured an enormous sword of light, smashing it down towards the spot Katherine was being directed towards.

The sword crashed down onto the bridge, creating a thunderous explosion of light that radiated outwards with an earth-shattering shockwave. Dust and darkness clouded everyone's vision, but the triumphant hope was soon fractured when they saw a massive black tree where the sword fell. It surged from the shattered stone of the bridge, made from thorn vines and roses weaved together into a great structure. The tree grew in an instant, born from Katherine's power, and its great crown along with its trunk protected her from the blast. Not entirely however, though none of them could see. Beneath its roots, Katherine stood wearily, with her halberd stabbed into the ground. Blood continued to drip from her crown down on her face and head, but quite a lot of it was her own now, not her power's. She spat, and charged through the branches. The entire tree quickly withered and decayed to dust, but just long enough time passed for her to surprise everyone else.

"She's c-coming again! T-this bitch is u-unrelenting!" Wrath shouted, warning the others and readying herself.

Instead of waiting however, Insect rushed forward, intending to meet her head on. Bloodlust was painted in both of her eyes, fueled by anger and the burning desire to transcend the one that was always above her. Katherine struck, and Insect blocked her halberd with the edge of her palm, her bones like steel underneath her skin.

"Hello, cousin." Katherine greeted her calmly, her left eye glowing fully red with demonic strength matching up against Insect's right eye, pale white and bleeding still from the wound suffered. "I see you've had an unfortunate accident, did your dear ol' dad do that to you?"

Insect grit her teeth in rage, unleashing a flurry of razor palm-strikes upon her. Katherine dodged and weaved her halberd between them keeping her at a distance. The two were locked in brutal hand-to-weapon combat, but it was all too apparent that Katherine had the upper hand. Insect was constantly on the aggressive, but not a single one of her attacks landed, while Katherine managed to retaliate with a couple blows and slices of her own. Unexpectedly for either of them however, Wrath intervened in their duel, attacking Katherine from behind with a wave of whip-like tentacles.

"GHAH! You want some too, huh?" Katherine shouted, changing targets.

"Don't l-let me interrupt!" Wrath smirked as Katherine's attention was drawn to her now. The enraged huntress charged and engaged her, giving both the chance to display their expert skills with a blade. Wrath's violet twinblades threaded and swerved around Katherine's lightning-fast halberd. However, the dynamic of the battle was quickly turning in their favor. Wrath and Insect's attacks and styles of combat complemented each other well, both quickly covering for the other when they faltered, or were about to get hit. Frustration grew on Katherine's pained expression, forced on the backfoot entirely with no chance for any retaliation.

"Ghhh! I guess despite embracing your demonic bloodline, you always will need help to stand up to me, Insect!" Katherine shouted during a moment of brief respite before her opponent's onslaught began once more.

"CAN YOU FIGHT W-WITHOUT TALKING BITCH?" Wrath yelled.

"And miss out on the chance to exploit all your pathetic insecurities, Demon? Never." Katherine said, smugly. "Especially for my dear cousin, tainted by demon blood, more-so than me or Nikolai. Hell, she's more demonic than even you are, Uriel!" She said, pointing up at the flying angel.

"The fuck's that supposed to mean?" Uriel asked from a distance, unable to hold herself and her curiosity back.

"D-dont f-fucking encourage her you idiot!" Wrath lashed out at her, earning a kick to the shins and a follow-up to her knees due to the distraction.

"Hehehe!" Katherine laughed as Insect immediately took over until her partner recovered, attacking her with blades of blood that flowed like trailing ribbons from her hands. "Oh you don't know? Your dear mentor's mother was a descendant of Samson, already giving her a demonic heritage, just like me!" Katherine cackled wildly as she relentlessly fought Insect with her crimson halberd, quickly overpowering her and gaining an advantage."But as if that wasn't enough, she's none other than Asmodeus' daughter of course!" She yelled out, knocking Insect painfully on her back and immediately attempting to strike a lethal blow.

The air was heavy with the sound of her weapon cutting through towards Insect, until it cried out with the sound of another blade, stopping it in place. Katherine continued to push down for a moment, still drunk with her power and anger. Her eyes moved up from her cousin, finding themselves staring back at nothing more than bandages. Uriel's wounded hands were fiercely tight around the grip of her golden blade, her muscles trembling as even she struggled to hold The Jawbone back.

"It… does… not… matter!" Uriel cried out as she pushed her back. Her voice echoed with holy fervor, waking up Wrath and Insect, who were both entranced and shocked by Katherine's revelation. "Insect, my father is the demon Mephistopheles. He hunted and tried to kill me and my friends, and that does not change how I try to fight for good no matter what! To hell with this stupid notion that we are all only what we are born! I have seen Asmodeus, Insect, and you are not him! You are greater than just… ghhh… the blood that you were born with!" Uriel grunted, finding it difficult to talk between the clashes of her holy weapons and Katherine's. She could not see her opponents moves, instead compensating by creating a barrier of thousands of sunblades between the two of them.

"Hooooly shit, you fucking kidding me? Asmodeus is her Asmodaddy?" Evan shouted from far in the back, prompting all four ladies to pause for a moment, then turn and glare at him. "S-sorry…" His voice trailed off.

"Anyway… easy for you to say all that, Uriel!" The Huntress said, ignoring the interference. "You don't know what agony it is, being human and demon alike! Not all of us can fly like you, Uriel. You're just a perfect angel, untempted by the corrupting nature of demon-blood, untempted by the fear of becoming that which you hunt. You just act grandiose and spout nonsense without caring about the chains of fate that those like me and my cousin are trapped in!" She shouted with fiery rage, swinging her halberd like a whirlwind of steel against Uriel's wall of light. "Besides, it was your fucking heritage that DOOMED THIS WORLD, WAS IT NOT?" She screamed, as she crashed down through Uriel's defenses.

"That was YOUR mistake, NOT HERS!" Wrath shouted as she intervened once again. She attempted one last desperate maneuver, impeding Katherine from moving as her shadow tendrils wrapped around her limbs and weapon.

"Enough! I am so sick of you!" Katherine lashed out, turning around as the tendrils yanked her towards Wrath. She did not expect Katherine to break free of her grasp so easily, and even less for her to immediately charge and attack her. Her violet blades deflected the halberd out of Katherine's hands, but it did not stop her, as her gauntlets struck her across the face and chin. It quickly turned into a savage brawl, one that Wrath was brutally unequipped to fight. A swift and deadly jab to the gut drained what little air and willpower Wrath still had within her, bringing her to her knees. Uriel rushed towards them, trying to save her companion in time. She could not risk a ranged attack that might hit Wrath as well, so she ran, propelling herself with her dark wings. Despite her muscles aching, moving her forward at great speed, she was unable to make it in time. Katherine clasped her hands together and pummeled Wrath over the head into the ground.

"GYYAH!" Uriel screamed out as she crashed into Katherine, sending both of them flying into the bridge, stumbling one on top of the other. Uriel was quickly kicked off, but she recovered from her fall with her wings. A shockwave exploded as she engaged her foe once more, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris. Flashes of golden and red light cut through the cloud, bringing sight along with the deafening clashing of steel. The clashing of their blades were not the only noises however, as Uriel's voice cried out, breaking through the chaos: "INSECT, TAKE HER TO SAFETY!"

"Its really disappointing…" Katherine called out. "... Even the three of you combined… are no match for me!" She said, sliding into Uriel and trying to slice one of her wings off when she dodged. Uriel winced at the loss of a few feathers, and retaliated with a spray of light-daggers trying to buy herself some distance. She was very deliberately being pushed to the edge of the bridge, and space was running low. Katherine jumped and flipped out of their way with ease. She was like a scarlet shadow, blurring across the battlefield. Her dark strength seemed to seep out of her whenever she moved, cloaking her in nightmarish mist.

"For all your talk… of demons, angels and humans…" Uriel began, using the moment of peace to regain her composure, while also giving Insect more time to get the unconscious Wrath to safety. "Have you even seen yourself, Katherine? Right now, you're a more terrifying demon than anyone here." She confessed.

A mad grin was carved across Katherine's lips, and within that madness, Uriel could see her soul laid bare. Between the swirling storm of white and black however, she felt the faintest sign of something else. An aching fear, festering like an infected wound. Chains wrapped around an open heart, unable to pump freely. Had she been able to see, she would have seen the tear that dripped from her ruby-like eye. How it evaporated the instant it touched her cheek, swallowed by the demonic glow. The moment of weakness passed, and without a word, she rushed down Uriel. The angel summoned her blades, defending herself against the now familiar bite of the jawbone.

Uriel fought with courage, emboldened by the flame of her fury and grief. Her blades, whenever they landed, sliced through Katherine's armor as if through silk, but it was not nearly enough. Katherine's strength was too great, the way she moved and danced like a ghost around her, faster and faster, was all too much for Uriel to keep up with. She had been crippled by her blindness and her earlier fights, and her opponent was fully taking advantage of her situations. Her wounds were mounting. Slowly Katherine was chipping away at her, landing a small cut here and there, a punch or a kick elsewhere, each draining her of energy, willpower and more importantly, blood.

I… c-can't… d-despite… everything…? I'm still… just… too weak…? I'll… always be… Her panicked thoughts raced, on the verge of defeat. Uriel then quickly protected herself as Katherine deceptively attacked with her halberd from one side, but her body attacked from another. Her hands grabbed Uriel, slamming her on her face into the ground. Before she could get back up, Katherine grabbed her by the wing with both hands, and snapped the bone at its base. The bridge shook violently from the agonizing howl of pain that Uriel unleashed. Even Katherine herself put some distance between them, afraid of what might come next.

"I… I never wanted this. Not this." Katherine said softly as she recalled her weapon to her. She was unsure if Uriel could even hear her, given the deafening screaming she was crying out. "Seeing you like this, compared to what I thought you were going to be when we first met… It hurts me too. You're not fit to restore this world, allow me to put you out of your misery." She said, voice aching with disappointment.

Uriel writhed on the ground in agony. Pain coursed through her body as if it was a burning, searing poison in her veins. She couldn't move, couldn't even crawl away. Her every thought shrieked out in mind numbing suffering. But through the chaos, a single insidious thought wormed its way in. Quiet at first, and slowly growing in intensity until it overpowered every other thought in her mind.

Give in…

Katherine walked closer.

Give in…

She raised her halberd.

GIVE IN…

The edge of her crimson blade shined.

GIVE IN!

But Uriel refused the shadow in her mind, choosing to embrace her death instead.

A lightning flash of red came crashing through the darkness. Every nerve in her body was numb, overloaded from the pain and torment. Death it seemed, did not embrace her back. The tranquil peace she had expected did not come. Instead, she breathed. The breath came with pain, but the pain was proof she was still alive. The breath came alongside a few other feelings as well. Her heartbeat, shivering in a weak rhythm. The ceaseless voice in her head that begged her to close her eyes, fall asleep, and give in. And the cold wind of Dudael's deep that enveloped her, biting against her frail skin.

It was not those feelings however, that she focused on. It was the soft, warm touch of someone's hands as they held and carried her gently, almost princess-like. Uriel looked up, trying to make sense of what was happening, how she was now above the ground, where mere moments ago she was crawling on it like a dying ant. A shape formed itself in her mind, someone looking back down at her. It was a soul that she did not recognize, but one that felt all too familiar. Pure white, stained by shards of red, like blood dripping on the petals of a white rose. She wanted to move her hand, wanted to touch their face, whoever they were. She willed her body and her muscles to obey her, and with a trembling, weak palm she reached up and touched their face. She felt something cold, like glass, and her fingers pulled back, gripped by fear. But then they moved their face, brushing the other side against her calloused, wounded fingers. Uriel felt tears dripping down her face, soaking her bandages. Her hand traced the shapes of their cheek, their chin and mouth, and she could not hold herself back from crying. She realized who they were, and their name escaped her shaking lips on a voice about to break.

"Constantine?"

Constantine gently walked close to the part of the bridge where Evan, Insect, and the unconscious Wrath were. There, he very carefully set Uriel down on the ground, with some help from Evan and Insect. Evan stared at him in disbelief, still somewhat shocked at what he was seeing. Once Uriel was safely laid on the ground, Evan moved to grab Constantine by the shoulders, as if to check if it was truly him. He patted him twice, and then yanked him in close in a one-armed embrace. Evan couldn't stop himself from tearing up as he nearly choked his friend. Even Insect began tearing up seeing her student there before them.

"W-we… thought you died!" He managed to blurt out through his sobs.

"I… I… saw you d-dead…" Uriel added, her voice still trembling with fear that this was all some sort of cruel illusion.

"I…" Constantine began to speak, his voice echoed by a slight ethereal timbre. "Did… die I think. I'm truly so sorry everyone. I rushed here as fast as I could… if I moved faster maybe…" He said, looking at Uriel's broken, bleeding wing with disappointment in himself.

"You came back." Uriel said, sobbing loudly. Constantine reached towards her, embracing her tightly but not so tight that it caused her any additional harm. He buried his face into her shoulder and neck, placing a single passionate kiss on her skin.

"I promised you I wouldn't leave you behind again." Constantine said with a smile, a smile that was obscured, cut in half by his mask.

"Holy shit, I can't believe you just knocked Kath off the bridge too." Evan remarked.

"You... did?" Uriel asked.

Constantine nodded. "Yes. I couldn't let her hurt you anymore." He muttered, realizing Uriel couldn't see.

"You think she'll be alright going off the edge like that?" Evan continued.

"... If anyone could, she'd be the one."

"I… That's… a cool mask, Costy." Evan grinned, trying to diffuse the atmosphere a bit as he wiped his eyes. "Where'd you get it from? Did you find it on some of Asmodeus' freaks and thought it matched your stupid hairstyle?"

"Heh, nice face Ev'. Did you cut yourself shaving with a meat cleaver or what?" Constantine chuckled. "See what happens when you work out too much. You look good though."

"Thanks, I had to hit the gym to not go crazy."

"This mask though… I'll tell you all about it when we get out of here Evan. I'm truly sorry it took so long for me to rescue you two." He said, as he began unbuckling the holster strap he kept around his chest, under his coat. "Here. Take this." He said, giving Evan the Death Rose.

"Well… this is a fancy gun. What's this, some sort of 'I'm sorry' gift for all the months we spent in this fucking place? You think that makes us even? Cause it sure fucking does!" Evan's mouth blabbered on, dripping with sarcasm.

"I want you to have it. You can't know if any creature will come out of the tunnel and attack you guys, just a precaution. Its yours now. Be careful firing it though, it drains your blood." Constantine said, standing up from the ground, fingers tightly gripped around his dagger.

"Drains my what now?" Evan called out, to no response.

Uriel quickly grabbed Constantine by the sleeve of his coat, groaning from the jolt of pain her fast movement caused her. "W-where, do you think you're going?"

Constantine was silent for a moment. He pointed towards the railing of the bridge, where Katherine's halberd was embedded into the stone pillar, and she was slowly climbing back up on the chain. "I have to face her." He said, without turning to look at her.

"K-Katherine? She just destroyed the three of us working together."

"Do you trust me?" Constantine said, looking at Uriel through the owl-like eye in his mask.

"O-of course! But I-"

"Then please, you all have done more than enough. You are all wounded, on the verge of death, please. Let me take it from here."

"Didn't you just say you died too?" Evan asked, suddenly wracked with worry.

"No. Its… difficult to explain. Right now, I feel more alive and powerful than I've ever felt before… like a cloud of shadow and dread has been removed from my soul. Its all so clear. I died once today, I will not die a second time."

"Alright. I t-trust you buddy." Evan nodded. "We're all rooting for you."

"C-Constantine please." Uriel looked up at him with tears flowing from under her bandages, still clutching his sleeve. "Please I c-can't lose you again."

"You won't."

"Are you done?" Katherine beckoned him from a distance, annoyed that she nearly fell into Dudael's abyss. "That's enough time you get to lick your wounds."

"Hello Katherine." Constantine greeted her as he walked towards her. His heavy footsteps echoed out against the cracked stone surface of the bridge. "It has been a while."

"You dare show your face here?" She spat at him. "Or well, half of it. Is the mask to cover for the scars my last beating left you with?"

"I still liked you more when you didn't talk as much." He said. Without warning or hesitation, he shot his dagger through the air towards Katherine. She deflected it with ease. But as the dagger touched her blade and fired off in divergent direction, Constantine grabbed it, teleporting to it and catching Katherine off-guard. He swiped at her, and she ducked. From there, she quickly slid a leg out trying to trip him, and he jumped back. She bought herself enough time to stand but Constantine rushed her with his dagger. Sparks of scarlet cinders exploded every time their blades touched. Flashes of steel and armor as the two performed a deadly duet. Constantine attacked and defended himself with defiant intensity, his movements precise and calculated. Meanwhile Katherine was now swinging wildly, savagely, her cool demeanor now melted away and replaced by sheer rage at the opponent she was now facing.

"How dare you! HOW DARE YOU!" She cried out. "You fucking pathetic WORM! How dare you wear my father's coat! Staining it with your foul blood!"

"You didn't exactly lock it up anywhere you know!" Constantine grunted as he ducked beneath a dangerously close swing of her halberd.

The breakneck speed of their attacks was becoming difficult to track. A blur of black and white, punches, strikes and swings. But through them all, one fact was becoming clear: Constantine was untouchable. Everytime Katherine seemed on the verge of inflicting a critical blow or wound, her weapon or fist passed right through his body as if it was made of dust, and the real him appeared just behind her, his dagger dripping with her blood. Katherine's eyes went wide, first with shock and fear, later with rage. She was pushing herself beyond her very limits, her veins pumping her demonic blood through-out her, exhausting every muscle in her body, using every move and technique she could muster. Despite this, the thousands of cuts and slices that should have landed, failed to hit their mark, and every one of them was echoed on her own body. She was fighting a phantom.

"This is… unreal." Evan said as he watched the battle unfold. "Is that really Constantine?"

"How's he doing?" Uriel asked with bated breath. "I wish I could see him."

"Well, quite… well." He answered. "He's moving so fast, he keeps vanishing and reappearing its… crazy!"

"How could you of all people… unlock the power of the dagger?" Katherine shouted.

"Necessity, after your betrayal." Said Constantine with melancholy in his eyes.

Katherine attempted a desperate strike, enraged by his answer. But it was a move lacking any finesse or accuracy. Constantine merely sidestepped it, and then lurched forward, sliding into Katherine and smashing his elbow in her face. She stumbled back, clutching her nose, and Constantine gave her a harsh round-house kick to the gut, causing her to fall back. She flipped back, landing on her feet but groaning in pain as blood poured down her face.

"When… did a pathetic wimp like you… learn to move like that?" She screeched out, spitting a glob of blood from her mouth.

"You seem to have a lot of questions for me Katherine. I too-" Constantine began, but didn't get to finish.

"Insect said she did." Evan shouted, interrupting his friend.

Everyone turned to him, staring with a mix of confusion and exasperation. Insect herself seemed somewhat pleasantly surprised.

"You can tell what she's saying?" Uriel asked.

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"What, I had this deaf girl I was into for a while, and I wanted to impress her."

"Why am I not surprised? I really missed you Evan." She said, allowing herself to smile.

"Katherine…" Constantine shouted, bringing attention to himself. "Answer me this question, if you can. Tell me the truth about this fight, you are not in control right now, are you?"

Silence lay over the bridge, everyone awaiting Katherine's answer. She only looked away, staring into the darkness.

"While fighting you now, I felt something… missing. You were not fighting out of a sense of justice, or even one born from a desire to fix the world and mistakes you've made. You're fighting to survive, aren't you?"

Katherine did not answer, instead blindly charging him and swinging her halberd twice with no direction or aim. Constantine teleported away with his dagger. He noticed that her crown began to slowly fade and flicker from view, unless it was just a trick of the shadows.

"I've changed Katherine, I can see the truth now, in ways I couldn't before. You do not want to slay me. You did not even want to hurt Uriel, not like you did. Someone made you do that, didn't they? I feel it in the weight of your blows, you are holding back." Constantine continued.

"You changed, you felt something missing." She said spinning around, with disbelief dripping on her every word. "Bullshit Constantine! You're enjoying this. The power, the elation. You've gotten better, stronger, I'll admit. But you're still the same reckless vengeful idiot from back then. You're relishing the opportunity to finally get your revenge. So stop giving me this crap, stop dancing around like a fairy and fight me. Fight me like I taught you to fight!"

"I've dreamt of killing you almost every single day since you betrayed us!" Constantine shouted back at her, his anger, his guilt and his fury seeping through his calm façade. The glass mask seemed to shift and morph, spurned by his rage. "You were my friend! My mentor! You saved us, took us in, and then you stabbed us all in the back!"

"SO DO IT THEN!" She shouted, the veins on her neck bulging as she screamed her lungs out. "WHY ARE YOU HESITATING?"

"Because I made a promise to save you." He said, his voice weak. "When Asmodeus broke me, my soul laid bare before me. The things I'd forgotten, all the promises I made and failed to keep lay there, haunting me. You… Nikolai… Uriel and everyone else standing behind me, I swore I'd save you all, and all I've managed is to let you all suffer, while I clung to my childish desires. I look upon you now Katherine, and think simply why? What would your death bring? Death already has her claws dug deep in you, in me, and in this world we inhabit. What good could come from giving her yet another cadaver?"

"The suffering I caused cannot be undone. The hell I wrought with my own damned hands, the blood staining them will not be washed away by your forgiveness." Katherine said, looking away in defiant anger, not wanting to let him see her tears. "There is no hope for me. The chains cling too tightly, piercing my heart. You don't want to kill me, fine, then you are nothing more than a fool and you're just toying with me for the sake of your stupid ideals. You promised to save me, is it? Then kill me already. Everyone wants to kill me, yet death just won't take me already." She lamented.

"What you say is true. Everyone wants to kill you Katherine, everyone believes you deserve death for what you've done. Like I said, I cannot honestly pretend that some part of me does not wish the same. No, not just some part. I want to kill you with every ounce of my being. I want to make you pay for all you've done, all the terrible things, you've hurt my friends, the ones I love most in this world…" Constantine said, looking down at his dagger and finding his reflection. He peered into the same red shine he had peered into so many times, trying to decipher the maelstrom of thoughts raging in his mind. "...But what justice is in that? Why am I worthy of being the one to judge you, despite knowing that deep down you and I wish for the same things? That we've tread down the same accursed path and we both inflicted suffering on others because of it. I feel your pain, and you feel mine. You, like me, only ever wanted to protect and save those that are innocent."

"STOP!" Katherine lashed out, screaming out at him. "Stop acting like you know what's going on. You think your little excursion through Dudael suddenly taught you what real pain is? You know nothing of pain. You are nothing more than a pathetic idiot that thinks he knows just how cruel the world really is because he's gotten his first taste of it!"

"And the world has been cruel to you, hasn't it Caitlyn?"

"W-what?" Katherine choked, a knot tying itself in her throat upon hearing her name. She wanted nothing more than to cry out to him, and he knew. He looked at her dejected, despairing face through the glass of his mask, and knew. "T-that's…"

"I've changed, Caitlyn. I felt pain, like you did, I felt the cold embrace of death, like you did, and I cast off the chains of fate, and returned, just as you did, Caitlyn. I am not who I was when I entered this prison, but nonetheless I am still the fool, Constantine. I do not know for sure, I cannot, but I believe with all my heart that you are still there like I am. That your heart still beats with the forgotten love you once held most dear to you. He controls you, your body, Lady Death has poisoned and taken control of your mind, but your soul is still yours Caitlyn. Your fate is not a chain, not unless you fear it. So rage, rage with the fury of the Devilsbane name, rage against your oppressor, against death, and against fate itself! I know you are stronger than them!" He said loudly, his voice trembling under his zeal and wild insanity.

Katherine looked down, letting her hair cover her face and clutching her halberd with both hands. Her body trembled, and her voice was soft and weak as her painful tears fell on the edge of her blade, washing away the blood. "W-why…are you saying these things? W-what are you hoping to achieve? You hope to save me? You think… you still think such a pitiful thing like salvation is possible?"

"You think you have fallen, but you haven't. Not yet. Not while I am still standing here. You are still capable of being saved. Am I wrong?" Constantine pushed forward, his voice brimming with strength and defiance. "I know that the world took everything from you, Caitlyn, everything you held dear and precious. And it made you forget, but I know there is a part of you that still remembers. You are stronger than the shackles that bind you, Caitlyn. You can salvage the part of you that once knew love." He said, and as he finished his sentence, Constantine put his dagger in his belt, opening up his arms.

"What are you doing?!" Evan shouted.

"Stand back, all of you! Not one of you interfere!" Constantine shouted at him. "Trust in me, like I trust in her. This is my hope for you, my life and soul at the tip of your halberd."

"You… you've gone truly mad, haven't you Constantine." Katherine said, bewildered by his speech and actions. "Why would you trust me… after everything I've done to all of you?"

"Maybe. Most definitely I think… The shit I've been through… I had a lot of time in this hellish place. A lot of time to think. And among the many people I thought about, the little girl named Caitlyn that I grew up with was one of them. She had a pair of large square glasses, and wore her black hair in braids." He said. "Do you still remember her? She was one of my first friends. She would bring me and her little sister candy whenever we played, and at night we'd watch movies or she'd tell us stories about monsters to scare us, yet we loved them nonetheless."

"I… I… can't…" Agony and despair was etched into her face, her demonic energy flared outward from her eye like chains and thorny vines. Soon, the power of her bloodline faded completely, and all that was left was a broken crying girl.

"I know you still can, but the dark strings of death won't let you. I am wide open Cait, you are free to strike me. Here, so I will not stain your dad's coat any longer." He said, taking it off and tossing it on a pile of nearby rubble, revealing his sleeveless compression shirt underneath. "I swore I'd save you, prove to me that there is something worth saving!"

"CONSTANTINE, NO!" Uriel shouted, as Evan held her back.

"Fine then. I'll indulge your death wish." Katherine said, staring at him with her tear-filled red and black eyes. She rushed towards him, carving a trail through the surface of the bridge with her halberd. It all seemed so clear, and yet, as her legs moved her forward it all became hazy, and unfocused.

Ah, I remember one of those days, Constantine. It was warm, the sun was bright and orange, and I watched as you two played in our garden. I was practicing the cello while you two were chasing each other. You got so upset that Nikolai beat you at tag every time.

I guess I always was a bit of a crybaby, hah.

You forgot all about it the second you saw that bowl of candy though. The cherry ones were your favorite. I always liked strawberry more, but they were the same taste really. I remember when it got late we went inside and watched a film. I began making popcorn for all of us, in that rusty old microwave we had.

Yeah, your parents were out, so it was just us three. What movie did we watch? I can't remember.

It… was something spooky, I know mom got angry at me for showing it to you two, but you guys loved it.

Hah, maybe you can tell it to me when you remember it.

…

What?

You really think I can ever remember it? It feels like… a thousand years ago. Those days seem so impossibly far away.

The hope that one day we'll see that warm orange sun again is all I have left Cait. I believe in you.

Now who's the crybaby, huh? You got me all teary-eyed.

How about one of my good old poorly timed jokes to make you feel better? I wanna prove I'm better than you with you at your best, not after days of endless fighting and with some asshole puppeteering your body.

God I forgot how much of a stupid dork you are, hehehe.

What's so funny, aside from me?

Believe it or not there was a time when I was just as much of a hopeful dork as you are. I believed that I could face the world and change it. When did I lose that part of me I wonder? You and I really are alike. I'm proud of who and what you've become. Evan too, he's just as crazy as you are. But you carry a strength greater than any I've seen, a power beyond power itself.

If it is what allows me to save those I care about, I'll take anything.

You say you can really save me, but really I can only save myself right?

Yes. It won't be easy though, finding yourself, I'm not sure if that road really ends.

The best things usually aren't. How can I begin though?

Show me anything, anything at all, I will see it!

But if I fail, what will you do?

Kill you, most likely. For the sake of the promise I made, please… Please don't make me kill you, Caitlyn.

…I hope I won't, Constantine. Thank you. I hope to remember everything again… someday.

Her heart beat slower, as if time itself began to slow as well. Her mind was flooded with a chaotic storm of thoughts and desires. Her willpower coursing through her body, fighting back for control. With each passing moment, her halberd moved closer and closer to stabbing Constantine through the heart. With each passing moment, her mind fought against her body trying to stop herself. With each passing moment, the seal on her cheek began to sear itself in her flesh more and more. The grains of sand fell one by one in the hourglass, until there was only one left. In that moment, Katherine's willpower prevailed. A twitch of her hands, diverting the aim of her halberd right before it struck. It was not enough to stop herself from killing Constantine, but it was enough for him to see.

"Hmm." He smiled. Faster than she could react, Constantine dodged away from her halberd, unsheathing his dagger and cutting through the side of Katherine's neck. She fell to her knees, clutching her wound and gasping for air. "Thank you… Caitlyn." Constantine said softly. "For showing me you're still alive."

"Ghhh, ghhhhhkk… Y-you… I thought… You were going to kill me." She said, putting pressure on her neck to stop the gushing bleed. It was an incapacitating wound, a gash slightly deeper than her skin, but not a lethal one. "You should have killed me. You should have made me pay… for everything. Why? Why would you let me live? Were you not going to save me? Were you not going to free me from this hellish existence? Why didn't you kill me?" She pleaded, barely a whisper as she heaved through her wound. She was unable to stop her rage and misery from pouring out of her.

"I told you. I am not the one to judge you. I have no right, for I am not innocent either. I did not spare you out of pity, for death would be a relief for you, Caitlyn. You don't deserve mercy, not yet." Constantine said, looking at her with mournful, yet confident eyes. "But you have proven to me that you are not yet beyond saving, and for that I spared you. For the sake of hope. Hope compels me to give you the chance to find your lost self. And then, and only then, when the time comes, you will answer for what you have done. Besides, I have stained my blade with blood once today. I will not stain it again with yours, but his." Constantine said, pointing the tip of his dagger towards the darkness over the bridge.

Everyone turned to face towards where he was pointing, but nothing could be seen. The blazing flames on the side of the bridge seemed trapped, contained by an unseeable force. A barrier of shadows that resided over the other half of the bridge. While everyone stared into the dark, Katherine, filled with shame, weakness and defeat, crawled to the left side of the bridge. She sulked away from everyone, leaning against the massive stone railing of the bridge. She then quickly patched the wound on her neck, and began breathing heavily, meditating on the events that had just transpired.

"W-what are you talking about Constantine?" Evan asked. "Was it not just her?"

"No…" Uriel answered instead. "I see him now. There's someone out there, watching, hiding in the darkness. His soul… Constantine! Listen to me!" She cried out.

Constantine turned around, intending to move closer, but before anyone could do anything a barrier wall materialized between him and everyone else, igniting like a fiery inferno. It was a see-through purple wall of energy, with swirling flamelike wisps spinning and traveling through it. Constantine rushed towards it, but stopped, keeping his distance. Uriel also crawled closer, despite Evan's protests.

"Well… shit." Constantine sighed. "Stay back, Uriel, this looks… dangerous." He said, pulling out his dagger and running its edge against the wall. Sparks and needle-like shards of violet energy arced off of it.

"Constantine… y-you have to listen to me. T-that person… their soul is… so dark, full of dread and evil." Uriel pleaded from across the wall. "I've seen something like it, its… its… as horrific as Asmodeus' b-but its not them... Please, be careful. Don't try, don't try any stupid shit! Not like you just did with… her."

"I'm sorry. I had to do what I did. You of all people should know that most of all."

"I… know… no point in arguing about it now, but please!"

"I hear you, Uriel, don't worry. I have no intention of holding anything back this time." Constanitne said, his voice echoing with determination.

Their moment of quietude was interrupted by the sound of clapping. Constantine sighed, mentally readying himself for another battle. Before he went, he kissed his palm, blowing it towards Uriel. Then, he turned around and walked away, picking up the white overcoat from the rubble and putting it on.

"Impressive speech, Constantine." The shadow man said as he finally walked into the light. His armor shined in the light, reflecting its deep blue colors and sharp, intimidating features. "Or speeches, there were several I think, I don't know I stopped paying attention half-way. Very emotional and all that but, not for me."

"And who might you be?" Constantine asked without any enthusiasm. He stared down his foe, gazing deep into the black orbital holes of his skull helmet.

The armored man opened his arms wide, somewhere between a shrug and a hug. "I'm someone who's been waiting to meet you for a very long time, Constantine Sancthos. Well, properly meet you that is. We've actually exchanged first impressions a while back. I presume you remember the demon auction all too well, do you not?"

Constantine's eyes went wide, and his pupils dilated. "I don't recall doing much socialization at the auction, mostly just killing freaks and monsters."

"Ohohoho… You don't remember me? I am Octavian Bonfet, orchestrator of the auction, and of this little… extraction mission into Dudael. It's a shame you don't remember me, I must not have made much of an impression. Oh… or from what I recall, you were too distraught with the events that transpired towards the end of the auction, hmm?"

Constantine flared his dagger, holding it by the grip in reverse, his fingers wrapping like iron around its hilt. "Choose your next words… very carefully." His voice fell like an omen of death in the night. Embers of black and white flame began to emanate from his body, particularly from around his mask.

Octavian paused for a moment, as if calculating whether his next insult was worth it. His chuckle said yes. "What are you gonna do to me? You just gave away your gun, can't really shoot me in the back anymore can you?"

There were no words said, instead the darkness cried out with the sound of the holy dagger scraping against Octavian's armor as Constantine dashed and sliced him before his sentence was even finished.

"Ohohahahahahah!" Octavian laughed as he stumbled forward, slightly surprised at the force of the attack. His left gauntlet had a deep scratch in it where he just defended himself. "I must ask Constantine, how do you think your dear lover Nikolai will react to your speeches of hope and salvation? Or have you not even planned the one for her yet? Is it more of a spur of the moment thing?"

Constantine twitched and in the next instant appeared beside his foe, swinging his dagger with cold fury. This time however, Octavian was a bit more expectant, as he blocked and unleashed a wild haymaker at his foe. Constantine ducked under it and continued slicing and dicing away at his armor, but his dagger could not make a single dent in it. Octavian caught his hand by the wrist, and yanked him forward smashing his forehead into Constantine's.

"Khh, damn mask." He said as they both stumbled backward.

This guy's an up-close brawler, hmm? Constantine quickly analyzed the situation before his next move. Very well, I'll need some range. He flicked his wrist, and his dagger extended to its spear form. He twirled the spear in his hands, spinning it a few times before he rushed Octavian once again. This time he attacked by thrusting and stabbing from a distance, out of his foe's reach. Said foe also switched to a more defensive stance, backing off from Constantine's attacks.

"I see you've had some more training since the Auction. To be completely honest with you, I didn't expect my dear Katherine to lose to a whelp like you!" Octavian taunted.

"You really like to hear yourself talk don't you?" Constantine heaved as he continued pressing forward.

"Coming from you? That's rich, do you not have some deep and emotional words for me? Maybe I'll fold just like that pathetic bitch back there?"

"No, I think it'll be much easier for me to just KILL YOU!" He shouted as he swung his spear in an arc, a shockwave exploding outward at the sheer strength. Octavian stumbled back, blocking the next one. With significant distance now between them, Constantine grabbed the underside of the lance. He arced himself back, tensing his muscles tight before unleashing his weapon. The spear pulsed with red thunder as it pierced through the air. At the last possible second, Octavian's head snapped to the side, avoiding it and only earning himself a light scratch against his helmet's cheek. But this was not the end, as he quickly spun around, catching Constantine off-guard as he teleported to his spear. His eyes went wide, and he quickly threw his spear away, fading like a spectre as Octavian's fist almost caught him dead in the jaw.

"Ah, there's your fun teleportation…" Octavian began, defending himself as Constantine continued ghost-stepping around him. He searched for an opening, but everytime he tried attacking Octavian, he was ready, blocking his strike and immediately retaliating with a brutal counterattack.

I can't… keep this up… I'm attacking too passively, I need to RISK IT! He thought, confident is his decision. He thought he found a perfect opportunity, his lance whizzing past Octavian's shoulders. He materialized once more, ready to impale him from above.

"...You think your ability makes you strong and powerful, but it is USELESS, AGAINST SOMEONE THAT CAN SEE YOU!" Octavian shouted gleefully, as he spun around and seized him by the neck. His steel grip yanked him through the air, slamming his body down against the stone floor of the bridge. Constantine was brutally stunned for a few crucial moments, during which Octavian jumped on him, pummelling him with savage fists like cinderblocks. Constantine quickly shook himself awake, reprising Octavian's fists with one of his own, a deadly shot to his neck where his armor was weakest. It was just enough to debilitate him, and Constantine followed up with a knee to the gut to free himself.

"Haah… haah... haah…" Constantine heaved painfully as he stepped back away from his reeling enemy. He tasted his blood on his burst lip, and felt the arch of his eye starting to swell.

"Khehahehah!" Octavian grotesquely laughed, still clutching his neck. "You're a fighter, Constantine… I like that about you."

"Go fuck yourself!" Constantine's blunt response quickly came out.

"Oh don't be like that!" He continued. "You fight with heart, and… hope. Such a frail thing. It shatters like glass at the slightest push."

"Not in my experience."

"Is that right… You think yourself immune to despair? You think this prison has thrown everything it has at you, and now that you've made it so far it means you've overcome it?"

"Yes." Constantine said with a smirk.

"Confident… how… stupid… Do you want to know what happened to your dear Nikolai after I killed her?"

"DON'T LISTEN TO HIM! HE'S TRYING TO GET IN YOUR HEAD!" Uriel and Evan shouted at him, one after the other.

"Ohohaho… Or perhaps you'd like to know all the fun ways in which I had my boys… fuck her stupid?" Octavian continued his vicious mockery.

Constantine was frozen like a statue. His arm muscles trembled as his grip tightened around the holy spear. His jaw was shaking from how hard his teeth were gritting. His eyes were blind with unholy rage. He wanted to kill him, to break his body apart with his bare hands. But the words of his friends held him back, snapping him out of his delirious fury. He breathed heavily, and started pacing around his opponent, waiting for a chance. With a wolf-like ferocity, he sprinted towards Octavian, thrusting his spear into his gut. The armored man caught it, and quickly began throwing wild, bridge-shaking fists.

"YOU ARE WEAK!" He yelled out, taunting him. "YOU COULD NOT SAVE HER WHEN SHE DIED! YOU COULD NOT SAVE HER WHEN SHE WAS ALIVE! YOU COULD NOT SAVE THE ENTIRE CITY SHE KILLED BECAUSE OF YOU! WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SAVE THEM? YOU CAN'T SAVE ANYONE!" He yelled, each word echoing with a dozen jabs and fists. Constantine deflected half and endured the rest, unleashing a brutal battle cry as he fought with every ounce of will and strength he had.

"ENOUGH OUT OF YOU!" His voice screeched, a conflagration of black flames exploding from under his mask.

"Uh-oh." Octavian chuckled, moments before a furious Constantine attacked. His strikes were a blur, imbued with the god-like power of the weapon he held. Thunderous slams reverberated against Octavian's armor, slowly denting it and knocking him back. He protected himself with his gauntlets, but Constantine pushed onwards, trying to break through. With each swing of his spear, the scratches upon his gauntlets got deeper, and deeper, and deeper. Until he seemed on the verge of slicing them wide open. Despite Constantine's great effort however, his foe was cunning and Constantine was still blinded by his overwhelming, all-consuming anger.

"NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" Octavian screamed out. Finding willpower within himself, he dove forward into Constantine's swipe, catching him unawares and unguarded. He landed a crucial uppercut that whipped Constantine's head back, and turned the tides of the fight. Constantine now was the one that stumbled back, using every bone and muscle in his body to keep himself from falling to the ground in defeat. Blood shot from his mouth with every punch that landed. He frantically tried defending himself in any way, but his body and mind were no longer in synchronicity. Then, like a runaway train Octavian charged him, jumping in the air and bashing Constantine over the head. His mind spun dizzily as he stumbled back and collapsed face-first on the ground. His groaning pain was all too visible as he tried to push himself up, but his arms refused.

"You think hope is salvation don't you…" Octavian began, pacing back and forth as if waiting for him to get up. "A meager notion. You are young, and stupid. You still think the darkness is something to fight? Something you can win against? The void is everything. It awaits at the end of all things, ready and waiting with its cold embrace. Even the very light of hope itself. Why even attempt fighting it instead of embracing it right back?"

"Khhh…" Constantine spat blood as he continued his attempts to pull himself up. "L-like… you did?" He said, without looking back.

"I never even attempted anything else. I was born of the void, and I know I will return to it."

"So why… this charade… why are you even here?"

"Well…" Octavian shrugged. "I'd like to enjoy the world while I'm still around, you fuckers ruined it, what's so wrong in trying to fix your mistakes. You should be thanking me."

"Heh…" Constantine chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"I expected a man like you to not be such a bad liar." Constantine said wistfully. He was almost back up, standing on his knees somehow despite his countless grievous injuries, bruises and cuts, overflowing blood and broken bones. He looked up and saw the faces of his friends staring back at him in the distance, awaiting with terrified breaths. Even Wrath was awake again. He smiled, as best as he could through his wounds, trying to reassure them that the fight endured in him. Instead, they seemed to reassure him, giving him the final push to stand. Then, he stood and faced his enemy once more with renewed vigor.

"You continue to be an impressive pain in my ass, Constantine." Octavian sighed, almost disappointed. "Few people could take such a beating and still stand."

"I've faced worse than you today." He answered back, the flames of his soul seeping through from his wounds. "And I've had enough. This ends. Right here, right now!" He cried out, pouring his heart and soul into his final desperate charge.

"Ohoh… stupid." Octavian laughed as he charged into his foe, ready to clash.

The two of them sprinted head on towards each other, Octavian ready and waiting for Constantine's fearless last strike. Then, he guarded himself, putting his gauntlets up in front of him as he had done many times in this fight, ready for him. When Constantine was a step away from him, Octavian shoved his arms forward, pushing him. But instead of feeling anything, his hands passed through him. His body had faded, as if he had teleported, but his spear was still in his hand. How could this be? Octavian's eyes found the answer in that frozen final moment. Constantine's body and soul were connected, yet not entirely one and the same. Every time he used his holy weapon, his body remained in the real world like an after-image, a glimpse of where he was before. But now, his body had moved as well. His soul stood back, half a step away, like a shadowing echo, but it was enough. Octavian had defended against the illusory first strike, and now he was completely and utterly helpless before the true attack.

"Hoh… son of a bitch." He blurted out.

A singular, divine strike. Constantine's blade cleaved through his neck and through the very foundations of the mountain above them. The glinting edge of his weapon carved its way to the very stars above and for one instant shone brighter than them all. Constantine saw a flash of light, the stars on the canvas of the sky, illuminating down upon him from above. For the smallest of moments, his holy lance pierced through that impenetrable darkness, reinvigorating his soul with hope. He stood motionless for what felt like an eternity, staring at the glimmering stars in the darkness. Then there came the passing of that eternal moment, ended by the sound of Octavian's head and helmet crashing down against the floor, and shattering him back to reality.

"The nightmare… is over." He said softly to the cheering cries of ecstasy that erupted from everyone behind him.

Constantine stood for a moment after sheathing his dagger, then another, all while taking deep breaths of stagnant cave air. It will have to do for now. He thought, turning around and triumphantly looking back at his friends. He took one step back towards them, then another, followed by a stop. Something was amiss. Their faces wracked with a terrified, dreadful expression. They were screaming, shouting something, but he could not hear them. Why could he not hear them? A horrendous pulse traveled through his body, making him tremble. His eyes were wide open, filled with terror. He tried to move, but his entire body refused him for reasons he could not know.

Pain. There was pain, everywhere. His entire body felt as if he was on fire. Excruciating agony firing from every nerve and muscle in his body. Unable to breathe, unable to think, slowly losing his senses. Why was he in so much pain? He made a gurgled, groaning sound, and somehow forced himself to move his head, his neck muscles stiff and numb. With torturous slowness, he managed to tilt his head forward and look down. Fear consumed him as he laid eyes upon a curled fist pierced through his gut. His intestines clinging to the armor folds of the gauntlet, blood and chunks of sinew dripping through the floor, and a massive section of his spine ripped from its rightful place and crushed between the fingers.

Constantine tried to scream, tried to shriek and holler out in terror but only a few mumbling whimpers full of blood and vomit came pouring out. He felt something move as the one behind him leaned forward making his body shiver as if it was a puppet, his limbs convulsing violently. His head barely moved to his left, trying to look over his shoulder. The headless armor of his foe stood beside him, and a fel voice echoed from it.

"This nightmare doesn't end until I say so." It said as it ripped its arm back through him.

Constantine stumbled forward, his leg muscles locked in place as he still stood. He tried moving his hands to cover the enormous gaping hole in his torso. Trying desperately to put the entrails and blood that were spilling out back inside him. He stumbled forward somehow, managing a single step due to some final remnant of muscle and command fired from his mind throughout his body. He looked up in the distance, seeing Uriel crying out in terrible anguish.

"Bh… bhu… b-but… I… I won?" He managed to spit out before he collapsed forward on the ground, still alive but hanging by a thread.

His eyes moved back to the sentient armor, watching in his final moments as it slowly sauntered over to where its helmet was. The helmet and the head within that he decapitated. The sentient armor picked the helmet up in the bloody hand, and with the other, scooped the head out. Without a second thought, the head was tossed over the bridge into the abyss, then it took the helmet and locked it back on its rightful place, adjusting to make sure it was on properly. The armor slowly began to disintegrate into black ashes and dust, floating away into the darkness behind it. A tailored three-piece suit began to unveil itself underneath, until all but the helmet remained. Constantine stared as they took off their helmet, a new person unmasking themselves. A pair of deep emerald eyes stared back at him with a wild glare as the man ruffled the bronze locks of hair that flowed over his face.

From the distance, he heard Katherine call out a name, her voice quiet and full of empty numbness, like a dagger falling into a pool of cold blood:

"Azazel?"