FALLING LEAVES 12

  Clyde's consciousness transports into a different realm, as once again he wakes up in a field of lavender grass.

  He sits up. "Oh great—- I'm back here—- how many times am I going to end up here."

  "Well look who it is." A dark calm voice calls.

  Clyde looks up and sees a blob of black energy. "Amon—- how great it is to see you again."

  "Why the dry hello? What did I do to you?"

  "Listen, I have no time for this right now! Heaven is under siege and I can't be here right now!" He pushes past Amon.

  Amon scoffs, "I don't want to be here as much as you. I don't want to run into that Sue?o girl again—- I barely won last time."

  Clyde stops mid-walk. "Then why do you keep joining me here! It's not like I'm inviting you to ‘astral project’ with me!"

  "Well, I can't stop it if I wanted to. Our souls are linked, if you're here sadly I'm here too—-"

  "What? Linked souls?" Clyde raises his eyebrow.

  "Yeah linked souls, and before you say 'unlink us then' no, because without me you would be erased a long time ago."

  Clyde smacks his lips as he can't argue with what Amon is saying. He knows without Amon giving him that demon summoning he would be erased from existence.

  Then, a familiar voice calls out, "Well, well look who we got here. Damn you're everywhere kid, can't get a single break from you huh."

  Clyde and Amon both turn to the voice as a hooded figure with dark brown skin wearing a black and gold robe, stands before them.

  Clyde asks, "And who are you? You sound familiar—-"

  The hooded figure removes his hood as his face is revealed, his violet almond eyes, white curly hair that reaches his mouth, he wears two dangling golden earrings.

  Clyde is taken aback. "No—- WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

  Akuji holds out his palm and summons a golden goblet and sips it. "Honestly I don't know—- I just woke up here and BOOM! Here I am! It's kind of nice actually."

  "B-but I just saw you at the Colosseum. You ran off to fight? It shouldn't be possible you're here!"

  Akuji tilts his head. "Colosseum? What the hell are you talking about kid? I haven't seen you since me and Danya left you under that tree."

  "Stop playing dumb with me! I saw you in that Colosseum! You know the one Danya's throwing a rampage in! You had white flames."

  Akuji taps his cup. "Ohhhh Danya's throwing a rampage you say!"

  "Yes, so you do remember?!"

  Akuji sips out the cup once more, "Nope—- I have no idea what you're talking about." he burps, "But one thing I can say is—- you said you saw me with white flames?"

  Clyde taps his feet with annoyance, "Yes! I saw you with white flames!"

  Akuji rubs his head, "Odd, I swear I killed that guy—-" he shrugs, "But yeah anyways—- you didn't see me you saw a clone of me. Whoopity-do—-"

  Clyde narrows his eyes. "A clone?"

  "Yep, a clone. Some holy rip off of me, I honestly couldn't stand the guy."

  "That's insane—-" Clyde whispers to himself.

  Akuji sips his cup again. "But I do have a question. What is going on with my body? If there's a battle in a Colosseum. Where am I at?"

  Clyde clears his throat. "Well, to put it simply. Sachi took your body, and is doing who knows what with it."

  Akuji starts to choke on his drink, coughing. "HUH?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN SACHI TOOK MY BODY!?” he gasps, “OH NO!"

  Clyde tries to hold his laughter as he starts to mess with Akuji, "Oh yeah—- she probably did a lot of things to you while you were unconscious. I mean a lot."

  Akuji shrugs. "Well it wouldn't be the first time, she's stuck something of mine in her," he winks, "But still I'm with Danya now, she can't be doing that—-"

  "Wait Spirits can have sex!?"

  Amon groans with annoyance, getting tired of this conversation.

  Akuji sighs. "Well, yeah? What did you think, only mortals can do that? We're living creatures too buddy."

  "Enough of this pointless conversation!" Amon exclaims.

  Akuji glances at Amon. "Damn, who is this guy? You're friends with blobs now, human?"

  "Show some respect Reaper, this is exactly why I can't stand your kind." Amon snaps back.

  Akuji raises an eyebrow, "Excuse me? And who are you to think you deserve my respect?"

  He scoffs, "Listen if you two are just going to ruin my time here, I suggest just leaving me alone. I'm enjoying my alcohol and have the finest women I've seen—next to Danya of course."

  Amon grunts. "What are you even talking about? You came to us, you think you own the Astral Realm?"

  "Oh, right I did do that didn't I?" he shrugs, "Oh well."

  Clyde's eye twitches. "I knew you were insufferable, but not this insufferable."

  Akuji continues, "Right, but my question still stands: what's this guy's whole gig? He's literally just a talking blob—-"

  Amon steps closer to Akuji. "Call me a blob one more time! I'm a devil you better know who you're speaking to!"

  "PFFFFTTT" Akuji starts to burst out laughing, "A devil? You? Wow, what kind of devil huh?"

  "Yes laugh all you want Reaper. You'll soon regret it."

  "Sorry—- you just caught me off guard there, I've been to hell many times in all my eons. Not once have I seen a devil like you." He wipes tears from his eyes.

  "I reside in the 8th circle of hell, a place you Reapers aren't allowed."

  "Oh yeah, I never had the interest to go that deep, I usually just deliver souls and leave, or chill in the third circle,” Akuji challenges, "So if you're the Devil of the 8th what are you doing with someone like this guy?" He points to Clyde as he sips his cup once more.

  "Hey—- I'm right here you know!" Clyde crosses his arms.

  "I believe that's none of your concern right now. I don't share things with Death Spirits."

  "Ouch—- seems like you got a grudge against us Death Spirits wonder what we did to you so badly. We don't even go to the 8th circle." Akuji twirls his cup.

  Amon walks forward with his hands behind his back. "It's not just a grudge, it's disdain."

  Akuji raises an eyebrow. "Hm?"

  "You Reapers are careless, heartless, tyrannical. You beings send souls to heaven and hell on a whim. I've witnessed it. The soul trade down in hell, something I know you actively participate in. Have you ever stopped to think that some of those souls don't deserve that?"

  Akuji sighs. "A demon talking like he's a noble savior? Didn't you just say you were the devil of the 8th circle. You participate in the same soul trade. So I don't see your point here."

  Amon continues to move in circles around Akuji. "Not exactly. In my circle, yes I buy the souls, but I don't keep them as slaves. They're free and happy."

  "Even if they're so called ‘happy’, you still participate in it, you thrive off this very system you're trying to call me out for."

  Amon pauses and stops midair. "I give my souls freedom. I give them choice. Don't compare me to you."

  Akuji smirks. "Freedom and Choice? Yet you still give profit to the ones who sold them to you?" "Ha, you're just contributing to more souls being sold outside your circle."

  Clyde stands there listening to the two argue about souls and slave trades. This is insane—- in the worst way possible!

  Amon is silent as his body begins to tremble, anger filling him. He raises his voice, "This is exactly why it needs to be destroyed! The entire system needs to be reset!”

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “I've seen souls in hell more pure than the ones who roam heaven, and I've seen souls more wicked than the ones in hell flourish in heaven! Don't try to tell me about my deeds!”

  ”I contribute for a cause, not personal gain. You're just a puppet of the Gods, a fool who uses the soul trade for profit! You're just as bad as them!"

  Clyde sucks his teeth. "Damn—- he's pissed—-"

  Akuji sips his cup once more and yawns. "Right—- hell spawn knows what's going on in Heaven? You sound insanely stupid, trying to reset something that's been up for millennia."

  Amon scorns Akuji, "Call it whatever you like—- but I swear my dream will be a reality. You reapers will be no more, the Gods will no longer rule, the afterlife will be a fair place, for all souls and beings! I'm sure you've noticed by now in your ventures through Hell and Heaven, not all angels are good and not all demons are bad."

  Akuji rubs the back of his hand as he sighs. "Okay what about it? Not all angels are good, not all demons are bad? So what? They're in the places they're supposed to be. You're just spouting bullshit. I honestly don't have the patience to entertain this anymore. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to that fine lady waiting for me back at that castle."

  Akuji turns his back as he starts to float away.

  Amon stands there awkwardly embarrassed.

  "Uh-ou-ugh," he chokes on his words as rage fills his body.

  Clyde turns to Amon. "Yeah—- suddenly I don't really find you all that threatening anymore—- why do you let him talk to you like that?"

  "I'M NOT! GET BACK DOWN HERE YOU DAMNED REAPER!" Amon's body begins to grow.

  "Okay never mind! I'm threatened!" Clyde steps back.

  Amon reaches his giant shadow, forming a hand out to grab Akuji from the air, like a fly.

  Akuji looks at the giant hand. "Oh, wow, hey I fought a giant exactly like this before!"

  Instantly the hand is slashed as a lavender trail flows in its wake.

  Amon hisses in pain, as a woman lands on the ground, her hair white, her eyes lavender.

  Clyde stares not shocked—- It took longer than usual to come here this time.

  "Sue?o —-" he whispers to himself.

  Sue?o points her glowing blades at Amon. "You again?! You think I forgot about our last battle?" she whirls to Clyde, "And you! How do you keep Astral Projecting? I'm tired of seeing your face!"

  Akuji lands next to her. "Oh, hey I was just on my way back to you."

  She turns to him as she begins to speak a different language. "Muerte, aléjate de este demonio y de su esclavo." (Death, stay away from this demon and his slave.)

  "Ohh, right it's better to speak that, then have these—-" Akuji narrows his eyes towards Amon and Clyde, "Creatures—-"

  Amon looks down at her. "No—- not you again—-"

  Akuji hums. "?Ah, así que conoces a esta masa?" (Oh so you know this blob?)

  Sue?o scoffs. "Sí, por desgracia lo conozco—- el supuesto diablo que quiere reiniciar todo el sistema del más allá." (Yeah sadly I do, the so called devil, that wants to reset the entire afterlife system.)

  Akuji chuckles. "?Tal cual! Pensé lo mismo, qué ridículo. Me eché a reír en su cara!" (Right! I said the same thing. It's ridiculous. I just laughed in his face)

  "What are they saying?" Clyde asks himself.

  Amon regenerates his arm. "You two can speak whatever language you like, it doesn't change the fact you're scum!"

  Sue?o prepares for another attack as Akuji places his hand in front of her, "Hold on for a moment."

  She looks at Akuji. "But why? I want my rematch!"

  He places his hand on her chin as he rubs it gently before walking towards Amon, "Just listen to me on this one."

  She blushes as she drops her arms and whimpers, "Oh—- okay—- uh."

  Akuji folds his arms in the sleeves of his robe as he connects them, he walks as a monk approaching a temple.

  Wind starts to blow as the lavender petals start to blow behind him. Akuji looks up at Amon as he continues to step closer.

  Amon chuckles, "You're a fool, thinking you can step to me like this. Ask the little 'Princess' of the realm what happened to her last time we fought. Even the one who controls this realm couldn't defeat me," Amon starts to laugh, "What makes you think you can when you're simply just another astral projection. You're no reaper right now, just another soul here."

  Akuji remains quiet as he continues to walk forward, his smirk unwavering, the petals beginning to blow faster, as the wind pressure rises.

  Amon is struck by a feeling he has long forgotten, his soul starts to shake, not out of fear, but out of uncertainty.

  Why is he still approaching? He should be powerless right? He's just a projection certainly he is! There's no way, he could have anything up his sleeve! He's not linked to any soul like I am, so why is he so confident. Amon starts to shake his head as Akuji approaches. I'm overreacting I must be—- I have to be, or did that vile dream witch give him some sort of weapon to erase me?

  As Amon moves his head, the lavender moon now shows. Its light shining on Akuji, reflecting off his eyes, making it seem as if they're glowing. His curly hair flows in the wind, as the flower petals swirl around him.

  Amon steps back. "Wh-" he stutters, as his uncertainty turns into fear.

  Clyde watches in awe, "Okay—- this is actually kind of beautiful to watch—- Wait did I just call another man beautiful! Hell no!" He cringes.

  Amon snaps. "No, I won't be erased here!" He cocks his palm back, as he slams it down as if he's hitting a drum.

  Akuji smiles. "Sue?o , Princesa, you do the honors."

  Instantly lavender slashes appear on Amon's arm before it can slam down, the slashes travel up his arms, as they cover his entire body.

  Amon screams in pure agony, as he falls crashing to the ground, crushing the flowers below.

  "It's interesting really, so you're a soul made out of pure energy huh demon?" Akuji grins staring at Amon on the ground.

  Flower petals begin to swirl next to him, as Sue?o 's body forms.

  "Mi amor—- did I—- uh do alright?" Sue?o grabs the bottom of her cloak looking down.

  Akuji places his hand on her head, as he pets it. "You did fine. Perfectly fine actually."

  Sue?o 's eyes glisten, as she blushes more.

  Clyde watches as Amon shakes on the ground, as he returns back to his normal size.

  "No fucking way—- they just defeated him like that? Last time the entire realm was shaking from the battle, and now he's just down like that?"

  He then watches as Akuji turns Sue?o around, and puts his arm around her. Her eye jumps as she plays with her hair.

  Akuji gets closer to her ear as he whispers in a low voice, "You're making me proud right now, exactly why you're my princess. But are you ready to finish it? Kill the devil."

  He rubs on the back of her neck as she tries to hold in a moan. "A-amor—- I can't kill him—- he's linked to that mortal's soul—-"

  He pauses for a moment as he raises an eyebrow. "What? What do you mean by that?"

  "The last battle we had—- I tried to erase him already—- he's not a projection—- he's an attachment to the human's soul."

  Akuji places his head on her shoulder from behind. "Interesting—- so a hellish parasite of some sort," His face scrunches up with disgust, "How low can someone go attaching themselves to mortal essence—- Devil my ass."

  Clyde shouts. "SUE?O…. I EXPECTED BETTER FROM YOU!"

  Her eyes then lock on to Clyde's as her attention is now on him.m, "What?"

  "You, since the day I met you! You were a powerful dream goddess or whatever, now you're in the hands of a tyrant?! One you barely even know! Why protect someone like him? You're fighting one devil protecting another one! You're not fighting for any good cause you're being selfish!"

  Clyde clenches his fist. "Seriously?! Did you hear anything Amon said about the injustices in this afterlife? Something I've experienced my damn self by the bastard who's holding you right now!" he shoots his finger towards Akuji, "He torments, he enslaves, he sells souls, he only cares about himself! Yet you sit there and fight with someone like that?"

  Tears start to swell in his eyes. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH, THE MANY TIMES I'VE ALMOST BEEN ERASED, YOU THINK THAT'S EASY FOR ME!"

  Akuji rolls his eyes as he sighs while Sue?o remains silent.

  "Well speak! You were never this quiet before!" Clyde yells.

  Akuji removes his arm off Sue?o as he claps. "Beautiful speech. Truly you sure put your all into that didn't you?" He then pauses as he looks into his palm, "You have no idea how many times I've been called a devil lately. It's-" he pauses mid speech as Danya's voice fills his head.

  The flashback before his physical body fell unconscious when he was standing over his clone about to slash his chest open. Danya's words haunt him. "I love you! That's why I'm telling you to stop! Please just listen to me."

  "I-" he whispers, as her voice still rings, "Because he's hope! He's the hope you still have something inside of you! Hope you're not just a monster. That's why!"

  Her voice continues to haunt his head. "Yes! I am—- he's shown me a side of you I haven't seen in years. A person who feels, a person who cares."

  Akuji grits his teeth. "A devil—-" he mutters his voice low filled with bitterness. He then looks up to Clyde, "I accepted what I am and how I'm seen, you saying that now, what do you hope to accomplish mortal?"

  He tries to force a smirk, but on the inside the weight of the memories flooding his mind hits him. The look he saw on Danya's face after he killed his clone, before he passed out. The tears, the disappointment, the sadness.

  "You see he even admits it? So why Sue?o ? Why?! I remember you told me about a noble man you knew, a hero, someone selfless. But you choose someone that's the exact opposite of that! 'Cuz he has a pretty face? Is that it?!"

  Akuji scoffs. "This is exactly why fools should never speak. She's quiet because she knows you're an idiot. You're speaking from a place of emotion not logic. Call me a devil whatever, but you defending that blob says more about you than anything."

  Akuji laughs to himself, placing his hand on his forehead.

  "Amor please stop, this really isn't worth our time."

  "No, I just find it funny, how he's defending a plan to reset a system that's lasted for eons. Do you know how many lives and souls will be affected if this thing goes through with that plan? Think mortal. He's trying to destroy it, that in turn will cause more erasure and bloodshed than anything I've done."

  Clyde clenches his fist. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!"

  Amon sits up. "Clyde wait!" but his words fall on deaf ears, "This idiot will get himself erased. I still need him! We didn't make it this far for nothing!"

  Clyde walks up to Akuji, his fist ready to land in his face, "I'll beat you to a fucking pulp! I'll make that pretty face of yours black and blue!"

  "Oh? You're doing this again? You haven't learned from the m many times you've tried to fight me?" Akuji laughs, "Man you're a stubborn one, hey keep trying though maybe one day you'll be able to make a scratch."

  Clyde charges at Akuji, with his fist cocked back, his body starts to fade.

  Akuji lifts a finger up, casually blocking the punch.

  "Wow, you sure did your big one huh buddy?"

  He then grabs Clyde's fist and twirls him in the air, as he falls on his back.

  "AUGH!"

  Sue?o stares at him as he's fading, "Hopefully this is the last time, I'll see you. I don't know how you keep astral projecting consistently. This should be a rare occurrence for you, not something you come to every time you sleep."

  "I say we just erase him now before he wakes up, he won't be a bother to me or you anymore."

  "I'LL KILL YOU! I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU!!" Clyde's voice is ragged laced with rage, the words coming deep from the heart.

  Akuji summons his golden cup once more, as it's filled with a red liquid, "Well good luck with that, you're gonna have to get through Danya first. And judging by what you told me," he sips the cup, "Whew—- she's already on a rampage. Try not to get caught in it."

  Amon looks at the three as he starts to disappear as well, "His emotional state is at a high right now—-"

  A white line appears on his face as it turns into a smile. "Perfect—- Reaper, I will have my revenge—- you all will pay."

  Wind starts to blow as Akuji's curls start to sway.

  "Before you go kid, just remember this one lesson, this world here, heaven, hell, the spirit world and any other realm you can think of. Survival is our rule of life, it's kill or be killed here. You're no longer just a dead soul, you're now a living error of the cosmos. You're a target, so you better watch your back everywhere you go. Because once I wake up—-" he chuckles. "You know the rest."

  Clyde's pupils shake as his sight in the Astral Realm is Akuji sipping his golden cup.

  Before he disappears he quickly says "I swear it! You, Danya, Sachi! All of you are on the chopping block!"

  Amon disappears alongside him, as both of them leave Akuji and Sue?o back alone.

  Sue?o turns to Akuji. "He's a persistent one, I've dealt with him multiple times myself—-"

  Akuji huffs. "Yeah, that's my mistake for even keeping him existing. I should have ended this a while ago."

  Sue?o grabs onto Akuji and leans closer. "Well it's just you and me again." She drags her finger on his chest as she giggles.

  "Guess so—-" Akuji mutters as his thoughts about Danya still run in his head.

  *****

  Back in Heaven, Clyde wakes up, in a dark corridor, being held as someone runs with him.

  "A-Ariel?" he whispers, as shockwaves erupt, debris and pebbles falling from the ceiling.

  "Oh thank the stars you're finally awake!"

  She places Clyde down, as she continues to cover him from the falling debris.mShe hugs him tightly. "Please—- don't scare me like that again—-"

  Clyde holds back onto her. "Ariel—-"

  Akuji's final words replay in his head. "Survival is our rule of life, it's kill or be killed, here. You're no longer just a dead soul, you're now a living error of the cosmos. You're a target, so you better watch your back everywhere you go."

  He holds on to her tighter. "Thank you—- truly—- thank you—-"

  "You're the only one standing by me here—-"

  "It's because you stood by me! You didn't abandon me when I was left by myself! You tried to protect me knowing you were powerless—-"

  The two are finally reunited, in each other's embrace in the middle of a battle of godlike beings, anchoring themselves together for survival.