Chapter 27: Ashes Underfoot
...
The Square Aftermath
The square was unrecognizable.
Eden's golden barrier still flickered faintly in the distance, cracks spreading through its weave like veins of fire. Ash fell in slow, silent drifts, catching in the hair and clothes of the silent citizens packed along the walls and rooftops.
No one spoke anymore. No chants, no prayers. Just silence.
And at the center of the ruins knelt Luther.
His golden veins flared and sparked wildly across his skin, tendrils of divine lattice threatening to peel apart entirely. His breathing was uneven, a wet rasp between clenched teeth. His shoulders shook, but not from weakness... from something worse.
Above him, the Seraph hovered like judgment itself. Its wings stretched impossibly wide, blazing arcs of golden light casting long shadows over the broken stones. It said nothing at first, only watched him.
The soldiers finally moved in, pressing the civilians back from the edges of the square. Their boots crunched on ash, their rifles raised hesitantly.
One young soldier muttered under his breath as they passed the crowd:
"We're not ready for this."
...
The Seraph Speaks
The Seraph descended.
Its gleaming hand stretched toward Luther.
And for the first time, its voice filled the air, calm and emotionless:
"Your purpose is not yet complete."
Luther raised his head weakly, hollow eyes staring at the divine construct. He tried to stand, legs trembling, teeth bared.
The Seraph's hand slammed into his chest.
A shockwave of divine energy surged through Luther's body. His lattice flared brilliantly for one searing moment... then dimmed. He gasped as the light was snuffed from his veins and collapsed in the Seraph's grip, unconscious.
The crowd flinched as the Seraph hoisted him into the air by his neck, holding him aloft like a trophy.
It looked down at him with cold indifference.
"Pitiful," the Seraph said.
The people watched in stunned silence, some covering their mouths, others weeping at the sight of their fallen Knife.
...
The Rooftop
And then…
A sound.
Low. Raspy. Like a ghost speaking from beyond the grave.
"Wake up, boy… don't make me a fool."
All eyes turned upward.
On a rooftop above the square, smoke curled into the still air. A cigarette flared to life between two fingers.
And there stood Mr. P.
Uninjured.
Alive.
One hand in his pocket. The other holding a small black-and-gold device that thrummed faintly in the dark.
He let out a low chuckle, then raised his voice.
"Is that the best you could do… huh, Luther?"
Luther's eyes fluttered open at the sound. His veins flared again.
He croaked out the only word that came to him:
"Mr. P…"
"Come at me, boy." Mr. P smirked, tossing the spent cigarette over the edge.
Luther roared.
In a single burst of golden light, he lashed out at the Seraph, knocking it back with a shockwave so intense the very stones cracked beneath them. The Seraph reeled in the air, its wings curling as it fought to stabilize.
Luther didn't stop. He shot forward, a golden streak of fury, straight for the rooftop.
Mr. P sighed, shaking his head.
"Sorry, Zero," he muttered, thumbing a switch on his device.
"I would like to borrow your puppet for a bit."
The device screamed to life in his hand. Below, the Seraph's head snapped up, its wings flaring as its lattice shimmered in strange, glitching patterns.
"Obey me," Mr. P said quietly.
In a flash of impossible speed, the Seraph intercepted Luther in midair.
The two clashed in a deafening explosion of light and force.
...
The Clash of Titans
The air split with every impact.
Luther struck with raw power, his blows shattering the stones, tearing through walls, sending waves of golden energy through the square. His movements were feral, every strike carrying all the fury and pain bottled up inside him.
The Seraph countered flawlessly... its motions precise, calculated, its golden wings cutting arcs through the storm as it deflected each assault. Its lattice pulsed with every block, its strikes landing with divine weight.
Each time Luther's fist met its palm, sparks cascaded like falling stars.
Buildings crumbled around them.
The square became a war zone.
And through it all, Mr. P stood on his rooftop, adjusting the frequency on his tool with tiny flicks of his thumb.
"Come on, kid," he muttered, eyes glinting.
"Show me who you really are."
He turned the dial once more, and the Seraph's movements faltered... just long enough for Luther to land a devastating blow to its chest. The Seraph staggered back, its wings dimming as its systems glitched and sputtered.
"Now, boy," Mr. P called down, his voice carrying through the smoke.
"End it!! "
Luther's veins blazed. His eyes burned with something deeper than rage... something almost… free.
He roared and unleashed a final, divine strike.
The Seraph's body crumpled under the impact, its light shattering into a thousand pieces. The construct collapsed, unmoving.
...
Smoke and Silence
Luther stumbled back, dropping to one knee, chest heaving. The world around him was unrecognizable... a smoking ruin.
Footsteps approached through the haze.
Mr. P stepped down from the rooftop, his coat fluttering, the strange tool now silent in his hand.
He stopped in front of Luther.
"I didn't mean to kill Naomi," he said quietly.
Luther looked up at him, trembling.
"What…?"
Mr. P crouched, his eyes dark now... no jokes, no grin.
"I… I asked her to look after you because I couldn't. Not after what happened to my son. You… you were made through him, through Elian's essence... I couldn't bear raising something that reminded me of him."
He sighed, closing his eyes.
"Naomi… she knew everything. She saw everything. And she still smiled. Even when the she was battling cancer was everyday, eating her alive. Stage 4 pancreatic cancer... When i found out she was sick it was too late. But she kept on not insisting, I shouldn't try to save her... as she blamed herself for what happened to Elian that day."
Luther's hands shook. His lips parted, but no words came.
Mr. P looked him in the eye.
"She stayed alive for you, kid. Even when she didn't want to anymore. Even when she'd already decided… she was gone inside. She gave me a hypothesis you'd have a link to Elian... and it might be triggered true emotion rather then direct combat against Akuma. She thought maybe, just maybe you'd save me from myself."
Luther stared at the ground.
Quietly, Mr. P added:
"I hope you can find it in your heart to blame me... not her. But forgive me, too."
A long silence.
Luther finally whispered:
"I… understand."
Mr. P nodded faintly.
"Thank you," he said softly. "Thank you very much… for understanding."
...
Fallen
Then, Mr. P stood.
And with a faint, tired smile, he pulled a sleek black pistol from inside his coat.
Luther looked up at him, wide-eyed.
"Wha..."
"You'll forgive me for this too someday boy."
He raised the gun.
The trigger clicked.
And the shot rang out.
Bang
Clean, quiet and deadly
...
Eden
Ash swirled through the air as Luther's body jerked backward, collapsing onto the shattered stones.
Mr. P lowered the gun slowly, his eyes shadowed by the smoke.
And somewhere, far above, Zero leaned back in his throne, staring at his monitors. His smile was gone.
… he looked afraid.
...
END OF CHAPTER 27: ASHES UNDERFOOT.