"Don't make me laugh! I could never be killed by the likes of you. Only our master beyond the gate has such power," the left knight said.
Azazel gestured, now pointing at the gate as he stood in front of the left knight. "I guess that's the reason I'm kept inside and you're outside playing guard duty. Perhaps you forget... I stay right beside the master," he said mockingly.
Galahad, also wanting to retaliate, said, "Perhaps you forget, only the weak stay indoors seeking shelter, and ones with purpose and usefulness stay outside!"
"Are you then calling our master weak? I swear, you sword men from Volkar Kingdom are just like your dragons; you only know violence." The left knight, now known as Galahad, seemed more irritated.
The right knight, far behind them as he had now removed the shield barrier protecting both of us, finally spoke. "What brings you outside, Aza?"
Azazel turned, his masked face now facing our direction as he levitated around the air. "A constant irritation kept gnawing at me. I knew it was more than just your brother."
"Could he really kill this giant knight if he wanted to?" I thought. But the knight didn't seem to believe that, staring at him now more intrigued. Whoever their master is, how does he keep these three from tearing each other apart? "Now tell me, what would make you believe using the Great Divider in this realm is allowed by our master?" Azazel questioned, now staring in the direction Galahad was channeling all his energy toward. "Ah, I see. You're about to end its life?"
Galahad replied, "Get out of my way! I only stopped because you're the adjudicator of this realm."
Azazel replied, "That's correct; you seem to be using your brain for once. Now, Galahad, when planning to kill or remove something from existence, make sure you kill all of it and not the other half."
"Huh? What did he mean by 'other half'?" I wondered. "There are two of them now?"
"Isolderick, I'm disappointed you hadn't realized it yet?" Azazel said with his hands showing a disappointing gesture.
The right knight, now called Isolderick, replied, "What do you mean exactly by other half?"
I was also confused. It had always been one shadow demon that had been chasing me. It hadn't gotten anywhere near the kill zone in a while. What could he mean?
"Sigh... The creature has already split itself... as it is moving underground as we speak, as it appears it wants to distract your idiot brother."
"Foolish mistake from the creature; it failed to realize this is not like the world of the living."
"World of the living, huh? Yep, I'm totally dead. But wait, if I'm dead, why then does this creature still want me erased?"
"The only reason it hasn't appeared at your end, Isolderick, is because our master's realm favors his disciples. The earth has been hindering its plans to come out, currently facing binding after binding in an endless coffin" he said, giving off an air of confidence.
Azazel dropped his miter as it fell in a straight line, gently removing his hands like a subtle countdown. He removed his fingers and let it fall from his high position, as one does with a hammer.
Bang!
The miter landed on the ground, and to my surprise, he was right. The creature was moving underground all this time as Galahad battled the other half. Rising out like a sealed-up demon as the ground made way for it to pass, the creature, now realizing the failed execution, blitzed past Galahad. It was a couple of miles in front of me. The two shadow creatures immediately fused together, forming back into the monster I know.
Then, as if snapping me back to reality, Azazel's voice was sharp. "It appears to be after you, child," not even paying my direction a glance. As he instantaneously lifted me up and pulled me to his presence, like a magnet pull, the shadow was not yet reactive but observing, tracking my movement with its head.
"Let him go, Azazel, he is my kill," the left knight said.
"Like you said, I am the adjudicator while master is in slumber. Let me do my job," Azazel said. "Little child, why do you have no shirt?"
Now realizing I had been running shirtless all this while, he magically granted me a shirt as his miter returned to his hands, and then the whole place began to tremor. "Now, how did you get here?" he said as he gripped my shirt. "Who sent you and this creature?"
It was clear things were escalating too fast. The misunderstanding... "I'm a child, for goodness sake! These guys should treat me like one."
"Who sent you here?" he said again, more intense than before, as he made this point clear: "Nobody, and I repeat nobody, should be able to be here. Not you or these hideous monstrosities. Why do you bring such filth to my master's place of rest?" he said, sounding enraged.
What was I going to tell him? That I created a seal using Ashborn methods on my quad-core and ended up here? "Please, sir, I know nothing of this place. I just found myself here," I said, trying to explain by throwing my hands in all directions in fear. "I just got sent here. I thought I got summoned here, sir."
"You're lying to me? Whoever sent that shadow monster must have sent you as well. Now that all makes more sense."
"Now I shall give my judgment," he said as he began to give off a visible aura. The left knight had returned his stance to a more casual one. It looked like this Azazel guy was the one in command around here.
"Help, Mr. Galahad! I thought I was your kill," I said. Even though it made no sense, it appeared I would prefer whatever Knight Galahad had prepared for me than what was charging up with this Azazel person. As my body began to glow, before I could react, white energy started to move from his hands towards my own body. He was still gripping me by my shirt.
The white energy started to move towards my head. Was he about to blow my brains apart? Why isn't this pendant doing anything? I'm just so helpless in this world. I never asked for any of this. Why am I just being toyed around like this? It's so annoying . But it appears as if the energy of the pendant had run out. And then I heard it from Azazel's voice: "Khetemu of Revelation." Wait, what did he just say?
Isoldrick, with his thunderous voice, commanded Galahad to return to his post. As he immediately transported himself, everyone stared, even the shadow creature. They all seemed to watch. Maybe this was for their good; they wouldn't need to waste so much energy fighting over who would destroy me. I thought this knight wouldn't let me go(die), as the right knight never gave the countenance of malice or death, but I guess it was just my own form of projecting. The shadow still didn't attack as this happened while I was still undergoing this unexplainable feeling.
"Please, sir, I don't know anything. You can ask the knights," but before I could continue to beg, the white energy had traveled and covered my mouth, leaving only my eyes visible.
The white energy didn't feel painful or anything, but was more about making every part it touched absolutely numb, unable to feel, as what it touched gave the feeling of nothingness.
And then Azazel said, "Judgment complete... It appears he was right after all," he said. "But this pendant," he touched it. "Where did you get it from? It hinders me from knowing only the basic truth," looking intrigued, staring at the koi fish pendant one more time.
And then he said, "Tell me, Isolderick..you were a warrior who fought countless battles. What good is there in repeating a move that has already failed?"
Isolderick replied, "Only when you underestimate your opponent, Azazel," now easing his grip from me.
"I see."
"Whoever sent you must have forgotten to put in a brain...demon, "he said as he stared up.
Apparently, the demon had tried sneaking up, as in its mouth was a massive bomb from above us. This bomb was clearly different; it appeared this creature knew when to up the scale up its capabilities.