Yuki's father gritted his teeth as he grabbed a fistful of snow and threw it right at Envy's chest.
"L-leave us alone, you monster!"
Conquest's jaw dropped. The air caught in her throat at what he had just done. Envy, however, shifted his goat-like eyes down to see the so-called damage before taking a short awkward pause.
Then he looked back toward Yuki's father as his face formed into an ugly grin.
"Well now. You've got my full undivided attention."
Conquest watched him from the ground, blood still warm from her back injury.
Has he completely lost it? Does he have any idea what these demons will do to him and his family?!
She kept repeating the question in her head, hoping she could eventually make sense of his idiotic action. But then she paused as she collected her thoughts.
Could it be... am I the one missing something…
Her eyes went wide as she turned toward the backyard window. Yuki's mother stood behind the glass, holding Yukina tight against her chest. The mother's face had gone pale, eyes locked on to her husband.
Conquest stared at them for a moment. Then it clicked.
How could I have been so blind.
He wasn't fighting because he thought he could win. He was fighting because his wife and newborn were watching him. And if he didn't take on that responsibility, who would have.
Envy let out a laugh. It started low and built up, his lanky frame shaking with each breath. Then he stopped and tilted his head down toward Yuki's father.
"Human. You stand before Leviathan, the Demon Sin of Envy, and yet that face of yours does not hold any fear. I find that... irritating."
His grin stretched wider.
"Give me your name, so I could properly erase you from existence."
The father gulped as sweat began to form on his forehead.
"M-my name is Akito Ayano… and with all due respect, I am scared of you. If not absolutely terrified…"
Leviathan's grin faltered. His yellow eyes narrowed with irritation.
"Then why do you stand before me—"
Akito cut him off.
"But, due to my duty as the protector of this family, I have no choice but to stand against you. However, I don't want any trouble. All I'm asking for is for you to leave our property."
Conquest's chest tightened. This was Yuki's father. The same man who forgave his daughter over the phone without a second thought. And here he was, shaking from head to toe, telling a Demon of Sin he was terrified, and still refusing to move.
Leviathan gritted his teeth. Veins bulged across his face.
"So, you mock me by showing your bravery against me…"
Sloth let out a long sigh.
"Envy, leave the human alone. We're not here for h—"
"Shut up! I'm going to kill him. That look on his face... it vexes me."
"You idiot… this is exactly why Lucifer wanted me to be here. Tch, dealing with you is exhausting."
Sloth clicked his tongue before resting his hooded head on top of the fence and started snoring, using it as a pillow.
Leviathan ignored Sloth and instead his expression completely changed to something darker as his left sleeve split open and a brown tentacle forced its way out, coiling and thrashing in the air.
"Die."
The tentacle stood still for a second. Then it launched straight toward Akito.
Conquest gritted her teeth and got up. She ran as fast as her body allowed and threw herself between Leviathan's tentacle and Akito.
The tentacle pierced straight through her stomach. Blood splattered across the snow behind her.
A cold crept through her body, starting from the wound and spreading outward. The taste of iron filled her mouth and she coughed up blood as it splattered onto the snow in front of her.
I made it.
"Y-Yuki…?"
Her eyes widened as a horrific thought passed through her mind. She turned her head instinctively.
Akito stood behind her, his left arm hanging at his side. A chunk of flesh had been torn clean off his bicep where the tentacle had punched through her body and caught him on the way out.
What!? It hit him!
He held his left arm tight as sweat poured from his forehead. His vision was blurry and clearly he was delirious from the blood loss.
But nevertheless, he should be able to survive, but he needed immediate urgent medical care.
Leviathan ripped his tentacle from Conquest's stomach as he laughed wildly.
Conquest turned her head toward Akito.
"Run. Take your family away from this place and don't forget to call an ambulance."
Akito hesitated for a second, his blurred eyes searching her face. Then he turned and stumbled through the backyard door. Through the window she heard his voice, frantic, followed by hurried footsteps and Yukina's cries fading as they left the house.
Conquest dropped to her knees, her regeneration already rebuilding her insides as she bit down on her lip, tears flowing from her eyes.
Yuki's father had mistaken her for his daughter. But even if she wasn't Yuki, hearing him call her by that name made something inside her ache. And no matter how hard she tried, that feeling wouldn't leave.
Conquest took a moment to breathe as tears kept running down her cheeks. Then Igarashi's words came back to her. The ones from the dream world that she thought she had lost completely.
"Even if you change, even if you're no longer the Yuki I knew, I'll still protect you," he had said to her.
She gritted her teeth and pushed herself to her feet.
Why was I so narrow minded? I was never alone to begin with.
Her mana had been recovering since the meeting with the Yakuza. She didn't have enough for her abilities but she had enough to summon him. How could she have forgotten.
Conquest raised her hand.
Leviathan sneered.
"What is this? Letting my prey escape, I see, Conquest?"
"Hey. I feel something coming from her." Sloth said, distrust creeping into his voice.
Mazikeen took two steps back. Sloth did the same.
Leviathan looked back at Sloth and Mazikeen, his yellow eyes gleaming with amusement.
"What's the matter with you two? Have you no shame? Reacting so cowardly in the face of this pathetic excuse of a Horseman."
His head tilted to the side.
"Truly, it should have been me who was chosen for that role. And yet for whatever reason, you, someone who started as a lesser demon no less, were given the opportunity. While I, who had already earned the status of Demon Sin of Envy, was overlooked. You were even considered for the role of Demon Sin of Pride before Lucifer held it. How vexing. Truly."
Wait. Did he just say I was a lesser demon? Me? There's no way but I don't remember. All I have are Yuki's memories and whatever fragmented memories from my time in the unseen realm. Damn it, my head is splitting. Not now. I can't deal with this right now. Focus.
Conquest yelled, her voice reaching the entire neighborhood. Ignoring whatever Leviathan had said.
"Igarashi! Come forth!"
Leviathan turned around and his eyes widened at the sudden shift.
Black slimy liquid seeped from Conquest's chest and pooled onto the ground. It spread and rose, forming limbs first, then a torso, then a head.
The figure stood at the same height as Leviathan, fully dark with no mouth. Only two circular white eyes staring forward.
Leviathan's sleeves split open as brown tentacles burst from both arms, thrashing wildly in the cold air.
"How exciting. I'll crush you and take that slime wraith while I'm at it."
Mazikeen was already moving before Igarashi's body had fully taken shape. In a blur she closed the distance and drove her fist straight through his stomach. His body burst apart, black slime scattering across the snow in every direction.
Veins bulged across Leviathan's face as his tentacles snapped toward Mazikeen.
"Hey! This slime wraith is mine. You hea—"
"No, it's not. This is her fight." Sloth raised his pale hand. Frozen shards materialized in the air around him, all pointed at Leviathan.
Leviathan clicked his tongue and backed away toward the street.
"Tch, whatever. I didn't stop because you told me to. I just lost interest in beating on weaklings."
Sloth followed beside him, as his hand dropped and the shards dissolved into nothing.
"I don't care. Let's just see if she's worth Lucifer's forgiveness."
On the ground, small blobs of slime crawled toward each other, regrouping until Igarashi reformed his body once more.
Conquest couldn't communicate with him through words. Not in the real world. But their connection let her thoughts flow into him, and he would understand.
The problem was he couldn't do the same for her. She had no idea if he had any reservations about her plans since he couldn't relay his thoughts back to her.
It was truly a one-sided communication. All the more reason to get his body back from Purgatory. Even if she wasn't the Yuki he knew, he had promised to be by her side.
Conquest held her fighting stance before police sirens wailed in the distance. Everyone's attention shifted toward the sound.
Shit. I need to leave this place right now and draw them somewhere isolated.
Every part of her wanted to stand her ground and fight. But she knew what would happen if she did. The police would arrive and more humans would die because of her inaction.
The only location she knew that was completely abandoned was a building about eight kilometers from here. But there was very little chance they would follow her all the way there without causing destruction along the way.
So her only choice was the lake near Yuki's house. From what she remembered, a few people fished there from time to time, which was far less than where they stood at the moment.
Mazikeen wiped the dark slime from her face and took a fighting stance. On the ground, small blobs of slime crawled toward each other, regrouping until Igarashi reformed his body once more.
Conquest didn't waste any more time. She bolted toward Yuki's house and launched herself upward, using Igarashi's height to reach the rooftop before dropping down the other side.
She hit the street with Igarashi by her side and took a sharp left. When she turned her head slightly, Mazikeen was right behind her, every step she took cracking the pavement beneath her feet.
Damn it she's fast!
Then, Conquest took a right toward the forest entrance and leaped the fence. Igarashi shifted into a blade in her hand and she cut through the branches blocking her path.
Then Conquest took a right toward the forest entrance and leaped the fence. Immediately after, Igarashi shifted into a blade in her hand as she cut through the branches blocking her path.
Her mind started racing as she realized there was no escape in sight. All she could do was run with the hope that she could somehow outmaneuver them. Her breathing came in rapid bursts as sweat began to form on her forehead.
She jumped side to side, making sure not to trip on any tree vines, zigzagging through the dense forestry. While running, she snapped her head back to see if she had covered enough ground.
But to nobody's surprise, Mazikeen was still right on her tail, moving at full speed, leaves smacking against her face. She didn't even flinch. It was like dealing with an android. A wild and unhinged one at that.
Conquest's eyes shot upward. Envy and Sloth flew above the treeline, their demon wings spread wide. The sun was going down and an orange hue bled across the horizon.
A fear crept through her chest as she ran. The kind that told her she might not walk away from this unscathed.