He was getting nowhere fast. Even with the head start, Rai could hear the other demon's pants. At times, he was sure he could feel warm air at the back of his neck though when he turned to lash out, no one was there. Perturbed and highly aggravated from the 'first round', the golden-eyed man skidded to a halt surveying the area while his nose sniffed at the surrounding air. Everything gave off some unique odor. There was no such being that could not produce one. Yet, with all that in mind, he could not locate Neru's scent. Something was definitely a miss.
"Looking for someone?"
That voice should not have sounded so close for someone not in the immediate area. There was a lilt its tone. It was cheerful and oh so sadistic at the same. It managed to give the raven a chill, shaking him down to his very core, making him want to concede and beg for mercy yet, it also managed to coax him into enjoying the current 'game' that was still only in its beginning stage. He would win this after all. The man was sure of it.
"Come out!" Rai growled, hearing a chuckle as his response. "Laugh, laugh, laugh away, huh?"
The quiet laughter died away instantly, returning the area to its heavy atmosphere once more, allowing Rai to focus on the mild tremor running up and down his spine. That 'run like hell' instinct gnawed at his mind though he kept pushing it away as his dark yellow eyes searched the darkness for a head of white hair. Just a flash of it would be enough. A blur even.
"Come out," he demanded, clawed fingers curling and uncurling at his sides.
Unlike the warm air he had felt, Rai stilled at the cold, almost caress like breeze that brushed along the nape of his neck. Growling under his breath, the man turned to see his opponent running towards him at a speed that should not have been possible in his condition. Bracing himself though backing down last moment, the raven sidestepped the clawed hand that swung at him prior to watching the white-haired demon skid to a stop, tail flicking in an agitated way. Ears twitching at the sound of knuckles being cracked, Rai took a step back, that gut feeling telling him to run immediately. Being stubborn, he stood in place, eyes trained on the man turning around.
Yellow eyes watched as the other took uneven strides. White strands fell before the younger demon's face, casting it in shadow while his tail wrapped along his waist, tightening at each stumble Neru took. A large smile was still quite visible on the pale face and that in itself managed to make the raven feel even more anxious. His enemy was taking much too long and the hole that had been spewing that chilling gas appeared to have vanished.
"Ready to end this round?" the one with snowy hair asked.
Rai flinched at the distorted voice. The other demon's smile grew slightly, stretching itself more to take over the man's face. It was something the raven concluded he did not exactly like about Neru. He shouldn't have been smiling so intensely. It just oozed death and perhaps things even worse.
Sinister or not, the gold-eyed man widened his stance as his attacker came at him head on in a straight line. With both opponents holding up a clawed hand, it was up to speed to determine who would land the first and last strike.
Grinning, the dark-haired man lunged forward. Adrenaline was just the extra push he needed to smite the challenger. When the two connected, Rai slowed his pace, feeling victorious as he lowered his hand. He winced suddenly once he felt the warm ribbon of blood run down his cheek, several strands of hair falling away. Feeling something cool running along his fingers, Rai held up his hand to see gaseous, black mist swirling between each digit, its chilling touch sinking down to the bone. Turning to look back at the other, he watched the younger demon drop to the ground prior to dissolving into black vapor.
Eyebrow arched, Rai walked over, ears still alert as he knelt down. Placing a hand to the ground, he felt the cold presence the dark gas had left behind before looking around.
Turning to smoke was one thing he had never witnessed happening to another person, yet alone a demon.
"Hmm?"
The man bristled as his eyes drifted to the left.
At his side, knelt down beside him, was the demon that had supposedly vanished into cold smoke. With half his face still hidden in the shadow of his hair, Neru poked at the swirling mist; a wide smile on his face as his tail swayed slowly behind him. Turning his head by a minor inch or so, he gave the raven a small preview of a very sharp canine.
Standing, the yellow-eyed raven bared his own fangs, a low hiss emanating from his throat. Once the younger tilted his head up, smile still in place, eyes in shadow, Rai clenched his jaw as he kicked a leg out. He felt bones crack under his foot and he pinned the demon's head to the ground. Grin crossing his own face for a moment, the man relished in the crater starting to form in the dark terrain. The smile only faded as the grin on the downed man's face grew. Irritated by it, the eldest of the pair raised his foot but, when he slammed it down, it landed in a vaporous cloud.
Growling aloud, Rai looked around as he stalked forward. He would admit that this 'game' or 'round' or what ever it was was now becoming infuriating. After twenty minutes of nothing, the demon clenched his jaw as he came to a stop. His initial 'flee' response had long since faded as well as his earlier adrenaline rush in order to be replaced by nothing but irritation.
"Come out!" he shouted, hands in fists.
"Are you not enjoying the game?"
Feeling a brow twitch, golden eyes raked over the surrounding area. As usual, the owner was not present. Uncurling then curling his fingers back into tight fists, Rai focused on the blood welling in his palms while ignoring the thin ribbons of black mist that had yet to leave him alone since he had been on the run.
"Kimura!"
"Yes?" said demon replied, stepping forward. That same manic grin was on his features. "Were you calling for me?"
The raven-haired demon growled, a clawed hand raised as he focused on the one on his right.
"Or were you talking to me?"
Rigidness set in on the man as he looked to his left then back to his right. He took a slight step back, as if to get a better view, to stare at the two white-haired demons walking towards each other. When they were side by side, they draped an arm around each other's shoulder, leaning in as they smiled madly. Their tails swayed slowly at their sides before wrapping around the other's waist. The hole in either's chest was nowhere to be seen yet that mist that was present along Rai's hand and foot appeared to be at their feet.
"Do you think he was talking to you?" the one on the right asked.
"Well, he could've meant you," the one on the left said, playing with a strand of dirtied white hair. "Who knows?" He then looked over his shoulder. "What do you think?"
That dreadful heaviness fell upon the area again, making the raven bristle. The one on the left had yet to face front while the one on the right soon joined in, smiling twitching faintly in the corner of his mouth prior to facing Rai once more. Soon enough, the one on the left faced forward.
"Who… were you talking to?" the man drawled, hands tight at his side as that 'flee' instinct started to gnaw the back of his head again.
"Who do you think?" the one on the right asked, looking over his shoulder before focusing on the anxious man.
The two broke apart, tails flicking in a spastic way, as a third stepped forward, grin on their face to match that of the twins before him. Cracking his neck left then right, Neru placed a hand on each of their shoulders, looking at each of them before turning his attention to their opponent.
"I think he might have been addressing me," the man said knowingly.
Rai flinched, taking a few more steps back as the white-haired man continued forward. Unlike the other two that had appeared first, this one had a hole in his chest. The gas that had been leaking out leisurely had long since picked up its pace, making everything around the man appear to be shrouded. His tail swayed slowly behind him and, for a brief second, yellow eyes noticed something white tipping the moving appendage though the growing dark made it hard to be certain. A subtle nod had each of the twins step aside, watching as the obvious original pulled his hair back.
Once out of shadow, two eyes, blacker than Hell itself, stared back. They pinned the other in place while the other two chuckled amongst themselves.
"End the first round," Neru ordered, glancing between the grinning pair at his sides.
Narrowing his eyes on the man with the hole, Rai edged back, watching as the one on the right took the initiative. Hand up, the apparent double charged, hair blowing back to reveal the same slit pupils resting on golden-green pools. His blue tongue poked out at the corner of his mouth, running along his bottom lip as he picked up speed.
"Head on again?" the raven chided, putting aside his uncertainty as he widened his stance.
Close enough to his target, Rai lashed out. He hissed to himself when his target came to a halt, allowing the man to cut only the stands that swayed forward at such an abrupt stop. Watching the tresses fall to the ground with child-like fascination, the double then looked up at the raven who then did not hesitate to strike him. After a clawed hand cut at the side of his face and over an eye, the white-haired twin reeled back, hand over its injury while its tail reached up to wrap itself along the raven's neck. A quick fling, before the yellow-eyed man could cut the limb, and the white-haired copy sent the man across the expanse.
Getting to his feet, Rai rubbed his neck, looking towards the other copy that had went to assist the injured one. Shifting his gaze to focus on Neru, the man watched as the younger demon toyed with his fingers in a way one would if controlling puppet strings. He stopped of course, slowly turning his head to pin the older demon with a cold stare.
"End it," he said, looking towards his pair once more.
"Right," the two said in unison as they ran ahead.
They broke away from each other, smiling away as the raven turned, trying to keep tabs on them both at the same time. At the sound of footsteps behind him, the man turned to see no one there though a foot collided with his back soon after. The sheer force of it was enough to send the man flying straight at the man with the hole in his chest though he came up short, landing face first before him.
Having a laugh thrown his way, the raven hopped to his feet, hands ready to claw at the demon that had not attempted to move. When he was preparing to strike, a tail curling around Rai's arm was the only thing keeping it still before the man was pulled back towards the pair.
A low hiss from him did nothing to scare away the copy reeling him in. Annoyed by its demeanor, Rai went to cut the tail though, before he got the chance, the appendage flung him back towards the copy crouched on the ground. When the demon was close enough, the clone leaned back, his foot going up to send the opponent skyward.
Stunned at first, by the kick and getting air back into his lungs, Rai looked down to see the pair crouched far below on the black surface. Both of their smiles seemed to be smaller than before, eyes mirroring that innocent look the previous had had a while ago. Guessing they were distracted from admiring what they had done, the yellow-eyed man braced himself for his approaching descent.
When both white-haired demons tilted their heads in opposite angles, their smiles broadened, sending a chill down their adversary's spine. Crouching down a bit more, the one to the left sprang up at the man in the air that had begun to fall. A Cheshire grin in play, the copy held its own hand out.
As soon as it came to strike, Rai swung his hand, catching nothing but air. He allowed surprise to cross his face as he continued to drop back to the fast approaching ground. Turning his attention from his empty hand, gold eyes locked on the grinning man below him before a foot collided with the side of his head. In a bit of a daze, the raven got onto one knee, hand pressed to his head.
Damn… the man thought, finally pulling himself up.
Shaking off the rest of his headache, the demon turned to see Neru still standing in his same spot. His smile had softened though when his dark eyes locked onto the brighter pair, the grin strengthened anew before his attention shifted to what was behind him. A shiver ran down the man's spine as he looked back, not seeing anyone there. Feeling a cold breeze at his front, the older demon turned, coming face to face with the original white-haired man. Before the yellow-eyed man could even say or growl out something, lash out even, a hand fisting his hair had his head wrenched back.
"K…Kimura," Rai hissed, venom dripping from the name.
"Up and down," came the giddy reply.
"Up…and d-"
The raven felt the hand release him and he whirled around to catch nothing.
Same as before.
Turning to find Neru in his previous location, attention elsewhere, Rai felt a foot collide with the back of his head.
Blanking out for a moment, the raven focused on the upcoming ground until a knee caught him in the nose. Dropping to his knees and doubling over to cover his sore face, a foot kicking him in the stomach had the man launched several yards into the air. Pushing pain aside, the man pinned one of the copies with a cold glare though it faltered as the second one came into sight.
The one that had kicked the yellow-eyed man knelt down, hands cupped together in front of him right before the other took a step forward.
"Ready?" the first asked as the second copy placed a foot on in his hands.
"Ready," the other replied before being launched up.
Bracing himself came a bit late for the raven due to his headache from the earlier kick and upon descent; he met the end of the double's foot, sending him higher. When he had reached his peak and began to fall, Rai clenched his hands into fists, turning to meet the one on the ground.
Instead, he met that clone's foot after catching the end of a roundhouse kick, purposely sending him across the area and towards the other awaiting double. A punch to the chest had the wind knocked from the man, leaving him to wheeze as he tried to pull the air back into his lungs. As he did so, he glared at the Cheshire grin presented to him.
Fighting dirty was not frowned upon in such a place.
It was fight or flight.
Kill or be killed.
However, with that in mind, he started to think that this was a bit excessive.
"Up," Neru ordered.
Nodding, the copy punched his opponent before he had completely recovered, knocking the air out of him once more before kicking him high up into the air. Looking towards the other twin, the current assaulter saw that he was crouching down, looking towards him. Taking the other's lead, both lowered themselves, watching the stunned enemy that had yet to reach the peak of his ascent. A subtle nod to each other had the pair hunkering down as far as they could go before springing up towards the man that had finally come to a stop.
With the two not even trying to conceal their presence, Rai looked over his shoulder to see the two closing the distance between them. When it actually came time to counter them, the pair split apart before disappearing from his line of view altogether.
"Up," Neru called as he looked up, grin threatening to split his face in half.
"And down!" the two replied in unison.
Facing forward quickly, Rai caught sight of the copies gaining on him before he felt the heel of each double's foot smashing into his sternum and abdomen. The force of it as well as speed and angle had the raven hurtling towards the ground at a rate that even he could not brace for.
Upon impact, the man skidded, leaving a deep trough in his wake. He was positive that several bones were broken. The taste of his own blood welled in his mouth while his head spun as he suffered through a concussion. Spitting out the red liquid, the man raised his head slowly, looking around to determine where he was.
Arms hooking under his and pulling him up had the demon hiss in pain from the sudden shift in position. Looking to his left, yellow eyes locked onto the glinting, golden-green pair. His attention then dropped down to the tongue running along a sharp canine as black vapor seeped from the claw mark inflicted to the double's face. Looking to his right, Rai saw that that clone's eyes were closed due to the intensity of its smile. He barely registered the fact they had moved until both copies had kicked him in the back of the knees, making him kneel down.
"You lost round one." Rai looked up to see the man with the hole in his chest staring down at him. He was not smiling at the time until he began again. "Let's begin the second round," Neru said, holding up a clawed hand to reveal thin, shadowy strands curling around his fingers.
"What do you think he's going to do?" the double asked giddily as if he didn't have a jagged injury marring his face.
"I don't know," the other replied, kneeling down on the back of the raven's calf to keep him down. "What do you think he's going to do?"
"I don't know," the first replied, imitating the action of its twin. "What do you think?"
Rai growled under his breath, still winded from his previous round. To make matters worse, the two copies he had fought against had yet to shut up since the white-haired man called for a brief intermission. It was like having children huddled around him, what with the wide-eyed, silly looks they kept giving him as they poked and prodded at the area containing broken bones and bleeding gashes. They actually appeared to be the complete opposite of the man they were imitating. Perturbed by such a thought, Rai would've lashed out at the annoying twosome if it weren't for the tail wrapped securely around his neck while the other kept his wrists bound tightly behind his back.
"…it was fun."
"Everything is fun when it's made into a game." Yellow eyes cracked open to the statement and looked to the right. "Isn't that right, Okinawa?"
Curling his lip upward to flash a fang at the smiling copy, Rai hissed though it did not deter the captor. Instead, it seemed to egg him on even more. Leaning over, an inky tongue poked out from between the double's lips. Hissing again, the raven snapped at the finger waving in his face though he did not bite it due to the hand holding him still with a pull of his hair. Throwing a grin at its partner, the one on the right poked its tongue out again.
Leaning back, a push forward had Rai staring at the black symbols running along the blue appendage before he felt the rather warm tip brush across his brow and over the bleeding scratch he had obtained there. Shuddering, he sensed the slick trail being left in its wake. When he opened his eyes, not knowing he had squeezed them shut, the raven saw that the tongue was now stained red.
"Blood is delicious, is it not?" the double binding the man's wrists asked in his ear.
The other simply swiped the blood tipped appendage along his bottom lip in a teasing matter. "A fallen foe's may taste even sweeter, yes?"
Tensing at the words, Rai shifted to get more comfortable though a lick to the back of his neck had him shivering once more. A claw dragging along his unscathed cheek had him cringe before a second blue tongue flicked along the shallow cut.
"Blood is delicious…"
"…may taste even sweeter, yes?"
An ominous feeling set in the pit of the raven's gut before the brief silence was broken by the two chuckling and saying, "Yes."
"Shall we make it sweeter now?"
"What do you mean?" the one on the left asked, tilting his head a bit.
"A fallen foe's taste sweeter, yes?"
"Yes?"
"Well, he's not exactly 'fallen' yet," the one on the right stated.
The other's face lit up at the realization. "Shall we…"
"…take care of that?" the other finished, swiping his tongue across his lower lip.
When the tail around the man's neck removed itself, one of the copies placed a hand at either side of the man's face. The raven hissed under his breath as he thrashed about though it did nothing but agitate his internal injuries, cutting into muscle and cracking more bones. Finding the action amusing, the other twin pressed his clawed fingers together and lined it up with the man's spine.
"Ready?" he asked, drawing back his arm. "You snap his neck…"
"…and you spear him in the back," the other replied in a singsong manner.
"On three."
"Right!"
Rai hissed, baring his useless fangs in his current position.
"One…"
"…two…"
The man closed his eyes. "What are you two doing?" The older demon cracked his eyes open and looked up slowly. "You were told simply to watch him," Neru chided, face deadpan. "Rough him up a bit if you wanted." The corners of his mouth tugged upward as black eyes stared at the red smudge tinting one of the copies' mouths. "And I see that you've done that." Both clones beamed. "Let's begin round two, shall we?"
"Round two!"
"Round two!"
The raven looked at the one on his left then the one to his right before staring up at the black-eyed demon smiling down at him.
"They really are enjoying this game," Neru commented, waving a hand dismissively.
The tail around the man's wrists released him, allowing him to pull them forward and rub them gingerly. Casting his gaze to the right, yellow eyes watched as that copy rolled back, hopping to his feet though he remained in a crouched position. Looking at the one to his left, Rai watched as that double, hopped onto his feet, tail wrapped loosely around its waist.
Scooting away from the smiling trio, the older man got to his feet as quickly as his injured body would allow him. Retreating several steps, he kept his eyes on each of them, not wanting to turn him back on the group. Seeing how any had yet to move, the raven picked up his pace, knowing he wouldn't be able to do much with his possibly shattered shoulder. When both twins looked towards the man with the hole in his chest, Rai took that as his cue to run.
"H-he's going to get away!" the one on the right whined.
"Can't we chase him again?" the one to the left asked.
"No," Neru replied.
"But it was fun!" they exclaimed in unison.
"No."
"But-"
The two got quiet as dark eyes darted between them, mouths falling to frowns, eyes mirroring disappointment as they looked in opposite directions.
"You two." Both copies looked at the one in the center from the corner of their golden-green eyes. "He's not getting away," Neru said, pressing a hand to the hole in his chest, "and he's going to die slowly."
"Slowly?" the pair asked.
"And painfully."
Cheshire grins split their faces as the original demon pulled his hand from his chest, clenching it into a tight fist.
"Painfully!" the one on the left shouted.
"Slowly!" the one to the right yelled.
"It'll be fun!" they cheered in unison.
"You two," the black-eyed demon said, opening his hand, "need to shut up now."
Smiles faltering for a few seconds, the twins hurried towards each other and stood aside, tails wrapped around their waists. An arm wrapped along the other's shoulder, they cocked their hands in opposite directions as they watched the original blow into his hand. A gust, something usually foreign to Hell, had their hair swaying forward, rustling their clothes as a bone-chilling feeling washed over them.
Clenching his hand into a fist once more, Neru pulled it back towards his chest.
Elsewhere, Rai stumbled, clutching at his shoulder before feeling cold slowly curling around him. Looking around quickly, he found no one, as expected, yet he couldn't shake the feeling of something coming. In addition, by how nervous he felt, he could tell that it was approaching quickly. He just needed to determine which direction the possible attack was coming from.
Stumbling a bit more, the man dropped down to one knee. A passing breeze had him rigid before he felt something cold brushing against his cheek and neck. A sharp pain made his hand shoot up to brush against a freshly inflicted wound. Holding his hand up, Rai stared at the blood coating his fingertips prior to noting the shadowy ribbons snaking themselves around his stained digits.
"W-what…?"
The cold sensation at the back of his neck seemed to materialize. It was no longer a feeling. The raven could feel something curling around his neck, tightening ever so slowly, trying to bind him in someway though he was not sure how. A sudden pull had him on his back, a very tangible, black collar around his neck.
"What…?" the man murmured to himself as he placed a hand to his neck, feeling the same chilling sensation. The strands on his hand soon reached out to connect to the band on his neck, rendering the limb useless. "Wh-"
"What is it?"
Yellow eyes drifted to pin one copy walking over from the right. Sudden footsteps had the man looking left to see the other coming. When he tried to get up, the choker around his neck tightened to the point that it nearly cut off all circulation as well as crushed his airway.
"What is it?" they asked, tapping a finger to their chins, grinning knowingly.
"What are you?"
"What are they?" The raven tilted his head back to see his true opponent walking towards him. "What are they?" Neru repeated, glancing at the two.
Gulping to himself, Rai watched as black, misty strands curled themselves along the dirtied white hair prior to disappearing within the hole in the man's chest.
Noticing the where the man's attention was, the younger demon pressed a hand to the void, allowing the other to see how the haze seemed to overflow, pushing itself out around the thing trying to keep it in.
"…that…" the raven trailed off. "…you…are…"
"Shadows are everywhere. They can't be contained forever," Neru said, removing his hand, allowing the cold gas to pour out freely. "…even if it can't be seen, its always there. When it's dark, it's always there."
"Gloom," one copy stated dully.
"Despair," the other said.
"It can be locked away," the young man said.
"…but not forever," the clones finished, smiles stretching along their faces once more.
"Nothing lasts forever…but it can be hidden in the dark." The one with the hole in his chest held up a fist prior to pulling it towards his chest. A tug on the raven's neck had him flinch. "Life doesn't seem to last forever. Death does. It's eternal like the dark; like shadows."
Slit pupils in gold pools dilated momentarily as the doubles pulled the man up onto his knees. Crouching to be at eyelevel, Neru stared blankly at the man before him as his eyes began to transition back to their original state.
Fearful yet angry by the sudden reflection, Rai hissed under his breath. "Life lasts for those who are willing to fight or kill whoever is trying to take it away."
When the younger of the pair blinked, what color was gained returned to its previous blackened state as the man grinned. A sudden twitch in the corner of the man's eye had the raven shrink back, only to have a claws drag themselves down his face. Biting his lip to repress a sign of pain, Rai ignored the trickle of blood running down his chin. He was more focused on the long, tongue slipping into his peripheral. He flinched once it licked the red stream away prior to receiving another slash to the face.
"Life is fleeting," one clone whispered in his ear.
"Eventually, everything falls into shadow and is forgotten," the other whispered.
"Forgotten," Neru chuckled. "Unlike those who forget, I don't; I won't; I can't." A blue tongue soon slid over an overly sharpened canine. "And with that being said, you'll suffer for everything you've done."
"Suffer."
"Punishment."
The raven spat at the ground.
"Broken bones," the black-eyed man said quietly before kicking the man in the sternum. "All those broken bones," he added as an afterthought, kicking the raven in the head then in the sternum once again, feeling it crack then snap beneath his foot. "Internal injuries."
"So many…" the one to the left began.
"…internal injuries," the one to the right finished.
A kick to the head, and being released by the twins, had the yellow-eyed man falling onto his back. A foot smashing into his already crushed sternum had bone cutting into muscle and organs though the onslaught stopped once blood began to trickle from the sides of the demon's mouth.
Kneeling down, Neru held up a hand, showing off the sharpened, black nails that had thin, shadowy strands coiling around them. Pressing the digits together, the white-haired man jabbed it into the raven's abdomen, pushing it all the way through.
Unable to hide such a sense of pain, Rai let himself be heard as the other withdrew his hand.
"Shut him up."
A copy clamped his hand over the man's mouth, allowing slit pupils to fall upon the black vapor rising off the other's skin. Trailing his gaze upward, Rai saw the same gassy substance rising from the claw wound he had inflicted before it weaved itself through the white strands of hair.
"External wounds," Neru said, raking his nails into the other's front, bringing up angry red marks to stain the man's clothes. He then leaned down, stopping a few inches above the raven's neck that had been so kindly exposed with help of a copy. "All that blood."
Opening his mouth, the younger demon clamped down along the uncovered column, sinking two of his most lethal teeth down deep. Releasing him then repeating his action, Neru swiped his tongue along the wound as he listened to the man's muffled screams and feeling as he thrashed about.
With the two still holding him down, Neru pulled away and licked the blood from his mouth then off his hand. When black eyes fell upon the downed foe slipping into unconsciousness, a swift slap had yellow eyes focusing on him once more.
"Don't you dare," the white-haired demon growled prior to grinning at the glare thrown his way.
"Stay awake," both twins sang, shaking the man by the shoulders.
Reaching forward, the one with black eyes clawed at the raven's eye, watching as blood welled to the surface. The copies' as well as the original's ears twitched at the sound of another muffled scream coming from their captive.
"Eyes."
One of the doubles reached down and parted one of Rai's eyelids to give clear view of the trembling yellow pool.
"Can I?" the other copy asked, looking towards the one with the hole in his chest.
"Have your fun," Neru said, "but leave one intact. I think Death would appreciate the small gift." The pair laughed sinisterly. "I also want him to see everything."
"Aye," the two said as one leaned down.
"Remember to keep him quiet."
The two nodded as one kept his hand over the older demon's mouth. The other that held the man's eyelids curled his thumb and his forefinger as he eased it closer, poking his blue tongue out to mock that of concentration.
As soon as the tips of his nails scraped along the edges of the man's bare eyeball, Rai screamed though it was muffled. He desperately tried to close his eye although it was a futile effort as he felt every bit of the sharpened claws wrap and pull at his eye.
"Keep him quiet," Neru ordered.
The double covering Rai's mouth nodded as he pressed down harder on his mouth. Despite his effort, he couldn't suppress the scream that came from the older demon's mouth once the other copy pulled out its prize.
"Can I eat it?" the copy asked giddily.
The other ignored the screaming to look at the red and gold orb being held up to the original demon.
"You shouldn't eat junk," Neru chided, grabbing the eye.
He traced a black nail lightly along the iris prior to sticking it in the older man's pocket. Looking back at the man's face, dark eyes stared at the bleeding, empty socket. Pricking a finger on a sharp tooth, Neru leaned downed and jabbed the bleeding digit inside, poking around and causing as much damage as he could as well as leaving a sting. He only pulled out when the raven-haired demon stopped screaming and began to slip into unconsciousness.
Brow twitching, Neru smacked the man over and over until the eye he still had opened.
"Stay awake."
"Up," one twin said.
"Conscious," the other added.
One eye rolling slowly, the glassy, yellow orb made out the twins smiling madly at him before they pulled him up onto his knees. Hanging his head, Rai made out the growing pool of blood leaking from his abdomen. His skin felt cold yet he could feel a warm ribbon running down his face. Due to the other demon's blood that had been placed into the empty hole, the raven writhed at the burning sensation that left his mind in a blur.
"Let him go," the younger man ordered, the doubles complying immediately. "Rai, look at me."
The older man heard his name though he did not have the strength to hold his head up. Growling out his own frustration, the white-haired demon raised a hand and placed it to his chest. Pulling it away, palm up, Neru watched as the mist swirled at his fingertips before trailing off to attach themselves to the collar on Rai's neck. A swift pull and the man's head was held up.
"Better," the twins cheered.
"W…what…?"
"Hmm?" the copies hummed.
The gold eye drifted slowly between the two before dropping down to see the vaporous strand that connected the band to the coils curling around the other's fingers. Blinking slowly, breaths labored, body tired, Rai barely noticed the demon's tail wrapping around its owner's waistline.
"C-copies…" the raven breathed, "…what…?"
"What are they?" Neru asked.
He looked between the two who, in turn, smiled at him.
What were they?
No demon could jump as high as they could; no demon could kick an opponent as high as them; no demon could fight and obtain damage like them without succumbing to pain or fatigue; no one was like the pair. Even more, no one emitted a mist from injuries, hair, feet, or have tattoos on their tongues.
What were they?
"What are you?" one copy asked.
"Hmm, what are you?" the other asked its twin.
"What are we?" the twin asked happily, staring at the original.
"Dark," Neru replied. "You're dark, twisted, hateful, spiteful, heartless, and sadistic." The two smiled down at the man as their bodies slowly began to fade into black mist. "The fact that you look like me is coincidental. You're nothing but the shadows of Hell."
"S-shadows…of H-Hell?" the raven stammered through ragged breaths.
"Gloom," one soft voice called.
"Suffering," the other whispered.
"Punishment," the two called, voices vanishing as they disappeared in the smoke.
The yellow-eyed man sunk down a bit as he watched the last of the gas return to the hole in the center of the demon's chest. He then watched as Neru unwrapped his tail that seemed to have a new feature. Raising his head a bit more, Rai stared at the long spike at the end of the appendage. The tip was flat like a blade, curved even.
"Punishment," Neru echoed, pulling the man up by the front of his shirt. "I really thought moving would've kept me out of that line of work." He mused for a moment. "Ah, well," he stated, tossing the man high into the air.
The raven looked down at the white-haired man. Regret flitted along his face and he opened his mouth as he began to descend. "K…Kimura, I-"
"Goodbye, Okinawa," the black-eyed demon said as he turned, tail swinging up and out, "and good riddance."
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