The battle had finally come to an end, though the air still thick with the stench of blood and fire. Kikidori didn't stay for the aftermath, not wanting to see the faces of fallen comrades or angels whose bodies littered the charred landscape. He turned his back to it all, his dark wings unfurled as he walked away. He walked, not just through the smoke and fire, but through the remnants of Hell itself, his steps firm and deliberate.
He made his way toward the great stairway that led out of Hell—a staircase so vast it stretched beyond sight, the steps endless and infinite. As a demon, Kikidori was faster than any mortal could comprehend, and what would take others centuries took him mere moments. Within ten minutes, he had ascended through the endless expanse of stairs, climbing from the deepest pits of Hell to the world above. It was a climb that no human could ever complete, nor could any angel, unless they were to follow the same path he had.
In no time at all, Kikidori found himself at the edge of Earth. He walked calmly onto the planet's surface, his feet making no sound as they touched the world that lay beneath him. There were no angels, no demons, no war here. Only humans, walking through their mundane lives. He found a tall, jagged building, the tallest one around, and climbed to the top. It was quiet here, far from the chaos of the battle he had just left.
He sat on the edge of the building, his eyes gazing down at the bustling streets, watching the humans pass by, unaware of the dark force watching over them. Their lives continued, oblivious to the war that raged above them.
Kikidori let the silence wash over him, trying to clear his mind. The weight of the battle still lingered in his bones. He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to think about her.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about Haruna. The way her golden eyes had looked at him with such strange calmness, how she had stood there, as if waiting for something he couldn't understand.
Suddenly, there was a glow behind him. A light that seemed to shimmer like the stars themselves. Kikidori turned, his eyes narrowing. He didn't need to look—he knew who it was.
There she stood, Haruna, her white wings now folded neatly behind her. The glow around her made her appear even more otherworldly than she had before.
She stepped forward, her bare feet making no sound as they touched the rooftop beside him.
"Why did you do that?" she asked softly, her voice like a melody, gentle and calm.
Kikidori didn't turn to face her. He kept his gaze on the streets below, his fingers tapping the edge of the building impatiently.
"First, shut the fuck up," he muttered. "And second, I don't need any of this 'thank you' crap."
Haruna's expression softened, her golden eyes lingering on him as if searching for some hidden answer within his cold demeanor. She sighed, her breath light in the cool night air.
"I don't think you're as bad as you think you are," she said quietly. "You're a good person, Kikidori."
Kikidori's head snapped to the side, his eyes flashing with irritation.
"Suck a fucking dick," he snapped, his tone harsh.
Haruna blinked, taken aback for a moment. She stood up, brushing off her wings, her expression shifting to one of resignation.
"Fine," she said, her voice tinged with a softness he didn't expect. "I'll leave... but thanks for saving me."
She turned toward the portal that had opened behind her—a swirling, yellowish-golden light that seemed to beckon her home. Kikidori watched in silence, his arms folded as she stepped toward the portal, her back turned to him.
For a moment, just a moment, Kikidori almost felt... something. Something he couldn't name. But it vanished just as quickly as it came.
Haruna glanced back over her shoulder, her eyes locking with his one last time. "Goodbye, Kikidori," she said, her voice full of a warmth that stung in a way he couldn't understand.
Without another word, she stepped through the glowing portal, and just like that, she was gone. The light flickered and disappeared, leaving nothing behind but the quiet of the night.
Kikidori sat there for a long while, the faint echo of her voice still lingering in his mind. He didn't know why she'd said those words, or why it bothered him. All he knew was that the silence of Earth felt... emptier now.
The end of chapter 2