9.2) Anthropogenic Armageddon

Oneiros, the city of nightmares. It’s true that things were always getting worse in the city, but people never gave up on their lives; they clung on, hoping for something to change. But about a week prior, one individual took matters into his own hands for his own retribution.

They called him Cillian, the Man-Devil. He specifically targeted and executed the men and women who had caused his deformation. And through his string of vengeance, he inadvertently ended up inspiring the residents to begin an uprising in the city. It was the end of the world, and they had decided they would die standing.

Perhaps things would have been different had Abigail Kovacs had stayed as the Leviathan in charge of Oneiros. But because it was Amon Havoc who had entered the city in her absence, the city had turned into a battlefield.

And in the middle of all the chaos was the Man-Devil and the Butcher Leviathan.

***

There were distant screams of rioters, both hateful and fearful. The gunfire from the Leviathan foot soldiers rang through the underground city like fireworks. The smoke from the fires remained trapped under the ceiling of the underground city without an opening for escape.

“... It’s over,” Amon declared to Cillian as the city burnt around them.

Cillian was holding up a fallen building, sheltering a boy from being flattened by the building.

Amon lowered his axe. He was not dressed in the regular uniform of a Leviathan–he and his soldiers had marched into battle prepared for war. He was wearing a full suit of white armor that made it almost impossible for Cillian to keep up with him in combat.

Amon knelt down, gesturing for the boy to crawl out from beneath. “You are not a part of this battle, young one. Get out of there.”

The boy shook his head.

Cillian hissed. “You burnt his home down. You think he wants to listen to you?”

Amon sighed. “I’m certain I gave clear orders to evacuate. It’s not my fault these people stayed.”

“You can’t force people out of their homes.” Cillian growled.

Amon scoffed. “Sometimes a sacrifice of comfort is needed. I doubt a man such as you would know this, but the largest power station on Earth required more than a million citizens to leave their homes.”

He knelt down, eyeing Cillian. “You people never understood that there was always a human price for advancing humanity forwards. Your kind of reasoning is what always held humanity back.”

Amon sighed. “But I suppose it matters less now. The world is ending. Even so, I will not compromise my justice. You have broken the rules, Cillian. I will make you pay. Now, tell the boy to get out of here so I can properly execute you.”

Cillian grit his teeth. He knew there was no other option. He couldn’t beat him.

“... Kid. Do what he says.”

“But…”

“Get the hell out,” Cillian snarled.

The boy quickly nodded, reluctantly crawled out of the rubble, then trudged over to the side of the Butcher Leviathan.

Amon raised his axe. “Now avert your eyes, young one.”

Cillian closed his eyes as he could hear the boy scream. But as he accepted his death, he could hear something land in front of him. And for a moment, all was quiet. There was no pain, and he could only hear the crackling of the flames throughout the city.

When he opened his eyes, he saw that there was another Leviathan standing in front of him, grabbing the wrists of the Butcher Leviathan.

The boy shouted in excitement. “Ms. Superhero!”

“Hello again,” Abigail said softly to the boy. “I didn’t think I’d find you and Cillian in the same place. It’s just my luck.”

Then she turned her head toward Cillian. “Hey. I’m back as I promised.”

Cillian blinked, baffled. “You…?”

Amon looked at Abigail with a grin. “Back from your vacation?”

She turned back to face him. “Yeah. It was a perfect vacation. But you’re a messy cook, as usual. I didn’t think Oneiros would turn into hell in my absence.”

Amon grinned. “Hell? This is no hell. We are purging the world from its sins. This is Armageddon, and I am justice.”

Cillian allowed the structure to fall behind him, stepping out of the rubble. Amon Havoc stepped back, pulling his hands back from Abigail’s grasp. She let him go.

“We are both Leviathans, Kovacs. We both stand for justice. We’re comrades. So what are you doing, protecting the devil himself?”

She laughed humorlessly. “You are right. We both stand for justice. But justice is never the same between two people… and my justice is entirely idiosyncratic. I’d side with Lucifer himself, if I deemed it to be right.”

Amon sighed. “I am offended. You’ll kill me to protect the devil, is that it?”

She shook her head. “No, Amon. There’s been enough killing. I won’t kill you.”

She drew her sword. “I’ll just have to make sure I knock you out. Then the universe will naturally take you to your next destination. I refuse to be your judge, but I cannot allow you to kill this man.”

Amon frowned, then grinned. “You know, people have always debated which one of our weapons is stronger–the sword that reflects all or the axe that cuts through all. I suppose today is the day we find out.”

He spun the axe in his hands, then pointed it toward her. “But I must warn you in advance, Kovacs. I cannot show that same mercy to you. I will fight to kill. Knowing this, will you still challenge me in combat?”

Abigail shrugged. “If my life ends here because I stayed true to my beliefs, so be it.”

Amon chuckled. “Then I hope you haven’t been overly reliant on your sword’s properties, Abigail–my axe can cut through everything.”

Cillian frowned. He wanted to join the fight, but knew by instinct that he would only get in her way. He could only grit his teeth, frustrated by her choice to hold back in a battle to the death.

In the end, this is who you are, Abigail Kovacs. Someone who avoids sacrificing even a single person. And I was right: someone like you would have never changed the world. You are even worse than a regular sheep dog. You believe in your own delusion despite seeing it for what it is.

Cillian walked away from her, taking his place alongside the boy and watching the scene unfold.

Then, as he stared into her face, he realized that there was a familiar look on her face. It was the same look that a child would wear when being dragged somewhere to do something she didn’t want to do. The look of a teenager who was tired of being forced to do chores.

… You’re…?

Perhaps for the first time since he had become a devil, he smiled without ill-intent. Then he laughed.

I see. So that’s why. Fine. Show us what you’ve got, “superhero”.

Perhaps you’ll find what you’re looking for, after all.

Abigail Kovacs pointed her sword to the floor. Amon havoc raised his axe with both of his hands.

The two Leviathans began their clash at the end of the world.