Abaddon

The night was silent somewhere in Yokohama. Only the faint sizzling of bugs circling lampposts echoed along the empty streets. Moments ago, those same streets carried voices laced with confidence.

Now, those same voices vanished into a distorted reality stripped of color, hidden between the realm of the living and the dead.

Time passed as footsteps rushed across the quiet streets. A rhythmic dance of hunter and prey. 

"Don't lose them!"
A tall boy lead three others toward fleeing distorted figures ahead.

A girl shouted through short breaths, "Those lesser demons are so fast." she stopped, resting her hands on her knees as warm air puffed from her lips.

"Do you not want to go home?"
The leader turned toward her, a disappointed look painted his face. "This is why I told you to level actual combat abilities." He turned away from her direction, focus snapping back to the boys chasing ahead. 

"Stay out of our way," he said before bolting toward them.

His feet moved swiftly, passing the other Seraphs in a blur of light. "Useless. The lot of you," he muttered, breath steady and cold.

They are just lesser demons. Why can't these losers pull their own weight.

He thought as he closed on a demon at the back. A dagger of light formed in his hand, glowing with a faint hum. 

He swung.

The demon angled at the last second, dodging the strike. It twisted and charged toward the party behind him.

"Tsk. Just die..."
He stopped himself, watching the demon pivot toward his teammates. A warped smile crept across his cheeks. 

If they can't beat it, they have no right to have the powers I was only one destined to have.  

He thought as he turned away from them, and started toward the other two fleeing demons. 

Behind him, screams erupted in unison before silence. He assumed the fight was over as he recalled the light from his hand. In front of him lay demons dissolving into mist.

"It sucks we have to share experience if they are alive."

He turned around, walking toward the battlefield he had left. His shoes tapped against the concrete in soft, steady beats like light rain. He kept his guard up. If they did die, that would mean he still had to finish the job. 

He turned the corner and saw three figures collapsed in a loose circle. A dark mist lifted from the center like smoke.

"Tsk," he whispered to himself before smoothing his expression.

"Looks like you guys finished over here."
He walked toward them, panting lightly, hiding his displeasure. "I also managed to kill the other two."

"That's a level five for you," one of the boys said, leaning back against the pavement behind him, one eye half-shut.

"What level are you all now?" the leader asked. 

"Four," the two boys answered in unison.

"What about you?" His gaze shifted to the girl who had also collapsed on the pavement.

"I'm.. three now." She replied. A hand gripped over a necklace near her chest, the metal trembling slightly.

He turned away from them, his gentle expression darkening for a heartbeat.

I am still level five. If only these guys weren't here...
He thought, as he neutralized his expression before turning back toward them.

"At least we can go home now." He said, as the others nodded in confirmation.

But something was wrong.

The world still remained dull.

Silence, aside from exhausted breaths filled the air.

"Shouldn't the Spatial Zone be disappearing?" One of the boys said.

The leader looked around the sky. The faint shimmer of the edge of the distortion glittered weakly against the muted moonlight.

"My angel says there must be another demon," the second boy said.

"Mine too," the first added.

The girl hesitantly raised her hand. "Mine... also said the same thing."

The leader mumbled under his breath before letting out a loud sigh. "Seems like mine also said there must be another one. And we can't leave until we slay it."

The three stood to their feet and faced him, waiting for the next instructions.

"Let's move out," he said, as he walked between them. "First we have to find it."

The four moved deeper into the muted streets, their silhouettes cutting across colorless asphalt. Every sound felt sharper inside the zone and even their footsteps seemed swallowed as soon as they touched the ground.

The girl walked close to the group this time, one hand still wrapped around her necklace. Her breaths were steadying, but her eyes scanned around the group, hoping to spot the last demon, and hoping she didn't.

The search continued for a time inside the zone. Just as demons couldn't enter buildings in the human world, Seraphs couldn't enter buildings in the Spatial Zone.

"We've looked everywhere," a boy said, as his shirt struggled to hold his figure. The leader looked at him, thankful he didn't put any points into strength. 

Anybody smart enough knows agility is king. Why else was it common in anime and fictional stories.
He thought, stopping in his tracks.

"Let’s split up. It’s clear the demon is avoiding us. It must’ve seen us kill its friends."

The other three exchanged uneasy glances.

"I think we should stay together," the girl suggested quietly with lowered eyes. 

"We did that," the leader snapped. "And as you can see, we’re not making any progress."

She didn't respond, her hand gripped the necklace tighter. One of the boys gently placed a hand on her shoulder. 

"It will be okay," he said with a soft smile. A feeble attempt to squish worries. The zipper on his coat had long since popped from the muscles underneath. "The quicker we find it, the quicker we get out of here."

She looked at the boy briefly, before taking a breath. 

"...I put all my points into intelligence." Her voice trembled as she looked at them. "And my angel is telling me that we shouldn't separate."

"Then how will we find the demon?" the leader barked, turning away. "If you want to stay here forever, be my guest. I want to grab the experience and go home."

The girl stood silent to the eyes of the other boys. It was as if they were quietly telling her if she had a better solution, now would be the time.

She pulled back without a word.

"Thought as much." The leader stepped toward the direction ahead. "Shout if you find or kill it." He raised a hand dismissively without looking back.

The other boys looked at one another before turning toward opposing directions.

The girl stood alone there briefly before she also turned down her own path.

__________

Deeper in the shadows, a pair of ruby eyes opened. They track the party as they split. It's shark-like teeth salivating with a black liquid. Its insectoid frame stayed perfectly still, as its razor sharp claws folded quietly beneath it's chitin.

It moved backward into the darkness without disturbing the air.

Still weak. Need careful.

The thought was fractured, like the voice belonged to someone drunk on their own hunger yet unable to fully control it.

It moved silently between the buildings.

Waiting.

__________

The girl crept between the buildings of Yokohama. She looked up to darkened windows and still doors. She really was in a totally different world, even if it looked the same.

Her hands clamped together under her neckless, her fingers pinched the shape of a cross attached on it. 

"I... I just need to find it," She muttered to herself. "Will I be okay?"

A silent pause filled the air. 

"That's right, if I destroy it, he will listen to me more." Her hands and face held confidence, but her trembling legs betrayed her declaration.

Moments passed with each step getting heavier.

She sat on an outdoor bench, steadying her breath. A faint breeze brushed her hair across her cheek.

I wonder if they are fighting it by now.  
She looking down the street at how far she must of walked. She was more relieved that she didn't see it after all.

And just as her mind had calmed... a distant scream cried in the air before it muffled just as quickly.

She stood up, looking in the direction of the noise. I sense of fear washed over her once more.

"That didn't sound like a calling cry." She whispered. She paused as if waiting for a response unheard by anyone else. "You're right. I need to regroup quickly."

She attempted to move, her feet glued to the sidewalk.

"Move. Please..." She demanded her legs as they finally obeyed, inching forward.

Silent moments continued as reached what look like a familiar intersection, however it seemed darker than usual.

"This should be it..." She hung near a wall of a building, attempting not to reveal herself in the open.

Another scream pierced the void, once again muffled just as quickly as it had come.

The girl slid down toward the base of the wall, her hands covering her mouth. The fact that the veil still remained meant that the demon was still alive. And if it was still alive, then those screams... 

She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut. She wished she never came with them. She wanted to go home.

Then,

Footsteps. Slow. Careful. Approaching from the other side of the wall.

She forced her breathing silent, pressing her hand over her mouth until she can barely breathe. She begged her heart to silence as she closed her eyes. 

The steps inched closer until it reached the corner. A light bump hit her side as she opened her eyes to a shriek. She shrieked back. The leader stood before her, his face flushed cherry, and his arms raised in defense.

He peeked through closed eyes and scowled at the girl on the floor staring at him.

"You!" He shouted, his expression darkened. "Where are the others? They will regret pranking me." 

The girl hesitates. "I… don’t know," she whispered through her fingers.

"Useless!"
He grabbed her by the arm and forced her to her feet. "The least you can do is protect me as I take down the demon."

A noise clicked behind them.

They turned toward the direction. Their faces whitened at what they saw.

A demon, larger than anything they’d ever seen, stared at them from above. A torn piece of fabric hung from one of its teeth. Blood dripped from its chin.

The leader dropped to the floor, crawling back instinctively.

The girl didn’t even manage that much. She stood frozen, unable to even fall.

And then, a swipe.

Their heads rolled.

A voice echoed as it spat out their clothes.
"Not good enough. Need stronger food."

The creature slipped into the shadows as the veil faded, hiding what lurked within.

The moon brightened the streets again.
Color and movement returned.