Hilqamaar and the Gravity of Love- One Last Strike

The fragment of Urzuran’s sword clattered to the ground as Noel finally managed to open her hand. The blood on her palm was mostly dry, but there was still a gash across her fingers where the blade had cut. As she watched, she saw the wound begin to knit itself together. None of her fingers seemed broken, either. Her power was truly miraculous.

Her head rested on Hilqamaar’s rear as she took a moment to let the reality of her victory wash over her. She really beat an Ahngreel. And a powerful one, at that. As awful as he was, Hilqamaar was truly a monstrous foe. And she defeated him with his own power!

She began to push herself free from Hilqamaar’s legs. Then, without warning, the threads were back and taut. Noel found herself tangled in them like an invisible web. She knew what it meant, but it was too late for her to react.

Then they suddenly clamped around her in a vice grip.

“It’s not over until I say it’s over, bitch!”

She felt her body jerk to the left as Hilqamaar twisted so that she was flipped onto her stomach.

Noel had been caught off guard, but not for long. She only had moments before Hilqamaar freed himself from her and reactivated his gravity.

As Hilqamaar pulled his legs from her, Noel sprang up and forward, stretching her left hand for her staff. She leaped over Hilqamaar’s prone body.

Noel only caught a glimpse of his bloody face, wide with shock, before his power activated at the exact moment the staff flew, wings to the floor, into Noel’s outstretched hand. The result was that the staff stabbed straight down, the wings sinking into the concrete around Hilqamaar’s neck. The rest of Noel’s body crashed on top of the Ahngreel with enough force that she heard several ribs crack as her ear pressed into his chest.

Hilqamaar screamed and writhed as a weighted Noel was forced into his body. But matter how much he tried, the Ahngreel could not shake her off. His fists flailed onto her back. She could feel more blood stain her coat, bringing even more weight, which made it hard to breathe. But for all the weight he added, Noel knew it was a bluff. She was feeling the pressure, and so was he. Maybe even more than her.

So, Noel held onto the staff that pinned Hilqamaar to the ground. This was now a battle of endurance. She was in pain and close to choking. But Hilqamaar was in a far worse position.

She couldn’t see the damage the wings had done. It was no doubt severe as she felt his jerking weaken. Her back and shoulders weighed heavy, but she could raise her head a few inches to see that the gap between the wings was not quite wide enough to clear his neck. Like blades, both of the inner wings had embedded themselves into his flesh.

Blood gushed from wounds on both sides where the wings had sliced.

“Enough, Hilqamaar! I’ve won!” she shouted over his grunts of pain. The sound of her voice distorted with each blow of Hilqamaar’s fist. But they were weak. She could feel him dying beneath her. She would not let him. As evil as Hilqamaar was, she would not let him make her a killer. He would have a hold on her conscious. Even if he somehow came back, the act of killing him would stain her forever. “It’s over! Say it’s over!”

But Hilqamaar refused as he lifted his head. His nose was broken, making the ugly look on his face even uglier. “Y-you think you can tell me what to do?!” He leered at her, exposing his teeth, several of which were broken. “Death is nothing to an Ahngreel! But I underestimated you, Noel….” He gagged as blood poured from his mouth. “I-I’ll be back, believe it. Stronger than ever. And we’ll create an offspring that will rival even the Hidaar!” He choked out a laugh and let his head fall back to the floor. His eyes were clouding over.

Noel felt her heart skip. Don’t you go dying on me, you piece of shit!

She didn’t care if he did come back from the dead. She was no Ahngreel. Noel would not have his blood on her hands, even if that meant giving him the last of her power to save him.

Noel’s hand tightened on the handle of her staff as she put all her will into one last strike. Her voice echoed in the warehouse as she screamed the now familiar spell, “HOLY LIGHTBEAM ATTACK!!”

The world around her erupted into light as she felt the energy of her attack pour from her staff and into the floor. The light lasted a few seconds, then stopped. And the world was dark once more.

Noel let the silence wash over her as she let her head drop back onto Hilqamaar’s chest. There was the sound of his breathing, slow and deep. His heart rate was even.

She suddenly felt exhaustion wash over her, as well as Hilqamaar’s scent. Noel just wanted to close her eyes and sleep. Hilqamaar proved to be a good pillow. Warm and soft… Noel shook herself. What was she thinking? She had to get up.

Noel pushed herself up with what felt like her final bit of strength. Hilqamaar’s gravity was gone, but it still felt like an immense weight was pressing her back down. She managed to rise and looked at the sleeping Hilqamaar. His face was peaceful and free of blood, just like Goro had been.

The staff was still embedded in his neck, but the wounds had healed around them so that no blood fell.

Noel stood, walked to Hilqamaar’s head, and yanked the staff from the ground. Hilaqmaar jerked slightly as the wings reopened the wounds, but his eyes remained closed. The wounds then began to knit themselves together.

As the wounds closed, a sudden flash of light enveloped her. Noel blinked and looked at her hand. Instead of her staff, there was only the pen. She was back in her school uniform. It seemed she really did exhaust her power.

She stared down at Hilqamaar.

He looked peaceful.

Too peaceful.

On impulse, Noel raised her shoe and stomped as hard as she could onto Hilqamaar’s nose, which crunched beneath her foot. Hilqamaar still slept, even as his nose gushed with blood.

Noel smirked as she wiped her bloody sole on his shirt.

There. Now his face matched his soul. Broken and ugly.

That would be her last image of him. She turned away so she wouldn’t have to witness his wound healing. If it did at all.