Artificial

Chapter 23

The two yuki-onna come at me, one with salmon colored hair creates a ice sword and clashes against my shadow sword,
the yuki-onna with light blue hair gets behind me and nearly breath attacks me, I zipp my way straight up and Penny counters with a fire breath,
creating mist which didn't last long as Leon creates a minature tornado that sucks me up,
I get shredded by ice shrapnel asthe tornado takes in sand and ice.
Penny turns Leon's tornado into a fire tornado and I get diced and clawed across my back and chest like a wild animal attacking me,
the tornado disappeares as I come plummiting and land on a yuki-onna, just what you'd think,
she froze me solid then chucked me at Penny to which she catches me and thows my body out,
unfortunately she uses me as a meat shield running at a yuki-onna so I wrap a shadow around her neck and use Shadow Execution to fling her at one of the two yuki-onna. I put two fingers to my fore head then aim my two fingers at Leon,
turning my shadow into a rubber and gum like substance,
I fling Leon into the cieling then slam him on the ground then retract him back only for my shadow to punch him into the wall. Penny rams into my back with a headbutt using her Spiral Flame technique,
her fire creates a draft that sucks me and the yuki-onna into the wall.
I make Shadow Golem arms,
grab the two yuki-onna and slam them into each other before throwing them at Penny and Leon,
Leon uses a air bender fighting style to keep away while attacking from a distance, Penny hurled fireballs at us and I use Shadow Flame Rasangone on both of them using the Shadow Golem arms.

After a hard fought victory, I was left standing as Penny and Leon were knocked out.
"All S ranks, enter the ring."
The announcer says as the tallest white man I ever saw enters the ring,
he had blonde hair a redish purple eye, and pitch black armor.
"Hi there black knight, where's king Arthur and your possy?"
The man looks at me humorlessly. "You jest now but not for long clown.
I have honed my sword skills for a hundred years,
you are nothing more then a toddler before my-."
I shut him up then and there by punching him so hard he explodes,
naturally he regenerates from it but comes back pissed,
all of sudden his body swells and becomes grotesque as his head falls off his body and his hand catches the head.
His eyes becomes bright red and he looks like something straight out of a horror movie.
"Dude you should persue a acting career, maybe you'll be lucky and be the next big horror mascot."
He slams his giant shadow sword and I roll under his legs hacking and slashing my way to victory,
the poor soul attempts to kick me but I already tangled his legs with my Shadow Execution.

I crush his four legs and finish him with a army of familiars yelling Shadow Flame Rasangone until he breaks free and cleaves me and my familiars in half.
I regenerated and let him know he done goofed.
I create a perfect Shadow Golem that looks like a susanoo from Naruto Shippuden and a Gundam from Gundam.
I create a giant shadow gun and end him in a single blast.
If I wanted to kill him I wouldn't have held back my energy.
The crowed which was everyone I beat up could only stare with their jaws dropped in disbelief,
they all slowly stood up and started clapping,
I looked up and saw Brandon in the hall way window then I looked at the balcony to see the Demon Council members, they looked unamused just like Brandon. I returned to my row and my siblings and friends congratulated me,
everyone except for Anton who apparently went to the bathroom,
in a hour the whole Council gave me a new ID with a S rank by it,
that night me and friends celebrated at the Mexican restaurant.
Sadly though Anton and Brandon weren't there,
that night I decided to track Anton's phone and we met at a small lake near Table Rock in Greenville.
"Why did you come for me?"
Anton asks nicely but with the sound of regret in his voice.
"You weren't there to congratulate me and I felt concerned."
Anton turns around to look at me. "Sorry, congratulations man."
Anton says not looking me in the eye.

"Tell me something, have you finally figured out who the traitor is?"
For the sake of my heart man,
don't announce yourself as the traitor. "I have a good idea who it is."
Anton starts walking on thin water, his aura being the only solid piece of energy to prevent him from falling in.
"I regret to inform you but this war is nothing more then a farce for a greater evil to come."
I ask him what he means but got no answer. "Seth, at this point both the Exorcist and Artificial Demons will be brought to their knees by the end of this war,
our race on the verge of extinction,
surely you must know there won't be a winner and a loser.
In the end there will only be suffering." I look at Anton concerned.
"Wh-what are talking about? With our team on point and everyone fighting together, we can win this."
Anton shakes his head.
"Wishful thinking kid but the world don't work like that, I hate to spring this on you last minute but I'll be leaving America, if you and everyone else come with me and join the Terks,
I can guarantee our safety, we can all live happily ever after and all that jazz."
Hearing him say that is no different then running around and sticking your head in the sand,
no different then hiding from your problems.
No different then betraying your country. "Dude, that's no different then turning a blind eye to your problems."
I walk out onto the water using my aura as a solid ground,
I tried to sway him but all this back and fourth ended up with leaving me with no choice. "Sorry Anton, but I'm bringing you back, kicking and screaming if I must." Anton reaches his breaking point and chews me out.
"There you go again acting like you have the moral high ground again!
Look at the bigger picture Seth!
There is no good or evil!
No bad or good!
Only a moral grey area,
if you want to go out in a blaze of glory then fine but don't drag me down with you! I WANT TO LIVE DAMMIT!"

I sigh, we really won't see eye to eye on this, on one hand I could let him go,
on the other hand I can make him come back by force and let the Demon Council deal with him.
"DON'T BECOME THE DEMON COUNCIL'S LAP DOG! JUST TURN A BLIND EYE JUST THIS ONCE SETH! Please........ I'm asking you as a friend."
My heart begins to ache, why am I hesitating now? I never waverd until now, I make a fist and stare at the water.
"Go." Anton looks up at me surpised.
"I'll look the other way this time but you do know the Demon Council will peg you as the traitor right?"
Anton nods. "I'm prepared for that. If need be I'm prepared to run for the rest of my life."
I walk over to Anton and give him a good punch in the face,
he looks at me surpised like a parent spanking their child for the first time. "Anton, you need to stop running from everything,
what you need to do is be brave for a change,
man up and bite the bullet head on." Anton makes eye contact,
I bring him in for a hug and tell him I'll miss him,
he hugs me back and I inevitably break the hug.
I put my arms on his shoulders.
"Whatever dreams you have, dream again, make them come to life,
and if you meet a cute girl,
fall in love, ask her out. Just be the best you, you can be proud of."
I pat his shoulders and walk back to the shore. Anton for once gives me a genuine smile, he sprouts his wings and begins to take off,
I wave him off. "TELL LEON AND PEENY I SAID GOODBYE AND WHEN YOU CAN TELL THEM I'M NOT THE TRAITOR!"

I shout will do and watch what's left of him take off into the night sky,
I felt happy for him a little, though I'll probably never see him again.
I turn around and make my own wings and fly high above Greenville, the city looks beautiful from up here, it's a shame that in a matter of time it'll be a warzone.
How many lives will both sides take? How many innocent people and demons will die? All this warring is pointless,
and I'm going to find my own way to save both sides,
even if both sides must be brought to their knees. This is it, night of the final days.