The Originals

The Devil has Risen

"Please state your business," a man clad in bronze armor said, standing tall at the exit of the train station.

"To speak with the Emperor," Hiro responded, his voice stern, his eyes focused ahead. He stepped forward, but two swords crossed in front of him, blocking his path.

"You don't just speak to the Emperor, friend," the guard said, smirking. Six others flanked him—one to Hiro's left and five further out, guarding the gate.

"I do," Hiro said, his tone unyielding.

"Oh yeah?" the guard mocked, his smirk widening. "Yeah?" His companions began laughing, the sound grating against Hiro's ears.

"This guy!" the man to Hiro's left said, clutching his stomach.

"I know, right?!" Their laughter echoed in the hall, each note fueling Hiro's growing rage. The vein in his neck bulged, and his fists clenched tightly.

"Stop," Hiro said, his voice reverberating through the space. The guards froze, their grins faltering as they looked up at him.

"Who are you, and what is your business?" the guard to Hiro's right asked, his tone more cautious now.

"This is futile," Hiro muttered. In a blur of motion, he flicked the man's forehead. The guard was hurled backward, his body engulfed in a flash of purples, blues, and blacks as he hit the far wall with a sickening thud. Panic rippled through the others.

"INTRUDER!" one of the rear guards yelled, bolting for the gate at the end of the hallway. Hiro appeared beside him in an instant, grabbing the back of his helmet.

"Open it," Hiro demanded.

"I c-can't," the man stammered, his voice trembling.

"Too bad," Hiro said coldly. With a sickening crunch, he crushed the guard's helmet and head in one motion, blood spraying across his clothes. The lifeless body dropped to the ground, and the remaining guards scattered, their will to fight evaporating.

Hiro turned his attention to the rusty gate. Placing his hand on its cold surface, his eyes ignited with purple flames, and his aura surged outward in a violent cascade of colors. The gate buckled and exploded in a dazzling array of purples, reds, and blues, fragments scattering as the smoke swirled.

"I must speak to the Emperor," Hiro muttered to himself. "For Claire."

"Woah there, friend," a sharp, deep voice called out through the haze.

Hiro turned to see a figure emerging from the lingering smoke. The man stepped onto the shattered remnants of the gate, his plain t-shirt contrasting with the silver armor on his trousers and boots. A long scar ran from his lips down beneath his shirtline. His dark hair framed piercing eyes filled with a vibrant purple glow—the same as Lucius.

"Do they require you to call everyone 'friend'? It's getting on my fucking nerves," Hiro spat, his anger threatening to boil over. His aura darkened to a deeper purple, growing more volatile.

"Just being nice. Ever heard of it?" the man quipped, his smirk infuriatingly calm as he approached.

"Is 'nice' stopping an Original from passing through when he has urgent business with the Emperor?" Hiro's flames flared higher, his power radiating through the hall.

"An Original? Ha. A moving fossil. Impressive!" The man laughed, stopping ten feet from Hiro.

"You stuck-up knights and your disdain for Originals. I don't see what's so great about you," Hiro growled.

"Knight? No." The man gave a mocking bow. "I am Lieutenant Commander Jefald of the Imperial Guard."

"Fancy title for a knight," Hiro said with a smirk.

A vein above Jefald's brow twitched. "You're funny, Relic. Care to see why your old comrades fear us?"

"Gladly," Hiro said, popping his neck and knuckles. "Show me."

"Why the fuck not?" Jefald drew his sword, its surface shimmering with an ever-shifting array of colors. "Time to put you in your place, 'Original.'"

"Finally," Hiro said, his grin brimming with anticipation as he lunged forward. His hand reached for Jefald's sword, but Jefald's blade swung upward, forcing Hiro to leap back. Both men reset, their eyes locked.

"Still quick, old man," Jefald taunted.

"You're not slow yourself," Hiro replied, vanishing into the shadows. He reappeared behind Jefald, but Jefald reacted instantly, slashing upward and grazing Hiro's shoulder. Hiro leapt back, blood staining his hand as he touched the wound.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Jefald smirked.

Hiro stared at the blood in disbelief. It was the first time in his life he had bled—not even The One had managed to harm him. A rush of exhilaration coursed through him, a feeling he'd never known: the thrill of being truly challenged. He finally was in a fight where he would die if he didn't go all out. For the first time ever, he had to unleash everything.

"How- HOW DO YOU EXIST?!" The One yells at Hiro as he is on bended knee in front of him.

"You created me." Hiro responds, his words empty and void of emotion.

"No. No I did not. I AM THE ONE. THE SUPREME BEING! YOU CANNOT BEAT ME!" The One yells with all his might.

"You didn't even land a single blow on me."

"You-" The One stops and looks around, "You got lucky! That's all! Let me regroup and I guarantee I will kill you!"

"No." Hiro's words seem to wound The One just as bad as his physical wounds.

"B-but-"

"Ugh. This is just stupid. You caused the death of so many innocent people, and you want me to spare you? Not a chance." Hiro begins to walk away.

"What? You're leaving?" The One is shocked and filled with hope for a slight second.

"I promised him the final blow." Hiro continues to walk off as Yumida walks past him.

"BASTARD!"

Back in reality, Hiro's smile fades.

"You're getting cold feet, Origina—" Jefald began, but his words were cut short as a sphere of darkness slammed into his stomach. The force hurled him over fifty feet, leaving his shirt scorched and his skin burned. Coughing up blood, Jefald staggered to his feet.

Before he could recover, Hiro appeared behind him, his aura now transformed. Black wings, outlined in brilliant purple, extended ten feet from his back. His eyes, once fiery, were now dark, empty voids.

"The Devil has risen," Hiro said, his voice low and ominous. He placed his palm atop Jefald's head, and with a resounding explosion of pure black energy, Jefald's body crumpled into the ground, reduced to an unrecognizable smudge.

Hiro stood over the remains, his wings stretching wide. He glanced back, catching a glimpse of the menacing appendages, and chuckled to himself.

"Seems there was nothing to be afraid of," Hiro muttered, his voice devoid of emotion as he turned his gaze toward the towering gates of the Citadel.