Chapter 18: The Association (Part 1)

Using the black hole, Luna teleported Lazarus and herself to the first floor. Luna was second-guessing Lazarus' plan.

"You don't think we should just take this slow?" she said.

"My friend, no, my mentor is in that hell hole, I can't live a second thinking about him in there." Lazarus said shaking his head.

"I know but, I think that we should just-"

"Luna, you don't have to come with me. I'm not holding you back." Lazarus interrupted.

"Lazarus, of course, I want to come with you. You have been one of the only people who, despite my scattered-brain personality, continued to talk to me." Tears started to pour down her face.

Lazarus instantly got filled with regret, he hugged Luna and let her cry into his chest.

"Luna, I didn't mean it. Of course, I want you by my side. I'm just upset right now, I can't think straight." He said as he held her head.

She continued to cry into his chest, Lazarus could tell that Luna had been holding back these emotions for a while now. He tried to, again, make her feel better.

"You know, the funny thing is you are one of the only couple of people who have continued to genuinely be my friend, also." he said.

She looked up at him and wiped her tears away. Lazarus was gazing into the distance.

"When I did exist, a thousand years ago, I was a lone soldier for all my life. I wanted to make up for the debt that my family lineage left on everyone, so I decided to try to help as many people as possible." he said.

"Then why were you so alone?" she said as she sniffled.

"My good deeds were set aside, they only cared about my lineage. I was alone for the entirety of my life. Though what is happening right now is intense, I'm so grateful that everyone decided to stick by my side." he said as he smiled.

"You are the coolest person I've ever met, of course, I would." she said as she used his shirt as a tissue.

"Seriously just know that I always want you by my side. Don't be mistaken." He was blushing and his face became all red.

"Okay, Mr. Tomato. So you ready to go into the Association's Headquarters?" she said giggling.

"Haha, absolutely." Lazarus smiled looking at the Association's Headquarters.

He held her hand and they both slowly walked to the Association's Headquarters. It was a giant white brick building, it had a water fountain just outside of it, with a statue of two demons sprouting water out of their mouths. And giant columns that were only comparable to ancient roman architecture, held up the entire structure.

"Do you think all of them are replaced with intruders?" Lazarus said.

"It's a big possibility, I don't think the others would let an intruder get away with this." she said.

"I think that they trapped them, the same way they did with Leon." he said.

Luna had a flash memory of the Associate smiting a demon. At the time of the smiting, the clouds thickened, the sky darkened, it started to rain, and the wind was blowing so fast you couldn't keep your eyes open. Purple lightning struck all of the demons in the Soul Realm and their souls vanished. The power of the Association was grand, almost limitless.

"I think so too, there's no way that someone would overpower them by strength. That day when they unleashed their true powers, it was chilling." Luna said.

"Wait, you've seen the Association's powers?" Lazarus replied.

"It was a brutal war between demons and the Association, not too long ago actually. They were cornered, many souls died, and they had no choice but to unleash their true powers." Luna as she closed her eyes imagining the battle.

"It was that fierce, huh? I can only imagine." Lazarus said.

They both spotted someone walking outside of the Association Headquarters. They ducked behind a palm tree.

"Did you see that person?" Lazarus pointed at them.

"It was most definitely a guard, I know for a fact by the uniform." she said confidently.

"I'm gonna capture him, we can use him for interrogation." he said.

Luna wanted to offer him another plan, but she smiled and agreed.

Lazarus sprinted across but stayed low and stopped in between to hide behind palm trees and flora. He was a couple of meters away, and he crawled through the sand the rest of the way up to the fountain, just in front of the Headquarters, and hid behind it. He peaked his head up and saw that the guard was facing the other way seemingly distracted by something. He dashed up the quart stairs and put him in a chokehold covering his mouth. The man was squealing and trying to break loose so Lazarus knocked him unconscious with a quick strike to the chin.

Lazarus carried the unconscious man through some thick flora, and Luna finally caught up.

"What, did you kill the guy?" Luna said jokingly.

"Eh, just a little knock to the chin. He'll be up in a minute." Lazarus laughed.

After a couple of minutes, the man's eyes opened. He looked around and tried to escape.

"Not so fast." Luna grabbed the man's arm and slammed him back onto the ground.

"What do you people want with me?" said the guard in a monotone voice.

"Calm down." Lazarus said as he scraped his blade across the guard's leg.

"Tell me your rank. 'Guard'." Luna said holding a dagger to his neck doubting he was a real guard.

"I'm Major Yuza." He showed his badge proving his rank.

"Hmph, this is a real badge." Luna inspected it.

"What you came here to the headquarters expecting a fake guard to be guarding?" Major Yuza said, with a stern look.

"Do you not know what's going on right now?" Lazarus said.

"I don't know what you crazy people are on about, but when I get out of here, you people are done for." he shouted.

"I guess he's-"

Lazarus was cut off when Major Yuza started to scream in pain.

"Agggghh! Agh! Fuck!" screamed Major Yuza as he was squirming around in pain.

"What? What happened?" Luna took a step back.

"I-I can't-" Major Yuza then went dead silent, and stopped moving completely.

"What the hell was that about?" said Lazarus as it quiet down.

Major Yuza's body then jumped up and landed on all fours. When his eyes opened they were glowing red.

"You think that you will get the best of us huh?" a voice came from the sky.

Lazarus and Luna looked up, then at each other, confused.

"Is that you, 'Soul'?" Luna said.

"Hahaha, I see that you guys caught onto my plan. It is a shame because I would've had you both as my minions if you were up here just a little bit sooner." said the voice.

Luna and Lazarus didn't say a word, the voice kept on going.

"I am not that filth, Soul. He's a weakling, and far too nice. How do you think I was able to possess this position? From those exact flaws that he had!" screamed the voice, it sent a strike of lighting down and the sky went dark.

"We all have flaws, you do too." said Lazarus with a straight face.

"You bring up a great point Lazarus, OF COURSE, I have flaws. But I understand that flaws can get exploited, unlike Soul." the voice said.

"I won't let you go further." Lazarus said confidently.

"I don't doubt that you will hinder my progress a bit, I will give you that. But you are simply not on the same level as me." the voice said.

"Then why don't come down here and fight me?" Lazarus looked up into the sky.

"Why fight? When I can smite you while picking grapes from my vineyard! Here's your fight!" said the voice.

Lightning started scattering in the sky, and it began to rain. Lightning struck a dozen times just meters away from Lazarus. The sky lit up, and another lightning strike came down and struck Lazarus.

"This isn't even my full power Lazarus, REGRET, REGRET, REGRET!" the voice screamed as he lashed out even more lightning strikes at Lazarus.

The lightning stopped, but it continued to rain.

"Lazarus, Lazarus! Hello?" Luna couldn't see Lazarus due to the fog.

When she got closer she saw Lazarus, he was standing up straight with his sword pointed at the sky, and the green aura was pouring out of it forming a shield on top of him.

"I'm not scared of your powers! I will be the reason you fall, I have people that care about me. You think I'm gonna let them see me die to a half-assed 'God?' " Lazarus screamed at the top of his lungs.

Within an instant, the rain stopped, the clouds slowly parted, and the sun shined onto them. There was no more voice or lightning. Everything went silent, Luna ran over to Lazarus and hugged him.

"I was so worried." Luna said hugging Lazarus.

"I have a reason now. I have you, I have Leon, I even made a promise to Ugar back in Frojert that I'll return. I'm not going anywhere." Lazarus said as he looked off at the Headquarters in the distance.

"And I'll be by your side all the way through." Luna said.

Lazarus smiled.

"I'm still barging into the Association's Headquarters." said Lazarus.

"Well, we made enough of a ruckus. Let's go!" Luna grabbed Lazarus' hand and they headed toward the Headquarters.

"God knows what crazy shit awaits passed those doors." Lazarus joked.