This was his kind of city, for all that it was infested by mortal maggots. One might think that Las Vegas would have been more his style, but no. Las Vegas had everything dragged out into plain view. Here everything had an extra layer of lie to it, hidden away where it could fester.
It was really almost a pity that it was all going to go away soon.
"Why? Why in the Name did you do that?" asked a voice he had half-expected.
The devil turned his head, not that he or his 'associate' really needed such human gestures. "Orders."
"YOU?! Taking orders?" asked the angel, apparently incredulous.
"Yeah," said the devil. "Fear, hatred, and bureaucracy have defined hell for a pretty long time. I got my orders. This Era of Humanity is at an end. Time's run out."
"I'll see about that," said the angel.
"Do it," said the devil. Not The Devil, but a devil nonetheless. "Don't bother complaining to me. It's about time it all came apart anyway. You know th... stupid git is opening the box now?"
"It was an Armaggedon Box, and he's just popped the Seal," said the angel. "I'm going to ask for an intervention."
The devil shrugged, put a stogie in his mouth, and lit it with the flames darting from a fingertip. He had a decent view of the show, that was what mattered to him. He wouldn't get any further involved though, there were rules one followed even if one worked for certain infernal influences.
"If you're going to do anything," said the devil to the air, knowing the words would eventually reach the angel anyway, "try something different. It's happening."
"Why for should I, a scion of the noble house of Kuno, wait?" asked Kuno of himself.
"Because that foreign devil was actually both and he warned of dire consequences?" asked Sasuke, pointedly not saying that he wanted his Master to stall opening the box until his loyal ninja retainer could try to find a way to either lose the (most likely literally) damned thing or find a method of having damage control in place.
"Nay, Sasuke, for how do I know this box will allow me victory over the foul Saotome?" said Kuno, pointing at the thing.
"Master Kuno," said Sasuke, fighting the desire to abandon his duty and at least get out of the immediate area as if that might at least slow down the problem. "How big is that box, would you say?"
"Oh, it is about four feet by three feet by three," said Tatewaki Kuno, eyeing the box.
"Ancient-looking, wouldn't you say?" continued Sasuke.
"Indeed," said Kuno. "It DOES give the impression of great age."
"Elaborately carved?" continued Sasuke.
"True enough," said Kuno. "Are you coming to a point?"
"Master Kuno, have you noticed that where the foreign devil stepped, the grass is withered, burned, the very life seeming to have been drained out of it? In the shape of hoofprints in fact?" prompted Sasuke.
"Yes? What of it?" asked Tatewaki Kuno. "Sasuke, why do you waste my time on such matters when I seek to know if I have purchased what is necessary to free Akane Tendo and the Pigtailed One from Saotome?"
"Because all of those added together have the sound of certain doom?" asked Sasuke.
"Nonetheless," said Tatewaki Kuno, going to the box and placing his hand on the latch. With a swift movement he unlatched the catch. Incidently tearing a little wax seal. "I must see if this is, indeed, the means of my victory."
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(Posted Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:45)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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