She was more than happy to have her sister here. She had been so close to death, she had felt the cold grip vanish when her sister had shown up. She gasped slightly as she tried to build up her strength. She glanced over as Lucian was finally pulled out of the car. She felt anger boil her blood though she knew that she should calm down. Was he not grateful for the fact that she had been risking her life to save him? That if not for her, he would have been tortured and probably eaten alive by the Cannibal. The ungrateful piece of crap, when she regained her full strength, she would pummel him to the ground. He was lucky to be alive because of her. She let out a steady breath, knowing that such anger would not be approved by her Savior.<br/><br/>She looked at her sister, felt caught with emotions as she was told that she was needed. She held on tightly to the support that her sister gave her. She grimaced in pain, her body hurting and head spinning. She felt the heavy weight of a pistol in her hand, her fingers weakly gripping it. As much as she hated the fact that she was being held up, she knew what had to be done. Raising the gun, she knew that God would guide the bullet to its mark. She breathed heavily as she stared down the Cannibal. It was nice to see him like this; this was the punishment that he deserved. He looked like a weak, wild animal. She enjoyed the way that he glared at her.<br/><br/>"In the name of God," she breathed out. "I condemn thee."<br/><br/>Three rounds left the pistol; she would save some just in case he decided that he didn't want to die so soon.<br/><br/>---------<br/><br/>Ivan couldn't believe the damage that had been done due to this battle. The grounds were simply littered with bodies from their side and the enemy's side. He let out a slow and steady breath as he continued to look at those that had survived. It was truly a miracle that they were coming out with more people than he had expected. It was obvious that God was on their side and he was extremely grateful for such a thing. However, that did not stop the pain that ached in his chest, he knew that this could have all been avoided, this mindless bloodshed. He would not blame Zachariah for not killing Raziel the first opportunity he had because it was unlike the man to kill without giving a second chance. It was God who had wanted Raziel to live a little longer. They had abided by the will of God that day and they would continue to follow the path that he chose for them.<br/><br/>He wanted to curse himself for not being able to protect those who had been injured and the more that he looked at Maverick, he felt even worse. The man was lucky to still be alive and he was thankful that he was. He rubbed his face, grieving silently for the ones that had been lost. He worried over their leader, who had selflessly gone to aide in fighting. He knew that God would not allow him to fall in this battle. He glanced towards those who still fought; he could vaguely make out those who went against Raziel. He grinned to himself, knowing that they could not lose. He sent a silent prayer to the heavens, praying that God would keep them safe. He glanced back down at Maverick, who asked a few questions.<br/><br/>His face turned serious and he nodded his head out towards the field. "He's out there, fighting for us...for them," he stated in a low voice. "We have not and will not lose this battle," he said in all seriousness, reassuring Maverick.<br/><br/>She wanted to scowl him for always blaming himself for her own misfortunes. She knew that she could never convince him and she hadn't the strength to do so at this time. Her eyes widened and she looked up at him, a smile slowly coming to her lips. "You...would still..." She barely managed to speak as she felt herself grow emotional. She looked down and brushed away the tears that feel from her eyes, to think that he was still willingly to help her, to teach her. She really hadn't expected him to still abide to that promise that he had made her, especially after all that had happened. She wasn't sure why he still wanted to guide her to the path of freedom, but she was completely and utterly grateful for Azrai.<br/><br/>All her life she had been waiting for the moment to escape from that wretched village. All her life she knew that she had wanted more than the life she had been born into. Ever since Azrai had come to find her, she had been so happy. Even though she was not one to express her emotions so freely, she had felt like a different person; a free person. Azrai had allowed her to stay in his home, cooked a small meal, and let her watch the motion pictured box. He had bought her new clothes and given her a new perspective of life. She had once thought that this world was full of those who hated and killed. Surely, this battlefield exemplified such thoughts but she had seen a kinder life during her times with Azrai. He had given her a taste of what life could be like for her. She wouldn't have to fear those who would come after her abilities. She wouldn't have to live in fear of constant abuse and torture. She would be happy.<br/><br/>She didn't deserve such kindness for him or any of the others. After all she was just another tool for war, another monster in disguise. Did she really deserve happiness? Is that what Kami-sama wanted for her? Was it something else? Her thoughts were taken from her as she noticed that Azrai was growing weaker by the second. Worried crossed her face, wanting to help him but even now he would be stubborn. She knew better not to try and help him, it was enough that he was leaning against one of the soldiers.<br/><br/>The gunshots had come once again, a sound that she was unfortunately getting used to. She winced when Azrai grabbed hold of her, blocking the impact of the bullets. Her eyes widened as she watched their guards fall down, writhing in pain. She glanced down at Azrai as he left go of her, immediately going down to his knees. She listened to his words before he collapsed onto the ground. She stared down at him before she looked over at Raziel, a low growl escaping her. Of course it had to have been him, she was still a target. However, she did not go after Raziel. She quickly dropped to her knees, pulling Azrai's head into her lap. It was a good thing that he was unconscious or else he would have not liked her to be touching him. "A...Azrai," she breathed out gently. The scent of a poison touched her nose and she let out a gasp. Her hands trembled as she searched for a pulse. Of course she found one, but it was a bit weak. She wasn't sure if his body would be able to make it through the poisoning with such injuries. She knew what she had to do, but could she make it in time?<br/><br/>Raziel was not necessarily pleased that the bullets had missed their mark but it didn't matter. She was defenseless against him now, she would go down. "Of course God will let me in, I am doing this all for him," he said slowly, his eyes turning to glare at Zachariah. "This has all been for Him. He has led me to this point!" Even though he was confident with his answer, doubt worried him. What if God was betraying him by bringing him so close to his victory and snatching it away from him? He knew that his God could be a cruel one, but to him? No, he had done everything for Him. The pain of more bullets penetrating him caused his stance to falter slightly, but he still had a few of his creations out on the field to cover him. He slowly stood up, trying to regain his composure. He grinned a bit, shaking his head. "You're wrong; five years ago...I was nothing but a pathetic and weak fool." He looked down at his hands, a wild grin touching his lips. "Now, with these hands, I will change everything brother."<br/><br/>He could tell that Zachariah was feeling more fired up than usual, did he honestly think that he won? He chuckled to himself, perhaps Zachariah was right. No he was, the man should have killed him that day five years ago but he hadn't. He hesitated in that last moment, knowing that he should try to save him. Who needed to be saved? Certainly not him because on that day, he had been shown a new life, a different path to take. Of course, he was sure that it was God who was giving him his second wind and he would use it to his full advantage. For years he had been blindly following after Zachariah's ideals thinking that it was the best road to take but when he found a new path, things had fallen apart between them. It must have been jealousy, that Zachariah hadn't been so blessed that God would guide him differently. Yes, jealousy, that's what this, was all about. He would show Zachariah that he was the only one God would want beside him.<br/><br/>There was one final bullet in its chamber and he hadn't been sure if he would have another opportunity to get Shizu. He grinned as he watched one of his weapons attack Zachariah, even if he hadn't given the order. It was times like this one that made him feel that God was aiding him to victory, even though he was sure that he would not live after this. The chemical that was in his body burned and felt as if it were melting away his body and Zachariah may be thinking that he was victorious but he knew not he had in store for the Oni woman; this bullet would the one that ended everything. It was a bit entertaining to watch Zachariah struggle with one of the rowdier weapons but he couldn't waste his time by watching idly. Turning his head, he would be able to truly aim at the Oni.<br/><br/>He hissed when a bullet went through his kneecap. He gritted his teeth, going down once more. The son of a bitch still had snipers hiding out, had they not been taken care of? Whatever the case was, he could not allow this to stop him. He raised his gun, taking aim and hired his final round. The bullet wounds in him were aching and burning, he panted heavily as he dropped his empty gun before looking at Zachariah. Now, it was truly time to end this. He clenched his jaw while trying to stand up, his leg trembling slightly. This would not make him stop; he would enjoy pounding his friend's face into the ground until he could no longer feel his fists. It was a shame that he would have to kill the Oni woman; she could have been such a great asset to his organization. Unfortunately, he was too far away to even think about retrieving her, that bullet would do the job.<br/><br/>Shizu grunted as she picked Azrai's body off the ground. Even though she had inhuman strength, given her current condition, she struggled with picking him up. Panting from the exertion, she looked ahead, knowing that if she got him to Ivan and the others, he would be fine. Glancing over at him, she placed his arm around the back of her neck before she began to move. She could hear the sounds of gunshots and she knew that Zachariah was still protecting them. Looking down at the men who had protected her, she frowned wishing that she could take them with her. She was too weak to try to carry all of them right now. She would come back; she silently promised that she would come back. With a new sense of determination, she left out a slow breath, despite the fact that she was far from calm. Closing her eyes, she knew that this would be the final effort from her. She couldn't let Azrai die...not here and not now.<br/><br/>The sounds of bullets zipping through the air didn't bring her much comfort either. She wasn't sure at which point one would be flying towards her or protecting her. Growling lowly, her eyes shimmered back to yellow as she tapped back into her Oni abilities. She could get them there quicker if she ran. Her grip tightened around his waist and arm as she took a step forward. Damn, she was hoping to move faster from the get go but her chest was burning with pain. It was hard to focus. The sound of a bullet coming towards her caused her to move a little faster, remembering the smell of poison leaking from Azrai's wound. She knew that it would more than likely take her down as well if it hit her. Situating Azrai better, she continued to try to run, her body shaking from the blood loss and aching from the pain.<br/><br/>Just a little harder, all she had to do was push a little harder. A cry of pain left her as white hot pain ripped through her calf. She blinked back the tears of pain, before she began to run. She ignored the pain that ached in her leg, as it seemed that was just the push that she needed. Running as fast as she could towards Ivan, she ignored everything around. She needed to save him. Panting heavily as she came to a stop, she knew that she had freaked out some of the soldiers. Her yellow eyes stared intensely at them, her nostrils flaring as she tried to catch her breath. She knew that they were probably terrified of her, after seeing her true form. That didn't matter at this point. She had to save Azrai; they needed to get him the antidote. She could ignore her pain for now. "Ivan," she breathed out, her eyes searching through the wounded. "Where is Ivan," she growled out.<br/><br/>One of the soldiers moved towards her, a gentle smile on her lips. Shizu watched her before the woman motioned to follow. Hauling Azrai after running was no easy feat but she managed for the time being. Ivan turned when his name was called, his face turning pale immediately. He quickly moved towards the two of them, not liking either of their conditions. "Is he-" Ivan couldn't even finish as emotions threatened to take hold of him. "No," Shizu breathed out. "He has been poisoned. We need thistle and bark to get the toxin out," she managed, gently placing Azrai against the side of the building. Ivan frowned a bit, knowing that the current staff of medics wouldn't have any of that. Shizu sensed his hesitation and something snapped within her being. Snarling, she lifted up Ivan and slammed him against the wall. There was a collective gasp that resounded as everything seemed to fall silent; the tension in the air grew.<br/><br/>Ivan stared down at Shizu, not sure if he was going to die by her hands in this moment. "You will save him," she muttered softly. "I do not care about my injuries or anyone else; you will save him or so help me..." Her sentence ended, the threat hanging in the air. She let down of Ivan and the Russian couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. He watched Shizu as she turned away, her arms wiping away the tears that fell down her cheeks. She couldn't allow him to die here, not after all that he had done for her. He had promised to teach her things, a selfish promise that she desperately clung to. She flinched when a hand touched her shoulder, she looked up at Ivan. "Don't worry, we'll take care of him, I promise." He was relieved when she smiled weakly at him and as much as he worried about Azrai, he worried about Shizu as well.<br/><br/>She looked paler than usual, dark circles underneath her eyes. Her breathing was shallow and he could still see blood coming from her wounds. Ivan glanced back over to Azrai, who had medics fussing over him. Ivan was trying to formulate a plan to get Azrai the attention that he needed, without having to go through the hassle of a hospital. "Elias, you there?" He called into his earpiece, trying to hear through the static. "Yeah, I'm here," Elias' voice came through. "Great, I need a way to the nearest medical base, immediately."<br/><br/>"I'm on it, I'll route the path through the GPS on your phone," Elias breathed out, not liking how he didn't really know what was going on out on the field. "Be sure to avoid any of the government officials that might be running around."<br/><br/>"No need to tell me twice, thanks," Ivan said before disconnecting with Elias. There was a shout and Ivan turned immediately only to see Shizu vomiting blood. His eyes widened as he rushed over to her, searching for the main cause. Just at the back of her calf, there was a graze wound from a bullet. The blood was darker than the usual color, she was poisoned too. If Ivan knew anything, he knew that this poison had been specifically made for her. His heart accelerated immediately, knowing that he had to get her out of here and have an antidote ready as soon as possible. He cursed angrily, knowing that he should have seen the signs sooner. Shizu moaned out in pain as the poison continued to move through her system. It was a small amount that had entered her body, but it still did the damage it needed to on her weak body. Ivan picked up Shizu, holding her close to his body. He nodded to two of the male medics. "Grab Maverick," he commanded.<br/><br/>He handed Shizu over to one of the female soldiers, knowing that he could trust her with the Oni. Ivan took hold of Azrai, picking up the shorter male with ease, though he still used the assistance of another person. It would help them move faster, they needed to move as fast as God would allow them to. "Zachariah," Ivan called into the earpiece. "Azrai and Shizu have been poisoned by one of Raziel's bullets." He knew that their leader didn't need to hear such things but he had to relay the message. He motioned for his group to follow him as he pulled out his cell phone, looking at the path they were supposed to take. "I have gathered Maverick and a few others to go to a medical base," Ivan breathed out, as he jogged through the streets. "Azrai, he will survive this, the stubborn bastard." He glanced over at Shizu, who seemed to be fading faster than he had thought she was. It seemed as if exhaustion was finally taking hold of her and the fact that the poison was following through her veins didn't help.<br/><br/>"Shizu is..." Ivan swallowed slightly as his throat seemed to become dry. "She's dying, sir." He knew that Zachariah would understand why he was going to the medical base. If Shizu died, they knew that Azrai would never be able to forgive himself. This was the first time in an extremely long time any of them had seen Azrai so attached to someone. It would crush him; it would crush all of them. He grunted as they slid to a halt, hiding from the government officials that trekked past them. He held his breath as he thought they had heard them. A breath of relief left him as they continued on. They only had a few blocks to go until they reached the medical base.<br/><br/>Hopefully they could make it in time.<br/><br/>"Ivan, she's fading!" The woman carrying Shizu called out. Her complexion had turned to the color of a blank sheet of paper. Dark circles were under her eyes, sweat covering her face and body. She felt as if she was floating in the air, her mind was spinning. She really couldn't understand what was happening. One moment she had been fine and the next she was being carried. She was cold yet burning up at the same time. How was Azrai? Was he still breathing? Lifting up her head, she groaned as it fell back. She could barely muster up the strength to open her eyes; all she knew was that she was moving. "A-Azrai," she breathed out. She cringed as her body convulsed in pain.<br/><br/>"Fuck Make sure she'll hang on until we get there," Ivan shouted, pulling Azrai along. His fingers checked the man's pulse, it was there but barely. Shit, he couldn't lose both of them at once. He couldn't let Zachariah down like that, not after he had said that at least Azrai would survive. God would help, wouldn't he? He knew that He had a lot to deal with at this point but Ivan needed Him, they needed Him too. "Maverick, how're you holding up? Can you make it?" Damn! This was not how he wanted to handle this situation, in panic. How else was he supposed to feel at this point? He needed to save them, he had promised.<br/><br/>He knew that by now, if the woman had been hit by a bullet then her life would be ending soon. How perfect. They would die together. Raziel's body ached as the acid seemed to be having a better effect on him. It was probably working better than either of them could have expected. Raziel stood up slowly moving towards the weapon and Zachariah. "You may think you have won, my dear brother." He crouched down beside him, as the weapon still tried to grab the gun from Zachariah. "Did you think that being on the same level as I would make you stronger?" He titled his head, a laugh escaping him though it was interrupted by a series of coughs. He cursed as the acid was burning through his veins, he could feel it tearing through his muscles and tendons. He didn't expect Zachariah to have come up with such a weapon, it had been so unstable the last time he had saw it. He glared at the man he once considered close. He ripped the weapon off of Zachariah and stood up once more. "I will not fight you as you lay there, stand up. We end this now."