When he began to laugh, she wasn't sure if she would worry or not. All she needed to do was grab hold of her gun and this would all be over. She grunted as she continued to crawl across the ground, probably only progressing my a few inches when she needed to go a few feet. How pathetic was she? She was crawling feebly just to reach her gun and yet she was unable to reach it in a short period of time. Her body ached with pain as she continued to move. Her hands trembled as her fingers tried to reach for her gun. They shook violently, not even touching the handle. She let out a gasp of exhaustion as she was overexerting herself. Her head was spinning and she wasn't even sure if she had one gun or four.<br/><br/>A tight grip clamped down on her ankle and she was being pulled in the opposite direction of her gun. A whine of frustration left her as she began to use her other leg to kick at the arm that was pulling her back. Her nails dug into the hard dirt as she tried to pull herself once more towards her gun. It seemed as if the effort grew to be even more futile than before. She coughed and gurgled before spitting blood onto the ground. Her shoulders were on fire as dirt particles and tiny pieces dug into her exposed flesh. She rested her forehead on the ground as tears pooled in her eyes, leaving streaks of pale skin down her dirt covered face. She was going to die, if not by the Cannibal's hands then by her wounds.<br/><br/>She had tried her best to defeat him, she really had, but maybe it was her over confidence that was he down fall or was it her lack of determination? She had been determined to kill him and save the pilot but had it been enough? In his position, she knew that it hadn't been. She attempted to reach her gun again, her fingers brushing against the handle, though it moved out of her grasp. She laid there helplessly on the ground, staring at the weapon that could have saved her life. She clenched her jaw, happy to know that Zachariah wouldn't see her like this. She was content with dying because she had given it her all. Her fighting spirit was slowly dying down. She had no other weapon to use. Her knife was out of sight, her gun out of reach and her arms were pretty much useless.<br/><br/>She was done.<br/><br/>------<br/><br/>This wasn't an easy sight to deal with, seeing his fellow comrades falling every few minutes or so. He spotted Maverick being carried off the field, he prayed that the man was still alive but that didn't stop the grief that overwhelmed him. Just what the hell had they gotten themselves into? He had been out on the battlefield many times prior to this but this was the first time that he was worried. It didn't help that he could sense that Zachariah was feeling the same way as well. This battle was far worse than any of them could have ever managed to process beforehand. Sure, he knew that there would be injuries and causalities, but to this extent? No, he hadn't been prepared for it at all; he didn't think any of them had been. He wasn't sure if he was fit to go back out on the field but he would if it was what Zachariah wanted him to do.<br/><br/>His attention was brought to his leader, knowing that the man had some important orders to give him. He opened his mouth in slight protest though he better than to question him. He was not like Azrai, who would argue with Zachariah. He understood that things must change according to the situation and this situation was a dire one. He clenched his jaw before he nodded his head. He knew that he would be more than useful on the sidelines. That would also give him the opportunity to check up on Maverick. "Be careful, not like I need to emphasis it much," Ivan said before he nodded his head and went over to check on the injuries that had befallen their men. He was more than comfortable with handling these men and giving orders for the time being. He knew that Zachariah would end this soon enough. He could only pray that he came back alive after the standoff.<br/><br/>She shied away from the men standing before her, ready to attack without hesitation. She let out another growl as he extended his hand towards her, she was about to tackle him though the pain in her side was bothering her. She winced slightly, clutching the bullet wound, trying to make her body to heal the wound. She had many minor cuts and bruises littering her body and it was an exhaustive process to heal them unless she fed. With all this blood loss, she knew that she would have to feed after this was all over, if she made it until then. She could feel her blood leaking through her fingers from the wound, the man she had killed had definitely slowed her down, for now. It was the first time that she had ever been shot and it certainly wasn't pleasant. It felt worse than any harm that had ever been done to her before.<br/><br/>She sensed other people behind her, her body tensing not sure if they were going to try to attack her all at once. She studied the face of the man who she assumed was Raziel, a frown touching her lips. She had seen him in the village before, she knew she had. He had come by often. She remembered her stepfather always complaining whenever he prepared for the meeting. The man had always wanted to see her; he knew that she was Oni. It had bothered her stepfather to no end as to why the man was so interested in her, but now she understood. He had been waiting for this moment all this time. Was...was he the one who ordered for the rescue? Had this been his grand plan the entire time? She felt grief in her chest; it hit her like a tidal wave. In the end, no one had wanted to save her from her village. They had only wanted to use and abuse her for their own selfish needs and monetary gain.<br/><br/>In the end, she would not have been free.<br/><br/>"I do not wish to go with you," she breathed out, moving a few steps further away from Raziel.<br/><br/>He could see the spark of recognition in her eyes and he grinned slightly. So, she finally realized who he was and here he was hoping that she would come along peacefully. It was proving to be a little more difficult to retrieve Shizu. He noticed his guards around him tense and he glanced away momentarily. The grin he wore grew and he knew that today was his lucky day. God lined the cards up perfectly for him. Here he had the Oni woman, and then along came Azrai and finally his old friend decided to meet him. What had been done to deserve such love and affection from Him? He had only been following what he was told to do. He felt an overwhelming emotion swell in his chest and he almost felt like laughing. It was all too good to be true; he had everything he wanted here, in front of him.<br/><br/>His men had been prepared to shoot as Azrai raised his gun, but Raziel waved them off. The shot never came as he watched Zachariah tackle the man to the ground. Shizu had turned her head at the commotion that was rising, her eyes widened seeing Azrai was being taken away. A moment of clarity hit her once more as she looked at him. He looked in worse condition than when she had first left him. Hadn't she told him to be careful? A frown touched her lips but she felt a compelling need to see if he was alright. The way he looked and the way he sounded were completely different. She knew that he was injured but he was saying rather angrily. She wanted to make sure that he would be tended to. However, she didn't get a chance as he was being taken away by the men ordered by Zachariah. She glanced over at the male as he made his way towards her. She couldn't help a low growl escape her; the need to kill anything was still hot within her blood.<br/><br/>"Why should I stand down, brother," he spat out venomously though his face remained calm. "This is what God has intended for us all along, if only you would have joined me when you had the chance." Raziel lifted the gun in his grasp, waving it around with mock carelessness. "But you have lost that chance and now you shall been shown what true Liberation is." He grinned slowly taking aim at Zachariah, while his men followed suit. "However, I am feeling rather compassionate today; you still have a chance to join me."<br/><br/>Shizu didn't like how the atmosphere changed around them, the scent in the air promised violence. She was tired of it already, though that was not how her Oni side felt. Her mind was filled with too many things at this moment. She wanted to go see how Azrai was fairing, apologize to him for having to see her like this. She also wanted to rip off Raziel's face and watch him suffer; she knew that she would be able to. Then there was Zachariah, she knew that he would be able to win this war but she knew that he needed help fighting these bio-weapons. If only she could do three things at once. Maybe she should attack his henchmen then rip of Raziel's face and then tend to Azrai. No, she was sure Zachariah would want to finish off Raziel on his own. That was why he was out on the field. So if she could just make sure that he would have his time with Raziel, then things would end.<br/><br/>He knew that his dear friend would not accept to joining now. No, he had lost too many men and was rather stubborn as well. It was a shame because they could have made a great team he and Zachariah. The Liberation that would wipe out all the imperfections in this world, it would be his throne and his only to perch upon. It was what God wanted of him. He let out a sigh, shaking his head slightly. He had cared about Zachariah at one point. Maybe he still did, that was why he was offering him a better alternative than death. He was offering him a new life, a new way of thinking. Something better than this piece of shit world that they were living in. Cocking his gun, he was prepared to shoot down the man that he used to hold so dearly to his heart.<br/><br/>A shot rang and Raziel immediately looked to his left, a glare upon his face. He swore under his breath, he should've known better than to have these morons as his guards, they were useless. Too bad Grant wasn't around anymore; he could have utilized his skills at this point. Though to his utter horror, he turned back to see a scene that he had dreaded for five years.<br/><br/>When the gunpowder ignited and hit her nose, she moved immediately towards Zachariah. If he went down, they would all perish under Raziel's rule. That much she knew. She wrapped her arms around him as soon as she made contact and yanked him down to the ground with her. Her grip tightened as pain ripped through her chest. They landed on the ground with a thud and she pushed herself up, looking down at him. "Are you alright," she questioned. Her true form was slowly dissipating and she was becoming human once more. The injury that she sustained made it difficult for her to stay fully transformed. Her hand clutched the wound in her chest. It was a few inches away from her heart, but it still hurt like a bitch. She went down to the ground beside Zachariah gasping for air. It was painful but she knew that she would survive. She knew that she had to make sure that Zachariah survived. She knew that Azrai would survive.<br/><br/>That was all she knew.<br/><br/>Her red eyes looked wearily over at the man she had saved. A gentle smile touched her lips, trying to reassure him that she was alright but it was hard to talk through the pain at this point. He stared at the scene in front of him in shock. They had wounded her severely this time. This was the last time he ever trusted anyone else with the tasks that he needed to complete himself. Glaring over at the man beside him, Raziel hired a shot into his head. The idiot fell down to the ground, blood pooling at the exit hole. He shot the other male as well, before he could even run away. It seemed as if Shizu was more willing to protect a man who denied God's plan than join it. He would be sure to discipline her well. His cold eyes stared from the injured Shizu towards the unharmed Zachariah. This was it; this was that moment that he needed.<br/><br/>"Alright...let's see who God favors," Raziel lowly before moving to attack Zachariah. It was his time to shine.