He cried out when he saw her and rushed at Joshua, intent on running his blades through his betrayer. Dragging Aimi in front of him, Joshua pressed a knife to her throat with his left hand while Sam was still several feet from him.
“Do it and she dies,” he warned.
Sam’s world was crumbling around him. The girl he loved more than anything else and had believed to be in Heaven was now under the blade of a boy he thought was his friend.
“Why?” he said to Joshua.
With a shrug, Josh flashed him a lopsided grin. “I got a better offer a long time ago. Oh, and by the way, that injury to my wrist — I faked it.” He held up his free hand. Even from this distance, Sam could clearly make out the mark of the beast.
“Don’t listen to them,” cried Aimi. “Do what you have to do, Sam. I will always love you no matter what.”
Joshua shook her angrily. “Shut up!” he yelled.
“Oh, that’s so sweet,” said Semiazas. “I do so enjoy happy reunions.”
His face turned suddenly grim. “So, here’s the thing. I got some of my minions to snatch your precious little treasure here just before the Rapture. I’ve been holding her as insurance, just in case we got to meet. Your friend Joshua has been working for me for quite a while, whether he liked it or not. We kind of sealed the arrangement while you were travelling overland to Las Vegas. I wanted him to keep you away from here but he wasn’t quite as effective as I would’ve liked.” He shrugged. “No matter.
It’s all worked out pretty well so far.”
“Let her go,” Sam demanded.
“And you’ll give me what in return? The cards aren’t really in your favour here. I seem to hold all the chips, too. I’ll tell you what I’m not about to do; release her without you doing something for me.”
“What? Anything, just name it.”
Semiazas leered at him. “Sacrifice yourself. Exchange your life for hers.”
“Don’t you dare,” Aimi yelled at him. “I’m not worth it.”
“Yes, you are,” he said quietly.
He didn’t know what else to do. If he didn’t surrender himself to Semiazas, his brother would kill Aimi. If he did fight Semiazas and win, Joshua would kill Aimi before he could save her.
On the other hand, if he defeated the Antichrist, he would also prevent the suffering of countless other humans. Was Aimi’s life worth the rest of humanities? His heart told him yes, but his mind resolutely answered no.
“There is another option here,” said a smooth voice.
Sam turned to face the newcomer, only to find that he wasn’t new to him at all. It was the well-dressed demon who had visited him on two previous occasions, and had haunted Sam’s dreams forever.
“Father!” exclaimed Semiazas. “What are you doing here?”
The last piece of the puzzle slotted into place in Sam’s mind. No wonder this demon had been keeping an eye on him. It was his father, the Devil himself. Sam had already had so many shocks today that this one hardly registered. He just stared dumbly.
“To bring to fruition the plans I set in motion eighteen years ago,” said Satan. He stared at Sam. “Do you really think I let your mother take you away, Samael? Of course I didn’t. It was all planned. I don’t see absolutely everything like his Highness up there, but I do see a great deal. I allowed her to take you and I orchestrated it so that Hikari would bring you up. You see, I wanted you well trained for a particular purpose. I want you to fight Semiazas.”
“What?” said Sam and Semiazas simultaneously.
“Only the strongest survive in Hell and I only want the very strongest as my Antichrist, my little horn. You two will fight to determine who is the strongest. The winner will take his place at my side, while the loser, well …” He shrugged.
“I don’t want to serve you,” said Sam. “I would rather die.”
“You’ll just have to make a choice then. Semiazas had no right to determine the fate of your little girlfriend here. That is for me to decide. If you choose to fight, I will release her. That I promise.”
Sam thought quickly, trying to conceal his thoughts from invasive mind-readers with an image of anything other than what he planned. Clearly, he had no option but to fight. He had no intention of joining his father as his Antichrist, but he had to buy some time. He had to save Aimi.
For the first time, the sound of battle intruded. It had been going on for some time, but Sam had just not noticed it. He dared not look behind, but it sounded like Gabriel and her cadre of guardians was keeping busy, but the cries of dying angels were pure torment. He could also hear gunfire: Colonel Sumner’s troops had entered the nave.
Regardless of the outcome, Sam had to fight. Gabriel and the human resistance were fighting and possibly dying, just to give him this opportunity. He had come all this way to fight the Antichrist and fight him was what he was going to do. He’d make up the rest later.
“So be it,” said Sam.
Semiazas was looking at his father with hatred. Obviously, he had not been privy to this information. Like Sam, he now had no choice. But Sam realized something then. His brother had had no intention of fighting him, believing that Aimi would give him the leverage he needed.
Semiazas was scared.
“No,” rasped Semiazas, still glaring at his father. “This wasn’t what you promised. I am your true son, not this …” He gestured at Sam in disgust. “… this wholesome, human-loving moron. I have earned my place at your side. Destroy him and be done with it, once and for all.”
Satan stared at his son for a moment and then threw back his head and barked with laughter. He sobered quickly.
“You fool,”he said quietly, his voice dripping with scorn and malice. “If you choose not to fight, you prove to me you are not worthy. Samael will become my Antichrist by default and you will die by my own hand. Now stop your whimpering and do what I brought you here to do.”
“It doesn’t matter whether he fights or not,”said Sam. “I will never become what you want me to be.”
Satan narrowed his yes, which suddenly flashed with red. “We’ll see.”
Angrily, Semiazas threw off the hooded cloak he wore, revealing black armour that glistened like the carapace of a giant beetle. A sword appeared in his hands; a broadsword, long bladed and as dark as his armour.
With a mighty roar and moving so swiftly that even Sam struggled to follow, Semiazas attacked, bringing his sword down so quickly that Sam barely managed to get his blades up in time. Somehow he parried with his katana, but the power of the blow left his hand numb. Training and instinct forced his other arm out, striking from the waist with his wakizashi, intending to let his brother’s momentum carry himself onto the blade. Semiazas twisted with inhuman speed and the blade passed harmlessly to one side. He kicked out, taking Sam full in the chest. The blow carried all of Semiazas’ considerable strength, knocking Sam off his feet. Both Sam’s swords went flying, skittering over the smooth tiles and disappearing into the shadows.
Stunned, Sam found himself flat on his back. Time had slowed again. From the corner of his eye, he could see Aimi struggling against Joshua’s grasp, their movements seeming ridiculously sluggish. He heard Aimi scream, the noise arriving long after her mouth moved as Semiazas leapt and brought his sword down in an arc that would have split Sam in two. At the last second, he rolled aside and the sword bit into the limestone, shattering the stone with the power of the blow.
Sam surged to his feet, desperately searching for his swords. He caught a glimpse of something glittering in a darkened recess to one side and he lurched in that direction. Semiazas, carefully watching the direction of Sam’s glance, anticipated the move and intercepted, his blade snaking out towards Sam’s torso. Somehow, Sam managed to twist aside. He somersaulted, sprinted and then leapt towards where he thought his sword was. His body slid along the tiles. Behind and above him, he sensed Semiazas, airborne and tensed for the killing blow.
Sam slammed into the wall, ignoring the pain of impact as his hand shot out frantically, searching for his sword. He almost sobbed with relief as the familiar hilt slid into his hand, knowing immediately that it was his katana. He rolled and got his blade up just in time to meet his brother’s downward blow. Sparks flew as the two
