Road To Humanity [Rita/Kenichi/Vanyel]

As the connection grew stronger, Vanyel could feel the room shaking even more violently, and the glow around them began to shine ever brighter. He could feel the power surging through him, He heard Rita to shout out his desire, shout to the universe what he wanted. He knew what he wanted, something that had burned in his heart and kept him going for well over a year, and what led him to this moment.

Her hand slammed onto the floor, and an explosion of aura crashed onto him, feeling as if a waterfall had suddenly slammed into him. The weight of it all forced him to hunch over slightly, grunting and groaning under the strain. It was difficult to move, much less speak, but, his eyes flared with determination as a grin spread wide across his face, and he lifted his head to shout:

"I want to turn back into what I was before! To go back to what I still am, despite this fuckin' demon body! I want to keep these seals, as a reminder and memento of what was, but..."

He paused for a moment, before he lifted his head again, raising his voice even louder, as if calling to the Jade Palace itself:

"I WANT TO BECOME A HUMAN AGAIN! I AM A HUMAN BEING!"

When Vanyel cried out to the universe for it to alter him back to a human, the powers of Rita activated, and Asset Aura began transforming him back into a human being. All the demonic energy within him would then feel like he was being burned alive. His skin may very well give off the impression of melting clean off his body, yet his bones may give off the sensation of cracking, breaking, and tumbling to dust despite physically being undamaged.

Yet, in moments, another burst of pain would erupt in his gut. At that moment, blood may spew forth from his body as the metallic taste would stain Vanyel's mouth. In this way, the devilish aura from within would be purified, stripped, and removed from him. Unfortunately, this would not be a painless or slow process. He would have to maintain the visualization of his human self; all that he can recall from before he was a demon would help Rita shift this reality for him and keep him on this plane of existence.

However, Rita herself was in pain as well. Bulging veins pulsated around her skin, the eyes of the woman grew bloodshot with pain, and she gritted her teeth in response as her hand dug holes in the ground as she started to spit out blood due to the high demand and strain it placed on her to alter a body to this extent. Giving him back something which no longer existed was no easy toll, yet this was precisely the hardship Rita herself needed to master and tame her body to utilize Asset Aura in the future better.

So, in that spirit, she spoke out with a hard laugh:

"FUCK THIS SHIT HURTS!

Punching the ground, she continued.

"But like...I said....this is going to be hell before it gets any better. Show me....the human you were before...."

Vanyel had dealt with pain before -- wasn't a masochist by any means, but with the trials and tribulations that he had gone through lately, pain was hardly something new. Yet, when he made that declaration to the world, Asset Aura shifted immediately. The demonic energy that surged within him suddenly seared with pain, as if his body was being boiled alive from the inside. Even though he could see that he wasn't being damaged, every nerve in his body felt as if they had been lit on fire.

It felt as if every bone in his body was creaking from the strain, and his posture shifted, doubling over onto his side. Blood spewed from his mouth and splattered onto the floor, leaving the revolting taste of iron in his mouth. He wanted to scream, but his body was in so much pain and being strained so much that he couldn't. He could feel his throat swelling and tensing, as if holding back the sound, and he just slammed a fist into the floor, cracking and breaking the tiles with each hit.

His life as a human rushed before him again and again: home in China, running away and getting to Japan, his involvement in the criminal underworld with the yakuza, the friends he had met and lost in that time. While he couldn't scream, the memories of the men that had become like brothers to him, as well as the pain of his body feeling as if it was being destroyed stirred emotion in him. Tears welled in his eyes at the memories flooding in, and as Rita laughed and punched the ground, Vanyel could only think one thing:

'I miss them.'

He missed the camaraderie that he had with his old friends. The laughs in the good times, and the sorrow as the clan fell apart. Of course, Rita would be able to hear and see these thoughts and memories as if she herself were there, walking alongside him. She would see him run away again, fleeing to Norway and eventually return to Japan after three long years. Even the day when he first met who would become his first love, and the tragedy that would soon follow.

In this time of pain and torment as the devil was purged and man was reformed, everything about who Vanyel was and what he had lived became open to her.

A man who had suffered much, yet still carried on. A shining testament of what humanity was.

Ah, there was only so much pain the body could take before the brain did what was needed to shut that shit down. Rita felt her whole body lit with blinding pain as the depths of fire consumed it internally. All she could visualize was her nerves being destroyed in an inferno of blinding red before fading to black. Yet, even if she went limp, the woman was anything but faint.

Soon, imagery of Vanyel's past started to dance around in her head. Seeing the life he lived consisted of the love of his brother and friends within the depths of The Yakuza. Warm, golden days of comrades at your side brought the sensation of tingly happiness in the essence of Rita's being. Yet, like teeth being pulled, these memories became painful. It kept getting devoured by darkness as it faded away, even with the depths in which he traveled. And while sparks of love briefly fired up in the heart of Rita, they turned to a deep black until there was nothing but despair.

Yet -- this wasn't her pain to accept. No. It was her pain to break.

Eyes widened with white light, the woman's mouth and nostril overfilled with blood as she coughed back to life. Then, after hearing everything he felt, the woman brought the distance between the two and held them. Even if her blood felt like acid, organs mush, and bones cracked, she took that time to hold him and hug him. Even as her body shook, she affirmed this truth to him:

"Fight those memories. We are here for you. That life is over, but Kenichi and I will do all we can to get you back to humanity. You deserve to be happy. So fight."

As his body seared with pain, even though he hadn't been screaming, his throat was dry from heaving up hunks of blood. His thrashing and movements eventually ceased, and he remained unmoving on the floor, only twitching from his chest heaving and as he shivered from new, sudden pangs of pain that rushed over him. It felt like every time he moved, his body only seared with more pain. To sear away his humanity with the blood of a devil, and now he was suffering an even greater pain to have it returned.

He just tried to focus on the memories of his time as a human, and breathing. That was all he wanted to do. Stay alive, and focus on what he was fighting so hard for. Spitting out another bit of blood, Vanyel focused on one item in particular: a book, the first gift he had received, and what stayed on his mind, even all these years later: A Journey to the West.

But, as he was focusing on the item, his attention was briefly diverted as he heard Rita came over to him, and felt her hold him. He closed his eyes, moving ever so slightly to let himself rest in her arms. His mind went back to the book, how he always kept it near. Even when the clan fell apart, even while he suffered through the times with Algos and the nightmares that still plagued him, that item reminded him of better days.

His body continued to twitch, shiver, and seize as he tried to keep himself from moving as much, to fight the pain that seemed to never end. His blood, muscles, and organs felt as if they were on fire, and his bones felt so strained that he felt any attempt to try and get up would cause his legs to collapse under him.

But, he fought. He fought through the painful memories, yet kept them close to remind him of who he was -- who he always would be -- human. The reaction to Calypso's torture and assault at the hands of Algos, the scars on his arms, dealt by his own hand, the last night he spent as a human, drowning in sweet, sinful bliss. Those times were what made him strong, made his desire to turn back so powerful.

So, even with his body feeling as if it would destroy itself, Vanyel's heart and soul burned with determination. He came here with the intent of turning back into a human, and he wasn't going to stop until he was, or until he was dead.

Minutes turned into hours and the two would definitely be worse for wear after this point. Rita and Vanyel's blood may as well soaked this room, yet the two of them would still remain of their own will. By this time, Vanyel may very well have more of his humanity returning to him. Asset Aura would have stripped all of those toxins away from him. Yet, at this point, he would be weak. Not physically, but his energy and powers would be broken under the weight of forcing such a wild change after his body had became so used to it's demonic attributes.

Hence, from here on out, it was Rita's job to keep him from passing out as her weary eyes focused in on Vanyel. Feeling her blood on fire, bones strained and head dizzy; the woman snarled out and had another eruption of teal energy begin seep into his body. It hut, it was strainful and she was trying to keep herself together; but this energy was meant to empower his body and fill the void his demonic self left as she started to tap his cheek and lean over the male.

"Are.....you with me? You feel....more human..."

Even in this damaged state, Rita painfully uttered those words as she felt all of his demonic powers fading into the ether. Yet, at the same time, she knew they were going to be in a world of pain when this all over. So, depending on what state Vanyel was in, she may resort to bringing in her own medical team and Kenichi to stabilize them as she coughed up blood on his clothes.

"Fuck..."

He couldn't remember the last time he was so weak. Blood covered the floor, his clothes, hands, and dried flakes of scarlet lined his lips. Devilry was burned away, stripped from him as if it never belonged to him in the first place. The minutes and hours went by, and all Vanyel could do was lay there, his eyes closed, his breathing light, quiet, yet ragged. Even the slightest breath sent rippled of pain through his body, as if daggers stabbed him all over.

He had felt bones creak, strain, and snap under the pressure and surge of Rita's power. He could feel the change in his body, the slow return of his humanity. What little powers he held as a demon were dissolving, and the sudden shift from devil to man had taken its toll on his body. Even with the shower of Rita's aura to empower him and fill the void the demon was leaving behind, he didn't dare move more than small amounts.

His eyes slowly opened as he felt her tapping him on the cheek. Barely breathing, Vanyel slowly turned his head to look at her.

"...H...Here..."

That was all he could say. He knew that he felt more human now, but, with how bad of shape his body was in after that, he didn't risk doing anything else. He just kept thinking of that small light, that his humanity was indeed returning. His mind was occupied by little else than the days when he was human. Thoughts of home so far away, halcyon days when he was a boy, the book that became the most important item to ever come into his possession, and the people that he had come to meet in his life, from man to devil, and now back again.

Yeah, no. This wasn't working. Even if Vanyel was here, Rita saw doubles, and her nose was dripping blood as she was fighting against something far beyond her. The strain of forcing the Asthavon curse out of him made the woman's body begin to have multiple black cracks around her arms, legs, face, and eyes. At this point, one of the woman's eyes was bloodshot and beginning to cry blood as she snarled and wondered what the hell Vanyel had done to get himself in this mess.

Not being able to stand, Rita fell to one knee and gently placed her hand on Vanyel as she effectively destroyed the last embers of his demonic self and power. Whatever state he was in after this? It wasn't going to be pretty. He'd be effectively starting over with his powers, but if that is what he wanted, that is what he would get.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

So, after a demonic scream was uttered out of the room and a sense of deep-hearted sadness followed, all areas were drenched in an emerald mist. The skies turned green, a thick fog covered everything around the home, and the earth around them rumbled for many blocks over as Rita shrieked bloody murder and had her entire body cut open with crimson fluid spewing everywhere like a horror movie.

At this point, everything was red for her, but she ripped the last of the Asthavon's influence on him, and she fell over to her side, twitching and squirming in pain, almost consulting in a way as she was no longer in this reality.

She was conscious, but this woman was in hell after seeing the devil itself in her eyes.

"What.....devil......was....that......."

Talking in a quiet voice, the woman tried to pull herself out of it as her medical team came to asset the situation and at this, Kenichi would undoubtedly have noticed THAT.

A bloodcurdling scream accompanied by a rumble of that nature had certainly caught the relentless dragon's attention. He spent most of his time relishing in the cuisine Rita's personal chefs had provided, but no amount of food would ever distract him from tending to his boss and his newfound companion. He allowed her bodyguards to lead him under the space underneath the building, hurriedly roaring toward the location at high speed, outpacing some of the bodyguards as they reached the two within a short period of time. It was quite a grisly sight to behold for everyone present, Kenichi included. He motioned the men to call in a stretcher for the two of them as he stepped toward them. He flicked Vanyel in the ear somewhat playfully as he hoisted him over his shoulder.

"Sheesh. It looks like Rita had to conduct one hell of an exorcism. It looks like the scene of a horror movie here. Ya' still hangin' in there with us, Van? How's the human body feel?"

Kenichi would carry him on his shoulder, motioning toward Rita as he propped the woman into his other arm, shooting her a playful grin as he bumped his head against her own.

"Bedrest seems like the name of the game moving forward. Thank you, Boss. I appreciate the favor. I'll make sure he makes the best of it, and if he doesn't, I'll kick his ass until he does. For now, let's get you two to the house up above and into some beds. I'd like to ask all about it, but I'm not gonna make either of you relive whatever went down here. The rest of the day will be spent chilling and enjoying some television, not to mention this tasty cuisine your chefs are cookin' up above!"

Setting the two onto their respective stretchers, Kenichi would sit beside Vanyel as they were guided out of the establishment below and into Rita's home above the surface.

His bones creaked and rattled with every move he made, and his mouth, chin, shirt, and the floor in front of him were covered in blood. His eyes were bloodshot, vessels rupturing and causing scarlet to leak from his tear ducts as he squeezed his eyes shut. He spit out another mouthful of the stuff as he tried to turn over, only getting onto his back.

He could feel the sting of the light, even through all of this. He felt Rita's hand on his own, and his fingers weakly twitched in response. As Rita suddenly screamed, a feeling of dread quickly encompassed him. A new, greater wave of pain and burning crashed into him, and Vanyel couldn't hold back his suffering anymore. His body spasmed and seized as he screamed out, his eyes quickly going wide open, horrible agony flaring through his body as he felt more blood vessels rupture, earning more blood from his eyes, mouth, and nose.

The pressure of Rita's Asset Aura and the violent tearing of the last of his demon blood tore his skin and muscle, spewing even more blood on the floor. The savage devilry was desperately clinging onto him, wanting to devour his returning humanity, but the man kept his mind on those halcyon days, casting the body and blood that never truly belonged to him away. He cast away the power that he wanted, for the sake of another. In return, he received something that he never should have thrown away.

He was but a man, once again.

His body finally came to rest in a loud thud of hitting the ground. The man now was turned on his side, twitching, wheezing, and shivering. As he heard movement, he turned over to try and look at Kenichi and the medical team that had made their way in. With how tired and weak he was, he didn't even have the strength to protest Kenichi lifting him up.

Another wave of pain shot through him, but, compared to the hell that he just went through, it was honestly just mildly irritating. With just a few grunts and groans, Vanyel submitted to Kenichi setting him on the stretcher. There wasn't much else he could do right now, anyway.