The flies surged forward, only to be caught in the spinning blade's pull. They were shredded instantly, their bodies turning into a storm of minced flesh. For a moment, it seemed the attack was working.
Then Sasaki glanced toward Beelzebub and froze. The demon still grinned, even as his swarm was torn apart.
Something was wrong.
Before Sasaki could react, a sudden force struck him. His left arm flew past his face, bringing the scythe to an abrupt halt.
Sasaki screamed in pain and dropped to the floor, blood pouring from the wound. His vision blurred as he clutched his arm, the air thick with the sound of buzzing. Then he saw it, Beelzebub hadn't summoned just one swarm.
Above the cave ceiling, thousands to millions of flies waited, clustered together like a black storm, ready to strike at the demon's command. Beelzebub raised his staff, the faint hum of wings growing louder with every breath.
The flies above rained down, following the motion of Beelzebub's staff. Sasaki screamed as the swarm engulfed him, tearing through flesh and bone. His legs and arms were eaten away, his skin darkening under the acidity. All he felt was pain, endless, burning pain.
After what felt like an eternity, Beelzebub flicked his staff, sending the remaining flies away. What was left of Sasaki barely resembled a man. His limbs were gone, his body hollowed out, his half-lidded eyes staring at nothing.
Beelzebub crouched beside him, wings humming faintly as his mandibles clicked.
"You fought well, my dear friend, Itzz been a pleazzure… but itzz time to return back to Purgatory."
Sasaki turned his head with what little strength he had left. Blood filled his throat as he forced out the words.
"Ittss… n…not… ov…over…"
Beelzebub burst into laughter, the sound sharp as millions of flies swarmed around him.
"Not over? Don't you zee, Death? No one can zave you! I made thizz barrier to make zure no one can hear or zee anything! Not even the other Horzzemen, your own ziblingzzz will know! I've alwayzzz wanted to beat you… and now I've done it! Once I drag you back, I'll be remembered throughout the Unzeen Realm!"
He threw his head back, laughter echoing through the cave as the swarm circled above.
"I did it…" He whispered.
Then, a bright red light pulsed from Death's chest, drawing his gaze. Confused, he tried to get a better look at the source, but just then, the rats and mice around him began coughing up blood, their bodies twisting in unnatural convulsions. From their backs burst black ravens, tearing free in flocks that blotted out what little light remained in the cave. Their cries echoed through the chamber, as harsh kraa's filled the air.
Beelzebub raised his staff and shouted, "What izz the meaning of thizz?! My children, protect me!!"
But the ravens were faster. They tore through the air, devouring the flies until not one remained. A million wings fell silent, leaving only the sound of Beelzebub's ragged breathing.
He stumbled toward the far edge of the barrier, slamming his clawed hands against it. "Death! Izz that you?! You hear me?! Tell me, how did you do thizz?"
A deep voice rolled through the cave, shaking the walls.
"Tell me, Beelzebub. How does it feel to lose to absolute nothingness?"
The voice Beelzebub heard was deep and commanding.
From the darkness, Death emerged, ravens swirling around him before settling into the shape of his cloak. His face was that of a skeletal plague doctor, its hollow gaze catching the red glow of the ruby pendant burning from his neck. In each hand, he held a scythe, their handles made from a spinal cord, every vertebra interlocked perfectly into place.
"I–I'm zorry… pleazzze, forgive me, I'll tell you anything… everything I know about Lord Azazel. Pleazzze… juzzt let me live."
Death raised his scythes, the twin blades glinting under the red glow of the pendant.
"Unfortunately, my role as Death does not allow me to let you live, Beelzebub, Lord of The Flies. You're far too dangerous to be around humanity. In any case, you said it yourself… 'don't take this personally. It's just a job', right?"
Beelzebub's mandibles quivered as he screamed :
"No pleazzze!! Forgive me!!"
Death vanished, the air collapsing where he stood. In the next instant, he appeared before Beelzebub and crossed both scythes in an X, driving them into his chest. The blades struck with a crack that shattered Beelzebub's bones. The cave split in an X shape beneath them as the shockwave burst outward, sending the ravens into a frenzy, their wings thrashing against the barrier.
In the next second, Beelzebub's body tore apart, his soul disintegrating right before Death's hollowed eyes. He lifted his gaze toward the ceiling, watching the faint shimmer of the demon's remains drift upward like dying embers before fading into the dark.
"So long, may we never meet again."