The Ashen Fortress III

[Kuzuru]

It was several hours until Kuzuru had finally stepped out of Death’s door. Were it not for his Prime physiology he would have never even woke up. As it stood, however, his wounds began to slowly seal themselves shut in a process that was not only tedious but also agonizing. Once he was confident in surviving outside of the blood pool he crawled out. Severed musculature in his shoulder turned this simple task into an ordeal. Mathaziel watched for a while as his kin struggled to breach land. While this entertained him for some time he finally took pity on Kuzuru and helped him out. Large gashes and lacerations still covered the younger demon’s body.

“You still won’t make it,” Mathaziel said.

Kuzuru pressed his hand against the bullet hole in his thigh. He growled in agony.

“Then stitch me up damnit,” Kuzuru answered.

“Stitch you up?”

“Yes, y’know seal the wounds? Stop the bleeding,” Kuzuru said, his voice becoming more fevered.

“With what?”

“Thread you jackoff,” Kuzuru said, “there’s a medical kit in the main room, grab it and stitch me up.”

Mathaziel smirked and left without another word. A few minutes late he returned with medical supplies. His body had shifted into that of a surgeon’s. The next hour or so was spent patching up Kuzuru.

“You’ll be interested in this,” Mathaziel said as he finished a stitch in Kuzuru’s back, “are you familiar with Sasuke Uchiha?”

Kuzuru answered plainly, “champion of the first Dante’s Abyss, beating out Doomguy, Strazio Rockwell, that weird mouse thing, Doomguy, Deadpool, Luffy, Retane, and Samus, not to mention the others that didn’t even make it to the finals.”

Mathaziel chuckled and started another suture, “your knowledge of this stuff is a bit impressive.”

“Violence is honestly the only thing I can remember with any clarity,” Kuzuru muttered, “so what about Sasuke?”

“It appears he is looking for help in retrieving an artefact,” Mathaziel answered, “he’s offering a substantial reward, but I offered him out help in exchange for membership with the Blades.”

Kuzuru grinned.

“I knew there was a reason I summoned you,” he said, “well done Mathaziel, well fucking done, where is he?”

“The Endless Dunes in a deposed city known as Nippur,” the elder demon answered, “I told him you’d be there shortly.”

“Well hurry up then,” Kuzuru said.

“Stop moving and I will.”