Mairimashita! Iruma-kun: Shadows of the Past, part 19
Another day dawned and as it passed, Pandora eagerly waited for her friends. It was finally the day they would try to unseal her magic. She sat nervously in Sullivan's office under Lady Nene's watchful eye.
Once classes were over for the day, Balam and Kalego joined her. Persephone and Kalego had caught each other's eye briefly, but both knew now wasn't the time. They were there for Pandora. Whatever they had to say to one another would have to wait.
Sullivan sat silently at his desk as preparations were made. Persephone smiled fondly at her cousin as she told her not to worry. Kalego sat to Pandora's right and Shichiro to her left. The chairs were placed close together. Their support would be needed for such an endeavor. Only one person was missing.
A knock at the door. Opera entered with Iruma. The boy was unsure why he was there, but the room was tense. Sullivan smiled supportively at his grandson. "Iruma-kun, come in", he said cheerfully.
Iruma stood beside his grandfather as Nene-sama explained the situation. Balam looked grateful for his help while Kalego was annoyed to involve a student in something so private, but he didn't argue. They needed him.
"Pandora-chan, are you ready?", asked Nene. Taking a deep breath, Pandora nodded as Shichiro and Kalego each held one of her hands.
"Iruma-kun", called Nene. "Yes, ma'am", he replied, nervously. She sent him a look and he corrected himself. "Yes, Granny." She smiled approvingly. "Sa-chan, if you will", she uttered.
The air shifted as Sullivan erected a powerful barrier. Meanwhile, Nene returned her focus to the patient. She gently traced Pandora's facial scar with her finger, inspecting it.
"If this were an ordinary scar, Persephone's magic would have healed it. While it is older and jagged, it is deeply entrenched with magic. This is a curse", she explained. Iruma's eyes widened with worry. He still wasn't sure why they needed him. This all sounded pretty serious.
Nene gently pet Pandora's head affectionately. "Almost everyone here has forgotten your family name and bloodline, but we're going to fix that by unsealing your magic... It will not be pleasant. Is everyone ready?"
One by one, anxious glances were exchanged and each demon, in turn, nodded with conviction. Nene looked back to Iruma with soft eyes.
"Iruma-kun, unsealing Pan-chan's magic is going to cause a massive surge. She's been storing her mana for twenty years. Kalego and Shichiro have volunteered to absorb the overflow, but there's a chance they won't be enough. If that happens, it will be up to you and your ring of gluttony. Can we count on you?", she asked. Iruma nodded, determined to help.
Kalego was glowering again so Persephone leaned close to the boy. "This is a special favor for all of us. If we succeed, I'm sure your grandpa will get you anything you want… but we have to ask you to keep this meeting to yourself. You can't tell your friends about this, all right?", she said, offering a kind grin.
Iruma looked to his teachers. Balam sent him a grateful gaze, but when he locked eyes with Kalego, he understood just how much this meant to him, too. "I won't let you down", he promised. Kalego smirked at his fervor. His secrecy was vastly appreciated. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't ask such things of a student. They had their differences, but this was something that would further bind them.
Sullivan doubled the barrier as Nene spread her angel like wings. Opera nodded, assuring them that the school had been properly evacuated after batras.
"Per-chan, you're the only one unaffected by the nameless curse. Are you ready?", asked Nene. Persephone stepped close, taking her master's hand to combine their impressive mana. Pandora squeezed her friends' hands anxiously. One last deep breath and she stared, ready for anything.
Sullivan also stepped forward and gently moved Iruma behind himself for protection. At his side, Opera also stood ready to intervene if needed.
A glowing light grew from the joined hands of the healers. It enveloped them like an aura. Focusing, Persephone touched her fingers to Pandora's forehead. "Master of empathy, purveyor of color, it's time to wake up - Hekate Pandora", she said, her voice brimming with power.
As her cousin's name left her lips, the scar on Pandora's face glowed darkly. It looked excruciating as her expression contorted in searing pain. A flicker of power in her eyes showed the faint glow of Victoria's mark as the two powerful magics fought for their vessel, curse versus purification.
Iruma watched, transfixed, as the air crackled around her. In the next second, colorful lights swirled around the room. A beam of intense, white light shot out from Pandora's eyes. Her magic had been condensed severely over the years, unable to use it.
Balam and Kalego both visibly tensed as her power surged up their arms and into their bodies from her hands. As the illumination intensified, so did the look of pain in their faces. Iruma could barely see from the rush of swirling mana.
"Shichiro", called Kalego through grit teeth. "I know", replied Balam, ready. This was just the beginning, but both would happily endure the pain for her sake.
Pandora screamed with a shrill pitch as her mana tore free from its prison. Her best friends clenched their jaws, absorbing both her power and her pain. Iruma was impressed by their devotion.
A shimmer danced over Pandora's scar as it began to fade. The purification was working. Iruma squinted as something started to take shape behind the trio. It was massive. The kaleidoscope of colors seemed to focus into blue and yellow as a beast formed. Slowly, it became solid.
A large, blue feline with yellow markings and twin tails stood behind Pandora. Opera grinned faintly at the sight of the familiar, something Iruma took as a good sign. A strong pulse boomed through the room as the cat roared, intensifying the vortex of mana. Kalego looked pale and strained while Balam held on tight, accidentally breaking the arm of his chair.
The light around Pandora took on an evil, red hue. "This is the last lock! Everyone hold on!", shouted Nene. Pandora screamed in pure, primal pain. The sound cut right through Iruma, giving him chills.
This shout was louder and longer than the first and it wasn't just her this time. Overcome with the excruciating sensation she shared with them, Balam and Kalego yelled out, as well. The storm of magic condensed, falling into a pillar over its source.
Unable to watch any longer, Iruma jumped into action. He darted from behind Sullivan before Opera could catch him. In sync with Ali-san, he held open his hand, desperate to help. A massive shock jumped into the ring, nearly knocking the boy off of his feet.
When the dust settled, Iruma struggled to stand. His arm was burning from the strain just like it had at Walter Park as Opera physically supported him. He grinned to himself, despite being out of breath, as he looked over the trio of friends.
Smoke rose from their joined hands as Pandora's familiar evaporated. She slumped into Balam's shoulder as the last spark of residual magic ran over the space that previously marked her face with that jagged scar. She looked exhausted.
Kalego slowly gathered himself, impressed by the amount of magic she had released. He smirked in thanks as he met Iruma's worried eyes.
Sullivan fussed over his grandson, thankful he was unharmed. Opera seemed to relax with a quaint grin, but the look in their eyes told Iruma he would get a scolding later for being so reckless again.
Lady Nene stepped forward and inspected their work, carefully looking over Pandora under Balam's worried gaze. The scar was barely noticeable now. Behind her, Persephone still looked concerned. There was little doubt that Victoria was well aware of their meddling.
As Kalego tried to stand, his legs buckled under the strain of such a gambit. Gritting his teeth, he hated to appear so weak in front of a student, especially Iruma. He managed to catch himself on the edge of Sullivan's desk and Persephone stepped close to help steady him.
It was an odd sight for Iruma to see his sensei lean onto another just to stand. It was even more awkward the way Persephone held him. She had one arm tucked around him, under his arm, and her open palm pressed firmly to his heart as she smiled gratefully. They shared a grin as they stared into one another's eyes in silent communication.
Iruma wondered just what it was that they weren't saying. He had only just met Persephone during this endeavor, but she seemed somehow close to Kalego. It almost seemed as if they might just be good for each other under the right circumstances.
Shaking the thought from his mind, he returned his attention to Pandora. It appeared she was fast asleep. Balam-sensei's misty eyes stared at her in wonder. He looked so relieved.
Nene turned to Iruma, suddenly hugging the boy tightly. "You've made Granny proud", she said, sincerely thankful. Iruma smiled nervously. He was still getting used to her and he could already hear Ali-san chewing him out in his mind, an event that would undoubtedly take place once alone.
Hours later, Pandora hazily opened her eyes. She wasn't sure what time it was, but it was dark beyond her window. She grinned as Balam smiled over her from his seat. He must have carried her back to her room.
"Shichiro?", she ventured. Holding up one finger to his mask, he uttered, "Shh", while pointing across the room. Following the line of sight, Pandora smiled happily at what she saw. Kalego was fast asleep where he sat, on a bench against the wall. Beside him, sitting close, slept Persephone, resting her head on his shoulder as they held hands in their sleep.
Pandora blushed lightly, amused to see them like that. Shichiro mirrored her subtle grin. It was an awfully sweet sight.
Elsewhere, Robin woke up. He wasn't alone. Victoria smirked at his surprise. "Hello, Robin-kun", she grinned. He tensed at the greeting. Looking around, he seemed to be unguarded, but his wrists were still firmly cuffed to his bed.
"I need you to do something for me. After all, you skipped out last time I gave you an order", stated Victoria as she sat beside him. He watched her wearily. What was she up to now? She smiled faintly as she stared off into the darkness.
"Have you met Lamya yet?", she asked idly. Robin had not, but he also knew that Ai was going to try to use him again. "I don't know who that is", he said carefully. Victoria's grin widened.
"Aren't you in for a treat?", she taunted. Robin narrowed his eyes. "Whoever it is, I'm not going to hurt anyone for you. Forget it. Senpai and big sis will make sure of that", he said defensively. A strange look sparkled in Victoria's eyes. Seeing her lean close, he shied his face. He didn't want to let her kiss him again. So instead, she teasingly licked his neck, sending a chill through him at the sensation.
"You're brave, exposing your arteries to me like that", she said, licking her lips at the thought of blood. Trying to keep a brave face, he thought of Kalego and held her under a stern gaze. "I'll never help you again", he stated with bravado.
Victoria smiled gently at him. "I know Nene took a curse from you, but don't get ahead of yourself. I told you before that I only needed one mark to deal with you, didn't I?", she taunted.
Playfully tapping his nose, she looked as if she was almost happy. "No worry. You can kill Pandora any time. It doesn't really matter, but Persephone is another matter. I won't be pleased if she gets her lips on my Naberius again", she said, clearly jealous.
Robin stared in awe. Senpai had a girlfriend? It sounded like an ex girlfriend, but the prospect was still enticing. He wondered what kind of demon she was, but distracting thoughts were dangerous when in Ai's sights.
She smirked as if following his train of thought. "Don't worry, you aren't going to kill Lamya", she grinned, "Kalego is." Robin's eyes widened. She couldn't be serious, could she?
"There's no way senpai will do what you want", he stated defiantly. She smirked at his fervor. "He doesn't have a choice… You see, I knew Persephone wouldn't be far behind her master, especially to help her precious cousin, so I already planted the seed of insanity in our dear Naberius. He won't be able to stop himself", she said, proud of her plan.
"All I need you to do is take care of that pesky familiar of hers. Once it's out of the way, he won't be able to save her when the time comes", grinned Victoria. Robin eyed her wearily. "Why are you telling me this? Nene-sama can unseal any orders you give me", he said.
Victoria chuckled at his words, clearly amused. "Exactly. When you run off to tell Kalego-kun what I have planned, he'll try to do everything in his power to avoid it, including pushing away that buxom bother, Persephone. They'll fight and fall apart just like they did ten years ago. Then, when he's down and full of angst, I'll bloom the seed of madness. He'll have no choice, but to kill her in an emotional breakdown", she explained.
Robin's eyes quivered as he listened. Was it possible for his senpai to fall into such a dastardly trap? "And her familiar?", he asked carefully. He intended to replay this conversation in his mind until he could repeat it word for word to Lady Nene.
Victoria grinned darkly. "Your previous orders still stand. When you kill Valac and Asmodeus, Lamya will undoubtedly use her phoenix to save them, draining away its power. That's when I'll give Kalego a push into his descent. He'll spiral into his own, personal Hell once he's slain the only woman he ever loved."
Her eyes glowed with her family crest, casting a malicious shadow over her wicked grin in the low light. Robin tensed at her sadistic blush. She had it all planned out.
To be continued...