Mairimashita! Iruma-kun: Shadows of the Past, part 42
As night settled over Sullivan's mansion, the abnormal class was unusually quiet. For safety, they had been moved from assigned rooms into one large group set up like a sleepover or camp in the living room where the adults could more easily watch over them.
After a tense debate, Sullivan had made the tough decision to tell the teens the truth. Balam insisted they had a right to know what they were up against and, one by one, the others agreed. Several details had been left out for posterity, but the misfits now knew that their sensei and Vincente really had been taken prisoner by a psychopath. The harsh reality of the situation had left the teens in stunned silence after a few initial questions.
Apart from the rest of the group, Sullivan and Henri held a hushed conversation with Purson. His suspicions had just been confirmed. Victoria had somehow stolen his family's ability. He tensed as he asked about his brother. The adults exchanged a grim look as he stared into the floor.
"I'm sorry, Soi. He's gone", uttered the principal. He preferred to withhold the details of his demise, but the young demon in front of him was demanding answers with an intense stare, his fists balled tightly at his sides.
"She killed him, didn't she?...How long have you known?" Annoyed by their reticence, he asked again. "How long?!", he demanded loudly. Sullivan knelt in front of the boy, gently gripping his shoulders in sympathy. "Purson-kun, I'm sorry...We thought it would be best for your parents to break the news", he uttered.
"How long have you known? Tell me...please", said Soi. He was so frustrated with both his ignorance and the secrecy. Finally, Azazel spoke up. "We had our suspicions, but it's been confirmed since Victoria first showed up at Babylus a few weeks ago...I'm sorry."
Purson shuddered under the strain of his swirling emotions. He knew they were trying to protect him this whole time, but was still so angry. He struggled to put his thoughts into words as he coped with the loss of his brother.
"You hid it because you thought I was so immature that I'd run off in a blind rage and get killed, too. Is that it?", he inquired stiffly. Henri held his silence as Sullivan lowered his head in apology. "Forgive us for underestimating you."
Purson's simmering anger faltered at the gesture. He hadn't anticipated such a modest apology. "Don't get me wrong...I want to avenge him, but I'm not stupid. I understand that I'm still just a kid...We misfits are nothing but ants to Victoria, but enough ants can overwhelm a larger, predatory spider when defending their nest...We're going to get Kalego-sensei and master Vincente back...and I promise that I will personally make sure that bitch pays for her crimes in the highest court."
Both adults stared at him in awe. He was being surprisingly rational. After taking a calming breath, he asked if his family knew yet. After a few more questions, Sullivan took the lad aside to call home in the privacy of his office.
Across the room, Balam had gathered his team along with Iruma. Pulled out of earshot from the others, they were holding a very serious conversation. Asmodeus and Iruma already knew a lot of the information their sensei had shared, but Sabnock and Agares were left agape.
"Let me get this straight...Victoria isn't just a real criminal. Her family failed to take down Delkira-sama and she's taking it out on our sensei?", uttered Sabnock, following along. Balam nodded once in silence. "And she not only wants to kill him, but physically eat his heart?...That's insane!", said Agares, holding his head. He was too tired to think about all of this at the moment.
The duo slowly looked at Azz and Iruma. Neither had said a thing and their determined expressions made it obvious they were already planning ahead for a rescue mission.
"Iruma-kun, what's on your mind?", ventured Balam. He knew the lad voted 'king' by his peers wasn't going to sit idly by in the face of such horrors. Slowly meeting each gaze around him, Iruma's resolve became evident.
"We have to find her hideout. Then we can launch a counterattack and rescue the others. I won't leave anyone in her hands. I refuse!", he stated with feeling. Asmodeus grinned faintly in approval. "Iruma-sama, do you have a plan?", asked Azz. Iruma nodded as he began explaining what he had in mind.
The entire time, Balam watched his students with pride. They were taking this very seriously and no one even made mention of the past leading up to the current situation. They were respecting Kalego's privacy and focusing on ensuring his safety. If he wanted to tell them the rest of his story, he could do it himself once it was over. These kids were growing up.
Later that night, most of the misfits couldn't sleep, so they gathered around their appointed leaders, making various plans without their mentors. Eventually, the meeting was moved to the dining table where everyone could participate.
Persephone's spell hadn't been mentioned to the group at large, but Iruma and the generals had been told. Each had been entrusted with the passphrase to set their sensei free if found during their counterattack. She quietly watched them as everyone got assigned teams and roles. It was too dangerous to go alone against Ai, but in numbers, they stood a chance.
After the meeting finally ended under exhaustion, the abnormal class finally turned in. All, but one, anyway. Persephone had taken Iruma aside. Like it not, she had to accept that he would have a pivotal role in the days to come. Thus, she was learning to lean on him.
In Kalego's room, Iruma nervously watched as Persephone retrieved what looked like a trinket box from a hidden place. Was she going to show him photos like Balam did when all of this started?
Setting it down, she removed her choker, exposing the scar that had nearly killed her in the past. Iruma didn't know the whole story, but it was abundantly clear that her throat had been deeply slit at some point. He swallowed nervously, appreciating just how precious her phoenix familiar really was.
Using the pendant from her choker, she unlocked the box. A hidden key on her person at times? What was she protecting? He stared near breathless, his mind running wild with lack of sleep.
As Persephone opened the container's lid, a strange warmth emanated from its depths. Iruma stared in wonder. Inside were shimmering, red and gold feathers, faintly glowing with stored magic. He desperately wanted to hold one, but waited until invited.
He knew she was about to entrust him with something very important. It was clearly some kind of tool, something only for dire emergencies. His fantasies about what kind of bow the feathers could create would have to wait.
Carefully placing one in his open palms, she smiled faintly. "Phoenix pinions. I've been saving them for years just in case something like this ever happened... Nene-sama and I can't be everywhere during the fight and this mission will be extremely dangerous. Now that you kids know the truth, you can each decide for yourselves if you want to help save my friends", she said.
Iruma looked up with determination. "They're my friends, too! Kalego-sensei has taught me so much. I can't picture Babylus without him...I want him to keep showing me how to grow into a proper demon...and Vincente-san has been a big help training his team! My friends have never looked so confident in themselves. He unlocked something in each of them and I know that they'll join me when I say we're going to save them both!"
He spoke fervently, awakening a warmth in Persephone's heart. She smiled pleasantly, truly grateful for such dedicated and kind students. Taking the feather from his hand, she held it up to explain its use.
"Listen carefully, Iruma. This is very important. Each team will be armed with herbs and tonics for wound care and exhaustion, but I'm only entrusting these pinions to the team leaders. As their 'king', it will be your job to make sure they know their value and how to use them. There are only enough for each team to have one with a single feather left over for Kalego-kun...I don't know what state he'll be in when we find him...so I'm entrusting that precious extra to you."
Iruma nodded, hanging on every word. He was honored to be so trusted, but why give it to him? Wasn't she coming? Seeing his worry, she gently patted his head.
"Don't worry, I'll be there looking for both of them, too...My phoenix won't recharge for a few days, but I have a secret fix for that...Don't repeat to Kalego-kun what I'm about to say", she said.
Clearly that meant his sensei would not approve of this secret method, but Iruma understood that Persephone was willing to do anything for Kalego. She loved him and was desperate to make it up to him for this horrible memory plan gone awry. It was only meant to last for a day, but now, there was no telling how long he would wallow in his crushing guilt if he was even to be found alive.
"What are you going to do?", asked Iruma nervously. Persephone smiled deprecatingly at herself. She knew that if any of her friends found out about her plan, they would try to stop her. "This is a secret between you and me. Can I trust you?", asked Persephone, holding out her pinky finger. Iruma nodded anxiously and linked his own. It was a promise.
With a thankful grin, she said, "Normally, my familiar recharges over time on its own. I can shorten how long that recovery is by offering my mana stores, but if I offer up my life force, I can instantly call my phoenix back into action… Don't look at me like that...I know it's dangerous, but I promise it won't kill me. It'll only take a few months off my natural lifespan, so don't worry too much, okay? I know what I'm doing...If it were anyone else, except maybe Pan-chan, I wouldn't risk it...You understand, don't you?"
Iruma was a little overwhelmed by her dedication to his teacher, but he actually did understand. "Sensei is really important to you, isn't he?", he uttered. She grinned softly, at peace with her emotions, an odd sight for the usually strict demon. "Yes, and I know he's spoken to you about self sacrifice. That's why he wouldn't approve, but I'd rather he be alive and angry than the alternative, you know?"
Iruma nodded, silently agreeing not to mention her plan again. Then their attention returned to the phoenix pinions. These feathers had to be exceedingly rare and valuable. It seemed they had a medicinal purpose as well, one he swore to memorize on the first go. Persephone watched him in hesitation, unsure if he could stomach what she was about to say, but his eyes shone with resolve. Pleased, she continued her instruction.
"Should one of your team members be incapacitated, use the med kit. If it's bad enough that you start to wonder if an injury is fatal, observe them closely. Should their pulse plummet, they lose too much blood, or you know for certain that a blow was critical and put them in mortal danger, this is what you'll do - Grasp one of the pinions firmly by the shaft and give it some mana. You'll have to focus. The more power you can spare, the better the treatment will work, but be careful not to deplete your stamina in one go. Victoria won't hesitate to end you if you're defenseless."
Nervous, yet determined, he nodded once to confirm he understood. "Right." He had a feeling he wasn't going to like the next step in emergency recovery, but he was also praying that he wouldn't have to use the method. Hopefully, everyone would stay safe.
"Once the pinion is charged, it'll start to flicker and glow as if on fire, but don't panic. The flames won't hurt you; It's just a sign of its activated properties. Next, focus carefully on the victim. If it's a fatal situation, there won't be time to hesitate. The moment they stop breathing, you'll have to stab the sharp end of the feather into their heart...I know you'll be able to act when it counts. Barbatos-san surely taught you the value of being able to function under pressure as an archer", she explained.
She expected him to grimace or ask if there was another way, but he stood firmly in determination to save everyone. His nightmare would not come to pass; He'd make sure of that. He nodded once in confirmation, glad his master had instilled such a skill in him. After all, an archer who hesitates in battle will quickly wind up dead. Then they can't save anyone.
As Persephone put the pinions away, she looked very sad. She was clearly concerned for Kalego and Vincente. There really was no telling what Victoria had done to them already. Even if they were still alive, and Iruma sincerely hoped they were, he wasn't sure they would rescue the same demons they had lost.
"Iruma." The sudden call of his name jarred him from his dark thoughts. "Yes?" She held his gaze for what felt like minutes, eager to say something, but fighting it.
"Should you find Kalego first, you must unlock his memories. I can't promise he'll be in any physical shape to fight, but his mind is suffering under my spell...Please understand that I didn't want to alter his memory...It was the only way."
She sounded so hollow, obviously regretting her part in the plan to trick Ai into thinking she was dead. As agreed, she didn't tell Kalego ahead of time, and, as traumatic as it was going to be to him, the others begrudgingly agreed with the plan.
She had used her family ability and rewritten his memories. The nightmares of her death that shaken Kalego so badly became fact in his mind. He looked so broken as he was forced to accept that he had really killed his lover and Persephone was so torn up inside that she had lost her edge and become rather depressed. She'd crushed the soul of the only demon she had ever truly loved to save her life and she hated it, thinking it was a poor trade.
"Persephone-san...Everything's going to be okay", stated Iruma. His voice shook her from her tortured thoughts. She was surprised to find a tear rolling down her cheek. Somehow this fifteen year old human had reached into her sealed heart and dredged up her true feelings. She didn't bother to wipe her face or try to hide her emotions at that point. She chose to entrust them to Iruma.
Steeling her resolve, she reminded him how to help his sensei. "If for some reason Valiant hasn't restored Kalego's memories yet, remember the passphrase. It will bring him back from the edge of insanity." Whispering into the boy's ear, she told him what it was once more. Iruma trembled at her words. They held a sense of power he hadn't anticipated. He had heard it once before, but the strength in those words hadn't waned in the least.
Repeating the phrase in his mind, he swore to carve it into his heart. He was determined to bring his sensei back from the brink. After a little more conversation, he headed off to join his friends to rest. Undoubtedly, they would all need their strength for the coming day.
Meanwhile, in a dark room, Victoria smiled upon her unconscious prisoner. She'd been having her fun with Kalego on and off throughout the day, but she had grown bored waiting for him to come to.
Stepping close, she ran her fingers over his bare, battered torso, admiring her work. Several deep fang marks and curses decorated his pale skin. She'd intentionally left him with only enough blood to stay alive. Most of it had spilled during torture or greedily been drunk earlier.
He made no response to her touch, but she knew how to fix that. Reaching a claw into an open wound upon his chest, she watched him flinch. Then, she wrapped her intruding finger around one of his ribs and twisted hard, snapping the bone outward through muscle and skin. A horrid scream penetrated the entire structure as he was forcefully dragged back into wakeful agony.
Several corridors away, Vincente shuddered at the sheer primal pain being unleashed. It was a guttural, desperate sound, but the voice was unmistakable. Clenching his eyes, he apologized profusely to both Kalego and Persephone. He sincerely hoped his rival was as strong as he thought. Otherwise, he wouldn't survive until morning.
Back with Kalego, Ai smiled maliciously as she gently stroked his sweat licked face. "Wakey wakey. It's no fun if you don't feel anything", she taunted. He scowled with intense hatred as she kissed his lips. She really was adding insult to injury at that point.
Enjoying his palpable loathing, she laughed as he weakly muttered, "Go to Hell." Playfully tapping his nose, she smiled with a sadistic blush on her face. "Gladly, but I'm taking you with me, my sweet Naberius. Don't go and give up just yet. It isn't like you and it makes our playtime boring."
He'd been so badly drained of blood and strength, that he could barely hold his head up to glare at her. The rest of his body was supported against the wall by both the shackles on his wrists overhead and the iron spikes she'd driven through his limbs. He was completely at her mercy and he hated that. A demon of his rank shouldn't be so easily defeated, but he'd gotten sloppy while mourning Persephone.
Easily guessing his thoughts, Victoria sensually leaned her body against his, unbothered by the gore. "Tell me, Kalego-kun. How did it feel to rip out Lamya's throat? Was her flesh soft and warm inside? Do you still have her blood under your nails?...To be perfectly honest, you didn't really even need much of a push to kill her. It's because, deep down, you know you don't deserve happiness, isn't it? You hate being happy almost as much as you hate me. Isn't that right?"
He clenched his jaw tightly, both angered by her teasing and crushed by his guilt. He knew Persephone would never wish for his capture or torment, but he couldn't argue with himself that he didn't deserve it. Maybe if he suffered enough before Ai finally took his heart, he might earn just enough redemption for the chance to see her one last time in the next world to beg her forgiveness.
Seeing how quiet he was being, Victoria dug her nails into another open wound, but beyond tensing his body and scowling, Kalego gave no response. She frowned. He wasn't being any fun.
"Cat got your tongue, my sweet? It doesn't matter. Go ahead and silently brood...but I wonder, which of your precious students do you think will crawl to me first? You know as well as I do that they're all prime candidates for returning to origin and I know you're well aware of who is closest to the edge. Give me a hint?"
Her eyes shone with anticipation, but her taunting was getting her nowhere. Kalego simply shied his gaze, knowing she was trying to get under his skin. Annoyed, she sighed. "Fine, be that way. You'll tell me soon."
She thrusted his exposed, broken rib back under his skin with her thumb as she stared him in the eye, enjoying the look of pain in his face. Licking off the blood, she grinned, a silent promise that she'd be back soon.
Elsewhere, at Babylus, Dali slowly hung up his phone. He looked deeply disturbed and completely desolate. Kalego had been taken and his little girl had yet to be returned. Victoria's enforcer had told him they were holding the girl for one more day to make sure he wouldn't sell out their master right away. Besides, Ai was happily enjoying her time with her favorite new toy. She was in no rush to close her end of the bargain.
Dali's stomach turned as he imagined just what she was doing to his esteemed colleague. A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. Robin slowly peeked in. "Senpai? Suzie's awake", he ventured. Both Robin's tone and expression were troubling. Had she already named him as the traitor?
With a deep breath, he made his way to the infirmary. Once there, Bachiko glared at him as he passed. Dali swallowed his guilt as he anxiously opened Suzie's door. Peering inside, she seemed to be asleep. As he cautiously sat beside her, she slowly turned her face toward him with sadness.
Her voice was raspy from thirst, but she had healed remarkably well thanks to Persephone and her familiar. "Dali-kun, is everyone else okay?", she asked. His chest hurt even worse at her concern. Giving her some water, he tried to smile for her, but his tears couldn't be stopped.
Slowly sitting up, Suzie looked at him with intense sorrow. "I had hoped this was just a bad dream, but I see it's not...It really was you that let her in. Yis?" Dali's eyes quivered as he speechlessly stared. Where could he even begin? His friend seemed strangely calm despite what she'd been through. Why wasn't she angry with him? She had every right.
"Victoria has Sage, doesn't she?", she asked carefully. Dali's tears spilled over as bowed, leaning against her bed, and apologetically clutching her hand as he cried. "I'm so sorry", he managed. Amazingly, Suzie gently patted his head, knowing how concerned he was for his child. She was one of the few that knew of her existence.
Begging her forgiveness, he explained everything. "Ai wasn't supposed to do this! If she was caught, she was only supposed to knock out the demon that discovered her...No one was even meant to find the vault open, I swear!...I should have known she wouldn't keep her word…Suzie, I'm so, so sorry. I know I can never apologize enough, but -...", he trailed, taking a pained breath as he searched for the words.
Glancing up in desperation, he was surprised to see Suzie smiling softly upon him. "I was upset at first, but I figured it would be something like this...You are a great teacher and comrade, Dali-kun, but you're an amazing father. Yis."
His heart was wrenched in bittersweet agony. How could she be so forgiving? She had died. Maybe she didn't remember. Tightly gripping her hand, he said, "Suzie-chan, how much do you remember?...You died…"
He expected her to be surprised, but she did have vague memories of her resurrection. She remembered Phis and Persephone working hard on her battered body, how difficult it was getting to breathe, and how weak she had felt from hemorrhaging so much blood. She remembered the ambient cold reaching into her body as everything started to grow dark and distant, then the incredible warmth that followed after she had finally given up.
She had ceased breathing and her heart was so slow, it felt like it had stopped, and it had. Persephone's phoenix had grabbed her soul from the gates of death and forced it back into her flesh with the gentleness of a warm bath. Both the searing pain and numbing cold vanished almost instantly and she simply felt as if she were falling asleep.
Sitting there with her hand on Dali's lowered head in penance, she was in no pain now, merely tired and weak, but she knew he was still in a state of tortured mental and emotional agony. They had been close for years. There was no doubt that her near loss had taken a heavy toll on him. His immense guilt was evident in every aspect of his being.
"I don't really know where to go from here, but we can worry about that after Sage-chan is safe. Yis", she ventured. Dali stared in awe before giving in and hugging her tightly. He both apologized and thanked her profusely. He had no qualms with a fair punishment after his little girl was safe. There was so much more to tell his friend, but she needed to rest.
After a while, he excused himself. Outside of her door, Bachiko glared at him with an arrow aimed straight at his heart. She'd been listening closely to everything. "Did you really do all this?", she asked stiffly. Nearby, Robin anxiously stared, unsure of what to say or if he should even try to stop her.
Dali met both of their gazes with resolve. "Yes, I did, and I deserve whatever happens to me. I'll gladly accept any punishment, but first we have lives to save. Kalego-kun won't last long and Ai is far from done with the abnormal class. Help me save them and then you can fill me with as many arrows as you like. Deal?", he ventured, offering his hand in truce.
He clearly felt guilty, but he was owning up to his mistakes. The staff of the school were sworn to protect their students at all costs. The fact that he was still prioritizing their lives was a good sign that he wasn't completely gone. He would pay a steep price for his part in everything, but his concern for his daughter had nearly broken him completely.
Bachiko grit her teeth, debating if she should back down or end him where he stood. Robin stepped close, placing his hand on her wrist, unsure if he was willing to lower it after such a betrayal. "Sensei, does Victoria really have your little girl?", he inquired, concerned. Dali's eyes darkened as he uttered, "Yes."
The archers glanced at one another briefly, but Bachiko's bow finally dissipated back into the air. She was begrudgingly accepting that he had no choice. "Tch. What kind of idiot lets a psycho like her near his kid?", she grumbled. Robin grinned at her demeanor. She was giving Dali a chance to make things right.
"Senpai, I didn't even know you had a family", he said. Dali smiled deprecatingly. "I don't, just Sage...There's a reason nobody knows about her. The demon world isn't a safe place for her", he uttered, averting his gaze.
Bachiko's eyes narrowed as she slowly put it together. "Are you telling us you had a kid with a human?", she ventured, uncertain if it was even possible. "A cambion?!", gasped Robin, shocked. Dali nervously scratched his head as he faced them. "Not exactly", he said, cryptically.
Robin hurried forward, excitedly grasping his senpai's arm. The young teacher sparkled with enthusiasm and wonder. "Humans are real?! What are they like? How did you meet?! Hey, hey, tell us!! Fess up!" Bachiko fought off an eye twitch at his fervor.
"About that…", trailed Dali, clearly hiding a lot. "For fuck's sake, your secret is safe so long as you turn yourself in and clean up this mess, so just spill it already before Robbie explodes", said Bachiko, annoyed by all of the secrecy and furious at him for his part in Ai's schemes. She would not forgive him so easily.
Dali glanced at his kouhai. Robin really did look ready to burst. He was smiling and sparkling so hard, one could almost hear a faint, "Eeeee!", noise emanating from him in excitement. Sighing, Dali gave in.
"It's a really long story, but you should know just how much danger Sage-chan is in...You'll understand when I tell you this - While it's true that my daughter is only half demon, her other half isn't human...It's angel."
The response from both demons was a deafening, "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!!!". Apparently Dali had even more secrets than he let on. It was no wonder the kid was a state secret. In her room, Suzie chuckled. The archers' response was just what she had expected.
to be continued...