Mairimashita! Iruma-kun: Shadows of the Past, part 51
Persephone was still looking for clues on her own when her radio went off. Iruma was buzzing in as promised. "Persephone-san, is everything alright on your end?", he asked. Grinning wryly, she replied, "I'm still in one piece. Have you found anything?".
His experience in the freezer was too much to articulate over a single brief call, so he said, "I think I know where to start looking for sensei. At least, I have a solid lead...I know I'm not making much sense, but I promise I'll explain everything later."
"Keep up the good work. We'll have Kalego-kun out of here before this night is over...but Iruma, don't push yourself too hard. If you need to rest, just make sure you stay aware of your surroundings...Call me if your lead bears fruit and good luck", she replied.
"You, too!" Then the connection was severed, leaving each to their fervent mission. He grinned at her tone, glad Opera had pulled her out of her self pity. Now they could focus on the reason they had come - to rescue their friends and stop Victoria once and for all.
Above ground, Purson worriedly knelt beside Vincente as Bachiko stared in mild horror. Ai had certainly done a number on him and despite Persephone's potent healing magic, he still looked to be in a fairly awful state. That alone spoke volumes for what the poor demon had been through.
Soi gently shook Valiant's shoulder to stir him. "Master, wake up. I brought help", he uttered. Languidly looking up, Vincente grinned softly upon seeing the archer's concerned face. "Hello again, princess", he managed, his voice cracking.
His playful nature was shining through despite his grievous injuries. It was irritating, but somehow, he was starting to grow on her. Kneeling at his side, Bachiko wiped the fresh blood from seeping down his chin with a stoic expression.
"Idiot...Don't scare us like that", she grumbled, trying to hide her relief that he'd returned. He chuckled faintly at her pink cheeks as their eyes met and she quickly averted her gaze. He tried to talk again, but only ended up coughing pretty hard. Glancing to Purson, he waved him closer and tapped out a message on the boy's palm.
Glancing back, she knew they were communicating, but unable to hear the taps, she waited impatiently. "Well? What'd he say?", she asked. Soi hid a smirk as he relayed, "I knew you cared."
Fighting off an eye twitch and a deeper blush, she lightly punched Valiant's shoulder. He couldn't resist messing with her even being so far gone and that was endearingly annoying. "Yeah right...Dumbass", she mumbled.
"Purson, get his right side. We'll have to drag him back...And Vincente, no funny business. I don't care if you're already beat up. One stray finger and I'll break your damn arm", she warned.
Valiant tried to grin innocently as if to proclaim his aristocratic virtues, but it only displayed the shattered remnants of his fangs. Imagining how much it must hurt, Bachiko reined in her attitude. It was clear he was putting on airs to keep his young protégé at ease and she respected that.
"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt for now. Iruma seems to trust you and you are a noble...but don't forget what I said", she muttered begrudgingly.
Purson took his place, ready to hoist Valiant off the ground on his right and Bachiko did the same on his left. "Ready? One, two, lift!"
Valiant tried to contain a mild groan as they dragged him onto his feet. It was obvious he was still in some serious pain. Giving him a moment to catch his balance, Bachiko waited patiently. Then she shot them both a dirty look as Soi quickly stifled a snicker. "Pfftt!"
"Hey! What's so funny?! I saw him tapping your shoulder!", she asked accusingly. Averting his amused face, Purson said, "Nothing... He said he promises to be on his best behavior, denoting a gentleman of his line."
Her glare twitched as she realized how close Valiant's face was to her own. "What are you up to?", she asked skeptically. He looked like the epitome of someone teasing, "Who me?", as innocently as possible. Grumbling internally, she started toward the defense team. They had a medic on hand and he'd be their problem soon enough.
Below, alone in his bonds, Kalego glowered darkly into nothingness. It had been some time since Victoria had left him with the name of his betrayer. At first he was stunned and angry, but after a while, when his mind had calmed, there were only two reasons that could explain Dali's actions.
First, it became abundantly clear that Ai had steep leverage against his senpai and that could only mean one thing - she had somehow gotten her hands on Sage.
Second, he already knew that Victoria was targeting the misfits and likely others as well. Dali's duty as a teacher was to protect their students at all costs. Even though harming another staff member was forbidden, it was the lesser of two evils, and Kalego begrudgingly accepted that trade off.
As betrayed and outraged as he initially felt, he'd quietly come to understand Dali's reasons. Yet that didn't mean he could be so easily forgiven. Undoubtedly there would be several changes at Babylus concerning all of this. Whether or not his senpai would even be allowed back was in Sullivan's hands. All Kalego could do was wait for now and he hated that helpless feeling.
Elsewhere, Iruma carefully followed the map he'd gotten from Cornelius. It led into the east wing where Persephone had gone to search. Despite the dire situation, it was a little heart warming that she instinctively knew which way to go, proving she and Kalego shared a deep bond that couldn't easily be put into words.
Iruma wondered how far she had gotten as he studied the blueprints in the low light. A deep growl froze him in his tracks. A pair of glowing red eyes stared him down from the gloom ahead. A demonic beast had apparently slipped past Persephone's keen eye. Now he had to deal with it. Clutching his last feather at the ready, he held his ground.
The beast was a rather large nine tailed fox. He swallowed hard as he remembered his mission briefing. Its telltale black markings gave it away as Victoria's familiar. Glancing at its back legs, he could also see a bandage where his master had landed an arrow before. There was no doubt in his mind now; Ai was close.
An amused "Hmm" sounded across his shoulder and into his ear. He spun around in surprise, trying to keep both foes in view as he quickly pocketed his precious map.
"Humans are so very enticing when they're scared. That adorable look of fear in your eyes...It's like a little rabbit that only realized it wasn't meant to be a beloved pet right before dinner... So tell me, Iruma-kun, what have you done with Dali's brat?... I know it was you; I can smell her warped magic in your skin."
Ai looked at him coldly, but her tone remained almost as whimsical as it was accusatory. Iruma held his silence, gauging his best chance for escape as he glanced between Victoria and her snarling fox. All he could do at the moment was hold down the button for his microphone and hope she didn't notice. Surely Persephone would hurry to his side to even the odds once she recognized Ai's voice.
"What's wrong? Not talking today?...It hardly matters. The scent of your fear is rather delectable, but as much as I'd rather simply take a bite, I must tell you that you let a very unique opportunity slip your fingers by letting that monstrosity go", she teased.
Iruma watched her closely. She was definitely giving off strong predator vibes and, after his last run in with Kiriwo, he couldn't let his guard down again when being threatened by a hungry demon. Ai grinned at his lost expression. He was nervous yet clearly had no idea what she was talking about.
"I see you're confused, but I'm not surprised. So few know the truth anymore", she taunted, circling him playfully as she spoke. The massive fox watched him keenly, ensuring he knew it would pounce the second he tried to run.
"What truth?", he asked carefully. Chances were that she was merely babbling nonsense to keep him busy. Did she know about the map somehow? Was it possible she had henchmen moving Kalego to a new location as they spoke?
Victoria grinned tauntingly as she tapped his nose. "Humans, angels, demons...We used to intermingle quite freely in the past, but each sealed off their borders thousands of years ago." Her words were enticing if true. Either way, he had to keep her distracted until Persephone arrived. He sincerely hoped she was receiving his signal.
Ai smirked evilly, knowing she had him hooked. "Do you know why the three races ultimately separated?... The answer is simple - To prevent a war no one could win, an all out genocide", she said evenly.
Iruma's eyes quivered at her taunting, partial explanation. What did she mean? She chuckled at his growing sense of dread. Leaning close, she whispered into his ear, "Figure it out yet?".
He seemed lost to his thoughts, struggling to grasp a clue from a world of seemingly endless possibilities. "Angels are dangerous to demons, aren't they?...That's why you took Sage, to experiment and find a way to weaponize her, isn't it?", he ventured. He trembled as Victoria gently grasped his shoulders from behind. She was enjoying the scent of his trepidation.
"You're smarter than you look, kid...But the one missing element for you is how humans fit into it all, right?...You don't seem to quite understand, so let me spell it out for you", she began.
Her tone sent a chill down his spine. He had figured out one piece to the puzzle, but why was he dreading the rest? What was so awful that he desperately didn't want to hear? Releasing her hold of him, she circled around to face him as she spoke, eager to see his reaction.
"You see, Iruma-kun, it's all about balance. Every ecosystem needs it. Predator and prey, the change of the seasons, all of the little things that form a cycle of energy... You already know how we demons eat your kind, so I doubt you were surprised when you figured out your blood could heal us." She smiled at his tense face as he followed along.
"The same is true throughout the trifecta. Humans are food for us demons; Your flesh nourishes us and your blood can heal our wounds...That power aspect puts us at the top of the relationship… However, we are unfortunately at a disadvantage when it comes to angels. It's no wonder why your ancestors cast them in a divine light, the 'great protectors of humanity', when they watched those so-called guardians save them from the demons... They hunted us and used our blood, just as we had done to your kind."
She watched him tremble with horror as it finally sank in. "Angels eat demons?", he asked breathlessly, shaken to his core. Victoria smirked at his abject terror. He was on the verge of a breakdown at the revelation.
"That's right. Humans were our food, but we, in turn, were fodder for the angels", she confirmed. Seeing him so existentially lost was exactly what she wanted, but she wasn't lying at all. "It gets better. Do you know how you fit in?"
She paused to chuckle darkly. "A perfectly balanced system... Long ago, you humans used to eat angels. Their blood was your salvation against plague and starvation in ancient times… It was really a stroke of genius propaganda when two races joined up against the other."
He shivered with wide eyes. Was it possible that humans once preyed upon the angels? He couldn't quite wrap his head around it all. It went against everything he thought he knew. Seeing him struggle with his thoughts, Ai continued.
"Angels feared humans. If they were consumed, they could grant untold power to your generally weak race. Your only caveat was numbers, really; Humans would overwhelm the occasion angel and feast... Honestly, where did you think all of those legends about demigods and magicians came from? It was all about whoever claimed the heart... It's where I got the idea", she explained amusedly.
Iruma couldn't believe his ears; He didn't want to. Her words were making him sick yet everything she was saying somehow rang true deep in a long forgotten, genetic memory that had been passed down for millenia. Ai sighed, growing bored. He wasn't freaking out as much as she had hoped, a minor miscalculation.
"At some point, the cowardly angels offered up their services to protect your kind from us demons in exchange for their own safety and as time went on, humans began to forget the truth of the past... Still, things were far from peaceful. That's when the leaders of the three races convened and made a pact - Each would remain in its own realm and no longer interfere with the others... That ancient contract still exists, you know. Very few are trusted to protect it... You really should ask your grandfather what else he's been hiding from you", she taunted.
Iruma stiffened as she smugly leaned close to his face in a combination of fear and disgust. "There's no way all of that is true", he uttered, not wanting to believe it. Ai grinned faintly at the look in his eyes. He wasn't certain and it showed. She had accomplished her goal and planted a seed of doubt in his heart against those who claimed to protect him.
"I don't expect you to believe me. After all, what would I possibly have to gain by telling you everything? Go ahead and ask Sullivan, Levi, and Belial. They'll deny everything, of course, but you can feel it, can't you? Deep down, you know I'm right… So protect Dali's little monster if you must, but you'll throw away your one chance at real power…"
Victoria watched Iruma silently question everything she had told him. Yet her last tease had really gotten to the boy. He stared, afraid to ask what exactly she had meant. Grinning, she leaned over his shoulder to explain her nuanced meaning.
"No one really knows for sure anymore, but legend has it that if a human consumes both an angel and a demon, they can gain immortality... Yet you let that obnoxious brat win you over when you could've achieved the unthinkable by consuming just one miserable life… You could've been the most powerful being in the three realms. Becoming the demon king would be so easy and your little friends would never need to know of your true origin. You'd never have to fear being eaten again... Can you picture it?"
She licked his ear for added nuance as she whispered her question, expecting a timid shiver. Both knew she had no qualms with devouring a human, so why was she telling him all this? Why not simply snuff out one more life among dozens to protect her precious Naberius? She was certainly up to something nefarious.
"Stop it!", demanded Iruma. He was livid at her suggestion and the unexpected power in his voice made her pause. "I'm not like you. I'll never eat another sentient being!", he stated defiantly.
Ai shrugged calmly. She had accomplished her secondary goal. Iruma was so enraptured by her little history lesson, that he never noticed her ulterior motives. His map was gone and the wire to his ear piece had been severed early on.
"My sweet, naive, little glutton... How do you know all the lives that ended just so you could devour their flesh were innocent and dumb? Food is your life. Even I know that; I can see it written in your heart, so don't be so quick to judge me. You and I aren't all that different, you know. We both consume those weaker than ourselves for sustenance and seek to create a world molded by our own ideals", she said.
"Act righteous if you want. You're all alone down here. I could gobble you up any time I desire...but first, I have a few other toys to play with… Enjoy being lost in the darkness while I end your allies. This is just the beginning", she said cryptically, as she playfully pinched his cheek. Then she vanished into the ambient shadows.
Her fox familiar stared at Iruma a few moments longer before losing interest and wandered off to find its master. Deeply shaken, but physically unharmed, he tried to call Persephone to see if she had heard any of that. She had strangely ignored his call the entire time, but maybe she could at least give him some answers.
Hearing nothing, he checked his equipment. The wire had been expertly severed. It was no wonder Persephone hadn't come to his rescue. Still, he was unscathed and that alone was a miracle. He knew Victoria was taunting him, almost as if leading him into doing something, but he had no idea what exactly she was after. Either way, his questions would have to wait.
Reaching into his jacket, he felt around for the map he had quickly stowed upon Victoria's arrival, but it was gone. As he panicked, a familiar voice caught his ear. "You really are an idiot, Iru-boy", chided Alicred.
"Ali-san, the map is gone!", exclaimed Iruma. Not only was he now completely lost, but he was also worried that he'd never find his teacher. Sighing, Ali-san floated beside him in his smaller form. "Are we at least close to your sensei?", he asked.
Iruma thought it over. He had tried to memorize the blueprints entrusted to him, but his memory was nothing compared to that of Cornelius. "I think so, but I have no idea where to go from here", he admitted. Unimpressed, Ali-san sighed as he crossed his arms.
"You really are hopeless without my help, aren't you?", he ventured as he cast some kind of spell. Iruma stared in disbelief as a hologram of the map appeared before his eyes, its lines practically glowing in the darkness.
"Amazing! I didn't know you could do that, Ali-san! Thank you", he said sincerely. Glancing over at his stoic partner's silence, Ali seemed troubled. "Neither did I...It just came to me out of nowhere", he admitted.
Iruma was both concerned and intrigued, but there was precious little time to figure it out at the moment. "Well, no sense in looking a gift horse in the mouth. I don't know how long I can keep this up, so let's get moving. It feels like we're pretty close now, but...are you sure you're ready for what we're going to find?", asked the demon of the ring.
Iruma looked troubled as he thought that over. "Honestly?... I don't know, but it doesn't matter. Kalego-sensei has been here too long already. We have to find him and when we do, we'll go get Persephone-san and lead her back. Let's go, Ali-san", he said with determination. An agreeing nod between them and they were off.
Elsewhere in the shadows not far away, Ai calmly pet her fox's head as she glared at the map in her other hand. Beyond irritated, she grit her teeth as she set it alight with a magic flame. There was only one demon with such a detailed memory who would dare to betray her - Cornelius.
"That toddering, old, sentimental fool… Haven't you realized it yet? There's no saving my soul...But we'll discuss your involvement with the human later… You can't have him. After all, I already have plans for Iruma...Grandfather."
Several minutes later, Iruma and Alicred stared at what looked like an unfinished wall. "Is this the place?", asked Ali-san. Iruma looked at their holographic map one more time. It was just like the freezer. Most likely, they had to find a release. He started feeling around the surface for a release latch, but had no luck.
Iruma pondered how to get in. "There has to be a trick", he mumbled, thinking out loud. Ali floated beside him in thought, his hand on his chin. Then his eye widened with an idea. "I know!", he said, snapping his fingers in epiphany.
Iruma stared as his partner grew in size and changed shape. Alicred was notorious for taking on female personas, but the dark double of Victoria Ai now standing beside him was somehow deeply unsettling. Every detail was near perfect as if he had intimate knowledge of the subject he was copying. "Ali-san?", ventured Iruma, uneasily.
The foe demoness seemed to glare in irritation as she stared ahead. "If I were Ai…", he trailed. Then a look of confidence overtook his shadowed face. With one more snap of his fingers, he uttered, "Aiftah", and the wall evaporated to reveal a hidden corridor.
"Eehhh? Ali-san, how did you do that?!", gaped Iruma. Alicred grinned smugly before reverting to his given form and shrinking down once more. "Fufufu...Easy, I - …" He trailed his words as if he'd lost his train of thought. He suddenly looked very confused, too. "Ali-san?"
The tiny demon shook his head with a playful shrug. "Lucky guess?", he ventured. Iruma grinned politely, but he was starting to get worried. Was this place somehow affecting his partner or was it something more intimate? Was it possible that some lost fragment of his memory was trying to surface? Yet if that was true, then that meant...No! He had to keep trusting him. After all, they had accomplished great things working together.
Iruma tried to calm his mind as he smiled in gratitude. "Great guess. Now let's go find sensei." His concerns would have to wait. Besides, there was no proof that Victoria and Alicred were connected. He had to stay positive and keep his faith in their partnership.
The duo entered the eerie hallway. It smelled strongly of medicine and preserving fluids. Carts piled high with bloody rags and torture tools lined the walls. They even passed a severed wing covered in blood-stained white feathers full of pins and clamps. Just what was this awful place?
Passing a few ajar doors, Iruma stayed focused. Surely Kalego's cell would still be well locked. Finally approaching the end of the hall, a huge door loomed in front of him. It was made of thick, heavy metal and had multiple sets of locks around every edge.
Leaning close, he listened carefully. Finally, a faint cough on the other side caught his ear. He instantly lit up with hope. "Kalego-sensei, are you there?! It's Iruma! We've all come to find you!...Please answer me! Sensei?!", he shouted.
Inside, Kalego was swinging in and out of consciousness. Thinking he heard Iruma's voice, he smirked deprecatingly. "Great, now I'm hallucinating about the brats", he thought. He was pretty far gone in his current state. Yet, there it was again. A distant 'sensei' being called out.
Lifting his head, he stared at the door in question. "Iruma?", he ventured. A moment later, an elated response came back. "Sensei, I'm so glad you're alright!!!", called Iruma, tears of relief filling his voice.
Kalego froze, unsure how to react, but a thankful smile crept over his face despite himself. "That fool. He shouldn't have come here", he thought. Then it dawned on him that Victoria had actually told him the truth and that meant his entire class was out there fighting for him. How embarrassing…
"Are you okay? I don't have any healing tonics, but P-..." Iruma had called out, but stopped on the last word, 'Persephone'. That's right, he still had to speak the release spell. He'd promised to free Kalego's mind.
"Sensei, listen carefully to what I'm about to say!...This is the decree of your queen: Altered perception ends here as deceit releases reality. Be at peace, for your exile is over and the gates of truth are open wide to welcome you home. Shed your false guilt and reclaim your serenity. Take heart! Your hands are clean and her life is safe, so let these words dissolve your personal damnation and be free...And so she says with love - 'Long live the king'."
"Phew." Iruma took a deep, relieved breath, glad he'd spoken the release spell without messing up. Now he listened closely for a response.
Kalego stared toward the door, mildly confused by the seemingly random soliloquy. "What kind of nonsense is he babbling?", he thought. Then time seemed to stop. He couldn't breathe as the color drained from his face.
All of his rewritten memories came flooding back, falling apart as they did. Blood seeped from his nose as his mind and body struggled to cope. As the mental deluge subsided, an image of Persephone's warm smile greeted him before it crumbled into her sobbing and begging his forgiveness after he'd blacked out at Sullivan's mansion. That was reality.
Suddenly taking a breath, he felt lighter. His guilt melted away as the truth made itself known. Then a deep sadness overtook him, knowing she'd been dealing with her own guilt this whole time, too.
He wanted to ask Iruma to confirm his suspicions, to tell him she had come, too, but everything started spinning as his mind desperately tried to reconcile two conflicting sets of memories. Blacking out once more, he weakly muttered, "Damn it."
He was annoyed with his weakened state, but thankful his hunch had been correct; Persephone was alive. As he slipped back into troubled dreams, he focused on the memory of her demure smile. He desperately wanted to see it again.
Outside the door, Iruma called out, "Sensei!...I don't know if you can hear me, but hang on! I promise I'll come back with help! We're going to get you out of here!"
"I don't think he's awake, Iru-boy. You just shattered his reality. I doubt he could cope in whatever state Ai-chan has left him in", uttered Alicred.
Iruma glanced over in mild surprise. "Ai-chan?", he repeated. Ali-san looked confused. "Since when are you so attached to Victoria? Has she finally broken your brain? I didn't know you were into older women, naughty boy", he teased, playfully patting him on the head.
It dawned on Iruma that his partner wasn't even aware that he'd called Victoria by something else. Whatever if what was happening to Alicred was somehow tied to this place. Was it really possible that he knew Victoria before his imprisonment in the ring of gluttony? Was that another of Sullivan's secrets?...
Either way, they were too pressed for time to spend much energy on such thoughts. He'd finally found Kalego, but there was no way he could get him out on his own and Persephone's warning about trying to summon him was still fresh in his mind.
There was no choice. He had to physically bring her to this cell. Radio or not, he had to find her. Taking on a determined look, he quietly promised his sensei he would return one last time, then took off.
They were out of time. There was no way Ai would let her precious Naberius go so easily now that he'd been found. Iruma knew that he needed to be careful, but he had to press on. They were so close to their goal now. "Just a little longer", he thought.
Deep in Kalego's dreams, he stared at Persephone's back. She was standing in the distance, talking to someone. Slowly reaching out, he realized how badly his hand was shaking. Irritated with himself, he clenched his fist to his chest. He couldn't let her see him so jarred.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he started walking toward her. As he got closer, he could see the others around her - Shichiro and Pandora, Opera and Sullivan, even Nene and Vincente. What were they all saying? Their mouths were moving, but he couldn't hear them.
His approach was abruptly halted by some kind of barrier. Pressing his palm against it, he leaned forward to listen….A funeral? A trial?...It seemed like both somehow.
Their voices started to clear and it became obvious that Sullivan was reading a list of Persephone's crimes. It seemed the raid had failed and Kalego himself had perished. Now she was being held responsible for his death and everything else she had wrought.
She wasn't even protesting. She just stood there, silently accepting full responsibility and owning her intense guilt for breaking his mind, causing further suffering before his untimely demise. Shichiro couldn't look at her and Pandora couldn't stop crying. Opera said nothing, simply observing carefully with flattened ears and a cold calm.
Kalego grit his teeth as he pounded his fist against the barrier in frustration. "I'm not dead, you fools! I'm right here! She's innocent!" Yet his voice didn't seem to reach them. Then he realized his conflicting thoughts and emotions were trying to work themselves out.
Everyone else faded away, leaving just the two of them. Persephone slowly turned to face him. "I'm so sorry", she uttered sincerely, tears on her lovely face. She was looking right at him, pleading with her garnet eye for forgiveness.
He wanted to grant that sense of peace for her, but his throat had suddenly gone dry; He couldn't speak. Then an image of himself stepped forward. "Kalego-kun, you're still alive! Thank goodness", she said with relief, reaching out to embrace him.
The visage looked at her without emotion, denying her grateful affection. Her arms dropped to her sides as she paused before him. "Go back to Narnia. We're done here...Don't ever contact me again", he said before walking away and leaving her to crumple to her knees.
The fact that she didn't even try to stop him from leaving stung. She just sat there with her arms tightly around herself, accepting his cold response. Stepping closer, he managed to pass through the barrier from before, but it didn't seem like she could see him. "Persephone…", he uttered, torn.
Wiping her face, she slowly looked up with a dejected grin. "It's okay. I understand...I'll never rid myself of this burden, but it is mine alone to bear. I created this mess. Go be free...Let me go", she said.
Kalego's eyes quivered at her broken tone. As he knelt down and took her hand, he stared at the ground, unsure what to say. Yet when he glanced up again, Persephone was gone. Victoria now grinned in her place.
"How sweet of you to take my hand after all this time. Don't worry about Lamya. Let her become the focus of your loathing. She's wounded you deeper than I ever could... Now come here, my love, and give me your heart. I'm tired of waiting. It's time to grant your death", she said. Then her fangs latched onto his neck before he could react. "No!", he shouted, screwing shut his eyes.
Everything then suddenly faded away. When he reopened his eyes, he was alone. Looking over, a gentle light glowed nearby. Investigating, it was a warm scene. He saw himself quietly holding Persephone as they shared a book just like they had done so many times in the past. Orchestral music played faintly in the background.
Was this the future? Seeing their bond patched and both of them at peace brought a hopeful grin to his face as that image, too, slowly dissolved. A familiar presence now stood behind him, someone he hadn't seen in far too long.
"You have a decision to make, Kalego. Which will it be?", asked Narnia, his face shadowed and his tone almost sorrowful. "Will you give up and die, let her go, or fight for a future where you can each forgive the other? You must choose."
Kalego smirked in self deprecation as he got to his feet. "I'm not dying here. I refuse to give Victoria that much satisfaction", he stated.
His brother seemed to grin in approval. "Then choose your path - Your pride or your peace. You only have one chance. Are you going to let your inner darkness destroy the only flicker of light in your soul?... If you push her away this time, it will be the last", said Narnia, both cryptic and in warning.
He put his hand on his little brother's shoulder before vanishing. Then Kalego's memories started to replay. Everything from the moment he first met Persephone as teens to their first kiss and breakup, then finally to the amended truth where she destroyed his mind just before Victoria attacked his students. Joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, anger and tenderness, hope and regret. Each instance of all of them drifted through his mind?
What would he choose? Could he let go of that feeling of betrayal? She had only done as he asked. Persephone had found a way to save herself and didn't tell him what it was as not to let Victoria get wind of it. He created those conditions, not her. He wasn't even sure how long he'd been out cold. All he could do now was relive every second he'd ever spent with his beloved and hope he would make the right choice when they finally saw one another again.
Meanwhile, further in the east wing, Persephone came across another dark room in her search for Kalego. It seemed like some kind of operating room, but all of the beds and equipment had been pushed against the far wall and anatomic drawings were pinned everywhere. A desk in the gloom caught her attention. Photos of missing demons littered its drawers as she investigated. Suppressing her growing anger, she tried to memorize them.
She glared at the sudden, oppressive presence approaching her. Victoria had been emboldened by her successful capture and torture of Kalego. Eager to rub it in, she was finally showing herself. "Hello, Lamya. Long time no see", she said with a smug grin. The two stared each other down with barely contained malice.
"Where is he?", asked Persephone stiffly. She was in no mood to play games. Ai, of course, was infuriatingly unhelpful. "Valiant? I thought you already found him...Take him back if you want. He's been no fun at all even after I tried to tell him about Lulu. I'm not surprised that he didn't believe me, of course, but I was actually telling the truth about her", she shrugged.
Persephone grit her teeth in annoyance. She was playing right into Victoria's hands and she knew it, but her hatred was ready to overflow. "Cut the crap! What have you done with Kalego?", she demanded. Ai grinned evilly with a sadistic blush. "Hmm, what haven't I done?", she teased with a chortle.
"He is my favorite toy, after all...Did you know he still thinks he killed you? Seeing the torment and self loathing in his eyes has been truly delightful. I dare say I couldn't have been more thorough in manipulating him, myself. Well done."
Her words stung, but they were true. Persephone had always hated her rewrite ability. She'd promised herself to never use it on those she cared about yet she had torn her lover's soul asunder with her own mana and for what? Yes, she was alive, but it wasn't worth the price. She could never go back to happily lying in Kalego's arms without her care again.
Victoria studied her flickering expressions carefully. She had gotten under her skin just like she wanted. Now it was time to twist the proverbial knife. "It took you long enough to find your way down here", she began.
"I admit it has been a little less fun without him fighting back with that devilishly defiant, smoldering look of his... He held onto his hate as I slowly carved him apart, but it was almost like it had been halved. Now he detests himself just as much as me, and it's all thanks to you...I could make a place for you here, you know. You're just as diabolical in your executions as I am...Face it. We're kindred sinners, you and I, able to snuff the light from a soul with a whim. You could prove useful if you were to join me", she ventured.
There wasn't a chance in the netherworld of that happening. Already at her limit, Persephone pinned Victoria's body to the wall as she glowered with simmering rage. "WHERE IS HE?", she asked, pointedly, her nails sharply digging in. This was Ai's final chance. Persephone's dark, edged expression was warning enough of that.
Victoria calmly met her hateful glower, yet, surprisingly, she wasn't smirking. She didn't particularly look amused at all. Dead serious, she stated, "You're too late." She even managed to hold a placid expression as she watched Persephone's eye widen in horror and her heart drop into her stomach.
Slowly reaching out, she stroked her attacker's face, almost tenderly. "Poor, misguided Lamya. Kalego-kun has already become a part of me… I ate his heart, his beautiful brain, and - ...a few other choice, personal, bits of his anatomy", she blushed.
"I could almost taste you on his skin, you know. It made me sick", she said with barely contained sadism. She was really digging into Persephone's psyche deeply and enjoying every tortuous second of it.
"I suppose you could bury the rest of him if you really wanted to, though I had planned on freezing a few select cuts. After all, a girl needs a good steak once in a while", she taunted as Lamya's face dropped toward the floor. Persephone was trying so hard to keep it together. She knew Ai was a liar. This was all just a skilled psychological attack...right?
Victoria carefully removed Persephone's hands from herself, grinning triumphantly. Lamya leaned closer, holding onto the wall to keep herself standing as she began to tremble in despair. Whispering into her ear, Ai put the last nail in her heart's coffin.
"Don't worry. Despite the physical agony, he mentally went in peace. All he wanted was to see you again and beg forgiveness for your murder in the afterlife... He implored me to finish the job...but it wouldn't have been any fun to make it quick, so I made sure to watch every last twitch as I pulled out his heart... The desperate look on his face as I took the first bite was almost grateful. He was silently thanking me for your pending reunion as the light left his eyes."
She paused to laugh. "It's too bad he'll have to wait for you to follow him. Do you think he's cursing your name right now, looking down on us?...I almost pity you... If you beg me, I'll make your death quick and you can finally be together again, though I doubt he'll ever forgive you. Your ghost will follow him for a thousand years and he'll never even look at you... It's pathetic."
Victoria smirked smugly as she watched Persephone shudder under the strain of the tears she could no longer hold back. "You're lying", uttered Lamya weakly. She desperately hoped she was.
Slowly collapsing to the floor, Ai knelt and hugged her gently. "There, there...Just let it sink in. Own your guilt. It'll season your flavor", said Victoria, readily leaning in to bite into her jugular. Then a familiar voice broke her hold over her victim.
"Persephone!", screamed Iruma. She froze at the heart-rending tone in his voice. He was truly desperate to reach her just then. "Stand up!... Sensei's alive! Don't let Victoria manipulate you!", he shouted.
Victoria glared at him so coldly that he could practically feel his blood freeze inside of his veins, far more frigid than even the horrid freezer that housed Cornelius. Her fun had been interrupted. Yet despite her palpable bloodlust, he still looked determined to help his friend. How irritating...
Persephone's hands swiftly tightened around her throat in unbridled rage. "You heartless bitch", she seethed, eagerly crushing her windpipe. Ai grinned at her fury as she evaporated.
Appearing behind Iruma seconds later, she leaned across his shoulder with an icy smile. "I see Amy-kun failed to kill you again after our little meeting... I guess that means you're my problem now...You were warned, boy. You should've just taken Dali's brat and run home to Sullivan."
Before he could react, she grabbed his arm and hoisted it high as she sank her fangs deep into his wrist, casting her curse and eagerly sucking his blood. Humans truly tasted the most wonderful.
Simultaneously on a higher floor, Sage felt a chill run down her back. "Kitty-san, Iruma-nii is in danger! We have to go back!", she pleaded. Opera's sharp eyes narrowed as they continued running forward. They wanted to help their young master, but they had a job to do and they were nearing the surface.
"Iruma-sama is no pushover and Persephone will help keep him safe. It's too dangerous to take you back", they replied calmly.
Sage seemed to puff out her cheeks in irritation. Then she clenched her entire body in deep concentration. In the next second, Opera nearly tripped from surprise as the girl evaporated from their arms.
Flattening their ears in annoyance, they sighed and contacted Sullivan with an update. "There's been an unforeseen change in plans. I'm going back for Iruma-sama."
The chair demon was surprised, but pleased. He knew Opera wouldn't double back without a very good reason and the sneaky grin on his face said he already had a pretty good idea of what it was.
"You've taught her well, Parisa-chan", he chuckled.
to be continued...