Mairimashita! Iruma-kun: Shadows of the Past, part 54
Iruma clutched Sage close to his chest, protecting her innocent eyes from the grotesque display inside Kalego's torture chamber while Opera and Persephone anxiously stepped inside. They both stared in a combination of shock, disgust, and anger at the scene before them. They knew Ai was sick, but this display she had created was on another level.
Kalego had been pinned to the wall in a crucified position. Heavy metal stakes were driven through his arms at various points to support his weight and clear marks on his wrists indicated that he had previously hung solely from them in a tight binding as well.
Deep gouges covered his body and a hand-sized portion of his ribcage had been meticulously carved out to allow easy access to his heart. Blood and the smell of rot was everywhere along with bone shards and discarded bandages. To add insult to injury, thirteen of Victoria's curse marks now decorated his pale skin.
Persephone was torn between running to him in desperation and collapsing in sheer despair where she stood. She covered her gaping mouth as her tears inevitably spilled over, unsure she could even save him, until Opera put a firm hand on her shoulder to pull her back to reality. She trembled with barely suppressed rage beneath their fingers, clenching her fists tightly. Ai would pay dearly for this.
The feline demon held an even expression as she glanced over at them. They were clearly worried, too, but the look in their eyes said, "Don't give up." Taking a moment to calm her nerves, Persephone reminded herself that while she was personally crushed and infuriated by the physical state her lover was currently in, she was also a skilled healer and her training took over. "Let's get to work", she said, stepping forward with resolve.
Iruma shuddered at the awful sounds of the various impaling stakes and torture devices being removed as he tried to cover Sage's innocent ears. Still, he was grateful Kalego was unconscious; Undoubtedly the agony would have otherwise been unbearable.
He also knew his teacher's pride would be deeply wounded to know that a student had even seen him in such a pitiful condition, but at least he wasn't awake to suffer the morbid embarrassment or pain and Iruma had no intention of ever bringing up such horrid memories for discussion.
Several tense minutes passed and he finally heard a slight thud as Kalego's body slid free from the wall and into Persephone's waiting arms. She and Opera carefully lowered him to the floor, ignoring the near perfect blood-spattered outline he'd left behind.
He was truly in a dreadful state. He'd been humiliated, stabbed, operated on, and probably worse, all without anesthetic. Victoria was so thorough that she even severed his hamstrings, ensuring that in the off-chance he got loose, he wouldn't get very far. With the main tendons in his legs detached, he'd be rendered unable to even walk.
Gently cradling his head on her lap, Persephone stared sadly into his wan face as she ran a preliminary check of his vitals. Her taught expression proved that the results were not good. Even if she poured every last drop of her mana into his failing body, it likely wouldn't be enough to pull him back from the brink.
Victoria had drained his blood, strength, and even his willpower. Unknown to Persephone, she had also stolen a year, or possibly more, of his precious time allocated among the living. If the healer were aware of such a feat, she would be far more worried about Kalego's chances of recovery and about the criminally insane demon carefully plotting against them.
Softly stroking the loose strands of hair from his ghostly face, she leaned close enough to gently kiss his brow. "Just hold on, my love...Please forgive the method, but this is the only way I know how to save you."
A stray tear fell from her eye onto Kalego's cheek as she made her decision. While there was a slim chance that he might slowly recover under traditional healing methods, he would undoubtedly never physically be who he once was, and knowing just how badly his pride would shatter under such constraints, she couldn't condemn him to that life of misery. Thus, she had only one chance.
Taking a deep breath, she made peace with the consequences of her choices. Kalego would indeed be furious with her if she had to resort to her backup plan, but she had already accepted his pending ire. As long as he was alive to hate her for all her meddling, she would gladly accept his cold disdain and distant scorn for the rest of her days.
"Opera, the pinion", she uttered, her voice strained, but determined. Iruma shuddered, knowing that could only mean one thing. She deemed him too far gone to save with healing magic alone. He clutched Sage even closer, worried yet placing his trust in Persephone to pull off the impossible.
Without argument, the security demon went to his young master and retrieved the phoenix feather. Grasping Iruma's shoulder, they leaned close and whispered to take Sage further down the corridor. Nodding, he quietly obeyed, consoling the shaken girl as they went. "Everything's going to be okay. I promise", he said as cheerfully as he could muster along their way.
As Opera returned to Kalego's side, Persephone was gently stroking his face as her troubled tears fell, not bothering to hide her emotions now that Sage had been removed from the room. Then she softly kissed his parched lips with tender affection as if saying goodbye, well aware that this may be the closest she'd ever get to him again.
She fully anticipated being despised for breaking both his mind and spirit. Considering that, her sadness was easily explained in Opera's concerned eyes. Even if Kalego found it within his wounded heart to forgive such a treasonous act, if Persephone resorted to self sacrifice, he would still be upset with her for the trade off.
"I'm so sorry, Kalego-kun...You didn't deserve any of this", she uttered sincerely, then she hugged him carefully so as not to cause any further harm as she steeled her resolve. She knew what had to be done and yet her hands and heart trembled.
Looking over at Opera's strained silence, she pleaded, "Please don't make me do it." Her voice was so broken at that moment that they barely heard her at all. Her soul was clearly bleeding just as much as her beloved's failing body. Kneeling down, they carefully took her hand and set the medical pouch in her palm. "Of course not", they conceded.
In order to properly resurrect him with the phoenix feather, they had to first end his pain. That meant killing him, of course, and making Persephone perform such an act, even to ultimately save his life, would be far too cruel. So it fell to Opera.
Waiting for her to charge the pinion, they released a deep sigh. "How fitting", they thought. They had defeated Kalego with a single punch all those years ago and now he had to die by their hand. Still, the one that loved Kalego most dearly would be his saving grace and that also seemed proper. No one but Persephone could save him now.
As the feather within her fingers roared to life with a magical flame, the warm light bathed Kalego's pale form in a red glow. Persephone recalled what Clara had said about Purson's unusual mobility and they would certainly need Kalego ambulatory to defeat Ai, so she poured thrice the required mana into the pinion. She wasn't taking any chances.
Glancing at Opera, she nodded once and clenched her eyes tightly shut, turning her face away, as they humbly said, "Please don't hold this against me, Kalego-kun."
She could feel them carefully reach over into her lap and lift his head, followed by the sickening, unmistakable crunch of Kalego's neck being broken. It sent a violent shudder through her entire body as she fought the urge to vomit. She knew that severing the nerves between his spine and brainstem was the fastest, most humane method and that they couldn't risk damaging his heart any further if it was to sustain such a strong pulse of concentrated magic.
It was an awful feeling, knowing she had a hand in his demise, but she was grateful to be spared from performing the act directly. Opera had done what was necessary, however grim the task was, and now the duo could focus on bringing him back.
Persephone had to put her faith in her familiar's gift now. Waiting as Opera realigned Kalego's head, she opened her eyes just enough to properly aim before plunging the feather deep into his exposed heart. The grotesque hole in his ribs that Ai had joyfully created had made that much easier at least.
Both demons watched breathlessly as her mana flowed from the pinion's shaft down into Kalego's body, like a slowly draining vial of water. A warmth began to overtake his cold flesh, but despite triple charging the resurrection tool, it didn't seem to be enough. She quickly pulled the remaining vial of Iruma's blood from her bosom and poured it through her lover's parted lips.
A tense moment passed as they waited for a response, but not a single flicker of electricity flickered across Kalego's pallid face. Was it still not enough? Was this the price of her crimes, for destroying his mind and spirit? Even if it was, she refused to accept that cost; She was going to save him even if it killed her.
"I will never forgive Victoria for what she has done to you", said Persephone under her breath. Opera stared with wide eyes as she unfurled her wings in pure determination. They, too, lit up with a magical flame just like the pinion as she spoke a strange spell. They had heard of this rare phenomenon, but had never seen it before.
"Garuda", a forbidden spell that exchanged vital energy between two beings at a steep cost. She was actually creating a prohibited contract with her phoenix, allowing it to act directly through her own body. The spell could only work with a recovery type familiar and would undoubtedly take a nasty toll on its master, but it was Kalego's only chance and she was more than willing to make that sacrifice. She felt it was the least she could do to atone for everything she had done.
"Dearest familiar, my sole blood contract, and trusted comrade in arms, I hereby invite you to this plane to make yourself known. Take my flesh and, through this body, bend our spirits to your will to undo the wrong that has been wrought. I give you full permission to burn up as much of my life span as you need in exchange for this precious gift. Rise and resurrect the fallen. Shed the shackles of your common name and proudly spread your wings as the god you once were. Hear me, my phoenix, and be reborn through me… Answer my call, Bennu."
Her eye shot open with the last word as the ethereal flames overtook her entire being. They now glowed from deep within her garnet eye as she finished the arcane incantation. A rainbow sheen danced through the fire now emanating from her flesh and soul. It was an enchanting sight.
Understanding her reasons, Opera set their hand on her arm and donated some of their own mana to bolster her power, hoping to offset how much of her life she was trading. She was willing to literally give everything to save Kalego, even pay the ultimate price, and that fervent dedication touched the security demon, stirring deeply buried memories of Aria and the tears that followed her into death, forever sealing away part of their heart. Or so they thought. It seemed love really was the most powerful force in the universe.
Persephone was sacrificing her own mortality to make this miracle happen. Just how many years she was burning up, Opera didn't know, but they understood there was no point in trying to talk her out of it. Still, watching her aura ignite with the force of life itself was a truly breathtaking vision. Her commitment to Kalego really was incredible.
Down the hall, Iruma covered Sage's ears tightly as a piercing scream washed over them. It sounded like a giant bird, but another voice was embedded within the screech. Persephone had cried out in what sounded like pure, primal agony as her very soul forced time to reverse in order to save her beloved. It was an extremely risky move, but he had already promised her to hold his peace and keep her secret should it come to that. Now, he just prayed that it worked.
Meanwhile, somewhere very far away, the aged angel king looked pensively over a handful of assembled subordinates.
"Unsurprisingly, the demons are taking far too long to resolve their internal affairs and comply with our demands. Thus I am sending the two of you to retrieve our people. You are the top elite soldiers directly under my banner and I expect you act accordingly. Do not disappoint me", he said.
The two young women kneeling before him replied, "Yes, your highness", in unison. As part of the Thurayya, it was their sole duty to serve the crown. The younger of them quietly glanced at the man standing beside her.
"Captain Nuri, I request immediate permission to leave", she ventured. Despite being her elder brother, the man showed no favoritism or emotion while sending her to forbidden territory.
"Permission granted, but do not deviate from your orders. Should any demons go missing during this mission, I will hold you personally accountable, Zuhaila. Is that understood?", he said evenly.
Saluting across her chest as she stood, the girl bowed solemnly. She was only fifteen, a true prodigy of the royal guard. Normally someone so young would never be permitted to descend to the demon world, but both her rank and skill gave her unique allowances.
Setting his eyes upon the elder female, Nuri calmly said, "I'm counting on you to keep her in line, Hala...There is to be no blood spilled by our hands. Now go and do the Thurayya proud. The king as well as the rest of the Fourteen Candles will be awaiting your successful return."
Having accepted their orders, the two angels quietly hastened toward the border of their realm. Three souls were missing and they would not return empty handed.
Elsewhere, Lied and Clara had their hands full, too. They had ultimately found Kiriwo, but their plan to help him quickly fell apart after that. He'd gone after Clara, knowing that between the choice of the two victims present, her death would likely hurt Iruma the most.
As Victoria activated part of the compound's self-destruct, their entire fight was put on hold. Now she was on the ground with her left leg badly trapped under heavy rubble and blood slowly seeping out, denoting injury.
Luckily, Lied was relatively unscathed, but his strained stamina wouldn't last much longer. He knew he'd never make it to her side in time to stop the collapse from completely crushing her, so in a feat of quick thinking and sheer desperation, he had attempted the impossible. Now he was controlling Kiriwo's entire body, just barely holding the debris at bay with his senpai's questionable strength.
It was a race against time. Kiriwo's frail body could give out at any moment, but so could Lied's waning mana. He'd never pulled off such a trick before and he wasn't sure just how long he could maintain it, but he was suddenly very thankful for Robin's focus training before the harvest festival. Struggling to keep it all together, he sincerely prayed that someone, anyone, had gotten his distress call for help minutes before.
The sound of approaching footsteps was a relief, but he couldn't even look to see if it was a friend or a foe. Every ounce of his concentration was already being used. Whoever it was, they were coming fast. He could only pray it was an ally.
"Let me go, you naive fool. You're just going to kill us all", said Kiriwo, irritated that he was no longer in control of himself. The cement slab he was trying to support was slowly pushing him down and he had no interest in saving Clara, let alone sacrificing himself to do it.
"Shut up! This is all your fault, so you're going to help me fix it!", retorted, Lied, strained by the focus it took to keep his hold over his borrowed puppet and speak at the same time.
"Clara!!! Where are you?!", yelled a concerned yet familiar voice in the distance. Thankfully, it was close. Lied smirked smugly at the annoyance on his senpai's face as they both recognized who it belonged to while Clara groaned as she finally came to and tried to move. "Owie", she grumbled, rubbing her sore head. A falling rock had hit her hard, knocking her out briefly.
Despite the blood flowing into her eyes, pounding headache, and intense pain in her trapped leg, she quickly understood what was happening around her. She smiled faintly at her friend in gratitude. Her classmate was doing everything he could to save her.
Fighting to keep control of Kiriwo's body, Lied hurriedly uttered, "Clarin, Azzkun is looking for us. Call out to him!". She seemed to be in mild shock, not comprehending what was being said, but she could hear her soul mate's voice yelling her name. "Clara! This is no time to play games! If you can hear me, say something!"
"Azzazz?..." A broad, relieved grin spread over her face. "Azzazz! We're over here! My leg is really stuck and Fluffy can't move either!", she shouted.
Several paces away, Asmodeus froze. He had finally gotten a response, calming the growing sense of dread in his chest. Without a second's hesitation, he bolted toward the sound of Clara's voice. He could see an air pocket on the other side of some rubble, but he couldn't get through to it just yet. Annoyed yet determined, he carefully started digging.
Nearby, Kiriwo's amused grin was starting to falter. "Azzkun, there's no point in struggling. If you move that debris, you'll only entomb us completely...Leave us", he said, unusually serious.
Gritting his teeth, Azz ignored him. "Stop talking! You're wasting precious oxygen. Just stay where you are and I'll get to you soon", he chided.
"Do you really want to save any of us or are you just playing the hero to further endear yourself to Iruma-kun?...Haven't you realized it yet? If you let us die, there will be no more Valac. You'll have him all to yourself", uttered Kiriwo. The pain he was enduring by holding up the rubble was becoming too much for his weak flesh to handle.
He smirked as he heard Azz briefly stop moving. Had he gotten his point across? Taking a deep breath, Azz started digging with renewed vigor.
"I don't want to hear that from you. It is true that Iruma-sama is my primary concern in this world, but if stupid Clara isn't also in it to annoy me, then neither of us will be happy...I don't expect someone like you to understand that", he said evenly.
Clara blushed, gaining a huge smile after the initial shock of hearing him speak so candidly passed. Lied grinned, too, but had to interject. "Not to ruin the moment or anything… I'm glad you guys are so close, but don't forget I'm in here, too", he teased, exhausted.
Azz smirked, trying to play it cool and take the focus off his newly confused feelings about Clara. "Everyone in the misfits class is a precious friend. Iruma-sama taught me that...Senpai, I hope that one day you can appreciate that, too."
He kept moving debris until he finally broke through. Now he had to make a decision - incapacitate Kiriwo or free Clara first? There was a chance that pulling her free may shift the rubble to trap them all, but there was an equal chance that their senpai would pounce the second his back was turned.
Clara's relieved grin fell at the sight of Azz's tearful expression. He'd been so worried, so afraid to lose them that he was actually about to cry. Meeting her gaze, he quickly averted his pink face and wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
"Clara, just stay still for another minute", he instructed, pointedly approaching Kiriwo. She agreed, but watched with interest. He understood the Lied was the only thing keeping him from escaping on his own. Azz was leaning close, but what was he saying? She couldn't hear him.
"Senpai, if you so much as breathe the wrong way, I won't hesitate to cauterize your neck completely, and if you even think about hurting any of us while my back is turned, I'll reduce your useless body to ash", he whispered, dead serious in warning.
Kiriwo sweat nervously at the tiny yet intense blue flame upon Azz's fingertips beside his face. Asmodeus was so enraged that his fire spell had significantly powered up. Even Clara stared in surprise; She'd never seen him create a blue flame before.
Grinning in defeat, Kiriwo muttered, "Agreed." Hesitating only briefly, Azz lowered his attack and dismissed his mana. "Vino", he called, raising his hand high. In an instant, his gorgon snake materialized and helped stabilize the debris around them.
Stepping close, he smiled fondly at his soul mate as he knelt down. "Stupid Clara. How did you get so stuck?", he teased. She grinned bashfully at her predicament before blushing at his sudden closeness. It dawned on her that he was checking her over for other injuries instead of simply asking. Had he really been that worried?
Looking closely at how she was pinned, he carefully placed his hand on the slab crushing her leg to get a feel for its weight. "I think I can get you out, but you need to help me. Stay very still until you feel like you can get your leg out. Then crawl forward, even if it hurts. I won't be able to hold it forever, so let me know when you're free."
He looked lost in concentration as he spoke, clearly creating plans and backup plans in his head. Then it became rather obvious that she was staring. When did he become so dependable? Was it Iruma's influence or Balam's training? Either way, he was proving himself as both a general and a friend.
"Lied, hold him as long as you can. If senpai moves...kill him", he said, glancing darkly across his shoulder. Lied wasn't sure he could do that and besides, when did Azz get so intense? "S-sure", he uttered weakly.
Kiriwo merely grinned, well aware that his demise was rather unlikely, at least until Azz got directly involved. Still, the barriers he had placed over his hands were starting to fail. He'd also placed several others to help with the cave in and, one by one, they were beginning to crack under the strain.
Azz and Clara locked eyes for a moment with a determined nod. It was now or never. "Ready? One, two,...three!" As he shoved the cement off her crushed limb, the intense pain really set in. Now that her circulation was being restored, so was the feeling in her shattered leg. She cried out as she tried to move, but the agony was just too intense.
"Clara, go!", he spat, straining under the weight. Sniffling, she nodded and dragged herself forward despite the pain. "I made it! I'm free!", she uttered, looking back at the trail of blood she'd left behind. Azz slowly lowered the cement in relief, carefully observing its stability.
Turning to assess the situation, he was caught off guard at how bad the break was; Her jagged shin bone was sticking out through her skin and her thigh was badly discolored. It was likely her femur was broken, too. She was crying and who could blame her? Yet she still smiled meekly for her friends.
"It's pretty bad, huh?", she ventured, her voice and body shaking. Her playtime would definitely be reduced for a while after this.
Offering a reassuring grin, Azz asked, "Can you make a splint? It'll have to do until we get you to the surface." She nodded after a moment. She could make just about anything, really. A splint should be simple so long as she could focus through the pain.
Watching them act so freely really irritated Kiriwo. He was willingly dismissing some of his barrier panels at that point. There was no way he was going to let himself be used for their 'happily ever after'. It was far too nauseating.
"Touching reunion", he smirked. Azz sent him a cold glare before glancing back at Lied. He was fighting off physical tremors at the strain to his magic. He wouldn't hold out much longer.
"Don't worry about me. Just get Clarin out of here", he grinned. Without argument, Azz nodded in agreement.
"Hold still, alright? I'll do my best not to hurt you", he uttered, carefully lifting her up. She shivered in pain, but withheld her voice, knowing he was doing his best. Clutching onto him tightly with an arm around his neck for support, they both blushed briefly as their eyes met. Was she always this light? Was he always that strong?
Shaking the strange feeling, Azz glanced back at his familiar to keep holding things up until he got back. Gracefully extricating Clara through the small opening he'd made, he promised Lied to return once he'd set her down somewhere safe.
Once they were gone, Lied couldn't hold out any longer. Out of mana, he fell onto his butt with an exhausted huff. He was too tired to move. All he could now was hope that Kiriwo was more interested in saving his own skin than causing trouble.
Down the hall, Azz carefully set Clara down. "Wait here until I get Lied, then we'll get you treated. Stay quiet until we get back", he said. He turned to leave, but she was clutching his sleeve firmly.
"What about senpai?", she asked meekly. Azz grew silent, annoyed by the prospect of having to save someone who had harmed both of his soul mates.
Clara stared until he finally met her gaze. "You can't just leave him, Azzazz! If he dies, it would make Irumachi sad!" He grit his teeth in irritation. She was right.
"I'll do what I can, but he chooses to fight instead, I can't change that", he ceded. That was as good of a promise as she was going to get, so she nodded. "Make the splint and some bandages and we'll patch you up. Here's my last potion from Nene-sama. Take it", he offered.
It was kind and he clearly didn't need it. He was a little rough from various battles, but most of the blood staining his white clothes was hers, so didn't argue.
Moments later, he reentered the cavern where he had left Lied and Kiriwo. Their senpai was gone and Vino was wrapped protectively around Lied's unconscious form. Hurrying over, Azz tried to stir his friend, but it was no use. Whatever he had missed, Lied would have to be carried out, too.
Back in Kalego's cell, Opera watched in quiet awe as Persephone's phoenix released possession of her body. Steam covered her skin and she looked liable to pass out at any moment. Still, she grinned serenely as she saw Kalego's wounds sealing over and the color slowly return to his skin.
Gently brushing the loose, sweat-licked hair from his face, she whispered, "Welcome back, my love." Instead of looking deathly pale and in pain, now he seemed to simply be asleep.
Persephone herself didn't look so good in comparison. She appeared fevered, weak, and slightly red as if suffering from sun stroke. "Are you alright?", asked Opera carefully. They knew her stubborn nature would cast away their concern, but they needed her mobile to be of any help. It simply wasn't feasible to drag two fully grown demons out through a maze of rubble while protecting a human and small child.
Persephone grinned, well aware that she looked like Hell. "I'll be fine. I'm just a little winded...Once I catch my breath, I'll see what I can about all of these curses...Kalego-kun must be ready to crawl out of his skin with so much of Victoria's mana embedded in him.
Opera nodded with a small smile of agreement. Stepping aside, they gave the weakened couple a moment to breathe. Kalego was still down for the count, but they'd never seen Persephone look so relieved or thankful as she held him tightly.
Down the hall, Sage anxiously clinged to Iruma. Both were worried for Kalego and Iruma hoped the poor girl wouldn't read his thoughts about the phoenix. She didn't need that kind of burden. Thankfully, a distraction broke his brooding concern.
"Iruma-sama, it's safe to come back now. Lamya has exhausted herself and won't be able to move for a while, so it's best that we all stick together until she can", said Opera through the radio.
Iruma grinned in relief, truly grateful that they even had such a formidable ace up their sleeves. "Right", he nodded. Glancing at Sage, he smiled reassuringly before asking, "How is sensei?".
"Out cold, but back in one piece. It will take several minutes for his body to fully mend, so be prepared."
Iruma steeled his resolve, knowing he had a responsibility to the small girl in his arms. "Your uncle is going to be just fine. Persephone-san is healing him", he assured. She smiled in gratitude, but her cheerful expression faltered at the pain within Iruma's heart.
Knowing that she was sensing his feelings, he grinned brightly to put her at ease. "Let's play a game. We're going to go back, but you can't look at Kalego-sensei yet. The longer you don't look, the closer you get to winning, so do your best, okay?"
She nodded, glad he was cheering up. "Do I get to pick my prize if I win?", she inquired. "Sure!", he agreed. She fidgeted shyly for a moment then looked up with determined eyes. "I want all of us to play together! Mommy, Daddy, uncle Kalego, and Iruma-nii, too! You can even bring a friend if you want", she beamed, picturing a day of fun. Iruma immediately thought of Clara, the perfect playmate. "Deal." Then they made another pinkie promise before heading back.
Moments later at the torture cell, Iruma carried Sage inside, her face tucked safely into his shoulder, while Opera grinned evenly with a single finger held to their lips in hush. Completely exhausted and drained of her mana, Persephone had drifted off with her lover sleeping soundly in her arms where she sat, smiling softly to herself. It was awfully sweet, but the sheer number of curses on Kalego's skin was still rather worrying. Could she purify them?
To be continued…