Mairimashita! Iruma-kun: Shadows of the Past, part 55
Victoria walked through her compound with irritation. Too many vermin had invaded her home, her gambit to break Iruma's will had backfired, and she could smell Baal nearby. He had undoubtedly come to protect his secrets and rescue Kiriwo, and that made her vulnerable. If he had figured out that her hex on Sabro had been broken, then she was a prime target for him to silence.
Worst of all, Kalego was slipping through her fingers. If she didn't devour him before he recovered his strength, her best chance to finally consume his heart would be gone forever. Still, as much as she wanted to keep him for herself, she also had other plans.
According to the ancient lore she had researched, only a human could become immortal by consuming the other two races, but it was no mere trick. It was an act of sacrifice. For the transformation to work, the human needed to be bonded with both the angel and demon they were to ingest and both needed to be powerful.
Either trust or betrayal were key, but she hadn't quite figured it out yet. The last pieces of the puzzle were still lost in translation. Sage would have been easiest considering her unusual genetic makeup, a two for one sort of deal, but there was no guarantee it would work for the same reason.
Victoria needed a high ranking demon close to Iruma to become his meal and he was the only one she even considered sharing her beloved Naberius with. Once the spell was complete, she planned to use her new "drain" technique to steal away his immortality, even if it meant feeding on the boy for eternity, and that almost like keeping Kalego around to play with in a way.
Ai wasn't ready to give up just yet. She'd experimented on all three races just to create a chance to reach godhood. Two things were clear - It had to be Iruma and it had to be Kalego. Iruma's pesky classmates were simply too weak to properly instigate the change and Opera wasn't going down any time soon.
She knew she would have to force Iruma to cooperate at this point. All she really needed to do was find a new way to break his spirit first. Honestly, she had no qualms with shoving Kalego's flesh down his throat if needed; It would only further his mental anguish anyway.
Then once his soul is completely crushed by knowing he had eaten his sensei, she would introduce the angel she'd been keeping. The two would naturally bond over their torture and confines and when they had grown close enough, she would force her captive human to consume that heart as well.
The biggest obstacles in her way now were obviously Opera and Persephone. She needed a way to get rid of them both at once, leaving a desperate teen alone with his fallen teacher. Then all of the pieces would fall into place.
Sage was of no concern, of course. A mere child could easily be dispatched and she owed Dali nothing now. The girl's life was at her mercy. Though he had handed over Kalego as promised, he had also told Sullivan and the others everything. In Ai's mind, that nullified their contract.
She grinned smugly to herself as an awful new idea rose from her demented mind. She hadn't lost the game just yet; She only needed to rewrite a few pieces of her plan and she already had all of the pawns required.
Keket had failed against Opera, but she had provided valuable information against their foe. There was only one way to stop that powerhouse - Aria. It was so obvious, Victoria already had ideas bubbling up in the back of her mind.
Also, Persephone was weak from her spell. So long as Ai caught her still winded, she could easily win in a faceoff and lastly, Sage was the perfect leverage to use against Iruma. As for Alicred, well, she intended to play with him just a bit more. Watching him crack would further Iruma's descent into madness, making him all the easier to mold.
Above ground, Balam was directing the recovery excavation. A clear opening had been dug out as an exit. Now he only had to wait for Azzkun to return with the other misfits. It was far too dangerous to send anyone else after them. Another cave in could occur any time. Thus, he stood by in silent faith.
As he waited, staring into the dark, subterranean corridor, he worried. He hoped everyone was alright, but it had been too long without word from Iruma's group. Thinking about Kalego and what condition he must be in, his heart sank.
He trusted Persephone and Opera to bring him back, but his chest still hurt as he remembered how fragile Pandora had been just before his capture. He'd promised her that he wouldn't let Victoria take anyone away again and that promise was broken in an instant.
How could he face his beloved again after all that had happened? Even trusting that no one was going to die that night, his word had been shattered and, with her final curse activated, he'd even left without saying goodbye. None of it was his fault, but the guilt still weighed heavily on his gentle heart.
Ai was dangerous. She had taken down two powerful demons with a twist of Valiant's magic. How could he ever hope to keep Pandora safe like he promised? Was it even possible or was he destined to lose her all over again? That thought alone was suffocating.
Shaking himself from his dark thoughts, Balam observed the camaraderie of the abnormal class around him. Even in these dark hours, they were making the best of things and supporting one another. He grinned faintly behind his mask, thankful for a reminder that there was hope for the future.
Lady Nene and Robin would surely protect Pan-chan with their lives. He could apologize and redeem himself later. Once Kalego and the others were safe and Victoria was captured, Sullivan would certainly ensure she would never escape prison again. She had threatened his friends, shaken his school, and even hurt his beloved grandson. Undoubtedly, the greats would not go easy on her this time. Balam had to take solace in that. Ai wouldn't hurt anyone else again.
Elsewhere, enough time had elapsed to allow the last of the holes in Kalego's skin to mend. His ribs and other bones were slower to grow back, but at least the bleeding had stopped and the power of "Garuda" would have purified any infection. Now they just needed to be careful with him until he could move on his own again.
After a brief inspection, Opera assuringly nodded toward their young master, letting Iruma know it was safe to let go of Sage. He told her that she had won the game and they would all play together one day soon. She was happy, but her elation passed quickly, understanding more than she let on. She knew exactly why she couldn't look before.
She glanced at her uncle from Iruma's lap and smiled softly to find him sound asleep in Persephone's arms. "I'm so glad she healed him... Hey, Iruma-nii, is the nice lady gonna become my auntie?", she asked innocently. Iruma froze while Opera coyly covered their mouth with an amused sparkle.
"Why don't you ask your uncle about that when he feels better?", offered Iruma nervously. "Okay", she pouted. She wanted an answer, but the current situation was hardly the time to focus on such things. Kalego was whole again, but still far too weak to walk.
Looking closer, Sage tightly squeezed Iruma's hand. "Those curses...Auntie Ai did this, didn't she?", she asked sadly. Seeing no reason to lie, Iruma replied, "Yeah, but don't worry. We'll protect you, okay?". She nodded, knowing she was safe, but was still clearly worried about her so-called uncle.
"Uncle Lego's still weak, huh? Are you gonna help fix him?", she inquired. Seeing him react with a mixture of sadness and uncertainty, she added, "It's okay. Your blood can heal demons, you know."
Iruma stared in awe. The kid was something else, knowing so much at such a young age. Nervously, he tried to explain, but she shook her head and put her tiny hand against his mouth to hush him. "Silence", she said, mocking her uncle's stern expression before giggling with amusement.
Even Opera smirked at that. After seeing Iruma relaxed with a faint grin, Sage looked into his sapphire eyes as if reading his mind again. "It's okay. Your blood didn't hurt him or Granny before. It was the three powers battling inside them", she stated, happily squishing his cheeks.
Iruma clearly had a million questions. Sensing his unease, the girl hugged him and explained, "Mommy says it's a balance. Humans heal demons, demons heal angels, and angels heal humans...It was our blood that hurt your friends, not yours...So please help Uncle Kalego."
Iruma slowly calmed his nerves. He recalled the violent reaction to his blood while treating Kalego and Nene for poison, but if what Ai and Sage said was true, then just maybe it wasn't his fault. "I'll try", he agreed.
A few floors above, Azz had successfully dragged Lied to safety. He was out cold, but looked unharmed apart from exhaustion, so the student general focused on his wounded friend.
Clara managed to conjure medical supplies from her pockets, at least enough bandages and such to construct a makeshift splint. Trying to snap her bones back in place themselves was too intimidating, so Azz silently wrapped her wounds.
He was grim, but focused. There was no way he would ever let Kiriwo near her again. Certainly their twisted senpai would pay dearly should they meet again, especially once he heard Iruma's story when things were over. That would definitely seal Kiriwo's fate.
Clara tried to smile as Azz glanced up to check on her. Her leg had to be incredibly painful yet she was grinning despite her tear filled eyes. "Stupid Clara" would normally come to mind, but what he thought was, "Thank goodness." It was a sign she would be okay.
After sharing a reassuring grin, he moved to stir Lied. After a few shakes, the fallen demon grumbled and finally came to. "Azz? Where are we? Where's - ?" His violet eyes shot wide open before settling over Clara. She looked just as worried about him.
Seeing how bandaged her leg was, he knew it wasn't good news. He wanted to ask where their enemy had gone, but...who were they even fighting? Holding his head, he tried to sort his hazy memories.
"Are you alright? What happened back there?", asked Asmodeus. Lied looked at his faintly trembling hands. His entire body ached as if he'd just finished an intense workout, but why? He didn't remember controlling Kiriwo so completely or the demon that had rescued him.
"I don't really remember, but I'm fine...Is Clarin okay?", uttered Lied. Azz nodded with a faint grin. "Thanks to you… I'm grateful", he said, lowering his head slightly, completely serious.
That was high praise from the usually stiff class rep. Lied smiled nervously. "Yeah… Thanks for defeating the baddies", he ventured, still trying to clear his head. Azz and Clara exchanged concerned glances.
"Fluffy-kun, you were awesome! The way you took over senpai was devi-cool!", she said with a smile, trying to ignore her growing pain. "Senpai?", repeated Lied, confused. After a moment, he asked, "Did we find him?".
Azz sighed, too exhausted to explain everything, but one thing was clear. Whoever had rescued Kiriwo had also wiped Lied's memory of the event and that meant either the Six Fingers or someone else high up. It was unlikely Victoria, so who else was working in the shadows here?
Getting to his feet, Asmodeus politely offered his hand. "Can you walk?", he inquired. Lied looked at Clara's injuries again. He understood she needed to be carried, so despite his aching body, he grinned faintly. "Yeah", he replied.
Giving him a minute longer to recover, Azz nodded as he headed back to his soul mate's side. He needed to be careful handling her or risk further harm and agony. The fact that she wasn't outright bawling was impressive, but he wasn't going to admit that just yet.
Clara clinged onto him as he carefully hoisted her to carry piggyback style. It was almost like a playdate that way. Only she was in so much pain… Still, she knew how meticulous he was being. Hugging his neck and shoulders, she thanked him in a low, coy tone, addressing him as Azzazz once more.
Somehow that nickname seemed to take on a new meaning, but there wasn't really time to think about it at the moment. Shaking the pink from his cheeks, Azz grinned. "Don't expect any more rides for a while", he teased. Then he became more serious, adding, "Iruma-sama is counting on us to support him, so let's get you to the medics."
Lied followed close behind, ready to help catch his friend should Clara slip, but he was severely fatigued from overusing his magic. Thankfully, Azz's grip stayed true. He clearly wasn't going to let anything else happen to her and Lied found that to be a comforting thought after everything they had been through that night. Besides, seeing him care so much about someone other than Iruma was a nice change. He was finally growing.
Back further underground, Persephone had finally come back to wakefulness. The taste of Iruma's blood was still strong in her mouth, but she was grateful. He'd also treated Kalego, easing him into an even deeper sleep, but having their ace medic back at the ready was important for the entire group.
Sage had already healed the minor wound to Iruma's hand and Opera had chided him not to take any more risks. Weakening himself any further would only be dangerous with Ai becoming so unhinged. He acknowledged that and agreed not to sacrifice any more blood, then everyone thanked him in earnest.
Now Persephone was carefully studying Kalego's curses. She was very tired from her forbidden spell, but she was expecting as much. She just had to push through it. Still, her exhaustion had been eased with Iruma's help. She'd be fine to walk on her own much faster thanks to him.
"This one", she said, pointing to a specific mark. "It has to be broken first. It's keeping all of the others connected...They're all tied to his primary curse, but that sick woman...She added an agony curse that keeps activating the others on a timer."
Opera peered closely at the curse in question, wondering when the next activation was due. "Can you purify it?", they asked, skeptically. Persephone smirked in response. "Just watch", she retorted.
Iruma and Sage stared in awe as she focused her mana. She hovered her palm over the curse in question and strands of light reached from her hand down into the mark. "Whatever happens, don't interfere. I can do this", she instructed, looking Opera in the eye. They silently nodded in agreement.
Everyone watched as the light strings seemed to latch onto something deep inside Kalego's skin and pull taught like a fish on a hook. Iruma panicked as Persephone suddenly coughed, a trickle of black blood spilling from her lips. "You're mine", she said darkly, as if challenging some unseen force.
The dark streak in her hair began to grow wider from her scalp and blackened downward toward the tips. The light strands suspended between them turned pitch as she pulled the darkness from one host to another. She looked like she was in mild pain, but maintained her edge, refusing to give up.
After about a minute, the mark finally vanished and she grinned with relief as the strings of mana turned bright again. Withdrawing her hand, she seemed both pleased and concerned. It was obvious she couldn't remove the other twelve with her magic already so drained.
"I wanna help Uncle Lego, too!", said Sage, wriggling free from Iruma's arms. Persephone looked over in mild surprise. "Can you heal demons?", she asked carefully. She didn't want to offend the girl, but it was a valid question. Despite being half demon herself, her angelic magic may harm Kalego.
Sage pouted worriedly for a moment. She wasn't sure. "I wanna try!", she eventually said with resolve. Having quietly observed her determination, Opera took a knife from a nearby tray and calmly dragged it across their palm. "Here. Try healing this first", they ventured.
Iruma panicked mildly. "Opera-san!" The security demon smiled faintly in assurance. It wasn't a deep cut and it wasn't going to slow them down should Sage fail to heal it. They knew what they were doing; They'd be fine.
Sage stared at the spilling blood as Opera knelt down in front of her and offered their injured hand. "Kitty-san…", she uttered, understanding the need for a test. Kalego was still frail. They couldn't risk harming him again.
The small girl put her hands over the wound and closed her eyes in concentration. Light flashed from her small palms and everyone breathlessly watched for a change. "Does it hurt?", asked Sage, concerned by a faint hissing sound. Opera offered a kind grin and said, "Nothing I can't handle."
Their skin was behaving as if it had been cauterized. The bleeding had stopped, but it wasn't exactly trying to mend itself. "I see...Lamya-san, please give me a sample of the curse. Perhaps that can be purified without trying to heal the wound", said Opera. Persephone nodded and forced a drop of Victoria's dark mana out of her fingertip and into the wound.
Once it landed, the faint outline of a curse spread over Opera's palm. "Please try again", they said evenly. Sage anxiously glanced to Iruma, but his encouraging nod and smile put her at ease.
She concentrated, thinking about how to adjust her magic. "Don't heal. Purify", she thought. She focused on what she had seen Persephone do and tried to work out how to precisely target only Ai's magic and not Opera's demonic blood. It was potentially dangerous, but she had to try. Taking a deep breath, she tried again.
Sage adjusted the angle of her hands. No flash was emitted. As she slowly opened her mismatched eyes, floating strands of pure light stretched out from her entire aura. She looked like some kind of bioluminescent jellyfish, floating in dark waters, the only source of light in the depths.
The tentacles of illumination wove around one another and enveloped her arm like a ribbon. Once her fingertips began to glow, she was able to carefully grab the dark mana and pull it from Opera's cut palm. When she firmly gripped the curse, it wriggled frantically as if alive before burning away at her touch.
Everyone stared in mild shock. "What powerful magic for one so young", uttered Persephone, genuinely impressed. The strands of light retreated back into Sage's tiny body and she smiled with pride.
"Iruma-nii, I did it!", she celebrated, looking back at him. Opera gently patted her head with their good hand. "Great job", they grinned. Iruma came closer and hugged the elated child, relieved. "That was really amazing, Sage-chan!", he said happily.
Persephone quietly healed Opera's wound while their wards enjoyed the victory. The question now was could she do it again with a full curse. Yet that would have to wait. They had already been in the same place for far too long. Undoubtedly, Victoria was setting her next trap for them if she hadn't done so already.
As if on cue, the intercom crackled back to life. "You lot are more entertaining than I originally thought… As congratulations, I'll offer you a deal", said Ai. Everyone tensed, unsure where she was or what she was planning next.
"Iruma-kun, you've seen just how powerful my curses can be, so I'm giving you a choice. You can only save one of them, so whose life will it be? Kalego-kun's or Opera-san's? You have to consume one of them."
Iruma grit his teeth as Sage ran back into his arms, scared. "I'm going to save everyone. No one is getting eaten!", he retorted, glaring at the speaker. A brief silence followed, then Victoria sounded rather amused in her response.
"Stubborn, just like my sweet Naberius. That's why I like you, human… Still, your refusal to cooperate will be short lived. Pick one. Now….Or I'll activate the curse on the halfbreed. She'll be killed instantly. Tick tock, Iruma-kun."
The girl shivered in his embrace with fear. Iruma wanted to believe that Victoria was only bluffing, but as he met Persephone's gaze, her dark look said the threat was potentially very real. Could she see Ai's mana pulsing within the poor child?
He grit his teeth as his entire body tensed in anger. "Why?", he asked softly. Then he turned his face to the ceiling in sheer frustration. "Why are you so set on this?! I don't want to hurt anybody or be immortal!... Even if you somehow find a way to make me, I'll never do what you want! I'll spend eternity foiling every plot you come up with!... So come out and face me already! If you're going to kill me for disobeying you, then just do it already!!!"
His harsh tone echoed through the room. He was clearly tired of her twisted games. Even Opera stared in surprise. "Iruma-sama…", they uttered. Persephone couldn't leave Kalego's side, but he had her support. She smirked faintly as she looked into her lover's unconscious face. "Looks like you've really rubbed off on this one", she grinned.
Speaking up, she added her voice to the situation. "Victoria, if you're really going to stop us from rescuing Kalego, then go ahead and show yourself. It isn't like you to hide this much... Even your bluffs are becoming absurd. If you were going to kill any of us, you would have done it already, so what is it you really want? Immortality?... Don't make me laugh. Your corrupted soul would never survive the transformation."
Iruma stared in mild confusion. Was Sage actually safe or was Persephone simply trying to draw Victoria into the open? What was her true plan anyway?
Silence drifted in, then a familiar perfume filled the air with a slight fwoosh. Ai was now standing in front of them. She stared coldly at Persephone. "You healed Kalego-kun well… Now I'll get to enjoy doing all of that hard work all over again", she said with an evil smirk.
Iruma held Sage tightly with a defiant glare as Opera took their place protectively in front of both of them. Their fighting stance was ready to react to any move Ai made.
"You're never touching him again", warned Persephone, carefully clutching Kalego close. If looks could kill, Victoria would have dropped dead on the spot.
Yet Ai smiled pleasantly. What was she up to? "Such grim faces. Do you really want to know my plans?...Can you even handle the truth?", she teased. She shrugged playfully before crossing her arms in faux irritation.
"Fine… Turning Iruma-kun immortal is only the first step. The blood of a god and the essence of hollow hope - two exceedingly rare alchemical ingredients... Why do I need them? For the ultimate taboo - to open the Forbidden Tomb, of course."
Persephone turned pale in pure shock as Opera tensed visibly. Iruma had no idea what she was talking about, but it sounded bad. The 'essence' had been stolen from the Babylus vault not long ago, so she undoubtedly already had that. As for the blood of a god, is that why she wanted to make him immortal? Was becoming immortal enough to count as divinity or did she have more dark plans for the boy?
"Tsk tsk, Opera-san. Your master looks completely lost. You and the principal do like to keep secrets, don't you?", taunted the vile demoness. Annoyed, Opera took a line from Kalego. Dead serious, they said, "Silence."
What were they hiding and who were they trying to protect just then? Iruma was curious, but his grandfather had already promised no more secrets. Surely he could ask. Besides, both Sullivan and Opera had his trust. Whatever the reason he hadn't heard about the tomb, they had to have their reasons.
Ai grinned despite the hateful look in Opera's eyes. "You may despise me now, but once I've opened the crypt and taken its fearsome power for myself, I can bring back your precious sister. Just picture it - the lovely, young Aria back from the dead, perfectly healthy. She'd get the chance to finally grow up and you could give her everything that she sacrificed for you... All you would have to do is help me and I'll restore what's been lost. So what do you say, senpai? Do we have a deal?"
Iruma stared anxiously at Opera's back. Aria? A sister? There was so much he still didn't know about them. "Opera-san?", he ventured, concerned. Though their feline ears flattened, they stood strong. Their loyalty wouldn't be so easily swayed, even if Ai's words cut deeply.
Victoria frowned in disappointment at their obstinate expression. "Honestly, you are far too devoted to that old geezer. Sullivan doesn't deserve your faith. At his home, you're nothing but a servant. You could be an equal in mine...but if you'd rather sacrifice your life to help evolve your young master, I can accept that, too."
Opera's steely gaze never wavered. "You talk too much...I prefer this way of talking", they stated, beckoning her forward with a smirk. Ai grinned in response. "How typical of you. Have it your way, senpai. Maybe I'll finally land a curse on you this time. Then you'll be mine just like Kalego-kun. "
A blast of intense energy washed over Iruma as the first blows were exchanged. He froze in shock for a moment until Sage's voice pulled him back to reality. "Iruma-nii! We have to go!", she pleaded, tugging on his collar. Glancing down at her worried face, he nodded with resolve.
Looking back, he knew what he had to do. Handing the girl over to Persephone, he pulled his last feather and created his bow. A focused shot took out walls amid several rooms in the direction fired. It was too dangerous to try to sneak past the impressive fight between Ai and Opera. They needed another way to escape while she was distracted.
Iruma turned toward Sage and offered his hand, but she shook her head. "I'm okay to walk! Help Uncle Lego!", she said. Thinking it over, Iruma agreed. Persephone wouldn't be able to drag him far on her own, so the duo hoisted the unconscious demon between them by wrapping his arms over their shoulders and headed away from their foe.
Both trusted that Opera would be fine. They could hold their own easily enough in a brawl and the fact that they had invited Ai to fight as a distraction meant that they knew it was the only way to get Kalego out. Iruma didn't like leaving them behind, but it was a necessary sacrifice.
Now they had to find a way to the surface. Their radios had been rendered useless with the triggered explosion. Their signal had been completely cut off; They were on their own. Glancing at those around him, Iruma could see the resolve in everyone. "Just a little longer, sensei", he thought.
Victoria knew they were getting away, but the only way out was up. She could cut them off after getting away from Opera. Still, her senpai was pushing her hard. Their damned strength was just as formidable now as it was back in school. It was no wonder she'd never successfully landed a curse on their body. She could never get close enough.
It was vexing seeing Iruma taking Kalego away in one piece, but she had more tricks up her sleeve. The last of her vanguard was waiting on the floor above them. The group wouldn't get far. All she had to do now was stay out of Opera's reach or she would be in serious trouble. "Go ahead and run. There's nowhere for you to go", she thought, an evil grin on her lips.
Seeing that dark look only seemed to further agitate Opera. Twice that night, unworthy demons had uttered Aria's name and dragged her memory through the mud. Never again. If Ai so much as uttered "Ar", they'd flatten her to the ground.
Besides, Sullivan was counting on them to keep Iruma safe. They couldn't back down now. Kalego was in good hands. Opera grinned faintly as they realized how much faith they had begun to place in the boy.
When did a mere human become so important to them? It wasn't only their job or an order anymore. Opera genuinely wanted to protect and believe in Iruma. They finally understood why Sullivan had chosen him.
The smug grin on their face was rather irritating. Ai didn't know what was running through their head, but both their confidence and unwillingness to bow to her were enough to take them down. Neither fighter was willing to back down. Whoever won, the loser would be likely to survive. The night was far from over.
To be continued...