Mairimashita! Iruma-kun: Shadows of the Past, part 59
Balam observed the aftermath of Ash's final explosion with muted emotions. Three demons were dead and several others injured. His heart sank for them, but this was a real battle; Casualties were to be expected and he had a stoic role to play. As long as the teens were safe, he would have to accept any other losses.
One of Henri's agents had been violently killed. It was only by their assignment to be there that they were able to identify the poor soul. All visual attempts to name the fallen were otherwise in vain.
As for the second death beyond Ash himself, was another of Victoria's lackies, Tojiru. Both had worked under Ai, yet in her last moments, it seemed she had tried to stop Ash from exploding, but why?
The reason was simple, really. Nearby, Keket had survived due to her sacrifice and Tojiru had valued her ally's survival over her own.
As Ash detonated his body, she had thrown herself at him despite her restraints in an attempt to shut down his mana. Her magic allowed her to do so by touch, but her hands were tightly bound, so she'd opted to bite him in desperation. It cost her life, but if she hadn't acted, many more would have died, including her precious Keket.
The shaken shapeshifter was so rattled by that final display of affection that she had dropped Opera's appearance, returning to her natural features and simply stared in utter shock, covered in blood and bits of flesh as the agents nearby put out the flames. She didn't even register that Balam was approaching.
Gently putting a hand on her shoulder as the chaos around them continued, he looked her over for injury. It didn't look like any of the blood was hers, miraculously. While he held no particular sympathy for those aligned with Victoria, this poor demon had just watched her friend die and that deserved some form of respect.
"Are you alright? What happened?", he asked, trying to maintain a calming tone. Keket merely gawked at the remains of her former allies with hollow eyes. She had seen her share of excessive gore under Victoria's employ, but this was different.
"Tojiru-chan...She saved me", she uttered after a long pause. She was on the verge of tears, but refused to cry in front of her captors. "That idiot...I told her it was over…", she said, contorting her face.
Balam held his silence. It seemed he was learning more about this shape-shifting troublemaker, but such topics weren't exactly any of his business.
"We'll get you moved", he stated, knowing such trauma would hit deeply. The dead were being covered with a tarp, but sitting beside them, knowing what lied underneath, couldn't be comfortable.
Besides, leaving Keket covered in blood and sinew wouldn't be a viable option for long. If she recovered from her stupor, she might use the chance to wiggle free from his vines.
Behind them, Azazel was directing his agents, trying to minimize both the damage and distraction from their current tasks. Ameri watched from nearby, proud of how well her father was handling everything. It only showed how capable and professional he could be and, in the fight against Victoria, they had to be prepared for anything.
Yet one thing did manage to catch Henri off guard. He had tried to ignore his ringing phone, but this call could not be disregarded. Annoyed, he finally pulled the device from his pocket. It identified the caller as Lady Levi.
Answering, he politely apologized for his delayed response. Ameri didn't know who it was or what they wanted, but knew it had to be important to interrupt his work.
Henri's face went pale as he tensely listened to what was said. He had a million questions, but not the impertinence to ask them. Gathering his nerves, his expression grew grim. "I understand. I'll confer with Lord Sullivan at once."
A few more short responses ended the call. By then, even Balam was curious as to what was going on, so he left Keket to the clean-up crew. Clearly something was amiss.
Henri grit his teeth in annoyance as he pocketed his cell. "You'd better come with me", he grumbled, preparing to find Sullivan. Catching a glimpse of his worried daughter, he put on a brave face as she got closer.
"Ameri, keep a close eye on your schoolmates. Contact my radio immediately if you notice anything unusual or if anyone unexpected shows up." She still didn't fully understand what had him so concerned, but she nodded and promised to follow his orders.
Such a cryptic warning held weight. It made her wonder what had happened this time. Watching her father and Balam-sensei walk away, she steeled her nerves. It was her turn to prove herself.Deep below ground, Ai and Opera had gone their separate ways after her escape. Victoria headed to secure the one thing she was certain Baal didn't know about while Opera slowly made their way toward their young master.
Half way down a long corridor, the security devil leaned on one arm against the wall, nearly out of breath. Merely inhaling was becoming difficult. They knew their limits and there was no way the fight shouldn't have taken so much out of them; Something was wrong. Then the smug look on Ai's face after her surprise kiss came to mind.
Damn that woman... Her curses were potent indeed, yet which type had she inflicted? She was certainly skilled, but having to move so quickly meant that she didn't have time to make it a complex curse. That meant it likely only had one or two aspects.
Could it be as simple as exhaustion? That thought was swiftly dismissed as Opera's vertigo increased. A sharp pain in their side caused their body to shudder in effort to stay upright. Then the urge to vomit came on quickly.
After purging, they stared at what had come out. There was an awful lot of blood mixed in with the meager contents of their stomach. Yet the wound to their side couldn't possibly be that deep, could it? Glancing at it, they grimaced at just how much blood was seeping from between their fingers as they applied pressure.
Struggling to catch their breath, they knew exactly which curse they'd been hit with. The vile demoness knew she couldn't win in a fair fight, so she had to be both clever and sneaky. Her execution had been flawless.
Sighing in both pain and vexation, they gathered their strength to press on. Hopefully, they could make it to Iruma and the others before passing out from anemia. With any luck, Persephone had enough mana left to reverse their troublesome condition before it worsened.Meanwhile, back at the medical tent, Xui worked on Clara. The girl had been lucky, all things considered. The sharp edges of her shattered bones had narrowly missed her femoral artery, a major blood vessel in the leg. A few more millimeters and it would have been severed; Had that occurred, she would have undoubtedly bled out before ever reaching the surface.
"Well?", inquired Bachiko. She had watched several serious expressions play out over the healer's face. Finally, Xui grinned faintly. "She'll be fine. I can fix her fractured frame", she stated.
The archer wondered about that. There were jagged edges and bone fragments everywhere. Beyond that, Xui had said nothing about the damaged soft tissue or blood loss.
"I'll do what I can until my dear sister gets here. Muscle and sinew aren't my forte, but this is nothing I can't handle. Nene will take care of any surface scars later."
Bachiko gaped for a moment. Nene had a sister?! They didn't look anything alike! Her expression gave away her thoughts, causing an amused smirk to cross Xui's face.
"We trained under the same master. We basically grew up together in that aspect", she explained. That much made sense. It also explained her lack of honorifics when referring to such notable demons. Wait...Did that mean she knew Sullivan in his youth, too?
Either way, the archer's questions would have to wait. Something in the air had shifted ominously. A moment later, noises outside confirmed the ambient heaviness.
"Go help. I'll be fine here", ordered Xui. Bachiko glanced at the unconscious demons depending on her. With a nod, she hurried out.
Once outside, a wave of flames passed mere centimeters in front of her face. Asmodeus and Sabnock were fighting hard against a massive invasion of shadow serpents. Ai had sent her curses out to play, a clear ploy to buy time.
Smirking at finally getting to have a little fun, Bachiko summoned her bow and loosed numerous arrows. Those snakes didn't stand a chance.Elsewhere, Iruma stared in silence as Kalego grumbled to himself. Sure he was annoyed, but was he really serious about erasing the boy's true identity from his mind? What if Persephone refused? If she didn't, would the young, wayward soul be sent back to his old life all alone, and if he did, what about his friends? Would they be forced to forget him, too?
"Um, sensei?", he began, brimming with concern. As his teacher looked up in irritation, a shrill cry startled them both.
Sage came running from the adjoining room with tears streaming down her face. "Uncle Lego, auntie passed out! You gotta help her!", she cried. Hugging him tightly, she sobbed into his repaired ribs. "Please don't let the nice lady die!"
Iruma watched them breathlessly, putting his own worries for the future aside and now deeply concerned for the healer. Kalego's taught face looked pale. He was clearly concerned, too, but held himself together for those looking to him for direction. Besides, he knew exactly what Garuda could potentially do to its host.
Gently patting the girl's head, he calmly assured, "It's alright. She's not going to die; She's just exhausted." Iruma felt some relief with that notion, yet still...
"But she was fine just a few minutes ago", he uttered with concern. Kalego smirked faintly as he let Sage dry her tears on his bloodied coat.
"Just because someone carries a burden well doesn't mean it isn't heavy… She's too proud to let you see just how tired she is and far too stubborn to ask for help", he uttered, nearly lost to his memories. Iruma understood his teacher's words; The demon duo certainly had that much in common.
Sage sniffled as she finally looked up. "Then auntie's gonna be okay?", she asked with hope. The usually stoic demon smiled faintly to reassure her.
"Stay with Iruma while I go check on her", he instructed. Sage wiped her face one last time and nodded.
"Uncle Lego?...Are you gonna marry the nice lady? She'd make a really good auntie", ventured the child with innocence.
Iruma barely held it together at the look on sensei's face, but a quick, nasty glare of warning shut his gaping mouth quickly. Kalego cleared his throat as he fought the pink from his cheeks. Trying to treat the child with kindness, he smirked as he got up.
"And what would you know about anything like that?", he teased. Yet Sage only pouted that she didn't get an answer. "Now be good and stay here. I'll be right back... And Iruma, don't let her out of your sight."
The boy nodded with a determined look before inviting his adoptive little sister to play a game to pass the time and keep her from worrying too much.
As Kalego entered the other room nearby, he stiffened at the sight of his beloved's unconscious body upon the floor. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm his nerves. He knew she would recover, but the sudden loss of five years worth of vital energy was certain to cause quite the recoil.
Kneeling beside her, he carefully rolled her onto her back. Tucking the loose hair from her face, he stared at the blackened strands. He hadn't gotten a chance to ask about them yet, but he had a pretty good guess. Surely it was no mere coincidence how it mirrored the darkening of Nene's wing feathers when taking in a curse. It seemed Persephone had learned a new trick.
He wondered exactly how much dark mana she had absorbed, from whom, and when. Sage had said that she had purified the numerous new curses on his body inflicted during his torture, but the original still remained, and he knew it likely would as long as Victoria Ai was alive. After all, even Nene couldn't fully break it despite trying several times in the past.
"What am I going to do with you?", he thought, exasperated. Persephone's actions had been reckless - Taking on curses and even harnessing Garuda. She knew how he felt about self sacrifice and yet she was so desperate to save him that she ignored how much he would have to say about it all...
He grinned faintly as it hit him just how much she really loved him. There was no denying that. There was still a mess to sort between them when the fight with Ai was over, but such realizations at least sparked hope.
Responding to his touch, Persephone fought to wake up. "Kalego?", she murmured, half relieved and half guilty, then she was down for the count once more. Quietly gathering his slowly returning strength, he lifted her onto the bed where he had slept not long before.
Once she was settled, he leaned upon the edge, still shaky. He hated that feeling. Still, something distracted him from his weakness-fueled annoyance. A faint red glow was permeating softly from beneath his lover's eye patch. Each line of the spider's web glowed with a tender warmth.
Reaching out, he carefully touched it. The moment his fingers made contact, his entire being shuddered as his own consciousness was zapped somewhere else.
When he opened his eyes, he was alone in the dark just like when he'd been trapped in his mind during his earlier vision of Narnia. Yet this place was a little different. The ground was hot beneath his feet like fire-heated stone and stifling heat loomed just over the horizon in all directions.
He knew exactly where he was. This could only be Persephone's mindscape. As he glanced around to get his bearings, several thick strands of spider silk snapped around his body, then something in the distance began to rumble. The host of the destroyed web was on its way.
What started as a pinpoint of light in the darkness rapidly grew. A massive arachnid stared him down, flames churning brightly upon its underbelly. Yet the intimidating creature seemed to recognize this invading soul was no threat. Thus the guardian evaporated, replaced by the one who called their guest.
Kalego squinted as the mighty phoenix flapped its wings, hovering before him. The light and heat were almost searing. Thus he instinctively shielded his face with his forearms before realizing that the faint outline of his constant companion, Cerberus, shimmered around him, protecting him from the flames.
"Naberius Kalego", boomed the massive bird. It's voice was both deep and piercing at the same time. Knowing he was not in control here, he bowed humbly. "Lord Bennu", he replied in polite greeting.
The phoenix seemed pleased by his noble manners. "Rise. You know why I have brought you here." Resuming his natural stature, Kalego nodded faintly, keeping his eyes low out of respect and so as not to burn them.
"You have a message", he ventured. This was not the first time these two beings had met, but this was certainly the most direct. The familiar's power was overwhelming; It felt like his entire being would be reduced to ashes at any moment.
Were it not for his canine protection and the spirit's agreeable nature, he would likely cease to exist. It was clear that no ordinary demon could contain it, let alone master it, and that reminded him of just how formidable his counterpart truly was.
"When my master wakes, tell her this - This is the last time I will wear her flesh. Should she summon me as Garuda again, such bravado will kill her."
Kalego grit his teeth as he tensed. This was no empty threat; It was a veritable warning. A horrible vision of Persephone being burned alive from the inside out flooded his mind.
Once it was over, he was drenched in a cold sweat, barely staying upon his feet. He could still hear her desperate screams and even smell her charred flesh. The image of the consuming flames erupting from her pomegranate eye as she pleadingly stared and reached out to him was certain to haunt him. Shuddering, he tried to focus on what Bennu had to say. The phoenix was holding nothing back.
"This is the second occurrence. Our contract is clear. Upon the third use, the remainder of her vital essence will be forfeit and she will become nothing more than cinders. No amount of magic will be able to save her... I tell you this, Naberius Kalego, because you are the only one she might listen to. I have no desire to end her life. I have saved it before along with countless others, but the contract is ironclad. It cannot be changed."
Kalego shivered at a sudden realization. Had Pandora truly died during Ai's attack in the past and had Persephone saved her, his resurrection would have certainly killed her. It was a narrow miss; He couldn't risk letting her use Garuda ever again.
"The first use cost her three years. To save you took just over seven. These costs are not trivial. The third use will burn up everything she has left... If you truly care for my master as I do, then tell her the truth and see that she doesn't waste what precious time she has left. This I leave in your hands."
Then the massive firebird vanished, leaving Kalego no time to digest its heavy warning before having his consciousness cast back into his own body.
Now back in reality, he panted to catch his breath. A reverse summon was extremely rare and for it to include a demon that was not the familiar's master was unheard of. Their previous meetings were nothing like that, mere dreams. The intensity of such a close encounter was nearly too much to bear, leaving him weak and dizzy.
Barely managing to sit beside Persephone as she slept, he took a moment to collect himself. Staring at her pale face in the low light, his chest began to hurt. He'd shaved off seven years from her life. Had she really only estimated five or had she lied to cushion his guilt? Either way, there was no way he could repay that, but if he could convince her to never use Garuda again, there may yet be hope for the future.Back outside that room, Sage's playtime halted at an intruding sound. She quickly hid behind Iruma. Someone was getting close and breathing hard. What was Ai throwing at them now?
In a defensive stance, Iruma swallowed hard. He had one of her downy feathers between his fingers, but he wasn't sure if he could summon a bow with it. Thankfully, he didn't need to.
"Opera-san!!!", he cried out with worry as the bloody security devil stumbled into the room. They didn't look so good and their wound was weeping heavily.
Running forward, Iruma barely had time to catch them as they fell forward. "Are you okay? What happened?! Try not to move!", he panicked, helping them to rest on the ground. He'd never seen Opera so weak. They were pallid and blood trickled from their lips, eyes, and nose. They were so wan; Just how much blood had they lost?
Opera grinned faintly at his kindness. They knew they looked awful. It must be hard to witness. Still, they had a duty to protect him, even if it meant making the ultimate sacrifice. They wouldn't let Sullivan down.
"Iruma-sama, the blood trail...burn it before she follows me...Please...forgive such an obvious blunder", they said, weakly pointing.
Knowing they were completely right, the boy didn't bother to argue. Nodding, he followed the trail back into the hall as he adjusted his ring. "Raffire." To his amazement, Sage clinged to his leg with her tiny hand extended, too. "Tracer."
Incredibly, this made his flames follow Opera's blood, erasing every hint of it ever being there without even marring the floor. Now safe, Iruma shut the door and secured it before returning to Opera's side.
Getting a closer look, he shivered at the sight of faint dark lines all over their skin. They followed their veins, looking a lot like Nene and Kalego from before the raid.
"Opera-san, did she poison you?", he asked with concern. The security demon meekly shook their head, not wanting him to worry. "No. I just need to rest. I'm fine", they assured.
At that moment, Kalego rejoined them with a dour look on his face. With one glance, he knew. "You're not fine, you idiot; You've been cursed", he chided.
"Cursed?!", panicked Iruma. "Oh no! Poor Kitty-san!", said Sage, clinging to her big brother figure. Kalego motioned for them to back up as he looked over his senpai. Thanks to several personal experiences with Ai, he'd learned a great deal on curses and how to identify them.
Opera's face was very pale, their breathing labored, and the blood seeping heavily from beneath their fingers as they held their wounded side was growing thin. There was no doubt in his mind what kind of curse it was.
"Is it bad?", asked Iruma worriedly. Kalego's dark expression didn't change. There was no way to sugarcoat it. "Uncle Lego?", ventured Sage. Closing his eyes, he sighed. His senpai was staring pleadingly at him as if to say, "Lie. Don't let them worry", but they had already gleaned the truth, too.
Ignoring their keen stare, Kalego knew there was no point in denying it. "It's a hemorrhage curse. They're just going to keep bleeding", he stated as he averted his tense gaze. He'd left out "until they can't move", meaning it wouldn't stop then; It was a death sentence.
"Isn't there something we can do?", inquired Iruma, determined to save them. He wasn't about to let his family down. Opera was powerful, but even the strong would perish without blood, and Persephone was out cold. Hope of treatment was slipping away.
"I can help!", offered Sage. Kalego wanted to let her try, but he was fairly certain she would fail. The curses she'd purified from him were all connected to things like physical pain, but this was different. It was woven into their very circulation. There was no room for the inevitable mistakes of an untrained hand.
"Iruma, seal the wound. It'll slow things down", ordered Kalego. Now that he knew his secret, he understood exactly how the boy's blood had helped him in the past. "Right", nodded Iruma, but Opera grasped his wrist with a chiding glare. They didn't want him to bleed any more.
"There's no need for Iruma-sama's blood...Just let me catch my breath", they panted. The look on Kalego's face made it clear he wasn't buying it.
"It'll only take a few drops, you fool, and if he doesn't, you're going to die", he rebuked. Taking a calming breath, he added, "Even with your damned strength, you can't beat this on your own."
Annoyingly, their kouhai was right. Still, they had a duty to protect their young master. "Then burn it shut. Lord Sullivan won't forgive harming his grandson, even for my benefit."
Kalego grit his teeth in irritation. "Stop being so damned stubborn. This is not the game to stand on etiquette!...Iruma, just a few drops", he said.
Becoming too dizzy to argue, Opera said nothing more. In fact, the seemingly undefeatable demon succumbed to their vertigo and blood loss. They were out cold.
"Do it now!", barked Kalego. "Right!", said Iruma, biting his thumb as his sensei pulled Opera's hand loose from their side. A few carefully aimed drops of his blood landed in the wound, causing rapid healing. Sage stared in wonder, nearly transfixed. She knew it was possible, but she'd never seen a human heal a demon before.
Iruma's focus shifted as he leaned over his fallen kin. "Opera-san, please come back to us….I know you can do it...You'd never abandon me!", he uttered with feeling. Then he pressed the bleeding digit to their lips. "Come on...please…", he whispered below his breath.
The room grew deathly quiet as the trio held a collective breath. Would it be enough?
"Kitty-san?", ventured Sage, on the verge of tears. Even if they woke up biting her adoptive brother, it would be a welcome sign of recovery. After all, any demon near death would likely gladly devour a human. It didn't mean they were bad, just trying to survive. Besides, she could easily heal Iruma if such an attack came to pass.
Iruma squeezed his bleeding thumb in angst, desperately trying to get more of his essence into the fallen, yet Opera didn't seem to be responding at all. Across from him, Kalego observed closely in grim silence. Would it be enough? Were they simply too late?Elsewhere in the compound, sublevel seven…
Two men watched the last surviving human descend into madness. The poor soul was so desperate to survive, they had adopted their captor's demonic nature and cannibalized their cell mates.
The observing demon smirked in approval. His mistress was certain to be pleased, but he also looked forward to seeing Iruma's reaction to such horrors. They had yet to meet, but Victoria had given him full permission to mentally break the boy.
"If you warp his mind or crush his soul, it'll only make him easier to work with….Don't forget - I need his body alive. Nothing more."
Her order echoed in his head. He was getting excited. The man beside him, though, seemed slightly nauseated, yet just as intrigued. The demon grinned.
"Ever seen anything like this before, feathers?", he taunted. The angel was not afraid. He knew what he had signed on for the moment he agreed to work with Ai. Besides, if his troublesome partner became too impulsive, he could always eat him. After all, he'd always wanted to find out what demons tasted like for himself.
"I have... But don't get too excited, my dear despot, and don't forget who holds the power here… Working with demons may disgust me, but I have a goal to achieve and if Victoria can help me wake the old gods, then I will sink to any depravity to achieve that goal…Now clean up. I want you ready if that pesky crown of yours shows up."
The demon suppressed a sneer. "I can handle Baal just fine", he grumbled, but the angel only held an obnoxious grin in response.
"It's cute that you think that, but you are no match for the thirteen. I, however, will be more than adequate… Get ready. Should the lightning lord show his face, it'll be your job to keep him busy", retorted the angel calmly.
Ai's underling was getting more than annoyed, but he couldn't exactly challenge this entity. It was true that he couldn't face one of the demon crowns on equal footing, but a member of the angelic fourteen candles certainly could. He might even win.
"As you wish, Lord Jophiel", he said, barely concealing his hate. It didn't go unnoticed. The angel paused in passing with a cold glare and palpable bloodlust.
"Watch yourself, Malphas. Don't make me kill you. It would annoy my business partner", he warned.
With that, the angel headed off on his own while the demon fought off an instinctive shiver. There was very little standing between the protection granted by his employment and being devoured. Ai was certainly dangerous, but to achieve her eventual goal of the Forbidden Tomb, she'd invited the ultimate predator into her home, an angel with free reign. Malphas just hoped she knew what she was doing.
To be continued...