Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 5

Chapter 5: The Princess and the Minstrel

(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)

It was a calming day in Shilla's capital of Muyeol as everyone was getting ready to prepare for the Plum Festival. Even though life slowly came back to normal after the fall of Darbus Toller nearly three weeks ago, that didn't change the fact that one of Shilla's members of the royal family there was busy taking on her secret job as a hunter. The latest monster she was going after was a drinking spirit as it was last seen at one of the pubs after one of the onlookers saw it after getting plastered from too much alcohol earlier. The young princess, who was dressed in peasant clothing, was most likely to be going up against the drinking spirit as she was no stranger into seeing things that no one else here can do so. Armed with a sword that was given a blessing while being poured with sake earlier, the princess was ready to go after the monster as it was seen standing in front of a group of revelers who were known to get tipsy too much.

"Alright, let's do this," she said as she got out the blessed sword.

The drinking spirit spotted her as it was ready to attack her head-on. The very chill of it caused the partygoers to flee as the princess lunged at the drinking spirit and killed it instantly. Even though she got rid of a threat, she wasn't out of the woods yet as she noticed several royal guards approaching to see what was going on, for they knew that she would be out in the open against the wishes of her family.

"Princess Deok-Su," said the captain of the guard as he was shocked to see her in peasant clothing like that. "You can't just go on becoming a hunter of all things monstrous. It's not befitting for a proper princess like you."

"I've been tracking the signs about the drinking spirit that nearly did damage to a group of drunken folk just now," she said. "Luckily, if I didn't kill it with the blessed sword that was once drenched in sake, it would've been terrorizing other folk by now. You should be thankful that I stepped in or else more lives would've been lost."

"For starters, Your Highness, you of all people are a part of Shilla and is next in line to rule the throne just in case that your brother either gives up his status or dies from unknown circumstances in the matter."

"I hate to break it to you, Captain, but the royal throne of Shilla only takes male heirs, not female ones. All the same, you're still not gonna force me to go back home because I'd rather prefer the way of the hunter to save lives from monsters than be kept in a cage. Still, I would rather become the hunter to help those in need because none of you know what is out there, do you? As for that drinking spirit, it was something that I had to stop or else there would be more death on its hands."

"You've been reading those books that came back into the fray after Darbus caused havoc about nine months ago, haven't you?"

"I knew of the method of killing a drinking spirit with a sword drenched with sake while invoking a Shinto blessing from that book, Party On, Garth, and it worked. Still, someone has to protect the citizens of Shilla from those who cause harm to unsuspecting folk. In the end, the Supernatural books are all about three things: saving people, hunting things, and the family business."

"Your father has been looking for you for hours, but first and foremost, if he sees you dressed like one of those hunters, he'll block you from leaving the palace, is that clear?"

Deok-Su put up her sword as she followed the royal guards back to her palace. Little did she know was that a minstrel walked past her as he saw how brave she was. The young man was someone who was in hiding from his own region as he revealed a royal tattoo on his left wrist, for he was in fact someone who was really far from home. By the time he caught up to Deok-Su and the royal guards, he was smitten for her as he wanted her to be his bride for the rest of his days until something came forth and took them from their area. The captain of the royal guard was stunned to see the Princess disappear without a trace as he noticed a package of strings for musical instruments that was on the ground. It seemed that the minstrel was also gone as the pattern for his disappearance along with Deok-Su had been an omen in the making so far...

I was back home after spending four days in the Kurosawa Mountains where Sybil's temple was at. Still, I felt lighter as I simply came to terms with the bad memories that I had while dealing with Sylvanus over the years. Even though the harshest ones still bog me down, I couldn't let myself fall flat towards the ground as I had to keep moving forward in my crusade to become what I truly need to be in my position as the Destiny of Worlds. With the smell of breakfast looming and with the month of April almost over, I was up after getting a shower earlier as I was dressed in clean clothes while going towards the kitchen. To my shock, I noticed members of the Kirgar Clan arriving as they were on hand cooking a Jewish breakfast for the senses. The smell of salmon cooking on the grill was something to be savored as I even noticed a familiar face doing the work, for she was already heavy with child, but that didn't stop her from helping out with everything in front of her.

"Long time, no see, Sam," I heard her say.

"Moro..." I said. "It seems that you came early in the day."

"Albus is outside preparing for the salmon that is perfect for a breakfast fit for a king. Normally, you serve bacon or sausage to some of the townsfolk, but I was never into those 'cause I'm not a pork fan. That stuff is not only forbidden to be eaten by Jewish standards, but it can also clog up your arteries if you eat so much of it."

"Dean was always into sausage and bacon. I was mainly into healthy things. As for what you carry inside of you, I suggest that you be careful when you walk around."

"Hey, I can't just be bogged down in bed while Albus is busy hunting monsters and helping out with the daily duties around Wall Keep. Besides, we had our fair share since we once staved off Darbus Toller's artificial dolls that were causing panic in Kabizashi. You may not know it, but Albus' dad is one of the many prophets that the Terran God crapped out, but after Nagodor's death during the dirt road incident, a plethora of angels have took action to keep those blessed by Him on a short leash so they wouldn't end up dead."

"Kazuo's gonna love that..."

"And another thing, Albus' sister, who lives in the Kurosawa Mountains heard advice from her mother-in-law that the future I carry is likely to be a baby girl, but to some of the Kirgar Clan, there's been a shortage of girls that aren't there to marry into future lines that are equal to the Order of Letters and the Judah Initiative."

I continued to watch over Moro as she was busy cooking salmon that was made for breakfast with some rice to complement it. With breakfast nearly done, I saw Reiko coming downstairs as she was carting the twins in tow. It wasn't long until she saw Moro in the kitchen hard at work in which the smell of salmon cooking was a pastime that occurred in the Mitani homestead back in those days.

"Moro," she said as she saw her up close with her swollen belly protruding. "It's good to see you once again..."

"I take it that the twins have got a growth spurt since we last parted ways last year," she said. "Come to think of it, I heard about your sabbatical in the Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina when Darbus pulled his crap that left you guys packing out of your home. Now that the asshat's bit the dust, we're all good in the hood so far. As for the relief effort here, most of the houses are almost complete."

"Sammy helped into restoring some of the homes here after Reinhardt came here to destroy the town, for his raw power has gotten better since we all came back home."

"It's a godsend that we're back, but the vow to never shirk my duties still stand," I said as I was preparing the food for breakfast. "Still, during the trip home, we destroyed three of Darbus' factories, brought rain to a drought-stricken planet, and I even participated in this year's Dynamite Warg Race a month ago."

"I heard all about it from the Dwarves Across the Street who live in Mifune next to Sybil's temple," said Moro. "They were also flabbergasted when the favorite to win, Femto, was disqualified after his owner attempted to play dirty and poison some of the contenders in the long race. Luckily, Barca, the one who had a substitute tamer after his former one died came out on top to win it."

"Moro…, I was the one who became Barca's tamer after the loss of his master. In the end, we won in which we even bonded after I went into his pen to calm him down at the time."

Without warning, I heard Barca growling as I ran outside and saw what was there in the yard of the castle grounds. By the time I got there, I noticed the princess from Shilla and her minstrel friend appearing here as they were looking all over the place throughout the yard. They had never been here before, but they were also away from their land as they were scared to death of Barca and his hulking weight in front of them.

"Barca, back away," I said as he obeyed me on the spot. "Sorry about the inconvenience, but at least that you're safe for now."

"This isn't the royal palace in Munyeol, but at least I can play my shamisen and other stringed instruments on me," said the minstrel. "And to top it off, my name is Yasuchika Kurotaka and I'm just a simple minstrel just playing for tourists, royalty, and other stuff. The girl with me is Princess Deok-Su of the royal family who rules Shilla for centuries and many years to come."

"It's true," she said. "It may be a shock to you, but for me being a princess was getting kind of boring, so I became a hunter to protect the innocent."

"Your Highness, I know that you prefer the freedom of being a hunter, but your people will someday depend on you in their times of need," I said.

"There's no way of going back to Shilla. After Yasuchika and I were brought here, we've been busy strumming and hunting all over the outskirts. Do you know how many vampires I've brought to the sword? Much longer than what you know."

"Still, you need to reconsider your actions first before fitting into the mantle you made. If not, then you'll end up facing bitter consequences for what you abandoned."

Deok-Su took no heed in my warning as she was most likely to be resuming her role as a hunter who tracks down monsters on a daily basis. As for Yasuchika, however, he was strumming his shamisen as he was playing a melancholy tune that even made Barca fall asleep. The young man was persistent into playing his musical instruments as he strummed until he was noticed by some of the townsfolk who were staying here until their homes and businesses are restored. The presence of him enthralled the townsfolk as they never expected him to play the shamisen to soothe their souls here. Even though he continued to play, I noticed the tattoo of Clavell Valley's royal family etched onto his left wrist as he was hiding something from those in hindsight. Still, I had to keep tabs on him as he was also hiding from further scrutiny on the horizon. Just as I was about to return inside of the main house, I noticed a young girl with light teal hair and blue eyes appear out of nowhere as she was dressed in a Japanese school uniform with a purse and backpack on her person. She was persistent, but she was also part of the angelic arsenal that was firm into keeping those chosen by God on a short leash.

"It seems that you've returned, Sam," she said as she got out a small box of chocolate Pocky. "Luckily, I just had to take those two from Shilla out of there before the real trouble started on the horizon."

"Who are you?" I asked. "Are you part of the Heavenly Host that is keeping God's chosen on a short leash?"

"Don't take it personal, but that's our job since Nagodor died while protecting the innocent who came and went on the dirt roads. And by the way, my name's Tirzah and I'm not only an angel of the Lord, but I also serve under my master, Iriniel, who is one of the Knights of Heaven just like Taraniel and Nelliel respectively." She opens up the box of Pocky and tears the inner packaging as she gets out one just to eat. "Furthermore, let's get down to business because I had my reasons to bring both Princess Deok-Su and that minstrel friend of hers here because they're not safe from the clutches of some of the angel factions who once served under Metatron during the time of the Elder Days."

"I take it that Deok-Su got into hot water after hunting one monster too many, didn't she?"

"It's not about the monsters, Sam. The factor of Ailnoth worries us to the extreme because he bears a grudge against prophets just like Metatron himself. Both of them are bad apples, but they're also dangerous due to what they did in the Elder Days. It's been said that the Knights of Hell were all but wiped out, but Cain spared Ailnoth to deliver a message to those from Hell not to follow him onward. As for Metatron, he duped Castiel into completing the angel trials in which it caused the Angel Expulsion and a war within our brothers and sisters. From what is known, he had his grace removed just to get a taste of his own medicine on being a human, but centuries later, he was resurrected in which he was one of the many threats in the Middle Ground's Witching War, but he had an ally in Ailnoth in which many casualties were lost in the siege of El Castillo Blanco back then. As for the situation I talked about earlier, some of the higher-ups in Heaven have taken to great lengths on keeping the many prophets chosen by God on a short leash after the death of Nagodor, for we can't afford to lose those who are in tune with what will be there soon."

"Is it the Destiny of Worlds?"

"The Destiny of Worlds is something that is foretold longer before the existence of God and the Darkness, but the ones who clung to that prophecy have lost their homeworld and have been scattered all over the entire Ashizoka System and beyond just like the humans who left Earth."

"The Draaza..."

The news about them clinging to the Destiny of Worlds was more than enough to keep me motivated in such dire times as I couldn't allow myself to fail any longer. Even though that alien race has been there on other planets, their places that were abandoned and their technology have been abundant throughout the galalxy as it even gave us leverage to move around with ease into putting a damper on some of the factories that Darbus owned. Still, their motives will always be shrouded in mystery as they were an alien race that can't be taken lightly in the end. As for the other situation involving Princess Deok-Su of Shilla and her minstrel friend, Yasuchika Kurotaka, both of them were far away from their homes as they were also in dire need of protection at the behest of the many angels who defected to our side in the Order of Letters over the years. Even though the two of them were far from home, I had to do my best to secure them from whoever was going after them as I sensed danger loomming in the distance so far…

The dirt roads were teeming with busy travel as everyone came and went to the four towns that were connected to them. Little did everyone know was that a duo of angels were searching far and wide for Princess Deok-Su and her minstrel friend as they were ready to get rid of them due to what they pose in the future. Like other angels in Heaven, they showed no emotion as they were ready to kill first on sight while searching for the two intended targets who were saved by Tirzah at the last minute.

"The Princess of Shilla is here," said the first angel as she had an angel blade in her hand. "Tirzah can't hide them forever in the four towns among the dirt roads."

"They are heralds of our Lord who even pose a threat to our former master, Metatron," said the other angel. "We all know that Princess Deok-Su and that wandering minstrel are what we call the keepers of the Holy Guild. We can't let that happen because we even got orders from Ailnoth to get rid of them."

"Working with Ailnoth is considered to be unclean and immoral because he's a demon and a Knight of Hell."

"From what I gathered, Ailnoth was the one who got away after being spared by Cain just to deliver a message to the handlers of Hell not to pursue him. After that, the First Blade was lost, only to be found by a former Man of Letters who later lost his head during the time of the Elder Days."

"We must find and terminate the Princess of Shilla and her minstrel companion or else they will ruin the plans that Ailnoth has in mind. They are a threat just like the ones chosen by destiny and several of God's chosen as well."

And so, the two angels were ready to smite their targets as they were about to make their move towards the location they found. Even though they were ready to go towards Kanto Village, they were being watched by another angel, who was in fact a Knight of Heaven, as he was watching them slowly in the distance. The Knight of Heaven himself was someone that was dressed like a western cowboy as he even had blue eyes and a matching set of brown hair and mustache that resembled the traditional form of a righteous hero. With his set of guns on his holsters, he was loading them with bullets as he was ready to seek out the two angels who were targeting the two who were brought here to Kanto Village. Just as he was about to intercept their movements, he heard some footsteps approaching as he turned around and noticed Castiel standing in front of him, for he was going back home in hindsight.

"I see that you're the same as ever, Castiel," he said. "I reckon that you're on the same side when it comes to Metatron's supporters on the prowl to kill those two who came all the way from Shilla."

"I had a feeling that you would be here, Iriniel," he said.

"The Princess of Shilla may be steering away from the path of royalty to be a hunter, but her true purpose is to be one of the keepers of the Holy Guild, which can bolster our efforts into fighting off Ailnoth and those who work with him."

"You're pursuing those two angels, aren't you?"

"I know those two to be Hosea and Baara, who have an undying loyalty to Metatron, even after his defeat at El Castillo Blanco in the Middle Ground. Still, we should stop them in their tracks before they even make it towards Kanto Village."

"They may try to go towards Kanto Village, but Abiasaph is holding firm into protecting that town after it was in ruins by Reinhardt Toller and his army almost a month ago."

"As usual, some of us have been holding the reins to keep the rest of our Father's chosen from getting killed after the death of Nagodor Thravin, but there are times when evil slips through without anyone noticing. As for what Tirzah is doing, she's not the type that can shy away that easily. She's also someone who had the guts to stand up to Ailnoth after hearing about what he is doing."

"He'll go after Sam and Reiko just as much as the two targets that have eluded Metatron's supporters back in Shilla."

"Ailnoth has plans to usurp Milverton from Hell's throne, but he also sees the obstacles in his way to be a game changer if he got the top offensive. In the end, we must stave off his intentions in which has attracted his nemesis who was resurrected in order to kill him head-on. Even if we face off against him, we can't allow him to fight Cain to the death or else the galaxy will fall."

Castiel's words of warning were a bad omen in the making as Iriniel had to keep firm into doing his part into protecting Deok-Su and Yasuchika from certain harm. As for the two angels that were on the prowl, they were going towards Kanto Village as they were ready to search for the two who were taken from Shilla. Still, the news about Cain facing off against Ailnoth was more than enough to raise red flags just to prevent further danger on the horizon, for this wasn't the very end of what would happen next so far…

Deok-Su was walking towards the pathway to Kanto Village as she had Yasuchika following her with his stringed instruments in tow. Both of them were wanting to check out the rest of the town as they made it towards the square. With most of the town's buildings being restored to full after the attack by Reinhardt and his army three weeks ago, it was going smoothly as it was also going back to its normal setting so far. When Deok-Su and Yasuchika stopped at the ramen stand, they were starting to get a little hungry as they went towards the counter to order up some lunch.

"This place has seen war here," said Yasuchika as he saw some of the workers hauling parts of the rubble from the wreckages of other buildings. "From what I heard from my family, this place once got burnt to the ground when Severin and his forces attacked this place last year."

"Family?" asked Deok-Su out of curiosity. "I thought that you were just a wandering minstrel who travelled all over Shilla."

"Actually, I am the son of the Clavell Valley chieftain and one of the heirs of the royal family that are in line to succeed the throne, but my brothers and older sister are much equipped to the job than I am. As for me, I'm just a loser who plays around with musical instruments."

"I never expected you to come clean like this before, but you're running away from assuming leadership while I stay on the path of being a hunter. Still, our reasons to stay away from our respectable cages has more advantages than what we hear so far."

"Even when we flee our cages, we're still trapped in the prison of our making if we go too far. As for our reasons to be free, we have all that courage with us until we drop dead."

Deok-Su and Yasuchika were ready to order up some ramen until they saw the two angels that were combing the town as they were not about to fail in their mission. They never expected them to show up out in the open like that as they were ready to leave before getting killed on the spot. Both Hosea and Baara were not about to fall flat as they spotted the princess and the minstrel at the ramen stand sitting there while ordering up some lunch to tide them over. To the two angels were ready to deliver the blow to those two as they got out their blades in their hands. Little did they know was that another angel with brown skin, green eyes, and black hair appeared out of nowhere as she was dressed up in a grey mini-dress and thigh-high boots. She wasn't about to let the two angels kill Deok-Su and Yasuchika so readily as she got out her own angel blade to challenge them head-on.

"You have no authority here, Abital," said Hosea as he was ready to strike.

"Neither do you," she said.

"Deok-Su of Shilla and Yasuchika Kurotaka must die," said Baara. "They are a threat to us when they are destined to take their place as keepers of the Holy Guild."

"And who's will is it that you're following: our Father's or Metatron's?"

"You shall die for your actions!"

"Not quite yet..."

At that moment, Abital used her knife as she stuck it into the dirt ground in which she trapped the two angel assailants in their tracks. When she used an incantation banish them, they were gone without a trace as she was ready to make sure that both Deok-Su and Yasuchika were alive and safe from further harm. Even when Koryo emerged with fresh ingredients to replenish his supplies for his ramen stand, he never expected an angel to stand firm against her brethren in such a strange fashion like this before. The sight of her made him relive his youth all over again as he couldn't take his eyes off of her, but he wasn't about to play the role of the pervert due to his age.

"You're amazing, Miss-," he said as he blushed.

"-The name's Abital and my master is an archangel who is head of the Knights of Heaven," she said.

"If you're wanting a bowl of ramen, it's on the house."

"I'm not here for the ramen, old man. I'm here to protect Princess Deok-Su of the Alecrian region of Shilla and Prince Yasuchika of Clavell Valley."

"Prince Yasuchika…?" Koryo was stunned to see him sitting at his table as he was busy tuning his musical instruments. "Isn't he the crown prince of Clavell Valley that will succeed his father, the chieftain who rules that region?"

"He is, but his cover as a dowdy minstrel won't do him any more favors after what you've witnessed earlier. The two angels that I banished earlier have ties to Metatron, but take orders from the demon, Ailnoth to kill the two who are destined to strengthen their respectable regions. They are also keepers of the Holy Guild, which resides in the royal palace of Clavell Valley's capital of Kyoto-Ni. In the end, they must come to terms with their true destiny or else Ailnoth will win out."

"Win out?" asked Deok-Su. "First, we get swept away from Shilla and now two people tried to kill us. Still, I'll fight it out because I'm not afraid of the monsters that I have fought just to protect the innocent. As for the two people who tried to do away with us, I have a feeling that their motives won't be the last thing we'll see."

Everything was made clear as the princess wasn't about to back down on facing the evil that was running rampant all over Alecrast and beyond. As for Yasuchika, however, he was worried as his cover was blown by Abital, who showed up to protect him and Deok-Su from certain death. Even though he was finished with tuning his instruments, he was looking at the royal tattoo on his left wrist as he didn't want to go home directly. He dreaded it to the extreme as he vowed to keep everything as is for the time being. Still, he didn't want to talk about his legacy as he got out a guitar and began to strum it very loudly. His music was more of a somber tune as he expressed his reasons not to go back to his home in Clavell Valley, for he was more of a wanderer than a ruler of his own region. Just as he was about to finish his tune on the guitar, he noticed me coming towards the ramen stand as I was busy overseeing the work on the town. His reaction to me coming here to the ramen stand was more than enough to get away until he was stopped by Abital, who wasn't about to let him off the hook just yet.

"It seems that you're hiding something, aren't you?" I said.

"If you think that you can coax me into going home to Clavell Valley, then you're mistaken," said Yasuchika. "I'd rather be a minstrel than rule the throne that will soon be given to my older brothers rather than me."

"I looked at your tattoo and I even looked into the records about the royal family of Clavell Valley reporting their son missing over the past five years."

"Even though I have been missing, I will never go back home again… I can't face the stigma of my siblings calling me a coward and a loser all because I prefer musical instruments than their company in the royal court. In the end, I pick the path of the wanderer than being a caged bird for the rest of my days."

"If you thought your life was rough after running away from everything that was important to you, mine was a lot worse than yours. For years, I endured the cruelty of Sylvanus, only to discover that the one making him do it was a blackmailer that is rotting in prison for the rest of his days. All that time, I felt that my life didn't have a higher meaning until I realized how important I was even after I was banished from the fort on Gehenna. Even though I enjoyed the freedom, I also had consequences in which my departure had repercussions during the Wendigo attack two years ago. Still, if I hadn't told my older brother how to kill one with fire, the rest of the people living there in the fort would've been dead. The lives that were lost there still haunt me until I came back to help them out the moment SucroCorp tried to invest into eating the rest of the stragglers who survived the Wendigo carnage. Even though I redeemed myself in my folly, my latest blunder is when I took my family and fled to Shiganshina nine months ago after Darbus imposed a fake bounty on my head to keep me out. It wasn't fun, but after hearing about his Master Race taking over everything, I had to act in which I had to stand firm into never abandoning those who were in dire need."

"But my life will be nothing but become a bird in a cage surrounded by hungry cats."

"I kept thinking the same way until I realized that I had so much to do, even if it meant by facing off against evil. No matter what obstacles that you try to get past, the ones that can cripple you the most are the ones you are running away from."

Yasuchika was hearing my warning clearly as he was most likely to be ushered back to his home in Clavell Valley. As for Deok-Su, however, she was fearing the retaliation from her own family as she now realizes that she also has to return home as well. It was a very complicated approach, but both of them had to do what was right in order not to shirk their responsibilities to their fellow regions here on Alecrast. Still, everyone had to do their part as I also had to do mine in which I was most likely to be the saving grace for the princess and the minstrel who showed up here earlier.

By the time Yasuchika finished up his tune, he got up as he heard the sound of angel chimes blaring in the air. I also sensed that more assassins were coming as I had to get Deok-Su and Yasuchika out of the way before more harm happens. When I looked even further, I saw a group of angels approaching as they were armed with their weapons in their hands. They were after the princess and the minstrel as they weren't about to stop anytime soon.

"There's no end to this, is there?" said Deok-Su as she managed to get Yasuchika out of the way.

"The angels that are coming for you are in league with Ailnoth," said Abital as she was ready to fight. "They're also those who even served under Metatron during the Angel Expulsion from the Elder Days as well."

"Looks like my days of being a minstrel are numbered," said Yasuchika as he was shaking with fear.

"Both of you, get out of here," I said as I was standing firm to protect the two who were in danger.

The angels that were after Deok-Su and Yasuchika were giving out their powerful aura as everyone from the ramen stand fled the wrath. With only me standing in their way, I began to display my raw power as I was beyond my super-charged form and changing into something else that was beyond the comprehension that was the normal part so far. My long hair was silver, but the very appearance of me was far different than anticipated the moment I was dressed in a different kimono and overrobe. The angels that were after the princess and the minstrel were horrified to see me display such raw power like that as they fled without a trace for the time being. When the townsfolk came out of hiding to see me like this, they were astonished to see me in a different light as I displayed a much powerful aura than normal. Even Koryo noticed me out in the open as he dropped to his knees to see such an omen become a blessing in disguise.

"By the gods!" he cried breathlessly. "Take a look at what you are now..."

I turned around to see Deok-Su and Yasuchika noticing me as I reverted back to my normal form the moment I became exhausted. Even though I prevented a threat from eliminating the princess and the minstrel, I was feeling the side effects of the raw power take their toll as I felt my knees buckling while I collapsed onto the ground. I was not doing too well as I noticed Abital coming to my aid and healing my very being at the last minute.

"You prevented a tragedy here, Sam," she said as she saw me up on my feet. "It also seems that you have a long way to go into becoming who you really are and that's part of the Destiny of Worlds. You and Reiko are like gods, for this is a sign of many things to come so far."

"I'm no god, Abital," I said. "I'm just a simple Man of Letters."

And I meant it. Still, I may have prevented a group of angels from doing away with Deok-Su and Yasuchika, but the real battle was already in motion for the time being. With those who flocked to Ailnoth's side already waiting for the next attack, we were also waiting for them to be brought to their knees as the battle to stop him was already beginning as we speak. By the time everything was back to normal, both the princess and minstrel were ready to order up a bowl of ramen as they were safe from harm so far. By the time they noticed Koryo returning to his counter after washing his hands, he was busy crafting his ramen bowls as he gave them to the two complicated customers that were here after witnessing some renegade angels threatening to kill them earlier. Both of them were slurping away at the craft he made as they were happy and content with what they had in their lives. Even I was impressed to see them with a much broader outlook as they were most likely to be having a much bigger purpose to bear just like me and Reiko.

"It seems that you two are ready to return home, but you should also be aware of what would happen if you're not careful," I said.

"I saw what you did when you scared those people off," said Deok-Su. "It seems that you've become a god without realizing it."

"I'm no god, but I will make sure that those in need will be protected from harm."

"And I should do the same," said Yasuchika as he got out a banjo to play.

And so, we saw the minstrel play away as everyone at the ramen stand were impressed to see him feel more courageous than what is perceived to be. In due time, both princess and minstrel would soon have their true purposes realized as their positions as keepers of the Holy Guild were already put into motion so far. As for me, however, I had so much to do as I was pulling all the stops to protect those who were in need of my assistance, for I was part of the Destiny of Worlds after all...

Ailnoth was watching in the distance as he was hiding behind a tree in the outskirts. With the smell of fresh blood wafting from a fresh kill of Purgatory's worst, he wasn't about to back down anytime soon as he noticed the first two angels returning with failure on their heads. Even though he was angry with them, he wasn't about to let them live as he refused to be bogged down by such troubles along the way.

"I see that you failed into killing the keepers of the Holy Guild," he said.

"Abital was there, Lord Ailnoth," said Hosea.

"Abital? Ah, yes; she's one of the top enforcers that have been in service to the Knights of Heaven, but follows the orders of Abiasaph…, or perhaps Chief Tamanori of Kanto Village that he goes by in the presence of humans."

"Let us go and get rid of the Princess of Shilla and her companion with the strings," said Baara. "I won't be defeated the second time."

"You two have failed me, so you will be punished severely."

Ailnoth saw a murder of crows approaching as they were doing his bidding in order to silence those who have failed him. With the two angels being pecked mercilessly to death, they were even absorbing the aura of them as they left nothing but bones in front of their master. Even though Ailnoth was crafty, he wasn't about to let those who fail him get away that easily as he noticed a white crow perched on a tree branch. He viewed the white crow to be an omen of terrible things yet to come as he smiled with a wicked grin on his face. He was ready to enact his wrath on those who stood against him until he saw Cain appear out of nowhere. The Father of Murder wasn't about to let Ailnoth get away as he was seething with vengeance on the sly, for he wasn't about to let him live so far.

"It's been a long time, Cain," he said as he didn't lose his cool. "The last time we met, you spared me in order to give your handlers a message. After a long time of hiding, I decided to come out into the open just to cause misery to those who believe in the Destiny of Worlds."

"I've been waiting for this moment, Ailnoth," he said. "For far too long, you hid in the shadows just to cause chaos in the making."

"As I recall, you lost your right arm during your battle with the Winchesters of old in time of the Elder Days. This time, you have been reborn with a prosthetic arm to replace your lost limb, but it's not enough to stop me."

"Damn you, Ailnoth! I should've eliminated you when I had the chance!"

"If you did that, then those who were in the service of Azazel would've followed you to the ends of the earth."

"Then let's get this over with! It's between you and me!"

And so, Cain was ready to battle with Ailnoth until he was stopped by Mara who appeared out of nowhere. She wasn't about to let him do away with the one who got away as she was firm into subduing the Father of Murder from causing havoc in this battle on the horizon. Even though Ailnoth slipped away, Cain was left reeling as he was facing Mara in all her glory. Anger flooded him as he wanted to get away from Mara directly and face off against Ailnoth without pity or mercy in mind. The first Knight of Hell was on the warpath as he wasn't about to stop until his target was eliminated on the spot so far.

"Get out of the way, Mara!" yelled Cain. "Ailnoth's life is mine to take!"

"If you kill him with your hands, then the galaxy will fall," she said. "Everyone in both Heaven and Hell knows that this battle will shake everything to the core."

"How dare you come to me when your master is busy making deathmatches to the lost souls in hell like that?!"

"Milverton may be the new King of Hell, but he is never my master! I have my own reasons and means to keep people from going off the deep end, but I suggest that you do the same by letting Ailnoth go."

"I will never let go of the hatred towards him because he is nothing more than a monster. He snitched on me to Abaddon about my marriage to the woman who saved me from my path of blood, but his welcome is already worn out as it is. When I see him again, I'll kill him where he stands and no one will stand in my way!"

"Have you forgotten about the battle between Michael and Lucifer? Their fight shook the heavens and the earth in which millions of innocent people lost their lives just because they've become bystanders that got caught in the middle. It's like you and Ailnoth in which your actions will make every planet in the Ashizoka System quake with tragedy if you don't abandon your pitiless crusade."

"I wanted Ailnoth dead ever since he came out of hiding, but he's even got a kick into killing people who come and go on the outskirts. Sooner or later, I'll catch up to him again and this time, he'll stay dead."

Cain made his point clear as he saw Mara disappear into a plume of red smoke. Still, his vendetta against Ailnoth never waivered as he was willing to stop him, even if it meant by condemning the galaxy for his actions in the end…

To be continued...