-Estelle's P.O.V-
I kept my fingers entangled with the barely conscious Yu's...and the other...
...the other held to my face, trying to cover my tears, sobs, weakness from the nearby demon...
But it was the demon, my nephew, I am least concerned about.
"Why do you cry, Auntie?"
"..as...as if you'd really care..."
"I do if I asked you."
"What's...what's the point? I've lost everything..and everyone...they will be lost, too...because I wasn't strong enough, not in this form at least..."
"Then, why not manifest in the real world? I've noticed..you have the ability to do that, but won't."
"It's complicated. I-I never to-ld..Sayomi as much as she questioned it... If I were to manifest from Himezuru-sa into the real world, I'd...my existence will be completely erased. That's not what I'm worried about, I'd break the alchemical blood seal and leave Sayomi mindless. She'd lose her motivation, only to return to a scared girl in a cruel world..."
"Simply put, scared, mindless little girl is one of the last hopes needed to save this cursed planet."
I nodded, returning my gaze back to Yuichiro, who's stirring a little...
For him, I refrained from breaking down.
From far away, I could hear a yell, echoing, but I couldn't understand what that...being yelled.
"You heard that, right?"
"Heard wha-"
As if someone grabbed my right arm and pulled it back, I looked behind me to see a chimaera?!
When I looked back to Yuichiro and Ashera, they...or the latter was gone, and Yu was held by some men in suits, unconscious...
"Yuichiro!" I shouted, quickly gasping at my outstretched left hand...
It was manifesting...
Before I could act on doing anything, my eyes met Saito's for a split second...he seemed in utter shock...and I am just like him in this very moment...
I looked back up at the chimaera that had me in a tight grip in its mouth. "Hey! Who are you?! What are you-...!"
My questioning stopped when I realized what kind of chimaera it is...the color...the pattern, the eyes...
"...Are you an..an angel...or a devil that's been sent to purge me...?"
I don't know how far it got away from wherever we were because of my discombobulation, but I assume pretty far it stopped...
The snake chimaera dropped me, immediately wrapping its slithering body around me, as if intending to squeeze me to death...?
Sudden steam began to stem from it and it felt like the snake began to decrease its growth...
I heard nearby people approaching, but...nothing or no one was important as I made eye contact with the man before my eyes...
He smiled, "It's been a long time since I held you, Estelle."
I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him close to me. "Ryota!" I shouted, letting tears go that I hadn't known built in my eyes...
Ryota chuckles...it's..it's so nostalgic... His voice..it's like I remember it, deep and, metaphorically, makes me melt... His eyes, like rare gold... Let me not get started on that physique-...has he gotten more built?
Letting out a chuckled sob, I pulled back and gave long kisses all over his face. However, I couldn't continue when he pressed his lips against mine firmly.
Grasping his cheeks, I returned the endearing, yet passionate, kiss with great fervor... Ryota is the drug I am addicted on after all.
"Ahem."
Reluctantly, I pulled away from my addiction and glanced to the newcomers.
My eyes slightly widened, "...Urd."
"You're...alive, Estelle," he spoke in a tone that...hinted he thought I was truly dead.
"...I don't blame you for believing I was dead because, truthfully, I was, but in a particular limbo. However, that doesn't matter righ-"
Doubling over in sudden, striking pain, I held my arms over my stomach.
"Elle!" Ryota shouted, grasping my shoulders from behind. "What's wrong?"
I didn't realize how fast I moved until I saw that I'm pinning my husband down to the ground, ready to take a chunk out of his neck.
Forcefully pushing myself away from him, I held my right hand around my throat...
"Now, this...I don't miss," I bitterly spat to myself. "Sayomi. Where is she, Ryota?"
He leaned up from the ground quickly, eyes widening, "I thought she was with you...?"
Adrenaline pumped through my veins, my eyes mimicking his... "...no. I left her in an acquaintance's hands after brother nearly got his hands on her..."
He stood up, gritting his fangs, "$#;t!"
"What?" I asked in a hurry.
"It's a setup. It's a damn setup! She's gonna die if we don't find her!"
A shaky breath left my lips. "Wh-what do you mean?! I-I don't understand! Explain to me what you mean," I spoke the last 3 words slowly and in distress.
"She-"
"—hast already did accept h'r fate."
I looked up to see a unknown woman, floating in mid-air, relaxed; although, she had some attributes of Sayomi's...?
"Who are you," Urd demanded from her.
"Maybe a crazy strong enemy I can take on," I heard Ky Luc speak.
This woman looked down at him, smirking. "In thy dreams, m'rtal." Her gaze moved to Urd, "Thee may calleth me Nightmare."
She looked at me in which Ryota stepped in front of me, growling at her.
"I desire thee mind not me b'rrowing thy daught'r's corse...well, of course thee wouldst mind; I shall taint h'r temple," she said with a giggle at the end.
"I don't care who you are, and I don't give a damn what you are! Give us our daughter back!" I yelled at her.
"As a partheth of h'r, I am h'r, which means thou art Mother. I wouldst obeyeth thee, but Sayomi sayeth oth'rwise. The lady's finally did realize yond the lady was not meanteth to beest yond joyous dram wench, not meanteth to beest a living savi'r, not meanteth to beest the rul'r of thy...h'r...our people."
"Are you saying she chose this?! To die?!" Ryota shouted.
Nightmare nodded, "Aye."
"To hell with that! There must be another way! I am not letting my daughter sacrifice her life for a world that doesn't appreciate her, her work, or for what she is!"
"I concur with thee, Ryota, I very much doth. But I believeth this is h'r life. Ah!" She looked back, "Yuichiro hast awaken. The trumpets..."
Trumpets from above began to sound and the sky looked like it was about to break...
"Then the seraphs..."
Ryota suddenly fell to his knees, coughing, coughing up blood!
A few miles from where we are, a fiery tornado fused rapidly, one that smelled of and looked like blood in a different area.
I reached my hand out towards him, but it came into contact with...white wings.
"Anon, the blood bath. Alloweth the apocalypse beginneth!"
She flew away at a speed I couldn't produce to go after her right now because of the lack of me drinking blood.
Defiant, I decided to chase her down with what strength I had.
"Perhaps you shouldn't interfere," I heard Ky Luc speak.
I stopped in my footsteps and turned back to glare at him, "I would be angered by your words...but you don't know a damn thing about being a parent." I turned back to proceed forward.
"He might have a point, Elle," Ryota spoke, gently grabbing me by my right arm.
I turned back to him, pushing his hand off my hand, "How dare you?! So you're just gonna let our child die out there?!"
"I never said I wouldn't do anything about it, but what I will say is that if you wanna stop Sayomi and find an alternative, you need blood to regain your strength."
Eyes widening, I pushed him away from me, taking steps backwards.
"And...And go back through that pain 8 years ago? I know..it's something I should've gotten over a long time ago, but..the thought of losing you because I won't be able to stop.."
He rushed forward, grabbing me by my wrists, staring into the depths of my soul through my eyes. "Estelle, we love each other, for hundreds of years now. When we got separated, whether physically or emotionally, mentally, we were never separated spiritually. Our souls...no matter what happens, our souls will always be entwined, so do me this favor, repeat 8 years ago..for the sake of our daughter."
I felt tears slip from my eyes and down my cheeks onto our hands... "I..I don't want to...but I..I have no...choice."
A small warm smile replaced his serious expression, "Good."
~Tiny Time Skip~ -Nightmare's P.O.V-
I looked down at the battle zone from above in a daze...
"Most wondrous...how a spark can cause a explosion..."
Floating merrily, flapping my wings above the passing and falling helicopters towards my goal, I spotted a certain special someone.
I delve down towards my precious in excitement, right in front of where he stood.
Smiling at his startled expression, I reached my hand to his left cheek and stroked it gently.
"Hello, Mikaela."
He, unexpectedly, pointed his blade at my throat after putting some distance between us.
"Who are you?!"
"What are thee declaring? t's...!" I could tell he wouldn't believe me..not with the way I was speaking... "S-Sorry, her dialect is different. But it is me, Mikaela," I said in my voice.
He narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "How do I know that for sure?"
"Mika, I have many personalities inside my mind and soul. When do you ever know for sure you're talking to me?"
He remained in his position for a few more seconds before sighing and letting his blade down, "You have a point. What happened back there?"
I smiled, "You weren't worried?"
"You're..immortal, more than I'll ever be. I was worried, but not to the point of where I'd act rashly, like Yu. Speaking of him, have you seen-"
I pressed my right index finger against his lips, shushing him... "We don't have much time."
"Hey! Who the hell are you!" I heard someone shout.
Turning my head back, I grinned before grabbing Mika by his shoulder with my other hand. I pushed my lips against his in a sweet, passionate kiss. Moving my hands behind his head, feeling his sandy golden locks, sensually moving my lips against his...it all made me feel euphoric.
I hadn't realized I closed my eyes so I opened them when I felt his fangs bit my bottom lip, partaking some blood, which made me feel a little giddy on the inside.
Pushing him away from me, I gave one last gentle smile at him.
"I was your first..and your last kiss. Remember that taste. You're gonna miss it," I told him before propelling myself up to the sky again and to my goal.
-Mika's P.O.V-
All I could do is stare up at the sky in...shock? Awe? Confusion? Some emotion I couldn't describe...
"What..the heck..was that all about?" I heard the one called Shinya question.
"Apparently, looks like dearest Sayomi gave a parting gift to him," Ferid spoke.
I looked down and glared at him, "What do you mean-"
"Bathory!" an approaching voice yelled.
I glanced behind him as he turned around to see...no way...
"Queen..Estelle?!" Ferid shouted in..somewhat mock surprise.
She's carrying someone on her back...and her mouth is bloody. She skidded to a stop in front of him, "Did you see a woman that looked like Sayomi?"
"Yes, just a few seconds ago. Why?"
"Where did she go? Which direction?!"
"It was hard to tell with how quick she was...but I think north. If you're going after her, I suggest you put the luggage away, wouldn't want to lose him," he told her with an amused smirk.
"Planned on it," she said, looking around, then her eyes met mine.
"Can I trust you to watch over my husband?"
My gaze moved to the unconscious Ryota, whom's neck was covered in blood...
"...yeah," I sighed. I took him from off her back and over my left shoulder. "Estelle, get her back."
She smiled..a somber smile...at me as her eyes glowed a rose colored fuchsia, "..I'll try my very best."
Before I could say anything else, she jumped on some railing to jump and somersault over the wall.
I stared at the spot she went over until I felt Ryota stir and groan on my back.
"You need to rest. You don't have the strength to fight."
"There's..no such thing as.."not enough strength to fight"...when it comes to family. But..because I think I would get in her way..I'll entrust my wife to get out daughter back...so we can complete our dream."
I lifted a brow at that, 'Dream...?'
Crowley approached, "So..you're the man she dumped me for?"
-Ryota's P.O.V-
I looked up from Mikaela's shoulder, groggily "...Problem?"
"None at all. It just makes me wonder how she down-graded."
I smirked, "Well, I must not be that bad if she was willing to marry me."
"Could you not, Kiiro?" the redhead with a ponytail spoke.
"Hah?" He looked to the right, "Oh, Jujo; Hanyori, Norito, and Yukimi, too. It's been a long time."
"Yeah. I thought you were dead. Where did you pop up from?" Norito asked.
"Este-...Sayoko's been carrying me around, somehow's keeping my soul from resting in peace," I chuckled the last part out. "As for my body, according to Sayoko, she put me in a special coffin to keep my body from deteriorating and one of the blood suckers suggested for my corpse's better survival, I be placed in a specific facility."
"How did you awaken?" Mikaela asked.
"Awaken?"
My eyes widened at that and I felt something being pushed into my body, but not physically.
"Kiiro-kun?" Hanayori questioned worriedly.
Pushing myself off of Mikaela's shoulder, landing on my hands and knees, I felt the curse surge from my heart to my cheeks, I coughed up blood onto the concrete floor.
"Hey! What's wrong?!" Jujo shouted, running to my side.
"Curse...acting up..." I muttered.
I felt something coming out of my back and grunted out in pain.
It ripped up the back of the uniform. Taking a glance back, my eyes widened at the bloody gray wings spreading out.
"I-Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Hanayori asked.
I glared beyond the wall, "For Sayomi, bad."
(So...I decided to give y'all another choice―by that, I mean for those who read my Free! story, check out the A/N update―because I'm hella conflicted with a PART of ending this story (remember, the last chapter will be in the Special Arcs and Finale book. I'm conflicted with if I should let Sayomi stay alive or...ya know, kill her off. I have never in the history of my writing killed off any of my characters... *thinks about it* ...! DESPITE MOST OF MY CHARACTER'S FAMILY MEMBERS! I don't know why I have this repetitive thing where I kill of my character's mother and/or father either at the beginning of a story or prior to the story...?
Anyway, let me know in the reviews!)