He slumped down against a wall, exhaustion taking over his body, eyes closed. Those… were a lot of enemies. He didn't think he broke as many backs as he just did, with his kanabo… and without.

Hugs for everyone, Momiji would always joke.

He coughed, feeling the warmth of his blood leaving his body, replaced by an ever growing sense of cold. Maybe he bit off more than he could chew…

Ah well. He bought time for Amane to go and deal with Apollyon. She'll win, he knew she will. If anyone could, that would be her. He had no regrets.

Or… maybe one. But it was too late now. He was already hearing more footsteps heading his way. Likely more reinforcements, to finish him off. Regrettable, but he couldn't even get up anymore, least of all fight.

Weird though… these footsteps didn't sound like they came from steeled boots…

"Iuppiter omnipotens…!"

The steps rushed towards him. The voice was… familiar.

"Okuma! Okuma, can you hear me?!"

He wrecked his tired brain, trying to pinpoint where exactly did he hear this tone of voice before. It was obviously a Knight, judging from the Latin he heard before…

Something was pushed against his lips and a liquid flowed down, the person in front of him forcing him to swallow. His brain kick-started back into working order, allowing him to finally open his eyes. Was that alcohol?

The healer of the Blackstone Legion… or more, the former healer of the Blackstone Legion was crouched in front of him, panic evident on his face.

"Don't fall asleep on me Okuma! Wake up!"

Okuma the Shugoki grumbled.

"Awake… I'm… awake…"

"Hold on tight, please! I can fix you up, but you need to stay conscious! Listen to me, don't fall asleep, for no reason in the world! Not even for a nap, understood?!"

Don't sleep…? But he was so… so tired…

Corvo cursed again in Latin while his consciousness started slipping away from him, the effect of the flask's content already waning.

"Think about…! Ahhhh… M-Momiji! Think about Momiji! If you fall asleep now, you're never going to see her again!"

He started slapping his cheek, but the Nobushi's name was enough to force him to open his eyes once more

Must… stay… awake…!

He could see Corvo exhale a small sigh of relief, before hurrying up to deliver first aid. And while he worked… he talked. Likely to keep him awake. He was trying so hard to keep himself calm… but he could hear the fear in his voice.

"Do you remember when you told me about your home village? I… I'm sorry if I never answered you with tales from my own childhood. The memories… still hurt me, to this very day, even if they are all good memories. I was born in a small village in Ashfeld, called Caelum. It means 'Heaven' in Latin, the place where the souls of the righteous gather to rest after the trials of life, according to the new religion that is starting to spread among the Knights. I lived there with my mother, a handful of friends, Mercy and Holden, my surrogate older sister and uncle respectively. Life was simple, but… fulfilling. At least for me…"

Okuma focused on the story the young healer was narrating, while keeping Momiji on the back of his mind. He was not going to close his eyes!

"I never knew my father. Apparently, he's a member of the Black Prior's Order. He left basically straight away after I was born, to follow his brothers and sisters into hiding. From what? I do not know. But I never saw him in person".

The pain slowly started to fade away, the numbness going along with it. This only threatened to make him slip into unconsciousness more, but he resisted, keeping his entire attention to Corvo.

"My mother… she wasn't happy though. She was always a very… ambitious person. She wanted more than what we had. More and more. The change happened when a delegation of Blackstones came to Caelum, looking for recruits. My mother didn't waste her chance, convincing both Mercy and Holden to follow her, while she sent me away to the Cult of Asclepius, to learn the art of healing from my now deceased master, since I refused to pick up a weapon for offensive purposes. While I was away, she climbed the ranks of the Legion, becoming more and more influential… until she died, almost two years ago, victim of her hubris".

Okuma barely had the strength to feel bad for the poor kid. Roped into a war he wanted nothing to with, following people that he didn't agree with and losing everyone that he cared about, one by one. No wonder he was so detached from everything when he met him. Or… so it seemed. His mask was cracked, even back then. He wondered what exactly triggered this change…

"Skye? She's… just a friend. Nothing… nothing more than a friend…"

Ah… right.

But again, the way he mentioned his mother... she wasn't actually dead. Or at least...

He slightly craned his head back, towards the gate.

Not yet.

Finally, his exhaustion won over, and his world turned black, while feminine shouts joined Corvo's.

Fuck! He fell asleep!

He bit his lower lip and checked Okuma's pulse while Momiji panicked by his side. Come on big guy, don't give up now!

The Shugoki's pulse beat beneath his fingers. Weak… but steady. Good! Steady was the important part! They were still on time!

"Corvo! Tell me he's not dead! Please, please tell me he's not dead!"

Ayu joined them not long after, panting in exhaustion.

"He's not dead! But he needs more medical attention, as soon as possible! Help me carry him, hurry!"

The Kensei placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Momiji and I will take him. Our medics will be more than enough to treat him. For now… I need you to follow Amane. Make sure that she's alive and take care of her, in case of injuries".

Not even a question on whether the Orochi won or not. The faith that everyone placed on the woman's shoulder was… astounding, to say the least.

"But… alone? What about the rules?! Aren't you afraid that I will do something bad?!"

Ayu smiled.

"I was, once. But… you've proven yourself multiple times, while you were with us. I trust you".

Oh… well… that's… something…

Nodding lightly, the Kensei and the Nobushi worked together to lift the gate blocking his path, allowing him to slip through and run towards the big fight that was likely happening.

While he went, he passed many dead Knight soldiers, both of the Blackstone and Iron Legions. He knew many of these people as well…

Olium, the Conqueror that always slept somewhere close to a tavern, too drunk to make it back to his tent. Blackstone.

Marcus, the most strict Lawbringer that he ever met, but had a soft spot for children. Iron.

Sarena, the Peacekeeper that always flirted with him, even after telling her multiple times that he wasn't interested. Skye disliked her, in particular. He never asked her why… Blackstone.

And of course, how could he forget Calem, the Warden. He was the biggest asshole he ever met in his entire life, but he always got the job done. Iron, surprisingly enough. Even he swore the same oath the Skye did, he guessed.

A sense of sadness came over him. He wasn't friends with any of these people, barely even acquaintances… but he still knew them. He still remembered them.

And he always will.

When he finally made it to the top, everything was already over. Amane was standing close to the edge, peering down at the battlefield with anxiety…

While Apollyon laid close by, barely breathing.

Hello?! Is this thing on?! It is?! Noice.

Welcome, dudes and gentleladies, to another episode of AHO, the show where you can never trust a fat dude to not fall asleep on the job!

Yup, Okuma really risked it for the biscuit there. Had Corvo just been a couple seconds too late, we would have lost our dear Shugoki comrade. Split PoV chapter today, even if the second was a little too brief. But the main focus was Corvo narrating his story to Okuma, to keep him conscious.

Next chapter will be the end of the Samurai characters (for now), but not the end of the story campaign!

Disclaimer: This chapter will likely be the last for awhile. I intend to take August to rest, relax and recharge. I don't exclude the possibility of uploading anyway, in case inspiration takes over, but there won't be any deadline for the next month.

So, if you follow any of my other stories, I'll catch you there! Otherwise, happy summer everyone!

Next time on A Healer's Oath: Amane, The Orochi

That's all folks! Ta-ta for now!