A Scorching Vow

Somehow, he had to keep checking with his brain that he was not dreaming again.

Black horns…a pair of dark wings.

That the creature standing in front of him was just as real as Yuushin.

Purple skin…long black hair…

That the voice he was hearing was not distant memories echoing in his mind.

She…is actually here.

And she looked pissed.

“Will you be led by honor or not? Answer, fast.” Though she had not raised her voice—much—there was still that urgency. Words trying to fend off an inconspicuous desperation that was very visible in her gaze.

Yuushin blinked.

…

I’m not dead this time either, am I?

It appeared he was in the middle of a castle’s hall. The corridor was wide, almost too grand, matching the place well. With stone floor and walls, decorated with meters-tall paintings, astonishingly beautiful vases, and statues that were not only big but also detailed and mesmerizing, all Yuushin could do was stare in awe.

Seeing as he still had to reply, however, the man took a deep breath.

And then every single nerve and cell in his body shrieked—a pain so agonizing and sharp it took all air from his lungs as dark spots filled his eyes.

“..ngn…”

Yup…definitely not dead, yet.

As the man lost all control and movement in his body—the strength leaving him completely—he fell to the ground heavier than a block of ice and, for a second, it was almost as if he could hear his bones cracking with the impact.

The female demon kept gazing at him, not even blinking or changing her intonation as she spoke.

“I will make it clear now. You are going into shock due to overflow. If left untreated, the pain could go on for days—weeks. Swear to help me, and I will make this stop. Do nothing, and you will have no use to me.”

The more she stared at him, the more intense the pain got, Yuushin continuing to gasp as his muscles shook from the inside—tears running from his eyes without control.

She pulled Yuushin by the collar as if he were made of leaves, bringing him a hairbreadth from her face.

“Choose now, human. I don’t have time to spare.”

I’m…trying…

“…ck…hah….ng…”

As he struggled to speak, all Yuushin could do was let the broken sounds pour out from his mouth. Then, with clenched teeth, he managed to give the slightest of nods—the man’s head barely moving a single centimeter up and down.

A hint of relief sparked in her bright eyes, just for a second, before she nodded back to him.

“That was the right decision.”

And then—

She kissed him.

…

Wh…what?

A full, mature, grown-up, not at all sweet, kiss.

It was dry, firm. For those brief seconds, Yuushin’s mind simply stopped working. To the point where his brain couldn’t even process the pain anymore—couldn’t process anything at all.

With bulging eyes, the man forgot how to breathe, how to speak, how to think. And as she prolonged the kiss, little by little, Yuushin was able to notice something hot burning his tongue.

What…is happening right now?

When she pulled away, he noticed a faint glow coming from her mouth before it disappeared. “It’s done. Be warned, human, that if you break the vow, you will die.”

Yuushin blinked.

His brain was still trying to process the “kiss” part.

As the walls and windows shook again, impacts from outside reverberating throughout the entire place, her lines hardened while she clenched her fists—cold shadows crossing those bright, lilac eyes as she mumbled.

“…we’ve got no time…”

Focusing on Yuushin once again, she raised both arms—hands open above him—taking no time at all for something to start flowing from her palms. Thin threads, made of a pure white energy, descended toward Yuushin’s body.

…I can actually feel them piercing my skin, this is so weird.

Whether the pain he currently felt surpassed any other, or the threads didn’t hurt at all, soon enough his body was covered by the glowing things, the white energy wrapping itself tightly around him—its glow blending with his Soma’s.

For the first few seconds, nothing changed. But then…

My Soma…is getting weaker.

Yuushin saw the golden aura being absorbed, the pain fading away ever so slowly. As it did, the man’s muscles relaxed, bit by bit, a relaxation spreading across his body, mind, and soul as things within him got quieter again. No pain. No coldness. No nothing.

A sweet, painless silence that was better than any other sound he had ever heard.

He only noticed he had closed his eyes when they opened with shock, a cool liquid being poured into his mouth at sudden.

“Drink this. It will give back your strength, for a time.”

Yeah, can’t really say no to that.

Especially when Yuushin felt his body was a few seconds away from going into hibernation.

Ignoring the herbal, pungent taste, the man drank the entire flask—down to the last drop. As he took a deep breath, Yuushin could actually feel it. How he could breathe and move easily again, how his mind was clear, his body lighter.

A genuine smile spread across his face, his voice bursting with relief.

“This…feels a lot better.” He met her gaze then, his brain still trying to believe they were so close. “Thank you.”

She did not help him stand. In fact, she wasted no time at all, flying over to the wide, grand window.

“Veritux’s slaves succeeded in destroying the barriers. I can either defend the castle from their attacks or recreate the shields, yet they will break into the castle soon.” The female demon did not wait for Yuushin to come closer before she started talking, her eyes focused on the outside.

When he got closer, the sight that welcomed his eyes made his heart stop.

Dikarux. Dozens, hundreds of them—their attacks going from energy beams shot from their hands to gigantic fireballs and ice lances to arrays of lightnings and arrows made of roots. Striking the last wall of defense the castle had, a stone wall behind a single thin barrier.

All the way in the back, Veritux’s robed knights seemed to be chanting something, with hundreds of geometrical forms floating in the air and surrounding the castle, their glow blinding and sharp.

This…makes no sense.

“How long has this been going on?”

It took her only a couple of seconds to reply, yet in those seconds… Yuushin could hear plenty.

“Too long. Enough to put me at my limit.”

He frowned, his mind making the calculations and failing at every one. It shouldn’t be possible. Unless…

“Did Veritux anticipate the excursion?”

Even if Yuushin had survived for a few days at that place, there should still be a few days before the excursion started.

She turned to him then, something sharp crossing her eyes.

After kissing him, Yuushin believed there was nothing the female demon could do to surprise him more.

“They did not. I’ve been fighting Veritux’s forces for almost a month.”

But her words at that moment came very close to.