Chapter 9 - Aries

A portal opened in a section of Hell that had no flames.

Only darkness, pillars, and small holes along the walls.

Exe came flying through the portal. He gritted his teeth and fixed his form as he fell. He called out to Ren and Fubuki.

"I need you!"

Neither Fubuki nor Ren answered.

A spike jutted up below him, ready to impale him.

He reached out his hand. His Blood Scythe formed in his grip.

Exe pointed his head downward, getting ready to slice through the ground.

He called out,

"Warren Path! Burrow Sanctuary!"

Exe started to spin with the scythe coming down like a black sphere. He crashed into the ground, digging through it.

Then he came up from another hole that he made.

Exe landed on his feet and rested his scythe on his shoulder.

He stared at Demon Lord Axel while Axel played with Ren, Fubuki, and Tenka on top of a pillar.

I was sitting in the driver's seat with Aries in my arms.

"How long is he going to be gone this time?"

Aries brushed his face against mine, trying to cheer me up.

"I am fine, Aries. I can still handle myself."

I heard feet touch a rooftop behind the carriage.

Aries had already locked onto whatever it was.

I didn't turn around.

"Seems like your strong little brother is dealing with his own problems."

I turned around and saw Derrek standing on a rooftop, his wings spread wide.

Aries let out a low, vicious growl over my shoulder.

I tried to calm him, but Aries wanted blood.

Holding Aries tighter, I shouted from the carriage,

"The engagement is off. I don't want to see you anymore."

I meant every word.

He shrugged while holding the ring between his fingers.

"I take what I want, Luna."

I looked at him, then jumped onto the roof of the carriage.

Aries didn't wait for me to get ready.

He kicked off my body with his feet and started hopping fast and lethally toward Derrek.

I took charge, too.

My purple dress changed to match the dance I wanted.

Crescent Moon Waltz.

Aries started to scale a building fast.

Derrek reached out and formed a lance in his hand, then charged forward and met me head-on.

For a moment, we were trading blows.

Then Aries grabbed onto the back of his head and started biting down.

Derrek screamed in pain. He reached back, grabbed Aries, and kicked me away to make space. Then he hurled Aries toward the carriage.

Aries crashed through the roof and disappeared inside.

I snarled and drove my blade into Derrek's shoulder.

"You will pay for that!"

I kicked him with my heel and ripped my blade free.

He made distance, then looked toward the carriage and said,

"He is just a rodent."

I charged at him, yelling,

"He saved my life!"

From the carriage, Aries stared at us fighting.

He heard me praising him while I jumped from the roof, trying to reach Derrek again.

Derrek landed a kick across my face and sent me skidding through the street.

I tried to find my balance, but I was too dizzy from the impact.

Derrek landed on the ground and slowly retracted his wings. He started getting closer, speaking outlandish nonsense.

"When your older brother finally claims the throne, I will have my own harem."

I got up while backing away, pointing my blade at him.

"I want no part of this."

He got closer, reaching for my hair.

"You have no choice—"

Derrek was sent flying by Aries's headbutt, crashing into a house with a family inside.

I heard screams of confusion as the family came running out, the parents holding their children. They ran up the street to get out of danger, as if they had seen this kind of thing happen before.

A blast came from the house.

A massive hole was made because of it.

Aries was in his big form, standing between Derrek and me.

I put my hand on Aries.

"Hey, it's okay. I can handle—"

Aries took off, ignoring me completely.

Derrek burst from the house and caught Aries midair.

Both were sent flying into the sky, but Aries didn't care. He kept scratching, biting, and kicking with his back legs.

I couldn't follow them.

Worry started to creep into me because I couldn't see them anymore.

Then I saw a black dot dropping fast.

It was Aries.

Derrek was forcing him down.

Aries slammed against Derrek's grip, then kicked off his face and came flying back toward me with his paws stretched out.

I caught him just as Derrek crashed into the street.

Aries was winded and beaten in my arms.

I placed him inside the carriage and said,

"I'll handle this."

I stepped away from Aries and brought out both my moonblades.

Derrek stood up, groaning in pain.

"Killing a rabbit sure is hard."

I looked at him as I walked forward.

Then I kicked off my heels and took off, dashing through the parked carriages in the street, breaking wood and building momentum.

Derrek spread his wings wide as I kept coming.

"Come, my dear, my fiancée."

In an instant, I was in front of him, my moonblade curving for his neck.

He blocked it by spinning his lance and stepped to the side.

"Fine, I'll dance with you."

I flipped onto my feet and pointed my blade at him.

"This will be your last dance."

Derrek charged.

Our weapons collided, and the shockwave shot back toward the carriage, waking Aries up.

He blinked, then started watching Derrek and me fight.

Aries remembered how I honored him for saving my life.

The sun was already sinking, and a half-crescent moon rose to take its place.

Aries stared at it for a moment.

He blinked again.

While Derrek kept pushing me back, I started hearing movement from inside the carriage.

I kicked Derrek in the chest, forcing him back. Then I dashed through the broken carriages in the street and stopped in front of the wrecked one.

I pulled the curtain aside.

And there was Aries.

Mid-transformation.

His body was starting to elongate. Aries let out a strange, trembling squeak… almost like he was howling into the moon.

Derrek came swooping in and grabbed me by both arms.

I struggled and protested.

"Let go of me!"

I brought out my moonblades and tried to stab him, but he released my arms only to grab me by the hair instead.

"Stop squirming. It's over."

I tried to climb his arm, but he slammed me against a house, almost knocking me out.

Then I heard someone call my name.

"LUNA!"

I looked toward the carriage.

Aries burst out like a missile.

His body was longer now. His new ears trailed behind him in the wind. His eyes were locked on Derrek.

Aries slammed into Derrek's left wing.

He gripped it.

Then one of his ears moved as if it were reaching for something.

A small moonblade formed at the end of it.

Derrek's eyes widened.

Then Aries started stabbing Derrek's wing over and over.

Derrek cried out in pain and immediately let me go.

I dropped onto the roof of a house and crashed through it.

A bed broke my fall.

A demon husband and wife stared at me in pure shock.

Derrek grabbed Aries and turned to face him, holding him in both arms.

"You monster!"

He tried to block the small moonblade, but Aries used his other ear to wrap around Derrek's neck.

Then Aries said one word.

"DIE!"

Derrek snarled as Aries' ear left a clean cut over his eye.

Derrek froze in midair for half a second, then drove his fist into Aries' face.

Aries' grip loosened.

Derrek grabbed him by the ears and hurled him toward the house I was in.

As Aries came flying toward the house, the demon couple helped me up.

I looked up and saw Aries coming in fast.

I turned to the male demon and said immediately,

"Throw me."

He hesitated for a moment.

"It's fine."

He knelt and locked both hands together.

I did a backflip and landed on them.

The male demon grunted and launched me through the roof of his house.

I caught Aries in my arms and landed on the roof of another house.

Derrek hovered in the air. He was only flapping one wing now while the other stayed pulled in.

"I'll be back to kill that rodent."

Aries snarled at him, but I held him tight this time.

Derrek turned around and started flying off, using his only good wing.

Aries started shouting after him.

"Die! Die! Die!"

I sat on the roof of the house and held Aries closer.

"Okay, that's enough, Aries. Come back to me."

Aries turned and looked up at me, saying my name.

"Luna… Luna… Luna."

As he said it, his ears moved over my face, checking me for wounds.

I held him close and grabbed one of his floppy ears.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's okay."

Aries calmed down and relaxed.

He spoke again.

"Exe?"

I looked at him and sighed.

"It looks like he's dealing with something important. I can't even go into Hell without my father or mother."

Aries pointed toward an abandoned carriage.

"Take?"

I nodded and stood up.

"Yeah, let's take it. And before we leave, we'll leave some gold."

I set Aries down, then we climbed off the roof of the house and approached the carriage. We checked it to see if there was any sign of an owner.

Then I heard a voice.

"Just take it."

The male demon who launched me into the sky earlier was standing nearby in a robe.

Aries hopped down and spat out a sack of gold.

I looked at him.

"How did you gain access to my gold?"

Aries tilted his head, then said,

"Key."

I grabbed the sack and placed it in the male demon's hand.

"Thank you."

Aries climbed into the driver's seat and grabbed the reins with both ears.

I got into the carriage and asked,

"Where are the horses?"

The male demon replied,

"Just crack the reins. These are ghost horses."

Aries snapped the reins once with both ears.

Ghost horses emerged and started pulling the carriage.

I waved from the window while Aries steered.