Chapter 16: The Scornful Maiden

We reached the front gate of Aether Citadel, it was as grand as I last remember. Bee said something to the guardsman before the gate opened, letting inside. The familiar air danced on my nose. I had thought I came to despise this city, but now returning only after a few days away, I felt glad I was back.

“Is that the bakery lady?”

Lilia nudged me, I spotted Mary, who was shopping in a nearby stall. We climbed down from the carriage and ran over to her.

“Miss Mary! We are back!”

Lilia yelled at her in delight. She turned to face us, her smile faded from her face.

“Lady… Armiger…?”

“I have returned, I hope things are well here, even though I had gone only a few days,” I said as I bowed my head to her. However, her jaw remained hanging, her expression was strange, almost as if she had seen a ghost.

“Miss Mary?”

Suddenly, the people walking by started crowding on us. Whispers exchanged among the crowd, the people had a look of somber and confusion.

“Is that her?”

“Someone as young as her, the Armiger?”

“She’s the one that did it.”

“I heard she became one.”

“She finished the archbishop.”

The gossip went on, the current situation felt like Albus when I came to pray for Archbishop Arthur. The air then was full of understanding and sadness. But this time, the atmosphere was completely different. I felt anguish and confusion. I turned back to Mary, she was shaking. Suddenly, something hit me in the temple.

“Ahh!”

I winced at the pain, covering the spot where I had been hit. I opened my eyes to the ground, I saw a chipped stone that people used to pave the road at my feet. Droplets of blood laid next to the stone, before I realized it was coming from the spot I had been hit.

“Milady!” Lilia yelled desperately.

I lifted my head, met Mary's eyes as she stared in horror. The people around her gave the same expression. A look I recognized well, the same visage as I saw back on that night when the fiend had raided Edel Cathedral.

“You’re Haine the Scornful!”

“You killed Archbishop Arthur!”

“You’re a fiend! A demon!”

“You will pay for what you did to the archbishop! He was a kind man!”

The shout of disdains showered on me. My mind was in complete chaos, unlike in Albus, the city dweller was screaming. The hostility filled the air, the muck of confusion made me dizzy, the sight of blood was amplifying it. I felt sick, I felt like throwing up in the middle of the street.

“Ow! Levi! Don’t!”

I refocused my vision, stones were now hurling at Lilia. She was shielding me with her tiny body. Then I noticed the serpent was making a hissing noise at the people.

“It’s a fiend!”

“She really is a demon! She has a familiar with her!”

The people went even more mad, some were closing in trying to snatch the serpent out of the air to kill it. A hand suddenly grabbed me by the neck and pinned me down into the ground. A man was on top of me, pressing all his weight on my back with his knee. I felt like I was being crushed. I tried to catch my breath as I struggled underneath.

“Hainé! What are you all doing?!”

“GET OFF OF HER!”

Luke's yells got drowned out by the hero roar, Yato tackled the man off of me then lifted my small body to my feet.

“Bee!”

“On it! Luke lent me a hand!”

Yato signaled to the tanned man, the dancer threw his golden charkam into the sky. Luke casted a ball of light, and fired at the chakram, lighting it into a flash as bright as the sun.

“Lilia grabbed the lizard, we’re getting out of here!”

Yato ordered, the little maid caught the serpent out of midair with her two hands and ran over to the hero. Yato held me up like a princess, my heart skipped a beat at the sudden motion. Then I spotted Bee carrying Lilia in the same way.

“Hainé, where’s the sanctuary?” Yato yelled. Reading his intention, I extended my hand and guided the band of heroes towards the Basilicom. We fled the scene as quickly as the blinding flash distracted the people. Before long, we entered the sacred chapel that was locked from the public.

“What’s with them, they were completely different from Albus people,” Luke panted, trying to catch his breath.

“News travels fast, like a forest wildfire, they can be interpreted in the wrong way,” Bee swiped sweat from his brows as he let Lilia down to her feet.

“We’ll be safe here from the crowd for now, they’ll know she’s here eventually.”

Yato still had me in his arms, I dare not say a word but I was getting dizzy from the blood rushing to my face.

“Umm… Yato, can you let me down?” I whimpered softly.

“Oh my bad,” the hero noticed and gently set me down.

“What now, Yato?”

Bee asked the hero, the single chakram he had thrown earlier returned to his hand. I ran over to Lilia and checked if she was okay, but the little maid started wiping my forehead with her sleeve on the spot where I was injured. Luke walked over and placed his hand on my forehead, eventually, a warm light showered over me then the wound faded.

“Thank you, Mister Luke,” I said earnestly.

“You’re welcome, but it’s sickening how quick people are at blaming you for the old man's death.”

Luke clicked his tongue, I was a bit glad he was angry on my behalf. I understand why the people were mad, I was the one who dealt the killing blow to him before the demon Falcie took over. The serpent decided to rest on my head this time, it let out a chirp, it was kind of cute.

“Lilia, what did you call it as you were protecting me?”

I directed at the little maid, then she pointed at the serpent.

“Levi! Leviathan is a mouthful so let’s call it Levi! It’s so much cuter!”

I laughed nervously, this was the same serpent that almost killed us both I thought. But seeing how gleeful Lilia was, I refrained from making the comment.

Suddenly a magic matrix appeared up on the stairs, it made a portal, walking out of it were Uriel and Gabriel.

“So it is with you.”

The brown skinned angel let out her voice first, her expression was stern.

“Uriel! Gabriel! You’re back!” I made my way to them, but Yato's right arm got in my way.

“I take it you’re not here for the Leviathan.”

Yato threw a question at the angels, Gabriel adjusted his glasses then his shirt collar.

“You’re half correct, we’re here for the serpent and Lady Armiger.”

The archbishop tone was cold, his demeanor changed from the last time we saw him.

“On–”

“On Michael's orders,” Luke parroted, Gabriel gave him a repulsive look.

“On His order, the corrupted Armiger is to be executed for having ties to the fiends and demon lords.”

My heart stopped, what came out of the archbishop mouth was anything but honorable. The kind man who had been my mentor the last six months was nowhere to be seen behind those glasses. His demeanor was that of an executioner.

“Gabriel I–”

“Haine of the Scorn, the Testament will begin your execution in twelve minutes.”

My face fell, for the first time ever, he finally said my name. For the first time, yet, he used the accursed name given to me by the late archbishop. My eyes filled with tears, then I lifted my face to look at the tanned angel.

“Uriel…”

She refused to look at me, she was biting down her teeth, clenching her hand so hard blood was dripping out of her palm. I lowered my head, to thank them for all the lessons they gave me. The foods, clothes, and leisure time I had spent with them. I thank them earnestly from the bottom of my heart.

“Thank you. I love you both.”

Only nine minutes left, Lilia was crying, I went to hold her. For my attendant, she knew them for all her life, yet now they’re here to take hers. The sorrow must be unfathomable compared to mine. Both angels conjured a magic matrix, then a light spear appeared in their hand. Outside the Basilicom, numerous angels could be seen flying down with the same spear as Uriel.

“Spear of Longinus, reserved for execution of the blasphemy and tainted, Michael is serious,”

Luke revealed, then Gabriel looked at the red haired man then smirked at him.

“You know, if you kill her, Lord Michael might consider your spot back in Selestia.”

Luke’s face relaxed at the suggestion, I didn’t exactly know who Luke was but considering his connection to the Testament, he might’ve been someone important.

“Mister Luke.”

“Luke.”

Yato and I said the same time toward the red haired man. A shadow cast over his face, a few moments passed by before he let out a fit of laughter.

“A tempting offer, if it was the old me from two years ago, I would have accepted it without hesitation.”

Luke drew his ruby blade from the scabbard, the holy blade immediately set aflame. His eyes burned bright with determination.

“But you speak to me today. My name is Luke Stel Matutina, if you wish to execute two innocent girls for your cause. Then with Arondight in my hand, I will do my part as a Fallen Angel to correct your perverted ways!”

With one minute until the execution was underway, Yato tossed something to Luke and Bee. Then the red haired man turned to me.

“If you want to live, you have to fight Hainé, for Lilia's sake. You have to struggle against this unfair world.”

I looked at Yato, he gave me a smile and nodded. It was true, I could die and let it all end here today or I can fight for the tomorrow I have yet to see with Lilia.

“I share the same sentiment, I do not wish to see needless blood spilled from the innocent, I would love to have them perform in my troupe.”

Bee drew his golden chakrams, immediately he let out a battle cry then made the chakrams bigger to half of his height.

“My name is Bee Al Zebul! Nefertiti! Let us dance for these pure maidens!

The count was now zero, the sanctuary bell rang through the entire Basilicom. All the window glasses broke at the exact same time. The angels all rushed in aiming their spears at me and Lilia.

Immediately, Yato caught me and Lilia as Luke rushed to the front and smashed at the sanctuary ground.

“Hellfire: Meteor Smash!”

The ground gave way and numerous fire geysers shot upward, barricading the angels from any further advancement. Luke rushed at Gabriel, crashing him through the stained glass window. Uriel came rushing at me, Bee intercepted her path, and fought her off. Yato let Lilia and I down as we escaped through the collapsed floor.

“Will they be all right?”

I asked as we jumped into the bathhouse underneath the Basilicom. Yato drew a magic matrix on the bath wall and blew it open, leading to an underground path. The angels flew down to follow us, several men with their spears out. I conjured a spell, using water magic Uriel taught me and launched the scalding bath water at the angels, before following up with another spell that freezes the water.

“Wow, maybe the church lesson wasn't all that a waste,” Yato whistled as we ran through the tunnel. He caused the path to the bathhouse to collapse. Then we continue straight before finally arriving at an opening into the open air to the city. Explosions can be heard in the far distant, Bee and Luke were locked in battle with the angels.

“They’ll be fine, they’re heroes just like me. They’ll catch up, I gave them something handy.”

We continued our way into the dark alleys, Yato casted a spell that made us invisible while we ran in the shadow. Several angels flew over us unnoticed.

“So where are we going, Yato?” Lilia asked, she held onto Levi in her arms.

“To the Black Light District, we’re paying Belle a visit.”