Chapter 19: The Armiger Miracle

“Yato!”

Luke and I yelled in unison. Then I turned to the Seraph, I glared at him with my dragon eyes.

“What did you do?”

Nia knelt to tend to Yato’s wound, but whatever she did, it wasn’t healing.

“Why isn’t it mending, why did you cover for me? Why didn’t you use brand power to deflect that!” Nia's expression filled with contempt.

“My body just moved on its own, probably because I didn’t want to see you hurt.”

Luke rushed to the hero's side, after confirming the servant was no longer a threat. His face immediately fell grim, realizing what the spear that had injured Yato.

“Michael you snake! You used a Jormungandr spear?!” Luke glared at the Seraph, who shrugged off the accusation.

“It was meant for the Vermillion Testarossa, the laudable hero decided to take it in her stead.”

Suddenly the wound began petrifying on Yato's shoulder, it was slowly eating him from the inside. Michael paid no mind to the hero's condition and started walking to me.

“Your emotion will only get in the way, I’ll do this myself,” Michael ordered his escorts, the angel didn’t lift a muscle off of me. Uriel was still conflicted about the execution order and Gabriel was clearly hesitating. Knowing this, Michael took it upon himself to fulfill the order he had declared himself. He summoned the same spear that had injured Yato and thrust it at my head.

“Michael!”

Luke lunged at him with Arondight in hand. The Seraph blocked it with his spears, he looked disinterested, knocking the Seraph before dealt a fatal blow to me.

“Still getting in my way after all this time, you really are a pest.”

“That stuck up attitude is what I never like you for, you really will stoop to no end to kill an innocent girl!”

As the angels clashed with each other, Yato mustered his remaining strength and began walking over to me. Belle ran over to me and pushed the two angels off with her magic, I noticed she was panting hard. I immediately stood up and ran over to Yato. I cowered at the sight of the demon lord right in front of me but now was not the time to be scared.

“Yato! Is there anything I can do to help?”

“You stay away! Yato! What should I do? The petrification isn’t stopping!”

Nia screamed at me as she tried to hold Yato up to his feet. His breathing was abnormal, I noticed the stone was spreading now to his neck. Tears filled my eyes, the hero whom I had saved me was dying before my eyes. Again. I’m just observing. The ones precious to me were dying and I can’t do anything to help.

Bee ran over to our side, he examined the petrification on Yato’s body. His face fell sullen.

“Bee… Gather the brands, we’re going to do it now.”

The tanned man knew what Yato was referring to, he looked at Nia.

“What? What are you attempting–”

“Please, just this once, let me save you.”

Yato held Nia’s hand on his shoulder as he cut off her midsentence. Her expression was filled with sorrow. Even back in Yato's memories, Nia had all the chance to kill Yato on that day. But she didn’t, maybe in her heart she wanted him to live.

“With the amount of brands right now, it should be possible to pull off a miracle, one that cleanse off demonization.”

Michael in the far distant was fighting with Luke. However, Luke was being pushed back. He had been running on fumes now after fighting off Randolf and the angels earlier. He was far past the limits of his fighting capabilities.

“What are they doing with that fancy matrix?”

Luke followed the Seraph gaze, he saw Bee drawing a magic matrix on the ground. Luke instantly knew what Yato was attempting. He rose to his feet and swore not to let Michael pass.

“Belle! Catch!” Luke called out to the gothic girl. He tossed Arondight right at Belle, it lodged itself into the ground right next to her.

“That was dangerous, birdbrain!” Belle complained.

“Take that to Yato, quickly!” Luke ordered.

The gothic girl nodded, held the sword in her arms and ran over to the heroes.

“Whatever you’re planning, it’s meaningless!”

Michael summoned a spear and fired it at Belle. Just as it was about to connect, Uriel deflected its trajectory and it flew outside the castle.

“You would commit treason against me?” Michael said solemnly.

“She’s not alone in that, whatever the heroes are doing, you cannot interfere, Your Grace,” Gabriel said behind the Seraph, he summoned chains that restricted the Seraph movement.

“Gabriel you!” Luke gasped, surprised to see both angels were now fighting against their master.

“I was biding my time, until the time was right as you said, Your Grace,” Gabriel mocked as he adjusted his glasses.

“This is my atonement, Uriel gave me an earful earlier, Hainé is my student, I will prioritize her future above all else.”

“You all will regret this,” Michael threatened, his face twisting into anger.

Belle arrived by Bee side with the amethyst and ruby brand in her arms. Nia had stabbed seven of her swords around the matrix in equal distance, forming a heptagon shape on the outer ring. Then four more brands were at the center with Arondight, Nefertiti, Durandal, and Chronos forming a square.

“Now stand in the matrix you two, this is now uncharted ground, anything that happens is outside of prediction. Something might go wrong or maybe nothing at all.”

As Yato explained, the right side of his body was now stone.

“Yato!”

“Mister Yato!”

All of us yelled his name, he had only moments left. Yet all his focus was making sure the spell went correctly.

“Alright, I’ll begin.”

The ground glowed, immediately the light enveloped all Nia and I. The glyph on the matrix made a sound as it showered us in light. The light felt like water, I felt like I was being washed in a warm spring. Suddenly the transformation became undone, I splitted from Lilia. I turned to the little maid, the gem stone on her chest was fading, leaving only her bare skin left. I felt the gem on my neck peeled off, the gem had fallen and dissipated in the light. However, next to us was Nia. She was being purified in all of her body. The demon mana seeped out from her skin. It was a gruesome sight. After some time, the light had faded, and the view went back to the two heroes and the gothic girl.

“We’re back to normal, we’re human again, milady!” Lilia yelled in delight, she went to hug me. I was stunned as well, unable to find the words but tears seeped out of my eyes. Then I realized above Lilia’s head, the dark serpent was now white with blue hues all over its body. The Leviathan had also been cleansed. It let out a chirp as it always does but it seemed happy.

“I’m human again…” Nia gasped, then snapped out of her astonishment, her gaze fell on Yato.

He was no longer petrified, he did say anything could happen. But suddenly he stumbled, and blood seeped out of the scars he had years ago.

“Yato!”

Nia caught him, held his body in her embrace.

“I guess it worked. Hahaha…” Yato laughed wryly.

Something was wrong, the petrification had disappeared but the mortal wound he got right now came from something else.

“What’s happening, why is the wound from two years ago opening up?” Nia cried.

“I lied. That day. You struck me down, I really did die.”

I knelt next to him with Lilia. Unable to understand what he meant.

“I was an anomaly, Luke found me a month later after I laid in that ground.”

What Luke said didn’t make sense by normal means, if Luke had found him a month later, that means he would have bled out and there wouldn’t be any remains of the hero by the time he did.

“When I died, I felt a presence, maybe it was the Gods’ that took mercy on me, my body froze in time, so the spell I casted was to remove all traces of divinity including demon mana, just like in the scripture. I guess it removed the divine intervention that kept me alive all this time.”

Yato hand brushed Nia’s cheeks, her tears flowing down onto his palm.

“To see your beautiful face as I die this time, maybe it wasn’t so bad. I didn’t fail this time.”

Tears filled my eyes, I knelt down by his side. The hero I had admired from the fairy tale was dying before me. This time, however, unlike in the story where the hero saved the day, he did it to save the one he loved. He turned to face me, he shakingly lifted his hand and I immediately grabbed hold of it.

“Hainé, your name isn’t scornful. In my world, it means spring, a new beginning. Don’t ever let anyone tell you you’re filled with hate.”

I nodded at his wisdom, I felt relieved my name means something pleasant in his language and not hate.

“Yato, I am so thankful you saved mine and Lilia's life. It’s a debt I will never be able to pay back. You’re not fair, Mister Hero.”

“I will cherish this life you saved, so you can rest easy, Mister Hero.”

I held Lilia in my arms as the white serpent landed on my shoulder, we both shed our tears for our dying savior.

Luke ran over to us, he didn’t need any explanation, he knew just looking at Yato's satisfied expression.

“You did it.” Luke spoke softly. Yato made a slight smile, and nodded.

“Luke, Bee, I leave everything else to you. Our adventures, those were the happiest times. Thank you to you both.”

Luke held his tongue, he knelt down and held Yato hand. Bee on the other hand lowered his head in respect.

“Belle, I’m sorry for not being able to give you your meatbuns personally, Luke and Bee will see to your payment.”

“Now isn’t the time for that stupid.”

The gothic girl reprimanded the hero as she shed her tears.

As the hero got a good look at everyone's face, he looked back at Nia above him. The girl he loved had her tears showering over him.

“Nia… don’t cry, smile.”

“How can I smile at a time like this, you idiot,” Nia exclaimed.

Yato made one last look at everyone, then light faded from his eyes. His hand on Nia’s cheek went limp and fell onto his chest. After a few moments of silent weeping, a light came from Yato’s body. It looked like a small fire, it floated into the air for a few seconds before splitting into seven pieces.

“What is that?” I muttered softly.

The light stopped in front of me, then slowly went into my chest. I felt the spot where it had entered, no pain or sensations. I looked at my fellow Armigers, they all had the exact same light joining into their bodies. The two remaining lights floated up into the sky before disappearing into two separate directions.

“It might be a last gift from the hero. Always knows how to be overprepared.”

Luke explained, I gaze at the muddled red sky. Maybe he left us something we might need in the future.

Suddenly a clap resounded behind us, Michael was slowly walking over to us. His demeanor completely changed from how he was just minutes ago.

“The vagrant, no, the great hero outdone himself again. Not only did he lustrate our champions, but also restore Lady Armiger to us.”

I felt anger flowing through my veins, he was out to kill me and Lilia just moments ago. Everyone was mourning, he was not welcome in this atmosphere. Luke stood immediately out of anger, getting readied to hurl insults at the Seraph.

“Your Grace, I suggest we retreat to Selestia, it’s best we not be here at this moment,” Gabriel urged the clueless Seraph.

“Oh? Why is that? We should welcome our returning saviors, and give the hero a proper burial.”

“You really can’t read the room, you daft.”

“Leave us please, you’re not welcome here anymore!”

I screamed at the angels with tears still flowing down my cheeks. Luke shamed Michael, his marble sculpted face twisted before summoning a portal. They left the scene promptly. We heard nothing but wind blowing through the ruined castle. I could feel the warmth leaving Yato’s body. He really was gone.

“Hainé?”

A man walked over to us calling my name, he wore a gentle expression I was familiar with.

“Father?” I gasped, covering my mouth. He had returned to normal, he was no longer under Nia’s control.

“Hainé, I am so sorry. I hurt you so much. No amount of apologies will be enough–”

I ran over and tackled his abdomen. Even though I was hurt for all these months without him, it didn’t matter. He was alive before my eyes, that was more than enough.

“You’re here, that’s all it matters to me.”

“Hainé… I really am a failure of a father. I don’t deserve your kindness.”

He returned my embrace, and held me tightly. I missed this feeling, the feeling of being safe in his arms.

“Randolf.” Nia called out to my father.

“You are dismissed. I am no longer a demon lord, you don’t need to serve me anymore.”

“Lady Testa– Lady Nia, I…”

“It’s fine, the hero pulled off a miracle not even I could.”

Nia brushed Yato’s hair, she thought to herself for a moment for setting him down.

“I suppose I do have a request, I want to bury him. Will you help me?”

Randolf nodded, then he let go of me and bowed before the former demon lord.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”