"3rd magic, 2nd spell- VIVANA MUSICA- Esxador!" Lict shouted and he was surrounded by a golden light.
"The first magic of the Goddess of Melody- Lacrimosa!" Vierne said and a blue light surrounded her.
The golden light materialised itself in a sword while the blue light turned into a spear.
"That sword!" Melissa said as she looked at the sword in Lict's hand.
"Yes, it's the Kladenets." Akagi said as he looked at the sword.
(Note – Sword Kladenets is a fabulous magic sword in Old Russian mythology)
Lict ran towards Vierne with the sword, his eyes shone red while Vierne attacked him from the opposite side, her eyes shone blue.
The fight was close as both of them were extremely good at handling their weapons.
"Vierne is applying everything you taught her in the past one month." Melissa said as she looked at Akagi.
"Not just that, she's even adding new moves of her own. Everything that I've taught her, she's adding a tint of her own style in it." Akagi said.
"Her own style? As in?" Melissa said.
"TSK! WHAT'S WITH YOU!" Lict shouted as he grabbed Vierne's hand.
Vierne hit his face with her spear and he landed on the ground.
"YEAH!! VIVIE!! GO!!!!" Melissa shouted.
Lict got up but Vierne hit him again and he fell down.
She continued hitting him, throwing him towards the rocks.
Finally he broke her spear into two with a kick.
He grabbed her neck and glared at her "I can't believe it...A girl Demigod is giving me a hard time, how interesting." He said with an evil smile.
"REPULSION MAGIC- FIVE!" Vierne said and a sudden spark lit on Lict's hand. He immediately left her neck and moved back.
"52ND MAGIC! NOIR!" Lict shouted as a black cloud surrounded Vierne.
"ELEMENTAL MAGIC- THIRD!" Vierne said and the could broke into small pieces and disappeared.
"COMBINING FIRST MAGIC- 'MAKING'." Lict said and guns and weapons surrounded Vierne.
"SILA- 'BREAK'!" Vierne said and rotated on her body axis, touching all the weapons surrounding her.
They all broke into small pieces. She ran towards Lict and raised her fist in the air.
"This won't do-" Lict said.
"DEMIGOD STRENGTH SPELL!!!" Vierne shouted and her fist started shining bright white.
"She might look meek and helpless at first but she has everything it takes to be a strong fighter." Akagi said as he looked at Vierne.
"What?" Melissa said.
"Spell knowledge." Akagi said.
Lict tried dodging Vierne's punch but she was faster. She pulled his hand towards herself and punched his stomach.
"Agility."
Lict went flying and landed on a rock. Half of his body was covered with blood.
He slowly got up as Vierne walked towards him.
He looked at her and she leaned towards him and sat on her toes.
"And a clear mind with a kind heart. Unfortunately, this is also her biggest weakness." Akagi said.
Lict looked at Vierne with a furious look and Vierne looked at him with a gentle smile. She pressed her hand on the cursed part of his face which was now black and eroded.
"Just look at you..." Vierne said "You are dying and I can't do anything to save you. I'm sorry...but I'm tired....Let's stop all this and go home."
Lict looked at Vierne with surprise on his face.
Akagi and Melissa looked at Vierne.
"Are you mad? Even after seeing all this, you still want me?" Lict said.
"Lict, I fell in love with you." Vierne said as she looked into Lict's eyes, "Because you are that one person, who has touched my soul more than my body."
"Wow....That's so anti-lust." Melissa said.
"I can't believe she's the same old girl I met this summer. Vierne Obolensky, her eyes have their own vocabulary. What a beautiful language to learn." Akagi said with a smile.
Kim stared at Akagi and said "Obolensky...I feel like I've heard it. Is it the same Obolensky family which died in the red floor tragedy 10 years ago?"
"Yes, your family killed her parents...but somehow she survived...." Akagi said.
"What? My family?" Kim said.
"~ Lay down, close your eyes and look at the stars~" Vierne started singing a melodious song while drawing something on the soil with her fingers.
"Milord, what is Vierne doing?" Melissa said as she looked at Vierne.
"What is that?" Akagi said.
Various musical instruments surrounded her and started playing the music for that song.
"Lict, I'm not meaning to keep you. You are no longer my slave, you are free. I can't lock you up when you belong to the sky." Vierne said as she completed drawing a treble clef with a cross on it.
"THAT MARK! SHE'S BREAKING THE CONTRACT!" Akagi shouted.
"WHAT? BUT WHY?" Melissa said.
"If I break this contract today, you'll be able to live like you did before. I can't do it, I just can't. Music belongs to everyone, it makes everyone feel at home. I can't be so cruel to take you away from the world because of my selfish desires.
Because music is not here to serve the world, he is here to save the world." Vierne said as the red thread connecting them appeared on their fingers.
"STOP RIGHT THERE!!" A familiar voice said and suddenly the ground started shaking.
A crack appeared on the crust and Scar walked out of it.
"You cannot break that contract before I kill him." Scar said.
Lict got up but Vierne held his hand.
"Let's settle this once and for all. I'll fight on behalf of Lict." Vierne said.
"I don't mind killing you first, for starters." Scar said and turned towards Kim "Right, Milord?"
"Uh- Ah- Yes...." Kim said.
"Very well." Vierne said and slowly the blue light surrounded her.
"Let's make it a cendra." Scar said.
"I don't mind, particularly." Vierne said.
(Note : Cendra- An informal parade where the Demigod/Star spirit can use only one of their magic)
"I choose my 13th magic- 'Fairing'." Scar said.
"I'm choosing my second magic- 'Melody'." Vierne said.
"Then, LET'S START!" Scar said as she shot a silver beam towards Vierne.
The blue light formed a sheild around Vierne and Vierne ran towards Scar.
"2ND SPELL- IRA." She said and a huge depression was formed all around Scar but she was unaffected.
"It didn't work..." Vierne said.
"How sad....Did I forget to tell you.... O well, 'Melody' spells don't work on elite stars of 'Silence', in short we are done here." Scar said and the silver beam surrounded Vierne.
"2nd spell- Gravita." Scar said and Vierne suddenly felt as if her body weighed a tonne. Her skin started bleeding.
"I...can't move" Vierne said and fell on her knees.
"Milady." Lict said.
And suddenly he too felt as if his body was much heavier than usual.
"And you, big brother, will get the front row seat to watch your beloved Demigod suffer and die!" Scar said.
"Hey, you're going against the rules of a cendra!" Akagi said.
"SHUT UP! IT WASN'T A CENDRA IN THE FIRST PLACE!" Scar said and laid the spell on them.
Now, even Akagi and Melissa couldn't move.
"VIERNE, YOUR BODY!! IT'S MELTING!!" Akagi said.
"I'll kill everyone who ever knew my brother, my beloved Demigod is going to be the next gatekeeper!" Scar shouted.
"How many will you kill?" Vierne said.
"Huh?"
"There are millions of people who have known and loved music since forever. You'll get tired of killing but they won't get tired of music. They'll keep coming." Vierne said as she slowly walked towards Scar.
"How can you still walk?" Scar said and increased the strength of her spell.
Vierne fell down again but pushed her body up.
"The Twelve Holy Books Of Heavenly Secrets....say that each one of us was made when stars exploded. The atoms of those stars combined together and formed elements. Elements formed proteins, proteins for DNA, and that was the beginning of life.
We were made because stars sacrificed themselves, and today, I will save a star by sacrificing myself." Vierne said and looked at Scar into her eyes.
"H- How are you still standing?" Scar said.
"I remember being scared of you when I first heard that you are the strongest. You were lighting the night to my day, but...I'm no more scared of you. Because I don't have only one love, I'll protect everyone I love from you." Vierne said as the blue light around her intensified and her body floated in the air.
"WHAT'S HAPPENING?!" Scar said as she moved away.
"THE FINAL MAGIC OF THE GODDESS OF MELODY- 1000 VIVIT MELETONA!!" Vierne shouted and thousands of arrows attacked Scar.
She closed her eyes and drops of blood landed on her face.
Everyone was shocked as they looked at what had happened.
Kim had covered Scar and taken on all the arrows on his body.
"M- Milord?"
-To be continued
Chapter 61
Vierne reached the Gatekeeper castle in the purgatory and rushed towards it.
She found Lady Ivsana standing with Lady Asteria.
"LADY IVSANA!!" Vierne said as she stood in front of Ivsana.
"Ah...Vierne, welcome" Ivsana said.
"Where is Lict?" Vierne said. Her impatience was clearly visible on her face.
"Music~" Lady Ivsana called out and turned towards Vierne.
"Since you asked me to resurrect everyone who died in the parade, it took me quite some time. However, I didn't give them their powers. But, Music is your star spirit so I didn't have a choice but to return him his powers." Lady Ivsana said "But, for that...I had to break your contract bond."
"My contract?" Vierne said "Wait- That means-"
"It's okay. You can always re-contract your star spirit." She said as a kid walked towards her.
It was Lict. He looked just the way like when he first met Vierne.
He had blonde curls and dull reddish blue eyes. His face no longer had the black curse marks.
"LICT!!" Vierne said as she hugged the small boy.
Lict hugged her back into his little arms.
"Vierne- I mean, Lady Gatekeeper, why don't you form a contract. You have the Gatekeeper Crowning Ceremony tomorrow." Ivsana said.
"I'll form the contract. But this time, I don't want you to appear like someone I want you to...I want you to look just the way your body actually appears. I want the real you." Vierne said.
"It's been millions of years since I last came into my true form....Are you sure you'll like it?" Lict said.
"We should love the soul, not the body." Vierne said and got up. She moved her little finger towards Lict.
Lict smiled and did the same. Lady Ivsana formed a mirror beside them.
When he moved his little finger crossing Vierne's finger, they both looked at their reflection in the mirror. A bright light covered the scene and everything started becoming white.
Lict shined as bright as the sun. Everything turned white and once again, Vierne felt that the floor below them was vanishing.
His cold hands soon turned warm. As the light got dim, Vierne opened her eyes and looked at him.
He had bright golden, messy and curly hair with bright red eyes.
"This is...your real form...." Vierne said as she looked at Lict.
He smiled and gently pressed her hand on his chest.
"My name?" He said.
Vierne smiled and said "I name you...Lict"
"It's the Gatekeeper Ceremony today, huh?" Blue said as he stood beside the castle maidens.
"Yeah. But it's the first time we have a 'Lady' Demigod as our guest." One of the castle maiden said.
"Right? She's so cute. And Lict is so hot!!" One of them said.
"Finally we have a good master after waiting for two thousand long years." Another one said.
"Hush! Ladies!" The head maiden said as she stood in front of them.
Different Gods had joined the enormous gathering.
And all the eleven elite stars had collected at the gathering, including Scar.
Lict looked at them from the arch of the castle.
"Lict, what are you looking at?" Vierne said as she stood beside him.
"Milady? I just saw my siblings, so I was just excited." Lict said.
"Your siblings? Who? Scar?" Vierne said.
"Including me, we are a total twelve siblings- All the Twelve Heavenly elite stars are my siblings." Lict said.
"...Do.…you wanna meet them?" Vierne asked.
"No, it's okay. Besides, I'm supposed to accompany you for the ceremony." Lict said.
"Lict, go meet them. The ceremony is not starting right away." Vierne said.
"B- But" Lict said.
"It's an order." Vierne said.
"....Understood" Lict said and ran down the stairs with a smile on his face.
Vierne stood at the arch and saw him run to his siblings. They all gathered together and did a group hug.
"How kind our new Gatekeeper is." An old man said as he stood beside Vierne.
"Huh? Who are you?" Vierne said as she looked at him.
"I'm the God of Riches, Plutus. Pleased to make the acquaintance of the beautiful Lady Gatekeeper." He said as he kissed Vierne's hand.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU PERVERT?!!!" A young man shouted as he pulled Plutus's ear.
"Ow ow ow!!" Plutus said as he moved away.
He looked at Vierne and said "I'm sorry, Lady Gatekeeper. I'll apologise for him." He said.
"Okay…but who are you?" Vierne said.
"I'm Kratos. The God of strength." He said.
"God of Strength?" Vierne said.
"Lady Gatekeeper," A castle maiden said as she ran towards Vierne.
"It's time for the ceremony." She said.
"Yes." Vierne said.
As the grand music played, Vierne entered the huge hall while Lict walked behind her.
She stood in front of Lady Ivsana. The latter picked up the Gatekeeper throne and said-
"With the changing of the times, a new Gatekeeper shall arise.
She belongs to this throne
For she has learned, about the unknown."
As she kept the crown on Vierne's head, there was a loud voice of a voila.
Everyone started talking and looking around.
Soon, the pianos and violins started playing on their own.
"What's happening?" Everyone said to each other.
"*Gasp* Milady, the crown." Lict said as the crown on Vierne's head started shining.
"What is this? Is this supposed to happen?" Asteria asked to Ivsana.
Ivsana smiled and said "I've been waiting for this."
Vierne's hair turned platinum blonde, just like her mother's hair.
Her white skin turned golden and her eyes gave a color of lavender and golden.
Everyone stared at her with their mouths wide open.
"Wow" Lict said as he looked at Vierne.
Vierne looked at herself after the crown stopped shining.
"What just happened?" Vierne said.
"Once after a few million years, there will be an empire of a Gatekeeper established in heaven. Then, people won't have to fight to become Gatekeepers anymore.
You, Vierne Obolensky, are the second Gatekeeper of your family. Which means, that your father was a Gatekeeper and so you have established an empire." Lady Ivsana said.
"That means there will be no parades anymore?" Vierne said.
"No, your child will be the next Gatekeeper, and their children will be the next gatekeeper. This way, no more Demigods would have to die because of brutal parades. You have ended all that today." Ivsana said.
"....That is…I could never even think that something like this could happen...." Vierne said.
"Now then, let's read the duties of a Gatekeeper and then you can take the oath." Ivsana said.
"Lict," Vierne said as she and Lict stood at the balcony. Lict was dressed up in a black suit with platinum ornaments on his hair and around his neck.
"What is it, Milady?" Lict said.
"Why do people fight?" She asked.
"People fight for different things.... It doesn't mean all things that you fight for are bad. People fight to survive, to find love, or for fulfilling their wishes and dreams.
As long as you don't hurt anyone, your fight is worthwhile."
"Sometimes I wonder if.... love is worth fighting for...." Vierne said.
"I wonder that too...
but then I remember your face and I'm ready for a war." Lict said as he leaned towards Vierne.
Vierne closed her eyes and kissed him.
"Let's go inside. It's cold in here." Lict said.
"Does it hurt?" Lict said as he slipped his hands in Vierne's skirt.
"N- No.... It just.... feels weird- Un!" Vierne said.
Lict smiled and kissed Vierne's forehead "I love you, Vierne."
"Me too... I love y- you very much- Ow!" Vierne said.
"Vierne..." Lict said as he looked into her eyes.
"Huh?" Vierne said.
"You're beautiful." Lict said.
Vierne blushed as she looked down....
'I don't know what to say. This is so embarrassing!!!'
Lict grabbed her hair and kissed her neck.
'Ah.…now I don't care even if the entire world hates me
Because, I know for sure now....
That there is a special place where only I belong.
Somewhere, where only I can exist.
And that's in your heart.'
"Ah- Lict" Vierne said as she looked at Lict's body turn bright yellow.
The black curse mark on his back slowly disappeared and he hugged Vierne.
"....I don't care if the entire world hates you. If this world turns its back on you and betrays you, I will turn my back too...
.…And betray the world."
Vierne's heart melted at this as she hugged him tighter and closed her eyes.
'You are mine, forever and always.' She said in her mind.
"You are mine too." Lict said.
"Wait- You can tell what I'm thinking?" Vierne said.
"How embarrassing is that?" Lict said with a smirk.
"UGH!!! YOU'RE THE WORST!! I hate you!!!!" Vierne shouted.
"Ha ha. It's okay. Hate me all you can, and I'll love you ten times more.
Because, you are mine and mine only- My dear Ms. Lady Demigod."
'Some people are so poor, all they have is money. While some are so rich, all they have is love.
And when love is all you have, you have all you need.
I'm the type of girl who has not only known what hatred is, but also experienced it. I've lived it and there were times when I was bended, broken and turned to ashes.
But don't be scared to fall down and turn to ashes, because you know what...
Every girl has been burned down to ashes, but only a few know....
How to raise fire from ashes.
Some people burn into fire while some just become fire.
It may take you days, or months or years to find out how strong you are. The question isn't 'who's gonna let me' it's 'who's gonna stop me'
Because the universe always falls in love with a stubborn heart.'
This was the story of a girl who rose up from ashes to find a place where she belonged- To exist on her own terms.
She was silent with a loud opinion,
She had a stubborn heart with a desolate life.
Her eyes had their own vocabulary,
Her tears had their own story,
Her memories had its own tragedies.
But nevertheless...
She was beautiful and terrifying,
Savage and pure.
She was...
A Lady Demigod.
And she became the strongest gatekeeper-
THE DEAR MS LADY DEMIGOD.
The End.