We look up ahead as we have arrived, "A--Aine - - this is the place."
I look at the black gate and enter with the girls through the door and as I look around, I find a familiar person....
"Frine, what are you doing here you're supposed to be in bed resting," she's the same over zealous girl I fought before and now as Asmodeus calls out to her I look at her outfit, she's wearing a black dress that signifies her mourning and the look on her face - - - is a sad one.
"I apologize for my disobedience, commander," she bows apologetically for her commander who seems to be upset as I try to look at the wounds I inflicted on her and then my eyes meet a scar on her upper fore head which is being covered by her red violet hair.
" I apologize to you too - - human, for attacking you that day," with tears in her eyes she bows again in tranquility as I remember her personally wasn't a kind one and as I about to cheer her up - - - Elize and Asmodeus do it for me.
"You're not the Frine I know, are you?" Elize says that with an unreadable expression which hints that she has noticed it too.
"Frine, your a descendant of Mephisto, the strongest Demon General to have lived and because of that his blood runs through your veins, that's why--you are not weak," Elize speaks in a caring tone.
"Stop moping around, you know none of them would want to see you like this," I look at the graves of four demons' deaths am responsible for;
Julia and Lynn hold my shoulder to comfort me as I remember...
FLASHBACK!!
"Your Majesty, Queen Elize, you can leave the rest to us..."
"You pests expected this to happen huh!" after my talk with Queen Elize, about eight people, no demons dressed as butlers appear.
"We are the Demon Knights of Zerin so we are just doing a job to keep our Red Knight, Lady Asmodeus carefree as well, and..." they look at the passed out red haired girl smeared in nothing but blood, looking a bit disappointed.
"We'll take General Frine to Lady Area to be worked on immediately - - so please let us do our job," Queen Elize looks at them with a compassionate hatred as the aura around her makes me forget that I stopped breathing and the self proclaimed 'Demon Knights of Zerin' take their leave with the four dead Generals' bodies in tow.
" Those damn traitors - - using Asmodeus' name like that even after putting__" the next words she said were so soft and low that I couldn't hear but later on, I would wish I heard them, "That death curse on her ten years ago , I'll kill them."
END OF FLASHBACK!!
I look at Frine and speak earnestly, "Demon General Frine, your the first one to ever give me a real fight without holding back..."
My thirst was quenched by this demon.
I look at Julia, Lynn and Elize who refuse to meet my gaze as I continue, "Even when your blood was leaving your body, you chose to fight for your queen and your homeland--and for that I ask you - - -" "Will you be my knight?"
""""" Heh!! """"" all of them are confused including Frine so I shake my head and continue.
"Your fighting spirit, it reminded me of---myself so I want someone like me, to be there, to protect my family - - - when am not around."
'So he still plans on it huh!!' Julia knew he had long since lost all will to live.
'I wish he would live for me then,' she knew he would do it half assed if she asked so she perished the thought.
They all hold my shoulder with Frine as the exception - - but I ignore it and continue, "I also want you to be a part of my family--to be a beacon for them."
I am truly a manipulator among manipulators in this world.
In the midst of our battle, I remember the fearful thoughts I had, 'If I die, will all the pain die too.'
Such thoughts were me at my weakest but then, 'Regardless I will forgo what comes next.'
The words spoken by a beaten down Frine on the brink of death, no by a battle maniac like myself so for now, she will be my shield as I hold my gun with Julia, Lynn, Asmodeus and Elize as my bullet that will kill any villain that poses a threat to our home, so...
"Frine..." with a deep long pause as the girls speak in a low tone, """"What are you__""""
"Yes, human...."
"I propose to you even if in a half assed way I want you to join me," her face reddened after all she knew he had just asked her to be his woman.
As I said that, she looked peerlessly at the graves of her comrades with a sad expression until she asked of me a request," C--Can you hold me - - - until I say you let go..."
By accepting his proposal she was betraying them.
Without even completing her sentence, I immediately hold her by the waist and pull her into my arms as she faintly cries.
All emotions of anguish lingered in her sorrow filled heart.
"T--Those idiots--going on and leaving me all alone," she says it while crying in my embrace.
"I will take care of you--for them, I promise..." I held her but then a familiar view came to mind, it was the time I saw my dead mother in a casket.
The girls were silent as they watched this scene but Aine wasn't paying them heed and he continued;
"You will be my shield, but a shield I will take care of even better than myself till the day I can't hold you anymore, so..."
"I will become your shield ..." she looked backed at the graves which stared back at her.
"I hope you can accept me as a bride as well."
"In time I will fall in love with you so I guess it won't be an issue," he said.
She said it with a hardened resolve, she was a demon who almost took my life on the frontline - - but I wanted to protect that resolve different from how I wanted to protect their smile. He looked at the others who sighed clearly jealous that he was holding another woman tightly by the waist instead of them.
He laughed wryly at this demeanor as he looked into Frine's fiery eyes;
"I ask you to be my Knight of Vartilla - - do you accept!" she falls down to one knee as she speaks respectfully.
"I accept - - my master," they were bound by a deal of master and servant, man and woman.
This is the story of how Aine Vartilla saves the world with guns and magic, of course.