Hatred and resentment, those dark emotions swirled within Valis like sweet wine, intoxicating him. They were like black flames, reigniting upon the ashes of his heart, fueled by the profound sorrow within.
With such feelings, Valis asked with a twisted smile, "You want my blessing? You expect me to bless you?"
"Yes, I do hope so... I don't wish for anyone to be hurt. I know you did it all for me, but it's pointless. My love belongs to Laurence."
"Enough, then! I give you my blessing! There, you have it! Now what? You plan to drag me back and lock me up?" Valis's smile grew more grotesque, his face seemingly about to contort out of shape.
"I didn't want this, Valis, I truly didn't want to do this to you..." Terial shook her head, tears streaming down her face, struggling for words.
"But we have no choice," Laurence said, rising to his feet. "You understand, Valis! It's the law. You must return the 'Sword of Dawn' and come back with us for judgment. That's the law, unfeeling and ironclad. Whether you are guilty will only be decided after the trial."
Terial added, "Believe me, I don't want this, but these are the rules! Valis, please come with us."
Really? Are they truly looking out for my best interest? He's supposed to be my old friend. And she, my supposed beloved. Valis hesitated.
From afar, Azazel scoffed.
Another voice whispered scornfully in Valis's mind, questioning the very nature of friendship and love. What kind of friend steals your lover? What kind of lover stabs you in the heart? She moans beneath another, heartless to you. Is this your beloved?
Valis's eyes narrowed as he looked at Terial and then at Laurence, clenching his teeth. "Fine, I'll go with you! But first, the 'Sword of Dawn' must be stained with blood." Turning his gaze to Azazel, he said, "Though no demons are present, a vile devil will suffice."
"Alright, we won't stop you, but please be quick," Laurence urged.
Valis nodded and pulled from the void a sword aglow with a gentle orange light, as soft and beautiful as the dawn.
"Ah, indeed, a fine blade!" Azazel praised generously, drawing his own sword. "My comrade, have you truly chosen betrayal?"
Valis ignored Azazel, his expression cold, his sword raised before him. He softly called out their names. "Laurence, and Terial."
"What is it?" Laurence asked.
"Before we battle, I want to say it one more time, I bless you both." His face suddenly twisted in malice, the sword thrusting forward. "I bless you to die!"
The Sword of Dawn pierced Laurence's chest with ease. Laurence looked in disbelief at his former friend's malevolent expression, his lips trembling, his throat choked with blood that spurted into the air. Angelic blood cascaded down the blade, quickly staining the white robe and pooling on the ground.
Saint Terial stood frozen, completely at a loss in the face of such a scene, until the sight of the glaring blood snapped her back to reality. She let out a cry of despair, drawing her holy cross sword and lunging at Valis.
"A truly good sword!" Azazel laughed heartily, charging forward, his hands gripping his blade to parry Terial's strike. "Tsk, to draw a sword against someone who loves you deeply, woman, how could you bear to do it?"
Saint Terial's eyes blazed with fury. "Back off, evil! Or face death." Her sword swung relentlessly, clashing with the blade, the sacred blue flames burning quietly on the Seraph's sword. With each strike, the blue flames trembled violently, and Azazel was overwhelmed by the holy aura with each tremor.
An irksome sensation.
Each blow from the angel was a massive burden for Azazel, who now knew he was far outmatched by the Seraph.
With a powerful flap of her wings, she rose and brought her sword down in a straightforward arc toward Azazel.
Azazel raised his sword above his head to meet the descending blade, the sheer force driving him to one knee.
"I judge you, evil!" The angel's sword suddenly burst into dazzling golden light as she spread her four wings wide, holding up her sword as if lifting a massive golden cross.
The overwhelming presence and pressure made it impossible for Azazel to stand. Reluctantly, he knelt before Saint Terial, his sword raised, attempting to withstand the powerful strike, but his trembling hands seemed unlikely to hold.
Azazel's hands tingled, and he could feel his Soulblade trembling, weeping.
Crying after a loss, how useless.
Damn, if only the blade had solidified sooner, he wouldn't be so thoroughly defeated. But in battle, there is no room for 'if only.'
"Accept your sentence! Death!" Saint Terial cried out as she swung down her Seraph sword. The surging holy power attached to the blade could purify all evil, leaving not even ashes of Azazel under its judgmental light.
But in that instant, Azazel's tail shot out like lightning, its stinger piercing Saint Terial's abdomen, injecting venom in a flash.
Now, to see the venom's effect.
The sword stopped just short of Azazel's own, the blades not meeting.
The large golden cross on the sword shattered, its fragments falling around Azazel's head. The sword-wielding angel Terial remained frozen, mid-strike, like a statue.
Suddenly, Azazel felt a change emanating from his blade. The golden fragments, filled with a holy aura that soothed souls, seemed to calm the spirits within Azazel's blade, halting their panic, cries, and ceaseless wails.
A sensation of stability spread from his hand. At that moment, the sword felt like an extension of his own arm.
Azazel understood—his Soulblade had solidified.
Lucky indeed, and then Azazel looked at the woman who had helped solidify his "Soulblade."
"The tables have turned. I feel great, how about you? Feeling any discomfort? Maybe a little numbness?" Azazel inquired, not so much to taunt his foe but out of genuine curiosity. He wasn't entirely sure about the effects of the venom produced by his body. Of course, he wasn't entirely sure if he genuinely wanted to know, or if he just wanted to tease his enemy for real.
The effects seemed to be some sort of paralyzing neurotoxin, rendering the victim unable to control their body. Even the robust body of a Seraph couldn't resist it.
"Despicable!" Saint Terial roared.
Azazel nodded, confirming that the poisoned could neither act nor move, but could still listen and speak.
"Can't help it, I'm a devil," Azazel said with a feigned helplessness, then rested his newly solidified blade against Saint Terial's neck. "Do you feel that? My blade is quite excited. What should a despicable creature like me do now?"
"You should remove your blade," came a voice from the side. Valis, who had kicked Laurence aside after stabbing him countless times, withdrew the divine sword and turned to Azazel with a cold command.
"But she almost just killed me, it was so close, what should I do about that? Surely you don't expect me to just let her off?" Azazel looked at Valis with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"I'll compensate you, just let her go!" Valis's voice was tinged with urgency.
Though Terial couldn't move, she heard every word: "Don't bother saving me! You traitor, thief, murderer! You killed my husband, I will... mmph! Mmph!" Azazel couldn't let this woman ruin his advantage. He quickly pulled a shroud from his belt and stuffed it into the angel's mouth.
Azazel moved the blade away from her neck and strolled behind Saint Terial, idly toying with the feathers on her wings as he spoke, "There, no more interruptions. How will you compensate me? We're on the same team. I stepped up to help you, yet you kept stabbing that dead man. Were you waiting for this chick to sentence me to death?"
"You're talking nonsense! I would never do that!" Valis shouted angrily.
Azazel replied, "Good, I believe you, just as you believed in your old friend. Your friend hurt you, but I trust you won't hurt me, right? My comrade."
Valis, agitated, asked, "What do you want then? The Sword of Dawn is yours. Just stay away from Terial."
Azazel shrugged, "I'd love to take that divine sword, but alas, I'm a devil, and its light is too blinding for me. I can't use it."
Valis sighed and then looked up with difficulty, "Alright, I'm yours."