The chain shattered into bits, and Shin fell into the strange lake below. His unconscious body, with his hands still bound to the heavy chain, drifted slowly downward into the bottomless waters, the darkness enveloping his form. Suddenly, Hiraku's physical form dissolved into the lake. He swam toward the unconscious body, and with his hands gently touching Shin's shoulder, he held onto him.
Hiraku instinctively manifested the fiery sword. Holding Shin with his left arm and the fiery sword in his right, he pointed the blade toward the surface of the water. A surge of red flames blasted from the tip of the sword and traveled down toward Hiraku's arm. The force propelled them both out of the water, and with a loud thud, they plummeted to the ground, soaking wet.
"Hira!" Lisa yelled as she and Mira ran toward them.
"What about the demons?" Hiraku asked, his chest rising and falling heavily.
"The rest of the demons just turned to ash. It was strange—for a moment, I felt like a higher force was manifesting them."
"Quick, Lisa, dispel the water from Shin," Hiraku instructed. Lisa's diamond-like third eye glistened red, and the excess water in Shin's body was turned to vapor.
"Will he be alright?" Mira asked with concern. The nerd looked quite pitiful to her.
"He will be. His heartbeat is stable. Thank goodness," Lisa said as she sat on the ground, exhausted from using the protective spell for so long. Upon hearing that Shin would be alright, Hiraku, who was lying on his back and still breathing heavily, smiled in contentment.
"I almost forgot—there was something up there in my vision. Two creatures. They had a strong, evil intent when I saw them," Mira said, pointing to the east, where a pillar of cloud stood above the horizon.
Suddenly, a hundred yards from them, a circumference of black, dark ash surrounded the area. From the ash, bat-like demons reemerged, more furious than before.
"Hira, we can't fight them! There are too many!" Lisa yelled under the thunderous march of the demon army. Thousands of shrieks echoed as the demons launched toward them.
Hiraku knew death was closing in. He dropped to one knee, his clothes still drenched with water, the wind driving shivers into his bones. He closed his eyes. Lisa and Mira looked on in hopelessness as the demons sprang toward them. Their screeches pierced the air, and the sky darkened with terror.
A ray of light glistened from Hiraku's heart. With a loud cry, angelic wings burst from his back, and a blast of white light shone, encompassing every corner of the desert. A great calm followed, and every last demon vanished.
Hiraku's eyes glowed with a burning white light, his golden armor momentarily transforming into a whitish flame. He turned to his friends.
"Lisa, now!" he bellowed, holding Shin in his arms.
"Scio omnia esse intra spatium et tempus!" Lisa's voice echoed as a crescent moon-shaped portal appeared. They all disappeared into its purplish light.
The red demon above the clouds spat out blood from its mouth and knelt, moaning in pain.
"All this time, I thought I had wiped his family clean off the earth, yet his descendant still lives," the taller demon in a cloak said, looking down at the red demon writhing in agony. He chanted a spell and touched the demon's forehead. The red demon, now relieved of its pain, slowly stood, bowing its head in reverence to its master.
"Master, but—but how is it possible for a mere mortal to harm me, especially when we did not engage in a direct battle?" the lesser demon asked curiously.
"Abaddon, that child you encountered is the descendant of an angel."
"Master, I never knew mortals could descend from angels. In the beginning of the age of Earth, there were descendants of angels—half-breeds—but the Holy One destroyed their race," Abaddon said.
"Correct," the tall demon replied. "But from what I have just witnessed, he is the most powerful half-breed to ever exist on this plane."
Abaddon looked at him, aghast at the thought of such a mortal existing.
"If this is true, then he must also be born of human parents. But does he know he is half-human, half-angel?" Abaddon asked, his curiosity evident.
"No, he has no clue. He believes his power is merely a gift from the heavens. That fool hasn't told him yet. For now, it is fortunate for our kind that he remains ignorant of his origins."
"You say 'fool,' master. Who might you be referring to?" Abaddon asked, his hands nervously clasped together.
"Enough questions!" the tall demon roared, his eyes glistening red with fury.
Abaddon quickly bowed his head in fear, raising his hands in the air as he apologized profusely.
"For now keep an eye on the boy,but don't hurt him. I must seek someone about the prophecy of the apolocalpse. If my judgement is correct that boy might be the key to us succeeding or failing in the incoming war. "
"Yes master as you command!" The lesser demon bowed it's hand low before the master,it's eyes peered at the dark pillar below it. " I will get my revenge boy,I do not care what you are or who you will become,even though I won't be able to crush you I will crush those closest to you." Abaddon thought to himself his grin getting wider.
*
"Please, help him!" Lisa pleaded to the old woman,the portal behind them dissapered as Hiraku lay on the floor, breathing heavily, his eyes pulsating.
The old woman gently made Hiraku sit upright on the floor. Placing both palms on his back, she infused her healing aura into his spirit.
"He'll be fine," she said, her eyes closed. "He momentarily broke his azure seal, so his body and spirit are in a temporary crisis. A few days or weeks, and his spirit will heal."
Withdrawing her hands from his back, the old woman concluded her work. Hiraku's breathing steadied, and he opened his eyes. A calm smile spread across his face.