SACRIFICIAL WITCH // 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭

[CH 37] The Price of Freedom

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬʸᴵᴺᴳ : "everything i wanted"
ᴠᴏʟᴜᴍᴇ : ▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▯▯

Childe was too late.

His hands were tied in this scenario due to many factors: the lack of options, the inability to avoid a battle in order to safeguard a priority, the foresight to prevent a disaster—it was all out of his hands. He couldn't do a damn thing.

They marched onto the field with a last minute plan, unlike the angels who knew what they had to do the moment they arrived.

The tides of battle could change any moment, and just because he had the upper hand over Rosaria in their fight, didn't mean that his win was secure. The angel was just as determined as him to do her job. Rosaria wasn't hesitant at all to carry out her orders, regardless if it meant that there would be collateral damage as a result.

The only plan Childe could've stuck to was luring her into the trap. It was the only option he had.

An option that had many risks which led to many different outcomes—and led to an outcome he didn't think could've ever happened.

He knew that archangels were strong, but he didn't know the full extent of their power—and they had foolishly underestimated their enemy.

The demon's reopened wound caused him to wince when he felt his bandages shift against it. He ignored the pain. He didn't have the luxury to worry about himself right now.

His mind felt like mush as he tried to think about what to do. What should he do, if there could be anything to be done? From what he'd gathered from the situation... the only thing he could do was kill the angels—but of course he wasn't allowed to. Only violent ideas were presented to him by his mind, and instead of helping his chaotic state of mind, it only made him feel all the more ashamed of his inability to foresee the possible dangers of attempting to restrain an archangel in a moments notice. He was the most experienced in combat and strategy in their little makeshift group, yet... he didn't take into account all the possible dangers.

Now, he was bleeding out...

While Shinobu had protected (Y/n) in his stead.

Barbatos was sent to bring (Y/n) back to Celestia alive, which meant that he never intended to kill her.

So, when he shot the arrow, he knew...

He knew that Shinobu would take the bait.

Archangel Barbatos was a traitor to Celestia once before. He was, and still is, a powerful angel. It would've been a waste for the heavens to get rid of him, so they indoctrinated him—attempted to wipe out his memories. They did whatever they could to keep him under their control, but this happened centuries ago. Since then, their control over him had been slowly corroding over time.

He'd do whatever he could to undermine Celestia's plans. However, to even attempt, he needed full autonomy of himself. Although such a thing was possible to take back, he refused to do it. It's been decades since he learned of a way to free himself from the heavens, but he hadn't attempted to act on it.

Not until now.

The only way to break free from his shackles from Celestia's control was to bring an end to the life of a fellow angel. Not cause their fall from grace or take their divinity.

Kill them.

He needed to kill them.

Killing a fellow angel would break the pact one made to the heavens. It would server their bond. What would happen afterwards? He didn't know.