Infernal Academia

Chapter 34 - Suyas' Big Day: Part 9 (Courage)

He felt like such a fool. Izzbelle was counting on him to get back to town safely, and Cobalt had messed it all up.

Running eastwards through the snow had tired him much sooner than he had realised, and when he stopped to catch his breath, he was alerted to a figure lying unconscious in a nearby field. Once he climbed over the gate and rushed to their side, he saw that it was Corris. But when he woke the Oni up and helped her to her feet, she realised all too quickly that he was trying to escape the estate, and with a few well-placed punches, knocked the Incubus out before she dragged him back to the compound.

But in a way, Cobalt was glad to be back. His heart hadn't stopped pounding since the ceremony, and that wasn't just because he had been running nonstop.

Izzbelle's words still echoed around in his skull, and he couldn't make any sense of them. Why didn't she just read the vows from Lorenzo's flashcard? He reasoned that she needed to keep up the ruse of going through with the wedding in order to find an opening in order to escape, but it didn't make any sense to say all that she did.

And that kiss... it just defied logic.

Wiping his bloodied finger on the front of his jacket, the Incubus nervously balled his fists and raised them in front of his face. Across from him, Lorenzo smirked and cracked his knuckles threateningly.

This was a terrible idea. He knew that before he even invoked the Rite. Bruised all over in a stunted body, he didn't stand a chance against a full-grown Oni. No matter what way he looked at it, this was only going to end terribly.

Yet he couldn't just stand and watch as Izzbelle suffered. He made a promise to her; to face up to her father together. And if he wanted to get violent, then Cobalt would be forced to reciprocate.

"Aelda was right about one thing; you've got grit in you somewhere," the Oni warlord taunted, rolling up his shirt sleeves.

"Don't you fuckin' touch him!" yelled Izzbelle, only to be silenced as Corris pushed her gun against her head.

"But that's all you got goin' for you. I thought you'd be stronger, but maybe I got ahead of myself. Lookin' at you now, I see you ain't nothin' like a Trayer at all."

Over in the crowd, Jezebel screamed and tried to kick her way through the Sulfur Bloods, only to be forcefully restrained.

"Lorenzo! D- Don't you dare...!" shrieked the Succubus, struggling against the Oni holding her back.

He glanced over at her, only to sigh and run a hand through his hair.

"I'm real sorry you gotta see this, Jezebel. Sorry you had to raise such a disappointment, as well. Must be hard, knowin' that he ain't ever gonna live up to-"

The Oni warlord cut himself off before turning his gaze skyward. Fireworks were still going off over by the burning storehouse, filling the darkened sky with smoke.

"I ought not to speak ill of the lost..." Lorenzo murmured.

"Let's not draw this out..." Cobalt stated, shaking all over.

The Oni smiled.

"Of course. Sulana singi."

He stomped his foot.

A massive blast of heat suddenly erupted from Lorenzo, evaporating the snow in an instant and nearly knocking the Incubus off his feet. Flames erupted in a circle around the courtyard, walling them both off from the crowd. The air was thick with steam and smoke, and as sparks rained down alongside the rapidly melting snowflakes, Cobalt realised that dying at the Oni's hands was a very real possibility.