The Guardian Demon (The Guardians of Nine Heavens #3)

Chapter 40: The Guardian Family

When Johanne came to, she had already been delivered to the safe side by Lutecia and Isah. They were still within the Black Energy realm, but many of their friends - Lilith, Incubus, Mei, and Mary - were there, as well as the unconscious Succubus and the dead Balthazar, whose soul Mary was trying to save. Once she beheld such a dire situation - Succubus on the verge of death, whom Lilith and Incubus were sending their energy to, and Balthazar, whose soul was nearly consumed by the Black Energy - Johanne grew beyond terrified.

"No!" She dashed at the lifeless body of Balthazar and began shaking him. "Balthazar! Answer me! Balthazar!" Tears trickled off her eyes. "Cedric!"

"Isah, where's your father?" Mary glanced at her son, while she and Mei tried to hold Cedric's soul from getting consumed. "This human won't make it, at this rate!"

"No! Cedric!" Johanne wept, "It's my fault! I shouldn't have..."

"We can't give up yet, Lady Mary!" Mei cried out and sent another surge of energy from all of her nine tails into Cedric's dissipating soul, "He can still be transformed into a spirit! If only my father were here... Where are they? Why didn't they return?" She cast a desperate glance at Lutecia, "Mother, what happened?"

Lutecia only covered her face with her hands and shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. Beholding such a reaction of the Spirit Queen, everyone - Lilith, Incubus, Mei, and Mary - grew perturbed.

"Don't tell me..." Incubus shuddered.

"They've engaged in a heavy battle against Long Yuebai, or Ryū Tsukishiro," Isah replied in his usual soothing tone, "They urged us to escape with Johanne and said that they'd catch up."

"No..." Lilith shivered. "Can't be... If they are fighting against the Lord of Perfection, that fight will be eternal!"

"But they must carry out their duties in the realm of Nine Heavens!" Mary was no less worried, "The entire balance of the world will shake off!"

While the friends were thus lamenting amongst themselves, Johanne had frozen in the place, goose-bumps running down her spine - the balance of the world was about to shake off, all because of her? Vain ambitions of some feeble human had caused such a disaster? Her entire family was about to crash down just because she'd been chasing some trifling dream?!

Attain perfection? - She had instead just destroyed the whole peace she had always had in this current life! Her soul brother, who had indeed persevered in his next incarnations as promised, had just died, all because of her! If she hadn't escaped from her house in the first place, she'd never be kidnapped by Azazel and Balthazar wouldn't have been killed by that hideous white demon! Yes, white demon... That beast was nothing but a demon, having disturbed her family peace in such a way, just to get a hold of her! Perfect peace? - Ugh, how naive she'd been! She had not attained perfect peace but a perfect disaster! 

She halted. A perfect disaster? - Interesting usage of words... Her eyes brightened - yes, that was it!

"Lord Isah!"

Isah looked at her in surprise:

"Yes, Johanne?"

"Please, take me back to the realm of Perfect Silence!"

"What?!"

Lilith and the friends grew astounded. Lilith's eyes flashed crimson and her demon wings unfolded on her back:

"You're not going back there, missy!"

"But auntie_"

"I said no!" Lilith shrilled in a demonic voice, making Johanne shudder in dread. "We're already in such peril and you're planning on going back? Samael and the others risked their lives and the well-being of the entire world, just for you! Yet you still desire to go back? You're disrespecting their benevolence, you lowly human!"

Johanne froze. The way Lily spoke now, was not her beloved auntie anymore, but instead the true form of that vile demoness of the night who had betrayed humankind for her forbidden love, back in prehistoric times - Lady Lilith. More tears poured down her cheeks - Lily considered her a lowly human! It was true - she was not a spirit locked in a human body like Auntie Lucy, and neither was she a strong demon suppressed in a human shape like Auntie Lily... She was but a feeble human indeed, doomed to remain powerless for eternity.

Yet still, she loved her family. They had always been there for her. She had a guardian demon - Incubus, and a guardian spirit - Mei, who happened to be her very cousins. She was always protected by her family even when she was abandoned by her angel. In her previous life too, the family had always been there for her - Cedric, during both of her incarnations. He too had never left her side, even if it was quite risky for him. Now, this very family she so adored was in dire danger all because of her, and they were telling her that she should not engage to right her wrongs? It was unspeakable! - She was a human, and as a human, she should amend for her mistakes!

"Incubus! Mei!" She looked at her two beloved cousins, "I remember you told me that you'd always be there for me. Now's the time when I need you the most! I've found the answer to Tsukishiro. It shall end this disastrous battle that has begun because of me. Please, you must help me! I cannot let anyone suffer because of my human recklessness!"

Incubus and Mei widened their eyes. They exchanged glances. Seeing their children waver, not only Lilith but Lutecia snapped, too:

"What? You can't go! You will get killed!"

"Come to your senses, Johanne!" Mary cut in, "This battle is no longer yours to fight. It's become far more serious than you can imagine!"

"Do not forget, you're a mere human!" Lilith snarled.

However, the children were of different opinions. Even if their mothers had forgotten that they had once been human, neither Incubus and Mei nor Isah could ever forget their human heritage. Once they heard the wailing of the little human soul, Isah turned back into a dove, took a seat on Johanne's shoulder, and cooed in a calm tone:

"From today on, I shall become your new guardian angel, Johanne. Let's do this together."

"I am still her guardian spirit, you little white bird!" Mei morphed into a red long-eared nine-tailed fox and landed next to Johanne in a single jump. "I shall not leave her side!"

"Of course, Johanne, my promise still stands." Incubus took a seat on Johanne's left shoulder in the form of a black raven. "I'm with you through pain and joy."

"Huh? Get back here, you brats! You're going to get it!" 

Lilith charged at all of them, with her Lilin Demoness claws ready. However, Isah was faster - he teleported all of them back within the realm of Perfect Silence. 

Seeing them slip away, Lilith roared in anguish, while Mary and Lutecia quivered in worry - they couldn't access the white demon's realm without Isah's help! All they could do now was to hope that their children and husbands would pull it off.