Dark Clover

17. The Lone Worrior

Dante placed his right hand on Yachio's forehead to draw a sealing mark.
Yachio opened her eyes. She smiled crookedly and grabbed Dante's hand.
"He's not dead."
A dark red sphere of blood emerged from nowhere and dissolved into Dante's body.

He thrown Yachio to the ground and started screaming in pain as all of his blood was coiling below his stomach.
Yami couldn't stand up with his broken bones and bleeding pounding head.
Yachio dragged her body towards him and said in a low Whisper, "Tsuki-chan, do your work."
A black sphere came out of her grimoire and got dissolved in Yami's body.
He felt his bones healing, including his bleeding wounds.
Dante was screaming up as almost all his blood was getting condensed inside the blood moon.
Yami and Yachio looked at him and Yami told, "I have so many questions. What is this healing? What is that magic? Blood moon? Who are you exactly?"
Yachio smiled a little bit and said, "I'm Yachio Sukehiro."
"No. You're not a simple human. You can't be."
Yami stood up and flexed his katana in front of him to finish Dante who was growling in pain.
Yachio laid back on the grass and closed her eyes with a peace in her smile, "Kill him and I'll tell you who I am."
"I knew it."
Yami kicked air and went up to face him.
"Dark magic : Dark cloaked dim-"
Dante managed to take out the blood sphere after he pushed Yami's katana inside his own body.

Yachio's heart fell cold as she saw Yami falling down towards ground.
Dante laughed maniacally as he torn out the blood moon from his stomach and crushed it to spread blood all over the place.

Yachio had no choice.
She stood up and went slowly to Yami. She knew what to do now.
She dragged his heavy body towards the base and placed it under a shade. Yami was panting. Yachio gave her katana to him and kissed his forehead. She said, "We don't have much time."
"I won't let you go. Don't go. He's dangerous."
"I can't let you die Yami, I love you." Yachio smiled and blocked one of Dante's attack with only her right hand, by swiping it.
It was so badass that Yami smiled. Dante was shouting, "Are you ignoring me?"
Yachio placed her left hand on Yami's wound and stopped the bleeding.
She stood up with her bleeding head, arms and torn clothes with wounds that showed her flesh coming out.
She stood before him unarmed, and said, "I am the reincarnation of the goddess of darkness, Kuragami."
Yami's expression was priceless. He thought her being a possessed by demons, but she was the goddess of darkness, a devil herself. Yami couldn't believe his ears.

She walked slowly towards Dante, dodging his attacks swiftly, with a blank expression on her face. Dante was confused.
He increased the speed of his attack.
Yachio looked back at Yami and said, "Bye Yami. I guess this is our last conversation. My body cannot withstand this spell." she smiled and he could see her eyes getting dark.
Yami shouted, "Noooooo! You don't have to do this Yachio, you can always give up, please don't do this. Please!"
"Right here, right now, I'm going to surpass my limits. Mana zone : Dark magic, Dark lord: Kuragami"
Cloud appeared and covered the moon.
Yami stood up and tried to enter to her mana zone, but failed. He could see her absorbing the power from Dante. He pushed his eyes further into the veil she created and continued shouting, "Yachio!! I'm your captain. I'm ordering you to drop this mission."
Yachio looked back and said, "Kill megicula for me, will you?"

Yami stood back as he saw Yachio was long gone now. Her face was longer and her teeth exposed in the moonlight. Her body was half eaten by darkness, ragged black clothes emerging from her torso as her legs weren't there. She was looking like the demigod mentioned in the ancient books Yami read in childhood.
Her face covered with black lines and her eyes darker than night sky. Two horns emerging from her forehead as she opened her mouth to endeavour everything laid in front of her.
His ears were numb to Dante's shouts as he saw Yachio almost absorbing everything inside of that mana zone and started floating above ground, as if all of her senses were gone now. Yami cried out loudly and banged his fists on the currently compressing veil, although he knew it was in vain. He sat down on his knees on the ground, waiting for the final moments of her.

He pleaded to the God, if there was any. Her words were ringing inside his head, I'll not be alive to avenge you.
I'll protect you with my life.
I vowed to protect you.
I chose you.
Yami was hoping for a miracle. He closed his eyes and started praying to Lord Budhha. One thing he never did before.
His eyes were floating in tears as he opened them and saw Dante laying lifeless on the ground.
He gathered the courage to look to the other side where Yachio was fighting. He found nothing. Not a single trace of her. Only her grimoire was there, slowly vanishing to nothingness. He was shaking. He managed to stand up and touch the grimoire. He took it up and hugged it until it totally vanished into abyss.
His mind wasn't able to comprehend the loss.
He turned back saw Dante laying motionless with his body reduced into skeleton.
"You betrayed me Yachio. You said you'll never leave.", Yami spoke these words under his breath and took her katana. He hanged it in his right waist and looked back to see everything calm now.
The moon shined bright, and he remembered the last night when he was with her. Only if he managed to tear off the page!
Yami banged his head on the ground till it started bleeding. He cried, he hurt himself for not being able to save her. He cried his heart out and lost his senses.

Timeskip 4 months :

The royal capital of clover kingdom was celebrating the star festival. Their win against the spade kingdom earned them glory that was long lost. They became friends with all the other nations, including the newly appointed king of Spade kingdom, none other than Yuno.

Yami was looking at the fireworks and lightning of the festival, sitting on the roof of clock tower, smoking.
Asta came and sat beside him.
"Dancho, will you come with us?"
"No. You guys go. Don't disturb me."
"Yami san, you are staying alone for almost everyday, you'll lose your mind.", Finral snapped.
"That's none of your business." Yami puffed out smoke and Asta said, "Ok then we are staying here too."
"Can a God die?"
They were moved by this sudden out of context question, "Why are you asking this?"
"Just answer me"
Finral responded,"No, Gods cannot die, that's why they are Gods."
"If a person who is the reincarnation of a God, can they die?"
"I guess no. There soul might leave their body for a temporary interval, but they cannot die like mere human."
"Are you sure Fin?"
"Dancho, the whole kingdom knows you're hiding a big thing from us. When you attacked megicula and killed her you said that she's not as powerful as Yachio."
"Yeah. I guess I've to tell everyone what she was."
He stood up and crushed the remaining cigarette with his boot and strode off.
Finral and Asta followed him to the festival.
Julius was declaring the winners. The black bulls received most stars, crossing and breaking all previous records, with 300 stars. Asta got 50 stars on himself.
Julius started his speech, "As we know that we achieved our victory, after losing so much, I'd like all of you to remain silent for one minute to pay respect to our fallen warriors. Also, I'd like to tell you a story about a girl, who lost her life to protect her Kingdom and her King. "
Yami felt his eyes getting blurred. Julius spotted him in the crowd and announced," I guess there's a person who can tell this story better than I can. Yami, will you please join us on stage? "
Yami cleaned his tears and went steadily on the stage.
"I'm Yami Sukehiro. I'm the Captain of the squad Black Bulls.", his voice was breaking, so he decided to close his eyes and remember every details of the war where he lost her.
"She gave her life to protect us."
The crowd fell silent. "I'm not good with words. Please bear me.
There was a time when I used to think there's no one that could love a man like me, but she did. She fought with the authorities to stay beside me. She fought with the devil, and she gave her life to protect this kingdom in that process. Till now I am not able to find any trace of her body. I hope she's watching me praying for her from somewhere."
The crowd held a gasp and Julius kept his hand on Yami's shoulder.
He continued," She was so strong and powerful in combat, that even I wasn't able to call myself her captain in her presence. She was an amazing mage.

Finally, I'll request all of you to pay your sincere prayers for her soul to rest in peace."

Yami couldn't say the main thing he wanted to say, fearing that the crowd will not believe his words.
He got down and Julius declared that if Yachio was alive he'd have happily left his place for her to become the Wizard king.
The crowd started mumbling something, then Julius said, "I'll request her partner and captain, Yami Sukehiro to receive her stars on behalf of her."
Asta came running to Yami and hugged him.
He asked, "Would you tell us what exactly she was?"
"She was a hero, Asta. A mere human. Like you and me. That's why she gave her life to protect us. She was your sister and my wife."

"That makes sense."