The Guardian Angel (The Guardians of Nine Heavens #1)

Chapter 18: Samael's True Face

Samael grinned, brought the tip of his scythe to his face, and oh, my, licked it! But he licked exactly the place where Michael's blood was still left. At such strange behaviour of his, Michael widened his blue glowing eyes and even made a step back.

"Wh... What is he doing?" Linda got confused.

Suddenly, black smoke sprung around Samael. The people got frightened, but then, a monstrosity emerged, which dreaded not only the people but Lily and Michael too - the black smoke dissipated, just to reveal six giant black torn wings, and a wrathful beast wrapped up in deathly black cloak and hood - a pure skeleton, dressed in black rags, holding the deadly black scythe. Lily gasped and put hands to her mouth in fright - goodness, this fiend was so dreadful! Linda got no less frightened. She trembled and stepped back, pressing her arms to her chest. Michael was frozen - his brother too had taken his supreme form! But then, an even more dreadful thing happened - the black hollows in the skeleton beast's eyes flashed red! A devilish grin covered his skull face:

"Prepare yourself, brother".

The skeleton fiend growled and swung his black scythe. Michael raised a golden shield to protect himself, but then he realised the evil demon hadn't blasted dark energy current... However, he still felt extreme pain in his belly, and he saw how divine blood poured off his armour. He gasped - how could this be? Samael hadn't even made a move! When he looked up at the fiend to find out the answer to his question, he got shocked - Samael had swung the scythe and had hit not Michael, but himself. A particular thing was horrifying though - he had stabbed his scythe right in his belly, in the same spot where Michael received the wound! When he realised this, Michael got truly terrified:

"Don't tell me you're using that move..."

The skeleton's red eyes flashed viciously in response, and a devilish laugh was heard in the hall.

I... I could never imagine he was this monstrous... Lily tremblingly watched Samael, and just then she wished he had never appeared as her guardian in the first place... Such fiend was truly dangerous - he might cause someone harm!

"Michael! Are you okay?" Linda cried in distress, seeing her angel was bleeding.

"I... I'm fine! Don't worry, Linda!" Michael courageously cried back, clutched his spear, and sneered at Samael.

"Oh, not for long, you're not okay!" the skeleton laughed and now stabbed the scythe in his own chest. However, as he was a hollow skeleton, he felt no pain.

Michael yelled in agony and fell unto his knees. His armour broke. He returned to his normal form, as he had lost too much energy. Blood poured off his chest.

"Michael!" Linda shrieked and rushed up to him.

Michael coughed out blood. He could barely breathe. The people gasped in shock and fear.

"He lost?!" the Black couple was no less frightened. Mrs. Black had even cuddled with her husband.

"Michael!" tears streamed down Linda's cheeks, as she watched the blood pour off her angel's wounds. Lily was no less distressed as she felt guilty for what she had caused by calling upon that monster.

"Lilith..." the demonic voice sounded through the hall. The people started and shivered in fear. "Lilith, what type of execution would you desire?"

"Wh... What?!, He's an archangel, you can't be serious! You already won, now vanish!"

Linda was crying, knelt beside downed Michael, but then she noticed something had shaded them. She shuddered and looked up, seeing the horrible monster before her eyes.

"Leave him alone!" she screamed and covered Michael.

Lily was no less frightened:

"Do you hear what I say?! Stop that!"

The people had gasped in horror - was he really going to kill the archangel?!

"I defeated you. So does Lily get a place in the Angel Host Academy, or do I have to terrify these people and hit you with my scythe right here?" Samael grinned.

Michael gnashed his teeth with rage when he heard the same mocking voice of his brother.

"A deal is a deal... Lily's enrolled..."

"Goodie. See you later, then, my celestial brother". 

The skeleton chuckled and vanished in black smoke. Lily blinked in stupefaction - was all that vile attitude his simple prank?!

Ugh, such a pain...

She felt uneasy. As she looked around the hall, all she could see were frowning, scolding faces. She gulped - yeah, she was in a tough situation... She glanced at Michael and Linda. She had never seen her sister so worried and distressed before, and as for Michael, all she could read in his eyes now was sadness.

"Lily, I sincerely hoped you would not have affairs with that demon again... at least, in your new life..." Michael coughed. "I feel sorry for you..."

Lily widened eyes - what did he mean, 'have affairs with that demon again'? Did she actually... interact with Samael in her previous incarnation too?!

If they counted my interaction with him bad, it means I was considered impure soul because I had interacted with him, and if it is so, it means... she froze at the thought. It means he is the true reason for my current misfortune...