The Lost World Ch. 03

"He won't succeed. It is impossible to separate a soul no matter how powerful..." Yet despite what she said, Ramiel still felt something was off about the Lord of Lust.

"Give me a boost." Commanded Rainer as he held the soul in one hand and outstretched the other to Ramiel.

"...?"

"Infuse me with some of that cool holy power or whatever you angels call it."

"You cannot be serious. Ignoring the fact you are a Ruler of Sin, you expect a demon to handle holy light?" Said Ramiel skeptically. She still held her cool expression devoid of emotion, but it seemed to waver each time Rainer said something incredible.

Rainer wasn't in the mood for waiting, at least not while overtaken by True Asmodeus. "Now."

"Interesting. Whether you live or die, my curiosity will be sated with this." Ramiel pulled her hand around with a quick motion. White sparks fizzled around her pointer finger that condensed into a thin white beam similar to laser. That beam instantly shot into Rainer's hand, which accepted the power wholeheartedly.

Rainer's mind was instantly filled with sharp needles. His skin felt like it was surrounding by boiling oil. His blood literally started boiling inside of him. However, he did not cry out. He wasn't that weak... No, he was strong. Strong enough to use his pain as fuel for his determination.

Rainer once again took a firm grip on the virtuous soul and pulled.

Cuuuurack!

A sharp sound came from the fabric covered orb in Rainer's hand. Rainer's black wings and tail started rippling as if being shaken by numerous shockwaves.

The virtuous soul separated into three perfect glowing shapes. "Gaaaauuuh..." Rainer groaned as he forcibly expelled all of the holy power in his demonic body, shooting out of his mouth, ears, nose, eyes, and several cuts around his head and neck. The holy power soon dissolved into nothingness as it left Rainer's body. However, the light had charred each area where it came out of, resulting in even more painful wounds than before. It wasn't comparable to having it inside his body, but it still hurt nonetheless. Rainer couldn't see, as his eyes were burnt and swollen. He couldn't hear, as the skin had melted around his auditory canal and blocking any sound. He couldn't smell, his nostrils were blocked and his nose was blackened. He couldn't speak and he could barely breathe, his tongue was fused to the bottom of his mouth thanks to the extreme heat from the light. The only solace Rainer could find, which wasn't much, was that each of his wounds from his fight with Ramiel were now cauterized, ceasing the blood from leaving his body.

(I... Can't think about the pain.) Forcing all thoughts out of his mind, Rainer placed each of the thirds of the virtuous soul into the mouths of the charred remains of Hanazae and Zamarak with the third going into Lauren's mouth. Despite his blindness, Rainer could tell where and what to exactly do as if his body was being controlled like a videogame character.

Mentally controlling three metal plates that were scattered nearby, Rainer used a sort of telekinesis to act as his hands. His body was too weak to do anything, but his mind was still fresh and he was still brimming with power from True Asmodeus. He wouldn't stay conscious for long, so he had to move quickly.

Using his power, Rainer used the metal plates to force the thirds of the virtuous soul into each person's mouth. Until he felt that the power of the virtuous soul completely disappear, indicating the success of the revival, Rainer finally felt relief.

And the breath of life returned to Hanazae, Zamarak, and Lauren.

(Yes...) Ecstatic over his success, Rainer fell onto his face and fell asleep.

-

"Amazing..." Ramiel was sitting down by herself in a remote part of Heaven. This section of Heaven belonged to a set of twins, one girl and the other boy. She often visited these two and played with them, greatly enjoying her time spent.

"What's the matter, Miss Angel?" The girl was the more talkative of the two, but both children equally enjoyed their time with the Archangel.

"Ah, I said to call me Micaiah!" Ramiel puffed her cheeks and lips with a playfully angry pout. "Oh nothing is bothering me. I just..."

The boy watched and whispered to his sister objectively, "I think Miss Micaiah has a boyfriend."

"EH? A BOYFRIEND?" Screamed the girl as her eyes switched back and forth between her brother and angelic friend.

"B-b-boyfriend?" Ramiel was just as confused that moment and even blushed madly around her cheeks, but she soon regained her calm poise. "Nothing of the sort. While indeed I am thinking about a rather interesting man, it is impossible for someone like me to be romantically involved."

"She's denying it..." Whispered the boy again to his sister.

"Why's he so interesting?" Asked the girl as she drove a toy car up a makeshift ramp the trio made out of blocks.

"Well, how should I put it? Is there one thing you both believe it absolutely true yet you wish it was not?" Ramiel didn't worry about her question being too tough for the young set of twins. They were both very clever and had developed minds for their age, so it was a pity they died so young.

"Santa doesn't exist!" "Orange peels taste yucky!" Both the girl and boy answered after only several seconds of thought in that order.

"Well, this man somehow managed to put a dent in my beliefs which should be absolute. I thought that he, along with his kin, were evil beings that care little about life in general except for their own. I thought they were beings that only indulge in their desires and are completely selfish." Ramiel paused in her building of a block fortress as she collected her thoughts. It was very hard for her to admit what she said next. "Yet I might be proven wrong. This man, who is supposed to be a leader of these selfish beings, proved just how selfless he really was. He risked his life to revive three people that I believed that his kin would not care about. When he was forced to choose in saving one of three, he threw aside that rule and did everything he could to save all three, and succeeded. I am at a loss, is there good in a race of beings that this man belongs to? Or was it just an act?"

The twins listened patiently to Ramiel's emotional speech. Despite their maturity for their age, they were still young kids and could not understand some parts of what the Archangel said. Even so...

"Just because something is proven, doesn't mean that you shouldn't try to disapprove what was proven."

Ramiel was surprised hearing that statement from such a young person, it sounded far beyond her age and was quite wise.

"I guess you are right." Ramiel smiled at the girl. She was truly awed by the complete naivety of these children, but she also sincerely respected them for it. It was always the naïve who, in the end, voiced the wisest of statements.

"Besides... He can't be all that bad if you like him that much, Miss Micaiah." Said the boy mischievously while balancing an oblong brick at the top of his tower.

"I-I already said that it's not like that!" Even as Ramiel said that, the twins simply giggled.

-

"I have never seen a demon become like this..." Said Asmodea remorsefully as she painfully looked at her lover's sleeping body.

"Yes, I am truly amazed at Master's fortitude. To be able to sustain such wounds and live, even with being a Ruler of Sin, is quite a feat." Aureal also stood by Rainer's body and kept watch out for threats despite the unlikely capabilities of another attack at this point.

"Rainer..." Nerissa sat at Rainer's head, stroking his hair and holding her husband's body in a loving embrace. She rarely referenced Rainer as anything but a euphemism for husband, she only used Rainer's real name when she was truly worried.

"...This is without a doubt more evidence that the only beings who can fight an Archangel is a Ruler of Sin." While Zazie was also deeply worried for the one she loved, she felt there was no need to remove the need for analysis.

Only Lauren remained silent out of the five people next to Rainer's sleeping body. She did not reveal to everyone that she had most certainly died. As they would next ask how is she alive. That Lauren did not know herself, but she knew that it had something to do with Rainer and the Archangel. For when she woke up, it was next to the grotesque body of Rainer and two sleeping demons. Above her she had seen an Archangel staring down with a strange amazed face.

It was the same Archangel that had found Lauren spying on the four angels. She had yet to be told of what had transpired, but Lauren knew that she was slain by one of the Archangel's subordinates.

She should not be alive.

There was no possible way that anyone could be brought back from the dead. While angels and demons, especially the latter, had an especially advanced knowledge over magic, neither had any way to bring back anyone from the dead. Or so Lauren thought.

No matter what Lauren speculated, the only way to divulge the answer to this mystery is by asking Rainer when he woke up, and who knows when that might happen?

Too depressing... Thought Lauren as she thought about her death.

"No matter what you did... Thank you."

Each of the four women around Lauren didn't care to ask about what she said, only that this matter was resolved.

Of course, it was far from resolved.