Ready? You may want to prepare some tissues though.*evil smile*

~~~~~

Few hours before the war...

"No, love." Gusion opposed her, "I may always follow whatever you say but not this time. It's a no."

"Gusion—"

"Why do you always have to risk your life for others? What about me? It will kill me when something happens to you." He said frustratedly, "Just the mere thought now that you will put your life at risk makes me insane already."

Lesley sighed and just let Gusion to out his frustration. She understood how she felt because if she was in his shoes, she would be frustrated too.

"Only I can do this." Lesley said softly.

"We are two blessed here, love. Don't monopolize the responsibility." Gusion said helplessly.

This is the second time I've made him upset. Her guilt was eating her but there was no other way.

Only her could purify Guinevere.

Lesley thought her eyes were just tricking her. She knew Guinevere wasn't using mana when she casted magic.

It was too late when she noticed that Guinevere didn't have a hollow core— but a black aura around her.

That explained the dizziness she felt every time she made contact with Guinevere.

Come to think of it, she felt a bit dizzy when she met Guinevere for the first time. And no one knows about this, even Gusion or Granger.

But how did Guinevere have a dark energy?

"I'm sorry." Was all Lesley could say. Of course, she was guilty too in handling all of this alone.

"You're hurting me, love." Gusion told her. And yes, hurt was evident in his entire face.

"I'm so sorry, love." She apologized, "I will tell you everything once we finish this." She cupped his face to make him look at her.

Gusion was just staring at her for minutes before he sighed in defeat, "Whether you are using your special energy or not, I really can't say no to you."

"Thank you." She smiled at him, "I love you." She pecked his lips.

He pouted, "That's it? You called that a kiss, love?"

"Yes?" She frowned.

"That's not a proper kiss, love." Gusion smirked at him and pulled her for a deeper and longer kiss.

"Haa..." Lesley breathed when Gusion finally let go of her lips, "Wait, Gusion."

"Hmm?" He hummed while kissing her neck.

Lesley put all her might to pull Gusion away from her neck to make him look at her.

"You also need to promise me one thing." She told him.

"What is it, my duchess?"

"Don't be mad and never hurt Guinevere, no matter what happens."

Present time...

Those words flashed through Gusion's memory as he witnessed Guinevere attacking Lesley while trying to purify everything.

"Lesley!" Gusion shouted in panic. He felt his heart stopped.

He was about to save Lesley but there was an invisible barrier around them. He tried to pierce it with his Light sword but it was no use.

"Fuck it!" Gusion said in frustration as he punched the barrier but it won't budge.

No... Not my Lesley, please. Gusion pleaded.

He felt so fucking useless as he watched the love of his life getting hurt.

His thoughts were cut when he heard a sinister laugh.

"What a fool." Argus said as he pulled out the dagger that Gusion used to pierce his heart. "Do you really think I won't think another plan if ever you attacked us during the Lunar Eclipse?"

Gusion slowly turned towards him, "Did you also think that we didn't know you made a deal with one of the nobles in the Southern Paxley?"

"Ha!" Argus let out a mocking laugh, "You're really a fool. You knew it all along and you still let her get close to all of you?"

"Maybe I am really a fool." Gusion shook his head, "But I owe Guinevere a big favor." He said before attacking him.

On the other side, Lesley coughed out blood the moment Guinevere attacked her.

She was trying to destroy her special energy core- maybe trying to convert it to dark energy.

Lesley coughed out more blood when Guinevere pushed her hand more to her energy core.

She noticed that there was a barrier around them, maybe it was because of Guinevere's dark energy. Outside, she saw Gusion still fighting woth Argus and Granger was already unconscious.

Maybe Guinevere knocked him off when she unleashed the dark energy.

Before they went here, she told Granger not to leave Guinevere's side at all cost because she was certain that Argus would trigger the dark energy inside Guinevere.

Lesley looked at Guinevere and she smiled upon seeing her.

Because Guinevere was supposed to have black eyes upong triggering the dark energy, instead, she still had her green eyes and she was crying.

Lesley slowly wiped her tears, "It's okay, Guin. It's okay." She smiled at her, "You're not hurting me."

"Lesley, just kill me please. I can't control myself. I don't want to kill you. Just kill me." Guinevere said while crying.

"No, Guin." She shook her head, "I will save you."

"If I know this would happen, we should have thought of other way." Guinevere sobbed, "I didn't bring you back here just to hurt you like this."

Although Lesley was in severe pain, she frowned, "W-what do you mean?"

"We searched for you in different dimensions—" Guinevere hicupped, "Because you disappeared six years ago."

Wait, what?

"Ack!" Lesley coughed out more blood and she could feel the dark energy was already on the edge of her energy core.

"No!" Guinevere shouted while still crying, "Lesley please! Just kill me. I don't want to hurt you more than this." She begged.

"No!" Lesley shouted, "I will definitely save you!" She gripped on her Judgment tighter.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, there were already mountains of dead demons and some of some of the knights.

"Fuck." Ling cursed, "It is already Lunar Eclipse but these fuckers can still fight."

"Right? Something was definitely wrong." Natalia said, although she couldn't be seen.

"You still haven't figure it out?" Benedetta said while wiping the blood away from her face, "It's because of this." She showed them a tiny mana stone.

"What's that?" Saber asked after slicing a demon.

"Oh, I remember you are not staying in the Southern Paxley so I'll explain briefly." Benedetta said after eating a chocolate, "This is a mana stone produced by the Shadow family."

"And?" Hayabusa said.

"And so this is the reason why these demons can still fight. They gained a little resistance against the eclipse. It looks like the Shadows personally made these for the demons." Benedetta explained after casually slicing a demon into half.

"Oh. This is what His Grace had beed looking for." Claude commented after stabbing a demon.

"Yes, and we need to finish early." Benedetta nodded towards where Lesley and Guinevere and unconcious Granger were, "Her Grace needs help."

The Legendary Knights including Claude widened their eyes.

"What the fuck?" They blurted.

"I don't know what the hell is happening but we need to kill these annoying demons fast." Benedetta said as she hid her bag of chocolate in her cloak.

Back to where Lesley and Guinevere, the latter was still crying as she begged Lesley to kill her.

"Lesley please." Guinevere cried, "I will never forgive myself if something bad happen to you."

"Guin, I will save you." Lesley weakly said, "Just trust me."

Lesley gasped for air as she coughed more blood. Her consciousness was slowly slipping away and she was about to lose grip on Judgment but someone held her hand to make her grip on it firmer.

"Child, I told you to be careful who you get close to."

Lesley's eyes widened as she turned to her back, "Esprit Goddess."

Rafaela smiled at her, "Hello, child."

Rafaela then looled at Guinevere and effortlessly waved her hand, making Guinevere lost her consciousness. She made her float to lay her carefully to the ground.

The Esprit Goddess then touch the invisible barrier and just like that, it cracked and was destroyed.

Lesley almost fell to the ground but thankfully, Gusion teleported right on time to catch her.

"Love?" He called her.

"I'm okay. Thank you." Lesley weakly said.

Rafaela gracefully landed and her eyes found Argus— who was too stunned at first before he glared at her.

"Rafaela." Argus called her, like her name was spiteful.

"You never change, Argus." Rafaela said while shaking her head, "Using sneaky tactics just to get what you wanted."

Argus let out a mocking laugh, "And didn't I get what I wanted? You made an effort to go down here to see me."

"If you didn't cause that trouble thousands of years ago, we would have been together in the Esprit Realm." Rafaela said with a grim expression.

"And continued being compared to you? How I always come in second in terms of powers? Your second priority because these peasants always come first to you?" Argus said with bitterness.

Rafaela stayed silent and looked at her former lover with pity. She didn't know where she gone wrong. She was sure she balanced her responsibilities to people and being Argus' lover.

Or maybe she really did lack giving him enough attention before.

He was intentionally hurting the people she cared of, bringing them destructions and causing conflicts resulting to war. He did that because apparently for him, that was the only time she would give her many attention.

His love became obsessive, possessive, selfish— toxic.

And when the Supreme God noticed this, He punished Argus by exiling him from the Esprit Realm. And at the same day, Rafaela ended things with Argus because she had enough.

He changed too much— changed for the worst.

And even thousands of years after, he was still in the same situation.

She hated it but she needed to end this now.

"I really fucking hate it." Argus spat, "Those eyes used to look at me lovingly." He said with sadness and anger in his voice.

Rafaela felt hurt. Their happy memories together flashed in her mind but she shook her head.

"Your love became destructive. And I have to end it now." Rafaela said instead.

"It took you thousands of years to finally see me after being exiled?" Argus laughed mockingly.

Rafaela smiled sadly, "And it didn't occur in your mind that I was waiting and giving you chance to repent for what you did."

Argus was taken aback with what she said. He wasn't able to speak for minutes. Maybe he was still processing what Rafaela had said.

And it dawned him— it never occured in his mind that Rafaela wpuld be giving a chance for him. It clearly slipped out of his mind that Rafaela was the kindest he met.

But all of those years— hatred and jealousy ate his heart and mind.

While Argus was silent, Rafaela summoned Judgment and was about to purify but something unexpected happened.

Argus stabbed Rafaela with his Meteoric Sword.

"If I can't have then these peasants won't have you also!" Argus shouted as he buried his Meteoric Sword to Rafaela's heart more.

And just when Argus was already celebrating, he felt two things stabbed on his heart.

The Light Sword and Judgment.

Gusion and Lesley were holding hands as they stabbed Argus' heart.

"W-what..." Argus was astonished.

And he even felt more foolish when he looked at Rafaela he stabbed becuase it vanished into thin air.

"An apparition..?" Argus whispered in disbelief.

Rafaela appeared once again in front of Argus.

"My soul is already tied to the Esprit Realm." Rafaela explain, "You can't do me any harm anymore."

Argus laughed in disbelief, "Can I ask one thing?"

"What is it?" Rafaela said.

"Did you... really love me?" Argus asked weakly.

Rafaela's eyes widened before it softened, "Yes, I did."

"Ha." Argus exhaled, "At least I can disappear happily."

Argus closed his eyes as the same time the Lunar Eclipse ended and he slowly turned into ashes and vanished into air, as well as the other demons.

There was a moment of silence after, before Rafaela weakly slumped on the ground with her hands covering her face as she weeped.

They could feel how hurt she was while hearing the Esprit Goddess cried for her former lover.

And Lesley knew that no special energy could lift that pain the Esprit Goddess was feeling right now.

=====

After Rafaela's breakdown, she went back to herself as if she didn't weep earlier.

"I apologize that you have to see me like that." Rafaela said while smiling at them.

Lesley shook her head and held Rafaela's hand, "It's okay, Goddess Rafaela. Gods and Goddesses have feelings too."

Rafaela looked around, "Well, you still have some things to do." She motioned her hand to their surroundings.

Lesley also looked around and chuckled awkwardly, "Yes, I can see that."

Lesley then gripped on her Judgment and was about to fix everything but then she looked at Rafaela again, "Goddess, I don't think I'm not worthy to say your famous line."

Everyone became silent before a series of laughter followed.

Lesley blushed in embarrassment, "What? I feel like it doesn't suit me."

Gusion went near her and kissed her forehead, "You're so adorable, love."

Rafaela chuckled, "Just do it, child."

Lesley smiled and then sighed before she closed her eyes.

She raised Judgment, "Healing for everyone!"

A light was emitted by Judgment and slowly, it fixed everything.

The barren land that was dark and full of dark energy was replaced by green grass, trees, flowers, animals, and sunlight.

The injured, unconscious, and tired knights were healed.

The demons and dark energy was gone.

But Guinevere wasn't still waking up.

As soon as Granger woke up, he looked for Guinevere in panic. And it made him panicked more even when he found she was still unconscious.

"Vi, wake up, please." Granger said while holding Guinevere's face.

Lesley went near them and Granger quickly bowed his head to her.

"Your Grace, I deeply apologize for failing the task you have given me. I didn't guard Vi enough." Granger apologized.

"It's okay Granger. You've done well." Lesley smiled and crouched towards Guinevere.

She was about to heal her when the Esprit Goddess stopped her.

"Child—"

Lesley looked at Rafaela. And there, they had a conversation that only them could understand.

The Esprit Goddess then sighed and nodded, "If that's what you want. Sana lamang ay hindi mo ito pagsisihan sa huli."
(A/N: Translation is at the end of the chapter.)

Lesley smiled, "Hinding-hindi ako magsisisi."

Lesley then proceeded healing Guinevere.

And the moment Guinevere opened her eyes, Lesley's vision went black.

~~~~~

Translation:
1. Sana lamang ay hindi mo ito pagsisihan sa huli = "I hope you will not regret this at the end."

2. Hinding-hindi ako magsisisi = "I will never regret it."

I'm so sorry for the lame and very late update!

Is it already the end? Tee-hee *evil smile*