Author's Note: I apologise to those who are paying for my Patreon, things aren't exactly settled down here just yet. Can't find a good period of time to seat down and write, thank you for supporting me still. 

Songs suits more for the second scene of this chapter. 

It's pretty sad you can't fit multiple links into a chapter, and put a heading at which part to play it at, haha. 

____

There was a group of people running across the wide plains, their breaths heavy and sharp as they glanced up at the sky behind them. It was the break of dawn, an object glinted in the sky, pausing for a moment before it started rushing straight down towards them.

"Oi, dodge that!" Haru exclaimed.

"What the hell is that?" Kiyae asked.

"It's just a sword from their powers." Yun said, squinting his eyes. "If it hits us, there's no telling how much pain we'll be in."

"Haha, it's just a sword!" Ryo guffawed. "Why are you all getting so scared?"

All of them dodged the sword that was made of light magic. They watched in horror as it thrust through the ground, burning the grass all around it.

Just then, Cecil sensed something and she looked up.

"It's...it's not just one!" she raised her voice, her onyx eyes wide. "It's–oh my god."

The same swords from before now littered the sky, one by one, aiming right at them.

"Holy–" Haru held himself back from cursing.

"Dodge or defend, do what you can!" Yun ordered.

Ryo laughed in disbelief.

"Is this the time to be laughing?!" Kiyae hissed.

"Cecil, hold on tight!" Feng advised. "I'll be dodging them all!"

"Sorry to trouble you," Cecil smiled gratefully. "You've been carrying me this entire time."

"Since all of you saved my family, even if I had to carry someone as light as you for a hundred years, I wouldn't mind!" Feng grinned.

The swords rained down on them like arrows, they used their abilities to dodge and defend themselves. Whether it was freezing, burning or deflecting, pushing them out of the path, the group did what they could do to avoid the swords made out of light magic.

Haru made weird, panicked noises as he dodged the arrows. "Ahh! Damnit! That was–argh!"

Ryo was laughing at his captain, doing the same thing.

Yun created gusts of wind to change the directions of the swords. "Will you two take this seriously?"

"I am taking it seriously–Ryo! Stop laughing you–gah–bastard!"

"This is so fun!"

"..." Yun was speechless.

Meanwhile, Kiyae destroyed them head-on until Cecil noticed one of the swords aimed at her back.

"Kiyae!" Cecil hollered, summoning out vines from the ground and pulling Kiyae aside.

Kiyae stumbled, looking up at Cecil and giving her a thumbs-up. "Thanks, Cecil. I can always count on ya."

Cecil gave her a cheeky wink.

Kiyae blinked rapidly before letting out a chuckle.

All of a sudden, a wave of dark magic swept above their heads, annihilating the swords in their path as it disintegrated. The group gasped, glancing to the source of the dark magic which was to their left.

"What is–" Yun asked.

"Demons!" Cecil said.

A wave of demons donning black wings charged towards them. Now, instead of light magic swords, the team had to deal with black magic javelins.

"Now is the time! Take the artifact!"

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Haru yelled, his voice cracking.

"More friends–" Ryo burst out in glee, only to be interrupted.

"Idiot! Now is not the time to be a battle-junkie!" Kiyae growled in annoyance, grabbing him by the collar.

Some of them demons rushed in, clashing weapons with Kiyae and Haru. The two of them hastily defended but they didn't stop running. The moment they faltered, they would be swallowed up by their enemies.

The angels were also hot on their trail after discovering the interference from the demons.

Ryo escaped from Kiyae's grasp, an excited grin on his face as he brought out his halberd.

"Ryo! You–"

"Leave him!" Yun shouted. "We have to save our own lives first!"

"Where the hell is Linqin when we need her?!" Haru clicked his tongue, blasting a demon away with a flaming kick.

"She only told me to meet back at her tribe, and that's all!" Feng answered, a hint of guilt in her words.

"It's way too far!" Kiyae hollered back, squinting her eyes. "We can't possibly toss the horn to her from here!"

In the distance, they could see smoke rising into the air and signs of a civilisation. It was the tribe that Linqin belonged to, along with her brother, the chieftain of the tribe.

"...wait, I think I see someone there!" Cecil pointed towards the tribal village, noticing a group of figures riding on animals, headed towards them. "They are heading this way!"

"Let's hurry!"

"Pick up the pace!"

"Ryo! Don't fall behind!"

Both parties were swift, their distance closing in a minute.

All of a sudden, the tribe members riding on the animals halted.

"...?!"

"Why are they stopping?"

"Mhmm..." Haru furrowed his eyebrows. "What are they holding?"

"Bows and arrows, it seems." Cecil observed.

"Ahhh..."

At the front of the group of people riding on animals, it was Linqin on her treasured mount. All of them held a bow and a quiver, their faces solemn.

"To your positions! Take aim!"

Linqin raised her own bow as well, taking aim as she loaded the arrow.

Haru inhaled sharply. "Oi, stop and duck your heads! Quickly!"

"Ryo, duck!" Yun looked back at him.

"Release!"

The arrows cut across the air just as the team screeched to halt, the arrows flying past them as they ducked. Meanwhile, Ryo was engaged in combat with a demon when he heard someone screaming at him.

"Duck." Ryo muttered out, ducking as he was ordered. "Mhm, I did it."

The next second, an arrow grazed past his head and Ryo blinked rapidly. Arrows began to land near him and he dodged hastily, mumbling to himself in panic.

Linqin lowered her bow, an arrogant smirk on her face.

"Linqin!" Cecil exclaimed. "Here you go!"

Vines sprouted out from the ground as the horn was tossed through the air. The vines did a perfect job of passing the horn over. Linqin raised a hand into the air, catching the horn without a sweat.

"Angels and demons," Linqin inhaled deeply, a glint in her eyes. "You'll regret messing with us."

She blew into the horn, the wind whipping past her and her skirt dancing to the wind. The melody was strange, but to the tribe members, it gave them a burst of confidence.

Linqin stopped blowing into the horn, lowering it and she witnessed the bewildered expressions on the angels and demons, along with Haru's team.

"Don't underestimate our bonds."

Just then, the ground began to rumble violently and a low roar resounded throughout the plains. It originated from the Sacred Forest.

***

The mirror dimension was shattered into pieces by Xue's attack. Moreover, with the dimension having a deep connection to Xue since he was linked to the Oracle's soul, the attack was effective.

Ironically, Veau who wanted to trap Xue inside here helped Xue to recover his lost memories about his first life, and the other lives he had spent with Cecil. He knew exactly what to do to break out of this place, especially a place that was created by the Oracle.

A person he had spent thousands and thousands of years with.

Veau watched in disbelief as the mirror dimension fell apart before his very eyes. The pieces breaking and falling as they glittered in the light. The pieces fell and reflected a familiar world that they knew.

It was the world they were from.

Veau felt movement beside him and he turned to look, seeing the familiar figure of Eona with her magnificent wings.

She was smiling.

He was stunned by that sight, completely forgetting about Xue.

"He really did it."

"..."

Veau was still in shock, and he reached his hand out slowly to Eona. He hesitated before lightly combing his fingers through the ends of her platinum blonde hair.

Eona blinked, glancing away and looking at Veau. Her smile widened and she hovered in front of him, her wings fluttering behind her back.

"...you are real."

"I am."

"How is that possible?"

"It is true what the Oracle said about the mirror dimension when she created it," Eona stated, repeating the words she heard from the mysterious figure when she found herself stranded here after her death. "It isn't just a reflection of your own memories, it is also a reflection of your desires, and that reflection traps a part of you here. For eternity."

The mirror dimension was slowly fading away, revealing more of the world they belonged in.

Xue furrowed his eyebrows, withdrawing back and surging forward once again with his spear.

"So, you are saying..." Veau said in a low, trembling voice. "You've been here ever since then?"

"Likely so." Eona nodded.

Veau recoiled back in disbelief, letting out a shocked laugh as he placed his hand on his forehead.

"You...you have been here the entire time, existing and alive. The whole damn time, this...whole time. I..."

"Veau?"

He brought his head up, wearing a distraught expression that didn't suit his image of a carefree devil.

Eona was concerned, flying closer to him and she stretched her hand out to caress his cheek.

"What have I been doing all this time?" Veau choked out.

She paused, staring at Veau with wide eyes.

The fragments of the mirror dimension floated down, its shards glistening in the background. Due to Xue's attacks, loud rumbling noises resounded throughout the place. Despite that, the two of them could only focus on one another.

"You gave me and my brother enough time to say our farewells to my family, but..." Veau clenched his jaw, sounding extremely vulnerable. "...but you never gave me enough time for you."

"I..." Eona blinked in confusion. "What do you mean–"

"I regret it!"

"...?"

"I regretted it so much for not telling you the truth, for not finishing my words that day. That's why...I did everything I could to anger the world, to make them all hate me, to assist my brother in his reckless vengeance so he wouldn't die, I did it all so the Creator would confront me. I did everything so I could beg...just one more time..."

"...Veau, you..."

"I just wanted one last chance to speak with you. That's all."

In the distance, there was a piece of memory playing in the background. Veau held the dying Eona in his arms, her head resting on his lap as blood dribbled down her pale lips.

She placed her hand on his cheek, her hands slipping slightly due to how weak she was.

"Veau."

"Don't get angry for my sake."

"Don't wait for me."

"Live freely like you always have, you scoundrel."

The tears were streaming down his face and he clutched onto her tighter. He opened his mouth when he felt her hand leaving his cheek completely.

Eona breathed her last, closing her eyes as she smiled.

There was no chance at all.

He couldn't finish his words.

She hadn't heard it all yet.

"It's impossible for me to not get angry."

"I'll wait for you as long as it takes."

"It's only by your side, I can live freely as Veau. Not as the son of the demon lord, not as a demon. Just...simply Veau."

Veau spilled out those words, his voice hoarse and shaky.

"I love you too, Eona."

He sobbed pitifully, a sight that was never once seen from this carefree devil.

"How could you just leave like that?"

"These words...will never reach you now."

Just as that memory finished, Veau finished the same words he said to Eona on that day. The present Eona could only lift her hand to cover her mouth, tears welling up in her golden eyes. The tears began to slip out and she removed her hand, gazing at Veau who wore a bittersweet expression on his face.

"You fool, you lost so much more just because of me! Because of following that reckless Zeau!" Eona cried out. "Was it all really worth it?!"

Seeing her like this in front of him now, and those words that had finally reached her...

Veau smirked wryly.

"It was worth it. For you, and for Zeau."

"I saw everything you did, in that poor young angel's memory! You were the worst! Detestable, selfish and cruel..."

Veau stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Eona and pulling her into a gentle embrace.

"I know."

"...but I can't hate you. How could I hate you?"

"I know."

"They will never forgive you. You were hurting, and in so much pain, but your actions are completely wrong, Veau."

"I know."

"How...how am I supposed to forgive myself?"

"You don't have to. Blame it all on me."

Eona hugged him back, sniffling into his shoulder and she smacked him on the back.

"Scoundrel."

"Haha."

At that moment, Veau felt his entire body being tugged back. However, he furrowed his eyebrows and resisted against the unseen force, tightening his arms around Eona.

"...Veau?"

"No, not yet. I don't want to leave yet."

"..."

Eona extricated herself out of his embrace, much to his dismay. Alas, he was desperate to have her in his arms just once more, taking a step towards her.

She stepped back, shaking her head.

"You have to go, Veau."

"No, not yet," Veau shook his head. "Please, just a bit more."

Eona extended her hands out and he observed her arms growing transparent. It finally dawned on him they were in a different time now, even if they were in the same world.

He stumbled towards her but Eona took a step back every single time, her smile was extremely sad.

"You...you are leaving me again."

"I won't."

Eona reached behind her back, plucking out three stark white feathers from her wings. She blew them towards Veau, and they formed a necklace around his neck with her light magic.

"This is my oath."

Veau held the necklace gently in his hand, looking at Eona with a panicked expression.

"I'll be there right by your side, always."

"No," Veau shook his head vehemently. "I'll wait for you, as long as it takes! I don't care what you say!"

"Goodbye, my love."

"EONA!"

The space between them cracked and split apart into fragments. At the same time, the unseen force pulled Veau out of the mirror dimension.

Xue glanced down, observing the exchange between them the entire time. He heard the words that Veau said to Eona.

"We are similar when it comes to our love," he sighed, narrowing his eyes. "How annoying."

Xue closed his eyes, welcoming the force that dragged him out of the mirror dimension.

"For the first time in my life, I find myself pitying you, Veau."

***

The thunderous roars from the humongous animals that ranged from tigers, wolves and elephants.

The sound of weapons clashing piercing through the air and the cries from all around. The wide plains that were full of greenery were now dyed in crimson red.

It was a full-on war between the tribespeople with their bonded mounts, Haru's group, Cecil and Feng along with the demons and angels. Moreover, the reinforcements that Linqin brought in from the Sacred Forest joined in earlier.

Linqin was safeguarding the horn, she didn't want to let anyone other than her touch it. It was the pride of the tribespeople, and the reason why they formed such good bonds with their mounts.

"Argh!"

"Lady Linqin, watch out!"

All of a sudden, a shadow flew in from nowhere and stood in front of Linqin. The angel that was aiming for Linqin found themselves clashing weapons with another person instead.

"You've got guts trying to hurt my sister."

"Brother!"

"Linqin, head back to the tribe and keep it safe! Quickly!"

Linqin nodded, rushing off.

"Keep my sister safe!"

"Yes, Chieftain!"

Linqin smiled, shaking her head. "I'm no longer that cocky and spoiled brat from two years ago."

Each time, Linqin would encounter a demon or angel standing in her way and there would be someone there to fight them. Eventually, she ended up with no other guards and had to dodge her way through various attacks.

"Lady Linqin!"

"You've got to be kidding me." Linqin groaned out, swinging her fan and using the sharp water blades to direct the attack away.

All of a sudden, from behind her, an axe loomed over her head.

"Linqin!" Linwei shouted in horror.

Linqin couldn't dodge or defend herself in time, her eyes wide in disbelief.

Just then, vines coiled around the demon, restricting his hands and legs, the thorns piercing into his skin. Even before he could make a move to chop those painful, thorny vines off, a small rock hit against a sensitive part of his hand. It was controlled precisely, making him grunt and releasing his axe.

It fell onto the grass that was splattered with blood.

A white-winged figure landed beside Linqin, making her panic and ready herself.

"Lady Linqin, relax, it's me!" Feng gasped out.

"...oh Feng–and Cecil?"

Cecil smiled.

"Really?" Linqin sighed. "To think there would be a day I would team up and seek protection from you."

"You aren't the only one." Cecil shrugged.

Linqin glanced at Feng carrying Cecil on her back, raising her eyebrows. "The injury on your thigh must be pretty serious."

"I didn't think it through before stabbing a knife through my thigh."

"..."

"..."

Feng and Linqin were speechless.

"I was panicking and desperate," Cecil nodded. "Mhmm."

"What a crazy woman." Linqin muttered out.

"I pity my lord." Feng mumbled, praying silently to herself.

"Linqin! Hurry out of here!" Linwei shouted.

Linqin snapped out of her daze, nodding at her brother and running off.

"We need to cover her!" Cecil exclaimed.

"Leave it to me," Feng grinned. "All you need to focus on is protecting us, Cecil!"

"Not a problem." Cecil smiled haughtily.

"How did you become such good friends in a short amount of time?" Linqin asked, appalled before she paused. "...I'm not any different it seems."

The three of them chuckled.

All of a sudden, two angels blocked their path.

The three of them halted, preparing for an intense fight.

"...?"

"What the...?"

"What is that sound?"

There was a rumbling noise in the sky, and it was loud enough to make everyone cease their movements. All of them looked up at the sky, noticing an object glinting in the sky.

"...wha–"

"The hell–"

"It's...it's growing–"

The object started to grow in size, exponentially. It wasn't until it covered half of the sky did it stop, casting a dark shadow over everyone. In shock, some of them collapsed onto the ground, especially Haru.

"It's a big ass mirror!" Haru yelled.

"Can't you use a better word?" Yun frowned in disapproval.

"It's fucking huge!" Ryo burst out.

"That's not any better." Kiyae sighed.

It was the same mirror that Veau sealed Xue into.

"That's another one of our artefacts!"

"What is it doing here?!"

Just then, visible cracks were seen on the centre of the mirror. Everyone reacted on instinct, running away from the centre and they were wise to do so.

A beam of light shot down and carried along two figures in it. However, the force of it was so strong that it created a hole in the ground. The people near the beam of light scuttled back in terror.

Overtime, the beam of light settled down, revealing the huge hole it created. A few demons and angels approached the hole carefully, staring down into it.

"...!"

"Get back!"

Two different aura shot up from the hole, one an ominous black while the other was a glaring white. Everyone caught two figures flying up into the sky, and the aura faded away, exposing the two mysterious figures for all to see.

It was Veau and Xue, and Xue was back to his original form from this life, a white-winged angel.

Veau was nothing like his indolent self, wearing a look of pure rage. His red, demonic eyes seemed murderous.

"Demon Lord!"

"Supreme God!"

Meanwhile, Xue appeared relaxed and he scoured his surroundings. He halted a second later, as if he sensed something and turned to look in Cecil's direction.

Cecil met his eyes, blinking in amazement. Her long, black hair swaying to the wind and her pellucid onyx eyes focused on him.

Those eyes that captivated him in the past and until now.

A bright grin stretched across his lips.

"I'm back, Oracle. For my promise."

For my oath to you.

***

Pt. 1

《 start 》

For hundreds of years, you were here.

Alive.

Alone.

Existing.

You were here.

...here.

What a fool you are, Veau.

She was right here all along.

《 stop 》

***

Pt. 2

《 start 》

Our promise.

Our oath.

No, that's not right.

You are my oath.

《 stop 》