To say the unfrozen student was in panic was an understatement. Azul knew Jonah was important to many of them or at least had a connection for a reason to join this rescue. He was very sure that most of them stayed for Jonah and not Idia (at least he and Ortho are on the boat of saving Idia as well, there was no way he would take Idia's companionship for granted).

The moment Jonah stepped into the wedding venue, the first years (he couldn't pick up who, it was like there were in a choir) screamed his name. He was quick to grab the laptop before Deuce dropped from standing up abruptly. Riddle was ready to march to the door if it weren't for Cater restraining him. Malleus was sparking but this was the first time nobody was afraid of him since all of them are 'brothers in suffering'. The only reason why he hadn't exploded was Lilia and Silver were here. Even Crowley had to be grabbed by Sam was telling something about how important Jonah was. The ones being calm were Ruggie, Jamil, and Kalim. Ruggie and Jamil were understandable (the hyena was laughing at the smacked Leona) and Jamil was complicated. Kalim hadn't said a thing, but he was also worried. Well, until he stepped up just now.

"Guys!" Kalim screamed. "Stop it!" That gained everyone's attention and Azul's respect toward the Scarabia's prefect rose. "We won't be able to save Jonah and Idia if we waste our time panicking!"

"Young al-Asim is right," Lilia said, eyeing at the older men. "I expected better from all of you."

Malleus glanced at Lilia, but seeing how his vice prefect looked like a disappointed father, he looked down to the ground and no longer sparking like an electric yellow rat. Crowley meanwhile took a deep breath, as if trying to subdue his anger. Sam loosen his grip on him, but never really let go. "Crowley, please. Reconsider. You don't want to destroy the school."

"Yeah, but," Ace hissed, "what if we just, you know, burn it lightly?"

"What are you? An arsonist?!" Cater yelled, still restraining a fuming Riddle.

"But-But we can flood it afterward!" Deuce suggested, cracking his knuckles. "That way the fire won't spread too far!"

"The others would sink! They can't move let alone swim!"

"How about we freeze it too after that?" Epel snickered. "Just to be sure no ghost remains."

"Can we please stop with the murder attempt?!"

Ruggie whistled. "This is fucking amusing." He leaned over Azul's shoulder to see the recording. "Wow, she really decided to tell her whole background story."

"And we're just gonna waste our time here squawking like parrots?" Jamil asked out loud before glancing at Ruggie. "No suggestion of what should we do from you?"

Ruggie shrugged. "If they pay me, I would suggest something. No guarantee it'll work though."

Jamil smirked at this. "What a bad friend you are."

Ruggie snickered. "Hey, I don't want to hear that for someone who planned for a takeover for a long time."

"I'm just saying," Ace spoke up again. "Listen. If we just destroy the school, they will have to build the wedding venue again. It'll stall their time!"

Azul was about to roll his eyes, but something about what Ace just said sparked something in his head. "Stall their time... Build the wedding venue again..."

Kalim was the one who noticed him. "Azul?"

Ideas rolled in his head like a brewing storm, connecting the dots like flashes of lightning. Azul's eyes widened and he slammed his fist into the palm of his hand. "That's it! Ace Trappola, you're a genius!"

"Eh?"

"We can stall the wedding." Azul stepped forward, arms wide as he turned around to look at everyone and ideas bubbling inside. "The princess is stubborn, so we have to stop her from kissing Jonah and turning him into a ghost. I bet she'll do whatever it takes to get this marriage. If we can't use violence, we can do tactical moves. We can make her follow our game."

"What kind of nonsense are you talking about?" Riddle wiggled himself out of Cater's grasp, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Azul could see the rising anger from him. "This is not a game. Jonah will die if she kisses him."

"I would never think that this is a game, Riddle. I'm just saying that we can make a rule that forced her to stall the whole wedding without her even realizing it. We don't know when the wedding will start, so we have to start stalling starting from that time."

"How are you even sure that this whole stalling will work? Can't we just exorcise them quickly?" The redhead's voice sounded tighter almost as if holding himself back from being a boiling kettle.

"You've seen the failed flirting. You've seen the guards. This might be the only way to save him!"

"Why do you even care?!" Riddle screamed, stepping toward him. He raised his chin because of his short height, but Azul could see the burning flame of anger in those gray eyes, almost the same flame as back then during his tyrannical year. "I don't even get why are you even here!"

Azul gritted his teeth, anger bubbling in his chest from this brat's every word. "Well, you think I will just going to left him there to marry a ghost!"

"You... You nearly killed him..." Riddle's index finger is poking his chest so hard that Azul could imagine it went past the bone. "You nearly killed him, right in front of my eyes. You wouldn't think that I going to forgive you like that? Why should I even trust his life in your hand?"

"Because..." he choked. It was that again. The inky feeling rose again from the pits of his stomach and almost made him throw up. Of course, Azul guessed that Riddle was not one to be easily persuaded and he couldn't convince him with any contracts twice for now. But hitting him on his sore spot...he should've anticipated it. But he had a point. He had broken him once, what is the chance he would do it again?

"Well?!" Riddle was demanding. He wanted an answer, but Azul didn't know what he would give. It was on the tip of his tongue, but would it be enough? What if he needs to redo his deed all over again? Would all be for nothing?

"But, listen here, dear Azul Ashengrotto." He brushed some strands of hair from Azul's in a gentle manner. "You got the makings of greatness in you. I've seen it. I know you can sail through the rough sea. I wish I can see more from you, catching some of the light coming off you."

Oh.

The smile never left his face and Azul just couldn't believe it. How could he say all of this, without any hint of mockery? "Why are you doing this?" Azul whispered, eyes once again teared up. "Is it because of pity?"

Jonah shook his head. "No. Because I know you are more than this. This is just a hiccup in a way. You can fix this. Everyone deserves a second chance after all."

"How can you be sure that I won't repeat the same mistake?"

"Then I'll give you the third chance. If you still haven't changed, I'll give you the fourth. Over and over again."

Azul sighed. "That's ridiculous."

Jonah chuckled lightly. "Well, I'm not like other villains after all."

Azul couldn't but chuckle as well. "I can't understand your mindset, captain."

Jonah smiled. "We have time to learn more. So, I'll be waiting for you to unfurl your sail, 'kay?"

That was the moment.

That's right. Damn that bleeding heart captain. The same captain who got hurt but still accept him the way Azul wouldn't even do for himself.

Claiming to be not like others villains, but Azul might see him as something more. Perhaps a noble hero, perhaps a pure princess. But more than that, it was someone Azul knew he would cherish for the rest of his life no matter which path he will choose.

That one night was the moment.

The moment when Azul Ashengrotto realized how precious Jonah Argentum was beyond any golden contract he made. The moment he said to himself that he won't let Jonah Argentum go from his life. And...

How much he's in love with him.

"Because he's precious to me." His voice was firm when he declared, with everyone as his witness. "I know there will be people who won't forget my evil deed, but I swear upon my own name, I will do anything to keep Jonah out of harm. So, please," he lowered his head, bowing slightly with trembling fists on his side, causing Riddle to gasp, "give me this one chance. I promise I'll save him no matter what."

Nobody spoke. The only sound was the muffled Eliza's storytime from Deuce's laptop. The spotlight was on Azul. Judgment is upon him. He couldn't take his words back, and he had no intention to do so. What he said was true from the bottom of his villainous heart. How could one hurt the person they love the most and not cherish them for the rest of their life? Kalim and Jonah had proven to them that one is truly able to give that unwavering pure love.

"Riddle. Listen to him."

Azul raised his head to look at Jamil just like Riddle was doing. "Jamil?"

"I know you don't trust him, I get it, but I know where he's coming from." The vice prefect of Scarabia glanced at Kalim for a brief second before going back to Riddle and Azul. "He's the one who actually gives me the push to bring back Kalim. So, I sort of understand him. Believe me when I think he has good intentions."

"Prefect." This time, Ace stepped forward. "This may be our only chance. Please, let us try this."

Riddle looked back and forth between the two, contemplations written all over his face, just like back then. The clock was still ticking but in the end, Riddle turned back to him, eyes firmly on him but without the intense heat as before. "Start talking."

Azul let out a breath he didn't he was holding. A golden chance. Right he couldn't mess this up. As long as the bride still talking, they still have time. Azul glanced up briefly to Jamil and Ace, mouthing, "Thank you." Then went back to the rest of the room.

"To start: how many of you know about the wedding between the King of the Underworld and the Goddess of Spring?"

-----

"You don't have to come with me," Azul said.

Riddle huffed. "I do what I want."

"Right."

They were walking down a stony hallway that the headmaster had opened for him. Riddle insisted to come with him and who is Azul to deny him? The plan to stall the wedding was in his hand while his other one lit the way with light magic on the tip of his magic pen. Riddle also had his magical pen as a flashlight as well, lighting around to see every corner of the hallway.

Finally, they reached the dead end which would lead to the cafeteria kitchen. Riddle took out a paper that was given by the headmaster, charmed with his magic. He pressed the paper onto the wall and the paper burned into a keyhole glyph. The wall crumbled at it revealing the kitchen. On the ceiling, most of the kitchen staff were still floating in a sleeping spell. Honestly, Azul was amazed by Vil's nearly headmaster-level skill.

Riddle pushed the door ever so slightly. A gasp escaped the lips. Azul followed him and saw most of their friends, hilariously frozen. But then he shifted toward Jonah and his breath stopped. He was...to put it simply, beautiful in that wedding suit, looking ever so troubled as the bride floated close to him with longing looks. His heart squeezed ever so slightly, but he knew it wasn't the time for petty feelings from his side. He clutched his plan tighter as he ready to push the door.

"And that's why I would marry you! The wedding will be held at midnight!"

Now!

Azul slammed the door open with the grandest bravado he could muster. "Splendid idea, Your Highness! However, if the princess and her groom are allowed. I want to propose a wedding idea!"

"Who are you?!" the princess shrieked. "Why does everyone keep interrupting me?!"

"A thousand apologies, Your Highness, but we mean no harm." Azul bowed slightly, trying to calm her down. "We are the groom's acquaintance and believe us when we say we have the best interest to make this wedding to be the greatest in the century."

Many let out a sound of confusion. The princess turned to Jonah who looked a bit confused, but there was a hit of relief there. "Do you trust these men, Jonah?"

Jonah actually let out a chuckle. "Yeah. I do actually," he said. His smile was gentle and made his heart skip a beat.

The princess hummed in approval and turned back to Azul. "Fine. Let us hear this proposal."

"Wonderful!" Azul stood straight up again. "But first let me just praise for your staff, Your Highness. They've done such a wonderful job with the decoration. Such a perfect shade of white and blue for a midnight wedding. Though I must say, and forgive me for a moment here, it seems that there's a bit of unfairness here."

"Unfairness?" the princess echoed confusedly.

Idia was there in the background, looking at Azul dumbfoundedly. "For Tartarus's sake, are you being serious right now?"

Azul ignored him for a while and continued, "Yes. Everything is designed for you, Your Highness, not that it's wrong. But, it wouldn't be fair if the groom doesn't contribute anything to this wedding."

"Huh... He kinda has a point," Jonah muttered.

"Are we seriously playing along?" Idia squeaked.

"And what do you purpose to do?" asked the princess, much to Idia's surprise.

"Your Highness, this wedding is a unification of the living and the death. By the strike of midnight, the groom will cross to the land of the unliving with his wonderful bride. Ah, this reminds me of the wedding between the Goddess of Spring and the King of the Underworld." Azul tapped his plan in an almost persuasive manner. "So, I purpose, may we give, from the groom's side, give the bride some contributions based on the tale?"

"Oh... A wedding based on a fairytale..." The princess' eyes lit up, twinkling in excitement as she had returned to her childhood Wassailia. "I don't why I never thought about it! Ah, sound romantic!"

"There's no need to tear down all of the decoration, but we can add more things." Azul opened his book plan and waved his magic pen. A figure of a man and a woman were holding hands before leaning closer for a kiss. "In the story, when the Goddess of Spring followed the King of the Underworld to his domain, the Earth is shrouded in winter. The King of the Underworld gave his new bride gifts of gems and crowns, and music resounded through the depths of Hell. I purpose three things from the groom, Your Highness," the figures melted and it turned into a one-tier cake decorated with flowers, "a cake of an early spring," it morphed again into a giant diamond, "a crystal valued by the king," it turned again into a little imp playing the organ, "a waltz at the height of the wedding." Azul waved his pen for the last time and the magic went back into his book as he closed it.

The princess turned to Jonah, almost in glee. "What do you think Jonah?"

Jonah nodded almost immediately. "It sounds fair. I can't just come to my own wedding empty-handed right?"

"Ah, you're so sweet!" The princess hugged him as she turned back to the duo. "We accept your proposal! My friends will help you along the way!"

"There is no need to worry, Your Highness," Azul nodded. "My crew is the best on their field. We will not disappoint you."

He stepped back when the bride floated to her entourage to discuss. Jonah turned to him, his mouth moved in a wordless saying, "Thank you." Azul nodded with a smile and he stepped back.

"How long does this stall?" Riddle whispered. Azul realized that there wasn't any heat in his tone. Maybe he finally let loose for now.

"Sunset is the max we can do," Azul whispered back, "but if everyone can stall even longer, that will be great. You have an important role. I know you won't mess this up."

Riddle hummed. "I hope you would do the same thing."

He would. He swore onto the seven enchanted seas that he would save Jonah.