Chapter 671: Leaves Of Parting-I

Recommended music: six feet under—Billie Eilish. 

The black sword pierced through Apollyon's heart starting by a small puncture. Not wanting to die, Apollyon had tried to push them back but Ian stopped his pushes at once by spreading his wings wide behind him. Apollyon screamed and howled as he saw the sword slowly going through his chest, implying his flesh until it reached his heart. 

Blood flowed from both his chest and his mouth, the blood that came out was deep in the color of black but in a blink, the black liquid had turned to ashes, disappearing by second. The fogs around them had dispersed and the sky that was once filled with gray gloomy clouds had shown its vivid blue color again. As Elise thought this was the end, she wasn't prepared for Apollyon's last act of struggle. 

"I WILL NEVER DIE!!" Apollyon screamed, his power once again about to burst and explode but they were too close to escape. 

Ian circled his arms around Elise at once, his large wings enveloping her body as a shield. In the midst of pain that burned his wings and his back, Ian opened his eyes to look at Elise's tightly closed eyes, making him remember his fight before he had came to help her. 

His fight against Caleb had been fierce and he could tell how Caleb had no slightest intention to back down or decrease the power of his offense. The weapons they used had been thrown to the ground amidst the fight and now they could only relay on physical attack. Ian had sliced down his hand over Caleb's neck but the demon managed to reflect the attack. Knowing this, Ian had prepared the sword he pulled out of thin air before stabbing it toward Caleb's chest. 

The fight they had was inevitable. Though Ian didn't want to Caleb out of respect and sympathy, he had people who he promised to protect and he wouldn't be stopped even by his closest friend. 

"At the end of the day, all life ceased to exist. Yours too, Caleb," Ian said. There was no regret in his voice even though he felt sorrow to see Caleb struggling to stand straight.

Caleb's small body fell forward and Ian quickly ran forward, helping him before he could collapse on the ground. 

Ian frowned while Caleb looked down on his chest and stared at the red dagger that had pierced his chest. A smile then appeared on his face. "I knew it," whispered Caleb. "If it is you, you will know how to end my life properly. I had people around me promising me to meet my wife again, revenge, and all those thing. But none of them had respected my wish. It was only you who had listened to my plea, Ian."

Ian let the man to lay on the ground, "You are such a bad liar. You knew, didn't you? One grave attack from me would take your life and that I am the only person you should avoid to ever fight. Since the beginning you never planned to agree to all the ideas Apollyon and Ernest had."

"Of course," Caleb chuckled that only worsened his wound, causing more blood to be spewed from his mouth. "I am already a dead man. A past of this world, not much different from those leaves that had wilted away. Bringing me back alive would not bring my will to live again. I have no business with this world again and i prefer it stays as so."

"Tell me," Ian said to Caleb, his red eyes narrowing as he felt a squeeze on his heart. It was one thing that he had learned after today. "Did you feel happy to die?" The question had stayed in the back of Ian's head after he had killed Caleb. Though he resolved to himself to never regret the action he took, Ian cannot help to look back on his past and asked if he had truly helped Caleb, the way the demon did to him.

He looked at how difficult it was for Caleb to continue and breathe as more blood continue to flow from his wound. "I don't know. I don't remember where I went when my soul cease to exist in this world. But I feel at peace, perhaps it was the most serene place I have went to. But I do wonder at times. If I make a wish to God, only this once to let me meet her again, would he listened to me?"

Ian offered the man a smile, "I don't know but if I ever meet him, I would ask him to do that for you."

"For free?" Caleb chuckled, "I hardly doubt you would do anything for free, Ian. After all, I was the one who taught you that every help require a fair reward."

"Is there anything you can offer to me?" Ian questioned. Their position had been switched from the past where it was Caleb who had asked him this question. 

Caleb chuckled again, feeling happy as his smile constantly stayed on his lips despite his life slowly withering away. "I don't know of what I can offer but I had return William's soul safely to where he should belong. But this doesn't count as an offer as I had done it willingly."

"On Elise's behalf, I thank you for helping her little brother," Ian was sincere with the words he had uttered. "As an offer, can I ask you this? When I managed to ask God to help you reunite with her, promise me to spend a good long life with her, one which is peaceful for you and her."

Caleb looked at Ian with a wider smile. His eyelid appeared to grew heavy as it was an ordeal for him to open his eyes or to look properly at Ian when his sight had blurred. "What… a strange… offer," Caleb laugh, "Thank you." 

Ian watched with his eyes how slowly Caleb's heart had stopped beating and felt an emptiness in his heart when he sensed the lost presence of a soul from near him. 

"You have taught me a lot, Caleb. I should be thanking you instead. This time, Rest In Peace," Ian uttered. Standing back to his feet after placing Caleb at a better place, he turned back, not once looking back again to his dear friend who he had first had in his life. Separation was difficult to face for anyone but one day the time will come. To cope for the loss was painful but Ian who had lost so many people in his life knew that the only way for one to forget the pain is to continue on their path of life, to bring their soul in his heart and live on with their memories.