8. In which a crap load of stuff happens
“It’s finally over…” Laharl leaned the still burning Excalibur on his shoulder and looked down at Sakura’s body.
“You’re not going to revive this time, are you?” In spite of his words, Laharl still stared worriedly at Sakura.
Etna chose this moment to walk over. “Your Majesty, you’ve succeeded!”
Hearing Etna’s cheer, Laharl replied in a suspicious tone.
“What did you just call me?”
“Your Majesty.” Etna replied nonchalantly.
“Hearing that from your mouth is…peculiar. I can just feel the goose bumps coming…”
“Well, the ‘Prince’ is on his way to becoming ‘His Majesty’.”
“Oh? You’re finally giving up on usurping me? That’s quite a change.”
“Hmm, something like that. But it’ll be a completely different story if Your Majesty dies.”
Laharl smiled in response to Etna’s happy expression. “Hmph, fine. Let’s go, Etna!”
“Yes! Your Majesty!”
Just as Laharl was about to step out, Jane yelled his name from afar. Her voice sounded different, almost hysterical. Laharl turned around, and discovered much to his surprise that Jane was really crying as she sprinted towards him.
“What’s wrong?”
“Daddy…daddy is dead!”
“Gordon is dead? What happened?”
“He tried to save me and was struck by a long sword…all because I didn’t listen to him! Because I, I…” Jane trailed off, her cries muffling her words.
“Calm yourself, Gordon may still be saved. Flonne, Ozonne, help me out.” At his words, Flonne and her sister immediately flew over.
“I understand.”
“Alright.”
Etna joined the sisters, and Laharl handed Jane over to Jennifer.
“We’ll go and find him, you just stay put!” He said to Jane.
“Laharl, we’re counting on you.”
“Leave it to me!” Laharl said to the unusually calm Jennifer, and flew towards the sky.
Etna and the others followed Laharl’s lead, and it wasn’t long before Laharl heard Etna calling out to him.
“Your Majesty-” The group immediately descended upon the ground.
“You found him?”
“We did.”
Gordon lay on the ground, his body covered by debris that resulted from the explosion, while Sakura’s sword stood upon his body like a gravestone.
“How are his wounds?”
“Um…he has a minor head injury.”
“A head injury?”
“He bumped his head.”
Upon close inspection, they saw that the sword was struck on the ground near his armpit. It seems like Gordon simply lost consciousness.
“What a troublesome guy.” After recovering from his shock, Laharl began muttering to himself despite his relief. Delivering a kick towards Gordon’s belly, he shouted “Hey! Wake up!”
“Huh? Am I in hell? In heaven?” Gordon jumped up, and muttered to himself while observing his surroundings.
“The Netherworld.” Gordon spotted Laharl, and howled in sadness.
“….this is the worst day ever…” He immediately asked, “Laharl, am I still alive?”
“That’s not how you should refer to me, is it? It’s ‘master’ for you!” Laharl kicked Gordon’s shin, and said to him, “Hey! It’s about time we headed towards the castle!”
After talking things over with Etna and the others, Laharl took a few steps forward, but turned around and whispered in Gordon’s ear, “Flonne healed your injuries. Your survival was thanks to her. Be grateful.”
Completely disoriented, Gordon stood up tentatively. His head still hurt numbly, and his stumbled in his steps.
Jane rushed towards Gordon, “Daddy!”
Jane pounced on Gordon, causing him to stumble again, hitting his head on the ground.
“Daddy, I’m so sorry for saying all those mean things to you!”
“I’m glad you’re alright, Jane.” Gordon embraced Jane and patted her head.
“I’ll be a good daughter from now on! I won’t argue anymore!”
Laughing silently in the corner, Jennifer winked at Laharl in a show of thanks.
“She seemed to have known it for a long time.” Etna mumbled while staring at Jennifer.
“Perhaps.” Laharl shrugged.
Lamington swooped down before them.
“Everything should be over, right?” Laharl asked him.
“Correct. The circumstances concerning Sakura and the archangel squad were rather unfortunate, but it seems like she has used up all the crystals she stole from Celestia. Thus, my work is done here.”
“Yeah, and look at how many people you’ve dragged into this.”
“I could say the same of you.” Laharl and Lamington locked gazes and smiled bitterly, then sighed at the same
time.
“There’re still some troubles for me.” Immediately, Laharl called out to a prinny that was trying its hardest to be inconspicuous. “Hey! Kira!”
The prinny jumped in fright and turned around. “What?”
“Don’t you ‘what’ me! You were the one who wrecked the time machine, right?”
“Huh? I don’t know anything about it! I’m innocent, innocent!”
“You think you can get out of this?”
Laharl looked like he wanted to rip apart Kira with Excalibur. He immediately called out, “Yasurl! Vesuvio!”
“What’s with that scary face? Aren’t we comrades in arms?” Yasurl intentionally struck out her chest and walked towards Laharl.
“We went through hell and back together-” Yasurl leaned down while moving her breasts.
“You two, you helped Kira destroy the machine, right?”
“We didn’t do anything like that, we were just trying to protect him from Sakura.”
Laharl grunted coldly, and glared at Yasurl, “Hmph. Whatever.”
He turned towards Kira again, “Well, well, how should I punish you…?”
Laharl crossed his arms in thought and said “I’ll just send you somewhere faraway.”
“What’s the most you can do to me? Make me work for atonement?” Kira puffed his chest and replied mockingly.
“Yes, yes, you’re right. I am going to make you work for atonement.”
“You don’t mean-“
“Lamington. I’ll leave this one in your care, take him with you to Celestia.”
“I understand.” Lamington smiled and nodded.
“But I don’t want to go to Celestia!” Kira jumped up and down in anger.
“You two don’t have anything to say, do you?”
Yasurl deigned not to answer, but simply shrugged her shoulders.
“Well, everything’s wrapped up. Let’s head back.”
Laharl clapped his hands together in accomplishment.
“Actually, you still have work to do.”
“Whatever! I’m tired, I’ll deal with it later.”
“Well, I don’t really mind…”
Etna trailed off, apparently spotting something behind Laharl.
“What’s wrong?”
Laharl asked, and a meek voice answered as if in reply.
“Lord Laharl…”
Laharl turned around, and saw a refined and elegant woman dressed in rags. Laharl felt like he knew her from
somewhere.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Sakura, did you forget already? How cruel…”
The woman cooed, clasping her hands in front of her.
She’s definitely the same person, judging from her voice and clothes. But her meek attitude paints her as a completely different person.
“Wait, what’s going on? Aren’t you dead?”
Laharl tightened his grip on Excalibur, but Sakura’s expression held no killing intent, in fact, she seemed to be on the verge of crying.
“Hey! Are you fooling around?”
Laharl took a few steps back.
“Hey! Hey! Lamington!”
Laharl’s plea for help was answered by Ozonne.
“I was pretty surprised myself, but…”
“But…?”
“Angels are genderless to begin with.”
“What do you mean?”
“We can decide for ourselves.”
“Not only that, but our genders are affected by the environment and our own feelings as well.”
After hearing Flonne’s explanation, Laharl stared at the sisters.
“You too?”
“I guess.”
Laharl’s expression froze.
“Ah, you look disgusted.”
Ozonne pointed out, and Laharl immediately denied her claim.
“N-not at all!”
“It’s alright. I’ll maintain my female gender to always be with Laharl.”
“Ozonne! We’re busy right now, what kind of talk is that!”
“Keep on yelling, and you’ll man up." A beat. "Literally.”
“No!”
Flonne denied, and glared at Ozonne.
The two engaged in a heated argument, and Laharl took this as a chance to slip away and ask Lamington.
“So, what’s going to happen to Sakura?”
“She used to be my comrade.”
“In other words, she used to be female?”
“Something like that. But ever since she became a swordmaster, her male tendencies grew stronger and stronger. One day, she just disappeared.”
“Ah, right. Swords are symbols of masculinity.”
Etna shouted in understanding.
“Yes. As her collection of swords grew, so did her resemblance to a male.”
“Then why are her doubles women?”
“She also divided her life amongst her swords and stored them in the cellar.”
“So why is she like this now?”
“Because all of her swords disappeared. You destroyed all traces of masculinity on her, so what’s left are her feminine characteristics.”
“Maybe her doubles and servants were her feminine sides.”
Flonne pondered for a moment and explained.
“When Sakura introduced her house, she said that she was the only one who lived there.”
“So Sakura’s completely a woman now?”
“Correct.”
Sakura closed in upon Laharl shyly.
“Lord Laharl, please let me stay by your side.”
Due to the height difference, Sakura lowered her upper body and leaned her head on Laharl.
Laharl struggled out of her grasp and complained towards Lamington.
“Lamington, she’s your comrade, isn’t she? Take responsibility and bring her with you!”
“H-how can that be!”
Sakura shouted with teary eyes.
“Please don’t abandon me! If Lord Laharl insists on that, then Sakura will go ahead and die!”
Sakura broke down and fell upon her knees, tightly grabbing onto Laharl’s thigh.
“Why is she so obsessed with me?”
“She probably fell for the man that defeated her.”
Lamington analyzed calmly.
“What the hell!”
“We can’t just kill her, and forcibly bringing her back to Celestia would be too harsh on her.”
“Are you saying that you’re leaving her here?”
“I have no choice. Consider it a trade for Kira.”
“Wait!”
“Well then, Mr. Laharl. I leave Sakura to you. I know she’s in good hands.”
Lamington spread his wings and flew away.
“Hey! You irresponsible bastard!”
Laharl jumped and tried to punch Lamington, but his attempt was foiled by Sakura gluing herself to his body.
“Let him go!” Flonne shouted.
“No. Sakura belongs to Lord Laharl now, and will never leave him.”
“Let him go.” Ozonne chimed in.
“No matter what obstacles lie ahead, I shall be with him.”
“I won’t give you Laharl!” Jane screamed.
“My body has already been engraved with Lord Laharl’s love.”
“How despicable! Lord Laharl, you’re such a pervert!”
Laharl remained speechless when faced with Flonne’s exclamation.
“I want it too.”
“Engrave it on me!”
“Waah! I want it too!”
Shas flew over and added to the chaos.
“Give me a break…”
Surrounded by five girls, Laharl howled in agony.
Only Etna watched coldly from afar, shrugging her shoulders and mumbling to herself.
“What’s so good about him?”
“That’s what Master Etna says, but she’s actually burning with jealousy - burning!” A prinny commented.
“Shut up!”
The prinny was kicked into the skies and disappeared like a shooting star.