Contract from Hell (MiakisSawada x Vena Sera)

[Vena Sera IV]

Nathaniel's expression remained largely unchanged, but a furrow of his brow slightly showed he was becoming quite frustrated with the angel. "Not entirely true..." he replied, returning a sort of sick smirk as he tucked away a knife. "You see, while my master has given me no such order, it IS my duty to protect her." He removed his gloves, showing the insignia on the back of his hand. "So long as I bear this mark, order or no order, I shall protect her. And... Because you are currently a threat... I need no order to act." He spoke bravely, but still had no opening to attack the angel. And the silly girl... She could be used as a shield, there was no chance he'd strike right now. While he wouldn't let the angel get away, attacking was out of the question. "Tell me pigeon, what is it you want with her?"

[MiakisSawada]

"I take it you are aware of her past? The cult her mother was borne from? The rituals she placed on her children? Those have caused her to be unclean... and I must cleanse her." The angel explained, running a pale hand across her ebony locks. "'Tis a crying shame that this youth is tortured by neverending nightmares of the pain she endured. But I guess you enjoy that sort of thing, hellspawn? It gives you pleasure?" The angel's voice became nothing but a mock now as he looked at the other.

[Vena Sera IV]

"Pleasure...? Please, torture is not my forte." Nathaniel replied with a smirk, lowering his hand as he looked at his Young Master carefully. Dozens of scenarios went through his mind as ways to save her, none of which would be absolutely safe. Sighing softly, he glanced back up at the angel with a grin, tilting his head a bit. "No... I simply cut right to the kill. Torture is dull to me, I take no pleasure or interest in it. Now then..." he paused, taking a few steps towards the angel slowly, holding a hand out. "Please do hand over My Lady, we've things to do today. While I would very much like to kill you myself, there isn't time for it now. Don't make me ask again angel." To the human eye, Nathaniel seemed unchanged, if not a bit pissed off. To another being however, his demonic aura was very much clear, growing by the moment. His anger was rising due to his frustration, his demon side urging itself out. He had a contract to keep, and he'd be damned if this angel interfered with it.

[MiakisSawada]

"And so what if I did this?" The angel placed a finger on Aranea's forehead, just above her left eye - the eye with the contract seal. The girl let out a painful scream, something silent and throaty, as if she was begging to be ended of the pain. Her eyes snapped open, awakening her so she may be "properly cleansed", as the angel would put it. This in turn enhanced the pain two-fold, the contract in the left burning a bright yellow.

[Vena Sera IV]

Nathaniel had no choice but to act, dashing forward at unbelievable speed as he knocked Areana from the angel's grasp gently, catching her and moving away from the angel just as swiftly. She had become a bit pale from the "cleansing" the angel had done, though he could still sense his same old master was there. His eyes shifted to the angel, pure hatred clear in the crimson stare. "Well... Harming My Lady, that is simply unforgiveable." he said coldly, setting Areana down on the nearest bench and withdrawing a handfull of knives. "I hope you've made peace with your Maker angel, I cannot allow you to leave after harming my master." As quickly as his reflexes allowed, Nathaniel threw a volley of knives at the angel, aiming to tear through his chest and hit vital areas. What a bother... Now lunch was going to be delayed because of this travesty.

[MiakisSawada]

"I needn't bother." The angel smirked, simply sidestepping the knives. "The Purification is already taking place. Au revoir." And with that, the angel simply vanished. Or was he even an angel? God, this was so confusing.

Aranea tried to regain her breath as she laid on the bench. Her skin was pale, her eyes bloodshot, but her personality remained the same. A weak arm reached out to grab Nathaniel's tailcoat, but only briefly as it fell to her side, not even reaching him. "N...Nathaniel..." she murmured.

[Vena Sera IV]

Nathaniel quickly went to his master's side, ignoring his fury towards the angel for a moment as there were more pressing matters at hand. He lifted the young girl into his arms carefully, looking at her exhasperatedly with a small smile. "Look what you've done now... Last time you went off you caught a cold, now an angel attacks you... What am I to do with you?" he asked playfully, turning as he began to make his way back to the manor. He wasn't entirely sure what the angel had done, but he'd wager on how to stop it. His demonic aura still present, he let a bit of it seep into his master, betting on it counteracting the angel's. It would be a tad painful, but it would erase anything that the "purification" had done. At least, that's what his theory was.

[MiakisSawada]

Aranea's face contorted in pain as the demon "healed" her, but it was apparent that the pain that the demon gave her was not as extreme as the one the angel had given before. Sighing, she chuckled weakly, her sapphire lips twitching up into a smile. "...sorry?" She chuckled, as the sapphire girl's eyes closed once more, this time into a healthy slumber.

[Vena Sera IV]

Nathaniel couldn't help but smirk as his Young Master passed out, sighing softly to himself before shaking his head. Her soul was certainly proving to be quite the task to acquire. But, that simply meant it would be all the more satisfying when it was finally his, all of this nonsense would be worth it. As he carried the now sleeping Areana up into her quarters, his thoughts went back to the angel from earlier, frowning at the thought of the being. He had touched his Lady, nearly soiled her perfect soul, for what purpose? The angel was clearly corrupt, that much he was able to discern, and what was all this talk of "cleansing?" Must be some fanatical new method the angels are using he mused, setting Areana down in her bed. He couldn't sense the angel now, and as much as he'd like to give chase his place was at her side. Tucking her in, he closed the curtains and the door, taking a seat in the armchair in the corner of the room. Incase any unseen consequences of what he or the angel did occurred, Nathaniel would be but a few feet away, ready to aid his master.

[MiakisSawada]

"Oi... Na...than...iel..." Aranea murmured so quietly that it was almost silence in her sleep. "...what the hell... are you doing...?" she groaned in disgust. Aranea was now littered with some sort of dream where the two had gone off and picked a fight with some supernatural being again, winning the fight. Obviously. "My orders... are the same..." It was kind of amusing how the girl spoke in her sleep...

"...take my damn soul already."