Epilogue

Lily, Mrs. Black, and Robert Black were sitting in a hospital near a white door. There was also the headmaster of the Angel Host Academy, Alex Green – a brown-haired green-eyed young man with glasses – sitting with them. He seemed worried just like the Black couple. Robert gave him a faint smile:

“Don’t worry, Alex, she’ll be fine. After all, the archangel of creation and birth is her guardian.”

Alex grinned, to show that he wasn’t too worried. But he failed at it.

“I… I hope it goes smoothly. I don’t want her to feel much pain.”

“Well, it’s inevitable. But she’ll do just fine with a strong guardian like Lord Michael,” Mrs. Black said.

“Hehe, I guess…” Alex scratched the back of his head. “Um, Lily… You warned, well… You did warn him it was my and Linda’s child, right? I… I fear so much…”

“Hey, relax, Alex!” Lily chuckled, “He’s your brother-in-law. He’d never do such a thing.”

“Well, if you say so… I’m glad you are my sister-in-law, Lily.” Alex wiped the sweat off his brow with a handkerchief.

Black smoke appeared. A hideous angel with black wings and a black deadly scythe emerged, accompanied by two skull-faced grim reapers with black robes and black scythes.

“Ah!” the Black couple and Alex cried out in fright.

“Goodness!” Lily frowned, “Sammy, what the heck are you doing here? You promised you wouldn’t!”

“Oh no! Wh-What do you want?!” Alex shivered.

“What do I want?” Samael put his scythe on his shoulder and laughed: “Well, shouldn’t a good uncle present at his niece’s birth?”

“B-But why those two?” Alex pointed on the hideous grim reapers.

“Every cool uncle needs their delegation, don’t they?” Samael grinned with his sparkling white teeth.

“Well, who says you’re a cool uncle?!”

Lily sprang up and slapped Samael. Alex widened his eyes in dread – she dared hit the angel of death?! Samael, however, only rubbed his cheek and laughed:

“Aww, come on, let us attend the childbirth just once! All we do is rub lives off. I am curious how Michael aids in life-giving.”

“Yeah! Killing people is kind of dull,” the grim reapers said in their grim voices.

The Black couple and Alex were terrified, listening to these heartless monsters’ speech.

“Now, I’ll count to three, and the two of you,” Lily glared at the grim reapers, “will vanish. As for you, big guy,” she turned to Samael, “you will hide away that damn scythe of yours and those black wings, and stay put like a normal humanoid creature, if you ever want to take a glimpse of your newborn niece! Got that?!”

“But_”

“Huh? Did I just hear ‘but’, or was it simply my imagination? Because as you know, I am the queen of illusions and to your luck, my imagination is really big!”

Sweat poured off Samael’s forehead. He made his scythe and black wings vanish, raised his hands, and gave her an innocent grin:

“It was your imagination, honey…”

Lily’s frown gave place to a kind smile:

“Very good, then!”

Once saw their queen’s wrathful red eyes, the two grim reapers gulped and vanished into black smoke. Alex and the Black couple sighed with relief once noticed the horrible monsters had gone. It was more welcoming to see Samael in his normal human form rather than his evil clothing.

A child’s cry sounded out of the ward. The doctors came out and invited the visitors in. The Black couple and Alex went in the first. Lily and Samael followed them. Soon, all of them, including Archangel Michael who presented there during the childbirth, had already gathered around the hospital bed, where Linda lay, holding a blonde blue-eyed baby girl in her arms.

“Aww, she’s such a cute child!” Mrs. and Mr. Black caressed the baby, who was crying.

“She is so beautiful…” Alex smiled at Linda and caressed the child, “There, there, daddy’s here… Do not cry, tiny…”

Lily’s eyes widened when she saw the baby:

“Wee! I’m an auntie! I will teach you every sort of a cool thing, tiny!”

Linda was into the seventh heaven from happiness. She looked at her angel:

“Michael, could you please calm Johanne down?”

“So, you decided to name her Johanne, after all?” Alex smiled.

“Yes. It perfectly suits her.”

“Sure thing, Linda.”

Michael put a hand to little Johanne’s forehead. However, she didn’t cease crying, much to his stupor.

“Wh-What’s wrong?” Robert Black asked.

“She… She lacks the angelic aura. She seems rather… frightened. What does this mean?” Sweat poured off Michael’s forehead. “They had clearly assigned an angel to guard her…”

“Oh, I’ve come just on that matter, honestly.”

“Huh?” Everyone looked at Samael.

“What do you mean? What happened?” A frown covered Michael’s face.

“The thing is… Well, you know the little Johanne had it tough in one of her previous incarnations, right? The angel they had assigned for her – Azazel… I felt his aura back in my kingdom… If you know what I mean.”

Michael and Lily, as well as the whole family, grew shocked.

“Wh-What does that mean?” Alex asked.

“It means the angel that was assigned to your baby has turned out a traitor,” Samael explained. “He has just recently joined the Black Energy forces. He abandoned your child’s soul even before she’d be born. He is deemed an outlaw and Archangel Gabriel is chosen to lead the forces against him.”

“What?!” the family got dreaded.

“B-But that can’t be!” Alex trembled, “What about our baby?! How is she going to live without an angel?”

“Well, I did live without an angel and I didn’t have any problems…” Lily tried to comfort them, hiding the fact that she did have a lot of problems.

“You didn’t! You had an angel, but it was infernal,” Linda argued, “Johanne has no angel at all! She shall be discarded from our society forever!”

“Oh no! Can’t we ask other angels to patronize her? It’s not too late – she has just been born…” Robert Black suggested.

“All of them are already occupied…” Michael sighed, “It shall be tomorrow when new angels are born. It will already be too late by then.”

“Oh, goodness!” Mrs. Black got terrified – what would they do?!

“At this point, only an angel that is not a guardian type can protect her.”

Michael looked at Samael with begging eyes. He, however, only turned away:

“You know I gave up on humans long ago, brother. I hate children, to be honest. I do not want to engage in anyone’s business. I protected Lilith only because she was my wife. I am not going to become a babysitter for simple human souls, especially ones like that.”

The Black family puckered. Michael too grew no less incensed:

“So, you are okay with abandoning your niece against the difficulties of life she will have to face?”

“She is your hostess’ child. You look after her.”

Samael was going to vanish in black smokes when a soft hand grabbed his arm and stopped him:

“I have recovered the memories of my previous incarnation. I identify myself as Lilith, it is true. But I have lived out this incarnation too, and I continue living in this world in this form, so I am Lily too. I ask you not as an angel, but as my husband and the person I’ve given my heart to – please, protect my niece, together with me.”

“Lily…” Mrs. Black grew tearful – such a kind woman she was!

Samael heaved a sigh:

“Prepare her until she reaches ten years of age. After that time, I’ll aid her. Until then, let her wear this at all times.”

He handed Lily a black skeleton bracelet.

“Also, you know how to call me if you ever need me.”

He vanished. Lily smiled with gratitude. The family remained astonished.

“Lily…” Linda wiped her tears off and pressed the little Johanne to her chest. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. He can be stubborn sometimes, but he’s a good guy.” Lily chuckled. “He’ll guard her, and I will, too. As for that scum Azazel who dared abandon her, we’ll make him pay, someday!”

The family smiled at her. Alex rejoiced too – finally, it was all settled.

Lily caressed the little Johanne. Once felt her touch, the child ceased crying and eyed her with great curiosity. Lily gave her a kind beam:

“Don’t you worry, Johanne. We will protect you, whatever may come.”