CHAPTER 14, THE VOW MADE

Last night, I vowed to myself, I'll tell Haru how much I love him and at least he will know how I feel before he answers Yue-sama.

I dragged him out into the forest wyere no one would hear us. I made him follow me a little deeper into the woods where we found a spot to talk at, under a tall oak tree in a clearing. Rabbits and squirrels were foraging around preparing for hibernation. I asked him sit down on the log beside me and took a bit of time before finally being able to say it. "Haru, this might make things akward between us but... I love you!" I exclaimed with all I had.

"I see... Aria, can... can I ask you to wait a little longer?" He asked and took my hands into his. "I don't dislike you but I love you the same way either."

"I see..." I felt the tears trying to leak out of ny eyes and my chest tightening.

"But that doesn't kean I'm not willing to give us a chance." He said and I looked up into his eyes. They were clear and beautiful as ever. "I want to make a choice I won't regret and right now, my heart is telling me... to return your feelungs filled with love."

"Does that mean..." I was feelibg a different emotion from earlier.

"Please try to help me, I want to fall in love with you and Yue, I want to return your earnest feelings." He said. "If you are okay with sharing me at least."

"I am." I answered with tears as he held me in his arms. I felt so happy I couldn't stop rge tears of joy.

HARU'S POV

As we walked back I felt a rather uneasy feeling and just then a flickering red light from the shadows catches my attention. It's Tsukikage, I talk to them via telepathy and they tell me that Shadow's Order is nearby. I immediately tell Aria to run with me back to the guild while ordering Tsukikage to keep their eyes peeled. As we rushed to the guild I felt some unknown presence inside the room. I alerted Master via telepathy and told her to ask Jade to take a look at everyone's power. When we entered the room things got worse because we found Yue-sama and her father inside, Jade immediately told me that the man beside Yue-sama isn't a normal servant. I carefully walk closer to Yue-sama. "How are you feeling Yue-sama?" I ask her with a normal smile, I've ordered Tsukikage to keep an eye out for anymore suspicious people.

"I'm fine, but could please drop the formalities?" She asks nervously. "You saved my life three times, no need to be so formal."

"Then Yue, how is you foot?" I ask her.

"It's fine, thanks to the medicine you gave me." She says with a smile. I guess she really is happy. "Um, about my proposal."

"Ah, yes. I have an answer." I tell her.

"Really?!" She asks with a smile on her face. "S-so, um what's your answer?"

"It's a Yes." I say and offer her my hand, as she and the Viscount now stand beside me I signal the others. "Now then, mind telling us who you are?"

"Me? I'm a servant of the Viscount." He answers.

"Quite the liar are we." Clover-san says and grabs him by the collar. "I've lived here for years and I've never seen you before."

"T-that's because I only started working here." He says rather desperately.

"No point in lying. You have the same aura as the ones that attacked us before. If I were to guess, you're a lower ranking member of Shadow's Order." I say. "No average servant would have that much amount of magical energy and bloodlust."

"Hahaha! I guess there's no fooling you people. That's right, Shadow's Order Night is here to kill you all." He laughs hysterically. "But since you have multiple Mediums why don't we make a deal?"

"A deal?" I ask him.

"I won't make the bombs I've implanted on the two go boom! You win I'll leave and disarm the bombs, I win I get your Mediums." He says. "Well?"

'What is this!?" Yue screamed boticibg a strange round orb on her wrist. Without a doubt, it's a bomb.

"How do I know you won't go back on your word?" I ask him.

"We'll make a contract, if either one breaks the contract they'll be punished." He says.

"Master is that true?" I ask Master.

"Yes." She answers.

"Deal." I say and shake the man's hand and a white and black strip grows from our hands and wrap around us. "Let's fight at the outskirts of town, that way no one will get hurt. And remember when I win you'll disarm the bombs on Yue and her father."

"Of course." He says and we all walk to the outskirts of town. "The match is decided when the opponent can't fight anymore."

In the outskirts of town, in a large clearing a distance from the Prism Peaks, the two of us stood. Everyone else had moved away to ensure they wouldn't be hurt.

We both watched each other carefully so that we can see who makes the first move. Just then he takes out a two swords and tries to charge at me, I dodge both barely and summon Lupus to my side. "Lupus, he's a member of Shadow's Order." I tell him since he doesn't seem to be motivated to fight at all and seems more angry at me for summoning him.

"Is that so?" He smiles but his eyes aren't smiling. "Then I guess it's time for payback."

Lupus charges at him and his hands grow fur until it's clear that they're paws. He attacks the guy rather fiercely not letting the opponent fight back, while the other guy was preoccupied I summoned Lyra and asked her to play a lullaby and she slowly does. As the man suddenly felt sleepy and dropped his guard Lupus charges in for a kick but is stopped by the man's hand. The man tosses Lupus aside and charges at me, Lyra plays her song of enhancement and I swear the kick felt a little weaker, I have to thank Aries for this muffler which blocked his attack. As I dodge the attacks slowly I ended up with a cut on my left arm and scratches all over my body. This guys is stronger than I had expected. I I carefully and try to nimbly dodge his attacks, even with my nimbleness I get scratched. "Lupus, Lyra, Return." I unsheathed the sword I borrowed from Clover and we beagn our sword fight.

"Well this is interesting." He grins, this man has no sanity when in a fight.

As our fight kept going, I felt my energy slowly fading but I need to protect everyone. I won't let you hurt anyone, after all I found two people who want to be with me. I won't give in. Thinking these I stood from the ground badly injured as I am.

Just then I felta pain in my head, these are memories! A spell? It seems like it. I bring my two hands together as I let go of the sword and stood in a prayer like stance. "Oh power that sleeps from within me, I seek the power to protect those I love, let the promise to protect those I love be made, Hero's Vow!" I casted the spell and suddenly blue lights filled my body and became rope like and wrapped around the man, strangling him till he fainted and I was declareed the winner. After that I slowly lose consciousness and fall to the ground as well. The last thing I can recall is Aria and Yue running to my side.

YUE'S POV

Haru won the match but he's badly injured that I'm starting to panic. Just then Aria places her hand on my shoulder and tells me to calm down. With these wounds he'll only keep losing blood, at this rate he'll bleed to death. Just then as I was about to give up, a light shines around his body, I don't know who but someone cast a healing spell on him. Just then, the man Haru fought against stands up. "A deal's a deal, I'll leave for now. The bombs have been disarmed and removed, bye." He says and he disappears in a black cloud of smoke. I notice the orb on my hand had disappeared, he kept his end of the deal.

After that we a rush Haru back to the guild and I had my father call over a doctor. He was wrapped in bandages and was treated properly. Apparently Haru just overused his magical power and exhausted his body so he'll be fine. After that the doctor tells us to monitor him closely so he doesn't overdo it for a while. As we all breathed a breath of relief, I could finally bring myself to sit down and relax. I saw Aria was still panicking a bit but that just shows how much she loves Haru. I may not seems like it but I have a rather keen eye for these kinds of things. "Yue-sama, what do you plan for now?" Clover asks.

"I'll stay here and tend to Haru-san." I say, I'm worried about him too you know. "What kind of spell did he cast anyway?"

"Hero's Vow." A man says.

"Leo." Aria exclaims. "What are you doing here? Wouldn't you being here exhaust Haru's power?"

"I nulled our contract for a bit so I could tell you about that spell." He answers, he's one of Haru-san's Familiars. "So about that spell, Hero's Vow, it's a special spell unique to the Tsuki Family. The spell requires that you make a vow, and ensure that you fulfill it. Haru made a vow in his heart to protect you and so Hero's Vow was activated."

"Haru-san used the earlier then, that's why the strain was so strong in his body." I say. "But where would Haru-san learn such a spell from?"

"My guess, among the memories he got from one of the Zodiacs. " Leo says. "He'll be fine."

"Isn't there a safer wya to use that spell?" Aria asks.

"There is, if he awakens the Royal Blood and Aerial Blood that runs through his veins." He answers and Dia-san raises her eyebrow. "When the two Bloods awaken in the vessel of the moon with all Twelve Zodiac Familiars the true power of the Hero will awaken."

"So basically Haru has to awaken his two Bloods and I he'll be able to use said spell without mishap?" Neph-san asks.

"Yeah, but only Haru knows how to awaken it." He answers and Dia-san raises her eyebrow even higher. "When the Wish and Will along with the Desire and Dream become one, the Bloods shall awaken. Only Haru knows what it means."

"Then does that mean we won't be able to help Haru-san?" I ask him.

"You already are helping him." He answers.

"Really?" Aria asks.

"He has found his Desire. To protect those he loves." He said patting Aria-san's head before disappearing. "Stay by his side, his emotions are wavering and he currently has a great trial in front of him. Stay by his side and give him strenght please."

"We will!" I answered him. "I owe my life to him, I'll do what I can.

"We all will." Master said and placed her hand on my shoulder.