In the end, the truth is the most convincing proof. No matter how good other arguments are, they can't surpass the truth.
Normally, Raphael doted on Rias a lot. Whatever she said, he wanted to follow, and whatever he did, he thought of her first. But in this situation, he couldn't let his emotions do the thinking.
Rias had already clearly told him what The Great Sun Temple's goal was. It wasn't that he lacked the brains; he just didn't want to understand. Because if he understood, he'd lose her forever.
Without a word of warning, he stepped forward and gently pulled her into his arms. He was filthy right now, covered in blood, but she didn't push him away in disgust. She hugged him back and smiled, not putting on a heartbroken expression like him.
"I'm sorry."
Besides those words, Raphael really couldn't think of anything else to say. His heart was a tangled mess right now, all over the place. He no longer had the arrogant look of a man he had before, nor did he seem like the leader of a new era. Now he was just an ordinary man who couldn't bear to leave the one he loved most.
"You idiot. When I first met you, you weren't like this. And over a month ago, you definitely weren't like this. So if you really care about me, then do your damn best to stay alive from now on. If you mope around like some loser, I'll be waiting in heaven to laugh in your face."
Rias smiled and ruffled Raphael's hair, acting as if she didn't care at all that she was about to die. But honestly, that was the attitude a demigod-level being should have. Raphael should've been the same, but because of her, that soft side of him had grown pretty big.
"Don't worry. I'm not that much of a loser. What's this plan you were talking about?"
Raphael asked seriously. Being sad now wouldn't change anything. He might as well try to live in a way that wouldn't embarrass her.
"In a bit, tell Elio that he can kill the two of us, but he has to spare Leo. Then point toward the river and say you'll drop the kid down there and let fate decide if he lives or dies. I'm sure he'll agree to let you take Leo to the river for a final goodbye…"
She paused for a beat to let Raphael process it, then continued.
"After that, I'll use my ultimate technique and you use your fourth technique to back me up. Then cut down a tree and use it to carry Leo and jump into the river. Don't you dare screw up and let Leo die while you make it out alive. If you do, I won't forgive you."
Rias shot him a fierce glare as a warning. Honestly, Raphael mattered more to her than Leo, but right now Leo was the one who needed protecting. Raphael was a demigod, so it wasn't like he could die that easily.
Looking at the river current rushing like a flash flood, Raphael's eyelid twitched. By then he probably wouldn't have much strength left, and a newborn was so fragile… Well, just leave it to fate, do his best, and that's it.
"Don't worry, I got this. But I think we should move farther from the river to give ourselves more room to escape. Plus, this attack's range is gonna be huge and not fully controllable. If we're not far enough, I'm worried we might end up hitting ourselves."
Raphael said with absolute certainty, even though deep down he wasn't fifty percent sure of anything. Since she was about to die anyway, he didn't want to say anything discouraging.
"Fine. We gotta move fast, or we won't make it in time."
Rias nodded, and the two of them flew off to find the most favorable position. They tried to create the safest distance possible for this final gamble that would decide whether someone survived or everyone died together.
Michael sat on the magic lamp, watching without blinking. One thing after another kept happening, making his gossipy instincts fire up harder than ever.
"The chosen one really is the chosen one. Looks like he's only a few months old, but he's already having experiences this wild that most people won't get in a lifetime. I don't even need to guess anymore. Leo's definitely gonna live."
Based on his own novel-reading experience and Leo's status as the chosen one, Michael could confidently say how this battle would end.
Elio, Glacior, and Ignivar would definitely survive. Rias would die, and Raphael would take Leo and go into hiding somewhere remote. When Leo grows up, he'll slowly uncover the truth about his origins, and the revenge journey of the motherless boy will officially begin.
After finishing that 'plot' in his head, Michael couldn't help but give himself a round of applause. But he seemed to have forgotten to include himself, since Leo would meet him when he turned three.
Not long after, everyone crossed paths again. This time, Elio, Glacior, and Ignivar were all really confused by the strange way the other two had been moving.
"Are you trying to give up flying like that? You'd be saving us both time. I get home sooner, you die sooner."
Elio spoke up, but whether he meant to or not, the way he talked was just asking for a fight. Maybe since they'd known each other for so long, he didn't care much about being polite, which was why he sounded so obnoxious.
Rias had already mentally prepared herself to die, but she hadn't prepared herself to hear crap like that. She raised her middle finger in his direction.
"Do you even know how to talk, Elio? You're the temple master of The Great Sun Temple. Go learn some basic manners."
???
What the hell was going on? Why'd they stop running and start yapping like this? Was it a trap?
A bunch of weird thoughts popped into the three's heads when Rias didn't act the way she normally would. Nothing like this had happened in the past month, so they couldn't adjust in time.