It was still dark outside. Yamiyoru looked at the clock. There wasn't a lot of time left. He has to hurry.

He put on a white robe and tied sandals on his feet. It all started to frighten him. Now he only thought about getting to Izumida's house and explaining everything to him.

He was just about to open the door when a voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Where are you going?" asked Shino.

He was still sleepy and had only a dressing-gown on him.

"I have to go to Izumida's house before I..." Yamiroyu's voice cracked.

His eyes opened widely. He fell on the floor. He couldn't breathe.

"Yamiyo?!" Shinohara jumped from stairs and ran to the angel.

Yamiyoru seemed to have an asthma attack or something like that.

The front door opened suddenly. It almost fell off its hinges. Izumida stood there. Saying he was furious was very gentle way of describing his mood.

"And Hashidani told me that something isn't good" growled Izumida. "You're lucky that I was in Sacra and I could feel it. You're seriously lucky, Akumarou."

"Izumida, please, do something" begged Shinohara, holding trembling Yamiyoru in arms.

"So Yamiyoru didn't tell you?" asked Izumida, pulling out small knife from pocket. "He didn't tell you that for an angel to fall, you had to cut the mark on his hand or he would die? Do you know how many died because we were late? Do you know how many?"

"So why are you waiting?" Shinohara almost cried. "Do something!"

"So that you would finally understand that you made a mistake" Izumida crouched down. "You had no right to even touch him and..."

"Don't scold me now, save him first!" yelled Shinohara.

Izumida looked at him, surprised.

"You seriously..." Izumida didn't end his thought. "Give me his right hand."

Shinohara obeyed Izumida's order. Izumida cut the mark on Yamiyoru's hand and stood up.

"You'd better step back" Izumida said to Shinohara.

Akumarou nodded and got up, then took a few steps back.

Yamiyoru's blood flowed onto his robe and wings, which began to turn black. The angel rose about twenty centimeters above the floor and violet fire wrapped around his body. The halo shattered into pieces that looked like a million little lights. The angel's robe and wings turned completely black, the violet flame went out and Yamiyoru fell straight into Shinohara's arms.

"Tell me, Akumarou" started Izumida, cleaning his knife with his handkerchief. "What would you do, if I wasn't here and Yamiyoru would die?"

"I don't know" replied Shinohara. "I probably..."

"Probably what?"

"I probably would kill myself, I think" said Shinohara. "I just... Can't imagine a world without him..."

"Oh, so I was right" said Izumida, leaving Shinohara's house. "You really love him."

And he closed the door behind him.