Incubus joined the ladies' company. He sat beside them at the table and, while they were sipping their cups of coffee and conversed, engaged in the discussion. To be more precise, now, questions were addressed to him:

"So, why did you appear in Johanne's dream so early? I hope you have a good explanation!" Lily furrowed her brow.

This time, Incubus didn't show fear anymore. He instead reclined in his armchair rather idly and answered with a faint, but proud smile:

"Neither you nor father have anything to say against my actions, mother. After all, it was my bracelet you gifted to her at the time of her birth. I appeared in her dream not early, but exactly on time. I promised father that I wouldn't disturb her only until she turned ten years old, actually. The fact that you hid her away from me and put Michael as her guard, was your own fault, not mine. Now when you've released her from Michael's guardianship and brought her here in the East Land, I found a free moment and infiltrated the Huli Palace grounds, which was rather easy for the demon of nightmares like me."

Both Lily and Lucy gasped in indignation, while Johanne blinked in confusion - how come everyone reprimanded Incubus over visiting her? Why was it so bad?

"I'll tell everything to Samael."

Lily's eyes flashed with anger - such disobedience was so unlike Incubus! Why did he act so high and mighty now?

"Oh, go and tell him." Incubus chuckled. "But be sure, mother - when it comes to that woman," - he pointed at Johanne, - "I'll put up a fight even with the lord of Destruction."

At such a threatening declaration of his, Lily got so angry that she snarled and clenched her fist so hard it nearly bled. She closed her eyes as if sending a telepathic message to someone. Then she reopened them and gazed back at Incubus:

"He's coming."

"Very well."

Johanne looked up at Lucy, who had embraced her as if ready to protect her.

"Why are they fighting? Incubus didn't do anything wrong, did he?"

"He did." Lucy furrowed her brow. "It is still too early for you to get to know about your past incarnation."

"Eh?! My past incarnation?" 

Johanne gasped - so, her soul was old, just like her aunts' ones?! 

"Why is it too early?"

"Because if you find out now, you will have to engage in serious battles, which we don't want you to dive in until you reach adulthood. That is exactly the reason why we didn't want Incubus to interfere!" Lily glared at her soul son, who rested in the armchair.

"Hmph, the sooner she knows who she is, the better. You're trying to hide the truth from her."

Lily wanted to argue when vast black smoke appeared right in the room and brought such a creepy aura that goose-bumps ran down Johanne's spine.

"What is this?" She clung to Lucy.

"He has come." Lucy pressed Johanne tighter to her chest.

When the smoke aerated, it revealed a tall man of around thirty-five years, with long black hair and sparkling blue eyes, dressed in magnificent red robes, holding a dreadful black scythe.

Johanne screamed in fright - it was none other than the infernal angel of Destruction, Samael! Or, as he was more known in the East Land, the Lord of the Underworld, Yanluo.

Lily sprang up once saw him:

"Thank you for coming, Samael."

The angel understood she was seriously angry because she never called him "Samael" if not for serious matters. Incubus pouted and stood up too, showing respect to him as his father. 

"Incubus," the dark angel's strict, ominous voice spread throughout the room.

"Yes, father?" 

Incubus pierced his sparkling blue eyes with his own dark brown ones, resisting his deathly gaze with his nightmarish one.

"Why have you defied your mother's and my orders?" 

Samael's voice turned even stricter and colder. It made shudders run down Johanne's spine anew. She hid behind Lucy, scared of the ominous angel.

"I did not defy any. You told me not to touch her until she turned at least ten years old."

"That was your condition, not ours. We asked you to keep away from her until she reached eighteen years of age."

"Hmph, both you and Lord Yuehong appeared in front of your women when they were fifteen in their current incarnation!" Incubus' eyes sparkled with anger now, "How come I should wait longer?!"

Johanne blinked - he talked as if she were his girlfriend...

"Because Lilith and Lutecia needed to be saved and required our assistance, while in your case, it is you who needs purification, not Johanne! Lilith and Lutecia needed protection, while you, by your appearance, will only cause more problems to Johanne, and put her in danger. If you do not understand such simple circumstances, it means you haven't felt the hit of my scythe for long enough!" Samael thundered and raised his dreadful scythe.

Now Incubus got truly frightened. He widened his eyes and even stepped back, instinctively raising his hands as if to protect himself. Seeing the father was going to hit his own son with such a terrible scythe, Johanne cried:

"No, don't!"

She pulled herself off Lucy's embraces and pranced forward, jumping in between Samael and Incubus, and covered this latter with her body. All the people - Incubus, Samael, Lily, and Lucy - widened their eyes. Samael stopped his scythe in mid-air. Incubus watched Johanne in a stupor. A faint smile covered his face:

This scene seems so familiar... It is just like my mother used to protect me, before realising what the scythe was truly used for. Joan, you're so kind-hearted, even now... 

His heart melted with the warmth that was so familiar to him from long ago.

"Move!" Samael frowned.

The girl didn't budge. Instead, she scowled back at him:

"No! I won't let you hurt Incubus!"

"Hmph... You are a simple human. You are not to interfere with my judgment. I use this scythe to_"

"Purify him, I know," Johanne cut his speech. "I'm not illiterate. I've read my father's books. But know this, infernal angel - hurting people with a scythe is wrong, no matter how you put it. You aren't just named 'dark angel' for nothing. You are dark, and no matter how much you justify yourself that your core is light, you are still darkened in the end, compared to other angels. Therefore, I cannot consider your judgment always rightful."

At such an audacious speech of hers, Samael's eyes sparkled with wrath:

"Insolent brat! You dare oppose me?! Move!"

Now Lily got worried too - Samael rarely showed such rage...

"Ah! Samael, please..." 

She stepped towards him - she should stop him before he went mad. Incubus got concerned as well. He grabbed Johanne's shoulder:

"Johanne, dear, please... My father will get really angry. Let him do as he wishes. He's right - I am a demon and I should be purified by his scythe. Such is my faith... Do not worry. I'll bear it. It has often happened before."

"No! I won't let him hurt you!" Johanne answered, and then turned to Samael with clenched fists: "Why are you hurting him?! Incubus is a demon, true, but not even demons deserve to be beaten just because they are dark! Incubus is your son, and the son of Lilith, who was back then a simple human. It means Incubus is not a demon either, but a hybrid of a dark angel and a human. That is why his essence is dark, but his core is light too, just like yours. He can be saved, and not by beating, but by being kind to him!"

Everyone gasped - these words! Incubus blinked in a stupor:

She speaks like... back then... 

The sweet remembrances that struck him melted his heart.

"Johanne..." Lily pressed a hand to her chest - so, she had already begun thinking that way.

"She has connected with her inner self," Lucy said.

Samael watched her with surprise, but then sighed and put his scythe down.

"So, you've already started getting such ideas, huh?"

Johanne blinked - he had already calmed down?

"Um, yeah..." She shrugged. "I've gotten this idea for a while now, after reading various books about angels and demons."

"Ugh, can't be helped, then..." Samael exchanged glances with Lily, and turned around, ready to leave. "Incubus, Johanne has already begun to connect with her subconscious, as it seems. Since you are the demon of dreams and illusions, I'll entrust this matter to you now, as you've desired. You can decide for yourself when to tell Johanne everything she needs to know. But please, pay heed to your mother's requests, too."

With these words, he vanished in black smoke.

"Yes, father."

Incubus smiled in response, clutching the surprised Johanne's shoulder - finally, they had entrusted this girl entirely to him. Lily and Lucy, on their part, were confused at first, but then Lily sighed:

"Well, let it be. I hoped at least Johanne would have a calm childhood, though."

"Can't be helped, as Lord Yanluo's said..." Lucy smiled, trying to console her. "Johanne is a courageous girl, like us. She'll make it. Don't worry."

"Hehe, I guess! She definitely has great guardians as we did." Lily winked, implying that both of their soul children - Incubus and Mei - were quite powerful.

"You said it, sister!"

The girls laughed, while Johanne still remained confused.

"What are they talking about?" She looked up at Incubus.

"In time, I shall tell you everything. The main thing is that from now on, we are officially bonded as a guardian and a hostess."

"Ah, that's wonderful! Now I have two guardians!" Johanne clapped with joy.

Incubus watched her with a kind beam:

Just a little more and I'll have you back, Joan...