"... B-brother…?" Aries asked aghast.

Luca's head snapped back to Aries, "... What?" he demanded.

He'd taken his eye off the Angel for only a moment...

Yet, in that split second, Luca felt the axe graze where his head would have been had he not moved in that last moment.

By only reflex, his head still stood on his shoulders, but Luca was completely unprepared for the next swing of the axe's blow.

Sheltering Aries as best he could, Luca took the full brunt of the Elven steel to his back.

The pain was instant as if he'd been severed in half... and by all means he could be, he thought ruefully to himself as he crumpled atop of Aries.

If not for the smell of wolf, Luca would have been filled with hopelessness.

His body could take no more damage than what it had already acquired... not with the wounds of the Reaper's Blade still affecting his healing abilities.

He could only hope the Wolf-King made it to his room before the next blow struck.

Not even granted the reprieve to live what could very well be his last moments, Luca drifted in a darkness that enveloped even the searing pain of his wounds.

His last thought was regretting having to owe the Wolf a favor should he live… and not seeing Aries smile, just as he had moments before, should he not.