Shade held the sword and once again tried to channel his own spirit into it. The angel's phantom appeared behind him again, and this time, Shade could clearly feel that he could control the phantom behind him more smoothly.
Though he did not intend to hold this sword for long, using it a little was no problem.
He had already asked what he had come to ask the Angel, and Shade had intended to bid farewell and leave. But after hesitating for a moment, he spoke again:
"About desire."
"That is your desire."
The Angel still wore a smile:
"Your desire is something you must face yourself. No one can help you with this."
She again lightly touched the spot over Shade's left chest with the tip of the long staff in her hand. Golden fragments of light burst outward from where they touched. Shade felt as though his entire body had become much "cleaner," but that was all.
"I have purified you, but the facts prove that you have not been cursed, nor has that Mermaid's power taken residence within you. Everything is simply because of yourself."
"Yes. Thank you for the reminder."
After stroking the well-behaved Cat, Shade bowed in farewell. But just as he turned to leave, he heard the Angel behind him speak softly once more:
"In the Moon Bay Area, there is indeed a fragment of the First Angel's remains."
Since he had to return the horse from White River Valley Vineyard, Shade did not toss the Crystal Shoes to return home. Instead, he went back to the vineyard the way he had come and returned home through the Wine Cellar.
The return trip took some time. By the time Shade emerged from the basement with Little Mia in his arms, the streetlights in Saint