"I love you."

The grip of her hand softened, the final breath she took full of sobs. Tatsumi pressed her knuckles to his head, crying out her name.

"Mine! Mine!"

Her eyes were closed and he could no longer hear her. Of all the people that had died so far, he never expected this one to hurt the most. Sheele's sudden death pained him. Bro's death hurt him as well, but none of the deaths could compare to the absolute torment his heart had just been through. She said she loved him.

It wasn't fair.

Sobs that he couldn't hold back came now. At that moment, Esdeath could've shown up, and Tatsumi would not have cared. He wanted Mine back. To hear her tease him again would've been a blessing. There had to be something to do. Something, anything! To bring his Mine back to life! She couldn't just tell him those words and die on him!

"Mine…please don't leave me."

She was motionless.

A warm body, but dead, nonetheless.

"I won't leave you," Tatsumi said, though even he didn't believe it as he looked at her. She looked peaceful like this – the sniper was tormented for her entire life for being a foreigner. Maybe she was finally happy to be free of the life of torment that dominated her life.

But Tatsumi still wanted her back.

"You wish to bring her back?"

Tatsumi nearly jumped out of fear. He had forgotten a lesson that Bro had instilled in him – always being aware of the surroundings. He instinctively reached for his weapon in one hand while cradling Mine in the other. Standing in the small river next to the spot where Tatsumi held his fallen girlfriend, there stood a white fox – watching, waiting.

Tatsumi was sure that he had heard the voice of something that sounded feminine. Silly as it sounded, his suspicious gaze fell upon the fox.

"I ask again," the fox spoke, though its mouth didn't move. "You wish to bring her back?"

Tatsumi pulled the body closer. "Who are you?"

The fox regarded Mine's body, inclining its furry head towards her. "That one isn't far from death. A bargain, then. You won't have long to choose before it's too late. Fulfill my contract, and I will save her."

Could it possibly be?

Of course he wanted to save her. But there was no saving the dead. He knew this – if that were the case, somebody would've used an Imperial Arm by now. And yet, the rationale faded away almost as quickly as hope spread in his heart. How could he bring his Mine back? Any price was surely worth the cost of a contract.

He looked to the animal. "What's your contract?"

Paw by paw, the fox walked out of the river. Up close, the fox looked more than just a curious onlooker. "Possession. Time is running out fast…choose fast, little one. My window is closing."

"Wait, wait!" Tatsumi shouted. "Who are you? What are you?"

"A Relic. One that is trying to save your lover. Hurry."

A Relic?! The statement alone made him pause. Too many thoughts ran through his mind at once, enough that he could only make a stunned expression on his face.

"Time's up!"

"No, no, do it!" Tatsumi shouted. "I accept your contract!"

The fox looked at him…then at Mine. "Contract terms agreed."

A blinding flash of white light erupted from the fox. Even when Tatsumi shielded his eyes, the light seemed to sear behind his eyelids. He could hear a sizzling and then a muted growl – it all lasted for but a moment before everything suddenly stopped.

The light was gone.

The fox was nowhere to be seen.

And…a breath?!

The jolt of surprise as he watched Mine's mouth open and exhale her first breath since death had both sucked the wind out of him and filled his heart with a tremendous excitement. He pulled her body close, unable to hold back tears. "Please, be okay! Be okay!"

"I'm…alive…?" she exclaimed in short breaths before passing out yet again.

Voices in the distance…Tatsumi recognized that he was not far away from the Coliseum where he nearly met his end at the hands of Esdeath. At the hands of her form of mercy and twisted sense of living, in the name of her love for him, she was willing to end his life. Tatsumi had been through so many life-altering experiences, and this would be one of them. He didn't want to experience another so soon.

Surprisingly light without her holding Pumpkin, Tatsumi lifted Mine into his arms.

Her eyes, half-closed and hazy, were on his.

"I'll get you back to Night Raid. I promise!"

The flecks of orange that had dotted her normally rosy eyes did not go unnoticed. But the orange sunset was behind them, so it could've just been a trick of his own eyes. Though his body strained against the force, he summoned the armor of Incursio around him and took off for the direction of the Night Raid headquarters.

He had hopes that everybody made it out of the Coliseum.

Because if not, Night Raid was finished.