AN: (This is a prototype chapter to see if people were interested in the idea of the crossover, or curious to see if this was for real. The real story begins in the next chapter. Thank You.)

A teenaged girl in dirty patched rags traveled through a forest. She couldn't help but wonder if what her life would be like if she was normal. She didn't attend school like other girls her age, nor did she make any friends. She was far from stupid, but not a genius either. She couldn't keep pets with her. She never lived in a house for more than a week. She was always moving. Always with that man that shared a twisted fate. She ran to his side and pulled at his arm with a whine.

"How much farther?~"

A gruff voice growled back followed by a tired groan.

"If you keep asking, it'll only take longer."

Bloom looked up at him, this large man clad in black, and gave him a pout.

"I'm tired! We've been walking for hours and it's almost nighttime!"

"Complaining won't get you anywhere."

"Well it'll make me feel better!"

He scoffed as he began to walk faster.

"It's all you do, so I doubt that."

"Hey! D-Don't walk faster, I can barely keep up!"

He looked back with a sneer.

"Then maybe you should quit wasting your breath talking, and pace yourself to walk faster."

"Ngh! You're such a jerk!"

He looked straight ahead in silence, laughing on the inside at the girl's hopelessness. At times he'd wonder why he even kept her around.

"H-Ha... Hah... Hah... Please..."

A man clad in all black armor and a black shroud for a cape looked down at a small child with fiery red hair. She was barely clothed and shivered in the snowstorm. He merely stared at her.

"What do you want."

"... I-I'm... I'm cold..."

"No shit. That's not my problem."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she approached him barefoot. She was wounded and frostbitten. It was a burden that she wasn't dead yet. She reached out to him but fell over with a yelp.

"Please... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

"Huh? What're you apologizing for?"

The girl curled up into a ball as she shivered horribly.

"I don't... I don't want to die... Make the pain stop..."

He ignored her as he stood up to leave the girl to freeze to the death. She grabbed onto his cloak and looked at him with pleading eyes.

"My chest... It hurts again... Please help..."

"Let go of me! Don't touch me you brat!"

He glared down at her with a snarl, but was soon taken aback. Breathless for just a moment as he saw the source of her pain. Not the cold or small wounds on her frail frame, but a brand he knew all too well. A Brand of Sacrifice laid right above her heart. It bled as did his, on the side of his neck.

"You...! How'd a kid like you stay alive with...?!"

A number of thoughts ran through his head, but he didn't have time to worry. They were coming for him. For both of them. He grabbed the child and held her in one arm.

"I'm going to put you somewhere hidden. Don't make any noises."

"... Hah... Hah..."

He trekked through the harsh blizzard as the girl hung onto him tightly. Snow began to rise from the ground as they formed large snowmen. He held his sword, but halted at the scream from the girl. He was surprised she had the strength to do so, as well as flail and thrash wildly.

"G-Get them away...! Get them away from me...!"

"Oi! Shut up! I'm doing just-"

"NOW!"

She screamed and held her hands out at the snowmen as she began to glow a bright orange. From her body snaked out the head of an ethereal glowing dragon. For a moment it felt like a summer's breeze had just passed the man, but as the rest of the body shot out, it was like he had been thrown into a raging inferno as he was launched back from her. The dragon flew around in an erratic and random pattern. Burning away all the snowmen as it caught the evil spirits that possessed them in its maw. As the specters howled in agony and despair, curses and gnashing of teeth, the dragon crushed them between its jaws as fire flowed from between the teeth. It flew off into the distance and left the girl alone. He then realized how a small child could have lived under such harsh conditions.

"That power! Could it really hurt them? Could it hurt, him..."

Her rags had been burned away as her wounds had healed entirely. She opened her eyes and weakly bony arm erupted from the ground and grabbed her by the ankle. A decayed corpse rose up with a rasp as the ankle began to pop and snap.

"Aiiie!"

A knife stabbed into the head of the corpse. Killing it instantly as it let go of the girl. She stumbled back and hit her head against the man's leg.

"Agh! M-Mister...!"

"We're not done."

She blinked at him. Confused and terrified. She thought this would be the end of her, that this man would kill her for what she had done. She then saw a flash before the cry of the undead was heard. The man stared down at her.

"Girl. Can't you do that again?"

"... What?"

"Magic! That's what it was, wasn't it?! Do it again!"

"I-I can't...! I-I'm too tired! And-"

She turned to the sound of a nearby moan. Corpses rose from the ground and crawled from the snowmen as they marched together. Monstrous bats and ugly man-face wolves came. A small pack lunged right for her with slathering jaws.

"AAAAAAAAAAH!"

*CLANG*

Before her eyes the demons were cleaved into pieces in a single swing. Not by a sword. It was much too big to be called a sword. Massive, thick, heavy and far too rough. It was more like a heap of raw iron. The girl was young, but even she knew such a thing should never have been able to move so fast. More and more monsters came for her, and more and more were killed in front of her eyes in a flash. The swordsman pulled the girl by her hair to her feet.

"Ow! Ow, st-stop it!"

"Take this."

He gave her one of his knives. She took it with a frightened look on her eyes. She held it up to him.

"What do I do with this...?"

"That's up to you. You either drop it and accept your fate or..."

He smiled at her as he saw the demons closing in on them. She turned and held the knife out on instinct as she began to shake in fear alone. He only readied himself.

"Don't die."

It felt like an agonizing eternity. The hour of peace had come and the last of the demons were slain by the swordsman. The girl panted heavily as she began to cry. She fell to the ground on her side.

"I... It just got so cold... I hurt all over... I'm so tired..."

He looked down at her and prodded at her with his heel. Almost kicking her.

"If you've time and strength to cry, then don't. Use that to move, use that strength to live. To fight."

"I-I... I... I don't want to..."

"You don't have a choice. Move or die. No one's coming to drag you along."

He walked over her and stomped away.

"No one is coming to take care of you."

As he began to leave her, he heard small crunches in the snow over his, and looked back.

"W-Wa-Wait... Puh-Pu-Please..."

The girl slowly dragged her feet after him in the snow as she hugged herself desperately. He saw that she kept a hold of the bloody knife.

"You should just die right there. It'd be easier for you if you did. You'd have nothing to worry about."

She stopped for a moment. Mortified by his words.

"Hah... Hah..."

"You were complaining so much now. What happened? Why don't you use that knife and just end it if it's too much."

She looked down at the knife. The pointed end was up as the edge was still sharp.

"It'd be so easy, y'know? No more pain. Just a never-ending dream. Sounds nice, doesn't it?"

"..."

"If it sounds good, then you should just do it."

She looked at him as her skin began to crawl. Silent as he smiled at her.

"Just, kill yourself."

She looked down and wiped the tears from her eyes as she held back a sob. Then, looked at him with something he hadn't seen in a long time. Something that he had felt only a few rare moments. The burning desire to live. She ran past him, nearly falling over on her face, and threw the knife at his feet.

"... Why... Don't you just... S-Shut up...? M-Mea-Meanie..."

He looked at her run away into the blizzard and bit back a remark as he ran after her.

"Wait, you stupid girl!"

He chased after her easily as she had passed out in a few steps. He lifted her up and looked around. Only a barren icy wasteland surrounded them both. He grumbled as he shed his cloak and wrapped her in it as he held her tightly.

"This is going to be annoying..."

He found a small forest area with a cave just big enough for them to find shelter from the harsh winds. He placed her on the ground and sat across from her. His eyelid grew heavy. He hadn't slept in some time. Maybe, just maybe, this could work.

"Psst. Mister! Mister!~"

He woke up to the girl shaking him. The late morning sun shone through the cave as birds chirped outside. The snowstorm had ended.

"Wake up! Y-You're not, gone, are you? Please don't be dead!"

"No. Just annoyed."

He opened his eye and growled at how close she was to him.

"Don't touch me."

She took a step back with a sad frown.

"I'm sorry... Uh, I'm Bloom! That's what the Audrey said, he's from the orphanage like me!"

"I don't care."

"You're really big! And, is that thing a sword? How do you hold it with one hand?!"

"I'm strong."

"What's with your eye? I tried to open it but nothing's there. A-And your arm is made of metal..."

"I lost them."

"Do you need help finding them?"

He glared at the girl but sighed as he saw the genuine curiosity on her face.

"No... It's gone and I'm fine without my eye. This new arm is better than my old one anyways."

"O-Oh... Uh... Thank you!"

"For what. You survived on your own just like I did."

"I did? On my own...?"

"Don't get used to wearing that. I'll need it back."

"B-But...!"

She hugged herself tightly under the black shroud.

"I don't have anything else to wear!"

"... Fine. When we get to a town you'll look for something for you to wear."

The girl smiled brightly and ran into him with a hug.

"Thank you! I-I knew you weren't a bad man!"

He instinctively scowled and shouted at her.

"Don't Touch Me!"

"Aah!"

She jumped back with a squeak and a guilty face. He grunted and looked outside the cave.

"Hey, girl. What's your name again?"

"B-Bloom... What's yours?"

"... It's..."

"... uts... Guts... GUTS!"

Guts put a hand over Bloom's mouth as she shook his head from daydreaming.

"Quieter. What is it?"

Bloom spoke behind the fake hand with muffled grunts before she pointed to the side.

"Okay, now say that in a voice that doesn't give us away."

Bloom shoved the fake hand away and pointed to the side again.

"Someone cried out for help over there! A girl!"

"And...?"

Bloom groaned and threw her hands in the air.

"Guts, don't be like this now, have a heart!"

Guts mimicked her in an deadpanned expression.

"Bloom. Don't be like this now, use your brain. I know your Brand is acting up!"

"It is, but it's not bleeding! I feel weird, like I need to do this!"

"You say that about every situation when you want to help."

"If you're not going to help them, then I will, by myself!"

Bloom ran off into the thick woods with Guts simply looking at her perturbed.

"... Dammit."

He walked after her as he rubbed the Brand on his neck. Sunset was approaching soon, and he'd rather not have her out on her own should the demons come early. Bloom deftly made her way through the trees and shrubbery as she listened for the sounds. A girl was fighting off what sounded like a man. She leapt out into a clearing and found a peculiar sight, even for her. A girl no older than herself with beauteous butterfly wings and strange clothes faced a giant wide man with pale yellow skin and brown overalls.

"What on earth...? Hey, big guy! Leave that girl alone!"

The girl smiled with a breath of relief as she flourished an ivory scepter.

"Whew, a friend! Good timing there!"

The large man roared loudly.

"I don't care how many of you Fairies there are, I'm getting that scepter! Ghoulies! Take care of that brat!"

A number of small red impish creatures left the side of the large man and lunged at Bloom. However, the imps were surprised by her response. Bloom seized one by the throat in the air and used it as a shield from the others. She threw it at the group before she sprinted for the large man.

"H-Huh? Think you're so tough, missy? I'll show yo-"

Bloom threw her patched robes in the face of the large man. Underneath was a light leather armor with a knife strap across her chest and left thigh. She leapt up from the ground and kneed the man in the throat as he was distracted from the robe.

"Hurrk!"

She smirked as she held her hands up to his side after she ducked from a blind backhand.

"You're too heated for this, so go take a break before you burn out!"

A large fireball flew from her hands and struck the man with great force. He fell to the ground in great pain as he threw the robe away.

"W-What?! Another Fairy!?"

Bloom took one of her knives and threw at the eye of the yellow man. However, the hilt hit the eye rather than the blade. While he shrieked in agony, Bloom couldn't help but blush.

"Oh man, I'm glad he isn't here for once...!"

The yellow man clapped twice before he and his minions vanished in a puff of smoke. Bloom relaxed before she jumped at the blonde girl's squeal.

"Wowie!~ I didn't expect another Fairy all the way out here! I was sure I was going to be on my own!"

Bloom raised a brow at her as she scratched her head.

"F-Fairy...? I've seen elves before but, I'm a witch! I... think?"

"You think, or you know?~ Why would you be a cranky ol' Witch anyways?"

"C-Cranky? Hold on, what are you? Are you an Apostle?"

Bloom tensed and readied her hands for another attack, but felt somewhat guilty as Stella raised her hands in a surrending manner.

"N-No! No, no, I don't even know what an Apostle is! ... A-Actually, I don't even know what planet this is. It's very similar to Earth."

The guilt turned into suspicion and skepticism as she folded her arms at the blonde.

"Uh, what're you talking about? You're definitely not human, but you're not evil either."

"I could say the same thing about you, you really came through for me by taking on that ogre!"

"Oh, he wasn't that ugly!"

"No! That guy was a real ogre!"

Bloom rubbed her chin with a raised brow.

"Nu-uh!~ Ogres are as big as a small house and got these weird faces! They're monstrous! We'd need Guts' help with those."

The blonde gave Bloom a similar face as they stared each other down. Then, she smiled and offered a hand.

"You're really weird, but I know a Fairy when I see one! My name's Stella, and I'm on my way to a college for Fairies like us! You should come with!"

"... Huh? Er, I mean I'm Bloom. What kind of college are we talking about here?"

Stella pulled out an invitation. It was so clean and well made. Bloom had rarely seen something so colorful.

"Alfea...? B-But, I can't go. Not now at least!"

Stella seemed puzzled by Bloom's words before she chuckled.

"Oh!~ I get it, well you don't have to worry about making friends-"

"No it's not that!"

"Got to talk with your parents about it?"

Bloom opened her mouth but then thought about it.

"H-Hey... This college is in another world, right?"

"Sure is! It's called, Magix! Well anything and everything can happened, time and space and all kinds of magical things go on in there! It can be as thrilling as it is frightening!~"

Bloom smiled faintly before she hissed out in poin. The sun had set, and the hour had come. Stella placed a hand over Bloom's shoulder with a worried expression.

"Hey, what's with you? What's wrong?"

"It's... My bad luck. I gotta go, you have to get away from me!"

Bloom pulled away from Stella and ran away from her. She heard Stella cry out for her, but she could feel the evil spirits coming for her.

"Hnngh... H-Haagh... I hate this..."

"BLOOM!"

"AH!"

Bloom turned and threw a knife at Stella in fright. Stella caught the knife with her magic and turned it to an apple.

"Phew! You could hurt someone like that, better be glad I was prepared for... What's with that look?"

Stella was disturbed by the terrified expression. As if Bloom had seen something horrible. Stella looked back but only saw that thick woods in the darkness of night.

"W-What's with you?! You're freaking me out Bloom!"

"An Apostle... They... They shouldn't be here by now!"

"Who shouldn't...? Bloom I can help you like you helped me. Just tell me what to do!"

Bloom stood up and shook her head.

"I don't know. I just... Guts!"

"Who?"

Bloom began to run, but was pulled back by Stella.

"Hold on!"

"What're you doing, let me go!"

"I have wings! I can find whoever Guts is for you!"

"Can you carry me?"

Stella blinked in thought for just a moment.

"Uh, I can try? Can't you fly?"

"Just hurry!"

Stella held Bloom tightly as she took to the air with her wings.

"Whew! All that stuff on makes you weigh a ton!"

Bloom gave Stella an annoyed and disappointed look.

"It's just leather, knives, and gunpowder. Are you calling me fat?"

"Uh... H-Hehehe! No! Not at all! Hey did you hear that?

Cannon fire echoed out as a small fire just under them. A small area of the forest had been set ablaze. Stella began to fly away.

"Whoa, not going nea-"

Bloom shouted as she began to wrestle herself out of Stella's grip.

"T-There! He's there! That was his fake arm going off!"

"U-Uh! Don't move around like that, I'll drop you!"

"Just fly low enough for the tree tops! I have to help him!"

"Roger!"

Stella flew low to the trees and released Bloom into the fire. Bloom landed with a roll as she came unto a familiar scene. Guts swung away at a burning living tree as corpses held onto his body, gnawing at both his armor and flesh.

"Guts!"

She ran to the enraged swordsman in between a horde of zombies. She slid across the ground to dodge the swing of his blade and threw her knives into the skulls of the corpses on his body. Most had died, but one only reached for his throat. Guts leaned back as he blocked a tree branch aimed for his back and returned the attack with a head-butt. After using his head, he snared the corpse by the throat with his own mouth and threw it into the tree. The tree ate the undead and continued to chomp down on Guts. Bloom wouldn't allow it as she sent another fireball right through the maw of tree. The fires began to swirl and mix, fusing into one large inferno as numerous dark souls formed an infernal being, a giant human shaped fire. Howling sounded as crazed hounds entered the scene with the rest of the corpses. Stella saw the scene and flew closer with a paled face.

"W... What is this...? H-He-HEY! GET OUT OF THERE, THERE'S TOO MANY OF THEM! A-Ah!"

Stella barely reacted in time for the large torrent of fire shot at her. Though she dodged, the heat alone gave her small burns. A number of arms formed from the flame and grabbed a monster for each arm. It threw the vile creatures at Stella as the fire itself neared the cursed duo. Stella dodged monster after monster before a corpse latched onto her leg. She screeched and swung at it with her scepter. However, before her spell could be casted, a thrown hound bit down on the magical item. Stella weighed too much now to keep afloat and began to fall. Bloom saw Stella's descent and gasped.

"Stella!"

Guts shouted at her and pulled her behind him as the living fire clawed at them. He blocked the attack with his sword as he began to felt lightheaded. It was hard to breathe with all the smoke and ashes stung his eye. The fire gave a sinister smile as it circled the two.

"How, unfortunate... beauty and rarity among us is a Sacrifice. It makes no difference, as all are doomed to the pits of Hell for their sins! BURN IN AGONY!"

The fire became a flaming tornado with a villainous cackle. Bloom couldn't take much more as she began to feel faint, the burns appeared on her face and body at a slower rate than Guts, who was enveloped in the flame. Stella saw the rising spire of fire and spun in the air fast as she could. Past the pain of her leg being eaten, past th hound's jaws snapping at her head. With a spell, she managed to create a repulse of light from her body and throw the monsters into the fire. She had very little strength left in her as she fell to the ground. Only a few feet away from the burning pillar, she saw two figures be cooked alive inside. The Apostle believed he had won. Guts roared with great indignation as he swung his sword. He disrupted the wind and the flow of the fire, he had split it apart and unknowingly cut the astral body of the flame. Though no blood, the Apostle felt the pain.

"W-What...?! With such an unconventional weapon, how could you- Ah!"

Guts had begun to swing at the fire in a mad frenzy. Spreading the fire thinner than it could grow, faster than it could breath, he had begun to snuff the flame out.

"N... No... Stop... You... Bastarrrrddd..."

"Go burn in your own pit."

Guts swung down and snuffed the last of the fire away. Bloom shook her head and coughed as she saw the number of spirits after them hadn't diminished even after the death of the Apostle.

"G-Guts...!"

"Bloom. No more talking."

"T-That's not it! Stella, that girl there!"

"If you want to protect her, do it on your own. I'm busy."

Guts cried out as he raised his sword high and began to cleave through the undead and the possessed beasts. Stella could only watch in terror as she watched this man, this demon, swing to his heart's content. An honest smile on his face as savagely attacked the blood seeking monsters. To her, she couldn't tell the difference between the two.

"This is... I can't do this... I'm not gonna make it..."

"Stella!"

Bloom saw Stella surrounded by a strange smoke and numerous embers. The shape of the fiery Apostle formed above Stella's body.

"Burn... Flesh... Flesh will burn... Burn for me...A new fire... I-I don't want to die... Flesh Will Burn Me A New FIRE."

The smoke began to burn at Stella's flesh. She screeched in pain as her hair and skin began to peel into and burn into larger embers.

"Yes... Yes...! Yessss-"

The Apostle stopped as it heard a new roar. A crimson ethereal dragon flew at him with its maw wide open and no time for him to dodge.

"oh no..."

With a solid clamp, the dragon ate and burned away the Apostle for good. Nothing was left of him as the dragon snaked through the other monsters surrounding Stella and Bloom. Bloom helped Stella up to her feet.

"Here, lean on me. Are you okay?

"... B-Berserk..."

"Huh?"

Weakly, Stella pointed at Guts. Her eyes hadn't left him nor the gruesome scene he partook in as he tactfully massacred the possessed creatures. His lone eye was faded, as if there truly was nothing left inside of him that was human. The only sounds he made was laughter as he swung his slab of iron.

"Him... He's berserk..."

Bloom stared at the face Stella had. She saw it many times before and had it herself a number of times. She then looked to Guts with a wistful expression.

"That's the world we inhabit... Guts and I alone."

Stella turned to Bloom in surprise. The two were nothing alike and yet here she was. Then Stella called out in a hoarse voice.

"B-Bloom!"

Bloom pulled out the last knife on her chest strap and cut away at the air. Large bats that had flown at her fell dead to the ground, but not all as one bit own and tore a chunk out of her ear. With a hiss, she let got of Stella and grabbed the bat as she repeatedly stabbed into it. A colony of bats swarmed Bloom and began to tear away at her armor and flesh, even her hair. Stella held up her hands and shot a weak bolt from her body. She was spent, unprepared for any of this and suffered for it. She turned to call out to the frenzied swordsman, but he had vanished. Stella noticed an encroaching shadow that grew below her. Guts had leapt up and brought his sword down on the colony and Bloom. It ran through numerous bats and forced them to scatter, yet stopped above her shoulder. Stella was surprised that it stopped at all as she watched Guts stare down at Bloom. Bloom was dazed and swayed side to side. Her vision became blurry and began to fade.

"Hey. Don't pass out."

With such a casual tone, Stella didn't believer her eyes as Bloom shook herself out of her stupor and smiled. A bright beautiful smile in the face of this blood soaked fiend.

"S-Sorry...!~ I guess I got carried away."

Guts scoffed and ruffled her hair roughly.

"No, you just weren't paying attention. Who's the blonde you were focused on?"

Bloom gestured to Stella.

"This is Stella, she calls herself a fairy! I mean, just look at those wings!"

Guts looked at Stella and raised a brow.

"What wings?"

"Huh? Whaddya mean, what wings, they're right... Oh."

Stella had passed out as her clothes changed into a strange and illustrious dress, though ash and bloodstained now. Bloom reached down for her, but yelped as Guts kicked her legs and tripped onto Stella. Guts crushed the head of a possessed wolf with his fake hand as the bats returned. Ghosts and ghouls floated into view with moans. Guts looked down at Bloom as he readied himself.

"Keep low and keep aware of your surroundings. Don't get distracted."

"You don't have to keep reminding me!"

"You don't have to keep being reckless."

Bloom glared at Guts as she mumbled under her breath.

"Pot calling the kettle black..."

Stella opened her eyes to bright rays of sunlight. A peaceful air with a leaves rustling in the wind. She slept like a rock and woke up with a mighty yawn.

"You're awake."

Stella rubbed her eyes with whine.

"Ugh, what a nightmare. I'm so glad I won't have to see that black sword-wielding freak again."

She turned to see that her resting place was in the lap of said freak. She opened her mouth to scream but he had slapped his hand over it with a shush.

"You'll wake Bloom up. She hasn't slept in a few days."

Stella looked down at Bloom who slept soundly. Her burns and cuts had all healed, even the missing chunk of her ear had returned. She looked peaceful in the wrapped arm of the swordsman.

"If I lower that hand, are you going to let her sleep?"

Stella nodded several times as Guts lowered his hand and ran it through his spiky black hair.

"You said something to Bloom. What was it? She risked her life to keep you alive so she could know."

"I saw! What was all that, crazy stuff going on last night! What was all that?!"

"Don't answer my question with your own."

"Erm... Bloom is a Fairy, like me, so I thought she could come with me to Magix!"

Guts raised a brow at Stella. He put a hand on his neck, right over the Brand.

"You're not human is what you're saying, right?"

"I guess you could say it like that.~"

He groaned but couldn't help like he had finally solved a puzzle piece for a moment. Ever since he met her he had a felt a strange sensation from his Brand. Not pain, nor comfort, something ambiguous. Now he felt it again with Stella.

"So where is, Magix."

Stella pulled out an invitation and postcard with a bright smile.

"This I-"

"Shhh!"

Bloom mumbled and shifted in her sleep. Guts motioned with his hand for Stella to speak quieter.

"A-As I was saying... This is an invitation for my friend, but she refused, so I was going to have Bloom take her place. Magix is a whole separate world from this one where dreams become reality."

Guts rolled his eye for the most part until the last few words.

"Dreams become, reality? What like, a world of ideas?"

Stella nodded with a smile.

"That's actually pretty accurate! Strange creatures and wonderful things await there! Out of this world, literally."

"And Bloom can go to a college there for her magic. That's good."

"Well I don't know why you'd want her to stay considering last night. Which, I'm still waiting on an answer for!"

Guts lowered his head and turned to the side as he showed off his Brand.

"We have this on our bodies. It's called a Brand of Sacrifice. I think the name is self explanatory."

"You two are branded...? Who'd do something so cruel?"

Guts' gaze grew darker.

"A demon. In fact, every night we're hunted by those spirits. No matter where we go, who we meet, always hunting us. So we're always moving. We're the Devil's property now, and nothing in this world will change it."

Stella shrank back for a moment before she proudly held out the postcard.

"In this world maybe, but have you ever been to another?"

"Not really..."

"Well quit your savage life-style and come with us! Bloom can go with me to Alfea, and you can live a new life! Fresh clean slate and everything!"

"You just met me and you think I can just, slip into a clean lifestyle?"

Stella shrugged as she offered a hand.

"Well, maybe! I don't know until I try."

Guts looked down at the hand before he let out a huff.

"Do what you want. It doesn't matter for me."

Stella took back the hand with an offended expression.

"Sheesh, how does she deal with you?"

Bloom spoke up with her eyes still closed.

"You get used to it after you get to know him."

Stella only blinked at Bloom before she threw her hands up in the air.

"Whatever! You're both crazy, but you're not bad people. C'mon, I can take us all there right now!"

Guts stood up as Bloom stretched with a few pops from her body. Stella dropped the postcard and watched it expand to this size of a large door. A translucent light emanated from it as Stella hopped right in.

"Nothing to it you two!~"

They watched Stella fall into the portal until she was completely gone. Bloom looked down at her feet and rubbed her arm.

"Uh, Guts?"

"What? Second thoughts already?"

"No! But... Would you, want me to leave?"

Guts turned his back to her as he began to enter the portal.

"I'd have a lot more quiet time to myself again, and wouldn't have to share food."

"..."

"I'd be without a lot of firepower too. It's up to you if you want to stay or go."

She looked up at him and shouted out.

"But what about you!? I-I know why you do what you do... Isn't this going to get in the way of that?"

Guts nearly fell in but stopped. He caressed the Brand on his body as his smile crept onto his face. A smile he made sure Bloom didn't see, but the thought... His thoughts that came from Stella's words, and the numerous Apostles he had slain.

"The Five God Hand exists in a realm above this one. They influence our world from there and use Apostles as their errand boys. Stella said that Magix is a realm where anything can happen... Wouldn't you think a doorway to them would be there? Or even that they reside there to begin with?"

Bloom feared it, but knew better. Guts never strayed from his path down into darkness, no matter how hard she tried to pull him into the light.

"You're only going for revenge... Always for revenge."

Guts grabbed the hilt of his sword.

"I do what I want, as you have too. So don't try to preach to me."

He turned to look back at her with his eye. The same cold and heartless stare he gave her when they had first met.

"When we get out on the other side, we should go our separate ways."

Bloom felt a sharp pain for a moment. For only a moment, it left a feeling of great betrayal, she felt like she had a sudden weight on her.

"I never asked for you to be with me, and no one asked you to stay."

"I-I'm like you!"

"No. You're not."

Before she could say another word, he leapt into the portal. Bloom didn't know how to take this. She did the only thing she knew how, and followed after him.