While the sun set on that day, the Evoker of the Demon Horde walked down a sidewalk, headed to the hotel where he and his allied Flame Hazes had agreed to meet up before skipping town. Hidden within the suit under his poncho was the objective he had just obtained at the cost of the blood of an entire platoon plus one clever son of a bitch. He grinned to himself wickedly. Hell would soon be raised, and the entire world would burn in the fires of total war, and he would revel in it.

His features softened at the thought of what would happen at the end of it. So many would die indeed, for everyone, but it would all finally be over and done with.

But not many would agree with his view. Oh no, they would not. But it was a necessary step; one could only relieve themself of a fatal infection by cutting off the limb, after all. But they were all too soft, not a single one of them was capable of taking the steps that needed to be done.

For peace of mind, he patted the inner pocket that carried the Flame Haze-killing revolver.

The Heart's Swelling

"Okay everyone, brace yourselves," Yuji warned to those around him. Gathered nearby, in a spot where they were sure had nothing in place to begin with, were his friends, Kazumi Yoshida, Keisaku Satou, and Matake Ogata, tightly holding the hand of both her friend Shana and her nee-san-by-proxy Margery Daw. Next to them was the unconscious Pheles, on the ground by the tired and crouching Hecate.

The Mystes began to float skyward in that crimson Seal, his eyes assessing all the damage that had been done. From where he hovered, he could see it all: everything around them for miles—cars, people, structures of concrete, steel, and glass—everything had been torn apart in that furious struggle between the two almighty Crimson Lord females. It would take plenty of control and effort to manage to piece the entire broken puzzle together again, not to mention immense amounts of Power of Existence.

He looked down towards Hecate, who met his eyes with what seemed to be a passive and indifferent expression, but he knew what she really felt. She was staring back at him with a face that told him she trusted him. He was ready for this, this would be but one of the fruits of his training.

He took a deep breath and began to weave a spell in his mind. The Power to Exist could be shaped and molded to suit the user's needs and desires; it could be given tangible or intangible form and manifest itself in the very fabric of reality to realize the impossible. He utilized that power now, and cast his arms sideward, and from his being, numerous cords of unreadable glowing text spread out in every direction. With this string of arcane characters, he bound himself to every corner of the devastated ruins, all in order to both speed up the process as well as make it less strenuous on his part.

"I don't suppose you taught him that," Margery asked the Priestess in a low voice. Hecate did not answer her, nor was she obligated to, but the fact was that she never did teach Yuji to manipulate his powers like that. Her face showed no surprise, nor did that emotion manifest within herself, for she knew from the beginning that the young man had a talent for Methods unrestricted to the mundane world.

The floating Mystes grasped all of the eldritch symbols in his hand, binding them together in a tight grip. It glowed with a faint blue light which gradually became brighter as he poured his own Power of Existence into it.

"Will this really work?" Ogata asked to no one in particular in a soft, quivering voice. "Will this really bring back Tanaka and everyone?"

Shana nodded with a straight expression as she answered. "Yuji might be strange and insufferable, but I've seen him pull off more unbelievable things." For a brief moment, her eyes strayed to the Supreme Throne, who agreed with her own indecipherable gaze.

Slowly, steadily, entire chunks of debris and split buildings levitated into the air before assembling themselves in the very spots from where they had been recently demolished. Many of these large pieces of concrete hovered across several roads, having been blown in various directions by the unrelenting hurricane of the determined Pheles.

"Duck," Keisaku warned the others calmly yet urgently, and they all went down to their knees as a large part of the base of the high school drifted just a few feet above their heads before returning to its former position.

As the buildings around them—too many of which were already difficult to count—began to mend with nary a scar of their prior destruction, cars flipped right side up and repositioned themselves in their former spaces; humans who had been fatally torn to shreds or even downright obliterated regenerated from their reconnecting remains; and all trace of battle within that area was erased.

The process took a long time—at least thirty minutes—due to the excessive levels of destruction, but thankfully, the Mystes possessed more than enough Power of Existence within himself to both repair all of the damage as well as maintain his own Fuzetsu.

When it was all over, the Mystes descended quicker than he would have liked, almost falling all the way, and collapsed as soon as his feet touched the ground. At the same time, the crimson sky returned to its natural color, and Hecate, Kazumi, and even Shana rushed over to his side. As they neared, the Mystes, although breathing heavily, struggled to get up again, but found himself lacking the physical endurance for it.

So this is why Sydonay said I needed the stamina. Guess for people like me, it's a little separate from Power of Existence.

Indeed, even if a machine had an unlimited power source, it could still overheat. In addition, although his spell had drastically increased his efficiency, calculating repairs at such a level left him with dizzying mental strain. Completely exhausted, his eyes began to drift shut.

He awoke to the sound of voices, all of them familiar, and blinked as he let light into his optical orbs. He recognized this place. He had woken up in a similar manner as well, although this time the cause was not an enormous gash at his side.

"Satou's house?"

Unlike last time, he felt his head on something soft. It wasn't a pillow, it was even more cushy and smooth, and felt quite warm. It also happened to smell very nice. It was a familiar scent, but he couldn't remember where he had discovered it before.

Turning his head to the left, he found himself staring right into Hecate's face. Just like him a few seconds ago, she was out like a light, fatigued from both the long and eventful day as well as her battle with the equally strong Beautiful Whim.

The boy's face flushed slightly pink as he continued to stare at the face of the cute and sweet girl he loved. It wasn't long until he realized that his head was resting on her lap, and it made him even happier. Even when she was this tired, she was still so caring. As long as she was like this, it wouldn't hurt to enjoy the comfort of her warmth.

As he rested with his eyes shut, his ears picked up on the conversation over at the bar across the room.

"So the reason Margery-san is here… is because the Silver she's been hunting down her whole life is incomplete inside of Sakai-kun?"

"Yeah, I won't deny that, but you know…"

Ogata raised her head dejectedly.

"Even after that, I think I'll keep sticking around," Margery said with an honestly content smile. "It's not like I have any other place to go home to."

Ogata's eyes widened at that, and the edges of her lips began to curl upward in relief; and upon seeing Satou with a warm expression on his face as he listened to the blonde Flame Haze's words, the girl let her gladness show more openly.

The expression was momentary, however, when she turned to Eita, who sat on a stool beside her, with a frown.

"But really, to keep a huge secret like this for so long Tanaka? I hate you."

"W-wha?! B-But didn't you just say…"

But Ogata would not hear it and turned a cold shoulder to him. Margery just raised her eyebrow and grinned softly at her stubbornness.

Marchosias, from the Grimoire sitting on the bar's counter, spoke up. "It's no use man, when a woman's like that, she's gonna be stubborn about it, at least for a day. Just give her some time."

Her attention redirected, Ogata stared at the book. "…am I ever going to get used to that? This is all so much to take in really."

"I can relate to that Ogata-chan," Kazumi told her with a gentle smile. "At the least, you've already learned to accept the facts."

"After seeing all that, how could I not?" Ogata said with some melancholy written on her face, the reason for which was known to all those present save for Tanaka.

"In truth, you are actually taking all of this extremely well," Alastor noted from the Cocytus hanging from Shana's neck.

The Flaming-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter nodded in agreement. "Nn, most people would live out the rest of their lives fearfully, not knowing when their existence could vanish in the blink of an eye."

"Well, I think I'll be safe as long as Margery-nee-san's around," Ogata said, then a thought came to her. "Now that I think about it, if Flame Hazes and Crimson Denizens are supposed to be mortal enemies, then how come you and Heca-tan get along so well?"

Shana pouted at that. "I do not."

"Oh don't give me that, you've already gained a reputation for being the very definition of a tsundere," Ogata said with a teasing grin.

"It helps that she's willingly spared her life on a couple of occasions," Margery said, to Shana's chagrin. The older Flame Haze was not going to let slip a chance to sting her fellow's pride.

"Also, while it's true that Hecate-chan did bad things in the past, she's become truly kind and caring," Kazumi said, taking a brief look at the slumbering Priestess, "and more human-like, not to mention a good friend."

Of all the people to lose to, she did not mind it being her.

The younger Flame Haze continued to defend herself. "Besides, Wilhelmina was close friends with the Beautiful Whim, so it's not at all strange."

"Really, that's news to me," Margery said with a smirk on her face. "I mean, I'd heard the rumors, but her of all people?"

"Speaking of which, what do we do about her?" Keisaku voiced out. "I don't like her being around just downstairs, even if Hecate's big sister and the old guy are keeping an eye on her."

"For now, she will be under my watch."

That soft, breathy voice originated from the green-haired girl currently giving a certain boy a lap pillow.

"For how long have you been awake?" Margery asked.

"Only just now," Hecate said, lovingly caressing Yuji's scalp. The boy opened his eyes in response with an equally affectionate smile.

"Hey guys, anyone know the time?" the young Mystes asked, tilting his head in the direction of his friends.

"Eight thirty-two," Keisaku answered him. "You've been out for a while."

"I gotta get home then, at least for tonight," Yuji told them as he sat up from Hecate's lap. "I wouldn't want mom to get worried with me staying out so late."

Hecate gave him a look that told him she understood, and stood up from her seat. "I have to go as well," she said. "With the manor destroyed, we will have to relocate to another hideout."

Yuji blinked in surprise at that. "Destroyed? What happened? Did any of those three Flame Hazes attack Bel Peol? Why wasn't there a Fuzetsu over the area?"

"Bel Peol will explain," the Crimson Lord girl said, leading the way out. Looking over her shoulder, she let a small smile form on her lips. "But no matter what happens, I will not miss the last day of the festival. Because the war has begun, it's all the more reason to make a good memory."

Yuji and their friends followed them out of the room, save for Ogata and Eita, who chose to remain.

The two teenagers stood side-by-side in awkward silence, averting their eyes when they had attempted to look at one another. Many minutes passed, and nothing had occurred other than the occasional nervous shuffling of feet or fidgeting of hands.

Finally, the female spoke in a voice as low as that of a mouse.

"I'm really glad you're alive, Tanaka…"

Eita smiled in relief at her admission. "I owe Sakai big time for getting you out of there safely."

Ogata nodded quietly, and silence filled the room again, but less uncomfortably this time.

"So, what now?"

The girl crossed her arms with a frown. "Well, I've already been dragged into this, so I might as well make sure you don't get put in danger again."

Eita turned to her, waving his hands in panic. "Wait, you can't mean-."

She faced him, looking at him right in his little eyes. "That's right, from now on, you're not leaving me out of your adventures."

"B-But Oga-chan, it's too dangerous. You could get killed!"

"Tanaka, of the two of us, who's always been the more sensible one? I won't get hurt so easily you know."

"That's beside the point!"

"Listen, you've been fighting alongside Satou and Margery-nee-san for a while. How do you think I feel about that, you twit?"

"Then I can qu-!"

Bop.

"No, that's not an option either. I don't want to abandon them just because it'll get dangerous for either of us. Either way, we're already involved, and we can't turn a blind eye to any of this, even if we want to keep each other safe. At the very least, we have to see this through to the end. They're our friends Tanaka, and if we leave them for our own sakes… then we'll only look back at this point in our lives with regret."

"Oga-chan…"

The more he thought about it, she was right. He came very close to turning away from Margery-nee-san's world, the world Keisaku had already apparently committed himself into joining, in order to keep Ogata safe. And it would have been justified as well, they wouldn't blame him for it, a small part of him believed that. But Ogata was a stubborn girl with her heart in the right place: quitting was never in her vocabulary, and it was one of the things he loved about her.

The girl spoke again, her face turning a bit red as she faced away. "I lied, you know? I don't… really hate you. I… I still love you… Tanaka."

"Oga-chan," Eita said again, and he hesitantly touched her finger with his hand. Shyly, the girl took a hold of it with a couple of her fingers, still facing away from him.

"Well, it's easy to see who wears the pants in this relationship," Margery teased, returning to the room alongside Keisaku.

Ogata's face immediately burned bright red at their sudden reappearance. Pointing at the Chanter of Elegies, she made her counter attack.

"L-Like it's any different for you, Margery-nee-san!"

"Actually, believe it or not, that kid's been the only guy to ever put her in her place!" Marchosias abruptly revealed, still rested on the counter. "I suppose maybe that's why she's so—GURBGHHHGLL!"

Margery's heel hammered into his cover.

"Sh-Shut up! Stupid Marco," said a very embarrassed Margery. Ogata couldn't help but giggle at seeing this flustered side of her and Tanaka's dear Margery-nee-san.

On his way home, Yuji thought back to what Bel Peol had told him while the two of them were alone.

"During the fight between Hecate and the Beautiful Whim, the Spiral Organ and I were attacked by human soldiers from the Japanese military. While we did manage to erase any trace of what you would call supernatural, the fact stands that this proves that at the very least, people in the Japanese government are out for our blood. This isn't any coincidence, it's a declaration of war. But by whom? The humans couldn't have possibly discovered about our existence, unless they were approached by the Flame Hazes. But what exactly they could gain by sacrificing those mortal pawns continues to elude me."

For that matter, Southvalley wasn't around when Hecate was so focused on fighting Pheles, Yuji said to himself. It was his chance to come in and make his move. Could he have been afraid of facing Bel Peol and Margery-san? No, that can't be it; he could beat Margery-san by himself, and the other two might be able to hold off Bel Peol for long enough. So why send in humans instead? Decoys maybe? But for what? What is he really trying to gain here? For that matter, how did he manage to sic them on Bal Masque to begin with? Was he willing to expose the entire masquerade, the traumatizing and harsh truth of the world, for all to know?

There's no way that would have been it. No one was that foolish or cruel.

Entering his home, he found his mother alone at the dining table, with an untouched meal for three gone cold before her.

"Oh, Yu-chan, welcome home," she greeted him with a smile, but something was off about it, yet Yuji couldn't figure why.

"I'm back mom," the young man replied.

"Has it been a long day?"

"You have no idea." The Mystes turned his head from side to side. "Where's dad?"

"He stepped out this afternoon, though he didn't really say why, but it seemed to be really important," Chigusa said, standing up to reheat the dishes. "Come and sit down, I'm sure he'll be back eventually."

That same night, the Flaming-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter confronted the Evoker of the Demon Horde and his companions herself on the streets. Clad in her black cape and her hair blazing in a fiery crimson, her burning red eyes looked right into those of the composed God of the Earth.

"Dazzling Blaze Shana, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Southvalley said, feigning innocence. Behind him, Chiara and Sale exchanged an unsure glance.

The Flaming-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but she did not show any sign of killing intent, at least not yet.

"I'll be direct. Why are you leaving already?" she questioned the senior Flame Haze.

The Evoker of the Demon Horde simply shrugged. "Flame Hazes are territorial by nature, are we not? As it is, three more would surely mean overstaying our welcome rather quickly, don't you think?" he explained. "If you happen to wonder what brought us here in the first place, I could ask the same of you, had I not known already: you wanted to confirm something for yourself, just as I have. And before you accuse me of not taking the chance to take the Reiji Maigo during that scuffle earlier, let me just point out that you probably had a lot more chances than I did at this point, so why didn't you?"

Shana's eyes widened, and her mouth parted slightly, surprised at the reasoning of the Flame Haze reputed for warmongering and bloodlust. Southvalley grinned at her reaction and continued.

"Do we really have anything to talk about here, Dazzling Flame?" he said, leaving behind some parting words as he continued on his way right past her. "After all, in the end, we're on the same side, aren't we?"

Shana continued to stand there, even as Chiara and Sale followed after their leader with a doubtful look towards her, not knowing what she could say in response. She had come here, to intercept the Evoker of the Demon Horde just on his way out of the city, with no plan whatsoever in mind. All she wanted was an answer to the nagging feeling she, Yuji, and the members of Bal Masque shared ever since that day had begun, and even now, she was not satisfied, but she had nothing to work with either.

"We was not lying," Alastor told her. "But he was not telling the truth either."

"Then why do I still feel uneasy?" the Flaming-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter asked.

"If it's all the same, Sale and I don't have any idea why we're really here either," Chiara Toscana spoke from behind her back, having not actually progressed any further after passing her fellow Flame Haze. Leaving her own words for her fellow Flame Haze, she continued after her companions. "But whatever happens, I wish you luck."

Even later into the night, Yuji sat cross-legged on his bed. His father had still not returned, but that did not bother him; being his son, he was certain the older man would be just fine. It took some effort, however, to convince himself that the subtle tension in his mother was nothing serious.

With his hands on his knees, he closed his eyes, and tried to recall how Hecate had communed with her Master in the past. With his sixth sense, he groped into the medium beneath reality, feeling for the faint, familiar avenue of ethereal will from whence a certain Crimson God had drawn him in through during the few times he had spoken to him directly in the past.

This time, it would be the Mystes coming to him.

Keeping his breathing steady, he moved his consciousness both outward as well as inward into the Reiji Maigo at the same time, seeking out the dimension from where he could find the will of the sealed deity. Within his Treasure, there was a bridge to where his consciousness needed to traverse: the Psalms of the Grand Order, but he wished to go further, and he followed the spell's signature into a vast void not a part of this world, to its place of origin.

Eventually, he found himself in that same dark space where he had first encountered him. It was not the deep vacuum within the Reiji Maigo that also housed Johann, this one was the same realm where incomplete lands with varying structures had been scattered in every direction, like floating islands in a wide empty vastness.

Planting his feet onto one of the islands, he called out.

"Snake of the Festival! Please speak with me, there is something I must learn!"

There was no response, and the silence in that void was ever deepening.

"Snake of the Festival! Please, trust me with your knowledge!"

Again, there was no answer. The Mystes projected his will again.

"This is for Hecate's sake!"

Stillness continued to rain, but only for a moment. A gargantuan eye, reptilian in nature, unshut its lids and gazed down on the Mystes. He recognized this massive globe, and who it belonged to.

"For you to be able to seek me out this time, you have grown much stronger in such a short span of time," the Snake of the Festival praised him. "Until now, only the Priestess has ever been able to initiate a connection with me."

"After she taught me all the fundamentals of Unrestricted Methods, I have a feeling coming up with just the right spells might be a lot easier than I thought at first," Yuji admitted. "That aside, trying to contact you was really tough. And Hecate used to do that every day?"

"The Snake seemed to smile. "It will become easier the more you are used to doing it."

"You still haven't spoken to her?"

"I will contact my daughter again, but not now, not yet. While I am proud that she has grown more independent from me, I do not wish to remind her of her duty until the right time comes."

"I'll take your word for it. She really misses you, you know?"

"I know. So, what is it that you wished to learn, Yuji Sakai?" the Snake of the Festival asked. "Since it was you who came to meet me, our time would only be limited by your power, as well as the strength to maintain it. You may ask me of anything, so long as it truly is for the benefit of Hecate or my subjects."

The Mystes faced the deity with a look of determination. "I want you to teach me about the whole Grand Order."

"The Grand Order? You wish to involve yourself in the entirety of my plot, knowing that there is no turning back from this point?"

"Yes. Whether I like it or not, everything around me will change anyway. If I don't do anything, I will regret it. This city, let alone the world, will move on even if I leave. And if I'm going to change Hecate's fate as the Priestess, or even just bend it a little so that she may live on, I need to learn everything. From Synchronizing with Hecate, all I found were her feelings at the time, with no real details about what it really is. I know I could ask Bel Peol, but I felt it was just more right if I asked the orchestrator himself."

"I understand, very well," satisfied, the Snake of the Festival began. "First, my consciousness must once again reside in your realm, and for this, we have already prepared a vessel."

"The Tyrant," Yuji referred to the Silver by its true name.

"Correct, it is to be my body in your realm, although I am considering the possibility of possessing another, seeing as the empty shell still lacks a fundamental element in order to fully function, an element you already possess."

"Go on," Yuji said, neither accepting nor denying the implied proposal he had been presented with.

"The second stage is to pull my real body from out of this abyss caused by the Eternal Pitfall, no doubt you have seen it from Hecate's earliest memories."

Yuji nodded.

"The final stage is to use the Psalm of the Grand Order to fulfill the wish of the collective Crimson Denizens. With the power of the Reiji Maigo and the Psalm, a new world apart from yours, and yet also parallel and mirroring it, will be born. Order will be restored to your realm as a side effect, for surely all Crimson Denizens will flock to the new paradise created, leaving behind that which they had once consumed. And with no one to fight, the Flame Hazes may live the rest of their lives in peace as well."

"A plan where everyone wins, is that what you've thought out?"

"Indeed, but I have no intention of letting anyone stop it. Should anyone, Flame Haze or Crimson Denizen attempt to disrupt it, they will surely perish. The first time, I was more forgiving, and truthfully, more naïve; this time will be much different."

"What about the Psalms, can you teach the whole thing to me?"

"The Psalms of the Grand Order is composed of eighty two highly complex Unrestricted Methods, each writing and rewriting the rules of the universe in the fabric of new and existing realities. Just to study it would take decades, even for you, and that is time you do not have, and using an Unrestricted Method for the task will only damage your body and mind. Forgive me, Yuji Sakai, but that is something only for the Priestess."

"I understand," Yuji said, nodding appreciatively. "That's all I wanted to talk about for now. Thank you for taking the time."

The Snake of the Festival appeared amused by the tone of his voice. "Suffice to say, I do not really have many things to do around here."

The young man smiled. Stepping off the platform and back into space, he spoke to the Crimson God in a more conversational tone now.

"You know, you're a lot more talkative than I thought you were."

The Snake of the Festival smiled inwardly. "And you continue to exceed my expectations, Yuji Sakai."

Yuji Sakai yawned as he walked side by side with Hecate amidst the stands on the school grounds. After taking a small bite from her hazelnut waffle sandwich, she turned to him with a look of concern.

"Didn't you get much sleep?" she asked him.

The Mystes took the effort to smile at her reassuringly. "I'll be fine, I just had a long night self-training, that's all." He reminded himself that she would not like him being able to communicate with her father and Master when she still could not, but he had to tell her someday.

"Try not to overdo it, Yuji," Hecate told him. "I know you want to become stronger because of the war, but what is the point of risking our final moments of peace when you are too tired to enjoy it."

Yuji scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "You have a point," he said. But his eyes were ever vigilant, expecting some agent of the Japanese government or Outlaw to be watching them, but throughout the whole day, he would find no one with any of the subtle telltale signs. Why that was so, he did not understand; after yesterday's events, it was clear that the Japanese government, possibly working alongside Outlaw, viewed Bal Masque as a terrorist threat, and while soldiers did roam the streets—enough of them that Yuji and Hecate were forced to travel by flight—with the city being under martial law, this was the one place that seemed to remain undisturbed. But why? At the moment, it just did not make sense.

Continuing to be watchful for Hecate's sake, he accompanied the Priestess the whole time. At one point, as the girl completely dominated a ball-throwing game with her impeccable aim, he raised a question.

"So, Hecate, how is Pheles doing back at your hideout?"

The point between both of the Priestess' brows twitched slightly. "She continues to be persistent..."

At the top floor of a high-class hotel, Pheles continued to struggle against the chain binding her, but even with her immense strength, it was a vain effort. The Judge of Paradoxes was presently away, with only Lamies to watch over the prisoner. While the Beautiful Whim had been spared enough Power of Existence to continue living for a good long while on this earthly plane, there was no need to worry for her escape, as the spells embedded in the fragment of Tartaros was enough to restrain the Crimson Lord.

"Please cease your struggle, Beautiful Whim," the Spiral Organ pleaded kindly. "You will only bring more harm to yourself."

"No," Pheles spat as she continued to struggle. "As long as I live, I will not stop in bringing back Johann,"

Lamies made a small mental note of how she didn't even insert the word "try", she was really intending to do it.

"A compromise then?" Lamies offered. His ears only heard more futile grunts in response. "As long as the Supreme Throne is present, she will ensure that the present Mystes of the Reiji Maigo is never removed from the equation. You of all people would understand that she loves him as much as you love Johann."

Hearing his reasoning, Pheles lessened her efforts, but did not stop completely.

"But I am sure she also understands what you are going through, so I believe she would agree with this deal, should you take it: once they have completed the task set before them, Johann will be freed to reunite with you safely, and during that time, you both will be at liberty to continue existing, even without the Reiji Maigo."

"You promise this?" Pheles said with a threatening yet desperate glare. While it sounded too good to be true, she was still very much uncertain and untrusting.

"I promise," Lamies said without hesitation, and for a moment, he too possessed a look in his eyes reflecting complete empathy.

"You really think you can beat me, Shana-chan?" Ogata said to her rival with a fierce grin.

"Did you already forget what happened yesterday?" the Flame Haze replied with a similar expression.

Between them, Hecate simply stared at her objective with a passive expression.

"The Girls' Eating Contest staaaaaarts, NOW!" the emcee yelled, and the three girls, along with several other ladies of varying size, dug in to the ramen bowls before them, courtesy of Supersize Heaven.

Hecate was among the first to be out, having only managed to complete two bowls before raising her hand and rejoining Yuji's side. The spectators watched with awe as the feminine sex showed just what they were made of as they continued to inhale the ridiculous portions of food.

"How does she do that?!" Keisaku said with much astonishment directed towards Ogata.

"Girl's got plenty of metabolism if she can eat that much and still stay slim," Margery noted abreast of him.

"Well, Oga-chan told me once that she started eating more so that she could get bigger-."

"Don't you dare say finish that sentence Tanaka!" Ogata yelled at her boyfriend with a red face before continuing the contest.

Another supersized bowl later, and over half of the female competitors were out, due to either overstuffing, stomach pains, or dietary guilt. Only the reputably chubby remained, along with two thin girls for which food just seemed to vanish into.

"W-wow, those two are amazing," Kazumi continued to watch her two friends with wonder, being just your average girl who would barely manage even one of those monstrous dishes.

After a total of five bowls, even the larger schoolgirls were forced to forfeit, and only Shana and Ogata remained, clutching their stomachs and breathing heavily, but still pushing through with the tenacity and stubbornness of the most bull-headed men.

"Don't expect me to lose so easily this time, Shana-chan," Ogata told her rival.

"Likewise," Shana replied, and prepared for what would likely produce the winner of this contest.

"Since the last two participants have lasted this long, the final piece will be a treat!" the emcee announced. "They will have to do battle with a Super Mega Extravagant Chocolate Sea Everest Super Parfait!"

The final round was exactly as advertised: a huge, fancy glass filled from the bottom-up to a snowy mound of ice cream, covered in three different fudge sauces and covered in all manner of sweet, delicious toppings that included a couple of two-foot-long biscuit rolls.

"Was it really necessary to give it a name with two 'Super's?" Keisaku said in a low, exasperated tone, earning a snicker from the blonde Flame Haze.

While most of those watching eyed the treat with envy and desire, Shana and Ogata groaned with sickly faces. As good as it seemed, it was such a waste that they couldn't fully enjoy it with their stomachs already pushing past their full capacity.

"Still, Ogata-san recovered pretty quickly, if she can still go about her day like this," Yuji noted.

"It's because of what happened yesterday that she has to keep acting like she always has, even if she has to force herself," Keisaku told him. "She's always been one to take things in stride."

"Really?"

Keisaku grinned. "How else do you think she's put up with me and Tanaka all these years?"

"It does help that she has good friends from both sides," Kazumi told Yuji, gone through it all herself.

With trembling hands, Shana and Ogata lifted their utensils and gobbled a single spoonful of the huge parfait. At the same time, they both fell face forward, finally succumbing to their bodies' agony.

"Oh, a draw," Hecate observed plainly.

After the eating contest, Yuji continued to accompany Hecate while she admired flowers and little animals of folded paper on display in one of the classrooms, laughed at the manzai that was currently being showcased in another room, fearlessly walked through a test of courage—even frightening the costumed ghouls, and indulged herself in more games and sweets.

Sooner than she would have liked, the festival ended without further incident, and the students began to clear out the classrooms and the school grounds, some with relief, notably Ike, and others with reluctance, and a few with tears.

However, two students decided to skip out on the initial clean up duty.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Shana-chan," Ogata said, waving goodbye at her friend before departing with Eita, Keisaku, and Margery.

The Flaming-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter waved back as she saw them off together with Kazumi at the school gate.

"Ready to go home, Shana-chan?" Kazumi said to the Flame Haze. "We still have to drop by the grocery store."

"Un," Shana nodded her head and led the way. "Thanks for offering to teach me how to cook for myself."

"It's fine, I needed a distraction," Kazumi muttered behind her with a melancholic smile.

Shana glanced back towards her. "What was that?"

The human girl forced a smile. "It's nothing, Shana-chan."

"Hm," Shana stared at her for a moment before continuing on. "If only Wilhelmina or Sophie could be here. Maybe I could invite them next year."

She heard the girl behind her let out a giggle, and immediately blushed. "I-It's not that I had a lot of fun," the Flame Haze denied with a pout, "it's just that I want to share some good memories with someone I'm close to too."

A tsundere, just like Ogata had said she was. "I understand," Kazumi replied, amused by her friend's response. "Do you really plan on coming back here for the next festival?"

"Assuming the inevitable war is over by then."

That's right, both she and Hecate were going to war; this would probably be one of the last times that the two of them would see each other as friends before they had to fight each other.

"By the way, do you have any idea why the Supreme Throne and Yuji decided to stick around even after the festival's over?" Shana asked.

The bitter knowledge to answer the Flame Haze drove into Kazumi's heart like a sword; but she mustered the strength to answer with a smile.

"There's something only Sakai-kun can do for her."

Shana understood the implications behind her words immediately, for it was her who gave Yuji the final push to begin with. "Oh, really?" she said, trying to hold back the unknown feeling inside of her which she could not comprehend. "That idiot finally got around to it, did he?"

Kazumi giggled again. "Yes, I believe calling Sakai-kun an idiot wouldn't be a stretch from the truth."

Hecate stared down from the edge of the school roof, taking in the sight of the now mostly-empty school grounds. While there was still much to deal with for the next day inside the building, the students had busied themselves with tidying what they could outside. Yuji and Hecate simply watched the entire time, undisturbed.

"It's sad," Hecate said to him in her soft voice as her hands rested on the railing, "the end of this festival marks the final days this kind of life for me. But I had a lot of fun, and I made plenty of happy memories, and I made many friends." She closed her eyes with content. "I could not wish for anything more than this: I became my own acknowledged existence, thanks to you and everyone, even the Flaming-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter."

"In the brief time you've spent together, you would consider her a friend too?"

Hecate let out a soft giggle and opened her emerald eyes. "No, she's still my mortal enemy, but at the very least, we've come to an understanding, one that only enemies could share."

"Oh? I suppose I won't really get that myself right now without my own nemesis, but there are all kinds of bonds, aren't there?"

Hecate nodded with a smile. "Yes, there are," she said. "Now that I think about it, this is the place where you first became friends with Fumina Konoe, who continues to be a part of my whole existence up to today, and it was that small moment which began everything."

"Back then, I honestly just wanted to save Konoe-san from her loneliness, and I suppose, that extended to you in the beginning," Yuji admitted.

"So, you pitied me, or rather, my fragment?" Hecate said, but without a hint of accusation, and the Mystes could sense that.

"Something like that, but it's different now."

She turned to him now, the orange glow of the sun radiating her figure, and the Mystes faced her in response.

"You took me up here for a reason, what is it?" the girl asked, and the boy took a moment to compose the nervousness he had been trying to hide for a while now.

"Hecate, we've been through so much together, we've been there for each other in times of danger, and times of peace, sad times, happy times, and through each other, we have both gained much," he began. "You let me see you at your most vulnerable, you shared your past to me, and in turn, I gave you my own. In what you would call a very small span of time, we became the closest of friends, and we came to understand each other."

"But for me, it's not enough," Yuji said, taking one step closer to her, and the girl continued to meet his gaze. "Even after learning so much about you, I still want to know more about you. No matter how much we spend together in our eternal lives, I will never be able to fully grasp you, and the time we have together will never be enough." He took another step forward. "Just like all Denizens, I'm greedy. I want to be with you more. I want to share all of my existence with you." Yet another step. "I want to stay together with you..."

He stopped just in front of her, and the girl stood in place, looking up at the boy's face. Their eyes, so close to each other now, took in each other deeply.

"…because I love you, Hecate."

And she smiled. While it was but a small curl on her tiny lips, it was a smile so warm, sincere, and serene that he had not seen ever since that day they had Synchronized.

"I love you too, Yuji," she replied to his confession honestly.

They held each other's hands, intertwining their fingers together. She stood on tiptoes, and he bent forward at the same time, so that their faces could draw nearer to one another. Their lips met, and it was the sweetest, warmest feeling ever. This was a kiss, a real kiss, one that seemed to span for eons of bliss, deepening with every passing second.

For what seemed to be an eternity, they shared all of one another's feelings with each other through that physical bridge, and when they finally parted, their faces were a touch pink, but they were also smiling.

They were both very happy.

Yuji landed just a few blocks from his home and walked with a spring in his step. Today was the happiest he had ever felt, and he was sure that it was only the beginning. Even when he and Hecate would leave this city to fight for Bal Masque, it wouldn't change; they would protect each other not because they had to, but because they wanted to continue being with each other.

He stopped in his tracks when he found the front door of his house wide open, with signs of forced entry. With sudden anxiety suddenly gripping his heart, he rushed in.

"Mom?!"

"Yu-chan!"

Chigusa was seated at the dining table, flanked by two men with serious features and postures both straight and highly guarded, showing no opening. These were the kind of people he was expecting to show up earlier today.

These two men turned to the young man immediately.

"Yuji Sakai-kun, we believe you have information regarding the terrorist organization in the city," one of them said.

"You're coming with us," said the other.

In unison, the two of them clasped their hand on Yuji's shoulder and tried to move him out of the house. But the Mystes did not budge, and he took a good look at his mother. She was visibly distraught, mortified even, and something inside him began to snap.

"Get out, both of you," Yuji said with a voice as cold as ice, and the two agents released their hold, their hands shaking, although they knew not why. They were about to take the young man again, this time more forcefully, when he spoke again, this time with more commanding tone.

"I said, get out."

The two men paled instantly, and one of them had the misfortune of looking right into his eyes. They were so dark, so deep, like an abyss that threatened to swallow his soul.

He wet his pants. He very nearly fainted as well, but his raw instinct telling him to run like hell and put as many miles behind him as possible was more dominant, and with his partner following after him, they clumsily ran out of the house, wailing in utter fright.

Yuji walked after them with steady steps to make sure they left, and stopped at the door. Twenty soldiers of the Japanese forces revealed themselves out in the open before him, having set themselves up in ambush after watching the young man obliviously enter his house while they had been in hiding.

But none of them could hurt him, not with the way he was now. As they were, they were like flies before Goliath. But with his mother still in harm's way, they needed to be dealt with, as pesky as these creatures were.

Subconsciously, the power inside of him leaked out, and his mere presence petrified everyone in the immediate vicinity, whether or not they knew why, and Yuji glared at the foolish soldiers with such a burning fury and intense coldness, his gaze powerful and menacing, that he appeared to be an existence so vast and menacing that he towered above them like a mighty beast.

He uttered a single statement with a frigid tone. "Do you any of you really want to do this?"

Every battle-hardened soldier there that took even one look at him or heard his words felt an intense feeling of terror wash over their very body and soul. The grip on their guns loosened, their hands shook, and they found themselves quickly covered in cold sweat. Just what was this kid that he could instill such unadulterated fear into every fiber of their being with just a single look? To each and everyone present, it was not as if they were looking at a young human male, but a monstrous demon that could end them with a blink.

Losing all control of their bodies and minds, the soldiers dropped their weapons and fled, wailing in such deep fear akin to madness.

With a deep breath, Yuji composed himself once more, and returned to his mother. She, at the least, was the one person his anger did not want to affect.

"What did they want, mom?"

"Yu-chan," Chigusa's trembling voice began. She looked at him with sorrow all over her face and tears streaming down her eyes. He had never seen her like this before, and her expression brought a feeling of dread to him.

"Your father was killed."

Author's Note: We have finally reached a major turning point. Thank you all for continuing to support this story so far, and I would very much like your reviews and thoughts on the story thus far.