I don't really have anything to say to start this chapter, but I do want to say thank you to the guest reviewers for the past few chapters. Every review means a lot to me, whether they're good or bad since they help me learn of how you folks feel. I'm so very glad for your continued support and I hope to keep living up to your expectations. Now, Imma get outta your hair so that you can read the chapter.


Chapter 53: The Loss and Gains of War II

The very day after Issei's return to life, he had already re-established his relationship with Sylderia, his first love, and was now on his way to try and repair his relationship with Brynhildr.

It would've been more expected to have gone to Artemis, her being his official second love and all, but, Issei knew better. Bryhildr was in worse shape, considering how she had become suicidal, with rapid-fire mood swings occurring at random.

It felt wrong to be logical but that was just how it had to be. He needed to go to the ones who were in worse shape and it wasn't exactly possible to bring everyone together. Besides, he wanted to talk to each of them, one-on-one. Some words were best said alone with others.

When he arrived in Asgard, he didn't care for introducing himself to Odin or anyone else right now. Right now, he wanted to see Brynhildr without pause. Warping in front of the door to Brynhildr's room, he was about to knock before Sylderia spoke up.

"I'll go tell Odin that we're here." She smiled, despite seeming a bit saddened.

Even though she was being supportive, Issei knew that deep down, she wasn't very comfortable just yet. There had never been any intimacy between him and another woman in front of her before, at least, not reciprocated on both sides, anyways.

Truthfully, she had matured significantly since their days in Atlantis. Before, she'd never be willing to share him with any other woman, wanting to keep him to herself. Now, she was accepting of the idea of sharing him with others. She doubted that she alone could reverse all of the damage done to his spirit and psyche, anymore. She also understood that Issei was a man that would attract others, and if she denied the ones in love with him, she'd only be controlling the path of his life. She couldn't be selfish, not with him. He'd been a slave to destiny for too long, he didn't need to be a slave to her feelings too.

When she disappeared into the hallway, Issei jumped, yanking his head around to face the door after a very loud bang. An echoing crash had echoed from the threshold as metal clangs and shattering glass were muffled from behind the door.

"NO! LET ME GO! I NEED TO BE WITH HIM!"

Issei froze for a moment, listening intently.

"Brynhildr, please calm down!"

"No, let me go! I-I have to…"

"Get that thing away from her!"

That was the last straw. Banging the door open, Issei caught the attention of everyone within the room, one of them being Anti-Brynhildr. All eyes snapped on him, confused and startled by the sudden and loud interest. Issei frowned, glaring at the broken glass in Brynhildr's hand that contained some unknown liquid. While it was hard to kill a god with mortal instruments, Brynhildr was only half a goddess, her other half being of mortal descent, making her more easily vulnerable to the same weaknesses that plagued humans.

"She's all yours." Anti-Brynhildr gestured towards her main counterpart. She had already been informed of Issei's mission, so she opted to just let him work his magic.

Coming to the conclusion that she tried to poison herself, Issei took the glass bottle from her hand with his telekinesis. Unsurprisingly, she had a strong grip on it, latching onto it as if it were her only hope for salvation. However, she didn't pay any attention to that. She was staring at him, her eyes frozen in a daze as she registered what was going on. Swinging back into silence, Brynhildr was trying desperately to process the situation. How was this possible? Was this real or was she finally devolving into hallucinations?

"I'll take over from here." Issei looked at the other person in the room, who happened to be Gudrun.

Even they were stunned. With the fervor that Brynhildr was displaying, everyone had assumed that Issei had died, despite it being kept a major secret. Gudrun had been skeptical since Issei was infamous for overcoming any challenge thrown at him but over time, she had been convinced that he had met his demise alongside Praegorn. Only, she'd been sworn to secrecy by Anti-Brynhildr to avoid letting any others know. If anyone knew that Issei was no longer providing supervision, they'd have exploited their chances already to usurp or chaos immediate chaos. With a gesture of his head toward the door, the two left, wanting to leave the intense atmosphere with desperation.

With a small twinge of effort, Issei placed every object on the floor back in their proper place with his telekinesis. Taking up a seat next to Brynhildr's bedside, he finally got a good look at the state she was in.

She had dark bags under her eyes, her hair was ragged, sticking up in countless places. Her clothes were ruffled, consisting of a white shirt and pants. She looked short of nutrients, as if she'd skipped meals since the day he died. However, the most disturbing thing was the shaking of her hands.

(Fairy Tail: Kizuna. Play Song.)

Instinctively, he took hold of them, gently rubbing his thumbs in the palm of her hands. Brynhildr was still stuck in a daze as she slowly came to terms with the situation. Despite the decrepit pace at which she was slowly registering his existence, her healing wasn't as natural nor comforting as Sylderia's.

Issei was unsure of how to approach this situation. He had become so out of touch with his emotions that it was awkward. He had put them on ice for so long that he was trying to find the right approach. Rather than unsure, he was conflicted. He didn't want to shatter her like glass but at the same time, he needed to bring her away from the cliff that she was about to jump off of.

"Brynhildr…do you know me?" He decided to start.

"You're…Issei?"

It was concerning to hear the doubt in her voice. It was like how Sylderia feared his return, dreading the possibility that he was a phantom.

"Yes, I'm Issei. The very Issei that you've known for centuries."

"That's a lie. The Issei I know is dead…he's dead. You're lying." Brynhildr finally began to slip again.

"I'm not lying. I'm the real Issei."

"You're lying. You said that you'd come back. You're lying."

Frantically, Brynhildr retreated, stepping away from him slowly.

"Brynhildr- " Issei started but she rapidly cut him off.

"You died! You left me behind!" She snapped.

Breathing hysterically, she started to glare, her few moments of calm trust corroding like acid on paper. Choosing to let her talk, Issei understood that she needed to vent.

"You promised me that you'd make things right! Well, this isn't right. You're some illusion. You're a ghost, an illusion, a haunting." Slowly, she slipped into a whisper.

A sad and panicked laugh echoed from her. As if a snake of despair had wrapped around her, Issei saw the surrender in her eyes. Once more, light fled from her gaze as the trembling of her hands continued to grow more intense and noticeable.

"I knew it. There's no way you're alive."

"Brynhildr, calm down." He gently started.

"There's no way you'd come back to life. Your soul disappeared."

"That's not true. I am alive. I did come back. I'm here to make things right."

"YOU SAID THAT BEFORE BUT IT'S ALL A LIE!" She roared.

Issei was silent, understanding what she meant and just how true the statement was. Before, Sylderia pointed out his utterly cruel tendency to leave others behind and go off on his own, disregarding the pain of others and his own. Now, it was time for him to face the fact that he lied too much.

"You told me that you'd make things right, but you really didn't! Ever since that day, you've driven me crazy with how much I loved you. I was never okay because you made me fall head-over-heels for you! When you said you'd make things right, you lied again! You tore me and the others apart! Why did you always have to lie?!" She started to bellow.

That was when Issei knew that things were definitely wrong. Her words were using the past tense, making him wonder if she was really talking to him or some phantom in her mind.

That was when the dam broke. Once again, tears burst forth from another maiden's eyes, her heart wracked with grief.

"You said you were trying to protect us, but all of these lies only make us despair! You always lied! You said you'd stay, you said you'd make things right, you said you loved us, but it's all a lie! You always lied."

Brynhildr looked at Issei with pure anguish as she collapsed into a denouncing mess. It pained him to see how much he had caused her to deteriorate. Clutching her skull with rivers of tears pouring down her eyes, she frowned, her mouth shaking from her rampaging moods and emotions. She shook violently, as if at battle to keep herself in check.

"I said I'd wait for you, but every time…every time you'd tear my heart out and step on it. Every time you lied, I endured it and tried to get past that wall you'd always put up. I tried to be patient but I was wrong. That pain…all of that pain that you have, I just can't endure it. I can't erase it like this. I can't even get you to listen. Now, you're dead and gone."

Brynhildr let out a morbid laugh.

"Yet, I just can't stop loving you. I can't wait for you anymore because you're not coming back. Just like always, you lied. You made things worse, so much worse. Now, you'r ghost is here to haunt me, isn't it? I guess…my only choice is to come to you, after all."

Brynhildr had drifted off into her own world, unable to hear or see anything in front of her as real. Her mind was so frayed that conscious and reasonable thought were nearly foreign to her. Issei didn't say a word, allowing her to vent out her frustrations. He didn't have a comeback. He honestly didn't have one. She was right. He had lied constantly to her and others. He did so in the hopes that it would protect them, but that wasn't the case for this situation.

Even his honest intentions had been harmful because he chose not to think of how his fate might affect others. He had been so caught up his own self-loathing that he built up a wall of lies, tricking himself and others into more pain, despite his desire to ensure its prevention.

However, he stopped thinking when he saw Brynhildr move again. He remembered that all dangerous materials around her had been removed for her safety, including her weapons. Much to his displeasure, she opened her palm. Through sheer willpower, she broke her weapon loose from wherever it was kept, her desire to arrive at the end having overpowered any sort of logic. The pain was just all too much for her. She could no longer withstand the mental stress and frustration.

Materializing her spear, she looked at Issei with one final despairing look before raising her weapon, ready to strike. Instead of attacking him, she plunged her weapon at her heart. Without flinching and as fast as lightning, Issei used his left hand to stop the spear. Very shockingly, the blade tore through it, causing blood to splash onto the floor, drops trickling down severely. However, he had succeeded. The very flesh and bone of his hand stopping the weapon from even reaching her heart.

(Fairy Tail: Kizuna. End Song.)

Brynhildr gasped when she saw the tip of the spearhead sticking out of his palm, having pierced it completely. Issei slowly took the weapon out of her hands and threw it to the ground without any thought for it. Gripping his hand into a fist, he ignored the pain of it, keeping his calm composure intact.

Brynhildr kept her eyes trained on his bleeding hand. Ghosts couldn't bleed and illusions would have that moment where they flickered in form. She could hear the blood drops splat onto the ground, its iron stench reaching her nostrils. Slowly, she looked up and peered into his eyes.

She had been afraid that his ghost had come to haunt her again, having cursed her for the past few short months. It was getting harder for her to cling onto her sanity, her willpower having crumbled within the first two months of his death. When the next two came, she lost the drive to do anything, retreating from the world and trying to sort herself out while dealing with the grief that had poisoned her. When the fifth and sixth months came, she began to have rare delusions of his ghost haunting her. They would tell her to come to him, trying to convince her that this world was all a lie. His life was a lie, her life was a lie, and that she needed to join him to experience the truth.

"Y-You…" She trailed off.

"I'm real, Brynhildr. I'm not a ghost, delusion, or impostor. I came back to give you my real answer. I came back to finally answer your patience." Issei stepped forward, stopping right in front of her.

Looking her right within the eyes, Issei activated his [Solemn Vision]. He had his suspicions as to how Brynhildr had so quickly gone insane and there was the fact that she had more willpower than most of the other women that were in love with him. If the others had yet to crack, then surely, she shouldn't have either. He had arrived at the possibility that the Fallen Heralds had done something to her and the others. They were strong-willed and to just collapse so easily on their own, was something that he had been skeptical of. Of course, this was merely guess work.

Brynhildr stiffened, staring off into space for several seconds as Issei undid the dark magic that had been cursing her. It was a problem for her human nature to have made her vulnerable to it, but perhaps that was what helped make her so resilient. After analyzing the strength of the curse, any lesser being would've killed themselves or plummeted completely into insanity already.

The Valkyrie's consciousness blanked out for a few moments before returning to normal, despite shaking violently as she nearly doubled over from the pain in her head. She could feel her mind piecing itself back together, every piece putting itself back together, every broken shard reassembling like nothing had happened. However, that did little for the trauma she experienced. Issei's work did little to actually affect the heartbreak that crumbled her heart away.

Dropping to her knees, Brynhildr kept her back turned to him as she settled down. She had been panting, her heart thundering several thousand miles per hour as panic overflowed her psyche. When the curse had been completely purged from her system, she turned around, looking at Issei with fear and hope simultaneously.

"Issei?" She squeaked.

The mystical man merely nodded, smiling to reassure her. Slowly walking towards each other, Brynhildr put her hand on his chest.

'He's real. I can touch him.' She reaffirmed to herself.

Sliding her palm down his torso, she could feel his lungs contract while his heart beat against her fingers.

'His heart is beating…he's breathing.'

Looking up, she pierced into his eyes with her very own. Paving a way into his soul, she saw what made him, him. The jaded sorrow and powerful determination mixed within his eyes were the same as the Issei she always knew. Even if the body could've been artificial, there was no replicating his soul. It was Issei, the real Issei.

Taking his bloody hand, she placed it against her cheek. It was his familiar touch. His hands were ice-cold but quickly, they warmed. It was not from his blood, but from the warm soul that was hidden deep down within his icy walls.

"I-I-It's you." Brynhildr finally broke loose again, this time, in relief.

(Final Fantasy XV OST: Somnus – Instrumental Version. Play Song.)

"Yeah, it's me." Issei only nodded.

"You've finally come back."

"Yeah, and this time, I'm not going to lie to you about staying. This time, I'm more honest than I've ever been before."

Brynhildr began to sob and heave as her heart contracted painfully, finally rejuvenating itself at this revelation.

"I've waited for so long. I didn't want to hear those voices anymore. They kept telling me it was all a lie. It was so hard to stay conscious of everything. It was so hard to stay sane. It was so scary. Every day and night, I tried to think of you to stay strong but…I didn't know what was a lie or truth anymore. I felt so lost. I wanted to get rid of all these lies but I couldn't ever find the truth. I wanted you to come back so much but I was so scared that it would be a lie too." Brynhildr buried her face into his chest, crying loudly as Issei held her close.

"I know. I know how much it hurts. True, I lied to you. I've lied so many times that I can't count them all. It's even hard to figure out the number of truths that I've spoken in comparison to my lies but I never lied when I said that I wanted to make things right. I know that I hurt you with all of my lies and I'm sorry for that. I never wanted to hurt you. I only wanted to protect you. I lied to protect you. I knew that I'd drag you into my problems and you'd follow regardless. That's why I said so many hurtful things. That's why I lied so much. I wanted to keep you all away from my suffering. I was like a plague. Everyone who ever got close to me, died. I even lied to myself that I was worth nothing. I lied to myself, trying to convince myself of that so that I could let go of things. Now I know that it was the most painful choice on both ends and I'm sorry for all of my deceit."

Brynhildr mulled over what he said before shaking her head.

"I know that you lied to protect us. I know that you never did it for the sake of it. You always lie to protect others but Issei…"

She looked up at him.

"Lies hurt the speaker and the listener. So please…when it matters…stop lying. I'm begging you to please tell the truth. Let us help you. Trust us. Stop pushing us away." Brynhildr begged, her lips quivering as endless tears dripped down her face.

She didn't know how many more lies she could handle. It tore her apart to know that he didn't trust them completely. She longed to be able to stand next to him, to be trusted by him, to be able to help him just as much as he was able to help others. Yet, knowing that he didn't want to profess all that he knew, it made her feel as if she was not good enough. That was something that she couldn't stand. It made her love feel cheap.

Issei wiped her tears away with his clean hand, shaking his head.

"I promise, I'll do my best to be honest with you from now on. I promise that I won't lie when it's not necessary. I won't make promises that I don't intend to keep and you know that I won't try to predict the future. I won't make promises that can change but I can do everything possible to maintain them. That's why, I want you to believe me when I say that I'll do my best for you from now on. Also, will you forgive me?" He asked.

Brynhildr was confused when he asked that question. Forgive what?

"Forgive you?"

"I'm sorry for lying to you. I'm sorry for making you wait so long. I'm sorry for breaking your heart. I'm sorry for leaving you behind. I'm sorry for so many things that I can't count them all."

Issei was about to continue until Brynhildr put her finger to his lips, stopping him short.

(Final Fantasy XV OST: Somnus – Instrumental Version. End Song.)

"No more of that. No more self-loathing. No more apologizing. You did everything you could, even when you had nothing to work with. That's why I forgive you. It doesn't even need to be said that I forgive you. I just want you to be more honest with me and the others from now on." Brynhildr tearfully smiled.

Now coming to terms with the whole situation, she began to recover, feeling the dark clouds of emotion plaguing disappear along with the curse that the Fallen Heralds had inflicted on her in their dying breaths.

"I can promise that." Issei nodded, resolute in those words.

"Good, now kiss me. You owe me, at least, that much" Brynhildr felt a twinge of happiness as she brought him closer.

Rapidly, her sorrow went away as she took delight and comfort in knowing that he'd come back to her and his answer to her feelings were as obvious as could be. Their mouths overlapped and enjoyed a moment of tranquility. Brynhildr couldn't have been happier. At long last, she had a reciprocated kiss with Issei without any emotional obstructions or any hesitations. She could feel warmth enter her soul as her heartbeat quickened, flustered in reflection of her. She could even feel her cheeks redden as her emotions rose, wanting her to get even more passionate.

Issei, however, didn't think this was the best course of action. Only going so far as to French-kiss, he stopped to make things clear. First of all, she was still part human, so she needed nutrition.

"Let's hold off on the rest for now."

Brynhildr, not thinking the same thing as Issei, still agreed. She had forgotten about the cut on his hand, feeling incredibly guilty about it. In her small moment of suicidal desires, he had stopped her from making a foolish decision, and as a reward, he received another wound.

Getting up, Issei was worried that he had upset her when he saw her frown. On the contrary, she walked over to a cupboard and took out a kit to help treat his injuries with Nordic magic.

"I'm so sorry." She bit her lip.

"It's fine. I've had worse. Besides, as long as you're safe, I'm perfectly okay." Issei smiled at her reassuringly.

Brynhildr was still thrown for a loop with his return to a positive mood, but welcomed it without complaint. She was happy to know that he was smiling again.

After cleaning his hand up, Issei spent some time with her, talking of how he came back to life and what he planned to do. As time passed, Issei saw how her eyes were regaining the familiar energy that he remembered her for. She was passionate and playful and when he saw how far she had fallen, it struck him senseless with remorse for having allowed her to devolve into that state. He now took heart in the fact that she was recovering, and surprisingly quickly, at that.

"So, are you going you going to go to the others?" Bryhildr asked.

"Yeah, I plan to go pretty soon." He nodded.

"Then, let's get ready."

"Let's?" Issei raised a brow.

"Do you really think I'm going to just let you walk away? I've gone through almost a whole year without you, much less under positive circumstances. I'm going with you." Brynhildr glared, daring him to challenge her decision.

With a sigh, Issei decided not to argue. He didn't want another devolving situation, much less an argument. Besides…he kind of liked having someone to travel with again. Now that he thought about it, it'd probably been a year since he traveled with anyone, having cut off that trend when he went back to being the Grim Herald.

Not really eager to waste more time, Issei immediately left for Artemis as soon as Bryhildr and Sylderia came back. It felt really awkward to engage in such personal matters with other romantic interests in tow, but arguments weren't something he wanted to get into. Not only that but, it was funny how the eight of them had come to a mutual understanding. He thought it was kind of fishy, but chose not to linger on it. He probably wouldn't get it, anyways.


(Naruto Shippuden OST: Saika. Play Song.)

Upon his arrival, he was disturbed as soon as he looked around. The island had gone into decay. The forest was devoid of life: prey was scattered aimlessly and the trees had lost their color, wilting into crackling particles. Even the very air was murky with gloom.

"I need to hurry." Issei muttered.

Warping directly to where Artemis's Cabin was, he found that it was still in proper shape. He was bothered with the fact that despite the Hunters and Anti-Artemis being here, the island was still falling apart. Desperate to fix this, he opened the door to the Cabin, only to be greeted by pointed bows and arrows.

Issei wasn't surprised. Given the shape Artemis was in, the Hunters were probably feeling overly protective. Upon catching sight of this new invader, the Hunters only hardened their gazes.

"That's enough. He's the real one." A familiar voice called out.

At first, Sylderia and Brynhildr thought it was Artemis, but Issei instinctively knew it was her alternate self. When the golden-haired Artemis came into view, she looked Issei over, as if registering whether or not it was really him. Despite her words, it was as if she was doubting his very existence. Of course, she'd been forewarned in advance about his return, but caution was never unwarranted.

She took his right hand and rubbed her thumb over the back of it, revealing the red mark that identified him as a Grim Herald.

"You're him alright." She sighed in relief.

"Where is she?" Issei referred to the silver Moon goddess.

"Upstairs, third room on the right."

Stepping aside, she allowed him to progress but once more, he was stopped. Standing at the top of the stairs, were a few of the Hunters, glaring at Issei as if he were Praegorn. Issei merely sighed. This was a confrontation that he needed to deal with. He didn't want force to enter the fray, so his only choice was to engage in the oncoming argument.

"Why should we let you up here?" One of them asked. Strangely, she sounded stern, rather than hateful.

Issei understood it better now. She wasn't stopping him out of bias against men, as he had suspected, rather, she was trying to protect her goddess.

"Because, I came to try and make amends. I came here to apologize, even beg if I have to."

"It's because of you that she's like this. Because of you, she's been destroyed. Do you know how many days and nights that she's cried for you?"

Issei only nodded, understanding her viewpoint.

"I know. I know how much I hurt her. Believe me, I know pain. That's why I need to talk to her before it devours her. It takes one…to know one."

The Huntress went silent. Artemis and Anti-Artemis had raved to them of the painful life Issei led. Even they were appalled by his tragic life. It was nothing but blood, death, loss, and self-hatred. Despite their initial skepticism, the Hunters were convinced of it all when they saw how deeply Artemis felt for him. Of course, this was before his whole death.

For a moment, they all contemplated about whether or not to let him pass. Then, they remembered just how much Artemis had deteriorated without his presence. The entire island was rotting in unison with her will to live. That was something that they couldn't stop, even after 6 months. Reluctantly, they parted to the side. They feared that him returning to her life, the very knowledge of his return to life, would only hurt their beloved savior even more. Artemis took in anyone that needed help and helped them become strong, giving them purpose.

Issei found the situation bittersweet and ironic. Several months ago, she came back to him, begging for his forgiveness, even professing her love. In the end, he rejected her love, brutally smashing it and telling her to let it all go. He knew that it tortured her and he made that decision with extreme difficulty, not willingly. Taking a deep breath, he sorted himself and proceeded to enter the room with resolution.

(Naruto Shippuden OST: Saika. End Song.)


When he looked inside, his calm composure took a hit. The reason was simple: Artemis had never looked so horrible. The condition she was in when he rescued her from Orion II was nothing in comparison to how she looked now. It wasn't in a purely physical sense but emotional and spiritual.

There was no blood, but her eyes told everything. They were just as dark and dead as Sylderia's when he came back. There was no reflection of light nor any warmth. They were cold and decayed, lacking any fiery luster that they once held. Not even a light as bright as the Moon's was able to sparkle through like before.

Her skin was paler than ever, her very life-force waning. The glow around her was gone and in its place, an invisible dreary cloud cloaked her. Her hair fell across her face, obscuring much of its beauty. Tears spilled endlessly down her face as she stared into the distance, her mind lost.

It punctured Issei's heart to watch her go on like this. Was this how they felt when he was the Grim Herald? Did it hurt like this to watch someone you romantically love, dive deeper into the darkness?

Stepping closer to her, he knelt next to her, gingerly putting a hand on her shoulder. He was hesitant, dreading to see the result of this small but impactful action. Much to his disappointment, she made no reaction. She still sat in her bed, staring off into space.

Knowing that one small push was all it took to know that this approach was a lost cause, Issei tried to speak to her.

"Artemis." His voice came out soft and once more he tried, this time, his tone being more stern. Again, it failed.

Deciding to go with a bigger approach, he put his forehead to hers. Using his telepathic powers, Issei dived into her mind.


Upon entering, he found himself falling through a dark tunnel with silver particles floating around in the air, passing by like glistening rain drops as he dropped. For what felt like mere seconds, he passed into a white light that fizzled at the end of his dark travels. Entering a new realm, he looked around and found himself in a place that he could only describe as a shattered world. Looking closer at the floating particles, they looked like pebbles, specifically from the Moon, recognizing the mineral.

Quickly realizing the symbolism behind all this, Issei redirected his attention back to what he needed to do. Looking around, he found debris drifting along aimlessly, making it rather annoying to navigate his way through everything. Looking to his side, he saw that the Earth was quite a ways away from this wreckage, although, it was dyed red and orange, having been burned to a crisp. Even flakes of charred stone were levitating into the void that was Artemis's mind.

Scouring through every inch of the space of the goddess's mind, Issei saw something in the distance, nearing the endless reaches of the darkness of space. Without a doubt, it was Artemis. Even on the mental plane, Issei could warp, his abilities limited only by his imagination and the dreams of others.

Catching up to her, Issei took her hand. Looking up from her sobbing state, Artemis was shocked to see his visage in her mind. Was this another memory that had popped up from some unknown pit in her mind?

"Issei?"

He didn't take the time to respond. He didn't want to communicate in the mind. He wanted to speak in reality, where there would be no illusions and where there were no mental tricks to get in the way. He wanted to prove that he was no memory nor ghost and to him, it was best that they spoke in the physical world.

"It's time to wake up, Artemis." He softly spoke as he gently dragged her mind out of the darkness. He had so much to say to her, but he wanted to say it to her for real.

At the very least, this act would help rouse her from her catatonic state, allowing her to hear him, or rather, he presumed it would.


Awaking in the real world, Issei found that her breathing was a bit more active now, not to mention that she seemed a bit more aware of her surroundings now. Once more, he touched her shoulder, hoping that by diving into her soul and pulling her consciousness to the front of her mind, she'd be able to register his existence.

As soon as he made contact, Artemis jumped, as if a shock had been delivered to her in an effort to bring life back to her.

"Artemis?" He called out, making himself loud and clear.

Again, she jolted. Slowly, she twitched, her fingers trembling for a small vestige of a moment. As if creaking, she slowly turned.

"It's me, Artemis. It's me, your Issei." He smiled, trying to muster any positivity within himself in order to project it to her.

Staring into her eyes, he saw that slowly, but surely, some gears were turning.

"Is…" She whispered.

The man only nodded, urging her to keep going.

"Is…ei?"

Taking hold of her hand, Issei came closer, trying to get her to awaken.

"Issei?"

"Yeah, it's me. It's the Issei that rescued you from Orion. It's the Issei that bought you your kimono. It's the Issei that took you around the world. It's the Issei that loves you, even if everything started as a lie. I'm back, Artemis."

With every sentence, memories were jarred as Artemis's thought processes and emotions started to work again. Deep down, she knew she was broken, yet she couldn't fix herself. She couldn't do it because the one most important piece in her system was gone. With Issei's return, she could feel herself growing a bit more conscious a bit at a time.

Her trembling hand extended forward, touching his face. He was warm. She looked in his eyes and recognized the jaded but determined look within. She saw the cold yet kind heart buried underneath all of the blood that covered him. It was indeed him. It was the Issei that had torn down the walls around her.

(Bleach OST: Soundscape to Ardor. Play Song.)

"Issei…Issei…Issei, Issei, Issei, Issei!" She repeated his name, starting slow before growing more frantic as she confirmed that he was alive and real.

Feeling herself grow more coherent as life returned to her, she dove forward, snatching him into her arms. Tears began anew as joy leaked from her eyes. At the same time, silent pain and grief came gushing out. For the past six months, she could only focus on her memories with him. She could only think about her love with him. She could only regret the painful treatment she'd given him when they broke up. She could only cry, praying to the Abyss for his return. It was all she could do to stop herself from ending up like Sylderia and Brynhildr. And now, he had come back. Now, she could feel relief and take comfort in the fact that she had her beloved back.

"It was so long. It felt so long. It hurt so much. I wanted to go crazy so much." She started as she began to sob, heaving uncontrollably in the process.

"I know and I'm so sorry." Issei spoke with utter apologetic emotion.

"I wanted to apologize so much. I wanted to tell you so much. There was so much that I said to you that hurt you. I knew that it would hurt you and I still said it. I even called you a freak! I threw you away like trash, even though you did nothing wrong. You were hurting so much but I only made it worse. I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Issei!" She cried into his shoulder, clinging onto the clothes on his back as if he were her very life line. At this point, he practically was.

Holding her tight, he smoothed his hand over her back.

"No more apologizing. That's something I need to do." He softly comforted her.

"Why the hell should you be apologizing?!" She sniffled, rearing her head back indignantly to look at him, upset with another display of his self-depreciation.

"You've been hurting so much! You've been hurting so much but you never say anything! You always just glare and walk away! Why can't you tell anyone about it?! Why won't you share that pain?! Why don't you trust us?! Why do you always bottle everything up?! Why do you always have to shoulder the burden alone?! Not just that, but it has to be everyone's burdens?! Do you really feel that worthless?!" Artemis wailed and wailed, asking questions that plagued her deteriorating mind.

Now, it was time to get to the real heart of Artemis's problems.

"It's so agonizing to know about your pain and not be able to help get rid of it. It kills me because you won't let me help! I hate watching you hurt, especially when you decide to take care of everyone else's agony too! Hadn't you thought about what would happen to us if you died?!" Artemis demanded, anguished.

Issei was silent, waiting several minutes until he knew she had vented enough before speaking.

"I know…I know it was painful for you all. I didn't want to say all of that to you willingly. It's true that I always try to deal with everyone's problems alone, no matter how much it hurts. But, that's just who I am. I have to help. I have all this power and it would all be wasted if I didn't help. I've asked myself countless times: who am I, if I don't help others? The answer is that I will just be a useless and complacent waste of life. I will have so much potential and strength and it would be wasted on me because I wouldn't do anything with it. I have no desire to hurt others, either, but my hand is always forced. Not only that, but I want to help. I want to fight for the people that have to suffer. If they can't fight back against fate, then I will do the fighting in whatever way that I can." Issei answered.

Artemis sighed. This was just like him. He always had to help. No matter what, he'd try to put his power to use for some greater good or to save someone. She could've slapped herself for forgetting this. This was what made her fall in love with him. It was his selfless and self-sacrificing desire to help anyone in need. Most of all, it was his desire to keep others from suffering that he always tried to hold back the tide alone.

"Why is it so hard to convince you?" Artemis despaired over his stubbornness.

"That's just who I am. I can't ignore other people in pain, Artemis. I just can't. If I do, then what will I become? This is something that I want to do."

(Bleach OST: Soundscape to Ardor. End Song.)


Persuaded, Artemis's crying subsided after a short while. Slowly coming to terms with his answers to her own questions, things made some more sense, albeit, some parts of his logic were frustrating.

Before long, Artemis was finally calmed down and was no longer crying, having gained comfort and closure. Issei moved to sit back on the chair but was caught by surprise when a strong hand latched onto his wrist. Yet again, he faced another surprise when he was dragged onto the bed, with two very strong arms wrapped around him.

"Artemis?" He calmly exclaimed his surprise.

"Stay." She demanded, slightly alarmed.

"But the others are downstairs."

Artemis pursed her lips. True, it wasn't very courteous, but at the same time…she wanted to stay alone with him, even if only for a little while. It was so rare to get alone time with Issei, and given how she'd agreed to share him with the others…something like this was probably going to be rare.

Issei sighed, losing out to the goddess.

"Okay, let's stay like this for a while." He nodded.

"Ufufufu!" Artemis giggled with glee.

That was…odd to Issei. Normally, he'd expected her to be stoic like her normal self. He knew not to expect her lovey-dovey behavior from when they dated before the whole Praegorn ordeal became prominent. Thinking back, he knew that her behavior was odd. She was too attached, affectionate, and loving for it all to make sense. Yet, here she was, pressing herself against him, smiling with delight while letting out the occasional chirp of happiness.

"It's been so long since we did something like this." Artemis contemplated the statement, noticing how much things had changed.

"It really has. The last time we were like this…it was before the Hero Faction attacked Kuoh."

"After the whole truth came out…I actually missed those times." Artemis pursed her lips, recalling the harsh treatment she'd given Issei.

"To be honest, I did too."

Artemis was shocked that he felt that way. Considering how cold he'd been, she had thought that he was done with her after their breakup. She didn't think he'd think twice about their history together.

"I remember how sweet you'd be to me. It made my heart skip so much that I thought it'd freeze. I was always so proud and giddy whenever you got affectionate. For so much of my life, I'd live around men who lusted after me for my looks only. They never bothered to look deeper, to see who I really was. I'll admit, I was a real bitch but even so, deep down, I wished for something meaningful."

"When we started dating, I was actually hesitant. It felt so soon but at the same time, it was soothing. I'd spent at least 2,600 years mourning for Sylderia. When we thought together, I thought I'd betrayed her but with you, I just couldn't help it. I felt that there was a possible chance to move on and become a better person with you. Of course, a lot of things happened so I threw everything off the rails but now…" Issei looked at the goddess, peering into her tender eyes.

"Now, I can say that I love you." He confessed.

Artemis smiled giddily, even giggling. That was when tears came down her eyes again.

"You know…" She sniffled, smiling.

"I've been waiting so long to hear you say that to me again." Her voice quivered.

With a smile that could melt the arctic into an ocean, Artemis felt her heart soar with joy. Finally, after so long, she heard the three words that she was so desperate to hear again. Grabbing hold of his face, she brought it closer as she finally kissed him. It was utterly blissful and rejuvenating to her. She had longed to be in his arms again. She had longed to feel his touch and to hear him speak to her. The year that she had spent without him was agonizing to her. After finally appreciating him, he had gone too far out of her reach. Now, she could finally have him back and not lose him. If something were to ever try and come between them again, she'd fight tooth and nail to keep him safe.

After spending several minutes in a heated and passionate exchange, Issei stopped.

"Maybe another time." He calmly spoke.

He didn't think of sex after such an emotional event being the best thing for catharsis.

"Fine." Artemis sighed before leaning into his chest.

"But you owe me." She grumbled.

It felt rather unfair that he did the deed with Sylderia but not Artemis, the only other woman that he ever had sex with, but there was a time and order for things.

"What are you going to do?" Artemis asked.

"I'm going to the others. They need to know that I'm alive." Issei relayed his plan to her, and he even went on to explain how he returned, knowing that Artemis wanted to know that part too.

"So…we can finally start." Artemis muttered to herself.

Issei could finally start to experience the good parts of life without being torn away by his duties now. He could finally make up for all of the bad in his life with more good. At least, she could only pray to the Fates that he could live happily from now on.

"Let me guess, like usual…" Issei started.

"I'm coming with you." Artemis finished.

Issei wasn't surprised anymore, instead, he made a small chuckle. It was just like when they had been dating.

"We should get moving." He let go of his smile, deciding that he'd spent enough time here.

As sad as she was about it, Artemis let go of him, preparing to be on the move with him.

"Where are we going next?" She stood up from the bed.

"To the Citadel. I need to see Eldesa." Issei answered.

Yes, next on his list, was the eternally mourning Chancellor of the Stars. Now that the three most self-destructive women were brought away from the deep end, he could get to the others down on his list. Despite not wanting to take such a logical approach, Issei had to think about time and damage.

Now, without any further ado, he needed to go to Eldesa. He needed to go dry her tears since he was the one that made them fall.


I don't have anything to say to end the chapter either. Although, I'm pretty sure you all are getting tired of hearing 'Somnus' aren't you? Anyways, that's all there is for this chapter and I hope to see you at the next update. Until then, have a good time.