Hey guys! I bring to you all the new chapter for this story. I'm really sorry for the more-than-2 weeks update that I've been doing lately but I've been trying to get motivation to write. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not going to give up on the story but on certain days, I just stare at the new chapter then go and do something else. Sometimes I don't write anything new for a whole week before I start writing again. Meh :S
But anyway, time to respond to you awesome reviewers!

Roxas Blaze: Aye but again, I try to write the characters as best I could while staying true to the game. Of course it's not perfect and it's probably my own intepretation of how certain characters would act but I can only hope it's how the characters will do in those situations
-Well to be fair, Julius has no idea who is a Chromatus user. He has to do his own investigation and narrow it down from there. Ludger was just another stranger to him. Julius's only training to detect people would be divergence catalysts reacting to his Chromatus XD
-Yup! Milla won't have to leave the group. She's not dead, so she's still human and since she's human, that means she can stay :D

Tony Anderson: I hope this chapter will be worth the wait

SonicProdigy55: Well it's just that there's so far no plans in me to ship Ludger x Fractured Milla in this story (yet). I can understand how the scene looks like they're falling in love, but I'm trying to portray it as close friends trusting one another. Then again, that's how romance between two people begin ;) so I can see your point
-Well I can't picture the party not taking well to Milla's story about being human. It's not like she purposely deceived them
-Hehe, crazy Muzet is back!
-Well we'll see how far this story goes. I don't think it'd reach 100 chapters but I don't see this story ending anytime soon since I'm finally reaching near the end of ToX only.

P-bomb: That's true, Origin can remove the catalyst function but he can only do that if Ludger wishes for it again if he completes Origin's Trial

Jakezero: Well I believe that's how to keep things interesting, hehe
-Haha, I have considered an original story but I don't think I'm good enough. My grammar still needs work and I don't think I have an excellent plot yet. Writing fanfiction and an original book is different

Yami no Nokutan: Well I don't hate Muzet but she isn't my favorite character either, haha. She's okay for me.
-Indeed, different groups means that each group will have respective action. And as for the replacing Maxwell part, all will be revealed when they finally arrive at Maxwell. Hehe.
-Dude, go for it man! Write your own ToX novel, I'll want to read it. The only reason I wrote a "Ludger is in ToX" story is because no one has written it before. Don't let my story deter you from writing your own! I'll definitely want to read how different your story will be

Project Yota-Hachi: Damn you always catch on my little references eh? It satisfies me to see someone actually take note of that :)
-Oh you'er right! Fractured MIlla is one year older and you have given me an idea of a skit! I'll probably write that skit down in the next chapter or so, and I'll definitely give you credits for giving me the idea! Thanks!
-Well I believe that's how Alvin tend to speak right? Not necessarily sarcastic but... he never says it straight, you know? Something like that
-I can assure you right now that Muzet won't be replacing Maxwell as the Lord of Spirits. I already have something planned for how the group will dispel the schism
-Yup. Nachtigal may have been used by Gilland but he still has to answer to his crimes. I think it'll be interesting now that in this story, Nachtigal is still alive. There will be a lot of differences once the story reaches into ToX2
-Oh don't worry, I won't be going in your direction but their relationship will definitely progress while staying true to their character
-So did you actually reread all 50 chapters? XD

ElementalSoldier9819: Yup the party will be going for the Nia Khera Hallowmont. And at the moment, no the party doesn't know Gaius's group is under attack by Muzet

zero fullbuster: Thanks for the wishes! and I'm glad you're enjoying this story

Well that's it for responding to reviews. I hope you guys will enjoy this new chapter and do let me know your thoughts of the new chapter or how the story is coming along. Till next time!

CHAPTER 51: ONWARDS TO THE HALLOWMONT

"Ludger, you can't be serious right? I mean… you're talking about the Maxwell, right? The Lord of all Spirits?" Leia asked Ludger. Jude shared the same opinion while Milla and fractured Milla remained nonchalant.

"That's the only way to dispel the schism." Ludger answered, "In the original timeline, I think Jude told me Maxwell willingly dispelled the schism, which took his life. Milla then replaced Maxwell as the Lord of Spirits. So Maxwell and the schism are one. If we want to dispel the schism, Maxwell needs to be taken out of the picture."

Jude and Leia were still uncomfortable with the idea. "But… taking out Maxwell just to dispel the schism is just-Ludger, there has to be another way. Maybe if we ask Maxwell-" Jude was saying when Ludger interrupted the medical student.

"You all don't have to worry." Ludger assured, "You might be right Jude. I've been thinking there might be another way to dispel the schism without having to eliminate Maxwell. I'm not sure if it will work, but I think it's worth a shot."

Milla shifted her weight, taking on a more involved posture, "What do you mean Ludger? Is there really another way?"

Ludger nodded, "When the time comes, I'll let you all know my theory. But I can't tell you what it is now."

"…I don't like the sound of that." Fractured Milla said, "Why can't you tell us now? Are you hiding something from us?"

Fractured Milla said this only because she knew Ludger. He was the kind of person that would put his life at risk so long as it meant protecting his friends. It is noble of him, but he always acted on his own without talking it out with his friends.

Ludger, however, ignored fractured Milla's question and raised another issue, "There's also something else I think Jude and Leia deserve to know. Milla didn't bring this up when she told you two the truth about her being a human – what happened to her in the original timeline. "

Milla froze because she knew what Ludger meant. Ludger looked at Milla and then back to Jude and Leia.

"I don't get it. I mean, what does dispelling the schism has to do with what happened in the original timeline?" Leia asked in confusion.

"It's about how Milla was able to replace Maxwell as the Lord of Spirits in the original timeline." Ludger revealed, "The difference between the original timeline and this timeline is why I've figured out there might be another way to dispel the schism without removing Maxwell as the Lord of Spirits."

Fractured Milla never knew what happened to Milla in the original timeline, only that she replaced Maxwell as the Lord of Spirits. So fractured Milla was interested in knowing what actually happened a year ago in the original timeline. Leia and Jude also wanted to know what this difference was and why it was significant.

Milla looked at Ludger in the eyes, silently asking Ludger if this was really necessary. She wanted to keep her death in the original timeline a secret – to spare her friends from discovering the harsh truth. But even if Ludger wanted to, Jude, Leia, and fractured Milla needed to know what happened. It would help them prepare for what was expected of them when they faced Maxwell.

"You remember what happened after we defeated Gilland?" Ludger questioned the party.

Jude's mind returned to the scene at the Elympion ship and nodded, "Yeah. He used that trap on us and we were unable to move."

"That happened in the original timeline as well." Ludger continued, "And Milla managed to reach the Lance of Kresnik on her own. But in the original timeline, I wasn't there to help and she used all her mana to activate the Lance of Kresnik to dispel Gilland's trap. You see, in the original timeline, Milla sacrificed her life for everyone's safety."

Jude and Leia heard Ludger's words, but both were equally stunned by what they learned. For Jude, he felt like a sharp needle pierced through his chest when he heard it and took him quite a while to actually comprehend Ludger's words. Even though Ludger said this happened in the original timeline, Jude still felt the pain of actually losing Milla. He could not imagine the pain the "Jude" of the original timeline suffered because right now, the pain in his chest was overwhelming him.

Ludger continued talking, "I'm not sure of the details of what happened after Milla was gone. But Jude, Leia, Alvin, Elize, and Rowen confronted Maxwell at the Temporal Crossroads. I don't know what happened exactly, but Milla returned as a spirit. I'm not sure whether they fought Maxwell or not, but whatever did happen, Maxwell agreed to dispel the schism, and Milla took Maxwell's place as the new Lord of Spirits. Milla remained in the spirit realm while Jude and the others returned to the human world. A year later, I met Jude and everyone else."

"So Milla actually… died?" Leia asked in disbelief. Jude himself was still shaken about this revelation. The thought that Milla could no longer be with them was heart-wrenching for the medical student.

Fractured Milla spoke up, "If things happened like how they should have, then Milla would have sacrificed her life again on that ship. But Ludger was with all of us. He changed that."

Jude and Leia looked at Ludger and could not express in words just how thankful they were that Ludger was with them. And this was only one event that Ludger have altered. With Ludger travelling one year into the past, he also managed to save Cline, King Nachtigal and even Jiao's life.

Ludger was not done with his explanation and resumed, "That was what happened in the original timeline. Milla died and became a spirit, so she was able to replace Maxwell. But now in this world, Milla is still alive and a human. That's the difference between what happened in the original timeline and this world. If Milla's still human, she can't replace Maxwell. That's why you needed to know this. I understand why Milla didn't want you to know but it's important."

Ludger finally finished his point. Jude and Leia didn't say anything at first but after a while, Leia asked, "I… I don't get it. I mean, what's the problem about Milla being human?"

"There must always be a Lord of Spirits." Fractured Milla answered for Ludger, "If we want to dispel the schism, Maxwell will be gone as well. That's the problem."

Jude's eyes flared up, "So what?! Are you saying Milla's better off becoming a spirit and replacing Maxwell?!"

Milla, Leia, and fractured Milla were surprised by Jude's sudden outburst. Ludger, however, did not react. As a matter of fact, he expected Jude to have been angry.

"That's not what I'm saying Jude. I stopped her from sacrificing her life back at the Elympion's ship. I'm just trying to tell you that we either have to find a replacement for Maxwell… or Maxwell remains as the Lord of Spirits."

Jude felt guilty for his accusation and looked down, "Y-Yeah. You're right Ludger. I'm sorry, I… I just kept thinking about what you said – that Milla actually died." Jude looked back up and glared at the young Kresnik in the eyes, "Ludger… thank you for saving Milla."

Ludger simply gave a relaxed smirk as a response.

Fractured Milla turned towards Ludger, "Wait… what do you mean by 'Or he remains as the Lord of Spirits'? That makes no sense. I mean, you already said that if Maxwell dispels the schism, he'll disappear too. He can't remain as the Lord of Spirits."

Jude, Milla, and Leia wondered as well. Ludger wasn't really making sense when he said that.

Ludger faced the party, "I said that because… I have a feeling there might be another way we can dispel the schism and keep Maxwell as the Lord of Spirits."

"What?!" All three blurted in surprise.

"Well, I'm not really sure if it will work, but if I think the schism works like how it should, then I have an idea on how to dispel it while keeping Maxwell in place."

"How do you plan to do that?" Milla questioned. Even the Great Spirits were curious.

Ludger shook his head, "I already said, I'll let everyone know when the time is right. Once I'm sure my plan will work, I'll tell everyone the plan."

When Ludger said that, Jude remembered what fractured "Jude" told him before the destruction of the fractured dimension – that Ludger was the kind of person that was willing to do everything to protect his friends, even if it meant risking his own life. With that in mind, Jude confronted Ludger.

"Ludger, this plan of yours… are you going to be putting yourself at risk?" Jude asked.

Ludger turned to Jude, surprised by his question. Then with a straight face, he replied, "Don't worry. It's nothing too dangerous. And like I said, I'll let you all know once I'm sure it will work."

Jude continued to stare at Ludger to try and detect if his friend was lying. But Ludger didn't give off anything that he was lying. So, Jude didn't pursue the matter any further and believed that Ludger just wanted to keep his theory to himself for now. Jude could only hope that he was wrong about this ill-feeling.

"But where is Maxwell? I mean, we don't even know where he is so how do we get to him?" Leia asked.

"Ludger mentioned earlier something about our original-selves confronting Maxwell at the Temporal Crossroads." Jude reminded Leia, and then turned towards Ludger, "Is that where Maxwell is? At the Temporal Crossroads?"

"That's right."

"I've never heard of such a place." Leia remarked, "What is the Temporal Crossroads?"

Ludger scratched the back of his neck, "Um… I'm not exactly sure how to explain. I've only been there once in the original timeline, and that was actually a fractured dimension. So, uh…"

"It's a world that's between the human and spirit realm." Fractured Milla interjected, "I've never been there, but… someone close to me told me about it. That's the best way to describe it I guess."

"Someone close to you?" Milla questioned. Ludger knew fractured Milla was referring to the sister of her world, Muzet.

Fractured Milla looked away and gave a mild shrug. She didn't want to talk about it.

"So, um… if Maxwell is at this Temporal Crossroads, how do we get there? 'Milla' said it's between the human realm and spirit realm, so where's that?" Leia asked.

The party's gaze shifted to Ludger, but this time, even the young Kresnik could only scratch his head in wonder. The only time Ludger entered the Temporal Crossroads was back in the original timeline when he was assigned to destroy a fractured dimension, but the rift coordinates sent him directly to the Temporal Crossroads. He didn't know how to get there through other means.

The Great Spirits within Milla sensed that Ludger also didn't know how to reach the Temporal Crossroads and decided to assist the party. Undine and Efreet physically manifested themselves at Milla's side, but they made sure to control their size to avoid attention from the other inn patrons. Jude and Leia stepped back in surprise when the two Great Spirits revealed themselves.

"There is only one way to actually enter the Temporal Crossroads from the human realm." Efreet said.

Undine continued, "The Nia Khera Hallowmont."

Jude and Leia were puzzled as this was the first time they ever heard of the name. Then again even the village of Nia Khera was rather unknown to most of the population of Rieze Maxia. Ludger and Milla knew the place: the steep mountain behind Milla's shrine. Fractured Milla also now understood why her sister Muzet always went up there – it was the access point to the Temporal Crossroads.

Efreet further explained, "You'll have to climb to the summit of the hallowmont. Once there, the Kresnik human should be able to create a rift with his lance."

The Great Spirits looked at Ludger and the young Kresnik understood. In the end, he was the key to proceed. In the original timeline, Gaius used Muzet's power to access the Temporal Crossroads. However, Gaius has not befriended the spirit, but the party was fortunate that Ludger's Chromatus had the power of opening rifts through worlds.

Now that they were done with telling the party what they needed to know, Efreet and Undine were about to disperse their physical forms and return to Milla, but they were interrupted with a question by their host.

"Efreet, Undine, is that why you two, along with Sylph and Gnome, always prevented me from entering the hallowmont? To further hide the truth and prevent me from discovering the way to the real Maxwell?" Milla asked the two Great Spirits.

Efreet and Undine were dead silent. They could not answer Milla's accusations, but their silence gave her the answer.

"I see…" Was all Milla said. She wasn't particularly angry or upset with the Great Four. They were only doing what they were tasked with by Maxwell. Besides, they have already shifted their allegiance towards her and the party. That was all that mattered.

After that, Undine and Efreet dispelled their physical forms and returned to Milla. The party now knew their next destination: the Nia Khera Hallowmont. The objective of this journey was to enter the Temporal Crossroads and confront Maxwell to dispel the schism.

Ludger took the reins of leadership of the party once more, "So the fastest way to get to Nia Khera will be through Aladhi seahaven. The Fennmont seahaven should be open again, so let's hurry and get tickets for a ship."

Ludger led the way, exiting the Fennmont inn, and the party followed. But just as the party got out of the inn, Jude stopped Ludger with a question.

"W-Wait! What about the others?" Jude inquired.

Leia gave her childhood friend a puzzled look, "Huh? What do you mean Jude?"

"Alvin, Elize, Teepo, and Rowen. They aren't with us." Jude reminded Leia and the party, "Shouldn't we get them first and do this together? Gaius did say he'd help us if we ask. Nachtigal also promised his support."

"It's actually better if not everyone comes with us to the Temporal Crossroads." Ludger replied. Jude, Leia, and the two Millas did not understand Ludger's position, so he explained his reasons. "Remember, there are still Elympion soldiers here in Rieze Maxia. They attacked a defenseless Sharilton. With Rowen and Nachtigal there, they can act if they try to strike again. It's the same thing for Auj Oule too, if Gaius and the Chimeriad remain."

Fractured Milla agreed on the idea, "I think that'll be for the best."

"I agree as well." Milla added in support of the plan. Leia trusted on her friends' decision and didn't voice out any rejection to the plan.

Jude would have preferred if Rowen, Alvin, Elize, and Teepo joined them in their journey to the Temporal Crossroads, but Ludger made an excellent point. Rowen's tactical expertise in the field of battle would be invaluable, should the Elympion army commence another attack. Besides, the Conductor also said he wanted to stay by Nachtigal's side to help reform Rashugal. As for Elize, Teepo, and Alvin, they were currently with Gaius's group and were too far away.

Jude took a deep breath, pumped his fists together, and stared into Ludger's eyes, "Okay. Let's go."

Ludger smiled, and with a nod, the party ventured forth towards the Fennmont seahaven. Their next destination: the Nia Khera Hallowmont.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile at the inn of the Sapstrath seahaven, Steiner Mel Marta was currently on his sixth drink at the bar, clearly intoxicated. For the bartender, it wasn't anything new. Steiner had done nothing, but gulp down drinks ever since he woke up the day before.

"I think you've had enough for today, sir." The bartender said while drying a glass with a cloth.

"S-Shut up ands pour me anither." Steiner slurred. The bartender sighed and poured the man his seventh cup.

Steiner grabbed the glass and stared at his drink. Memories of yesterday started to surface. After he regained consciousness, he could not remember how he was at the inn and what happened prior to this. He was about to go search for Alvin and his friends when he spotted a note on the table next to the bed. It was a note, a note that Leia had written to explain what happened and why they left him here.

As he read through the note, his memories returned and by the time he finished, he remembered everything: the fractured dimension, returning to Elympions and the most memorable part – reuniting with his wife and daughter he had not seen in over twenty years. And it was all taken from him in the blink of an eye!

Steiner didn't care if that reality was just a fractured dimension. As a Spirius researcher that specialized in the studies of the Chromatus, he was aware of what a fractured dimension is, but he didn't care about that. To him, the family he met in the fractured dimension was real! He refused to accept Ludger and the party's logic that the world had to be destroyed. So it came to a simple conclusion: he blamed Ludger and the party for taking his family away.

Back to the present time, Steiner clumsily took out the crumple note that Leia had written to him and stared at it. Then without a second thought, he tore the note into pieces.

'This was all their fault!' Steiner thought in his mind, 'They took my family from me. If it weren't for them, I'd still be with my wife and daughter.'

Steiner gulped his seventh drink and with a drunken grin, he made a decision. For having his family taken away by Ludger and his friends, he would extract his revenge. Even though he was a man who had knowledge of the Chromatus and fractured dimensions, being reunited with his family and to have them taken away so suddenly had broken his mind. Logic no longer registered in his mind. He was a broken man that was now fueled by his desire for vengeance.

Steiner began plotting his revenge, grinning madly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

While Ludger, Jude, Leia, and the two Milla were at the Fennmont seahaven to board a ship, Rowen was just by the entrance of the Bernauer Highroad. Since Cline and Driselle were going to return to Sharilton, he wanted to bid them a proper farewell since he would not be seeing them for quite some time. At the moment, Cline was rounding up all soldiers from the Sharilton army for the return home.

But giving his farewells to the Sharil siblings was not the only reason he had. Ever since he learned of the differences between what actually happened in the original timeline in the fractured dimension and the current timeline, he knew Cline and Driselle needed to know about Ludger having come from the future. It was essential that they were told of this.

A few moments later, Rowen spotted Cline and Driselle with the Sharilton army marching behind them. When Cline saw Rowen was waiting for them, he gave the orders for his army to continue their march while he and his sister approached Rowen. One of the Sharilton captain followed the Sharil siblings as a bodyguard.

Driselle reached Rowen first. "Rowen, are you here to see us off?"

Rowen nodded with a warm smile, "But of course, Lady Driselle. It would pain me greatly to not bid you farewell when we won't be seeing each other for quite a while."

"Oh, Rowen. I'm going to miss you too!" Driselle said and hugged her former butler. Rowen returned the hug.

When Driselle finally released the hug, she stepped aside and allowed her brother to speak with Rowen.

Rowen looked at Cline and gave a respectful bow, "Lord Cline. I wish to thank you for all you have done for me, and to have a safe trip back to Sharilton."

Cline gestured for Rowen to stand straight, which Rowen obeyed. "It's because of your mentoring that I'm the Lord of Sharilton that you see today. You've helped me and my sister in more ways than I can think of. Thank you for everything." Cline then looked in the direction of Orda Palace, "And I hope you'll watch over how Nachtigal rules over this country."

"Of course, Lord Cline."

A short pause ensued when Cline spoke again, "There's more to this than just a simple farewell, isn't there?"

"As perceptive as always, Lord Cline."

"What is it?"

"…It concerns our mutual friend, Ludger. No, actually, it concerns the history of this world."

Cline waited for Rowen to explain while Driselle had a confused expression on her face. The sound of the Sharilton army's marching footsteps continued to be heard, and when the army was finally gone, Rowen cleared his throat and began.

"This may sound hard to believe, but please let me speak until I am finished." Rowen said. When Cline gave a nod of understanding, Rowen started.

The Conductor covered the beginning, telling Cline and Driselle that Ludger was actually someone from the future that returned to the past through a wish granted by the Great Spirit Origin. From there, he told the Sharil siblings to the best of his abilities about Origin's Trial, the existence of fractured dimensions, what spyrix was and that the Lance of Kresnik itself was a spyrix, the origins of Exodus, the schism and finally the existence of a technological world called Elympios.

Cline and Driselle were obviously at a loss for words but Cline managed to come to a conclusion on certain things based on what Rowen just revealed. He now understood why when he first met Milla, there was only one of her but when they met again, there were two of them – it was the fact that the other Milla was from a fractured dimension. And he now knew identity of the army that attacked and harmed his people – soldiers from the other world, Elympios.

Rowen finished up his explanation, "The only reason why I'm telling you all this is because it concerns you both, Lord Cline and Lady Driselle."

"What do you mean by that?" Cline asked.

Rowen thought back to what fractured "Rowen" told him, which was that Nachtigal should have perished. And although fractured "Rowen" never said so, Rowen had a feeling that the "Cline" in the original timeline might have passed away as well.

"I believe that this world has already diverted from the events that occurred in the original timeline." Rowen finally answered. "Considering things are different now, I felt that you and Lady Driselle deserve to know – and be prepared. We are all now walking down an unknown road… and the only thing we can do now is to be ready for whatever that is to come."

Cline was not satisfied with just that, "But I'm sure there's more that you're not-"

"Sorry for making you wait. I'm ready to leave." A voice said from behind the Sharil siblings.

Cline and Driselle turned to the source of the voice and knew the person. Cline shook his head, "Don't worry about it, Julius. Oh, before we leave, allow me to introduce you to Rowen Ilbert, the man who mentored me."

As Cline introduced Rowen to Julius, Rowen was frozen stiff. It was extremely rare to shake the Conductor's composure, but even he was not prepared for this. The person that was with Cline and Driselle was Julius Bakur, the very same person that Ludger said was his older brother in the fractured dimension. Rowen's mind could only ask one question: How and why was he here?

Julius stretched out his arm for a handshake but Rowen did not respond. Cline instantly noticed something was wrong. "R-Rowen? Are you okay?"

Before Rowen could even stop himself, he softly blurted out, "You… You're Julius Kresnik."

Cline and Driselle heard what Rowen said and were surprised Rowen seemed to know Julius, even though he got the last name wrong. Although, Julius didn't know the old man, he now knew that he just found an important target that might have information in regards to the Chromatus user he was searching for – all because Rowen uttered the name Kresnik.

"So… how do you my name?" Julius asked the stunned Rowen.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile at the Lakutam Highroad, Gaius, the Chimeriad, Alvin and Elize were battling against the Great Spirit Muzet. Although the Great Spirit was outnumbered six to one, she maintained her distance by staying in the air. This allowed her to channel her artes safely since the only ones who could attack her from far were Presa, Alvin, and Elize. Gaius, Wingul, Jiao and Agria all specialized in close-combat.

"Hurry up and get her down here already!" Agria cried out with frustration.

Presa finished channeling her arte and fired a dragon-shaped water arte, a modified but weaker version of her mystic arte "Dragonmare Brood". The water-shaped dragon pierced through the air quickly, but Muzet calmly threw her arm downwards, instantly creating a barrier around her. Presa's water-shaped dragon blasted against Muzet's barrier and that was it. It didn't even appear to damage the Great Spirit's barrier.

"Well, if that didn't do anything, I doubt I'd be able to break that." Alvin commented and retracted his gun.

"That's just like you to give up Al." Presa stated with venom.

Alvin would have responded to that, but Muzet started channeling two black orbs in the palm of her hands. Gaius and the others also started to prepare to either search for cover or dodge it, but just before Muzet could launch the orbs, a beam of dark energy was fired towards Muzet from the ground.

"Rebel Ignition!"

This time, the Great Spirit could sense the power behind the black beam and knew her barrier would not be enough and flew to the side. She avoided the dark energy at the nick of time, the black beam merely giving light burns on her left forearm. She healed the burns quickly and searched for who was the one that fired a high-level arte. It was Elize.

"That human child is dangerous." Muzet said to herself, "I'll take care of her first!"

Muzet swooped down and dived towards the twelve-year old girl. Elize panicked when she saw Muzet was coming after her, tumbling backwards in fear.

"Elize!" Alvin shouted and quickly ran to her to try and save her. But with the way things were going, he wasn't going to make it. But fortunately for Elize, Jiao was nearby and the moment he saw the girl was in danger, he stepped in and stood between her and the Great Spirit.

"You will not harm the child!" Jiao bellowed and slammed his hammer on the ground, creating three pillars in front of him.

Muzet was forced to stop her dive then and when she looked around her, she noticed too late that she had fallen into a trap. Her main advantage during the whole fight was keeping a distance by staying in the air, but now that she was down here, she was within Gaius and the Chimeriad's range of attack.

Agria charged towards the Great Spirit, "I've been waiting for this!"

Muzet turned towards Agria and fired three mini-black spheres at her, but Agria easily dodged them all. The Great Spirit's eyes weren't on just Agria; she also took note that Wingul and Gaius were on the move, probably trying to flank her. She needed to remove Agria from the picture quickly, so she could focus on the other two.

Muzet released another two more mini-black spheres at Agria, but as seen previously, Agria evaded them all with little effort. Just as she was about to reach the Great Spirit, Muzet thrust both arms forward and summoned a shockwave. Agria had no chance to even dodge and was blown backwards and crashed into a pillar of rocks.

Muzet turned around and saw Wingul was just behind her, but she had enough time and quickly started flying up. She needed to create a gap between her and the others. But to her surprise, Wingul jumped and came up to Muzet's level.

"I'm the Ebon Wing of Auj Oule for a reason." Wingul said and swung his blade at Muzet. The Great Spirit summoned a last minute barrier around her, but the hastily made barrier wasn't strong enough and Wingul broke through the shield and giving a small slash across Muzet's shoulder.

Muzet cried out in pain and was falling back down. And the direction where Muzet was dropping, Gaius was seen and waiting. With the Great Spirit vulnerable, Gaius could finish her with one blow. He shifted into an attacking stance, a familiar pose where he would end everything in one strike. It was supposed to be over.

But the attack never came. Gaius didn't move a muscle and stayed in his position. By then Muzet was able to recover and flew back into the air. She was safe again.

Wingul ran up to Gaius with eyes that demanded an explanation, "Your majesty, why…? Why didn't you strike her down? We could have ended it then."

Gaius lowered his katana, "Because I remembered what I saw at the fractured dimension."

"…What you saw?" Wingul repeated.

Gaius didn't answer, but his mind flashbacked to the time when he met fractured Gaius for the first time at Kanbalar in the fractured dimension. He remembered seeing the fractured "Muzet" with fractured "Gaius". They looked close. Whatever happened in the original timeline, they had become allies at some point. That was why he stopped himself from a killing blow on Muzet.

So Gaius shifted their focus, "We mustn't kill her."

"Your majesty, if we don't kill her, what do you propose we do?"

Gaius sheathed his katana, "…We retreat."

Just then, Muzet had finished channeling a large black-sphere and tossed it towards Gaius and everyone at the bottom. Gaius, Wingul, Presa, and Alvin quickly ran away from the area of effect while Jiao grabbed Elize and Teepo, and then he moved to grab the injured Agria before running away. Muzet's spirit arte touched the ground and instantly disintegrated the ground, creating a medium-sized crater.

"She's getting dangerous." Jiao said.

Wingul turned to Gaius, "Your majesty, it's not possible for us to retreat in this situation. We need to kill the spirit!"

Gaius didn't respond to that, but it was clear he was against that idea. With Muzet starting to channel another of her elemental arte, Gaius knew they needed to think of something fast without harming the unstable Great Spirit.

"If you need to escape without fighting the spirit, then I've got an idea." Alvin said and then turned to Wingul, "Looks like you're still going to owe me my reward." Without waiting for Gaius or the Chimeriad's approval, he ran towards the spirit.

Alvin waved his arms around to grab Muzet's attention. When it was clear she was looking at him, he called out, "The reason you're after us is because we know about the schism, right?" Muzet obviously didn't respond so the mercenary continued, "Well guess what? I'm gonna make your life a little more difficult. I'm going to tell the people of Xian Du what I know."

When Muzet heard that, she instantly threw her medium-sized black sphere at Alvin. He easily avoided the black sphere and started running towards Xian Du. Muzet was not going to allow Alvin do as he pleased and swooped downwards, giving chase.

After a short while, Alvin and Muzet were gone from sight.

"That idiot. What does he think he's doing?" Presa questioned angrily, but there was a hint of worry in her tone as well.

With Muzet gone, the battle was over. Wingul sheathed his blade as well, "He's using himself as bait. That mercenary is quite selfless. I've misjudged him."

Presa herself was taken aback by that. The Alvin she knew cared only for himself but what he just did contradicted that. All this time, he kept saying he was different ever since meeting Ludger but she thought he was just blowing smoke. Now she realized that perhaps he had been telling the truth the whole time.

"Alvin's going to be okay, right?" Elize asked the Chimeriad. But none of them answered her.

"I hope he's okay." Teepo added

Jiao got down on one-knee and consoled Elize, "I'm sure he knows what he's doing, child."

"So what's our next move?" Wingul asked his King.

Gaius was silent for a short while, and then he finally answered, "Alvin's keeping Muzet distracted so that we can continue. Let's not waste his efforts. We move for Kanbalar."

Gaius started walking and Wingul nodded, ordering the rest of the Chimeriad to follow suit. Presa followed, and Jiao carried the unconscious Agria in his arms. "Come along, child." Jiao said to Elize.

Elize obeyed, but she still casted a worried glance in Alvin's direction. She was never too close to the mercenary, since he was the one that kidnapped her from Jiao in the first place, but overtime, she found that he was actually a good guy, although he still seemed like a shady-kind of guy.

"I really hope he's okay." Elize said softly and followed Jiao.

XXX

Of course, Alvin never had any intention of telling the people of Xian Du about the schism. He just said that to grab Muzet's attention. When he saw the entrance of Xian Du before him, he instead changed direction and started running eastwards. He was still doing his job of isolating Muzet away from Gaius and the group, but it also meant that it was now between him and the Great Spirit, and he had no chance of actually battling against a Great Spirit.

"You'll die before you let anyone else know about the schism!" Muzet threatened before firing several mini-black spheres at the mercenary.

Alvin did his best to outmaneuver the mini-spheres by running left and right. This worked for the first few, but when two of the black spheres were about to reach him, he made a desperate dive forward. But it didn't help as one of the black balls managed to land on Alvin's thigh, giving off a small explosion.

Alvin screamed in pain and landed face-first on the ground. He checked his injury and saw a large gash with blood oozing from the wound. With that type of injury, he wasn't going to be able to run. So with all his strength, the mercenary started crawling as fast as he could.

Muzet saw Alvin crawling away and giggled in a taunting manner, "You should stop struggling. You aren't going anywhere far with an injury like that." Muzet looked ahead and smiled, "And it looks like there's nowhere else for you to go."

Alvin didn't understand the last comment and continued to try and get away from the Great Spirit. Strangely enough, Muzet didn't attack him and just watched. Half a minute later, Alvin found out why she didn't finish him off and the meaning of her last statement. He was on the edge of a cliff and down below was the raging current of the Xian Du River.

"I forgot about this." Alvin said softly to himself, "This is the Xian Du River which connects to the city on the north - further south is the Xagut Floodmeadow. And with my leg, there's no way I'll be able to swim properly. I'm trapped here."

Muzet saw that Alvin arrived at his own conclusions about his death and slowly created a black-sphere in the palm of her hands. "It looks like there's nowhere for you to run."

Alvin looked back at Muzet and then back at the raging current down below. He could either stay here and get killed by Muzet or take his chances at the river below. The answer was clear.

"Nowhere to go?" Alvin said to Muzet with a smirk, "Clearly we see things differently. I see my escape down there."

Muzet's eyes widened in realization, and she fired the black sphere at the mercenary. But Alvin already threw himself off the cliff and entering the wild currents of the Xian Du River. He instantly regretted his decision as the wild current carried him with no mercy, and with an injured leg, he could not maneuver himself properly. He struggled to keep his head above the water for air.

Muzet snarled in anger and flew downwards, but due to the wild currents of the river, she could not spot where Alvin was. Alvin was simply letting the current carry him since he could not do anything against it. He could only hope that wherever the current took him, Muzet wouldn't find him.

XX

Alvin didn't know how much time had passed. To him, he felt like it was hours, but it could have just been minutes. In the end, it doesn't matter. The river was no longer a wild, thrashing current, but a gentle and peaceful flow, carrying the exhausted and injured mercenary like a mother cradling a baby.

With what strength he had left, Alvin swam to shore, but that was his limit. He lay down on the marshy ground, too weak to pull himself further inland. He checked his surroundings and saw that the river current had taken him to the Xagut Floodmeadow.

But just as Alvin thought he was safe, he sensed an ominous feeling from a distance. He looked around him and saw that Muzet was still searching for him. She still hasn't found him yet but since he couldn't move due to exhaustion and the gash on his thigh, it was just a matter of time.

"Damn it. I need… to get out of here." Alvin said to himself.

Alvin tried to pull himself inland to try and use the swampy area for cover but his effort was fruitless as he just didn't have the strength left in him. Exhausted, wounded and devoid of all hope, he decided he was going to die here. He planted the side of his head on the ground and shut his eyes. Death would claim him.

Only one final thought lingered in Alvin's mind. 'Funny how I survived in the original timeline… but I'm going to die here.'

After that, Alvin lost consciousness as the darkness consumed him.

Before Muzet found the mercenary, another figure was nearby and was watching Alvin ever since he washed up ashore. When he noticed Alvin seemed to be on the run from the floating spirit, he decided to intervene.

The newcomer hurried and upon reaching the unconscious Alvin, quickly pulled him deeper inside the Xagut Floodmeadow. Then, once he was sure that they were safe from Muzet's search, he quickly hurried to the village of Nia Khera.

"What the heck are you even doing here?" Ivar questioned the unconscious mercenary, "I thought you were supposed to be with Lady Milla. If something happened to Lady Milla, I'm going to make sure you pay for it!"

Alvin groaned in pain and Ivar panicked.

"W-Well, for now, I better hurry back and treat your injuries."

With that, the handmaid of Milla Maxwell hurried to Nia Khera with the unconscious Alvin.