Prologue

Bae, Sana and Fauna stepped out of the double decker bus and stood outside the gates of London's Occidental College for Young Ladies. There, they found that the wrought iron gates of the campus were closed. Students and members of the faculty, members of the Disciplinary Committee, were posted outside the gates like guards, but they spoke and acted with the thinnest veneer of normalcy.

Denizens of the Nephilim's Dream, figments of Irys' imagination populating the dreamworld of London passed by and wondered about the commotion. They were sent away by the Disciplinary Committee guards who gave them outlandish excuses about the classes being canceled for one reason or another. Not knowing any better, the figments of Irys' imagination bought the story wholesale and disappeared.

Bae, Sana and Fauna, however, stood their ground and approached the gate.

The Disciplinary Committee guards gave the trio the same spiel they gave the dreamworld citizens. However, their words couldn't deter the three from continuing their march. Instead, Bae stepped forward and shouted.

"Open this damn gate or I'll break it myself!"

When Bae said this, the expressions of the guards changed immediately. Every single one of them, without fail, dropped their genteel acts. Their kindly faces lost visual fidelity, twisting and crackling like the black-and-white static of televisions. Then, just like the Horrors, they started producing weapons out of thin air.

The trio paused and prepared themselves to fight off another army like they did in the real world. However, to their surprise, the Disciplinary Committee brandished confounding weapons: wooden batons, baseball bats, cricket sticks and the like - sporting implements that wouldn't be out of place in an all-girl's college for rich kids.

Bae scoffed, but she kept her stance steeled. After all, behind the gate, she saw dozens if not hundreds more Disciplinary Committee members appear with their weapons. What they lacked in armaments, they more than made up for with sheer numbers.

Numbers that only seemed to keep growing and growing.

Afterwards, the head of that large army of false civilians made her presence known. The haughty and dramatic Clover Gosling appeared and climbed up to the brick walls of the Occidental College. She walked atop it like it was the ramparts of a castle and looked down upon the intruders.

"I was wondering when you folks were going to show up. Arriving dramatically is supposed to be my deal here!" Clover protested, orating like she was reciting lines on a theater stage. Her eyes turned to Bae and she smirked at her, "I would have been happy to let Irys sign off her voice on her own without incident, but we both know that you wouldn't be able to let something like that slide."

"You're goddamn right about that." Bae growled, cracking her knuckles and stretching her neck, "Now come down here, theater girl! I want to beat the living shit out of you!"

"Ohohoho~ you are indeed a glutton for punishment, Baelz Hakos." Clover laughed haughtily, pretending to be a refined lady. She raised up her right arm and turned it into a sword once again, "After that warm welcome I gave you, haven't you learned your lesson?"

"I did learn my lesson." Bae snapped back, "I finally got it through my thick fucking skull that there are things worth fighting for, no matter the cost. I made a promise to protect Irys and to come running whenever she called." She spread out her arms and declared, "When Irys sang her songs, she was quietly crying out to the entire world for help. Well - now, I'm here to keep my promise."

"A bold declaration." Clover swung her sword-arm and pointed it at Bae, "You've got two of your lackeys here with you, but two students aren't gonna turn the tide."

"I thought the same too - when I was wandering aimlessly through this place." Bae ran a hand through her hair and grinned, "But Sana and Fauna ain't regular students - and neither am I. We're members of the Student Council. My Council - the Eleventh."

Clover furrowed her brow.

"Big deal." She belittled her foes, "I'm working for the dreamweaver of this Tapestry World, Baelz Hakos. That Council doesn't exist here."

"Oh yeah? Are you willing to bet on that, Miss Gosling?" Sana chimed in smugly, "You mentioned Tapestry Worlds, but do you know how they work?"

"O-of course I do!" Clover bluffed, "The Manipulator is in charge of this world!"

"Wrong." Fauna interjected this time, wagging her finger, "The ultimate power in a Tapestry World is not the dreamweaver - but the dreamer herself."

"Irys…" The name escaped Clover's lips.

"That's right." Sana confirmed, joining her hands together, "That means that all your dreamweaving has done is bind you in Irys' subconscious as a mere student, following her rules to preserve her suspension of disbelief - to perpetuate her nightmare." She eyed Clover's sword arm and shrugged, "Sure, you've got a few surprises up your sleeve like the bogan that you are. But you're limited - oh so limited."

"But deep inside, Irys sees me and my friends here differently." Bae grinned, "How do you think Irys remembers us, Clover Gosling?"

When Bae said this, wisps of green magic coalesced around Fauna. From those wisps, plate armor of petrified wood formed over her uniform like a breastplate, paired with an oval cavalry shield. Sturdy vines appeared too and twisted themselves into a long battlestaff.

Then, the miniature Nemu revealed herself and shifted to its combat form. Nemu grew a hundredfold and Fauna's magic armored her with petrified wood plates like an ancient cataphract. The armored Nemu lowered herself and let Fauna mount as her warhorse.

Next, Sana called forth golden wisps of magic around her. They wrapped around her, adorned her uniform with a golden scarf brimming with magic. The ground beneath Sana's feet shook and the cobblestone sidewalk cracked ominously.

With a wave of her hand, Sana commanded the cracked cobblestone rise up from the earth and come together in a rough sphere of dense rock that orbited around her like a planet.

Finally , Mr. Squeaks hopped out of Bae's coat pocket and transformed into the rat-headed warhammer. Bae caught the warhammer by the handle and held it over her head triumphantly.

Clover watched her foes, the lambs she was supposed to slaughter, turn into superpowered beings with their full arsenal of magical powers. It was a sight that she thought starkly contrasted the dream world. And yet, the Nephilim's Dream didn't collapse - nor did it try to strike them down.

Bae waited for her retribution - her rejection by Irys' subconscious.

But it never came.

"I'm still worthy…" Bae held her warhammer firmly. She held her weapon with both hands and declared, "Irys is waiting for me, Clover Gosling. I'm not gonna let someone like you stand in my way."


Eleven

Till The End Of Me


Ninety-Eighth Scene - Tit For Tat

Spurred by their hypercharged power difference, Bae and her companions rushed towards the gate. They crashed into the thin line of defenders before they could even raise their weapons and struck them down like pins in a bowling alley. Bae, Sana and Fauna crushed the static-faced phantoms left and right with their magical powers.

In just a few heartbeats, Bae reached the barred, wrought iron gates. She closed her eyes and focused her red magic into the rat-head of her warhammer. Her weapon shone bright red and Bae held it with both hands. Then, her eyes shot open and she roared.

"Open up!"

She pulled back and slammed her magic-charged warhammer into the gate.

A blast of magical energy tore the heavy wrought iron gates off their hinges, sending them flying into the sea of Disciplinary Committee fighters. The ramparts were also shaken violently, forcing Clover Gosling to hold on for dear life.

Dust and soot swept through the campus grounds, forcing Clover's goons to shield their eyes. In the midst of that confusion, the bright, red glow of Bae's warhammer cut through the smoke.

Bae pressed forward through the smoke and started whacking away at the Disciplinary Committee. Enemies that she struck down shattered like glass and dissolved into wisps of white magical light. Those wisps came flying towards Clover Gosling.

Clover saw the stream of white wisps - each one a defeated member of the Disciplinary Committee - turn into a river, frightening her.

"You've beaten this much already, huh!?" Clover grumbled. She waved her hand and declared from the ramparts, "Your actions here are futile, Baelz Hakos. No matter how many you strike down, I'll just keep sending them back!"

The white wisps that returned to her reconstituted themselves into brand new Disciplinary Committee members - static-faced phantoms in the black, winter school uniforms raring for a fight.

"I am the Guardian Spirit of Civilization!" Clover declared ferociously, "Behold - the innovation of mass production!"

At Clover's command, the newly raised army hopped off the ramparts and charged through the smoke towards Bae. All the while, Clover channeled her own magical powers and called forth even more phantoms to fight for her.

Bae whirled around and saw this new army coming for her from behind, but she was unfazed.

Moments later, the galloping of kirin hooves echoed from the smokescreen. The mounted knight Fauna Ceres flanked the reinforcements and struck them down with her battlestaff.

More reborn guards tried to swarm Fauna, but they were met by the unrelenting force of Sana Tsukumo's orbiting cobblestone planet. The grinning Australian ex-astronaut tore through the guards quickly.

Any momentum that Clover's forces may have had fizzled away. All of a sudden, the sword-arm that she managed to slip past the eye of Irys' mind seemed like nothing more than a toy compared to the threat she faced. When Bae, Sana and Fauna turned her way, Clover shuddered.

They were marching towards her. Nothing she threw at the three Council members could stop them.

She watched their magical powers and weapons tearing through the battlefield. In particular, her eyes were fixed on Bae's warhammer and Fauna's trusty armored kirin mount. Her eyes fell upon Sana next.

Then, Clover's blue eyes shimmered.

"I've got it…" Clover's jaw dropped. Then she laughed maniacally, "I just have to play by the same rules, don't I!? Fight fire with fire!" She grinned at Sana fighting on her own devilishly and gloated, "I just remembered that friend of yours, Speaker Tsukumo - the one that sacrificed himself to bring you to your destination safely."

"Wait…" Sana paused. Her face went pale, "You're not planning to…"

"You told Irys about your Guardian Spirit, didn't you?" Clover asked with a wide grin, "About Yatagarasu."

"No…!" Sana wailed.

"Isn't it about time for a reunion?" Clover teased, "Let me call him for you! I'm suuure he's happy to see you." She winked proudly, "And not just him either~!"

Instead of replenishing her troops, Clover raised up her sword-arm and sent her magical wisps skyward. Storm clouds formed above them, heralded by the rumble of thunder and the flash of lightning.

The maroon-tinged sky tore open. Then, two massive beasts slid into the Nephilim's Dream: the legendary space worm Yatagarasu and the fearsome white serpent Boros. They hovered mid-air behind Clover at the ramparts, answering her call.


Ninety-Ninth Scene - Clash of the Guardian Spirits

Clover Gosling laughed maniacally and stood tall in the midst of Boros and Yatagarasu.

"Let's even out the playing field, shall we?" She challenged her foes.

The crazy schoolgirl spun around like a ballet dancer and walked off the edge of the ramparts. Yatagarasu promptly extended his stubby hands and caught her before she could fall.

Tendrils of darkness wrapped around Yatagarasu himself, constricting him like a vice. His beady black eyes glowed ominously white, however, reflecting the magic of Clover Gosling.

Boros, on the other hand, had no tendrils of darkness constricting him. Despite this, he still stood guard over Clover and Yatagarasu, separating them from Bae and her short-handed Council.

"You remember me don't you?" Clover spoke fondly. She patted the sides of Yatagarasu and Boros at once and mused, "I've taken many forms ever since we parted ways in Sector Hotel-11, but I am still Friend - the Guardian Spirit of Civilization." She pointed to Baelz Hakos and smirked, "There stands the agent of the Manipulator - the leader of the false Eleventh Council."

"False!?" Bae snapped, "We're not…!"

Before Bae could finish her sentence, Clover roared.

"BOROS! ANNIHILATE THEM!"

At Clover's command, Boros coiled up like a spring and soared towards Bae. Sana extended her hands towards Boros and weighed him down with gravitic magic as best as she could. However, Yatagarasu waved one of his free arms and dispelled Sana's trap.

Fauna promptly rode Nemu before Bae and focused her magic on her shield of petrified wood. She blocked the charging Boros with her shield but struggled to stop the incredible force of the beast. Nemu bellowed and dug her hooves into the ground. Then, Sana sent her cobblestone planet flying into Boros' head.

The white serpent recoiled but kept digging his fangs into Fauna's shield.

Bae followed through and whacked Boros with her warhammer. Finally, their combined efforts blunted the serpent's attack. Boros let go of Fauna's shield and retreated back to Clover and Yatagarasu.

"Boros!" Bae's rat-headed warhammer cried out, "You're not affected by Clover Gosling's magic! Why are you doing this!?"

Boros' eyes turned to Bae's warhammer, the figurehead of Mr. Squeaks, and he made seemingly unintelligible noises.

"What did he say?" Bae asked her warhammer.

"He's just following Kronii's orders." The warhammer replied, "Kronii loaned Boros to Clover. Now, he can't defy either of them."

A shadow formed over Bae's eyes. She looked up to Clover Gosling in the ramparts and glared at her.

"What?" Clover shrugged, waving her sword-arm casually, "Did you want me to clear your mind out too after all? Just one teeny-tiny poke through the skull and all your pain will go away."

"You bitch!" Bae bristled.

Clover laughed.

"You had me worried there at the start. I thought I was in danger, but it seems like we're evenly matched." Clover boasted, sitting down casually on the ramparts like it was a stage set piece, "We can do this all day and nobody's gonna win the battle - which works out for me." She looked up to the red-tinged skies and crossed her legs, "I don't have to win this battle, after all. I just have to keep you here. I just have to win the war!"

When Clover said this, the bells of distant Big Ben rang twelve times.

Clover turned towards Big Ben and smiled.

"Oh? It won't be long before it's time for afternoon tea." She rubbed her chin, "I wonder what else is supposed to happen this afternoon. Do you have any ideas, Baelz Hakos?"

Bae gritted her teeth.

Before Bae could say anything else, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Sana smiling warmly at her.

"Go save Irys, BaeBae." Sana urged with resilient cheer, "FauFau and I will keep Clover busy."

"Just the two of you!?" Bae tried to protest.

"We're more than enough." Fauna twirled her battlestaff confidently, "The Occidental College is our home turf. Sanana and I aren't gonna let this cheeky brat trample all over our alma mater."

Bae took a deep breath and nodded.

"I owe you guys one!" Bae said cheerfully.

With that, the rat-girl fought her way through the dwindling numbers of Disciplinary Committee guards. She made quick work of them and rushed to the main building of the Occidental College.

"Oh?" Clover hummed, amused by the development, "Boros. Would you kindly put that rat out of her misery?"

Boros glanced at Clover with frustration, but he still obeyed. He launched himself at Bae with open jaws. However, he was intercepted by the mounted Fauna Ceres and slammed into his shield.

"We're your opponents here, Boros!" Fauna called out to the beast, taunting him with her battlestaff and her shield, "Come and get it!"

Enraged, Boros craned his head and opened his mouth incredibly wide to swallow Fauna and Nemu whole. Before he could, though, a bright flash of golden light caught his attention.

Boros turned around and saw Sana Tsukumo surrounded by magical energy. She was holding a peculiar purple thing in her hands and her blond hair flowed freely in the wind.

Sana looked into the white serpent's eyes, smiled and made her declaration.

"SANA IS BEEG!"

In the blink of an eye, Sana grew eightfold in size and turned into a colossus. It was a magical boon that the captive Yatagarasu couldn't dispel. And so, the colossal Sana broke up more cobblestone beneath her feet and made her orbiting cobblestone planet grow as well. She sent in flying towards Boros, forcing the beast to pull back again.

"Watch me, Yatagarasu!" Sana clenched her fists and squared off with Boros like a boxer, "I'll show you just how much this space child has grown!"


Hundredth Scene - Against The Clock

Tremors rocked through the campus of the Occidental College while the battle raged outside. Pandemonium erupted in the hallways as students, noncombatant denizens of Irys' dream, scrambled to get away from the fighting. Bae, on the other hand, sprinted against that sea of panicked students and forced her way through.

Slowly but surely, the crowds thinned and Bae found the main stairwell. Her destination was at the top of that stairwell: the office of Principal Sparrowhawk on the fourth floor. There, Irys was supposed to sign off on her recording deal.

As if I'm gonna let that happen!

Bae rushed up the staircase with wings on her feet. However, with each flight of stairs that she climbed, the chaos of the battle outside the building was drowned out. By the time she reached the third floor, the battle had been completely silenced.

Curious, Bae stopped to look out the staircase window. She still saw Sana and Fauna fighting against Clover's forces, but she couldn't hear it.

It was almost as if the walls had been magically soundproofed.

Irys…

Bae shook her head and continued up the stairs. Before she could reach the fourth floor landing, however, a peculiar figure stood in her way.

Kronii Ouro.

"Oy…" Bae called out to the figure, "You were here after all."

Kronii faced Bae but watched her with a blank stare.

Shit. She really got lobotomized. You're Clover's insurance policy here, huh!?

"Enemy…" The lobotomized Kronii croaked.

"Enemy!? I'm not the enemy!" Bae tried to argue, but her words fell on deaf ears.

"Must protect Mumei…" Kronii replied with growing conviction, "Can't stand… seeing her sad."

All of a sudden, wisps of blue magic coalesced around her. Her twin blades appeared in her hands and she wielded them. Her blank eyes turned to Bae and she groaned a tormented groan.

"I will wash away Mumei's tears…" Kronii started, slashing her blades through the air, "With the blood of her enemies!"

Without warning, Kronii leapt from the fourth floor landing and charged at Bae with reckless abandon. Bae raised up her warhammer and blocked Kronii's flurry of slashes and lunges. Even though her mind and her eyes were unfocused, Kronii's body moved like it did when she still had her wits about her as the Warden of Time.

"Damn it…!" Bae cursed.

The rampaging Warden forced Bae back, pushing her further and further away from the Principal's Office. Wisps of blue magic coalesced around Kronii and coursed through her twin blades. Kronii unleashed yet another flurry, but each strike was more powerful than the last. Then, Kronii overcharged her blades and swung at Bae with full force.

Bae blocked the blow, but a shockwave of energy thrust her backwards and sent her flying through the Third Floor hallway. She crashed through the walls of the main lecture hall and slammed against the lecture hall desks.

She felt warm blood trickling down her forehead. Her winter uniform was also soiled by blood and soot, but she stubbornly picked herself up from the debris.

"That fucking hurt!" Bae roared at the dusty hole on the lecture hall wall.

Kronii marched through that hole, brandishing her twin blades.

"The enemy is persistent." Kronii spoke with a voice that wasn't entirely her own, "I must silence her once and for all… for Mumei's sake."

A clock-like headdress appeared behind Kronii and floated behind her head. The hands of that headdress started spinning quickly.

"I won't give you time to heal." Kronii warned coldly, "This is goodbye, Baelz Hakos."

Shit…!

Before Kronii could call out her spell, Bae dissolved her warhammer and restored Mr. Squeaks to his rat form.

' You hear me, Squeaks? ' Bae spoke telepathically.

' Of course. ' The red rat nodded, answering telepathically as well.

' Hold on tight to Kronii and don't you dare let go! ' Bae ordered.

She then caught the red furball and threw him at Kronii with incredible force.

Kronii ducked, but Mr. Squeaks grabbed a hold of her floating headdress.

"Caesura!" Kronii finally declared.

The world around them was flooded with blue magic and froze in time. However, neither Kronii nor Bae were affected by the spell. The two of them looked at each other while Kronii's headdress spun. Mr. Squeaks, meanwhile clung onto the center of the headdress like his life depended on it - because it did.

"You'll have to forgive me for this, Kronster." Bae apologized. Then she clenched her fists, "But I'm gonna fuck you up!"

Bae wiped the blood off of her face and charged at Kronii. The Warden swung her twin blades, but Bae ducked beneath them and punched Kronii in the stomach - once, twice then thrice!

Kronii recoiled and stepped back, but Bae dropped down onto a handstand and kicked one of the Warden's blades out of her hands.

Bae landed on her feet and gave Kronii no time to breathe. She grabbed a hold of Kronii's other wrist and squeezed down fiercely.

Kronii stubbornly held onto her other sword, but she couldn't make Bae let go of her. Then, Bae threw a vicious elbow into Kronii's face.

"Tell me, Kronii - what are you really fighting for right now!?" Bae elbowed Kronii again and again, "Are you really fighting for Mumei? Or are you just trying to save face for not having a backbone all these years!?"

Bae elbowed Kronii again. Then, for a brief moment, Kronii's unfocused eyes regained their luster.

"I…" Kronii spoke with her own voice, but this was promptly silenced.

Kronii's eyes went blank once more. Then, she resummoned her second blade and stabbed Bae's back.

"Fuck!" Bae cursed.

With every ounce of strength she had left, Bae pulled on Kronii's arm and slammed her into the lecture hall chalkboard and straight through the wall too! All of a sudden, Kronii was buried in a prison of concrete, rebar and debris. Try as she might, she couldn't break free.

Bae dropped down on one knee and gasped for air. Blood dripped down the side of her mouth and from the fresh wound on her back.

"You're being used, Kronii." Bae spoke, struggling to catch her breath, "Clover Gosling's turned you into her mindless thrall. They're twisting your emotions, corrupting all the feelings that you've got hold up inside." She turned her bloodshot eyes to the trapped Kronii and asked, "Are you really fine with letting them turn Mumei into their puppet?"

"Mumei…" Kronii spoke with both voices at first, but her true voice broke through. Tears started to form at the sides of Kronii's eyes, "I don't want them to take Mumei away from me…"

Bae grunted and forced herself to stand up. She walked towards Kronii and extended her hand.

"Then help me bring Mumei back from Sparrowhawk's grasp." Bae urged, "I'll be doing the same - taking Irys back too." She managed to wear a small smile, "Now isn't that something worth fighting for, Kronster?"

Kronii's lustrous eyes met with Bae's. The rat-girl's sincerity stirred something deep in Kronii's heart and spurred her to action. She dissolved her twin blades and spoke from the heart.

"I'd want nothing more - to make up for lost time."

The Warden took Bae by the hand. The moment she did, her Caesura spell expired and the world around them resumed its motion.

Bae helped Kronii out of her concrete prison and then back up to her feet. The two of them looked out the window and saw the battle continuing to rage ferociously. Sana and Fauna were fighting with everything that they had, but they looked like they were already at wits' end.

Kronii snorted and laid a hand on her chest.

"I'll bring Boros back to the fold. He'll listen to me." Kronii offered. She turned to Bae and smiled, "Irys should be waiting for you upstairs."

"Yeah." Bae nodded. She let go of Kronii's hand and left the lecture hall through the hole in the wall.

"Wait a sec." Kronii urged one last time.

"What's up?" Bae asked, standing at the threshold of the hole in the wall.

"Thank you for beating the shit out of me." Kronii gave Bae a bloody grin, "I needed that."

"Anytime, Kronster." Bae waved her clenched fist, "Anytime."

With that, Bae bid Kronii goodbye.


Hundred And First Scene - Winter Giveth Way To Spring

Bae sprinted up the stairwell as quickly as she could, but she was already running on fumes and sheer willpower. All of the fighting and all of her injuries were taking their toll on her, weighing her down. Mr. Squeaks clung onto Bae's shoulder and restored as much of Bae's Chaos magic as he could, but it wasn't enough to bring her completely back.

However, the ticking of the clock echoed in Bae's ears and spurred her onwards.

Disciplinary Committee members gathered at the Fourth Floor hallway and blocked Bae's path to the Principal's Office. Bae panted heavily, but she extended her hand forward.

"C'mon Squeaks…" Bae grunted with pain, "It's… hammer time."

" But your wounds! " Mr. Squeaks spoke telepathically.

"We're running out of time." Bae refused to back down, "This battle ain't over."

Mr. Squeaks closed his eyes and gave Bae one last burst of healing magic. Then, he transformed himself into his warhammer form once more.

Bae wielded her warhammer, but she nearly lost her balance doing so.

Still, Bae willed herself on and charged through the Disciplinary Committee goons. Her warhammer made quick work of them and she fought her way through to the Principal's Office. She cleared a path and made it through to the door.

She took a deep breath and screamed at the top of her lungs.

"IRYS!"

Bae kicked open the door and barged into the Principal's Office. Inside, she found Irys flanked by Principal Sparrowhawk and a myriad of static-faced record label agents. The Nephilim looked like she was on the verge of tears, but she suddenly paused.

"Bae…?" The Nephilim's two-colored eyes shot open and shimmered with joy.

"Excuse me…" Principal Sparrowhawk protested, "You're not supposed to be in here, miss…"

Before Sparrowhawk could finish her sentence, Bae struck her down with her warhammer. Sparrowhawk's figure shattered like frail glass.

You're not the real one, huh? That's a shame…

The other record label agents tried to eject Bae too, but she made quick work of them. Bae promptly closed the doors behind her and locked them. The Disciplinary Committee goons banged on the door from the other side, but Bae pushed back against them.

"Bae… what's going on!?" Irys cried, gripped by utter confusion.

"This world is a dream, Irys. Your dream!" Bae spoke, pushing back against the horde behind the door, "You have to take control of it - before it takes control of you!"

"But…" Irys hesitated.

The banging on the door grew stronger and louder, making the hinges of the door creak. Bae slammed her warhammer down into the ground to shore up her strength, but the hordes kept on growing stronger.

"Irys!" Bae roared.

A dizzy spell gripped Irys. She fell down onto the Principal's chair and held onto her head with both hands. The joy that she felt soured and turned into grave sorrow.

"That may be so… but my sorrow and despair are deep rooted. I'm not the symbol of Hope anymore. I'm the symbol of Despair!" Irys spoke, haunted by frightening images and memories playing in her mind, "Everywhere I go, I mess things up! I didn't just condemn one Known World to a dark fate - I've condemned two!" She gnashed her teeth, "The Ritual of Death and Destiny happened because of me! The Night of the Burning Sky happened because of me! And now… the crystallized world! Gah! Wouldn't it be better if I just didn't exist at all!? Wouldn't it be better if I just end it all right now before I screw everything up again!?"

Bitter tears flowed down Irys' cheeks, sparkling like gems in the afternoon sun.

Bae watched the Nephilim crying. The sight of it made her heart sink, but it lit a fire within her.

"You're wrong." Bae protested, "You're wrong, Irys! You're not the symbol of Despair." She pushed back against the horde with herculean strength and roared, "If you were the symbol of Despair, then why does fighting for you fill me with Hope!?"

"Bae…?" Irys raised her head.

"You're an incredible person, Irys!" Bae declared wholeheartedly, "You shone so brightly and guided me through my darkest moments. Your voice gave me strength - pushed me to fight harder and pour my heart and soul, no matter the cost." She looked Irys straight in the eyes and confessed, "I wouldn't have made it this far if it weren't for everything that you've given me!"

"I…" Irys rose up from her seat and turned away, "I didn't do anything that special."

"You woke me up from my nightmare, Irys." Bae spoke with rare tenderness, "Now let me wake you up from yours!"

Bae set down her warhammer by the door like a barricade. She marched towards the Nephilim. Their eyes met and sparkled in the maroon-tinged afternoon sun. Bae laid her hands on Irys' shoulders.

Irys tried to protest yet again, but Bae pulled her close and silenced her with a deep, passionate kiss.

Tenderness and warmth swept through the Nephilim's heart - then through her entire being. Memories of all the sorrows that she carried on her shoulders melted away like snow at the onset of the spring. Those sorrows came rushing out as tears streaking down Irys' cheeks, but Bae's lips reassured her - comforted her.

They told Irys that everything was going to be alright - and Irys believed her.

' I'm here. ' Bae seemed to say, ' I'm not gonna let you go. '

Irys returned the kiss and pressed her lips against Bae's. Her sorrowful memories were replaced by the warm memories she made with Bae. Winter had passed, spring was upon them and they were going to witness the change of the seasons together.

When the Nephilim and the rat-girl broke off from each other's lips, the banging on the door to the Principal's Office had ceased. Irys took Bae's hands in hers and looked her in the eyes.

"Bae…" A smile broke out on Irys' lips.

"See?" Bae smiled back, gently squeezing Irys' hands.

Irys brought her face close to Bae's. They let their noses touch each other gently and she asked.

"When we get out of here, will you kiss me again?" Irys asked.

This time, Bae backed off with embarrassment. Then, she whispered beneath her breath.

"As many times as you want."

Irys beamed. Wisps of maroon magic coalesced around Irys, taking the shape of flowers floating around her.

"I'll hold you to your promise." Irys smiled sweetly, "When we meet again in the real world, dear~!"

To Be Continued