presea221: Ed is starting to notice he is maybe not the best at dealing with his own anger issues too, and of course, despite having met Zara not long ago, he still feels the need to help due to his own lifestyle. And yay, they finally started talking, though, mostly Zara is doing it, Ed is saving it all to himself. I'm glad you liked how Saiou is, I tried to keep his characters as close as possible and he will be the main villain here for a while. You'll see what happened to her in this chapter, but the main part here is: she is desperate to find a solution.
I have a song suggestion: Ame wo Matsu/Wait for the rain from Minami.
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Chapter X
The Lovers
Ed opens the door to Zara's room inside the yacht, skimming around with his gaze. It is empty and the air is stale, somber even. Did she not come to her room last night? Letting out a low, deep huff, he closes the door.
Where could she have gone off to? His arms cross unwittingly. He promised himself to not spend too much time worrying about others, but undeniably his admiration for heroes plus his lifestyle of making justice with his own hands would collide at times.
He sits alone on the outside chair, the sun shining brightly above his head. Staring at the empty seat across, he bites his food in silence. After that only bite, gripping the silverware on his hands tightly, he breathes deeply and drops it on the table with a clank. His eyes scan the surroundings, but the yacht is completely vacant.
"It sure is quiet here..."
He stares at the food in a dim mood, all the places he looked into seem to incite images of Zara in his mind, he remembers how she runned everywhere on the ship out of excitement being overly loud, such a silly person, her voice sounded quite annoying too, though he got used to it by now. He should enjoy his peace now that she finally left him alone for a while instead of clinging too much to him, but why is it that this peace feels so disheartening?
He can't even taste his meal properly. What a bother. Standing up, he leaves the food aside and sets off to the island, regardless of how he feels, his objective remains the same. During his time out, he meets Judai and friends again.
"Ed! How are you? Did you duel a lot of people already?"
"Humph. I am not as eager to duel as you, plus it seems recently some duelists have been avoiding me..."
"Does that mean you didn't duel, saurus?"
"I wish duelists would avoid me too..." Shou sighs in dismay.
"Well, I dueled some people I found interesting..."
He takes out many medals from his pocket with a conceited smile, surprising the friends.
"That's incredible!" Kenzan blurts in admiration.
"You can have them, I have no interest in winning this tournament." he hands them to the dinosaur boy.
"A-are you just giving it like that?"
"If you prefer, we can have a duel for them."
"Ah, no. It's fine by me." he recoils, scratching his head nervously.
"Well, you all do your best in this tournament..." he steps ahead once, ready to leave, but whirls around, a hint of anxiety in his expression "Have any of you seen Zara around?"
"Zara? You mean, your fiancée?" Judai blinks once, processing the question.
"Yes. The only one."
"I haven't seen her, saurus. What?" He smirks jokingly "Did you two have a fight or what?"
His brows angle instinctively at the words, a grumpy curve on his lips as he stares sharply and annoyedly at Kenzan.
"Kenzan-kun, shh!" Shou elbows the other "How can you say such things?" His scolding tone changes as he nervously tries to soothe the heavy mood "Ed, we haven't seen her around, maybe you could try asking other people, we can help you search for her if you want."
"No. That is not necessary, she is probably just running around somewhere anyways." the scowl on his face increases his fist clenching slightly.
"Hahaha, you don't know where she is? But isn't she your fiancée? Shouldn't you know her better? Like places she'd go and things like that..."
Judai guffaws, he also can't read the mood well, Shou sighs heavily, feeling ashamed he is among a bunch of insensible cavemen.
"You probably did something wrong, didn't you? I bet you were mean to her. If you are as delicate as you are with us… I can imagine why she'd go away." Kenzan crosses his arms, nodding confidently. "You need to be more considerate to girls. You should know that given the number of female fans you have, Ed."
"You two!" Shou grabs both their ears and scolds them, putting a finger to his lips, signalizing they should be silent.
The words of those two strike him like heavy blows, his annoyance gives place to a thoughtful semblance. It is true he hasn't treated her the best those last days and notably, she was shaken by his words. Though he had the best intentions, it didn't go as well as he planned, now she is missing and he is left with no clue whatsoever where to start searching from.
His expression remains unfazed, but standoff, diving into his mind and forgetting they are there. Where did she really go and what is she trying to accomplish? Is it possible she left thinking she is a bother to him or solely by the fact he was angry at her again? What if another of those strange assassins came?
Unlike the other times she was missing, she never came back. He wonders if she will be back at the yacht once he goes there, but all indicates she has left for real. Whichever reason she had, she is probably right in giving him space, regardless, she has nowhere to go and she couldn't possibly have left the island alone. She has to be somewhere, right?
The thought she might be just sleeping around in the forest or anywhere far away from the comfort of a bed gives him chills. That would be no different from the time she was in the world she lived in, would it? No way she is really living like that again, is there?
On top of all that he has to hear Judai giving him a lesson. He should know her because he is the fiancé? Of course he doesn't know much, it was all fake from the start, besides the dreams and the little about her past he has heard, he doesn't really know anything else, does he? He did try to understand her better, but he didn't try enough.
If someone asked her favorite color, or which food she likes the most, even the basic questions, he'd have to lie for not having an answer. He thought it'd be fine since he didn't have any intention of keeping any sort of contact more than necessary and he didn't need such information. Perhaps seeing it from a logical viewpoint was a mistake. People are not statistics or react accordingly to his headcanon, she has feelings too and he might have trampled a bit too much on it.
It was his responsibility to take care of her, he was the one who even brought her along to the island. Yet here he is, seeking for clues, asking people who know her even less to get a hint of where she could be in this immense island. He is just pitiful, handling a situation so badly he has to ask for help like this.
"Ahm… Huh… Ed, I'm sure she is somewhere safe!" Shou sweat spills from his head as he nervously talks.
He blinks unfazed by those words, his mouth shut in a line, they wondered if someone could be less expressive than he was now. His tone, coming off a bit more rude than usual:
"Well, that's none of your concern anyways." He waves his hand vaguely and leaves the scene.
"Man, talk about bad mood..." Kenzan is flabbergasted.
"And whose fault is it?!" Shou lets out a scream out of frustration with their obliviousness.
"You think so? I think Ed has become a lot friendlier compared to when we first met, he will be fine!" Judai throws his hands behind his back, stretching carefreely.
He gets a drop of sweat and raised brows as response, to them he seemed just the same Ed as before. While he walks away, into the forest in search of opponents, Zara's words from the other day soar in his heart.
"I am stagnant…? My heart is still in pain?" he frowns, refusing to accept it "This will not disappear until I find out who killed my father. But she doesn't need to be part of it."
For that whole day, he can only challenge a couple duelists while being avoided by a majority of people who met him. His restlessness grows by each minute, a thirst for the truth that he cannot quench, but he tries to keep his outside cooled down, if he loses that coolness, he feels he will just tumble and make mistakes towards his objective.
"If she wants to be somewhere else, fine! I will find her at some point, she can't have gone far. It's better that way..."
She is also not back by the end of the day, he searches through the ship, but her room and belongings remain intact, her clothes spread everywhere as usual, the bed still the same as when she left. A pinch of concern spreads inside him. This is taking too long even for her, did she get lost on the island or is she doing another strange ritual?
The last possibility, but one he also had to consider given the circumstances, did his words back then shake her heart so much? Coming from her fickle personality, he'd thought she would be good again by next morning, but then, where did she go? Maybe she also needs time to think things through and right now, he'd love to have some time to settle his own matters. However...
His brows curl upwards in regret. Is it because he suggested she quit being a priestess? Did that upset her so much? He was saying that for her sake too, he just wanted to say she'd be better not worrying about greater things and leave that for him and Judai. A bad wording, perhaps, but that was what he meant.
He stays on the deck of the boat, tapping his finger on the table as he waits impatiently for her return, his mind drifting forward and back between the duelist that might have the card he wants and whatever happened to her. To be paired in this level of worry, she must have taken an important place in his heart. He grumbles annoyedly at the thought.
This time, when he goes to the duel academy, an interesting duel about to start, Judai challenges Manjoume. Noticing how his friends had changed, Judai took the responsibility of bringing them back with the guilt of not noticing it earlier while Saiou masterfully brought everyone around Judai to his side.
At the end of the duel, Manjoume is back to his own self, free from the influence of the light of destruction, he loses the duel on purpose, Kenzan is confused on why, but Ed can relate. To him, destroying the monster that Saiou put on his deck was more important than winning.
"Sometimes one must destroy a monster no matter what. I can sympathize with that."
With a scoff, he leaves the place, but while he walks he catches a glimpse of an unexpected scene: there are a few white robbed students walking along with Zara. She has a new outfit too, a fully white long-sleeved dress that goes up to her neck.
He turns around brusquely and stomps his way towards the group, it can't be they were taking her, could it? He can't allow Saiou to brainwash her too with his cult. His steps make noise enough to startle them, they all look in his direction.
"What are you doing?! Zara, get away from them!"
With a frown, he orders in an altered state, paying attention to their moves in alert. Their eyes meet for a brief second, but she averts hers from his face and turns around saddened.
"Zara…?"
He is confused looking at the other students that smirk at him with smug faces. One of them declares bluntly:
"She is one of us now!"
"Stop spouting nonsense! Zara! Those people are dangerous, you should come back with-"
"No."
Her decisive tone startles him, it is loud and clear, unlike the stuttering girl he used to know, she doesn't even look at him on purpose. Is she really playing the hard girl now?
"I am part of the society of light."
"I don't know what they told you, but you can't trust them! Come back with me, Zara! They are just trying to deceive you! These people are shady, they might hurt you!"
"Ed… You don't need to concern yourself with me anymore… From now on, I am no longer your fake fiancée and I don't want to be with you."
His throat suddenly feels dry, is it possible that she already has been…? No, it can't be, he took his eyes off her for a day or two, but just in this short span of time she couldn't have…
"This is not funny, Zara, it's over the top even coming from someone naive like you! You can't be serious! Those people are not reliable! You should be able to see it!"
"You are free to take care of your own matters, Ed. You don't need to burden yourself with me anymore. This is what you wanted isn't it? Leave me alone."
"You heard her, our master was kind enough to accept her, she is one of us now and she doesn't want anything to do with you." Asuka puts an arm around the other girl's shoulder and casts an icy glare at Ed.
"Zara what happened to you? Why are you following them?! Why are you saying this? Did they force you to do it?!"
She presses her lips against each other, keeping them shut and simply walks, he tries to follow, but the members of the society block the path, pushing him away as he struggles to call her back, she disappears into the forest along with Asuka.
When he is released from the students that hold him, he is still in a state of shock, his eyes fixed on that path she took. How could this be? How could he let this happen, she was supposed to be under his watch, but for a stupid reason like not listening to her and trying to keep distance caused an entire new level of a mess.
No… knowing Saiou, he probably exploited the weakness in her heart. If she felt abandoned by him, Saiou would use it as an excuse and take her in, just to wound his old friend. Like what he did with Judai, taking everyone close to him so he is isolated. That cruelty is something that was born into his heart and one he couldn't fully fathom.
But how did he get to Zara? Why did she let herself be deceived by him? She is innocent, but this was… Maybe he has been wrong all along. What about all those times she came to him imploring for an ear to listen or urging his attention for help? What did he do back then? A half-assed attempt of helping.
He thought he could put it off a little bit, until his other matters were settled. How long must it have looked for her? What if she felt ignored and abandoned by the same person who willingly took her in? Now she was just doing the same he did to her, distancing herself and ignoring him, closing off.
For someone a hero is a figure they respect more than anything, but instead of being a hero, he just tore apart every expectation she had of him and postponed her pain as if it was something he could do. His fists close tightly, he hits the nearest tree with a side punch, out of frustration, his hand trembling in result. It's his fault…
He knew she needed someone to support her, yet he let her be alone as if she was grown enough to do it all herself. No, he wanted her to be strong, he believed she would overcome it without much of his help, he wanted it to be this way, neglecting her. Because it would have been easier on him.
It would have been so much easier if she let him alone and in peace while he has his own problems to settle, but if it was like that, why did he even want to help her in the first place? He should just know his limits and not try to hold more than his hands can carry. He couldn't see the people around him again, their feelings, not Saiou's and not hers. Why does it always end up like this?
His face wrinkles looking at the dorm far on the horizon, hidden partially by the trees. A seething anger forming inside his heart. He cannot forgive himself for letting this happen.
The thought of invading the dorm is entertained, but nothing will come of it, he needs a plan and think on how to best reach his voice to her. If she was really induced and deceived by that fake light, he will make justice and open her eyes.
In the white obelisk dorm, the priestess stares at the outside through the glass window with an afflicted gaze. A voice comes from behind her:
"You did well. Master Saiou will reward you soon. Your efforts will not be wasted, Ed Phoenix will be better without you. It will change his destiny and this world's destiny too." Asuka smiles faintly, but it is void "This is what our master told me."
Putting a hand closer to her chest, her eyes flicker remembering Ed's exasperation, but she couldn't be weak now. If she is really the one that will lead him to destruction, then she will be happy to cut ties and prevent that destiny. But what is this feeling of uneasiness in her heart? Why does she feel something is off about it? And why despite being determined to do so, it still pains her so much to pretend as if she didn't want to go back when she was asked to by him?
She cannot understand any of this anymore, but her heart aches the more she thinks. Perhaps, Ed was right all along and she is not fit to be a priestess after all. This is why she should step back and wait, soon the ritual to take her powers away will be complete and when it is, she will be able to change the destiny she fears, or so it is what she was convinced of.
A couple days later
The days on the boat had been silent and uneventful, he finds himself gazing off into the distance almost like in a trance. He can't stop thinking about how badly he handled the situation before with Zara and now she is not there anymore. At least he can rest assured she is not sleeping without a ceiling above her head, not that the white dorm is the best place for her to be currently.
She even broke off their fake engagement with her own mouth, not that it signified much to begin with, but she was the one who was the most excited about it before and now… It was shocking to him. How much she seems to have changed in so little time. Was her mind influenced by that obnoxious light too?
Meanwhile, Saiou's dark side has a fight against his good will, one wants to activate the keys for the satellite of destruction, the other wants to prevent it, in this fierce battle, without alternatives, the real Saiou visits both Judai and Ed in spirit, handling each a key to the activation of the weapon and begging them to protect it with their lives because the world's destiny rested on their hands.
Not grasping fully the depth of the predicament, Ed believes those words, after a long time he felt the hope that his friend, the one he knew since they were kids, is still there and alive. He visits Judai the night of that same day and shows he also holds a key.
"Ed… You too… But what is this?"
"I don't know, but Saiou said it is a key that holds the destiny of the world. I believe him. We should protect it with our lives, Judai!"
They nod firmly, making a vow to each other of risking themselves for the sake of the world.
On his yacht, Ed looks at the key in deep thought, putting it back into his chest pocket, his eyes drift towards the island and narrow in doubt. He was sure the one who visited him was his real friend, but that callous man who snatched Zara and that had been brainwashing students, who is he?
While distracted in his inner pondering a pillar of light rises, it comes from the white obelisk dorm, he feels an enormous energy emanating from it and along with that a familiar energy that he had felt before, many times.
"Zara…?"
He gasps, she is still at the hands of that cult, what could have happened there? He doesn't have much time to think, all he can do is rush towards the place and see to it in person. Did he wait too long before acting? But what could he have possibly done? She refused to come back with him and he doesn't fully know what that cult is capable of, the right choice should be to assess the situation before taking action, but he has no time now.
The light ceases before he arrives, but he still barges into the place. The whole dorm is dark and he can see a few indoctrinated students inside, they all look at the main stairs with a satisfied smile.
"Where is Saiou? And where is Zara?!"
He yells at those annoyingly lethargic students, they slowly turn around, looking at him and walking towards him. A drop of sweat rolls down his face, he is surrounded by them. They work like a swarm.
While frantically scanning around, looking for an opening to act, he sees someone on the ground as his eyes flash through the crowd. His gaze stops there, a freezing sensation numbing the tips of his fingers, his blood fails to go everywhere for a moment and his breath ceases for a brief second.
It is Zara, but why is she fainted on the ground? What happened? His hand stretches involuntarily, he can't see anything else, but his concentration is disturbed when a hand grabs his wrist, other hands grab his shoulders and start dragging him away as he struggles.
"Let me go! Zara! What did you do to her?! Let me go!"
He tries his best, but with many people pulling him, it is impossible to resist, as he is dragged to the entrance and kicked out of the dorm, rolling down a couple treads downstairs. His eyes never stop looking at her for a single moment.
"Her sacrifice was noble, she gave her powers to nurture our master's, she should be proud."
"Sacri…fice?"
His expression darkens in terror with the word, that can't be right, his eyes flicker, only her image is reflected on them, he gets up stumbling in an attempt to enter the dorms and take her away by force if necessary, he doesn't care if dozens or hundreds of people will be in the way, he just has to find out how to bring her back. This somber feeling he has that if he doesn't take her now, she will just die, it spreads to his heart profoundly.
"What do we do with her?"
"She served her purpose, there is no need for a useless tool to be here anymore."
"Dispose of her."
Grabbing her arms and raising her, they start carrying her body away, her feet being dragged on the ground.
"Stop right there! Take your hands off of her!"
He screams exasperatedly, almost in panic, before he knows, the students exchange a smirk and swinging her body, they throw it at him, he quickly grabs her to cushion the fall, but again, they both fall back, her weight pressing him down.
"If you want her so much, you can have her."
They laugh in scorn and close the door with a thud on his face. He closes his eyes in pain for a moment, his back hurts from hitting the ground so suddenly, but the most important thing is that Zara is with him now.
He sits over his own legs on the ground, sitting her on his lap, putting her legs over his, her head hanging backwards until he supports it with his hand, bringing it close to his chest. His eyes open in shock when he sees her hair, it is dyed pure white.
"Zara, your hair…" he passes his hand through a strand "Why is it like this?"
He gets a hold of her shoulder and gently shakes her a bit, in an attempt to wake her up. But her body is completely irresponsive and limp. Is this what they meant with giving powers? Was her life energy drained? His eyes waver violently in consternation.
"Zara, wake up!"
The call sounds like an order, but it is full of despair, he sweats aplenty, flabbergasted with the sight. Why is she not waking up? Why is she still sleeping at a time like this? She can't be…
He flinches, snapping out of his terror when he sees her finger twitch and movement on her eyelids, they sluggishly strive to open until her orbs can be half seen under them. Her vision is unfocused, but she can see him.
"Ed…?" her eyes gleam with the sight as if tears are forming, they are as unstable as his "Now my powers cannot harm you anymore… Everything will be fine…"
"Harm? What are you talking about?! Do you know how worried I was?! Why did you come to the white dorm?!"
He shakes her once, shouting in a scolding and distressed tone. His grip fails for a moment, his hands tremble as he tries to hold her. Why did this have to happen to her of all people? After all she had been through, after all his efforts to keep her in check and give a new opportunity for her life. It is all in shambles.
"Hehe… I broke my vow as a priestess… I lied…I said I didn't want to be with Ed, but it was a lie… I am happy that Ed came to pick me up… But I shouldn't… No matter what… That will just be bad for Ed in the end..."
His eyes tear up, it is his fault. He shouldn't have ignored her, he should've just tried to be more mature and help her before. Despite all that she suffered, having her powers stolen, all that he said to her, how can the first thing she worries about be him? Why does she not think a bit about herself? This is so painfully frustrating to watch.
"What are you saying...? Silly..."
"Yes… I am silly… And clueless and I get myself in trouble… I am a useless priestess too… I thought my powers could help, I really did… But no matter how much I think, I just hurt everyone in the end, don't I…? My father… His friend… Ed… Everyone around me just suffers and dies… I just know how to cause problems to everyone… So I gave up on it… I don't want to hurt anyone else… I'm tired of making Ed angry… Or making my father cry… I… am so tired…"
His heart can't take it, he is so taken by those feelings of hers that it overflows from him too, she is slightly startled with the teardrops dripping on her cheeks, his eyebrows curl in sorrow as he looks at her face from above.
"Idiot! Who told you that?! Why would you think that you are harming me or anyone?! This is not… true..." he is almost out of breath from all the anxiety built inside his lungs. "It's not true! You're harmless, why would you think otherwise?!"
He is at fault too, he was unnecessarily mean to her and despite making attempts to understand her side, he also told her many things he shouldn't have. Perhaps, had he said it differently…
"It is true… Ever since I came, I was just lost and couldn't do… a single thing… I needed help and it just burdened Ed more… Maybe the gods did not give me a gift after all… Why would they choose me…? I have nothing to offer… I am just a dumb girl… A very dumb one… You know it… This is what everyone thinks…"
With an exhausted expression, a feeble and bitter smile plays on her lips as her eyes flicker in sadness after seeing him, her own tears delineating her face, her hand raises slowly, but stops before touching his face, he grabs it, enveloping the hand she refused to reach out with his own.
"No, Zara, you shouldn't… You shouldn't listen to people so easily, not even me, I…"he lacks air to finish the sentence.
"I knew it… Just like master Saiou and Ed said… I'm no good… I am not fit to be a priestess... Ed cannot be happy if I am around… I ruin everything I do… I will ruin your life and this world will also… I don't want that…"
"Stop saying such things! Why would you think that…?! This isn't..." his eyes waver violently. "This isn't you… Entering the enemy's quarters?! They just wanted your powers, even you… You should have known you can't trust him! You saw it in visions! You kept blabbering about it! Why now of all times you…" his voice comes out shaky.
"I tried to change destiny… Even if I didn't, it is fine… My powers… No, I won't be in your way anymore…" a faint smile plays on her lips. "You can be free from its influence… You can make your own destiny now…"
"How can you smile right now?! You just… Why did you go to such lengths?! You had no reason to do this! You really didn't…"
No reasons? She blinks once at the words. That is not true. The reason why she came and why she has been trying her hardest was only one from the beginning, wasn't it? Her orbs flicker landing on his for a moment.
"I just wanted to see your smile… a bit… Ed..."
Her worn out eyes close and her consciousness fades away, the hand he holds suddenly weighs down more, her body becomes frail again. His eyes open wide with those words, as if ten thousands of needles pierced through his heart, he gasps. It hurts him so much, to see her like this, all of it. An unbearable pain he has felt only once in his life.
"No! Zara! You can't listen to what they say! Why are you saying all this…? Why…?"
His strength gradually fades and his tone becomes lower and lower. He bends over her, crying. Why of all people it had to be her? She talks about not wanting other people to suffer because she is around, but did she never think the matter was that they'd suffer more once she is not there?
"Don't barge into my life just to… Don't do this to me… Please..."
His mind is full of their memories, how full of energy she always was, her clumsiness, the way she smiled, everything. His body quivers as he sinks his head on her shoulders, embracing her tightly. He can still feel her faint breathing, but it's so feeble he wonders if she will hold much longer like that.
"It's not your fault… It was never your fault, fool… I was not angry at you… I was the stupid one..."
The sentences come in a faint, unstable voice that gets swallowed by his tears. Why did he not say that before? Such simple words. Perhaps, had she listened to his true feelings, she'd not be here. It was never her fault, it was always him, he is constantly annoyed and impatient and acted out of his emotions when he should have cooled his head and just said a few words to soothe her worries.
He was wrong. He said many things he shouldn't without ever considering the consequences. She says she is making him suffer, but isn't it also true the other way around? The thought just pains him more. He took part in this and now…
"Why did this have to happen to you...?"
His thoughts search for the other culprit: she called Saiou "master". The only conclusion he can have is that he knew it, he knew her feelings and he used it against her, he manipulated her, there is no doubt! Then he stole her powers. Why is he doing that? Why did Zara have to be thrown into this? This was between them both, then why…?! Not again! He can't have someone else dying in his arms. One more person for him to avenge and to cry for.
"Saiou!"
He lashes out his anger, in a deep yell from the bottom of his heart that echoes through the forest, a voice filled with grief and sorrow. The night birds fly away, from afar, Judai turns around, listening to that cry.
"Right now that was… Ed's voice wasn't it?"
The winged Kuriboh appears in the air, grumbling his usual unintelligible words in concern, Shou and Kenzan exchange a glance, they all head to the place where it came from, surprised to find themselves at the entrance of the white dorm.
They become stunned after noticing someone else there, the pro duelist. Judai rushes to his side immediately just to be shocked by the sight as Ed cries over an unconscious Zara.
"Ed..." his eyes are filled with consternation.
He has never seen Ed cry like this, and what happened to Zara? The last they heard she was missing, but to find her here and in such a state…
The others exchange a concerned glance and also come to help. Judai's fists clench, a frown forms on his expression as he stares at the ominous white dorm. He understands by instinct who the culprit is.
This is past the limit, he can't let Saiou hurt more people. It has to stop. He will put an end to this, but first and foremost, he must save the friends that are still around him. Putting a hand firmly on Ed's shoulder, he snaps him out of his lament.
"Ed, let's take her to the infirmary."
"I will help yo-"
Kenzan promptly offers to carry her, stretching his hands, but his hands are slapped away by Ed who stands up on his own, with Zara in his arms. His eyes are dried from the tears, all that is left is an icy, enraged glare that he casts over his shoulders to the white dorm.
"Saiou… I will not take this lightly… I will face you myself..."
Firming his grip on Zara's shoulders he leaves along with the other students, with the vow of breaking the destiny his friend foresaw and change the path of destruction he tries to seed in this world.
From the upper floor of the dorm, Saiou watches the scene through the window with a delighted grin, now that her powers were absorbed he is even stronger and he finally got rid of his other self, there is nothing that can stop him. His ambition filled eyes envision a future of utter mayhem. When will his plans be foiled?
