That night, as soon as everyone had found somewhere to rest their head, they were out like lights. The battle had ended completely in their favour that time, although the success that time could be more attributed to Nyx's intervention in the basement.

However, while nearly everybody had just been happy to get the ordeal over and done with, Minato wasn't. When he heard that Nyx had entered the tower, he was overcome with rage, and he tried his utmost to end his fight between Takaya as soon as he could.

But thinking about it, he wondered why he felt that way when Nyx entered the tower. Of course, there was the matter of the Fall occurring if she managed to get herself killed, but she could defend herself just fine. It was partly because of her the tower toppled over after all, and it was just with one of her Night Queen spells.

What the hell? There were so many questions that he could ask of Nyx about why she even entered the tower in the first place! But…

…he needed some rest before he crashed.

…

"Erebus, oh Erebus, what have you gotten yourself into?" Nyx wondered as she stayed up. "Why were you helping Strega?" she asked herself as she eyed the medallion in her hand. It was a jet black brooch-like thing, smooth and polished, and silver coursed through the ebony to create the head of a horned beast; two in fact and they were joined at the backs of the heads, facing away from each other, their teeth bared.

"This isn't a Nyxist cult that they're dealing with anymore. At least, it isn't just a Nyxist cult," she mumbled. "They are a cult that worships Erebus as well."

"But why would Erebus help Strega at all? I wonder if it is because of me…" Nyx said quietly. "But of course it would be. He doesn't care about anything else, where he goes. The fact that the tower lit up once the generator was destroyed proved that it was his power that fuelled everything within. The Shadows as well."

"…but if by some great idea that he thought up, he actually does come back here with a mortal form, it would cause a lot of stress to everyone in SEES, especially Minato," Nyx sighed. "Why am I still worrying about him?"

…

"Hey Ken, you notice that Minato and Nyx've been giving each other the evil eye ever since two days ago?" Junpei asked. "Also happened to be the night when I found Minato kinda close to passing out when Nyx punched him."

"Nyx-san punched Minato-san!?" Ken said with his eyes widened.

"Yeah, what? He hasn't told you? Actually… has he told anyone?" Junpei asked as he looked at Minato coming down from the stairs, fully dressed in his uniform.

"I dunno, you just told me Junpei!" Ken deadpanned at the capped senior.

"Rise and shine," Kanashi groaned as he opened his eyes. "You know, that light has really jerkish placement?"

"I could say the same," Yashiro yawned. "I'm surprised I even got some sleep though. I never get sleep at night nowadays. Might find myself nodding off in class…"

"Oh wow, your sleeping habits are messed up just like mine!" Kanashi said excitedly. "Join the club!"

"Shut up dumbfucks, I don't need you guys raising a 'ruckus' this early in the morning," Kurow slurred. "Yo bitches, wassup?" he said as he grabbed a familiar paper bag and rummaged through the contents.

"Us, and the beyond magnificent ceiling," Minato said with an irritated growl. "Now shut up, I need an aspirin or something."

"I haven't seen him in that bad of a mood ever," Junpei blinked.

"Me neither Junpei-san," Ken nodded in agreement.

"You say something?" Minato snarled.

"Hmph, I'm not exactly surprised that he's in a bad mood," Nyx's voice echoed down the stairs as she came down. "I'm surprised that I'm even in a decent one."

"Ooh, tension's brewing," Junpei said excitedly.

"Junpei…" Ken deadpanned at him before punching him on the shoulder.

"Ow," the capped teen mumbled.

"Hmph," Minato waved off Nyx's snark.

"Well in any case, I believe I have something useful to tell everyone that I found out from last night," Nyx declared.

"What is it?" Yashiro asked.

"I believe I know where Strega was getting their power," she replied. "Look at this," Nyx said as she presented the black medallion that she had been looking at the night before.

"Hey, ain't that one of them… uh, ass-ass-in brooches?" Kurow said as he looked at it.

"Well, that's one more meaning. In any case, the medallion seems to show the image of a double headed goat," she explained.

"What's a double headed goat got to do with anything?" Kanashi asked.

"The double headed goat is representative of Erebus," Nyx answered. "You know, my brother, consort, primordial of darkness? Etcetera, etcetera… Other such titles?"

Minato's eyes widened and he turned his head to Nyx with an intense glare. "What?"

"You heard me Minato," Nyx replied. "And there's more bad news where this came from."

"Like what?" Ken asked.

"If Erebus touches me, the Fall occurs, no questions asked," she said, and a pall of silence fell among the members of SEES in the lobby. "Minato knows this quite well."

Minato scoffed. "Erebus was exactly the thing that I was separating from Nyx. So now, after he'd found out that Nyx agreed with my offer to come to the human world, he probably went after her. Stubborn. Like sister, like brother I suppose."

"Don't compare me to him, remember what I told you?" Nyx said quickly.

"What, the fact that he's basically a puppy? You know, the same thing that woulda been pounding against my crotch for the rest of eternity if I didn't think to persuade you to get me out of the seal so that I could have a second chance at life?" Minato laughed.

"Put it that way, it just sounds kinda bad in general," Yashiro mumbled.

"Yeah, now where's my goddamned aspirin?" Minato snapped.

Nyx narrowed her gaze and sighed. Why was he so angry?

"What's that sigh for?" Minato asked.

"It doesn't matter," she replied before quickly making her way out of the dorm.

"Whoa," Kanashi blinked.

Minato looked at her back blankly before sighing. Why was he so angry at her? "Wait!" He ran out of the dorm after Nyx, and he managed to grab her wrist before she could go any further.

"What is it!?" Nyx gritted her teeth and looked back at Minato with pleading eyes. Pleading.

"I-I… I'm sorry!"

"Y-You're sorry? For what? Isn't your hate justified!?" Nyx whispered, as if she wanted to shout so much that it just turned quiet instead. "I'm aware of the fact that you hate me! Why do you care!?"

"B-Because… I don't know! That's the truth, I don't know!" Minato mumbled.

Nyx bit her lip as her face started to turn into a grimace. "Y-You care?"

"Huh?"

"You care about me. Why?" Nyx said as she tried to look at Minato. "If you don't answer, I will."

Minato tried to open his mouth and find an answer to her question, but he couldn't, just like before.

"Minato! You only care about me because you care about yourself; you're selfish," Nyx sighed. "It's true, isn't it? You only care about me because if I die, or if I was touched by Erebus, your world would end, and your very existence and efforts until now would be for naught. I understand that you care about your friends, not that I could even fathom why. But… then what?"

"Tell me what I said, wasn't true!" Nyx squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the silence.

"You can't, can you?" she smiled mirthfully, letting her tears stream down her face.

Minato looked down at the ground with a saddened expression. He couldn't say that everything she said wasn't true. Because it was.

…

Minato blinked several times, trying to reassure him what he saw wasn't real. He even pinched himself to see if it was all a dream. But it wasn't. By harbouring hate, and by clinging onto life like he did, he completely and utterly failed.

"What have I done?" he mumbled to himself, looking at the place where Nyx was before.

Aigis stepped outside and saw Minato staring blankly out. "Minato… come back inside. You need some strength if you want to chase after her."

"There isn't much of a point. I hate her, so why should I care?" Minato asked himself again. "What is it that I've done Aigis? By coming back, I know I made you guys happy, and I know that I was happy when I got to spend time with you guys, and my new friends… but at the same time I think I lost everything that ever mattered to me. I messed up."

"…I don't know Minato. I don't have that answer," she said sadly. "But one thing is clear; you have to figure out what it is that makes you care about her, if it isn't the Fall, and if it isn't your hate. If it isn't those, there's something else that makes you care about her."

"I-I… I guess," Minato said, his shoulders slumping.

"And Minato?"

"Yeah?"

"You haven't messed up until the Fall actually comes down. You have time, but there are things out there that we need to watch for as well," Aigis tried to reassure him.

"I know. I never actually asked what would happen to Nyx if she had to bring the Fall, did I?" Minato chuckled.

…

Nyx sighed as she kept walking. She found herself at Iwatodai station, once she bothered to look up. "What now?" she asked herself.

"Hello, Nyx. It's been quite a long time, hasn't it?"

Nyx's eyes widened as she turned around to meet the voice that had spoken behind her. "Y-Yes, it has," she replied, biting her lip. "Erebus…"

"The one and only," he smirked.

…

"This world doesn't deserve a second chance. If the world's so called saviour is this selfish, then why should I even embrace any kind of hope that this world isn't just for naught? If I wasn't a god, I would end everything here, but I won't. But this world might as well be dead to me, unless you know what you're even doing. Find the reason before I break my promise…"

AN: Ehh… uh, surprise? Ehehehe… before you ask, I'm surprised at how fast this is going too. But there's still more to go.

Also, on a scale of 1-10, how well do I RP as Nyx in the Q/A section? Hahaha…

Plz box meh yo thoughts and imma see ya guys later.

Yoshikunitsu: Oh, thanks… I was just worried because I didn't put as much effort into this second counterattack chapter as I did the first.

JackFrostDoll: No-one would want to. *sweatdrops*

Raidou: Haha, thanks. And yes, that working together shit really works. Yeah, he's done. I decided it would be really underwhelming if he was left alive.

Eivexst: You don't. I like my OPness thank ye very much.
…maybe? *smiles nervously*
Yeah, it's just the stragglers left. Ehhh, well alright then. If ya say so.

Nights (44, then 45): I thought it would be… dramatic.
Hate. There is.
…he could probably beat her if he really tried. If Nyx gets charmed? Everyone but Minato is doomed.
Evening Star is only called that if the two spells are combined. Then, that is Evening Star. Although, close. And yeah, I liked writing that part a lot.
Sure will.

Q/A SECTION

(Nyx) Convo 1: To Yoshikunitsu.

Nyx: Ah. How pleasant… *sighs*

(Minato, Makoto and Nyx 2) Convo 2: To Yoshikunitsu.

Makoto: Ah, anyone else who might be joining? I feel that higher powers may be tempted to warp some other Minatos that I know here, but that's just me.
Nyx: Like that fellow who defeated Nyarlathotep, and the other one that was a complete and utter jerk until the times that he was around Hamuko?
Makoto: Yes.
Minato: There are other Minatos?
Makoto: Yes, there isn't just me.

(Yashiro, Kanashi and Kurow) Convo 3: To Yoshikunitsu.

Yashiro: Uh… how could anyone be picked up by Takaya?
Kanashi: I dunno. And granny in the antique store?
Kurow: Anything's possible. But does it look like I give a shit?

(Nyx) Convo 4: To Technodude.

Nyx: Doubt? Let me ask of you this once more; how much do you know me? There is conclusive reason to why I am acting the way I do and nor is there any solid evidence that your conclusion is right. Can't you leave me be?

(Nyx) Question 5: Are you feeling alright after crying like that? (PS: Please don't kill me, I'm just concerned.)

Nyx: …no.

(Minato) Question 6: Do you really think killing a man will ever really be the vengeance that would have wanted? 'cause you know, this is just going to cause more hate.

Minato: No. And I know. I didn't kill primarily kill him out of hate. I killed him because by existing he would be able to kill many more people. Perhaps that reason won't justify my actions, but by leaving him be…
In any case, I would have preferred not to do anything if he stayed down and rotted alone. But he didn't. That, would have been the vengeance that my friends would seek.