Ryu stirs slightly in her sleep. Her consciousness is calling out to her, rousing her awake. Where was she? At first, she doesn't remember how she got here. Her memories are hazy; her thoughts muddled. She feels cold. Why?

"—!"

Her eyes shoot open as her somnolence is all but forgotten. Bell! Where is he?! She pulls her aching body upright in search of the boy. But he isn't there anywhere. Her heart sinks into her stomach as it thumps loudly in her ears. Her breaths become shallow as she tries calming herself down.

He's around here. Somewhere. He wouldn't just up and leave her. She was sure of that. But that begged the question: where was he now? The room was small. And there were no other leading corridors and tunnels connected to it. That only left the entrance they had collapsed through (or, in this case, exit). But, that would mean then—

Before that line of thought could fully come to fruition, a crackling boom came thundering from outside. Ryu's body jolted as the whole floor seemed to violently quake. Luckily, she had enough strength left in her to instinctively brace herself from toppling over.

What…? What was that…?

She looked towards the cavern's exit. The explosion sounded like it had come from the arena—directly outside. Ryu swallowed hard. She didn't want to go. The Juggernaut was out there. But, most likely, Bell as well—!

Logic and rationality demanded that she stack back or even flee deeper into the caver to seek shelter. However, she ignores those thoughts and voices in her mind, silencing them by reminding them who it was that came back for her in the coliseum. If he was out there, and she was almost certain he was, she had to return the favor.

Before she realizes it, she's standing on the cusp of the light outside. Her legs stiffen as she titters on that edge.

Move. He's out there. He was being as reckless as ever. No doubt, doing something stupid for her sake. Move. You owe that much to him, at the very least.

And so, she steps back onto the battlefield, braving the trauma she would no doubt experience once again. Was she strong enough to overcome it? Maybe. For his sake, she would try.

As Ryu's eyes adjust to the light, she is left speechless at the sight before her. The Juggernaut is writhing on the ground, its body engulfed in sapphire flames. Its howls and screeches are being smothered out by the roars of the flames. She's seen those flames before, albeit, only briefly. She blinks once, then twice, before refocusing her thoughts on her original purpose as to why she set foot out in the first place.

Where is he? Where did he go?

Just then, a figure darts across the sky, letting out a furious, blood-curling roar as it spirals toward the Juggernaut. It sounded almost reverberated as if it were two voices mixed. It wasn't natural sounding by any stretch of the imagination.

The figure would be a blur if it weren't emitting a blinding light from itself. Ryu fights the urge to flinch and raise her hand to cover her eyes. It could be her mind playing tricks on her. But she swears she can barely make out a humanoid silhouette.

She forces herself to stare at the brilliant, sapphire light. Her eyes widen as her vision adjusts, and the image becomes clear. She sees it. She sees him.

Soaring across the arena, roaring with the very antithesis of ataraxis, murderous intent poised towards the Calamity—was a boy on fire.

.

.

.

It burns. Or at least, it feels like it does. It's surreal; it's almost indescribable. He can't seem to specify the sensations flowing throughout his body. He can only really compare it to being burned. And yet, he strangely feels complete, almost.

Oh well. This was something he had expected. This body wasn't meant to handle such pure magic coursing through its veins. And although his body was seemingly crumbling at the seams, his soul was alight with passion and fury.

Hold on. Just for a little bit longer.

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.

.

The Juggernaut knew something was wrong. This wasn't the same boy that had fled from its grasp in such a pathetic manner. It wasn't the fact that he looked different, he simply was different. It was as if his very being was altered somehow.

What had happened? What had transpired inside that cave to change the boy so drastically? What was this sense of fright and dread washing over its body?

Every instinct blared at the Juggernaut, warning it of the imminent danger. But it was far too blinded by bloodlust to care. Besides, it was stronger now. And the boy was weak.

"Nothing's changed," it told itself.

That was until the blackened shell of armor around its body suddenly combusted. The Juggernaut didn't even have the luxury of time to be confused before it began clawing and ripping into itself, attempting to tear off the parts of itself that were now ablaze.

How? How was that possible?! How did that attack bypass its reflective shield?!

It was far too panicked and in agony to see the boy hurling himself towards it like a blazing ball of fire. Whether the boy had caught fire from his magic; or due to his sheer speed causing the air particles around him to ignite was unknown, even to the boy. What was certain was that the boy fully intended to annihilate the monstrosity that was now at his full mercy. Defeating or vanquishing it would no longer suffice.

Who now was the true monstrosity?

He aimed directly for the Juggernaut's torso. While he could have aimed directly for its neck or even its skull, that would be a far too merciful end for it. It had caused so much pain and suffering, especially to the elf girl he had become so close to and had sworn to protect. He would make it feel that anguish and suffering that it had inflicted on so many others.

As soon as his knife brushed upon its shell, he drove his shoulder forward, burrowing in the edge as deep as the hilt would let it. The sheer momentum of his body, carried out by his blinding speed, dragged the knife forward. As it carved along the shell, the wound began to fizzle before bursting into flames.

Good—! More—! Burn for me!

However, the initial impact of his blow caused his body to recoil. The shockwave jolted throughout his body, creating drag. The counteracting force made his strike falter. It wouldn't even make it through the first rib.

"—!"

As he felt his blade begin to waver, he grabbed hold of his wrist. Clenching his teeth and steeling himself, he drove his knife forward with all his might. The blade begrudgingly obeyed, ripping through the Juggernaut's ribcage and all the way through, past its hind leg. The boy felt a brief hitch as his attack ended before being flung across the arena, skipping and tumbling along the ground.

That was fast, even for him.

He looked back to see his prey violently writhing and screeching out in pure pain. Before he realized it, a crooked, sadistic smile began twisting itself onto his lips. How did he not see it before? He was too scared to notice it. But not this time. Staring at the sight before him, his eyes began to shimmer with child-like wonder and delight. Right now, the flames looked just so, so beautiful.

Despite the adrenaline coursing through his veins, he couldn't help but reel from the pain that rippled throughout his body. There wasn't any discernible source of where the pain came from. He just hurt all over. But so too was the Juggernaut.

The inferno spread mercilessly all across its exoskeleton, greedily devouring everything it touched. There was nothing that seemed to stop or even slow them down. Every attempt the Juggernaut made to smother the blaze only served to incur their wrath, causing them to spread even further. It was as if the utter audacity at such a pathetic act angered them.

How foolish! You would dare try to smother me? Such a disappointment.

The Juggernaut's options were being turned to dust and ash by the second. Fleeing was out of the question. Dousing the flames, well, certainly wasn't helping. That only left one thing.

Barring its razor-sharp teeth, it clenched its claws, digging them into the ground, before viciously pouncing towards the boy. Adrenaline helped to numb the excruciating pain, but only for so much. The hormone couldn't help regenerate or heal its body as it crumbled under its weight.

Was it desperate? Absolutely. But what other choice did it have? It was better to be desperate than dead.

It stretched out its claws as far as it could muster, fully intent on killing the boy in a single blow (it no longer had the luxury of toying with him as it had previously). But there was no reaction. The boy stared at it with such cold eyes. While his eyes still shone both a fiery sapphire and a bellicose crimson, they held a certain callousness to them. It was almost as if the Juggernaut was but a mere ghost being seen though. That look made it feel just so small—so inferior.

What stood just beyond its reach was no longer a boy. He was something far more dangerous, sadistic, and incomprehensible. However, it was far too late for the Juggernaut to realize.

The boy outstretched his arm and called out in a quiet, distorted voice, invoking a power from within himself.

"Infernu—"

Yet as he spoke the word, he felt the surge of heat begin to swell inside his chest, causing him to choke. The sensation was suffocating. His lungs felt as though they were being smothered within his ribcage. He began coughing violently. Wisps of smoke seeped in between his teeth and out from his lips. He felt his chest loosen slightly as he felt something dislodge itself and rush up his windpipe as he continued to violently cough. After a few more hacks, he removed the hand he had used to cover his mouth and looked to see a small pile of dust.

He had just hacked up a piece of himself that had crumbled inside his body.

So… it was going to be like that.

But it was fine. An estranged sense of peace washed over him as he stared at the bits of powder slowly blowing off his hand.

In the end, if he could save that one life—her life—then this was fine. Anything afterward would be nothing more than wishful thinking.

But there was still a lingering part of him that would have loved to meet with his familia again. Not in the dungeon's depths, but back on the surface where there was fresh air, sunlight, and the embrace of their petit goddess waiting for them.

He would spend time with each one individually, letting them know that they were all loved equally in his eyes.

He would have liked to extend his gratitude towards the others who had joined him on the expedition. Cassandra especially for gifting him the goliath scarf.

They all did so well and fought so hard, especially without him. Hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, never wavering against the cruelty of the dungeon. Even now, somewhere on the floors above him, he could feel them fighting with all their might, refusing to let one another falter and their spirits waver.

Yes…they would be just fine…

But then, the girl of his dreams with the gold hair crossed his mind. Would she be as disappointed in him as he was with himself? A tinge of guilt pressed onto his shoulders.

No. Stop. We aren't finished. Stop dwelling on what could have been. And besides, you ought to remember now that terrible thing you once had called love.

The harsh yet undeniable words seemed to snap him out of his stupor. He was on borrowed time. He couldn't afford to waste another second on himself—!

When he had earlier hacked up his ashen insides, the flames on the Juggernaut had seemingly dissipated, giving it enough time to find its bearings once more. It was still reeling from the searing pain, but at least for the moment, it wasn't actively being torched. Its vision had become a dizzying spiral of excruciating pain, but it could barely make out the figure of the boy. Somehow, he too seemed to be in pain. That was enough for it to reel upright, willing itself to retaliate against him.

A battle of attrition. A battle of survival. That was all this was. There was no ulterior, virtuous reason. The boy shed that honor-bound mask. In this dungeon, in this arena, in this moment—it was merely kill or be killed.

The Juggernaut lunged towards him, its flesh scorched and searing at the seams. The heat seemingly melted and cooled, further fusing and inaugurating the ungodliness that was its newfound chimerism. The boy's flames could be used to its advantage, in its own sick, masochistic way. Its claws unfurled themselves, thrusting at blinding speeds.

"—tsk!"

The boy just barely reacted to the attack. A familiar, searing sensation ran over his left clavicle and over his shoulder as he ducked. He hissed as another set of claws slashed at him. Pivoting his foot onto the ground, he focused all his weight onto the ball of his foot before leaping, twisting his body to spiral in midair, skillfully weaving his nimble frame through the gaps in the Juggernaut's claws. The tip of his boot barely scraped the ground before another attack was toward him.

Distance—he needed distance! Or… did he…?

Raising his right arm, he sucked in a gasp of air.

"Infernum!" he cried through clenched teeth.

The flames cared little for what they consumed. Everything they touched met the same fate. It was unconditional, it was unreserved, it was irrefutable. But the boy didn't care. A sudden heat arose from his chest and shot through his arm. His breath dissipated in the air as if he were outside during the winter season. Only, it was steam coming from his throat. The smell of smoke permeated from his wounds as they glowed a bright sapphire. And a blinding light shot from his hand for a fraction of a second before it detonated.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

"Hah… hah… hah…"

His breathing was raspy and coarse as he roused himself from his half-slumber. He strained, struggling to meet the basic necessity of breathing. As his chest expanded, he could feel at least five of his ribs had been shattered. It was a miracle that he wasn't gurgling on his blood. He glanced around, seeing that his body had dug itself into the surrounding wall of the arena. Letting his eyes droop downward, he saw the extent of the damage he had done to himself, particularly his right arm.

It blackened and charred by his own flames. The cuts and lacerations he had suffered were now glowing white hot. Despite the numbness he was feeling, he could feel how fragile his arm was. He felt that the slightest shift in his weight would cause his arm to crumble into ash.

"Are you still there?" he whispered in his mind.

"...yes." the flame answered back.

A few moments passed before the flames let out an audible sigh.

"I should be asking you that."

Fair enough.

Despite the flames wanting to chastise the boy for such an utter display of recklessness and stupidity, it kept those words to itself. The boy had already suffered the consequences of his actions. No need to rub salt in the wound (or gasoline, in this case).

"Is it still…?"

"Probably."

A thick smog filled the arena, obscuring the boy's vision past fifteen feet. But he could feel it. The Juggernaut was still alive.

A ragged sign dragged itself through his lips. His body was failing far too quickly. He's growing weaker and weaker by the second. Time is running out.

Options, scenarios, plans, and strategies begin to flood his mind. But as he continued to think of a way to end his foe once and for all, he could still feel it. That ghost of a feeling clinging to the back of his mind. That lingering feeling of wishes and wants and desires and indulgences. His heart wavered as memories flashed in his mind for the briefest of moments. His familia, his goddess, his friends, hi—

Stop. Stop thinking. Thinking is killing you. Thinking won't save her.

Pulling himself up and out of the rubble, he grasped a hold on his chest, feeling his beating heart. It felt so warm in his hand. Looking down, he whispered his final wish.

"Give me everything."

He looked back up to see the silhouette of the Juggernaut emerge from the clearing smog.

"Everything you have left."

Laying down one's own life for another. There was no greater act of love. And love is the most cruel feeling of them all. Yes, if you do not do it for scorn, at least, do it for love. That was why this all came to this point, wasn't it?

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.

.

He doesn't feel anything. His body is one fire, yet he still can't feel anything. How strange. It's almost as if he feels at peace.

Soaring through the air like a comet, he points his hand and fires off another blast.

"Infernummmm—!"

His voice is warbled, garbled by the ash building up in the throat. The magic he's been firing has grown significantly weaker. But they take a toll on his body all the same.

The Juggernaut veers its body, hearing those accursed words being uttered once more. Its shield was pointless now, it could only hope to evade the boy's attacks. Fortunately, in a mix of the boy's off-aim and the Juggernaut's lightning-fast reflexes, it had dodged the brunt of the attack. However, the fierce flames sprouted and spread at far too rapid a pace, and had managed to latch onto the Juggernaut's right claw. In an act of defiance and desperation, it raised its left claws and sliced its limb off, allowing it to be consumed by the flames before it could spread.

"—!"

The boy was briefly surprised by the sheer tenacity of my foe. But he quickly found that his vision had suddenly blurred and faded to black as his consciousness slipped from his grasp. He was only jolted back awake when his momentum sent him crashing into the wall. But even then, he immediately found himself falling back unconscious.

His adrenaline was running dry. He could barely even feel himself spiraling and tumbling back to the ground like a fly that had been swatted. He can't even feel if he's breathing or not. Twisting, turning, swirling, falling—falling—falling.

"Uhh—"

He lays flat on his stomach. His eyes twitch as he pries them open. He compares the weight of his eyelids to that of bricks. Every blink threatens to send him back into a state of slumber.

He feels tired. Just so, so tired. But he can't rest. Not yet.

Get up. You have to get up. Time is ticking away. Can't you feel it? No, he can't.

As he tries to pick himself back on his feet, he stumbles and falls back onto his stomach. He looks back and he sees that his right foot has crumbled into ash in its entirety. The boot that had housed it is left tipped over on its side as the remnants of his limb spill out from the collar.

He thought he would feel shocked, yet he didn't. If he had to describe the feeling, it would be more so as grim acceptance.

Looking back up, he saw the Juggernaut was charging towards him. Raising his right hand, he pointed his magic towards it once more.

"Infernum…"

His words were little more than a whisper now. And as the shot fired through his arm, his limb dissolved, turning first into embers, then ash, before fluttering to the wind, leaving nothing but an empty sleeve.

But the Juggernaut too had grown accustomed to the pain. At least enough to close the distance between itself and the boy. Before its body could fully burst into flames, it slashes the body. The blades of its claws burrowed into the boy's chest and stomach, while the tips of its claws gouged and hooked into him, dragging through the air before unhitching themselves, flinging the boy to the side.

"BELL!"

He's clinging to life, albeit barely. His wounds had cauterized themselves as he was being flung through the air. Ash covered his wounds like gauze or scabs. His eye barely flutters open to see the elf girl crying out his name. Eye? Where was his left eye? There's a strange, warm liquid running from his eye socket and down his cheek. Ah. His left eye. It melted in its socket and was dribbling down his face.

He can't help but softly smile as he looks at Ryu. Nobody cried for him. Not when he had taken his own life and fragmented himself, allowing his soul to join the cycle of rebirth along with those he once scorned. Of course, they wouldn't. It was a selfish decision, one made from a pitiful anguish. But, maybe now, someone would cry for him.

Push. One last push and the Juggernaut was dead. However, any bit of force he exerted on his body threatened his own life. There was nothing left he could do. But perhaps, what he had done was enough.

He looked up at Ryu, his eyes begging and pleading with her.

"Finish it."

Her eyes widened before steeling herself. As much as she wanted to tend to the boy, she couldn't afford to. And besides, that wasn't what he wanted. Though no words were spoken, she understood full well what he had said. The path forward had been cleared, the way ahead was clear and lit. She needed only the strength to go forward.

The Juggernaut was writhing in pain once again, the flames not relenting buying precious seconds for the elf girl to do what needed to be done. The calamity's shell had melted away. This was the most vulnerable it was or ever will be.

Like the boy before her, she raised her right hand and began invoking a spell of her own.

"Race more swiftly than any other! Let the last of stardust occupy me and strike my enemy!"

The Juggernaut reared its head toward her, its instincts blaring that it was in danger. But there was nothing it could do. The flames made it nigh impossible for it to escape what was to come.

Dozens of emerald orbs spawned into existence. Magically bolts akin to electricity orbited around them. They floated around Ryu, poised and awaiting her command.

"LUMINOUS WIND!"

The orbs began bombarding the Juggernaut. Their natural element of wind further fueled and ignited the flames of the boy's magic. It screeched and roared and writhed and thrashed, but the barrage would not relent. She had to finish this. For her, for the boy, for the unfortunate who had been slain earlier—but most of all, for her fallen familia.

"Neun! Neese!"

One by one, she began chanting their names, calling upon their strength.

"Asta! Ryana!"

Phantom-like projections of her friends began manifesting as she called out their names. They hovered around her, guiding her aim and bolstering her magical prowess. An orb was dedicated to each of her familia members. With this, they could be with her to end the calamity that had taken them from this world far too soon.

"Celty! Isuka! Marrue!"

But it was not enough. She would need to execute it by her own hands.

"Kaguya!"

Her spirit rushed forward and drew her blade, piercing the Juggernaut's flesh. The opening she needed.

"Lyra!"

Her spirit gently pushed her forward towards the beast. How ironic from the brash and crude pallum.

And finally.

"Alise!"

Her spirit grabbed a hold of Ryu's hand. A tear fell from her eye as the spirit of her captain and perhaps closest friend swung her, adding more momentum to her strike.

One final orb was housed in the palm of Ryu's hand as she barrelled towards the Juggernaut. Her instincts cried out to her, warning her that the flames could easily spread to her and consume her. But she ignored it. She rushed forward, braving the heart that would soon surely scorch her body. But as she passed through them, they did no such thing. Instead, they seemingly swirled around her, not daring to get any closer. Her eyes widened. She briefly glanced back at the fallen boy.

"Thank you," she wordlessly mouthed to him.

With that, she thrust her arm forward and burrowed the orb into the Juggernaut's body.

"LUVIA!"

Instant ignition.

The Juggernaut barely even had time to cry out one last time as its body exploded. Embers and ash began fluttering and falling gracefully throughout the arena like snow. They did it. They had won.

Scanning around with his only eye, he spotted Ryu not too far from him. The blast had drained every bit of her strength. But he had to make sure she was alright (relatively so, that is).

With his remaining arm, the boy began crawling toward her. Each time he dug his hand into the ground and clutched it, he threatened to have his limb crumble apart. But he didn't care.

Finally, he had reached her. Gently, he grabbed a hold of her hand, feeling a faint pulse coursing through it. Good. Thank you. He wasn't entirely sure who he was thanking. He just felt that he needed to say it.

As he continued to softly hold her hand in his, the sound of footsteps began drawing closer to them. The boy rolled over to see a distant yet familiar face. The rose-colored eyes contrasting the deep, heavy bags underneath them; the jet-black bangs coupled with snow-white hair; the loose and baggy pajama-like straightjacket. There was no doubt.

"...Cain…" he uttered, his vocal cords singed in his throat.

The Mythic gave a small smile and waved.

"Hey. Been a while."

The boy tried to properly greet the unexpected visitor, but his gored, melted, and scorched body denied him, demanding he stay down. As he lay there, stilled and battered and worn, a thought crossed his mind.

"...why are you…?"

He wasn't dead. And he felt Ryu was also still alive. So why had Cain appeared before them?

"You've felt it, haven't you?"

Cain looked up. Not to the ceiling of the cavern but beyond that—to the worlds and systems and galaxies.

"The universe is ending as we speak. It won't be long before you disappear as well."

Now that everything had finally settled down, he could feel it. A great razing. So similar to that in the sacred garden. Deja vu, almost.

Was it his fault again, somehow? It didn't matter. But as that somber thought crossed his mind, he felt the pulse of the girl whose hand he was still holding.

"Wha—what about her…?"

Cain shook his head with a small frown.

"I'm sorry."

But his frown soon turned into a warm smile as he turned to leave them be in their final moments.

"But take heart. You have saved her already. From her past, her trauma, her nightmares. Rest well, knowing that."

Yes. This ought to be enough. He was satisfied with this. Not the worst way to go…

With that Cain vanished from sight, leaving them to be together for one last time.

Mustering the last of his strength, the boy pulled the elf girl into his embrace, her head resting on his chest as it had when they were hiding away. He gently brushed a few strands of hair dangling in front of her face before setting his chin atop her head. A brilliant white light then engulfed the room, swallowing the both of them into oblivion. He continued to hold onto her tightly, even if he couldn't feel that he was anymore.

You did it, Isaac—no—Bell. Rest now.

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Now, what do you deserve?