Clink! Clank! Clasp!

Bell and Ryu began strapping their gear (or what was left of it) back onto their bodies. The fire had all but been expended and their bodies and minds had mostly mended themselves. For their minds, a bit of shut eye was all that was needed. And as for their bodies, drinking from the stream, sitting huddled close to one another and the fireplace, and Ryu's healing magic all served to bolster their physical strength.

Clink! Clank! Clasp!

Neither had said a word. Not since their intimate moment by the fireplace. It was a miracle that Bell had managed to release Ryu from his grasp. But that would be far too selfish of a request for him to force her to bear. He knows better—he's learned to be better.

Ever since Bell said those fateful, long awaited words, Ryu decided it best to continue the conversation. Not that it was much of a conversation. It was a confession. One that only needed a single speaker and a single listener. And yet, neither felt the need to strike up another conversation or bring up another topic. It wasn't necessarily awkward. It was just quiet. More so than before. It wasn't a matter of volume that made it so. It was as if the quiet held more weight to it.

A part of Bell wondered what she thought of him now. It was natural of him to be curious of her thoughts.

Would she ever look at him the same way again, as the naive boy who had chased after his dream of being a hero so wholeheartedly? The same boy who had taken up her offer of training with her? Was he still someone who would get flustered and awkwardly brush off any compliments, and who would eagerly accept and embrace criticism and improve himself? The memories they had and shared, were they to be tainted by his omission of guilt?

"Bell."

Her words were faint, quiet. But he heard her loud and clear.

"Yes?"

"...thank you…"

For a moment, Bell wasn't entirely sure how to react. Thank you? For what? If anything, he felt like he should be the one thanking her. She had listened to him. Well, technically, they listened to each other.

Ryu had finally mustered up the courage to give her thanks. Her damned elven pride wouldn't seem to let her. That, and because she didn't want it to come across as awkward. It was sincere, from the very depths of her heart. She was thankful to him and of him.

He never left her. He had every chance to. Hell, she even pushed him away to do so. And yet, time and time again, he fought his way back to her side. No matter what. He would endure every bit of wrath and fury the dungeon would throw at him. He would always make it back to her. And that was before she confessed the blood on her hands.

It didn't make sense. All logic dictated that she ought to be abandoned to a cruel fate.

In one last ditch effort to finally rid herself from him, she professed her wrongdoings. But, in turn, he confessed his own misdeeds to truly make her realize.

He understands her, far better than anyone else could. He knows what it's like to kill. And he knows full well the consequences of such a thing. Guilt, abandonment, hopelessness. So why could they not bear it together?

If she was already burdened by the past, why could he not do everything in his power to help bear the weight and pain of the present or even the future with her?

They were both murderers. But they felt comfort in that truth. They accepted one another in spite of the blood on their hands. And in the end, they seemed to understand one another better now.

She was not alone. She would never be alone. He would make sure of it.

"Erm… you're welcome."

As bashful as ever.

"Ryu-san."

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

They smiled at each other. For the first time in quite some time, they felt genuinely happy. They both felt like they were on the verge of laughing or giggling aloud. How silly they felt at their little exchange of gratitude.

The weight in the air was all but gone as the two finished packing and fastening their gear. Smiles were held on their faces as they turned to face each other once again.

"Shall we go?" Ryu asked.

"Yes," Bell nodded. "I'm ready."

And so, the two made their way out of the opening they rested in. Behind them, the fireplace dimmed before slowly changing into a blue hue. Unbeknownst to the pair, it watched them as they left, the flames flickering with uncertainty and confliction.

How strange. It had never felt this way before. It had only known loneliness, fear, and scorn. Enraptured by its muddled and befogging thoughts, the boy and the elf girl disappear off into the distance, leaving the fire by its lonesome once again. But it does not call out. Not like before. For once, it needs to be alone to sort out these new thoughts and feelings.

"What do I think…? What should I say…? What do I do…?"

.

.

.

Choosing to follow the stream to help guide them, the pair begin trekking up the pathway beside the waters. They were treading in completely unknown territory. However, the place didn't seem to be hostile. Perhaps the entire area was a safe zone. How fortunate.

The walls surrounding them were milk–white. The water gave off a slight luminous glow in its center. Light reflected off the walls and illuminated the entire cavern with a light blue tint. There was a fresh scent in the air. It felt cool and crisp to the nostrils. After having been through so much, these sensations almost felt foreign.

Such a curious thing; for the harrowing depths of the dungeon to have such calming and tranquil luxuries as fresh air, clean water, and a guiding path.

Flowers sprinkled themselves alongside the pathway. Their petals were lily white, pure and shimmering. They had yet to be discovered and recorded in the archives of the guild, much like everything in this place. Ryu bent down and took a sniff. It appeared to not be poisonous and was even edible. She plucked another one and offered it to Bell. It wouldn't recover much of their stamina, but it was better than nothing.

Not too sweet. Just the way he preferred it. Though, it did have a slight sour tang to it. (But it would be far too stingy of him to complain about it).

They continued their trek into the calm and peaceful unknown. Little to no words were exchanged between the two. But that was more than fine. Neither wanted to disturb the peace that had unwillingly stumbled upon.

Eventually, the path led them to their intended destination—a dead end. They scanned around themselves. There were no other nearby tunnels or stairways in sight. Just as Ryu was about to turn back and retrace their steps to search for any other paths, something caught her eye.

"That stone… its composition is different from the others."

The white ore she was eyeing seemed more akin to quartz than stone.

She turned to Bell. He nodded, drawing his Hestia knife and stabbing it into the rock. As the blade sank into the rock, it began cracking at a rapid pace until shattering like glass. Peering into the newly formed crevice, the two peered down it. Up ahead was a cave and a stairway leading back upward.

Ryu was the first to crawl through, followed closely by Bell. Behind them, they could hear the minerals and rock mashing together and crystalizing one again. It was like a bandaid or a scab was forming to seal the passage once more. Point of no return.

Coming out of the crevice, the two found themselves huddled tightly next to one another, shoulder to shoulder. Reaching into her pouch, Ryu pulled out a lantern. But instead of it being filled with propane, white gas, or kerosene, it had water. The faint blue glow the water gave off was just enough to make out the murky, shadowed steps of the stairs they were on.

Up they went, little by little, step by step. At the one hundredth step, they came to a ceiling that sealed the stairs. Just as before, it consisted of the same white ore that covered the entrance they had entered through. Bell took the initiative this time, boldly breaking through and pulling himself up.

The surface! At least, the surface of the thirty-seventh floor.

Bell cautiously scanned around before turning back to Ryu and nodding. With the signal that the coast was clear, Ryu hoisted herself up. They were in a cul-de-sac-like room with only one doorway. Rocks and boulders the size of Bell were littered all around them. But miraculously, no monsters. They could hear them—their weapons clinking and clanking, their agitated snarls and sniffs as they searched for their next quarry, and their horrific howls that cried out for blood. They were just in the maze beyond the room.

With their weapons drawn and their senses resharpened, Bell and Ryu made their way out of the room and onto the only leading passage. Every shadow felt like an enigma, a threat; every small corner a trap waiting to be sprung. But no. There were no monsters, no threats, no traps.

The corridor led to an even larger passage. A looming wall towered over them as Bell and Ryu entered.

"Is that…?"

"Yes… Ring Wall."

There was no doubt. The sheer size, the smooth surface, the marble texture—this was one of the White Palace's five Ring Walls. However, what set it apart from the others was the color. Grey.

Memories began flooding back to Ryu. She had seen this exact place with her familia. She spun around herself, her eyes scanning and sweeping, her mind sifting and sorting through her memories. Her thoughts felt like one giant jigsaw puzzle she was piecing back together. And although she was missing a few pieces, her intuition made up for it.

Yes! They were on the main path!

What luck, what fortune! Surely all their suffering had to reap a reward at some point!

"So if you make it past that wall...!"

"Yes, only the Fifth Wall will remain. And if we get past that, there is no maze between there and the connecting passage to the thirty-sixth floor."

This was it. Their one and only chance. The perfect opportunity. It was as if they were a lost ship at sea, caught in a violent storm, only to have a lighthouse shine its beam upon them. And that one ray of light was all they needed to cling to hope and push forward.

"Let's go! While there are no monsters around!"

"Yes!"

The two broke out into a full-blown sprint. They felt like children frolicking through open meadows. They had smiles on their faces, tears in their eyes, and dreams in their hearts. They can go home—they will go home! Back to the surface, where their friends and loved ones were! Back with one another!

But their joy blinded them. They should have realized as soon as they found the Fourth Wall. They were far too frantic and ecstatic about their miraculous fortune to stop and ask why.

Why was it they hadn't encountered any monsters? Why haven't the monsters they had sensed early emerged yet? Surely, they too would have sensed their presence. Why were they acting as though they were hiding?

But it was far too late for logic and rationale. Arriving at the towering wall, they squeezed through the squared-off hole at its base. They pressed forward without any hesitation. They stepped out. They were now outside the wall. They were in the last maze between themselves and the connecting lower passages. And, they were unwittingly in the final battlefield of their lives. The inevitable hell that awaited them had finally reared its head towards them.

Bell sensed it. He knew the moment stepped out. It felt like he had crossed the thin veil between life and death. (Something he had far too much experience of). A bit of rock fell with a soft spatter from the ceiling above them. A gaze pierced his head, crimson and murderous. Waiting ever so patiently for its quarry, the calamity revealed itself.

Its terrible claws clung to the ceiling, anchoring itself in the perfect blindspot. It knew. It somehow knew—! Like some kind of sickening and twisted joke from fate itself, the Juggernaut knew that Bell and Ryu would have to cross this place to make it to freedom. And so, it bid its time, patched its wounds, and waited. Sure enough, they came running right into its grasp.

The Juggernaut released its claws from the ceiling, and descended upon its prey. Impatient and vicious, it kicked off the surface with its hind legs. Gravity alone would be far too slow, and would give its quarry ample time to evade its oncoming attack.

BOOM!

Its strike felt more akin to an explosion. Bell and Ryu were sent tumbling across the ground. The bedrock was split and cracked, shards of debris hailed down, and a thick cloud of dust swirled, creating a thick mist of miasma.

Cough and still reeling from the sudden impact, Bell scanned around himself dumbfounded. Amidst the haze that surrounded him and obscured his vision, he could barely make out the faint, daunting silhouette not far from him.

"The Jugger…naut…!"

He didn't even know he had spoken until he saw the beast whip its neck towards as if beckoned by his call. It flexed its claws towards him, taunting him with the threat of pure slaughter. Its presence was far more overwhelming than before. Never had the air been so thick with the sweet scent of blood, and the sickening smell of death. It was intoxicating. It was nauseating.

Ryu couldn't stop shaking. She tried stiffening her body to make it stop trembling, but it only made it worse. Her breathing quickened to the point where she was hyperventilating. She clutched her head and softly began whispering soothing little lies.

This can't be real. Surely, not when they've been through so much already. Her mind must be playing tricks on her! Too much time in the dungeon, haha!

And yet, the screaming ringing in her ears wouldn't stop. She knew these voices—she knew them all too well. It was her familia. It was the sounds they made before their lives were snuffed out.

Move… Move dammit move—!

Bell grit his teeth and grimaced as he watched Ryu trembling from pure terror. The trauma she had suffered those years ago was far too much for her to handle. Bell felt an ache swell in his left arm, his flesh throbbed underneath the scarf it was so tightly wrapped under. His right arm felt cold and hollow as if it wasn't even attached to his body at all.

And yet, he wasn't necessarily afraid. Somehow, he had willed his body to grip onto his Hestia knife and draw it. He didn't resign himself to his emotions of passionate anger or self-disparaging anguish. Instead, he simply focused on survival. Especially Ryu's.

The Juggernaut narrowed its eyes and barred its serrated teeth. Its prey had not lost the will to fight. It waved its tail back and forth hypnotically, trepidatious by the prospect of battle. How bitter and disappointing it would be if it could kill the boy so easily. Sure, it would be risking its life rather unnecessarily. But the boy was different from the others. He actually managed to wound it, mortally so.

All of its previous prey were all so easy to kill. The sound of blood splattering on the walls, the screams and pleas for mercy; they all felt so empty and meaningless to it, like white noise playing in the background. But this boy made the hunt feel so much more… exhilarating. For once, it felt genuine excitement to slaughter its quarry.

All of its anger and bloodlust was targeted towards him. it would kill him. And it would enjoy doing so.

As the cloud of dust slowly began to dissipate, Bell carefully scrutinized his new mortal foe. Immediately, he noticed that it had all of its limbs seemingly intact. Regeneration—another factor that made the monstrosity live up to its feared name. Bell quickly surmised that it could only do so outside of combat. The thought was comforting, albeit barely. So long as he continued to engage the Juggernaut, the ability wasn't necessarily something to worry about. Of course, that would mean that he would have to continue fighting it.

Bell quickly took a sneak peak at his own left hand. It was barely being held together on its own. If anything, the goliath scarf was acting more like skin rather than a simple cast. Overall, it wasn't in any condition to be used for combat. Frankly, he was pushing it when he was using it earlier to fend off the monsters of the thirty-seventh floor.

Mermaid blood. Mermaid blood sounded so, so nice.

The dust finally settled enough where Bell could make out the body of the Juggernaut. Especially its newly acquired arm.

"—!"

Its arm was made of countless masks made of bone. Skull Sheeps' bones. So, that was how it was able to "regenerate". It had eaten the other monsters occupying the floor, absorbing them into itself, making itself whole again. It didn't simply eat the magic stones, not like how the Moss Huge had. The Juggernaut devoured them in their entirety.

Well, that would certainly explain why there were no other monsters around. The Juggernaut either ate them, or those who were lucky enough to survive hid out of fear.

It shouldn't have been possible. Doing something out of the sort had never been heard of before! And yet, there was no other possible explanation.

The Juggernaut could feel the adventurers' gazes upon it. It raised its right arm as if showing it off. The bone-white color contrasted its purple-ish blue exoskeleton the rest of its body was made of. But it wasn't just skulls it had greedily taken for itself. It was coated in countless ribs, femurs, and twisting horns that fit into one another like a tightly woven, warped puzzle. Pinkish scraps and chunks of muscle, ligaments, and sinews poked out from different parts of its body. They were most likely from Barbarians. The human skeletons mixed in with the other bones to fill in-between the gaps had to have been from Spartois. The newly acquired scales coating the Juggernaut's tail were undoubtedly from Lizardmen. And finally, the shards covering its severely cracked shell came from Obsidian Soldiers.

It had grown far larger thanks to its newfound diet. It was far more hideous than it was before. An amalgamation of every monster he had fought on this floor. A Chimera in every sense of the word.

"Huff—!"

The Juggernaut let out a deep puff of fuming, white gas from its mouth. It almost appeared to be steam. With its hiss, some of the bones crudely sutured to its right arm began melting off. It writhed its head back and forth, letting out more and more of the vapors which swirled like a small cloud to mask its face. It looked as though its body was rejecting the grotesque and aberrant process. Not even it was capable of defying the principles and laws of natural order. Ear-piercing creaks and stomach churning groans began echoing throughout the cavern. The monsters who had survived the Juggernaut's slaughter sounded almost like they were sobbing in pain.

However, not all of the Juggernaut's right arm melted away. It still clung to enough bits of bones and flesh and rot to still make it function. It was in clear pain. But this pain was nothing compared to what the boy had dealt it earlier. That alone gives it the strength to bear the pain and use its newfound weapon.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

With a mighty roar, the Juggernaut signals the battle's start. It leaps through the air like a bullet towards the pairing. Steeling himself, Bell swiftly shields Ryu behind his back. He had just managed to repel the Juggernaut's attack in the nick of time. He hisses as the pain is sent jolting up to his nerves before angrily sparking and buzzing in his brain. He had used the goliath scarf. It was the only thing that was capable of blocking such a blow. Though, his left arm was exactly happy about it.

Oh well. Nothing he could do about it now.

The Juggernaut's movements had slowed down. He was sure of it. Before, he wouldn't even have been able to react before the Juggernaut struck. This time, however, not only had he predicted the attack, but also had successfully fended it off. Agro Vesta had severely damaged its lower body. And it had focused solely on healing and forming its right arm.

But even so—

The Juggernaut bounced off its hind legs as it was repelled by Bell's parry. It latched onto the wall, clinging to it as it had to the ceiling. Extending out its right arm, it pointed it towards them, taking a similar posture to the boy as he casted his fire magic.

"—"

Four white stakes shot out of its arms, piercing through the air with a harsh and sharp whoosh sound.

"—?! Pila—"

Bell didn't even have time to finish speaking his mind before he was forced to dodge the incoming projectiles.

Skull Sheep Pilas. One of their signature weapons and attacks. The Juggernaut had somehow added them to its already deadly arsenal.

Despite his rather impressive agility, one pila managed to graze Bell's right shoulder. As he clenched his teeth to bear the pain, he silently scolded himself.

He should have expected this, or at least, have considered this as a possibility. When the Juggernaut had devoured the other monsters, it wasn't just looking to absorb their bodies into its own, but to also take their abilities as well.

In total, it shot out sixteen pilas. Each one was a different length with their own arc, making it like a shotgun's pellet spread. The two adventurers twisted and contorted their bodies to try and dodge any fatal injuries while they tried to think of a counter attack. But their options were severely limited and their time even more so.

Magic was out of the question. Anything they could fire at it would be repelled back towards them by its shell. The terrain isn't favorable either; there isn't any cover to utilize. It's just a flat, open field, making them perfect targets to be shot at. They're practically sitting ducks.

Then, on top of all of this, the Juggernaut was conducting hit and run tactics against them. Its crippled hind leg made it far slower than before, but the barrage of stakes it was unleashing more than made up for its deficiency. It shrouded itself amongst the hail of pilas, zipping all around, striking where it saw it—waiting for that one fatal mistake.

It didn't have to wait long.

Ryu movement's were slow. Dreadfully slow. It was as if she was put in bondage by invisible ropes that tied around every fiber of muscle inside her body. Each and every time, she had to will herself to dodge the onslaught of attacks. She… she just didn't want to lose. Her haunting memories felt fresh as though the mental scab she had placed on them had been ripped off. The screams, the blood, and the hollow silence that followed. All took their toll on her spirit, torturing her to no end.

She couldn't stand it. And yet, she had to. If she were to help save the life that stood beside her, then she must have to! She must overcome her tragedy to avoid it repeating here and now!

However, the Juggernaut did not wait for her to fully resolve herself. Instead, it dropped back down, slamming its tail into the ground, sending Bell and Ryu flying backward. It roared triumphantly over the two. Before they could recover, it smashed its right arm to the ground. The floor split as fissures began racing outward from its hand. As soon as the cracks reached Bell and Ryu, they exploded.

Pilas, (or rather, reverse pilas) began rapidly shooting out the ground. One minute they were hailing from above, and now, they were threatening to stab them from beneath their feet. The entire battleground was littered with pilas. Some burrowed into the ground, others sprouting up from it. There were far too many of them to count.

They had grown so accustomed to looking upward that they failed to properly react to this new attack. Bell side armor, arms, and cheek had been slit, while Ryu's mantle, right leg, and ear had been gouged. They were right in the middle of a minefield, a mountain of blades and edges that threatened to swallow them whole.

Blood sprayed on what was left of Bell's armor as he spun on the balls of his feet, trying to mitigate the slashes against his body. Surely, there had to be an opening in this sea of swords!

Where? Where was it?!

As he spun for the nth time, he spotted it. A gap in-between the rows upon rows of pilas. Memorizing its location, he turned around once more to find Ryu, and grab a hold of her, and guide the both of them to what little safety had been mercifully provided. Just as he caught a glimpse of golden, blonde hair in his peripherals, he could see the crevices that formed right below her feet. He didn't even waste a thought before pushing her out of harm's way.

He feels a foreign object pierce into his body, and lodge itself firmly into his stomach. Blood soon swells up from his chest before entering his mouth, forcing him to hack it up. His breathing becomes rushed and shallow as a foreign yet familiar burning pain swells deep from within himself.

Reaching behind himself, he shakily grabs ahold of the pila skewering his body. He focuses his strength and braces himself before pushing himself free from its grasp.

He collapses onto the ground, blood spilling out from his stomach as the pila had acted like a plug to keep everything inside. How ironic; how cruel.

Bell internalizes his options as he feels his life slowly ebb away with each drop of blood. He doesn't have any healing items. He doesn't have the luxury of time to properly figure out a solution to his critical wound. The Juggernaut can easily see he's been struck. Probably already as. Right now, he's as easy of a picking as it gets. A quick, temporary solution would more than suffice. That left only one option.

Placing his hand over his punctured flesh, he whispered the solution to his predicament.

"Firebolt—"

He doesn't scream. How strange. He most certainly should be crying out in pain. The excruciating heat that was causing his flesh to sear and cauterize should have elicited some kind of reaction. But it doesn't.

Instead, he feels cold and numb. The way his vision twists and phases in and out of consciousness is the only indication that he had cast his spell. His mind draws a blank, and everything becomes a blur to him. One moment he is on his knees, having plugged the hole in his body. Next, he's wildly firing off shots of his magic all across the ceiling, trying to create cover to make him and Ryu. Then, he grabbed a hold of her and pulled her through the opening he had spotted. And now, he's lying in a sea of intestines and flesh—leftover from the Juggernaut's previous hunt.

Ryu is lying with him, facing towards him. She is just within arm's length. Not too close to elicit any kind of intimacy and not too far to make him frightfully anxious.

By some miracle of luck, the opening he had pulled her through had led them to a small gap in the wall. For now, they were out of the Juggernaut's grasp. But it was still out there, waiting for them, just as it did earlier when they first encountered each other in his place. They were like mice trapped in a hole in the wall with no other entrances or exits, with a watchful cat pacing back and forth right outside, biding its time and waiting for them to come back out.

One way or another, they would have to. Or, they could simply wait till they starved or succumbed to some other kind of malady. Frankly, death by the Juggernaut sounded better (but their supposed adventurer pride wouldn't let them admit it).

"...Bell…" Ryu whispers out to him.

Bell coughs in response.

"Ryu—cough—san…? Wha… what happened?"

"You don't remember…?"

"I remember bits and pieces here and there. Bits and pieces… heh. Surprised I don't have any bits and pieces of myself I left back there."

Gallows humor. When did he adopt such cynical satire?

Ryu scoots closer to him, tears in her eyes as she looks at him, a soft, earnest expression on her face.

"So… we can go home, right?"

For a moment, Bell's mouth is left hung slightly ajar. He… wasn't the best liar. But he can try to be one now. For her.

"You can go back… to Syr and your other friends."

He did it. He finally was able to lie. How kindhearted of him to do such a thing.

Ryu scoots closer to him once again. Her face is only a few inches away from his own.

"Bell… will you hold me…?"

She holds her hands over her chest, stilling her ever increasing heartbeat. She's scared. Despite everything they've been through together, she was still afraid of rejection. She shuts her eyes closed tightly so sure he would reject such an absurd request. A single single question lingers in her mind.

Are you willing to embrace a murderer?

But of course, Bell doesn't care. He extends his arms out, and gently scoops her into his embrace.

Of course. I'm no better than you.

Tears began soaking into his armor as she could no longer contain herself. Why? Why must this world be so cruel? Why must she feel such warmth and bliss in this moment being so close to him? How cruel.

She wants to go home. Back to Syr and the others at the pub. She wants to taste Mama Mia's cooking. She wants to feel the sun shimmering down on her skin, to smell the fresh air in a light summer's breeze. But more than anything, she wants to return with him.

.

.

.

She is asleep now. Somehow, he had calmed her down enough to where she could slip away in the oblivion of her dreaming consciousness. He counts the amount of times she inhales and exhales. One thousand and one, one thousand and two, one thousand and three. Satisfied she was in a deep enough sleep, he gently loosens his grip. He looks down and calls within himself.

"You… you made it so I couldn't feel the pain. Why?"

For a few moments, there's nothing but silence. Then, it calls out from the back of his mind.

"...what do you mean?"

"When I casted that firebolt earlier, you bore the pain I felt from the heat. Why?"

"That was on reflex."

It sounded like a half-truth at best.

Bell continued to slowly, silently pull away from Ryu, careful as to not stir her.

"—! You're going?"

Bell let out a single, quiet sigh.

"Yes. Don't have a choice in the matter."

"Aren't you going to wake her to help you?"

"No."

Bell gently brushed aside a few locks of Ryu's hair resting over her eyelids.

"She's already suffered enough."

Standing up fully, he began to make his way to the exit of the cavern. But he stopped just short of it. Placing a hand on his chest, he called out to the flames once again.

"Will you help me?"

"—!"

The flames stirred within him, unsure of what to do.

"You saved me before, didn't you?"

"That was… on a whim…"

Its voice was betraying it.

It wanted to help. And that elf girl, she didn't deserve any part of this or what had happened to her in the past. But even still, the pain it had suffered through for all those eons… It needed more of a reason.

"Why are you doing this, any of this?"

"Do I need a good reason to do so?"

The flames didn't say anything, still expecting an answer from him. Bell sighed as his eyes softened.

"It's because all I want to do is to save one life. If I could finally look at myself and tell myself that I have saved a single life, then nothing else matters. I want to save her because she wants to be saved. And I am the only one who can save her."

He took a step forward as if he were in a trance. A heat began burning in his chest and on his back.

He would save her because he himself felt like he could not be saved.

He would save her because he was the one far too tainted and sullied to be saved.

He would save her because she was the only one in that moment who deserved to be saved.

"So please, let me save this one life."

He took another step forward.

"It's all we've ever wanted to do, isn't it?"

Redemption. The thing they were searching for so long. It was within their grasp—!

He took one final step toward the exit.

"I'm going. Come on if you don't want to be left behind!"

Bell stepped out onto the battlefield once again. However, as he stepped out into the light, half of his hair was dyed jet black, and his left eye held a fierce sapphire blaze within them. He pointed his Hestia knife at the Juggernaut clinging to the ceiling, waiting to pounce him once more. Only this time, he was more than prepared.

Bright orange flames swirled around his knife while his left arm had sapphire flames trailing up and down it. The human, the Mythic, the Flame. The trinity has been made whole. Letting out a cool exhale, he spoke in a voice that was not natural, and yet, still belonged to him.

"Now then, let's burn it to ash—!"