The snow continued to float down from the dark clouds above, and standing in the light flurry of flakes was Manny. He was in the middle of the road, looking at every shop and house in his view, all of which had their lights out and doors closed. The village felt empty, more so than it had even during the storm that occurred a few days prior, even though he knew there was a visitor that didn't belong. Soon, his eyes fell on nothing, choosing to simply look at the road he saw the Ton Pu Inn's clerk disappear down.

"Manny," a deep voice suddenly called out to him. He turned to see the mayor trudging through the snow toward him, with a few flakes stuck in his hair and beard. "Glad to see you're still safe. Have you checked everyone's residence on this side of town?"

"Y-yeah… Everyone's home and the shops are closed," Manny said, bringing a hand up to brush snow out of his hair. "They took it easier than I thought they would. I guess telling them the storm was going to get worse again was a good idea."

"You know our town, son. They usually understand, though I feel bad having to give them a false reasoning," Reede said before looking up at the sky. "But, looking at this snowfall, it may not be false for long."

"Yeah…" Manny repeated, having returned to looking down the road. Reede glanced at him before doing the same.

"Have none of them returned?" he asked.

"N-no…" Manny answered. "Y-you don't think—?"

"I refuse to believe that if I haven't seen it," Reede answered before the question was properly asked. "Thank you for all your help, Manny. You best head home, just in case my hopefulness is misplaced."

With that, Reede began heading toward the fork in the road that led toward Link's house.

"Y-you're going?" Manny called out nervously. "But, what if the assassin is still there?"

"If he is, then that means my people need me," Reede said, stopping to look back at him. "As mayor of this town, I cannot sit idly by and simply put my faith into those fighting. It's my duty to ensure the safety of those in this village, and I will do my part, no matter how small it may end up being. Please, get home safety now."

Again, Reede turned and began dragging his feet through the snow. With his heart pounding in his chest, Manny looked between him and the direction of his house. He wanted to go home. He couldn't face an assassin; that was far out of his nonexistent skillset. It was already too much for him to stay out and help Reede out. He was only supposed to inform him, not help. It was time to go home. His part was done.

With fear very deep in his chest, he turned to head home, something he was prepared to do regardless of Reede's instructions, and yet, for whatever reason, he glanced down the opposite end of the road. Just barely in the distance, through the snow and light fog that covered the village, was the inn. It sat peacefully, unbothered by anything that was happening around it. But its caretaker— its clerk— was not there, and he knew this. Suddenly, he shook his head.

There is an assassin up there! he told himself. I can't get together with Prima if I'm dead!

He moved to take a step forward.

Regardless of if they'll ever like you back… If you really care then you would want to just see them happy, right?

He stopped in his tracks as Jules's voice from before echoed in his mind, but still, he clenched his hands and shook his head more violently than before.

No! No, this is different! he shouted internally. This is going way beyond just being helpful! I could die! Die! As in not living! I just have to hope that they'll be alright—

If no one's arrived, then maybe they can't get here. I'm the only other person besides Purah and maybe Seldon who can stitch and bandage. I have to go there, Prima's voice appeared.

You aren't gonna change her mind. At least, not without a fight, and we don't have time for that. I'll follow you after I inform Purah, Teli's voice followed after.

Manny's heart pounded against his ribcage. It was amazing the dozens of sweat drops on his forehead hadn't frozen from the cold. Even while balled into fists, his hands wouldn't stop trembling.

Stop! You aren't like them! he said to himself. He closed his eyes, trying to control his shaky breathing. Even when the sight of Link's pleading, bloodshot eyes appeared in his mind, he tried to wave them away. You aren't crazy like them!

Hey… Make sure you come back. We need to build up your tolerance to alcohol so nothing happens next time. Got it?

His eyes snapped back open.

"Wait!" he called out. Again, Reede (who was now a few paces away) stopped and turned to face him. "I-I-I'm coming…"

"I appreciate your concern, Manny, but you've done enough," the mayor answered. "Please, head home to safety—"

"I can't," Manny said unsteadily. "E… Everyone else went… I'm the only one who stayed behind. K-knowing they're there, I c-can't just sit here…"

Reede raised an eyebrow as his townsman marched through the snow to catch up with him.

"It's quite unusual of you to be so mindful of others, if I'm being up front," Reede said as soon as Manny caught up. "What prompted the sudden change?"

"I-it'll look lame if I'm the only one who decided to run and hide," Manny said shakily. "A-all those beautiful ladies are up there being knocked around by some assassin… T-they need a hero! Yeah… Yeah, Link isn't the only hero in this town! I-I'll save them… Yeah… I-I won't let Link beat me this time. Not, uh… Not this time…"

At some point, he had started talking more so to himself rather than to the mayor. Regardless of his fears, with trembling legs he took another step forward, passing Reede, and began heading to the house on the cliffside. Still unsure, the mayor soon followed, quickly catching up.

"You don't have to prove anything, Manny," Reede said. "You're right: this is a dangerous situation. You've done enough to—"

"Everyone says I don't do enough in this town," Manny said suddenly without looking over at the mayor. "This is a chance to prove them wrong…"

No one would even know, much less believe you, son, Reede thought to himself, but after a quick moment to himself, he smiled warmly. You've changed, even if just a little.

The two traveled through the snow, following what they knew was the path that led to their destination buried deep underneath. Silence had fallen between them. While Reede remained calm and collected, Manny still shook, and it wasn't because of the cold. The closer they got, the more anxious he seemed to become. His eyes darted around, trying to stay as aware as possible. After passing through the Bolson Construction Company display houses, they stopped at the beginning of the bridge and looked out toward the cottage sitting on the other side.

"I-it looks normal," Manny stammered.

"From the outside, yes," Reede said. "I hope it looks the same on the inside. Are you still set on coming with me?"

"D-don't ask me that now!" Manny said nervously, wiping his wrist against his mouth. With another wipe (this time across his forehead), he said, "c-come on! L-let's go…"

Nodding in agreement, Reede led the way, stepping onto the bridge first. The bridge slightly shook, causing bits of snow to fall off the ropes and into the chasm below. Carefully, Manny followed, almost whimpering the closer they got to the other side. Soon they were across, and stepping ever closer to the home.

"Now, Manny," the mayor said. "I know you want to help, but if things are dire inside, promise me you'll run."

"S-stop treating me like I'm a c-child," Manny stammered out, yet Reede shook his head.

"I'm treating you as one of my own," he said. "As mayor, I look out for all in this town, including you."

Reede paused just in front of the house's door and looked back at the large young man following behind him. After catching the look in his eye, Manny swallowed.

"F-fine, yeah…" he answered.

Reede nodded and reached his hand out for the door handle. Before his fingers could even touch it, a puff of smoke appeared in front of them. The two coughed and began trying to wave away the smoke. With watery eyes, Reede looked back at the door before his eyes grew wide with shock. On a knee and in front of the door was a lanky, bleeding man, coughing and gasping for life itself. Taking heavy, painful breaths, the man looked up. His face was covered by a white mask, with a bloody upside-down eye painted on its front. Manny gasped in fear and took a step back, while Reede furrowed his brow.

"Are you the assassin I've been told about?" the mayor asked. The Yiga gave a single chuckle.

"Are you the mayor I've seen walking around here?" he scoffed between his coughs.

"I'll take that as a yes," Reede answered. "What did you do to those—?"

"Yeah, no," the Yiga interrupted. He pushed himself to his feet and looked down at the mayor. "I don't have the time to toy with you. Move."

Giving the mayor no time to respond, the Yiga gave a powerful kick, sending Reede flying away, who landed in a pile of snow near the large tree and cooking pot. The assassin burst into another fit of coughs from the exertion, forced to lean against the door for support. After controlling his coughs, he glanced over at the frozen large man standing a few feet away.

"Oh look, they brought the cavalry," he grunted. He looked Manny up and down before adding, "threatening."

Weakly, he pushed himself off the door, gripping what Manny could only see was a bottle of red liquid.

"I don't have to worry about you," the Yiga said menacingly. "You're weak—"

"There are voices outside! He might still be here!" someone from inside suddenly shouted.

The door behind him opened. He turned and looked down to see the clerk standing at the doorway. Her face went white the moment she looked up into his frightening red eye, clearly unprepared to have come face to face with the threat itself.

"You people are really pissing me off," the Yiga growled angrily.

He quickly raised his hand, still gripping the full bottle, ready to strike Prima down, only stopping when something slammed against the side of his mask. He stumbled to the side before crashing into the snow. Prima glanced down at the Yiga before looking at the one who struck him.

"Manny?" she asked through her shock.

Manny, who was staring down at the assassin, met her eyes. He seemed far more in shock than she was before suddenly wincing in pain. He gripped his wrist with his unharmed hand and looked down at his now red knuckles.

"I-it hurts way more than I thought it would to hit someone…" he said.

"Manny, what are you doing here?" Prima asked. "I thought I told you to go tell Reede what's going on?"

"I-I did!" Manny said. "Actually, he's over—"

"Where is he?" a voice shouted from indoors, causing Prima and Manny to look inside.

Link was trying to push himself, grinding his bloody teeth in anger as Teli tried to keep him down. Hearing the champion's voice, the Yiga growled before poofing away once again. Prima looked back, noticing the assassin had vanished before spotting him stumbling across the bridge before disappearing yet again. She fell to her knees.

"Prima?" Manny asked. "What? What is it?"

"H-he vanished…" she said. "I didn't grab it… He left…"

"What?" Link shouted.

"He vanished," Prima tonelessly called back into the house. "He's not here anymore."

"But he still has to be close by!" Link shouted. "Let me up!"

"You're still injured, my friend!" Teli said. "You can't go after that guy!"

"He's right, Linky," Purah said, now crouching next to Jules's body as she moved her hands as quickly as possible, trying to fix whatever she could. "You may not be in critical condition anymore, but you can easily find yourself back to it—"

"I have to kill him. I need to end this!" Link shouted, practically fighting with Teli. "Look at everything he's done! He hurt Zelda, and me, and everyone else!"

"Link, Jules is dying," Dantz said, crouching next to Zelda to keep her sitting upright. "We need to be more focused on figuring out how to keep her alive—"

"I can get the tonics back!" Link shouted. "Just let me go and—"

"It doesn't sound like the tonics are your priority," Teli said. "It sounds like you just want revenge. Now that you, Zelda, and Celessa are up, maybe there's another way we can save Jules!"

"That means letting the Yiga go, meaning I can't kill him!" Link said. "Let me go!"

"You're obsessed with killing this assassin aren't you?" Purah said without taking her eyes off Jules's stomach.

"It's my duty!" Link argued.

"You never wanted to kill any other Yiga like this before," she said. "Did it just now become part of your duty? Or do you just want revenge?"

"Of course that's what I want!"

Everyone except Purah— and noticeably Zelda— stared at him.

"You'd put revenge first before saving a life?" Dantz asked in a low tone. "That's not the Link I know."

"I said I'd get the tonics back," Link argued.

"You must know just as well as the rest of us that he most likely already drank them by now," Purah said before yelling, "Prima! I need your help right now! We're losing her!"

"You guys can take care of her," Link pushed back again as Prima rushed across the room. "That Yiga could come back at any time! I won't let any of this happen again!"

"Link, do you hear yourself?" Celessa asked from her spot against the wall. "You're the person who would take a few moments out of his day, regardless of the danger, to save a life; a life like mine on the road, even when needing to move fast to stop a calamity from happening again. This isn't like you at all to just leave something like this in someone else's hands!"

Link didn't respond. He continued to push back against Teli before finally knocking him to the side. Desperate, Celessa turned to Zelda.

"Zelda, say something!"

Zelda didn't immediately respond either. She remained sitting on the floor, clutching her still-wounded stomach as she watched Link move and grab the trident from the floor. After a pause, she spoke up.

"Is this what you feel you need to do, Link?" she asked. Without looking at her, Link nodded. "Then do what it is you must. I trust you."

This made Link turn. His pained eyes met hers before looking down at the trident in his hands. He gritted his teeth and gripped the trident so hard, he knew his knuckles had turned white underneath his gloves. With a final glance at Jules's body and the door, he chose. He walked through the room, past Teli and Prima, then Celessa, and out the door past Manny into the snow. Celessa sat dumbfounded.

"Why did you let him go?" she asked from across the room. "I thought your plan was to stop him. Why let him go now?"

"Because it's too late," Zelda said quietly. "He would have gone regardless. But… At least now he knows he has some support— that he hasn't been abandoned. Maybe things will go differently this time. That's what I hope."

"Is hope really something we can rely on right now?" Teli asked. "Not to be pessimistic, but Jules is…"

"Hope is all we have until we think of something else to save her," Purah spoke up. "Though, we don't have much time. If anyone has aaaaaany ideas whatsoever, now would be a good time to speak up."

"You don't have any ideas?" Prima asked. "Miss Purah, you're the smartest one here, and the one with the most experience—"

"I'm a researcher, not a doctor," Purah said simply. "I know more than most, but that doesn't make me an expert. Hoooooowever, something I have learned in my field is the power of the collective mind. If we want to save your friend, I suggest all of you start thinking."

"I-is that a little girl?" Manny asked down to Celessa, who was still sitting on the floor.

"I believe so… I think Zelda mentioned that she had a failed experiment at some point," Celessa said, still doing her best to deal with the pain in her chest. Manny blinked.

"So Miss Purah's granddaughter was actually… Purah herself?" he asked, watching the scene unfold in front of him. Suddenly, his eyes grew wide. "W-wait… I-is that… Jules?"

"Yeah, it is," Celessa answered sadly. "The Yiga took whatever was going to help her. It was some kind of hot liquid Zelea created."

"A liquid… Wait, that liquid?" Manny asked in horror. Suddenly, all the moments he had spent with Jules flashed through his mind, from the moment they met when she caught him watching Link to their drink shared during the birthday celebration. "Y-you mean, we could have… I could have… I'm sorry, I-I didn't know… If Reede finds out someone died in his town… Reede!"

Manny turned and looked at where the mayor had been kicked in the snow. From inside, Dantz's ears twitched at the sound of the mayor's name being called.

"What about Reede?" he called back to Manny.

"H-he was kicked! He's in the snow," the large man answered. With a stern face, Dantz looked over at Zelda.

"Will you be alright here?" he asked her. After receiving a silent nod, he stood and hurried out the door, telling Manny, "show me where he is."

"I haven't heard any suggestions yet," Purah said through the silence that had filled the house. Her hands came to a stop as she finished securing the last bandage she had wrapped around Jules's stomach. "We've bandaged her as best we could with what little we have. We reeeeeeally don't have much time."

"What if we moved her to the inn?" Prima asked, sitting on her knees on the opposite side of Jules's body from Purah. "I have more supplies there."

"Moving her would be risky," Purah said. "There's only so much we can bandage. She needs more than that— stitches if possible, and I don't have that kind of skill set."

"I can stitch minor wounds, but this…" Prima mumbled. "I'm no professional. Seldon, the boutique owner, maybe could—"

"Do we want to bring more people into this?" Teli asked. "We've got quite a number of injured already, and that assassin could come back at any moment."

"Do you not have hope Link can handle it?" Celessa spoke up. "Zelda said she trusts him."

"And I do trust him, but…" Teli said. "I mean, look at how he came back after fighting him the first time, and now that assassin has healing tonics—"

"Will it save her?"

Everyone turned toward Zelda, who was now looking at Purah.

"Stitches… Will it save her?"

Purah stared emotionlessly into Zelda's eyes before blowing air through her nose.

"Even with stitches, her chances of survival are low," she answered honestly. "Very low. But, it would give us more time to find a solution that would save her."

"Then let me do it," Zelda said, now trying to get to her feet. "I'll do the stitches."

"Zelda, you're not great right now either," Prima debated. "The tonic may have closed your wounds, but there's still damage."

"She's right, " Purah said. "Pushing your body invites a high chance of re-opening—"

"Jules tried to protect me," Zelda cut in between her exhausted breaths as she fell to her knees. "She jumped in front of the blade… Even after everything that's transpired between us, she still offered her life up for mine. I will not allow her to pass like this. I will find a way to save her."

"Zelda…" Celessa murmured.

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Purah asked sternly. "This isn't like making clothes."

"Will you be able to guide me?" Zelda asked in return.

"To the best of my ability, I can make an attempt," Purah answered. "Don't overestimate my ability; I didn't do much fixing to Link when I put him in the Shrine of Resurrection, I only did whatever I could just to keep him stable until we got there. I know the basic principles for medical stitching but putting it into practice is different. You'll have to do your best to get it as correct as possible."

"I'll have to make do," Zelda said. "Please, let me do this."

Purah stared at her for another moment before turning to Prima.

"Do you have threads at the inn?" she asked, "Enough to handle these kinds of wounds?"

"I should," Prima answered. After another pause, Purah looked up at Teli.

"We need to move her to the inn. All of them."

"A-alright then," he answered with a nod. "I can carry Jules. I've become dashingly strong thanks to carrying around all of those machine parts."

"You need to be very careful while taking her. One error could be fatal," Purah said, causing Teli's mouth to go dry. "As for Zelda and Celessa—"

"We can help," a voice said from the door. Everyone looked to see Dantz, Manny, and the mayor (who was clutching his side) walking through the entrance and into the room. "No one will die in my village. I won't allow it."

"Then we have a plan," Purah said. "Okay! Everyone buddy up and make it snappy. We're headed for the inn."

...

The Yiga dropped the now empty bottles in the snow. Though he was coughing a fit from the searing burn on his tongue, his body felt better— much better— and yet, he knew it wasn't enough to heal him completely. But, he wouldn't die, and that was what mattered. He didn't know how long he had run for. He had dipped off the path and into the snowy forest once he made it out of the village, having to trudge through the snow after losing enough stamina to keep him from disappearing. While the tonics had closed his wounds, they weren't stamina effective. He still felt winded, and his muscles were sore.

Leaning his hand on a tree, he looked back through the trees from whence he came. His fingers dug into the bark as he ground his teeth. They both lived. The damned princess and the champion; both were alive and well. He had failed. With a furious yell, he slammed his fist against a tree, causing its branches to shake. Snow fell to the ground next to him while he gasped for air, trying to catch his breath after his run and now his shout.

It baffled him. The champion survived the castle. It didn't seem possible; the Calamity itself had risen from the building's depths to claim his life, and yet, there he was at the house, ready to challenge fate once more. The hero refused to just die, even after all the mental agony he had been put through. It was infuriating. The assassin had been tampering with his mind, forcing him to act irrationally in order to gain the upper hand, and somehow he still found a way to live. The Yiga formed a tight, shaking fist. It wasn't fair.

After a few moments, he took a deep breath. He had to calm down; letting himself get riled up was exactly what put him at death's door not only at Vah Medoh, but now at the champion's house as well. He made a few mistakes. He toyed with and underestimated those girls at the house, and as much as he hated to admit it to himself, he trusted his precious Calamity to end the champion. He could fix this. The hero was still allowing his anger to consume him, and the princess had to still be emotionally distraught. He could come back. He would come back. For now, he just had to take time to heal and get stronger. The princess would stop the champion from coming after him again. He'll use that to his advantage and rest, and then—

His thoughts paused. His pointed ears twitched from behind his cowl. The crunching of snow echoed through the forest. They were quick and getting ever louder. Someone was running. They were closing in on him, and fast. The Yiga looked behind him to see his footprints on the ground. It wasn't snowing heavy enough; his tracks weren't filling in. Fury boiled in his heart again as he turned in the direction of the sound. It couldn't be him. The princess wouldn't have allowed it. She wouldn't have… and yet, from through the trees, the champion he despised appeared.

Patches on the bright blue tunic he wore were still stained red, its leather full of holes from where he had been stabbed before. In his hands was the trident that had been tossed around the house so many times, its once silver tip stained the same red as his clothing was, though the blood's owner was different. The assassin could hear his tired breaths the closer he got, exhausted from the injuries and the constant running, and yet he persisted toward him with bloodshot eyes, filled with murderous intent.

"Why?" the Yiga shouted as Link grew closer. "Why are you here?"

"To kill you," Link shouted angrily as he skidded to a stop, "and end this for good."

The assassin stared through his cracked mask while the champion readied his trident. Fury, confusion, hatred, and everything else swirled in his chest. It felt as though his heart would explode, and yet, he laughed. His maniacal laughter echoed through the trees as the breeze flew by. The current situation he was in wasn't funny. It was the opposite actually. He had failed his mission countless times, his enemies still lived, and there was a good chance he might just die, but he just couldn't help it.

After collecting himself, he took a deep breath in, allowing the chilly air to fill his lungs before calmly exhaling. He looked at the hero through the snowfall, who had the three points of the trident aimed at him. Fine. Slowly he reached down to his belt where he had long placed his sickle and took it by the handle. He pulled it free and twirled it around before taking his stance.

If he was going to die, then he would die with honor, and not only that, but he would prove his point. If he couldn't kill the hero, he would break his soul beyond repair, to force him to throw his morals away. He would turn the hero into what he hated the most, because that was the difference between them. These Hylians— these followers of light— were nothing more than frauds. They use, take, and do whatever it takes to prove that they were closest to the goddesses that supposedly watch this realm.

But that was a lie.

They wanted to protect themselves. They used his people and their technology to save their lands before casting them aside, threatening to kill those who saved them if they didn't obey. They were full of jealousy, full of self-loathing, and unable to defend themselves. Even after ten-thousand years, nothing had changed. They were still useless people, who failed against the Calamity because of their own weakness. Hylians were filled with the same hate and anger the clan they fought against were, only they tried to hide it behind righteousness and good faith.

He would prove them wrong. He would prove that disgusting princess wrong. Their hero was no better, and neither was she. If he couldn't kill him physically, he would kill his imaginary morals— his image. He was the embodiment of what they saw themselves as; the Hylian's source of hope for whatever false peace they had to offer. If he was going to die, he was going to die being correct.

The two stood in the snow a few paces away from each other. The snow calmly fell between them, adding to the layer of snow they stood on. Even with the mask on, Link could feel his eyes meeting with the Yiga's. The frigid breeze quietly howled passed them again, though neither moved, not even a shiver. Finally, the Yiga's finger twitched. Both dashed forward, and the clang of metal echoed through the forest.

As the Yiga twirled the sickle, Link twirled the trident, both countering each of their attacks. The fight was much slower, for neither of them had properly healed. Their bodies internally screamed in pain, but both ignored it as they pressed on. The assassin's attacks were light and quick, while Link's were defensive and calculated. One move could end their opponent, and one flaw could end themselves. They continued on like this until finally, Link took a risk.

The Yiga deflected a jab of the trident's point toward his neck. With his opponent now open, he raised his sickle and brought it down, ready to pierce its own point between the champion's eyes. But, with a painful deep breath, time began to slow just before the sickle could reach its mark. It was only for a second, and that was all Link needed.

He moved over, allowing the sickle to pass by before swinging the trident upward. Time continued as normal as the side of the trident's head slammed into the Yiga's covered ear. Disoriented, the assassin fell to his knee. Bringing the trident back, Link aimed a stab toward the assassin's heart. Just barely able to move, the assassin deflected and with surprising speed, he used the sickle's curved blade to hook onto Link's weapon to help pull him back up. Still, this wasn't enough. He was still off balance, and with another twirl of the trident, the sickle went flying out of his hands.

Link gave another jab, this time the Yiga moved, allowing one of the trident's points to scratch across his chest. He grabbed the trident's elongated handle and pushed back. The two fought for control of the trident, pushing against one another. They moved in circles with their eyes locked in hatred. Soon, the Yiga could feel his legs starting to weaken, something Link took notice of. The champion began to yell, trying to force the lanky body back onto its knees. His desperate yell echoed through the forest. The Yiga growled, clenching his chest and arm muscles, fighting to stay up, and soon began yelling himself, until finally, his legs gave out.

His knees dug into the snow, though his grip on the trident stayed strong.

"You're going to kill me, aren't you?" he asked in a raspy voice, looking up into the champion's blood-lusted eyes. "You want to."

"I do," Link growled. "You don't understand how much I hate you."

"Oh, but I do," the Yiga replied. "I understand perfectly well. I hate you all the same. I hate the princess the same. I hate all of you the same. So do it. End me right now."

"You don't have to tell me," Link said angrily.

With a tug, he pulled the trident from the Yiga's grasp, and with a twirl, he aimed it at the Yiga's heart. His breaths were heavy and his grip was tight. The assassin didn't move. He knew he was beaten. It was over, and yet, he started chuckling. This enraged Link even more. He had the nerve to laugh, after everything he had done. He pulled the trident back, ready to strike.

"Yes! Do it! End me and go back to your precious Princess Zelda! Show her what needed to be done!" the Yiga yelled as Link thrust. "Do it!"

Zelda.

Link paused just as the trident's tip penetrated the Yiga's leather skin suit. Blood trickled down his body, but it was a small amount; one simple drop. The tip had barely cut through the first layer of skin, and though he still held the trident firmly in his hands, holding it in his position, Zelda's words appeared in his mind:

I trust you.

She trusted him, even after he had ignored all her warnings the past few months. He ignored her wishes to sleep. He pushed her aside and left for the castle, almost dying and leaving her behind. He allowed her to almost die, and yet, she still trusted him. Suddenly, his mind filled with doubt. With another breath, time slowed once more. He needed to think, even if just for a moment.

He did the exact same thing as he had done the moment he left for the castle. He didn't stop to think, nor did he listen to anyone else. He left, wanting nothing more than to kill the assassin. Again, because he didn't properly think, he had threatened to throw his life away had he lost this fight. Again, he wanted someone to blame, someone to take all his pent-up anger out on. He even left Jules to die, and he couldn't hide his thoughts from himself— at that moment, he hadn't even cared. All he wanted to do was kill the man that sat before him.

Have to? Or want to? Purah's voice echoed in his mind. You never wanted to kill any other Yiga like this before. Did it just now become part of your duty? Or do you just want revenge?

He hadn't wanted to kill a Yiga before. It wasn't until he saw his failures during the Maz Koshia's trials did he want to. He was angry, livid with himself. He blamed the Yiga. He hated them, for they represented everything he fought against— supported everything they fought against. They caused him so much pain, almost killed Zelda and others because of their anger.

No.

Link lowered the trident.

I almost got Zelda and the others killed because of my anger.

The Yiga had never truly been a threat. The only time they were dangerous was when the Calamity had gifted them powers, and even then, that was the Calamity. The biggest danger the Yiga had ever posed was his first encounter with Blademaster when he first woke up from the Shrine of Resurrection, and even then, he handled him with relative ease. And now here he was, having been brought to death's door by a simple foot soldier, simply because he was angry. Because he was foolish. Had he slept— had he listened to Zelda— this wouldn't have happened. The Yiga even said it himself: this was part of his plan, messing with Link until he broke. Link allowed himself to break. Had he not broken, the Yiga wouldn't have appeared, and even if he did, had he been well rested, he wouldn't have even been a challenge. Suddenly, many voices echoed in his mind:

This isn't you.

He had changed. He allowed himself to change. So many people he had pushed away, including Zelda, the one he had claimed to love and believe in so much. She had warned him; she warned him he was changing, and he ignored her, pushing her worries away claiming what he was doing was for the good of her and others. But he was only trying to make himself feel better, ignoring the pain that was inside his chest for all these months.

Guiltily, he looked down at the trident in his hands. He wasn't being a champion at all. He wasn't being a hero at all. He looked down at the bloodstained tunic. He disgraced it, the symbolism of the bright blue he had been honored to wear so long ago, made and fixed up by the one he loved. The one he put in harm's way.

Finally, he looked at the assassin. He didn't need to kill him. He only wanted to. Even now, he still wanted to push the trident through the Yiga's heart, but with just this moment of thought, he could see exactly what was happening. That was what the Yiga wanted.

With a sigh, he lowered the trident all the way down to his side and allowed time to progress.

The assassin's laughing stopped. He looked down at his chest, and then at the trident that sat at Link's side.

"What are you doing?" he asked slowly. "Do it. End me now."

"No," Link said simply with a saddened gaze. "No, I won't. I'm done with this."

The Yiga raged. If anger produced heat, the snow around him would have instantly evaporated.

"What do you mean you're done with this?" he shouted. "Kill me! Kill me right now!"

"I said I won't," Link replied. "I'm not going to kill you."

"You weak bastard!" the Yiga screamed as the champion stared down at him. "You had the same look— the same hatred— as us! Why won't you do it?"

"Because I look like you," Link answered simply. "I played right into your hands. If it weren't for those who fought you at the house, I'd be dead right now. I allowed myself to fall to your level. I won't keep falling. I'm done."

"Why you… you…" the Yiga stammered as he vibrated with rage. "You think you're better than us? Better than me?"

"Nope. Not anymore," Link said. "I used to be… and I will be again. Go somewhere. Leave. I don't care where. I won't deal with you anymore."

He turned and began to walk away, leaving the Yiga in the snow. The Yiga continued to watch in anger.

"I'll come back!" he shouted, causing Link to pause. "I'll come back and kill everyone!"

"Sure, go ahead," Link said simply.

"You aren't afraid of that?" the Yiga asked. "Do you not see how close I came to doing that this time? I'll do it again!"

"No you won't," Link said. "Because I won't let you. You're only a threat because I allowed you to be. You said it yourself at the castle: you're nothing but a foot soldier. I won't be beaten by you again."

"You piece of goddess worshiping trash!" the Yiga screamed. "I hate you! I hate that goddess! I hate all of you! We, the Yiga clan, hate you all!"

"Why are we doing this?" Link asked suddenly. "I understand your hatred, at least a bit now… But it's been thousands of years since we've wronged you. Why do you continue to keep living like this?"

"You don't understand our hate!" the Yiga shouted, but Link shook his head.

"But I do somewhat understand now, because of you. You almost took everything from me, but that was me. And that was you who tried to. We haven't done anything to you. Not one thing… I don't like this hate, so I'm sure you don't either. Do we really have to keep fighting like this?"

"You did do something," the Yiga growled. "Your kingdom threw us away. You killed our god, the Calamity—"

"The Calamity is no god," Link said. "He's just a guy who refuses to die, no matter how many times he's been beaten, and you're following that same path. Is this really what you want?"

The Yiga sat in the snow, breathing heavily from all his shouting, until finally, he looked down at the snow.

"You people did this," he said. "I refuse to let you get away with it. We all refuse."

Link gave him a saddened look before shaking his head.

"All right, then. I guess it just has to be this way," he said sadly. "That's unfortunate."

The Yiga paused for a moment before scoffing. With a painful grunt, he pushed himself to his feet.

"Killing you myself wouldn't be satisfying anymore," the Yiga said. "Neither would killing anyone else up there. But mark my words… We'll be back one day. My entire clan and I… We'll return."

Link simply gave a small nod and a heavy breath. The two stared at each other for another few moments until finally, the Yiga turned.

"What made you stop?" he asked suddenly.

"She trusted me," Link answered simply, "and I won't betray that trust anymore."

The Yiga glanced back at him before blowing air through his hidden nose, and with a puff of smoke, he vanished. Link watched as the smoke blew away in the frosty breeze. He glanced down at where the assassin stood before turning and walking back through the trees he had come through.

Hateno is where he was truly needed.