Disclaimer: Everything here belongs to SIU. Except for my OCs.

We're done the first season!

Chapter 13

To which this letter is addressed,

Come to the flowerless garden that occupies the 10th floor. We will be able to talk more there.

The letter was gone in the morning.

It was back after the second night.

I haven't slept since.

"Even though I'm glad to see you up," Shibisu said while setting down his tray of cereal and fruit onto the table. "You had a freakishly fast recovery. I guess you really aren't like us normal folk."

"I wouldn't say I've made much of a recovery," I replied, settling down my own tray of food. I picked out some muffins and a banana for my breakfast. "Just well enough to move around on my own."

"From being put at death's door to being good enough to walk after only three days of rest. I'd say that's pretty abnormal."

I suppose it was. It was true that I haven't fully recovered, but the day after Hwaryun came to see me, the sharp pains that inhibited most my body had turned dull, and by the second day I was able to put the most minimal amount of pressure on my limbs without the threat of collapsing. On the third day I was fully able to walk around once more. I supposed it had to be because of Z in some way, but I also remember a vague memory of Hatz feeding me something that the ranker gave him.

"Still, you look like you have haven't slept in days." Shibisu pointed out.

I shrugged, tearing the wrap off my muffins. "Well, I've got a lot on my mind right now." The reason behind the disappearing and reappearing of the letter had been seared into my thoughts.

Shibisu sighed. "I guess I can't blame you for that. Everyone else hasn't had the best responses either. I've barely even seen them for the past few days. You see how empty the dining hall is right now? It's pretty much been this way since the end of the test."

"They haven't been eating at all?"

Shibisu shook his head. "If they are, they're finding other ways to do it. The only person I've been able to share a meal with was Hatz, but he doesn't stick around for long. Usually, he's stuck himself inside one of the training rooms." He drew in a deep sigh, and his eyes grew weary.

Looking at him pained me. A part of me wanted to shout out that Bam was alive just so he wouldn't have to wear that expression, but I forced myself to remove that thought from my mind. Even if I were to tell him, this would be the worst time to do it. Right now, Bam was dead, and we were his bereaved friends.

"The final test was hard on everyone," Shibisu continued. "Khun and Rak especially have taken it hard. I haven't seen either of them since the last meeting. Endorsi's locked herself in her room and Annak hasn't been doing too well. She's taken the loss of her weapon pretty hard. Khun had told me her story, and it was a lot to take in. I wish I could do more for her, but I don't really know what to do… I've talked to Sunwoo Nare and Cheonhwa a little, but only to make small talk. As for Rachel…"

I tensed up when he mentioned her name. This was all the result of her decision, something I wasn't able to change.

"It's been bad for her. She broke out into a fever shortly after the test was done. Must be rough, she probably thinks that Bam died because of her." Shibisu started to lose interest in his food as his shoulders slightly slumped down.

My eyes narrowed in concern. "What about you? Are you doing alight?"

"I want to say I am. It's just taking some time to process it all." Shibisu let out a sigh. It seemed he was lingering on something.

"But?"

"…I entered the tower to keep a promise to a friend. I just didn't think I would have another promise to keep so early on."

A weighted silence overlapped us. His eyes grew cloudy as he tilted his head up slightly. But after a few moments he shut his eyes and came back to reality. "Ah, but it's bad if I think about it too hard. For now, I just have to keep looking forward right?"

That was something I could agree on. "Right."

"I just wish… that he could've been around for a little longer. It seems too cruel for him to have died before even making it past the test floor."

"It's a shame isn't it?" A voice appeared behind me.

"Laure?" Shibisu identified the voice. "What are you doing here?"

I turned my head to see the person in question take a seat beside me. There was something off about him, instead of having both his signature pillow and blanket in hand, he only held his pillow. His eyes were bereft of any drowsiness and was replaced with a pensive gaze, a look I've never see on his face before.

"I was on a walk, stretching my legs when I saw you two," Laure replied. "I was planning on sleeping until the test director was going to call us to move up to the next floor, but that never happened. I didn't think three days were going to pass before that happened."

"I guess even you need to move your body sometimes," I said.

Laure responded with a shrug. "Its a little strange don't you think? That we've been stuck on this floor even after completing the final test for this long? After finishing the advancement test, regulars are to be sent up to the next floor immediately. The events of the test were quite unique, but I doubt it's any reason to hold us back here for this long."

"That's true," Shibisu nodded. "I'm sure that regulars have their teammates die on this floor all the time, we shouldn't be an exception. Maybe there's another reason that they could be holding us back. Whatever it is I just hope they do it soon, it's no good for any of us to be stuck here."

"It would have to be a reason that affects the test directors directly I'd imagine. Something behind the scenes we aren't supposed to see." Laure said as he rested his gaze on me. "Something you might be familiar with Shun."

My shoulders instantly tensed up and a slight chill went down my back. My eyes darted from Laure to Shibisu, his expression turned to confusion. Whatever Laure knew, I didn't want Shibisu to be dragged into it. "What do you mean by that?"

Laure glanced up to an open window. "I admit I don't like to push myself into things that shouldn't concern me, but I recently got a message from a family member who has a particular smell for unusual things. Told me to pay extra attention to the things happening on my floor and check the shinsu of the regulars around me."

He took a moment before continuing. "And he was right for the most part. Considering the irregular, the two Jahad princess, and the big ghost looking dude, the shinsu they've been able to use has been very special. Yet something is telling me that the most unusual flow of shinsu is coming from you."

Shibisu interjected. "What does-"

I held up a hand to cut Shibisu off. "Why do you think that?"

Laure's gaze was piercing. "I have several guesses."

"So why tell me this now?"

Laure didn't answer me straight away, deciding only to return the look I was giving him. His quiet deliberation finally gave way, and he broke off eye contact. "It really isn't in my nature to meddle with other people's affairs… but I figured I should warn you before you end up like the boy whose journey had an early ending. You should watch your back. You're more heavily out favored than you might think."

My heart dropped into my stomach. Honestly, I thought most things weren't going in my favor already, but if he's not talking about those things, he might be talking about the things I did think were in my favor. And the person I had thought leaned to my side the most…

"Laure, just what are you talking about?" Shibisu restlessly asked.

"Something that you and I shouldn't get involved with," Laure placed his pillow on the table and rested his head on top of it.

"What does that mean?" Shibisu pressed. When Laure didn't respond, Shibisu reached over to shake his shoulder. "Don't pretend to be sleeping now Laure, what are you talking about?" Shun, what's going on between you two? Shun?"

Shibisu's voice gradually became softer and softer as a grim realization came to my mind. I could deny it all I wanted, but that would just be putting me in more danger. It was just that, after being hopelessly beaten down, pushed to the edge of death, shamed for my own failure, and humiliated for trying, I thought all my misfortune would have ended there. Yet this was probably going to hurt the most.

There was only one person who could've taken the letter that Jin had given me, who might have use for the information inside it. It also explains her odd behavior the last time I had seen her. I didn't know why she had put the letter back but at this point I didn't care. After the warning that Laure had given me, I had to face it. The answer to the question I've had since entering the tower.

Hwaryun isn't on my side and never has been.

"You look terrible."

"Look who's talking."

I sat down onto the bench that was placed at Rachel's bedside. It was dark in the room, the only light coming through the folded window blinds. She was lying down under the sheets, her head slightly turned toward me, with a wet cloth placed onto her forehead.

"So," Rachel struggled to push herself up onto the bedframe, placing the cloth into a bowl of water on the table beside her. It looked like the worst of the fever had gone, but she still had some symptoms. Her breathing was ragged, and she looked completely exhausted, as if she hadn't slept for a few days. "You're awake."

"Yeah," I replied without giving it much thought.

"It was a surprise when Khun told me that you were carried back from the test as if you had been in a war and wouldn't be up for a while. I had thought I'd be seeing you immediately after the test ended, but I guess you were occupied."

"That's one way to put it. What about you? You get so excited about chasing your dream that you caught a fever?"

She hesitated. "Is that a joke?"

"No, it's not."

She scoffed slightly. "No one gets a fever chasing their dream."

"So why did you get a fever then?"

Rachel looked down, somewhat shamefully. "I... I don't know."

"I don't know why you got sick either," I absent mindedly said under my breath. I didn't seem to know a lot of things nowadays.

"Were you supposed to know?" I winced a little, not realising that she caught my words. "Shun, why are you here? It can't be because you enjoy my company."

I guess it was a good question. Why was I talking to her? Before, I wanted to see the aftermath of the guardian test for myself, but now… I'm not really sure why I came to see her. Things have gotten rough the past few days. My thoughts haven't been this scattered since entering the tower.

"Are you here to take revenge?" She continued. "It would be easy for you now, right?"

Revenge, for Bam? To avenge the betrayal that he had suffered? I don't have that right. That's just self satisfaction. But if there was something else I wanted to know, maybe I wanted to know how betrayal felt for the person who was doing the betraying.

"Was it easy? To push Bam off?" My thoughts began to roll out through my mouth. "It must've been right? Nothing could compare to fulfilling your dream. You said it yourself, Bam stole everything you were supposed to have. To have the opportunity to take back what he took from you must've been liberating. What an amazing-"

"Stop it," Rachel spoke with a distraught voice. I looked closer to see that she was gripping her sheets so hard she started to tremble. "You don't know what you're saying."

"Do I not? Can you tell me then? Tell me exactly why I don't know what I'm talking about."

She didn't answer.

"What, nothing to say for yourself now?" I sighed. "What a fucking waste." I pressed my elbows onto my knees and hung my head down, low enough to make myself look beheaded.

"I," Rachel's voice was quavering. I looked up and widened my eyes slightly. Tears started to bubble up in her eyes. "I wasn't able to do it."

Something in me kicked my head back up to face her as if someone had attached a string to the back of my head and yanked on it hard. "What?"

She was trembling so much that I thought she was going to go into a state of shock. "I couldn't…"

"Couldn't what?" I impatiently prompted.

She looked me dead in the eyes, with tears dripping down her face and onto her bedsheets. "I couldn't push Bam."

I could feel the color drain from my face. "What the hell are you talking about Rachel? What do you mean you didn't push him off?"

No response.

I got up to grab her shoulder, desperate for any sort of replay. "Rachel! What do you mean you didn't push him off? Who did?"

Again, no response.

"That's quite enough, Mr. Shun."

I twisted my head behind me to find the voice belonging to my least favorite ranker.

"She's gone through quite a bit within the past few days, it's quite inconsiderate for you to handle her so roughly." Hansung Yu wore a smile on his face, but his eyes were cold. "Poor thing isn't even conscious anymore. It would be a good idea for you to let her go now."

I released my grip, and Rachel fell limp. Hansung Yu came up beside me to gently tuck her back under the sheets.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Simply checking up on our dear Rachel. It won't be long until we move you all up to the next floor after all."

"And since when were you so considerate of the health of regulars?"

"It's only natural that a test director should make sure all of their candidates are in suitable condition for the next floor."

"I think we both know that's not true."

Hansung Yu wavered, but only for a moment. "Well regardless of if you're right or not, I'm going to have to ask you to leave now Mr. Shun. You shouldn't be bothering other regulars who require their rest."

I didn't move. Something clicked in my head. This could be an opportunity, perhaps the only one I would get to follow through with the plan Z and I made. I didn't know if Lero Ro or Quant knew where he was and asking Hwaryun was out of question. The only reliable source that would know where he is, was right in front of me.

"Mr. Shun, I don't want to have to ask twice."

"You won't have to." I replied. "I just have to ask you something."

"Oh? And what might that be?"

"Take me to Jinsung Ha."

For the first time since I've met him, Hansung Yu dropped his smile, causing the air in the room suddenly felt a lot heavier. He didn't say anything for a moment, instead he decided to stare me down with his icy yellow eyes. "And why might I be ever so slightly inclined to do that?"

"You want to find out the answer to your question, don't you?" I tried to keep my voice as steady as possible. "This will ensure that you do."

He raised one of his hands to point his index finger towards my throat. "You… have too much faith in the amount of interest I have in you." He slightly shifted his finger to the right. When he stopped his finger, I cried out as pain erupted in my right shoulder, causing me to fall to my knees. "How arrogant."

He bent down close enough to whisper in my ear. "Take this as your first and last warning."

Sweat dripped down my face as I looked up to face Hansung Yu once more. His face was painted with satisfaction and conceit, a look designed for bugs. Truly, he was the person I regretted meeting the most.

But still, I needed his help.

"Please," I said with a pained face. "I need you to take me to Jinsung Ha."

"Well, aren't you persistent," Hansung Yu said in a condescending tone. As he opened his mouth again, I had thought he was going to berate me more, but instead a reluctant voice came out. "You're lucky this time."

I was taken aback, perturbed by his sudden change in demeanor.

"You get your wish. Get up now, I won't wait up for you."

I struggled to my feet, unsure of what was happening, and pushed myself to follow Hansung Yu as he began to pace out through the door. I didn't know what led to the change, but that wasn't going to stop me from following him now. I simply just didn't have another choice.

"This coffee is awful," Jinsung Ha muttered as he put down his cup that had been specially made for him by Hansung Yu. Unlike the higher quality coffee's that he would've been offered on the higher floors, the instant coffee that Hansung Yu would offer was utterly bland and would leave a bad aftertaste. Stubbornly, he would ignore Jinsung Ha whenever he suggested other, more appealing coffee products.

It was a strange habit that he had noticed after the several years working with Hansung Yu. No matter which floor they were on, or whomever they were with, Hansung Yu would always prefer this specific brand of instant coffee. Jinsung Ha could only guess the reason why.

He had hoped that he would've been met with some better coffee, considering how tedious it was to get here. With all the extra surveillance that the Jahad empire had been putting on the lower floors over the past few years, it was somewhat difficult for him to move without gathering attention. After all, high rankers such as himself that were seen as dangerous and relatively active would regularly have their actions reported to whomever wanted to know.

Jinsung Ha let out a sigh. He didn't like all the concern being put on the lower floors. It'd be harder for them to keep the irregular a secret after all. But even more so, something in his gut told him something big events were beginning to form. The battle of attrition between the princesses on the higher floors was starting to show cracks of breaking. Small scuffles between the two opposing sides had been filling media for years, but recently times, things have been silent. One of them might be planning the biggest battle they've faced yet.

Still, Jinsung Ha had to scoff at the idea as he went to light his cigarette. They were still young and believed that one big battle might solve it all. If anything, it would only be the start to a bloody era that would fill those floors for a few years. And even then, no clear winner would come to be. The main powers in the tower wouldn't change and things would move on. All that would be left would be broken survivors.

The sounds of a door opening and shuffled footsteps broke Jinsung Ha from his thoughts.

"Welcome back," Jinsung Ha idly said as he saw Hansung Yu come into view. But he didn't expect to see someone behind the ranker, especially not a regular. "And who is this? A new recruit? I didn't know you scouted on the testing floor."

"No, he's not a recruit," Hansung Yu replied. "Just someone who wanted to see you."

"Someone who wanted to see me?" Jinsung Ha narrowed his eyes towards Hansung Yu, only to be met with a slight eyebrow rise. Ah, this must be the regular that Hwaryun had talked about. Although he rarely doubted Hwaryun, a regular that was useful to them on the testing floor was decently big claim. Oh well, even if Hwaryun's judgement was wrong, clean up wasn't hard. "Well then, why have you come to see me?"

The regular was tense and his movements were stiff. "It will be easier to show you why. If you would allow me?"

Jinsung Ha took out his cigarette with two fingers and gently waved approval.

As the regular closed his eyes, Jinsung Ha could feel the change in shinsu begin to happen within his body. It was a slow and delicate process, but the flow in shinsu eventually started to pick up pace and wrapped around the boy's body in a complicated form of body reinforcement.

However, Jinsung Ha could feel a slight disinterest growing. If this body reinforcement was all the regular wanted to show him, it was a great waste of his time. He could acknowledge that it was levels above where normal regulars were on the testing floor, but nothing about it…

His thoughts trailed off as the shinsu pressure changed and started to form a visible structure outside the regular's body. The structure started at the base of his back, where a purple flow was starting to create what looked like a human spine. It grew until it was well above the regular's head and started to branch out to form other pieces of human bone that would resemble a ribcage.

"Well, I'll be damned," Jinsung Ha recognized this form of shinsu belonging to a very particular ranker that he had met very early on in his life. "The infamous Disea. I had never thought that I would ever see that skeleton again."

"Disea?" He could hear Hansung Yu mutter under his breath. He couldn't blame him for being surprised. It was only a legend when he became a ranker after all.

Just as the skeleton form was coming to be, it started to fade just as fast. Sweat rippled across the regular as he struggled to balance himself and catch his breath.

"How unexpected," Jinsung Ha said.

"Is it really? You don't seem to be surprised at all," The regular managed to breath out.

"Don't I?" Jinsung Ha chuckled a little. "I might not show it, but anyone would be even the least bit surprised at seeing him appear in the tower once more."

"Disea," The regular repeated to himself. "Is that his name?"

"He hasn't even told you his name?"

He shook his head. "He only told me to call him 'Z'."

"What a bastard. That's simply the first letter for his sobriquet, 'Zant'. Otthelos 'Zant' Disea. That's his name. And what is yours?"

The regular grew an expression of confusion mixed with anger before answering his question. "Shun. My name is Shun."

"Shun. That's a good name to have. It's good to meet you Shun."

"Thanks, I guess," Shun awkwardly replied. "I've come to ask for help. During the last test, we were met with a ranker from the Jahad family and barely made it out alive. I'd like to ask you for a favor, protection from any of Jahad's rankers that might look to break the towers rules, at least until the 20th floor."

"Have they already noticed? Seems as though some rumors were true."

"Rumors?"

Jinsung Ha nodded. "It's been rumored for a long while that the Jahad family were keeping surveillance around the testing floor to keep an eye out for a very specific presence. Zant fills out all the criteria to be someone they would need to be warned about. Protection would cost a lot of time and resources, especially since the Jahad rankers that would be sent out to kill you would most likely be from the Royal Enforcement Division. I'm not sure I'm necessarily willing to expend all that for you."

"You're right," Shun dipped his head down slightly. "But Z, Zant I mean, told me to tell you that you should think of this as repaying the favor that he had once given you."

Jinsung Ha felt a wave of somber nostalgia hit him. It had been a while since he had thought about the day that he had asked for Zant's help. It had been even longer since he thought about the bloodbath they created, only for it to be in vain. "It's been over tens of thousands of years, and yet he still remembers… I guess if he's pulling that card, it would be a bit crooked to ignore you. I'll fulfill your request."

A sigh of relief came from Shun, causing him to relax most of his body. "Really?"

"Yeah. I may have gotten old, but I still remember my debts. I'll look over your climb for now." Jinsung Ha glanced over to Hansung Yu for a moment. He caught his gaze with a slight nod.

"Well then, there's your answer Shun. It'll soon be time to move you regulars to the 3rd floor, so I'll have to ask you to leave now." Hansung Yu quickly pushed Shun to the door.

"Huh? Wait, I still have so much to ask!" Shun exclaimed suddenly, doing his best to push back against Hansung Yu but to no avail. He kept protesting, even until he was outside the door.

"This was more than you could ask for Shun, we're very busy, so be grateful we even took time to humor you," Hansung Yu slowly closed the door on him. "And don't you dare knock on this door, else I'll pop both your knees."

The door shut without much push back after that. Hansung Yu did always love his threats.

"So, that was the Infamous Disea?" Hansung Yu turned back to ask. "That shinsu certainly was chilling."

Jinsung Ha took a moment to pull in his cigarette and puff out some smoke. "You should have seen his prime. The control he had over the field with his full shinsu skeleton, people called him the lord of death."

"Did you expect the ranker within the boy to be him?"

"Of course not. But it seems we've been gifted an incredible asset, from our very own guide no less," Jinsung Ha glanced to the wall beside him. "Isn't that right, Hwaryun?"

She didn't answer from the other side of the wall, but the silence was loud. Jinsung Ha frowned. She'd been like this ever since he arrived, as somber as a person could become, always wearing an unsettled expression on her face that had replaced her usual passive one. It was curious, but he knew Hwaryun would not tell him what was bothering her if he asked.

There had only been one other time where he had seen her exhibit this behavior. It the first time that he had met her. The day her mother died.

Hwaryun

It was finally time to move up to the next floor. All the passing regulars had been gathered onto a circular silver platform with a blazing crimson light coming down upon them.

"Thank you for your efforts in taking this whole test," Hansung Yu addressed them. "All of you are qualified to go to the next floor, regulars."

"Do you think really think that we'll be moved by your words? Wait here. When I become a ranker, you're the first one I'll come back to kick out," Khun said in a snarky manner.

"I'll be looking forward to that," Hansung Yu smiled. "Oh, I almost forgot. These are for all of you." He carried out multiple boxes to hand over to each regular. Inside held a small blue ring. "It's to commemorate your 'graduation'. I thought that we should celebrate this moment after all."

"So now that I've given you these rings, it really is time to say goodbye," As Hansung Yu continued to speak, the crimson light started to shimmer and break out onto each regular. "I hope your journey will be fully of blessings. Good-bye, regulars."

When the light dissipated, all of the regulars were gone, sent to the next floor. All of them, except for Shun.

While he turned to Hansung Yu, presumably to question him, Hwaryun disabled the custom cape she had received from the workshop that gave her temporary invisibility.

"Shun," Hwaryun said more hesitantly than she would've liked. He turned around, and his expression soured. His eyes had dark bags under his eyes, the past few nights must've been restless for him.

"Hwaryun? What are you doing here?" he tensely asked.

"I just came to see you off."

He scoffed. "You could've just let the last time we saw each other be the last. You really shouldn't have felt the need to show your face to me again."

She had expected this sort of response, yet his words still stung. A sting that she hadn't felt in a very long time. Honestly, he was right. She didn't need to see him again; she could've just left everything as it was. But she could feel something tugging on her mind, that overrode her logical thought process. So, she came to see him one more time, for maybe a reason she barely even recognized.

"Is this what you meant when you said I shouldn't have been thanking you?" Shun's voice was even, but there was an obvious edge to it. "You know, you were right. I should've have given you any thanks. All the things you taught me, all the kindness you showed, all the comradery I thought we had, was just to keep me close, wasn't it? All so you could get over the hurdle that I caused in the path you saw because I had no fate?"

"Shun-" Hwaryun tried to interject but he kept going.

"The path you described to me, you were making sure it was going to happened, weren't you?" His voice was shaking out of anger, his expression full of rage. "It all makes sense now. The more you knew about me, the more you could put me right where you wanted me, until you had enough information so that the path you described would show up. The information in the letter was the last thing you needed to know for it to happen."

She couldn't say anything. She had her jaws clenched to the point that her cheeks started to numb.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Shun was trembling, his fists tightened up into a ball until his knuckles whitened. "Say something, anything! Tell me that I was a fool, to even believe for a second that you were a friend."

Still, nothing came out of her mouth.

"Nothing. And I used to think you were strong. Even Rachel was able to argue for herself," Shun turned around and walked to Hansung Yu. "I've had enough of this, take me up."

"Are you sure?" Hansung Yu asked. "It never hurts to take more time to-"

"Shut up. Take me up."

He sighed. "I've been making it a bad habit of giving regulars what they want." The shimmering light came down once more and enveloped Shun. Once the light was gone, so was he.

Once he was gone, Hwaryun finally felt as though she could breathe again, but in the process, lost strength in her legs. She caught herself, but only barely, using her gold staff to balance herself.

"I'd never thought I'd see the day when I'd see you so shaken," Hansung Yu commented as he walked over.

"Leave me," Hwaryun practically pleaded.

"As you wish, o crimson princess."

As she could hear his footsteps eventually fade away, she carried her gold staff to her forehead and closed her eyes. She took in deep breaths, hoping it would calm her down. In all the years she had been within the tower, she had almost forgotten the weight of her shackles. But in this moment alone, she'd been reminded that they are very much present. She chuckled quietly as a single tear fell down her cheek.

All she had wanted to do was apologize to him.

A/N

It's taken a bit, but we're finally through the first season! I honestly hope you guys have as much fun reading this as I did writing this. There are still a lot of things I need to fix up, and I kind of wish I build this entire climax up a little more, but for my first fic, I'm fairly satisfied. I'm having a lot of fun and learning a lot about my own writing as well.

Reviews:

Darckcarlos: Thanks! I hope this meets your expectations!

Ascandas: We botta head way deeper, I just hope I get those chapters out a little faster.

A/N

Thanks for sticking along! As a small disclaimer, I will be writing through some of the floors before the second season, there's still a lot of things I need to do with Shun and Hwaryun. So it'll take a few chapters before we reach the second season and beyond, but hopefully, it won't take that long.

Any comments or suggestions are really appreciated!

Thanks for reading!

On the outskirts of the middle area of floor 89

"You are a very hard lady to find, you know that?"

"You should've given up then."

He laughed. A big hearty laugh that you wouldn't be able to find often in the tower. "Sorry to say, but when it comes to seeking women, I don't give up very easily."

"Have you only come here to joke, Urek Mazino?"

"No, no, of course not. Princess Yuri Jahad has asked me to give you a request."

"Did she? Well, she's wasting her time."

"Oh, come on, you should at least hear it out."

"Am I not going to hear the same worthless things that these people here have asked of me?"

Urek glanced around the surroundings that were riddled with bodies. He didn't bat an eye. "Uh, hopefully not?"

"I am not willing to participate in the affairs of the tower anymore. Look for someone else."

"We would if we could, but how many rankers are there that could do the same things you do? Alia Rin, The Saltator, a name that would always come up whenever people would talk about the legends. One of the biggest influences in nearly every major event in the tower."

"Is it simply prestige you want then? Go make your own name more infamous than it already is."

"It's not for prestige or for influence. Look, if you would at least hear Yuri out, I'm sure you'd understand why she wants your help."

"I have no reason to hear her out or give her help."

"But you have every reason to sit here alone, and wither away until you eventually die?"

"…"

"I did hope you were different than some of the other older rankers, but I guess not. Time really does dull the mind, doesn't it?

*BAM*

"I guess all you older folk prefer to talk with your fists," Mazino smiled as he caught Aila's fist, just inches away from his face. "That's alright with me."

"I assume you're alright with losing again then."

Urek Mazino let his grin stay on his face for a little longer, before allowing it to fall. "That won't be happening. Not this time."