Chapter 141: Wrath
Head spinning, YN was extremely slow to sit up after being flung such a far distance. With dizziness, he forced himself to roll over so he could right himself.
All over his body, internally, he ached. While his bones and muscles felt tired and weathered, his skin, he realized, was numb and slightly tingly on certain spots. The side of his body that had taken the brunt of the fireball, shot by Roswaal, felt irritated, as if he had contracted a rather bad sunburn.
YN: ...R..am...
Said with a dry mouth and throat, about half a dozen paces from him, the pink-haired maid laid unmoving on the ground. Her outfit, torn and bloodied, looked exactly how Rem's had when YN had arrived at the aftermath of the White Whale's subjugation.
Knowing Ram was in far worse of a condition, at least as much as YN could figure right now, he tried to stand to reach her, yet—
YN: —Gah.
His body, losing balance, like a carriage with only three wheels, refused to stay upright when he tried to stand.
What is going on?
Only letting his most idle thoughts contemplate why such a task was being difficult, he began to tunnel vision on only the objective of reaching Ram's side, disregarding the fact half his body was refusing to function.
Content with crawling, using only one arm, and one leg to do so, his one-track mind found this to be acceptable given it was progress being made to get closer to Ram.
YN: Ra...m...
Keeping the peach-haired maid in the good part of his vision, his conscious self was failing to acknowledge that the same side of his body that was refusing commands to move, was also the side his eyesight was now massively blurred on as well, akin to having something like a cataract obstructing his view.
I gotta... I gotta get to her...
As the leg that refused to move was dragged across the flowery ground, it too tingled painfully in a numbed sense. But before long, Ram was reached.
YN: Ram...
Hoisting her back up onto his good leg with his functioning arm, the maid was taking short, shallow breaths while she remained unconscious. Dried blood stained her face now from where her horn's scar had glowed in its fury to secure the Gospel that was now destroyed.
Knowing she was on the verge of death should nothing be done soon, YN hesitated for a moment now.
She needs mana, but I remember how she reacted to that last time I tried to do that...
His memory spaced back to the fargone Loop when he had first tried to give Ram mana.
The technique required the delivery of colorless mana, something YN could only do via Algol. The issue with that though, was when he had tried restoring the maid's naturally unreplenishable stores, he was at first shown an expression of true euphoria, only to then be followed by confusion, anger, and stern request to never do that to her again.
—If I don't give her mana now though... she'll certainly die...
In YN's mind, the horror of a reality where Rem were to wake up, to a world where Ram had perished was something he refused to see come to fruition. Especially if it were something like this that he could have a direct hand in preventing.
Taking a labored breath, his breath hitched in his throat, and out of reflex, coughed twice into his elbow. Looking down at the splatter of red this left on his shirt sleeve, YN quickly pushed this observation out of his mind so he could focus on steeling his nerves to help Ram.
I gotta... I gotta give her mana... Just enough so she won't die!
Shelving his worry for what anger she might have at him if she were to awake again, YN went to move his other arm over, the arm he had last used to cast Jiwald with, in an effort to mute the incoming fireball meant for Ram.
Yet, he found it was difficult to even move this appendage of his.
With great strength it seemed he needed to bring this arm of his around so he could gently apply a flow of mana to Ram's horn-scar, just like he had in a previous Loop.
YN: Tch... C'mon...
Thinking he may have simply sprained a joint or broke a bone after the fall he had taken from being launched halfway across the meadow with no trees to conveniently catch him this time, it felt like he was moving dead weight—
YN: Oh...
—and he was.
YN: —That's... not an arm...
In truth, it technically was, it just wasn't much of an arm.
YN: — — —
The more YN looked at what had become of his other arm, the reality of the situation he was in began to sink in.
The numbness, the refusal to move, his half-blurred vision, and the tingling pain on his skin that he had all been ignoring suddenly made sense.
Blistered, anywhere that wasn't charred black with severe burns was red with flame-kissed lacerations on his flesh. Despite that everything past his forearm was missing, there was absolutely no blood. This amputation it seemed had come with a cauterization of what would be a gaping wound. At the end of this nub, it was so charred black one could not make out the bone from the flesh from the muscle from the skin.
YN: — — —
Looking further down his own body, YN found his leg belonging to the same side was in a similar shape.
All across this half of his body, his clothes were burnt and charred black as well, making the fabric stiff and tough. And now finally self-acknowledging that his vision was abnormal, he found when he tried closing his eyes, the blurred half refused to fully close.
It was apparent now, that this fireball he had saved Ram from had brought YN serious consequences. Beginning to shake as fear now washed over his nerves, he knew Ram's condition was still his number one priority.
Going to close his mouth and take a deep breath in through his nose in a bid to calm himself down—
YN: —?
—Air still moved through his mouth upon inhaling.
Feeling an intake of cold air run across half his mouth and irritate his throat, he coughed while his lips remained shut, but still, steam from his warm breath exited out the side of his face the rest of his body was severely burnt from.
YN: — — —
Now, a panic began to grow in YN. It was not however from the state of his disfigured self, which he now knew he was.
No.
What concerned him now, that without the hand that had cast his last Jiwald, his dominant hand, he feared he wouldn't be able to gently enough deliver the mana Ram desperately needed to survive without her waking up, and halting him from helping her to live.
If Ram wakes back and tells me to stop... even if she might die... I don't know if I could have it in me to force her to accept the mana...
YN wasn't obvious to the fact that this method of mana transfer wasn't also an intimate one for the oni who lacked her horn.
I... I don't want her to hate me... But I don't want her to die... I can't let her die!
As YN struggled to contemplate this moral quandary, a faint white light appeared in his peripheral vision.
Algol: —! —! —!
Now getting a good look at his condition, the small Yang spirit buzzed about in irregular circles as it seemingly was panicked as well.
YN: A-Algol! Please! H-Help me give Ram mana! S-She needs colorless mana! —The kind you pull for the atmosphere! Please! I need you to guide my only good hand!
Readjusting Ram as he held her back with that one good hand, YN gently set her delicate head on his good knee, the one that wasn't covered with burnt gore, and began to hover his hand above her horn-scar.
Algol, floating in slowly, hovered next to YN's shaking hand, and now helped to smooth the flow of mana from his fingertips into her still bloody scar.
YN: I-It's gonna be okay Ram... Y-You're g-going to live, okay? You're going to s-see Rem wake up, and we're gonna all be h-happy together, okay?
Unsure if his voice was shaking more than even his hand, Algol, without warning, abandoned its spot next to Ram and now hovered up high, swaying from side to side.
YN: Algol—?
Before YN could ask why the spirit had suddenly moved this way, an unfortunately familiar sound resonated in his head.
*Ba-dum-Ba-dum-Ba-dum-Ba-dum-Ba-dum-Ba-dum—*
—The banging of a drum, it seemed, was echoing from behind YN. Turning only his good eye to this, he could see a long figure.
YN: —!
—The Margrave, about two dozen paces away, was slowly approaching them.
At the notice of his approach, Roswaal stopped, and could now better see what was going on. While he thought only that Ram was being held by YN at this moment, once he saw the glow of mana from his hand to her forehead, his own gloved hand instinctively reached out.
Roswaal: Ram... She's—, let me... let me h-help her—, I-I can—!
In a stupefied sense of self now, full of regret and desperation, Roswaal realized Ram was still alive, and thus hope existed for her still. Seeing this sight before him, coupled with the loss of his Gospel, the Margrave now only wished to try and mend the situation out of the pure guilt he had taking over his entire body and mind.
Innocently, he took another step towards the two with that same hand extended outward.
Seeing this advance though, and not trusting his intentions, YN fully turned his torso and reformed the mana in his good hand to that of a Yang magic, ready to fight to the bitter end if need be to protect Ram.
YN: —Get away!
Snapping at the Margrave, YN's shout, filled with the personification of a cornered, injured beast, halted Roswaal mid-step.
Roswaal: —!?
His eyes going wide and his breath hitching in his throat, Roswaal couldn't believe the state that YN was in now, let alone that he had the strength to shout at him.
YN: —Don't you take a step closer.
At how injured he was, looking only half-alive, the Margrave now believed it was YN that was much closer to death than Ram was at this very moment.
Roswaal: — — —
As if heeding the groundskeeper's warning, Roswaal remained where he was, frozen. To this, YN slowly turned back to Ram, and resumed giving her mana as Algol came down to help once more.
He is managing to give her mana... but only just. He can't manage the fine control it takes with such grave injuries.
Stiff, unmoving, Roswaal remained this way, isolated by this distance and the threat levied towards him, until a new voice entered his ears.
?: You really lost your temper there.
Looking to his side where the owner of this voice hovered, Roswaal saw them cross their little gray arms and paws as they looked down on him, like a disappointed parent might look at a child.
Puck: So, do you finally see the consequences of your obsession?
Roswaal: — — —
Although he said nothing in reply, the answer was made obvious by the way the Margrave now carried himself, especially in this situation.
After a moment though, he turned his gaze back to the groundskeeper that still struggled to give the oni the mana she needed to recover from this cruel altercation.
Roswaal: H-He can't do it... He won't figure out how to do it properly before she dies... He... He can't save her, b-but if he let's me—
Partly out of desperation to help fix what he had caused, but mostly out of his own deep understanding of magic, Roswaal pleaded to Puck to let him intervene in helping Ram, but had his words cut off by the little gray cat himself.
Puck: —Roswaal. Right now, YN is the only one who can give her mana.
Finding no logic in the small cat's words, Roswaal looked back at him with a confused, frustrated emotion, as he was confident in his own understanding of magic above everyone else here.
Roswaal: He will die of his injuries before he'll be able to give her enough mana—!
Puck: —Yes. The injuries you gave him. This is your fault.
Flying closer and speaking in a lower tone at Roswaal, the small gray cat kept his arms crossed while he scolded the magician. Hovering back to roughly to where he had been before, he pointed a single one of his paws now at the groundskeeper slowly trickling mana into the maid.
Puck: Look at him, Roswaal. It's a miracle he can even talk, let alone give her mana. The only thing that'll kill him sooner is if you try and give Ram that mana, because he'll die before he lets you get anywhere near her right now.
Roswaal: — — —
While it wasn't often Roswaal took the "human" element of things into consideration much anymore, that lack of emotional understanding he knew was apparent even to himself right now.
Puck: Despite all your immense talent, being the strongest mage alive that I know of, your lack of genuine empathy for others is your greatest folly. It leads to your complete vacancy of any humanity, and thus your inability to use even the most basic of healing magics even with all that other magical genius. If you had that, you might be able to save YN, and in turn, save Ram.
Roswaal: — — —
Laid out, what Roswaal knew as the cold hard truth was spoken to him.
Puck: It's your obsession now that will end their two lives. Roswaal, you'll never become as strong as that devil.
Delivered a verbal death blow, Roswaal could only tighten the fists he had hung at his side in frustration. But with that empty emotion of powerlessness that the Margrave felt, it began.
YN: —Huh?
Falling from the sky, in a form not unlike Algol's own, was a small white spec. Gently laying on Ram's cheek where it landed, soon it was gone. And before long, more followed it.
While YN had noticed it first, Puck too now felt it gently land on one of his whiskers, alerting him of its cold presence.
Puck: No... No way.
His small paw held out now, he caught two more of the small falling flakes.
It had begun to snow in the Sanctuary.
Puck: Roswaal... You played us... You had the snow magic ready before the fight even began!
Privy to what the arrival of snow would bring here, Puck looked back and forth between Roswaal, who now appeared to be broken, and YN, who continued to labor in his effort to give Ram mana.
Unsure of what to do now, he did what he could. Hovering over to YN, Puck moved into his vision to speak to him.
Puck: YN, it's—
Cutting off his own words, up close, it was almost hard to look at him with how grotesque his injuries were. For a moment, there were no words exchanged, and only the soft hum of the mana transfer between YN and Ram could be heard. Figuring Puck's words had been halted by his own hideous appearance, YN completed his sentence.
YN: —It's snowing. I know.
Tunnel visioned still, YN's shaky hand was continuously guided by Algol in his effort to slowly give Ram mana.
Unable to turn his attention away from YN's condition though, Puck spoke again.
Puck: Lia hopefully will finish her Trial soon, a-and Ram hopefully has enough mana that she'll survive a bit longer too... I need to leave now though, unfortunately, to try and delay what Roswaal has caused... But YN, you need to conserve your own mana and strength now if you want a chance to survive this too.
YN: — — —
Suggesting that he stop doing what he was doing, —saving Ram, YN continued, unabated.
Puck: If Lia finishes soon enough, I'll send her here to heal you! You have to stop giving away your mana now though if you want any hope of being alive for—
YN: —I'm tired of you all.
Puck: —?
Roswaal: —?!
YN, with his calmly spoken words, halted Puck's with their raw impact. It had even managed to surprise Roswaal that YN was showing such disregard to his ally's sound advice.
After another moment of silence, knowing they were awaiting an answer, YN spoke more, this time with more seriousness to his voice.
YN: I'm tired of having my fate dictated to. Whether it's from a warlock, or a Great Spirit, it doesn't matter. I'm tired of it all. —Of you all.
His hand beginning to shake more, the mana flow from himself to the still unconscious Ram slowed to compensate. The cause of this, was there was now tears rolling down YN's cheeks. Clenching his teeth as he spoke, he went on.
YN: Everything that's precious to me, —Rem, and Ram..! Everything keeps slipping through my fingers no matter how hard I try to protect them..! I'm only managing to hold onto them by putting more and more burdens on myself...!
Puck: — — —
Roswaal: — — —
With nothing but silent replies to his words of pain, a greater frustration grew in YN at their seeming lack of understanding.
YN: Do either of you get why that makes me upset?! Why it's inexcusable?!
Puck: — — —
Roswaal: — — —
Silent still, YN was determined to make sure they understood why. It was that important to him, after all.
YN: —Because I promised her—! I promised Rem, I wouldn't do that to myself! That we'd do it together if we had to!
Tears rolling off the bottom of his jaw, to fall down onto Ram's tattered clothes, more emotion filled his shouts of frustration.
YN: But Rem's not here! I let her slip through my hands because I wasn't strong enough! How can I keep my end of the promise if she's not here?!
Still, neither of the two could muster a single thing to say to YN at this time. His pain and suffering were things they couldn't quell right now.
YN: —You! 'Greatest Magician in the Kingdom.'
Roswaal: —?
Addressing the Margrave in a mocking way, Roswaal held not the right to be spoken to any other way right now it felt.
YN: You want to say I can't save Ram? —That I don't have enough mana? Screw. You.
Really concentrating now, YN forced his hand to steady itself more, and drastically increased the flow of the colorless mana into Ram. Seeing this though, and the risk he thought it presented to YN, Puck greatly protested this course of action.
Puck: Stop that! She has maybe enough mana now! It's a slim chance, but we have to hope if things go quick enough for Lia, she can come heal you and save you both if you just halt your mana and—!
YN: —And you! "Great Spirit of Fire."
Mocking Puck now like he had Roswaal, YN, with no fear, spoke down to those who held far reaching and foreboding titles.
YN: You want me to risk Ram's life at this point just to save my own skin? Screw. You. Too.
In one motion of his hand, YN dumped the remaining bit of mana he had into Ram.
YN: Gimme more, damn it!
Restarting the flow again, YN felt what was like a hot knife going into his Gate. However, with this pain, brought a potency to the mana that flowed from his hand to Ram's horn scar.
Puck: Stop that!
Pushing YN's hand away from Ram, in the time between his restart and the flow being cut, the groundskeeper could tell he'd managed to give Ram a considerable amount of strength.
At what cost though, he was about to be told.
Puck: That's your Od you just tapped into! Your spirit can't draw any more mana out of you or the atmosphere! That loss of your Od, —even that little bit of your life force, right there, has probably sealed your fate now! Your only hope now is Lia were to show up here instantly before it's too late!
Slamming YN for his determination in saving what was precious to him, a newer form of frustration began to grow in the groundskeeper as he really felt his body becoming weak.
Suddenly, he was feeling light headed, his vision was straining, his mind was slowing, and his body felt heavier than usual.
To anyone else, this might just feel like fatigue or sickness, but to someone like YN, who had lived many lives at this point, knew what these feelings pointed to above all else.
As someone who had felt death before, this was an entirely familiar sensation of that inevitable fate.
Confident he was seeing YN's last moments of life from having abused his Od in the condition he was in, Puck saw YN reach for the necklace that hung around his neck, the pewter ring of sorts that was held by the untied, pink ribbon from his beloved.
His voice horse, YN continued to speak in defiance.
YN: I... I don't need healing magic—!
Using what little strength he had left, YN pulled hard on the necklace, and managed to undo the knot that held the ribbon that was fashioned as a replacement string.
With the pewter part firmly in his closed first, he opened his hand and looked down at the jewelry.
In his palm, the precious silvery metal began to glow a faint shade of blue, and a humming resonance accompanied it now.
I didn't think I'd have to use this so soon...
Seeing this too, Puck and Roswaal both remained silent as they knew not what this glow entailed.
YN: I'm... I'm not boneheaded like Garfiel... I know when to rely on other people… But the people I'll rely on—
Struggling to even speak, death was clearly coming soon for YN, the stress on his body, and the injuries it had. Closing that hand back around his necklace, the glow of it brightened, and it extended that property to YN's closed fist now.
YN: —are the people that actually believe in me!
Using what strength he still possessed, YN punched himself with his one good hand that was glowing bright blue.
Puck: —!
Roswaal: —?!
On impact, a snap of mana could be felt in the air. Not like an explosive one, but rather, an implosion. Mana, from somewhere, was suddenly brought into this very spot, and at its arrival, a warping of physics itself could be audibly heard as it did.
Puck: —Tch!
As Puck shielded himself from YN, Roswaal now gasped in utter astonishment at what this was.
Roswaal: It cannot be?!
Perhaps only moments away from death, YN's body received a rejuvenation no healer, perhaps not even Felix, could have hoped to match in the speed and severity it was delivered.
The very first thing YN made out that was corrected, was his vision clearing up. And while he hadn't noticed it until now, his hearing felt fuller and more like it had been before.
As this glow and might resonated through his body, it finally met his arm. Basked in this light, his forearm spontaneously returned, and any lesions of burns or charring were immediately erased. The same was true for his leg now too, which immediately upon its return, YN's toes wiggled with new feeling in them.
Any and all skin that had been burned or was tingly, was entirely healed and returned to its normal complexion. While the single pant leg, half his shirt and an entire sleeve, a glove, and the single shoe that had all been burned away did not reappear, YN's body that had been on the brink of death was brought back up to perfect physical health.
Puck: Goodness... That was a lot of mana just now... it almost completely took me out.
Roswaal: I... I cannot believe it... it truly was just like Wrath. —Just as Sensei described it.
Looking back down into his hand, the pewter pendant in his hand slowly lost its glow of blue. His hand clasping back shut, he held the necklace to his chest, and spoke under his breath so that no one else could hear.
YN (whisper): Thank you, Minerva... Thank you for helping me save Ram.
A tear or two more fell down his face before he held the necklace normally again, and began to restring the pink ribbon through it and tie it around his neck once more. As he did this, Puck hovered back over to him.
While YN was whole once more, he did have the odd feeling that something was missing.
Coming around to face him, Puck had his little gray paws crossed again as he looked to YN with an expression of concern and a lower tone.
Puck: Congrats on being healed, but were you also trying to kill your Contracted Spirit too?
YN: —?!
To his left and right he looked, and then up and all around.
No. No way I just did.
It seemed Minerva's healing came with a high price.
A dark cloud of worry and panic now settled upon YN's conscience. He remembered what he was told about Minerva's Authority, how it could heal others, but its source fuel, was stealing mana straight from Od Luguna.
Everytime she used it... It caused natural disasters elsewhere in the world... Did it—?!
His eyes going wide, YN finished his thought out loud.
YN: —did that suck up Algol?!
Just like how the then tiny spirit had latched itself onto YN's Gate to avoid perishing in the Loot House when Reinhard charged up his sword attack, this spirit art user was beginning to fear a similar near-fate had repeated itself again, this time ending in the worst way possible.
As the snow falling around them was beginning to pile up, YN looked to Puck with a fear in his eyes as he sought to know the truth.
YN: W-What I just did... Puck?! Did that—?! That didn't do what I think it did, r-right?!
Leaning back as he still held his crossed arms, Puck continued to speak with his deeper tone.
Puck: For someone who was just decrying a Great Spirit, I find it pitiful you're looking to me for answers now.
Spoken with authority and a lament for YN's disregard of his previous words, YN bit his lip in frustration as he turned away from the little gray cat.
YN: —Tch.
Figuring it was pointless to wait around and try and pry the answer out of someone who probably wouldn't say at this point, YN moved Ram's unconscious body to his arms now, and standing, began to take his leave.
I guess I'm figuring this out on my own then...
With the maid secure in his hold, he took his first step in this snow that had already reached the depth of his ankle.
I really hope I didn't hurt Algol... Or worse...
Like pins and needles in his very heart, the groundskeeper didn't get further than his second step before he was halted.
Puck: Ugh.
With a defeated look on his face, the small cat flew before YN's vision again.
Puck: You're a lucky guy YN. I know how important the relationship between you and your spirit is to Lia, so in the interest of not making her worry over nothing, I'll answer your question.
Trying to paint this change of heart as doing a favor for Emilia, as a Spirit himself, Puck could practically see the overwhelming aura of guilt radiating off YN, thinking he had just inadvertently sacrificed Algol for that healing power that had its origins in Wrath.
I should have known using Minerva's power would still have the same effect today as it did four-hundred years ago...
On dark thoughts still, Puck helped clear those up for YN.
Puck: Lia wants to help you learn spirit arts as much as she can. When she first found out that Algol latched onto you and formed a contract, I hadn't seen her that excited about something in a long time... You were the first person in a long time she felt she could truly relate with because of it.
Remembering how often the silver-haired girl had once asked him about his Gate and any changes he had noticed, YN really felt ignorant in hindsight having not noticed there was a spirit, —his contracted spirit just with him that entire time.
Puck: I guess it's going to be me to kick off a lesson this time. All I ask is... Just, please, in my absence, help Lia, okay?
YN could tell, even from how bluntly it was asked of him, Puck's words carried the genuine worry a father might have for his daughter he now had to leave.
Nodding, YN agreed.
YN: I will... And don't forget, she'll have Subaru too to help her.
Giving him a weak smile in exchange, Puck shrugged.
Puck: Well, unless Subaru becomes a Spirit Arts user spontaneously too, I'll be at least halfway reliant on your support for Emilia too.
YN: Emilia-sama, I promise, has my support. She's a friend, and someone I think will be the only one to pave a path to the best future for Rem and I.
Nodding stoically at his words, Puck hovered downward to be at eye level with YN now.
Puck: Alright, let's start. Close your eyes, and look deep within yourself. Try and imagine the contract or relationship you have with Algol in your mind.
YN: Gotcha...
Doing as the little gray cat said, YN closed his eyes, and imagined as he was instructed, all the while continuing to hold the maid in his arms.
YN: Alright... I'm doing it. I-I think…
Puck: Do you feel that feeling? It should feel like an itch in your soul? Or maybe like the indent of a carving you'd find on a tree trunk. —Something that feels like an inscription into stone too maybe.
YN: I... Yeah. Yeah, I do feel that. Like words embossed on fabric.
Puck: That sounds about right. Okay, well, the good news is? If you can still feel that, that means Algol is still out there.
As a mountain of weight crumbled off YN's shoulders hearing that, he exhaled sharply at this well to do information.
YN: Oh thank goodness...
He almost dropped Ram at this good fortune, his knees going weak with relief.
YN: So, Algol just ran off again like they usually do?
Crossing his arms and looking upward in thought, Puck's tiny tail swished back and forth in the cold, snowy air.
Puck: More like they narrowly escaped your little party trick there. But, from what I can sense, they've gone back to doing what they were doing before I dragged them over here to help you.
Tilting his head slightly at how Puck phrased that, his earlier words about "window shopping" further perplexed YN.
YN: You brought Algol over here? What were they doing that they've gone back to?
Puck: *Sigh...* As much as I hate to put it this way, they only quit doing what they were in the middle of after a lot of pleading and promising to not tell you what that was.
Looking away, Puck scratched behind his ear with his paw, a weak expression on his face.
Puck: Besides uhhh, it's too hard to explain... And I myself don't even fully understand what they were doing...
YN: I see...
Unsure really what to say to that, YN knew he wasn't about to convince Puck of all people to break a promise and say what Algol was up to.
How strange... What could they possibly be doing?
Unable to put a hand to his chin in thought, Puck now changed the topic, gesturing behind himself with this little tail.
Puck: So... What about him?
While he had been caught off guard by the sudden spark of Wrath by YN's necklace, Roswaal had remained relatively silent this entire time. Perhaps seeing the cost YN almost had to pay for his healing of wounds he himself had caused him, Roswaal remained in a state of mental dormancy. His deadpan stare, looking down at the accumulated snow, was uninterrupted even as the topic of conversation switched to him.
YN: I'm going to let him stew in his pot of self pity and regret for a little while. He knows just as much as we do, the Gospel's writ still hasn't officially diverged, so he'll survive at least until he sees it one way or the other.
YN knew Roswaal was no stranger to throwing his own life away should he deem the future divergent from the writ of the Gospel, but he also knew the kind of man Roswaal was.
The Gospel hasn't been diverged from yet. If he sees a glimmer of hope, especially now that the Gospel is gone, he'll cling to that.
What everything hung on now, was Emilia clearing her Trials.
YN: You said Emilia was still taking her Trials, correct?
Puck: She should be.
YN: In that case, I'm going to go back to the Tomb where she is. I still have things I need to attend to before it's too late… And I'm also the first line of defense for her, should things really go sideways.
Puck: You have my thanks for being that... Especially since I can't be that to her right now...
YN: You have other things you gotta handle too, don't you?
Puck: That I do...
In a break of their conversation, YN looked down to the maid, still passed out in his arms. Thanks to her oni heritage, many of her wounds were now beginning to close, much like they could on Rem. All the while though, YN's own body, healed by Wrath, felt heavy and slow, and that was only amplified by the snow now reaching halfway to his knee in this short time.
As YN marveled at Minerva's healing ability, even if it did sap him of all his remaining mana, Puck began to fly higher up into the snowy sky.
Puck: By the way, before I go. YN?
Garnering a "Hmm?" from the distracted groundskeeper, Puck gave YN a warm smile.
Puck: Thank you for getting me back to Lia after my Crystal was stolen... I can never thank you enough for that... In truth, I had hoped it might have actually been a convenient way for me to leave her easier... that there wouldn't be any harsher feelings from my sudden absence from her...
Looking away now as if he still felt conflicted about it, he returned a smile again to YN.
Puck: There's no way she was going to overcome these Trial's if our Contract was still in place, not with her memories sealed by it... Regardless, my leaving was unavoidable... but I went about it wrong. —I was wrong for not wanting to give her a proper goodbye... like a good girl like her deserves. Thank you for helping me realize that.
Only able to nod in reply to his words, Puck flew up higher and began to wave.
Puck: Make sure Lia teaches you the basics of being a spirit arts user! You'll have the best sensei you could ask for!
Finally, the little gray cat flew off into the dark snowy sky above. With a vague idea he was supposed to somehow delay the intense growth of the storm, YN heard Roswaal utter only a single word in this blizzard he was set to just stand around in.
Roswaal: 'Sensei...'
Really, in no mood to pay the Margrave any more mind at this juncture, and having things he too needed to go and attend to, YN turned with the maid in his arms still, and ran. Despite the fatigue, his destination was the Tomb, where hopefully, he would take his Third and final Trial, all in hopes he'd find the next clue to waking his beloved, the twin-sister of the girl he held now.