“is Sef alright?! Myself needs to know! Sef!”

The monster's voice reached Sef like a mysterious foreign language. He received it loud and clear, but failed to digest what it meant. To make things worse, his limbs lost all of their strength and his mouth gulped air like a fish. The peak of lameness displayed on top of the girl who mocked it the most.

“how pathetic" a voice said. It did not ring inside Sef's head nor come across as mystery. He understood it, not because his damaged brain was healed but because it came from the depths of his soul.

“what do you want?” Sef asked grudgingly.

The voice let out a mocking chuckle. “that's my line boy"

“no it's not. You're not the kind to help anyone"

“you're not just anyone. You're Or---"

“bla bla bla! I'll accept your help. Thank you very much!”

The voice sighed. “why do you hate that name so much?”

Sef ignored him. “I need lift to the northern gate and a stop to these hot silver orbs. Can you do that?”

“that's quite a request. Are you prepared to pay for it?”

“take as much suffering as you want. It's not like I'll die or anything"

The voice sighed again. “you disappoint me in every encounter”

The corner's of Sef’s mouth curled up. “that's the plan”

Instead of biting to the taunt, the voice kept its silence and froze the silver orbs above Sef's back. In a heartbeat, the slanted terrain of stairs became a flat floor of still water. The horde from behind turned into the horizon and the wall's distant roof morphed into a looming door before them, waiting to be opened by those who sought salvation.

“myself is impressed. Sef found a way yet again"

Sef forced a grin. “enough of that. Open the gate now"

“myself has a problem. This door denies contact with spirits”

“return to human form then"

The monster obeyed, but instead of yanking the lock open, he placed his arms next to door and revealled how puny they were compared to the thick metal bar fastening it.

Sef rolled his eyes. “puppet string"

Chains coiled around his body and forced him to stand. With stiff steps and arms reached out, he guided himself towards the door, reserving the remainder of his strength for his hands to use.

“well, well, isn't this scene familiar"

An arm hooked Sef's neck from behind, as a thin blade sprouted out of his chest. It sucked away his will to move and pushed his exhausted mind to its limits. How? Since when? These were the questions that pestered him, and as Erze walked passed by, the answer became less exciting to hear.

“betrayer!”

The monster sent its flood of chains at Erze, but rather than evading, she snapped her fingers and reduced the iron wave into a harmless shower of flowers.

“that's enough of your spirit" she said in a bored tone. “I already figured it out. It doesn't bother me anymore"

Belfred appeared between Sef and Erze. “why did Erze betray Sef? Sef sacrificed for Erze!”

Disgust crumpled Erze’s face. “so you're truly just a wild beast. How disappointing. I thought you were smarter than you look"

“and myself thought Erze was kinder than her words"

“not... her...” Sef whispered.

Belfred glanced at him. “what does Sef mean?”

“eyes here, simple one" Erze placed a hand in her face and swiped it as if she was removing a mask. Darkness gushed form the top of her head down to her feet, and when it faded, her true identity was revealled.

“but how?” Belfred stumbled backwards. “myself could've seen him, myself could've dissolved his disguise easily"

“you could, but the question is...” Parvanos snapped again, and his face morphed back into Erze's. “do you want to?”

“where... Er... ze...” Sef asked.

“aw, how adorable. You really found something you cared for haven't you, experiment one?”

“we go... to Pandor... a...”

“no, your struggle ends here"

 Parvanos raised a hand, and a flurry of silver orbs fell on Belfred. His screams pierced Sef's ears and the light of his burning body filled his eyes, only to subside after the queen’s towering frame materialized from the blaze.

“is he the disruptor?” she asked in a song-like voice.

Parvanos pointed at the charred body beneath her feet. “you already stepped on the right insect your majesty. Don't waste your arrows on him"

The queen back away and aimed another cluster of orbs Belfred. “I shall dispose this thing quickly then"

For the first time after a thousand years, Sef found himself truly trapped in a corner. His body, will and trump card have all been crushed. There was nothing more he can do, nothing more he can give.

“farewell mad beast”

With the queen's hand pointed at the monster, her silver orbs swelled and fell. They engulfed Belfred's body and burned the life out of his screams, reducing him into stillness and silence.

“Bel...” Sef considered begging for mercy as he stared at the girl. However, before a word could escape his lips, black fluid fell from the sky and extinguished the flames.

The queen immediately showered it with fire, but instead being consumed, the black mud gave birth to a pair of cloaked figures that forced her back. One was tall and thin, while the other had cuffs dangling from the wrists.

“this stops now, little one" the chained one said, her voice reaching Sef like a memorized lullaby.

“ho?” Parvanos smirked. “you may be the infamous red lady, but don't fool yourself in thinking you can defeat a god"

“I'm not here to defeat her”

The cloaked girl removed her covering and beamed at Sef. Her eyes were still as beautiful as before, but the confidence they once exuded was now gone, burried underneath immense guilt.

“your majetsy” Parvanos stomped. “these livestocks are rebelling against you, punish them!”

Erze approached the god without a fear in the world. “please don't listen to him anymore. You've suffered enough from his lies"

The queen fired orbs at her feet and forced her to kneel. “you're not worthy to speak in my presence"

Unlike the Erze Sef knew, the girl before him did not stand, but humbled herself even more. She kissed the waters and stretched her arms like a beggar asking for a coin.

“please remember who you are. You're father is waiting for you"

The queen stepped on Erze's hand. “I'm a god, how dare you talk to me as a mortal"

“you're not a god. You're Celena Nightcount, daughter of Vanaker the thirteenth, my... my descendant”

Like a mirror suffering its first crack, the queen's distant eyes let out a glint of humanity. It started with a mere drop, which became a streak of water rolling down her left cheek. A clear sign that somewhere inside her still lies the girl Vanaker wished to free.

“you're majesty---"

“silence!”

The queen summoned a circle of orbs around Parvanos. “you will stay there and be quiet. I must hear what this woman has to say"

Erze did not waste a second. She sat up and looked the queen in the eye, completely defenseless, yet at the same time, unafraid. “the man behind you knew about the curse in our blood. He took advantage of your weakness, and turned you into what you are now"

“that can't be... I'm the queen of heaven... I'm not human...”

The other cloaked person revealled his tear-soaked face. “please come back Celena, papa is here now! Be my daughter again!”

The queen pressed her hands against her eyes. “no! I can't! I already failed you!”

Vanaker approached his daughter with open arms. “that's not true. I was the one who failed. I should've considered your feelings instead of forcing you to my will"

“no... I killed so many people... I can't be fixed anymore...”

“even if that's true, I still want you back. Please Celena, let's give each other a chance!”

“don't come any closer!”

Orbs emerged above the queen's head and fired at Vanaker who accepted them like a gift. However, Erze blocked them with her chest and grabbed the goddesses’ arms, clinging to it as if it was the most important thing in the world.

“you can be fixed" she said firmly. “I know a place where every wrong can be corrected, where every sin can be forgiven. I'll go there no matter what! So please reclaim yourself and come with us, let’s make ourselves right!”

The queen's resistance crumbled. She no longer summoned her orbs, nor push Erze away. All she did was stand in silence, blinking at Vanaker using eyes filled with child-like wonder.

“so this is how it ends"

Parvanos dispersed into a flock of crows and reassembled outside of the cage. “what a shame, getting so close only to find yourself back on the starting line"

Vanaker pulled out a spear from his chest. “don’t worry, I'll make sure you reach the finish line after this”

“big words for a withered man"

Parvanos raised a hand, and in an instant, the empty sea became occupied with a mob of hooded men armed with silver-flamed torches. They stood in one organized line and chanted arcane words in pefect synchrony, causing the flames above their heads to launch themselves at Vanaker.

“you need to go now!”

With crystalized blood serving as his armor, the old man welcomed the flames and freed Sef from the chains. He then carried him, Erze and Bel to the gate and smiled at them bitterly.

“I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you. I should've listened to you back in the castle"

Sef forced a smile. “come... with us...”

Vanaker blocked a fireball with his hand. “as you can see, that's not possible at the moment"

“don't be a pessimist now!” Erze said. “you've already come this far! I won't allow anymore sacrifices!”

Celena set a portion of the enemies ablaze and took Erze's hands. “my lady, it's a pleasure and an honor to meet you in the flesh. I will cherish this moment forever"

“stop this nonsense! You two will come with us!”

Vanaker shook his head. “Celena still bears some of the queen's soul. If we escape with you, they'll just use her as a means to track you down"

Erze’s glared at her hands. “this is all my fault. If not for my crimes, you won't be here now"

Vanaker poked at Sef's chest. “my blood now flows inside the death charmer's body, and a part of my daughter's soul is now inside you. That means even if we die here, we’ll still be alive through you"

“no, you'll survive! You'll come---

Celena covered Erze's mouth and kissed her forhead. “good bye, red lady. May you find the redemption you seek"

Before Erze could free her mouth, the girl reached the gate's lock and yanked it open. Light invaded everything, and immense gravity took hold of their minds, leaving them powerless to stop the mob from closing in around the two Nightcounts.