Argos didn't see the battlefield anymore. He didn't see Ark. He didn't see MacArthur.
He only saw her.
Everything else bled away—his enemies, the fight, the pain in his own body. Nothing mattered except the crimson spreading across her clothes, pooling beneath her. His breath hitched. Something inside him snapped.
Rage. Fear. A fire and a storm all at once.
Before he could even think, Ark's summoned arms wrapped around him, locking him in place, dragging him back. But he didn't resist.
Instead, he used it.
He let Ark's pull bring him closer—right where he needed to be. Then, in a flash of motion, he gathered everything he had left, the crackling energy surging through his veins. Sparks snapped across his fingertips, and in the split second before Ark could react—
Argos unleashed hell.
A deafening explosion of electricity erupted between them, a blinding pulse of white-hot energy at point-blank range. Ark barely had time to register what happened before the force sent him flying, his body colliding violently with MacArthur.
The impact was enough to make the gunman stumble, nearly losing his grip on his weapon.
Outside, the sky shifted.
The once-clear clouds darkened at unnatural speed, thickening like an omen. Snow began to fall in heavy, spiraling flakes—just like it had at the castle. The air hummed with something ancient, something wrong.
Casia's eyes flicked between Ark's crumpled form and Argos, her instincts screaming that something bigger was happening. Then she followed his gaze—
And she saw Tori.
Thunder cracked overhead, shaking the very ground beneath them. A sharp, unnatural cold spread from where Argos stood, ice creeping across the stone. His breathing was ragged, uneven, his body still sparking with residual energy, but he didn't move.
He couldn't.
Tori lay motionless on the ground.
Blood soaked into the earth beneath her.
And the bullet—it had struck too close to her heart.
A bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, striking just outside the building. The entire ground trembled, dust and debris rattling loose from the shattered walls. The scent of burnt ozone filled the air.
Argos didn't flinch.
His axe left his grip, embedding deep into the concrete with a heavy thunk. He had no need for weapons now.
Not when she was bleeding out in front of him.
Ice bloomed beneath every step he took, frost creeping outward like veins of his own anguish, twisting across the broken floor. His breath was ragged, his pulse hammering in his ears as he ran, his body acting faster than his mind could catch up.
Not again. Not her. Not like this.
He dropped to his knees beside her, barely catching her weight as he pulled her into his arms. Her body was limp, frighteningly so, her warmth already fading against his skin. He could feel the wetness of her blood seeping into his clothes.
Argos' throat tightened. His heart pounded against his ribs, the cold that followed him now creeping up his own hands. His body remembered. His mind remembered. He had done this before. He had brought her back before.
He could do it again.
He had to do it again.
A strangled breath left him as he pressed a shaking hand to her wound. He couldn't lose her—
A sudden shift in energy snapped him out of it.
A presence. Fast.
From the darkened edges of the battlefield, a shadow moved. A new figure emerged, their stance tense, eyes immediately locking onto Argos. There was no hesitation. No warning. Only an attack.
Casia's voice rang out, sharp with urgency.
"Stop! He's friendly!"
But it was too late.
The attacker lunged.
Argos felt it before he saw it—the air shifting, the subtle pulse of movement behind him. Instinct kicked in. His body reacted before his mind had time to process, twisting at the last second. The blade meant for his back missed by a hair.
In a fluid motion, he caught the attacker's wrist, gripping tight. Sparks ignited across his arm, crackling with raw energy.
The attacker flinched at the sudden charge, retreating swiftly.
But Argos didn't care.
Didn't acknowledge him.
Didn't even look at him.
His arms tightened around Tori, his focus locked onto her face—her pale, blood-streaked face. The world could crumble around him, enemies could descend in waves, but none of it mattered.
Because she was slipping away.
And Argos refused to let her go.
The newcomer dusted off his black jean jacket with an air of casual indifference, as if he hadn't just lunged at Argos moments ago. He rolled his shoulders before turning his head toward Casia. His expression was unreadable, but his words carried weight.
"Any news on where Shun and Yui are?"
Casia's jaw tightened. Her frustration was evident in the way she exhaled sharply, her fingers curling into fists.
"Soul, if I knew, that's the first damn thing I would've reported." Her tone was clipped, bordering on exasperation.
Before Soul could respond, MacArthur let out a dry chuckle, attempting to regain some semblance of control.
"Well, good luck with tha—"
CRACK.
His words were swallowed by the sickening snap of bone.
MacArthur's scream tore through the air as Casia wrenched his arm with brutal efficiency. His body spasmed from the shock of it, but Casia wasn't done. She grabbed him by the collar and threw him into the nearest wall, his face slamming into the cracked concrete with a dull thud.
He groaned, barely conscious, but Casia's voice cut through his pain with a venomous edge.
"You shut the hell up," she snapped, standing over him. "Ever since you all left the group, nothing has been right."
She didn't wait for a reply. Instead, she turned back to Soul, her focus razor-sharp.
"Make sure Hina and Arius aren't gonna follow us. I'll take care of these two... and our new friend here." Her eyes flicked toward Argos.
Soul gave a casual two-finger salute. "Got it, boss." Without another word, he checked the hallway, scanning for movement before disappearing down the corridor.
Meanwhile, Argos still knelt on the ground, oblivious to the exchange. His entire world had shrunk to the space between him and Tori.
He held her tightly, one hand pressing desperately against her wound, the other gripping her ice-cold fingers. His breaths came unevenly, raw with unspoken fear.
Lykos... please... show me how you did it...
He reached deep, searching for the familiar pull of power—the same force that had saved her once before. The same power that should be coursing through him now.
But nothing came.
No surge of warmth. No flicker of divine energy.
Nothing.
A hollow, sinking dread took root in his chest.
Tori remained still in his arms, her breaths growing shallower by the second.
And for the first time in a long time—Argos felt powerless....5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzcltaqE8m
"I should've listened to her..."
Argos clutched Tori tightly, his fingers pressing against her skin as if sheer will alone could keep her here. His breaths were shallow, shaky.
"We should have just left..."
But they hadn't. And now, she was slipping away.
Casia tightened her grip on MacArthur, dragging him like dead weight as she stepped toward Argos. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes flickered with something—pity, maybe. Frustration. A mix of both.
Then, unexpectedly, Soul returned—far quicker than expected. Casia narrowed her eyes at him.
"You're back early," she said, suspicion laced in her voice.
Soul shrugged. "Boss, Hina and Arius are currently battling something. They won't be a problem."
Casia tilted her head slightly. "Something? What do you mean? A Monstra?"
Soul exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "A pitch-black figure. White eyes."
The moment the words left his mouth, something snapped in the air.
Argos, who had been drowning in his own turmoil, suddenly went rigid. His entire body tensed, his grip on Tori tightening.
Casia noticed.
Her eyes flickered between Soul and Argos, her instincts kicking in. She shifted slightly, peering around Soul to get a better look at Argos' face.
"You know what that thing is, don't you?" Her tone was sharp, cutting through the tension like a blade. "Talk."
Argos didn't respond immediately. His gaze fell downward, lost in thought. The ground beneath him began to crack, ice spreading out in jagged patterns as his emotions fueled his unstable power.
Casia clenched her jaw. She needed answers.
Finally, Argos exhaled. His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.
"If you can help me... I'll tell you."
Silence.
Soul raised an eyebrow, glancing at Casia, who studied Argos carefully. There was weight behind his words, something deeper than just bargaining.
Casia's eyes narrowed. "Help how?"
Argos lifted his gaze, desperation flickering behind his stormy eyes.
"Save her."
The room went still.
Soul and Casia exchanged a look, a silent conversation passing between them.
"I told you not to fight. Why should we?" Casia's voice was flat, unreadable.
Argos' jaw clenched. "You're just gonna let someone die?" His voice was raw, laced with something almost desperate.
Before Casia could respond, a hand wrapped around Argos' wrist.
He looked down.
Tori's hair had darkened from brown to black. Her once-fiery orange eyes were now an icy blue.
Kitsune had fronted.
The air around them seemed to still. The wound—gone. Almost like it had never been there.
Argos' breath caught in his throat. He had been preparing himself for the worst, and yet—
Kitsune silently pushed herself up from the ground, brushing off the dust. She didn't stumble. Didn't hesitate.
"...You're okay?" Argos asked, his voice quiet, hesitant. Guilt from the castle still clung to him like a shadow.
Kitsune met his gaze, her expression unreadable—except for the sharp glint in her eyes.
She wasn't relieved. She wasn't grateful. She was mad.
Casia and Soul looked at the two of them, equally confused by what had just happened. Soul was the first to break the silence.
"Well, I guess our bargaining chip is off the table now." He smirked, though there was curiosity behind his words.
Argos let out a slow exhale, running a hand through his hair. He could feel the exhaustion creeping up on him, but that didn't matter now.
"That thing out there..." His voice was lower now, serious. "It's a part of me. Or, at least, I think it is." He hesitated before continuing. "It took control of me before. And if that happens again..." He trailed off, looking between the three of them. "It's dangerous. I don't know if anyone here can take it down."
For a moment, no one said anything.
Then—
"Let's get out of here," Kitsune said, her voice firm, leaving no room for argument.
Argos turned to her. There was something final in the way she said it, like she was drawing a line between the past and now.
He took one last glance at the ruined battlefield, the cold still biting at his skin.
"Yeah..." His voice was quieter this time. But he agreed.
Argos and Kitsune moved swiftly toward the hole in the wall, the cold air outside cutting against their skin. Casia, still gripping MacArthur like a prisoner, barked an order to Soul.
"Grab Ark. We're moving."
Soul gave a curt nod, hefting the unconscious man over his shoulder. The two groups began their retreat, but something wasn't letting them go so easily.
CRASH.
The wall exploded inward.
Dust and shattered stone rained down as two figures crashed through, landing with sharp precision. Hina and Arius—battle-worn but standing. Their bodies tensed, eyes locked onto whatever had thrown them through the wall.
Outside, the sky bled into a deep, ominous orange.
Argos and Kitsune froze. Casia and Soul snapped to full alert, muscles coiled like loaded springs.
And there it stood.
The figure.
That thing.
Its body was a void—pitch black—its glowing white eyes the only indication of life.
Hina, catching sight of the others, let out a sharp breath, irritation flickering across her face.
"Oh, great. Of course, you two show up now." Her words were drenched in sarcasm, directed squarely at Casia and Soul.
Argos ignored her, his attention solely on Kitsune.
He recalled his axe with a sharp pull of his hand, gripping the weapon tightly as he stepped in front of her. His breath was steady, but his pulse pounded like war drums in his ears.
"Kit..." His voice was low, urgent. "Please. Go back to the castle."
Kitsune's eyes narrowed, her jaw tightening.
Argos exhaled sharply. "If that thing takes over me again... I don't know if I can stop it."
Without another word, he dragged his hand down the ruined wall, ice forming in its wake. A doorway carved itself into existence—a portal leading back to the castle.
Kitsune hesitated, her piercing blue gaze flickering between Argos and the dark figure beyond.
"I thought your powers weren't working."
"They are. Lykos' powers aren't working since he's asleep." His answer was blunt, but the weight behind it was heavy.
She sucked in a slow breath. Her stance shifted slightly, uncertainty playing across her expression.
"...Let's just leave," she said, quieter now. "That thing's here. Let them deal with it. They've already been warned—it's dangerous."
Before Argos could answer, the figure lunged.
Fast.
Faster than before.
Hina barely managed to throw up a block as its strike sent shockwaves through her arms. Arius swung in retaliation, his blade passing straight through the entity like it wasn't even there.
Casia and Soul took the opening, vanishing into the chaos with their captives.
Kitsune looked back at Argos, her voice firm, insistent.
"See? Let's go."
Argos hesitated.
His grip on his axe tightened. His gut twisted.
He glanced at the figure, at the fight unfolding in front of him, at the ice still spreading beneath his feet.
Finally, he let out a breath.
"...Fine."5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOjELCMIBZ
