- Present Time -

"… And that's the story," Iris finished, letting out a deep breath.

"I see."

Hearing Finn's response, she couldn't help but be surprised. "Wait… that's it?"

"What? Are you expecting me to start crying?"

"N-No, it's just… I thought you would hate me after hearing that."

Finn scoffed. "Why?"

"Because… well, if my ancestor hadn't been so selfish, many lives could've been saved."

"And? What next?"

"H-Huh?"

Finn sighed. "Sure, humanity could've been saved — that is, if they even believe her — but what next, after retreating underground? Do they just give the surface to the Ghosts and let the roam free?"

"That's… well…"

"You told me yourself. For people who have Angelicas, they are usually awakened in a dire situation when encountering a Ghost. If humanity is protected underground, our Angelicas won't ever be awakened, and thus we won't have the world we know today. For all we know, we could still be living like cavemen."

"And even if your ancestor was wholly evil… that has nothing to do with you," Finn continued calmly. "Just because I carry a deep hatred for Ghosts, doesn't mean I can't identify between right and wrong. There are tons of humans out there who do far more sickening things than what your ancestor did."

"Finn…" Iris murmured, smiling faintly.

"But that aside, what happened after?"

Iris tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"I'm assuming she was able to escape because she was a powerful Ghost herself, but what about after? How was she able to give birth and whatnot?"

"I wasn't told that part of the story by my mother, but I'm assuming she eventually located a safecamp of humans somewhere and gave birth there."

"… Hm." Finn rested his temple on his hand, leaning to one side. "You've told me about your ancestors, but not your own past. How did you end up with this squadron?"

Iris sighed. "I originally wasn't planning on telling you this part, but I guess there's no fooling you, huh?"

"You're welcome not to tell me anything," Finn replied. "I'm not forcing you."

"Maybe, but I don't want you to lose trust in me. I've already decided to start anew, but in order to convince you of that, I suppose telling you of my full past is necessary."

Finn fell silent as she continued.

"… That said, could you give me some time?"

"What for…?"

"The special facility I used to be in placed a cursed on me and all the other kids there. Should we leak any details about the place to any outsider, we would be instantly killed to prevent any important information from slipping out," Iris explained. "It should've been destroyed by now, according to my knowledge, but I want to make sure, just in case…"

"… Special facility, huh?" Finn murmured in thought. "That explains why you can use guns with such skill and kill people without a second thought."

'And she used the term 'destroyed' too, rather than 'shut down'... how peculiar.'

"…" Iris fell silent, unable to confirm nor deny anything.

"Well, it's fine for now." Finn stood up and placed his hands on Iris's wheelchair handle. "It's getting late. You should sleep."

"… Mhm."

Finn slowly pushed her wheelchair into her own room, then prepared to return to his own. But right before he left, Iris spoke up.

"H-Hey, Finn?"

"… Yeah?"

"Thank you."

'Thank you for what?' Finn thought in his head. 'For accepting you despite your bloodline?'

"… Good night," he said in response.

"Mm. Good night."

*****

- Inside the Reality Rift -

"So, you told them about your powers after all, huh~?" Zelestria giggled softly, as if amused.

"I was somewhat forced to, but yes," Finn replied. "That aside, why did you call me here? It's rare for you to ask me to come instead of the other way around."

"Oh, I just wanted to tell you about the three new Angelicas you encountered today," she replied.

Finn blinked. "Really? How generous of you. But before that, can you tell me about Iris?"

"Fufu~ I'm feeling nice today, so don't ruin my mood by talking about another girl, mkay~?" She whispered, half-seductively and half-threateningly. "Be sure to take advantage of it, since I won't do this all the time! Oh, and you can take advantage of my body too, if you want~?"

"Sorry, not interested, unless I can turn your body into a weapon. Tell me about the Angelicas."

"Hmph, no appreciation… any other guy would be thrilled to have me by their side, y'know~?"

"I'm sure they would. Now, are you going to tell me about the Angelicas or not?"

"Fine, fine…" Zelestria rolled her eyes. "But I suppose that neutral, unwavering attitude of yours is why I like you in the first place, fufu~"

Finn ignored her words and waited patiently for her to get serious.

"Anyway... for starters, that Mimic Angelica is quite rare, but not too important to you right now. So, don't risk trying to obtain it from the Guildmaster woman. She's quite dangerous and can see through your motives if you try anything, so be careful around her, mkay~?"

"I'm aware. I know my limits."

Zelestria nodded in satisfaction. "Mm, good~ she might even try to seduce you, so be prepared for that. I don't want to have you taken from me-"

"Can we move on?"

"Fufu~ yes, of course. As for the Nightstalker Angelica…"

"Hold on. That's the one the spy had, correct?"

"Indeed. His alias is Stalker, but his Angelica is actually called Nightstalker. The only useful Ability it has for combat is invisibility, but that can be easily obtained through other means, so I don't recommend prioritizing this Angelica. Still, I suppose it can be good if you want to be sneaky, for whatever reason~"

"Through other means… you mean consuming Ghosts?" Finn asked.

"Mhm~" Zelestria closed one eye and glanced at him seductively. "It won't be long until you face a Ghost who possesses that power, at the rate you're going."

"I see. And the last one?"

"… Right. The Bloodcaller Angelica. This one, you have to get your hands on, no matter what."

It was rare of Zelestria to take on a serious tone like this, so Finn automatically knew this was important.

"I was told it commands blood, just like the name entails," Finn replied. "That sounds quite versatile and broad, but how strong is the power, really?"

"For a normal person, this Angelica is already exceptionally strong. Once you reach a certain level, you'll be able to command both your own blood and any blood that's around you, be it from allies or enemies, making you a monster in group combat. But for you in particular, Finn… this Angelica is like a gift from heaven."

"The Ghost blood inside me, huh?" Finn muttered, realizing where this was going.

Zelestria smirked smugly, seeing that I understood. "Correct. Your blood contains consumption qualities. In other words… as long as you have a little bit of blood to work with, you can use it to consume everything around you, turning it all into more blood you can command to your will. Pretty overpowered, no? Hehe~"

"That does sound quite strong. When we put Heartbeat down once and for all, I'll be sure to take this Angelica from him."

"So? How are you going to thank me for all this precious information?" Zelestria whispered seductively, circling around and hugging Finn from behind, jumping onto his back and pressing her ample assets against it.

"Nothing," Finn replied. "I never asked for this info — you just told me this because you were feeling nice today."

"W-Wha-" Zelestria pouted for a second, surprised at this response, then suddenly bit on Finn's ear.

"Ngh-! What are you-"

"Fufu~ that's payback~"

"…"

Finn sighed and forced Zelestria off of him.

"Let me out."

Zelestria smiled and placed one finger against her lips in a shushing gesture, before winking flirtatiously.

"Only if you let me sleep with you for the rest of tonight~"

After some hesitation, Finn reluctantly agreed.

"… Fine, whatever. Just don't disturb my sleep. I have to train tomorrow."

She licked her lips suggestively before snapping her fingers and opening the portal for Finn to exit the reality rift. He left immediately, Zelestria following him out. Before Finn knew it, her warm body was lying next to him under the bedsheets.

Zelestria discretely removed all of her clothes, taking advantage of the fact that Finn couldn't see, then pressed her soft body against his to test if his lust was truly completely gone.

"Fufu~ let's see how long you can last, Finn~"