"At last you-"

"I can't stop. No-t"

"There is nothing-"

"We must turn ba-"

"My King."

......................

......................

"................sa."

"..........llisa."

"Allisa."

Allisa's eyes snapped open, taking huge gulps of air. She slowly got up, holding on to her pounding head. "Ahh.... What the hell's happening to me?"

This was nothing out of the norm for her. When she went to sleep, at times she'd witness a flashback from Arthur's life. Only difference in the current set was the pounding headaches that seemed to follow after each one. This time, it was hard-pressed to even call what she saw a dream. It was so shattered and fragmented she couldn't even tell what this one was even about. Not to mention her attacks in Sterland Forest, then again in Löwe Höhle.

Also..... It may be her imagination, but this time she heard someone call her name.

"What’s going on? It's never been this bad before."

Still groggy, she looked at the clock nearby. The time was 9:30 in the evening. She'd only been asleep for half an hour. After the meeting with Elaina, the party retired to the inn where Allisa had woken up after regaining consciousness. No one spoke on the way back, and they all retired to their assigned rooms when they got back.

Tomorrow was going to be an important day, and a difficult one as the party would be forced to do battle with the same people that bested them back at the ruin. Everyone understandably felt nervous for the upcoming battle.

Allisa herself was particularly anxious. She couldn't explain it, but she just knew that the opponent she'll be forced to do battle with will be Ellie, and that knowledge made her nervous. She'd been in several fights since this all began, and there had only been three serious battles against undeniably powerful opponents. What made this time different was that she had experienced a good deal of Ellie's skill and ability beforehand.

The only time this had happened to her was the time before the infiltration of the Labyrinth in her hometown where she and her party engaged in a desperate struggle against the homunculi created by the alchemist, Luvia Roswell, and then against the two powerful demons, she unintentionally summoned. This time, Allisa couldn't help but feel more on edge than last time. This was likely because this time she knew whom she would be going up against.

Allisa let out a big sigh. "I can't sleep like this."

She then sat up on her bed and looked out the window of her room. It was already dark. Letting out another sigh, she got up and reached for her boots. "Maybe I should walk around. That might help calm me down."

Wisdom from the Peacekeeper

After putting on her boots, Allisa exited her room and strolled down to the inn's lobby.

"Can't sleep?"

Allisa turned and saw Cliff sitting in what looked like a small bar connected to the lobby. He stood out since he was the only one there. Even the bartender was absent.

"Oh, Cliff." Allisa waved as she made her way over to him. "You too?"

"Yeah, just couldn't drop off. So I decided to come here," Cliff raised a glass of alcohol. "Try to calm myself down a bit."

Allisa took a seat opposite him. "Is it ok to drink alcohol now?" She joked.

"Maybe not." Cliff chuckled as he took a sip. "Don't worry. I'm not going to get drunk or anything. With the mess we've gotten ourselves into, I'm not taking any chances. I'm going in there sober." He then looked back at Allisa. "Take it you're nervous?"

".... More like terrified." Allisa said with a wry smile.

"I don't blame you. Especially since we've fought those guys once before, and only just made it out alive." Cliff said, lowering his head.

"Yeah...." Allisa unconsciously reached for the area where she was cut. "Only just...." She then let out a loud sigh.

"I take it you have something else on your mind," Cliff said.

Allisa looked surprised, but then lowered her gaze. "You can tell huh?"

"I can guess," Cliff said leaning back in his chair. "You were just an average teenage girl just a week ago after all."

".... That's part of it, I guess." Allisa leaned forwards, gently cuffing her hands together. "When I think about it like that, it's kind of.... funny."

"Funny?"

"Well... it was only last week I was worried about asking out the boy I like to the autumn ball- which I've missed," Allisa let out a loud sigh, "and now.... All I can think about is going up against Ellie in a fight to the death. It really does hammer home that my life's completely changed."

Cliff let out a sigh as he gently placed his glass back on the table. "I'd say I understand what you're going through, but I've been part of this world since birth; so I can't even imagine what you're going through. Sorry I can't be more helpful in that regard."

"It's ok. It's not like any of this is your fault." Allisa replied, shaking her head. "Guess I'm just nervous about tomorrow. It's probably why I'm thinking about this stuff now of all times."

"I think that's perfectly normal given the situation," Cliff said to her. "You just need something to distract you from the battle so you don't work yourself up too much."

"Sounds about right...." Allisa smiled wearily. "It's not like it's the first time I've waited for a battle. But... I don't know what it is, but this time it feels even harder to sit around."

"Probably because of how it went down before," Cliff said. ".... Gotta admit, I'm a bit on edge. But I know just worrying about it won't solve anything. Can't really speak for the others though. On the way back, they looked just as troubled as you."

"I noticed Nel's door was open when I came down," Allisa said.

"Same goes for the others. Probably wandering around outside trying to clear their heads." Cliff continued, taking another sip of his drink. "Probably try finding them. They may help ease your mind, and you might help there."

"Can I really?" Allisa said letting out a deep sigh. "I mean, like you said, they're probably going through some stuff like me. And we got a really hard battle ahead of us."

"Well, you're the leader. It's your job to ease everyone's nerves."

"Did you forget I'm only leader because you guys forced it on me?" Allisa reminded him, narrowing her eyes.

"Hey, no need to be sore about it."

"..... It's just, I'm not sure how much help I can be to everyone when I'm doubting myself."

Cliff then raised a hand to his chin, as Allisa got lost in thought. "Hmmm.... I might have some words of wisdom."

Allisa looked up, slightly eager for Cliff's advice.

"You know about Shakespeare, right?" Cliff asked.

"Um... yeah. I think so.... I learned about it at School." Allisa was a little confused as to why he was bringing up a seemingly random topic. "He did stuff like... Romeo and Juliet.... And Macbeth?"

"That's right." Cliff nodded. "But the one I have in mind is Henry V."

"Don't think I know that one," Allisa said, shaking her head.

"One of his historical epics about King Henry V and the Battle of Agincourt."

"Ok...." Allisa looked completely lost. "... Who was Henry V again? Is he the king from the revolution?"

Cliff slumped down. "No, that was George III." He said begrudgingly. "I take it you don't know much about your own history."

"Hey! History's not my strongest subject!" Allisa snapped. "So.... Who was Henry V?"

Cliff let out a big sigh and folded his arms. "Well the short version, he was an English King in the late medieval age, well known for his campaigns in France during the Hundred Years War. The battle of Agincourt is one of his greatest battles.

"After a long campaign, he was marching his exhausted army back to home territory. Standing between him and home was a massive French army. No matter how you look at it, the exhausted English had no chance against an army that big. However, Henry found a way, defeated the entire army with little losses on his side. Are you with me so far?"

"I... think so." Allisa nodded. ".... So, what does that have to do with Shakespeare?"

"Well, Henry may have achieved victory, but against impossible odds, his army's morale was pretty low, kinda like what it is now." Cliff continued. "In the play by Shakespeare, on the eve of battle Henry disguised himself as one of his soldiers and walked amongst his own men to get their views. At the time, he was burdened by the stress of being king and being responsible for so many lives in the face of such odds.

"But talking amongst his own men, getting a feel for how they felt, he was able to learn a bit more about what it was he needed to do. So just before the battle, with the odds very much against him, he gave his all into one final speech to rouse his men, which in turn led to the victory, in the play at least."

"Uhh.... That's interesting and all," Allisa said while cranking her neck slightly. "But... what's exactly the lesson here?"

"It's simple." Cliff then took another sip of his drink before continuing. "Walk amongst your troops."

"My.... Troops?"

"You know what I mean. Just hear what they've got to say. It may help them unwind their own burdens," he then leaned forwards, "and it may help you understand what it is you need to do, as our leader."

Allisa's stayed silent as she took in what Cliff told her. "Ok.... I think I get it." She said scratching fiddled with a loose hair. "Just... find out what the others think, right?"

"Pretty much." Cliff nodded.

"Couldn't you have said that without the history lesson?"

"That would just be me telling you what to do. It's best to figure this stuff out on your own. The Elder would say the same thing if he were here."

"Sounds like something he'd say." Allisa chuckled.

"Still, what do you have to lose?" Cliff said, looking oddly satisfied.

"True," Allisa said as she got up from the table. "It might also help me clear my head a bit." She said as she left Cliff alone. She stopped midway, turning her head to him. "... Thanks. I feel a bit better."

"No need to thank me," Cliff said, raising his glass. "We're comrades. We help each other. That's how it goes."

"Right." Allisa nodded at him before continuing forwards.

Pain of the Dragon

One of the biggest differences Allisa noticed about Avalon, even in a city like Riser and Tattoria, was the clear night skies. She knew that because of city lights in her world, the night sky was always covered so little to no lights could penetrate the blanket of light. She never realized how beautiful the night sky could look in the absence of such light, even if it wasn't the same sky. Even the crescent-shaped moon shone with such a glow.

Walking outside, Allisa took a deep breath after taking in the night sky. "Ok, time to find the others." She said to herself.

She had no idea what to talk to them about. Being honest with herself, she'd forgotten most of Cliff's lecture all she knew was to clear her head by speaking to the others.

The inn they were staying in was in the north east of Tattoria, close to where the old, burnt down residence of the Arch Sage was located. Besides that, there was a small park close by, as well as the path to the woods where the Atelier was located. If all of them were exploring the outside, then the chances were they hadn't gone too far. That said Allisa didn't have the first clue as to where to find them, so she walked down the street with no sense of direction.

"Find the others..... Right." Allisa sighed as she continued walking. "I don't even know where to start looking. Huh?" A little down the road, she found Max leaning against the wall, gazing up at the sky with an oddly serious look. "Max!" She called out as she ran towards him.

Max reacted slowly, noticing her running towards him. "Oh, Allisa." He greeted, waving at her as she reached him. "What you doing up so late? Thought you'd be sleeping."

"I tried, but couldn't drop off," Allisa said. "So... I thought I'd check up on everyone."

"Came to check up on me?" Max said, giving her a sheepish smile. "Thanks, but I'm ok."

Allisa wasn't convinced by his answer. His response didn't seem as enthusiastic as he normally did. "You sure you're ok?" Allisa asked again, this time with more concern. "That guy you fought was pretty strong. And he really was gunning for you."

"What, that guy?" Max said, putting his arms to the back of his head casually. "Don't worry. That guy just caught me off guard is all. If I hadn't thought that lion before then-"

"Max." Allisa interrupted him.

When he looked at her and saw her concerned look, Max's enthusiasm died down. He lowered his hands from his head and folded them, looking down to the ground.

"Ok, yeah. Sorry." He nodded. "I won't lie, that guy was seriously strong. I'm not even sure what kind of power he used, but everything I threw at him just got blasted back at me." He then cast his gaze downwards as he remembered the battle. Not only how his opponent completely overwhelmed him, but the stuff he said to him as well.

"Demi-Humans don't deserve to care about others. The more they care for someone, the more painful it will be when you lose control and kill them by your own hand."

Max grimaced as he recalled what he said to him.

Allisa noticed Max's distress and took a step closer to him. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I-Its..." Max trembled, looking away.

"Your very existence puts them all at risk. You were destined to be alone. You don't belong anywhere."

"Hey uh....." Max spoke in a low voice. "Are you ok, having someone like me around?"

"Huh? Where'd that come from?" Allisa asked, taken aback by Max's strange question.

"Well...." Max muttered as he thought. "What if.... I'm just putting you all in danger, just traveling with you, cause I'm.... I'm,"

"Ok stop." Allisa scowled at him. "I told you before, you're not a monster."

"Thanks." Max smiled sheepishly, "but I'm not exactly human either."

"M-Max...." Allisa stuttered. In the past, when she said he wasn't a monster, Max seemed to cheer up on the spot, as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. It didn't work that time. In fact, Max had a sorrowful look that Allisa had never seen on him before. "Did... something happen with that guy that you were fighting?" She asked, concerned about Max's slump.

"Kinda," Max nodded, "That guy was coming after me cause I was a Demi-Human. That he didn't bother to hide."

"Demi-Human?"

"Someone who's been given the power of a monster. Like Werewolf's, uh, I think those shape-shifters who can turn themselves into other animals.... And Salamanders like me." Max sighed. "Lot of people discriminate against people like me, calling us dangerous to everyone around them. I'm used to having people try to kill me, either a bounty or glory or cause they just don't like me."

"Max..."

"But that guy.... When I fought him, his grudge was real, far beyond just simple discrimination." Max raised his right hand, blankly staring at it. "I always said to myself, even if I had this power, I'm still human. But for the first time in my life, I realized that maybe I'm not completely human after all.

"When I saw you lying there back at the ruins, it's like, some inside me clicked. If Nel hadn't lost it first, I know I would have."

"Stop...."

"Now I'm scared that... If I keep going along with you guys, I'll just end up hurting everyone like he said."

Smack!

Max was interrupted when Allisa smacked him on his cheek. It didn't hurt due to his overwhelming strength, and he barely flinched. But it was enough to stop Max's self-indulgence. "A-Allisa?"

Allisa's hand remained on his cheek. When Max looked at her, she looked like she was about to cry. "... Please, Just stop." She said in barely a whisper. "Stop beating yourself up over this."

Max fell silent.

"I meant what I said when we first met. And I still believe it." Allisa said, gently pulling her hand away. "And so what if you're not completely human? Neither is Rodger or Mary, but they’re no monsters either. So what makes you any different?"

"Uh...." Max muttered speechlessly. "Well.... They can't breathe fire like me."

"Not good enough," Allisa said, giving him a gentle smile. "I admit I was shocked to see what you could do, but that was mostly cause I'd only been in Avalon for a day. Even so, I've never once seen you as a monster." She continued. "I mean, you hot headed, reckless, impulsive, a little dumb, and a bit of an idiot,"

"Those aren't exactly good points...." Max commented.

"But, your kind and caring, even if you cause trouble most of the time." Allisa finished off her list. "So stop thinking you'll hurt us. And stop all this monster crap, cause I can guarantee no one amongst us think of you like that."

"A-Allisa..." Max looked down on the ground. He remained motionless for a few seconds before raising his fist and punching himself in the cheek.

"M-Max!" Allisa exclaimed.

"Ow... That should do it." Max said with his usual grin. "Sorry. Just needed to snap myself out of that crap."

"By punching yourself?" Allisa said letting out a sigh. "I was on the money with impulsive." She then began to giggle, then looked at Max with relief. "Still, glad to see your ok now."

"Yep," Max said nodding. He then looked to the sky. "It's been a while since I thought like that. What that guy said seriously got to me." He then looked back at Allisa. "So.... Thanks for snapping me out of that."

"No problem," Allisa said. "It's the job of the leader to raise the morale of the troops!"

"T-Troops....?"

"Uh.... J-just something Cliff said to me." Allisa muttered, awkwardly scratching the back of her head.

Max began to chuckle.

"D-Don't laugh!" Allisa said turning red, regretting her choice of words while cursing Cliff for his long-winded story.

"S-Sorry," Max said, catching his breath. "But seriously, thanks."

"N-No problem," Allisa said bashfully. "Wh-well.... Y-You haven't seen the others around... have you."

"You're looking for the others?" Max asked. "Is it cause of that morale of the troop's thing?"

"Sh-shut up! D-Don't ever bring that up again!" Allisa said, dropping to her knees in embarrassment.

Max smiled and looked down the street. "Well, I think I saw Melvin in the park down the road. He's pretty down cause of what happened. Don't know about the others. They should be nearby."

"T-the park. Right." Allisa said standing back up, regaining her composure. "Th-Thanks." She said to Max as she began to walk down the road.

"Hey Allisa," Max called out to her. "I know I've said this before but.... No matter what happens, I'm always gonna be on your side."

Allisa looked back, giving a gentle smile. "Thanks." She nodded before walking off. "See you tomorrow."

Anguish of the Wizard

"Moon sure is big tonight, huh boy?"

Melvin sat on a bench in the nearby park, gazing up at the moon. Sitting beside him was Cerberus in his small form.

"We sure have gotten ourselves into trouble," Melvin said to himself staring up into the sky. "It's always one thing after another with us." He let out a loud sigh.

The previous battle was stuck in his mind. Everyone fought so hard against what was clearly impossible odds, and the only contribution he made was using the chain spell on Yuki. He was knocked out shortly after that so he had no idea what happened. But when he did regain consciousness he heard about Allisa being grievously wounded.

It wasn't just Allisa, Max looked like he'd been torn to pieces, Cliff could barely move, and Nel.... He wasn't entirely sure what happened to her, but when he asked Cliff, the best he could describe it was that Nel went 'berserk.'

And all I could do was watch. Melvin thought to himself. I was completely useless.

Cerberus then nuzzled him, sensing his master's distress. Melvin jumped as his familiar snapped him from his depressing thoughts. "It got pretty bad there, huh boy," Melvin said weakly stroking the dog's head. Cerberus let out a small whine. "And we've still got to face them again tomorrow."

He drew back his hand and gazed up at the sky. Maybe I should stay behind for this one.

Before he could descend into more negative thoughts, Cerberus began barking off in the distance. "Boy?" Melvin said turning to him, seeing him leaping off from the bench and running towards the newcomer. "Allisa?"

Allisa stopped just before Cerberus reached him, and stroked the small dog's head. "Hey there." She greeted Cerberus.

She then looked up at Melvin, who remained on the bench.

"Oh, you're up too?" Melvin said.

"Yeah, couldn't sleep, so I decided to take a walk," Allisa said as she and Cerberus approached Melvin.

"Makes sense, you were sleeping most of the day anyway." Melvin joked. "But a lady with your looks does need beauty sleep."

"...Right." Allisa said slowly, putting a hand on her hips.

"Huh? You're not gonna say anything back?" Melvin asked, sounding confused.

"Donno. Doesn’t sound like you," Allisa said. Cerberus let out a small whining sound.

"Oh... s-sorry." Melvin said weakly, looking at the ground. "Guess I've got a lot on my mind."

"Is it about what happened?" Allisa asked.

"... I guess." Melvin nodded. "My pride took more than a few hit back then."

"Well, you're not alone," Allisa reassured him. "I ran into Max back there, and he was quite bummed out from what happened."

"Ha, that's surprising. He always brushes stuff like that off and charges headlong to get even." Melvin let out a small laugh. "... good to know I'm not the only one."

Cerberus then jumped on his lap, looking up at him with puppy dog eyes.

"Looks like he's really worried about you too," Allisa said, stroking Cerberus's head.

"Yeah, he can always tell when I'm feeling down," Melvin said. He then looked up at the night sky. "I never told my master this, but the reason why I decided to learn magic was so I didn't have to be pushed around anymore."

He let out a long sigh. "You know I grew up on the streets right. For as long as I could remember, my life was hard. Since I was just a kid, people looked down on me and pushed me around. All I had with me was a book with a few basic spells," he then stroked Cerberus, "and Cerberus."

He then cast his gaze downwards. "When master took me in and began teaching me magic, I was so happy. I could get the power I always wanted so no one could push me around.

"But..... When we fought those guys, I realized, without my magic, I'm still just the same powerless brat I was on the street.... Call it a wake-up call."

"Melvin...." Allisa looked up at the sky, "I... think I can kinda relate to that. Sure, my life wasn't nearly as bad as yours, but...." she then looked down again, "after the two months, and when we fought the alchemist and the homunculi, deep down I was kinda glad that I could continue to be a hero like the people in my comics."

Melvin looked up at her, a little surprised. "Serious? When we showed up you acted like it was the end of the world."

"Oh don't get me wrong, I was seriously pissed at you guys," Allisa responded heartily. "But, part of me was glad that, well that part of my life wasn't over.

"But.... when we fought the homunculi," she cast her gaze down again, looking particularly upset.

"Allisa?" Melvin asked, noticing her silence.

"... I can't forgive them for what they did, but.... when we stopped them, I didn't feel any kind of accomplishment. In the end, they cared about each other like us. Only difference was what we were fighting for."

Melvin couldn't help but agree. In the incident, he fought the homunculi Frosh, who ended up killing himself. When he did, the other homunculi, Thatch, attacked Melvin, clearly shaken by his death.

While Melvin continued to think about the experience, Allisa continued. "Back then, I hardly felt like I was a hero. If anything, I felt I was the same girl I was right when this all started, not knowing what this life was truly about."

"Ha, is that so...." Melvin let out a small chuckle. "Guess we're not that different after all."

Allisa nodded while smiling weakly. "To be honest, I still don't know where I'm going, or what my goal is," she then raised her right hand, clenching it into a fist, " but I made a promise to myself not to run from it anymore, I won't stop moving forwards until I know what it is I'm supposed to do."

Melvin looked a little surprised by Allisa's speech, mostly since he wasn't exactly expecting her to be a motivational speaker. "What I'm.... supposed to do?" he repeated, glancing towards Cerberus who was nuzzling his stomach. He smiled and stroked his fiery fur, showing him he's ok.

"Those guys.... We'll be fighting them again tomorrow." Melvin spoke in a somber voice. ".... You think we can win?"

"I'm.... not sure," Allisa said honestly, her mind drifting to Ellie. "But, when are we ever sure about these things?"

"Ha-ha, that's a good point." Melvin nodded. "Guess it wasn't a bad idea to make you our leader," he added quietly.

"Huh?"

"Nothing," Melvin said, holding Cerberus closer to him before jumping off the bench. "I... don't really know what it is I'm supposed to do, why my master chose me, off all the street rats, to be his apprentice," he then looked back at Allisa with a smile. "so, until I know what it is I'm supposed to do, I'm gonna stick with you."

Allisa nodded back.

Melvin then looked up at the sky. "Like you said, we got no idea if we can win, but, there's one way to find out." Cerberus let out a yelp as his master finally broke a smile. "... It'll be tough, but I'm gonna give it my all." He looked back at Allisa and grinned through his teeth. "I am the apprentice of Arch Sage Dran after all."

Allisa smiled back as Melvin ran off back down the street, with a renewed sense of determination that he didn't have before.

Pride of the Swordsman

Allisa remained in the park for a few more minutes before she got back to walking around, still with no clear sense of direction. Having talked with Max and Melvin, she felt a bit better. But on her way back, she ran into the one person she didn't want to be alone with.

"Y-Yuki!"

Yuki was walking in the opposite direction to where Allisa was walking to, and the two suddenly ran into each other. "Oh it's you," Yuki said, not sounding particularly pleased to see her. "What're you doing up?" He asked.

"Uh.... Wh-well, I couldn't sleep so..... uh.... Thought I'd go for a walk to calm down." Allisa said awkwardly.

"Right...." Yuki continued to walk past her, "get some sleep. Last thing you want is to be tired for tomorrow."

Allisa could have just accepted that as the end of the discussion, especially since the two hadn't been on the best of terms since Yuki snapped at her back at Sterland Village.

"........... Hey Yuki." She called out for him, causing him to stop. "Uh.... You remember what you said back at the village, about me just.... 'Playing hero.'" Allisa said quietly, not turning around to face Yuki, who had turned around to face her.

"Well.... I think the reason why it hurt so much was that.... I knew you were right." Allisa admitted, mostly to herself. "I don't really have any kinda goal in mind, like you or the others... I'm not even from this world to start with.... I'm just going with the flow to try and do the right thing.... That's probably why you hate me so much."

Yuki cast his gaze downwards, in response.

"Th-That's all I wanted to say," Allisa said quickly, getting ready to continue her walk.

"I never said I hated you."

She then stopped and turned with, gazing at Yuki with surprise.

"But... I don't exactly like you either." Yuki then added, causing Allisa to slump.

"Wh-What the heck! I thought you were being nice for once!" She snapped at him.

"I was being nice, I said I don't hate you." Yuki protested scratching the back of his head. "... you just.... remind me a lot of Ayami."

"Huh? Ayami?" Allisa looked puzzled by the name.

".... She's," Yuki paused, moving her hand to his sword's hilt, "the previous owner of Sakura."

"Sakura... you mean your sword?"

"Yeah...." Yuki nodded, "like you, she was a real pain in my ass. A naive little girl wanting to play hero,"

"Hey!!"

Yuki snickered at Allisa's reaction. "Not only that, she was one of the only girl who could kick my ass."

"Seriously?"

"Yep, never won a single fight against her." Yuki chuckled. "You better not tell that pyro, he'll never let that one go."

"R-Right..." Allisa nodded sheepishly. She was surprised; Yuki had never shared anything about himself. Usually, when asked he'd either brush the question off with a 'none of your business,' or ignore the question altogether.

However, since he obviously kept this to himself, Allisa could tell his story was not a happy one, something that was plain given what had happened back at the village.

"What.... What happened to her?" Allisa asked, even though she already knew the answer.

Yuki inevitably grimaced, clearly conflicted by the question. "...... Gai killed her." He said softly.

Even though she saw that answer coming, the clear sorrow in Yuki's voice was enough to silence Allisa.

"She was a lot like you, just going with the flow of things, wanting to find an answer or something like that," Yuki continued, casting his gaze to the ground, "and that's what ended up killing her in the end."

He then looked back at Allisa with a more serious expression. "That's why I don't like that naïve attitude of yours. I've already seen it before, and know how it ends. Like I said back at the start, you can't do anything without true conviction."

Allisa didn't want to argue with him since she knew he was right. Unlike Yuki, Allisa didn't have a clear goal in mind. She just drifted from one thing to the next with almost no sense of direction. She didn't want to argue, however....

"Is that.... your idea of conviction?"

Yuki looked surprised by Allisa's roundabout question. "Wha-what?"

"What happened back at the village.... even before that, with the homunculus with the sword arm, when you were run through and just brushed it off, ending up worse than you were before...." Allisa looked downwards, "... That's not conviction... it's almost like.... Like you're trying to kill yourself!"

"Wha... I'm not trying to kill myself!!" Yuki protested.

"Well, you're not trying to protect yourself either." Allisa countered, "I know Max is reckless in a fight, but you..... whenever you fight, you end up bleeding, stabbed, cut.... like you're trying to destroy yourself!"

Yuki was rendered speechless by Allisa's argument. It was almost exactly the same thing Cliff had said before back at Löwe Höhle, when he was forced to the ground and restrained, even calling him a 'suicidal maniac.'

"Geez... you can seriously be a pain in the ass when you want to be." He said quietly, stroking the back of his head. "... It's not like I'm trying to kill myself. It's my way of protecting what's important to me."

"Wha-Huh?" Allisa was surprised by Yuki's answer.

"Don't take it like that." Yuki said, noticing Allisa's reaction, "I know what it feels like to lose something, I'd be damned if I have to go through that again," he then stared down at his sword, "so long as I have this sword, I'm not gonna let anyone I care about die, even if it costs me my life."

".... Yuki." Allisa smiled, "good to see you're not a total jerk after all." She chuckled.

Yuki flustered and glanced away, "Don't tell the others...."

"R-Right." Allisa nodded.

"... But on another topic," Yuki looked to Allisa with a serious look, "what is it you're fighting for?"

"Huh? O-Oh... uh," Allisa glanced downwards, "I... I'm not sure yet," she then lifted her right hand, "I still don't know what it is I'm supposed to do yet, so until that time, I'm gonna protect what I want to protect...."

"That all?"

"Pretty much," Allisa nodded, "Not the best answer in the world, I guess."

Yuki grunted, "Well, it's better than nothing." he smiled at Allisa, "my goal is to kill Gai, that won't change. Until then, I'm gonna stick with you guys and make sure you make it through this crap."

He then set off in the direction he was walking in, "If you end up falling down on your path, I'll personally kick you back up." he said with a final wave.

"Uh.... T-Thanks..." Allisa said awkwardly, unsure what Yuki was talking about. Even so, she felt good about herself, finally feeling she'd resolved the friction between her and Yuki that built up after Sterland Forest.

Conflict of the Architect

After burying the hatchet with Yuki, somewhat, Allisa continued her walk, deciding to walk back towards where the old arch sage's residence was. On the way, she ran into Rodger, who was staring up at the night sky, only taking note when Allisa approached him.

"Oh, hey boss." He said waving at her, "What ya doing up so late?"

"Just taking a walk to clear my head," Allisa responded.

Rodger was actually the one Allisa was specifically looking for. When it was revealed his home would become a battlefield, Rodger was much quieter than normal. No one could blame him, especially after what had happened earlier.

"You know.... It's kinda weird." He said, keeping his gaze to the night sky.

"What is?" Allisa asked.

"The sky. It's..... really different from seeing it back in the forest." He said with a weary smile, "Even if I've seen it before, seeing it outside the forest definitely is a new experience. Wonder if my pa ever felt like that, just looken up."

Allisa could tell there was a lot weighing on his mind by the way he spoke, which lacked the energy from before. "Rodger...."

".... I always wanted to see the outside world, then go back to the village.... see grampa, granma, Fred and Dora, old man Bush... and tell'em of my adventures, just like pa," he then let out a wry chuckle as he drew out his hammer, studying the bear charm strapped to the handle. "Didn't think I'd be going back so soon."

".... Are you scared?" Allisa asked, expecting Rodger to act tough, which he didn't.

"C-Course not! A real man never feels fear!" Rodger said defensively.

"Yeah... nice try," Allisa said, lowering herself to Rodger's level, who shied away after Allisa called his bluff. "Hey, I'm scared too."

Rodger looked up surprised, "R-really?"

"Who wouldn't be?"

Rodger looked down to the ground, feeling a little ashamed of himself for feeling scared. "Say, there's something I wanted to ask..."

"Oh?"

"When Celtic Hoard captured my gramps and Bush, when you stood up to Dorian and say you were gonna free em..... I was wondering why ya did it?"

"Why? Well.... I honestly can't think of a reason," Allisa said as she got up. "But... you don't really need a reason to help someone, do you?"

Rodger looked up at her surprised.

"When someone's in trouble, you help them. That's what anyone would do, doesn't have to be complicated or anything," Allisa said.

"R-right," Rodger looked as though he'd come to a realization of his own. "My pa would say something similar. 'A real man would always help those in need no matter the odds.'" He then looked a little sad. "Even if he didn't make it, I can guarantee he had no regrets."

Allisa nodded.

".... It's gonna be tough, won't it...?" Rodger asked.

".... Yeah," Allisa nodded her head.

Rodger gazed back to the night sky, resting his hands behind his head. "Well, I better step up to prove myself to the others," he then Looked at Allisa with a large grin, "Tomorrow, I'm gonna give it 200, no 300%! Those bastards wanna destroy my home, they gotta go through us, right boss?"

"R-right," Allisa said, feeling awkward by how she was called 'boss.'

"After all, my position as co-boss is at stake here,"

"... When did you start calling yourself that?" Allisa said, almost amazed at how fast Rodger had recovered.

"Oh and.... Uh, thanks." Rodger added at the end.

"Hm? For what?" Allisa asked.

"Wh-well, thanks for the talk," Rodger admitted, feeling embarrassed for some reason. "I... remembered something important, so.... Thanks,"

"Oh right.... well, don't mention it," Allisa nodded. "It's the leader's job to-" Allisa stopped herself from reciting what she said to Max, cursing Cliff in her head. "Uh... well, you're welcome."

Rodger nodded his head. "Just you watch, where beat those bastards right outta my village."

"Nothing ever dampens your spirits huh..." Allisa inwardly sighed at Rodger's overall enthusiasm. Even so, that enthusiasm seemed to rub off on her.

She was still uncertain about the upcoming battle, especially due to the last fight, but after talking to Max, Melvin, Yuki and now Rodger, her burden was slowly lifted.

"Well, see ya tomorrow boss," Rodger said as he began to waddle off. He then stopped partway and pointed with a grin of determination. "Tomorrow, ya gonna watch how a real man defends his home."

"R-Right," Allisa nodded and smiled. "Well, see you tomorrow."

Darkness of the Assassin

Nel glanced down at her right hand, which was still shaking. It had been doing that ever since Yuki called her out back at Coverstone. But that wasn't what was bothering her.

She didn't know what happened, and the memory of what happened was foggy at best. Given the state of her body, she had an idea of what happened.

I actually gave into it. I gave into my rage.

The facade she wore every day was what kept her from becoming a killer, taking the lives of others without any emotion or feelings of regret. Only on several occasions did she give in to her emotions, which made her slaughter her opponents in the most violent and gruesome ways possible. Even so, she was able to stop herself afterward.

This time, however, she completely gave into her rage, and let the monster inside her go.

With her speed and strength back then, she could have easily killed her target right from the first strike. Instead, she drew it out, fully intending to inflict as much pain as possible.

Cut off her fingers, rip off her toenails, scalp her, skin her, bleed her out; that was the only thing that ran through her mind, completely oblivious to everything else, even the damage to her own body.

Nel clenched her twitching hand, gritting her teeth hard as a wave of emotions began to bubble up inside her.

"Hey Nel."

A voice then snapped her out of her trance. Looking to her left, she saw Allisa, waving at her.

"Oh... it's you." She said weakly. "What are you doing up so late."

"I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd take a walk, talk to the others," Allisa said. When she got up to her, she paused and leaned forwards. ".... Are you ok?"

"I-I'm fine," Nel said quickly.

"You sure.... You looked a bit serious back there."

Nel huffed, folding her arms below her chest. "You're being awfully nosey for someone who was injured not too long ago."

"Ahgk...!" Allisa froze at Nel's argument. She then turned around, pouting. "I was just making sure you were ok, didn't need to point that out." She muttered.

Nel chuckled at Allisa's mood swing, but then returned to her previous state. Now that Allisa was awake, there was one question that Nel wanted to ask her. "..... Why did you stop me?"

"Huh?" Allisa turned around, surprised by the sudden question.

"Back then, I could've killed that woman," Nel's grip tightened, "you were badly wounded, barely conscious..... and yet, you used the last of your strength to stop me. Why?"

"O-oh, right...." Allisa said quietly, knowing what she was talking about. "W-well..... I don't remember much but...." she nervously scratched her cheek. "You just.... didn't seem like you back then."

Nel raised an eyebrow, "How so?"

"W-Well..." Allisa thought on what to say. "... You told me after we saved Elizabeth, that you don't feel anything when you kill people,"

Nel was taken off guard, not expecting Allisa to bring that up.

"Back then.... that look you had," Allisa's voice began to tremble as she recalled the sight. When she was lying on her back, barely conscious, she remembered seeing Nel, a blacked face lit only by bright yellow eyes, that frenzied look. ".... You looked, s-scary."

"Is that so?" Nel said quietly. 'Scary' huh? She thought to herself, smiling bleakly.

"... Sorry, I really don't remember much about back then." Allisa said sheepishly. "I just... felt I had to stop you. If you went through with it I might end up losing the Nel I know," She then scratched her cheek, "if that even makes sense,"

Nel paused before picking up on something Allisa said, something that struck a chord in her. ".... How can you be sure you know the real me?"

"Huh...?" Allisa looked puzzled as Nel turned to face her. "What do you mean by that."

Nel let out a large sigh, turning to face her. "Look... I'm not a good person, I never was and never will be," Nel spoke a completely serious manner, "I'm an Assassin. I kill people regardless of innocence or personal feelings," her hand clenched, "even if it's someone close, given the order, I'll kill them without any feelings of remorse."

"N-Nel...."

".... I'm not like everyone else. I don't have anything noble or sympathetic about me or my past. At the end of the day I'm just a killer for hire. I don't save people, I just kill them." Nel took a deep breath and stared at the bewildered Allisa. "Are you sure you want someone like that by your side? Someone who could one day kill you?"

Allisa was silent as she absorbed everything Nel told her, but in the end, she smiled and nodded. "Of course,"

Nel looked puzzled. "Even if I end up killing you one day?"

Allisa shook her head. "You said it yourself, If you were going to kill me, you would have done it the second I walked out of school that day."

"...."

"Even if it was a mission, you still saved my life that day, and you've stuck with me ever since. You've been kind of a mentor to me."

Nel's cheeks went red. "M-mentor? Me?" She said, scratching her cheek nervously.

"Wow, I've never seen you get flustered before," Allisa said in an amusing tone.

"N-Never mind about that," Nel said, glancing away. "..... are you sure you want to place your trust in me? I'm not exactly a role model."

"Yeah, but that's not really a bad thing to me," Allisa said, resting her hands behind her back. "You can be scary, overly serious... a bit goofy and annoying at times.... But you're still the one who saved my life, who helped me when I didn't know what I was doing. And you've stuck by my side even though I'm not exactly what you'd call a hero."

For the first time in her life, Nel was speechless. She'd basically let out that she could potentially kill her in the end, but that didn't matter to Allisa. She had no idea she held her in such reverence, even going so far as calling her a mentor, trusting her completely even if she could end up killing her in the end.

In the end, Nel let out a chuckle. "You know there is a thing about being too trusting."

Allisa let out a short chuckle. "Yeah... Don't think I can do anything about that."

Nel leaned crossed her arms again. "Again, are you sure you can place your trust in me, even if there's the chance I could be the one to kill you?" She asked. Allisa didn't respond, her unchanged look told her all she needed to know. "You're a strange one, that's for sure."

"Wh-What does that mean?!" Allisa said flustering.

"Exactly what it sounds like," Nel said unfolding her arms. She didn't understand it, but for some reason, the heavy doubts that had been plaguing her for the past two days had lightened. Even if she wasn't completely sure of herself yet, of what her purpose for being with Allisa truly was, she had a much clearer head than before, all from just a few words. She certainly is a mystery, in a good way I guess.

She then looked back at her with a serious expression. "Tomorrow's going to be a difficult battle, are you ready?"

".......I'm not that sure." Allisa said truthfully, gazing at her right hand. "but I'm not going to sit around while other people are in trouble when I can do something about it." She clenched her hand into a fist, "That's the kind of person I want to be, with this power."

"Is that your reason to fight?" Nel asked.

"Well.... I guess so, for now." Allisa nodded. "Like I said after we defeated the Alchemist, I want to find out the reason why I was chosen, what this 'pure heart and soul' things about. But that doesn't mean I'm going to turn a blind eye when other people are in trouble."

"I see...." Nel said, smiling.

"Is that.... weird?" Allisa asked, feeling awkward.

"No, That's something I'd expect you to say," Nel said, folding her arms. "You seem to help people who are in trouble, regardless of your own ability or what you're up against. Not many people have such a trait." She then looked serious. "That said there will be people who would take advantage of that nature of yours."

"I... I guess," Allisa said stroking the back of her head.

Nel walked past and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't feel sorry, that's probably one of your best features." She smiled at her, "I may only know how to kill, but my job from Dran is to keep you alive."

She then released Allisa and continued on through the dark street. "For now, keep looking forward. I’ll watch your back." Nel said back. She glanced down at her right hand, which had finally stopped twitching. Even if there was a hidden mission that she hid from Allisa, she completely meant what she said to her back there.

Sorry, Arch Sage Dran. Nel smiled as she clenched her hand into a fist. Even if it comes to it..... I don't think I will be able to carry out your order.

Request of the Thief

After speaking to everyone, Allisa made her way back to the Inn. She felt a lot better then she did when she set off, even if she still had some doubts.

On her way back, however, she ran into an unexpected visitor, pacing back and forth on the way back to the Inn. "Huh? Mary?"

"Mya! A-Allisa!"

It was indeed Meracle, who was stalking back and forth.

"Wh-What are you doing up so late?" She asked nervously.

"I couldn't sleep so I went for a walk," Allisa answered. "What are you doing out here? Thought you'd be with the Arch Sage."

"Mywell... Mya..." Meracle said sheepishly. "I... came ta if you were ok."

"Oh, don't worry I'm fine," Allisa said raising her arms. "See."

"Hmmm.....?" Meracle leaned in towards Allisa. "B-But it looked really bad. We thought you wouldn't make it when we brought you back."

"Well... I heal pretty quickly." Allisa said sheepishly. "Sorry for worrying you back there."

"I-Its ok," Meracle said, casting her gaze down. "I'm sorry for not being any help back there."

"H-Hey, don't worry," Allisa said quickly, "we were all pretty exhausted back then. It was just bad luck we ran into those guys when we did."

"I know..... but still," Meracle replied, her cat ears lowering themselves to her blue hair. "Tomorrow, you're gonna fight them again."

Allisa nodded. "Yeah, we're all pretty nervous, to tell the truth."

"Myew...." Meracle nervously tapped her fingers together. "Then... myuuu... I-If you... Nyaaa...."

"What is it?" Allisa asked as Meracle continued to stutter. "Come on, you can tell me."

Meracle looked up at Allisa, then took in a deep breath. "O-Ok.... The real reason I came out.... Is uh....." She took in a deep breath. "I want you ta take me with you!!" She said in one breath.

"Huh? With.... Us?"

Meracle looked back to the ground. "M-Milady says that she may need more time.... So she'll send you guys in first to stop them.... I-If it's ok, c-could you take me with you."

"Okay...." Allisa responded, "is this about what happened with Leone?"

"Nyew?" Meracle looked up surprised.

"S-Sorry," Allisa said quickly, rubbing the back of her head. "Cory told us about you and her. She was your... teacher?"

"Myew... I guess you can call it that." Meracle smiled sheepishly. "I-It's a long story."

"Ok," Allisa said, spotting a bench nearby. "Come on," She led Meracle to it and sat her down, sitting along beside her. Meracle kept her gaze to the ground, not saying a word. But after a short while, she spoke up.

".... You remember I told you I grew up in an orphanage. Well.... when I was still a little kitten, a plague hit. I was the only one who lived through it. So after that, I just ended up stealing from people to survive.

"Along the way, I ran into Leone, and she kinda took me in as a pupil, and introduced me to the thief's guild. She taught me all stuff on how to steal and how to fight. Though a lot of the time, she only called me out when she had a big job or something, and most times she'd use me as a decoy or just abandon me. I ended up hating her, and the life I was stuck in. I tried to get outta it by taking real jobs, but I kept screwing everything up, and in the end, I'd keep going back to her. I didn't have anywhere to go or anywhere I felt I belonged. Even if she only used me, she was still the only place I belonged"

"... Mary," Allisa sat almost speechless having listened to Meracle's story. She wouldn't have believed that this chirpy go-happy girl she met a few days ago had such a dark history. "So.... What happened after you joined the Arch Sage?" Allisa spoke up again. "Cory said she tried to talk you out of it."

"Well, yeah, kinda." Meracle let out a wry smile. "Even though she was kinda rude and we kinda parted on bad terms, in a weird way I was happy. Even if it was for her own sake, she still tried everything to stop me from leaving the thief's guild. More than that, it felt like she didn't want to say goodbye.

"So when I met her back at Evendail, I was happy to see her again. It felt just like old times, and it was the Leone I looked up to and not the Leone I ended up hating." Meracle's smile disappeared. ".... You know what happened after that. When I told her what I was doing, she offered to help. The second she saw the tablet she kicked me away and nabbed it."

"So that's how..." Allisa said quietly, clenching her fist. She honestly couldn't have seen Leone do something like that based on their first meeting back at Soma Rand. But after what happened at Löwe Höhle, and what she said to Allisa back then, she could picture the snicker on Leone's face when she betrayed Meracle. The thought alone made her angry.

"I know it's important that we stop those guys, and I'll probably screw things up again, but...." Meracle continued, clenching both her fists. "I have to see her again and settle things." She then let out a sigh, "Sorry, I know I'm being selfish. I'm not cool like everyone else, I'm not risking my life to stop those guys from reviving this fox thing,"

"Actually, you're more like us than you think," Allisa spoke up, surprising Meracle. "I'm not kidding, we're all fighting for our own selfish reasons." Allisa then gazed up at the moon in the starry sky, leaning back on the bench. "If anything, I'm the one who's not like everyone else. I don't have any kind of noble cause or tragic past. I just got into this, kinda by accident. I don't really want to prove anything, and I'm not searching for revenge or anything in particular,"

"S-So... why are you fighting?" Meracle asked.

"Well," Allisa then raised her right hand. "I suppose, if I had a goal in life, I want to find out why I was given this power, and what it is I'm supposed to do." She then lowered her hand, turned to the dazzled Meracle and smiled. "To be honest, I'm not even sure I'll find the answer, and I'm pretty sure this fight won't give me one. In many ways, I'm just a silly little girl playing hero."

Meracle looked stunned for a second, and then let out a small giggle.

"Sorry if it's not what you were expecting," Allisa said smiling sheepishly.

"No no," Meracle shook her head, beaming at Allisa. "I think it's pretty cool. You kinda remind me of Meracle."

"M-Meracle?" Allisa looked puzzled by Meracle repeating her name.

"Myaha, not me," Meracle clarified. "Meracle was the first Arch Sage of Cataka. She was strong, wise, powerful and beautiful. Kinda like you."

"Wha- I-I'm not any of those things," Allisa said, getting flustered.

Meracle gazed up at the sky. "She was also said to be a bringer of miracles. No matter what bad stuff happened, no matter where in the world, lady Meracle would always be there to do the impossible."

"W-Wow, that's quite a good story," Allisa said.

"It was a picture book back when I was at the orphanage." A somber look then came over her. "My mommy got really sick when she carried me, so they had'ta get me out of her. She died, and I wasn't expected to survive since I was born too early. But I did, and the people there saw it as a miracle, like that of Lady Meracle, so they named me after her."

"Really," Allisa smiled and patted her on the head. "It really does suit you."

"... I don't know, I haven't exactly made any miracles happen." Meracle said, sounding sad. "If anything, I just bring trouble wherever I go."

"Well, that makes you no different than us," Allisa said letting out a sigh as her mind drifted back on the various misfortunes that have befallen her. Just on this journey alone, she was attacked by a giant squid, several monsters, a gang of bandits, chased by a behemoth, thrown into a canyon and then was forced to fight an overpowered lion. "Wherever we go we seem to cause nothing but trouble."

Allisa then brushed off the thoughts. "Well, anyway, tomorrow will be tough, are you sure you want to go with us?"

Meracle looked back to her then stared up into the sky, "Yeah," She said with a determined look. "Even if there's a chance I'll die, I still gotta go and face Leone."

"Don't just go around assuming you'll screw up everything you do, otherwise you will end up doing just that. Instead, stand up and continue down the road before you..... You were named after a miracle, so go out and become someone worthy of that same miracle."

Meracle smiled as she recalled something Elaina said to her after the Everndail incident. "I won't screw up again. That's my promise."

Allisa smiled at her. She then got up and turned around to Meracle. "Well, we got a big day ahead of us. Let's get some sleep."

"A-Allisa...?" Meracle beamed up at her and nodded. "Yeah!" She said in a determined voice.

Allisa nodded and began to walk away and then stopped and looked back at Meracle. "We're not gonna screw up, and we're not gonna die." She said, "Tomorrow, we're gonna win, and we're gonna make it back."

Meracle looked at her and nodded and then ran off yelling "See ya tomorrow!"

Allisa smiled inwardly. She herself had several doubts about the party's chances, the weight of what was at stake weighing down on her along with everything else that had happened to her. But now, after speaking to all her friends, listening to all their worries and doubts, Allisa felt better, as if some of the weight of her burden was lifted.

She never realized, but all her friends were by her side, sharing the same burdens as her, along with their own on top of that. She was trying to carry it all on her own, her own problems, and the problems they faced.

She was used to holding on to her troubles on her own, since she never had anyone to share them with, apart from Lucy. But now, when the weight of her troubles was greater than she could ever imagine, she now had people alongside her that would continue to support her, friends she could depend on.

With her newfound determination, she decided to call it a night.

What she could never know at the time was that this battle would only bring her pain.