"You know...I think Tiki is right. I am pretty useless after all.", Yuno sighed.

"Yes, you are.", Terna told him while looking into Omni.

"This is the moment where you say 'No, that's no true at all!'.", Yuno looked at Terna.

"I mean...weren't you? Just like me...we really did nothing back there. No reason of beating around the bush while we know the truth. You didn't fight anything but some monsters out of our way and I did nothing than boosting the speed of everyone to get us out of there...objectively, we did absolutely nothing compared to what the others endured."

"This is...out of character. But you aren't wrong...how did you say it out like this though?"

Terna sighed as she put the book away, "Look. Ever since the events in Delpha, or Eterna or whatever you want to call it...I didn't quite find anything...good. Mom and dad always used to tell me that a positive outlook will bring positive things to you. I...I disagree now. No matter what way I tried to view things like, it all twisted itself back to the worst of the worse. First it was Dirunon that we left for it to be destroyed, then Eterna, then Gaz...", Terna went on and on.

"Then Tiki...right?"

"Yeah...as far as I can tell however, she is right. My powers have been completely useless up until now...and it's not like I wasn't expecting it either. Sure, I can do some fancy things with the ground and everyone runs like lighting but...what more can I do with that? Everyone else can level skyscrapers and toss them like a volleyball on top of that..."

"Not having the ability to cause mass destruction isn't exactly what I would call a con, Terna. At least you know what you're capable of...me and Dante for example, we don't quite know anything yet. They keep being afraid of us and saying what we 'could' do...but what can we in the end? Infinite power my ass, we've been destroyed on a number of occasions, wether by our own bodies not being able to take it or someone like Enemy actively fighting against us."

"I don't know what my powers are capable of. If I were to be honest...I don't know anything. My powers, what I want to do with my life, my home...nothing. This whole 'shinning idol' thing grew kind of old already..."

"I thought you wanted this? Aren't you like...a big idol too? I can confirm that people like Dante, who lived under a rock, know about your music. He has around 2-3 different albums of yours on his phone."

Terna giggled, "I'm not that big, honestly. My success has been moderate at best. The literal only live show I've done was the rebellion march back there. All other songs and everything, video clips included, we're done in a private studio. I never really did all those world tours or anything...the whole dream about helping the world via my music first started when I saw that girl on TV she was some sort of model. I even forgot her name, hence how long ago it was. I do remember that one phrase though, 'Changing the world, weather with clothes, beauty or actions, is something we must all try to do. What's the point if we don't move forward to see something new?'. In utter desperation to make a change after all that had happened, I dropped what I was doing at the time and started faking a dream to become a popular idol, wanting to change the world for the better, thinking I truly could do so."

"So...were you really not happy at all singing on stage all this time?"

"No, no. I was perfectly fine with singing on stage. Despite the first time I tried it along with Hikari, I truly did like it. Just that...it still didn't feel like me. After Kaghs takeover, the private company behind my contract, Beats, bailed on both Eterna city and me without a warning, given how I wasn't really their most valued asset. And yet, despite having the option to sing and do whatever I wanted from that point onwards, I still...kept being under their control. I still wore those horrible tight outfits, just to appeal to fans, I still came up with basic songs talking about the same things over and over again with oversaturated lyrics to 'hype them up' and I still had the same movements from my rehearsals with them. It...was a trap. I couldn't get out of it, because I was afraid. Afraid that I might lose what little I had built up if I didn't follow that formula...I still want to change the world and I still want to make people happy but...not like this. I don't want to just act it out and only realize it when the cameras are off. If I could ever become a part of a song that I write, just like all those heroes and epic events throughout history that contain others within them, I'd be more than happy...but I would want it to be in a way that reflects at least a little of me."

"Wow...I-I uh. I had no idea it was that deep...but Terna. You really should cheer up. Seriously...everyone knows you're doing your best here!"

"Not really, no. If this is my best, then like Tiki said, I won't be around for much longer. And it's not even Tiki's fault. The circumstances I find myself in is the only thing she comments on and with good will and logic too. I have to find it in me...some way to use my powers in another way. Maybe if I reverted back to the thing I was doing, it could help. That's why I'm trying to find anything in Anya's book."

"What exactly were you doing by the way?"

Terna softly giggled, "Nobody really knows, but me of course. But the pop idol that created anything up to metal albums was originally into classic music. In fact, I couldn't really produce my own music back at the studio out of lack of knowledge for things like the electric guitar or the synthesizer. I learned along the way, but my heart will always go out to the charm of the violin's strings."

"Wait, really? Huh...that is interesting, yeah, but not far fetched."

"Back then, I just felt so...peaceful. But despite that, my lonely tunes at the empty stage wouldn't exactly fulfill the goals I had in mind. And well...I had to adapt. Again, I didn't quite hate the idol thing, at times it was actually pretty fun, but it wasn't...me.", Terna snapped out of it, "Ah, sorry. I rumbled on an on, didn't I? No need to bother you with something like this."

"Sorry for what? You were a great listener to most of us, especially me, so I don't mind at all. Just that...I'm gonna tell you one thing. From personal experience, you should really try to be a little more yourself. Acting like something you're not or don't want to be will only build up for the worse."

"Mmm.", Terna nodded, "Noted. Now I need to look up more-"

Before Terna could finish her sentence and go back into reading inside Omni, a thud and a cracking noise was heard all the way from the other side of the lab. Crashing through the wall and then right in front of them. As the dust from the explosive entry cleared up, the soon realized who the culprit was.

"The hell?! Dante?!", Yuno yelled.

"Ah, I was wondering where he was.", Drima entered the room with Magi.

"What the...hell happened?", Dante tried to slowly recover.

Before he could recover properly, another flash came in through the same crack in the wall, this time being Enemy, knocking Dante to the wall.

"Oh, oops. I am such a clumsy individual.", Enemy sarcastically said.

"You both realized there's an elevator that'd bring you inside the lab, right?", Magi pointed at the elevator.

"Never mind the fact that I'll have to explain why I had to buy 50 maid bots and repair materials for the lab at officials expense...", Drima facepalmed.

"Just commit wire fraud, you do it all the time anyway.", Magi shrugged.

"Atata!", Drima covered Magi's mouth, "The walls have ears! And plus, I even ran out of rich corrupt morons to do this to!"

"I mean he's also a 'biometrics expert' with all this lying around.", Enemy twisted her wrist around, pointing in the entire lab, "I'm pretty sure those that have any knowledge of his existence also know that he isn't exactly 'clean' by any means."

"Ah...why do I even bother sometimes.", Drima sighed.

"You really are giving me a metric ton of reasons to wipe your ass clean off the map, aren't you?", Dante recovered and approached them all.

In an alert state, everyone jolted back, with Enemy and Magi firmly placing their hands on their weapons.

"Pipe down. I had my breakdown, it's over. Well, the entire collapse of my mental capacity is. The rest is far from it."

"As if I give a shit. I'm always called when I need to kill something.", Enemy folded her arms.

"Then go away. There's nothing left for you to do.", Dante insulted her.

"Hmph. Die in a ditch.", she answered back.

"Could you both cut it out? It's not like this benefits anyone.", Yuno interrupted.

"Whatever the Hyrusa said. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got more important things to attend to. Your friends surgery won't take long, but I need you all to be here. Anya was taken to Reingard for surgery anyway, so she will have to be updated with the info I'll give you later."

Dante looked at Drima, "Wait...Anya...what?"

"What, you don't remember? You beat her within an inch of her life. The fact that she's alive to begin with is a miracle in of its own."

Dante looked at Yuno and Terna, "No...way."

Yuno and Terna nodded back at Dante, confirmed his confusion to be true.

"I'm afraid she's not lying. She...we all saw her during or after your fight."

"Wait...then is Tiki-", Dante looked at the operation table, gazing beneath the bloody cover on her right arm, the bleeding coming from her open fracture.

"Her too. Must've really enjoyed her screams when it happened.", Enemy angrily looked at Dante.

Dante raised his fist, preparing to strike, before pausing for a brief moment with his eyes fixated on Enemy. He then exhaled deeply before lowering his fist and turning the other way, walking to another room.

"Hmph. Cowards.", Enemy scoffed.

"Can you please cut the shit?", Magi angrily said.

"What 'shit'? I'm merely describing him."

"I am thankful for what you've done for us...but shouldn't you be a little more understanding?", Terna calmly said.

"Guy just found out his entire family was slaughtered and he had to finish off his mother. Can you at least try to get off your high horse?", Yuno more aggressively said.

"Wait, he what?! What do you mean?!", Magi jolted in surprise.

"Don't start asking. It's true...I played back his memories when I had hold of them. No way I'd help you knowing half of what was going on. I...I saw every bit of it. Nothing can be done now...", Drima started putting on a mask and a pair of plastic gloves, "I'll see you in a bit. I've dealt with similar injuries so this won't take long. Oh, and nobody leaves. Tell it to Luna too when she gets back down. We're having a meeting right after."

As Drima entered the operation room, leaving behind the rest of the team to aggressively look at each other. Just then, Luna came out the elevator, looking around in visible confusion.

"Welcome back, Enemy. What has occurred in my absence?", Luna looked around.

"Nothing. Just drop it. I'll just relax by the corner, so no one annoy me till I get off the chair.", Enemy moved at the corner of the room.

"Great...now we've got this going on.", Magi put her hands on her waist, "Anything else that can go to hell today?"

"I think that's about it. Day is coming to an end anyway...", Yuno sat down by a few plants.

"I should go get Lina in the meantime, we don't want to leave her roaming around at night.", Terna proposed.

"I will follow. I am also interested to witness what her time with the local paramilitary forces has managed to attain.", Luna followed Terna to the elevator.

Leaving the room, Terna and Luna left behind a worried Yuno and an anxious Magi, waiting to see how the events from there on would play out.

"Then there were two.", Yuno said.

"You know how much of an awful day this was, right? Dante aside...lots of bad things happened.", Magi sat down.

"I do. Having access to Dante's memories surely helps me. Weird...it's almost as if our lives are more than physically connected. Most of the things he's done...I feel like I copied him in a way."

"No shit. Everyone nowadays gets depressed, everyone gets railed and everyone is born to a world that runs to leave them behind. I don't blame you guys at all. Though I will admit that older days were better...just more simple. Call me a grandma and I'll bash your head in."

"I don't even know the old days you're talking about."

"Oh, you wish you did. Before everyone was trying to act like the heroes they watch on TV, it was so much better. You built your own purpose and followed it rather than getting influenced by a bunch of pixels acting and faking to do it. And the battles were so much nicer too. Bigger monsters, less paperwork for fighting in urban areas and...well calmer people."

"With bigger monsters came calmer people?"

"Believe it or not. Those were the days of bliss, no conflict between one another, just adventuring and exploring of a then undiscovered world. Well, even now, there's much more we don't know."

"You realize how you're sounding right now, right? Plus, I don't think feeling nostalgic for something that's not coming back is worth it."

"That's what nostalgia is for little dragon. Those days..."

"Wait...exactly how far back are we looking at? Because if we account for your lifespan, I've heard great tales of slaughter and torture..."

"Not that far back, idiot. If I were to talk about the dark days, when the War Of Zero happened and all that, I wouldn't be half smiling. More of like...20 or so years ago."

"Only 20?"

"You'd be surprised...the world is running faster than its ever been before. Hell, 20 years ago, I only knew computers, not some futuristic holograms popping from a screen. Now tho, we have our own problems to deal with, so no matter to watch for what happens here and there all the time."

"I feel like that logic is going to kill you."

"I know if you ignore something for too long, it'll come back to bite you in the ass. Case in point.", Magi pointed at the room Dante was in, "But then again, what can I do about it? Whatever I say will only add fuel to the fire at this point, so might as well keep it as is..."

"Then...I think it's more of a what you 'could've done'. Maybe then...", Yuno stopped at the sight of Magi looking at him and tearing up, "W-Woah! Sorry, was it something I said?"

A small pause came along in the conversation between the two, Magi eventually breaking the silence herself.

"Nah...not at all. I...you're right. Guess everyone has emotional outbursts today. I need some air, so I'll be at the balcony."

"Yeah...I'll just...be here."

As Magi got up and left Yuno staring at the operation room, she passed by everything by to reach the side of the underground laboratory. From the side of the cylindrical like building, passing by a mumbling Enemy, she reached an enclosed balcony area, tall glasses covering the bottom, all the way to the ceiling. She could only gaze to the outside, to a luscious garden filled will all the colors of the rainbow, and let her mind slip away. In between her imagination and reality, she snapped back and forth from the mumbles of an old ally.

"So you're back. Good...at least you missed the freak show.", Enemy said.

"What...happened?", Hikari echoed in her head.

"Remember? I used 'that'. You must've taken way more of a beating than I thought. It's all good, Tiki is having her arm fixed and the asshole is still alive. Mission accomplished, so I hope you're happy."

"Very happy indeed. Thank you. Though...where's everyone?"

"I only know that the moron is in the room next to me. The others, aside from Tiki and Anya, I dunno where they are. Tiki is in the operation room with Drima and Anya is shipped to Reingard for urgent surgery. The jackass broke Tiki's arm to the point where the bone came out and beat Anya within an inch of her life."

"Hmm...I see. So it really ended up that badly? I was expecting a lot, but this..."

"What did you expect exactly? This bastard and I have the same abilities, in a nutshell. Will his weak face going around and being unable to control it, something like this was merely inevitable."

"Umm...can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Why are you always referring to Dante as 'that bastard', 'asshole' and the such? Why don't you...you know.", Hikari hesitantly asked.

"After all he did, all the people he killed and everyone he hurt that was left alive after, so you honestly think that he's even a little bit deserving of it?"

"That is not true and you know it, very, very deep down. Back there...the words he said..."

Enemy paused briefly, taking herself back to that critical moment. 'Leave me alone!'. Like a lost child afraid of the dark, she could see fragments of a bygone innocence. Or rather...what in her mind was a mirror.

"Hmph. Whatever. I have more things to worry about."

"You could take one of those worries away by...you know. Talking about it."

"You've gotta be shitting me."

"No, like...you guys both are on the same side about each other...maybe talk it out by using words rather than swords?"

"I also have a lance.", Enemy snapped her fingers, summoning her lance.

"Umm...don't use it."

"Hikari, I swear, for all the reasons I love, I have that many more to hate you."

"You always tried to do something to protect me...despite the way things were. So please, just let me do this one for you! It's been thousands of years anyway...stuck there..."

Enemy sighed at the sheer innocence and naivety of Hikari, "Don't...don't take yourself back there. Look, I know you want this for the better, but I swear, there's better times than this to try and change my mind on something."

"You and I both know that's not true. Most likely, you'll avoid him like you always do, or engage in combat again..."

"You are seriously not convincing me to start a conversation with that ass...Dante. Start a conversation with 'Dan-te'", Enemy quoted with her fingers.

"Please...what can I do in return?"

"Never annoy me again."

"Deal!", Hikari cheerfully said.

"Oh for the love of-fine. Fine."

Enemy slowly got up and went towards the room Dante was in. She tried opening the door again and again, both automatically and manually but it appeared completely locked.

"Oi! Dumbass! Open the god damn door! We need to talk."

No answer came from the other room, increasing the ever growing anger on Enemy's nerves.

"Color me red, that's it.", Enemy raised her leg backwards.

With one of her mighty kicks, the door easy gave in and a huge crack formed on the nearby wall. The door itself, flying at high speed, flew but an inch besides Dante's head, who appeared to not flinch at all, instead looking down at some tablet. The door pinned itself firmly into the wall behind Dante's chair, not wavering at all from the sheer depth of the penetration. Enemy entered the room as no one even bothered to check on the noise, knowing full well to leave the both of them alone, fearing not to escalate maters further. She took a chair and sat on the table, across from Dante, as he kept looking down at his tablet, completely ignoring Enemy's presence. After awhile she decided to speak her rough words through her folded arms, laid back pose.

"Deadass going to ignore me? Say anything at all."

"Someone has to pay for this.", Dante pointed at the pinned door, still ignoring Enemy.

"Good. Progress. I didn't even know you had the ability for civilized speech."

"Coming from the person who's first course of action is violence, even in dreams, that's precious.", Dante finally gave attention to Enemy, "Not to mention how much of a two sided coin you are."

"What the hell does that even mean?"

"Are you serious? Acting like you don't know...man. Just tell me already. Why haven't you killed me? Don't start with the 'Hikari' excuse. Just tell me. Are you really that eager to play with your food or that week to get the job done?"

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"Yes, yes I would like to.", Dante placed the tablet down.

"Listen, I'm not an open book. Matter of fact, it indeed was Hikari to bring me to talk to you. So pick a subject that'll justify this conversation being worthwhile."

Dante snapped, "I killed everyone! Everyone that put their trust in me, whatever bullshit story was sold to them, that I was some 'legendary savior' was slammed back into my face! My siblings, my Silverlances, everyone is dead! I stabbed my own god damn mother to death! She...her last moments, she wasn't even sad! She wasn't angry, confused, or anything! Why...just why?! Is that not a good enough reason for you to slit my throat already?! I just want to know god dammit...why haven't you killed me yet?! Why?! You want me to do it myself?! If so, I gladly will...just watch how it'll go from now on!", Dante slammed the desk and lowered his head, covering his face from Enemy.

She let go of her bravado and relaxed her pose, now facing, not that Dante she thought she knew, but a mirror image, distorted yet familiar.

"Hmm...for that.", Enemy said.

Dante lifted his head up, holding his tears without her realizing, "What?"

"The trust part. Back then, I was already inside Hikari. Truth be told, she was confused as hell. It should be no secret that the 'Mellistar' you're talking about was the original 'Dante'. The person that Hikari screwed up falling for. She confused you for his reincarnation after realizing you similar power signatures that she felt on That Day. Not that you could get reincarnated. But nevertheless, she kept on believing. And despite it all, again, at the most critical moment, she was betrayed by whom she thought to be her savior.

"So all this time, this is the reason why?"

"Don't make it sound like something so small. Do you have any idea what it took for her to place her trust in you? The only three she ever trusted before that were Cecilia, Naga and Mellistar. And after millennia, through all the torture we endured, she finally decided to place her faith in you again. I despise watching her get hurt, I've told her so, but she just never listens. I suppose you found out how much of a hardheaded girl she is by now anyway."

"Hmm...if I said sorry, nothing would fix it. What's even the point in this. Crying, slamming desks...what's going to bring everyone back? Guess this is how to make a hero. Blank sheet filled with dread, regret and pain, just to see the redemption afterwards...and I know I ain't even a hero like I thought I would."

"Tell me about it. You wish you were there but even though you could be or actually did, nothing would change..."

"And if it did, it'd be unfair to get what you didn't earn.", Dante finished Enemy's sentence.

They both started deeply into each other's eyes.

"Hmph. Nice manipulation tactics, king of manipulation.", she folded her arms.

"Give me a break. You're more manipulating than I am. Naming yourself 'Enemy' then helping both me and the others. Pick a side already...and what kind of a shitty excuse for name is 'Enemy' anyways?"

"The one I chose to go by. Seems fitting enough."

"Believe me, it isn't. Like at all."

"Well what the hell should I be called then? Something boring like 'Dante'?"

"I beg to differ. At least I don't sound like the bad guy."

"Even though you should. And why do you even care? I was never given a name anyway."

"Seriously? Even Mellistar, same as you, has one? The hell happened to you?"

"At least he popped out of some woman to get one."

"What about you? Parents? Dead or alive? Anything?"

Enemy looked at Dante, "I...don't have any. I wasn't like Mellistar, or you. My biological parents are none existent."

"What? Then how do you even stand here? I get you are supposedly the 'other half' of Hikari like Meli is to me, but Meli still had a background from millennia ago."

"Umm...maybe you should just tell him?", Hikari politely said.

"I swear to god, Hikari! Come on, I've gone this far, ain't it enough?!", Enemy yelled.

"Let me guess, she's buzzing?", Dante asked.

"Long story short, she received a lot more damage than she should thanks to you and now she's buzzing in my head. Pipe down."

"At least now we figured a way to communicate in silence.", Mellistar echoed.

"It is rather convenient, yes. But I still want to know more."

Dante and Mellistar talked together while Enemy and Hikari were bickering once again.

"And you were basically gone since Corosta."

"No other choice, Dante. Without the conductive amulet that Tiki took it was impossible for me to communicate, until the power burst in Dirunon. Ever since that point, your energy overflow feeds me to the point we're I can both communicate and actively regulate it."

"Good. But I'm still seeking answers from both you and especially her."

"I'll answer everything eventually...but her?"

"She's been tormenting me ever since Gladeon died and now I'm stuck wondering why she helped me. I despise being left in the dark...not anymore. If I'm to trust both her and especially Ika-Hikari, I want to know as much as I can. It all starts from her...I'm just done screwing around, Melli."

"And to think you used to smile every so often..."

"Don't start with the pipe dream again. I do what I have to do, I ain't no laughing hero. Besides, I am interested in Enemy specifically."

"Hmm, how come?"

"It should be no mystery that our powers are alike. If my mediocre detective work tells me anything, is that I could use what little Hikari forces out of her to discoverer something more about this mess...god...my head is still fuzzy. I remember now, but it's all still blurry."

"It will all come with time. And about Yuno...can you remember what you told him through me?"

"Hmm. Yes...but it changes nothing."

"Wait, you...you meant it?"

"It's not an emotional outburst, Melli. Be logical. We're you in my position, despite it temporarily being tunneled, what'd you do? What would you say? We're not the say, but the bottom line is still there."

"I understand...and I, and Yuno, will do our best to make that change."

"Be my guest. Oh, and, he's not listening now, is he?"

"He's blocked off completely. He is your Guardian, not 'another half' like me. So long you wish to block him, he will stay out of it."

"Good. I don't want anyone meddling in my business."

"But Dante-", Mellistar was interrupted.

"Enough. I need some peace...please."

"I...I understand.", Mellistar faded away.

Dante looked on a little longer at Enemy bickering with Hikari, cherishing the few moments he still remained silent.

"You're literally riding on the slim slice of kindness I've got left!"

"I am trying to make you feel better for once! C'mon, open up! You know you see something in Dante, not Melli, but this Dante! Just that little bit you see, cherish it!"

"I'm literally about to rip my eyeballs out. Before stabbing both my eardrums."

"You'll still hear me though..."

"Oh for the love of, I stuttered! That's just it! A small stutter! And the reason I haven't killed him yet is purely you!"

"But...back at that dungeon he went with Anya, I didn't even notice your awakening. And yet, when I woke up...he wasn't dead. Dante hadn't developed his abilities back there either!"

Enemy stuttered, "Ah...s-shit."

"Ha! Busted!"

"Hraaagh!", Enemy slammed her head on the table, full force.

Dante awkwardly looked at enemy, head still resting on his hand, now bored of the long wait.

"So...uh...", Dante tried to awkwardly talk.

Enemy pointed at Dante, head still pinned on the table, "Not a word, otherwise I'll make sure you trip down the god damn stairs."

Dante closed his mouth, not wanting to provoke the awkwardly pissed off Enemy for more than he had to."

"Pretty please.", Hikari said with a begging voice.

"I will stab my pinkie toe naked on the table side and jump rope on BUILD bricks. Can I do that instead?"

"But that'll mean I'll hurt too..."

"Fair point. But anything else?"

"Ok, I swear, swear. This tiny little thing left, and I'm done. For real, real. Besides, he'll take it to the grave, I'm sure he will! And the only other one who knows it is me!"

Enemy pondered for a long moment before exhaling deeply.

"I'll make sure he takes it to the grave.", she mumbled.

"So...", Dante tried to talk again.

"Just...just give me a moment."

Enemy got up and went by Dante, forcefully yanking the door out of wall it was pinned on. She proceeded to slam the door back in its original place, completely shutting the room once again. She then dropped on the chair in front of Dante once again and looked him right in the eyes.

"You say one word of this to anyone, your head will be in that 'anyone's' mailbox the very next day, got it."

"Fine by me. Now if this will give me any answers at all, shoot away. I'm all ears.

Enemy exhaled and grunted, "Ok...let's start. If there's any moment in my life I'd like to forget, it's my birth. I was never normally 'born'. I am the physical manifestation of pure power. Power surging from...the Imaginary Space. I was both accidentally made and latched onto Hikari when she first entered the Imaginary Space herself."

"What even the hell is that?"

Enemy sighed, "Of course he'd ask that. Alright. Simplest explanation so get ready. There's 3 levels. First is the Quantum Sea, or Imaginary Sea. It's named as such because there's everything in there, but at the same time nothing. You'll float as if you're in water, but you'll never drown...well, relatively speaking. It's...weird to explain. That was when my first inception came to be. The Quantum Sea is filled with all sorts of matter, you'll see chunks of metal, all sorts of things and there's two directions to go. Up or down, but regardless, it won't look like you're heading to either insane depths or near surface and the lighting will consistently stay the same to support it. Presence of oxygen is there, though there's several other things there. That...it was hell. My first hell...when my body first formed after Hikari's body when she passed through it, I always kept breathing and drowning. The surrounding material squeezed me up, it was as if the sea itself was rejecting me or something. Thanks to Obsulyte, or whatever, I always kept bursting a huge ray of energy outwards, forcing the material to back off so that I could breathe. Like you, if my, or any Obsulyte users emotional state riles up, it becomes more u stable. I lost track of time...not that I had any. Moment in and moment out, I'd be chocked, then released, then chocked again. That was the only thing I remember from my 'birth'...and I wish to forget it."

"Holy shit...maybe...maybe there is a reason behind you being such an asshole after all."

"Oh, shut it. What do you know?!"

"Relax. Now, I need to know more. Treat this as a moment of sincerity and truce, I will respect you like you did me to share our pasts. Just this once. So I want to know everything, because I refuse to be left with half assed information."

"Fine by me. It was Hikari's idea anyway, so I don't care. But everything after that, I will conceal. That is after we got out of there, obviously."

"You've got a deal."

"Right. So after that kept happening again and again, I one day saw something different...something horrifying. It was just...black. Nothing. Just an endless spanning of darkness and nothing else. I call it The Void. It appeared to be where the Quantum Sea ended...and it was another hell. As soon as I entered it, I was faced with nothing but darkness. I kept falling as I kept rising. I didn't know where to step or where the enemy was...because I saw them there. Shadowers. More than I killed in my entire life. More than everything ever seen before. But they were sort of...incomplete...they were all mushy and decaying, in some form of plasmatic state, just incomplete. They'd hurt me but I never bled out. Everywhere, there was no light, no time, no nothing...just a void. After a long time passed there too, I saw it one day. After fighting numerous Shadowers, I saw one of them stuck...stuck in a crack that emitted light on the floor. I managed to kill it with my bear hands before I kept punching at that crack...I wanted to leave...I wanted to escape. It must have been hours? Days? I don't know...I kept punching the god damn thing till it finally broke...finally, I saw light again. I started falling down, but I didn't care. It felt safer than wherever I was previously. I crashed down onto some solid block. And then I saw it...the Imaginary Space. I have no idea how to give it to your pea sized brain to understand it, but simply put, it was weird. No space, no time, but both were there. I could see for miles but there was a wall in front of me. I looked down one side to see an endless pitfall and solid ground on the other side. I don't even know what that thing was...but I was away from those shits.

I walked into a wall and as soon as I pressed my foot on it I was walking on said wall. I quickly realized that gravity was as jacked as everything else there...kind of like being in a Matrix of sort. Like the Quantum Sea got a more solidified form, much like our world but without the physics. I looked at a girl laying on a field full of roses, which sprouted from some metal based cubes. Weird once again, but if I were to guess, both the Imaginary Space and the Quantum Sea would be connected in some way, so the organic matter that created me must have created the roses and the metallic matter must have solidified onto those floors and cubes floating around. I approached her, only to realize who she was...she was me. Through the metals and reflections in the Imaginary Space and the reflections in the Quantum Sea, I knew exactly how I looked like before seeing her. It didn't take long for me to realize the fact that she was responsible for it. Then, for the first time since I exited The Void, I heard voices. Surprise, surprise it was Mellistar fighting off Makaro and Kikaro. I don't remember much from that point onwards, but the general gist of it is that I woke up in Zero, thinking I escaped hell, only to find a new one. And yes, I was aware of Hikari's presence from the start, and she did the same."

"So this whole thing started off there?"

"The whole world burning itself?"

"From the things you told me, one thing stuck out most. Shadowers in The Void. If it's a sandwich type thing where we've got The Quantum Sea into The Void into the Imaginary Space and you saw Makaro, Kikaro and Mellistar duking it out in the Imaginary Space...then that means that they must have also had an entry point. But instead of getting in from the Quantum Sea, they must have somehow managed to access the bottom of the sandwich, the Imaginary Space directly. If that's the case, then that means that the reason behind the Shadower surge is the fact that there's now the breaking of The Void you caused to get out of it that they can use to escape it and a break in the Imaginary Space that everyone else used to get to Hikari."

"But...that's impossible. The Shadowers I fought in The Void were similar, but not nearly identical to these ones here."

"You also said that the Quantum Sea is like the Imaginary Space but more liquid. If the row is from the Sea, to the Void and then the Space, then that means that it may also represent the three states of matter. Gas for the Quantum Sea, liquid or semi liquid as it was drooling plasma that formed the Shadowers in The Void and then finally solid for the Imaginary space. That would make sense, because if the others entered the Imaginary Space from the world directly, then that means that the sandwich of these 'realms' begins as nothing and then gradually solidifies the closer it gets into our world, then becoming what we actually exist in at the moment."

"Holy shit...then that actually means that the reason behind the increasing Shadower attacks might be...that?!"

"It's plausible, yes, but it's just theory crafting. All this recent bullshit about wars, gods, celestial beings and power beyond imagination sounded too wild for me to believe. Add to the fact that the source behind their thinking was a message saying 'trust me', I struggled to believe it. I'm just looking at the best possible explanation so I can get to the root of the problem instead of continuing to wildly flail around like a moron. That said...I'm not glossing over your story. But...I'd like to know more."

"Like I said, that's confidential. Not even Hikari knows it, and she never will for the most part, since I'm blocking her off the way you do to Yuno."

"Why do you not want her to find out even? You are living in her body, so might as well explain to her what you're all about."

"Some things...are better left secret.", Enemy sighed.

"Sure...like everything that was kept secret from me all this time. At this point, I'm convinced that secrets pave the way to true hell."

"Not like you have much to keep from me anyway. I know you better than you think...you were with Hikari all the time anyway. Funny to think the class clown would turn out to me a sad, miserable creature."

"Still remember that. Hah.", he scoffed, "Not like like some shitty jokes for riding the schools back as a kid are going to paint your character. Besides even back then...it appeared that I couldn't joke about much after awhile."

"That is true...whatever happened that made that innocent kid become like this? Training with Cecilia to become a sacrificial lamb for the Silverlances?"

"Mmm. I guess you could say that. Though the story isn't that simple to begin with. Even then, I wouldn't be able to tell you for two reasons. One being that it's obviously all coming back to me at once and I need time to sort it out."

"And the second one?", Enemy curiously asked.

"I don't want to."

"Seriously?"

"Oh yes. You're limiting what you share with me, so I guess I'll just do the same. Eye for an eye. And don't bullshit me about 'eye for an eye, the world goes blind'. It's natural, don't you think? You hurt someone, they'll hurt you back. That's it."

"Hmph. Maybe you're not as moronic as I thought of you to be."

"As for now, I need to forward my theory to Drima, see what he can make out of it with the intel he has. And...check on the others."

"That too. I forgot to ask...why do you care about them? Or do you even care?"

"Hmm...the honest answer?"

"That's what me and Hikari both want."

"Despite the lies you told me and probably her...fine. Honestly, I don't care. They should've detached from me when they had the chance. This sick twist of fate only brought them back to me. The only reason I want to check on them is because I don't want a bunch of innocents hurt by me at my worst state to be partying with the worms."

"You sick, heartless bastard...", Enemy gritted her teeth.

"I'm sick and heartless? Did I not warn them? Clearly too? I remember that I specifically told them to get out of my way and then additionally gave them very hostile innuendos to do so. It's my problem, not theirs to solve it."

"They did it because they care? Has that crossed your mind?"

"Caring for something that doesn't care for itself seems like a crude cycle to want to get yourself into, no? You can't help what doesn't want to be helped, so you're best off leaving it as is. The way I see it now, I have to carry this weight around like I'm that kid in school, not liked but wanting to force himself into a group just for the sake of camouflaging normality."

"And then you're straight forward asking me for the reason behind me wanting to kill you?"

"Of course. I needed to hear you say why you were playing with your food, rather than masking it with your bravado. After all, you were tormenting me in my enigmatic nightmares for awhile, correct?"

Dante got up and moved towards Enemy, dropping her stance and entering an alerted position as he approached right next to her chair.

"Friendship and romance are relationships that in my eyes also deserve the 'eye for an eye' treatment. They exchange relationships. You give a kiss, you get a kiss. You give a gift, you receive a gift."

"You give a beating, you get a beating.", Enemy angrily said avoiding eye contact.

"Correct. So in a friendly gesture, let's exchange favors. I'll give you a favor and you'll give me a favor."

"What kind of favor would I give to an asshole like you?"

"Ehm. I will do you the favor of not actively pinning down and slaughtering neither you and especially Hikari, Magi or Drima for the lies and the gaslighting they put me through up until this point, like I was some sort of puppet for them to play with. Same goes for a beating to everyone else, who I know that they already knew something and referred from telling me up until we came here. You already had a conversation with them, no? Otherwise, it's unlikely that most of them would agree to trust you as the main component in the amateurish operation you set up in Dirunon."

Enemy gritted her teeth, "What do you want...in return?"

Dante sighed, "If I ever lose control again, or try to hurt anyone, especially Hikari and everyone else...kill me. No hesitation. You will completely ignore whatever sympathetic bullshit Hikari spits at you and you'll focus on driving whatever sword, lance or spear you morph into my throat and end it right there."

Enemy paused briefly as she struggled to comprehend the contradiction between the two parts of the deal offered before her.

"So. Do you accept the exchange in favors?"

Still stunned by the difference of intent in his sentences, she looked at him in the eyes, only to then realize even further as to the reasoning that was created in his offerings.

"I...accept."

"Hmm. Good.", Dante walked to the door.

He easily grabbed the pinned door and yanked it to the side, opening the gap once again and pinning it on a nearby wall.

"Oh and...do yourself a favor and drop the tough bitch act around me. It won't work anymore. I know for a fact you ain't afraid of me."

Enemy snapped out of it, looking forward away from Dante, "Hah. Is that what you think? What makes you say that?"

"For one, you'd maintain constant and hostile eye contact with me. But you're not. For two, you would try to find a weakness to pursue me with, but you realize that you can't find any. Aren't I a hero? Powerful, heartless and with nothing left to lose. Even those fears you'd capitalize on in my nightmares and real life are rapidly diminishing. I'm even struggling to realize if it's me you're afraid of, or the reason that I don't care anymore?"

"You have a third one?"

"Yep. You wouldn't be clutching on your weapon so hard from me merely approaching your side, unless you were piss scared of what I was about to do. Funny how the table turns, huh? I'll check on Tiki. Don't be late, Drima's whole information sharing gathering is going to take place after and something tells me no one is going to want to miss it."

With that, Dante walked out of the room to leave behind a yet again, stunned Enemy. She looked behind her as she proceeded to look down on her waist, morphed Wing Of Aether at hand and fist clenching tightly. In another fit of rage, she flipped the table upside down, as she breathed heavily. Finally, after relaxing enough, she looked back outside and reminded herself of the deal she had accepted. Her conflicting emotions. She knew neither his intentions or his stance between them all. But one thing was certain to her...she had just lost control of what she so tightly held on to for so long.