A groan echoed out of Ace's mouth as he woke up in his bed, the same one he had been comatosely sleeping in for the past three years.
'I feel like my head's gonna burst,' he complained internally as his blank gaze landed on the ceiling above.
The vision of a night sky, a park bench, a white fox and black crescent moon within a blank white void flashed within his mind as words of a distorted voice echoed in his mind.
We are one and we are all. We are—
"Haa…" he let out a sigh as he pressed his fist on his forehead, still staring blankly at the sealing.
'That was a lot of info to take in at once.'
The bedsheets rustled beneath him as he sat up the bed, glancing to the window as the light of day passed through it.
'Oh yeah. I had almost forgotten.'
He remembered the happenings of last night. The inner world, Ryu, his choice, and most importantly—
His hand rose up to his lips, fingers clenched into a loose fist as he remembered the sensation.
—Emilia's kiss.
"Haa… This is gonna be a problem," he muttered, dragging his hand from his lips to his hair. 'How do I deal with her now?'
He slightly shook his head as he got off bed, walking towards to the bed before stopping before the door, his hand hesitating to turn the doorknob as evident from the sharpening twitch of his eyes.
"Fwoo~" he released a short breath as he opened the door, taking his first steps outside this room since what felt like forever.
He closed the door behind him, head glancing on his left and right as the left side of the corridor seemed brighter, walking in its direction.
Slowly, with each step, sounds started coming from what sounded to be the living room. It was the whistling sound of a boiling kettle, and alongside it—
"Guess the old man's dead, huh?"
Ace spoke up, the black-haired girl standing before him, shooting a glance back at him in stunned surprise, her expression filled with shock at the news that were being relayed on the TV.
—It was none other than the breaking news of the destruction of Therion Academy and the death of its dean, Hugo Hendrickson, during a Vanishing Point incident.
"…Ace?" Emilia muttered as her and Ace's eyes locked onto each other. 'Eh?'
Within the seemingly expanding silence between them, something about Ace's gaze perplexed Emilia, enough for the news of Hugo's death to be completely overshadowed by the thought.
Ace's eyes were clear.
Something about them had changed.
Not only did they seem to hold life within them, but there was also something else. Something akin to… resignation?
Almost as if on instinct, a slight shift occurred in Emilia's movement, hands twitching slightly before being pulled back in surprise by Ace's words.
"You really are too perceptive… Emi."
"!?"
At that moment, the form of Ace before drifted into a smoke of shadows while a hand immediately restrained her left arm and another covered her mouth, muffling her words as she tried to release herself.
"It really terrifies me," Ace's voice came from behind her.
He had locked her perfectly in place even as she struggled.
"How easy it is for you to read me like an open book. It really scares the hell out of me. It's… uncomfortable."
"…"
As she absorbed Ace's words, she could feel it.
Even if similar, there was a clear difference in Ace's handling of her as compared to when they were still back in the academy.
'What is it does he want?' she asked herself.
There was no hostility emanating from Ace. But even then, his grip was tight and unrelenting.
Ace immediately felt how her previously tense body had now relaxed.
"Sorry, Emi. After mulling it over, I could only come to this conclusion. So even if it's shameless for me to ask this favor of you. I'm begging you. Please stop concerning yourself with me."
Emilia's eyes widened in surprise, trying to glance back at Ace over her shoulder to no avail. Ace's expression was completely hidden from Emilia's sight as he was situated behind her. And his voice was calm and collected throughout the whole one-sided conversation.
'What is he saying? What does mean by that?'
Her voice echoed out in muffled sounds as she tried to ask Ace what he was talking about.
"Don't overthink it," he began with a composed tone as he continued.
"I'm grateful to you for bringing me back from the edge, but it was naïve of you to think that something would change simply because of that. I've simply opened my eyes to the truth and decided that from now on, I'll simply act as I will."
He slightly released a short breath which brushed against Emilia's nape, making her slightly flinch.
'I don't understand, Ace. Why? Why are you doing all this? Is it still not enough? Am I still not enough?'
Frustration started flaring up in her eyes, her thoughts immediately being culled over by Ace's next words.
"Don't beat yourself over it. You did nothing wrong, Emi."
The whistling sound of the heated kettle continued to echo alongside the audio of the TV as Emilia focused completely on Ace's voice, confusion fluttering in her heart at Ace's words.
"All your misery, anguish, hatred, you can just blame it all on me."
"…" Emilia was completely stunned silent as she listened to his words.
"From now on, I'll handle all of it on my own. You don't need to fight anymore. You don't need to shed more blood either. Even your revenge, I'll handle it for you. I'm more suited for those types of things anyway. So please, Emi…"
Ace leaned forward, his head pressing against her shoulder as he removed his hand from her mouth. And as he did, her voice came out.
"Ace… What do you—"
He then covered her eyes as a sudden feeling of drowsiness overwhelmed her mind, her consciousness fading into unconsciousness.
'N-no… Ace…' Her body slumped back against him as Ace then held her up, her head resting against his shoulder.
Before the weightlessness of darkness claimed her, Emilia's fluttering eyes caught sight of Ace's expression.
Though stoic, his eyes had a tenderness she had never seen in them.
Ace then brought a hand to her face, brushing away a streak of hair.
And it was at that moment, as Emilia's heavy eyelids finally closed shut, did she hear Ace's final plea.
"…Please just forget about me."
---
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Days later, within a pristine building that reminded of castles of old, a certain meeting was underway.
"We greet His Majesty Leonardo von Riese Enfilia, Ruler of the Four Stars," the greeting echoed aloud as doors opened within a certain meeting room.
Dorian von Argos, Roselia von Ludwig, Greg von Rotsguard and Claude von Howards were each present, having risen from their seats to bow their heads and Leonardo.
"I greet you all, my friends," he passed around them towards his reserved seat as each one of them raised their heads.
"Now then," Leonardo sat down followed by the four others. "We have much to discuss on. So let us not waste any more time, shall we?"