Rin leaned into them both, still chuckling despite the blood on his lips.
"Iya~! I thought you were going to strike that last one, seriously," Rin explained to Thrúiowre. "I had a perfect technique to counter it brilliantly. But it only works when the opponent moves with palpable killing intent. But you suddenly went soft on me!"
"I appears… that I do not wish to truly slay you," Thrúiowre's voice boomed in the volcanic region they stood. "Perhaps, it is because you are not evil, just immensely stubborn and a pain to deal with."
"Look at you sounding like an old man," Rin mocked casually.
"Master, that was far too reckless!" Munganda yelled, nearly in tears, as she rubbed his distorted arm lightly with violet glow. "What if… What if…"
"I thought you would flee this time around… Goshujin…" Before he'd defend himself, Inferna pulled his cheek lightly, her eyes watery and her lips puckered. "Why did you allow him strike you so much?! I was genuinely afraid we would lose you."
"Ehhhh? What a pain!" Rin pouted too.
"You ARE the pain!" The maids yelled in unison.
Thrúiowre only watched them curiously, as they bantered continuously, with Rin finally apologizing.
The Titan remained motionless, their sword still half-raised, and their starry red glow for eyes quivering slowly like a heartbeat.
The volcanic wind tugged lightly at their armor, but they did not move. They simply observed; the mortal leaning on his monster servants, the maids fussing over him like worried mothers, the easy laughter of Rin cutting through sulfur and ash of the atmosphere.
"Alright, Thrúiowre," Rin's arms were supported by the maids as he turned over his shoulder. "See ya. I definitely had fun, but my Lewd Meter is nearly empty. I'll come play with you at another time when you're even stronger."
"I refuse! Master will never return to this place until he learns restrains."
Munganda complained as she opened the tear for them to leave… HOWEVER!
It snapped shut suddenly.
The purple rift had glimmered once, but then collapsed in on itself with a sharp crack, sealing without trace.
"!!" Inferna and Munganda froze.
Then their heads snapped back toward Thrúiowre with unmistakable wariness, their bodies shifting instinctively into protective stances, fully ready to protect Rin to the death.
"What is this, still wanna fight?" Rin asked. "I still have some moves to show you, but GoG will kill me if I fight anymore. C'mon, for old times' sake, spare me for now. I mean, I beg you. should I lick your boots?"
Thrúiowre gazed at them with those red glows for eyes.
"...I do not want you to leave…" They said with their deep voice. "You… left me for too long last time."
"Eh?"
Thrúiowre's words hung in the dull, violent air. They weren't angry, and they weren't threatening Rin.
What was being exposed was a sad and ancient loneliness echoing across the scorched plain.
***
Thrúiowre gazed at them with those red glows for eyes.
"...I do not want you to leave…" They said with their deep voice, "You… left me for too long last time."
"Eh?"
Their words mixed with the volcanic air like stones into still water.
The dull sky rumbled as if in response to the claim, the lava rivers glowing faintly brighter as though stirred by the Titan's admission.
Rin put a hand over his mouth mockingly. "Ara~ Don't tell me you're going to be lonely when I'm gone. Are you so friendless?"
"I… I do not know. But I fear if you leave now, you would take too long to return and it will make me feel more… empty."
"And… you don't like feeling empty? You're literally void taken form."
"I do not like the emptiness. I want what those servants have too."
"Sheesh, you're so honest," Rin looked away slightly embarrassed from Thrúiowre's blunt talk. "Well, I knew something like this would happen sooner or later."
Then Rin reminisced about the past:
***
Twelve-year-old Rin appeared in the vast void along with Chris.
The emptiness stretched in every direction, black and absolute, broken only by distant pinpricks of starlight that refused to warm anything.
Rin stood small in his bear-printed short and short pants, his blue hair tousled from whatever struggle they had just tumbled through before coming there.
Chris, with his golden-haired and glasses glinting even in the void, stood beside Rin, with his expression calm and unreadable.
"Are you sure this the place, Chris?"
"Indeed, Rin-sama. The Void Keeper dwells here."
Beyond them stood Thrúiowre, motionless, their hands on the hilt of a sword that seemed to rise from the nothing itself.
The Titan's armor shifted faintly like oil on water, their helmet horns curving upward into darkness.
The starry red glow inside regarded the boy and the blonde other without surprise or enmity—only calm observation.
"Go back, this place is off limits to mortals." His deep voice resounded heavily, shaking the space like distant thunder. "And shame on you, Mephistopheles, for leading him astray."
"Ehhh? So boring," Rin put his hands casually on his head. "Chris, I thought the guy would be more interesting!"
"Forgive my presumptuousness, Rin-sama," Chris bowed slightly.
"Why does the primordial demon serve the mortal?"
"Not telling!" Rin stuck out his tongue. "You're too boring, so I'll go away now."
As Rin and Chris turned to leave, Thrúiowre called, "Wait. Do you not want to stay a while longer? I would not mind resisting you, if you wanted a challenge."
"Pfft!" Rin exploded into laughter, hugging Chris's waist from too much guffawing.
"Haha, it was exactly as you said, Chris. He's super bored!"
Then as Rin faced him, his hair began to turn golden at the roots, leaving the deep blue hair at the rest.
"Sure, Thrúiowre. I'll play with you…"