So, this is the big day, huh.

I check the time. Still 6 hours left.

I send a wave to Ayu. "I'll be heading over."

A thumbs-up comes back.

I gear up, strapping on everything carefully.

My pouch of projectiles, the ones Lukas handed out that day, hangs at my side.

I've got to admit, they're far more effective than I initially thought. With my current wave output, I can one-shot almost anything out there without much effort.

That said, they're brittle. Using full force usually means the projectile shatters into pieces after a single impact. I'm down to just a handful now.

I should probably ask Lukas for more before the boss fight. After all, it's been three days taking care of Chiara instead of the two I'd originally promised.

Rent was due, I grinned.

I slip on my mask and head toward Chiara's temporary cave.

Less than a minute later, I reach the spot and see Ayu outside, fully geared up.

We've been sparring a lot these past two days, ever since Houston suggested—blessed be that day—that we scale back the hellish physical training after my progress on physical condition slowed. Instead, I've been doing morning spars alongside the usual night sessions with Ayu.

And hell, have we fought a lot.

Her control of Overdrive has already surpassed 30%, inching close to her theoretical limit of 35%. She's improved so much, using her innate ability offensively and developing a body-wide muscle memory that makes her a terrifying opponent. I can no longer defeat her with just full-state Overdrive—I've had to push beyond that to create winning chances.

If I had to point it out, Ayu's ability to keep herself alive is by no means inferior to my own, perhaps even better. The only weakness she has is her lower damage output, which could be an issue when facing tough, giant, and highly durable creatures. Yet, Lukas' bullets seem to mitigate that to some extent, and she's been practicing with them extensively over the past few days—something we obviously avoid using during our spars.

"Ready?" I ask, smiling.

Ayu nods, clanging her gauntlets together.

"We still have some time. I have a hunch Lukas will contact us soon. If not, we can call him ourselves," I say, glancing toward the cave. "How's Chiara?"

"She's the same. More scrambling on the walls, shifting thoughts, the murmurs…" Ayu sighs and turns her gaze to me, her eyes behind the mask heavy with worry. "Do you think she'll be okay?"

I stay silent. I want to say yes, but the truth is, I don't know. I've been following her progress—if you could call it that—and Houston says that while she's making headway, every direction she takes seems to hit a dead end. If this keeps up…

"Let's trust her, Ayu," I finally say. "For all it's worth, Chiara is a freaking genius. She'll figure it out eventually."

I step closer to Ayu, standing just in front of her, and take her hand. "Let's keep our focus on the boss fight for now. Chiara will be okay."

Ayu pauses, then shakes her head and nods. She looks up at me. "You're right. This will be our second boss fight together, right? What do you think it'll drop?"

I laugh suddenly. Forget asking about the boss's location or type—Ayu's already thinking about the loot. Well, it's good. She has every right to be confident.

"I don't know. I wouldn't mind a fancy weapon or maybe a new mask so I can finally ditch this one," I say, grinning.

"Hmm, I'd love something for my legs. Kicking harder sounds fun," she chuckles.

"How are my trusty champions?" Lukas' voice suddenly fills our heads, interrupting our conversation. "I trust you had a wonderful sleep."

We both laugh. We quickly sync our frequencies, connecting all three of us for a group conversation.

"I was expecting your call anytime now," I reply. "How are things on your side?"

"All set," Lukas responds. "The kids won't be able to contribute much in this fight—they still have a lot of Stage farming to do before they're truly useful. They'll mostly observe and take care of any minions if needed. It'll be primarily you two, with backup from Arjun, Wang, Imani, and yours truly."

"Lukas, do you have more of those bullets?" Ayu suddenly asks.

"Oh, yes. I've prepared 20 more for each of you. I hope that'll be enough for the fight. Have you gotten used to them? How's the feel? Not bad, right?"

"They're great," Ayu says quickly, cutting off any response I might have had.

"Good. Good. So, how's Chiara? Any progress?" His tone softens slightly.

"She's… the same. But, she should be fine alone. I left her with enough water and food," Ayu replies.

"Alright. A bit unfortunate we won't have the full squad of seven this time," he sighs.

Squad of seven? I muse at the thought, not entirely sure when that was supposed to be a thing.

Suddenly, a map materializes in my mind, with a location marked near the edge between the Isles and the Swamp region.

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"We'll meet here, six hours from now. Does that work for you?"

I narrow my eyes, analyzing the position. "But… why so far from the other regions? Shouldn't we move closer to the center to be near the potential boss area? Or do you think the Swamp is next?"

"I have no idea which region is next," Lukas replies, his tone steady. "But from a safety standpoint, the Isles and the coastal area are the best places to wait. There's no rush to defeat the boss. The priority is avoiding the transition event when it spawns. The spot I marked is ideal for that. I doubt the next boss will be in this region, and even if it is, as we're in a water zone, the chances of rifts forming away from the edges are slim. At worst, we'll deal with a tsunami, flood, or some other watery mess that we can easily escape by moving to the Swamp. Nothing we can't manage."

Safety…

Images of last time's near-death experience crash back into my mind.

Yeah… fair enough.

"Okay, we'll meet you there then," I send back.

"Alright, and… thanks for taking care of Chiara," Lukas says, a faint warmth in his tone.

"It's okay. And just thank Ayu though—she's been doing all the work," I reply, glancing at her.

Her eyes shift toward me, narrowing ever so slightly before softening.

"Thanks, Ayu," Lukas responds, his tone light but sincere. "I'll make it up to you. If there's anything you need, take your time and let me know."

Ayu looks at me, and I catch the glint of mischief in her eyes.

For a moment, I feel our connection break.

What…

I chuckle, imagining the kind of favor she's asking Lukas—probably something to surprise me later. Shaking my head, I wait for a few seconds until the connection re-establishes.

"Alright. See you guys soon," Lukas says before disconnecting.

I turn to Ayu, raising an eyebrow. "What did you ask for?"

She just shrugs, but I'm certain there's a wickedly cute smile hidden behind that mask.

Shaking my head again, I glance toward the cave behind us. "I want to talk to Chiara before the boss fight. Is that okay?"

Ayu tilts her head slightly, caught off guard. She stays quiet for a moment before nodding. "Sure, just… try to be careful. Last time…"

She hesitates, the concern evident in her voice.

"It's okay. I think… I think it might help her," I reply, steadying myself.

I've been turning Houston's words about Chiara over in my head. Dismissing the thought of killing her was easy—I have no intention of hurting Chiara. Not only would it devastate Ayu, but it's something I'd never forgive myself for—nor would Ayu. As for working together… well, that's the hard part.

"Do you want me to come in with you?" she asks.

"No, it's okay. I think it'll be better if I go alone this time," I reply.

Ayu nods slowly, stepping back. Her eyes linger on me, a mix of trust and apprehension. "I'll wait outside then."

I calm my thoughts and step inside the cave at a slow pace.

I send Chiara a wave. "Can we talk?"

No answer.

I pause for a moment, take off my mask, and continue further in.

As I round the corner, I see her.

She's kneeling by the rock face, equations scrawled all over the wall. Her gaze locks onto me, her wide eyes a mixture of fear, apprehension, and… emptiness.

I raise my hands slowly. "It's okay, Chiara… I just want to talk for a bit."

She doesn't move, her expression unchanged.

I take a deep breath and step forward cautiously.

She reacts, leaning slightly back against the wall.

My eyes flick to the writings. Some of it looks familiar, fragments of something I can almost piece together. But other parts? A tangled mess of scratches and equations trailing into scrambled lines.

No progress yet, huh.

I glance back at her, then slowly sit down where I am, keeping a respectful distance.

"Alright," I begin. "I don't know if there's still a part of you that can understand what I'm about to say, or even if you'll remember any of it once you… well," I glance at the writings, "solve the model you're working on."

I exhale slowly, organizing my thoughts. "So, where to start… Ok, let's go back to the beginning."

"I still remember the first time I met you—casually running into you on the beach at the edge of the island. After our conversation, I had a decent opinion of you. You came across as rational, independent, interesting, with a mind and heart that sought answers."

I pause, staring briefly at the ground before continuing. "Then came the second encounter. Somehow, you'd become the leader of a faction of warriors. You were involved in—well, let's just call it a horrific revolution. Honestly, not the kind of person I'd have pegged as a leader, but your wave control fascinated me. Let's say 'respect' was the word that summed up my opinion in that second encounter."

I sigh deeply, my gaze drifting to the equations etched on the walls. "And then… everything went to shit. You were stubborn, blinded, closed, unadaptable. When everything backfired, you crumbled. You became a scared, useless bitch. You fucked up. And, well… you know the rest."

Her eyes remain locked on mine, unblinking. I want to believe there's a flicker of recognition or emotion in them, but I can't be sure.

"So, honestly, my opinion of you is terrible. As bad as it gets. I think you're a horrible leader. You lack empathy, foresight, trust. You're manipulative, selfish, and everything else I wouldn't want in a person near me. And yet, here we are."

I smile and chuckle softly to myself.

"You know, Lukas took on your role. And, honestly, he's leagues above you in every possible way a leader can be. The guy was probably a successful politician or salesman back on Earth—or something—but damn, is he good with words. Anyway, he said something the other day that was… enlightening. It wasn't abstract or empty like your 'for the greater good' bullshit, or the whole master-and-slave spiel you pulled out when things didn't go your way. No, it was spot on, shall we say."

"He talked about what really matters and how much we're willing to give for those things. He asked if we'd be able to put aside our pride and hate for the people we love. And… yeah, it's easier said than done. But in a way, he's right. Hate isn't going to save my mom. Hate isn't going to help me get out of here with Ayu. Hate… it's just a useless weight. Sure, it's a drive, it gives you strength for a while. But that strength, that drive—it's empty. It blinds us to what truly matters, to the things that should really drive us. To the purer, much greater source of power: love. Love for the people we care about, for whom we would do anything just to see them smile."

I exhale sharply, leaning my head back for a moment before looking at her again.

"Well, that came out longer than I expected. Anyway," I say, shaking my head slightly, "what I'm trying to say, Chiara, is that while I won't forget what you did—and, honestly, I doubt I ever will—I don't see you as my enemy. And… I'm not going to let the negative feelings I have for you linger in my mind. They're useless to me."

I pause, studying her.

"So, Chiara, I know what you're doing. You're trying to build a physical model to synchronize your fractured mind. I know if it works, you'll be stronger than ever… hopefully. And I believe you will succeed, because for all your faults, one thing is certain: you're insanely smart. You'll figure it out. So, when that happens," I get to my feet, taking a few steps forward and extending my hand, "let's work together and get the fuck out of this Tower."

Chiara doesn't move. Her eyes remain locked on me, apprehensive, her body still pressed back against the wall.

I sigh. Not that I expected anything else.

"Well, that's it. All I wanted to say." I step back and give her one last look. "Don't take too long."

And with that, I walk out.

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