An unfamiliar Code is etched onto my body.

What the hell is this?

“This… I’ve never seen it before.”

“And you have no idea what it is?”

“Maybe a prank? Someone drew it on me while I was out.”

“If that’s a prank, the Akai estate is a dangerous place to sleep. That thing is Spell Rank S.”

“So I was almost crippled in my sleep… What does it say? I can’t read it from this angle.”

“It reads, ‘Flammae, procul fugite ab anima mea.’”

“‘Spirits of fire, flee from my soul.’ Is that the fire-warding spell? Magia Ignis Repellenda?”

“You know your spells. That’s the one. It lets you control fire-based arts. There are plenty of Codes for heat resistance, but this one is different. It’s tied to your will. As long as you believe you can take the heat, you won’t burn.”

A godsend.

But wait… I had this the whole time?

If I could’ve used it against Homura, I wouldn’t have ended up half-dead. Why didn’t it activate?

I let out a long breath. “Still, who did this?”

“It’s Latin. Feels like Akai Clan work. The only question is when they put it there. If you’d known about it, Homura wouldn’t have burned you so badly.”

It clicks. Of course.

That’s why I couldn’t use it against Homura. It wasn’t there yet.

“…Lord Issei.”

“Issei? The flashy one?”

“Yes. I haven’t told you. The sacrifice for Homura’s revival… it was him.”

The room goes dead silent.

Lady Ren claps a hand over her mouth. Faces around me fall.

My gaze drifts to Lady Ayano. The cat, moments ago preening in a patch of sun, is frozen solid. Her eyes are wide, unblinking.

A pained cry escapes her, a sound caught between a mewl and a sob. Tears well in the cat’s eyes, tracing paths through her fur.

I can’t watch. I look away.

He was still alive. If I’d been a little faster, maybe…

But I can’t say that. Not with Ren and Sumire here.

I can’t even offer Ayano a word of comfort. Her survival, her transformation into a cat is a secret between Lady Kimiyo and me.

She’s the last hope of the Akai.

Lady Kimiyo lets out a heavy sigh. “I see. So that’s what happened. It explains a great deal.”

I trace the Code on my chest. Even as a monster, Issei came to his senses at the end. He reached out and carved this into my skin.

Flammae, procul fugite ab anima mea. What am I supposed to make of that? 

Was it an apology? ‘Sorry about the fire, kid.’

Or a parting gift? ‘Happy belated birthday.’

I’ll never know. I can’t ask him now.

One thing I do know: he trusted me. Trusted me with a Spell Rank S Code. Believed I was strong enough to handle it.

“Ikaku Akamuro, that makes what you did even more righteous. You saved Issei Akai’s soul. That is loyalty. The most important exorcism. You did well.”

“Lady Kimiyo…”

“I’ve grilled you enough, considering you just woke up. We have more to discuss. Especially this ‘Seekers of the Deep’ group.”

“…Where did you hear that name?”

“Your axe talks a lot.”

“Right.”

“I was also surprised to see you’ve collected so many charming girls. You have a thing for the younger ones?”

“It’s not like that… They just… multiplied on me.”

She laughs softly. “Very well. We’ll save that conversation for later. Rest, for now.”

As Lady Kimiyo and the others file out of the room, Sumire Akashi steps up to my bedside.

She gives me a wide, beaming smile, but her eyes are all shadow.

Cold sweat beads on my skin.

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