The emerald glow slowly faded, leaving a thin shimmer around Gendai's body. Her double-ended spear rested against her back like it belonged there, her stance confident—but only for a moment.
She swayed.
Riah, who had been watching from the edge of the battlefield, finally stepped forward. Her phoenix flame flickered at her fingertips, not out of aggression, but concern.
Riah (softly):
"…You really did it, Gendai."
Gendai looked up, her breath uneven. A small smile tugged at her lips—one of peace, not victory.
Gendai:
"She was never my enemy… Just the part of me I kept locked away."
Riah walked closer, her flame fading.
Riah:
"You were always strong. You just didn't see it. I… should've said that sooner."
Gendai opened her mouth, maybe to thank her. Maybe to tease her. Maybe to say nothing at all.
But her knees buckled.
Riah:
"Gendai?!"
She caught her just in time. The moment their bodies touched, Riah felt the drain—the toll that synchronization had taken. Gendai's aura was flickering, as if the fusion of her dual selves had exhausted every last drop of energy she had left.
Gendai's eyes fluttered weakly.
Gendai (whispering):
"…You came."
Riah (gritting her teeth):
"Of course I did. You idiot."
With no hesitation, Riah hoisted her into her arms. Gendai's head rested gently against her shoulder. Even unconscious, her expression was calm.
Tyrone, standing nearby with his hands in his pockets, just nodded as Riah passed him.
Tyrone:
"I'll clear the path."
Riah:
"You better. If she gets a single scratch on the way back, I'm lighting the whole city up."
She didn't run. She walked—every step deliberate, every breath heavy with the weight of what had just happened.
The moonlight guided them home.
Back to the Prismic Gathering Mansion.
Back to where a new version of Gendai could finally rest.