"[cold]Are you ready?" Cold fingers seized Rei's chin. At the edge of her vision, Tsukasa lay collapsed, covered in blood. Motionless. (*It's over now.*) Rei closed her eyes. That's when it happened. "[whispers]...Rei... protect..." A faint voice. Rei's eyelids flew open as if struck. Tsukasa's fingertips scraped faintly against the concrete floor. His bloodstained lips had definitely moved. (*That wasn't Eros's power just now.*) Something burned deep in her chest. That was Tsukasa's own, pure will. "[angry]...You idiot." Strength flooded through Rei's entire body. The flames of desire that had bound her for so long—she felt them suddenly, quietly extinguish. In their place, something hotter, something far stronger ignited deep within her chest. *—I don't want this person to die.* That single, simple wish became her core. *Crackle.* The air trembled. An invisible wave of power surged through the abandoned factory. "[surprised]Wh-what...?" Thanatos released Rei's chin and glanced around. *Crack.* Fissures ran through the air itself. The barrier sealing her spiritual power began to groan from within. "[angry]The barrier... breaking from the inside!?" "[cold]I'm ready now." Rei slowly raised her head. A faint flame flickered within her tear-soaked eyes. "[cold]Ready to defeat you." *CRASH!* Another massive crack split through the barrier. Thanatos was visibly shaken. "[scared]D-damn you...!" Thanatos gripped the chains binding Rei, attempting to pour more spiritual power into them. But his movements were rushed. The composure he'd had moments ago—looking down on Rei completely, doing as he pleased from a safe distance—was gone. That carelessness was exactly what Rei had been aiming for. (*Not yet. I can't use up all my power.*) Rei let all the strength drain from her body. She collapsed to her knees, head hanging low. "[crying]...I understand now..." Rei spoke in a trembling voice. "[crying]I'll do... as you say. So please..." "[excited]So you've finally come around." Thanatos's lips twisted. He stopped his frantic attempts to reinforce the barrier and slowly approached Rei. "[cold]If you had done so from the start, you could have avoided such pain." "[whispers]...Yes." "[cold]Very well. Then I shall remove those chains." Thanatos crouched down, reaching for the chains on Rei's ankles. His face came directly above Rei's—completely defenseless. "[angry]You fool—!" Rei's right arm shot upward as if striking the ground itself. A full-force uppercut, pouring in every last drop of her remaining spiritual power. *THOOOOM!!!* "[surprised]Guhah...!?" Rei's fist sank deep into Thanatos's jaw. His massive body lifted into the air and hurtled backward into the wall. "So you've finally figured it out—my true power!" Rei shouted, rising to her feet. With that momentum, the chains on her wrists slid off with a clatter. The barrier was weakening. *CRASHHHH!!!* The impact of Thanatos slamming into the wall dislodged fixtures from the ceiling, sending a cascade of rusted iron pipes and debris crashing down like an avalanche. *Thud-thud-thud-thud!* "[muffled]Ugh, guh...!?" Thanatos was buried beneath the mountain of wreckage. "[cold]You've got terrible luck." Rei muttered just that one line, then immediately rushed to Tsukasa's side. "[scared]Tsukasa-kun!" She knelt in the pool of blood, trying to lift him up. "[whispers]...Rei-san..." Tsukasa's eyes opened just a sliver. "[scared]Run... I'm... not worth it..." "[angry]Shut up!" Rei silenced him with a shout and hoisted Tsukasa onto her back with strength that seemed impossible for her slender frame. "[angry]Like I'd ever leave you behind!" Tsukasa's arms wrapped around Rei's shoulders. Their cheeks were close enough to touch, but there was no room for sentimentality. Only her heart was pounding at full throttle. (*Move, my legs!*) Rei sprinted toward the exit of the abandoned factory. Behind her, she heard the pile of debris collapsing. "[angry]Damn you... how dare you, HOW DARE YOU!!" Don't look back. Rei clenched her teeth and leaped into the darkness of the night. --- Late night in the Azabu-Juban shopping district. Only Rei's footsteps echoed across the arcade roof. (*If I can just make it to the shrine. Inside that barrier, you're finished.*) She dashed past "Taiyaki Honoka." Grandma Hanako, who had been just about to turn off the lights, witnessed the scene through the window. "[surprised]Oh my, Rei-chan's carrying another man..." "[gentle]As expected, indeed." Her carefree murmur dissolved into the silence of the night. It was a strange sprint—comedy and tension intertwined. The great torii gate of Hikawa Shrine came into view. "[breathless]Hahh, hahh...!" Her lungs felt like they would burst. Tsukasa in her arms was limp and heavy. (*Just a little more!*) Rei summoned the last of her strength and passed through the torii. The air trembled with a sharp *crackle*. The barrier. Rei gently laid Tsukasa down on the stone paving of the shrine grounds. She turned to face forward. "[angry]Now that we're here, this works in my favor." Rei spoke quietly, raising ofuda in both hands. Her shrine maiden robes, soaked with sweat and grime, had come loose at the chest, her collarbones catching the moonlight. Behind her, Tsukasa—barely regaining consciousness—murmured dazedly through bloodstained lips. "[whispers]...Beautiful." "[angry]You're saying that NOW!? You're half-dead!" Rei's face flushed bright red. But tears glistened in her eyes. Beyond the great torii, Thanatos had caught up—only to be repelled by the barrier, stopping in his tracks. "[angry]Y-you wretch...!" Above his head, a black miasma began to coalesce. "[laughing]How amusing." Eros's voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere. "[cold]Then I shall make an appearance as well. I wish to ascertain the flavor of this new flame." With the sacred tree at her back, Rei readjusted the ofuda in both hands. Her expression held no more hesitation. It was the face of a warrior—ready to fight with her own flame.