The tall, immaculate man dressed in a sharp yellow suit looked down at Twelve's bloody remains, his eyes devoid of emotion. "Do not attempt to give orders to God."
Leo gritted his teeth, stepping back in caution despite his shattered body. "W-What just happened?! Who the hell are you?!"
The man ignored Leo's panic, glancing over him with mild interest. "I certainly didn't think you would end up this badly injured by mere mortals." He raised his hand, pointing a single finger at Leo. "I shall heal you... but not your friend."
"I don't need any damn treatment from you!" Leo snapped, holding his dislocated shoulder. "I know you're just another enemy!"
The man smirked coldly. "As if I care about what you need."
FLASH!
A warm, golden luminescence enveloped Leo. In a single second, the agonizing pain vanished. His dislocated shoulder snapped cleanly back into place, his bleeding skull closed up, and his exhaustion drained away completely—as if he had never been harmed at all.
Leo stared at his hands in disbelief.
"Now, as for your friend..." The man turned his attention to Null. "His condition is critical. I am genuinely amazed he is still standing."
Null stood a few paces away, his breath coming in ragged, bloody gasps. Nearly every bone in his body felt fractured, his vision blurred with blood, but his posture remained rigid. He held his ground, ready to fight through the pain to protect Leo from whatever threat stood before them.
The yellow-suited man raised his hands placidly. "Listen to me, my friend. I am not here to harm either of you. I came because my boss wishes to meet you."
Null spat a mouthful of blood, his voice hoarse and strained. "Who are you...? Who is your boss?!"
"My name is irrelevant," the man replied smoothly. "I am one of the Creators. And the leader of the Creators has requested an audience with you."
The word hit Leo like a physical blow. Immediately, memories flashed through his mind—the five colossal, three-meter-tall shadowy figures that had tried to trap them. The terrifying encounter replayed in his head as clearly as if it had happened yesterday.
"How are we supposed to believe you?!" Leo demanded. "Why shouldn't we think this is just another trap to kill us?!"
The man let out a soft sigh. "Fine. Do not trust me. I can easily return to where I belong. But ask yourselves... what comes next for you? You will be hunted by bounty hunters every single day. If you destroy this Council, another will simply take its place. You will never know peace. But if you come with me... perhaps we can find a solution. A way for you to live a normal, quiet human life, far away from all this endless struggle."
Leo narrowed his eyes. "How do I know you're not just another Council puppet trying to manipulate us?"
"If I wanted you dead, we wouldn't be talking," the man said calmly. "I healed you effortlessly. And look at me... does my attire look like anyone else's in this primitive world?"
Leo glanced at the man's crisp, tailored yellow formal suit. It was true—such clothing didn't exist in this realm. Yet, something deep inside Leo screamed at him not to trust this stranger.
"Even if that's true, I still—"
"Enough, Leo," Null interrupted, his voice steady despite his broken body.
Null looked directly into the Creator's eyes. "Fine. I will go. I want to end this cycle as quickly as possible. I don't want to see anyone else suffer because of me."
The Creator smiled faintly. "See? Your friend is much wiser than you. Follow me."
The man turned and began walking away. Null immediately stepped forward to follow.
Leo hesitated. Every instinct told him to run, but if Null was going, he had no choice. He remembered something his father had told him long ago: When you are trapped in a situation and don't know what to do, place your faith in the person you trust the most...
Leo tried to recall the rest of his father's words, but a sudden, strange fog clouded his mind. He couldn't remember. It felt as though an invisible force was deliberately blocking his thoughts, slowly erasing his old world memories piece by piece.
Pushing the unsettling feeling aside, Leo hurried after Null and the Creator.
They navigated through a maze of narrow, ruined alleyways until the Creator stopped in front of a plain wooden door embedded into a crumbling stone wall. The door looked entirely out of place in the ancient street.
The Creator turned the handle and pushed it open.
Inside was not an alley, but a pristine, cozy room. It looked like an apartment straight out of their original world—equipped with twin beds, a small kitchen, a dining table, warm overhead lights, rows of books, and fully stocked first-aid supplies. There were no windows.
"What is this place?" Leo asked, stunned by the familiar sight.
"This is an elevator," the Creator explained calmly. "It will transport us to the realm where we belong. Step inside so we can treat your friend's injuries."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the district...
The battle between Lana and Nine had finally ceased. Both girls lay flat on their backs in the middle of the ruined street, staring up at the open sky side-by-side, looking less like deadly enemies and more like tired friends.
"I'm sorry..." Lana murmured softly, looking up at the clouds. "At first, I thought you were just a bad person trying to kill me and my brother."
Nine turned her head slightly, her gaze gentle. "You don't have to apologize. I've used people my entire life... even those on my own side. So... thank you."
Lana blinked. "Really? Does that mean... I'm special to you?"
"Yes," Nine whispered, her twisted obsession softening into something genuine. "I've never felt this way about another human being before..."
Lana didn't respond. She had already closed her eyes, falling fast asleep from sheer physical exhaustion.
Nine chuckled softly to herself. "Am I really that boring to talk to? But... she looks so cute when she sleeps. It almost feels like... I'm falling in real love..."
"She isn't sleeping. I put her unconscious."
Nine froze. She whipped her head around to see the tall Creator in the yellow suit standing over them.
Recognizing his overwhelming presence immediately, Nine scrambled to her knees, bowing her head deeply to the cobblestones. "F-Forgive me, my Lord! Please forgive me! But... she isn't like those traitors! She's different! Please let her go... she's innocent!"
The Creator looked down at her coldly. "I did not ask for your opinion."
"My Lord, please!" Nine begged, her voice trembling. "I know you ordered me to kill her... but I can't do it! Please, if you spare her life, I will do anything you ask!"
The Creator considered her for a moment, a sinister glint in his eyes. "Very well. I offer you a choice: kill her, or kill yourself. If you kill her, you will no longer have to serve the Council. You may live in luxury, surrounded by as many girls as you desire—girls far more innocent, beautiful, and possessing better eyes than hers. But... if you choose to kill yourself, I will let her live."
Nine didn't hesitate for a single second.
Without a word, she drew her beloved dagger, James, and plunged it directly into her own chest!
STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB!
Five continuous, brutal strikes tore through her own heart.
Blood burst from Nine's mouth, pooling over her clothes as she collapsed sideways beside Lana's sleeping form. As her vision faded into absolute darkness, Nine reached out a trembling hand, gently touching Lana's cheek one last time.
"Just a little bit of time with you..." Nine whispered, a faint, genuine smile gracing her lips. "...was more than enough to make me feel human again. Thank you... thank you so much..."
Nine's hand went limp, dropping into the dirt as her eyes closed forever.
The Creator looked down at her corpse, letting out a quiet hum. "So... you truly did experience real love, Nine."
He raised his hand. Lana's unconscious body slowly lifted into the air, wrapped in a soft golden aura.
Without looking back at the dead, the Creator floated into the sky alongside Lana, vanishing into the clouds.