A sickening crack split the air.
Her words were severed along with her spine. With a brutal, twisting jerk, March tore her head free from her body. Flesh ripped apart in wet strands, vertebrae snapping as a violent spray of blood erupted outward, splattering across his face and soaking into his clothes. The headless body stood for a fraction of a second—then collapsed, pumping thick, pulsing streams onto the pavement.
The metallic stench flooded the air.
Chrono and Talia froze, their eyes shot wide, horror rooting them in place.
March didn't even look at the corpse. Through the crimson mist still hanging in the air, he turned his gaze to Talia—his grin widening further, teeth stained red, as blood continued to drip from his fingers.
"I-Iris…?" Chrono muttered, his mouth hanging open. His hand lifted slightly, trembling, as if trying to reach her.
"Ah… ah…" March exhaled, almost breathless. "This is truly amazing. I really am unstoppable now!"
He tilted his head back toward the sky, arms spreading wide, his laughter bubbling out. "With this power…" he continued, voice trembling with excitement, "I can end this in no time. This is incredible!"
"Iris…" Chrono whispered again.
His breathing grew uneven. His chest tightened as he clutched at it, struggling to steady himself.
March glanced at him, a mocking smirk forming. "C'mon, Zeph. Don't tell me her death shook you this much. You'll loop anyway," he said casually. "Everything will reset. Even Iris won't remember a thing."
Talia tugged on Chrono's blazer sleeve, her grip tight. "Zeph… what's going on? Why did he… how did he…?" Her voice faltered, words failing her as she stammered.
Chrono glanced back at her, just slightly. "I don't have time to explain everything," he whispered, his voice unsteady, his body still trembling from what he'd just witnessed. "But long story short… he wants to kill you. And… he has an ability that lets him slow—and reverse—time."
Talia's eyes widened, her breath catching. "He wants to… kill me? But wh—"
"You're not leaving me out of the discussion, are you?" March's voice cut cleanly through the moment.
Chrono turned back to him, eyes narrowing sharply. "You're sick."
March blinked, then smiled, amused. "I'm sick? That's really mean, Zeph."
"Shut up!" Chrono snapped, anger finally spilling over. "I'm sick and tired of you. What did you gain from killing Iris? She didn't need to die."
March placed a hand on his chest, almost thoughtfully. "I learned something valuable," he said. "I now know I possess strength I never had before."
He tilted his head. "And besides… like I said before, everything resets when you loop. So why care so much?"
Chrono's jaw tightened. "Are you that desensitized?" he shot back. "You take a life and just shrug it off because it gets reset? You're insane."
March let out a small, almost playful chuckle. "I'm not insane, Zeph. Stop saying such mean things—you're hurting my feelings." He placed a hand over his heart dramatically. "I'm fragile, you know."
Chrono exhaled sharply, forcing himself to calm down.
"…What if May died, March?" he asked, voice lower now. "How would you feel? But it'd be fine, right? Since the day resets."
March scoffed immediately. "May cannot die," he said flatly, though his smile never faded. "There's nothing on this plane of existence capable of killing Mistress May—at least, not if it is involved.
He waved a hand dismissively. "Let's not entertain ridiculous hypotheticals, Zeph."
For a second, there was silence.
Then—
Chrono started laughing.
It was sharp. Unstable.
He clutched his head as the laughter spilled out, unrestrained.
Talia and March both stared at him, caught off guard.
"Why did I ever think you'd EVER understand?" Chrono muttered through his laughter. "What am I, stupid?"
He shook his head, still laughing. "Asking you anything is pointless. You don't care. You're too detached to understand ANYTHING I 'm saying."
His laughter slowed, fading into something colder. "…Ah. I get it now."
His eyes lifted. "You lack empathy, March. Is that it?"
March smirked, unfazed. "So what? How does that help you?" he asked lightly. "It's still hopeless, Zeph."
Chrono nodded."You're right. It doesn't help me at all."
A pause.
Then—
"So you know what?" he said calmly. "I give up."
March's smile dropped slightly. "This again? I'm not falling for that twice."
"I'm serious." Chrono's voice was firm this time. Certain. Deliberate.
"In fact…" he continued, reaching forward—
—and suddenly yanked Talia in front of him, gripping her shoulders to hold her in place.
"How about I just let you kill her right now?"
Talia froze. "Zeph…?" she whispered, turning her head slightly, her expression a mix of fear and confusion.
March's eyes lit up with interest. "Oh? Now that's interesting. You're offering her to me?"
Chrono's grin spread—sharp, unhinged. "Yeah. Why not?" he said. "There's no reason for me to go through all this. Iris' death, me losing an arm… this entire mess started because of her."
His grip tightened slightly. "I don't need to deal with it."
March folded his arms, tilting his head. "But you're the one who told her about the mistress," he pointed out. "Your actions caused this. If she dies… that's on you."
Chrono's smile didn't falter. "I don't give a damn." His voice was cold now.
"Talia is replaceable. I can always find someone else."
Talia's body stiffened.
"All I have to do is not tell them about May. Simple."
He shrugged lightly.
"And when she dies? She won't remember a thing. I lose nothing."
His eyes darkened.
"The looping system is perfect. I can experiment through trial and error. If something becomes a burden, I discard it."
A quiet breath left him. "I can start over as many times as I want… with someone else, with a different plan."
His gaze flicked downward briefly—then back to March. "There's no reason for me to lose myself over a single variable."
Chrono shoved Talia onto the pavement, right between him and March. Her body hit the ground hard, her lower half immediately soaking into Iris' spreading pool of blood. The crimson seeped into her clothes, staining her skin.
She looked up at him in disbelief, like someone who had just been betrayed.
Tears welled in her eyes. "Why…?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Chrono didn't hesitate. "I never cared about you, Talia," he said coldly. "I only needed your social skills and connections to make this challenge easier. If I'm being honest, I could've done it alone just as easily."
"That's a lie!" Talia shouted, tears spilling down her face. "Everything you told me—everything you opened up about—that couldn't have been fake. It couldn't have been!"
Chrono ignored that completely. "When you make a mistake, you fix it," he said flatly. "If my mistake was telling you about May, then the logical solution is to get rid of you. I can always start over. It'd be like nothing ever happened."
"This… this isn't what you want…"
"Talia," Chrono cut in, his tone firm. "This fight is optional. I'm only fighting for your sake. There's no reason for me to do that."
He turned slightly, his voice lowering. "I don't need to fight for anyone but myself. I don't need to burden myself anymore."
Talia's lips parted, but no words came out.
Slowly, her gaze dropped to the ground—to the blood pooling beneath her, her tears falling into it. "…You really are selfish, Zeph…"
Chrono scoffed. "Isn't that what you wanted?" he shot back. "You told me to be selfish. To use you if I had to. But now that you're the one on the line, suddenly it's wrong?"
His eyes hardened. "Don't give me that crap…"
"I just… I don't want to die…" Her voice broke. "What did I do to deserve this…?"
Chrono said nothing.
His expression darkened as he shoved his hands into his pockets and turned his back on her.
"…Finish the job," he said.
March grinned. "You don't have to tell me twice."
He stepped forward, grabbing Talia by the arm and yanking her up. She screamed as pain shot through her body. His hand clamped onto her chin, forcing her to look up at him.
"I've finally got my hands on you…" he said, voice dripping with excitement. "I'll make this slow. Painful. You'll wish you never met Zeph Chrono."
His grip tightened. Blood trickled from her nose as tears streamed down her face. Her muffled cries barely escaped his hand.
Give this everything you've got!
In an instant—
Chrono spun.
He lunged forward, his entire body twisting as he drove a punch straight toward March's face.
March didn't react. He couldn't. There was no time to activate the veil.
"Wha—"
The punch connected.
A deafening impact cut him off mid-word as his head snapped back. His body was launched violently through the air, tearing across the ground before crashing through structures in the distance.
He disappeared from sight.
Chrono's knuckles split open on impact, skin torn back to expose raw muscle. He grimaced, flexing his hand slightly.
It's annoying but I don't think that was enough.
Even though I poured everything into that punch.
But that bought time.
Chrono rushed over to Talia helping her up. "Hey—are you alright?"
She coughed, leaning into him for support, her arm wrapping weakly around his waist. "I… I think so…" She winced, holding her face. "Next time… attack faster. He could've actually killed me."
"Sorry," Chrono muttered. "I needed him to think he was in control."
Talia exhaled shakily. "I get it… just don't do something that risky again. You're lucky I caught on."
Chrono gave a faint smile. "I'm impressed you did."
"…And I'm sorry for using you like that."
Talia shook her head weakly. "It's fine. Just explain everything later… and I'll forgive you."
"We don't have much time," Chrono said, his expression sharpening. "That won't keep him down for long. We need to move."
Then—
His eyes widened.
The book.
"Talia," he said suddenly.
"Yeah?" she replied, still catching her breath.
"Do you mind if I carry you? You won't be able to keep up if we run side by side."
She blinked, then shook her head. "No… I don't mind."
"Alright."
He lifted her into his arms without hesitation. Blood smeared across his shirt and hands as he held her, the red from Iris' remains transferring onto him.
That's going to be a problem.
"Hold on tight."
Talia wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She looked up at him for a second—then turned her gaze forward.
"I need to stop by my house," Chrono said. "There's something I need to pick up. I'll explain everything after."
Talia nodded, then her expression darkened, disgust flickering in her eyes. "There's something seriously wrong with that guy… he makes me sick."
Chrono glanced down at her, intrigued.
"He had no business killing Iris like that… so brutally." Talia's voice trembled, her face pale. "It makes me sick… how can someone be that casually cruel?"
She swallowed.
"Can someone like him even be considered human?"
Chrono didn't answer. His expression tightened, a faint grimace forming as the image replayed in his mind. He chose silence, letting her words hang. It didn't feel right to respond.
After a moment, he started running.
---
It didn't take long before Chrono reached his house. He stopped at the front door, Talia still in his arms, shoulders slightly slouched.
"Y'know… I'd just knock and tell mom that I needed something inside, then I'd leave through the window but…" he muttered, glancing down at himself. His shirt was soaked in blood. "There's no way I can make my mom see me with so much blood on me."
Talia placed a finger on her lip, pondering. Then an idea sparked in her mind. "Why don't you just break the window?"
Chrono's eyes widened. "The window!"
Maybe I left it open.
He suddenly dashed toward the back of the house, looking up at his bedroom window on the second floor. He set Talia down gently.
"Did you forget to lock the windows?" Talia asked, folding her arms and tilting her head.
"Yeah, maybe. I didn't open it today, but I might've closed it yesterday but didn't lock it."
"Oh I see. How are you gonna get up there though? I get you're superhuman, but that seems a bit high."
Chrono smirked, slipping his hands into his pockets. "That should be the last thing you should be worried about."
He crouched—
Then launched himself upward.
A gust of wind burst beneath him as he shot up, landing lightly on the overhang below his window.
He looked down on Talia giving her a thumbs up. She shot one back. Chrono turned his attention back to the window, letting out a sigh.
If the window is open it makes stuff a hell of a lot easier.
I mean I could break it, sure. But there's something I want to test. Breaking the window would only alert mom and dad.
He placed his hand on the window pushing it up, and to his surprise it opened. A wide smile tugged his cheeks.
He stepped in softly, making sure to not create much noise. He walked over to his door making sure to lock it. He turned back around and walked towards the book that was sitting atop the table.
I really shouldn't be leaving it in the open like this. If someone touches it they die. It'd be really bad if there was another person like May.
His gaze shifted to his computer.
I wonder what time it is.
He walked closer to the computer, turning it on. He took a step back, waiting for it to boot up.
Where the hell is my phone actually? Whatever it doesn't matter.
The computer booted up, the light coming from the screen lit up his face, causing him to squint his eyes slightly.
8:47pm
Chrono placed a hand on his chin staring blankly at the time on the screen.
I think I get the situation, why March has to kill Talia this loop.
For starters all Talia has to do is make it to twelve to retain all knowledge, since after that point she'll loop.
In order to prevent that, you don't give her the opportunity to loop. If she dies now she won't remember a thing and his goal is accomplished.
He can't kill her after she loops since she'll retain the knowledge anyway. It'd be fruitless.
But… there's a hypothetical situation if he allows her to loop. He could wait for me to finish the challenge, and kill her then so she dies forever.
I doubt he's considered that though…
Talia gone forever…?
Chrono shook his head at the thought, and focused his attention back on the book. He picked it up and looked at it, his brows furrowed.
This book…
Chrono stared even longer, tightening his grip on it before letting out a sigh. He flipped the book open and gazed at the damp pages.
There's something I want to find out.
Is it just the cover that kills, or pages as well?
Anything that can die will die when in contact with the book, except for the person that is worthy, me. That's the Nocturne Law.
I want to use the book against March, but if I have the book on me, it'll be obvious what I'm trying to do.
Assuming March even knows about the book and the Nocturne's Law…
I can easily hide my plan if the pages of the book also kill the unworthy.
Alright, I got something.
Chrono ripped a leaf out of the book, closing it and putting it in a drawer built into the table. He stepped outside the window and landed softly on the floor.
"Talia." Chrono said, walking up to her, carefully holding the paper in his hand.
"So, what'd you do in there?" She asked.
"The book. I was wondering if the pages of the book also kill the unworthy."
"The pages?"
Chrono nodded. "Yeah, I'm planning to get rid of March like this, but I need something to test it on."
"Are you sure? He might turn into another May and be a thorn in your side later on."
"Perhaps, but I can't have you dying on me, no way."
Her expression softened, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. "I don't want to die but… is it really worth going through all this trouble for me?"
Chrono paused.
Then sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Yes it is. I can't lose you."
"It's my burden to bear if I let you die. I brought you into this, so I have to do everything in my power to protect you. So I can't have you dying, no way."
Talia's eyes widened, then she became relaxed, and gave him a soft smile. "You care that much for me…"
Chrono nodded. "Yeah, I need you."
A brief silence settled between them before a gust of wind swept through, pushing their hair aside. Chrono instinctively tightened his grip on the paper so it wouldn't be carried off.
Talia broke the quiet. "What you said earlier… about being able to clear the challenge just as easily without me. Is that true?"
Chrono exhaled lightly. "To an extent, yeah. It'd be a lot harder without you though—especially with the way I'm approaching things."
He glanced at her. "Why do you ask?"
"I was just curious," she said, shrugging slightly. "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not suggesting anything."
Chrono let out a small, nervous chuckle. "How perceptive of you…"
There's something I don't get though…
Why did Talia not remember anything that happened before the reset, yet I do?
Can he choose to rewind someone's memories, yet keep someone else's?
If so, then why not rewind mine? It doesn't make sense.
Maybe he can't? If so then why?
Nevermind that, I have to focus on this.
Chrono cleared his throat. "Alright. I'm going to test something."
He looked down at the grass beneath them, eyes widened slightly.
Anything that can die will die.
I was originally going to try it on a bug but… grass can also die.
This makes things easier.
He crouched, carefully placing the torn page onto the grass and pinning it down so it wouldn't blow toward Talia.
A second passed.
He lifted the paper.
The grass beneath it had withered instantly—dead, discolored, lifeless.
"Ooo!" Talia cooed, leaning in slightly.
"Perfect." Chrono said aloud, rising to his feet. He folded the paper and slid it into his pocket.
Oh!
Chrono suddenly crouched again, touching the grass that wasn't dead with his bare hands, nothing changed. He touched the dead grass then the alive grass and nothing changed.
Talia watched, intrigued.
Chrono rose to his feet again, brushing his hand on his clothes. "Alright so there's no lingering effect on my fingers or on the things that died."
"It seems to work differently on plants than on an actual person as well. It still continues to exist." He paused. "No… I can see it regardless if it exists or not." Chrono's eyes narrowed, then he looked at Talia.
"You can see it, right?" Chrono asked.
"Yeppp, as clear as day." She responded.
"Do you have your phone?"
Talia nodded. "Yeah, I do. Do you want it?"
"No it's fine, just take a picture of that spot."
"Alright." Talia took her phone out of her pocket, flipped it sideways and snapped a picture. She walked over to Chrono, showing him the picture.
They both looked at it. "Yep, it's still there." They said in unison.
They looked at each other, momentarily stunned before laughing. Talia put her phone back in her pocket.
"So. Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Talia asked, placing a hand on her hip.
"Right…" Chrono placed his hand on his chin, trying to think of how to start. "Alright, so the reason I stopped Iris and March was because I suspected something was off about March."
"Iris and I would meet up on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays over a two week period. She'd mention things about her family, servants and even friends. And yet, she never once mentioned a brother, much less a sibling."
"Yeah that's pretty weird." Talia added.
"I suspected that maybe they were on bad terms, but she's on bad terms with one of the servants and often badmouths them. There was just no logical reason for her not to have mentioned him at least once."
"So the only explanation…" Talia said slowly, "…is that he didn't exist before now?"
Chrono nodded. "Exactly. Her memories were altered to make it seem like he always did."
"I assume it was the work of the overseer?"
"Nope, it was May who rewrote it."
Talia blinked. "Huh!? Seriously? Since when could she rewrite memories?"
"I've been wondering the same thing. Assuming what March said was true." Chrono admitted. "But I have a theory."
"Really? What is it?"
"I don't think the figure is directly responsible for March."
"What makes you say that?" Talia asked.
"Might be a stretch but, why have May rewrite Iris' memories when you could do it yourself?"
"Wow, that really is a stretch."
Chrono nodded. "It is, but think about it. From March's words, May one was the one who created him, or, at least May has authority over him. She owns him, not the figure. So if something was to happen to him, or… he needed assistance, it'd be May that helps him not the figure."
"Oh?"
"So that leads me to believe that if I killed March with Nocturne's Law, then he'd die permanently."
"What makes you think that?"
"Think about it. If the white figure didn't step in to stabilize May's existence, then she'd be dead permanently. Assuming the theory about the figure being an author-like figure is right, then it really and truly has no reason to stabilize March's existence if the Nocturne's Law is triggered."
Talia slammed a fist into the palm of her other hand. "Ah! That makes sense. Being under May's authority is actually a disadvantage for him."
Chrono nodded. "I could be completely wrong though. Don't take my word as gospel."
Talia nodded. "Alright."
Chrono continued. "After a while we got in a fight and he revealed to me he had an ability called Chrono Stasis Veil. It allows him to slow things approaching him by a factor of thirty. And if something bypasses the veil there's a one-to-three second after stutter before it returns to regular speed."
"Then his other ability, time reversal. He can reverse the flow of time for anything he chooses after activating a veil. Originally he could only rewind thirty seconds, but I think that was just a lie since I'm here now."
"Oh yeah right, he can only create a veil that's one meter wide."
Talia placed a finger on her chin, deep in thought. "A one meter radius… do you think we're out of range?"
"Yeah, we should be. He's going to try to find us, that's for sure."
"What makes you think he won't reverse time again?" Talia asked.
"It's not that I don't think he will, it's that it'd be dumb if he did so. I'm not sure how much stamina a reversal takes, but it has to be a lot. It's better to hunt us down than take that risk. That's what I think though."
"I see…" Talia nodded, then suddenly her eyes lit up. "Wait—then what if we hunt him down first and kill him before he gets the chance to reverse!?"
Chrono blinked, staring at her. "…Huh?"
"I mean, it makes sense, right?" she continued, a bit more excited now. "If he's the threat, we just eliminate him first—"
"I'm not against the idea," Chrono cut in, shaking his head, "but we aren't doing anything. I am."
Talia frowned.
"You're staying somewhere safe." He added firmly.
She pouted, but after a moment, sighed. "…Yeah, okay. That was a bit irrational."
"It's fine," Chrono said. "You can stay in my room. The door's locked, so no one will come in. Just… don't make too much noise. My mom has this weirdly sharp hearing."
Talia nodded. "Got it. I'll behave."
Chrono let out a small laugh. "You sound like a kid."
Before she could respond, he scooped her up, leaping onto the overhang and setting her down gently by the window.
"I'll end this," he said quietly, turning away as he prepared to jump.
"Hey." Talia held out her fist. "Good luck out there, partner."
Chrono paused.
His eyes widened slightly at the gesture, then he smiled, softer this time. "…Thanks. I appreciate it, partner."
He bumped his fist against hers. They shared a brief smile.
Then Chrono dropped down and took off toward the park.
---
Chrono arrived at the park, and to his surprise March was there, as if he was waiting for him. He stood under a light post, his smile uncanny. His injuries were healed, but his clothes were slightly torn.
"I've been waiting, Zeph." March said, walking closer to Chrono.
"I'm surprised you're still here, why didn't you chase after us?"
"I couldn't, your punch did so much damage to me I had to spend time using reversal to heal my body. I was so weak I had to do it gradually. You're a monster, Zeph. But no matter, I knew you'd come back to finish me off."
"Seems like you're focused more on me than Talia."
"If… When I get rid of you it'll be easier to kill her. It's natural I try to get the most difficult part out the way."
Chrono scoffed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "March you really are a fool."
March laughed tapping his temple. "And you're not? You came back here knowing you can't win."
"Maybe I am a fool. But, at least I know that I'm not as dumb as you."
March's smile twitched, just slightly. "Throwing insults now Zeph? Is that your final move? Is that all you have left? If so then give up. You can never beat me like this."
Chrono didn't answer. Instead, he exploded forward like a flash of lightning, launching a brutal kick aimed straight at March's face. The air whistled. March twisted aside at the last instant, his own fist rocketing toward Chrono's jaw in a blur.
I didn't get slowed down?
Chrono ducked under it, creating distance with a quick pivot across the grass. But March closed the gap in a heartbeat, too fast, too relentless. He drove a fist deep into Chrono's stomach. The impact was thunderous—Chrono's body folded, breath exploding from his lungs as he was hurled backward into a thick tree. Bark splintered. Leaves rained down like confetti in a storm.
March wasted no time. He rushed again, another punch chambered, eyes wild with triumph. Chrono rolled aside at the final second; March's fist cratered the tree trunk instead, wood exploding outward in a shower of splinters. Chrono countered with a sharp right hook—but his arm dragged suddenly, heavy as lead. The veil. March had flipped it on.
March's follow-up punch connected clean across Chrono's cheek, snapping his head sideways. A kick slammed into his gut right after. The blows landed, but they were weaker than before, like striking through water. He snatched March's foot mid-kick, fingers clamping down like a vice.
"I've got you right where I want you." Chrono dug in his pockets to deal the finishing blow, but March broke free.
"Tch."
"That was a close one. I'm being reckless." March said.
"I've noticed something, March."
"What now?"
"You can't use the veil and your enhanced physical abilities at the same time. You have to toggle in-between them."
"Ha! Really now!?" March's laugh was sharp, but his stance had shifted—just a fraction more cautious.
"There's no way you can dodge any of my attacks without the veil, you're simply not fast enough, yet you dodged my attack without my punch being slowed down. And when you attacked with the veil active it was significantly weaker than before."
March shrugged, rolling his shoulders. "So what? It's not like you can beat me anyway. No matter how you look at it, Zeph, victory is always assured."
"That confidence is your biggest mistake."
"Doubting yourself gets you nowhere!"
March lunged with a roar, unleashing a blistering flurry of high-speed punches—left, right, left, each one cracking the air like gunfire. Chrono weaved and blocked with effortless precision, forearms ringing from the impacts. Then he exploded upward, driving a devastating kick into March's stomach. The blow lifted March clean off the ground and sent him skidding across the pavement in a trail of sparks and grit. He screamed, clutching his midsection, blood flecking his lips as he slowly pushed himself up on trembling arms.
Chrono was on him in an instant—but March's veil snapped on mid-stride. Time thickened around Chrono like molasses. March's fist blurred forward, full strength now that the veil was off again for the strike. It caught Chrono square in the ribs, folding him in half. Pain lanced through him like fire. March followed with an elbow to the spine that dropped Chrono to one knee, the park spinning.
The upper hand is mine! March thought, grinning savagely as he raised his foot for a stomp that would crush Chrono's skull against the concrete.
But Chrono rolled at the last heartbeat, the veil flickering off as March committed. Chrono surged up, driving a knee into March's chin with bone-jarring force. The crack echoed. March staggered, teeth rattling. Chrono grabbed his face in an iron grip and slammed him down into the ground, pinning him flat.
"How do you keep dodging my attacks!?"March snarled, thrashing beneath the hold.
Chrono sighed, breath ragged. "You were way harder to fight when you only had your veil. What a shame."
"Answer me!"
"I more or less figured out your attack patterns. You mostly aim for the face or stomach. It's pretty much predicting where you'll attack first."
"You think you've got me so figured out, huh?"
Suddenly March vanished from under Chrono's grip—reversed time for himself alone, slipping free like a ghost. Chrono clicked his tongue, rising fast.
This is so annoying.
March reappeared behind him, fist already swinging for the back of Chrono's head. Chrono spun, swept March's legs out from under him. March crashed down hard. Chrono stomped his foot onto March's head, grinding it against the pavement. The impact split skin; blood smeared the concrete in a dark streak.
Again, March disappeared—rewound—just as Chrono lifted his foot. He materialized behind once more, punch whistling. Chrono dodged, seized the incoming arm, and hurled March over his shoulder in a perfect arc. March slammed onto his back with a wet crunch, coughing up a spray of blood that pattered across the grass.
March vanished a third time.
This continued over
and over
and over
and over.
The same brutal rhythm played out like a broken film reel under the park's dim lamps. March would rewind time for himself, attack from behind or the flank with everything he had, and Chrono would respond—dodge, counter, slam him down again. Chrono's counters were surgical, relentless. A backhand cracked March's jaw. An elbow drove the air from his lungs. A throw sent him tumbling across the pavement in a smear of his own blood. The cycle repeated, faster and more vicious, the park turning into a war zone of shattered branches, cracked stone, and echoing impacts. March wouldn't change the way he attacked—same patterns, same blind rage—and Chrono read every one like pages in an open book.
March slowly pushed himself up off the ground, blood dripping from his split lip and cracked forehead. His arms trembled under his own weight, but his eyes burned with desperate fire.
"It's not over… I'll win… I'll win…" he rasped, voice weak and broken, yet laced with unyielding defiance.
He lunged at Chrono again, this time dropping low and sweeping viciously at his legs. Chrono reacted instantly, leaping cleanly over the attack with effortless grace. But the moment his feet left the ground, the world thickened. The veil snapped on. His body slowed mid-air like it had been dipped in tar.
March's hand shot upward and clamped around Chrono's ankle like a steel trap. With a savage roar, he slammed Chrono down into the pavement. The impact was catastrophic—concrete cracked in a spiderweb beneath him, pain exploding through Chrono's spine and ribs. For one terrifying heartbeat, the air was driven from his lungs and black spots danced across his vision.
March wasted no time. He raised his boot high, ready to stomp Chrono's skull into paste.
Chrono's hand flashed up and seized the descending foot, squeezing with crushing force.
But March grinned through bloody teeth and triggered reversal. Time snapped backward for him alone. His foot tore free from Chrono's grip as if it had never been caught. The momentum carried him forward into a brutal spinning kick that caught Chrono across the temple before he could even rise.
Chrono's head whipped sideways. The world tilted violently. He tumbled across the grass, rolling to a painful stop against the base of a bench. His ears rang. For a split second, everything felt distant and unreal.
Chrono shoved himself upright, fury and frustration boiling in his chest. He kicked hard in the exact direction he predicted March would reappear—right on target. His foot connected with March's stomach like a sledgehammer, launching him backward through the air and smashing him into a nearby tree. Branches snapped. Leaves exploded outward.
March reacted with terrifying speed. Even as his body crumpled against the trunk, he used the rebounding momentum to spring off the bark, launching himself at Chrono like a human missile.
"It's over, Zeph! You can't dodge this!" March screamed, voice cracking with manic glee as he charged forward at blinding speed, fist pulled back and glowing with concentrated power.
"Idiot," Chrono muttered coldly.
He sidestepped at the last possible moment with surgical precision. As March flew past him, Chrono pulled the page from his pocket and slapped it hard against the back of March's neck. The paper stuck instantly, glowing faintly.
Checkmate.
March skidded to a halt several meters away, landing hard on his hands and knees. He slowly stood, blood streaming down the side of his face from a fresh gash. When he turned, his expression twisted from triumph to pure horror.
"That… that paper. Don't tell me…" His voice trembled, eyes widening in dawning terror.
"Yes, that's right. It's a page from the book," Chrono said, voice steady but edged with exhaustion. "It's over, March. There's nothing you can do about Nocturne's Law."
"N-NO! I-I-I CAN'T DIE, NOT LIKE THIS!" March screamed, the sound raw and animalistic, echoing through the empty park like a dying man's final plea. He staggered forward like a zombie, legs shaking, hands clawing at the air.
"Your biggest mistake was your ego," Chrono continued, unflinching. "You chose to undermine my abilities instead of adapting. Victory is never guaranteed. Never act like it is. That is the mistake you made… and that's what resulted in your loss."
"Shut up! It's not over yet—"
Grey fog erupted around them without warning, thick and suffocating, swallowing the park whole just as it had at the library and café. The world blurred and faded into an endless, silent void. Stillness fell—absolute, oppressive, like the calm before the storm.
A tall shadow figure materialized behind March, spear already pressed coldly against his throat, locking him in place.
March's head snapped back in sheer horror. Sweat poured down his face in rivers. His entire body trembled violently, eyes bulging with primal fear as the enforcer of Nocturne's Law stood ready to deliver final judgment.
"Wait—wait wait wait! Please! Please spare me!" March begged, voice cracking. "We're comrades… right…?"
"Comrades?" The figure's voice echoed through the infinite grey like distant thunder, cold and indifferent. "I do not even know who you are."
"DON'T LIE TO ME! WE'RE BUDDIES, RIGHT? RIGHT?!" March screamed desperately, tears cutting clean tracks through the blood on his cheeks.
"A man shows his true character when on the verge of death, they say," Chrono spoke quietly from the edge of the fog, hands slipping back into his pockets, his gaze condescending and weary. "They couldn't be more right. In the end… this is who you truly are."
"Shut up! Shut up!" March wailed, voice breaking completely. "I'm… I'm going to defy the very logic of that stupid white figure! I will fulfill my dut—"
His words died mid-syllable.
A brutal, clean slash carved through his neck with merciless precision. March's head dropped away into the endless grey fog with a dull, wet thud. For one frozen moment, his body remained standing—then a pressurized geyser of blood erupted from the stump, spraying in thick, violent arcs that vanished into the mist. The headless corpse twitched violently, knees buckling, before collapsing forward. It was swallowed halfway by the fog as a dark, spreading pool of blood seeped endlessly beneath it, bleeding into the void.
"So long, March," Chrono said softly, staring down at the lifeless remains.
He looked up. A tired, genuine smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
I won, Talia. I actually won.
You're safe…
Chrono let out a long, heavy sigh of relief as the grey fog began to dissolve, taking March's severed body with it. The nightmare was finally over.
But—
Suddenly, his body jerked backward violently, as if invisible hands had seized him and yanked him through time itself. The exact same sickening pull he had felt earlier when March had mass-reversed time. Chrono's eyes widened in raw disbelief, heart slamming against his ribs.
What the hell!?
A hand tugged sharply on his sleeve. He turned his head slowly, dread already pooling in his gut.
"Zeph… what's going on? Why did he… how did he…?" Talia's voice faltered, fragile and confused, the words exactly the same as before.
Chrono's breath hitched, ragged and shallow. Time had been rewound—completely. But how? March had died. He had watched the head fall. He had seen the blood spray. Nocturne's Law had been triggered.
"How… how is this possible…" Chrono whispered aloud, voice cracking with exhaustion and horror. He turned forward, legs threatening to buckle beneath him.
March stood there once again—head fully intact, clothes still torn, a huge, mocking smile plastered across his blood-smeared face.
This can't… this can't be happening right now…
Chrono stared with absolute, soul-crushing horror. His knees nearly gave out. Only sheer willpower kept him upright as he ground his teeth together until they ached, fists clenched so tight his nails bit into his palms.
"What did I say, Zeph?" March taunted, voice dripping with cruel satisfaction. "I would defy the very rules the figure set up. And here I am."
How…
How… is this fair at all…?