Within the ruins of Carol's childhood village, Irene, now clad in a dark, chestnut-brown dress, walked toward the village center. Several hooded figures knelt on one knee beside Dein, who stood at the heart of the settlement holding a dark mask within his palms.

  As Irene came to a halt before him, she took the mask and fixed it over her face. Through the eye-slits, her crimson eyes flickered with a brilliant light, radiating a direct dominance that forced Dein to immediately drop to his knees.

  "This mask..." Irene murmured, lifting it slightly to peer intensely at the craftsmanship.

  "Is there something wrong about it, priestess?" Dein asked, casually raising his head toward her.

  "Nothing particular. It's just... this mask is quite identical to my mother's own,"

  "Because it really is. We discovered your mother's mask buried beneath her bed, and it possesses unique abilities of its own. An artifact, if you will." Dein explained, a menacing smile etching itself onto his face. "In fact, would it not be better to utilize the tool your mother left behind and use it for the sake of your goal?"

  Hearing his statement, Irene snorted in disbelief. She briefly reminisced about her past, recalling the moment Karl stated that her mother had been a weapon in a former life.

  "A weapon, huh," she mumbled to herself, lowering the mask back over her face as she lifted her right hand toward the heavens. "Then, I would gladly be a weapon just like you, mo- No, mother. For that weapon will be the one who destroys this world."

  In response, a massive, corrupted magic circle appeared in the sky, blanketing the entire village and casting a dark barrier around the perimeter. It did not stop there; as her Dark Ender radiated throughout the village, a skeletal hand erupted from the soil, followed by another, and then another. A literal undead army began to rise.

  Witnessing such horror before his eyes, Dein only chuckled in excitement. "What a joy to live. I hope you're proud of what I've done, Lord Erlikh." he mumbled to himself. At his waist, the grimoire tucked inside his bag glowed with a dark, pulsing light, resonating with Irene's surging Dark Ender.

  "That's all I can share for now," Mary stated, appearing before the group in Grey and Aria's infirmary room as she tried her best to explain their current situation.

  "That bad, huh?" Rein mumbled to himself, falling into a deep thought. "Although I don't know who you are, knowing that you just came out of a black pool out of nowhere inside this room, I suppose we really don't have a chance to help her at this point, am I right?"

  "Sadly, yeah. For now, you have to believe in your friend and her choices from now on,"

  "Despite the fact that she... has no memories of us..?" Saria asked, her nervousness escalating as she felt the pressure from Mary's explanation. "From what you tell us, it feels like there's no hope left for her. There are too many possibilities... too many. She might decide to forget about us and start anew. She could also decide to try and find her missing memories alone, and die afterward..!"

  "Saria." Noire tried to snap her back, worried about her mental health. But Saria ignored him, falling deeper into her negative thoughts.

  "Or, or she could... lose to her 'monster' persona again... just like what happened back then..." Saria unconsciously let out tears, which slowly rolled down her cheeks to the cold floor. "H-huh..? Why am I crying all of a sudden..?"

  In response to Saria's emotional breakdown, Hana gently hugged her from behind and slowly brushed her hair, providing the comfort Saria needed to calm down. "I know what you're trying to say, dear. But it can't be helped. If that has already happened, then let it be," she said, releasing her hug as she noticed Saria had calmed down. "The only thing that you and your friends can do is move forward and do what must be done."

  Listening to Hana's statement, Saria went silent, responding only by clenching both of her hands in determination.

  As Rein finished his thoughts, he turned his head toward Mary. "Is that really true? That Carol is actually the 'monster of leviathan' referred to as the Priestess?" he asked, needing confirmation of their information.

  "More like a half-breed," Mary replied, her expression flattening. "Thankfully, since she's not a fully matured Leviathan yet, the separation ritual that guy with the hat performed was successful. Even if that 'Irene' persona of hers wants to become a full version, she still needs the human side of 'Carol,' as she is the physical form while the 'Irene' persona is just her Dark Ender manifested with Carol's traits."

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  "That sounds... complicated." Rein said, scratching the back of his head for a moment. Confused, he moved on to another topic. "How about that 'dementia' you mentioned? Is there a reason behind it?"

  "Well, dementia can happen in various ways. But it seems like Carol's is the most natural kind," Mary explained, having already expected Rein to ask these types of questions. "Since she experienced too much darkness all at once, her brain basically shut itself down as a safety measure, changing every function, including her memories, so she wouldn't be overwhelmed. In other words, she became an internally different person, though only for a moment."

  As soon as Mary finished speaking, someone slid the door of the room open, revealing Ordeus and Benjamin.

  "And that's why we're going to have a lot of work after this!" Ordeus exclaimed, confidently giving a fist pump.

  Mary, however, responded with a sigh of annoyance. "Don't you try to use me again, you bastard. I'm already having a bad time dealing with all these shenanigans from both the Apostles and the Holders, like you're doing." she said, leaning toward Ordeus in frustration.

  "I still haven't finished with you, mind you," Rein demanded, prompting Mary to turn her head over her shoulder toward him. "What... is an Apostle, like you just mentioned? Why do I feel like you're our enemy, but not one at the same time?"

  "Do you know that there is a border regarding which questions can or cannot be asked?" Mary said, slightly disappointed as her expression hardened. "But since you're brave enough to ask me, I'll answer the last one."

  Rein swallowed nervously, while everyone except for Yuno, Hana, Ordeus, and Benjamin focused their full attention on her.

  "I'm neither of those!" Mary answered, smiling confidently.

  Hearing her answer, Rein stood stunned in place, weirdly confused as his eyebrows twitched for a moment. Afterward, he let out a sigh of defeat. "I'll take that as an answer. At least it means you're neutral in this."

  "That's what I like to hear! Easy to understand!" she exclaimed, nodded few times in agreement while Rein looked away in annoyed.

  Carol, still suspended in the sky as Erika gripped her arms, began to question her, hoping for an answer. "Uhm, miss? Is there a reason why you took me away from that room?"

  "Did I not proclaim it?" Erika replied, still focused on flying toward her home. "I brought thee hence that we might, at long last, act as true kin of the blood!"

  "You're lying, aren't you?"

  Hearing her statement, Erika went silent for a moment, only breaking the stillness once she became serious. "Truth or falsehood, 'tis all one. Thy life alone is the prize our uncle covets, though thou hast scrubbed thy soul clean of every sin committed against him." she said. She tightly gripped Carol's arms, her expression softening into sympathy as Carol noticed Erika's shifting emotions through her actions.

  After a while, both girls finally landed on a mountain peak, revealing blooming trees, a small water well, and a Machiya. It was peaceful, far more peaceful than Carol expected, and her heart somehow felt relaxed the moment she took her first step into Erika's domain.

  "Render me thy thanks, little sister," Erika said in excitement, turning toward Carol as she put both hands on her waist. "For I have granted thee entrance to mine own domain! Furthermore, mark my words: henceforth, thou shalt address me as 'Elder Sister' and naught else!"

  Before Carol could speak, still astonished by the beautiful, relaxing scene before her, Erika immediately grabbed her arm once again. "Come! Follow in my wake, and I shall unveil the wonders of my domain to thy wandering eyes!"

  With that, Erika happily led the way, guiding Carol as she showed her around her home. Carol was excitedly surprised, looking curiously at many objects around Erika's estate. She was astonished by the well, playing with the water and drinking from it afterward. Then, she plucked a blooming flower from a tree, smelling it to release her tension. It didn't stop there; Erika gave her an orange, peeling it for her as she ate. It was sour, but she was happy nonetheless. Seeing Carol's reaction, Erika gave her a prideful smile.

  "Behold! This chamber shall be thy domain henceforth!" Erika exclaimed, sliding the door open to show an empty room for Carol to sleep in. "Surely thy heart o'erflows with joy that thy sovereign sister provideth such care for a creature so small and clinging!"

  Within the empty room, there was a cool floor made of wood and bamboo, a cabinet with sliding doors, and a cushion for Carol to sit on.

  "I-is this really for me?" Carol asked, still looking around the room with excitement and curiosity.

  "Certes, my sweet and tiny sister! I pray thou shalt wield this domain with such grace as becomes thy blood!" Erika exclaimed proudly.

  Hearing her statement, Carol chuckled happily as she turned her head over her shoulder toward Erika. "Thanks, big sis!"

  As soon as she heard Carol declare her as 'big sis,' Erika's eyes widened in surprise. "A-aye... my heart is moved by thy devotion, my sweet sister. Thou hast my... most gracious thanks." she said. She turned to leave Carol alone for the night. "Surrender not to the slumber of the late hours! For the morrow bringeth a tide of labors that shall test our very souls."

  Carol only responded with a nod, smiling and waving to her like a child. "I will, big sis!"

  With that, Erika slid the door closed, leaving Carol alone in her room. However, Erika's expression shifted to one of annoyance; she sighed in disappointment as she walked toward her own room down the eerie, dark corridor. "Can it be? The flame of her rebellion, quenched? Uncle Grey spoke of a wild thing, yet here she stands, transformed," she mumbled to herself, pausing in her stride as she glanced back toward Carol's room from afar. "I wonder... will she hunt the ghosts of her lost remembrance, or is she content to be but a common girl, stripped of her ancient glory?"