“Yo.”

“………”

Bloom silently looked up at Miko who had a bright smile on his face.

“Why am I alive?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think anyone does. We’re just alive because.”

“What kind of answer is that?”

“I just wanted to give you enough time to gather your strength.”

Miko smirked.

“You can’t use your abilities can you?”

“………..”

“I thought so. You went beyond your limits earlier. So it’s natural that you won’t be able to use your Vita and Gravity.”

Bloom’s face was solemn but Miko could see that her breathing had quickened.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling uneasy? Do you hate feeling vulnerable? Does it drive you crazy with fear?”

Miko brought his face closer to hers.

“How does it feel to not be in control of everything? How does it feel to have your life in the hands of another?”

He looked her in the eyes.

“Does it bring back memories, Kathrine?”

“?!”

Horror was stained Bloom’s face. She started hyperventilating and her palms become sweaty. She shook her head side to side while repeatedly opening and closing her mouth. A grin crept on his face.

“Hey.”

Miko felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Jin glaring at him.

“This isn’t what we agreed, Miko.”

“True, but look at me. I’m a mess because of her. Isn’t it natural that I would be a little pissed?”

Jin’s grip on Miko’s shoulder strengthened.

“Get away from her.”

“Regis.”

Regis popped up beside Jin and floored him with a kick. Miko grabbed Bloom’s throat and lifted her upper body off the ground and pulled her closer to him.

“What’s with this pathetic expression? You started this war, didn’t you? So you were prepared for what would happen if you lost. Isn’t that right, Queen?”

Bloom’s eyes trembled as she looked at the face in front of her. The face that showed no signs of compassion and a voice that was colder than any winter day. She tried to speak but the words just won’t escape her throat. The only thing she could do was open and close her mouth and barely move her trembling lips. She turned her head and looked away from him.

“What?”

Miko grit his teeth and shook her.

“Did you just look away from me? Did you just succumb to fear? You? The great Bloom Newgate? Don’t fuck with me!”

His shout caused Bloom’s ears to ring.

“You started everything! You sent thousands of people to their deaths! How do you think those people would feel if they saw the one they sacrificed everything for in such a pathetic state?!”

“……..”

“Answer me, Coward!”

“I…I…I…”

Tears started flowing from her eyes.

“Stop stuttering and speak!”

“I just wanted to be an ordinary girl!”

Bloom cry echoed through the area.

“I didn’t want any of this! I just wanted to be happy but I can’t! Not as long as there are people like you out there that continuously threaten my freedom!”

She glared at Miko with clear defiance.

“I refuse to be locked in a cage and put on display like an animal! I am human! Human! And I will live as a human at any cost!”

“Human? You who see people as nothing more than pawns? You’re no human. You’re just a pathetic existence.”

He lifted her and made her look him in the eye.

“A pathetic existence that needs to be put out of her misery.”

Miko placed his free hand at Bloom’s throat and released his claws.

“….Well, I suppose that you don’t agree with me.”

Bloom turned her head and saw someone pouncing at Miko. Her eyes widened.

“Shòuxíng?”

Shòuxing clenched his fist and threw at punch at Miko’s head. Ishma appeared between them and sent him flying with an uppercut. He landed on his back and quickly got up.

“You’re going too far, Miko!”

“I don’t understand. You cut all ties with her when you betrayed her for Hana. Why are you standing up for her?”

“I betrayed her for my own reasons but don’t expect me to watch my benefactor get killed!”

He sprinted towards Miko while Jin did the same from the opposite side. Before they could reach Miko they were blocked by Ishma and Regis.

“I see. So you both are willing to put your lives on the line for this heartless woman.”

“It’s not just her!”

Bloom turned her head and saw Chrome and Sapphire free themselves from Hina and Luka who were carrying them. They ran towards her, fell when their legs gave out, and struggled to their feet again before continuing towards her.

“If you’re gonna hurt her then you’ll have to do it after you’ve killed us!”

Sapphire shouted.

“You’re so beaten up and you still chose to protect her? Are you stupid?”

“Say what you want! We either live together or die together!”

Chrome shouted.

“Die together? I guess that can be arranged.”

Sora appeared and held down the girls. Miko looked at Ace who carried Axel and Gear.

“Ace, line up every one of them and execute them one by one.”

“What?!”

“Alright.”

“Wait! Wait!”

Ace ignored Bloom’s shouts and did as Miko asked. He lined up Sapphire, Chrome, and Axel on the ground. Shòuxing and Jin were already weakened so they were ultimately forced to line up as well.

“Wait, please!”

Ace took his Manslayer Character and intense bloodlust spread throughout the area. Bloom became even more desperate. She tried to gather her powers but she couldn’t no matter how hard she tried. She watched as Ace stabbed Jin in the back.

“Ahhh!”

Jin’s scream made her skin crawl. She looked at Miko with pleading eyes.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please don’t take them from me!”

“I won and you lost. I have no obligations to listen to you.”

“Then kill me instead!”

“What?”

“I said kill me and spare them! I’m begging you!”

Miko became silent for a while before smiling. Bloom found herself smiling back out of desperation. That’s when the smile immediately fell from his face.

“Kill them all.”

“Huh?”

“Roger.”

Ace lifted his sword in the air with a bloodthirsty smile.

“No!!!”

Bloom shut her eyes and braced for screams…But none came. She slowly opened her eyes. She saw Jin and the others with confused expressions but Ace was nowhere to be found. Not only him, everybody on Miko’s side was gone. Only Miko himself was there.

“The hopelessness that you just felt, remember that, it will make you stronger.”

He rested her back on the ground.

“And, so will the desperation you felt to save your friends.”

He stood up.

“You lived a horrible life as Kathrine so I understand why you became like this but deep down you know that you’re nothing more than an ordinary girl who just wants to be happy and there’s nothing wrong with that. I even feel a bit jealous of you for possessing such simpleness.”

He smiled at her.

“Bloom, you’re not fit to be queen not because you’re not special or talented. It’s because no matter how hard you try you can never be a truly cold-hearted individual; you’re too kind by nature. That’s why you have so many people who were willing to lay down their lives for you. And you trying to live solely for yourself will not only hurt them but you as well.”

He started walking away from her.

“I’m not telling you to forget the past or not to worry about the future but you also need to embrace the present. For the present is the present.”

He looked back at her with a smile.

“We can only enjoy it now.”

“….Wait.”

He ignored Bloom and walked over to Jin and the others.

“How’s your back?”

“You bastard, I thought we were done for.”

“I had to make it convincing or it will lessen the impact.”

Miko looked over all their faces with a smile and nodded.

“My work here is done. I’ll leave the rest to all of you.”

“….I hate the way you do things.”

“Well, it gets the job done, doesn’t it?”

He walked away and didn’t give them another glance. He walked a bit and stumbled. He was caught by Ace who popped up out of nowhere. He helped Miko leave the area as Jin and the others watched.

“Jin, don’t tell me everything….”

Jin nodded at Sapphire. He looked over at bloom who looked confused and in obvious distress. He clicked his tongue irritation.

“This is why I hate Self-Sacrificial Heroes.”

He turned his back on Miko.

“Someone always has to clean up after them.”

He started approaching Bloom.

“?!”

Jin’s body froze where it stood.

“….What the hell?”

He didn’t know why but he suddenly felt like he was on the ocean floor. He couldn’t move his body and he had trouble breathing. He looked in front of him and saw Bloom with a pale face. It was only then that he realized what was happening.

“I’m afraid of something? But what could trigger such a strong reaction?”

“Shòuxing!”

Meanwhile, Shòuxing turned his head when he heard someone call out to him.

“Hana?”

He was happy to see her but he quickly noticed she was in a state of panic.

“Ah, right. She must still think that I’m fighting everybody.”

He felt embarrassed for some reason. He was about to call out to her but she spoke before him.

“Run, Shòuxing! We need to get out of here!”

“What?”

He was going to ask what she meant but that’s when it felt like a giant was pressing down on him with all of its body mass. As someone with two powerful beasts inside him, he immediately knew that something incredibly powerful was approaching him. And it was extremely dangerous.

At the same, Miko had reunited with his friends.

“It seems that you all won as expected.”

“Of course. I’m the strongest.”

Ace laughed proudly.

“You look like a mess though, Miko.”

“I can’t deny that.”

He looked at Gear for a bit and grinned.

“Good job with this one. I’ll deal with him later. The problem is Momo, Edward, and the twins.”

“I wonder if they’re still fighting?”

Hina asked.

“I doubt it….Hmm.”

He saw someone quickly approaching him carrying three people.

“Tessa? She looks upset.”

Sora looked at who she was carrying.

“It seems that Kristen is in a pretty bad state. Maybe that’s why she’s running?”

He looked at Miko and saw that he had a stern look on his face.

“What’s wrong?”

“….She looks like she’s running from something.”

Miko watched as Tessa ran up to him and held onto him with a terrified expression. She said nothing and just kept looking at him as if pleading.

“I see.”

He placed his hand on her head and nodded.

“I’ll handle it.”

Her face brightened and her body immediately relaxed.

“?!”

That’s when an oppressive pressure fell on top of them. They all looked confused expect for Miko.

“So you finally come?”

Veins started bulging in his head and he gritted his teeth but he still spoke with a happy tone.

“I’ll make you pay for frightening my little sister.”

A grin appeared on his face.

“Natasa!”