Halo's legs could barely hold him. They trembled and buckled to the ground each time he tried to stand. After three weeks of unbearable torture, he was grateful for each breath.

He had every reason to be angry or at least relieved at his rescue. His own comrades had abandoned him to Mika's cruelty.

But he felt nothing.

No hatred, no anger.

He just wanted to stand on his own two feet, then make Mika's death swift and painless.

She was the type to moan during torture. Her psychopathic nature would crave a slow, brutal death. And that was the last thing Halo would give her.

Her soul wouldn't reset. It would scream in despair for eternity.

While he crouched on the floor, gathering his strength to get on his feet, Light offered him a red potion.

He stared into those glowing white eyes for a moment.

Light was his clone, a part of himself. Despite their differences, he'd never expected Light to abandon him. But he couldn't feel anything about it now, not even anger.

His mind couldn't fathom why he should be angry even though he had no reason why he shouldn't.

He grabbed the potion and gulped it down without hesitation.

Suddenly, he felt a burst of energy.

His body felt light and less taxing. He couldn't feel any pain, not even in his shoulders, neck, or torso. At the moment, it felt as though none of the torture had happened.

His eyes sparkled with excitement, though his face remained deadpan.

With a snort, he rose to his feet and summoned the Magnus Blade.

Tough took form beside him, red energy flaring from his crown-like arc and illuminating his limbs and daggers in the dark.

'No half-ass measures, I want each one of them to beg for mercy.'

The moment the words echoed in his mind, Tough underwent his metamorphosis, his body stretching taller.

Tough rushed the door and kicked it open with tremendous force. The metallic slab flew off, clanging to the floor with a heavy, hollow echo that reverberated through the darkness.

The reverberating crash told Halo about the space around them. A wall stood to their right, and footsteps were pounding toward them from that direction.

Light immediately took the lead, leading the way as Halo followed behind Tough.

They ran into the guards moments later. Tough and Light charged into battle, but Halo's focus was elsewhere.

He saw them well enough, slipping past their wild, graceless strikes, but he couldn't spare them a thought. His clones slaughtered all four in moments.

He couldn't bear the thought that Mika wasn't around. She'd left not long ago and should still be somewhere nearby, but if she wasn't…

He'd tear the land apart if it meant finally locating her. He had no room for any other thoughts, not even the system's relentless notifications.

When they neared the hall, his eyes narrowed on a familiar figure standing proudly in their path. Ren. The giant who'd helped arrest him.

Behind him was the exit.

Halo sighed in annoyance and tried to walk past him toward the exit. Tough positioned himself to intercept Ren, but the giant's attention was fixed on Halo.

"Where are you going?"

He said with a deep, annoyed tone.

His massive fist lunged toward Halo.

That irritated Halo even more, for some reason.

He didn't spare Ren a glance. But before the giant's hand could reach him, his severed arm was already bouncing across the floor.

Tough then landed another strike on his chin, sending him bouncing off the ground.

Even that wasn't enough to make Halo look. Actually, if Tough hadn't severed Ren's arm, he still wouldn't have reacted to the strike. Ren was too much of a puppet to warrant his attention.

They emerged to find Mika flanked by more than a dozen men. The exact location escaped him, but he knew they were deep in StoneHeaven's heart, close to the second mountain that held citadel.

"You're interesting, I'll give you that. But far too weak to keep up with my… hobbies. You can't be my torturing partner, so marriage is out of the question."

Mika said with a playful tone.

Halo's eyes narrowed as the men approached. He tried to speak, but after weeks of torture, his voice failed him.

Three minutes. That's all he needed. None of them would last longer than that. That was what he wanted to tell them.

He transformed Magnus into twin swords and threw the white blade to Light. He met the guards with lethal grace, weaving between them calmly, defending more than attacking, striking only when it counted. No one tasted his blade twice.

They were skilled fighters. Despite his calm efficiency and superior speed, they proved dangerous. He cut them down quickly, but not before each one marked him.

The potion was temporary. He knew that. He had to finish Mika before it wore off. But past the men they were cutting through, two more guards protected her.

The last man fell, and immediately Halo felt the dizziness return. He struggled to stay on his feet like before, but this time his body felt like lead.

He gritted his teeth.

Despite the fatigue, he knew he had some fight left in him. One strike would be enough.

The remaining two wore twisted smiles that set them apart immediately. These weren't common thugs. Light didn't stand a chance against them alone.

He searched desperately for a strategy but came up empty. His careful composure was cracking, exhaustion bleeding through.

Light met the men and welcomed them with a fight but, his limbs were severed in mere seconds, even though they regenerated, that was enough to tilt the balance.

Mika stood at a distance, her eyes sparkling as she stared at Halo while playing with her hair.

Shadow of Death sneered.

He walked straight toward Mika, the two guards were irrelevant.

His legs felt like lead, reality blurring at the edges, but their angry shouts reached him. His dismissal had wounded their pride. He didn't care. The one strike he had left was hers alone.

After a few steps, he collapsed to his knees.

He couldn't move them anymore. He couldn't even feel them.

"No, my darling…"

Mika walked toward him and rested her hands on his cheeks, gently rubbing them as though she genuinely meant to comfort him.

"You know—

Her words were cut short as Tough smashed through the exit, destruction following in his wake.

Halo's eyes widened in realization. This was his opportunity to strike. His limbs were dull and unresponsive, but with sheer determination he couldn't even fathom, he managed to swing his sword one last time.

His body dropped backwards to the ground.

He watched with his hazy vision as blood poured down her nose and mouth while she grabbed her neck. That cocky aura around her was no more. She was scared.

She choked on her words, and even though Halo couldn't hear her, he was certain she was cursing him.

He smiled.

Everything went dark.

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