A man around Halo's age, with long, messy, teal-green hair tied loosely with strands falling over his face. His eyes were sharp and red, giving him a dangerous eerie presence.

Blood was smeared across his cheek and near the corner of his mouth. He was dressed in a black suit with a green vest underneath and a red tie.

He licked the blood off his face and began adjusting his black gloves.

Halo and his clones took their stance.

"I'll admit it, I didn't expect you to win. He was troublesome even for me. But beating him in under three minutes… that's something else."

He said casually and gestured toward Halo.

"You won't be able to bring Iris back. And… she doesn't want you to try. Come with me."

Halo's confused thoughts became apparent on his face.

The man began leaving without saying another word.

Halo hesitated. But honestly, he knew he couldn't get the Child of Sacrifice back in this condition. He was being naive.

He sighed and gestured for his clones to vanish.

Without another thought, he began following the mysterious man.

He didn't sense any hostile intentions but he was cautious either way.

But his body failed him.

His movements went from barely steady to dangerously sluggish. He managed a few steps before the dizziness hit, and his knees buckled. Vision blurring, he caught sight of the mysterious man closing in before everything went dark.

***

"I'd observed you for a while and assumed you were exaggerating your worth. But when he chose you, it became clear you weren't ordinary."

"He?"

"Yes, the person you call Boss, the jewelry shop owner."

"Huh?"

StoneHaven's finest district sat empty. Most locals had run, but a handful stayed, clutching their memories of the place and cursing Halo with every breath.

The three guards they'd relied on for protection, even while they slept, were killed by one person: Shadow of Death.

Now the bastard they despised most was choking down dry bread and milk. Still couldn't taste a damn thing.

He'd been unconscious for almost a full day. When he came to, he was in a new place, the one Iris had arranged.

Light filled the room through tall windows. Above, the upper floor's balcony overhung the space, and a small kitchen sat in one corner. Sparse furnishing with a few seats, and some tea tables. Upstairs held three rooms with matching interiors, each bed large enough for two people.

The man's identity was still a mystery. He spoke carefully about his former boss, but Halo didn't recognize him at all.

"Don't tell me he never told you who he was. Strange… but then again, he hardly talks to anyone."

He said rhetorically and leaned into his seat, gently sipping on his milk.

Halo narrowed his eyes.

What was it about Boss that he didn't know?

Halo forcefully gulped down his bread and pushed it with milk. His eyes watered. It was painful.

"What do you know about Boss? Who are you, anyway?"

The man turned to him, his deep crimson eyes darting lazily yet fiercely on Halo.

He smiled.

"Well, my name is Leto. You are Halo, correct?"

Halo met him with silence, which stretched for nearly a minute.

"That's awkward…

"I am the third member of your little group."

Leto smiled.

Halo's eyes widened in realization.

Every Knight-ranked Purpose had at least three members, depending on how big or exhausting the job was. That wasn't official, just how Halo saw it. When he'd asked Iris about their third member, she'd said something cocky about this bastard…

"I wanted to see if the two of you were worth investing my effort in… or if you were just a waste of time."

Halo stared at Leto's glimmering eyes and frowned.

That was exactly what Iris said about him.

"So that's it? You've decided we're worthy of being your playthings now?"

Leto rested his cup on the table.

"Aren't you worried about her? Iris is in such a terrible position… but we're the ones who have to carry on now."

He continued.

"Before you were taken by Mika, she approached me. She believed her True Ability offered the strongest possibility of success, so she volunteered herself."

The words didn't help. He'd been trying not to think about when Iris turned on him. But if she knew what would happen… did that change everything?

"The date she arranged right before you were captured was part of her plan to divert attention. You didn't let yourself fall for her, did you?"

"…"

Leto exhaled deeply.

"She's planning to give us an opening from the inside. We've gathered what we need, so now we wait… and in that window, we take out those two guards."

"There were actually three. The Chaos Eaters who attacked you last time were meant to keep you occupied until she was taken away, but you escaped and killed Fuji. I suppose she underestimated you."

Their plan was a complete mystery to him. Halo had believed they were still piecing it together, still searching for the mastermind. But judging by Leto's words, they'd known all along.

This was what stung him.

What was the reason? Did they see him as a loose cannon, someone who couldn't be trusted?

He brushed his hands against his face in frustration.

It hurt. He wouldn't stay a second longer than he had to. Finish the Purpose, then they'd split. Simple as that.

He turned to Leto.

"Tell me what you know. And who are the two people we're eliminating?"

Leto was silent for some time, gathering his thoughts.

"We can't kill all the guards, not when we have no idea how the gods would react to their disappearance. The Prince stays alive. But if it comes to it… we'll kill her."

Halo sneered in annoyance.

"This wasn't what I asked for…"

Leto narrowed his eyes and began laughing.

"Damn, you looked scary for a sec! Almost jumped out of my chair!"

"…"

"The person we are after is a Witch…"

The words left Leto with an eerie sensation.

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