Born to parents whose love knew no measure, she grew as an only child untouched by the shadows of hatred or resentment.

Their unwavering care and gentle optimism sank deep into her being, planting seeds of kindness that would quietly shape the contours of her soul.

She endeavored to channel the love she had been gifted by her parents to all who crossed her path, yet she soon discovered that boundless positivity is not always received in kind.

Even those who hungered for it sometimes met it with suspicion, and in the quiet moments when no eyes were upon her, she wrestled with a subtle regret for the generosity that went unseen or unappreciated.

***

For the first time since Halo joined the NeverLight cohort, their leader, Jihriel Asterion, stood before them. The room was quiet, as though everyone was drowning in their shame. Halo, though, cared about only one thing: saving Delilah.

"I'm sorry, Jihriel… I should have known better than this."

Hazard said and bowed his head.

"I'm sorry… but only if I had done something, only a little," Thor added.

As they apologized, Jihriel just smiled. Halo was the outlier here, apparently, everyone else was being deferential and somber when they should have been acting.

"Jihriel… I have a feeling they captured Delilah mainly to lure you out. Why would that be?"

Halo asked.

Jihriel thought for a moment, his golden gaze drifting upward to the ceiling.

"By capturing Delilah and White, they wanted to eliminate our long‑range capabilities. That tells me precisely what their endgame is."

He turned to Halo.

"They want my gift."

Halo frowned. He'd only heard that gifts could be borrowed, like Kysa giving Seraphim a piece of her sword, Star Seeker, and how Halo sometimes gave his sword to Seraphim and Light. But take it completely? That was new.

Omega suddenly seized White's head and shoved it downward with her own, their heads almost crashing into the floor.

"She's truly sorry, Jihriel. Her ignorance made Delilah hesitate using her ability. I'll make sure she works on her Flaw so it won't be an issue in the future."

Jihriel sighed and gestured for them to raise their heads.

"Her Flaw is friendliness, isn't it? It can be hard to handle, but that's why we exist as a cohort. By understanding her and learning to live with her, she will only become stronger."

The room bowed and spoke: "Yes, sir."

"Please… teach me how to use my ability efficiently. You've been trying to guide me, but I still don't get it. This happened because of me, and I want the power to help and to get Delilah back." White asked politely.

Jihriel's expression remained deadpan for a moment.

"I've heard you, but we will need to talk this through."

This was driving Halo crazy.

The injury was open and bleeding, getting worse by the second, on its way to infection. But he seemed to be the only one who felt the need to act.

They couldn't waste time crying. They should be strategizing, working out what Holly actually was.

Jihriel turned to Halo with a concerned look.

"You brought up that Holly guy earlier… you said he was a Beast Sinner?"

Halo nodded affirmatively.

Jihriel smiled.

"So that's what he is. A Beast Sinner and a human—an incredibly rare combination. A hybrid. Even in the Ashen Ages, they were nearly impossible to find. Intriguingly, Northern Mist possesses one."

Halo's curiosity was evident in his eyes.

"When humans turn into Sinners, they gain the ability to take human form as Demonic Sinners. They retain speech, reasoning, and all human traits. And because Demonic Sinners can reproduce, these beings can as well.

"The thing is, they can only create humans like Holly if they mate with another corrupted human. If they mate with a normal Sinner, all they'll get is… well, just a Sinner."

Halo wasn't satisfied. The information was useful, but it didn't answer the real question: why was Holly so strong? Beast Sinners he'd encountered had insane regeneration, yet none matched Holly's raw power.

"For context, there are differences. Like a Knight with eleven Sin Fragments can't match one with nine thousand, the same principle applies here. But that alone doesn't explain Holly's strength.

"Even the mightiest Beast Sinners in Voiceless would struggle against a Toddler Sinner in the Ashen Ages."

Halo felt ice in his veins.

He hadn't yet confronted a Demonic Sinner in Voiceless territory, and his first encounter with one, though it wasn't at full strength, had left him completely outmatched. And now? A mere Toddler Sinner from Ashen Ages rivaled Beast Sinners in power?

Jihriel moved toward Halo and gave his shoulder a reassuring pat.

"Don't be so dismissive. Holly's origins are special. They're the only Sinners capable of serving the gods, and they can even serve more than one, possessing multiple Sin Fragments in the process.

"And if you're worried about the Ashen Ages, that's exactly why the Seven Seas exist. If you're ready for the next region, you'll survive."

Nothing about that was reassuring. If anything, it terrified him more. But he couldn't quit now. With Delilah captive among such dangerous people, he had every reason to stay strong, to finally be the brother she'd chosen him to be, even if only once.

Brave leaned into his seat and folded his hands across his chest.

"So Holly's likely a powerhouse. Serving multiple gods like that… don't you think we should make her move now?"

Jihriel cleared his throat.

"In fact, the only person we were waiting for was Nava. And if he's been a traitor all along… then we have no reason to remain here."

"Where are we going?" Leto asked.

"First things first, we save Delilah. Then, we continue to our next destination."

Jihriel's smile faded.

"The teleportation they used wouldn't have carried them far. They want to pull us into the Ashen Ages, which means the Northern Mist is already sailing the seas as we speak."

Leto, who had been quiet all this while, frowned.

"How can you be so sure? From what I saw, they had to prepare another portal from wherever the gates led. When theirs finally opened, the two portals merged, creating a passage for them. There's no way to be certain they couldn't use it to cross the Seven Seas."

Jihriel paused, seemingly weighing how best to articulate the situation.

"Those weak teleportations won't carry anyone across the seas. Only a handful of people in this world can do that, and the Sinners that inhabit them are practically deities."

Jihriel's face grew dark. It was as if his patience with the meeting had just run out.

"We're leaving tomorrow. Leto, bring those two people you talked about. Halo, can you get Dark Saint back?"

Both Halo and Leto nodded in understanding.

"The meeting's over. Everyone, prepare yourselves for the Seven Seas."

Halo watched them file out. His mind went to Delilah and what she might be enduring. His own kidnapping experience hadn't exactly been pleasant.

Yet Holly's image haunted him. The kid was a Sinner who'd endured multiple gods, granting him multiple True Abilities. How could Halo possibly win against that?

The challenge was overwhelming, but it crystallized his purpose: master his True Ability, no matter what.

He'd get stronger, then rescue Delilah. He'd already lost Iris. He wouldn't lose someone else.

He frowned.

'How am I going to summon Kysa and Saint, though?'

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