What had been a vast, sprawling city was now just a narrow stretch of rubble and shattered concrete. Only one structure remained upright, and even that was half-collapsed.

A few dwarf-like Sinners hopped across the shards, leaping from block to block. They looked green and brainless, appearing more goblin than grotesque creature.

Those nuisances barely mattered. Judging by their capabilities, they were newly born Toddler Sinners. What froze the NeverLight cohort in place was the malicious aura coming from the half-collapsed building.

They didn't need to guess. This had to be the Caretaker. A Sinner tasked to care for a baby and kill anyone who got too close.

"Our priority is Delilah. Whatever this is, it doesn't concern us."

Omega said, waving the crew toward another path like she was in charge instead of Jihriel.

Still, her concerns were justified. If this really was the centuries-old Caretaker, they could sustain injuries that'd make dealing with the Northern Mist harder.

While the crew took careful steps to stay out of sight of the brainless Toddler Sinners, something else had Halo trapped in place.

Clutching his chest, he tried making sense of it. He'd been feeling something weird in his chest, an emotion he wasn't familiar with. Then again, he wasn't familiar with any genuine emotion. But this was definitely wrong.

Suddenly, he felt one of his clones take form.

Halo frowned.

Tough had taken form, less energetic than usual. His tail rested silently, blazing red daggers gone, and he looked somewhat distorted. He stared intensely in the Caretaker's direction.

Looking up, he realized the bizarre sensation was completely gone now. It truly wasn't his. Wait. Emotions? Tough had emotions?

Before he could conclude, Tough stepped forward, drawing closer to the Toddler Sinners.

The rest of the crew wore Halo's confused expression, but Brave winced.

"Hey, what the heck is your puppet doing?"

These words would have struck a nerve since Halo didn't like his clones being referred to as playthings, but his mind was too distracted to register Brave's arrogant words.

Instead, Halo understood Tough's actions now. The clone was somehow attracted to the Caretaker. That feeling had started when the Caretaker was first mentioned.

But why?

"Don't let him draw attention. Stop him."

Halo snapped out of his daze. He turned to Brave and shrugged.

"Easy. Let's calm down and follow the creature."

Jihriel's words were enough to get the crew on the same page. Tough, however, ignored the Toddler Sinners approaching. He didn't even draw his daggers.

"Get rid of the Toddler Sinners."

As soon as Jihriel spoke, Brave's grin widened.

"It's about time!"

He charged without hesitation. Leto followed, his movements calm and deliberate, as if the Sinners had already fallen. Everyone else surged forward in an instant.

Before Halo could, Jihriel approached Halo.

"What's going on? He looks broken."

At first, Halo thought Jihriel meant Kysa or Light, given that none of his clones were engaging the Sinners. But actually, he was referring to Tough.

He shrugged.

"I can't be certain… but I'd like to believe we'll see this through."

Jihriel reached over and patted his shoulder.

"The crew is yours to command for now."

Halo flashed him a practiced smile.

The Toddler Sinners moved erratically. For such fragile-looking things, they were unnervingly quick and nimble.

Beelzebub covered Halo from wrists to dagger tips. It had reached level 3, something he'd nearly died achieving.

Without Beelzebub's brutal corrupting power, he'd probably have torn his ACL fighting these nuisances. Now he only needed one hit to kill them. The trick was landing it.

After minutes of fighting, he'd only secured three kills. As frustrating as it looked, if he could kill all the Sinners this easily, he'd never make it as an Assassin. The three Sin Fragments left him more annoyed than gratified.

After all the Sinners were slain, they detected an unsettling shift in the ominous presence that loomed around them.

Predictably, once its minions fell, it would take offense. Tough wasn't concerned, though. Not even slightly. He continued his steady, measured walk toward the presence, as though relishing the memories of what he'd ever done.

They followed behind Tough reluctantly, trying to understand his reasoning. Then, without warning, White—the sweetest, kindest person among them—cursed sharply and assumed her combat stance.

Her eyes darted wildly, teeth grinding as her brown hair streamed behind her. Omega moved to follow, her purple flower threatening to fall from her hair.

They took the lead, their actions leaving everyone behind them confused.

When Tough finally halted, a black creature emerged from the building. It bore no resemblance to the Caretaker from the rumors.

This one wore dark dragon scales over an unnervingly humanoid body, pale-faced with void-black eyes that seemed to swallow light, a predatory grin, distinctly human features, and bat-like wings folded carefully against its back.

Only two things stood out about it.

First, clutched in its hands was a human baby crying desperately for its mother, and second, its chest was torn open with a hole so enormous the moon could fit within.

Halo shivered and retreated a step.

Oddly, his terror focused not on the Caretaker but on the baby. His skin grew paler by the moment, as if moisture were being siphoned from his body. Something about that child was pulling him forward, and he knew with certainty he couldn't get close.

"What the fuck? The person the Caretaker protects is an actual human?"

Brave said, impatiently waiting for Jihriel's order to attack.

"We can't leave, Jihriel. We have to save the baby!"

White said as though on the verge of tears.

Leto was the only human who didn't look concerned. "I can kill it fast if you want me to."

Jihriel didn't even look at Leto. Instead, he turned to Halo, his brow creasing with concern.

Halo understood. He was leading the cohort now. The call was his to make. He knew what they had to do, run!

But then Tough looked at him. For the second time, Halo felt something. Empathy. He was certain.

He'd felt this only once before… when Light and Tough fought Sunday, another creature who became his clone. Back then, he'd felt the urge to help, to save them. Now he understood. That emotion had been Tough's.

But emotions? How?

Tough gave a firm nod and called forth his daggers.

Halo understood. The clone wanted to fight this battle alone.

Halo gulped.

"We have to leave."

Jihriel smiled as though Halo's decision amused him.

"You heard him. We have to leave."

The crew grew mad immediately.

"What? You want to leave the child to die?"

Finding a human baby in this world was strange enough, but there was something else about this child that Halo couldn't stand. He wanted to get away. Now.

"I wouldn't leave the kid with just anyone. Tough can handle this."

Fear aside, Halo trusted that Tough could handle the Caretaker, but the crew wouldn't move without Jihriel's say-so.

"We'll leave everything in Tough's hands. We must head to Delilah. That's an order."

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