In the middle of the underground hall remained Fade of Bridle with tousled hair that was predominantly white with faint pinkish tones near the ends.

His bangs fell loosely with his light facial hair evident just like before, while he suspense slightly above ground with an ethereal sword piercing through him.

His clothes and features remained the same, but the sword seemed somewhat different.

The sword, previously about four feet long, seemed to be growing in height. Its blade was slender and radiant with a glowing deep golden line running straight down the middle.

The blade maintained its coloration, which seemed as though it was shifted from the deep midnight blues to bright cosmic light.

Despite the bizarre changes in the sword that pierce through the Fade of Bridle, the man's eyes remained closed with a relaxed and confident expression.

Halo and Liam stood behind while Seraph approached the body with caution.

Seraph's request caught Halo off guard: send Tough and Sunday to Rascal Land, find a secure location, and dig twelve feet down. She was taking no chances with Crawlers finding the body.

The corpse troubled him. Calling it 'dead' felt wrong, the man seemed suspended between life and death. Burying him felt cruel, like entombing someone alive. But that sword… growing so fast… They had no choice. The body had to go.

However, the moment Seraph neared the corpse and touched the sword, fear crept through the hall like a living dread.

An overwhelming sensation crashed over them, strong enough that both Liam and Halo nearly fled. Seraphim trembled, her body drenched in sweat, frozen in place.

Fade of Bridle's eyes shot wide open. His eyes bulged out from red veins of rage, as they nearly left their sockets.

"KYSA…"

The words left him with a daunting sensation as though resurrected from death to seek vengeance.

His hand erupted upward, pale fingers lunging for her throat. Pure terror snapped Seraph out of her freeze. She threw herself backward.

Her hand left the sword. Instantly, everything normalized. Fade's head fell back, lifeless once more. Liam and Seraph heaved for breath, clutching their chests.

Halo, though, straightened almost immediately, his emotional coldness pulled him back faster than the others.

He began to understand some things about the body.

Initially, he was able to touch the body and even feel Fade of Bridle's body without any difficulty but as soon as Seraph touched the sword everything changed.

Fade of Bridle's corpse had always unsettled him. Now he understood. The man wasn't truly dead, heartbeat or not. Maybe he couldn't die. The sword, was what kept him in this liminal state.

Maybe this was the only way Kysa could keep him restrained.

Though Fade of Bridle's words clarified their confusion on whether Kysa, the strongest Knight ever, killed him or not, it still made him uneasy.

Fade was supposedly on par with a Forgotten Sinner. No one knew how strong those really were. But Halo's blade, capable of transforming into nearly any weapon, had come from a Forgotten Sinner's mucus alone. That said enough. And Fade's brief display just now? Confirmed it. The man was terrifyingly powerful.

Kysa had done this to a being who rivaled Forgotten Sinners. If she showed up at the castle before they completed their Purpose, they were dead.

"What should we do now?"

Liam asked, his breathing coming in gasps.

"We still don't have a choice here… we need to take him out."

Halo replied with a crack of fear in his voice.

They remained hesitant for a moment, before finally giving in to carry Fade of Bridle without touching the sword.

Not truly dead, this display made that clear. But his body was still spawning creatures they couldn't fight indefinitely. Behind them lay the supposed ultimate Sinner, its massive corpse covering the red earth of Inferno Moist. Two bodies and two problems. They couldn't keep either one.

The hatch was barely wide enough for their operation. But Liam utilized his wings, maneuvering it through with surprising speed.

Two miles into Rascal Land's ghostly expanse, Tough and Sunday had dug the grave, twelve feet deep. The group made their way there cautiously. The clones took up watch positions while the others prepared to lower the body.

To keep anything from touching the sword, Halo drew on his old skills. He'd lived in forests, built shelters from raw timber that were completely waterproof. He constructed a barrier covering half the grave's depth.

After hours of patience and hard work, their mission finally came to an end.

They were drenched in sweat and though some fear lurked within, it was obvious it didn't matter anymore. They were finally free.

Whether Crawlers spawned from his breath or the scent of his wound didn't matter now. Not their problem anymore.

They weren't naive, troubles would most certainly come. Inferno Moist Land's Crawlers would eventually move, and they'd likely be in the blast zone. But the body? Not their problem. Now it was a race, Crawlers hunting versus Fade staying buried. Let them fight it out.

Halo couldn't shake his unease. Protect the castle and its memories, that was their Purpose. Do not deal with corpses in secret halls? It never said that. But why was this so straightforward? It felt wrong.

Still, he couldn't dwell on it much longer. He might be too used to violence and seek blood.

But despite his fatigue from their work, he still had a hard time sleeping. There was something within him.

He'd had many theories, but nothing made sense to him. By his calculations, it was too early for his Flaw to consume him completely. Yet something already felt wrong.

Hours later, at midnight, Halo retrieved his pocket watch. Liam had given it to him as a symbol of their friendship. He made his way to the castle tower for his usual training session.

However, as he ascended the stairs, a warm voice welcomed him.

"Hey, Halo. I knew you would come here…"

Seraph was carefully seated with a smile.

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