"…W–Why? We aren't even humans." Alya's eyes were frozen on Kael's back. It had a hole so massive that you could see Alyndra's whole upper body and a face covered in pure shock through it.

"Thank you," I whispered without realising. It wasn't even intended at Kael, but at the world itself. It was my first reaction when I realised I could hear her voice that sounded like birds chirping in a sunny monsoon morning again. She wasn't gone.

"It's my job," Kael shrugged, wiping a handful of blood he coughed, his entire stomach from below his heart to his waist had completely vanished, the only thing holding his body still were fragile pieces of remaining bones and bloody, sticky pieces of muscles and flesh.

His face was neither relieved nor sad. Like he had made his breakfast, stating in a matter-of-fact tone.

Kael let out a deep sigh as he noticed Alya's completely shaken face, "Don't blame yourself... I have seen people feel guilty for heroes who died to save them. I can see Alya, you're one of them. I want you to know and understand that I regret nothing.

I died of my own choice. Being sad for a hero is the opposite of what the hero wants… I am not dying to kill you, you know?" Even though his words were directed at Alya, I knew they were for me and other slaves who were sobbing audibly, too.

For some reason, I didn't feel much sadness at Kael's death, just guilt, powerlessness, and gratitude for everything he did when I looked at his face.

Maybe because he looked like the happiest human being I had ever seen. I doubted people with infinite money and godly powers could ever even imagine being as happy as he was at dying.

Also, the very intense desire to kill Alyndra by removing his flesh inch by inch couldn't be ignored. I didn't know if I should force myself to cry like other slaves to, or say something comforting, or just thank him.

"I won't die because of your death, don't worry about me. We have barely just met." Alya straightened her back, schooling her expression.

"Good, good," Kael nodded in approval.

"B–But," her cold face cracked with a single tear which was quickly wiped off, "I really, really wanted to live… Everything is so beautiful now… Thank you… for saving my life.

I promise… I won't let it go to waste like before… Thank you." Her fingers dug through the ground below as she clenched her hand as hard as possible.

Alya… I knew what she meant by beautiful. My helplessness and uselessness was a dagger struck in my chest when titans appeared, now that dagger was twisted uncountable times to completely tear through my chest.

I instinctively punched the ground as hard as I could. A mini crater burst out as my fingers twisted in the opposite direction.

My hands shook as I lowered my head, punching the ground again, and again, and again, staring at the bloody mess it left with unblinking eyes.

I hate it! Couldn't I have started in a better situation than this prison cell? Maybe reincarnated as baby Lucien…

If not for Kael, Alya would be dead.

I really, really, really need to get stronger… So strong that you won't ever feel scared to lose this beautiful life ever again.

"That just made my pain disappear," Kael's lips curled upwards in the brightest of smiles at Alya's words.

Alyndra's pupils shook, his jaw widening to an inhuman distance, "H-How? It's impossible. No human can move fast enough to block that in time… It's impossible."

He massaged his temple, trying his hardest to calm his racing mind. "I was sure you were more than seven hundred meters away…"

With eyes still closed, he let out a dry chuckle, "Even with the information I had on you, you managed to surprise me…

Even I couldn't have blocked an attack moving at hundreds of thousands of kilometers per second. Are the Holy Spirits truly this insanely powerful? Maybe, taming them is the key to real power… "

No one had the energy to reply to Alyndra's dumbass.

"Sasha, don't come here, it's dangerous!" Kael forced a yell that echoed as a weak whimper as he noticed the little teenage girl rushing towards him. She did not listen to a word as tears and snot covered every part of her small face.

When my brain finally registered what was happening, I tried to stop her, but just as my bloody hand reached her short body, Shen's body flickered to my side.

"Don't stop her, she won't." He placed his hand ahead of my extended arm as he walked towards Kael, too. She hugged Kael with gut-wrenching wails and sobs as Kael patted her head, his face growing more and more apologetic.

My dark red eyes' red hue flared violently, as they wandered and glared at Alyndra, who was chewing his nails with a mad-scientist-like, thoughtful look.

I forced myself to stand up with just one barely functioning leg. The nails on my shattered hand instantly grew to eight inches, tearing through my flesh and bones of the knuckle Alyndra had shattered.

My muscles spasmed as I activated [Dash], its effect increasing as it was concentrated on just my arms.

Alyndra was a bit distracted by Kael, but with my nerfed stats, I wasn't really a threat to need full attention. Much of his gravity was focused on that previous attack, which he hadn't even bothered to call back.

Swishhh!!

My eyes widened as the speed at which my arm moved was much, much faster than the [Dash] I had been using all this time, like how it was before losing Arcana.

Blood, mixed with pieces of flesh, flew everywhere as my hand reached Alyndra right when he sensed and was slowly turning around, my long, sharp nails tearing through his flesh like it was butter.

His eyes shut as he covered his face with a wail. As my right hand fell, my left was raised, a similar attack building up, but this time, intended to actually cut Alyndra's face in pieces.

"Who in the hell do you think you are, you dirty vampire?" Alyndra growled painfully, his eyes narrowing in pure anger as he disdainfully grabbed my left hand. As I raised the right, it was caught too.

My stomach burned as he smashed his gravity attack that hit me like a car on the highway, then, without wasting anymore time, the gravity pressed around my chest, trying to suffocate me to death.

All of a sudden, pressure on my lungs vanished. Alyndra's hand was still clenched, which clearly meant he wasn't the one to remove it… Not only that, I was no longer able to sense the gravity on his body.

Alyndra's smirk widened as he noticed Kael's heartbeat slowing down dangerously low. As he turned back, his face had changed completely.

Tap!

Kael's hand was resting on Alyndra's back. A deep chill went down Alyndra's spine as Kael's weak, barely audible voice echoed, "[Ember Embracing flames]."

"Good work," Subaru's gentle voice rang, prompting everybody to turn towards him, holding the severed hand calmly in his hands.

It wasn't resisting anymore, as he nonchalantly turned towards the group of giants rushing towards us, making them freeze with just one look as he pulled out his white katana.

"Forgive me for being so disappointingly late." Subaru sighed as he noticed Kael's wounds, his eyes complex as he had heard everything Kael had said. His face remained expressionless as he muttered silently, "We have won, now."

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