The protector in the white kimono didn't look away from Vergil, but her icy tone didn't hide a hint of discomfort.
She wasn't lying. That thing—the Tree, the dormant entity, the heart that had been beating since before time—had called to him.
Vergil smiled as if this were the confirmation he'd always hoped for. His footsteps echoed steadily, the sound contrasting with the tense silence of the group.
"Everything I desire, hm?" He lifted the black gem, which now trembled in his hand like a caged animal. "So it's not just a jewel. It's a key."
Naberius narrowed his eyes, biting his lip with sadistic pleasure. "If it is, I want to see the door it opens." His sword flared with discreet flames, as if he, too, were impatient.
Sapphire snorted, taking a step forward. "Idiot." If you put your hand there without thinking, you'll turn to ash before you have a chance to laugh.
