Darkness.
That was all Xenophanes saw when he opened his heavy eyes. He felt tired and sleepy.
He wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep, but he couldn't. Something was wrong.
Something that relieved him immensely.
First, despite his groggy mind, he could never mistake the comfortable bed he usually slept in. But the one he was currently lying in was more akin to the one he had slept in back in his world.
Second, his position. He never slept face-down with his back exposed to the air. Sleeping like this made him weirdly self-conscious.
And third, the most important part.
He was FRICKING SHIRTLESS.
All these observations proved without a doubt that he had somehow survived.
Now that his memories of last night were flooding back to him, those mutts had torn him apart pretty badly.
Either way, he survived, and he was too sleepy to care right now.
'Alright, first things first. Let's get up.'
With that in mind, he sharply turned around and—
Pain.
Pain. Lots of it shot through his entire back, immediately halting his actions.
'Arrrgh! The fuck?'
The pain wasn't unbearable, but it wasn't light either.
Not sure what was going on, he carefully turned back around and stared at the now-unfamiliar ceiling.
From there, he slowly got out of bed.
He turned his attention toward the room. There wasn't anything particularly noteworthy about it except for one thing.
That being Emilia sitting on a chair next to the bed, sleeping soundly.
Xeno: "Emilla?"
"Look who's finally awake."
Said a voice from somewhere.
Xeno: "How come every time we talk, you're not visible? Do you like popping up out of nowhere? Ah!—"
While talking, Xeno had gotten up and tried stretching his aching back, only to be met with another spike of pain that caused him to fall to one knee.
"Careful now. You got messed up pretty badly."
Puck revealed himself from his hiding place in Emilia's hair.
The spirit floated toward Xenophanes with his hands on his hips while Xeno slowly got back up, one hand pressed against his back.
"You really know how to make everyone worry, don't you? Betty and Lia spent hours healing your injuries."
"As a matter of fact, what even are you, Xeno? No person could have survived the injuries you sustained."
Xeno carefully sat back down on the bed, his eye looked at Puck incredulously.
"You know, when you're meeting someone who got hurt, you're supposed to ask how they're doing and show concern, not question their humanity."
Puck crossed his arms. With a sigh, he continued, more serious this time.
"I am worried. Lia was almost heartbroken because we initially thought you died. Look, maybe the way I said it offended you, but I don't want a situation like this in the future, so I'll ask once again."
The spirit looked Xeno directly in the eye.
"What are you, Xenophanes?"
"You got horribly mauled by Wolgarm. From what I saw, your back was ripped open. That alone should have killed you instantly, but it didn't."
"Then there's the fact we were able to heal you at all. Betty's water magic is powerful, sure, but even she can't heal a severed spine. Yet somehow, by some miracle, she did heal it. Well, mostly."
"And don't even get me started on the fact that you apparently aren't breathing and don't have a heartbeat. We almost started preparing your funeral if not for Betty telling us about your strange biology."
...
...
...
Silence entered the room. Puck waited for an explanation, but it never came.
How could it?
Xeno himself was stunned beyond belief. He knew his body was strange, but not to this extent.
Xeno: "...Was it really that bad?"
Puck just stared at him for a moment before shaking his head.
"You don't even know the extent of your own injuries, do you? Well, here. Take a good look."
With that, Puck used fire magic to create a wall of ice. Ignoring the irony of that statement, the wall acted like a mirror.
And what it showed voided his pupil.
His chest and shoulders were covered in scars from bites and claw marks. Some areas even looked like chunks of flesh had been chewed off.
But the most noticeable injury was the scar of a claw running across his right eye.
His right pupil was no longer there. Just darkness where it should have been. Xeno instinctively touched his right eye.
But that wasn't even the weirdest part. He could still see perfectly fine.
Xeno: "...And Betty and Emilia spent hours healing me?"
Puck: "Yes. Betty mostly focused on your back, while Lia took care of the rest."
Xeno let out a sigh. Looks like he'd have to thank them in private.
That said—
Xeno: "What is everyone else doing right now?"
Puck: "Well, I convinced Betty to take a rest back at the mansion. I heard Ram went to make some food for when you wake up. As for Roswaal, he hasn't returned yet."
"What about Rem?"
"...She went with her sister. Wanted to make sure you ate something nice and healthy after waking up."
Xeno stared at Puck, his expression turning serious.
"Oh really? Then why did you hesitate for a second there?"
Puck: "...You're not going to believe a word I say, will you?" he stated, disappointed at his own tiny slip-up.
"Nope."
Puck floated closer to Xeno.
Puck: "I don't know what she's planning, but from her expression and her emotions at the time, when she saw your sorry state, it isn't going to be good. But—"
Puck's paw touched his forehead.
"You, mister, are going to rest right here. I made a promise to Betty that I'm going to keep you out of trouble."
Xeno's eye noted that Puck's entire being practically spelled out:
"I'm not letting you out of my sight."
Xeno: "You spirits sure do take promises seriously, don't you?"
"Of course we do. Promises are like contracts, and we spirits don't break contracts no matter what," Puck remarked proudly, his hands on his hips.
Xeno: 'Betty really cared about me that much, huh? Haha, that tsundere. I guess I have to go plus ultra with my reward for her. But for now...'
Xeno: "Alrighty then, fine. But I'm going outside. I need to stretch my body."
Puck's look said it all.
He had expected Xeno to try something... But for it to be this obvious.
"Really?"
"What? You can't expect me to sit here all day. That's bad for my health as—Gah!"
He once again did something that made his back hurt a lot.
Xeno carefully rested against the wall, pulling his legs close to his bare chest.
"Fine. At least give me a shirt. It's uncomfortable being half-naked."
That actually made Puck comply, because he too would rather not have Xeno shirtless. What if his daughter saw him in that state?
With Puck temporarily gone, Xeno didn't take the chance to escape.
He didn't need to. His mind was already beginning to conjure up a plan.
For now, he used Gluttony on himself to know the full extent of his injuries.
[All of your injuries are gone, except for your spine. Sorry to break it to you, but if you think it's going to heal, then you're WRONG. Your spine was literally cut in half. Be glad you only have these disadvantages and not more:
1. You're going to need a cane or wheelchair to move around now. Otherwise, your walking speed is that of an old man.
2. You can completely forget about running, acrobatics, and stuff like that.
3. I'm sure you can guess, but you can't fully exert yourself now, nor can you get hit in the chest AT ALL.
4. You have so many curses on you that not even Beatrice can remove them, so you have till next noon to live. And if you want to live you need to either kill all of the Wolgarm or pray to lady luck you kill the right ones.]
Xeno: "..."
...
...
...
Xeno slowly blinked one eye after the other. He just stared blankly at the information.
"Here, catch, Xeno."
His mind only returned when Puck threw a shirt at his face.
He didn't catch it in time, resulting in it hitting and covering his face.
"Pffffff." Puck was amused.
"You're right, Puck." Xeno said, his voice devoid of emotion and slightly muffled by the shirt.
"Huh?"
This actually surprised the spirit. His surprise turned into shock when Xeno pulled the shirt down.
His face was completely dejected. His eyes were lowered, his pupil dimmed.
"What happened to you all of a sudden?" Puck asked, reaching a paw toward him.
"Sigh. It's just that I fully realized the extent of my injuries. It's... forget it."
Xeno carefully got up and put on his shirt. His eye sockets hollow. Then he slowly, hunched over, walked out of the room.
Puck would have stopped him, but even without being able to read his mind, he could tell that Xeno hadn't taken the news well.
His emotions must be spiraling. Maybe letting him get some fresh air would do him some good.
And thus, Xeno successfully left the house he had been resting in and stepped into the fresh and lively atmosphere of Arlam Village.
The children were safe and already up and about, full of energy. This truly made the settlement even more cheerful and lively.
Yet it did nothing to improve Xeno's mood.
He made a crutch for himself.
With the crutch in his left hand, he walked straight, at a normal pace now.
The villagers he passed by enthusiastically greeted him, thanking and praising him as a hero.
Xeno didn't respond.
They quickly understood what he was going through, so they respectfully gave him space.
After a while of wandering, he came across a familiar face.
"Xeno? What a surprise. Here Ram was thinking you would be taking this to your advantage and sleep more."
The red oni commented as she walked toward him, carrying a basket of steamed tatoes.
Upon getting closer, she felt just how gloomy Xenophanes was. Not only that, but there was a weird thing attached to his left arm.
Xeno: "..."
He turned around and stood face-to-face with Ram, who further noticed that only one of his eyes was functioning.
Ram: "What's wrong? Don't tell me you're moping around because you couldn't freeload off the villagers." She joked as usual.
Xeno: "..."
Ram: "I was going to hand out these freshly steamed tatoes made by yours truly using her 'secret' recipe." She stated confidently.
Xeno: "..."
Ram: "...I suppose I could spare one for you, since you clearly want it." She said as if he were begging for it.
Xeno: "..."
Ram: 'He really didn't take his injuries well, did he?'
Ram: "Xeno?"
Xeno: "...What?"
"Oh! So you can hear. Ram was beginning to think you became deaf. So I'll ask once again, do you want a steamed tato?"
Xeno's left pupil looked at the basket in her hands, then at her.
Xeno nodded.
...
But he made no attempt to grab the tato whatsoever, standing perfectly still.
Ram raised a brow.
"What's wrong? Don't tell me you want Ram to use her delicate hands to oh so gracefully feed you one?" She joked.
Yet never in her life did she expect Xeno's response.
He nodded once again.
Ram: "..."
Ram: 'Is he really taking advantage of his own depression?'
Nonetheless, Ram sighed dramatically and picked up a tato.
"In that case, Ram will feed you like the overgrown baby you are."
Xeno opened his mouth and Ram gracefully fed him one.
"There, there. No need to rush. Ram's delicious tatoes aren't going anywhere." She said, as if talking to a child, going as far as to pat Xeno's head like he did to her yesterday.
Which, in all fairness, Xeno was being one right now. He even slouched down so Ram could pat his head more easily.
Ram: "How shameless."
'If this makes you feel better, then I guess I'll put up with it for now.'
While continuing to rub his head, Ram questioned—
"If you're done being a baby, then tell me. Where's Rem? She was supposed to be taking care of you."
Xeno flinched.
That immediately made Ram stop her actions. She looked at Xeno seriously.
"Where's Rem?"
Xeno: "...I don't know. Puck said she left planning something after seeing my condition, and that her expression and emotions weren't good."
Ram processed the information, worry washing over her.
Ram: "Do you have any idea where she could have gone or why?" She desperately hoped Rem wasn't doing what she thinks.
Xeno: "Don't know. Let me check, I guess." His pupil turned purple.
Rem had the second-largest source of envy in the entire area. Finding her should be easy.
Looking around, he couldn't find her anywhere in the village. He narrowed his eyes, then turned toward the mansion.
'She isn't there either? Where is she?'
Ram watched anxiously. The bad feeling she was having only grew stronger.
Xenophanes did a full circle while searching for Rem. The direction he stopped at only confirmed Ram's fears.
Because he stopped looking directly at the forest full of Wolgarm.
Ram: "Please tell me this is some poorly made joke?" She questioned, turning toward him.
Xeno shook his head.
And that's all it took.
Ram rushed toward the forest, determined to prevent anything from happening to her sister.
"Ram, wait!"
He tried to grab her, but the sudden movement caused immense pain to shoot through his back.
Leaning on his crutch, he watched as Ram ran off into the distance.
Xeno: "..."
Xeno: 'These two are always causing problems for me in some way. They can't even let me be depressed for a few hours. Sigh. Alright, Xeno, time to act... again.'
With that, Xenophanes moved. His tendrils appeared, and he set off somewhere.
...
Somewhere in the forest, Ram surveyed the surroundings, deeming them safe.
She used Clairvoyance, a technique that allowed her to see through the eyes of bugs and animals that were on the same wavelength as her.
She was only able to use it for a few seconds because something was approaching.
This startled her. She swiftly deactivated her ability, unable to defend herself while it was active.
From the surrounding foliage, two Wolgarm lunged at her, with many more incoming.
She raised her arms to cast Fura, yet before she could do anything, two things happened simultaneously.
First, the two Wolgarm that attacked were pierced by sharp appendages from above.
Second, the surrounding mabeasts were gunned down by numerous icicles. They shredded into their bodies.
Ram looked toward the source of the tendrils in surprise.
She saw Xenophanes suspended in the air by those same appendages. Alongside him was a flustered Emilia, with one tendril wrapped around her waist.
Ram: "Xeno? Lady Emilia?"
Xeno gently set Emilia down, who was still flustered. She turned toward Ram with concern.
Emilia: "We're here to help. Xeno told me everything. Don't worry, we'll save Rem."
She said determinedly.
Puck: "Not like we had a choice in the matter." The spirit glared at Xeno.
"It was an emergency, okay?"
Xeno lowered himself, massaging his head with one hand.
"Besides, you got your payback, didn't you? I still have a headache from Emilia's attacks."
You see, instead of asking for help like a normal person, Xeno barged into the place he was staying in.
Grabbed, the sleeping Emilia, darting toward the forest.
She abruptly woke up in the air and repeatedly hit Xeno in the head while calling him a "dummy" as he explained the situation.
All the while, Puck, almost had a heart attack, chased after them.
"That aside, did you find Rem?" Xeno turned to Ram. Who unfortunately shook her head.
Xeno: "Well, no worries then. I already found her. She's that way."
He said before his appendages recoiled like springs and launched him forward. The others followed suit.
Chasing after Rem proved difficult, as Wolgarm after Wolgarm kept attacking.
Which was far from ideal for the group.
Emilia and Puck were fine. This pressure was something they could handle.
The problem lay with Xeno and Ram.
Ram's stamina was draining rapidly from all the running and mana she was using, while Xeno, moving around like doc octopus, was still experiencing a lot of back pain.
And he only had 20% of his Envy supply left.
Xeno: "Ladies and Puck, stop."
The group came to a halt, temporarily safe from mabeast attacks.
Ram: "What is it? This better be important."
Xeno's tendrils held him steady off the ground.
Xeno: "Listen, the way things are going, me and Ram are just going to become burdens. So I have a plan. Do you trust me?"
The three looked at each other, then—
"Of course, Xeno." One replied.
"Unfortunately." The other two replied.
Xeno: "...Good enough."
Xeno carefully landed on the ground.
Two of his tendrils transformed, becoming more rubber-like as they wrapped themselves around two sturdy trees.
Emilia: "Umm, Xeno, what are you doing?"
She was curious about Xeno's actions.
That couldn't be said for Puck and Ram, who suddenly had a bad feeling about what he was doing.
After testing that everything was in place, Xeno turned to the trio.
Xeno: "Welp, I'm done. Ram, Emilia, I hope you don't have a fear of heights... or flying."
That was Xeno's only warning before two more tendrils sprouted from his back.
They sank deep into the ground far away before suddenly yanking Xeno backward.
Ignoring the pain in his back, his original two appendages coiled themselves around Emilia's and Ram's waists before—
The new tendrils vanished.
Xeno went rocketing through the air like he had been fired from a slingshot.
"Eh!?"
That was their only reaction before they went flying with him.
Puck: "LIIIIIIA!" The cat immediately chased after them.
...
Meanwhile.
In a different part of the forest, a gruesome battle had ended. A sole figure stood among the mangled corpses of mabeasts.
Pant.
Pant.
Despite the fatigue she felt, she continued to push onward, fragmented thoughts swirling through her consciousness.
'I need to... do this alone.'
'No one... needs to get hurt.'
'I need to... save him.'
'It's all... my fault.'
These were the beliefs running through the mind of the young sister, Rem. Despite her current state leaving her unable to fully process the words, they continued to fuel her to move.
After all—
Rem: 'It's my fault. Their lives were ruined.'
Growl.
More Wolgarm sprinted towards the bloodied Rem.
In response, she too sprang into action.
She swung her flail in a wide arc, killing multiple Wolgarm in the process.
She jumped ahead, grabbed one by the throat midair, then violently slammed it against the ground, killing it instantly.
Afterward, she used her flail again and again. Body parts of Wolgarm rained onto the forest floor. Blood stained her dress.
Yet she didn't stop. Once they were dealt with, she planned to move her battered body forward.
"AHHHHHHHHH!"
At the sound of multiple screams, Rem stopped in her tracks. She sharply looked toward the sky, preparing her flail.
What she saw made the oni freeze.
Crashing toward the ground were Xeno, Emilia, and her sister.
The girls were tightly clinging to either side of Xeno, while he himself didn't know how to feel about his predicament between them, as both pain and joy shot through him.
Rem followed their landing as all four of Xeno's tendrils rooted themselves into the ground, sliding across it to break their fall.
Dropping Ram and Emilia safely on the ground, he lowered himself as well.
He wiped the sweat off his brow.
Xeno: 'How is my spine still intact?'
Suddenly, something small collided with the back of Xeno's head, making him stumble.
That something being Puck, who was burning with the fury of a thousand suns.
Puck: "What are you thinking!? At least warn us next time! What if Lia got hurt?"
Puck wasn't the only one who was furious, because Ram immediately after crushed Xeno's foot.
Ram: "Pervert."
And the final counterattack came from Xeno's own body, as his movement caused him pain.
Emilia: "Ram! Look! It's Rem!"
Emilia's words brought everyone's attention to her. Like she said, Rem was standing there a few feet away from them.
Rem's appearance caused a great deal of concern for Ram, and her being in her demon form didn't help that.
Rem looked at them strangely, as if identifying them through her hazy eyes. She only recognised Ram.
Everyone was at a standstill.
Until Staring at Xeno's tendrils triggered Rem and she rushed onto the offensive.
Emilia: "Puck!"
Puck: "On it."
The two of them went to fend Rem off, while Xeno and Ram stayed behind.
Xeno: "What is she doing?" he asked, confused.
Ram: "She's in her demon form."
Seeing Xeno's confusion, she further explained—
"Members of the oni race are born with two horns, but twins are born with one each... However, twins are detested, and it's been a custom to dispose of them shortly after they're born."
Puck and Emilia tried to subdue her without causing harm, attempting to trap her in ice.
Xeno: "Damn. Wait, then what about yours? Where's your horn?"
Ram: "I... lost my horn. So unlike Rem, I can't access that form. But that's not important. Our horns are organs that awaken our instincts as oni. They consume mana from the atmosphere and convert it into strength."
But Rem was proving difficult, dodging Emilia's and Puck's attempts. She swung her flail toward Emilia, who protected herself with ice walls.
Ram: "But if one is reckless and overdoes things... the recoil will leave them battered."
Howl.
It looks like the universe is adamant on ruining Xeno's day, because more Wolgarm came rushing in from all directions, drawn in by the noise.
Everyone went on high alert, well, everyone except for Xeno. He was utterly exhausted by this situation.
Xeno: "…Sigh, let's continue this conversation somewhere we won't be disturbed." He stretched his hand out toward Ram.
Ram narrowed her eyes but took his hand in urgency. His tendrils once again shot him into the air like a spring.
In the air with Ram, Xeno made a thin floating platform beneath them. At this height, the Wolgarm were no longer a problem.
Ram: "You could have done this from the start." She was no longer surprised by Xeno's strange ability.
Xeno: "I just thought of this. But that aside, how do we snap her out of it?"
Ram: "Her horn. If we can land one good hit, it should bring her back to normal."
"Should?" he asked, fed up.
His eye turned red, looking directly at Ram.
"Sigh, alright, I'll go wake her up then. You stay put."
Ram: "And how do you intend to do that?" She looked curiously at his red eye, she always wondered what ability it had.
"Like this." he said, before he just… poofed. One second he was there, the next he wasn't.
Ram's eyes widened in surprise.
...
Xeno: 'I never thought being non-existent could feel relaxing. Sure, the lack of sensation of my skin is still uncomfortable, but compared to everything else happening... it's refreshing.'
Xeno slowly made his way toward Rem's position.
Looking around, he could see both Emilia and Puck were fighting hard. Puck fended off the mabeasts while Emilia focused on Rem.
Speaking of Rem, she'd just punched straight through a Wolgarm.
Xeno: 'Good, she's not moving.'
With that said, Xeno stood directly in front of Rem, who was using her flail to kill the surrounding Wolgarm and break any attempts at encasing her.
Sighing for who knew how many times today, he readied his fist and struck her straight in the horn.
The strike connected. There wasn't much force behind the attack.
The moment he attacked, his ability deactivated, making him visible to the world again.
Rem was surprised, not by the blow, but by seeing Xenophanes. A flash of guilt and sorrow passed through her eyes.
Before she fell to the ground... Unconscious.
Xeno: "Sleep well, Rem." He softly whispered.
His pupil turned purple, and he used his appendages to kill the Wolgarm attacking them.
His appendages grabbed Rem, and he carried her in his arms, this surprisingly didn't cause him back pain.
He quickly approached the others.
Xeno: "Puck, Emilia, I got her, but these mutts won't let us leave—"
His point was proven as even more mabeasts came rushing toward the trio.
"Please tell me you have some wide-area attack, because now would be a great time to use it."
Emilia: "I mean, yes I do, but you'll get caught in the crossfire."
"Don't worry. Just use it. I'm going back to Ram." Xeno did exactly that.
Emilia was surprised, not knowing how Xeno had suddenly appeared and knocked Rem out, nor about the platform Xeno had made in the air.
Meaning they were truly out of the danger zone.
Emilia: "Puck, you ready?"
Puck: "Always have been."
The surrounding temperature rapidly cooled.
Puck gathered a tremendous amount of mana, frost seeping through the ground and chilling the air.
It became difficult for the mabeasts to breathe. They shivered from the cold, ice spreading across their skin.
Puck glowed with bright light before making a swinging motion.
Boom.
Instantly, everything—the ground, the trees, and all of the mabeasts trying to attack—was covered in ice.
Now nothing but silence remained.
...
...
...
The battle was finally over. The group was now closer to Arlam. This should have been the perfect moment for them to escape.
The group slowly walked. Xeno was actually walking with a clutch alongside Emilia, while Ram carried Rem on her back.
Except there was a slight problem.
Xeno was still cursed. Sure, a few of them were gone, but there were still too many for Beatrice to remove.
To make things worse, they needed to get Rem and Ram out of here. Both were exhausted, and Rem was unconscious, so they were unable to help.
So someone had to ensure they got out safely.
Xeno could do it, but that meant having Emilia all by herself. She couldn't rely on Puck, as it was almost 9 PM , something Puck wouldn't allow.
So that meant the only person capable of reliably continuing to kill mabeasts was...
Xenophanes.
Emilia: "No! Absolutely not, Xeno."
As you can imagine—
Ram: "Ram thinks you secretly have a death wish."
They were against it.
Xeno: "Look, I don't like it either, but what choice do I have? Besides, I'm not telling you not to come. You can... after you all have rested."
Ram: "You, of all people, should be resting. We still have time. We can all go together after a short break, so stop being reckless."
Xeno: "I'm not being reckless. I'm trying to deal with this as fast as possible. I have until noon to kill all of them. I can't wait around even for a moment. Who knows how many are still left?"
Emilia: "Xeno..." she said sympathetically.
Xeno: "You guys go take a rest... think of this... as me having a head start."
Ram: "Yes, a head start to your demise."
"Uu..uh."
Their argument was interrupted by Rem's voice, her eyes slowly opened, regaining consciousness.
Ram took a sigh of relief and expressed a reassuring smile
Ram: "Rem! Oh thanks goodness. I'm glad your alright. You really are a troublesome girl."
Rem: "Xeno?"
Xeno put on a smile.
"Geez, you really gave us a heart attack there."
Rem looked down in shame.
"Why didn't you all leave me alone? You all coming here makes it pointless. I needed to do this on my own. It's... it's my fault, so I'll take responsibility. If I don't, I can't do anything for Sister or you. I committed the same sin as back then!"
...
Rem: "Because I hesitated to extend my hand to you, you nearly died. Now your life is ruined because of me, Xeno-kun. Because of me, my sister lost her horn..."
Xeno/Ram: "..."
"Rem."
Hearing his voice, she turned toward Xenophanes. She already imagined how Xeno would react, and she would accept all of it.
Chop.
Xeno lightly karate-chopped her head.
Rem: "!!!"
Xeno: "Sigh, this is really troublesome. Look, I'm not really good at these kinds of things—" he scratched the back of his head.
Xeno: "But I'll try. Rem, look, you're really putting yourself in a bad light. It's your fault I'm crippled? Or the fact Ram lost her horn? You're wrong. You're reducing one moment to their entire character. And trust me, I already made that mistake."
Xeno subtly glanced at Ram.
"Besides, did you ever ask us about that? I think I can speak for both of us. No one blamed you. Both moments were out of your hands. You did the best you could. I willingly put myself in that position, so stop blaming yourself for my actions."
"In fact, I'm both an older and younger sibling. I can understand your feeling of devotion. Heck, I think I can once again speak for both of us. If we had to do it all over again, we would do it without hesitation. Because, be it my crippled state or Ram's horn, you're matter more."
Ram: "Xeno is right. You don't have to feel the need to atone for something that happened so long ago. In fact, there are several things I've gained and lives I've saved because I lost my horn. So please don't think you're terrible, because you're not."
Rem: "Sister... Xeno-kun."
She looked at her sister and Xeno in shock.
Xeno: "I can't think of much more, so um, do us a favour and stop being so self-destructive. I know I'm being a hypocrite right now, but you should learn to rely on others. You're more irreplaceable than you think."
The group finally reached the barrier. Beyond here was Arlam Village safety at least. That's what everyone thought, except for one.
Xeno: "Speaking of hypocrite."
Emilia, who had been silent the entire conversation, spoke up.
Emilia: "Xeno... there's still time."
Xeno: "Yes, there is time, but knowing that there's a doomsday clock above my head ticking down every second... sorry Emilia, Ram, Rem. I can't live with that fear, so I need to go."
Rem: "W-What do you mean by that?" she asked, confused and scared.
Ram: "There's nothing we can do to stop you, is there?"
Xeno shook his head.
Ram: "...Fine. But promise me you won't get yourself killed. That you'll return and apologise for every single second you made all of us worry about you." Ram looked at him with narrowed eyes.
Realization dawned on poor Rem.
Rem: "No! Please don't go! I'm begging you... I don't want you... you don't have to do this."
In response, Xeno chuckled. His red pupil looked directly at the sisters. He put his hand on both of their heads.
Xeno: "Don't worry, I told you, didn't I? My stealth build is top tier. Noone can stop me from escaping any situation. So have a little faith in me because—"
"I always come back."