The carnage was swallowed by the stone.

No remnants of their havoc were left behind.

The only proof the Ancient Wartorts ever existed was the green blood splattered over Edith.

Cleanly, they’d walked in, assassinated the Dungeon Master, and were now racing out of the dungeon.

The five piled together, then Mias simultaneously linked with Diable and reconnected with his other parts.

It was as he did that he also saw the glaring fault of [Severance].

’I-in a minute?!’

In the single minute Mias had been disconnected from his selves communication line, everything had gone to shit.

He’d expected resistance and retaliation, but nothing this grandiose and organized.

***

Red, tired eyes stared listlessly from Machia’s puffy face.

Confined...

Those damned bastards had confined her. Said she was too "mentally unstable" to be allowed to freely roam.

A load of bullshit.

She was more mentally stable than she’d ever been, yes...

She’d never had such a clear goal in life to work toward.

Lust. The Dungeon of Lust had been found in the vicinity of where her brother disappeared. Not only that...

She’d made her Item to track her past creations, and had watched as [Stay Safe] and [Draw Back] both left from the relative location of the Vice Dungeon.

She’d even told Rivania, only for it to be glossed over.

Being told:

"We will eliminate Lust in due time, but the war takes priority."

Seriously?! Her revenge was supposed to wait?!

Hanging by a precarious thread that hinged on winning the war in the first place.

Machia didn’t even dare imagine it, but there was the possibility Celestia would lose and she’d never even get her chance.

"Why...?"

Why wouldn’t they let her go and get her revenge?!

Why do this to her?!

Machia dug her nails into her pillow as she smashed it into her face.

She was done with all this permission shit. The only way it would get done was to do it herself.

A moment later, a knock sounded at the door.

Machia’s angered eyes flicked to the wooden door, which locked from the outside. But her anger mellowed upon hearing the visitor speak.

"It’s me, Luke. Can I come in?"

Panicked, Machia sat up and brushed out her bushy brown hair, then said:

"Yes... you may."

Upon her words, she heard the shifting of keys and the clink of the lock being undone. Then, the door swung open and revealed the handsome young knight.

The knight who stepped in and shut the door behind him, locking it.

Luke, the newly appointed Apostle, Miach’s replacement, cast his eyes around the room, then said:

"This place is a mess..."

Machia followed Luke’s gaze to the gadgets and papers strewn across the floor.

"Yeah... yeah it is."

Luke knelt and picked up an Item, one that looked like a sealed letter.

"What’s this peculiar thing? It’s... odious and vile."

"That?" Machia forcefully laughed. "It’s my gift to Lust."

Luke smiled.

"So, you’ve perfected it, have you?"

"Mhm. And will you be my courier to help deliver the message?"

Luke flashed his white teeth as he sauntered over and set the sealed envelope on Machia’s desk.

"That’s what I promised, no?" Luke gritted his teeth. "What better message exists for one who could do such a thing?"

Machia sighed as she shuffled on her bed.

Luke was not yet ready to be sent to war as an Apostle — he hadn’t finished his training.

However, in his time spent in the inner sanctum, Luke had learned she was Miach’s sister and felt it right he get to know her.

But it was through that initial meeting that he learned of Lust — of its new location.

The Vice that was way too close to that massacred village to be considered a coincidence. The Vice who was also most definitely responsible for killing Miach.

With Luke’s goal to avenge the innocents slaughtered en masse and Machia’s revenge for her brother, the two fledglings teamed up.

Luke shook his head at Machia’s sigh, then pointed to the only window in the room.

"Don’t you think you’ve cast enough doom and gloom looking out on the training grounds all day?"

"Maybe if you visited more often..."

Luke knelt and began plucking papers off the ground one by one, organizing them and setting them neatly on her desk.

"You know I try, but training has been especially harsh as of late."

"I know, I know..." Machia’s eyes lazily followed Luke’s movements. "How much longer until you are deployed?"

"I haven’t been given a timeframe yet... but I’d guess around six months."

"Six months? That’s an awfully long time."

"Yeah, it is, because I’m being difficult."

Machia tilted her head as her toes played with the wooden floorboards.

"Hmm...?"

"Ah, well..." Luke scratched the back of his head, then added, "I keep saying I’ll only comply if you come with me. And since I’m an Apostle, they’re strong-armed into listening — else its heresy."

Machia froze, her jaw falling open.

Admittedly, even if her mental state was ’perfectly stable,’ even she could get a little bashful upon hearing such a thing from Luke of all people. Him and his handsome face.

"Uh... huh... wha...?"

"Yeah... you said only you can activate the letter, right? So I have to deliver you to Lust, right?"

"I, uh... yeah..."

Technically, anyone could activate it, but Machia didn’t exactly want someone to unwittingly sacrifice themselves for her petty revenge.

But...

’I almost thought he wanted me for me.’

"Oh, I also just like hanging around you."

’Ah...’

Machia scooted back on her bed, pulling in her knees and burying her face.

She knew Luke knew what he was doing!

But as much as Machia was moved...

She was too scarred and scared of love.

How could anyone ever occupy the spot in her mind her brother once did?

Luke warmly chuckled, then moved on to arranging the gadgets neatly around the room by form.

Luke added:

"And, trust me, some light would do you good."

’Was that last part necessary?!’

Machia smiled, a true smile, for a brief moment.

"Thank you, Luke."

"You’re welcome... not that I’ve done anything deserving of thanks."