Leopold sighed, leaving the open fruit on a small log near Ingo, before standing up and treading towards the lake. He looked at his reflection before one hand landed on the club he carried by his side.

He didn't necessarily recall the weapons flying out with the two when Ennyou struck, yet, Ingo's Guardian Demon somehow found itself thrashed right next to the Los-Los Hammer. His shield, though, was nowhere to be found.

Taking the grip out from beneath the belt, he analyzed its rough, cut-through exterior. One word found itself etched into the side, though. "Kanow." Leopold read, quietly.

His grip tightened, as a small droplet connected with the lake's water. Leopold quickly rubbed one eye, before turning around.

He swore he saw it. A quick shadow, moving from the top of the Rose Ring, towards the outer exteriors.

Leopold legged it, much to the calm surprise of Ingo.

He ground his teeth, pushing his legs against his hands and eventually managing to stand on both wobbly feet. Moving around was, quite obviously, a tremendous task, but Ingo eventually managed to land on the side of a few boulders, with conveniently placed rocks allowing him to crawl towards the outer edges of Rose Ring.

From the second he got up, his means weren't to escape, but to learn.

Leopold stood a few metres away from a Beastman, who stared at the ground, searching for the literal traces of footsteps the demon had taken, followed by the long line of rocks pushed to the side.

Ingo furrowed his brows, now both hands plastered on the boulder's top. Leopold almost effortlessly ran towards another rock, before stepping out at the side, with two smaller stones in one hand, with the other now carrying Ingo's club.

The Morian squinted his eyes, breathing out. Despite the demon bearing a hammer, earlier a shield, it was the very trustworthy bat he too, found himself using against all of the opponents.

The stones rubbed against each other, eventually sending off sparkles, and right as they appeared, the Beastman turned its head, leaping.

The demon lunged the sparks forward and they bounced off its eyes. The creature bellowed, taking a cautious step back, and that's when Leopold ran forward.

One second later, the bat connected to its head, pushing it to the ground with a slide. Leopold wasn't done, however. He walked up, crouched, and bashed at its head once more. White eyes met its dizzy, dead expression, before another merciless shot was landed, blood spilling all over their black clothing.

Ingo closed his eyes with each hit, eventually backing down. He couldn't help but recall his own father's words.

"Don't act like the thing you don't want to be."

Of course, a demon such as this wouldn't know that. Leopold's curious gaze turned back to the edges, as he spotted Ingo zipping down the side.

He stared, before sliding the bat back into a makeshift sheath near his belt. "What trouble." he brushed the blood off, before taking a few decisive steps, eventually jumping atop the boulders, and meeting Ingo from above.

Food was untouched, and both hands tried to rip the chains apart. Now, though, the Morian only seemed more frustrated.

A drop of sweat rolled down his forehead, eventually meeting blood.

***

The desert's landscape, the sands, valleys, grottos and whatnot kept repeating themselves. It was, as if, without Leopold's help, Isak was completely helpless in choosing the right direction.

Dragging the cart across the dunes, he remained completely silent, only staring at the moon.

Thoughts kept circling his head. He reasoned, too. The Morians must've been scared, but at the same time, amid confusion and misunderstanding, he still managed to bear a smile from time to time.

Taking regular stops, he stuck both hands out, focusing on the mark on one of his palms.

"It almost stopped hurting." he thought, squinting one eye. "The further I went, the longer I spent treading without a clue, the less the ache focused on my body. No, it can't be a wound. There was no blood, but it resembles an already war-worn scar."

He flipped his hand around, before glancing forward, again. The clouds gathered, opposing the starry sky. He swore he could see a glimpse of such in the distance, but wherever he headed, they seemed to be following right along.

Although, whenever he'd look back at the cart, he'd see the moon's shine, gleaming lightly.

"That's when the ache completely stops." he grinned, before picking up the rope again. "But I have to make damn sure of it."

The same cloth covered most of the cart, and even if Genni and Morio tried kicking it off, the other broken half was pinned down by a few sharp rocks Isak found earlier. Either way, he wasn't too clever. Genni found a small spot where she could peek out, seeing everything around the two.

"It's tonight," she whispered, turning to Morio, moving one hand from under the chain, trying to push the cloth to the side.

Morio opened one eye. "What is?"

"The equinox." she smiled, lightly. "You can see it each year in Harabara and... maybe even Galliath? But not from anywhere else." she moved toward Morio. "Heaps upon heaps of stars, almost clashing against each other."

Morio glanced up. "I can't see them, though."

"But they're there."

Morio tried beaming, although, he found no energy in his expression to do so. How's one supposed to smile through all that pain?

But then again, it could make you numb. Long gone was the anger, now almost all of it was placed in Ingo's hands. Morio was, obviously frustrated.

Whenever he closed his eyes, it was there too. That white willow tree. In the face of the cart obscuring most of the light, something had to cast a shadow in that darkness.

Genni frowned, breathing out.

A tear began rolling down her cheek, before she placed her head against the ropes, harshly rubbing it off. "D-Did you have anything like that back home?"

"You've never been to Shimori, have you?"

"I'm sorry." Genni shook her head. "I'd like to, though, one day."

"If so, you'll see what my mama called the northern stars or just... night lights in Yule." Morio focused on the ceiling of the cart. "Reds, blues and even purples with some green. Very bright, sometimes even shinier than the sun."

Genni put her knees together. "The stars here too, they're very shiny."

"I'll have to take your word for it," Morio answered. "You know this place better than I ever could."

"Huh?" Genni turned, frowning.

"It's home, isn't it? Harabara, and all. Even though I sense it goes a little deeper than that, from Ingo's words."

Genni clenched her jaw. She wanted to answer, but something held her back. "W-What about you, then? Do you want to go back home?"

"I'd kill for it." Morio gulped. "Just to see Mama, Jyuzou, and everyone else again. Safe and sound."

Doom and demise weren't written down. Morio's heart skipped a beat.

"M-Mama's probably safe in the village. Papa too. So, I'm not too worried about that." she beamed. "But a-atop of that, you have all the memories of the bad things that happened. Experiences I don't wish to live through again."

Morio turned to her. Without adding a word, it seemed as if he was waiting for an answer.

"I-" Genni flashed a pitiful smile. "No, it's selfish. I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

"Ingo was right. We're wasting time reminiscing about nothing."

Morio looked up at the ceiling again. "Now you're going back on your own words because it's convenient. Jyuzou told me that I keep doing that, and that's real selfish prick behaviour." Morio pointed with his finger. "But, Bancho said that kids can't be selfish because they don't know any better. I'm way older now, but I think it still applies."

"I'm serious. Home or not, we need to get the hell out of this cart before it's too late."

"But you didn't want to bring that up earlier."

"I was already thinking about it."

"Me too." Morio sighed. "...and I don't have the faintest idea."

Genni sighed, pushing her hands against each other.

"How far away is your village? Do you think that someone could set out and find us?"

"Far. They wouldn't save us either. I wouldn't want that to happen."

"Why?" Morio asked, tilting his head.

"It's selfish."

"Genni-"

"It's not about their well-being, Morio." Genni ground her teeth. "Although I'd like to think that it's that too." she turned to him, hesitating for a minute.

Morio's big, black eyes stared back at the green, almost shineless tinge of hers.

"I-I was born a boy," Genni stated.

Morio backed out a little, shocked. Things went quiet, but the cart kept moving through the desert.

"I'm a girl now." she clasped her hands together, eyes drifting away from the other Morian. She scoffed, before sighing. "But my parents don't know."

"Y-You..." Morio gulped. "R-Really?"

"I only told Ingo. It took me a lot of courage to admit it. T-Then there was Jyuzou, who figured it out by himself." her eyes were half-closed. "But I know the others wouldn't get it. What I did with it too. It was selfish."

Morio gasped. "Ah..." he shook his head. "Seriously?"

"I-Is that a bad thing?"

"No, of course not," Morio muttered. "I'm just pissed that Jyuzou outsped me."

Genni cracked a small smile. "It's not a competition, t-trust me..."

"Are Harans not accepting of such?"

"Not really. They say one thing but do the other." she focused on the small opening in the cloth.

"Well, that's... weird." Morio sat back down, looking up at the ceiling. "Morians don't care."

"Huh?"

"We have that one guy in Mistwick who used to be a girl when I was younger. But Mama explained that things changed and no one seemed to mind." Morio said. "Mistwick was made up of strange people in the world." he chuckled. "Jyuzou doesn't look like your typical Morian, and Bancho's there too, one of the Wise just quietly living in a small town that none talk about."

"So I wouldn't be considered strange?" Genni asked.

"No one would, and you're not! Bancho said everyone is welcome if they stop for a cup of cocoa." Morio explained. "...and, maybe that's what I miss as well."

Genni stared forward, nodding. Of course, Morio didn't know. She went on a limb and asked Swannes for something impossible, risking the lives of many because of that self-proclaimed selfishness.

Maybe it was better that way, then. The tension in the already limited air broke, at that very moment.

"If we do manage to get out of this alive." Morio looked at his hand, with dried-out blood permeating the palm. "Do you want to go to Shimori with me?"

Genni gulped. Perhaps it was the sudden proposition or the fact that... Morio smiled, despite the odds.

"Jyuzou'll be there too. Since I know you two have a thing for each other." he giggled.

"Oh, what now?" she rolled her eyes, playfully.

"Kidding, kidding! Although, you have to admit that it makes the two of you look a little suspicious."

"A girl and a boy can't be friends anymore?" she asked. "Then, you were convinced, and saw the real Genni in me." she beamed. "Thank you, Morio."

"My thanks. We should talk more often. Spent seasons together and I swear this is the first time the two of us sat in one place by ourselves."

Genni nodded. "I had the same thing back at the village with Ingo."

Morio turned, now curious.

"I sometimes wanted to hang out with him, but he always insisted on his big brother joining us."

"What a wimp." Morio joked.

"N-No," Genni answered. "He wasn't a mama's boy or whatever. Ingo just... looked up to him." Genni moved to the side, as much as her body would allow her to do so. She peeked out from the bottom again, seeing the sand and some of the stars that reflected on a flat, non-mirror surface. Everything seemed a little brighter now. "He was the one who taught him to swing that bat like a maniac."

"I always wondered where that came from."

"Not only the swings. Everything. The fiery attitude and the will to go as far as possible to prove oneself. Opo never stopped, and Ingo in turn, never stopped chasing. All up until..." she froze, momentarily.

Both eyes were now closed, and even Isak stopped, trying to spot the moon through the clouds.

***

Standing atop the canyon towering over the Hales Riverside, Leopold looked up at the sky. Millions of stars reflected the same way those white pupils shone. Treading the rocky grounds, he eventually turned to Ingo, who sat by one of the palm trees, rubbing the chains against one another.

Leopold crouched on the opposite side of the campfire. Yet, Ingo didn't necessarily focus on the demon.

When Leopold stared, Ingo, almost mockingly, glanced to the side. He didn't pay attention to the stars above, but to lights in the distance, gleaming weakly. The demon eventually took notice, before adjusting his hammer and straightening up.

"We're not going there," Leopold muttered.

Ingo scoffed, turning back to the chains. One tugged against the other, and he swore he could feel something loosen. Either that or a new wound opened next to the scabs beneath the rust.

"How long are you planning to do this?" Leopold asked.

"As long as it nets me the possibility of killing you," Ingo answered.

"I'm talking about everything. Why don't you say a word? Why aren't you complaining?"

"Are you expecting me to do so?" Ingo asked. "Go figure, big scary demon."

"You don't want to know my reasons?"

"I said it before and I'll say it again, there's no philosophy to this shit. You've captured me and I'm trying to escape to get back at my oppressor." Ingo rolled his eyes. "Damn you, stupid demons. Trying to justify your immorality with fancy words. But I insist that you watch, then."

Leopold stood up. "Or maybe I'm not used to this."

Ingo didn't answer, and in turn, Leopold stepped away. He turned to the stars, with his hands behind his back.

"Every other demon I've met tried to argue with me. Telling me what's right, and what's, obviously, wrong, especially concerning the power I hold in my hands." he clenched around the hammer's grip. "Someone like Isak would try and search for benefits. The task at hand is simple, and I'm following Shi Hon's instructions."

"Shi Hon, huh?" Ingo muttered. "Great."

"Shi Hon's the man who inadvertently taught me to look into it further. There must be a deeper end to his actions, and... yours too."

Ingo spat to the side, with some blood present in his saliva.

Leopold turned back to Ingo. "If I were to pry it open, I'd find another question. Shi Hon only talked about the Demonears. He never asked for your names, just... the collective." Leopold sat back down. "Anyone connected to Morio."

"Since the white-haired brat spat it out so nicely then that makes even more sense. Eliminate three birds with two stones, but you're only bringing them to Mama Bird." Ingo chuckled. "Why don't you just do it? If his request confuses you, why don't you already get rid of the problem?"

"I will not kill you."

"Then fight me."

"I will not fail Shi Hon."

The stars aligned in a way that made them shine even brighter. If one were to look, maybe they'd see the mulpantons staring back at them. Ingo kept rubbing the chains together, while Leopold watched.