"I think it all started with a knock on the door," Genni explained. "We were talking about the necklace, and someone interrupted the conversation. We both thought that Opo came back, but lo and behold, the only thing greeting us in the entryway was my mama."

"Mom?" Genni asked.

"Miss Andi." Ingo bowed. "I appreciate the gift."

"Oh, humility." she snapped her fingers up in the air. "I came to get my child from your bearings. It's a little late, isn't it, Gen-nun?"

"S-Sorry." Genni rubbed the back of her head, smiling awkwardly, before stepping out.

"One more thing before I forget, did the three of you leave something in that canyon today?"

"No, I don't think so," Ingo answered. "Just knocked that Beastman out and left."

"I swear I saw your brother on that wolf, Ingo. It's dark outside now, but he moved fast as if he was stressed out. Anyway, I don't mean to be intrusive. Gen, come. We have those journals to make for the Plums." she clapped her hands.

"Yes, mom." Genni sighed.

Ingo stepped out of the doorway, treading the small bridge and towards the arch above their house. Squinting his eyes, he spotted footsteps, treading forward and toward the canyon.

"That bastard...!" Ingo scoffed, before running forward.

"Ingo was convinced that Opo left without him to fight another Beastman. As I said, he wanted to prove himself. The silver on the floor, the bats that Opo kept breaking and the signs of struggle in his actions. Taking the Kanow club, he ran, until I couldn't see him. I didn't join, but from what he relayed, things didn't go the way he expected."

"Opo?!" Ingo looked down. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you going without-"

Looking down into the canyon, he only spotted his brother, standing near the water, in the same spot where the Beastman attacked. He breathed in, before turning around and facing Ingo.

Gone was the smile, the usual confidence that accompanied the hunts. Opo was afraid of something, and when Ingo stepped into the shallow waters, he spotted it.

"You... you killed him," Ingo whispered. "Opo, what did you do?!"

"I d-didn't do it," Opo uttered, hastily. "Not now, at least."

"What do hell do you mean not now?!" Ingo spoke through his teeth. "When did this happen?"

"I-I must've hit its head too hard, that's all." Opo put a hand on his forehead.

"Opo tried to reason with guilt that wasn't there. It was an accident, after all."

There it was, in its full grotesque glory. Blood kept spewing out from the top of its destroyed head, but the rest of the body was limp. Ingo covered his mouth, trying to cough out something mean.

Stressed, he took a step back.

"An accident? Why did you do this?" Ingo raised his voice.

"I swear on my life, Ingo, I didn't."

"You couldn't be more obvious, Opo!" Ingo put his hands on his jacket. "You told us to run, and then you finished the job without me."

Opo shook his head.

"Why, though? Was he a bigger threat that you were worried about? C-Come on, you can always tell me!" Ingo inched closer.

"No!" Opo pushed him away. "I saw something in the shadows, Go!"

"What kind of bullshit-"

"They looked like Beastmen, and I chased them down here."

"That's..." Ingo gritted his teeth. "What?"

"I'm not lying, Go."

Ingo took a step away, shaking his head. "Y-You know I'd support your decision, but this isn't what Papa told us to do!"

Opo breathed in. "I didn't do it."

Ingo seemed frustrated. "Screw this, help me already! Who's stronger, this wimp, or the person that can't tell the truth?" he pulled on the body, with shaky hands.

"Go, please..." Opo insisted on his words.

"For now, before anything-"

"Ingo's words were interrupted by Champ's cries. Stepping out of the canyon, the first signs of revenge were present. The Beastmen were waiting for one of the Sforses to slip up and have a reason to strike. Clever beasts led the two away from the village, but when they came running back in, chaos already ensued. I watched as they stepped in, wrecking every lamppost that would've cast them away earlier. I saw them raiding the Sforse home because no one was present, and in turn, doing the same with every other empty one. They took people hostage, and those who tried to rebel or attack were... killed."

Genni gasped, closing her eyes.

"I prayed, to whoever was up there, that my parents were to be safe, and... I counted on them too. Almost as if answering my wish, they came running back into the village, and Opo immediately took one of them by surprise. A clean shot to the head, and there they lay on the ground, unconscious, dead, he didn't seem to care."

Opo raised his voice.

"When I peeked my head out, I saw anger. But Ingo didn't share his emotions. He was scared."

"Ingo!" Genni screamed out, running from behind her house and towards the Morian. "What the hell happened?"

"Opo killed a beastman."

"Ingo repeated those words, at least three times. He was convinced that something must've happened. Even when Ingo stood at the backlines, facing the real danger, his brother didn't stop at just one Beastman. He kept swinging, moving forward, all angered, frustrated. Somehow, for a while, he managed to hold the fort."

"Opo!" Genni threw a torch she lit up, caught midflight, then smashed into another one's head. Some other Harans scoured to light an abandoned building next to the group on fire, chasing them away into a different street, and eventually towards Opo's swing.

"The entire Mercury Village falsely relied on one man to ensure safety. Soon enough, no one remained conscious, up until he saw the same five shadows again. The people cheered for an unsure victory, but Opo ran again. I'm convinced that he was sure of it. They'd attack too, if he wouldn't be the one to initiate a brawl. All that anger, and for what reason? The death of Champ, or did he want to prove himself? Maybe, there was a duty he was supposed to fill."

"Or maybe... to impress Ingo?" Morio asked, gulping.

Genni shook her head. "I don't know. The last five were much, much stronger than the rest, and they wouldn't stop until their score was settled. It had to be more than that. He wanted to say that humans were stronger, and that... faults could be excused. Flawed thinking, but he kept fighting. He was outsped, his head grabbed and smashed into the ground. Over, and over again."

"Opo, stop!" Ingo screamed out.

"One more..." Opo uttered, straightening up again. "Give me one more. I'll be faster this time, damn it!"

"The same strength that Ingo wanted. Now, presented in its full glory. But Opo wasn't a God, or a deity, for that matter. Yet, he kept standing up."

Opo coughed out blood. "One more!"

The Beastman chuckled, getting ready to swing his fist, while Opo clenched the bat.

"Opo!" Ingo ran forward, jumping in with the bat before something hit his stomach.

After tumbling on the ground, Ingo sat up, facing his brother in anger. He saw the bat directed right at him, just after it hit his stomach. Then, with his eyes moving upwards, he noticed a thin smirk, and squinted eyes, with a bloody line going down from his lips.

"One more, Ingo." Opo smiled, before grinding his teeth. "Always try for one more!" he yelled, before focusing all the energy in his legs to run.

Ingo scoured, trying to get up again. Genni leaped in from behind, jumping onto Ingo's back, and stopping him.

"He quickly escaped my grasp, but by then, it was already too late. As they came so suddenly, they disappeared, with only a few words."

"Now we're equal." The beastman bellowed, with a raspy voice, before dropping Opo's body to the ground.

Ingo came running, as his foot slipped. He slid across the ground, before stopping in front of Opo's face.

It didn't move. It didn't answer his yells, and at the end of the day, they were already closed.

Ingo raised his shaking palm, opening his terrified mouth.

"I think that was the first and last time I saw Ingo cry. I could never imagine the hurt he went through. Maybe that's why it's selfish of me. He has an actual reason to never relive those memories, ever again. Opo saved his people, but failed to save himself."

"O-Opo..." Ingo put his hands on his shoulders, shaking him back and forth. "C-Come on, get up!" he yelled. "One more, one more!"

"When he looked back at me, I saw him change. His last words spoken to him were of an argument, and I think he'd do anything to say that he should've trusted his words back then. Maybe he'd find a reason to fight alongside. Maybe he'd be stronger and prevent anything like this from ever happening."

Morio glanced down.

"It was always one more."

***

The journey continued in the morning. Now, setting out from the tree, they trod along the canyon, moving closer towards the edge.

Leopold would occasionally pause, trying to find the correct pathways. Searching for Mount Aria and turning to the harsher environment was the call.

Ingo had to be dragged for most of the journey, and at times he'd stand up as if to try and make things harder. Either way, he only kept pulling, without much effort needed. Getting over a few mountains and formations was easy enough, but the real challenge only came when water could be heard.

"Where the hell are we?" Ingo uttered, looking forward.

Leopold fixed his mask, before turning around. "I'm inclined to believe that we're somewhere south of Harab-

"I know that already!" Ingo yelled out. "I'm talking about the specifics." he jumped towards the canyon's edge, looking into the water. "This is Halesdeep territory. Beastmen terrain!"

"I guess so." Leopold continued.

"You fucking guess so?" Ingo scoffed. "Didn't you kill one beforehand?!"

"It was a threat, but if you wish for such, we can take a different path."

"If I can make wishes, then untie me."

"Can't do."

"Then don't make any promises! Halesdeep?! Are you out of your mind?!"

"I'll just kill more if needed." Leopold shrugged.

"No, you don't understand. I'd rather die from your hands than those puny pricks if you fail to protect me. Step into Halesdeep, and we're both dead! You don't know their damn power!"

Leopold stopped. He looked at the distant sun, and the clouds covering the yellow sky. It wasn't close to setting, yet, everything seemed to turn dark, for a moment. Facing away from Ingo, he took off the mask for a second, taking a deep breath.

With a quick tug, though, he turned, only fixing its placement.

"Then we'll have to move through that village, a few miles ahead."

"What village?"

Leopold pointed to a large tree, and Ingo squinted his eyes.

"N-No." Ingo shook his head. "We're not taking either of those paths!"

"Since when were you the one in control, Morian?" Leopold asked. "I gave you a choice back then, but then you refused. So no more disagreements now. We do things my way."

"I'M NOT GOING INTO THAT FUCKING VILLAGE!" Ingo screamed out.

Leopold looked at him, before shaking his head.

Ingo growled, throwing himself to the ground, and rubbing the chains against one another. Repeatedly, over and over again. Even though they never were to let go, they only kept hurting his skin, as more blood formed beneath the rust.

"So, anger, huh?" Leopold asked, treading forward, sliding Ingo across the rocks. "There's my answer. You want to protect something."

Ingo kept thrashing his hands against his legs. The chains began making strange sounds.

He stared at the ground for a bit, before the noise went away, followed by Ingo's groan, and the chain's pull loosening.

"Strolling through town while carrying a potential escapee would only prove troublesome, and I have no reason to kill anyone, except for the few that are a real threat." he clenched the hammer. "It's not in my best interest. So we'll have to take the easier way out."

Leopold turned around.

The bloodied rust lay on the ground, as he let go of its grip.

Ingo struck from behind, his fist almost connecting to Leopold's head. When the demon stepped away, he saw him. Barely holding it together, legs soaked in the velvet liquid, fingers bent in strange ways, yet... he managed to stand.

Ingo breathed, sharply, as if still trying to catch a halved gasp through the soaking blood that obscured most of his throat. Yet, his fist was clenched, ready to strike.

"Come on," Ingo uttered, spitting blood to the side.

"Are you willing to sacrifice your life for that village? I said I wouldn't do it."

"Shut the fuck up already." Ingo furrowed his brows. "There is no logic behind it," he spoke through his teeth. "I'm just fucking angry!"

Leopold swang the hammer back and forth, before dropping it to the side. "You were keen on treading this path from the beginning, it seems. Hurdle after hurdle, but you managed to overcome it. For what reward, though? Even more pain?" he readied his fists.

"To kill you. Right here, right now!" Ingo raised his voice, running forward, with a fist, ready to strike.

"Then, I'll have to fight back," Leopold uttered.

Ingo swung, with Leopold avoiding the shot, both hands landing on Ingo's shoulders, and pushing him away.

Leaping back, Leopold landed on both legs, sticking his hand out.

Ingo coughed out some blood, before focusing his blurry vision.

"One more, demon." Ingo put his fists near his face. "One more!"