Touji Ito arrived quietly in the inn where Ansel and Andrew stayed. He carried a large bundle of food carefully wrapped in cloth. His footsteps were soft but purposeful as he approached Ansel's resting place.
Setting the bundle down gently, Touji began unpacking the provisions fresh fruits, bread, vegetables, and a generous portion of roasted lamb. Before Ansel could reach for anything, Touji carefully set aside a piece of the lamb. He placed it in a small container.
He said softly. "This is for your Guardian Spirit. The rest is for you."
Ansel nodded gratefully. His belly growled in anticipation. He was too exhausted to argue, and the sight of food was a balm to his weary spirit. He ate slowly, savoring each bite. Although his thoughts were never far from Rhea when he glimpsed the small food container.
****
At midnight, Ansel awoke suddenly, the cool night air brushing against his skin. For a moment, he almost forgot the small responsibility that weighed on him.
Sitting up, he realized he hadn't given Rhea her share of the food. Quietly, so as not to disturb the others, he slipped out onto the balcony. He carried Viorenving in one hand and the remaining meat in the other.
"Rhea come out…" He called softly into the darkness.
Almost immediately, a faint shimmer appeared, and Rhea emerged. Her ethereal form glowed faintly in the moonlight. Without hesitation, she took the meat from Ansel's hand and began to eat ravenously.
"Eat a lot. You must be hungry." Ansel said gently. He watched her with a mixture of relief and affection.
Rhea paid him no mind. She focused entirely on the food. Ansel's gaze lingered on her, a quiet smile touching his lips despite the weight in his heart.
After a moment, he began to speak. His voice was low and steady as if telling a story to himself as much as to her. "Rhea, thank you for everything. Thank you for saving me, Thank you for helping me destroy Fayfiend. Thank you for not being hurt and dying."
He paused, swallowing hard. "Next time, I won't let you accompany me to fight. Don't worry, I will practice and become strong like my brother."
He took a deep breath, the memories flooding back with painful clarity. "In the past, Hansel and I were attacked by Fayfiend. He fought Fayfiend and protected me. But Fayfiend was always looking for a loophole to attack me. Because he knew I couldn't fight at all. I'm just a burden to my brother."
Ansel's eyes glistened with tears as the memory overwhelmed him. His voice cracked slightly as he continued. "Fayfiend was very cunning and managed to hurt me. He slammed me into a tree. I have a lot of blood coming out. After that, my brother managed to defeat him freely. He ignored me for a while. Because there was no more burden. I was half dying, hence he didn't have anything to protect."
Tears slipped down Ansel's cheeks as he recalled the pain and loss. But he forced himself to continue, his voice trembling but resolute. "Afterward, I was seriously injured and almost died. I lost all the blood. So, it is no longer possible and too late for me to accept Soul Delivery. After all, I'm about to die. No, I'm already dead. Then, my brother made a pact with Lexus. He exchanged his life just to let me live."
The weight of his brother's sacrifice hung heavily in the night air. Ansel wiped his tears away, his gaze fixed on Rhea, who had finished eating and now looked at him with quiet understanding.
Rhea approached Ansel quietly, her presence gentle and soothing. She could sense the weight of his sorrow. The deep ache was left by the loss of the most important person in his life.
It was a pain she understood all too well. One that left scars invisible to the eye but heavy on the heart.
Ansel's voice trembled as he spoke, the raw emotion breaking through his usual stoicism. "I have lost my brother. I don't want to lose you anymore. Because, you're the only one I have."
His arms wrapped tightly around Rhea, as if holding her close could somehow keep the world from tearing them apart. He hoped with all his heart that she could understand the depth of his feelings. The desperate need for connection and safety.
He pulled back slightly, his eyes searching hers with a mixture of hope and vulnerability. He pleaded softly. "So please, don't do anything dangerous and never fight with me again."
Ansel's gaze drifted upward to the night sky, where countless stars shimmered with a cold, distant light. The vastness of the universe seemed to mirror the loneliness he felt inside.
He whispered. "Rhea, if you can turn into a human, what will you do?"
In his words, Rhea's form stiffened. She immediately tried to free herself from his embrace. A flicker of hesitation and fear crossed her mind.
But Ansel's voice was firm yet tender as he stopped her. "Don't go. Whatever happens, don't go. Don't leave me alone. I just want to be with you forever."
The night air was still, filled only with the soft sounds of the forest and the distant call of nocturnal creatures. Ansel closed his eyes, exhaustion finally overtaking him. And he drifted into sleep, still holding Rhea close.
Rhea watched him for a moment, her mind went heavy with conflicting emotions. Slowly, she broke free from his arms and retreated into Viorenving, the sword that housed her soul. The cool metal felt familiar and safe for her, a refuge from the unsettledness of the moment.
Minutes later, she emerged once more, her form shimmering softly in the moonlight. This time, she approached Ansel with a quiet resolve. Gently, she leaned against his sleeping body, offering silent companionship. Without words, she vowed to stay by his side, to be his quiet guardian through the long night.
Together, they rested beneath the vast. The starry sky of two souls bound by fate, hope, and the fragile promise of tomorrow.