The last surviving member of the original group, Jaune, screamed back at the new invader.

"Rose! I knew I was wrong to trust your word! This is not how you said it would go!"

The weeping woman ignored Jaune's scream; instead, she held her hand out to the ground and made a bed of roses. Then, she lifted the boy's corpse with rose stem tendrils and placed it on the flower bed. Once nestled in place, she crossed his arms.

The woman knelt by the dead boy's side, grew a rose from her hand, and placed it on his chest. She closed her eyes and wiped her tears.

Finally, she rose and turned to face the scene of carnage. At the far end of the hall, shrouded in darkness, the Master of Lust had appeared just like had been foretold, peeking around the corner, hiding behind his legion like the coward he was.

***

Vale had heard the message of a new challenger ring in his ear and had come to warn his forces. By the time he'd rounded the corner, he witnessed an unexpected sight.

[Champion Salome has slain Emergent Paragon, Dakon Fallale]

[+8 Aether]

Salome had just finished killing the man in a full suit of armor and dropping his corpse. But other than that, everyone was nearly still; even the two clouds of smoke.

Jaune, the last one alive fighting the mist spectre Mias, screamed back at the woman at the far end of the hall.

"Rose! I knew I was wrong to trust your word! This is not how you said it would go!"

Vale watched in silence as he gazed upon the scene. The rotting corpse of the village boy he'd slaughtered was being carried and laid to rest at the other end of the hall.

As he did, a frightening sense washed over him. He didn't know how he knew, but he could instinctively tell the woman carrying that corpse was a Hero of Virtue…

The woman turned and looked him dead in the eyes. Then, she spoke, her words echoing down the hall and piercing Vale's ears:

"My name is Ophelia Withergaiden. By my will, you shall pay for the murder of my brother..."

'O-ophelia…?'

It was her… the one the boy wished to protect.

The woman whom he condemned to the same fate he'd once been subjected to. Apparently, she was the boy's sister, not lover; yet that fact changed little.

Vale had never expected the girl would find him, but the other way around. Nor did he expect the girl would turn out to be a Hero of Virtue…

Seeing as he wasn't weakened, it wasn't Chastity, Charity, or Diligence… But which Hero of Virtue it was wasn't all too significant to Vale at the moment.

As right now, he had a choice to make, which was eating at his conscience…

Would he kill her? Or let her go?

Laertes' dying wish had been her peaceful death, but honestly, such a thing wasn't necessary; well, at least it wasn't until her identity was revealed. Now that it had been, would Vale spare the girl fated to be his enemy in a literal sense, or spare her in the way the boy pleaded for…

Did he even have the strength to contest the woman and decide her fate? She didn't feel all too strong, but what if she could hide her strength like Mias?

Though Vale soon realized the liberty of choice wasn't his to hold…

His decision was made for him by the very woman whose life he was weighing in his mind.

A green bow made from the stem of roses grew from her left palm. Then, on her right, a beautiful arrow made of folded rose petals. Ophelia slowly moved her hands, and she set the bow, nocked the arrow, and pulled back until the bow's limbs were stretched and bent to the absolute limit.

'What is she…'

Jaune screamed while fending off Mias and Toy.

"Rose!"

In the next moment, the arrow blitzed through the air and lodged itself in Jaune's chest.

The rugged man coughed up blood and stared at his killer before slumping to the ground. His body being shrouded by Mias's mist.

[A challenger had been slain]

[+10 Aether]

Ophelia sneered, then turned and walked away, leaving behind Lartes' corpse.

Vale's mind rattled at the bizarre situation. The only order that came was:

"Let her go."

When the girl disappeared around the bend, his Champions eased up. Toy and Awilix fell to their knees. Salome wiped blood off herself. Mias reformed his two halves and corporealized in his human form.

However…

Vale called out to the Reaper of Knowledge while approaching him.

"Mias."

"Yes?"

"Split in half and follow her."

The Reaper of Knowledge gave a deep, eerie smile.

"Understood."

Smoke separated from Mias, and the shroud floated off and then disappeared once he activated Nevermore.

Mias would be severely weakened as parts of his body drifted further apart, but as long as he had a sufficient amount of Aether, the Mias that stayed behind would be able to update them on her activities, and he shouldn't be too at risk of either half of him getting killed.

Salome watched Vale as he stepped past the corpses of the invaders and marched toward Laertes.

Vale finally reached the edge of the bed of roses, at the feet of the rotting corpse, and stared at the ghastly wound that had been the man's undoing.

Was this Vale's karma?

Vale spoke to the corpse:

"You have a good sister."

Then he looked off toward where Ophelia had disappeared:

"And you had an amazing brother."

Vale's gaze drew back to the disgusting corpse before him on the beautiful flower bed:

"But such a thing is superficial in the grander scheme of the world. What you cherish isn't typically known or cared for by another. What you covet isn't open to being gifted by others. Sadly, the only way to get what you want is to take it."

Vale stared at the rose lying on the man's chest:

"Which means on the other side of a want there exists something that has to be lost."

Vale turned to walk toward the entrance of his dungeon:

"Unfortunately for you, your sister's and my wants don't align. So, I won't be able to spare her in the humane sense... But I will try my best to fulfil your dying wish."

Awilix, through panting breaths, screamed at Vale's back:

"First, you sit back and do nothing! Then you show up and start talking to corpses?!"

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