Chapter 673: Parting Gift

"Kuzon was more than a friend."

Ana pushed Neron's hand from her shoulder and walked away from him. Edward tried to hold her again, but after giving him a deathly glare, he froze in his tracks. Lemi fell silent, most likely knowing her place in the grief of her friend.

Ana ignored everyone else and drew closer to Kido's statue. Her hand was stretched out, and she slowly moved closer. She despised the face she saw, but Ana knew full well that the boy she cherished so much dwelled within the villain's body.

Yes, Kuzon was still in there. With that thought, Ana advanced closer.

"W-wait, isn't that—!"

"It's fine. She won't be harmed." Neron interrupted Edward's worried objection.

No one stopped her, and she didn't want them to. For Ana, all she wanted was absolute silence. She needed to think. She needed to calculate. She needed to fully comprehend everything.

'I'm not as strong or smart as Jared and Neron, but...' Ana gritted her teeth as her palm felt the cool surface of the gold statue.

'... I'm brilliant. You said so yourself, Kuzon. You called me a genius. You said I was amazing... right?' Tears resumed their downward spiral, and Ana began sobbing some more.

"I'm amazing enough to save you, right? You think so, don't you, Kuzon?"

Ana knew what the smartest people in the room were telling her, but she didn't think she could believe their words. No, she had to have faith. She needed to trust in her own judgment and ability. She had to see herself the way Kuzon saw her.

As an amazing genius!

"I'll save you. I promise, I won't—"

>SHIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGG!!!<

A sudden flash of light appeared, causing everyone's eyes to bulge in shock—Ana's most of all. Her heart raced, and her tears began drying up as her face broke into a hopeful smile.

"I knew it! You can't be... there's no way you're—"

"Kuzon is dead." A feminine voice cut Ana's rushed words off, and the brilliant light that appeared right above the statue suddenly manifested into a small, winged entity.

The entity was shrouded in blue and golden attire, and her flames were of identical hues. Her appearance was majestic, but also quite familiar.

"Xenia... is that you?" Ana muttered, watching what she could only recognize as Kuzon's familiar, emerge from nowhere.

The winged entity smiled, nodding as she slowly descended to create an even plane for a conversation.

"In the flesh. I believe this is the first time we are conversing, Anabelle." The winged, flaming being had the most enchanting voice.

Unfortunately, it was laced with as much distance and grief as the rest of the people around.

"Y-yes. Xenia, you're here to save Kuzon, right? He said you're very powerful. You will help him, won't you?"

Ana's face seemed forced at this point. It seemed the young girl already knew the answers to her enquiry, but she still fought to hold on to her deluded belief.

"No. I can't help him. None of you can, so don't bother." Ana's expression instantly crumbled when Xenia uttered the words she had been rejecting for so long.

Even though she had disproved Neron and Jared's logical words with some degree of hope—considering Magic was all about doing the impossible—Ana could no longer maintain her position once Xenia gave her verdict.

No one understood Kuzon more than Xenia, and they were both partners. If his Familiar could say there was no hope, then what was her justification for still attempting to find a way?

Ana found herself in a dilemma.

"T-then, why are you... here?" She could barely manage to say.

"Kuzon told me to give something to you as his dying wish. I already went to your previous location, but to think you all came here so fast..."

Jared and Neron exchanged quizzical looks. They both didn't sense anything wrong with their barriers, yet Xenia said she went to their base. It roused their suspicion, and their level of grief didn't affect their wariness.

"Don't worry, I didn't interfere with anything. Now back to topic..." Xenia stretched out her hand, and golden sparks appeared around it.

"Stretch out your hand, Ana."

"W-wha—?"

"Your hand. Stretch them out."

Ana felt confused by the demands of the Familiar, but she reluctantly obeyed her instructions despite recoiling from the shock of Kuzon's demise.

>VWUUUMMMMMM<

A great surge of energy descended on Ana—or more specifically, her ring finger. The concentrated golden particles finally took form and gave the appearance of a ring.

The golden ring, bright and immensely concentrated in energy, sat on Ana's finger, with the girl expressing nothing but surprise and downright confusion.

"Kuzon wanted you to have this... something you can use to remember him by." Xenia nodded lightly.

Her face seemed to be calm, but the Familiar was experiencing just as great a turmoil—if not more—for losing her perfect host.

"Goodbye, then. I will be taking my leave."

Xenia began ascending, slowly vanishing in a golden light. Her gaze rested on a weeping Ana, who was now violently crying as she fell to the ground. Her heart tightened, but a creature such her herself could probably never have apathy towards humans.

Kuzon was simply the exception.

"Wait! May I ask something?" Jared's voice suddenly pierced the air.

Xenia ceased her ascent and curiously stared at the young one who requested an audience. She understood the relationship the blond shared with her dear Kuzon, so she decided to give him a shot.

"What of the Arcanas in Kuzon's possession? And the one with his opponent, Kido? Did you manage to retrieve those?"

His question created a lull around him. Even Ana, who had been crying violently, slowly ceased her weeping and glanced in Jared's direction with the most amazed face—and not the positive kind.

"I understand your reasons, which is why I do not take offence to your question. The answer is no. Kuzon's Arcana and that of his opponent can be considered to have suffered the same fate as their owners. They're gone."

"I-I see. Thank you, Xenia..."

The blazing Familiar nodded her head, and in a burst of blue and golden flames, she vanished from sight. Still, even in her absence, the entire area remained completely silent. It wasn't a calm kind, though.

A rising ambience of unease began manifesting.

"With this information, we know that the enemy won't be able to get their hands on the Arcanas. It's unfortunate that we have lost our chance to obtain two more, but at least this will be—"

>WHOOOOOSSSHHH!!!<

Everything happened in a blur, but those who were fast enough could see how Ana lunged at Jared from her position, displaying nothing but murderous rage on her face.

"YOU...!!!"

Whether fortunate or not, Jared caught her slap before she could properly plant it, and he gave her a somewhat surprised look. His eyes rang of genuine confusion—a sharp contrast with Ana's completely pissed-off glare.

"How dare you, Jared... or should I call you Lewis Griffith?"

"..."

A very heavy atmosphere took over, and with everyone bearing witness to this confrontation—or rather, clash—Ana's disdain rose to a frightening new height. Enough for her to finally reveal the churning declaration she had kept within her for too long.

"I utterly despise you..." Her tone was hateful as she directly stared into his eyes with repulsion and utter disgust.

"... Lewis Griffith!"