The core started to move violently at the mention of his name "It looks like it's about to bloom, I hope this one works better than the last one, one would think that finding someone with the right affinity for a vise or mania would be easy in this realm but that pesky thing of free will is always in the way" the man gently caressed the core to calm it down "what did you do to Paolo?" I asked firmly without taking my eyes off him I had thought of many words to stop his movement already in case he tried something, but he just smiled Tilting his head, like he was some kind of scientist or doctor examining something or someone "worried about a stalker that force himself on you? Oh how thoughtful and na?ve" he put his fingers on his chin and thought for a moment "well" he lightly taped the core with his finger "like I said it is about to bloom, maybe there is something left of its farmer shell left afterwords but I would not hold much expectation for his wellbeing" He made a hand movement and a thick tome appear on in, "now, my calamity... "Wake up" and let the real dance start!"

  the core shivered for a moment before exploding before our eyes, Otis smiled and then despaired from sight, I was expecting a core that big that the titan inside bigger than the tree we fought, but instead the body of the titan was as tall as Higen, it leaped from the top of the fountain and landed heavily on the ground, its body seemed to be made out of a metallic substance, it looks humanoid for the most part taking in some of the features of Paolo it's hair if I could call it that was long and sharp in dug into the ground cutting it as if it was butter, I gazed towards the fountain and managed to spot the hanging hand of Paolo in the remaining of the shattered core "release!" I yell, and I hope his body is out of this place. I cannot move many people out of this place.

  I felt a strong punch connecting against my chest most of the petals of the barrier broke on contact, as I lunged against one of the pots of the garden, Higen clashed against the titan but his blade was stopped by his bear forearm "... ah I think I know you gorilla..." he spoke in Paolo's voice Higen quickly retired and help me to stand up, the titan looked at us "all my vessel wanted was... a night with the person he liked but" he launched against us "Shell!" I managed to stop his attack with the aid of Higen's tower shield. "Let's have some fun, us three, shall we, loves?" "What in the world are you?" I asked while feeling like the shield I pulled up could break at any moment. The titan laughed, "Luxura, a calamity borne of maddening obsessive love." It jumped back, looking like a kid who was ready to play.

  "What do we do, Higen? we have never fought something like this" I told him nervous "We fight and we learn, I'll try to stop his movements, if you can hit it with strong divine words even if you hit me too you must do it, we can't let it escape and... if worst comes to worst I'll use my armor to stop it" he was being very serious but I will do my best to not get him in the crossfire, he lunged forward as I yelled "multiply!" a circle of letters formed in front of him and as he passes through it four Higens came from the other side, we have been practicing to be a better duo for a difficult fight, the clones where dispelled quickly but it leads to Higen striking the side of the titan black ichor oozed from the wound but it was quickly healed as it staked Higen with his heel sending him back with force.

  We were running low on barriers, and Luxura was coming full force at us, even with our best efforts to defend ourselves the attacks were quick and powerful, "Ozwald we have to go all out he is toying with us" he summoned his strongest tool his father's armor, I hate that thing, I would hate anything that hurts him after he used it to recover my heart he told me he was going to be in pain for a few days afterward and he only used it for a moment last time, anything above three minutes will make him suffer even more, we need to finish this fight before that happen, "I can help you with that..."

  The time slowed again as Allure talked from the golden disk, "But I have to ask, how far are you willing to go to keep Higen safe?" "For him... I would do anything; however, my will won't falter. You won't get whatever you want," I heard the laughter in my head. "We'll see how long that will of yours lasts." The time returned to normal, I had to keep him safe from the titan and the side effects of that armor "shackle!" I slammed the staff on the ground as chains came out of the ground and stopped the movement of the titan, Higen was able to hit the titan with a strong cut to its shoulder this time the wound did not heal, if we can keep it up we could win this, however, this hope was crushed quickly, the titan broke free for the binds and faced against Higen directly, "Ozwald now!!!"

  He is just going to fight it in a cage made by my divine words, with no place to run he should be able to take it down for good he told me that this was our last stand he promised he was going to be fine the armor should be protecting him for as long as he has it, I'm low on power I could faint after I put the plan in motion I have to believe in him "incarcerated!" a dome made of the same circles with letters appear trapping Higen and the titan I had to use the staff to hold myself I panted and was very dizzy but I managed to stay awake, is all oh his hands now

  "I have to admit" the titan spook trying to mock me "You have to be a real idiot to trap yourself with me Gorilla, don't think because you have that armor things are different, all I have to do is wait until you tire yourself and then I will take everything from you" I laughed "who says there is going to be that chance, this is not for you to be a trap, is to prevent you from dodging this last attack" I dismissed my blade and prepared for the last attack I don't have much time before the armor disappear and render me powerless, "and what? Are you going to summon a bigger sword? Oh, I'm shivering in my borrowed skin."

  I scoffed as I kept my concentration to bring my last resort "In all honestly I used to think I would only use Elysian weapons to defeat your kin but" I pulled a long metallic cylinder from my gloves, the weapons they held had seen uncountable battles, all of them belonging to a member of the Banna house, a few months after arriving here I asked for one of the strongest weapons I could find form this world, I placed the cylinder on my shoulder and grab it as Lulu taught me "what is that thing? This vessel of mine does not know that object and... that's not from Elysium or Limbo" Luxura started to get worried as I finished preparing my weapon "I see thou have understood the situation, this weapon is made here in the human realm it has a catchy name R. P." I pulled the trigger and let the round be lunched form the cylinder "G!!!" Luxura managed to put its hand in front of itself for protection, but the second the round made contact with its body, a violent and loud explosion took place.

  I was sent flying backward against one of the walls of the garden when I managed to move I felt a horrible pain coming to from the back of my head as if someone had stabbed me through the eye, and my vision blurred on my left eye then it grows darkening and darkening until it was completely gone, it was terrifying but if it meant the death of Luxuran and keeping Ozwald safe from it, it would be worthy my sight would come back in a few days or weeks and then me and Ozwald "... you little bastard..." no... how can it be, the body of Luxura was mangled and cracked it was barely able to move one of its legs was completely gone and it looked at me with hatred on its eyes.

  "...got to hand... handle it to you, Gorilla," Luxura spat some black ichor onto the ground. "You did a big number on me, but I'm still here." he took a step away from me and toward Ozwald's unconscious body. "No...! Ozwald, get up and run!!!" I urged him with all the strength I had left, I summoned all I had left in me, and stood up Everything hurt. I lost sight of one of my eyes, and I couldn't summon anything from the gloves. I limped toward Luxura while calling for Ozwald, "... what are you trying to do here?" I lunged forward falling to the ground while holding its leg I didn't have anything to use as a weapon I bit into its leg it hurt horribly it was like biting into a bar of iron, but I must stop it, I have to "Ah I see that guy must be something more than your sorcerer for you to go this far for him"

  "Not Ozwald... not him... no!" I couldn't think of anything that could help the situation "... take me" I whispered Luxura turned to me "You know I'm stronger... take me and let him go!!!" he grabbed me by my neck and put me close to his burned face only to laugh in my face "I know you are the stronger of the two, however" he smacked me against the ground blood spat from my mouth "I know that I could pierce throw your chest with ease with this claws of mine, but, I also know that reaping the head of that sorcerer will hurt you in so, so many more ways and with more power than anything I could do." It resumed its walk towards Ozwald.

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  "Well, Ozie, my tiny bunny." Luxura lifted its claw above its head. "It's time to play flay the bunny!" he let his claw fall with force, aiming for his neck. I could only scream in agony and pain for what I was about to see, "...what is this!!!" Luxura jumped back as a black mass similar to mud or tar deflected the attack, Ozwald's body convulsed and raised up, his feet were dangling in the air the tip of his sandals barely touching the ground he extended his arm, and the staff flew to his hand, something was wrong he didn't talk yet he manages to bring the staff and levitate by himself.

  His hair grew getting darker and darker as it reached his legs, and his head jerked violently as his eyes turned dark and cracked just like the eyes he told me Allure had, the staff was also affected by the tar spikes now adorned the contour of the disk his arms and legs were corroded to match as he opened his eyes and laughed "well, well, well, Luxura was it? I should thank you really, because of you he finial gave up, say... would you like to be killed quickly or slowly?" his tone was all wrong, it was still Ozwald's voice but it was devoid of all the things that made him Ozwald, he pointed the staff at Luxura, it tray to run away "Ping Pong!" in a sudden motion all the things that could be flung at it lounged against it constantly for a moment Luxura ended more mangled on the ground "what? Is that all you got? I tough you wanted to kill us, oh woe is me the big bad sorcerer has been mean to me" he laughed some more "Impale" from the ground a sharp stalemate formed and stabbed its body.

  Ozwald kept saying words Hurt, Cut, Burst, Pirce, until less and less of the enemy was in sight I stood up as he kept calling more and more horrific words, I grabbed his hands they felt cold to the touch "Ozwald... stop, stop please its dead its gone you can stop now" he slapped my hands away "No...! it has to pay for what it did that was the price Ozwald asked for" the Allure of the dark was talking to me that is why this is so wrong, "bring Ozwald back, now!" I told him he looked at me and smiled, "No, I don't think I will... you see, I think I like being alive." he pointed the staff at me, "I could kill you right here and now if I wanted you can't fight back, knight." "No... You are wrong, I can fight if you are supposed to drag Ozwald into the dark, I will be the light that will bring him out from your shadow!"

  "Ozwald, I know you are still there." Allure clicked the staff with the floor, and a pot was sent flying to my head I sluggishly managed to dodge "Is useless he can't hear you anymore!" "This is not you!!!" I yelled at him "You are kind, you work hard and care for all of your friends, you cared... you cared for a dumb knight and his cape when nobody else did, please open your eyes!!!" one of the eyes of Ozwald started to tear up his grasp on the staff grew shakier "why... did you do that?!?" his cry took me by surprise "do you even know what would have happened if you were gone? I couldn't bear with the thought, and everything was darker and darker until couldn't see any more" he kept crying as I moved the staff off his hands and dragged him into a tight hug.

  "I didn't want to end like the last time I could not bear the thought of losing you again Ozwald, I will be here to save your heart from the dark every time you fall I will be there to catch you in my arms" I felt his shaking hands wrap around me "that goes for you too I will not let you be alone ever again if you stop knowing who you are or someone tells you that you should be or act like someone else I will tell you, you are Higen the best friend and person anyone can know!" we looked at each other's eyes as the labyrinth started to collapse around us I lifted his chin with my fingers and pull him closer into a kiss with the world crumbling around us, leaving behind that horrible nightmare of a fight we keep in each other's embrace until the after team and our friends managed to reach us.

  "Gentleman... I'm sorry for interrupting your... celebration, but we really need to talk and sort out things so please stop kissing" We opened our eyes and quickly separated from one another, when we turned, we saw the after team had arrived with fewer members, and the ones present were wounded, our friends were in their custody "come on "Infuse!!!" I can do this," Dr. Cambell was treating the wounds on Paolo. He stopped traditional treatment and opted for the use of divine words. He does this only under dire circumstances: "Ozie, what happened to your hair?" "You guys are safe, right?" "Bannnnnaaaa!!!" Donna and Niko ran at me as Carter tackled Higen to the ground. "It hurts!!! Marten, get off me, come on... sorry to worry you, Carter. "Yeah, a lot happened and..." I suddenly remembered and looked at Higen on the ground; he had his left eye closed after he pulled me from the grasp of allure.

  I moved my hand as he was pinned down by Carter. He grabbed my hand inches away from his face, "..." "Higen let me see!" he looked to the side away from my eyes. "Remember that it looks worse than it actually is," he let my hand go. I used my fingers to open his eyelid, his eye had no reflection on it, it was like it was made of crystal I looked into it but no dilation, no light bouncing from it I closed his right eye and moved my finger, but his eye didn't follow it, it was like... like "y...your eye is" "blinded, that is correct Ozwald" Donna kneeled down to check too "hold on, how did that happen did the monster did this to you?" she did the same thing I was doing and quickly realized that what he said was true.

  "maybe the doc can check it out after he is done with Paolo" Higen shook his head "I had to don a special armor to be able to fight the titan on equal ground but overusing it takes a toll on the body of the wearer, depending on the time its use this time it was my eye, but it has taken my arm as the side effect of the armor it will return to normal in a few days maybe weeks" we were all quiet for a moment, "the lament of Sigurd" a horrific armor, it can grand great strength but it can take as many things from the user if it was up to me I will cast it into the center of the furnace core so he can't use it anymore, "he has a pulse, he has a pulse!!!" Dr. Campbell yelled behind us as a group of people took Paolo to an ambulance. A sigh of relief left my mouth. I wanted to believe that Otis had a part in his behavior and that he was not the monster he appeared as. I guess we will find out after he wakes up at the hospital.

  We all turned when Lulu walked in front of us "... Headmistress Aster?" Niko asked, she closed her eyes, she looked very tired with bruises and cuts that could be seen through her torn blazer, "alright you three" she pointed at the guys "How much do you actually know?" they recounted what Higen and I told them and what they saw, afterward Lulu massaged the bridges of her nose I didn't know if she was angry, or disappointed, I helped Higen to his feet and let him lean on me for support "so let me get this straight... Paolo turned into a titan, it formed a labyrinth that trapped you guys and noting different passed to you while there?" the guys looked at each other, "yeah...?" "Pretty much" "It wasn't that scary, really..." she looked inside her blazer for a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, she flicked a flame from the lighter and put her cigarette on her lips, she inhaled deeply and breathed out a big, puffy cloud of smoke to her side "welcome to Tartaro's team you start on Saturday"

  All of us were in shock. "Lulu, I will be going to... what did you tell them?" Dr. Cambell asked her after looking at their faces "Listen up all of you!" she put her cigarette out by stomping on it "You have two choices here, one: you join Tartaro's operations to help Higen and Ozwald, two:" she pointed at Cambell "Bernard here will zap you with divine words to make you forget everything that happened here, so which one is it?" Lulu normally isn't this blunt, but considering the state of everyone in her team and herself, her patience probably ran out a long while ago.

  They looked at each other and considered it for a while. "I want to help!" Niko yelled, "You little... I was going to say that!" Carter shoved Niko to the side, "Come on, babe, you snooze you... I want to help too!!!" Carter's mouth dropped as he was the last one. "Me too, but now the moment is over..." "Wait guys you don't have to..." they looked at us "but we want to" "I don't want to forget and this explains all the mysterious disappearance" "Maybe I can get a few things out of this so I'm doing it Banna" Lulu walked to Higen "a very touching moment however" she dug her nails into his shoulder, Higen was terrified "I believe I told you to not shoot the R.P.G point blank did I, not Mr. Banna?" all the color drained from his face he looked at me "Ozwald my dearest friend and maybe more... how about you hel..." I squinted at him, "Don't even think just because we kissed, I forget what you did, Higen."He was defeated. "I'll accept any punishment you give me."

  We all returned to our homes after Lulu gave Higen his punishment list, he looked sad at the big message he got with the information after words "I have never been in any kind of trouble in my life and now there's a wall of texts with all the things I'm not allowed to do and what I must do for the foreseeable future" "serves you right for your crimes, we are also having a meeting to discuss what we will be doing with Otis tomorrow, god I'm tired" I passed my hand throw my now very long hair, I looked at the dark-colored lower part, "I'm going to have to cut my hair now" "no, keep it long you look cool" Higen commented but I shook my hair "it suits Malika but I don't like it this long" we plummeted on the sofa tiered form all the events that happened tonight.

  "Ozwald..." Higen said "I... have never been in a relationship before, I'm not really sure of what to do like anything in our friendship but I will try my best to be enough for you" I let my head fall onto his shoulder "You are enough Higen, plus we don't have to do things differently we can see what works and what doesn't as we go" Higen took off his now damaged breastplate "I'm staying at your room tonight" "wait what? Why?" I fell as he stood up "You stayed on mine yesterday I want to stay on yours now" I went to my room to get my scissors to do something about my hair, I was almost down when he walked in ready to sleep, "you did leave it longer" "like what you see?" he nodded, at the end of the day so far on this journey into the unknown, I'm never sure of anything, I can think poorly of myself or distrust others but one thing that will never change "Good night Ozwald" is that when I look into his eyes when I see his smile "Good night Higen" I just know everything is going to be alright and that coming here was the best thing I could do.