"W-What...do you mean?" Anya said.

"You're a fake?!" Tiki yelled.

"No, just...let me explain. There's been a huge misconception...but where to begin..." Hikari pondered. "Ah...yeah. The Second World War should do it."

"You seem awfully calm in the face of all this..." Tiki said with suspicion.

"God shut up already!" Anya yelled. "She had time to prepare for it, you idiot! Just...let's hear what she has to say..."

"I second Anya's opinion on the matter.' Luna backed Anya up.

"Enough!" Hikari yelled.

Everyone turned their eyes back to her.

Hikari took a long breath. "Not long left now..." She whispered. "Now...let me say what I have to say. It's no secret that throughout the pages of this world's history, I fought a number of battles. The First One...the Second World War. I even managed to quell frenzies of monsters throughout the world and small-size skirmishes looking to fan the flames for something bigger. But the truth is, not all stories have happy endings. Ever since I knew nothing but a victory with Naga and Cecilia by my side...I failed, at the most critical moment, to win the Second World War. At the time my powers couldn't just allow me to do so..."

"Were you weakened?" Luna asked.

"Not so much...It's just that...they were focused on something else. And besides that, it's not like I am immortal. I was killed...I know I was. During the Second World War. I vaguely remember the feeling...the light. But...I'm still here and I think I now know why I am still alive. My memories must have suffered severely but, it all started to slowly come back to me, bit by bit after I came across what I thought was my 'Dante' at first. It's kind of like...amnesia? I forgot it all until I saw something familiar to me. I seriously did not know my name, just what little I was told...and what little I heard. But now I remember most of everything, despite me not wanting to, nor being able to object to it. I ...I remember...I remember..." Hikari got lost in her thoughts.

"Ease on Hikari, we're still here. No need to overthink it, just take your time to remember." Anya soothed her.

Hikari happily nodded. "So as the story goes, I took on the name Ikarisa, the goddess of life, and moved on, escaping those who wanted the worst for me along the way. But throughout remembering, I realized how wrong this world was. Ikarisa? It came out of H-ikari-sa? The world of Riza, as in Ika-risa, into Riza?"

A slight giggle befell the goddess as she realized that such a simple mistake led her to such immense confusion.

"How it all falls in...In any case. That's why I'm here today, and I'm heavily briefing you on it. Now, as far as you realise 'Lass'' real name, which was Dante, I know exactly what this confusion brought upon us all. And slowly, I opened up to you, because...because I know you...well besides Tiki. Luna...Anya. I know you both."

"What? But I..." Anya paused.

"I have memories of you as well. However, your posture, demeanour and appearance drastically changed, but I do not think the passing of time is to blame." Luna said.

"Let me...let me start with Anya. You probably couldn't remember Dante immediately, because you've both grown so much." Hikari giggled. "I always remember you dragging him into some of your wacky adventures, always getting in trouble in the end."

"Wait...how do you...know all that?" Anya asked.

"What? How you nagged him to get closer to me, for some reason? I never quite understood why you wanted to do it but...I guess that was you back then! I also remember how you got into fights with each other all the time and tested your limits..." Hikari sighed. "How you ached him to drink early because you thought that 'If a kiss won't make you a badass, this will! I swear!' despite him obviously disliking the taste of alcohol. I will be...he always did like sweets among most things. I remember his sister as well. 'If there's anything my brother likes, it'd be the triple S treatment or SSS! Spices, Seafood and Sweets!"

"Wait...Hikari…You ...you-!"

"So you finally figured it out?" Hikari smiled.

"You were the priestess in the local shrine that Dante had a crush on?! You are...you were part of the group when we were kids with Terna, Dante and his siblings?!" Anya started tearing up

"W-Wait...he had a...what on me?" Hikari whispered. "Good thing I caught that before she heard..." she spoke out loud "I-I guess. Yeah! In a way..."

"Hikari!" Anya hugged Hikari. "I-I thought you...died when the Burnout happened! I can't believe it, first Terna, then Dante and now you! I-I'm just so! Ah!" Anya jumped around with Hikari in her arms, squeezing her tight.

"I think...she's struggling to breathe," Luna said.

"Yo, furry, pipe down. You're gonna kill her.", Tiki nagged Anya.

A silent thumbs up was seen from Hikari while Anya was jumping around, signifying that she would bear with all of her friendly explosive happiness. In doing so, after a short while and with tears still in her eyes, Anya let Hikari go, backing out and giving her some space...

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

"Y-You've changed, so much! I still can't believe it!" Anya wiped the tears off her face.

Hikari inhaled for a long time. "Ouch...my back..." she whispered "All right, I think I'm good now. Let me continue where I left off. Yes... I kind of am. And I would always remember the moments where I'd either cook something specific for him, to get him closer as well, or make up any scenarios like that...however...you'd be mistaken. I love Dante, believe me, I do. He's an exceptional individual with a kind heart...but to me, I've already pledged my heart to someone I still wish to see, though he isn't exactly keen on doing the same. But regardless, I can't see a case where I wouldn't consider Dante being one of my first options when asking for help." Hikari patted her back.

Anya stuttered for a moment. "So does that mean..."

Tiki giggled. "Oh my god...that's actually so precious."

"What entices your laughter at an emotional scene like this, Tiki", Luna asked.

Tiki laughed. "The fact that this dumb furry got the wrong memo since day 1, and has been desperately trying to get Hikari and Dante to make out! In the end, he was friend-zoned from the start!"

"W-What...w-w-wait...s-seriously?!" Hikari became beet red.

"What the hell Tiki?!" Anya blushed.

"The fact you were trying since childhood makes it even better! Oh my god, I don't use social media that much, but I've gotta post this epic fail no matter what!" Tiki kept laughing.

"What the-screw you!" Anya yelled.

"This situation got quickly out of hand again," Hikari said.

"Allow me."

With a swift and strong smack from Luna, both Tiki and Anya stopped laughing and yelling respectively and snapped back into reality, regarding the atmosphere in the room.

Tiki let out a small chuckle. "Heh, idiot," she whispered to Anya.

"Moron.", Anya whispered back.

"Ehem.", Hikari cleared her throat. "A-Aside from...that. I was initially trying to get close to Dante, but not for that reason...there is another side to him. The "original" side of him. His name... it's Mellistar, nowadays. It derives from the saying of 'Melia ilist tar', the 'chained evil spirit', from some extremely old text somewhere...despite me fully disagreeing on the 'evil' part of it. Coincidentally, he was also named Dante while living, though I think it's less of a coincidence and more of Cecilia honourably naming him that way since she was his mother. That part that Dante has inside him...I'm sure you're familiar with his story. That's the Dante that I long for...the one who...who died in my arms, that day at the Rose Garden..."

"Wait, since you...since you managed to revive yourself, I've gotta ask...why didn't you do the same to him as well?" Tiki wondered.

"Because...I can't. There's only so much that my powers can do...like I said to Dante all the way back at Reingard...I can 'revive' someone. But not really...and I know where this is going..." Hikari's arm trembled.

"Are you ok? You seem to be anxious, Hikari." Luna said.

"I...I have to ask you all to take a step back...please."

Doing as told, everyone took a step back, away from Hikari, as she herself mumbled.

"Ok...please...remember what I said. Just this once..." she whispered. "Here we go..."

A ray of light engulfed Hikari, as she outshone even the moon itself, gradually becoming less and less bright, as she revealed herself to be no more...

Tiki snapped out of the bright light. "Wait...no. Impossible...you?!"

Before them indeed stood whom she told Lass to refer to as "Enemy". Her posture covering the window and the moonlight itself, she appeared to for once be in clothes more casual than the armour readied for war. The atmosphere in the room being kept that of surprise and friendliness rather than hostility, she stood before them, not for a battle, but a mere conversation.

"So...have we enlightened you on the matter yet?!" Enemy said.

"That long black hair...I think I've seen it before?" Anya said.

"And a lot closer to what I think was Hikari from old times," Luna said.

"The dark knight from that raid from Cecilia so long ago! But how?!" Tiki looked at Enemy. "I...I never thought I'd come across you again...however, I guess I should thank you now before we lose touch?" Tiki said with her tough attitude.

"Hmph. Cocky of you to say that, considering I plan on not going for a long, long time. Especially for Hikari." Enemy said.

"Hair aside...you guys look so eerily similar..." Anya said.

"Hmm? You don't...ah, never mind. You must have been knocked out by the Colossus at that point." Enemy recalled.

"Colossus? Wait...were you there, at the dungeon?" Anya asked.

"Long story short, I one-tapped the moving pile of rocks, proceeded to coat your 'friend' in blood red and narrowly missed the chance to finish him off because I played with my food.", Enemy answered.

"Wait, you're the reason big guy came back out like that?! Not the monster?!" Anya yelled.

"Nice seeing you again...Luna." Enemy looked at Luna, ignoring Anya.

"And what was that about finishing him off? You ain't touching meat bag, I'm sorry! I'll extend my thanks, but having another comrade dying, I sure as hell won't allow it."

Enemy forced herself to stop ignoring them. "Oh, shut up. I can see him from this window anyway, dragonkin or not, one throw of my lance will kill him instantly if I chose not to play around. And I can do so at any given moment."

"Then why are you not?" Tiki asked.

"Why do you think? Were it not for Hikari, he'd be dead on the spot...The closest I ever got was that dungeon, if we exclude his nightmares. Why does she always have to beg for his ass to be saved...?" Enemy sighed.

"Anya, why do you even wanna kill big guy anyway?"

"Because he's the cause for all this. Her pain...her suffering...all throughout the years, you have no idea what Hikari has been through. All the pain, misery and suffering. It sounds blank and typical to think of it, "The female hero whose pain and suffering triggered her heroic attributes"...tsk. She was never a hero. Just like all of you...she was dragged into this, and he was the one who lit the fuse, only to come out as the true piece of shit he was later on, breaking her heart, breaking our trust and screwing everything over!"

"When you say it like that, it largely sounds like you're talking about the 'other' Dante. The one at the beginning of it all." Luna said.

"There is no other Dante! He's one and the same! And I can't stand letting her suffer because of her naivety again!" Enemy yelled, smacking the desk.

"He is not what you think...just because he has something or someone inside that resembles his past, doesn't mean-", Anya got stopped by Enemy.

"Enough. I'm here to shed some light on certain aspects and nothing more as I agreed with Hikari. And I'll do just that. Got it?"

Anya sighed. "Okay...so, what do you have to say?"

"Going back to that revival thing. Hikari's powers are for creation and healing only. Throughout it all, she managed to use her powers to create what she likes to call Tether Edges to protect herself, which are essentially these."

Enemy waved her hand around and created a couple of menacing-looking floating swords of red light, calmly guiding them around the room...