Sero's eyes shot open as he jerked upright, immediately wincing from the pain.

"Amaya–" he croaked out, disoriented as he gathered his bearings.

"Easy there, my little bookworm. You're safe here."

Sero turned his head, finding Kit worriedly gazing at him. Her mismatched eyes were full of relief.

"Kit... hey," Sero cleared his throat, aware that he was in some sort of mass infirmary room. "You're back?"

"When our group got wind of what had happened here, Gregor let me come back to check on things," Kit smiled sheepishly. "Well, actually, it was more like he was forced to let me come back, but regardless!"

Sero slowly panned his gaze around the spacious infirmary room. Half of the victims from Apep's destruction laid on the beds, their injuries varying in severity. He could see the medical staff tending to them, creating a soft clamor. The room itself was immaculately clean, with rows of beds lining the walls, and the smell of disinfectant filling the air.

As Sero looked to his right, his breath caught in his throat as he realized that Amaya was lying next to him, unconscious but otherwise fine. She had a peaceful look on her face, causing him to stare a little longer than he realized.

"I take it that something happened between you two...?" Kit asked quietly.

Sero glanced over at her, then back at Amaya. He looked away for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "I... we realized our feelings for each other."

He expected that Kit would get jealous or give off a threatening aura, but to his surprise, all he felt were a pair of comforting arms gently hugging him from behind. Sero hadn't realized how tense he was until Kit's embrace relaxed his entire body.

"Took you both long enough," Kit murmured into his ear. "Enzo never updated me, but I had a feeling."

Sero remained quiet, thankful for the Paradox's hug. With his senses coming back, he was aware of how much agony his body was in. Every nerve in his body felt sensitive and raw. Even the slightest movement brought a surge of pain. Sero had been pushed to his limits before, but Apep nearly broke him this time.

"Of course, that isn't to say I don't have any doubts about the relationship," Kit continued, breaking away. "But I trust you two, and I trust that you'll make the right decision for yourselves." She smiled warmly, squeezing Sero's shoulder. "And don't worry about me. I'll always be there for you, no matter what. I think Amaya's the best match for you."

As Sero turned to face Kit, he saw the genuine concern and care in her mismatched eyes. He knew that she was being honest, and that she truly meant what she said.

"What are you, my guardian or something?" Sero muttered, feeling a heat creeping over him. Kit flashed a mischievous smile.

"Like I said, you're more innocent than you realize. I can't help but be protective of you." Kit smiled, her mismatched eyes sparkling with mirth. "But don't worry, I'll give you two some space. You know, for when you want to... you know..."

"Hey, hey! What are you saying so suddenly!" Sero protested loudly, his face flushing even more. Some of the Healer-type Ascendants glanced over at him, adding to the humiliation. He had to lower his head.

The Paradox laughed, wiping tears from her eyes. "See, this is exactly what I'm talking about. You have a lecherous reputation, but when it comes down to it, you're too naïve."

Sero opened his mouth, then closed it. She had got him there.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay after a scary encounter like that," Kit stood up, becoming a bit more solemn. "I see Nala and Luna rushing over here, so I'll let them have a moment with you. I'm going to help the relief force with the aftermath of the city."

With a final squeeze of Sero's shoulder, she was gone. The moment she left, a pair of familiar faces appeared at his bedside. Nala and Luna looked both relieved and worried as they took in the sight of Sero awake and looking better. They exchanged glances before Luna stepped forward, her voice wavering with emotion.

"We felt the battle shaking the entire Zone... Nala and I had to move to safety because the shockwaves were destroying your penthouse... Oh gods, I was so worried about you and Amaya!" The succubus's eyes filled with tears as she leaned over and hugged Sero tightly, her body shaking with sobs.

"Shh, shh... it's okay, Luna," Sero murmured, patting her back gently. "I'm fine now. You and Nala did the right thing." He glanced over at Nala, who was wiping tears from her eyes. "Besides, I've had multiple close calls with death. I'm not planning on dying anytime soon."

The succubus pulled away, still sniffling as she glanced at Amaya. "How is she?"

"She's... stable for now. A lot of the stray attacks from Apep struck a lot of defenseless people, but Amaya was lucky enough to suffer minimal injuries," Sero quietly explained, his gaze drifting over to where Amaya was still fighting for consciousness. "The Healer-type Ascendants have worked overtime to place long lasting Recoveries on every patient here, and I'm sure she'll be just fine once she wakes up."

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Luna sniffled once more, her gaze fixed on Amaya. "I'm just so relieved... You know, Sero, I've always thought you were... well, I guess I thought you were a bit of a player. But seeing you with Amaya, I realize I was wrong. You really care for her, don't you?"

"Hey, that's a rude thing to say–"

"Honestly, the both of you complement each other," Nala interrupted Sero, "It's been pretty obvious that you care for her, Sero. She's lucky to have someone like you." Nala smiled warmly at Sero before glancing back at Luna.

"Eh, I'd argue it's the other way around. Sero's lucky to have someone like Amaya," the succubus shrugged, much to Sero's chagrin. "She's tough, she's smart, she's brave... and she's beautiful too. I mean, look at her. She's way out of Sero's league."

"You just called me ugly, didn't you?"

Whether or not they meant to, Sero couldn't help but relax in their presence, briefly forgetting about the brutal battle he had just survived. It might have also been due to his Rationality cooling his emotions, but for the moment, Sero felt a sense of calm wash over him.

As Sero bickered with the two, Amaya slowly stirred awake. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked around the ward, still slightly disoriented. Her gaze settled on Sero, and a relieved smile spread across her face. His heart skipped a beat when he met her gaze.

"Amaya–"

"Thank goodness!" Luna cried out, rushing over to Amaya's bedside. She took Amaya's hand in her own and squeezed it gently. "I was so worried about you!"

"I'm okay now, Luna," Amaya reassured her, her voice still a little weak. "Hey, Nala."

"Hey, Amaya." Nala said, her expression softening.

Sero sat silently beside her bed, watching as she regained consciousness. He was relieved to see that she was alive, but he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. For all his obsession with skills, he couldn't make it count when it came to it.

As if sensing his feelings, Amaya squeezed his hand gently. "Hey, Sero... thanks for helping me." Her voice was barely more than a whisper, but it resonated through him nonetheless. He squeezed her hand back, feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude and relief wash over him.

"Of course I did, Amaya. You're my... partner, after all." His voice cracked slightly as he said the words, the weight of their newfound closeness settling heavily on his shoulders.

Amaya smiled weakly. She squeezed his hand again, her grip growing stronger. "I'm sorry I wasn't more help."

Sero shook his head. "Are you kidding? You helped evacuate the citizens while also fighting off the serpents. All I did was annoy Apep and nearly died doing so."

"I'd argue that if it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have lasted as long as we did."

Sero and Amaya gazed at each other for a moment before Luna coughed loudly.

"Yeesh. Just how fast has this relationship progressed?" The succubus complained, earning a glare from Sero. "I'm just saying." She shrugged, grinning sheepishly.

Nala, who had been somewhat reserved the entire time, finally knelt and pulled both Amaya and Sero into a group hug. Shocked, the both of them were taken aback by the Shadereaper's gesture.

"You guys... I was terrified that I had lost you both," Nala whispered. "Next time, I'm coming with."

"Uh, no, I'm hoping that there isn't a next time..." Sero weakly refuted, but he knew that Culling would do anything to pull something like this again. The trio broke apart, and with the addition of Luna, began to ease the tension by talking about light-hearted topics. It was then that Sero recalled what Luna said earlier.

"Hold on, did you say my penthouse was destroyed?"

----------------------------------------

"Are you gentlemen okay?" Gregor's face was blown up on the projector as he addressed the four men in the conference room. Enzo, Maximillian, Dune, and Dante nodded.

"Dune... Duke came just in time to help deal with the Catastrophe, Boss," Enzo said, rubbing his shoulders. "He helped Max and I kill it. Without him, things could have been a lot worse."

"It was a lot worse," Maximillian scowled. "Too many civilians and Ascendants lost their lives in that battle because we came late."

"Yeah, but not all of them. That's a win in my book."

As Enzo and Maximillian devolved into bickering, Dante cleared his throat.

"Meredith is coordinating with Kit to organize the Ascendants that came from the other Zones as we speak. While we don't have an estimate to how large the destruction was, it's safe to assume that nearly a third of the 25th has been destroyed."

"With the loans I'm providing, the 25th Zone will be rebuilt, better than ever," Dune chipped in with a grin. "I'll be hanging around here until it's complete, so don't worry about this place, Mr. Stone."

"Thank you both," Gregor nodded. "I'm glad you could help out." He paused for a moment, considering his next words carefully. "As for the 25th, it's going to need more than just rebuilding. We'll need to strengthen our alliances, not just within the city, but across the other Zones as well. With the threat of both Culling and the Catastrophes, we can't afford to be isolated."

"What did you have in mind?" Dante asked, shooting a glare to the bickering Enzo and Maximillian.

"Well, for starters, I'm having all the members of the Janitors meet at the 25th very soon," Gregor replied. "Cassandra and Gwyndolyn are currently with me, so the only one missing would be Madison. Duke, I assume you've contacted her already?"

"Of course, Mr. Stone. Time is money, after all."

"Glad to hear it. Well then, we three will be arriving in the 25th shortly, as soon as we confirm that all the outbreaks have settled down," Gregor paused for a moment. "And Duke, with your extensive list of contacts, have you managed to get in touch with the Five Serpents mercenary branch?"

"Not quite," Dune readjusted his sunglasses. "They're a hard bunch to connect with, even more so than other members of our own branch. But, don't worry Mr. Stone, there's nothing that money can't fix."

"I'll leave it to you then. I've already informed the Silverbloods, and they've agreed to work with us. That won't be a problem, will it, Maximillian?"

Enzo and Maximillian abruptly stopped their arguing as the latter snapped his attention towards Gregor's face on the screen. Dante gazed at the pair curiously.

"No... I don't think so," Maximillian muttered. "At least, I think. There won't be any issue from my side, anyway."

"Hopefully they feel the same, then," Gregor nodded. "Alright, just keep us updated if anything should come up. We shall meet again very shortly."

With that, the call disconnected, leaving the four men in silence. Finally, Dune turned towards Maximillian with a grin.

"Your old group, huh? How long's it been?"

Instead of replying, the Iron Tyrant got up with a scowl, exiting the room.