After being discharged from the arena infirmary, Sero decided not to stay and watch the rest of the tournament, since he already determined that the rest of the participants didn't seem like they were associated with the Culling. He said his goodbyes and wished both Kanna and Raul luck on their matches, exiting to the participants' parking lot.

Sero sat on the curb, browsing through his phone as the arena entrance bodyguards chattered quietly amongst themselves. Several unknown numbers filled his texts and voicemails, most of them offers to join their guild. Sero smiled gleefully when he saw the 250,000 gold deposit notification for his account, but it soon disappeared when he realized he was another hundred thousand short for his father’s surgery.

Sighing as he slipped his phone away in his pocket, Sero thought back to his father, then drifted towards the main reason why he participated in the tournament in the first place.

Amaya had said their source was certain that a member of the Culling had infiltrated the tournament, but so far, Sero had not seen any suspicious activity from the participants. He considered the possibility of the officials being one of them, but again, his Perfect Analysis had determined the ones he checked to be normal; the strongest official was an A-rank like him.

"Could they be hiding in the audience?" Sero murmured to himself. It wasn't a far-off idea, but nearly everyone including the officials themselves were thoroughly scanned before entry. Stumped, Sero tried to think of other ways the members of the Culling could have infiltrated the tournament, but came up with nothing. Maybe the source was wrong.

The familiar roar of Amaya's black sports car shook him out of his thoughts as it pulled up in front of him. No matter how many times Sero saw it, it never failed to impress him.

"Hey," Amaya rolled down the window and greeted him. "Good job out there."

"Thanks," Sero hopped into the passenger seat and strapped himself in. "Were you watching with my dad and Nala?"

"Y-yeah." Amaya seemed a little awkward. "She's waiting at the hospital with your dad."

"Cool." Sero noticed her shift in behavior. "You all right?"

"Um," Amaya hesitated for a moment as they pulled out of the parking lot. "Yeah, I am."

As they drove onto the street and towards the hospital Sero's father resided at, the liaison glanced at him from the side.

"Well, to be honest, he told us a little about your past. Stuff about your mom."

"Oh." Sero frowned. It did feel strange to have his business being told to his friends, but it wasn't like he wanted to hide it or anything. If anything, Sero was more annoyed that Amaya and Nala heard it from his father rather than him.

The silence stretched between them as they continued to drive. Sero looked out of the window, watching the people walking by on the sidewalk. Even though he'd lived in the city all his life, he never got tired of the sight.

"Don't worry, he didn't tell us anything besides what you've already said." Amaya glanced at Sero, then back at the road. "He's just worried about you, that's all. He knows you're going through a lot right now, and he just wants to make sure you have someone to lean on."

"A couple years too late for that," Sero muttered under his breath. While he was thankful that his father cared about him, there was still a part of him that resented Tiero for seemingly abandoning him until now. He knew it wasn't fair, since Sero did contribute by not reaching out as well, and it made it worse that his father was sick.

At any rate, Sero did feel as if they were on the right path to patching things up. He pushed aside the conflicting thoughts within his mind, deciding that he'd see where his relationship with his father would go.

"Oh, right," Sero began. "The quarter million gold hit my account. I'm about a hundred gold short now."

"No worries," Amaya smiled at him. "Nala and I already set aside 150,000."

"Holy shit- really?" Sero's face lit up as he looked at Amaya, incredulous. He hadn't expected his friends to help him out with the money, but the thought of them doing so made him feel warm inside. It was a bit of a blow to his pride, but he wasn't about to turn down their generosity.

"Yep. We can go ahead and schedule the surgery for tomorrow."

The hospital came into view, its familiar towers looming over the neighborhood. Amaya expertly navigated the car through the crowded parking lot and found a spot not too far from the entrance. "Well," she said, turning to face Sero, "let's go see your dad, shall we?"

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

The pair went up to Tiero's room, where they found him laughing with Nala, a rare expression on the Shadereaper.

"Hey, Dad," Sero said as he and Amaya joined them.

"Sero," Tiero smiled at his son. "I watched your match. It was incredible."

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"Thanks, Dad," Sero replied with a grin as he sat down next to him. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"We'll leave you two alone," Amaya nodded to them as she and Nala walked out.

"So," Sero awkwardly began after they left. "I got the deposit from the association. Amaya said that we can go ahead and schedule your surgery for tomorrow."

Tiero's face lit up with surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah. Hopefully the timing of everything works out and I somehow am able to make it back from the tournament or something," Sero made a face. "In the event that I do make it all the way to the finals, I'm not sure if I'll be able to be here for your surgery."

"Don't worry about that, son. Just focus on your tournament. I'm sure things will work out. And who knows, maybe you'll make it to the finals, and I'll get to see you after my surgery," Tiero said with a smile. "But even if you don't, it's not the end of the world. You've already made me proud."

There it was again, the pride that Sero had always longed for from his father. It was nice to hear his father say that, even if it felt a bit unreal. "Thanks, Dad. Well, we'll see what happens."

Afterwards, the father and son grew silent, watching the matches on the screen. It seemed as though Raul and Kanna had won their matches already.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Sero," Tiero finally said. "I know I wasn't the best dad. I should've done more."

Sero looked his father in the eyes for a moment. "It's fine," he quietly began. "It was a different time back then. We were both dealing with loss."

"But I could've done better," Tiero insisted. "I could've been there for you."

"Dad, you did the best you could. Honestly, I can understand what was going through your mind at the time. After I left, I was pretty angry at you, and I'm sure you felt the same way."

"I don't regret leaving like I used to," Sero continued, "but I think we both learned from it. I mean, look at us now. We're here, together. And I'm not giving up on anything anymore, either. I think we can make this work. And I'll make sure to be there for you, the same way I wish you had been there for me."

Tiero smiled at his son, his eyes welling up with tears. "I'd like that, Sero. I'd like that very much."

They sat in peaceful silence, diverting their attention back to the television. Sero felt a little better about his feelings towards his father, but there was still a lingering hurt when he thought about the past few years when he was at his lowest. He swallowed his anger, wanting to enjoy the time with his father instead.

Sero watched onscreen as Elena easily won her match with that large reptile familiar of hers. He wondered if she had any other familiars at her disposal, and the competition was just too underwhelming to make her summon them.

A knock at the door caught the father and son's attention as it swung open. With a jolt, Sero realized he recognized the doctor.

Although it had been a few years since his mother's death, there was no mistake in Sero's mind as he saw the same man who had taken care of her when she fell ill. The man had gray hair, neatly trimmed and combed. His face was lightly weathered with lines, round spectacles perched on his nose, and a kind smile that seemed to light up the room. His olive eyes gleamed with warmth as he noticed the two. Sero felt a pang in his heart as he recognized the doctor.

"Hello, Sero. It's good to see you again," the doctor said, stepping into the room. "I'm here to check on your father. He's been doing quite well since his last checkup."

"Dr. Malek." Sero croaked as painful memories flooded back to him. "It's... good to see you too. I didn't expect to see you here."

Dr. Malek chuckled. "Yes, well, with the entire world having been flipped upside down, I find myself in a bit of a unique position. I was more than happy to take up a post here in the center of the 25th Zone." He smiled at Sero. "I saw your match yesterday. Who knew you would become an Ascendant– and a strong one at that?"

Tiero cleared his throat, unable to meet the doctor's gaze. "I'm proud of him, Doctor. He's been working hard."

"Yes, if only Val could see him now." Dr. Malek said endearingly.

While he knew the doctor meant it as a kind gesture, Sero couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness at the mention of his mother's name. "Thanks, Doctor," he managed to say, his voice shaky. "I wish she could have been here, too."

Dr. Malek nodded, turning back to Tiero. "Now, as I have discussed with the two ladies outside, I am under the impression that you have the funds to continue with this surgery, correct?"

Tiero nodded, swallowing hard. "Yes, Doctor. My son has saved up enough for it."

Dr. Malek smiled at them both. "That's wonderful news. We can proceed with the surgery tomorrow as soon as you're both ready. In the meantime, I'll leave you two to enjoy the rest of the day." He turned to leave, pausing for a moment before he spoke again. "You know, Sero, I've always believed that you were destined for great things. Your mother felt it too. Just remember that, no matter what challenges life throws at you, you can always overcome them."

"Oh," Sero blinked in surprise. He wasn't expecting that from someone he hadn't seen in a couple of years. "Thanks."

Dr. Malek nodded before leaving the room. As the door closed behind him, Tiero turned to face his son. There was a sadness in his eyes that Sero couldn't quite understand. "Sero," he began, his voice thick with emotion. "I want you to know that I am proud of you. You've come so far, and I'm so grateful that you're here with me today."

"Dad," Sero shook his head. "Why are you acting like this will be the last time I'll see you?"

Tiero smiled sadly. "I just want to say all these things while I can, Sero. I'm not sure how much time we have left together, but I want you to know that I love you, and I'm proud of you. You've worked so hard, and you deserve every bit of happiness that comes your way."

A lump formed in Sero's throat, catching him by surprise. At first, he felt confused by his father’s emotional words. But then his anger crept back, simmering within him. Why couldn't his father have said this earlier, before he left, or even when they were apart? Why did it have to be now, when he was this ill?

"Save that for after your surgery, Dad,” Sero did his best to keep his frustration in check. “Telling me this now doesn't feel right."

Tiero's face clouded over, and he reached out to take Sero's hand. "I'm not saying this to make you feel guilty or anything, Sero. I just... I want you to know how I feel." He paused for a moment. "You don't know the success rate of the surgery, do you?"

Sero frowned. "No, why?"

Just then, the gradual heaviness that had grown on Tiero's face finally registered to Sero. He felt a cold, sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Out of the 200 or so mana-organ transplant surgeries in the last year... only 5 of them were successful."