Turning her attention back to the Scholar, Amaya gave him a weak smile, her expression still etched with worry. "How's the pain?" she asked, reaching out to squeeze his hand gently.

Sero considered the question for a moment, testing his body's reaction to different movements. "It's manageable," he replied, his voice still hoarse. "What happened?"

Amaya took a deep breath before recounting everything after Sero was gutted by Malice, including how Kit was able to place a healing spell on him, Gregor displaying his strength as he overwhelmed the Succubus goddess, and how the situations at both the front of the stadium and the hospital were under control.

"That's...insane," Sero breathed, his eyes widening in disbelief. "I can't believe I almost died after my first kiss. And it was with the Succubus goddess, no less."

"Don't joke about that," Amaya said, a shiver running down her spine at the memory as a strange sense of jealousy arose within her. "But you're right. You should be dead. You're lucky, I guess, that she didn't–" She paused, her voice trailing off as she realized what she was about to say. "I mean, she could have done a lot more damage. A lot."

"Ugh, that's what she said to me before I passed out too," Sero closed his eyes and groaned. "What could've been worse than dying?"

"Eternal torture as she drains you over and over again, cursed to always be on the edge of pain and ecstasy but never reaching it until you go insane?"

Sero winced at the mental image. "That's...not helping. So, uh, how's everyone else? Are they all okay?"

Amaya gave a soft smile. "Yeah. We also managed to rescue Casey, but unfortunately his grandmother... passed away..."

Sero closed his eyes again, grimacing. "I'm sorry to hear that. At least he's alive, though. That's what matters most."

"Did you know that Casey wanted to be here for you, too? Seems like he's getting more attached to you."

The Scholar chuckled, then winced with regret as the action irritated his wounds. "I've agreed to start teaching the kid how to grow stronger," he said. "His basics over mana seem pretty good, thanks to you, apparently."

Amaya blushed, pleased at the mention. "Well, I'm glad I could help. And I'm glad he's here. I mean, he's a good kid." She paused, looking around the room before continuing. "So, um, you're going to be okay? You know, after this?"

Sero thought for a moment before answering. "I think so. I mean, I'm still processing everything that's happened, but... I feel like I need to do something now. I don't know what yet, but I can't go back to my old life. It doesn't feel right anymore." He clenched his hands in front of him. "I forgot to mention this before, but I copied a skill from Luna. And earlier, I was able to copy skills from Malice."

Amaya's blood ran cold as she realized what Sero was saying. "Wait, you mean to tell me--"

"Yeah. Not just Ascendants, but I can copy skills from monsters too."

"Oh, no," Amaya smiled wryly, expecting him to have a twisted expression. "I'm guessing you're going to copy all the monster skills you can, huh?"

Instead of the usual distortion on his face, Amaya was surprised to see a serious frown instead.

"If it was the old me who had just been revived, yeah, I'd be more excited about it. But, the skills I copied from Malice are on a whole different... moral ground than those I've gained from Ascendants," Sero explained. "On top of that, how do you think I'd feel using a monster's skill?"

Amaya blinked, finally understanding what he meant. "Oh," she breathed, nodding slowly. "You wouldn't feel... human, right?"

Sero sighed. "Yeah. I'm still going to use them regardless, but it's just something I became aware of."

Quietly observing the Scholar, Amaya sensed that Sero had changed a lot. Compared to when she first met him, he was now much less lecherous, obsessive, and overall... become a better person. He hadn't commented on her appearance unwarranted in a while, something that Amaya didn't think she'd miss. It was a jarring thought to realize, and for some reason, Amaya found herself strangely missing the person Sero used to be.

Granted, there were some aspects that she wouldn't miss, but for the most part, with everything Sero had gone through, it seemed like he lost a part of himself as well.

"Hey, Sero?" Amaya started, her voice soft. "You know, if you ever want to talk about anything... anything at all, you can come to me, alright? I'm here for you."

"Yeah, I know that," the Scholar sighed again. "I appreciate it, Amaya."

"No, I mean it," she insisted, her expression serious. "I know we've been through a lot together, and I know that things have changed between us... but I still care about you. And I want you to know that you can always talk to me, okay?"

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Sero sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he seemed perplexed at Amaya's insistence. "Where's this coming from?"

"I-" Amaya paused, blushing, as she fumbled for words. "I guess I just... I don't know. I've been thinking about things, and I realized that... you're important to me." She looked down at her hands, her cheeks flushed red.

"You're important to me, too," Sero said softly. "I mean, you've been there for me since the beginning, and you've helped me a lot. You're one of the few people I can actually trust." He paused, looking into Amaya's eyes. "And I want you to know that I care about you too, Amaya. You're not just my friend, you're... special to me."

Amaya's heart skipped a beat, and she could feel her cheeks flush even harder. She looked away, blinking back tears as she fought to compose herself. "I-I never expected to hear that from you," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I mean... I'm glad to hear it, but..."

"Yeah, yeah," the Scholar glanced away as he rested his head back on the pillow. "We shouldn't explore whatever this is, and you're with Enzo."

"What?" Amaya said, frowning. "I'm not exactly with him. We're... it's complicated. But I don't think that means we can't..." She trailed off, unsure of how to finish the sentence.

Sero made a face, seemingly exasperated. "Hey, Amaya, I'm not sure exactly what your feelings are, but one thing I'm certain of is this: It might be for the moment, but I've fallen in love with you. Whether or not it's real, I don't care. Maybe it's a result of everything I've been through and you being there for me, but the fact is, right now I see you as more than just a friend."

Amaya's heart raced, and she felt a lump form in her throat. This was not something she had expected to hear from Sero. They had been through so much together, but she had never considered him in a romantic way. She had always thought of him as just a friend, someone she could confide in and rely on. But hearing him say those words, it made her feel... different.

"You don't have to reply right away, since I know you're figuring out your feelings too," Sero continued, closing his eyes. "Getting my guts ripped out made me realize I can die very easily and at any moment. So, I'm just going to go and do what I feel like doing, and deal with the consequences later."

Amaya smiled softly, her heart still racing. She wanted to tell him that she felt the same way, but she was hesitant. She didn't want to ruin their friendship if things didn't work out between them. But as she looked at his peaceful face, she couldn't help but feel a pull toward him.

"Sero," she began, her voice barely above a whisper. "I-I'm not sure what to say. I mean, you've been through so much, and I don't want to take advantage of that. Or make things awkward between us."

"I know," he replied, his eyes still closed. "Take as much time as you need. I'm just letting you know how I feel. If anything changes, I'll let you know."

Amaya bit her lip, feeling the weight of his words. She wanted to tell him how she felt, but she couldn't bring herself to do it yet. Instead, she reached out and took his hand in hers. His skin felt warm and familiar against hers. They lapsed into silence, neither of them sure of what to say or do next.

Outside, the sun began to set, painting the sky a breathtaking shade of pink and orange. The birds sang their evening songs, and the scent of summer filled the air. Amaya closed her eyes, savoring the moment, wondering if things could ever go back to the way they were before the attack. Before she knew how she felt about Sero.

"Hell of a victory ceremony, huh?" Enzo's gruff voice broke the silence. Amaya's eyes snapped open, and she realized he and the others had approached them. Kit, Nala, and Gregor stood beside Enzo, all of them gazing at Amaya and Sero.

"Oh, hey guys," Sero casually replied, slipping his hand out from Amaya's. "What's up?"

"Just came to see how you're doing," Enzo said, his expression unreadable. "You know, after everything."

"Stomach's a little sore, but your training toughened me up," the Scholar grinned at Enzo.

"Good, good," the Demonic Judge replied with a nod. "You're no student of mine if a stab in the stomach can take you down for good."

"That's cause my teacher's an asshole," Sero fired back playfully.

"Aww, you guys are finally admitting to it!" Kit clapped her hands happily. "I knew you two would eventually realize that."

"Where’s Luna and Casey?" Sero ignored the Paradox, but he didn’t deny it.

"They’re in another room waiting for us," Nala replied. "I’m going to take them back to your place to stay."

"Oh, do you need my key card?"

"Luna said she has one already."

"She– what? When did she get one?"

As the group interjected themselves, Amaya quietly moved away from Sero, her heart still racing from the earlier conversation. She felt a mixture of emotions swirling within her; she was grateful for their support, but at the same time, she wished they hadn't interrupted. The atmosphere seemed to change as they all began to converse.

"I'm glad you're ok," Nala said, giving Sero a small smile. "Didn't think you'd actually go that far with a succubus. And their goddess, no less."

"Hey, it's not like I wanted it to happen," Sero shrugged. "And I definitely didn't want to get stabbed. That part sucked."

Gregor cleared his throat, glancing at everyone. "While it's unfortunate that Sero's ceremony had been sullied, we still need to discuss the matter of Culling and the Catastrophes. However, I believe we should let Sero rest and recover for tonight, and reconvene tomorrow. Understood?"

Everyone nodded in agreement, and began to disperse, offering Sero well-wishes and words of encouragement. As they walked away, Amaya lingered for a moment, unsure of what to say. She felt a pang of guilt for not being able to talk to Sero properly, but she also knew that she needed time.

"Hey Sero," she said finally, her voice soft. "Thanks for being honest with me."

The Scholar grunted back, looking away for a moment before meeting her gaze again. "Yeah, well, I had to say something."

Amaya nodded, feeling a weight lift from her chest. "I appreciate that," she said softly. "And, uh... thanks for not pushing me. I know it can't be easy for you, either."

Sero shrugged as he snapped his fingers, summoning Moss and Lime. "Like I said, I'm not one to pry or push."

Even though she was reluctant to leave, Amaya forced herself to go. "Okay, well, I'll see you tomorrow. Get some rest."

"You too."