The Virtues collectively stared at the glasslike pane of refracted light. That wall spread through the river and through the land. That was the radius Yulius had told them about.

Leonard's fist burst into flames. And with that flaming ball of magic, he drew his arm back. With that rapid throw, his fireball sped through the air. Until it reached the outer limits of Anti-Magic. Upon impact, it burst apart, the energy scattering and dissipating, the fire being reduced to naught in that same instant.

"It's like a damn force field," Leonard mumbled.

"That's the radius we were told about."

Alexander let out a breath. "No turning back at this point. But hey, at least we get to use magic inside it."

The ship grew ever closer to it.

And once again, Leonard's hand exploded into crimson flames. And just as they passed through that refraction of light and into the radius, the flames exploded out of existence. "Damn," Leonard mumbled, sighing.

"Just a few more minutes," Alexander mumbled to himself. Just a few more minutes until they get to the island. He was already tapping his foot against the wooden floorboard as he tried to steel himself, as he tried to swallow down any agitation in his gut.

As always, it was Leonard's voice that pierced past everyone's thoughts. "So..." Leonard said, staring out at the clear blue river before him and the Virtues. "Ruuvican River. That's its name, right?"

"Yeah, Gabriel responded, muttering as he examined Excalibur's blade. Checking every single blade for maximum sharpness and durability had become a habit for him, even with Excalibur's many attributes. For one, the holy sword would never go dull, no matter how much it endured.

Leonard turned to him. "So we're crossing the Rubicon, essentially."

"Leonard, what the hell are you talking about?" Gabriel spat out with a sigh, lowering his sword and raising his head at Leonard.

"Shut up, I'm saying something cool."

"Are you, though?" Anastasia asked. That question wasn't sarcastic, but genuine. She had just walked onto the deck, shutting the cabin door behind him, confused as she entered the conversation.

"She's got a point," Alexander said, quickly agreeing with something he was also confused about.

"I can't believe I'm finally agreeing with Gabriel, but... Damn, you guys are annoying," Leonard said.

Alexander chuckled. "Thanks, Leonard."

Leonard stared at him and spat out a dejected sigh. They all knew Leonard didn't think that, much less be willing to agree with Gabriel. He looked back up and pointed at Alexander. "Why are you dressed like that, though?"

Alexander looked down at his own clothing. "...What?"

Alexander was dressed normally, from his perspective at least. He still wore the hoodie Anastasia had given him, despite the two-inch hole at its side and the blood that surrounded it. Even though it was repeatedly washed, the dark stain remained as a shadow in the black cloth.

Still, in exchange for the blood-stained and slightly torn cargo shorts he wore for the two days prior, Alexander now wore cargo pants. Of the same color.

And now, Alexander Lane wore black, fingerless gloves. Just like at the start of their quest, a single sword sat attached to his belt. This was his third sword in the quest alone. And over the past seven months, Alexander estimated he had gone through at least two dozen blades.

All of them were the same for the most part. Bastard swords, so he could use them with a single or both hands.

"You're the one that's dressed weird," Alexander pointed out.

Underneath Leonard's crimson jacket, his shirt was covered by a layer of leather armor. And under his clothes, he wore pads on his elbows and knees. "It's pointless to wear that."

"Y'know, for someone who's gotten stabbed plenty of times, you really don't have any cares about the possibility of getting hurt," Anastasia said to Alexander, letting out a light chuckle.

Liam smiled and finally spoke. "Alexander's right for the most part. Leather armor is practically useless in most cases. It's good for dealing with blunt force, but when it comes to blades and weapons-"

Leonard interrupted so he wouldn't have to hear a half-lecture from Liam. "I'm just saying," Leonard continued. "Ruuvican sounds a lot like Rubicon. So one could say that we're crossing the Rubicon. Y'know?"

Liam interjected. "Except we're crossing a river to protect a universe, not crossing to seize control of an empire. We're not tyrants."

"Julius Caesar wasn't a tyrant," Alexander and Gabriel said in union.

They squinted at each other, before turning away and leaving for another conversation. Just as Gabriel turned to Lumiel, Alexander smiled at Anastasia.

"You ready?" he asked her.

She sat down onto the floor of the deck and pressed her head against the wall. "I guess so. But there isn't much you can do to make yourself ready. This is just the type of thing that you... get used to."

He nodded. "Well... It could've been worse, right?"

"We almost died half a dozen times, Alexander."

"But we didn't. It would've been worse if we actually died."

She raised her head to him. "...I guess you're right. Technically." Anastasia extended her hand at him. Alexander grabbed it and pulled her up.

"I wonder what Archibald's gonna say about Morgana, though. It's probably illegal in some way to take a child like this."

Alexander smiled and shrugged. "Still... It's just the best course of action."

She nodded. "All because of that old guy. I don't even remember his name."

"Grisha," Alexander told her. "He may have been annoying, but at this point, he was a necessary factor. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe this whole thing, this whole quest was for the best."

A voice pierced through the cabin walls before the door slammed open. A black-haired woman burst through as Patrick's laughing voice rang out.

"Joanna" rushed over to Alexander and Anastasia. She was another of these Vanir descendants, another going by the name of a human saint, and although she had met the Virtues just less than an hour prior, she was already acting familiar.

Joanna was a tall woman, standing at the same height as Alexander. Her hair was dark and frizzy, unbefitting the expectation of someone descended from literal deities. But then again, that seemed to be a common resemblance between everyone they had met, even with King Yulius.

Her clothing was discolored and tattered, practically as if she had no regard for it at all.

She stared at them, her lips arching into a smile. "You guys know Grisha?!" she shouted out.

"...Yeah?" Anastasia mumbled. "We only met him for less than a day but... You know him too?"

She nodded in excitement. "I've known him my whole life! But then he disappeared without telling anyone. He was always cranky, that guy. I know he wanted solitude, but that was just rude of him."

The two Virtues stared at her in silence.

She stared back and began to speak once again. "Do you- Do you remember where his cabin was?"

"Yeah, somewhere in the forest," Alexander said.

Joanna and Anastasia stared at him.

"Oh..." he finally said. After all, practically all of the realm was a forest or jungle of some kind. "Well... Turns out we don't know. Sorry, Joanna."

She let out a dejected sigh before she smiled. "No, it's fine. He's been avoiding me for the past dozen decades. He's my brother, you see."

Alexander chuckled a bit. "That's life," he muttered. The following silence only lasted a couple of seconds, before Alexander raised his head again, his eyes meeting Joanna's at the same time.

"Oh. You can create objects from nothing, right? Just like Patrick?"

Joanna paused. "Well, yeah. But it's not out of nothing. It's just... Humans and Worldly beings use magic energy, which is practically the source of life. But for us, it's... Damn, I keep forgetting the word. I learned it a couple of centuries ago. Well, whatever. It's different. Y'know?"

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Alexander smiled and nodded. "So... Can you create a jacket? Like a thick sweater?" he asked her.

Lumiel stared at Alexander. "Wait, why do you need a jacket?" She reached into her pocket and pulled out the stark white cube. "We still have this, remember?"

Again, he nodded. "Yeah, but it's for Morgana," he responded, before turning back to Joanna. "You see, the Branch that connects to Midgard is in a cold location. So I just don't want her to get sick."

Again, Joanna smiled. "That's a very kind thought. You must care deeply for that Demon-Born."

Joanna didn't use that term as anything other than classification. And so, Alexander smiled in return. But before he could respond, Patrick emerged from the ship's cabin. "It's time," he told them.

The island fortress was already in view. And just as the fortress was a few minutes away, the Golden Dawn was a few minutes away from them.

That grand warship of theirs was behind them, growing closer to them just as they grew closer to the island. The simple sight of their enemies made the Hunters swallow down any semblance of fear. They had to.

The grand gray structure was a massive castle. Turrets and towers were on each of the fortresses sides, all built of the same gray blocks. It covered practically all of the island, leaving just a couple meters between its thick walls and the shoreline.

It was only minutes later that they all unboarded the ship. And with that, Patrick clapped his hands and the boat disappeared in an instant and a flash of light.

"Where... Where did it go?" Jacob asked him.

"Huh? Oh, I stored it."

His eyebrows furrowed. "...What? Where?"

Instead of a proper response, Patrick only laughed, before patting the Hunter on his back and heading to the other side of the island.

That was the plan, after all. The Virtues would go after the God Crystal and the Hunters would fight off the Golden Dawn.

Well... They would try to. After all, there were far too many soldiers to hold off for long. The Golden Dawn's forces were coming from both fronts. The Hunters would have to hold off that half for as long as they could.

Essentially... "Alright, it's time to hurry up, Alexander," Lumiel told him, staring out at the approaching ships.

Sweat was already dripping down the side of Alexander's head. "Yeah... Yeah, I know. It's just..." He raised his head at the giant wall before them. "This wall... is way taller than I expected."

"What did you expect? It's 12 meters."

"I don't know if I'll be able to make it, guys."

Liam turned to him. "Well, either way, you have a higher chance of getting it done when compared to the rest of us."

Thiago slung his bow over his shoulder and placed his hand on Alexander's back. "Plus, if this doesn't work, then you'll have to fight hundreds of soldiers of the Golden Dawn. All without the hope of getting to the God Crystal! So no pressure, Alexander."

"Oddly enough... I think that helped."

"Good," Anya said with a smile. "We'll be counting on you kids. Technically, everything's counting on you."

With that, the last of the Hunters rushed to the other side of the island.

They had already gone over the plan nearly half a dozen times. And as unfortunate as it was, it all hinged on Alexander Lane.

"You ready?" Gabriel asked Alexander.

Alexander forced down his nervous saliva. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. I'm ready," he said, still fixated on the castle walls. Surmounting those walls would be a nearly impossible feat for Alexander. And the mission's success depended on this. On his success.

"I'm ready," he repeated to himself, his obsidian eyes gleaming as he resolved his will and determination. Alexander quickly tightened the sword on his belt, making sure everything he held was secure for what was to come.

Alexander shut his eyes. With each passing second, the ships grew closer to them and the God Crystal. With each breath he took, sweat dripped down his face. His eyes burst open as he once again spoke, "I'm ready."

He burst into a sprint, dashing with all the force and speed he could muster. Giovanna and Alexander would have to time this perfectly. And at the instant before he jumped from the ground, the millisecond before his feet left the ground, a pillar of stone burst from the ground.

The force rocketed Alexander into the sky and propelled him through the winds.

"Holy shit, he's flying!" Leonard shouted out in confused shock.

Anastasia sucked in air through her teeth and snapped her fingers. Alexander instantly teleported away, just a meter or two higher and a meter or two ahead. That's all they could do. All they could do with the hope it would work.

And now, Alexander's mind was clear, just as he narrowly passed over the castle walls. There were no sounds for him to hear, except for the wind brushing against him.

All he had to do was stick the landing.

Wait.

'Oh God, I never considered the landing.'

"Wait, how's he gonna land?" Anastasia muttered.

Giovanna swallowed her dry saliva. "Oh."

Alexander clenched his jaw. 'Okay. This is just like last time! Just like last time,' he reassured himself. All he had to do was force his body to strengthen itself... to the point where he could survive an impact like this.

He grit his teeth and forced energy through his body. But...

But he fell way too fast.

Before he knew it, his body was slapped onto the ground with a hollow thud. But he was still alive. That was expected, at least in his mind. What confused him was the lack of pain.

Alexander pushed himself up and finally saw it. His shadow. No... No, it wasn't his shadow, he told himself. What he saw was pure darkness. His magic.

That magic was what had protected him.

Darkness was nothing. Stillness; a technical calm. And through that calm, it absorbed. That pure darkness quelled that destructive force of impact and saved his life. And the worst part was that it was instinctive. "Damn..." Alexander mumbled, his hands still on his chest as his labored breaths became frosty mist in the Vahaheim morning.

"Is he... dead?" Giovanna asked, swallowing her dry saliva.

Anastasia shut her eyes. It took only that. Only that to sense the bursting and flowing energy in his body. "He's alive..." she mumbled.

"Huh?"

Anastasia's lips cracked apart with a wide grin. "He did it!"

Crashing through the walls, Alexander's voice cried out, "Now!"

Despite the nervous sweat that dripped down her face, Anastasia couldn't fight her growing smile. Of course, it worked. That was enough for this very instant. And now... With a violent echo, Anastasia clapped her hands.

"Now, everyone!"

Six Connections appeared for each of the Virtues, glowing right beside them with a lightning-like crackle.

And all of them hopped through, all of them burst into the interior of the fortress. All except the Archibald.

Gabriel swallowed his dry saliva. "No. I'm staying."

"...Huh?" Anastasia stared at him in confusion.

"I'm the only Virtue with water magic. And I'm not sure if any of the Hunters have it, considering how they couldn't put out that fire attack. We're surrounded by water. It's simple math. I'll hold them off. It's not like I'll die or anything."

Anastasia stared at him, still confused. "...Well, that's weird."

"What is?"

"Considering your ego, I expected you to turn this into a race. Just so you could find the crystal before anyone else and brag about it."

Gabriel took in a sharp breath. "I kind of want to. But still," he said, still staring at the warships as they moved closer. "This is just something necessary. If I have to fight for others, I guess I have no real choice when it boils down to it."

'Necessary, huh?' Anastasia asked herself. "Alright. Good luck, Gabriel Archibald." And with that smiling nod filled with hope, Anastasia jumped through the Connection.

All of the Hunters stood on the north side of the castle. Gabriel was now alone on the south end.

From one of the gargantuan ships, a single arrow flew out, aimed directly at the sky. It wasn't long for it to begin its descent, slicing through the wind itself as it headed directly for Gabriel Archibald.

He spat out a sigh, his breath glowing as frosty wind, just like he had experienced with each morning on Vanaheim. And with that, Gabriel swayed his arm to the side. With a whirling gust, the arrow veered off course and impaled itself into the ground right beside him.

He stared at it as a blue light began to glow from its side. It wasn't an attack of any kind, he judged. The pale blue dot on the arrow's side was a device.

Gabriel crouched down and removed it, picking up the blue metal as it continued to beep.

For just a second, the beeping halted.

And now, the only sound that came from it was a man's voice.

"You must be Gabriel Archibald, one of the seven humans sent to this realm, correct? All in search for the God Crystal."

Unsure of whether he could be heard or not, Gabriel chose not to respond. But the voice he heard was one of his enemies. He clenched his jaw and took in a sharp breath.

"I'll take your lack of response to mean I was correct," the man said after a second, his voice clearly amused as he let out a light chuckle. "I am Vaughn Leonhardt. Lieutenant Colonel of the New Genesis Vanguard and Brigadier General of this ship."

Again, Gabriel didn't respond. Even if they could hear him, he didn't want to humor this annoyance.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Vaughn spoke.

Letting out a sigh, Gabriel raised the circle of blue metal to his lips. "What do you want?"

Vaughn smiled, staring out Gabriel from his ship. Despite the hundreds of meters of water between them, Gabriel's annoyance was apparent. "Your surrender."

Gabriel furrowed his eyebrows. "With all due respect, which is none, I refuse."

"Gabriel Archibald, you do realize you have no chance of winning this, don't you?"

His blond eyebrows remained furrowed. Again, Vaughn had referred to him by his full name. And for what, Gabriel asked himself.

"Well, Vaughn Leonhardt, I'd like to bet that I can win this either way. I have enough of a chance to personally drag you out of that ship and cave your teeth in. And honestly, I like that chance. Those odds are enough for me, to be honest."

From aboard the command center of the ship, Vaughn pressed a single button and spoke into a microphone. "You are outnumbered," Vaughn uttered, transmitting his voice clearly and coldly. "Your surrender will be greatly appreciated, boy. So much so, I will personally forgive you for your words and will leave you alive, as a prisoner of our great order. I'm hoping your surrender will lead to that of your allies. Through that, everyone survives. No blood has to be shed on your side of this conflict."

"Since when did the Golden Dawn take prisoners? I didn't even know you guys left survivors!" Gabriel scoffed, laughing all the while.

"Listen," he continued, parting his blond hair to the side. "If my 'words' caused you so much anguish, get over here and fight me like a man. I mean, I'll still cave your teeth in, like I said. But I think that's a lot more honorable than whatever your 'great order' is planning."

Vaughn pounded a single fist onto the metal dashboard. He clenched his jaw at the insubordinate he was hearing. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Vaughn forced his voice down and back to whatever calm he could manage.

"You see, Gabriel Archibald," Vaughn spoke. "You don't understand. The universe does not work the way you think it does, child. It has nothing to do with right or wrong. Nothing to do with numbers nor strategies nor tactics. In this world, the strong win and nothing less. So..."

"Shut up," Gabriel interrupted, a wide smile brimming on his face. He understood how annoying he was. And if he could be more of an annoyance, he'd start winning. That's what Gabriel thought, at least.

"You... Have it your way, boy. If you're so confident in how you will fare in a battle against us, then a battle is what you'll get. But you mustn't forget. Behind you are your friends. And hundreds of civilians. All lives worth defending, I'm sure. Prepare yourself, Archibald. Can you protect yourself, and your allies?"

Gabriel clenched his fist, crushing the device into the palm of his hand. He opened his fist, letting out thin shards of glass and crushed metal. "God, that guy was annoying."

He tilted his head to the side and cracked his neck. Gabriel twisted his back to the side and cracked his knuckles. Taking in a sharp breath, Gabriel raised the white sleeves of his shirt. "Whoever's strongest wins, huh?" Gabriel muttered to himself. A thin smirk spread across his face.

"Fine, then."

Whirls of wind had already begun to surround Gabriel's body, his hair and clothing rippling in the gales and gusts. "Can I protect myself and my friends?" Gabriel grit his teeth. "That's my line," Gabriel said, opening his hands and taking a step forward to the crashing waves of the shore. He faced forward, his icy blue eyes gleaming.

"Can you protect yourself, and the men you brought with you?"