Arnold wiped off his bloody hands with a smile as he finished speaking. His smile was met with a concerned stare from Hector Hild. His eyes weren't fixed on the bloodied cloth but rather locked with Arnold's golden eyes.

"...What?" the Vice-Commander asked.

"That's all I have to do?" he asked, before he let out a sharp breath and ruffled his curly black hair. "Dude..."

Arnold smiled. "Yep," he said.

The boy groaned in response. "No offense, Arnold, but... Doesn't it seem a bit... I don't know, dumb? Like stupid? Idiotic, even?"

Arnold's smirk plainly remained on his face. "Does it matter?" he asked in return. "It may be simple, but it'll work, I'll promise you that. After all... You're the key to this, Hector."

Hector swallowed his dry saliva. "Fine," he said, already throwing on a jet-black sweater. Unlike the common uniform, but just like Atlas', Hector's uniform was almost completely black.

Just like Alexander, he wore cargo pants and fingerless gloves. He was someone prepared for battle. His belt was dressed under compartments and pouches with combat-grade gear and compressed shifter weapons.

But most oddly of all was his simple, black sweater that he wore atop everything else. It wasn't made of a weapon-proof or magic-resistant material, but plain cotton. Smooth and soft, simple and black. Hector dressed for comfort, even if that comfort would rob him of safety in what was to come.

And so, he grabbed the hood that sat underneath that sweater and swung it over his head. "I'm the key, huh?" he asked Arnold as he turned away. "Let's get it done, then. Take me there, Atlas."

A hollow circle of darkness appeared in front of him. The smooth shadow rang out, only for a second until Hector passed through, before shutting behind him.

Hector tightened the harness that held his sword to his belt as he faced forward into a dimly lit corridor of stone. "It's time to hunt," he said with a smile.

- - - - -

Alexander crashed into the ground just after he jumped through a Connection. But hey, he had already gotten used to that kind of thing happening.

"I take it you found it?" he asked, his face still in the ground before he pushed himself up.

"Yep. Wait, why are your clothes so dirty?" Anastasia asked, pointing out the different colors of dirt and dust scattered around his black clothes. Alexander wasn't focused on that, however. Instead, his eyes were fixed on the pale blue fluid that drenched his hands.

"There was this... huge lizard beast thing. I had to fight it. I stabbed it in the neck, but I don't know if it died or not. So now I'm out of a sword," he mumbled, lightly chuckling as he stared at his empty hands. "But that's life."

"So that's... Vanaheim lizard blood?"

"Yeah, pretty much." After wiping his hands on his pants, Alexander looked up.

With that single sight, unease grew in his mind, nausea in his gut, and disgust in his heart. The God Crystal was a chunk of rock. It didn't have a mind of its own. Only the energy of anti-magic.

And that energy was so profoundly wicked and disgusting, Alexander felt rage build up inside of him. He let out a breath, his exhale quickly lighting up in the sun's glow as he took a step forward.

It sat on a stone pedestal, dull and colorless, just like the corridors they had run through, and just like the room they stood in.

"You haven't destroyed it?" he asked, turning to her.

"Honestly, I forgot to. My first thought was to bring you guys," she said, opening two more Connections behind her. "But even if I did remember... I don't think I could even scratch it. I mean, look at that thing."

Anastasia had a point. Anti-magic wasn't the lack of energy. But a form of energy itself. And that eerie presence caused Alexander to swallow his dry saliva. It was obvious a blade would have no use anyway.

Liam and Giovanna burst through the spell and into the room.

Giovanna swallowed her dry saliva. "Is that..."

"It is," Liam told her, as they stared in unison at the God Crystal. "So what's the plan?" Liam asked, turning to Alexander as he quickly began to approach the rock.

"You took too long!" Giovanna told Anastasia. "I had to fight this giant tiger-looking thing!" she proclaimed. "I killed it! But still!"

Anastasia only smiled in response as Giovanna continued to complain to her. "Well... It happens."

"Do you have any idea how traumatizing it is to make eye contact with an animal as you kill it?! In my defense, it was awesome. Like I just shoved a stone spike through her chest when she attacked me. But still!"

"Why... Why do you think that's awesome?" Anastasia asked her.

"It's awesome to see it, but not awesome to do it."

"..."

Liam still stared at Alexander as he cracked his knuckles. Standing next to the crystal, he took a deep breath before driving his clenched fist into the mass of black rock.

Within the same instant, the three Virtues stepped back as pure energy brushed against them. But that was it. Nothing else had happened, and the crystal only sat there on its podium of stone. Not a dent, not a scratch, nothing.

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The fact that it was unscathed was nothing short of mockery.

"I guess they don't call it the God Crystal for nothing," Alexander said, forcing a crooked smile as nervous sweat dripped down the side of his head.

"Anastasia. Hammer. Now."

Anastasia furrowed her eyebrows. "You could speak in full sentences, y'know," she said to Liam, before grabbing and tossing her compressed warhammer towards him.

He caught the weapon, even with his eyes still fixed on the crystal. "Out of the way, Alexander," Liam said, gripping the hammer as it expanded and extended to its full size. He cleared his throat and coiled both his hands around it. Clenching his jaw, he raised it up and slammed it down, letting out another earsplitting crackle. But again, nothing.

"Alexander's attack was stronger," Giovanna noted.

Liam remained silent and readied himself. With a sharp exhale, he repeated his motions, pummeling the hammer into the glimmering darkness.

This time, something did happen.

The hammer exploded off its handle on impact, bursting and leaving nothing other than the smooth metal in Liam's hands. He turned to Anastasia and swallowed his saliva. "...Sorry."

She shook her head and spat out a sigh. "Whatever. We can't destroy it, then. We have to get it out of here," she said, extending her arm to the side and opening another Connection. "Let's get everyone else in here."

Just a few seconds later, a crackling blue portal burst into existence, just as Gabriel sat down.

"Gabriel," Anastasia began, her voice peering through the veil of energy. "You wrapped up over there?"

Gabriel turned his head to the crackling portal. "Uh..." He looked down. Gabriel Archibald was sitting on a man.

That bald man was lying facedown as blood pooled beneath him, leaking from his mouth. Teeth, some whole, some cracked and split apart, were scattered across the deck of polished wood.

Whether fortunately or unfortunately, that man still drew breath, albeit struggling not to choke on his own blood. His face was already swollen and bruised, his eyes shut and his nose broken and crooked.

That man was Vaughn Leonhardt.

Gabriel stood up and stared out at the river. It was still churning like a storm, still chaotic. Chunks of wood were drifting along as soldiers fought each other, all for the opportunity to climb onto those pieces for support.

After all, not a single ship stood intact. Even the warship was split apart into four pieces. And the main deck, one of those four, was already sinking. "Yeah, I'm pretty much done over here," he said.

"Then get over here," Anastasia told him.

A wry smile grew onto his lips. "Well, well, well, you guys need your leader to figure something out?"

"I'm gonna give you two seconds before I shut this Connection, Gabriel."

He let out a hearty sigh and jumped through.

"So what-" It was the same instant that his feet touched the solid ground that Gabriel grasped the situation.

The energy of anti-magic had spread its thin roots throughout the room, seeping into the surrounding light and the air itself. "God, this is disgusting," he complained. "You guys have been here the whole time?"

Alexander nodded as he took in a deep breath. "Glad to see you've held up against the Golden Dawn," he said, his eyes fixated on the black crystal.

"Why wouldn't I be able to hold up on my own? They weren't even that strong."

Lumiel smiled at that. Gabriel wasn't calling himself strong, but he was calling the Vanguard weak. Still bragging, but a step in the right direction, she judged, noting Gabriel's ego.

But that smile faded as she turned to face Alexander. He had forced his hands underneath the rock, lifting it with a grunt. "So..." he muttered between his already shaky breaths. "How are we gonna-"

His words were cut short as he dropped the crystal to the ground, letting it slip through his fingers. "It's... It's sucking up my magic," Alexander said, his eyes wide as he stared at his hands and the crystal beneath them.

"So?" Gabriel asked. "That's just something to endure," he said, heading over and crouching down to pick up the crystal. As soon as he came into contact with the God Crystal, even without lifting it up, he let go within a second.

Gabriel swallowed his dry saliva. His breaths were shaky, just as Alexander's were. His fingers were already trembling with that simple touch. That was the energy of anti-magic. "It's like it's draining out my damn life force," Gabriel muttered.

"See?" Alexander said. "So how do transport it? Anastasia, can you try to make it go through a Connection?"

Anastasia stared at him in silence.

"Nevermind," he meekly muttered. "You've been trying that this whole time, haven't you?"

Entire minutes passed by of each of them thinking and acting upon their ideas, all to no avail under the anti-magic of the divine weapon the God Crystal was.

"So what now?" Alexander asked, letting out a sigh as he spoke and sat down against a wall that had been turned to rubble.

"Here's an idea," Leonard began. "We get the crystal and we put it in a box. Then, we carry the box."

"Yeah, but wouldn't the anti-magic just radiate from it anyway?"

"Where would you even get the box?"

Alexander let out another defeated sigh, almost for the fifth time in a straight minute. "What if we wrap it in aluminum foil? That'll block out the energy, no?"

"Genius idea, Alexander Lane," Lumiel said. "Thanks for reminding me of the fact that I'm carrying aluminum foil."

He turned his head to her. "Wait, do you actually have-"

"No, idiot!" She clenched her jaw. "...That was rude. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. You just sounded genuine for a second," he said, letting out another defeated sigh. He flattened himself against the wall. "The clock's still ticking, though. We have to figure something out soon."

"We could all pick it up at the same time," Leonard suggested. "That way, the anti-magic will be spread out so it won't affect us. Hell, maybe that would let us absorb it so we can get it through a Connection."

The option of letting anti-magic course through your body was enough to get a groan out of Liam and Gabriel.

But it's the only thing that makes enough sense to work. That's what Alexander thought, at least. And so, he drooped his head over and spat out a sigh, bringing himself to speak.

It was at the same time that Hector smiled and placed his hand onto the God Crystal. "Yeah, but... I don't know what you guys are talking about, to be honest. This ain't half bad!" he said, laughing a bit.

The Virtues sat in silence as they each turned to him, their eyes collectively widening.

"Still..." he said. "Thanks for leading me to it. Going through to this normally would've been way too much of a hassle!" Hector said, once again letting out a laugh. With his other hand, he ran his fingers through his hair.

Alexander quickly stood up. 'Who-'

Each of the Virtues' thoughts focused on this sudden intruder.

'Is he with the Golden Dawn? He doesn't have the uniform.'

'He must be our age. Or close to it, at least.'

'This guy is our enemy.'

'His voice is familiar. Where have I heard it before?'

'This kid... has no magic!'

Time passed: 0.01 seconds.

And all of the Virtues sprung forth.

Gabriel was fast. He left no time for thoughts, no time for hesitation. He unsheathed Excalbir and moved to attack. "We can't let him get the crystal!" he shouted out.

Alexander was even faster. He grabbed Liam's blade from the ground and dashed Hector.

Hector... This boy was the same one who attacked him in the cave. The same one who tried to poison them. The same one that served as a prelude to the Titans' attack.

"He's Golden Dawn!" Liam yelled.

Leonard's fists burst into flames. Giovanna pressed her palm against the coarse ground and stared up at their attacker. Anastaisa's wand was already aimed at Hector. Each of the Virtues had readied their own attacks.

But the fastest was Hector Hild. Within an instant and with a single hand, he had already lifted the God Crystal. And with the other, he unsheathed the silver blade that sat on his hip. Anti-magic was already coursing through veins as he already began to step back.

"I'm just here for the crystal. I'm not here to fight," Hector said with a smile. "Unless you are."