— Act II - World Ablaze —

"Ares! You've gone too far!" The girl shouted; her platinum blonde hair illuminated by the fire.

"I've gone too far?" The man in question seethed. "How far are you willing to let them take things before they kill the Elemental Spirits?!"

"What they're doing is wrong, I agree. But there has to be another way other than setting an entire village ablaze! Those are lives you just took!"

"Yet, you don't bat an eye at what Ballard has done."

"That's... That's different," she muttered, biting her lip in the process as she cast her glance away from the man in front of her.

"So, when is life no longer life? The moment someone dies? The moment their body has finished decaying? Some doctor you are—"

"I'm a scientist, not a doctor!" She threw her fists down in front of her. "Ballard did what he did because he had no choice! You at least have a choice! Yet, I fear you have taken your spite out on these people..."

He paused, anger welling within him from the complete and utter stubbornness of this girl. They had had several similar conversations, yet nothing ever changed. "How many times have I told you that the outcome will remain the same if we don't stop these humans?!"

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"Stop them, yes." She tried to agree. "There's a difference between stopping them and killing them."

"And how else are we supposed to stop them? Reasoning with them doesn't work. What, do we hold them hostage in the Sun Domain? I'm sure Solus will be thrilled about that."

"Yeah, well, there's always your girlfriend's place." She rolled her eyes, slightly satisfied when her words garnered the reaction she had hoped for.

"When will you get over the fact that I didn't choose you?!" His purple eyes glowed a faint red as if he were casting another fire spell.

"Never, because I never felt that way about you." She smirked, tapping her fingers on her crossed arms, earning a scowl from him. "The humans are getting out of hand, I agree." She tried to pull the conversation back on track. "That's why I plan to—"

"I'm going to kill Ballard." His voice was cold and dangerously low.

"Y-You're going to what?!" She gawked, eyes wide and jaw agape. "You can't kill him! He's one of us! He's—"

"A virus to this world, can't you see? So long as he exists, this world will never know peace. Least of all those precious humans you dote on."

"You despise Ballard for calling himself a god, yet you're not any better yourself." She clenched her fists at her sides. "Even if you kill him, the world still won't know peace! Without him, the balance of this world will be lost! And what of the Elemental Spirits? We still need to work on a way to save Earth and—"

"Once I've killed Ballard, I'll deal with the rest." He waved her off as he teleported to Zetheria.

The girl gazed at the once proud kingdom of Aeceria that burned to ash before her. "You'll deal with the rest? No, you won't. Because I'll kill you myself." She spat.