Her plans had been to jump into the fray and make mincemeat of the assassin. It had been her plan, yet when she felt that familiar mana, one that felt like being hit by a gentle rising sun, Ingrid stopped.

Her heart ached and she knew that if she interfered, that man would only get upset with her.

She watched the battle unfold from the lip of the hole.

And her heart ripped open.

To see Dalton move like that, to overwhelm his opponent with shear strength, she knew that movement. She would never mistake it.

It was Talos.

Somehow, he had revived withing Dalton’s body.

But that was impossible. Talos had died. Truly died. His soul crushed into bits in front of her eyes. Maya had cobbled his soul back together, but his memories, his personality, his everything had been truly gone. That feeling of weakness and helplessness that followed made her who she had become today.

The Crimson Witch.

The pillar of blinding light erupted right and tore a new hole right next to the hole she was crouching beside. The pillar shook the castle and slowly faded like a dream.

The fight was over. The assassin had died. She was sure of it. She could not sense him at all.

She hopped into the hole and landed right behind him. Talos breathed hard, heaving and leaning against his beloved sword, Celeste. He turned behind him, his face plastered in sweat, and gave her a very weak smile.

“Ingrid.” It was Dalton’s voice, but the way he spoke her name made her shake in glee.

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“How?” Tears dripped down her cheeks.

He positioned his back against a rock and heaved a big sigh.

“It’s good to see you too, Ingrid.”

She lunged towards him, and in her embrace of him, broke the rock behind him. Talos tapped her back repeatedly, his eyes bulging.

“Can’t breathe! Can’t breathe!”

She would not let go, but she loosened her grip on him, and cried deep within his chest. His gentle hand stroked her hair and for a moment she was back as the girl who slayed dragon, and the eccentric boy who defeated her.

If only it would be like this forever.

“Ingrid.” His voice brought her back to the present.

She looked up at him. Talos’s face replaced Dalton’s just for a moment, that smile was Talos’s.

“You trained this boy well. If it weren’t for you, the body would have broken into little bits.”

“Of course, I did!” She puffed up her chest in pride. “He was a weak man. Never lifted a weight in his life. He was a rich boy that did nothing for himself. I even convinced his father to have him married to me.” Her smile faded into something sadder. “And yet he didn’t even choose me.”

Talos smiled and patted her shoulder. “You must like him.”

“Of course, I do. After all, he’s you.”

Talos turned his attention to the rumbling above. Ingrid did so too, feeling the battle wage between Maya and Yome.

“This is the last time you’re probably going to see me.”

The declaration slapped her in the face like a frozen fish.

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“This was a miracle.” He closed his eyes. “He was able to free me from this prison, even if it was just a for a little bit, but soon I will be frozen. Soon I will not be able to move, I will be sealed deep within him.”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He grasped her hand gently. His face wet with tears.

“I am in a prison.”

Then he was gone.

Ingrid caught his hand before it hit the floor. His pulse was weak, but he was still alive. But his body wasn’t in good shape. Talos had used Dalton’s body like it was his own and that put too much strain. If she had not trained Dalton his body would have been ripped to shreds.

She pulled a blood potion from her storage and made him drink it. Since he was using the same magic as her, he would be more compatible with it. He would heal faster.

After confirming that his bones were mending, she turned her attention up to the two witches fighting. Her anger boiled over, the space around her shook, one of the rocks collapsed.

“Maya!”