Nyx stood before Seia's dormitory door, her heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. The reality of being near Seia again was overwhelming, but she couldn't afford to dwell on emotions now. Taking a deep breath, she turned the handle and stepped inside.

The gentle hum of running water indicated that Seia was in the shower. Nyx considered announcing her presence but decided against it, opting instead to sit quietly and observe the immaculate surroundings. The room was a testament to Seia's meticulous nature—everything in its rightful place, exuding a sense of calm and order.

Moments later, the bathroom door creaked open, and Seia emerged, wrapped in a towel. Her damp yellow hair clung to her neck, and her fox-like ears and tail twitched slightly as she noticed Nyx.

"Nyx? What are you doing here?" Seia's voice held a note of surprise.

Nyx rose from her seat, her gaze steady. "I've been readmitted to Trinity. Given the circumstances, it's been arranged for me to stay here, for safety reasons."

Seia sighed, a mixture of relief and concern crossing her features. "I see. Well, it's... alright. We'll manage."

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Trinity, Mika paced her room, her mind a whirlwind of turmoil. The mere thought of Nyx's return ignited a visceral rage within her.

"Why can't I just eliminate her?" Mika muttered to herself, her fists clenching. "Her very existence is a blight. None of this makes sense."

Determined to confront Mika, Nyx made her way to the cathedral, the vast hall shrouded in darkness. As she ventured deeper, a chilling voice echoed through the shadows.

"Nyx."

Emerging from the darkness, Mika's cold stare pierced through Nyx.

"Mika," Nyx began, her voice steady, "I'm here to ask you to return to Trinity. We need you."

Mika's expression twisted with contempt. "Your time ends here, Nyx. Your world will crumble beneath you."

Without warning, Mika drew her gun, aiming directly at Nyx. Before Nyx could react, Mika's fist connected with her face, sending her crashing into a pillar. The impact left her dazed, but Mika gave no respite. A brutal punch to the stomach forced blood from Nyx's lips, and the deafening roar of a gunshot echoed as a bullet tore through her chest.

As darkness enveloped her, Nyx found herself in a void. Before her stood a man clad in a suit, his magenta hair and eyes glowing ominously. Black deer antlers adorned his head, and his hands were shrouded in darkness.

"Do you understand your purpose?" he inquired, his voice resonating through the emptiness.

Nyx remained silent, uncertainty gripping her.

"Your purpose is to bring an end to Kivotos and beyond," he declared.

"No," Nyx protested, shaking her head. "I can't. I won't."

He chuckled softly. "You can resist, but the aura of annihilation within you remains. Why suppress it? Embrace what you are. Focus on yourself."

Chains materialized around Nyx, binding her.

"Let go," he urged. "Embrace the entity of the end. Let annihilation consume you."

Torn between fear and a strange compulsion, Nyx hesitated.

"It's alright," he soothed. "Accept it."

With a reluctant nod, Nyx felt a surge of power.

Back in the cathedral, magenta flames erupted around her as she transformed. Demonic horns sprouted from her head, chains coiled around her scythe, neck, arms, and legs, and dark wings unfurled from her back.

Mika's eyes widened with a mix of rage and fear. "Gehenna's corruption... I'll destroy you!"

She lunged, but Nyx deftly sidestepped, delivering a swift kick that sent Mika crashing into another pillar. The structure groaned under the strain, debris raining down.

"This place won't hold much longer," Nyx muttered, urgency in her voice.

As the cathedral began to collapse, Sensei, Nagisa, and Seia arrived, their faces etched with horror.

From the rubble, Mika emerged, her fury unabated. "This is your doing, Nyx! I won't rest until you're ashes."

Nyx ascended, the air crackling with energy as she and Mika clashed in the sky. Their weapons collided, each strike sending shockwaves through the atmosphere.

Summoning a sphere of dark energy crackling with magenta lightning, Nyx aimed at Mika. "This ends now."

The blast engulfed Mika, propelling her towards the ground. She crashed near Millennium, the impact forming a massive crater and shattering nearby windows.

Nagisa's voice trembled with frustration. "Nyx returns, and chaos follows. Just perfect."

In the aftermath of the catastrophic battle, the air was thick with dust and the acrid scent of destruction. The once-majestic cathedral lay in ruins, its grandeur reduced to rubble. Amidst the debris, Sensei, Seia, and Nyx stood in stunned silence, their eyes fixed on the scene before them.

Mika's form was barely visible beneath the fallen pillars, her body battered and broken. Her halo, the ethereal symbol of her consciousness, flickered weakly, casting dim, intermittent glows. Desperation etched across his face, Sensei reached into his coat and produced the Adult Card, its surface gleaming ominously.

"Sensei, no!" Nyx's voice trembled with urgency. "Using that will drain your life force!"

Ignoring her plea, Sensei's grip tightened around the card, his resolve unwavering. But before he could act, Nagisa stepped forward, her expression a mixture of determination and sorrow.

"She's my friend," Nagisa whispered, her voice barely audible over the distant sounds of crumbling stone. "I don't care what happens to me."

With a swift motion, she snatched the Adult Card from Sensei's grasp. Paralyzed by a combination of shock and fear, Sensei could only watch as Nagisa knelt beside Mika, the card clutched tightly in her hand.

"Nagisa, stop!" Sensei's voice cracked, desperation seeping through. "You don't understand the consequences!"

But Nagisa was resolute. She activated the card, and immediately, a blinding light enveloped her. The ground trembled as energy surged, and with a heart-wrenching sound, Nagisa's halo shattered into countless fragments, dissipating into the air like scattered petals.

Seia's eyes widened in horror, her pupils contracting to mere pinpoints. A cold sweat broke out across her skin as her mind struggled to process the scene unfolding before her.

"Nagi-chan? Nagisa? Nagisa?! NAGISA!!!"

Her screams echoed through the desolate ruins, a haunting lament that resonated with the pain of loss.

As the radiant glow subsided, Mika's halo stabilized, its light now steady and strong. She stirred, consciousness slowly returning. But beside her, Nagisa's lifeless body lay still, the price of her sacrifice evident.

Nyx's breath caught in her throat, her eyes mirroring the shock and disbelief that gripped her heart. "What... what just happened?"

Sensei's voice was hollow, tinged with profound sorrow. "The Adult Card... it's a powerful tool, but it comes with a grave risk. Using it can destabilize a person's halo—the very essence of their consciousness."

Nyx's gaze shifted to Nagisa's motionless form, comprehension dawning painfully. "She... she knew the risk. And she still chose to save Mika."

Mika’s hands trembled as she clutched Nagisa’s limp arm.

Her mind froze. Her thoughts stopped.

“Nagisa…?”

Her voice was barely above a whisper, cracking under the weight of a terrible realization.

The body in her arms was cold. Too cold.

Mika stopped moving. Instantly.

Nagisa. Nagisa. Nagi-chan. Nagisa. Nagisa. Nagisa. Nagisa...

She shook her. Once. Twice. Again and again.

“NAGISA? WAKE UP—”

Her voice cracked into a wail.

WAKE UP. WAKE UP. WAKE UP. WAKE UP. WAKE UP. WAKE UP. WAKE UP. WAKE UP. WAKE UP. WAKE UP. WAKE UP. WAKE UP. WAKE UP. WAKE UP. WAKE UP. WAKE UP.

But Nagisa did not wake up.

She would never wake up.

The realization hit Mika like a bullet through the skull.

Her breathing became erratic. Her chest tightened like a vice. Her vision blurred with tears she didn’t even remember shedding. If she had fought harder. If she had stopped Nyx sooner. If she had done anything else—

This didn’t have to happen.

Her grip on Nagisa loosened. Her fingers, shaking, curled into fists.

Click.

Sensei barely had time to react before Mika raised her gun and fired.

The bullet never reached him.

Nyx had stopped it mid-air, her expression unreadable as she flicked it aside.

But she didn’t speak.

Because Mika was breaking apart in front of them.

She sobbed uncontrollably, her body shaking violently.

Seia was silent.

Silent.

Silence. Silence. Silence. Silence. Silence. Silence. Silence. Silence. Silence. Silence.

The weight of the world pressed down in that silence. The universe itself seemed to hold its breath.

And then—

It’s Nyx’s fault. It’s Nyx’s fault. It’s Nyx’s fault. It’s Nyx’s fault.

The moment those words formed in Seia’s shattered mind, she lunged.

But Sensei caught her, using all his strength to hold her back.

Seia didn’t just struggle. She thrashed.

Her body convulsed like a caged beast, rabid and untamed. Her mouth foamed with saliva as she screamed, tears burning down her face like molten fire.

Her tail whipped wildly. Her nails clawed at Sensei’s arms, desperate to break free.

Her pupils were dilated to hell. Her teeth bared like an animal.

Seia had lost control.

Her humanity was gone.

She was nothing but raw, primal rage.

Her throat tore from her own screams.

"KILL HER." "KILL HER." "KILL HER." "KILL HER." "KILL HER."

Nyx didn’t respond.

She didn’t even flinch.

She only stared at Seia’s feral, broken form.

Then, without a sound—

She vanished.