Sero gasped sharply as he woke up with a start, sitting up in the makeshift bed and immediately wincing in pain.

  "Hey, hey, easy there. It's okay, Sero. I'm here," Amaya's soothing voice reached his ears as she gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Her touch was warm, grounding him back into reality. He took a moment to regain his bearings, the events of the battle crashing back into his mind like a wave.

  "What... what happened?" Sero asked, his voice shaky as he took in his surroundings. They were in what appeared to be a small, dimly lit room, the air thick with the scent of antiseptic and the faint hum of machinery in the background.

  "The alliance came and held the banished god at bay until his host body broke down. There... there were a lot more casualties than expected, but if it wasn't for you and Madison, more people would've died," Amaya explained, her eyes suspiciously tinged with red. She paused, biting her lip before gently butting her head into his chest. "You idiot, do you know how worried I was when I heard you were fighting a literal god? And even worse, when I saw you half-dead in Kit's arms?"

  Sero looked down at her, his own eyes misting over. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he murmured, his voice thick with regret. He gently wrapped his arms around her, feeling her relax against him.

  "How on Earth did I end up falling for such a stupid, lecherous, greedy man like you...?" Amaya mumbled into his chest.

  "Hey, I noticed you didn't say ugly, so that means you do find me attractive," Sero joked weakly, trying to lighten the mood. He felt Amaya's cheek press against his chest as she let out a small chuckle.

  "The next time you decide to get into a life or death situation, can you at least wait until I'm there with you?" Amaya's voice was muffled against his chest, but Sero heard the underlying fear and concern in her words. He tightened his embrace, feeling a warmth spread through his chest.

  "Aw, come on. I've escaped death countless times already. You're going to be stuck with me for a while," Sero said with a quiet chuckle, feeling the tension in the air ease slightly. Amaya pulled away and gave him a glare that was only partially playful.

  There was a knock at the door, and then two people walked in. Luna and Nala were the first to enter, their faces etched with concern and relief as they saw Sero conscious. Behind them, Kit followed, her eyes scanning the room quickly before resting on the couple.

  "Oh, thank gods my little bookworm is okay," Kit breathed, her voice filled with a mix of relief and exasperation. "What the hell were you thinking, Sero? You could have died out there!"

  "But I didn't," Sero said with a cheeky grin, though the effort made him wince. "Besides, I can count on you and Madison to heal me right back-"

  He sharply inhaled as a sudden pain struck his entire body. It felt like all his nerves were on fire, simultaneously feeling like they had been peeled back and exposed to the world while getting tasered.

  "Gah, Sero, you need to take it easy! You were cycling your energy and mana so much that your body is practically in shambles," Kit scolded, her stern expression belying her actual concern. "Although it's pretty insane how much you've expanded your mana pool just from your near death experience."

  "Thanks, Kit," Sero replied, his voice strained with pain. Despite his weakened state, he managed a small smirk. "Guess almost dying isn't all bad."

  "It is when we're going to need you on the frontlines more than ever," Kit said, her voice firm but not unkind. She knew that Sero was pushing himself beyond his limits, but she also understood that it was his nature to do so. "Anyway, the rest of us are salvaging and rescuing people from the aftermath of the fight. Gregor's going to swing by to check up on you in a bit, so just… chill out, okay?"

  Sero nodded, his face still etched with agony. "I'm not that eager to get back into action anyway."

  Kit shook her head with a snort, amused by Sero's bravado despite his obvious injuries. "Well, if you need anything, just shout. I'll be outside," she said before exiting the room, leaving the door ajar.

  "You know, I really hate when you do these kinds of things," Nala muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. Despite her stern demeanor, the relief in her eyes was clear as day. "Why do you always have to be the hero?"

  "Hey... in my defense, nobody really had a high opinion of me when they first met me, remember?" Sero said, trying to keep the conversation light. "Besides, it's not like I went looking for a fight with a god."

  Luna was quiet, her eyes narrowed as if studying Sero. He noticed the tightness in her jaw and the way she clenched her fists by her side. "You've changed," she said finally. "There's something... different about you."

  Sero's smile faded a bit. He could sense Aphiel’s presence in the back of his mind, eager to listen in. "What do you mean...?"

  Nala and Amaya glanced at the succubus, confused by her statement. Luna grimaced as she tried to put her thoughts into words. "You're... darker," she said finally. "I don't mean in the sense of being evil, but you're carrying this heavy aura of... something. It's aggressive and dangerous, I guess."

  Sero started to say something, but stopped. He knew she was right because he himself could feel the change in his very being. Ever since the death of his father, he had been carrying this rage, this hunger to grow stronger so that he could make those who hurt his loved ones suffer. In fact, even after surviving Crom Cruach, the scorching violence within him wasn't deterred at all. It felt more potent instead.

  "I'm sorry," Sero murmured. "It's just that... I can't let things slide anymore. Not after what happened to- my dad, not after what I've learned today."

  Luna nodded solemnly, understanding the turmoil he was going through. "It's okay. We're here for you," she assured him, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

  "I wish you'd just let us know before you go off and do something crazy like that," Nala quietly added, her expression more telling than usual. Sero could only nod, knowing she was right. He had been keeping them in the dark about his true intentions and the depth of his anger.

  Amaya cleared her throat, sensing the heaviness in the air. "Well, at any rate, you're back with us now, and we need to focus on what's next," she said, her eyes searching Sero's. "The Silverbloods are coming to help us and apparently the third strongest S-rank is here."

  Sero blinked. "Pardon?"

  "Gale," Amaya said, nodding her head towards the door. "He's the third strongest S-rank Ascendant and a Master Swordsman. He's the one who showed up and helped Gregor finish off Crom Cruach."

  Sero blinked. Master Swordsman? Why did that sound familiar to him?

  In the back of his mind, he felt Aphiel’s presence immediately vanish as he quickly remembered their first conversation. Slight irritation bubbled up within him.

  "Hey. Aphiel. You there?" Sero thought to himself, reaching out to the goddess's presence. There was no answer.

  "Well, that's just great," he murmured aloud, rolling his eyes. He had so many questions and she chose now to hide.

  "What is?" Nala asked.

  "N-nothing. Just reaching out to my Sponsor," Sero sighed, still feeling slightly annoyed at Aphiel's disappearance. "So, this Gale guy... he's really something, huh?"

  "I don't know about something, but I do make some really good sushi," the man in question, Gale, said as he somehow appeared in the room. His eyes fell on Sero, and he offered a casual wave. "Hey, you're the one who got a taste of Crom Cruach, right?"

  Everyone had varied reactions to the sudden appearance of the S-rank. Luna screamed, Nala cursed under her breath, Amaya leapt to her feet, and Sero instinctively summoned Moss and Lime. Gale himself jumped at their surprise, holding up his hands in a placating gesture with an apologetic look.

  "Uh... y-yeah, I am," Sero relaxed slightly, his grip on Moss and Lime loosening. The dragons bounded up to Gale, sniffing him curiously. "It's nice to finally meet you," he said with a forced smile, though his mind was racing with questions.

  Upon seeing the dragons warming up to Gale, everybody else eased up, trusting the creatures' instincts. Sero took a moment to appreciate the odd scene: a legendary swordsman with the aura of a chef, playing nice with a couple of dragons in a medical bay.

  "Ditto. I've gotta say, I had to use a bit more strength than I normally would to finish off that banished god. Seems to me like you're pretty strong, right?" Gale said, stroking Moss's snout with a grin. "Heard that you climbed your way from F-rank to S-rank in a matter of weeks."

  Sero couldn't help but feel a swell of pride at the praise. "It's been quite a journey," he admitted, scratching behind Lime's ear as the smaller dragon leaned into his touch.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Gale nodded, taking a quick second to glance at everyone else. "You've got quite a group with you. The daughter of Gregor, and a succubus?"

  Luna stiffened as Nala subtly shifted closer to the succubus protectively. Amaya remained standing, wary but not hostile.

  "Huh? Relax, guys, I'm not here to start anything," Gale said, raising his hands in a peaceful gesture. "I've heard enough from the Janitors to know you're all pretty decent folks."

  "Well... what are you doing here, then? In the medical site?" Sero questioned, still feeling the tension in the air as he eyed Gale.

  The Master Swordsman shrugged. "Got nothing better to do. Everyone I wanted to talk to is busy with relief efforts, and I was curious to meet the man who survived against a literal god by himself."

  Madison snorted as she walked in. "It wasn't exactly by himself. He had me there to keep him alive."

  Gale chuckled, turning to her. "Ah, yes, the infamous Deathwalker. We didn't get to properly talk earlier."

  Sero swore he could see a faint blush appear on her cheeks as Madison rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I've heard enough of that."

  "Oh, sorry, I completely forgot one of the reasons why I wanted to see you, Sero," Gale said, his smile never wavering. He pulled out a knife, pointing it directly at him.

  Everyone in the room bristled, tensing as they prepared themselves for whatever Gale was about to do. Sero reflexively activated his passive spells, but quickly dispersed them when he noticed Moss and Lime not responding to Gale's action.

  "I heard you like to eat. Do you like sushi?" Gale continued, the blade flipping in his hand, not an ounce of malice in his demeanor. "I've got a fresh catch from the fifth zone."

  And that was how Sero ended up eating fresh sushi Gale prepared outside, under the starlit sky of the apocalypse-stricken city. The dragons hovered around, eagerly waiting for their share, while the others relaxed- or tried to- in the atmosphere. The simplicity of the moment was weird juxtaposition with the chaos of their reality.

  Though everyone was still on guard, most of the recovery work was done, and wordlessly agreed to a small break. The dragons were particularly excited as Gale pulled out a small wooden board from his pocket, laying out a variety of colorful, freshly caught fish. Sero couldn't help but watch with amazement as the chef began to prepare the sushi, his movements swift and precise.

  "How is he... so relaxed right now?" Sero thought, his gaze flicking to the unassuming blonde chef.

  He felt a presence sit next to him, and turned to see Enzo, pulling out a chair and wincing slightly. Madison had done a good job patching him up, but he was still in visible discomfort.

  "Teach- I mean, Enzo," Sero corrected himself awkwardly, "What the hell is happening? Did we just get saved by a chef?"

  "He's a Master Swordsman, you know," Enzo bared his teeth in a grimace that was half-grin, half-wince. "Despite being a Pure advancement of the Warrior class, he's the only Master Swordsman to make it in the top ten S-ranks, and third place at that."

  Sero's eyes grew wide, looking back at Gale. "Seriously?"

  "Think of it this way. Only person I've ever lost to was the old man, and even he couldn't beat Gale," Enzo huffed, his eyes not leaving Gale as he sliced through the air with a knife that seemed to be an extension of his hand. "There's a reason he's nicknamed the Steel Reaper."

  Sero waited for Enzo to elaborate, but the Demonic Judge simply grabbed one of the bottles on the table and cracked it open, pouring out a shot. "Cheers to the chef," he said, downing the liquid.

  In the back of his mind, Sero wondered how he ranked among the S-ranks with his current strength. He had faced a Catastrophe and a banished god, but was unable to defeat them. Enzo, on the other hand, had helped in taking down Apep and the fragment of Crom Cruach. He couldn't help but compare himself to his mentor, if he would ever be on the same level as the Demonic Judge.

  As if reading his thoughts, Enzo scowled at him. "Don't you start that."

  "Start... what?" Sero replied, his eyes flickering with confusion.

  "That look. I've seen it one too many times, especially when I first started training you. You're doubting your strength, aren't you?" Enzo leaned over, his gaze sharp despite his weary state.

  Sero blinked, caught off guard. "No, I just... I don't know. I'm just... surprised, I guess. I thought I came a long way since the tournament, but I just feel so... lacking."

  Enzo smacked Sero behind the head, not too hard but enough to make him wince. "Stupid, you're looking at it the wrong way. Have you ever once gone up against someone around your level?"

  Sero thought back to his fights with the monsters and even the Ascendants he had encountered. They were all overpowered compared to him, or so it seemed. "Well, no. But-"

  "There's your answer. You're constantly facing opponents far above what you should realistically handle. It's only a given that you're guaranteed to never win. Although the wins you have taken were a surprise," Enzo said, his eyes holding a hint of pride.

  "Only because I was taught by a really good teacher," Sero mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. The pain was a familiar reminder of the beatings he used to get from Enzo during training.

  Enzo tilted the bottle at Sero without a word. Sero reached for a shot glass and slid it over, allowing the dark liquid to fill it. With a grimace, he downed it, the harsh whiskey burning his throat.

  The two sat in silence, watching the others clean up the remnants of their celebration. The stars twinkled above them, a stark contrast to the chaos they had faced and would likely face again. Moss and Lime patiently waited beside Gale, responding to his commands like dogs yearning for scraps. Sero spotted Sting helping among the group and wondered how she managed to summon herself without Sero's command, but he let it slide for the moment. At least none of his summons were exacerbating his frayed mana reserves.

  "You know, I never got the chance to thank you," Sero finally spoke, his eyes on the dragons. Nearby, the other Janitors members and guildmasters were finishing up directing the authorities. "If it weren’t for your help, I don’t know if I would’ve made it."

  "God, don't start that sappy shit either," Enzo said gruffly. "Wasn't my choice to train you in the beginning either, remember? The old man forced me to. But you turned out alright." He took another shot, baring his teeth. "Anyway, you still obsessed with copying skills?"

  "It's not obsession, it's necessity," Sero said, a touch defensively. "Without it, I wouldn't be able to keep up with you guys. Plus, it's pretty handy in a pinch."

  Enzo let out a low, barking laughter. "I don't care what your justification is, but you're about to get a shitload of opportunities to copy new skills."

  Sero couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement. "And why is that?"

  An incredibly rare spark of glee and mischief entered Enzo's eyes. "You know the group that's arriving here soon? The Silverbloods? They were Max's old group, and he's got some bad blood with them. I'm extremely sure he's going to get into a fight with at least of one them."

  Sero's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

  "How childish, Enzo. Maximillian is your colleague, so I wish you two would get along better," Gregor sighed as he sat opposite the two. "However, I cannot deny that. Maximillian isn't particularly fond of his former group after the falling out they had toward the beginning of the apocalypse."

  "Huh?" Sero blinked as Enzo poured Gregor a shot. "How long ago was this? And how long have the Janitors been working together?"

  Gregor took the shot with a nod of thanks, his expression turning solemn. "Maximillian's departure from the Silverbloods was before the creation of the Janitors. But the rift between him and the Silverbloods is well-known amongst the Janitors and I. They didn't take his decision to leave lightly."

  "Yeah, they're a bunch of pricks," Enzo added, downing his drink. "They're all about power and prestige."

  Gregor frowned. "Yes, well, they're a mercenary group like us Janitors, so they're not obligated to hold any loyalties beyond their contracts. But Maximillian left them for a reason. He didn't agree with their methods or their goals."

  Sero opened his mouth, then closed it. He wanted to ask what kind of things the Silverbloods did that the Janitors didn't already do. Aside from literal crimes, it was hard to picture another group of super-powered individuals being worse than the Janitors, who had basically become a government-sanctioned gang of vigilantes.

  Off to the side, Nala and Luna were heading toward their table, chatting between themselves. Upon seeing her father, Nala immediately spun on her heel and headed in the opposite direction, dragging the confused succubus along.

  "Huh? Ah, Nala, sweetie, where are you going? I haven't seen you at all during the incident!" Gregor called out, waving his hand to get his daughter's attention. Nala let go of Luna's hand and broke out in a full sprint.

  "Wait- excuse me gentlemen, I'll be off," Gregor said, setting his drink down as he began to follow his retreating daughter. Sero chuckled to himself, watching the Conqueror's flustered expression. He couldn't blame the man, he had his own share of family drama.

  "Scratch that. The only people I've seen the old man lose to were Gale and his daughter," Enzo said with a smirk.

  Another person plopped down on the other side of Sero, resting their head on his shoulders.

  "Ugh... I'm so tired," Amaya mumbled, her eyes drooping slightly. She had been diligently helping the alliance with rescues and recovery but the exhaustion from their battles had caught up to her. Her head rested heavily on Sero's shoulder, her mana aura flickering slightly as she fought to stay awake.

  Sero shifted, embracing her lightly. "It's alright, you've done enough today. Rest."

  Enzo silently nodded at him, getting up without bothering to hide the cringe on his face. "I'll leave you lovebirds to it, I need to get myself patched up," he said, hobbling away to find Madison.

  Sero couldn't help but blush slightly as Amaya's grip on him tightened. "Thanks," she murmured, her voice muffled against his shirt. "You've been through a lot today too, you know."

  "Yeah, but at this point, you should know I'll always find a way to get through it," Sero replied with a small smile, feeling Amaya's warmth seep into him. He gently stroked her hair, the softness a stark contrast to the chaos that had unfolded.

  "Whew, sorry for the wait, Sero, here's your- guys I literally just fed you a whole fish each," Gale expertly slipped around Moss and Lime as he set a plate down in front of Sero and Amaya. The dragons looked at him with hopeful eyes, their tails thumping against the ground.

  "I think my dragons like you," Sero said with a chuckle, watching Moss and Lime stare at Gale with hope.

  The Master Swordsman scratched the back of his head, looking slightly at loss. "Well, I don't have any more fish to prepare. Unless..."

  He walked off, the two dragons trailing after him like eager puppies. Sero couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy at their easily swayed loyalty. As he turned to Amaya, the warmth of her smile filled him with comfort.

  "What?" Amaya's smile grew wider at the sight of Sero's jealous expression. "Don’t tell me you're jealous of a couple of dragons."

  "I mean, I literally summoned and raised them myself, so yeah, maybe a little," Sero admitted with a half-smile, watching Gale and the dragons. "It's a bit painful that their affection can change just because someone gave them food."

  "Mmm, then don't worry about it anymore," Amaya let out a small yawn, snuggling deeper into Sero's arms. "After all this mess is over, I'll give you all the affection you want."

  Her words were like a warm blanket on a cold night, instantly soothing Sero's bruised ego. He tightened his embrace as the Spellblade fell asleep in his arms. He looked around the makeshift camp, seeing the others tending to their wounds and preparing for the night ahead. Madison was arguing with Maximillian, who looked more annoyed than usual. Dune was talking with a group of people, probably trying to scam them. Enzo and Cassandra were moving debris as Gwyndolyn coordinated with Dante to move more civilians to safety.

  In the aftermath of the banished god, Sero couldn't help but feel a slight peace wash over him. He looked down at Amaya, her breathing even and calm in his arms. The chaos of the world didn't seem to affect her when she was with him. He knew it was only a brief reprieve, but he cherished every second of it. And he wasn't going to let this get taken from him as well.