Bell didn't make it in time. The crowd had mostly dispersed, and Clyde was nowhere to be seen.
There was only one person remaining on the field, his hair blowing in the wind and a wicked smile plastered across his face. Bell clenched her fist as she gritted her teeth.
"John!"
The Saint swiftly turned his head toward her.
"Do I know you?"
Only one thing was on Bell's mind right now.
"Where is Clyde!?"
A look of amusement washed over his face. Despite Bell's ill intent, John remained gleeful.
"You knew him? Wait… you were there. It seems the culling will start with you."
Bell knew that she was outclassed, but she was alone. Before John realized what was happening, Lapis appeared behind him, driving a dagger deep into his shoulder.
Already on the move, Bell summoned a hovering sword of light. It emitted a spectacular golden glow as it flew toward John. For a moment, she believed that the two of them together would be enough. The illusion of safety was shattered, as John hastily ripped the dagger from his shoulder and swung it downward.
Bell's weapon was destroyed by the force, shattering into golden flakes. Lapis was still behind John, attempting to strike again.
The scenery shifted, leaving Bell alone. As world crumbled into nothing, only darkness remained. Bell began to tremble when a new scene began to form—a place she had tried so hard to leave behind.
Walls made of rotting wood, a leaky ceiling, and a dirt floor. Bell could only watch as she saw her younger self. A small, broken girl with nothing left to live for. Her feet were chained, deep claw marks surrounding her ankles. She wore nothing but a ruined shirt, revealing her scarred back. Huskless eyes that reflected nothing.
Before Bell realized it, she was slowly taking the place of her younger self. The emotions flood back as if a dam had broken—despair, agony, hatred, and many more. Eventually, all that remained was emptiness.
'Why am I alive…'
As the thought left her mind, only silence remained. With her sanity hanging by a thread, Bell felt a hand touch her shoulder from behind. Lapis issued out a command to her soul.
"I'm sorry."
The world shatter again, and this time, Bell was back in reality. In front of her, she saw Lapis being grabbed by the throat, struggling to break free from John.
Her judgement became clouded, and she radiated a murderous aura. The only thought that consumed her mind was to kill—and to keep killing.
John hadn't realized what had happened before it was too late. Bell's fist hit the side of chest, causing a few ribs to crack. As they were snapping, the other side of John's body exploded outward, beams of divine light flashing in all directions.
Bell watched as John dropped Lapis and was sent flying. She didn't care about the state of her friend, instead she was already following up. It didn't matter that she was running out of essence or that her own well-being would be affected.
Like a wild animal, she ran forward, her arms flying back in the wind. Approaching John's body, she stopped. Raising one arm forward with her palm up, she braced the other hand against it.
A circle of runes formed, glowing around his body. Then, a second ring expanded into the air, followed by another, continuing until there were ten rings.
"Holy retribution."
The clouds parted, and a beam of sacred light crashed down onto the ground. Upon impact, the arena became rubble, except the space behind Bell. In fact, the explosion decimated a significant portion of the city.
Before the smoke cleared, Bell collapsed, completely unconscious. Lapis was in the small safe zone behind her, barely clinging onto life.
Underneath the rubble, John began to stir. As he stood up and assessed his surroundings, his gazed shifted back to Bell.
"You…"
He was not close to death, but the pain was unforgettable. Before he could finish her off, a hand stopped him.
"Lucas…"
Lucas was at the scene wearing his mantle. Instead of looking at John, he was occupied staring at Bell.
"John, how many times must I repeat myself? I know you don't listen anyway, yet I persist. This is over. The damaged inflicted has already made the point clear to the people."
John would have normally let things go, but he was disrespected.
"Let me kill her, that girl had the audacity to fight me. She even managed to hurt me. I will not let it stand."
Once again moving toward Bell, he was stopped by Lucas.
"You fail to grasp the situation. That girl is crucial—more so than you could ever be to my plans. Fate has already been turned on its head by that man, and if she dies here, there will be no undoing it."
The pressure than John was familiar with stopped him in his tracks.
"Do you wish to be reminded?"
If not her, then John wanted revenge on the other.
"What about that one!"
Lucas released his pressure and walked over to Lapis. Lapis was still conscious, crawling his way toward Bell. When Lucas looked at him, a new expression appeared on his face.
"Oh? How interesting. I'm afraid that he needs to live. Before you whine, just know that you will get to kill him later."
Lucas waved his hand around, causing a small door to appear.
"Come, we have a country to save."
As the two left, Lapis was left alone with Bell. Continuing to crawl, every moment was like an eternity. He had no choice but to move forward. If he couldn't make it, the worst was yet to come.
Lapis eventually got far enough to reach her foot. Stretching his arm out, he placed his hand on her, allowing emotions back into her mind.
Letting out a sigh of relief, he closed his eyes, feeling the darkness to take over him. A final question lingered in his mind.
'Where in the hell is Clyde?'