The battle continued, but it was clear to both parties where the trajectory of it was going.
Despite the constant onslaught of both Druvis and Isaac, the amount of Disciples summoned by Forget Me Not kept them busy.
It wasn't a problem, per se, but the chaos that the fight had left in its wake was starting to take a toll on all participants both in and out of the battlegrounds.
Especially due to Isaac's fog which was finally showing its sinister effects. Manus Disciples affected by his fog suddenly found themselves confused and obfuscated. With almost no visibility whatsoever, friendly fire was rampant, causing widespread chaos and further confusion.
This wasn't limited to them too — as some normal humans who have unfortunately been caught in the thick fog that was spread out the charred forest started exhibiting the same symptoms of confusion and paranoia. Well, at least some of them died confused and unaware that Forget Me Not exploded their bodies, at least.
It was as if the fog was perpetuating the madness of it all — those trapped within bound to repeat the incessant cycles of confusion and pointless bloodshed.
Fortunately, Isaac was still able to control the fog around Druvis and Vertin — allowing them to escape its effects. But even then, as time goes on, there's bound to be something to deviate from his expectations.
"Just how much longer... are they gonna take?" Hidden within the fog, Isaac gritted his teeth. "This doesn't make any sense... I've already cleared up a path for them so why is it that they're still late?"
He was referring to the reinforcements consisting of Sonetto, Regulus, Sotheby, and X, as well as some members of the Foundation sent by Madam Z.
At this point of the story, they should still be outside the forest trying to bypass the fog — but Isaac had already cleared a path for them!
"I can sense them... But... They're running around in circles...?" The moment Isaac sensed his connection with the fog did his face froze as the realization had stricken him like a thunderbolt. "Wait... Is it because..."
His fog.
His fog was obfuscating their senses, making them run through a path with no visibility all this time!
"Damn it..." Only then did he realize that it was one of his major flaws that had caused this. "It's... out of control again."
He just wanted to help but all he did were either meaningless actions or had hindered their progress — all because he had once again lost control of something that belonged to him.
Inability to control arcanum wasn't uncommon, but it was certainly rare for a dangerous ability like his to be frequently disassociated from his control, leading to unforeseen accidents.
"Me and my damned fog..." He grimaced upon the elucidation. It seems that this had once again just proved one of his initial convictions about himself.
He can't always be near the main cast — unless he wanted to endanger them with his uncontrolled ability.
An outsider. Yes, that's the word that suited him just fine. He was bound to always be isolated from others due to his innate danger which could lead them to their demise if not properly controlled.
It was just like what had happened back then, on the alps... With... N—
"Jesus, snap out of it!" Shaking his head, Isaac shouted to himself, his brow furrowing as he gritted his teeth. "Just... retract the fog... Take control and retract the fog from them."
Hidden in the fog, Isaac focused his attention on regaining control. It didn't take much effort nor time to do it since one of the major cause of his fog losing control was him paying it no attention or letting it escape his peripheral vision. Once he connected his senses to his fog, though, he can reconnect with the ones that have drifted off without much difficulty.
Connected to the fog surrounding the reinforcements, Isaac sent out his will, and soon, the fog around them started thinning — dispersing in all directions.
Sensing this, Isaac felt relieved. "That should be enough. And now..."
He then turned to the current situation they were in.
The Disciples sent by Forget Me Not had minimized and he had stopped summoning more.
Druvis kept her eyes on Forget Me Not while finishing off the few Disciples still attacking her. As for Vertin, she had also brilliantly taken care of the ones aiming for her and had reached Druvis' side just recently.
Seeing this, Isaac decided to also finish off the remaining Disciples before deciding to join them. Acting upon this will, multiple snaps suddenly reverberated inside the thick grayish-white fog before silence befell it — as if they had all fallen all at the same time.
Soon, a figure calmly walked out, the wisp of the mist still drifting off his clothes as he nudged his monocle, before walking over to the two ladies' side.
Seeing him approach, Vertin nodded before turning to Forget Me Not, her face solemnly engaged.
"Give it up, Forget Me Not. You're not gonna win this." She declared.
At her words, he promptly replied, a light chuckle escaping his mouth. He then spread out his arms, highlighting the Disciples behind him. "There are so many of us. How many more rounds can you take?"
Accompanying this declaration was the distant rumbling of the approaching "Storm."
"Your good luck won't last long." Vertin looked at them for a moment before shaking her head, seemingly convinced that they can't do much now. "There's only one ending to your story now."
In a way, it was the truth. With the combined efforts of both Isaac and Druvis, the attacks sent by Forget Me Not seemed meaningless. Even so, Forget Me Not remained confident in his victory.
And he has the right to do so since there was someone backing him. Someone both Druvis and Vertin — even Isaac — knows that gives him that unbridled confidence.
It was because the leader of the Manus Vindictae was still watching, somewhere somehow.
"Ha ha, I don't care about the words of a dying man." He laughed, a mocking tone still present in his words. He then turned to Druvis, his venomous words enticing her. "Ms. Druvis, look here. I've found the truth for you!"
"The culprit to blame — the arsonist — is right here in the shelter." He presented her with the revenge she had been looking for. "As long as you promise to stay with us."
The culprit to the arson that had claimed the lives of Druvis' parents, and the one that had set fire to her beloved forest which they were standing on right now.
"He's getting desperate..." Isaac muttered, clearly sensing the urgency in Forget Me Not's tone, wanting to keep another ally with him at this critical moment — as well as seemingly wanting to prove a point. He then turned to her and whispered gently. "Don't listen to him, Ms. Druvis."
Hearing Isaac's words, Druvis shut her eyes for a moment before remembering the words Vertin had spoken to her earlier. Together, their voices guided her, pointing her towards the light at the end of the tunnel.
Opening her eyes, she then spoke to Forget Me Not in a clear, concise manner. "No... It's not important anymore."
That's right. If turning to someone like Forget Me Not was the price for revenge, then she'd rather give up on the act. There was far more to life than just hatred, after all.
Clearly taken aback by her words, Forget Me Not's mood became erratic. He pressed on, undeterred by her answer. "Not important?! He ruined everything you cherished with just 20 barrels of gasoline!"
He then pulled over a trembling man — clearly afraid — and pushed him to the ground in front of Druvis.
At the sight of him and the motives he had behind the arson stated by Forget Me Not, Druvis showed no fluctuations in her emotions as she listened.
Forget Me Not, meanwhile, carried on — his voice becoming more and more desperate and venomous as he spoke.
"That's him! Look at those hands! The hands that set the fire! The one that burned your family alive, and your forest to ashes!"
"How could you?! How could you forget such a pain like that, Druvis?!" He added, raising his voice.
"..." She didn't immediately reply. Then, after a brief pause, she let out a soft sigh. "Thank you, Mr. Forget Me Not. For your help in the flames in the past. For the compassion for someone you've never met."
With that, she continued thanking him for more things, as well as admitting how much she had changed ever since being acquainted with the Manus.
In the end, she imparted him with a few last words. "My woods will not perish. They will live with scars, and new shoots in spring. They will look haggard, but at the same time, they will look upright."
"They will continue to grow, recording everything about their own history, territory, residents, and an anecdote of a reckless firefighter in the 1920s that had once burned them."
"They will continue growing upwards until they reach the millennium." She paused, taking a deep breath, before adding lastly.
"Please allow me to bid you farewell, Mr. Forget Me Not."
'That settles it...' Hearing her response, a faint smile managed to appear on Isaac's face. 'Good job, Ms. Vertin, for showing her a new hope.'
Glancing at his summoner, he saw that even though she appeared expressionless, her eyes were gleaming with support.
'As expected of the protagonist.' He smirked a bit. Indeed, this was what he wanted to witness — to see the impacts Vertin would set upon the world. 'She won't stop here... She'll only continue to inspire others, gathering and sharing her hopes with them.'
'Like a star in a starless night, guiding the lost like a beacon.'
He just felt that it was just a shame he won't be able to see all of them.
Because by that time... Isaac would already be dead.