Panting, Battler rose from the bloodied mass that was one Jessica’s face. Looking at it, you might not even believe it had ever been a face to begin with. No nose. No eyes. No teeth. She’d even stopped convulsing. Not a trace of life left in her.

“…I’m sorry.” Battler said to Kanon. “About earlier.”

Kanon snapped out of his daze. He wiped the tears from his eyes. Battler’s words just barely registered. “What?”

Battler dropped the brass knuckle onto the ground. There was not a trace of joy on his face left. “Back then. In the lounge. I said something like: ‘There’s not gonna be a prince on a white horse coming to save us. This is the real world.’ That must’ve hurt you. And I’m sorry. I’d said it before I even realized what I was saying. Sometimes I’m like that.”

Kanon said nothing.

“When all of this is done…” Battler slid a hand in his pocket. “…Don’t let me kill you. Got it? Fight, kick, scream, but don’t go down like these people.”

“Tell me something.” Kanon mustered the strength to finally speak. “How can you do that? Nevermind that they’re your flesh and bone. How can you do… this… to anyone?”

“Ha ha. Isn’t it obvious? Haven’t I told you a thousand times? I’m a monster, Sayo. If you refuse to believe that at this stage of the game, you’re just in denial. And, if it makes doing this any easier, I won’t complain. But there isn’t gonna be some sudden reason that makes it better. Nobody hit me. Nobody tortured me. Nobody brainwashed me. I’m just a greedy asshole. …No. Maybe it’s worse than that. Maybe there’s nothing within me to begin with. Maybe I’m the one in denial; giving myself an excuse to take it as far as I am. I am hollow. And I want everything to be as hollow as I am. Ha ha. Isn’t that funny?”

Kanon said nothing.

“Tell me something, though. I am genuinely curious.” Battler closed his eyes. “I did another thing back there without really thinking. I egged you on to stop me. And after I said it, I was sure you’d do it. I regretted doing it immediately. I figured that’d be my one mistake that ruins me, at the very end. But it didn’t. YOU didn’t. Why?”

Kanon looked at the lump of flesh at his feet. “Maybe I’m hollow, too?”

“Nah.” Battler said. “You’re the exact opposite. There’s too much within you. You love. You love more than you could ever want to. I can’t. Not a single person.”

“Not… even me?”

Battler touched the servant’s cheek. “…The fact that you would even ask me such a question means must’ve I obliterated all that was left of Kanon back there. Ha ha.”

Beatrice closed her eyes. “Answer the question.”

“It’ll break your heart.”

“You’ve broken it far too many times tonight for it to matter at this point.”

He pulled her close to him. “Tell me something. If you could turn back time, would you do it? Would you undo everything I’ve done here?”

“I can’t. I’m not a real witch.”

“Answer the question.”

“Yes. Yes. A million times – yes.”

“But you can’t. So, what will you do?”

She smiled, stroking his hair. “I won’t let you kill me. I’ll fight, kick, scream – but I won’t go down like these people.”

She placed her head on his chest, and his cupped the back of it. She knew he could kill her. He knew it even better. He imagined it happening a million different ways. Each time where she least expected it. And he knew it’d hurt her. That it’d destroy the very essence of her being. In her heart of hearts, she truly believed he loved her. She truly believed that, no matter what, he would not turn his evil hand on her.

…Maybe she was not wrong. On some of those points.

“I was thinking,” he whispered in her ear, “we could do George next. You still have the ring he gave you?”

She nodded.

“Great. Have Shannon wear it. Then call him up to the room across. Let’s gives him the surprise of his life.” He touched the tip of her nose. “Don’t worry. I won’t kill him right away. Let’s say – seven minutes of heaven?”