Dylan came to his senses and realized the water spraying in his face wasn't from some helpful servant, but from the river as the small speedboat practically flew over the placid water. Looking back toward the motor, he blinked at Reed, the replacement Astralitar. The man lounged against the seat, shirtless and shoeless, in sunglasses, a bottle dangling from his other hand.

"Welcome back," Reed said with a grin. "I wouldn't suggest attacking me again. I can easily kick you out of the boat."

His easy cool-guy demeanor irritated Dylan further. He scowled at Reed and sat up, carefully moving closer so he didn't have to yell over the roar of the engine and wind. They were practically flying at speeds the natives of Oria had never seen, leaving a massive wake to rock the fishing and shipping boats heading toward Atalazia city.

"What do you think you're doing?" Dylan asked. "You left Meg'ante and Snow behind."

"I am doin what I want," Reed said cheerfully.

"You're the Astralitar! What you want isn't going to save this world!"

Reed took a swig of his drink. "Beg to differ, kid."

Flushing in anger, Dylan clenched his fists. "Do not call me that."

"I'm old enough to be your daddy," Reed retorted, "So, kid, I'll do what I want."

"You're going to get the world destroyed!" Dylan shouted, partially standing, but quickly sat back down when the boat bounced slightly.

Abruptly, the boat slowed down. Gripping the seat under him, Dylan looked back to see that they'd reached the river entrance to the city. Reed was now angling to move between the larger boats. "What—are you doing?" Dylan turned back around. "You have to stop and show your papers!" He realized with shock that neither of them had documentation. Their only proof of who they were was emblazoned on their chests. Reed's was on full display, at least, but they were going by too fast for anyone to get a good look.

Not that anyone would be able to catch up with the little speedboat.

Reed sighed, downing another swig from his bottle. "You're way too uptight, kid."

"You've only been here a few days," Dylan said, turning back to school Reed. "Old man. There are rules here for a reason."

Reed was unaffected by the attempt to insult him. He finished off his bottle and tossed it to the floor of his boat, then patted around his pocket. "Where'd I put it..."

"Put what?" Dylan asked in confusion at the non-sequitur.

"I'm looking for a fuck to give you... Oh, here's one! Sorry. It's a fuck you." He pulled his hand out with his middle finger raised, grin wide. "You've died twice now, Kid. Live a little? Screw the rules, do what you want."

"But the world!"

"Is fine for a while longer. Besides, it ain't your problem anymore," Reed assured, weaving between the boats despite people waving and screaming after them on the shore. The buildings of the city rose up around them.

"You don't know that!"

"Sure I do." Reed lowered his sunglasses slightly, and Dylan realized that they were another core. This guy had at least two.

"How?" Dylan demanded, remembering that he had a core, too. He rubbed the bracelet on his wrist.

The boat had slowed further, and Reed angled it toward the shore. Coming to a stop at a set of stairs, Reed reached down under the seat and pulled out his boots and shirt. He grabbed the bottle rolling in the floor and a pack from under Dylan's seat, grinned at him again, and stepped off his speedboat. "You comin' or what?"

Dylan snapped his mouth closed and scrambled out before Reed reverted the one core. Striding into the street, Reed acted like the stares he was getting didn't bother him at all. He looked like an anime biker, and Dylan hated him more for being so damn cool. Having not been around so many people in years, Dylan followed, arms crossed as he scowled at the man. "Are you going to answer my question?"

"What?" Reed asked, looking back at him.

"How do you know that you're not endangering the world right now?"

"Because, Kar'un likes me." Reed looked back at Dylan with a sympathetic smile. "By the way, it wasn't personal. She's got her mom nagging in her head to kill Astralitars."

"So you did... what to her exactly?" Dylan asked, moving to walk beside him.

"Nearly drowned her, tried to do CPR, and ended up casting a love spell on her by accident." Reed shrugged. "Now she's obsessed. Kinda creepy, but I'll take that over the alternative. Gives us time to figure out how to kill the original Demon Lord. End the cycle permanently."

Dylan blinked hard and stumbled. "What?!"

Reed stuck his pinky in his ear. "Don't gotta show off that you're a soprano, kid."

Bella flew off Reed's other ear to hover in front of him. "Really?" she gasped.

"Yeah. She showed me the original Demon Lord. Nasty looking tree. I ain't ready to take that on yet, but Alu'rak gave me his armor as Sacrifice in hopes that I'd deal with it."

"So that's what I felt!" Bella gasped, hands covering her mouth. "That was... awful."

Reed shrugged. He glanced over at Dylan. "So, kid. You wanna help, or you wanna be annoying and make me kick your ass?"

"If you choose a Di'alletta," Dylan said, though his heart ached at the idea of Reed getting to marry one of the princesses.

"Ab-so-fucking-lutely-not," Reed said firmly, his casual grin sliding off his face into disgust. "Do you even understand what that involves?"

"Marriage," Dylan said. "That's not—"

"Bella," Reed looked at her over his sunglasses. "How about a full explanation?"

The pixie picked her fingers, looking nervous. "Uhm."

The three of them had stopped in the middle of the street, drawing attention with the conversation topic. Most people kept moving past, since they didn't want to get involved in Astralitar business, but some had stopped to listen.

"How about starting with the whole combining souls thing?" Reed suggested.

"Oh..." Bella deflated. "They... told you about that."

"Glad someone did, though I wasn't gonna do it on principle," Reed said.

Dylan looked from Bella to Reed and back. "But it's just marriage—"

"The Di'alletta is a core that is connected to the Astralitar," Reed said. "So no one on this world can use it unless they use it through the Astralitar. Meaning you are gone the moment that 'marriage' ceremony is done." Reed used finger quotes with a snide sneer. "Right, Bella?"

"Well—not gone completely. But if the two people aren't compatible or one's personality is weaker..." Bella admitted, wringing her hands and looking at anything but him.

"Then your wife is just a bitch with two bodies," Reed finished for her. "Y'all can miss me with that shit." He started walking again.

Horrified, Dylan watched him get a few steps ahead before hurrying to grab Reed's arm and pull, moving to get in front of him. "You're lying. You were sent by Loki to destroy everything." He clung to his anger, prodding Reed in the chest.

A sharp zap snapped his finger as he touched the Affinity Mark by accident through the loose collar of his shirt.

Dylan shoved his shoulders this time, using both hands.

Reed backed up a step, but his expression didn't change. He did not look impressed.

Angry that he wasn't getting any kind of reaction, Dylan pushed him again.

The bag dropped to the ground. Reed grabbed his wrist.

Dylan briefly saw the sky before his back hit the cobblestones and the back of his head cracked on the ground. Reed leaned into his view and removed his sunglasses to look at Dylan with a frank expression. "There ain't no way to break this to you gently, so I'mma just say it. You were a means to an end, and so was I. The gods got pissed about their attitude and grabbed me from the dumpster."

"That's not true!" Dylan objected, gripping the back of his head, tears of pain stinging his eyes.

"You really think those princesses liked you? Bro. They didn't even wait a month before summoning me. They kept you locked up to keep you stupid and easily controlled." He poked Dylan's chest with the earpiece of his sunglasses. "You're out now, though. So I'm gonna ask one last time. You gonna grow a pair and help kill the original Demon Lord, or keep simping for those cunts who abused you?"

Reed waited for an answer that Dylan couldn't even think to give. The man put his sunglasses back on and stepped around to continue walking.

"Where are you even going?" Dylan asked as he rolled to his hands and knees.

"To get lunch."

Irritated, but knowing he would be lost in the city if he didn't stick with Bella and Reed, Dylan scrambled to catch up.

**

Saffron's Tar'chulla landed at her final destination while the morning fog still clung to the river. Since Meg'ante and Snow had decided to head north without any plan, she had decided to do something on her own. Meg'ante's fists had been no match for Reed's fighting skills. Snow would be useless, especially if the Spirits were ignoring her. Amel'issa at least had the sense to understand that Saffron was the one to ally with in this situation. However, Amel'issa was still rather useless when it came to a fight. And a fight was exactly what Saffron was expecting. Reed needed to be subdued by force, and Saffron wasn't going to get him away from the Demon Lord without wading through all their army.

It was going to be a massacre without the Di'alletta, but that was just the situation they were in.

"He's closer," the Feliz said, tail twitching on the seat beside her. Her announcement broke Saffron's thoughts. She focused on her sense of Reed and the other three women he'd bespelled. The Demon Lord had arrived just north of Atalazia and then left Reed by himself?

The Tar'chulla finished climbing down from the landing web and approached the offloading zone.

"She let him go?" Amel'issa asked in astonishment. "Meg'ante and Snow are closer to him now."

Saffron scowled. "They won't catch him. Meg'ante couldn't do it before, she can't do it now." Climbing out of the Tar'chulla, she lengthened her stride, heading into the Arunte palace.

The problem was that Saffron wasn't sure that she could catch him either. She knew she couldn't with her current powers. But... maybe with the Odinsphere, she could?

Once inside, she addressed the head maid. "Show the princess to a guest room." She turned to look at Amel'issa. "I will come get you when I'm finished."

The Feliz's tail lashed in irritation. "I'm not your hired help, Saffron," she said coldly.

"Then why did you follow me?"

"To keep an eye on you. Because I know you're about to do something stupid."

Straightening stiffly, Saffron stared down her nose at the shorter Feliz. "How dare you."

Amel'issa lifted her chin, her pupils widening and shrinking in a hunting gaze. "Dare I? Call you out? You're desperate, and desperate people do dumb things, Saffron. You need to calm down and think logically. Otherwise, the Odinsphere is going to eat you."

Saffron sniffed in shock.

"Why else would you come here?" Amel'issa pointed out. "Calm down before you try to tame it. I sent for some tools that might help."

"Are you giving up on catching him then?" Saffron asked.

"Hardly," Amel'issa dismissed with a flick of her tail, her hunting gaze turning to amusement. "Together, we might catch him, but he still has to willingly choose one of us."