“So, you think I've changed, have you?” Thorn laughed bitterly. “And just who do you think was responsible for that change, Blaze?!”

Thorn screamed with anger, and Blaze averted her eyes from him.

“Look at me, you coward!”

“I…” Blaze's voice sounded like it was cracking. “I'm sorry…” 

“You're sorry? Liar! If you were truly sorry, you wouldn't be averting your eyes from me now, would you!?” 

“I—”

“Not to mention, attempting to blast me with fire?! And you expect me to believe you're 'sorry'?!” He shot a large shadow blast at the tree, exploding it in his anger. “Hah! What a joke!”

He's seriously powerful…!

He gave off such a completely different vibe while he was talking to me that I had trouble believing this was the same person. He was a little intimidating when he first appeared, but he really didn't seem like he was as evil as everyone believed. 

…But this was the leader of Crime, after all. I had never seen such a destructive ability that could destroy an entire tree where it stood…

I'm scared…!

I could feel myself tremble the more I watched Thorn's anger expand. I didn't understand what they were talking about, but it was obvious to me now that Blaze and Thorn knew each other. 

I need to ask Thorn about my siblings, but the atmosphere is so tense that I can't find the right timing…

Blaze flinched at the loud sound coming from the blast, but seeing that I was trembling, she spread her arms wide to protect me.

“...What are you doing? Do you feel you need to protect her from me?” Thorn's glare only darkened. 

“You attacked Luna after proclaiming you've been searching for her! You can't blame me for being wary!”

“Don't piss me off!? I'll have you know your teammate was the one who broke the branch so that I would fall on purpose!”

Thorn furiously gestured towards Celine, who had a vengeful glare on her face.

“...Perhaps if the branch were just a bit higher, you wouldn't have lived to tell the tale.” Celine spoke coldly.

“Ah, so you were trying to kill me then! I thought I sensed murderous intent!” 

“On the contrary, Regret isn't like your abominable organization, so as much as I would have liked to put an end to you here, it's against our rules to kill.”

“Riiight. Because your boss is so morally superior.” Thorn laughed sarcastically. “Well, not that you could kill me even if you tried.”

“Then, shall we test that theory?”

“You're welcome to try, but you'll just be wasting your time.”

“No!” Blaze screamed.

Everyone's gazes quickly turned to Blaze in the shock of her sudden outburst. 

“Don't… Don't, Celine!”

“M-My apologies, Boss…” Though Celine apologized, she blinked, clearly taken aback. “I assure you that I had no intention of breaking Regret's rules—”

Blaze clenched her fists as if she were to say that wasn't the reason, but she stopped herself from saying anything back. 

“Oh, relax, Blaze! I wasn't gonna fight back!” Thorn threw his hands up in the air with a fake laugh. “No need to fear if this monster will harm your precious friends or not!”

“You know that's not…!”

“Not what, true? Your face says otherwise.”

Blaze averted her eyes from him again, unable to look him in the eye.

“Why…” She took a deep breath. “Why are you even here, Thorn?”

“Did I not make it obvious enough for you?” Thorn spun his finger in the air before pointing in my direction. “I'm here for her. Luna Ione.”

Blaze, whose gaze was following Thorn's finger, immediately turned her gaze to me. “Whuh…?!” 

“Uh… Huh?” I pointed to myself in disbelief. “W-Wait, me…!?”

Thorn shoved Blaze out of the way and approached me. Then, he grasped my hands and smiled cheerfully.

“That's right!” He leaned closer, and I thought I could see a glint in his eyes. “You'll come with me, won't you?”

“C-Come with you…? W-Wait, you still haven't explained anything! Come with you where—?”

“Crime's hideout, of course!” He casually interlaced his fingers with mine while gazing intently at me. “Well?”

My breath hitched and I found it hard to respond. Moreover, my face felt oddly hot.

W-What's happeninggg?! Why is Crime's leader acting so touchy-feely with me right now!? 

He couldn't have been hitting on me, right?! No way! That sort of thing only happened in fiction! 

But he did kiss me…

No, that was entirely an accident! It had to be!

But he is kind of cool…

He was definitely scary, but I felt like he had a different aura now that he was talking to me. The gap between his scary side and his cool side…

He’s like the kind of guy you’d find in a novel…!

The more I thought about it, the more my heart fluttered. 

I mean, his Crime cloak was already cool, but those leather gloves he had on were really cool! It was a strange feeling against my skin, but it actually felt kind of romantic, to have someone so mysterious touch me like this…

What a pretty color…

The color of his hair reminded me of autumn leaves. And his eyes, while a little unsettling with how void they were, were the color of snow. From up close, he really was handsome…

…No, wait a seconddd!? Now's not the time to admire Crime's leader!? Think about what he's saying, Luna!! Crime's leader, that very leader which I've been searching for for six years, actually knows who I am?! And he came here specifically to recruit me?! Why?!

“W-W-What the hell are you saying, Thorn?!” Blaze sputtered, her jaw wide open. “First, you kissed our new member, and now you’re trying to recruit her from us!?”

“Thaaat—!” Thorn was so caught off guard by Blaze’s question that his voice went a pitch higher, and he released my hands so that he could face her. “That was an accident! I didn't deliberately kiss her!”

“But you liked it, didn't you?!” Ettie pointed at him accusingly.

“I really liked it!” 

He answered almost instantly and Ettie immediately sent him flying backwards into the tree.

“Ow, ow…” Thorn rubbed his head. “Hey! What was that for!?”

“You can't seriously be asking that!?” Ettie questioned. 

“I don't think I said anything wrong?” Thorn stood up from the grass and patted down his cloak. “You asked a question, and I answered it.”

“Nobody asked for you to be that honest, you creep!?”

He tilted his head confusedly. “All I said was that I liked it so much that I didn't really want to pull away? In fact, I’d kiss her again if I had the opportunity—”

“For God’s sake, just stop talking already…” Robin stared at Thorn with disgust. “It’s gross.” 

“And stop thinking while you're at it!!” 

“Please stop breathing as well.” Celine glared at Thorn with intense hatred.

“What did I do?!”

Thorn looked as confused as a kicked puppy while the three of them glared at him with visible disgust. I felt a little bad but I couldn't think straight in my embarrassment. My head was still swirling from his love confession(?).

He liked kissing me?! So much so that he didn't want to pull away?! And that he wants to kiss me again?!

Maybe I honestly liked the kiss a little bit, just a little bit, but I wouldn’t go that far!

Does he have no shame?!

It really didn't seem like it! My face felt like it was burning up.

“And how do you know her name, anyway?!” Ettie questioned. “Very suspicious!”

“Well, I know all of your names, too." He pointed his index finger at each of them one by one. “Ettie Vernon. Robin Fulton. Celine Dunn...” He paused when he got to Blaze. “....And the leader, Blaze Winslow.”

Blaze flinched from his gaze, while the other three stared at him with even more disgust.

“How do you know our names?! Are you some kinda stalker?!” Ettie pointed accusingly at Thorn.

“Stalk—?!” Thorn looked offended by the accusation. “I’m not a stalker!”

“That's exactly what a stalker would say.” Robin crossed his arms with a judging glare.

“I swear I’m not! I’ve just been watching Regret for a veryyy long time, is all—”

“So, you are a stalker.”

“No!? Look, I may have worded that wrong, but it’s not like I’m watching Regret’s every move!” Thorn flailed his arms in protest.

“It makes no difference. Scum is scum.” Celine spoke coldly.

Blaze lifted a hand to signal the other members to let her speak.

“How long have you been watching us?” She asked.

Thorn paused. “...A while. I came here to retrieve Luna Ione, but everyone's ability demonstrations were interesting, so I decided to wait until after they were done.” 

“That's not what I meant— Wait, 'retrieve'? What do you mean by that?” Blaze narrowed her eyes.

“Sorry, but that's classified information!” Thorn answered with an eerily cheerful smile.

“W-What do you mean 'classified'?! What do you want with Luna?!” Blaze looked like she was gradually getting more fed up with him.

“That’s really none of your business, is it?”

“Quit screwing around!” There was a fire in Blaze’s eyes now. “Of course it’s my business when it concerns one of my own teammates! Answer the damn question!”

Thorn hummed. “Well, if you really want to know, I want to recruit her.”

“Yeah, I could tell. And why do you want to recruit her?” Blaze asked with suspicion.

“Does there have to be another reason?”

The way Thorn was smiling was ominous. There was clearly more he wasn't telling us. 

“But anyway, I’ve been looking for Luna Ione for a veryyy long time. Far longer than you've known her, anyway.” 

“...And why have you been looking for Luna specifically?”

“Sorry, but that's also classified!”

“You…! You aren't sorry at all, are you?!” Blaze grabbed him roughly by the collar. 

“No, I’m not!” His lips curled into a sneer. “But neither are you.”

Blaze’s hands were trembling. “What… What do you mean by that…?”

“You’re just having so much fun with your precious friends, aren't you? It’s no surprise you’ve forgotten all about us.”

Blaze’s eyes widened with shock, and she loosened her grip on Thorn.

'Us'...?

Was Thorn referring to Crime? I wasn't sure, but Blaze looked like she was startled.

“I… I haven't…” Blaze’s voice cracked. “I haven't forgotten…”

“You know, I first came across Regret in the city while you were on one of your missions… About five years ago now? There were only three of you at the time, but you sure looked like you were enjoying playing pretend hero. You replaced us so easily!” Thorn laughed sardonically.

Blaze’s breath hitched, her lips quivering. She opened her mouth to speak, but unable to say anything, she shut it as fast as she opened it. She released Thorn and lowered her head. 

“See? You can't say anything! You just wanted to fill the void we left behind!”

“No…”

“That's why you formed Regret in the first place, isn't it!? To replace us!?”

“That's not true…”

“Because we really meant nothing to you in the end, right!?”

Thorn still had a crooked smile on his face, but…

He looks like he's in pain…

“Really, you're just using Regret to fuel your own ego! You just want them to love and revere you!”

“Shut up!!” 

Blaze shot a blast of fire at Thorn and he promptly turned his head to let it hit another tree.

“Ahaha! Did I strike a nerve?” Thorn laughed mockingly. “Well, Blaze?!” 

He shot a blast of shadow at her, and she quickly jumped out of the way to dodge it. It hit the same tree Blaze’s fire did, and the still crackling flame was swallowed up by Thorn’s shadow.

“You’re wrong!!” Blaze screamed, blasting Thorn with her flames. 

“Ngh…!?” Thorn was struck by one of the flames and he flinched a little, but he quickly made a wicked laugh again. “Ahahaha! Am I really wrong?!” Thorn shot out another blast, and Blaze immediately shot back with her flames.

Fire and shadow collided, both trying to overpower the other.