"...I’m not even surprised anymore by the things you can do."
Neo shrugged.
It was Obitus’ [Formless Infinity] at work.
Distances ant little to him now.
As long as it wasn’t absurd, he could ignore the concept of space itself.
One step was all it had taken to cross what should have been days of journey.
Ahead of them, a battle was already underway.
Nyx fought against a towering monster, its body bristling with spines and a distorted face stretched across its chest.
’It’s Stage 3.’
The creature feinted left, then shifted its weight, claws raised to strike.
For a mont, it looked like it would land the blow.
Then its movents froze.
It had turned its head and noticed the two figures who had just appeared, watching it.
The monster felt it would be obliterated by them if it tried to harm the woman in front of it.
Nyx saw them too.
Her body tensed instantly.
Her first thought being that the monster had reinforcents.
But before she could react, the beast crumpled.
It’s bones shattered, flesh ruptured, and in an instant the monster was nothing but a broken heap on the ground.
All because Neo willed it.
Nyx stared, wide-eyed, shifting her stance back into guard.
Then her gaze changed.
She recognized Jack.
"...Jack?"
He raised a hand, smiling awkwardly. "Hey."
The words felt inadequate, and he knew they sounded clumsy the second they left his mouth.
Neo decided to step in before things got more uncomfortable.
He put on an exaggerated expression of disappointnt.
"Only Jack? What about ? Did you forget already?"
Nyx’s frown deepened. Her tone was suspicious. "You... who are you? You feel like a Grim Reaper, but..."
Who are you?
That was what her expression was saying.
Without another word, Neo reached into his coat and pulled out a small, worn badge. The number etched onto it glead faintly: Seventy Third ranked Grim Reaper.
Nyx’s eyes widened. Recognition hit instantly. She knew who that Grim Reaper was.
"Neo?"
"Yeah," he said simply.
For a few heartbeats, she just stared.
His appearance had changed so much she barely recognized him.
She looked back at Jack.
No one spoke for monts.
Jack shifted uncomfortably, trying to find sothing to say, but before he could open his mouth, Nyx moved.
She closed the distance in a few steps and wrapped both of them into a tight embrace.
Jack stiffened at the sudden contact, caught off guard.
Neo patted her back gently with a calm expression.
The three of them stood in silence, the air heavy with unspoken things.
After a mont, Nyx released them.
Her gaze drifted to Jack, and it was clear she was processing more than she let on. She knew now what Layla had been doing all this ti.
Neo decided given them so space.
"I’ll give you two so ti alone. There’s sothing I need to handle anyway. I’ll catch up with you later, Emma."
He turned to leave, but before he could step away, Nyx’s hand shot out and grabbed his wrist.
Neo paused, raising an eyebrow. "Hm?"
Her eyes softened, and she held his hand firmly. "Thank you. For everything you’ve done for us."
For once, Neo was taken off guard.
Her words showed she knew what he had done during the Age of Gods.
He smiled faintly. "I only did it for my own future world."
Nyx’s lips curved upward.
That was the Neo she rembered, always brushing off his efforts as though they weren’t sacrifices at all.
He waved casually and vanished, leaving the two of them alone.
The silence that followed was far more uncomfortable than anything before.
Jack scratched the back of his neck, looking anywhere but at her.
Nyx was no different.
However, she suddenly folded her arms, watching him with exasperation.
"Ugh, I can’t stand this awkward air."
Her eyes locked onto him.
"Don’t you have anything to say to ?"
Jack looked down. His throat tightened.
"I’m... sorry. For everything Layla did—"
"That’s not it." Her voice cut him off sharply. She leaned forward, making sure he t her gaze. "That’s not what you’re supposed to say."
Confusion flickered across Jack’s face.
He opened his mouth, then closed it again.
He genuinely didn’t know what she ant.
Nyx sighed, shaking her head slightly.
This man really was hopeless when it ca to relationships.
If she left it to him, they’d stand here in silence forever.
So she said it herself.
"I missed you."
Jack’s eyes widened.
The words hit harder than he expected.
For a long ti he had lived with doubts, wondering if she had forgotten him, or worse, if her feelings had faded.
He had carried that weight quietly, afraid of what he might find if they t again.
But hearing her now, the tension he had been holding onto finally slipped away.
His shoulders relaxed, and a smile spread across his face, genuine this ti.
"I missed you too."
The awkwardness between them lted into sothing warr.
...
Neo’s POV
Neo returned in the Forest of All Beginnings.
He walked at an unhurried pace, following the winding path that led to a mansion hidden deep within the trees.
The mansion was quiet, yet alive in its own way.
Its tall wooden doors opened by themselves as he approached, as though recognizing who stood before them.
Inside, Paimon stood, waiting for him.
Her body was back to skin and bone.
She wore elegant clothes.
Standing behind her was Barbatos, tall and silent as ever.
Both of them lowered their heads the mont Neo stepped in.
"We greet the Prince."
Neo smiled faintly. "I guess Gremory already told you two about ."
Paimon’s skeletal face shifted into sothing resembling a smile. Her voice was thin but carried strength.
"She did. And it is good to see you again, Second Prince."
She gestured toward the garden.
"Shall we sit for tea?"
Neo nodded.
Although he had drank it once with Gremory already, he did not refuse their gesture.
Together they walked to the pavilion outside.
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