“Kenji, did you really try to kidnap me just now?”

As much as the answer was obvious Gabi wanted to hear straight from Kenji’s words. 

“I-I’m sorry” whispered Kenji as his eyes jumped to a different direction. 

“Why? What is going on? Is it because of the mission message?”

Kenji nodded regretfully.

“What did it say? Please, why do you have to be so secretive?”

Kenji’s eyes wavered and he tried to escape from her but Gabi got hold of his arm.

“I’m not going to be angry towards you, I promise. Please, just tell me. If there is anything I can do, I would like to help”

Kenji looked at her kind and curious eyes and pressed the button on his shoulder to open his menu. After a brief moment he brought out a message box, turned it around to show it to Gabi.

“Mission: Bring a person who ate the spirit gem with you to the ruins of spirituality. The compass in your bag will lead you to the person who ate the spirit gem.  

Prize: Their soul will reside in your body along with the spirit gem. You will get the strength strong enough to defeat many foes”.

“W-what?” she exclaimed.

Serena read the text from afar but chose to remain silent.

“It’s just as what it says. I-I need to get strong, Gabi” said Kenji. 

“F-for what?”

“To save her, Rumiko. Remember the time I talked about my spouse? She has been engulfed by a treacherous beast known as frost fang in the doom arena. That’s what I found out a few days after I left your group. I, I have to defeat it”.

Gabi did not know what to say. He didn’t seem to be lying. But she could not shake the doubt either.

“W-why didn’t you just tell that to bro and the others? We can help you save her. Just wait, please. I don’t want you to become our enemy” cried Gabi. 

“I guess it’s unavoidable” mumbled Serena.

“Huh?”

“The doom arena. It’s a one on one challenge. One player against one boss monster. There is no room for teamwork. The one who defeats the boss monster there not only wins a big reward but also gets to free everyone who had attempted the challenge but failed. But one must hurry, at the end of every wave the monster of the arena changes automatically. And the people who were held captive, they will all die for real if someone doesn’t save them beforehand”.

“T-then, have you tried doing the challenge, Serena?” asked Gabi with enthusiastic eyes.

“I’m strong but I’m not suicidal”.

“It’s that hard, huh?” said Gabi with a distraught.   

“With normal means it’s impossible to defeat it. But with the prize of this mission. It could just work out” muttered Kenji.

He grabbed hold of Gabi’s hand and fell to his knees.

“I’m sorry I didn’t ask you first. But please, I beg of you. I know it sounds absurd. I know you would be giving up your free will. But I don’t know what else I must do. I need the strength to save her”

Seeing the helpless man in front of her with teary eyes and hoarse voice, it made her stomach churn.

“Stop trying to guilt trip her. She isn’t responsible for other’s suffering” hissed Serena.

Gabi looked into his troubled eyes.

“I-I’m sorry. But you’re asking too much”

“And besides, if Diego finds out he just might swear to pull her ghost out of you with whatever means necessary” said Serena sarcastically.

“I don’t care. If it’s after I save Rumiko then I’ll find a way to give you your body back”.

“I-I can’t I’m sorry. You’re asking too much” Gabi said and gave him a kind hug.

That was all she could manage. Afterwards she slowly retreated from him and stood next to Serena.

“If you love that woman that much. Die trying with your own strength. Don’t pull others into your own battles” Serena said coldly.

Kenji now seemed soulless himself. He kneeled on the ground and slowly stretched forward and put his head on the ground with both arm in front of his head. This posture was enough to signify that he was desperate. But neither of them said anything.

“Come on Gabi. Don’t forget the reason we’re here. We can’t just leave Bold and Mikhail” said Serena and walked upwards along the slope.

Gabi nodded and both of them typed on their wristboard. Gabi turned into a panther and Serena summoned her ‘lava land’ beneath her.

“I’m sorry” said Gabi with a cracking voice.