When Kaiden Kline steps through the transport point, he is greeted by Carter Cage, who looks like he hasn’t showered in weeks. Next to him stands Lady Eleanor Ambrose.

“Well, well, well, some random background character turns out to be the real culprit. Who would have thunk, right, my dear Watson?” Eleanor says sarcastically.

“I told you it couldn’t be Mr. Xander!”

“Don’t count him out just yet. I’m sure he’s going to make his villain entrance in five … four … three … two …”

Nothing.

“You were saying?”

“One and a half … one and one quarter … one point zero zero zerooo … Okay, maybe he’s saving the grand reveal for later.”

“Humph! You’re impossible.”

“Em, girls? I think we should focus on the threat at hand first.” Carter laughs dryly.

Kaiden Kline eyes the two with an evil glint in his eyes. “So you’ve actually escaped from the abyss. I’m impressed, Eleanor Ambrose. We didn’t believe anybody could return from the depths without the grace of our benevolent leader … No matter. My duty is to end you here.” Kaiden Kline draws out an ax from thin air. His clothes begin to rip, showing bulging muscles within.

Carter Cage readies his sword. “Eleanor, any plans?”

“I need you to keep him distracted. I’ll figure something out.”

“That’s not much of a plan.” Carter chuckles. “But you can count on me.”

Carter leaps forward and engages in combat with Kaiden Kline.

While Eleanor uses the opportunity to run back into the forest.

“So what’s the play, Ms. Eleanor? You’re not going to leave Mr. Carter back there, are you?”

“Hey, what do you take me for? Do you think I’m that heartless?”

“Yes.”

“Tch! Such little faith for a priestess.”

“I’m still in training.”

“Excuses, excuses. Good little girls shouldn’t make excuses.” Eleanor turns to watch the battle in the distance and grits her teeth. “Okay, I need to think. What do we have on us right now—what can we use?”

Eleanor searches through Donna’s pouch. She finds dry meat, clothes, and other trinkets. At the bottom of the pouch, she finds a religious pendant and a round compact mirror.

“I didn’t know you cared about your looks, freckles. Isn’t that a bit conceited for a priestess, hmm?”

“You’re the last person who should be saying that when you practically paraded your chest around campus. And yes, you may use these items however you please, as long as we can save Mr. Carter.”

“Tch! You’re getting less cute by the hour.”

Eleanor transforms her hand into a plier and carefully molds the metallic objects into a container. She then pours what little mana she and Donna have left into the container before sealing it, creating a makeshift mana bomb.

“Pant! Pant! Don’t pass out on me, okay, freckles? If we drop this, we’re toast.”

“... I’ll try.”

Eleanor sneaks back toward the clearing where Carter should still be engaging with Kaiden Kline. She pictures how the boy must be beaten up and bloodied, and she quickens her steps.

But when the girls arrive at the transport point, they are speechless with what they find …

“Oh, hey girls.” Carter awkwardly scratches his cheek. “I guess we didn’t need a plan after all.”

Carter Cage stands relatively unharmed, while Kaiden Kline lies still at his feet.

The side character who died off-screen last time has died off-screen once again.

“Oh … That’s anticlimactic.”

Eleanor looks down at the unstable bomb in her hand, then she throws it as far away as she can.

It explodes safely in the air like fireworks, signaling the end of their long journey through the Amber Dungeons.

As the screen displays Eleanor and Carter sitting on a grassy field, waiting for help to arrive, the eyes in the courtroom turn to the current-day Knight Carter Cage.

We exchanged strikes, and Kaiden Kline lost, and that was all there was to it.

Knight Carter laughs dryly and awkwardly scratches his cheek.

Knight Carter, we understand that you’re a gifted swordsman who would later be hailed as one of the six Sword Saints of the world, but … how …? How did a—if you don’t mind me saying—a boy from the slums become so powerful in less than a year?

Remember when Eleanor channeled her power through me and allowed me to defeat the shadow man?

When you unleash a powerful strike that bursts through the sewer and up to the streets, yes.

From time to time, I could feel the same surge of power bursting from within me. Especially in moments of crisis. It would take several more years before I learned to channel it properly.

Oh … Oh! So that’s how Saint Eleanor’s knights became so strong so quickly. Even the young Julius June.

The Devil is not a saint! She is a false prophet! The enemy of our Lord!

I mean, God clearly had plans for her, otherwise he wouldn’t have let her go. He even called her his angel.

True, true.

Who are you to pretend to know the inner workings of our Lord? Heretics! Blasphemers, the lot of you!

Man, the word heretic doesn’t sound as cute coming from a grown-ass man. Anywho, young Carter and Eleanor/Donna catch up about their adventures in the dungeon.

Donna is surprised to learn it’s been six months since they fell into the abyss.

“Huh, guess that makes me twelve. Time sure flies when you’re miserable,” Eleanor says.

“Wait, you’re twelve years old?” Donna says. “That means … you were only eleven beforehand?”

“That’s how numbers work, yes.”

“You’re only a child! How did your parents allow you to dress the way you did?! Oh Lord, oh mighty, what is our world coming to? What was I doing wasting time, fighting with you when I should have been correcting your behavior?”

“You—correcting my behavior? Ha! Don’t make me laugh, little girl. Who do you think I am? My true essence is older than you could imagine. Even your god is just a little kid before me.”

“And I definitely need to do something about that mouth of yours. Just you wait, missy. I’m going to save your soul, yet!”

“Try me, bitch!”

“Girls, please … I’m confused who’s saying what.” Carter can only try to strike peace from the sideline.

Eventually, a squad of soldiers arrives and they escort the children out of the Amber Dungeons.

Duchess Gilda Ambrose rushes to hug her daughter, and Eleanor pats her sobbing back.

When they return to the villa, the girls have to explain their new arrangement to the duchess.

“So you can’t leave Donna Day’s side at all, Eleanor dear?”

“I can, but she’ll die. And I can’t let her die because … reasons.”

“I’ll talk to Nina. She may be able to do something about it.” Duchess Gilda strokes her chin. She looks at the Devil, who is back to being a red goo sticking out of Donna’s ear. “Eleanor, it’s a bit difficult to talk to you like this, and we can’t always inconvenience Donna by having you take over her body. Say … can you make a little face, with little eyes and a cute button nose?”

“Sure, mommy.” The Devil forms a little face.

“And can you make a body? It doesn’t need to be big—just short little arms and legs, and teeny little fingers.”

“Sure.” The Devil forms a small body.

“Now, can you give yourself fluffy blonde hair and bright green eyes? That’s it, darling. Make your hair juuust a shade lighter, and your eyes a teensy bit more rounded and turquoise.”

The Devil follows the instructions, and before she knows it, she has transformed into the spitting image of young Amelia Ambrose.

Amelia looks up at Donna, who is cupping her wide smile, then she looks toward her mother’s sparkling eyes, and she realizes that once again … she fucked up.