The ground Ellie currently treads feel oddly familiar. In every direction, above and below, it's a pristine expanse untouched by blemish—a perfect reflection of her subconscious realm. At her side stood Clive, his countenance serious, their hands still intertwined. As Ellie followed Clive's gaze, her own eyes widened.

In the distance, a dark figure sits hunched over. From his posture, there's a resemblance to Andrew, but certainty eludes Ellie—he is not the familiar friend she once knew. The figure chewed slowly, hands clutching something indecipherable to Ellie and Clive. What left Ellie astounded was the presence lying before the figure who engaged in the act of consumption.

Both of its eyes fixate on Ellie with an empty stare. Its face is frozen, utterly devoid of movement. The longer Ellie beheld the scene, the more her anger swelled. For there, sprawled before the dark figure's feast, lay Andrew's lifeless form.

To be specific, it's the corpse of the young man.

Ellie released her grip on Clive's hand, stepping forward with measured resolve.

“Don't engage, Ellie!”

Clive's warning entered Ellie's right ear and exited her left, the girl pressing forward, her eyes refusing to accept the surreal scene before her. Her mind rejected the harsh reality unfolding. In the next moment, her expression transformed, her visage now etched with growing frustration.

“Grace...” Ellie muttered as she summoned Grace's black sword in her hand.

Clive, witnessing the emergence of the black sword, found himself taken aback. He hadn't anticipated Ellie's ability to summon and wield her weapon in someone else's subconscious realm. In a fraction of a second that left Clive astonished, Ellie distanced herself further, now beyond his reach.

Ellie dashed forward. “Get away from him...!”

Ellie's scream echoed, capturing the attention of the dark figure. Ellie was beyond caring. She continued her sprint, intent on thrusting or slashing at the mysterious entity.

The figure tossed aside whatever it had been holding and chewing on slowly. Ellie swiftly sidestepped the projectile. As it passed her, Ellie was once again shocked by what lay before her—a severed limb.

“Ellie, watch out!”

Clive's shout seemed to come too late to warn Ellie. When she turned, the figure that had been distant moments ago was now right in front of her. Its fist clenched, poised to deliver a punch. Caught off guard, Ellie took a powerful blow to the stomach. The force of the attack was formidable, sending her tumbling backward.

“Argh!”

Clive immediately maneuvered his body, bracing to catch Ellie as she fell. Upon their collision, Clive's legs strained to withstand the impact and prevent their collapse. After being pushed back several meters, they finally came to a halt. Clive gently lowered Ellie to the ground, immediately intoning a healing incantation as he sat, knees bent.

“Hang in there, Ellie!”

The blow Ellie endured seemed to overwhelm her, rendering her unable to rise. Even as Clive shook her entire body, she showed no response.

While engrossed in healing Ellie, Clive's ears caught a sound that immediately put him on edge. The dark figure advanced, its small laughter echoing. Yet, oddly, it halted near the severed limb it had discarded earlier. Bending down, it picked up the severed arm.

“Haven't you ever been taught... not to disturb... people who are eating?”

The figure spoke, his voice slightly hoarse. He turned around and walked back to where Andrew's body lay.

“Just heal her up. Since you're already here, think of this place as your home. I'll entertain you after I finish with my meal,” said the figure who then sat near Andrew's body.

“What did that man do to you that you had to eat him in his own subconscious?” Clive questioned in a trembling tone.

“Hm?” The figure turns its head. “Ah... He became too restless. And for me, that feeling is my favorite meal. I can't stand it. I'll eat it even if it comes from my own vessel.”

Clive was a bit surprised, but he got something out of this exchange. He decides to keep talking to the figure while he continues to heal the weakened Ellie.

“Favorite meal? I see. So, a creature like you likes to feed on the feelings of living things. That is why you often take control of your vessel's body and use it as you please when he falls asleep.”

The figure chuckled. “It will be troublesome later if I have to speak to him. I'll let my actions be my words. If my vessel adapts to my presence, it will make things easier for me. If not... I might have eaten his body in the first place. And I'm not talking about just the subconscious. I'm talking about the actual body.”

Clive widen his eyes. “You... can do that?”

“Of course I can. Why? Grace never told you that?”

“What?!”

Clive looked at Ellie. The girl's breathing, which was still resting on her left arm, is still unsteady. Then he noticed Ellie's hand that was holding the black sword belonging to the creature inside the girl's body.

“You... know that this girl also has a creature residing inside her body?”

“Why are you acting so surprised? Are you... no. If you really don't know, never mind. We're more than likely to benefit from that.”

“We? Who are you talking about? How many people are involved here?!”

“Beats me.”

Clive could not stand the figure who responded to his frustration with a vicious smile.

“Anyway, there's someone smart in your place, right? Go consult with him, maybe you'll find your answer. Or... you could ask some of your superiors. They might know something,” the figure continued before devouring the piece of Andrew's arm.

Clive was speechless. His body shuddered in horror. He couldn't believe the words that the figure had just said. From the way he spoke, he seemed to know or perhaps recognize where Clive was from. He probably also knew the ins and outs of the organization he joined.

“You... How far do you know...?”

Although Clive asked a question, the figure was too busy eating to answer.

“Answer me, you damn beast...!”

Once again, the figure did not respond.

“Hey!”

With his third shout, a cough emanated from beneath Clive's chin. It was Ellie. The girl appeared to have regained some strength.

Peering through partially opened eyelids, Ellie's eyes flickered towards Clive. Then, she glanced to the side and saw Andrew still lying there, her eyes wide open, while the figure that had struck her sat beside Andrew's body.

“I said... get away... from him...”

“Don't move yet, Ellie. You're still weak.”

“I don’t care. Andrew... he... he still there.”

Ellie rose, advancing despite a slight wobble, summoning the black sword, Grace, back into her grasp.

Behind her, Clive also stood, reciting an incantation to conjure five ice spikes to aid Ellie.

The figure finished its last bite, then turned its attention towards Ellie, rising to its feet. Watching Ellie approach, it leisurely stretched its neck, a grin spreading across its face. The figure shot forward.

Unbeknownst to Ellie and Clive, the figure was already before Ellie. Its wide grin was evident, its hand gripping Ellie's throat, lifting her entire body off the ground.

“You bastard...!” Ellie cursed.

Feeling underestimated, Ellie thrust the tip of her sword into her opponent's left chest. She laughed. However, the figure seemed unaffected by Ellie's attack. Its grin persisted, undiminished. The figure quickly tightened its grip on Ellie's throat, transforming her laughter into a gasping visage, desperately seeking air.

“Ellie!”

Clive's shout echoed. One of the ice spikes he conjured successfully severed the hand gripping Ellie. Ellie's body fell, and she coughed violently for a moment.

The figure endured Clive's attacks without resistance. However, for the subsequent ice spike, it resisted and even shattered it with just one hand. Clive hurriedly recited his incantation once more.

“Hold your horses,” The figure said as it walked back to Andrew's body.

“Get back here, you damn monster!”

The figure gazed at Ellie with one eye. Then, it realized something. In its chest, the black sword was still embedded. It gripped the hilt and slowly pulled it out of its own body. It stared at the sword in its hand for a moment.

“How heartless of you to make me the only opponent here. What's your plan, Grace?”

Ellie was taken aback. She didn't know what to make of the sentence or how to respond.

“Here. I will return your sword,” the figure continued and threw Grace's sword near Ellie.

Ellie didn't immediately reach for her sword. Her attention remained fixed on the figure before her. Why did this creature know about Grace? Ellie's mind swirled with questions of a similar nature. Because, beyond herself, could the entities residing within her, Grace, and Andrew all originate from the same place?

“You... what do you know about Grace?” Ellie asked a little doubtfully.

“I don't know. What do you think?”

Ellie gritted her teeth. Provoking an answer from the creature didn't seem like it would be easy. Grace said nothing, as if ignoring what was happening.

“By the way, you want to save this boy, am I correct?” the figure asked as he pointed his index finger at Andrew.

“Of course. He's my friend. And I won't let him become an Umbra,” Ellie replied firmly.

Ellie's serious expression was reflected in the creature's eyes. The corners of the creature's mouth curled upward, its grin widening. Its sharp teeth, stained with lingering blood, were proudly displayed. Its shoulders trembled slightly. It laughed.

“So that's how it is. Friends, huh? In that case, it's only natural that you want to save him.”

The figure opened his palm towards Andrew. However, it was still standing and did not look like it was going to lift Andrew's body. In the next second, what he was doing was finally noticeable by Ellie and Clive.

Andrew's body, sleeping upon a sea of blood, with various parts severed and numerous bite marks, began to meld back together. Like a rapid regeneration, his form reconstructed itself. All the scattered blood flowed back within. His brittle bones regained solidity. The torn flesh became whole and fresh once more.

“Remind you of something?”

The figure spoke to Ellie.

Observing what the figure did to Andrew, Ellie seemed to recall her own revival at the hands of Grace. She could now understand what Grace did to bring her back to consciousness after being repeatedly killed.

Behind her, Clive recited his incantation quietly. However, this action did not escape the ears of the dark figure, which now seemed to be the master of the realm they stood upon. The figure raised one finger. Ellie and Clive's attention was drawn to it.

“If you want to save this boy, you have to follow one condition from me.”

“One... condition?” Ellie asked in a trembling tone.

That index finger is pointed towards Ellie. “You have to fight me. One on one,” the figure explained with a wide grin.

“...!” Ellie was speechless. The declaration made her unsure if she could face it alone.

The index finger is now pointed at Clive. “If your ears are functional, then you know you have to stand there and be quiet.”

“What's the guarantee? How can we be sure you won't violate your own terms?” Clive asked cautiously.

“You don't need to worry about that, as I'm not the type to break promises.”

Andrew's body had fully restored itself. The figure then lifted his body. Slowly, from its hand, grasping Andrew's still unconscious form, it seemed as though the figure was absorbing Andrew's body into its own.

“What are you doing?!” Ellie screamed.

“Be one with him. By defeating me, you can save the boy and restore his consciousness. How's that? Not a bad offer, isn't it?”

Ellie struggled to find words in response.

As Andrew's body was fully absorbed, the black hue of the figure gradually faded, revealing its true form. It was Andrew's body, strikingly identical. The differences lay in the elongated hair that covered the back of the neck, sharp claws and teeth, and the glowing red eyes akin to Umbra.

“If this kid can maximize my power and not just turn into a wolf, his figure would be like this. But well, it doesn't mean I'll let him do that. That's why I control his body while he's asleep.”

Ellie picked up her sword that was thrown back to her. The girl got up, ready to face the opponent ahead with her sword in hand.

“Show me. How great you are, Grace's vessel!”