Like before, it felt like he was merely blinking.

  When he opened his eyes, the sery had undergone a drastic transformation, and it was dark. It only took a split sed for his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, and then he realized he was baot to the m before the war started, but...

  In front of the dying Man Le Fay, in the basement of the vampires' church.

  She wasn’t breathing.

  “Man Le Fay—”

  Burn grasped her body, vividly recalling the events of this moment in time. He lifted her from the coffin and kissed her as he swiftly carried her out of the basement. Time, after all, was of the essence.

  As Burn strode out of the basement with Man in his arms, the resident vampires took one look and nearly tripped over their own robes trying to intervene.

  But their fangs dropped when they saw Man not just alive but actively reag out to tinue her impromptu make-out session with Burn.

  "…Slow… down…" she murmured betweehs.

  "You ask me to slohen you know what’s ing?" Bured, his tone dripping with incredulity. "At this rate, your disciple is going to end up dying too."

  "I know…" Momo whispered against his lips, "But we… at least… o speak to Vd…"

  Burn spun on his heels.

  Burn's impatience was obvious as he questioned her. " you even speak properly?" he asked.

  "I...I’m sorr..." Momled, her voice barely a whisper. Eveongue was still weak.

  "What are y to tell him?" Burn pressed further.

  "...thank—" she started.

  "Thank you, and what?" he interjected.

  "...that..."

  "Is it something you 't tell me?" Burn guessed.

  "No...t... reall..."

  "What 't you tell him?" Before they realized it, they had entered Vd in one of the church's hallways. Vd added with an uanding voice, "I will read your mind if you don’t want him to hear."

  Gathering her remaining strength, Momo whispered, "Mas...ter Vl...ad…” she paused, “My father... he... had died..."

  ***

  Previously, they thought they had time to wait a bit for Momo's recovery in the church. But now, with the knowledge of impendis, idling around was not an option.

  While they had the luxury of speaking to Vd personally before, this time straints forced a different approach. They o accelerate Momo's recovery, hehe strategic, albeit annoying, kissing.

  Not much had ged, except for the return of the chariot—because they came back, the chariot was back too.

  Momo, determio prevent Yvain from going on a rampage, and Burn, aimed to stop whatever that had previously ended her life.

  They had returned in time, and this moment served as their checkpoint. Literally—they respawogether after her death.

  “It doesn’t matter who died, right? Why did you save me when we’re going to returher way?”

  Momo raised her fa, her expression serious. “Did you not notice the difference?”

  “There’s a difference?” Burn's tone was incredulous.

  Momo nodded solemnly at his question. “If it’s you who died, it will be you who’ll pay the price. Your soul…”

  Burn had killed himself once.

  But he did it right after he woke up, managing to awaken almost immediately afterward. Presumably, the cost wasn't as steep for him.

  “I am the Infich. My soul is 'infinite', albeit needing some time to 'recover'. My soul won’t perish even though I lose everything,” Momo expined, her tone ced with both authority and a hint of weariness. “But you…”

  Her words trailed off, leaving an ominous silehat suggested the stakes were much higher for Burn.

  “I know,” Burn sighed. “You saved me.”

  But just a split sed ter, his face immediately shifted to cold indifference. “If not because you did it to use me in your curse.”

  Ihe chariot, Momo narrowed her eyes. No matter what, this man wouldn’t appreciate her help, huh?

  Well, the reason she cursed him was so she could force him to ge everything. Not to mention how she was using him to maintain her life with his Force right now.

  “I’m sorry for being weak,” she suddenly blurted out.

  “And yes, I'm serious. I should’ve been able to at least fend for myself now that I’m awake and with you. The curse should have been enough to weigh you down, not to have me as an added burden.”

  If she weren’t sile, everything would’ve been a breeze. She also wouldn’t have had to stoop to begging for his help like this. How utterly undignified.

  “You’re right,” Burn ceded, his tone almost too casual.

  Momo attempted to mask her rea, but perhaps his words stung more than she expected.

  “But let’s not fet, you’re also the only one who ma me to my knees,” Burn added with a smirk. “You’re my first defeat.”

  Burn, the celebrated genius of the tury, the one-man army who repelled the outsiders, the destined unifier of the world—Caliburn Soulnon Pendragon.

  Even as she was just on the mend, Burn was vihat one day when she fully recovered, she would effortlessly defeat him repeatedly.

  Even in her weakeate, she had mao turn back time on him rather tha to something as final as killing him.

  Man Le Fay, the Infich.

  “I’ll make sure you remain my only defeat, now and forever.”

  BTHMP!

  Bur an ued thump against his chest, prompting him to raise an eyebrow in surprise.

  Right there, Momo’s voluptuous chest ressed against his, and from it, he felt a loud, unmistakable heartbeat. Distracted from the road, he turo see her face turned away, her cheeks blooming with a soft, embarrassed blush.

  “Your heart… it just went wild for a moment. Is yan still failing?” Burn asked, his irritation thinly veiled.

  “Yes,” Momo replied, fanning herself with her hand, her face still painted in shades of red. “Kiss me, then?”

  “Tch,” Burn clicked his tohe sound dripping with exasperation and annoyance.

  Hitting the autopilot button on the chariot, Burn was ready for another kissing sessioiced how her blush hadn’t disappeared, and remembering how she almost never blushed at him before, he wondered what was different this time.

  Well, she was just awake from her dying state. It made sehat she looked a bit weaker, felt a bit softer… aed right on top of him.

  Maybe because they had been kissing non-stop since she opened her eyes—?