John groaned as Hestia barged into the bar. Great. He hadn't been lying to Gorm, but he'd intended to meet his old companions after taking down the Wynton household. There was no reason to avoid them, but it was something he considered work, and he had enough on his mind already.

"Come on, Quarta, did you really think you could hide away from us?" Hestia grinned, sitting on a barstool. "And, Prota! You look a lot better! Have you gotten stronger since we last met?"

Prota flinched, but she remembered the warmth with which Hestia had treated her. She nodded timidly, and Hestia smiled back.

"How the hell did you find me?" John sighed, holding his face in his hands. "Gorm didn't tell you I was here, did he?"

"No, he didn't. Stupid old dwarf," Hestia growled. "But he went home early. And he's been maintaining your stupid bar at your regular hours, so it was weird that he was heading back at that time."

"...you figured that out on your own?" John frowned. "When did you get that smart?"

"Hey!" Hestia exclaimed. "I was always smart. The hell you talkin' about?"

"...nothing," John said, looking away.

Hestia's frown turned into a smile. "Still, it's good to see you're alive and kicking. Although, I didn't think there'd be anything that could take you out, not after our last mission. So, where've you been?"

"Gorm didn't tell you?" John said, surprised.

"No! That old fart didn't tell me anything! It's bad enough that he quit adventuring, but something about 'being respectful' and 'honouring one's wishes,' stupid idiot," Hestia grumbled. "So you'd better fill me in."

John sighed, giving her the rundown. His explanation was a lot shorter than the one he'd given Gorm, but it was enough to explain the general circumstances of why he was here.

"So you're here for revenge, right?" Hestia grinned.

"...revenge?" John said, raising an eye.

"You're the kinda guy that doesn't take shit," Hestia reasoned out. "You've never taken shit. So I thought it was weird that you ditched this place as soon as that bounty was put on your head. I thought you'd just go beat up the dumbass that put it out."

"Do you even know who put the bounty out?" John said, throwing his arms in the air.

"No. But since when has that stopped you?" Hestia grinned.

John just sighed again. Great. He should've known this, but he'd never come into a circumstance where he'd been able to experience it. Hestia was the kind of person who wasn't particularly skilled in logic, but she was incredibly adept at reading people. She didn't quite get why John hadn't taken revenge, or why he'd skipped town, or any of that, but she understood him as a person.

And that scared him in a way. He, as a person, wasn't much. There was very little substance to him. His normal expression could be called a void, and for good reason, too. That's all that was left of him.

Yet, somehow, Hestia had read what little there was of John remaining.

"Look, I won't pry," Hestia said, taking out a toothpick. "Whatever business you have here is your business. But… well, if you need help, you know where to get it."

"What, you?" John scoffed. "Please. You don't even know what I'm gonna do."

"We're your companions, Quarta," Hestia said, picking her teeth. "Why wouldn't we help you? I mean, I'd expect to get paid, of course. But even if it's stupid, I'd be down."

"Yeah, of course you would," John muttered. "Especially if it's stupid."

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Look, I've had a long day. Just get outta here. Come back in a few days if you're really insistent on helping, ok?"

Hestia nodded, hopping off the stool and heading toward the door.

"It's good to see you again, Quarta. Stay safe."

The bell jingled one last time as she left the bar. John got up and locked the door to stop any further surprise appearances, making sure the open sign was flipped to "Closed."

"Come on, Prota," he yawned. "Let's go to bed."

~~~

The next couple of days were spent full of planning. John went over Prota's abilities in detail, just to make sure he understood what she was capable of. She explained what she could do and how, explaining her limits and timings on various abilities.

With that knowledge in hand, he then began to calculate what they could potentially run into. A Master level fighter? A seventh-circle caster? Maybe a battle mage? John wasn't quite sure of what kind of forces this Wynton bastard would have. It was likely that he had more of those strange orbs, so they'd have to look out for any new demons popping up.

Ultimately, he came to the conclusion that [Infinity] would be necessary to make it through the entire household. More than that, they'd have to make it through the entire house in a day, because Arthur's mana pill would run out in twenty-four hours.

John had done some testing with those. By testing, that meant asking Zero, who was now capable of giving answers. Well, that wasn't too upsetting. It wasn't like the information was restricted, and Zero would rather not be put in "realism jail" anymore.

Although the pills drew stamina from the future, it seemed that using [Infinity] negated said effects. Of course, he could only use so much energy, but by using both at the same time, it appeared that he would only pass out once the whole twenty-four hours were up. He'd pass out for a full day after that, but it was a bonus he hadn't been expecting.

In this fashion, the pills went from a substitute to a multiplier. Instead of being a way for him to fight, they were now a way for him to enhance his abilities even further. The problem, then, was the fact that he'd been given a way to enhance his powers. If the [Author] was allowing this, it meant that they'd be put into a situation where he'd need that level of strength.

Shit. Now he had to consider the case where Mystics did show up, and he didn't manage to reach the levels of [Determination] he wanted. What would happen then? Would he really just bite the bullet?

No, he'd manage somehow. He always did.

Finally, they had done all they could. They had no way of investigating the layout of the estate, no way of calculating the Wynton's forces.

All they could do now was trust in their abilities.

"Prota, are you sure about this?" John said quietly. "Backing out is always an option here. This isn't something we have to do, you know?"

She shook her head. She wanted this as much as John did.

"Alright, then."

Prota nodded.

"Tomorrow. Huh… never thought we'd just be, you know, rid of Draco. Feels weird."

Prota nodded again, then went to bed. She fell asleep nearly immediately, which was surprising, but John didn't question it. The more rest she could get, the better.

He, on the other hand, wasn't feeling so tired. Instead, he quietly went downstairs and poured himself another cup of soda.

"Nervous?" Zero grinned, popping out.

"I guess," John shrugged, taking a sip. "I mean… this isn't the [Plot]. I don't know what's gonna happen."

"You should do something special with Prota," Zero suggested. "Just in case."

"...like what?" John frowned.

Why was Zero suggesting this? It sounded like some kind of death flag. It made John nervous. But then again, Zero wouldn't spoil something like that. He was probably just being genuine in the sense that anything could happen.

"I mean, you didn't do anything for Prota's birthday, right?" Zero shrugged.

John nodded. They'd had a small dinner at one of Scholaris's restaurants, and he'd gotten her a new dress, but her birthday celebration this year had been pretty minor. They hadn't done much, mainly due to the fact that nothing of particular note had happened. Sure, there had been the winter exams and that whole fiasco with the casino, but nothing too dangerous. Nothing too devastating.

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Compared to what they'd been through in the previous years, it simply wasn't that dangerous. No near-death experiences. No tragedy. Everything felt… kind of calm. So in that regard, a respite from all of the chaos was nowhere near as effective as it usually was.

"You should do something," Zero continued. "You know. It's symbolic, kind of? This is the first home you shared together, after all."

John nodded, getting off the stool. Reaching into his pocket dimension, he pulled a few things out and stored them in the fridge.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I guess. I'll… I'll think about it."

~~~

Prota woke up the next morning, expecting to see John on the sofa, but was surprised to find nobody there.

"Hey, Prota," he smiled.

She blinked, then rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. She wasn't. John was at the kitchen stove, cooking something. It smelled familiar.

"Wanna eat?"

She nodded, swinging her legs off the bed and trotting over to the table. Something about this scene felt familiar to her, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it.

"Here," John said, serving up a plate of bacon, eggs and toast.

She stared. She'd had this meal before, multiple times. It was something they regularly ate for breakfast. Then why did this feel so nostalgic?

"We're not heading out today," John said quietly. "Tomorrow. One more day. Let's… let's rest today, ok?"

Prota nodded, a little confused. John didn't seem nervous or anything, though, so there was no need for concern on her end. Sniffing at the air, the smell of food permeated the room, but then so did something else. The smell of something like flowers in a summer field. This smell was nowhere near as familiar as her meal.

But where? Where was this memory coming from? There were no flowers near the bar.

"Hey. You… never mind." John walked over to the stove, poured something into a cup, and handed it to Prota. "Here. Cup of tea, if you want. Careful, though, it's hot."

Right. That was it. The cup of tea John had given her that first night, when she'd been nothing but a scared girl.

Then, this meal. It was—

"Hey. Want something to eat?" John called out, interrupting her train of thought.

The child sat up and saw smoke rising from a frying pan, the smell of something delicious wafting towards her nose. Her eyes immediately widened, but as soon as she saw the food spread on the table, she lost all reasoning and headed toward the feast as if hypnotized by the mere sight of it.

What was John doing? Why was he drinking a calming tea? Suddenly, her senses started to go on alert.

Something was different. Still, she couldn't tell what it was. She had nothing to suspect, no hunches to go off of. Well, there was the whole thing about invading a noble's household. If it were the Prota from two years ago, she might've worried John would leave her behind, but she no longer had such concerns.

In the end, she finished her meal and put the plates away.

"Come on," John said as he finished his tea.

The chair scraped against the floor as he got up from his seat.

"Let's go for a walk."

They left the bar, wandering the streets of Vulcan. It was a new experience for Prota. She wasn't being hunted down or chased. She wasn't sick, wasn't weak, and she didn't have to hide herself anymore. She continued to wear her cloak, but she didn't feel the need to keep her hood up the whole time. She could walk around like any other citizen.

For the first time, she was truly able to see how beautiful the city was. It was interesting. It lacked the architecture she'd seen in Gaia, and it didn't have the nature-like feel of Lunarius. Instead, there were tall buildings in one sector and alleyways in others, with people wandering the streets, making way for carriages and horses. It was like a blend of all sorts of ideas, all thrown together in a single city.

"Prota," John said quietly as they turned into an alleyway. "This… this is what you could have. One last time. One more chance."

Prota felt as if the air had dropped a few degrees in temperature.

"I'm not going to tell you to go or anything. I'm just saying… this life doesn't need to be for you."

John walked a few steps before realizing Prota was no longer by his side. He turned back to see her standing, arms crossed, staring at him.

"No."

Her voice was quiet but firm. She wasn't going to take this anymore.

"John has to do this," she continued.

"Ok, but I have to take this life. It's not a choice for me. It's a-"

"I want to do this," she said, shaking her head. "I protect John. Because… that's who we are."

"I-"

John choked on his own words. Prota continued to stare at him defiantly. She wasn't going to be left behind. Too much had happened for her to turn back now. Even if she could go back to a normal, peaceful life, it wouldn't be better than staying with John.

It wasn't an option for her anymore, either. She was stuck to him. The [Destiny Bond] made sure of that. They were bound. Whether it be by luck, [Plot], or choice, they were stuck together, and Prota wasn't going to let John try to entertain any other ideas.

"If you get a peaceful life, then I'm ok," Prota said, her voice a little less firm. "But John doesn't have a peaceful life. So, me too. No peaceful life for me."

She watched as John clenched his teeth, trying to come to terms with what she was saying.

"You know what?" he finally sighed. "You're right. This was stupid. I was worried about tomorrow, but… you're right. Damn. My bad."

Prota nodded at him, a light dancing in her eyes. She didn't quite smile, but it was there.

"Alright, then. Tomorrow… if something goes wrong, if something happens. I just want to say, thank you. I know I've said it before. But you keep reminding me that there's something I can do. I've gotten infinitely more done in the three years I've spent with you than the ten or so years I spent fucking around with my bar."

John let out a deep sigh, a faint smile forming on his lips.

"It's just… it's hard to switch mindsets, you know? So you need to keep reminding me," he said, the smile forming into a grin. "Don't let me forget."

Prota nodded, reaching up. John laughed and picked her up, carrying her all the way home.

Once there, he immediately reached into the fridge and pulled out some ingredients he'd prepared the day before. Ground beef. Cheese. Tomatoes, herbs, garlic, dough, all things that Prota felt should be familiar, but weren't.

"Do you remember the first time we celebrated your birthday?" John said, already heating up some pans and pots. "The food we ate?"

Prota nodded. How could she forget? That was a day she'd always keep in her memory.

"Wanna try making it together?"

With that, they got to work. Mixing the ground beef with all sorts of strange herbs and spices. Tossing the dough, scattering flour over a cutting board, spreading tomato sauce and cheese to form an uncooked pizza. Washing the lettuce, tomatoes, chopping the onions, and forming the hamburger buns out of the unused pizza dough.

John didn't laugh, but a small smile was constantly on his lips. Prota's eyes continued to dance as she walked through each of these unfamiliar steps. Flour got all over her hair. Dough stuck to her hands. Tomato juice stained her dress, and her cloak got wet from all the water that was splashed around.

Nobody noticed. Nobody cared.

Soon, the food was all prepared. John slid the pizza into the oven and turned on the stovetop, then threw on an iron skillet and tossed the burgers in. They began to sizzle as they cooked, mixing in with the aroma of bread, cheese and marinara sauce. John hummed a tune as he flipped the meat, throwing on a slice of cheese. Prota watched as the pizza slowly cooked, the cheese slowly melting into gooey goodness.

A ding in his system let John know the pizza was done. Great. He opened the oven and took the thing out, tossing it onto a large plate. He slid the burgers off the skillet, stacking them onto the now-toasted buns, stacked with all the toppings.

He showed Prota how to use the pizza cutter to slice the thing into slices, then poured some glasses of water as she finished setting the table.

There was nothing to worry about. There was nothing to be anxious for. She could just close her eyes and relax.

Right. It was nice to just sit and rest, wasn't it?

"Well," John said after a bit. "It's been a long ride, hasn't it?"

She put her food down. She was hungry, but strangely, she lacked an appetite. She looked out the singular window, watching the sky turn golden as the sun set in the distance.

"It hasn't been the best four years," John sighed. "But… I don't really know if I would do anything different."

He laughed, but his laugh wasn't bitter. It sounded genuine. Prota wasn't sure what was so funny, but she found herself smiling along.

"That was corny as hell," John said, his laugh dying down. "Holy cornball. I should never say that again."

Prota wasn't sure what he was saying, but it didn't matter. They were happy. They had a moment of respite.

And this time, they knew what was waiting for them. There were no mercenaries to jump them. No companions turned traitors. No Demon Lord, ready to appear out of nowhere.

"This time, we'll be the ones to jump 'em," John said, turning to look out the window as well. "We got it this time."

~~~

The next morning, they were ready. John had talked with Zero to go over a few unimportant things, then prepared a few mana pills. He stared at them warily. Well, there was no way he'd get punished for using these, right?

Prota, meanwhile, had also prepared, making sure her orbs of healing were all ready, her staff hovering on her back behind her. She closed her eyes, mentally preparing herself.

"Shit," John cursed under his breath. "How do they know about that, too? What motherfucker told them?"

He turned back to his sister, barking out a command.

"Prota, go to the granny. She can hide you well. Go! Now!"

She wouldn't be the one to run. She wouldn't be the one to hide. This time, she'd stand side by side with John and fight. Nobody would die for her sake this time around.

"Ready?" John said, his left eye glowing ever so slightly.

He slipped two pistols into his pockets, then slung a shotgun over his back and a rifle on his shoulder. It wasn't practical, but he could manage it since [Infinity] was active. A sword shimmered into existence, falling into his hand. The same unbreakable sword he'd used against Diaboli.

He wasn't going to hold back this time. Cockiness might mean death, and while John definitely had a bit of an ego, that was only when he knew he held the advantage.

He had no idea what kind of position he was in at the moment. Like he'd said, he had no clue as to what the [Plot] was. The [Plot] was probably following Destiny and his friends at the moment. The point of view shouldn't even be on John at the moment.

But he wouldn't lose. He couldn't lose.

"What-"

One last thing. She wouldn't remember this. Well, it was for that reason that he could say it.

"Prota. You were real to me."

He'd died once. While that death had very few consequences, this death would mean everything.

Defeat was not an option..

"Ready?" John said, turning to his sister.

She nodded.

Suddenly, the door slammed open. John flinched. He'd forgotten to lock it last night. Shit. Well, no matter. They just had to kill one person, and their secret would be safe. He raised his rifle, and—

"Quarta!" Hestia roared, barging in. "Why haven't you come to visit?"

She froze as she saw the two dressed for battle. Gorm, Grey and Gale came in behind her, then froze as well once they saw what she saw.

"...what in the world is going on with you guys?"

John shook his head. "I told you, I'd come visit you later. I have something to do. Come back tomorrow."

"Nah, you're up to something stupid. I'm not letting you barge off again," she growled, stomping forward and picking him up by the collar. "I don't know why you gave so much credit for the cultist subjugation, but we didn't do all that much. We're alive because of you."

"I didn't-"

"Don't lie to me. You barged ahead alone, taking on all the fights yourself. We just cleaned up your mess."

John just stared at Hestia. "Don't get it twisted. You're all still pretty strong."

"Doesn't change the fact that we owe you a favour. Come on, John. Don't just disappear on us again. What are you up to?"

Gale stepped forward. "She's right, Quarta. Let us help."

Gorm nodded. Grey fidgeted in the back, but he wasn't objecting.

John sighed.

"Fine."

Hestia let him down, flashing a grin.

"That's better. Now, what are you two getting involved in this time?"

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