"I dedicate this victory to you, Alice!" Decus proclaimed victoriously with a smile while he raised his sword and the terribly wounded body of Emil collapsed to the ground.

Terrified, Marta watched the scene before her. "Emil!" But she was soon silenced by a boost to the mouth caused by Alice's apparently harmless toy rapier.

"Look at yourself!" Alice said while she violently slashed Marta's face over and over again with her whip. "Do you really believe all you said about power!" Alice stopped lashing her only to hit her in the face with the rapier's handguard. "You are nothing more than an imbecile! You never understood it, did you? And now, you're going to die because of it!" Marta's face hit the ground sharply. Alice grabbed and rubbed Marta's face against the dirt, causing moans of pain from her. "In the end, the strongest ones impose themselves over the weakest ones! And there is nothing that can be done to change it!" At that moment, in a rush of sadistic satisfaction, she raised Marta's head by her hair so she could see Emil's weak body lying on the ground. "Did you really think that you would have a chance? That Emil would have any chance against Decus?"

Tears were flowing from Marta's eyes, mixing with her blood while they ran down her face. "You have no idea of how much Decus has suffered to gain such power, all he has rejected just to be at my side." Bringing her mouth to her ear she whispered "Between you and me- I love him." And with an innocent smile, she closed her eyes, put on her sweetest voice and said: "But that will be our little secret. Okay, Mart-Mart?"

"Decus!" Alice shouted, calling Decus, who remained beside Emil.

"I'm coming, Alice!" Decus moved toward Alice just to stop and turn his head towards Emil, who was trying to raise himself off the ground. "I have nothing against you kid. Stay on the ground. Feign death. Perhaps then you'll leave this place alive." Without further word, he stood by his beloved's side, who continued grabbing Marta's head by the hair.

Alice pulled Marta's hair cruelly, making her scream, all the while forcing her to rise up and kneel on the ground before her. "Mart-Mart, you knowÉ When I said I wanted your head, I wasn't speaking metaphorically!" Alice said with a smile, forcing Marta to crawl on her knees closer toward Decus.

Alice raised Marta's head, yanking her hair backwards, leaving her neck completely exposed. "Decus," She said impassively, "Decapitate her." And with those words, her serious grin turned in a sadistic one.

Decus bowed respectfully, putting his fist against his chest. "Of course, Alice." And coldly, Decus ran his sword in the direction of Marta's neck. But the blowing slash never touched Marta's neck, as Emil threw his sword against Marta's hair, cutting it and making her plummet to the ground- the lethal blow bypassed her neck completely.

"Marta!" Emil quickly pounced over Decus, who was taken off guard and punched him, leaving Decus out of combat on the ground.

Alice, surprised by the turn of events couldn't help but speak the name of the young man who was collapsed on the ground. "Dec-" But as soon as she attempted to finish his name, Emil grabbed her neck, and while pressing her throat, pushed Alice's body against the nearest wall, lifting her so her feet no longer touching the ground.

Alice took her rapier, desperately trying to defend herself, but Emil twisted her wrist, causing her to drop her weapon. At that moment Alice realized that everything was lost. Decus, her knight, remained unconscious on the ground, the air was leaving her lungs, the sensation of suffocation was overwhelming, her forces were gradually leaving her, everything was becoming blurred, and all her attempts at breathing were useless; instinctively she tried to kick her attacker, but the kicks didn't appear to be sufficiently getting rid of her aggressor. Her hands that once were trying to release the stranglehold fell dead, and then, when death was inevitable, a tear left her eye; Decus- all the time they had spent together, his friendship, his unconditional love- She was crying, not for the narcissistic feeling of inevitable death, but because she'd never be with him again.

Suddenly her feet touched the ground, Emil's hands were no longer strangling her, air was entering at her lungs again; what was happening? She bent her head down and coughed sharply due to the sudden return of breath, dizzily looked down, and in that moment all the pieces began to fit. Emil's severed hands were lying in a pool of blood as a piercing scream filled the entire room. In front of her, lifting her up with a worried expression and breathing heavily, was Decus. Suddenly his expression of concern changed to a completely different one, and this one didn't reflect concern anymore, but hate, and quickly he turned with his sword in his hand and a terrifying cry towards Emil and began to run. "What you have done... It's unforgivable!" And with those words he rushed his sword against Emil's neck.

"I'm sorry, forgive me Marta," And with those words Emil's head left the rest of his body.

On the floor, in a pool of blood, lying before the astonished Marta, was Emil's corpse. "No, no, NO! Emil!" Sitting on the floor, crying and holding her hair with both her hands, she began to drag herself backwards with her legs. "It can't be! This can't be happening! EMIIIL!" Quickly between tears and sobs she got up and grabbed Emil's sword. She then jumped in front of Decus, who was barely able to block her quick hits. Completely driven by rage and anger, she managed to disarm him and make a diagonal cut from his left shoulder to his waist, then with a strong kick she pushed him to the ground. Standing over his body, she raised Emil's sword to give the final blow to his murderer. "DIE!"

A powerful shock struck Marta's body, making her jump back several feet before finally falling to the ground. "Get away from him!" Before she could figure out what had happened, another volley, more powerful this time, ruthlessly struck her body. A powerful electric current was traveling through her body incessantly, the screams of agony and pain from Marta could be heard throughout the cave as her clothes began to blaze, her skin began to burn, her screams became more and more intense, her body began to suffer involuntary convulsions, her flesh began to dye red and black, her hair was completely burned, and the body, still alive, was now whimpering unabated. Soon the muscles began to burn, the smoke coming from the almost dead and unrecognizable body of Marta produced a sickening stench of burnt flesh that started to flood the Monster Graveyard.

Alice looked with a sadistic smile toward the fruits of her great power. Although the body was lying dead on the ground, she couldn't stop.

Decus watched the scene from the ground with a stunned look, he had only seen Alice like that once in his life, and it was eight years ago. Her eyes were completely open, the pupils were fully contracted, and a grim smile decorated her beautiful face. There was only one difference from last time- her eyes were clouded with tears.

Alice's hands had begun to burn, the heat produced by high voltage had warmed the grip of the rapier. "Aaah!" The pain produced by the burning handgrip made Alice drop the weapon and recover from her trance.

"So: Those who rely only on power will be doomed because of power. Ha! Who has been doomed by whom Mart-Mart?"

In Decus' eyes it was clear that Alice's immense power could only be surpassed by her beauty. Decus couldn't allow himself to stay on the floor and be useless weight for Alice, but the pain produced by his wounds impeded him to get up. The first attempt was followed by a second one and this one for a third one, but before he could fail a fourth time Alice knelt at his side and began to cast one of her healing spells to heal his wounds.

Decus, sitting on the ground, closed his fist and began to cough. "Damn- I nearly let you die, I'm not your knight," and with those words tears began to run over his face as he punched the ground "Shit! I don't even deserve to be your slave!"

"Don't punch the ground like that Decus, you're going to break your hand."

It wasn't the first time that Alice healed his wounds, more than once in his quest to protect her or to demonstrate his abilities to seduce her they had finished with a similar scene, however, he couldn't help but smile at the fact that Alice was concerned for him, and once again he couldn't help but to make one of his comments in his bizarre voice. "Oh Alice, so you do care about me, I knew that the intoxicating fragrance of Eau de Seduction couldn't fail!"

"I-I don't care about you, you idiot! I just don't want to waste my mana because you're hurting yourself!"

"Don't be like that Alice, It's the 765th day after all, and I'm wearing Eau de Seduction!"

"It seems that your blood loss is seriously affecting your brain if you think that your repellent scent will make me fall rendered at your feet."

"You don't need to deny what's obvious, you know the feeling is mutual, no need to be ashamed!" And with those words, Decus, partially healed, rose up.

"I'm not ashamed!" She blushed while she turned her back to Decus and began to walk away from him.

Was he so dumb that he couldn't see how close they had been to the death? That she almost lost him? Even if she was ashamed to admit it, she had grown accustomed to his presence, without him, her life wouldn't have so much meaning. Decus was much more than a friend, he was her only family, and although she didn't know for how long, she had begun to feel something more intense for him, something that when simply pronounced would normally cause nausea to her.

Quickly Decus passed her, keeping her from continuing her path. With an elegant movement, he took off his white jacket and kneeling down a few feet from Alice, he deposited it over the puddle of blood that had left the body of Emil. This gallant gesture of love did nothing but increase the blush on the already red cheeks of Alice, who closed her eyes and looked aside. "I'm so not going to stomp on your smelly jacket to cross the puddle Dumbo-Decus!"

Decus, realizing his mistake knelt in front of Alice and in a melodramatic voice apologized for his error. "I'm sorry Alice, forgive me, how can I have been such an idiot? Excuse my actions!"

The flush on her face was becoming more intense, she had to act tough if she didn't want Decus to realize it. "The truth is that I'm not surprised at all, after all I don't call you Dumbo-Decus for notÉ Aaaaaaaaaaaah!" Decus had lifted Alice from the ground. "What the hell do you think you're doing, you idiot!" Alice was completely blushing, the red on her checks was easily visible. "Put me down!" And ignoring her words Decus began to cross the puddle of blood, carrying Alice over it. "Are you deaf! I- I- I said you, put me down!" Since her words didn't seem to work, she began to flounder and beat his back with one hand while the other one pushed his face, blocking his view of the path. These actions made Decus wobble, who then stumbled over Emil's head, making him fall face down on the ground. Luckily, before the impact against the puddle, he was able to extend his arms enough to let his princess safely cross the puddle, making her receive only some drops of blood that Decus had made splash when he hit the floor.

Alice got up indignantly, cheeks still red.

Decus puffed his mouth against the puddle while getting up, making some bubbles.

Alice looked at Decus, who just had lifted his head to ask for explanations for what had happened. "Can I know what the hell did you t-" Then, she put her hands over her mouth. Decus was kneeling in front of her with his hands at the ground and his face all covered with blood, looking at her like a puppy who didn't know what he had done wrong. Decus didn't know what was happening, and his doubts grew more when he saw tears at her eyes as some weird noises began to leave her mouth. His doubts were soon dispelled when Alice began to laugh out loud at him.

Decus couldn't help but smile despite the gruesome scene around him, because, in front of him, was the most beautiful of ladies laughing openly. Without the slightest hesitation he grabbed Alice's hand, making her fall to the pool of blood beside him.

Alice, with a fast movement, placed her hands on his shoulders and knocked him down into the puddle. Opening her legs, she sat herself kneeling over him at his waist. Decus was completely submissive under her legs with the most stupid smile drawn at his face.

Decus- He had always remained at her side obeying her selfish desires no matter what, he had condemned his soul to an eternal hell only to please her. Still, she couldn't allow herself to love him, love makes you weak, love makes you put the wishes of the others above yours, putting you at risk because of your interest for another person. Alice couldn't allow herself to love him, and she wished that she didn't, so day after day, night after night, she said to herself that she didn't, but to her disgrace, the reality was different.

A smile lit her beautiful face. Pulling by the blue leash he had at his choker, she put his face a few inches away from hers. Decus' breathing became faster and more intense each second, his heart began to pound hard. Alice's beautiful lips were only a few inches from his owns.

It didn't matter how much she rejected him, he didn't care how badly he was treated, all the humiliation she made him suffer, or the fact that he was always being used by her. He'd be always at her side no matter what.

"Thank you," And with a small tug at his leash she pulled his mouth to hers and gave him a kiss.

Alice couldn't love him, not in the same way, at least not the way the word love was usually interpreted, perhaps because it wasn't love, but he understood that, and that seemed to be more than enough for both of them.

Decus remained in his place, stunned, without knowing how to react. Everything was happening so fast. All he knew was that his love was kissing him. He had dreamed about this moment all his life, and now, he didn't know what to do. How he was supposed act? What he was supposed to say? But it didn't matter at all, apparently so many uncontrolled emotions at the same time were too much for him- a few seconds later, he simply fainted with the most stupid smile on his face.

GAME OVER.