After Nate returned to his small form and lay still on the ground as before, Archer slowly walked toward Eizo, then looked at the boy with a deep gaze that was hard to explain. Not a threat, but not full trust either.
"Take him," Archer ordered calmly. "Nate is yours now."
But Eizo just stood still. His feet were heavy, his body stiff. His eyes didn't even dare to look directly at Nate. The aura of these fighters was too overwhelming, especially Aiden, who hadn't taken his eyes off the boy from the start.
Aiden's patience finally ran out. He stepped forward, his voice exploding like thunder shaking the chest.
"Take him! Now!"
Eizo flinched. Trembling, he stepped forward, head lowered… then reached out his hand toward Nate.
And the moment his fingers touched the stone surface of Nate's body—
…Nate rose.
Effortlessly.
Without weight. As if Nate had been destined to be held by Eizo's hands.
Meanwhile, Archer stood still, watching him deeply.
"Even I," Archer murmured softly, "even I couldn't move him, even after using all my strength."
Everyone who witnessed it understood. Nate had made his choice.
But the question now was—
"Is Nate truly ready… to fully merge?"
Archer exhaled briefly. Then with a tone firm yet not harsh, he said:
"Very well. I entrust Nate to you. Protect him… better than your own life."
Eizo nodded, still unable to believe what had just happened.
"We will return… and when that time comes, make sure you are ready."
With a snap of Archer's fingers, the space around them shifted, bending light and warping shadows. In the blink of an eye—
the four of them vanished from the place.
Meanwhile, in the darkness...
A shadowy figure unseen by anyone stood atop a pile of scrap metal. A pair of red eyes glowed faintly, watching from a distance since the beginning of the incident. He took a long breath, then smirked slightly.
"Hoo... So Nate chose trash like that, huh?"
His tone was light, but full of poison.
He looked down, pulling a piece of paper from inside his clothes—a worn sheet that seemed ordinary, yet somehow held an unnatural malevolent intent.
"Now… let's see if this boy can resist the temptation… of just a single sheet of paper."
Then he vanished into the night's darkness, his steps silent, but the world would soon hear his echo.