"Regardless, I don't have time for this..." Riven thought, already accepting the fact that he tried to kill himself. "I have to get back to—" But as he tried to turn himself into smoke again, he suddenly couldn't move; his body just locked up on him, and that same familiar force that didn't allow him to drop Alice rattled through his system.

  Narrowing his eyes for half a second, he just let out a breath. "Of course."

  "Ask your questions," he said, realizing the spirit within him wouldn't let him leave without repaying his debt.

  His face lighting up like a Christmas tree, he was about to speak, only for Julius to cut him off.

  "Before you go into your endless rant of questions, do you mind getting this unwelcome guest some clothes? He's half naked," he said from behind while gesturing to Riven's all but burnt and torn-through clothes that revealed more of his deathly pale skin.

  "Right," Jake said as he spun around on his heel before he got into a running position, and suddenly the air around him started to crackle alive, like lightning bolts or whips were going off around them.

  And even before the blink of an eye—literally less than a second—his entire body became a jagged streak of white and blue electricity.

  Sighing deeply, Julius started to count down. "Three, Two, One," and when he finished, Jake was back with a slightly embarrassed expression.

  "You forgot to ask his size," Julius said while shaking his head disappointedly.

  "I forgot to ask his size," he confirmed.

  "We look about the same size, so whatever would fit you will do," Riven stated.

  "Right," he said again before zooming off and out the door again.

  Watching him zoom off, his mind flashed to two days ago when he used that same magic to keep limiting his movement in his final fight against Ryuji. "That day..." he muttered as his fist began to clench as anger sparked in his system.

  But before he could dwell any longer, a cold object pressed against his shoulder. Anger leaving him almost immediately as his attention was redirected, he turned to his right to see Julius holding a clear glass of water.

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  "He'll be back soon, and you'll need this if you want your voice to be ready."

  Staring at him blankly for a second, he took the glass and downed it in one breath.

  "Wow, you were really parched," he said, unable to help the traces of concern and surprise spreading on his face at once.

  "If you want another cup, the kitchen is just right there," he said while gesturing out of the room.

  "I'm sorry," Riven said as he let out an involuntary panted breath from the cold water.

  His face turning puzzled, he asked, "Why?"

  "The choking," he replied while gesturing at the abrasions around his neck.

  Instinctively covering them up, he froze. "You remember."

  "No, my memory is all but gone from last night, but I was able to put it together from the residual pain coming from the back of my head and how fresh those marks look, added to by your wariness of me."

  "Oh," he started, a little baffled by such a quick and accurate analogy from him. "What is the last thing you remember?"

  "I was launching off into the sky; everything is blurry from then on," he answered plainly.

  "Well..." Julius started before taking a pause. "When I found you in that alley, I saw you were suffering from anmia drain, so it wasn't your fault," he stated.

  "No need to be sorry; you weren't in your right mind." He concluded, trying to sound rational though he didn't feel that way.

  Hearing this, his eyes widen briefly as a thought crosses his mind.

  But the thought soon dissipated when a crackle was heard behind him, followed by a series of panting.

  Turning around, he looked at the exhausted-looking Jake. "Hey, sorry it took me so long; I had to go all the way across the city to that one store with super chill people who don't have mana blockers so I could...you know," he said while he sweated heavily.

  Handing the bag to Riven, he continued to speak. "I grabbed...a t-shirt, hoodie, sweatpants, socks, and some very cheap boots I saw."

  "I don't think you had to add the very cheap part," Julius commented.

  Accepting the bag from him, the familiar force compelled his next words. "Thank you."

  "Don't mention it," Jake said, waving his hand dismissively as he held onto the wall to stop himself from falling.

  "The bathroom is down the hall to the left," Julius said while pointing in the direction from inside the room.

  Walking out of the room, he was just about to turn the corner when Jake called out behind him.

  "Hey, do you mind answering just one question first?"

  "Really, Jake, you can't wait long enough for him to change; you really can't be this impatient," he stated, his voice full of annoyance and disappointment.

  "I just ran across the city for the clothes; don't I get a little leeway?" he asked, but before Julius could answer, Riven said.

  "What is it?"

  "Right, yeah," he started, his voice becoming childishly excited.

  "Why were you and Ignatius fighting?"

  The question made Riven stare at him and just blink for a few seconds as if he were deciding how to answer before he spoke in a tone that didn't suit what came out of his mouth.

  "We fought because he thought I killed his grandson...Riven Cross."