"So are you going to explain yourself?" Sarandel asked as she walked beside X, her pace steady while he continued forward with the random knight helmet still resting over his head.
"I guess at this point I should," X replied with a shrug. "Go ahead and ask." He paused for a moment before adding casually, "I'm assuming you're going to ask why I didn't kill Ercale when I had the chance?"
Sarandel shook her head. "No," she said, giving him a sideways glance. "I want to ask why you risked fighting the boy overtaken by the Beast Part by yourself."
X tilted his head slightly. "I mean, it worked out, didn't it?" he replied. "I fought the Beast alone, won quickly, and nobody died." His tone remained maddeningly casual. "Maybe I did something I've been holding back. Something that would kill everyone around me if I used it while other people were nearby."
Sarandel could practically feel the grin beneath the helmet from the absolute non-answer he had just given.
She stopped responding entirely.
Instead, she simply stared at him.
Deadpan.
For several long seconds.
Eventually, X let out a sigh of surrender. "Fine, fine," he relented. "I did it because I had to show him my face." His tone shifted, becoming slightly more serious. "And because I did that, Xain managed to overcome the Beast and take control of his body back."
Sarandel's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
"Your face?" she repeated. "You beat a Beast Part by showing it your face?"
X waved a dismissive hand. "When you say it like that, it sounds ridiculous."
"That's because it is," Sarandel replied immediately.
X continued without missing a beat. "But there's context behind it. The reason matters. More importantly, what's under this helmet matters." His hand briefly lifted toward the side of it before falling again. "That matters more than anything."
Sarandel crossed her arms. "Then are you going to show me what's under there?" she asked. "You always hide your face. Ever since we met, you've gone out of your way to avoid showing it."
X turned his head toward her for a moment, silent beneath the helmet. He looked at her for several seconds before facing forward again.
"It's not just you I hide my face from," he said eventually. "Nori's seen it, I guess, but we've known each other for a long, long time."
The two of them continued walking as they passed through one of the city gates. Compared to the destruction inside, the outer areas remained almost untouched. The roads beyond were intact, buildings still standing, the chaos of the city fading behind them with every step.
"The reason I hide it is because without my usual skull mask, people aren't going to take me seriously, you know?" X continued casually. "I don't exactly look intimidating under here."
As he spoke, he lifted a hand toward the knight helmet resting over his head. "Want me to show you?" he asked.
Sarandel answered immediately. "You already know the answer."
X gave a small nod before reaching up and slowly pulling the helmet free.
Long blue hair fell down to just below his shoulders as the helmet came off completely. He turned his head toward her, blue eyes calmly meeting her emerald green ones.
Sarandel simply stared at him.
For a few moments, she said absolutely nothing.
Then she let out a slow sigh.
"I should have known," she said before turning away from him and continuing ahead.
X smirked faintly behind her. "That's it?" he asked while casually putting the helmet back on before catching up beside her. "That's your whole reaction, goddess?"
"A lot of things make sense now," Sarandel replied. "That much is certain." She glanced toward him briefly. "Did you ever plan on doing it?"
X chuckled softly. "If you're talking about killing myself, then no," he answered. "But if you're talking about dealing with your Demon Lord problem, then yes. I'm still going to handle that." His tone remained calm. "I just won't be killing myself from another Reality."
Sarandel nodded once. "That's acceptable. Ercale is the one I primarily want dead anyway." She placed a hand lightly against her chin in thought. "As for the boy, I can find another solution that doesn't involve killing him."
For a short while, the two simply continued walking in silence beyond the city walls.
Then Sarandel spoke again.
"For now, however," she said, her tone sharpening slightly, "you are going to help me deal with all these insects crawling all over my sister. Understood?"
X nodded immediately. "Of course I understand, goddess." He tilted his head slightly. "So who's first on the list?"
Sarandel looked ahead toward the open distance beyond the road.
"I already have a few in mind."