Ars opened his heavy eyes. It was so heavy it took him an hour to fully wake up. 

The first thing he witnesses is the ceiling of a room, a bedroom. 

He sleeps on a comfortable soft mattress. Covered by a thick, warm blanket.

"You are finally awake."

Someone said that to him as he rose from sleep. 

He saves that question for later. Looking at his body, he found his two hands and body got covered by a bandage. Probably a treatment from the previous battle. 

Previous battle. Ars may think that he only sleeps for a day. But maybe it was more than he thought.

"How long has it been since that battle?" 

"A month."

"How long since I fell unconscious?"

"A month."

A month after the grand battle against the strongest man. 

The memory of that battle re-entering his head. When he tried really hard to equal his power and speed against the strongest man; about all his wasted effort to defeat the strongest man; regarding his last attempt to prevent losing someone he adores, by giving up on his own life.

"Did I got pitied?"

However, he did not lose his life. He is alive, and most importantly he got his heart back. 

"That wasn't a fair battle. So Yamato enforced a sportsmanship by killing himself and returned your heart."

"I am being pitied."

After all the effort and power he had done in that battle, he cannot win against the strongest man. 

In the past, even Spear Saint and Sword Saint need to work together to win against the strongest man, let alone him with just himself.

"What am I, the Sin of Pride?"

He got amused by that parable.

He supposed to be the Sin of Greed. But lately he has become very arrogance of his own strength: he forgot about his nature.

"What's this girl doing here?"

Next to him, there is a sleeping girl. A sleeping, worried girl who always insisted on being with him.

"She is just taking a nap."

To think of it, it was not a new sight to see. 

"Then what about you?" asked Ars to the silver-haired woman. "I don't recall I contracted you to be this long here."

It seemed Skadi is in charge to look for the two of them. But why such a fine warrior like her staying that long for him? 

"Are you asking me to leave?"

Ars smirked at that question. "You are a difficult one to talk to."

He gets up from bed and looks for all of his body. 

He wears pants. His upper body covered by bandage like a mummy up to his neck. 

Now that he remembered, at the end of the fight, he handed his neck to the winner. He stroked his neck and find there is no such incision wound or something.

After that, it's his heart's turn to be checked. 

*ba-dum**ba-dum**ba-dum*

He could feel his heart beating. He also able to expel his origin mana, the reddish dragonic mana. Not the pure goldish mana of the maiden.

"Ars."

A pure, innocent voice called him.

The previous sleeping girl had woke up. Giving a happy, surprised face as she gets out of bed and runs to him.

The girl bumped to him and hugged him really hard as she never wants to let go.

Ars at first did not know what he supposed to do. 

In that blithesome situation, Skadi walks out from the room. 

"Hey, I'm coming in. Is Eliz still sleep-?"

Arlene opened the door and wanted to enter the room. But got stopped and dragged by Skadi. 

"Hey, what are you doing?!"

"Let them alone."

"What do you-"

Arlene finally understands the situation when she found Ars and Elisa hugging each other.

The door got closed. Now there is only Elisa and Ars in the room. 

Elisa hugged Ars so tight. Meanwhile, Ars is hesitant. 

'Am I worthy of her?' 

Has become his question since he saw the girl was happy for his awaken. 

When he enters that hell, all he ever think was only himself and his own importance. Other than that, he makes use of everything around him for his advantage. 

He even let many people got killed on some incident when he can save them.

He never once thinks that people are being sincere to him. Even the person who said he is his best friend was taking advantage of his power. 

'He is rich and strong. If you became his related, your life will be guaranteed.'

That might be a retaliation of his own act of making use of other people. 

But his relationship with the hugging girl is different, is so complicated. 

The first time he met the girl and knowing that the girl related to someone important of Abyssal history, he immediately tried to take advantage of the girl and continued to make her stick to him.

That went well in one year of dominating half of the Floor. 

Until when he met with his nature enemy. The Virtue of Charity. 

He thought he could dominate the woman. But turned he got fascinated by the woman's appearance.

'Give me your everything.'

And ended up losing his life at the hands of the woman without a fight.

That was a very big humiliation. He thought it was okay for him to end up like that.

However, there is a person who did not give up on him. A girl who keeps trying to catch up on him. A girl who he thought would no longer be of use to him.

"Why are you giving up just like that?"

It seemed the girl knew the choice he chose at the end of the battle.

"There was nothing more I can do."

That is the reason why he gave up back then. He already gave all of himself on the battle just to be slapped by the reality that he could not win no matter what.

"But your life is more important that winning."

If you retreated, maybe you will get your second chance later. If you step back, you can think of another plan to re-challenge. If you don't give up and run, maybe you can ask for others' help. 

That is rational thought to prolong life and increase your winning percentage later.

However, the battle between him and the strongest man is not that simple. It was not like a match where there are champions and no casualties.

The battle is risking life. The loser must accept death. The winner will get everything.

The girl will not understand that. So it would be pointless to argue that point with her. 

"I am sorry."

So Ars chooses to give in. After all, he already lost the battle yesterday. So there's no point in being arrogant then.

"What will I do If I lose you?"

The girl asking that by shedding tears that wet Ars bandage.

Now that Ars thinks about that. The first time he met with the girl, the girl seemed to have no purpose in life. The girl lives only to get on with her life.

But when Ars decided to tie her to him, the girl finds color in her life. 

She found many colours, but the colour that started it all is a strong, reddish color owned by a certain arrogant man. 

"I am sorry."

Ars hugged Elisa tight. Realizing his stupidity that he himself needs the girl without him knowing it. 

~

~

~

The two of them spend their time alone from morning to night. 

They sit next to each other with Elisa lean on Ars' shoulder. 

The window opens, allowing the night's light to enter the room. Filled the two hearts with joy and sincere.

They holding hands. Elisa holds Ars' hand tight. While Ars has to hold his strength to not hurt Elisa's hand, because his hand is so rough. 

Now that Ars realizes, Elisa is not that little. The girl sat with the same head position as him. She is just, thin. Ars may could break the girl's hand easily if he wants to. 

"I lov...-u."

The girl said something. But Ars was gawking, so he didn't hear clearly.

"What?"

The girl gripped Ars' hand tightly because he did not listen to her. 

"Do you want something?"

Maybe she is thirsty, or starving because they had wasted the time that long. 

"Do you remember my promise?"

That question made Ars thinking. "What promise?"

Elisa strengthen her grip on Ars' hand. It seemed that Ars has made her angry somehow. 

Ars has no clue on why Elisa got angry. 

In the past, Elisa will say everything in her mind about him. But that was when they weren't that close.

Now they are very close to each other. Not only their bodies, but also their hearts. 

Even though Ars doesn't know why their situation can be that complicated. Maybe because he always thinks that a woman close to him is just a gratification material. 

However, his condition with Elisa is different. He didn't get the thought that he had to do Elisa any more than that. 

He got the feeling that he wanted to protect Elisa at all costs. 

"A promise to always follow you."

Thinking that the girl is the most precious thing to him. 

"Even if you go to the depth of Abyss."

The feeling that he did not want the girl to not be in a dangerous situation anymore. 

"I love you."