[Aethel]
[The Grand Coliseum]
The moment the five colossal meteors fell, the Grand Coliseum exploded in shock.
Tens of thousands of spectators shot to their feet, their screams merging into a single, deafening roar. The massive viewing screen suspended above the arena, which projected Dante's battle across the wasteland planet in vivid detail, flickered from the sheer energy of the devastation it displayed.
The meteors had struck.
The first explosion rippled across the screens, and the entire stadium shook from the sound of the image alone. The audience felt it. They saw the land collapse beneath the weight of impact, the planet screaming in protest, the air warping under the magnitude of destruction.
Then came the second meteor.
BOOOOOOM!
Then the third, fourth, and fifth meteors.
Each detonation was an apocalypse in itself. The sky ripped apart, the land sundered, and the spectators lost their minds. They weren't just watching a battle anymore, even though this battle happened so far away, the knowledge that such level of ruin was possible, was frightening
People clutched their heads, their hearts pounding in their chests. Some had collapsed onto their knees, overwhelmed by the spectacle. Others stood on their seats, screaming Dante's name.
Even the most composed among them felt their breath catch in their throats.
From within the screen of ruin, Dante stepped forward, unaffected.
The stadium lost its mind. A wave of hysteria washed over the Coliseum. There was no single voice anymore—just a sound of pure emotion.
The imagery zoomed in on Dante's helm—its cold, unreadable faceplate was all the emotion they got.
The announcer's voice shattered through the chaos.
"INCOMPREHENSIBLE! INDESCRIBABLE! UNSTOPPABLE!!" The announcer, barely able to contain his breath, slammed his hands onto the podium as he bellowed into the magical amplifier:
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! DO YOUR EYES DECEIVE YOU?! DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU HAVE JUST WITNESSED?! "FIVE METEORS! NOT ONE! NOT TWO! BUT FIVE GOD-SLAYING METEORS, EACH CARRYING ENOUGH FORCE TO WIPE A NATION FROM EXISTENCE—AND HE ENDURED IT ALL WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A SCRATCH!!"
The crowd erupted yet again, some of the spectators were in sheer disbelief.
"That's not possible! That's NOT POSSIBLE!" One noble clutched his head, his eyes wide with horror.
"He took that head-on… and… he's fine?! How?! HOW?!"
"No mortal should be able to withstand that!!"
A sorceress collapsed into her seat, pale and trembling. A high-ranking warrior from a distant empire watched with sweat dripping down his brow, his knuckles white as he gripped his chair.
The betting tables in the VIP sections were in chaos.
"HE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO SURVIVE THAT!" a man screamed as he watched his fortune vanish before his eyes.
"YOU FOOLS! HE'S NOT JUST SURVIVING, HE'S DOMINATING!" another cackled, flipping the table as he cashed in his winnings.
"What is he?" one noble murmured, staring at the screen in disbelief.
"A nightmare," another muttered.
"No. He is something beyond nightmares," an old warrior corrected, his voice grim.
Back at the announcer's booth, the host's voice carried over the roaring masses.
"AND YET—AND YET—LOOK AT HIM!!"
The imager zoomed in closer on Dante, the announcer slammed his hands down again.
"UNFAZED! UNBROKEN! UNRIVALED! DANTE—THE UNTOUCHABLE MONSTER! THE UNSTOPPABLE BEAST! THE TRUE KING OF DEVASTATION!!!"
The entire Coliseum shook with thunderous applause and cheers.
"FIRST MIKOTO YUKIO AND NOW THIS!! HOW MUCH MONSTERS DOES THIS REALM TRULY HOLD!!"
It seemed he would get his answer, the largest of the suspended screen shifted once more to reveal the third monster
--------------------
[???]
Another tremor.
Then another.
A burst of light in the distance. A burst of flames and hurricanes, then meteors.
Astrid and Mai were utterly appalled. They could not help but think of how many monsters were at this festival. The ground buckled under their feet as they paid attention to the monster before them.
The area stood in ruin, the land carved apart yet—
Only Astrid and Mai were breathing heavily.
Their chests rose and fell, their bodies slick with sweat, while Grimm stood before them, motionless. The towering armored figure barely seemed to acknowledge their exhaustion, his arms now folded leisurely across his chest.
It wasn't just confidence—it was disdainful indifference.
A gust of wind swept across the area, carrying the scent of charred rock and scorched mana as Mai narrowed her eyes. Grimm's presence alone was suffocating. Even now, despite his lack of aggression, the oppressive weight of his aura pressed down on them like an executioner's blade hanging by a thread.
Astrid, gripping Leifa Allr, tightened her stance, her fingers wrapped firmly around the hilt of the blade. Grimm tilted his head ever so slightly, as if mildly entertained by the two still standing before him.
("Foreign techniques from Huaxia and a magical artifact on par with the Sabre.") He would admit—Mai was skilled. Her martial prowess was not to be underestimated, her movements honed to precision, her reflexes razor-sharp. But ultimately, the real threat was the princess. ("One direct hit with that blade would be fatal.")
Leifa Allr was no ordinary weapon.
Grimm had seen artifacts of legend, weapons that could slice through space, blades that devoured concepts—yet this one held a lethality that demanded caution. A single misstep, and even he would not emerge unscathed.
His gaze shifted momentarily.
Grimm's already nonexistent enthusiasm plummeted to hell at that moment.
His stare locked onto Mallory's battle—
Except calling it a 'battle' was an insult to the very concept of combat.
Because what he saw—
Was his lieutenant, his subordinate, his supposed 'elite' soldier—running around like an absolute buffoon, her arms flailing as if she were some headless poultry.
And behind her?
The Stark brat, chasing after her with exasperation so thick it could be carved into the wasteland.
For a few excruciatingly long seconds, Grimm just... stared. The battlefield around him still burned, the ground still trembled, and his opponents still remained in stubborn defiance—
But none of it mattered anymore.
Because his dumbass of a lieutenant was single-handedly ruining his already non-existent reputation. Grimm heavily exhaled, the sound of resignation leaking from his helmet. ("I should just surrender. I should just give up. I should spare myself this embarrassment.")
A sigh—deep, weary, filled with contempt and second-hand humiliation.
He suddenly remembered, his expression hidden, but his long, vibrant hair swayed in mild exasperation. Because just to add to the shitshow—
Zephyra Illusora were showcasing all of this.
Yes. Watching. Like a damn predatory hawk, recording every humiliating second of this disaster.
("Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.")
Grimm shook his head.
He was done.
Utterly and completely done.
"General Mai..."
Astrid's voice broke through the moment of absurdity, her eyes remaining locked onto Grimm's form. "Doesn't it seem odd to you? He's just been dodging this whole time."
Mai exhaled through her nose, her body tense.
"It's like he's waiting for something," she murmured back, her stance subtly shifting.
A voice entered their minds.
["He no doubt senses the approaching signatures of Adrian, Agatha, and her fairy."] It was Victoria's voice, her telepathy weaving effortlessly into their consciousness. ["It's possible he does not want to exert too much strength yet."]
Mai's lips pressed into a thin line. It made sense.
Despite the utter madness of this battlefield, Grimm was still calculating, still remaining on the defensive. He wasn't merely stalling—
["Two minutes before Agatha's team arrives,"] Victoria continued. ["Lucinda and Mirabella are currently engaged with the Inheritors of the God Arcturus. Remember the plan."]
Both Astrid and Mai gave an affirmative nod, even though Victoria could not see them.
Despite the ridiculousness of what was happening around them, despite the absurdity of Mallory's ongoing humiliation, despite Grimm's hidden look of 'I am beyond done with all of you,'
They could not be idle, so—
The ground beneath Astrid shattered as she surged forward, her armored form blurring. Leifa Allr gleamed in her grasp, the blade singing through the air with a precise swing. Grimm barely tilted his head, watching as the lethal arc of her blade passed harmlessly by.
The sword's edge sliced through the air, missing his throat by a hair's breadth.
She gave a precise step forward into a seamless rotation—her second strike came from below, a powerful upward slash aimed to cleave through his torso. But Grimm merely leaned back, his towering form shifting just out of reach.
Astrid didn't slow.
With a flicker of movement, she twisted her wrist, changing the sword's trajectory mid-strike, reversing its flow into a sudden diagonal cut toward his ribs. Still, nothing.
Grimm simply sidestepped, his cape billowing slightly from the force of her attacks.
"Tsk—!" Astrid gritted her teeth, her frustration mounting. She launched into a rapid series of slashes, thrusts, and spinning strikes, each one faster than the last—each one evaded with the barest effort. Grimm barely moved, his long vibrant red hair shifting ever so slightly with each near-miss.
"Princess," he drawled, voice flat and unimpressed, as he tilted his head to narrowly avoid another blazing-fast thrust aimed at his eyes. "Are you even trying?"
Astrid's eyebrow twitched.
Sparks exploded as Leifa Allr struck the ground, missing him again as he stepped to the side like she was some rookie swinging wildly at air.
"Why are you so slippery?!" she snapped, already pivoting, her sword whistling through the air in another devastating cross-cut.
Grimm sighed, his eyes—hidden behind the dark visor of his helmet—briefly flicking toward his left.
Because Mai had entered the fray.
With a single powerful bound, Mai soared through the air, her lilac hair streaming behind her, form glowing with a vibrant Qi aura.
She didn't hesitate, her knee rocketed forward with terrifying speed, the force of her Qi-infused strike distorting the air—yet Grimm moved so casually that it was insulting. Her attack should have landed.
It didn't.
Grimm merely shifted his weight, twisting slightly, and Mai's Qi-powered knee sailed past his ribcage, hitting nothing but empty space.
Her eyes widened—
—but Mai was quick, already adjusting mid-air, she pivoted with astonishing flexibility, her leg snapping backward in a brutal axe kick toward the side of Grimm's helmet.
Her heel came down like a meteor—
—and struck nothing.
Grimm tilted his head the opposite direction, avoiding it by an inch.
"…Huh?" Mai blinked.
Grimm's voice was dry. "You missed."
Mai landed gracefully, spinning on her heel, immediately launching into a strike aiming at his chest— he casually pivoted. A follow-up elbow jab— he took a lazy step backward. A blazing-fast leg sweep— he simply lifted his foot.
It was infuriating.
Mai exhaled sharply, rolling her shoulders. "Alright," she muttered. "Take two." She shot forward again, moving even faster.
Grimm moved even less.
He avoided every attack without a wasted motion, dodging with minimal effort, hands still tucked behind his back, cape flowing lazily. Astrid clenched her teeth, pushing forward again, her blade flashing.
It made no difference.
Grimm sidestepped. He ducked. He leaned. He moved so effortlessly it was as if the battle itself was beneath him. And in the middle of all this, his bored gaze flicked toward the two absolute morons fighting in the distance.
Lukas seemed furious.
"Will you stand still?!" he barked, his form crackling with raw electricity, as he swung down a punch with all his might. The impact sent a thunderous shockwave through the air, the force splitting the ground.
Mallory… wasn't even looking at him.
The silver-haired girl had her hands tucked behind her head, effortlessly hopping from foot to foot, dodging each electrified strike without a care in the world.
"Oh wow, you actually tried with that one," she said, yawning dramatically. "Gold star for effort, I guess?"
Lukas's eyebrow twitched violently.
"STOP JUMPING AROUND LIKE AN IDIOT!"
Mallory stuck her tongue out, hopping over another deadly arc of lightning, her cap barely shifting as she sidestepped a stab without even acknowledging it.
"Dodge, dodge, dodge~" she sang in an annoyingly childish tone, spinning gracefully as yet another bolt of lightning missed her by mere inches.
Lukas, now absolutely seething, channeled even more into his form—electricity crackling violently, lightning arcing around him in a blinding display of power.
Mallory?
Mallory stretched her arms, completely unbothered.
Grimm, watching all this from the corner of his eye, exhaled deeply. "…I should have called in sick today."
Grimm turned his attention back—
SHIIING!
Leifa Allr flashed toward his throat.
He ducked.
Mai aimed a palm strike at his ribs.
He leaned?
Grimm sighed. "…How long are you two going to keep missing?"
Mai gave an uneasy smile. "Until we don't." She grinned as she launched her Qi-infused palm through the air, Mai's palm jab shot toward his sternum, Grimm's torso shifted back an inch. A sharp elbow to his ribs, he angled himself just enough that her strike whiffed past his armor.
A feint—
She reversed her motion mid-strike, twisting her hip, pivoting into a spinning backfist. Her knuckles glowed with Qi, as she aimed for the side of his helmet. For a split second, it almost looked like it would land. Grimm blinked. His head tilted slightly to the left. Mai's strike missed by a hair's breadth. Her eyes flashed in frustration.
"…Come on." Grimm's dull voice followed immediately after. "You tried."
Mai gritted her teeth, already adjusting, shifting into a low stance, twisting her body—
—at the same time Astrid surged forward again, faster than before. There was no excess movement.
Her sword blurred into a downward diagonal slash—
Grimm stepped aside.
A lightning-fast thrust to the abdomen—
He turned slightly, the tip barely grazing his armor.
Astrid pivoted— shifting her stance in a heartbeat, swinging Leifa Allr in a lethal arc aimed at his shoulder.
Grimm sighed.
His cape fluttered slightly as he tilted his body, letting the blade pass harmlessly through air. Mai didn't waste the opportunity. She lunged at Grimm's exposed side, one strike to his kidney, another to the base of his spine, a quick, snappy roundhouse kick aimed at his jaw.
Each one could have crippled a lesser opponent.
Grimm moved like water. His body shifted, angled, and flowed past every attack like a man casually walking through the rain without getting wet.
Mai's leg sliced through air.
She landed gracefully, her feet sliding against the dirt—Astrid was already in motion again.
Their coordination was seamless.
Astrid's next attack was a faint flicker, her blade vanishing and reappearing at Grimm's throat in less than a blink.
He tilted his head, the tip of Leifa Allr missed him by less than an inch.
Astrid gritted her teeth. She wasn't just swinging wildly—she was testing him, probing for an opening. And she had found something. He never moved more than necessary. Every single dodge was done with perfect action.
Astrid's eyes narrowed. She twisted mid-strike, seamlessly flowing into another attack—this time, her foot shot forward, a kick to his kneecap.
It was a trap.
A real attack—but a disguised feint.
If Grimm dodged it like he dodged everything else, she'd use the motion to twist her sword into an unpredictable second slash.
And for the first time—
Grimm paused.
"Not bad," he muttered, almost impressed.
Then, without warning, Astrid and Mai both suddenly leapt backward.
Grimm didn't react.
Didn't even seem surprised.
The ground trembled and a shadow loomed over him, a colossal stone fist came crashing down—
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
Dust erupted, the force of impact creating a small crater where Grimm had been standing. Astrid and Mai landed side by side, watching as a massive golem retracted its stone-encrusted fist from the ground.
Perched atop its broad shoulder, a familiar figure stood with an unreadable expression.
Agatha.
She hopped down effortlessly, landing beside Astrid and Mai.
"You two looked like you needed help," she said smoothly, dusting off her gauntlets.
Astrid huffed. "He saw it coming."
"Yeah," Mai added, crossing her arms. "And he didn't even dodge."
The dust settled.
Grimm was still standing there.
Not even a scratch.
He exhaled deeply, looking down at his armor, now covered in a fine layer of dust. Then, ever so slightly, he brushed his shoulder off.
"Tch," he muttered. "I liked this cape."
Agatha nodded. "…Seems he's as troublesome as you predicted, Mai."
Grimm slowly looked up at her.
From the far side of the battlefield, Adrian appeared in tandem. By his side—two large, snarling canine demons, their dark forms prowling toward the group with glowing red eyes.
Their target?
Mallory.
Who was still skipping around like an absolute idiot.
The moment the first demon lunged—
Mallory ducked.
Just casually.
Like she barely even noticed it.
The second demon pounced.
Mallory stepped to the side, hands still tucked behind her head, whistling a little tune.
Adrian watched this for about three seconds before his eye twitched. He was not immune to the lieutenants idiocy it seems "…Are you even taking this seriously?"
Mallory finally looked at him. "Nah."
Adrian's turned to Lukas, who had regrouped with the others, eyes still seething from earlier.
"You seem quite....mad." Adrian noted.
Lukas ran a hand through his hair, his blue armor crackling slightly. "You have no idea."
Mallory leisurely made her way back to Grimm, the large golem and demon hounds standing idly at the larger group's side.
"What are demons doing here?" Mallory asked, though as ever, no real surprise tainted her face.
"That brat in the robe must've established contracts with 'em," Grimm shrugged, eyes glazing over them.
Astrid pursed her lips as she glanced at Agatha, "Your fairy companion is absent," she noted.
"Cornella is better fit for support. I had her do something in the meantime," Agatha vaguely stated. "We'll proceed with the plan. Mirabella and Lucinda are close."
Agatha gave the command, the massive golem rumbled forward, its enormous stone feet splitting the ground beneath it with each thunderous step. At the same time, the demonic hounds lunged at Adrians command, their claws carving deep gouges in the earth, their glowing red eyes locking onto Mallory and Grimm.
The weight of the momentum sent a pulse through the battlefield. The first to reach its target was the golem.
It wasn't fast, but it was relentless. It raised an enormous arm, its fist the size of a warhorse, and swung down with the force of a collapsing fortress.
Grimm barely shifted his stance.
At the same time—
The two demon hounds struck from both sides, a coordinated attack. Their fangs dripped with blackened saliva, their bodies twisted masses of dark mana as they lunged at Mallory's exposed back.
Their speed was terrifying—
Mallory barely even acknowledged them.
The instant before impact—
Grimm snapped his fingers.
A sound cut through the battlefield.
Not fire. Not an explosion.
It was a hollow, deathly hum—an unnatural reverberation of reality itself acknowledging something absolute.
A heartbeat later—
Pure white flame ignited, it wasn't natural fire, iIt wasn't even magic.
The moment it touched the golem's stone body, it didn't burn—it erased. The white flames curled up its enormous limbs, the heat warping the air, turning the solid rock into weightless ash in an instant. The golem didn't even get the chance to finish its attack.
It simply ceased to exist.
At the same time—
The demonic hounds froze mid-leap. The flames didn't just consume them—they denied them the right to remain in reality. They were erased before their bodies even fully touched the fire.
Lukas, Adrian, Agatha, Astrid, and Mai were already retreating, moving toward Lucinda and Mirabella's location—but they stole a glance backward to witness what just happened.
All that remained of the golem and the hounds was a withered afterimage in the air. And in the center of it all, Grimm stood, lowering his hand, seemingly still profoundly bored.
Mallory whistled. "Hell of a party trick."
Grimm exhaled, shaking his head. "That was annoying. Doesn't matter, I suppose." Grimm muttered. "Now run."
Mallory stretched, popping her shoulder. "Ughhh, I hate running. Can't we just—"
Grimm suddenly moved.
And Mallory barely reacted in time.
Without warning, Grimm surged forward.
There was no build-up, no warning—one moment he was standing there, the next, he was moving so fast that reality seemed to lag behind him.
Mallory scrambled to keep up.
She had been lazy before, just dodging things without effort. But now? Now she was forced to actually try. Her body tensed, and with a sudden explosive step, she shot forward, following after Grimm with a whip-like burst of acceleration.
And then, like a shockwave rippling across the area.
Everyone ran.
Agatha, Astrid, Mai, Adrian, and Lukas—all of them tore through the terrain, their bodies cutting through the air, every pivot was precise, every movement felt on the verge of exceeding the limits of capability. They had Victoria to guide them after all.
Astrid, still gripping Leifa Allr, ran with a slight urgency in her gaze.
She knew.
She had been holding back.
And yet, Grimm had barely even tried.
Mai, by contrast, was almost smiling. Her body was light, fluid, her Qi enhancing every movement, making her feel weightless. She stole a glance at Agatha—who was keeping pace with them effortlessly, her gaze locked forward.
Adrian, at the rear of the group, kept pace with some difficulty, his eyes flickering between everyone, noting positions, distances.
And then there was Grimm.
Who was barely even exerting himself. Mallory finally caught up to him, somehow keeping pace despite looking mildly inconvenienced.
"Man," she muttered, shaking her head. "I should've stretched before this."
Grimm sighed. "Stop talking and run."
Mallory stuck out her tongue. "Hate that you're faster than me."
"You hate everything, brat."
"Not true," she said. "I love annoying people. It's my passion."
"Consider it fulfilled."
The pursuit through the wasteland reached its crescendo as the group finally closed in on Lucinda and Mirabella. The terrain stretched endlessly around them in disarray.
Mirabella stood with her arms crossed, her expression a onw of irritation as she eyed the approaching figures. Beside her, Lucinda remained ready.
Mai skidded to a halt first, "Finally, I was starting to think we'd have to run all the way around this planet."
Astrid landed with a slight bounce, flipping Leifa Allr onto her shoulder with a relieved sigh.
Agatha adjusted her gauntlets, taking stock of their situation in an instant. Adrian was the last to arrive, his breathing steady but strained, his robe fluttering from the sudden stop. Lukas, as ever, looked fine, barring the intense irritation on his face.
Then came the final two figures.
Grimm's cloak billowing slightly as he slowed to a stop, looking as though the entire chase had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience. Behind him, Mallory practically skidded across the rocky terrain, her boots kicking up dust as she came to a rather abrupt halt.
She stretched exaggeratedly, twisting her back until it cracked. "Ughhh, I am so over this festival already. Can we all agree that next time, we just—oh, I don't know—not run across an entire wasteland? Maybe walk. Maybe get a carriage. Maybe—"
Grimm gave her a hidden flat look. "Maybe shut up."
Mallory scoffed, planting her hands on her hips. "Rude."
"Surprisingly, not my worst offense," Grimm muttered.
Lucinda, ignoring their exchange, took a single step forward. She already knew what needed to be done. Her gaze flicked across the group, assessing each of them before settling on Mirabella.
"It's time."
Mirabella exhaled sharply, muttering something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like "Finally."
Without another word, Lucinda raised her gauntleted hand. A massive glyph burst to life beneath them, runes mixing together.
Grimm's reaction was minimal, but Mallory instinctively took a step back. "Ohhh, see, this looks like one of those things where people get vaporized if they stand in the wrong spot. Should I be worried? Should we be worried?"
The light intensified—
And in that moment, Grimm moved.
With casual movements, he grabbed Mallory by the back of her coat and yeeted her into the glowing glyph like a particularly annoying sack of potatoes.
"HEY—!" Mallory's outraged yell was cut short as the glyph surged.
The others, already within its radius, vanished in an instant, their forms dissolving into streaks of mana.
Silence followed.
Grimm remained standing at the edge of the now-empty plateau, his expression hidden behind his helm.
Behind him, two figures still lingered.
Lilith hummed playfully, twirling a strand of her long white hair around one delicate finger. "Well, well, well. Looks like it's just the three of us now."
Reylthorn, standing beside her with a distinctly exhausted expression, exhaled through his nose. "Oh, fantastic. It would have been much more preferable to be rid of the spawn of Octavia. Who even is this guy?" The youth questioned, looking thoroughly annoyed.
Grimm rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck slightly. "I'd say likewise, but that would imply I had expectations to begin with."
Lilith's lips curled into a sly smile. "You're all alone now, big boy. No pesky allies to get in the way."
Grimm scoffed. "I threw my only ally into a teleportation spell like a sack of grain. What does that tell you?"
Lilith's grin widened. "That you have trust issues."
Reylthorn groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Please don't encourage her."
"Encourage me?" Lilith batted her lashes. "Reylthorn, dear, I am the encouragement. I provide the ambiance, the intrigue—"
"The headache," Reylthorn interjected.
Grimm sighed heavily, glancing upward as if pleading to whatever cosmic force had stranded him in this particular nightmare. Mallory had, for all her faults, at least been entertaining in a 'kick a wasps' nest and see what happens' kind of way. These two? They were going to be insufferable, he could just tell.
Lilith took a step forward, her dress fluttering slightly with the motion. "So, what's the plan now, handsome?"
Grimm did not know why she deigned to call him handsome despite his entire face being obscured. "I'll have to maim you two, nothing personal."
Lilith smirked. "Hot."
Reylthorn audibly gagged. "I'm leaving."
"You're not leaving," Lilith corrected sweetly. "We're stuck here for the moment, remember, little brother?"
Grimm exhaled slowly. "Perfect. Just what I wanted. Quality time."
Lilith winked. "I knew you liked me."
Grimm deadpanned. "Hardly."
Reylthorn sighed deeply. "Can we just get this over with before I decide to start hitting my head against a rock?"
Lilith giggled, tilting her head. "Well, I do like my men a little broken~."
Reylthorn turned and promptly walked away, muttering something about losing all faith in existence.
Grimm watched him go before glancing at Lilith. "...You just do that to make people miserable, don't you?"
She smiled innocently. "Oh, darling. Absolutely."
Grimm closed his eyes for a brief, blessed moment of silence.
Then, with a slow inhale—he accepted his fate.
And regretted everything.