...

We departed for the Halls of Water the next day after eating, no, I meant devouring, our breakfast. I thanked Sasha for everything she has done for us before leaving, as Add lacked the manners to do so. It would've been nice if he showed his appreciation and gratitude to the kindhearted Water Priestess, but the almighty Diabolic Esper will never change, I guess. Ehehe...

"You're ready to kick some ass, aren't you?" Add had asked while getting his dynamos ready.

I nodded.

"Good. Because Aren/Ran/whatever his name currently is will PAY for what he has done to you."

Should I be glad that he was being so... overprotective?

...

I waved a final goodbye to the interior part of the Temple of Frozen Water, then started rushing over to the Hall with Add. Honestly, it was a lovely place to live in. It was simply an amazing castle! Sasha was truly lucky. All the pretty artifacts that were there... especially the painting of the Elgang. Speaking of which, I never got to ask Add about it. This was probably a convenient time, right? We needed some conversation while traveling to our final destination, anyway.

"Hey, Add. Are you in the mood to talk?" I inquired.

"Sure. Anything for my Princess." he grinned.

"Um, mind telling me about the 'Elgang'? I want to know everything about it. And what I used to be like, too..."

He pondered for a moment, as if he was carefully choosing his words. It seemed like one little mess-up could ruin this entire chat. Was the group really that important? "Well, there's not much to say about... them."

"Is this not a topic you like?" I was worried.

"No, no, it's not that. Whatever, I'll tell ya. I have nothing to hide."

Add explained a lot to me, including the names of the members, their personalities, and their reason for joining the group. The motive was something along the lines of saving and protecting Elrios from danger. It sounded wonderful. His reason for joining... was to do more research about Eve, and the rest of the Nasod race.

"Don't you dare think that I was in love with that machine from the beginning, though. I know you're thinking about it! I've... fallen in love with you countless times, no matter what timeline we're in. So dismiss those unnecessary thoughts, and just contemplate how perfect I am as your loyal boyfriend, kyahaha..." he joked.

"Mm, okay, Add!" I smiled, briefly reaching over to him to poke the side of his face with my index finger, gently.

"H-Hey! Is this really the time to be feeling my terrific cheek? Tch. I know I have soft skin, it's already proven to be true." he jested some more.

I giggled. "Ehehe... mhm, it's true, though~"

He softly smiled back at me. "Let's just get going."

...

The Temple was still a ginormous place, exactly resembling a labyrinth in some parts. The Halls of Water were deep within the castle-like area, and I was informed that Aren was in the very heart of this maze. Even though this was still apart of the Temple of Frozen Water, the 'Hall' was like a different building altogether. It was situated differently in comparison, but it still was running using the power of water, similar to the rest of the Senace Kingdom/Hamel.

"Aren/Ran/WHATEVER has many secrets, you know. This is where your, no, our fate will be decided, Ara. Damn, I hate giving sh**ty pep talks. Whatever, nevermind what I just said. You'll be fine, and I believe in you." Add carefully walked up behind me and stroked my hair.

"Yeah, thanks." I slightly giggled. "I believe in you, too. Don't you die on me either! It can happen, you know."

"Me? Die? Well, I suppose... but it is close to impossible! I am the godly Tracer of Time, after all." he boasted. I sure knew who was confident about this entire situation.

"Don't get too cocky, Add! It can still happen, and I'll get worried and upset!" I protested.

"It's cute when you worry like this~"

"A-Add!"

"Sorry, sorry." he laughed.

The demons started surrounding us after we were caught off-guard. Something huge was about to happen here.

...

--[CHAPTER 12 - HALLS OF WATER]--