Shore lay on the bed and closed his eyes.

The wound on his neck from Aligus still ached, but Shore could only try to dispel the feeling, his hands and feet were shackled, and he was now a prisoner in this room.

Luckily, Mephistopheles had left him a decent room, and although the stone walls still made it a little chilly, it was generally much better than Shore had imagined a cell.

But there was always a very strange feeling here, as if something was eating away at his spirit, but it disappeared as soon as Shore came to his senses.

"Squeak!" the door to the room was pushed open, and Shore opened his eyes and sat up at the same moment.

"It should be a good place to stay. Kane walked in with a smile on his face.

"It's so much better than I thought it would be. Shore looked at Kane and said, "You don't need to say more polite words, you're not good at this anyway, just say what you want to do, Kane." ”

"Just wanted to have a meal with you. Kane snapped his fingers, and immediately several veiled maids walked in, and they set a sumptuous meal on the stone table, and Shore realized that he hadn't eaten his dinner yet.

"I didn't expect you to have a treat for a day, it's really rare. Shore suddenly stood up from the bed, "And there are servants under you, I remember you used to hate this kind of thing the most." ”

"I still hate it. Kane waved at the maids, "You can go down now, and by the way, thank me for Mephistopheles' generosity, and go back to Mephistopheles." ”

"It turned out to be borrowed from Mephistopheles. Shore smiled and sat down at the table, "It doesn't look like you're in a high position." ”

"Even if I'm in a high position, I wouldn't want anything like this. Kane opened the bottle and poured a full glass of beer for Shore, "It's been a long time since we've eaten together, so let's have a drink tonight." ”

"Okay. Shore happily replied, "As an old friend, I will reluctantly agree to this condition with difficulty." ”

"You look like you've changed a lot. Kane laughed, "That left eye, you can feel something shuddering from there." ”

"Is this?" said Shore, pointing to his left eye, "this is the truest form of my soul, and there is no need to hide anything. ”

"True. Kane repeated the two words, "Interesting, I didn't know what you really looked like after all these years." ”

"Your appearance has changed a lot. Shore looked Kane up and down, "There's an arm missing, and there's something in those eyes that's completely different from what you used to be." ”

"People change. Kane took a sip of his wine and said, "I've changed now. ”

"You've become what you ever hated the most. Shore's tone suddenly became cold, "A betrayer, I really can't imagine you would do this, if the teacher knew, what would he do?"

He's already given me the answer, and Kane thinks bitterly of what it would be like to fight Renault. The teacher had no reservations at all, and I could sense that he was attacking to kill me.

"I'm afraid the dead have no way to answer the question. Kane said that it appeared that Shore did not know that Renault was alive. "It's all a path I chose for myself. ”

"Then you're on the wrong track. Shore forked a piece of meat with a fork, "We have all walked together for so many years, from the hungry street children in the slums, to the fighters of the BPRD, and now to the confrontation with each other, fate is too good at playing tricks on people." ”

"If I told you that humanity would be the culprit in the destruction of this world, would you continue to say such things?" Kane said, putting down the utensils in his hand.

"Just a few of the prophecies?" Shore laughed disdainfully, "when did you come to believe in that kind of thing? ”

"Of course I remember. Kane looked into Shore's eyes and replied, "That's the goal of the three of us in the slums, and we want to use our own hands to create our own future." ”

"And what are you doing now?" Shore picked up a fork and forked a piece of pie for himself, "Pie? It's really allegorical food, and it tastes like that day, you won't forget the day Rod died." ”

Kane was silent and reached out to pick up the pie, he didn't use the utensils, and swallowed it as if it was a ten-year day.

When the pie was completely eaten, Kane looked up at Shore again: "Everything is the same as before, it seems that it is better for me to use it directly." ”

"You. Shore's tone suddenly became hesitant, "What the hell are you thinking?Kane, I don't think you're going to betray us for that reason, I know you as well as I know myself, I know it's impossible!"

"But as I said earlier, people change. Kane interrupted Shore, "So don't go any further, Shore, it's all my choice." ”

Kane forked a fried fish as he spoke, and he looked at the fish on the fork as if frowning slightly, and then took a bite of it.

"It tasted good. Kane said to Shore, "Why don't you do the same, old friend?" ”

"You're weird today. Shore looked at Kane, who was chewing on the fish, and said, "I remember that you used to hate fish the most, even if you just smelled it, you would vomit it immediately, how did you like it again?"

That's why I said that people change, and that things that we have always hated may become delicious one day, and that sometimes we have to make the hardest choices for some reason. ”

Kane, you. Shore immediately realized that that the sentence had been uttered by another person, and that man was none other than Shore and Kane's mentor, Renault.

Could that be the case? Shore looked at the pie in front of him and Kane who was eating the fried fish, and if that was the case, then everything seemed to make sense.

"It's too much. Kane smiled and put down his fork, "You should be used to the environment, I don't think your face is too bad." ”

"It's okay. Shore replied, "It's just that I always feel like something is trying to get into my brain, so you can't be doing anything here, are you?"

"Not really. Kane explained to Shore, "There's a cell on this level called the Dark Cell, where the expected dark forces can completely erode the human spirit, and of course you're not in that cell, it's just closer to it." ”

"There must be people in that cell. "And judging by the look on your face, you should be familiar with that person." ”

"It's not just me, you should be familiar with that person too. Kane drank the last bit of wine in his glass, "It's Rex, he's in that cell. ”

"I see. Shore also put down the cup in his hand after hearing this, "I didn't expect to gather here, how is his situation now?"

"It's not too good. Kane sighed, "His spirit is weakening, Mephistopheles wants to get a puppet that can be completely mastered for him, and Rex can't come out until he achieves his goal." ”

"What the hell is going on?"

"He still has a human heart after all. Kane smiled bitterly, "Chikusa Wakaba is also here, and his final test is to kill his lover, but he can't do it, and he even fights against Mephistopheles." ”

"He can't destroy a person's feelings. "It can never be done, and it seems that he underestimates the human heart too much, and it dooms him to failure." ”

"Of course, as long as it lasts, Rex will definitely give in. No one can stay in the dungeon for too long, and in the end, their spirit will be completely eroded, and they will eventually become soulless puppets. ”

"Maybe. Shore couldn't help but sigh as well, "But I'm sure that only he has the heart of a human will never give up, Kane, this meal and you are very happy." ”

"Me too. Kane poured the last of his wine into their glasses, "Toast ourselves for the path we have chosen." ”

"Come on!" Shore raised his glass without hesitation, and then drank the wine from the glass, feeling in his heart that he had never drunk so freely.

"We used to just dream of being able to live in peace, to be able to have a good meal like tonight, and that everyone could get out of the slums. And what have we become after all these years?" Kane sighed.

"Rhodes is looking at us. Shore smiled, "I already know what you're trying to say, Kane, and I know exactly what you want to do, and I can't stand in the way of you anymore." ”

"Then there's not much to say. Kane stood up, "I've already said what I need to say, see you next time, Shore." ”

"See you next time. Shore also stood up and smiled, "But when we meet next time, I'm afraid I'll beat you up." ”

"Then I'll just wait. Kane turned and left the room, while Shore watched his back disappear.

Kane walked down the deserted promenade, and he recalled the look in Shore's eyes. There's no mistake, that guy already understands the message I'm trying to pass on to him, and it's time to finish the path I've chosen.

"How's the talk?" Mephistopheles called out to Kane around the corner, looking like he'd been waiting here for quite some time.

"It's a bit surprising that you didn't go to the sidelines. Kane said.

"There's no need. Mephistopheles shrugged, "And you two will hide your thoughts once you sense my presence, with your strength you can still resist my mind reading, I don't need to do that kind of futile thing." ”

Indeed, Kane thought to himself that with the strength of the two of them, he could indeed completely resist Mephistopheles's mind reading, and even if he wanted to spy on him, he would not get any useful information at all.

"Sometimes I wonder if it's a bad decision to give you too much power. Mephistopheles smiled and said, "Because you and I haven't seen it through until now, maybe my decision was too reckless." ”

"I'll prove it to you, with my hands. Kane replied calmly, "We are satisfied with the food you provide, he is still the same, and will never succumb to your power." ”

"It's a shame. Mephistopheles pretended to be sorry, "If he can join me, I'm always welcome, if it seems that this is impossible, then I can only resign him to continue to live there." ”

"Also, what are you going to do next?" Mephistopheles asked suddenly towards Kane.

"Find a place to rest and digest what you ate tonight. Kane smiled, "And just wait for that fateful moment to come." ”

Kane turned and strode away, leaving Mephistopheles alone, no one noticing that his eyes instantly turned resolute and resolute as he turned.

It was finally over, and the night breeze was blowing across Kane's face, and his mind was already ready for the last time. Come on, it's finally time to finish this thorny road.