This is... confusing."
Frey muttered, unable to make sense of it all.
Then, almost unconsciously, he released a faint wave of aura .. probing into her presence.
That was when he understood.
"Your current strength allows you to see it, Frey. You’re not foolish .. you can tell this is nothing more than a projection, a fragment of my consciousness."
Audrey’s tone was calm as she stepped closer.
"So this isn’t your real body..."
"No," she admitted softly.
What stood before him was only a temporary manifestation .. a butterfly that had escaped Helmund, carrying a fragment of her awareness.
Her true body had no idea this meeting was even happening.
In reality, the real Audrey was broken .. trapped in endless torment, used by the demons as an eternal source of Aura.
She no longer knew what was real... nor that she had saved Frey and Snow at all.
Thousands of years of agony had shattered her mind.
And now, this single fragment .. this butterfly
.. was all that remained of the woman once called the Crimson Saint.
Her body was desecrated and broken... but her mind .. her very consciousness .. was far worse.
Naturally, Frey knew none of this.
Yet realizing that the woman before him was merely a fragment .. a projection made it easier to understand why this Audrey felt so different from the one he knew.
Still, something else lingered in his thoughts.
"Have we met before? You seem... familiar.
And you saved my life .. mine and Snow’s. I owe you for that."
Frey’s tone was uncertain, as though unsure how to speak to her, or what to make of the strange warmth he felt toward this woman.
Audrey shook her head gently.
"Yes, we have met before.
And you don’t need to thank me .. because you’ve saved me countless times yourself.
So many that I’ve lost count."
She smiled softly as she stepped closer.
Frey’s confusion only deepened.
He didn’t remember any of that.
"There’s so much I want to tell you .. so much to say... but I don’t have much time.
I’ve already given too much of my strength to you and Snow just to remain here."
Even sustaining her temporary form was becoming unbearable; her energy was fading rapidly.
"So with what little time I have left, I’ll say this, Frey .. the seal on Agaroth is weakening.
If things continue as they are, the Demon King will break free long before you regain your full power."
Her voice was urgent, firm. Frey’s expression darkened instantly.
"What are you talking about?"
And so, Audrey told him everything.
The truth that shattered the silence between them.
The stronger Frey became, the weaker the seal grew.
Agaroth’s might was so overwhelming that he wouldn’t need to wait until Frey became the new Nameless. He could escape even sooner.
That was Audrey’s first warning.
But before Frey could even process it, she spoke again .. faster, more desperate.
"Be careful, Frey. The Demon King isn’t the only one you must fear.
Another being .. just as dangerous .. is trying to return to our world.
One we all sacrificed everything to destroy."
She reached out, cupping Frey’s face with both hands.
"Be wary of Odin, Frey.
Don’t confront him. Not until you reach the Seventh Stage of SSS Rank .. not until your true power returns."
Her body began to flicker, fragments of her crimson light scattering into the wind, but she kept speaking despite it.
Frey struggled to follow her words; his mind was spinning.
The revelation about the Demon King was heavy enough .. now another enemy, one he’d never even heard of?
"Odin created the Great Ones. They’re merely tools .. extensions of his will .. designed to prepare this world for his return.
Long ago, he lost his physical form in a war so ancient it’s been erased from memory.
The strongest warriors of that era united to destroy him... and we succeeded — or so we thought.
But Odin didn’t die.
His essence endured .. a spiritual presence beyond anyone’s reach."
Her voice trembled now, not from fear, but remembrance.
Audrey had been there. She had fought Odin herself .. alongside Agaroth, of all beings.
"There’s nothing you can do about him right now, Frey. Just... be aware.
Remember that he exists."
Odin .. a monster the world had forgotten.
The calamity whose name had once brought an end to entire civilizations.
If he ever returned, only the Demon King would be strong enough to oppose him.
Audrey continued, desperate to share everything she could before her time ran out.
"Frey... the world is vast, and your enemies are countless.
They will deceive you, twist you, push you to your limits.
But I won’t let you walk blind any longer."
Her voice cracked with emotion.
"You are important, Frey.
Never underestimate yourself .. never belittle who you are.
You’re the most crucial existence in this world."
"There’s so much more I want to tell you...
so many things I’ve buried inside me for so long...
but I don’t have the time. How painful this is..."
A tear fell from Audrey’s eye ... her final tear .. as her body began to collapse.
"Audrey... I—"
Frey’s voice faltered, still trying to grasp what he’d just heard.
But she had no time left.
"I will return, Frey.
I won’t leave you to face them alone.
I’ll come back .. no matter what it takes!"
She shouted her final vow .. then took one last step forward and threw herself into his arms.
Before he could even react, her body disintegrated mid-motion, never allowing their lips to meet.
Only crimson dust remained .. scattering into the air, glowing faintly as it ascended toward the heavens.
Frey stood there, motionless, watching it fade.
Agaroth. Odin.
"Just... what the hell is happening to this world?"
He clenched his fists as the ground trembled around him.
It felt as though fate itself had begun to spin again .. pulling him toward endless battles,
toward the summit of existence...
toward the greatest beings this world had ever known.
The feeling was overwhelming.
Ominous.
Inevitable.