Renji looked down at Bal, who had returned to his "High Priest" appearance, and after placing him on the ground, Bal coughed violently. His body, corroded by the black mire, seemed like a last flicker of vitality as he slowly opened his eyes.
He could have continued to resurrect himself using the black mire within his body, just like he did during his fight with Nova but this time, Bal chose not to. He chose to give up.
For Nova, Bal harbored only endless jealousy, which he could vent through repeated battles.
But with his Master Ashen, Bal couldn't do it. He couldn't fight Renji over and over again as an enemy. Or perhaps, his original intention was to be defeated by Ashen's own hands. That, for him, would be the best ending…
'After all, at least during the recent battle, Lord Ashen belonged only to me. Lord Ashen's entire attention was on me, watching me closely, even though I was disfigured and ugly…'
'This time…'
