Ranni admitted defeat.
It didn't sound like much—just a loss in a game. Losing wasn't supposed to matter. It wouldn't affect reality. If she wanted, the man who had just beaten her would probably even have to coax her afterward.
But none of that meant anything.
Because Ranni knew deep down: this was her defeat.
She couldn't explain exactly where she had lost, or why—but she could feel it. She hadn't just been beaten by Lloyd in the game. Something more precious, something that mattered deeply to her, had also slipped away.
Otherwise, by Carian tradition, even if Lloyd had defeated her, she would have faced death proudly, never once admitting defeat aloud.
She had become weak.
That was troubling, but not terrifying. Everyone had moments of weakness.
The Lunar Princess had faltered before—especially after meeting a certain someone. The number of times she lost her composure had only grown. If that were all, she might have found it annoying, but not disorienting, not frightening.
Lloyd himself didn't scare her. Even if they stood as enemies, even if death loomed, the Moon Princess would never bow her head before him.
So what unsettled her—what filled her with confusion and fear—wasn't Lloyd. It was something else.
Or rather, it was herself.
Her fear wasn't born from Lloyd, nor from temporary weakness, but from what that weakness revealed: her true nature.
She wasn't becoming weak. She had always been weak.
"Witch Ranni." That title had always been her own invention—a name she carried with pride.
But when she thought back, she realized people always reacted strangely whenever she called herself that.
Because, if one thought about it carefully, aside from the Night of the Black Knives, she had never done anything that truly suited the name "Witch." And even that night had been out of self-preservation. Afterward, she hadn't sought to cause chaos—only to free herself, to take back control of her own fate.
If one measured by KD—kills, not assists—she couldn't even compare to Sellen. As for wickedness? She only talked about it. She couldn't bring herself to harm innocents. In fact, when faced with genuine evil—people like Seluvis—she'd felt nothing but disgust and anger.
And before Lloyd, she was pure as a blue flower. Compared to him, she might as well have been a saint.
So when everything was over, Ranni understood.
She wasn't a cold and ruthless Witch. She was just a stubborn child, unwilling to meet the expectations of her parents and desperate to be free.
And those who followed her—they weren't serving a Witch. They were simply trying to help the child they'd watched grow up break the chains of destiny.
"Lunar Princess." That was what they called her.
Now, thinking back, that seemed far more fitting than "Witch." Aloof and untouchable she might appear, but in truth—she had always been that naive, unreachable princess.
So she closed her eyes and asked Lloyd to end it.
But—
"No."
Lloyd stood before her, calm but resolute.
"I finally won. I should get some kind of reward, shouldn't I?"
The figure crouched on the floor didn't respond.
It was a bit of an audacious request—but since she had bullied him plenty early on, Ranni, though quietly dejected, didn't refuse. When her silence faded, she followed him back to his room.
Clothes fell. Arms entwined.
But unlike before—when Ranni had been the dominant Witch, toying with the warrior from above—now she was the defeated one, serving him in submission.
A wager lost is a debt paid.
There was nothing to say.
Yet just as it was about to end—just before they crossed the final threshold—he drew her into his arms, pressing close, his breath warm against her ear as he whispered:
"This isn't like you."
"My dear 'Witch.'"
Normally, Ranni wouldn't have reacted to that name.
But now, in this moment, those words felt sharp—almost mocking.
"...Are you making fun of me?"
Her voice trembled with irritation, stripped of its usual composure.
"Of course not. I know my 'Frozen Maiden' act's a joke. Next to your calm grace, it's practically—mmm..."
He never finished the sentence. Her lips were silenced.
And only after a long while—when he was sure he'd quieted every protest, when her breath had grown uneven and her face had begun to flush—did Lloyd finally let her go.
After letting her go, he looked at the Witch before him—her consciousness still hazy—and gently brushed his hand across her cheek.
"I never meant to mock you," he said softly. "And I've never thought you weren't a 'Witch.'"
"I don't know where your idea of what a witch is came from. But from what I've gathered, even in the Lands Between, the title 'Witch' isn't negative. Before becoming the 'Graven Witch,' Sellen had already earned that title purely through her exceptional mastery of sorcery."
"And even where I come from, 'Witch' isn't a bad word. It refers to those with profound magical knowledge and power. Even those called 'Forbidden Witches' are, in truth, gentle and kind-hearted."
"So, I've never once doubted that you are a Witch."
"As for whether you're good or evil—everyone judges that differently. But if we're speaking in terms of alignment, you'd fall under 'Lawful Evil.' You follow your own desires but don't act outside your own order or design."
"That, too, is a kind of evil. A very refined kind."
"And it's part of what makes you captivating."
His hand moved across her face, kneading lightly. She stayed silent, saying nothing. Then she turned her head slightly, her cheeks tinged with color—red, or maybe even violet?
Either way, after Lloyd's words and touch, her mood had visibly lightened. The arms wrapped around him tightened just a little.
"But you still think I'm ridiculous, don't you?" she murmured. "Always talking big, pretending to know everything—and in the end, I'm nothing at all. Acting like that every day, yet really... I'm the most naive, childish one of all."
Her voice grew quiet.
"I can't even face myself."
"That's not true."
Lloyd met her gaze, his tone calm but earnest.
"Everyone has their own path. I didn't create this dungeon to lecture you, but to help you see your own way forward."
"I haven't lived your life, and I don't know everything you've gone through. So I can't judge your choices or tell you which road to take."
"But personally, I don't think that protecting yourself—or trying to escape the chains of fate—is childish or naive."
"No one wants to be a puppet on strings, especially not one forced to kill their own."
"And among your siblings, you were the only one who broke free of that cycle—who raised your blade against the very will that bound you."
"Yes, you made plenty of mistakes. And even at the end, you were still being stubborn, still refusing to yield."
"But who doesn't make mistakes? Who can claim they'll always win?"
"The Fingers, the conflict of the Law, the grudge between your mother and her counterpart—all of that ensured things could never end peacefully."
"But compared to the others, you were the only one who dared lift your head, to look beyond the earth—to gaze at the stars."
"It was a bold, reckless idea, yes."
"But it's that kind of recklessness that drives the world—and civilization—forward."
"Only by leaving the cradle, by stepping into higher realms, can life and society truly grow."
"In that sense, you are the most mature being on this land—perhaps even beyond the Lands Between."
"That's what I wanted you to understand."
He reached out, gently guiding her chin upward until their eyes met. His voice softened.
"And the reason I'm telling you this now... part of it's because you're feeling down, and I don't want you to misunderstand me. I don't want to see you hurt."
"The other reason is because what comes next will be your first time. I don't want you to go through it like this—halfheartedly. I want you to think carefully, to choose what you truly want, what you'll love, so that when you look back someday, you won't regret it."
"I want to give you happiness—not just possession."
"Do you understand what I mean?"
A long silence followed.
Then came a sigh—not one of weariness, but of quiet realization.
When she looked up again, the blue Witch's eyes shimmered faintly, her gaze softer than before, yet holding something deeper within it.
"I think I finally understand why they acted the way they did," she said.
"And if I'm not mistaken, judging by what you just said... you've had quite a few 'Witches' in your life, haven't you?"
"Uh… well…"
Lloyd didn't exactly deny it—but with the two of them in this kind of situation, the topic felt a bit inappropriate.
Seeing his flustered look, Ranni didn't get angry. Instead, she laughed softly.
In that moment, the confident Witch—the one who always looked down from on high—returned to her once more.
"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore," she said with a grin. "You've never hidden those things from me. And like you said, I'm a 'rebellious Witch.' I don't care about things like that."
"But…"
She leaned forward, pressing her body completely against his, raising one delicate finger to rest against his lips.
"Since I'm the one at a disadvantage—and you said you wanted to respect my wishes..."
"Then this time, even if I'm the loser, we do it my way."
Lloyd nodded, and the finger slipped away.
But even then, he couldn't help wondering what exactly she meant.
After all, they'd already gone quite far before. And for someone like Ranni, something too ordinary would never satisfy her—but something too extreme, like what Elizabeth or Chaos might have done, she'd surely reject.
So what exactly did she have in mind...?
A moment later.
Lloyd stared silently at the palm-sized, miniature Ranni now perched in his hand.
"...Wait. You're sure you want to do it this way?"
"Is there a problem?" she asked calmly.
He hesitated. "No, no problem exactly. Your body's... adaptable enough, I'm sure. I've just never done it like this before, so I'm not sure what'll—uh—happen."
"Then isn't that perfect?"
The tiny figure lowered herself, brushing her silver hair aside.
"My very first time," she said with a small, knowing smile.
"Isn't that exactly what I want?"
With those words, she bowed her head.
And then...
...
"Some things people never try," Lloyd mused as they stepped out of the dungeon, "aren't because they lack imagination—but because one look is enough to know it's a bad idea."
He let out a sigh.
"Forget how it felt—just the fact that it came out of my mouth was abstract enough..."
"Shut up!"
The blue Witch tugged her hat brim down, her tone flustered and furious.
"Don't you dare tell anyone about this, or else..."
"Or else what?"
Ranni froze, struggling to come up with a proper threat.
Her silence stretched on until her face had gone from red to nearly purple. Seeing her genuinely mortified, Lloyd finally relented and said,
"Relax. If you don't want it mentioned, I won't say a word."
Hearing that, the blue Witch exhaled in relief. She gave him a light smack with her staff before disappearing into thin air.
But she hadn't simply left—she was off to gather allies.
In short, after that, Lloyd and Ranni lingered in the dungeon for a while longer. They didn't just fool around; the time also gave Ranni a chance to settle her emotions, digest what she'd learned, and clarify her own path.
She managed both. Yet once her calm returned—and her witch's pride along with it—memories of her defeat resurfaced. After some brooding, she decided she wanted a rematch.
"I lost last time because I didn't expect you to play that dirty," she declared. "This time, I'm definitely going to win."
But she didn't challenge him immediately. After thinking it through, she decided to bring in a few others—partly as allies, partly as a way to restrict Lloyd's more... creative tactics. What he'd pulled before might have worked as a lesson for her, but it was hardly appropriate for anyone else.
Lloyd didn't mind. His purpose with Ranni was already achieved; anything beyond this was just a game. Win or lose, it didn't matter anymore. So he agreed to her plan.
However, since gathering people required time and coordination, the next dungeon couldn't begin right away.
Which suited Lloyd just fine—he had other things to take care of in the meantime.
Like...
"My problem's been solved."
After teleporting to the Haligtree, Lloyd found Millicent and explained the situation.
"With Ranni's help, I can now control the temperature to a proper range. It might still be risky for the weak or ordinary, but for real warriors or those with strong bodies—it should be fine."
Millicent blinked. "You mean..."
Lloyd nodded. "Your sisters—and Malenia, if they're willing—could try the more efficient 'injection treatment.'"