Ren stood in the dimming light, looking at his options.
Their situation was still on a razor's edge. But if making a deal meant he didn't have to permanently shatter his own core to push her off...
He didn't rush his answer. He let the silence stretch, the non deliberate quiet of a man actually making a heavy decision, not just pausing for dramatic effect.
Finally, he acted. He channeled a sliver of mana and summoned Mayo out of the Wolverine's spatial storage.
She materialized on the stone floor, a bit confused.
"Wait, you won't give your favorite maid to the enemy, right?!"
Her arms were still wrapped fiercely around the massive, silver egg, clutching it to her chest.
"Give the egg to her," Ren ordered quietly, not in the mood for her joke. He jutted his chin with a serious face toward the enormous, black claw resting at the bottom of the stairs. The artifact was waiting with the cold, unmoving patience of an appendage that knew time was on its side.
