But the instant he reached out and touched the Core Flame, it turned into a meaty bone and fell to the ground.
At the same time, Cipher appeared atop a rooftop above and doubled over laughing at the Fire-stealer.
"...Hahahaha! You really are a stupid stray dog!"
"Here, boy, here, boy~~"
Cipher bent over and crooked a finger at the Fire-stealer gazing up at her. "Come on, woof-woof! If you want a meaty bone, I've got more right here!"
"Come chase me! You're not giving up, are you?"
"It's been ages since I've had such a satisfying run. You'd better keep at it for a while—at least long enough for me to loosen up my sinews and bones!"
The next instant, Cipher turned and ran, vanishing without a trace.
"Create... the world..." The Fire-stealer breathed heavily and gave chase once more. "Must..."
The two figures kept darting and pursuing each other through the dead city.
Cipher vaulted over a bench and glanced back. That blackened thing was still chasing after her.
"Ha, you can barely get a sentence out, but you sure can run fast?"
Seeing a tower beneath the full moon ahead, Cipher paused for a moment before charging inside without hesitation.
"Hehe, this should be fun."
She took the circular lift all the way to the top floor of the tower.
"That thing isn't waiting for me up there, is it?"
Remembering the Fire-stealer's teleportation ability from before, Cipher remained highly alert.
Yet when she stepped off the platform, the floor was completely empty.
"What? It's not even here yet? How boring."
"But that's fine. I can wait for you."
After giving it some thought, Cipher finally transformed into Phainon amid a swirl of smoke.
She placed Kephale's Core Flame on the platform and folded her arms as