Chapter 20: To Want A Heart

In Chapter 20, Haven confronts the formidable Meraioth, who reveals that Lady Charlotte, their former ally, is a betrayer leading the Rose Network to dismantle the corrupt World Church. During the ensuing, brutal fight, Haven showcases her mastery of Inkara, a rare technique specializing in turning pure will into physical force, using the Bind Path to temporarily incapacitate Meraioth. The ideological clash centers on privilege, pain, and the nature of compassion, culminating when Haven exposes Meraioth's deep-seated emptiness and lack of a perceived heart; she uses her final attack to strike the hidden core of his power, inadvertently fulfilling a past promise from Charlotte by making Meraioth feel before he dies, while Haven collapses nearby from her own critical injuries, having successfully protected Daichi.