"Thank you. And, I hope so." Zack knows that there is a way to get Angeal back to him, because he'd seen it before: at the point of death, with his body giving out, the monster falling away to leave just the man. But Zack doesn't want to, absolutely refuses to kill his mentor again.

But he won't have Angeal force either of them into it either, and the chimera is stirring. He takes a step closer to it, the Buster sword lowered but ready; defense and submission shouldn't be too hard, given the creature's injuries.

And it's probably a fool's hope, but he can't help trying a few simple words: "Angeal, please. Come back to me."