---

Being isolated from the others, Alistair had absolutely no way of knowing he'd suddenly find himself on his back. It happened with a small thud, the pain nothing serious, but it wasn't pleasant, either. He growled in anger, quickly jumping to his feet before he noticed himself now in scenery that was nothing like the tavern he was just occupying. In fact, it looked just like a certain void he'd been to before. Only this time, it wasn't mostly empty. There was a lot of faces, and they were familiar.

"You guys, what the hell happened this time?" he demanded out of the others, though they all more or less seemed shaken up. This was not normal, as far as their curse went. They were supposed to return to that 'checkpoint' of sorts, not to some abyss. He was worried something irreversible might've happened, and as he later would learn, that was probably correct.

”She actually did it?” a mysterious voice rang out. ”I guess we all wanted them out of that situation. So long as I don't take the blame for it, this is acceptable.” it belonged to some woman Alistair couldn't recognize, who held a flute. But before Alistair could ask who she was, another person, this time a girl who seemed to be fair, spoke.

”Figures you'd say something like that, Greed! But this is bad! This breaks the deal we had with Talus!”

The second she mentioned Talus' name, no, even before that, Alistair had instinctively known who they were. After all, he'd just been made aware of their existence thanks to the woman in the tavern. These girls had to be those 'artificial witches' he was told about, that were watching the group. He couldn't let his guard down around these beings.

"Oh." a new, doll-like woman said as she closed the distance between herself and Alistair. He wasn't entirely sure what the deal with the transparent hands were, but he didn't like them, that much was certain. They had to be magical in some way. ”Hello, Alistair. I, really, like, how, you, achieve, your, goals. I, wish, I, could, work, that, hard, at, anything. But, I, lack, the, ambition, to, do, so.”

"That's nice to know."

Alistair acknowledged her 'compliment', but he did not seem especially happy to receive it. The way she seemed to struggle to put effort into the act of speaking rubbed him the wrong way. Alistair Archibald respected those who worked hard to achieve things in life, so it should come as no surprise that he loathed people who did the opposite. To make things worse, this woman was touching him without his consent, and he wasn't in a playful mood.

”So, smooth. Better, than, I, thought!” she claimed.

The normal reaction from him here would've been to slap her hand away and then yell at her to keep her hands to herself, but consider what she was, Alistair restrained himself. He made no movements, but instead spoke in a calm voice. "Glad to have exceeded expecations."

What followed was the introduction to yet more of these witches, and it appeared the one who became a little too touchy-feely with him was named Sloth. Considering he'd heard one be called Greed moments earlier, he figured they'd all been named after a sin. What did surprise him was that it was Sloth taking notice of him and not Pride. He wasn't oblivious to his own defining character trait.

Alistair... silently listened to these people interact. But it was difficult. He couldn't say he was enjoying how attached to him Sloth seemed to be. He was beginning to worry those hands would find themselves in places they shouldn't, and if that were the case, he'd remain quiet no more. Somehow, though, he perservered through until Talus had made an appearance. Any ire he had towards Sloth was sucked away as Alistair focused on the black being.

”Whoa guys!” Lord Talus said while waving his arms around. ”Don't talk about her when she's not here! Plus I think not referring to her by name is really pissing off anyone here who doesn't know who she is! Also I'm Lord Talus, gotta work a name drop in there so that nobody forgets me during my first appearance.” Alistair wasn't sure why he said that. His first appearance? ”Hah! Alright girls but seriously, do you remember the rules we set up? I know there were a lot of them, but do you remember the first two?”

Alistair noted that strange line from Talus, and then took in all the information they dumped upon the group. From what he gathered, they were treating this like some sort of game, and the 'rules' they'd agreed upon prevented them from actively interefering with Alistair and the others, at least too often. Because when they did, their checkpoint was moved, and the 'sentinel' was changed. At least this sort of information was being passed to them so they could understand what sort of predicament they were in and how best to approach situations. But it seemed as though something serious happened to the other group while Alistair was away.

He now noticed that a few of the group were missing, particularly Hiro and Aerith, the former being spoke about between the witches and Talus. His deduction led him to believe that they had died, but this time, they might not be returning. What the hell had happened to the others? Flame's plead was nothing more than confirmation this was true.

How bad did they screw up? I'd just gotten some insight on our situation, too!

Talus glanced at both him and Chieko before speaking, ”But yes, here's all the people who wanted to see you. You two should be excited!”

Alistair couldn't say he was too excited to meet these witches, because he found it hard to believe that he'd be put through all of that for a reason he would say is 'good'. To die repeatedly, to suffer humiliating deaths because of these individuals... no nothing favorable could ever come from it.

"You really kept me waiting, huh?" he remembered his conversation with Talus when they first met. At this point, it felt like it had been seven months since they'd spoke. In reality, it was nowhere near that long. But time only flew when you were having fun, and death wasn't very entertaining, at least when it was you it was happening to.

Archibald's attention shifted back to Sloth, who hadn't let up since she began feeling him up. She'd asked him to let her know if it was 'too much' but by this point he didn't even care anymore. "No doubt you've been anticipating this for a while now. I won't stop you." he told Sloth. "But I will ask what the point of this 'game' is exactly. One of you mentioned sharing a love for all of us, but I can't say playing with our lives is doing much to make the feeling mutual." he asked Sloth, though this could've just as well been to any of them.

Not that I particularly believe in their love.

-In the pit-

Anyon struck out with relentless fury at her opponent. Despite the prize fighter being better armed they were sorely outmatched by the Priestess of Aier Suns unforgiving teachings, her fists hit hard enough to dent the ceramic plates glittering across Gaermins torso in devastating displays of martial skill. To the casual onlooker it would be all to clear of Gaermins fate in the round and it was telling across the bearded visage of Belrigger above, dark lines crossing his face.

Mirt mirrored the big mans look, but only because he had instructed the hotheaded priestess to lose the first round. That girl never listened!

-The fight / Belrigger-

It had all gone downhill so sourly. The losing fight was shame enough but the damn fox was more than some wench looking for coin. Their brazen attitude, the disrespectful tone, even their words meant to placate him had been honeyed with a fine poison and like a fool he had swallowed it up. Worst, perhaps, of all was the patron from the VIP causing a commotion! The two had locked gazes, fox and patron, and sparks hit the powderkeg. Belriggers attention had turned swiftly from the combatants and Mirt to the spectacle before him as it escalated from bad to worse.
Elque, the other demi hostess, was all but forgotten. Free to roam as they pleased. The scowl on his face could sour milk, unable to speak or act as the unfolding drama turned to utter bedlam right under his nose. A bottle smashed into a patron, fists came freely with it as commotion swept up the regulars into an all-out brawl. A whistle came from above, a guard echoing his thoughts, and Belrigger raised his hand in return. It wouldn't take long for his personal guards to flood through the vip gateway into the arena proper and stop the fighting at swordpoint so that just left the nuisances. His march to the main exit, the only exit the riffraff knew of, was barred by brawling patience and his patience had finally worn thin.

Taking two patrons by the neck, Belriggers bellowed warcry echoed across the underways as he tossed or trampled anyone that put themselves between him and the Fox on her insane leap across the arena, a feat of incredible ability in itself, even tossing aside one of his own trained soldiers with a single hand despite the weight of their armor. Never even taking his eyes off that damn Fox.
The tables blocking the exit had been upturned but the two were fighting on the stairs as he charged forward, shoulder down, and smashed his way through the thick wooden obstacle like kindling to stand in the doorway with great heaving breaths.
By now, Lady Vertti was fleeing and some stranger was menacing the Fox with a spear.

His blood was up now. It throbbed behind his eyes, making him flex his meaty hands involuntarily as his boots thundered on the smooth stone. Violence contained only by a sliver of his training, focused entirely on Aer. With Mie still in the workers uniform and Belrigger on the cusp of a meltdown he only recognized a hostess about to be assaulted.



At the opposite end of the arena from the kitchens, dozens of armored soldiers in polished steel armor had begun to fan out and put down the rioting crowd. Somewhere in that crowd Mirt was likely picking a fight he was guaranteed to win, Anyon in tow.

Gluttony's body trembled when Chieko embraced her. ”Oh?” Her smile faded away. ”Well, you've been through a lot. Far more than I ever have.” One of her hands slid around Chieko's waist and the other caressed the back of her head. ”I can only imagine what that feels like. You can rest here as long as you need.”

Wrath floated up behind Chieko and extended her hand towards the girl. But she couldn't bring herself to come any closer. With s sigh, Wrath turned away.

Alistair had asked the witches about the game, stating that he didn't feel things were mutual. Sloth swallowed before answering. ”We, call, it, a, game, but, it, is more, like, a deal.”

Greed hopped off of her perch and took hold of Alistair's arm. She was pulling on it lightly. ”We're all sealed away in this place, and have been for a very long time. But our magic is strong.” Alistair could feel his arms suddenly becoming the rope in a game of tug-o-war. ”That's why you keep coming back to life.”

”But we can't do shit by ourselves!” Pride took hold of Alistair's chest and started to pull him in a third direction. ”That's why we need Talus. He set up this gnarly system where we can influence you guys with our magic.” Pride pressed her head against Alistair. ”And we call this arrangement a game, because its got rules and shit.”

Greed chuckled. ”Wasn't Hiro the one you wanted?”

”Yea, but since he's dead and shit, Alistair's looking pretty good.” Pride gave a hard tug.

”He, was, my, first, choice. Let, go, you, sluts!”

Talus laughed at the boys. ”Boy are you two so much fun! Always scrambling to make sense of things you can barely understand.” He walked towards Ashton and flame. ”As amusing as someone offering their souls is, such things have little value to me. Furthermore, one of the witches moved the point where death resets past Hiro's death, so there's really nothing I can do.” He faked a frown before grinning again. ”But you shouldn't be so hard on yourselves! While you are not desired by any of the witches, someone certainly wants you here. If any of you became undesirable, You'd go the way of Hilda, Walker, Aaron, or Yuuki.” Talus bent over so that his head was level with Flame's. ”So don't worry your pretty little heads off about all the hate you're getting. Someone, somewhere, really wants you to be here. And that's not even including me!” The giant shadow stood up and turned to the witches. ”I've made my decision! We're going to transport everyone back into the world as if Vainglory didn't do anything. It's the easiest way to maintain the rules of the game.”

”Hey!” Wrath fret her brow. ”I only saved Aerith so that Chieko wouldn't be in such a predi-”

Pride released Alistair. ”You fuckin' biiiitch!” She pounced onto Wrath, who screamed as she went to the ground.

”I guess you should have thought about that before conspiring an illegal move with Vainglory.” He scratched his chin. ”And to make it up to the suitors, lets grant them all a learning boon.” Talus chuckled. ”We'll speed things up right to the end! For a week, your ability to absorb techniques will be enhanced to inhuman levels. You'll be the prodigies you all dreamed of being.” Talus placed his fingers together. ”I'll see you again in twenty-five years seven days.” and with a snap of his fingers...

---

Gris was holding his ribs, barely able to stand. ”I followed a boy here so that I could help him find his friends.” he growled. ”A woman committed suicide right in front of us. One of the boys said that the demi-human rebels were after them for their powers. We fought against a cloaked man, he was strong enough to fend us all off, and then he fled with Chiyo and another girl. That was when one of the boy's friends murdered a man to help one of the bandits escape. Then they all just vanished.” Gris managed to summon the strength to sit upright. ”I saw it all and I don't know what happened.”

Chieko found herself standing in front of the clinic, no longer able to feel Gluttony's warmth. Oddly, Aerith's body wasn't present, but Hiro was laying in the sand right where Ashton had stabbed him.

”Huh?” Gris looked up at Chieko. ”Weren't you being carried off?”

”There you are.” Elder sibling picked up Chieko again.

”Hey!” Gris pointed. ”I don't know who's side the other girl is on, but if you don't drop Chiyo right now-”

Elder sibling lowered Chiyo to the ground. ”There seems to be a misunderstanding. I'll let Chiyo fill you in on all the details.” and with that, Elder sibling and Chieko vanished from sight.

Gris leaned forward. ”Chiyo! What happened?” But the little girl was already crying when she ran up to him and gave the oni a hug. ”I guess it's going to be a bit before I know exactly what happened, Grisaia. But if you would, could you see if Donovan is safe? ”

”Quill!” Donovan's voice boomed from inside the clinic. There was still smoke billowing out of it, but less so with every passing second.”You're not here, are ya girl?”

---

Elder Sibling continued to teleport at an alarming rate. The rapid change in scenery was making Chieko nauseous. But after a few more seconds, the cloaked individual lowered Chieko onto her feet. The ground was covered in hay, and there were a few land dragons in pens, clicking at each other. A smaller land dragon hopped over to Chieko's side to inspect her. Possibly looking for food, or it had become accustom to strangers petting it. This had to be a stable for land dragons.

Elder Sibling immediately threw back their hood, confirming Aerith's suspicion that Fritzi and Elder Sibling were one and the same. ”Ahhh!” She threw her hands against a wall and started panting. There was a visible amount of sweat running down her face. ”They're dead, Aerith and Hiro are dead!” Fritzi's eyes were wide open. ”Why did she do that? Why did Ash- Why? Why didn't anyone stop them?” She stood up and looked at her hands. ”Why didn't I stop them!? Why didn't? Why?” She threw her hands onto her face. ” I could have protected Aerith from herself. I could have protected Hiro from Ashton.” Fritzi pulled back her hands. Just enough for Chieko to see her eyes. They were dry. ”Oh right, I remember why I didn't.” Her hands fell to her sides. ”I was being slothful again.”



The corners of Fritzi mouth curled into a smile. ”So, I think I know what we're going to do.” She put her hands behind her back. ”I think having you run around as free as a bird with your passports, gobs of money, and diplomatic immunity isn't really in anyone's best interest. Not at the moment anyway. Here's what we're going to do instead.” Fritzi appeared directly in front of Chieko, with her forehead pressed against hers. ”Fire! How fortunate.” Fritzi placed her hands on Chieko's shoulders. ”You'll be taught how to fight. Quill knows fire magic, and Chiyo is a martial master. They will be your instructors. I won't get you a passport, but we do have some hideouts where you will be able to live comfortably.” The wolf demi wiped away Chieko's tears with her fingers. ”The death of Hiro and Aerith changes my plans dramatically. Grieve for your friends now, because there won't be time later.” Fritzi placed a kiss on Chieko's forehead before taking a step backwards. Her hands were still on her shoulders. ”Today you will rest, Chieko. But your training starts tomorrow. I'll honor your desire to keep the others alive, but I'm not sure if Ashton's going to have a place in the new world I wish to create. I want you to really consider if he's worth sparing.” Fritzi put her hood up to obscure her identity. They didn't have to wait much longer for Quill to show up. ”Keep an eye on her for now.” Quill said nothing, and simply nodded to her master's request.

---

Alistair found himself in the center of the tavern, standing on top of the chair he had been teleported out of. Crunch was running around with her sword drawn. ”Alistair! I was looking all over for you!” After getting close, she suddenly froze. ”Wait, something's different about your smell.” She leaned in and took a few sniffs. ”A-Alistair! You smell like a cultist!” She raised her sword higher in the air. ”They almost abducted you again! They must be close!” Crunch charged out of the Tavern, much to the relief of everyone still present.

---

Ashton and flame did not find themselves where they were prior to be teleported. Instead, they found themselves in another dark space. It wasn't as foreboding as Talus's realm though. They could tell they were in a forest. It might have been dark, and there wasn't a single star in the sky, but florescent flowers and mushrooms made the area easy enough to see. Ashton and Flame only had a moment to enjoy their surroundings before an angel appeared before them. It's radiance was intense, but not impossible to look at once one's eyes adjusted to the new light source.

Do not be alarmed. The angel spoke. I am Od Laguna, or more specifically, I am a spirit acting as one of its avatars. I have chosen this form because I felt you wouldn't find it frighting, was I correct? The angel put its hands together. I've been trying to reach you, but the magic of the witches makes you difficult to approach. But now I can finally explain to you your purpose. Od Laguna stood up. There are those in this world that were brought here by the artificial witches. They are most unholy abominations, as is the cult that spawned them. When the others were summoned into the world, you were pulled in along side them to ruin their plans. At the time of the summoning, there was no way for Talus to know who the witches actually wanted. For all intents and purposes of his spell, Od Laguna qualifies as a witch, and its desires were just as important as the artificial witches. The angel walked closer. I will grant you each a blessing. Then you will have to train vigorously, for Talus is preparing to put his plan into full swing. I do not know what it is, only the moment he puts it into motion is close. The high council is on the move. The angel looked between the two boys. If you have any questions, make them short. Our time is limited, and we must make use of what we have.

---

Vertti shook her head side to side. She was walking backwards away from Mie. "You're not making sense." She turned around and took off running.

Mie had already attempted to blind Aer with a spell and was moving in to attack. Spears are dangerous weapons. Many people undervalue their speed without realizing that a spear's greater leverage makes it stronger and faster than any sword. Inflicting Aer with momentary blindness would be essential to closing the distance and disarming her weapon. But Mie could tell that something was wrong, as she could still perceive a threat inside her spell. Aer's body was enveloped in black smoke, but when it parted, she was still fully capable of seeing. Moreover, her weapon was covered in frigid barbs that revolved around her spear. "Seems your magic needs some work." It was evident that Aer's strength lied in her magic, as she didn't even need to utter a incantation to cast her spell. But Mie's strength was in her physical prowess, which she used to quickly roll out of the way of Aer's strike.

That was about when Belrigger came charging through the hallway screaming . Aer only had a moment to react, and she didn't possess the same level of danger awareness or agility that Mie did. She put up her hand and made a barrier of ice. While it did slow him down, Belrigger was still able to charge through it with his shoulder. The blow was hard enough to throw Aer a few feet backwards and even caused the elf's hood to fall off of her head. Her pointed ears were revealed to everyone.

She pulled up her hood as soon as she regained her stability. "It's a spear, and it's mine!" Aer would perhaps need a moment more for all of her senses returned.

”Fucking adventurers!” Mono and twelve of his guards filled the path outside. ”They think that their guild card means that they can bust an operation like this by themselves.”

Aer blushed. "N-not at all. I just wanted to make sure my mark made it out okay."

”Then wait a fucking second.” Then, a bit quieter he said. ”And do a better job with that hood. Next time, I'll be forced to take action. ”

Aer groaned. "It will not happen again."

Mono pointed behind himself. ”Deca, Get the civilian outside. Everyone else, remain on standby.” Once Aer had been removed from the premises, he folded his arms and looked directly into Belrigger's eyes. ”So I got a tip from a civilian. She's fairly credible, given her status as a registered adventurer. ” Mono took a step closer. ”Apparently house Larchmond and the demi-human bandits have been working together, and they have quite the tunnel system worked out. I think it was reported as an 'undercity; if memory serves.” Another step closer. ”Apparently there's an illegal fighting ring directly behind you. Prize fighting and the abuse of woman are just some of the naughty things that go on around here. This would normally be the job for the city guard, but the bandit's connection to the cultists places this under my jurisdiction.” He pointed at Belrigger ”You can make this interesting for us and try to fight, or you can surrender and tell me everything. I don't care which one you choose, you fucking degenerate!”

Aerith was alone

At least that was how she felt in what should have been her final moments. Aerith opened her eyes, and they slowly adjusted to her surroundings.

“A-Ah…..”

The dark-haired girl moaned as her eyes had opened, vision and mind initially fuzzy as they tried to adjust to the strange setting. Lingering sensations of the initial pain, the flow of hot blood cascading down over her skin, the last grasps of her life flitting off into the wind like scattered ashes, and even the desperate cries from the back of her mind for help and relief...even thoughts which sought to cling to life even at the very last. All this seemed to echo in the back of her mind and in her body initially.

However, an alien sense of nostalgia seemed to creep into her as she looked up at the dark sky, at the gray shifting fog whose image never seemed to clear...it reminded her of “that” time.

Yes, it was like when she had met Talus! Actually, much like it perhaps had been when they all had met Talus to tell the truth…

...but just like that a chill ran down her back.

Talus and his dark offer.

All of those deaths she had suffered and seen at the hands of others.

Attempting to….attempting to save Chieko and the others from the clinic.

Her mind feeling like a shattered pane of glass, like all the world had lost its color, the despair she had been holding back gripping her heart in a vice.

Then the culmination of it all, shoving a hot bunch of wax and tools into her own neck without any bit of hesitation….in front of Chieko and the others.

Oh no...nonononono!!!

By the gods, if that new world had any, she’d fallen to pieces, drowned in ‘those’ feelings and hit ‘that’ point in front of everyone. All those things she had tried to hold back as best as she could, all these years, in front of so many people...only for her house of cards, her very soul, to finally collapse.

She almost felt like laughing to herself at the hilarity, the absolute stupidity, of it all. Yet her heart felt too numb to let out so much as a chuckle. She’d probably looked like a fool, a selfish fool who wanted attention.

That worthless girl who had taken her own life in front of others, filled to the brim as the dam of her despair buckled like it was made of wet paper.

”I...what is this place?” the glassy-eyed girl weakly stated, her throat virtually croaking out the sounds whilst she was attempting to use her legs and one arm to sit up...and the other arm reached up to unthinkingly touch where she had stabbed herself.

When Aerith looked to where the wound was, she could see that it was healed. More importantly though, she could also see a slender pair of fingers wrapped around her shoulder. That was when she could feel it on her torso, and her back as well. Someone was holding her! And it was at this moment that Aerith realized that her shirt was missing. She felt a chill run along the upper half of her body as she came fully awake.

A jolt of surprise ran through Aerith’s brain, sending a burst of energy and minor panic into her body. She-she-she had no idea who this was! It certainly wasn’t Hiro, nor would Chieko be able to carry her corpse for that matter. Was it another? Fritzi even? Though the warmth of those fingers on her skin….wait, was she actually alive?! And her shirt was gone?!?!

Yet as soon as this idea hit her, the nature of her carry also finally hit her. Before she could utter another word, a deep red blush erupted into the girl’s face. She was being carried bridal style, by some slender-fingered individual in what felt like a gentle and careful manner to her. Aerith, top only covered by the top part of her swimsuit, barely stammered out a mixture of sounds. What she had meant to originally say was something to the end of “Who are you?” in a nutshell.

But second most notable at the time, at least for Aerith herself, was the feeling of massive, soft tits resting on top of her own. They...were like big, soft pillows of happiness! Like she could sleep on them, or touch them all day in a heated pass-....ah. She liked girls, and sexy bodies like Fritzi’s, but this was not perhaps the best time for letting it slip either. Not that it helped her case any, only intensifying her blush and making her beating heart skip a beat.

After Aerith stammered and got out some mad flailing, she managed to to get a look at the very happy-looking girl in blue that was holding her. ”Ahhhhhh!” she immediately dropped Aerith and crossed her hands over her chest. ”What's the matter!? Why are you screaming? Were you suffocating?”

”Ah!......H-H-Hello t-there! A-Ah….I…I’m ok i think. Y-You’re beautiful….oh!

W-What is going on, here?”

At least the dark haired girl managed to stammer out a clear enough message this time around, though was in the middle of speaking momentarily distracted by the girl’s inherently beauty and looks. Even the cute way she held her hands over her chest, asking about how Aerith herself was doing, was….so damned cute, dangit! If she had seen this girl back home, at least in her mind, the dark-haired girl felt she’d have asked her out on sight. Maybe….ah.

But she wasn’t home, really...could maybe be in the afterlife for all she knew, since the wound was not there at all. Not even so much as a scar. Aerith felt a drop in her chest as the situation hit her once more, despair attempting to creep back in as she attempted to, poorly, hold a proper face for the situation. This was all...a lot to handle already, as it were, for a person who had just killed herself in front of everyone….even the thought of that and how she felt threatened to tear away at her mind and spirit and body all over again.

”I'm beautiful?” She put her hands on her hips and smiled. ”I mean duh, of course I'm beautiful. Though if I do say so myself, I thought you were a fallen angel for a moment, but then I remembered I was the one who dropped you.” she snickered. ”As for where we are, we're sealed in the witch shrine over by the Augria Sand Dunes. Perfectly safe from any would-be witch hunters or royal guards.” She waved her hand. ”But none of that really matters. Aerith, I've waited a really long time to see you.” she got down on all fours and crawled up beside her prone form. ”You're not mad about being dragged out here, are you? Out of your home world?”

Wait...was this-

It couldn’t be, but she knew her name and everything, and stated it outright even. Taking all things into account...well, it made enough sense so far.

This was the person who said they loved her, and wanted to bring her to this world. This was the person Lord Talus had told her about!

It reminded her of those words from however long ago, uttered from her very own mouth. All of those things….

“I can’t say i am not worried about all of this, but….to know someone loves me enough to want me in their world literally, i….how can i refuse?”

“I’ll never give up. That is what i can offer to her in return, at the very least. The determination to not leave her, the will and drive to do what i must to remain by her side.”

“Even if my body is broken, even if my fate has so far been to hurt in life before now, i will not relent.”

“For her genuine love, to be her companion, i can only offer her my best. The best of myself, even all of myself.”

Despite this, she felt Talus deserved a strong backhand slap to the face.

But this was a shocking truth to be sure...one that caught her off guard as she was compared to a fallen angel.

”I...I can’t lie to you. I might miss some things, like a friend or two, but that world was hell….my family was hell even. I-I couldn’t stand it….

But all those resets here….they also hurt. Dying so much, i just wanted to choke Talus for…..for lying. Because i thought he’d lied to me, sent me here thinking someone loved her. I tried to help others, but….but it brought out the worst in me just trying to hold on….”

Aerith attempted to stammer out more of her thoughts, not wanting to lie to “this” person if they were truly “that” individual she’d been told of. Someone who truly loved her. Someone she’d wanted to find for a long time back home, so very long, and who (if she was to believe it) was kneeling next to her right now. There in all of her radiant beauty, lovey figure, ripe bust, and who actually sounded like she cared.

She didn’t want anything else, in some sense, and forced herself up into a kneeling position in front of this girl in front of her very eyes. The emotions were hard to hold back, welling up in her chest and eyes….an overflowing dam. Then, without warning, she latched onto this strange girl, hugging her close….and starting to cry. Just crying, the heaves of the hurt, the pain, the suffering coming out with each sob.

It wasn’t by any means a perfect solution...but just having the moment to let it out was overwhelmingly great.

”I...It hurts so much! I-I-I….I never thought i’d find you!

Someone w-who truly loves me….i’ve wanted to find you all my life...i-its been so long….

...I-I don’t care if you are a witch, or some dark being, i….i’ve wanted to meet you, and now finally you’re here! F-Finally...here!

How can i ever be mad that you love me….enough to want me here with you in this world?

I was willing to...suffer this long, whatever i needed to even, just to meet you here. In person. To be able to give you my all….just….just so i won’t ever be so alone again!”

For the first time, she was letting it out. Everything, even things she hadn’t shown others in her life before.

”Wahhhhh! You're leaking!” She scooted closer to Aerith and sat her upright. A nervous chuckle escaped the witch's lips. ”Yea, well, uh, I can definitely relate to the loneliness thing. The cultists raised us for a time before sealing us in here. I forget how long ago that was, but it's just been us in here. We don't even really like each other.” She patted Aerith on the back. ”But I'm glad you're ready to devote yourself to me so willingly. I mean again, I'm pretty amazing, so I know you won't be disappointed. It's just that you don't know how awesome I am yet, given that you've only known me for less than a minute. This isn't even a fraction of how cool I can be.” The witch blinked a few times. ”Aaaaaaaand you're still crying.” She sighed. ”Alright, time for the big guns.” The witch pulled Aerith in close and locked lips with her. She could feel a foreign tongue swabbing the inside of her mouth.

It wasn’t like Aerith’s body could, much less would, say no to the very intimate and pleasurable...distraction. The last few tears rolled down her cheeks finally as she returned the kiss without thinking, and intimately intertwined her tongue with the witch’s own as she held her close. This girl’s body was so soft...so warm, and her voice was so reassured and reassuring to boot. If this was the “big guns”, she wanted to see what the “nuke it from orbit” option along this line of action was.

But...she perhaps needed to calm down a bit right now. That odd mixture of raw joy, the former panic, the hanging weight of despair not long ago for her, it all wasn’t exactly the best mix right now to try to handle all at once. One step at a time...that’s what she needed to do.

”Ah...I-I’m sorry. Haha, but you are amazing, if that kiss was any indication right now. So i have a lot more to look forward to, it seems,” Aerith said, after slowly pulling back from the kiss after a little time, smiling back at the girl in front of her softly with a hint of playful teasing in her tone of voice.

Though as she felt the tension begin to decompress out of her chest, questions began to bombard her mind. In fact...there was a lot she wanted to know about all this. Last time she’d been in a place like this with Talus, she’d not asked enough questions. This time she wanted it to be different, especially since this was “that” person it seemed.

”Ah! I almost forgot. What is your name, by the way? And how did i end up here? Plus, what happened back in the city with the others? And why am i not...dead?” Aerith said, looking about her and this girl’s surroundings as she spoke, before looking back at the girl again with a mixture of curiosity and concern in her voice.

The witch blinked a few times. ”Oh right! We skipped right over introductions didn't we? I just know so much about you already.” She snickered. ”We weren't really given names. We just call ourselves by whatever authority it is that we possess. So that would make me Vainglory.” She frowned. ”But we weren't made purely from the witches of sin. I'm told even further back there were witches of virtue. And each of us share their powers as well.” She smiled again. ”Everyone calls me Vainglory, but how about calling me Joy instead?” Joy needed a bit more time to think about her other questions. ”Honestly, I've been pretty much just paying attention to you, since we got you here. As for how I got you here? Well, I needed some help for that. Yes, even amazing people need help from time to time.” She leaned into Aerith before giving her a sly grin. ”So I can pretty much transport people wherever I want. Unfortunately that wasn't going to save your life. For that, I needed Wrath to heal you up before you killed yourself. So she cast this powerful healing spell that's so strong, it causes a calamity somewhere else in the world. Totally worth it!” She snickered again. ”But she only did it so that I'd save Chieko, so instead I just sort of transported everyone to safety, but I made sure you wound up here with me.”

Joy. That sounded like a good name, though from the sounds of it there were more witches than one, raised by some kind of cultists, without a proper name. And Wrath had a healing power, and Joy had cut a deal to save her? But as much as this girl’s pride seemed to shine through it all, along with a snickering sense of glee about certain details, Aerith felt a genuine warmth from her all the same. Albeit, this was far from answering all of the questions she had about things.

Speaking of saving, though-

”Ah...she’s safe...thank goodness,” Aerith said, a bit of relief about Chieko being finally safe washing over her mind as she thought about what she’d been told, ”Thank you, Joy. For saving her where i….did much worse in trying so, and….i want to thank you especially for saving me, and bringing me here to meet you. You really are amazing!”

The others were safe. Thank goodness that was a thing as well. Chieko, Hiro, the others, they would all be safe for now it seemed. Were they still in the city, though? Were they having a similar experience that she was right now? She had no idea for sure, and guesses abounded in her headspace. Albeit, a pang of hurt leapt into her chest as she spoke of her failed attempt to save Chieko...and what of course had come after it when she’d finally buckled.

Joy hummed. ”I just sort of lumped everyone together to draw out the other witches. In hindsight, it wasn't the coolest thing I could have done. Talus is probably going to send them all back.” She raised her brow. ”Wasn't Chieko sort of a brat though?” She snorted. ”Anyway, I did a bit better job hiding you, so I'm hoping he doesn't notice. Especially if Wrath keeps her mouth shut. But enough about that.” Joy crawled on top of Aerith, planting her knees and hands at the corners of her torso. Gravity was having a very real effect on Joy's curves. ”What are we going to do, huh?”

She did have some point...Chieko was a bit of a brat. But at the same time Aerith couldn’t bring herself to truly hate her. She didn’t have romantic feelings for her sure, but she didn’t want to see her suffer either. But at the same time the witch seemed entirely focused on her, and Aerith couldn’t argue that being a thing if she was the focus of this person’s love.

Though whilst she had a lot of questions that needed to be answered, and promised herself she would get to asking them, her libido kicked in a bit as Joy crawled over the top of her. The dark-haired girl would have cursed her hormones for it, if she wasn’t enjoying it so very much in this position. The other girl’s lovely chest hung over her, those perfect curves were just right, and almost instantly it blanked out Aerith’s mind. Hormones rushed in, desire began to take over once more, and Aerith leaned up a little and pecked Joy on the lips.

”If he ever asks we can just say we were….’busy’~” she said, before cupping a hand to the side of Joy’s face and leaning in to kiss her again, intertwining their tongues intimately as a hint that if Joy wanted to they could do ‘that’. Not like anyone was watching them, anywho. They were...well, here alone for all intents and purposes.

Joy giggled. ”Well I was going to get us to my bed, but if you can't wait...”

---

Aerith eventually took Joy up on her offer to get carried to a tiny wooden lodge in the fog, where they could rest on a mattress. To her right was Joy's body. She was already asleep with a puddle of drool under the side of her head. To Aerith's left was a pile of clothes that the two of them had been wearing just a bit ago. Aerith was about to nod off too, when she heard a voice.

”Hmmm.” The voice sounded alien to Aerith. When she looked up, someone was walking into the cabin. ”Can't say I'm too surprised by this turn of events.” They were hard to make out in the shadows, but they had long white hair and a slender figure. ”Don't wake up Vainglory. It'll just upset her, and there's nothing she can do.”

”Wh-...Who are you? What are you trying to do to Joy?” Thotticus Maximus Aerith said, shifting out of her former position of cuddling the lovely witch in her arms, trying not to wake her sleeping lover by moderating the loudness of her voice. One hand was pulling the sheets up to cover herself, as she used the other to proper herself up in the bed carefully.

She couldn’t tell how long she and Joy had been at it since earlier, though it had all burned itself into her memories like a brand. But she felt a defensive feeling surge into her, worried about Joy and what this intruder was wanting to do. Not like she could stop them, perhaps, but in all honesty this had been the best thing to happen to her so far. Meeting Joy, having some conversation...getting as close as possible~ Joke is on you, perverts of the world, she isn’t going to go into more details about it. Lel.

However, this person was a wake-up, a thing from beyond wherever this area was, within a shrine that was in the Augria Sand Dunes. Though it wasn’t like Aerith was being hostile, more or less speaking out of surprise and a bit of embarrassment at being seen “after the act” like this by another party. It was odd, though the sinking feeling this connected back to Talus was ringing off in the back of her mind.

”Joy? That almost makes me want to smile.” She sighed. ”I suppose if you're calling her joy, you could call me J-” She stopped herself. ”No, that wouldn't be appropriate. I'm Melancholy, another witch who dwells here. You don't have to worry about me hurting her, none of us can really do that here.” Melancholy's eyes drifted onto Joy. ”Even if I wanted to.” She turned back to Aerith. ”I would have liked to have had you first, but it's true what they say: good girls finish last, don't they?”

”Wait...please don’t leave. I can call you whatever name you want, we can talk even. It’s ok. But...do you also love me?” Aerith said, curious as she slid up into a sitting position on the end of the bed, using the sheets to protect herself without disrupting her bed partner, ”And...do you know what happened to everything? To the others, even?”

”Why, do you love them?” Melancholy opened up her eyes. Even in the dim light of the cabin, they glowed like embers. But her voice was calm and devoid of emotion. ”And what if I did love you? Would you sleep with me too? Can it even be called love when you don't know what my favorite color is yet?” She pointed at Joy. ”Do you know hers?”

”...I’ll admit, i jumped on this rather fast...one can say very foolishly letting myself go wild after what happened back in the city…,” Aerith said, after in biting her lip for a bit and letting this girl’s words soak in...it made a pit of guilt form in her gut, but nonetheless she wouldn’t lie about it. She had enjoyed the physical contact, the letting things out, and now this chance to sleep with a lover. But…even as her hands gripped the sheets tightly she knew she hadn’t done the best thing, [color=gold]”...As much as i am a fool to rush this far this fast, i want to get to know her. To love her for who she is. And i will, as best as i can, even for you if you really want.

As for the others- I don’t know what to call it yet, after all i and they went through. I don’t want to see them horribly die, that i know for certain. I don’t want to see Chieko suffer...though i feel i have made it worse.

But as much as it takes, one step at a time, i’ll do it. I’ll get to know her. I’ll get to know both of you. I’ll help those closest to me. I once said i would give all of me to those who love me, and i will. If i have to put all of me on the line to save those i care about, to better come to love others and prove it to you both here, i’ll do it.”

She spoke trying not to wake Joy still, but at the same time she spoke with a level of serious determination in her words. As child-like as they perhaps were, that is. But she was serious. She wasn’t just saying this over feelings of guilt, because she had already promised her all and would give it. Conversations, day to day things, whatever she had to to get to better know them and love them. She had nothing else to go back to, and had agreed to this situation in coming to this world of her own volition.

”So once you're done with her, you'd be open to spending time with me?” Melancholy rose an eyebrow. ”You'll share yourself with everyone who loves you? One step at a time? For those you care about? I'm not sure if it's lust, pride, or greed that's making you act this way. And just for clarity, I was not referring to the other witches.” She closed her eyes again. ”What I want doesn't matter in this situation. When you give your all to everyone, you aren't giving everyone your all. You're giving them fragments. You're giving them crumbs, scraps, leftovers.” She stepped backward away from the doorway. ”Aerith, you don't even know if Joy is telling you the truth. I mean, I could tell you that her real virtue is wit, but it's her word against mine. Until you ask everyone else that is. She placed a hand on her head. ”This is just such a waste! You're just going to be a personal concubine for her. Melancholy opened her eyes again, and the glow shined through her fingers. ”Wouldn't you at least like to see what the rest of us are about before you settle on anyone?

Aerith thought about the words Melancholy said for a moment….before letting out a quiet sigh. She couldn’t argue the witch’s logic, even though it made her heart pang like it was being stabbed with a knife.

Did she want to risk giving into a possible lie, to spend her life in blind Joy without ever looking up at the world around her?

Did she want to potentially follow a lie, and be distracted from potential true happiness here?

What was real, and what was fake in this situation? Her life, her lack of a shirt, those were real. But what else was...and did she want to ask more questions about it all?

Joy had been there first, let her become emotional, distracted her with sensual delights. It had been enjoyable, and admittedly it had calmed her down...that much she was thankful for. Joy in that sense had saved her.

But...she wanted to know the truth. Could she love a lie, throw her all into it? Or was she steps away from real truth? Did she, as this witch seemed to be suggesting, run the risk of being some witch’s concubine in bed for the rest of her life? Or was she being tempted to walk into a lion’s den where they’d tear her apart?

”Melancholy...i suppose you’re right. I am being a very...selfish person. I’m...i’m someone whose for so long felt like they had nothing, and just seeing someone happy to see me was enough to stop me from thinking clearly. It was just enough for me to greedily cling to, to lust after with wild abandon to sate those cravings...heh, in that sense i am still the fool i thought i was...

Thinking i could love everyone, split myself into pieces for those around me, you are right that it wouldn’t amount to anything in the end. Except, maybe hurt feelings, a shattered soul, and being alone again….”

It was like a damned soap opera, and she was the fool harem protagonist at the center of it. The desperate soul wanting someone, something, real. Grasping, emotionally, onto the nearest cute bodied girl she could find after a tragic...dammit! She was a fool of a girl, a fool of a person. But here, at least, was being offered one tiny thing that did feel a bit more solid.

A chance to learn, whether for the better or the worse.

Gently, Aerith left the bed, gently and carefully to avoid waking Joy even still in her voice and movements. She gently put the covers back over her, warm and soft as they were. She then grabbed her swimsuit, pulling it on along with her shorts. That was all she had left of her clothes right now, anywho.

”...So i guess i really do want to know the truth.

I desire something real, whether it turns out to be Joy, or you, or someone else out there since you weren’t referring to the witches. Someone to give all of my love to, to get to know, and know its real and tangible with my own two hands.

I want to hear what you and the others have to say, what you are about even.

I’d rather take another painful truth, i want to know what is truly real, rather than settle for all the lies.

But...i can’t just abandon Joy. She’d been kind, shared a bed with me, and arranged to save me. I can’t just look her in the face, spit in it, and be that ungrateful.”

She had to know. No more facades...no more lies like her family had made. No more false-faced Fritzi’s, no being turned into a toy for someone else’s amusement. She wanted that love, and she needed to give that person everything and not just meager fragments. Sure, she could seek out friends to give that friendship out to, and that was a thing.

But in the end she had to decide.

And for now, that decision was to stay by Joy’s side, though she got the feeling Melancholy’s words about ‘It will upset her, there is nothing she can do’ rang in the back of her mind. It felt likely Talus, or someone else if this sin got here, would take her away again….not the best thing. But at the same time, it was her way to return the kindness of Joy as well.

”You made me wait here while you got dressed just to tell me that?” Melancholy sighed and closed her eyes again. ”It's true then, I suppose. You're going to settle for the one you found first. It really could have been anyone. This cabin is a cozy little retreat, and a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” Melancholy turned around and started to walk out the door. It was slow, taking several seconds for her to put one foot in front of the other. If Aerith wasn't looking at her feet, she might have assumed she was staying in place. But as soon as Melancholy got to the door, she froze in place. ”We're all named after sins. It's not very flattering, but you do realize that all humans sin. Even in your world, the first humans sinned.” When she turned to face Aerith, the corners of her lips curled into a smile. ”What a lovely story about the first sin. Adam and Eve eating the fruit of knowledge. What was that sin? You can't quite pick it out of the seven deadly sins of Christianity. It wasn't quite pride, as they seemed to know they were below god. It certainly wasn't greed, the apple was there long before the serpent came.” Melancholy scuffed towards Aerith. ”It wasn't wrath, nor lust, sloth, or gluttony. Many people say god punished them for being disobedient, but I don't really believe that.” Melancholy “looked” at Aerith. ”All sins share one thing in common. Even if you don't know the seven deadly sins, you can identify them with one trait.” She opened her eyes, and the neon glow caused Aerith to wince. ”They are selfish. Each of the seven sins put one's own needs before the needs of others. That's why melancholy is a sin, because when you're depressed, you're really just so absorbed in your own woes that you don't care about anyone else.” Melancholy took hold of Aerith's shoulders and pulled her close. She could feel her ragged breath on her cheek. ”So Aerith, you took your own life out of self pity, even when Chieko and Hiro did so much to keep you safe. Your resurrection caused a calamity, and the witch that really saved you is being cheated out of her end of the bargain. And that’s all true if you believe what Vainglory told you. Meanwhile, the witch who wanted to see you so badly is still waiting for you, while you lay here with Vainglory. But you're content because the two of you are happy.” She tipped her head. ”Do you think it's fair to say that you have sinned?”

Aerith’s breath caught in her throat. Joy...but hadn’t she made a deal with Wrath like she had said? To get her to be saved?! No, wait, was Wrath the one who wanted to see her so badly? Was it...was it Melancholy here?! She had no idea, but the sensation she felt from learning about this sent a terrible pang into her chest, throbbing and searing. But she couldn’t run from it, and...she wouldn’t even if she could. It hurt, but she loathed those lies, even ones said to herself by her own mind.

In truth...yes, she really was a fool. Choosing this carnal pleasure, so selfish as to take her own life when despair had crushed her very soul, so stupid not to think of anyone else but herself after arriving in this place. It made her want to run out into the ether and scream, to beg for the witch who wanted to see her so badly to open a way so she could see her. The heart-tearing regret itself was a teacher in this instance, and a reminder of what she truly desired, even as Aerith reached up and gripped Melancholy’s shoulders tightly.

”I have sinned...greatly. That i can’t deny, nor is a past i can undo. It would be...selfish to think i could do so.”

”If only putting yourself down made things better.” Melancholy backed away from Aerith. ”Joy isn't a sin. But it's only a virtue when you can share it.” As the witch backed into the shadows, the glow in her eyes dimmed until she vanished from sight. It seemed that, so too, did the door to the cabin disappear.

”Hmm?” Joy propped herself up in bed. ”Uh oh! Looks like we have a problem!” She put a hand over her mouth. ”Somebody's covered in clothes!” Joy huffed. ”Well, we can fix that.” She waved for Aerith to come back into bed.

It wasn’t like she had a choice at this point in time...but it was the path she had chosen for now. Joy’s warm body, the beautiful smile, all of it in one package. The door out of the cabin was gone, just outright a wall now like it wasn’t there. Though whilst the pangs of regret thumbed the strings of her heart, like they were playing the gentle harp, she couldn’t just sit and belittle herself either. No...Melancholy had that much of a point, and potentially some experience with it if she has to place her suspicions.

Overall there had been made a lot of points, actually, that she would have to and wanted to take to heart for the future. She would pick herself up, and move on one day, one step even, at a time. That was all she had, and after having tried to kill herself the thought of attempting it again sent chills down her back now.

”Heh, i was just thinking we could talk some tomorrow. I want to get to know the amazing you better, after all~

But for now, i think we are late on round two, hmm? And here i was thinking about trying some of the tricks you used on me earlier~” Aerith said, making her way back over to Joy on the bed, leaning over and planting a soft but passionate kiss on the witch’s lips.

For the moment all she had was this little, lustful wonderland. A warm bed, a sweet face...and a lot of time to talk. She couldn’t despair right now...she couldn’t bear it anymore. She felt how it was like for her soul to finally buckle under all the weight. Just for tonight...couldn’t she be a bit more selfish, just a little?

Ashton Andrews and Flame Brooks

A measure of hope and an even larger amount of determination returned to Ashton's heart as Od Laguna made their apperance, and his first question was, "What's the status of Hiro's Soul?"

Flame turned to Ashton, a sudden smile breaking out on his face as he noticed that some small-s spirit had come back to his boyfriend. Then to Od Laguna, he said, "So we're the spanner in the works as regards those guys and their own plans for our friends." A slight breath. "I'm not blind; we've arrived at a point where our fellowship has been shattered, the bad guys are on the verge of victory, and due to the circumstances in which the fellowship was shattered, we'd find our friends different from how we once knew them."

Ashton looked back at Flame, saying, "Meaning that because of my actions, they'd distrust us at best, while we'd have to fight them at worst." More determination returned to his eyes, even as he assessed the cost of his actions. Turning to the Angelic Figure, the boy said, "We're ready to help, but remember that I killed someone I liked and trusted because of those Witches and their game. If I have to do the same again, multiple times because of the Resets, then it'd better be worth it."

He then smiled widely, even as he was on the verge of tears. "Being a veterinarian was my dream when I returned, but now that's over. I will forever be reminded of Hiro whenever I have to mercy-kill a patient. So again, it had better be worth it."

Flame looked at Ashton as he said, "Through Grief, Hope. Where you go, I will follow. I love, you, Ashton; you don't have to be my rescuer or anyone's for me to be with you throughout this fight."

He then faced Od Laguna's Avatar, "Tell me as much as you can about these 'Witches', as well as what other support you can give other than hijacking the enemy's spells. Then after that, we're training."

Below Ground - How disappointing

---

Not making any sense? Mie would have rolled her eyes, were she not currently engaged in combat, and she could already tell it was going to be a pain. Her spell didn't fizzle, but rather it seemed her opponent had talent for magic and was far better at it than she was. An icy spear thrust forwards, but it was easy to tell this girls weakness lay in her physical abilities. Hm, complete opposites it seemed. Such a slow strike was never going to hurt her.

What she was more concerned about was her target - there was no feasible way she was going to be able to finish the job now. She'd need to cut her losses, report back to the handler and inform them of a potential rat.

!!

Mie felt it before she heard it. Belrigger's bellow and charge towards Aer. Trained agility made it easy to avoid the bloodraged man, and it was a perfect opportunity for Mie to get lost as well. She could already tell, the guard had made their way here, which meant it was time for her to skedaddle before they saw her face. At least then, she had plausible deniability as a mostly upstanding member of society. She had been operating here for a long time, after all, and with her various connections she could likely get away without too much trouble as long as she wasn't actually caught.

Before Belrigger had even finished dealing with Aer, Mie already had booked it out of the entrance hall. Places like this always had more than one exit to ensure safety of the patrons and VIPs. It wouldn't be too hard to find one, get back to her carriage and then get out of this getup...and with a little luck, give herself a pretty damn good alibi in case this came back to bite her in the butt sometime.

Without alerting the rest of the patrons to the guards, Mie booked it back down the servants exit, expertly weaving and leaping over remaining idiots who were fighting. The likely easiest place to find one that she could easily get access too - and it seemed like the other servants had much of the same mindset.

She filed in line behind them, bringing up the rear as a few more trickled down this way. Secret exits were always various levels if hidden. Likely no trick bookshelves. False walls. Everything seemed to be made of stone. An advanced door of some sort triggered by a candelabra?...ah, she'd need to think a bit more simpler. What did this place have in droves? Alcohol. In a likely fairly well guarded...wine cellars were always popular places for secret doors.

It didn't take Mie long to find the room in question.

The room was stacked from floor to ceiling with wines of various prices. A quick observation led Mie to what she was looking for. A shelf in the back, situated against the wall. Mie ran up to it. Bottles full of alcohol...but cheap. The kind one wouldn't get mad at over breaking. A fine layer of dust, too. Hadn't been used in awhile. Just what she was looking for. It was easy enough. Pull a simple lever, the pull it open, and Mie slipped into the passage beyond, eventually sloping upwards until she came to another wall, opening it easily...and tripping over the ledge, face planting into the chest of a rather busty shopkeeper in the Cham.

There were some shouts as Mie barreled over her, sliding over the countertop and landing face first on the ground on the others side.

"Hup~" Rolling back to her feet, Mie turned, saluted, and grinned. "Thanks for the cushion. I'd ask ya on a second date but I gotta go. By the way, you should probably leave the guards will be coming soon!~" With a final playful salute, the fox bolted out of the storefront and down the street, quickly getting lost in the crowd.

She had reports to make, and potential backup to call.


Hideout?
Death count: 1
Reset Count: 4

---

"Mhm...thanks..." Oh, she was warm. Chieko could honestly stay like this for awhile, just...existing. Honestly...what was she going to do now? She had no intention of sitting around and arguing with Ashton, Flame, or trying to do anything that she didn't think was a good idea. Ha, she really wanted to sleep now. She was just exhausted. Tired, and her current position was warm, soft, and she really just wanted to lay down and use them as extremely comfortable pillows.

"...ugh," Only a few seconds later, Chieko broke the embrace, frowning lightly and blushing as she noticed a certified adorable fairy flutter off. Had she always been here? She was ridiculously adorable from the looks of it, but she didn't really get a chance to say anything. Well, maybe next time? Would there be a next time?

She honestly hoped so.

"...better now." She looked to Gluttony, adjusting her scarf lightly, watching the rest of the proceedings, mostly keeping her eyes on that Fairy as the rest bickered about relevant and non relevant things. Yep, adorable. Maybe she should ask something? But right now she really could't think of anything. What she did get however, was that Hiro was dead dead, and Aerith was alive. That was enough to put her mind greatly at ease. She was quite surprised when the fairy said she had pulled her here so she wouldn't be in her current situation, and even more so when Pride attempted to attack her.

"H-hey! Get off her!" She didn't know why - but she bolted forwards, intending on helping her but she was too late, it seemed.

She was getting really tired of this. She was once more standing in front of the Clininc, as though nothing had happened. Turning around, she quickly took note of Hiro's body. A nervous, unpleasant feeling formed in the feeling of her stomach as she looked at Hiro's body. Dead. She couldn't protect them, despite having almost sacrificing everything. A man who she only barely recognized as the stranger who showed up in the last moments spoke to her.

"...I escape-" And one again she was picked up off the ground. She was really getting tired of this, but she couldn't complain as Fritzi teleported off, mild nausea mixed with that unpleasant feeling but she was soon dropped off in a...barn of some sort? Smelled like one. A dragon walked up, but Chieko ignored it for now. She was entirely focused on Fritzi as she began ranting, lamenting the fact she hadn't acted to save anyone. If she hadn't just been thoroughly been through the wringer, she might have believed it was genuine to an extent, and her next comment entirely proved her suspicions.

Chieko listened as intently as her exhausted mind could to Fritzi. So she wasn't getting an ID or money. Too hopeful, it seemed. She didn't react in the slightest as Fritzi pressed their foreheads together, echoing her already known magical element. In all, she was in a bad position...and there was nothing she could do about it. The unpleasant feeling in her stomach began heating up. Anger? Was this anger? Angry at herself for being so weak, and angry at Fritzi, Ashton...Quill. Chieko's mouth turned downwards into a scowl as she removed her scarf.

"I'm not that weak, Sister. I've grieved enough within my own time, and was comforted by someone far nicer than you will ever be." Chieko replied back. She was too angry and determined to grieve right now anyways. "There is work to be done in the name of justice, and I shall not wait around while evil festers." In all honesty, this might be a good thing. She wanted to learn to fight anyways, and Quill seemed like she knew what she was doing.

"We start now, Quill." The young Japanese girl turned to Fritzi, determined eyes full of a slow burning anger glaring at her. "Show me to where we'll be staying, and we'll start with the basics." She was in this situation, and so she would use it. The more she thought about it, the better it seemed.

She would take them for all they were worth. She would take all their skills, all their training. Information. Their entire organization, and turn it against them. Learn everything she could about this world. About them. Everything, and she wasn't going to rest until she did.

When he realized he was sent back to the tavern, Alistair couldn't help but hope that this spontaneous relocation deal was not going to be a habit. It could potentially lead to some unfavorable situations if he were sent to the wrong location. Plus, it was disorienting to jump between two vastly different places in the span of a second.

This is irritating.

Having reclaimed his composure, Alistair would have liked to ponder the information the witches had shared with him and the others, but Captain Crunch's appearance stole his attention instead.

She seemed to have been in a small panic when he disappeared, and as she decided once again to sniff him, he assumed that he might smell a bit different given that Sloth as well as others had started to treat him like a toy they were all childishly fighting over in that... void or whatever it was. So it came as little surprise to see Crunch notice this heavier witch stench even though he himself didn't.

Being a rather proactive pursuer of cultists, Crunch wasted no time darting off in pursuit of these 'cultists' that weren't likely to be around at the moment. She'd likely just be wasting her breath and scaring the general populace as, in his opinion, she looked like she had a few screws loose.

Alistair's response was to yell after her to get her to stop, but she'd bolted out of the tavern before those words had reached her. He let out an irritated sigh before hopping off the chair he just remembered he was standing on. Some people were probably staring at him, but he didn't paid them any mind. It seemed that Sandra had taken off earlier and left her rather expressive friend here, but he was taking a rest he might've earned given his exhausted appearance.

He could only give a longing look at the table void of any food before turning and leaving the tavern to get Captain Crunch. The girl, not the cereal, although he would be fine with either at this point. "Hey, wait! Captain, save your breath!" he called out.

Crunch did not respond to Alistair. Once he followed her outside, he was immediately pulled off to the side by the captain herself. She lifted a finger to her lips. ”Shhhhhh!” An awkward silence hung in the air as crunch's eyes scanned the area. Her sword arm was raised, ready to strike on a moment's notice. ”I don't see anything.” she whispered. ”When they teleported you, what happened?”

Ali was beginning to wonder if all woman in this world were this touchy-feely. No respect for personal space whatsoever between the witches nor this woman, or that other one too. Were it that he was in the mood, this might've been quite a pleasant place in that sense. But such was not the case, and all it did was serve to annoy him.

But consider she at least had a reason to be touching him aside from being a bit too comfortable with him, Alistair allowed the woman to finish looking around and then sighed when she asked him about what had transpired. He took a moment to himself before trying to answer her, a looming sense of dread encroaching upon him the moment he thought about mentioning those witches.

I figured as much.

He took another moment to calm down, then gave an audible answer this time.

"Things I cannot speak about, my apologies." he admitted.

Crunch squinted her eyes. ”That curse is annoying.” She slid along the side of the building. ”We should go to the harbor then. At least there you won't be in any danger.” She spun her sword in her hand before taking it in an iron grip. ”Are you a fast runner?”

She's telling me. If only she knew the half of it---wait, what?

"Wait, what? In danger?" Alistair had forgot to mention there were probably not cultists in the immediate area. He blamed the artificially-induced dread as the cause. But nevertheless. "No, you have it all wrong. There's no---"

Crunch took Alistair and threw him into a cart filled with hay. As soon as he landed, about ten cats ran out from under him in all directions. ”If you cannot run, than I will have to carry you!” The cart was likely suppose to be driven by a dragon, or a horse, but Crunch didn't seem to care. She took hold of it and was getting ready to run all the way to the docks.

"Woman! Yo---”

”Keep your head down! It probably works by sight!” The captain threw her overcoat on top of Alistair without letting up on her running. If the road wasn't so bumpy, sitting up might have been an attractive option. Needless to say, it was quite uncomfortable, and this was made even worse by Crunch's inability to listen and also the coat she threw on top of Alistair.

Such... misfortune!

What crunch said next was truly horrifying. ”Out of the way civilians! Less I trample you!” Then Alistair heard some very familiar voices.

"Excuse me?" Vasilis pointed his halberd at Crunch. "Nobody threatens to run over Irene! Over my dead body!"

The young girl standing behind him tried to interject. "Vasilis, that's-" But it was too late, the knight was already charging head-first at Crunch, who showed no signs of slowing down. "El-Shamak!"

”Tch!” Alistair, Vasilis, and Crunch had all been paralyzed by Irene's spell. Vasilis and Crunch fell into each other before sinking to the ground. A few seconds later and they both sprung to their feet. ”How dare you cast a spell on Captain Crunch! I am transporting a VIP away from sudden danger.”

"Not through Irene you're not!"

While the two bickered, Irene locked eyes with Alistair. ”Alistair, was it?” She folded her arms. Irene's eyes were half squinting. The disgust was pratically radiating off of her. ”I realize that, given your predicament, you need all the help you can get. But I'm a bit surprised you've taken to letting military figures cart you around the city.”

Alistair had recognized the voices after he had a moment to think, and once he could move again, he immediately hopped out of the cart and brushed himself off, before facing Irene, his irritation at the entire predicament rather clear on his face. But he understood how things looked.

In the face of disaster lies opportunity for renewal. Keep you cool, things will be alright. What has anger gotten you thus far, Alistair?

"I see you are misunderstanding the situation. As understandable as that may be circumstances presented, assumptions are a wicked thing more often than not. Allow me to correct your assumption by informing you that at no point was any of this consensual. Merely a misunderstanding exacerbated by the Captain's eagerness to protect the innocent. Almost brings a tear to my eyes, really."

Wonder if sarcasm is a thing in this land? Oh well.

“That said, I do appreciate your help in ceasing this runaway cart.”

”Yes, I can't help but feel that fate has decided that I must remain in your group's company.”Irene eyed Alistair up and down. ”I suppose you'd have picked a more suitable form of transportation, if given the choice.” She plucked a few pieces of straw that were sticking out of his collar. ” If Crunch is carting you around, that must mean you got your passport without a hitch. Congratulations.” She gave a curtsy ”It shouldn't be hard for the others to get their passports. Do you know how Hiro, Aerith, and Chieko are fairing with their job at Donovan's clinic?”

How embarrassing to be caught like this. Ah, so irritating!

Having been groomed by this cruel society into becoming desensitized to girls randomly touching him, Alistair paid Irene little mind, perhaps even appreciating her picking out the stray straw. He listened to her bring up the others at Donovan's place, and then thought about what had recently transpired.

His thoughts jumped back to the void he was in minutes prior. There were context clues he picked up when Talus and the Witches were explaining how their abilities affected the 'checkpoint' that implied Hiro was dead. However, Flame and Ashton had all but confirmed this with their deal they tried to make with Talus. That man, that boxer... he must have died, and for good this time. Alistair wasn't sure what state the other two were in, exactly, but it was unlikely they were faring too well themselves.

"I've not really had a chance to speak to them," he told Irene. It wasn't a lie, exactly, as Sloth and the others had taken his attention away from them before any real conversation happened. “Though I don’t imagine they’re doing too well, call it a hunch.”

Irene closed her eyes with a sigh. ”That is unfortunate to hear.” She placed a fist on her chest. ”I would have liked to have stayed with you all longer, but there were urgent matters that demanded my attention.” Her eyes opened again. ”I do not want to leave any of you alone again. Would you be interested in staying with Vasilis and myself? I will expect things from you, but I have an extensive book collection that you might find handy. Anything you'd want to know about the kingdom is within arm's reach.” She looked over her shoulder. ”Not that I doubt Crunch's ability to protect you, but her style could use some work.” Vasilis and the captain were still shouting at each other.

An interesting offer, he thought. Alistair pondered briefly about what he'd like to do. While he certainly wasn't in any hurry to be stuffed into a cart and hauled off again, Captain Crunch had proved to be useful in her own way. She introduced him to someone who gave him information relevant to his situation which had been his short-term goal. That said, Irene's offer was appetizing as well. Learning about the world in which he and the others now lived would be just as useful as knowing their foe, and given her earlier display of magical ability, she perhaps could show him a thing or three.

Didn't they mention something about helping us learn quicker? This ought to be the best chance to improve. I'll need more power if I'm to deal with those damned cultists trying to kill me.

"I think I'll accept your generous offer." he answered. "Though I hope Crunch doesn't mind parting ways with me too much."

Crunch immediately shoved Vasilis off to the side when Alistair mentioned her name. ”What? Alistair!” She balled her hands into fists. ”You were just abducted by some cultists right in front of me! We need to get you someplace safe so that they can't harm you.”

"I was trying to tell you before, Captain, that I wasn't in any immediate danger." he clarified. "But then you threw me into a cart and here we are." Alistair had become quite calm, perhaps because of the new path that had opened up had please him. Or for some other reason. Either way, he didn't seem as annoyed as he should have been. “I don’t think those cultists will be a big threat just yet, but I appreciate the concern.”

”So that explains the smell.” Irene folded her hands together. ”Crunch, I'm sure the Arcadia name must mean something to you. My grandmother taught me very well, and she wouldn't have lent me the aid of a personal knight just for show. I'm not sure what happened to Alistair, but I think we can agree that if he was going to be abducted again, they would have struck already.” She cast out her hand.” Alistair was teleported here with a few others. I think your efforts would be better suited to reaching them before the cultists do. I recall a few of them going to Donovan’s clinic. You’d be wise to start your search for them there.”

Crunch exhaled sharply. ”Alright.” She nodded. ”That sounds reasonable. But I would like to check in on him from time to time.”

Alistair nodded to Crunch, he almost seemed happy now. "I do appreciate what you've done for me. When I am in a better position, I'll do what I can to return the favor."

”You are more than welcome to.” before Irene could finish her curtsy, Crunch had already taken off. ”Strange woman. I can't say I've ever seen her like that. She's always so calm and reserved.”

"Can you blame her? Alistair smells like a cultist! I-I think? I can’t really smell that stuff." Vasilis hung his head.

Irene only smiled in response to Vasilis before looking back at her hay-covered companion. ”Well, at least she won't be running you around in a cart any longer.”

The Archibald would need to remember each and every one of these people he was being indebted to. It was not like repaying a favor was something his parents every particularly stretched, or something he'd been taught by something else. But he'd always thought it only natural to clear up one's debts. Donovan, assuming he wasn't part of the cult trying to kill him, and now Captain Crunch, who'd led him to this point. And, of course, Irene. Both for the clothes he was now wearing, and the books he'd be able to read later.

"I don't entirely dislike that kind of drive, though. It's something to respect, when it's not causing me discomfort." Alistair watched Crunch walk off for a minute before turning back towards Irene and Vasilis. He sighed. "Is it that bad?" he asked them. He couldn't find a stench that he'd describe as 'witch-like', but if that many people were talking about it, then it had to be true.

"It tastes bad too." A goat demihuman commented from behind Alistair."Blue didn’t taste bad earlier, now blue tastes bad.." Despite her adult shape, her mannerisms came across as very childish. She didn’t make eye contact with anyone, and her thumb had a habit of slipping into her mouth when she wasn’t talking. "You need clean blue."

Alistair glanced at Irene before speaking, as if to ask if she was familiar with this demi-human who had just spoken. But since he hadn't noticed her before, he was going to make one of those 'bad' assumptions and assume that she'd just happened by them. Still, what she said was intriguing.

"You're saying the stench has a taste?" he asked her, his curiosity piqued. "And it's blue...?"

Visibly confused, Alistair's attention was on this demi-human, though it did dart to Irene on occasion.

"Not the smell, the blue. The blue tastes bad now."The goat woman hopped closer. "What am I going to eat noooowwwwwww?" Her voice cracked.

Irene cleared her throat and stepped closer. ”How long have you been eating Alistair's 'blue'?”

"A while." She sniffed.

Irene nodded. ”What's your name?”

The goat girl blinked a few times, never making eye contact. "Odessa."

”Do you have a surname, or a house name?”

"I don't have one."

Irene's eyebrows flicked up before she turned to Alistair. ”Alistair, I don't know how, but I believe you've attracted a spirit. I've never encountered one quite like this one, but it's the only explanation. I believe when she talks about your blue, she's actually referring to your mana.”

Alistair eyed Odessa with suspicion. "I don't like the sound of that at all. I have limited understanding about how all of that stuff works, however. Is this something I should be concerned about?" he moved his eyes from the shy spirit and back to Irene.

”It can be a problem. If a spirit eats too much of your mana, they could get into your life force. In less severe cases, that would permanently cripple you as a spell caster. More severe cases would erode your ability to feel emotions or even kill you.”

Odessa wrapped her arm around herself. "I-I would never take that much blue."

Irene looked at the spirit. ”Typically a spirit will forge a contract with the person who's mana they're eating. Did you ever make a contract with Alistair?”

"Mmmmmm."

”Is that a no?”

Odessa nibbled on the tip of her thumb. "I thought it would be okay if he didn't notice."

“Well, it’s not.” Eyes once again on the spirit, Alistair spoke. "This sounds like a pest that I need to be rid of. But if you mentioned a contract, I assume that there's some sort of benefit to having one?"

It was one thing to have girls throw him into a cart and stubbornly refuse to listen until physically stopped. But since this spirit was potentially costing him his magic, and therefore impeding his progress towards defeating that smug knight as well as dealing with those assailants, then she was standing in his way. And that was one of three things he absolutely could not stand.

”There's pretty good value in a contract, yes.” Irene folded her arms. ”If you supply her with magic, she can cast spells for you. If you have, say, a fire gate for fire spells, her gate might be a different element. You would be able to use multiple elements in combat.”

Odessa huffed. " But if we're going to make a contract, I want you to keep your blue pure. I don't want to eat mana this bad ever again! Also sorry about you blue. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble."

Wait that sounds hella dope

"That sounds... incredible, honestly." upon hearing that, he seemed more keen on the idea of keep her around. But there was that 'bad blue' she was mentioning. It wasn't like he didn't have an idea of what it might be, but the problem was he wasn't sure what he could do about it. "As long as it doesn't cripple me, I wouldn't mind making a contract but... I imagine this 'bad taste' has something to do with the stench? Is it something I can rid myself of?"

There's still too much shit I don't know!

Irene nodded. ”It should wear off in time, provided you don't linger around cultists for too long. That is the easiest method I know of.”

"Bad blue will become pure again?" Odessa tipped her head. "What should go in the contract, mister?" she popped her thumb in her mouth and, for once, made eye contact with Alistair.

The problem is that they linger around me! Well, if there's the chance to purify my mana, then I suppose I can try. Having a spirit does seem useful.

"Then in that case, in exchange for that sort of power, I would not mind allowing you to 'eat the blue' as it were. Within reason, of course." he told Odessa, but then added, "And I'd prefer you look me in the eyes when we speak from now on. It's a pet-peeve of mine when people actively avoid eye contact." he paused for a moment, then also added, "...unless there is something you would like to add or object to?"

"Look you in the eye, and don't eat too much? I can do that." Odessa scratched her head. "Uhh, I really don't like the taste of your blue right now." Her cheeks were getting red. Possibly a side effect of her making prolonged eye contact. "But then you need to keep your blue pure. I can't possibly function on blue that is this bad." After a moment, she pointed at Alistair with an outstretched finger. "And don't laugh at me. I don't like it, not one bit." She nibbled on her fingers.

Alistair didn't seem to notice or mind the goat-spirit's flushed cheeks. But he may have questioned that second condition she set had he not just made one on his own whim as well. "Those terms sound agreeable, but due to things currently beyond my control, I'd like to ask what's in the fine print of this contract before we set it in stone. Is there a penalty for one of us breaking it, or is this an elaborate 'promise'?"

"Fine, print?"

”It's in her best interest that you are kept alive, Alistair. You don't have to worry about a spirit going back on a promise.” Irene interjected. ”You're offering her your mana, and she's offering to protect a dedicated food source. The contract simply serves as a way to make sure that both parties are okay with the arrangement. It's typical for the spirit to request more, as the spirit gains the least out of such a pairing.” She looked to Odessa. ”Right?”

"If your blue starts to taste bad, I'll let you know." Odessa didn't look away from Alistair. "But I won't eat bad blue, and I won't be able to help you if your blue is this bad."

"Perhaps I'm being a bit too cautious, but it's better to be safe than sorry." he said. Presumably, the answer Irene gave in lieu of Odessa's was enough to satisfy Alistair. He extended a hand towards Odessa, now his partner of sorts, and his lips raised into a friendly smile. Simply because he hadn't really done so before, the very act of smiling might've appeared odd on him.

"Shall we shake on it?"

"Shake?" Odessa blinked. "Do we have to? I think it would be better to just etch it into your blue."

Irene raised an eyebrow. ”Shake? Is that something you do in your part of the world?”

Odessa started to vibrate. "Like this?"

"...I see." Alistair's genuine smile seemed a lot more forced after Odessa began shaking. Still, he persevered and turned towards Irene. "In my w-...home, it is customary to take hold of one another's hands and then give it a few firm shakes when a deal like this is made. But..." he turned back to Odessa. "I suppose it doesn't matter. What's the deal about this mana-etching concept you mentioned?"

Irene held her chin. ”To avoid going into a bunch of other complicated topics, she wants to take a small portion of your mana and replace it with her own. It's just a ritual, and won't have any long term effects. You could look at it as the spirit version of a 'hand shake.'”

Vasilis ran up to Alistair and put a hand on his shoulder. "Just accept the offer already! We all know you’re not going to back down now. You can figure all that sophisticated stuff later."

What remained of Alistair's strained smile disappeared when Vasilis' hand landed on his shoulder. "I'd prefer if you did not touch me. I've had enough people violate my comfort zone enough today." he calmly said.

"Oh! Sorry."

Once Vasilis removed his hand, he continued. "But I suppose I am being a bit too overcautious." Not that I can blame myself. It's hard to trust anything when you've experienced death countless times. "Very well, let us finalize this deal however and be done with it." he finally agreed.

Odessa’s body was outlined by a purple neon light. She pointed her palm at his chest, but made no physical contact. There was a blue glow directly over Alistair’s chest, but it subsided after a few seconds. Then Odessa’s neon glow vanished, and she lowered her hand. "Now there’s a little bit of purple in your blue." she bit her thumb. "I hope your blue clears up soon."

"You and me both." Alistair was somewhat disappointed by the event. But that may have been the effect of media influencing his expectations of something like a spiritual contract. And it was probably a good thing, too. No screaming, no pain, and it did not take very long at all. There was also no non-consensual lip-locking or CG dragons. Perhaps this was optimal. "Well, with that out of the way, I suppose we should move on. I appreciate both the advice and your patience." he nodded towards both Irene and her knight.

"Think nothing of it! Irene is the most patient person I know! And I give pretty good advice!" Vasilis fought the temptation to put his hand on Alistair's shoulder again.

”Let’s get you acquainted with my books as soon as possible. You are thirsty for knowledge, and I will see that you are sated. I am also curious if it would be possible to cleanse you of the witch's touch.”

Odessa rubbed one of her eyes. "I'll rest in your blue for now." The spirit turned into a ball of light and floated behind Alistair. She seemed to completely disappear, but Alistair could feel she was still nearby.

Deciding against questioning how Odessa's disappearing act work, Alistair let it be. He looked to Irene. "I can’t help but admit I am a little excited to see what I can gleam from those books." And with that, he would follow behind his new set of 'partners' as they set off towards Irene’s place.

No words registered to Belrigger, only the thunder of his own beating heart in his ears. These were intruders and on some level he recognized they had spoken of infiltration, his operation, and the tunnels leading to the bandit hideouts. That would be dealt with when his mind did not scream for blood.

“You will not live to see this place again, nor tell of its location.”

His oath to non-violence would be upheld to the last. No humans or Demis would taste his steel as it ended their lives, of that he would swear again, but the oath didn’t mean he could not restrain the intruders for someone else to finish. In a rush, he put his shoulder down and roared defiance.

Again, Belrigger charged forward. But all Mono had to do to remain standing was anchor his heel behind himself to prevent the brute from throwing him over. He wrapped one of his arms around Belrigger once he got close. Unlike Aer, Mono was far taller and more capable of dealing with a physical attack like this. Belrigger's push forward was only causing the captain to slide backwards at a steady pace. He pointed at Belrigger with his free hand, snapped his fingers, and said: ”Al-Hu-”

The crunch of the Arena bosses hand striking Mono full in the face seemed to echo in the big man’s ears and driving his swing into a far more lethal strike. A man unprepared to take a hit would surely have failed to survive the nearly unrestrained strike, and rather than the pleasure of a firm hit Belrigger could feel something disturbingly wrong with the situation. The shoulder check, the punch, it felt wrong.

Rather than dwell on his gut feeling, another strike came low at Monos stomach, followed by yet another right hook. With his bare hands the Master of the Arena was going to pummel his opponent into submission. Swing after swing probing the enemies mysterious defenses as Belrigger built up to a blow that should shatter the enemies will to fight.

Blow after blow, and Mono still didn't yeild. After knocking his opponent into a daze, Belrigger was left an opening to deliver a mighty uppercut. His ears were assaulted by a loud cracking sound as Mono's jaw exploded. An unexpected side effect of this was a bunch of stone chips tumbling out the bottom of his mask. Mono tumbled backwards into his men, who were able to catch his body. One of the men removed Mono's mask and strapped it onto his own face, revealing the crator in the original mono's head. While it looked very human on the outside, below the skin was nothing but stone. One of the guards hauled Mono's body out of the alleyway, and the masked guard stepped forward.

”Seems this old crow has some tricks, but so do I.” Mono drew a short sword. ”El-huma!” A gray fog bellowed out of the “new” mono before he charged towards Belrigger. The other guards started to draw their own weapons in preparation for the fight.

“A golem?!” Initially shocked by the sophistication of the construct, the moment passed quickly when the reality struck him. This was no human or demi, it was not truly a living creature and thus its destruction would not break his oath. “Before I carve a path through you, answer me: Are you all mindless constructs?” It would be a shame if there was still flesh and bone mingled with the soldiers serving under this fellow.

”Come and find out.” The gray smoke around mono was getting thicker by the second. Such to the point where it was getting harder to see what his other “minions” were doing. But this Mono made his intentions clear. He thrust his short sword straight at Belrigger's chest.

The blade struck true and found no purchase, sliding from the targets chest. The only damage it had done was draw a line of cut fabric where the sharp edge passed. The returning strike was brutality in excess, Belriggers meaty fist struck the soldier with the blade with a right aiming at his shoulder. Even if they were flesh and blood it would be crippling but not fatal. Following up the strike he crouched and rushed again with his shoulder, throwing enough force behind his full body charge to launch the miserable cretin from his path forward. Ever forward.

Belrigger flattened this Mono, and batted the others up against the wall as he pressed through. But he soon felt a burning sensation on his skin. That fog wasn't just a smoke screen, it was poison. Something designed to melt human flesh. Even with his inhuman resistances, he was not impervious to the effects of this acid cloud. It would not melt his skin right away, but he couldn't let himself inhale this foul air.

Belrigger found his progress got slower as the Monos were able to bunch up in the alleyway. He had managed to get himself surrounded, and they latched onto him. Five Monos too hold of his arms, legs, and neck. A sixth mono was holding a war hammer, and looked like he was ready to bring it down on Belrigger's head.

Struggling against the rushing golems, for that was without question what they were, he threw his weight at the heavy golems trying to restrict him. The blessing gave him enormous protections but it was not enough to make him lift tons of stone with his bare hands. Not that he wasn’t putting up a good effort! Again and again he roared, a hand slipping loose for a moment to strike out against the constructs but failing to do little lasting damage until the final golem brought the hammer down.
Square in the forehead with tremendous force, despite the blessing it was still enough to rattle his brain in his skull and bring painful dizziness to the Arena Master. Outmanned it would be difficult to escape before these monsters simply crushed him into oblivion or worse.

In this pit of gladiators, armed with weapons and armor to match their prowess, Belrigger had the advantage still. The Champion Anyon had faced was injured and could not fight but two others had come to the bellowing warcry of their Master while the other conscripts handled the rabble. With the Main entrance blocked by Belrigger and Mono it fell to them to organize the retreat through the vast network of tunnels.
Armed with a warhammer of his own, Auriok the Vast fit his namesake well. A towering human, his arms had remained uncovered to show his impressive muscular form. With a horned helmet covering his face he was the spitting image of a vengeful gladiator as his silver and gold hammer collapsed a Monos hands where it grasped at the Masters.
From the back was the Blackblood. Trained extensively with a longsword and his arrows, he put a heavy barrage through the alleyway. The arrows were quickly made worthless by the nature of his foes but in the tight confines it was all he could do.
Neither knew the nature of the foes they fought quite yet but they would soon come to realize the impressive challenge they posed.

With the grasp on his right hand lessened, Belrigger again bellowed his wordless roar of defiance and struck hard at the construct holding his left hand while Auriok swung at the one holding back the masters neck, aiming to take the head of the enemy clean off.

Belrigger was slowly being freed from the Monos, but that did nothing to push back the thickening poison fog. Belrigger's protection made him rather resistant to its effects, but it was clear that Auriok was not faring as well.

”El-Huma!” It sounded like a mantra, but the remaining eight or seven Monos were all casting the same spell and approaching the fighters. It seemed like with every one that fell, the rest got stronger. Soon there wasn't a group of monos, but a black cloud that completely blocked all light from the other side of the tunnel. A literal fog of death was approaching Belrigger and crew.

Without a strong sense for magic on his own, it was still painfully obvious from the incantations that this was not to be fought against. Every time they smashed a golems arm or rendered it immobile the main host only got stronger bit by bit. A clever man, Belrigger assumed the host body used its own energies to control the complex automatons to mirror a human and when it didn’t have to it simply became stronger in return.
There was a way to beat this thing but not as it was now.

Shaking off Auriok, Belrigger put fingers to his lips and blew a loud shrill whistle. “Call off the guards. Emergency plan Alpha, evacuate the arena. Get the staff out first. Go!”

Auriok and Blackblood took off in a sprint to comply with the masters commands, ushering anyone in their way out. All sense of mystery was abandoned as the highly trained guards began reaching for the elaborate entrystones that revealed a secret tunnel leading to the surface, usually via ladder and a hatchway above. Everywhere you looked there was armored soldiers rushing to comply. Belrigger grudgingly ran through them to the vip area.
An area that connected to a bandit highway smuggling goods. A single thin wire, almost invisble against the shadowed alcove it rested in, released the final trap that served as the masters inevitable escape. The rumble of hundreds of tons of rock splintering was the only warning, the main tunnels exit into the arena proper had been rigged to collapse and seal the pit off. It wouldn’t last against a concerted effort to dig through but it did not have to.
It just had to delay them till everyone could travel the tunnels out.

(Will pretty this up at not 7am)

Crystal eyes remained focused on the aristocrat as the veiled water Spirit wrapped an arm around the later's waist to help him stand. The floodgates of knowledge hit the blonde hard as he tried to piece together the events that Gris was giving him, but it all felt fragmented to some extent.

A boy looking for his friends.

A woman who committed suicide.

Unexplained powers that were not of the norm.

A cloaked figure that could hold their own even against Gris.

A friend of the boy committing murder to benefit the enemy.

And then they all disappeared...

It made as much sense as it could at the moment as even Gris wasn't sure what really went down he was in the midst of it for crying out loud.
"Quash your uncertainty. Everything should make sense once the time comes for it." Despite his words, the rabbit was a bit frustrated at the lack of clarity the situation clearly needed.

His attention quickly moved to the clinic to see how Anubis was faring, but his attention was instead caught by...quite a few things actually. He didn't remember there being anyone else near the vicinity, but now there stood four others, one collapsed onto the floor. He only knew two out of the other three; Chiyo and what Grisaia would assume to be the cloaked figure that Gris mentioned.

As if purely on instinct, Grisaia stepped a bit forward, hands tense in case he needed to get physical. Fortunately, that didn't seen to be the case as Chiyo was released and two of the strangers vanished, Grisaia relaxing immediately after once the main threat seem to be gone. He watched in silence as Chiyo hurried to her master, a tiny pang of jealously pumping into the rabbit's veins before diminishing as quickly as he felt it.

As much as he wanted answers from the little girl, Grisaia knew that it wasn't the time. Gris got this as well and even gave him something to do. Of course it wasn't an order, but the demihuman's body reacted as if it was, giving the oni a short nod and curt bow before making his way into the clinic, leaving Adhara to take care of Gris and help him around if need be.

The moment Grisaia stepped in, he was bombarded with an obnoxious smoke. Of course it could have been a lot worse, but the servant's sensitive nose could certainly do without the fumes.
"Anub--" The blonde attempted to call out to the earth Spirit, only to shrink back slightly at the voice that cut him off, calling out for a quill. The next comment had things make more sense, but didn't stop Grisaia from frowning.

"Anubis." Grisaia tried again as his attention remained on the rather large man looking too and fro for the girl named Quill. He kept his voice dangerously low as to avoid startling the man with his sudden yelling. "Is there anyone else here besides us three?"

"No, it's just us." Came a quick response. With a slight nod, Grisaia approached the owner of the clinic, hands clasped neatly behind his back as he looked up the other's face.

"If I may, sir, I've confirmed that there's no one else in this building. Might I ask if I can help you with anything while you explain what caused this?" Grisaia asked with a slight tilt of his head, Anubis standing right by his side.

Donovan approached Grisaia. ”Well that's a relief!” He raised a finger to his chin. ”Kid, I ain't quite sure myself. Tensions were gettin' pretty hot between some humans and Quill. I stayed back here to watch over the patients, and it seems Quill and one of them was talkin'. Just talkin'.” He shook his head. ”They musta got spooked though. The others ran in, and a fire started. I'm still not sure what the real cause was, seems like some alcohol was spilled and set on fire. A shame, I don't know if I can replace the tools and supplies that were damaged.” Donovan shook his head. ”But everyone appears to be safe.”

Once the two walked out of the Clinic, they could see a familiar hooded adventurer approaching them.

Aer's eyebrows flicked up. "What happened?"

”AHHHHHH!” Crunch ran onto the scene. ”I was too late, the cultists already arrived!”

Donovan placed his hand on his face. ”I just want today to end.”

"Grisaia! It is most fortunate to meet you here." She placed a hand on her chest. "Upon asking around, it seemed that Mistress Vertti told someone to locate me specifically and to direct me to her location. I didn't get the full story, and the good Samaritan didn't seem to fully understand it either." Aer nodded. "But she is safe and unharmed. I found her in a pretty dangerous part of the city, so you might want to hold off on questioning her too much. Let us go see her together." Aer Lead Grisaia away from the Clinic.

”Thanks kid.” Donovan smiled. ”Stop by again sometime. Maybe the situation won't be so grim then.”

---

“Excuse me?” Quill snorted. “I do not take orders from humans, brats, or weaklings, and you are all three!”

”What if the order came from me?”

“NnnnnnnGH!” Quill pointed at Chieko “What value is there in teaching her anything!?”

”The situation is unusual, Quill” Elder Sibling looked over her shoulder at Chieko. ”besides, you seemed to think she was alright a moment ago.”

The oni dragged her hand over her face and looked at Chieko. “Only. Because. I was asked.” She waved for Chieko to follow her.

---

The angel's smile broadened. ”I've been watching, children. I know what you have all gone through. I am unsure where Hiro's spirit is, but it still exists. All I can say is that while it may be tempting to give into despair, you must remain vigilant! You will never finish the journey if you give up, and as long as you have my love, you will always remain in this world.” He slapped his hands together. ”Aside from handing out blessings, I have no other gifts to grant you. It is likely that we will not meet again for some time.” His hands started to glow a radiant white. ”But remember what I said. As long as you have faith in yourselves, and can weather what hardships this world throws at you, you will be able to defeat Talus and get what you desire.” The two boys knew instantly when they had been bestowed with their gifts. They knew how to use them and everything. ”We have run out of time. May Od Laguna ever bless you.”

In a flash, Ashton and Flame were separated.

---

Flame found himself dropped right back where he was prior to Ashton murdering Hiro. Gris was on his feet now, and Donovan was healing his wounds. Gris turned to Flame. ”Look here, Flame.” he was breathing heavily. ”I have no idea what just happened, but I genuinely want to believe you had no part in it.” With a howl, he erected his spine and stood up tall. ”The day you pay it forward is closer than I anticipated.” He rolled his shoulders. ”Crunch told me that you people were something special, and I really want to believe that. And for that reason, you're going to train with us.” He patted Flame's shoulder. ”It won't be easy, but you'll get enough food to fill your stomach. If you're important to these cultist bastards, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you can contend with them... But if I find out that you and Ashton are working together, I will gut you like a fish, and no amount of training will save you.” It seemed like Ashton's innocence would be difficult, if not impossible, to prove to Gris.

---

That day of death and carnage came and went like a memory. The forieners trained, and the natives went about their lives. But regardless of the path set before them, all knew something was amiss. Today was the day everything came together.

---

“Finally, something you're not instantly picking up.”

Over the past week, Quill had gone from being an extremely scary person to one of Chieko's closer friends in the organization. Quill had defended Chieko from a few demihumans that wanted to make an example out of her. Of course, such behavior from the other Demis only lasted a few days. Not because Elder sibling made it evident how important she was, but because Chieko became very powerful, very quickly. Few people were a match for her, and she was feared and respected like any “hero” should be. Even Quill and Chiyo had difficulty against her in sparing matches. Of course Chiyo couldn't use magic, and what magic Quill had didn't last very long. She had inherited the best qualities from both of her teachers, and even had some custom armor made for her. They thought the rate in which she learned was unusual, but Elder Sibling explained it away, saying that as a clairvoyant she could simply look into the future and learn faster than normal.

Chiyo holstered her wooden swords. ”Elder sibling is here. She wants to talk with Chieko.”

“Good, gives me a chance to recover.” As soon as Chiyo left the room, Quill cleared her throat. “Before you leave, I have a question about your homeland. You don't talk much about it.” She folded her arms. “Last week, that girl, she said she was okay laying with Elder Sibling. She even seemed to know Elder Sibling's identity. A woman, that is to say.”Quill scratched the back of her head, avoiding eye contact momentarily. “Is that type of behavior unusual where you come from? I mean.” She gestured with her hand. “You've been training with Chiyo for a bit. She's about the same age as you, looks nice, even if she's a bit on the short side. If you were into girls, I wouldn't be surprised if you liked Chiyo.”

---

The week was rather uneventful. Mistress Vertti was back to her normal self and in perfectly good health. She didn't say much about her disappearance, only that after seeing a friend overseas, she came back and found herself enjoying a pit fight on the recommendation of a friend. She assured Grisaia she wasn't in any danger. However, to help calm the boy's nerves, some actions had to be taken. She gave Grisaia a media that pointed to the location of her necklace, and even hired Aer “just in case” something bad were to happen. But Vertti stressed that nothing was wrong, and she felt this was all a bit excessive. But it was clear things would never be the same after that long absence from the manor.

But that was a week ago, and it was time to serve breakfast.

"I never realize how much I miss home until I eat your meals, Grisaia." She lifted a forkful of fish to her lips. "I remember the first meal you cooked me. Everyone was cautioning me that you might try to poison me. 'He's a demi' they'd say. But I never believed that, not for a second." She ate the fish on her fork before setting aside her utensils and and going over her lips with a napkin. "Aer has not come downstairs yet. I think she said she was running a fever. I sent a servant to her room with some wine last night." She folded her napkin and placed it beside her plate. "See how she's doing, then report back to me."

---

Gris had come to see Flame as a companion rather quickly. While the oni was stern the day Chiyo was almost taken away from him, he was actually a very kind soul. He taught Flame diligently, but the boy was far more suited to magic than the blade. Crunch made frequent visits just to check up, and even sparred with him a few times. But for the most part, Gris was his teacher.

”I think that's enough for the moment.” Gris chuckled and placed his hands on his hips. The courtyard had a number of targets set up for Flame to shoot. They were made of stone or metal, and it was evedent that if flame went all out on them, he might actually break them. Of course, breaking one's training equipment wasn't very helpful to the training process. ”I've actually got some errands to run at home today, so if you wouldn't mind, I'd like you to go shopping on my behalf.” He held out a coin pouch. ”You're not going to spend all of it, but I like to tip the shop keepers a little extra, especially if they look like they're struggling. You've eaten here enough times, I'm sure you know what to get.”

---

Alistair had learned a lot about the world, spirits, and the witches from Irene's personal library. It didn't contain all of the most safely guarded information, but it made him competent on all matters regarding gates, spirit magic, and everyday things. He normally wouldn't be able to read the texts, but Irene was able to teach him in a relatively short span of time. She'd never seen someone learn so fast, and Alistair was able to put that fast learning to work absorbing all the knowledge in Irene's library. He was also able to practice his magic, and even went on bandit thwarting outings with Irene and Vasilis, just to test his skills.

"I've never been much for reading." Vasilis was polishing his halberd. "Unless it's a cook book that is! Real men need to know how to feed themselves."

Irene was reading a book herself. Sitting just so with a thick tome in her lap. ”So how does Alistair's mana taste now?”

Odessa leaned out from behind Alistair. "His blue is almost entirely pure now."

”I assumed as much, the smell dissipated a few days ago.” She turned to look at Alistair. ”Vasilis is going to make breakfast soon, but we need supplies for our next outing. I have some letters to write this morning, and it would be most helpful if you could do some early morning shopping for us.” She stood up and held out a bag and a list. ”Try to keep Odessa hidden. She's still not very good around people, and spooks easy. Not that you needed me to remind you of that.” Irene set aside her book and walked into her office.

---

”Awaken, Lust!”

A boot slammed into Aerith's ribs, rolling her over the leaf covered floor of a forest. If she chose to open her eyes, she'd see an extinguished camp fire. If she cared to look at the person who kicked her, she'd see one smexy elf looking back at her.

”Today is the day we lay siege on the city of water! The day we free her from her prison of stone and steel! The one who loves us is just a half a day's march away!” Again, the boot struck Aerith in her sour spot. ”Arise, Lust! That which we've been fighting for lies just beyond the veil. Or my name isn't Vaux Maximilianus, Divagro von Theodoric und Hieronymous! But I can assure you, it most certainly is.” He broke out into laughter. ”Is getting hit by my boot one of your fetishes?” Vaux drew his foot back to deliver another kick. ”Disgusting creature!”

Flame Brooks

A lesser teenager would have blanked out at the dillemma facing him: How to retain Gris Art Fortye's friendship while still working together with Ashton? But Flame was not a lesser teenager or a lesser person; he will find a way to square the circle and expose Chiyo for the manipulative mini-shrew that she was. Crying her way out of her predicament, what a galling asshole! But no pretense lasts forever, especially something so extreme like masquerading as an adorable little tyke while being a sociopathic killer underneath. Granted, that meant the same thing for his own masquerade, but said masquerade was less intense.

So Flame took the bag of money and said, "Of course I'll be happy to help; that said, will Miss Elque be with me as well? Just to watch over me and ensure that I am keeping my promise." Which I am not, but better that I be watched on my own terms than have Gris dictate how he ensures my loyalty. "That and Miss Elque seems like a good person and I want to spend more time around her - Not that way, of course; I don't like women."

This will sacrifice my chances of looking for Ashton by myself, but I know full well that taking said chances too soon will just destroy them. No, I will wait and bide my time. A pause as he waited for Gris' answer. Once he got it, Flame would courteously take his leave.

Time had passed much like a blur since he left the now familiar clinic with Aer. Everything just seemed to fall back into place, like the Mistress' disappearance never even happened. If only that was the case... But despite feeling so, Grisaia couldn't help but be a bit glad that she did go missing. If she hadn't, he would have never met Aer nor Donovan, two people he was comfortable enough to call friends at this point. He honestly couldn't wait to see Mie again to rub it in her face that he could make friends excluding her. Unfortunately, there were more important things to worry about, like the cover up story he got from the Mistress this time.

The Mistress had been lucky that Grisaia was too overwhelmed by her return to really ask about it afterwards. Going off to see a friend overseas, then going to some pit fight without returning home beforehand? It didn't sit right with the rabbit. She should've known the possibility of getting hurt in such a rowdy place, but she still decided to go without any supervision or even letting anyone know. The metia he received from the Mistress to track her necklace made the story a bit more believable, that it was just a spur of the moment decision she made, but still...

The first few days the Mistress returned, Grisaia focused all of his attention on her, to the point where even the other servants couldn't even approach her without the bunny or one of his Spirits hovering over them like a mother bear protecting her cub. Thinking back on it, he had to admit that he was going a bit overboard, but now that more time has passed, Grisaia had backed off, but only a little bit. It was almost enough too make him think more objectively about the events pertaining the Mistress and what happened at the clinic.

The Mistress' voice was Grisaia's cue to open his eyes. Oh yeah, he was waiting for her to finished the breakfast he made for her. He stood at her right, slightly behind her chair as to not bother her if he stated to fidget. Anubis did the same, but instead at her left. The Mistress' bittersweet words brought the tiniest of smiles to the blonde's face.
"I appreciate your kind words and am forever grateful for the faith you've always had in me. But please, I ask you to take caution from now on. Not everyone is as trusting as you want them to be." Her faith in him sprouted and budded from concrete, but now, it's blossomed into something that even Grisaia himself had trouble comprehending. He was lucky, no doubt about it.

"Awww~, it's so adorable when you get all mushy and overprotective about the Mis--" Anubis never got to finish as Grisaia forcefully cleared his throat, and simply smirked instead knowing that his point was made. The slightly flustered bunny focused back the other when she asked for him to check up on Aer.
"Of course. Anubis, stay here, I'll be right back." Bowing slight to show he was leaving, Grisaia made his way out of the dining room and towards the living quarters.

It was Grisaia's first time hearing that Aer was sick, so he was a bit nervous to see the girl when she wasn't at her best. But making sure she was doing better was top priority. It didn't take him long to find her room. Three slow knocks followed by a call of her name was the strategy, but seeing as there was no response, Grisaia needed to pry.
"Miss Aer, I coming in now, alright?" He gave her a few seconds, if she was awake to prepare herself, before turning the doorknob to her room open and poking his head in to see what she was doing.

Old Mill Hideout, Suttlings Basin
Death count: 1
Reset Count: 4

---

Despite the situation, Chieko couldn't say she wasn't happy.

The training over the past week had been tough, but it seemed like Talus had kept his word about the rate at which she learned things. Normally something like learning swordsmanship would take quite a while, not to mention all the physical exertion involved and considering before now she was mostly a NEET who stayed in her room most of the time, being able to match Quill and Chiyo in the span of a week was well, goddamn amazing. Just like any proper anime protagonist should be, heh!

Quill and Chiyo were...well, nice enough. Chiyo was...murdery, but adorable. Like a rambunctious little sister who constantly got into trouble and then tried to get out of it by trying to cute her way out of it. Needless to say, Chieko could never say no. Quill was like a big sister she had never had. It was sort of...well, nice actually. Any sort of unease she felt vanished within days, not to mention the fact Quill had defended her against a few demi's of a less reputable sort the first day or two until she got on her feet.

...wait did that mean she was Quill's little sister here?

Universe shattering revelation aside, Chieko turned to Quill as she was asked about Chiyo.

"E-eh?!" Liked Chiyo? It was one of the few times Quill would have noticed Chieko's composure breaking over the past week. "Eh-I-I mean Chiyo adorable and I'd like to do uhm, things with her." Chieko averted her gaze from Quill, face slightly red as she chuckled nervously. "L-like hugs. Hugs and head pats. That's what she's going to get, yep. That's all." No bad intentions here, nope. She had been wondering if it would have been acceptable for her to do that all week but hadn't really had a good opportunity to go for it with all the training.

"Mhm," Chieko pulled her scarf over her mouth, regaining her composure slightly. The scarf was not something she was going to lose no matter what happened. "It's not not exactly...odd where I'm from." Sighing lightly, Chieko hefted the club she had taken as her main armament on her shoulder. Truthfully though she wasn't particularly into relationships. Right now they would only be a distraction, and she had a mission. A mission of which, she wasn't about to let anything distract her from. "...mhm, not really interested at the moment though. A Hero such as myself can't let things distract them so easily...why do you ask?"


Slums
A few days ago...
Deaths: N/A

---

Ever since the incident with Vertti, Mie had been keeping her head down like a good little fox. So far, nothing had come of it. She didn't seem to be followed anywhere. No guards. No random checks. For the most part, it seemed like she was in the clear. None of the others had contacted her either, which meant they were unaware or simply busy. Either was good - it meant there was no major problem. However...it meant the rat was still in the hen house. Which was why Mie was doing something she only did rarely.

She had set up a meeting with the other two that were working in Priestella. Normally she would only meet any other in the organization to receive information, her next task, to relay the completion of her task...or rarely, in case there was trouble. Most of the time she could handle anything herself, but this was something that was a far bigger concern than just her ego.

Which was why she was currently sitting at a table in a brothel in the slums that was far more fancy than it was on the surface.

"Mie, my sly little Fox! Yuzu, the adorable little Hornet! Eat up! A healthy diet is the first thing a Shinobi needs for excellence! A full course dinner prepared with the full culinary experience of a master chef!" A man just a few years older than Mie slammed a few plates down on their table, along with a healthy amount of sake straight from Kararagi. The kind of music you'd hear in Kararagi could be heard in the background.

"Wahaha, still wearing that creepy robe aren't'cha, Qez?"A woman clad in a kimono with light purple hair was sitting next to her, laughing brightly as she grabbed a fork from the table, already starting to dig into the mountain of food Qez had made for the three of them.

"Creepy? My dear Yuzuki I'll have you know this robe is 100% uncreepy and perfected for maximizing my culinary arts!" He replied, seemingly pulling out various bottles of spices and herbs from somewhere within it. "See? Enough space to store almost anything a chef needs!"

"Pfft, sure, it is Qezhal. We all know you like going around pretending to be all spooky." To accentuate the fact, Mie made a comical hand motion at the sides of her head.

"Haaa, your words sting, my friends." He sighed, taking a seat opposite the two women.

"Yea, Qezzy, you're about as creepy as a puppy." Yuzu replied through a mouthful of food.

"A puppy that rolls around in the mud all day."

"So rude!" He laughed. "Ahaha, I'm glad to see you both still in good spirits." The black robed male leaned forward slightly on the table, eyes glancing over his two companions with a friendly smile. "Normally we keep to ourselves, working through deadrops and informants, but its nice to be together with you on occasion."

"Right? Me and Qezzy get together at least once a week," The upbeat girl turned to Mie, snatching up a slice of meat off of her plate. "But little Mie is always so busy! I'm beginning to think she doesn't like us."

"Ha!" Mie laughed loudly, taking a huge gulp of her drink before slamming it on the table. "The only reason I tolerate either of ya is because you'd be too annoying to kill. Specially that one." She pointed at Yuzu before stealing a piece of bread out of the other fork with her own. "Don't touch my stuff."

"Wahaha, Miiiieee!~" Unable to help herself, Yuzu reached over, wrapping Mie in a big hug, obviously drunk from only a few sips of her alcohol. Lightweight. "Aaha, If I could hug you every day I'd be so happy!"

"Didn't I just say not to touch my stuff, you lightweight?" Mie smiled impishly. "Not that I mind the affection, fufu...but maybe don't do it." Before Yuzu could react, Mie had already managed to discreetly pickpocket the other shinobi, rolling a coin between her fingers.

"Gah! That's my money! Giveitback!" Qez watched with a laugh as the demi-human and human started wrestling over the coin. Yuzu trying her best to get her money back, while the fox somehow managed to always just remain out of reach of the hornet. That said...as much as he'd have liked the friendly meeting to continue, they had business to discuss.

"I'm glad you two are getting along so well," Qez laughed, folding his hands in front of him. "...but Mie, my a little birdie told me you have something to discuss about your recent little...oversight." The tone was cold, almost emotionless, and whatever happy reunion the three were having vanished instantly. The two shinobi's immediately released the other, taking a more serious tone as the meeting continued.

"...the target knew I was coming." Mie replied as Qez went to drink. The mug paused right before it hit his lips, grip tightening on the mug.

"...Whaha, that's funny." Yuzu grinned. "You sure you didn't just let her go, foxy?"

"Hoo? Is the lightweight slut implying something?"

"I dunno midget, everyone knows you hesitated when you were given this mark of yours." The sound of a mug slamming onto the table quickly silenced any argument that had been brewing before Mie could respond.

"There's a mole, Mie?"

"Indeed. A little rat. Not only was she aware that she was a target, she seemingly went into hiding before I even came to Priestella."

"Yuzu, you are dismissed." Qez narrowed his eyes at her.

"But-"

"Yuzu. Dismissed."

"Y-yes!"

"Do you suspect Yuzu?" Mie asked, quietly taking a drink of her Sake as the other Shinobi left.

"Not at all, but we can not rule out anyone...except yourself. You aren't the type to let sentimentality or emotions hamper your work. Your history is enough of proof."

"Fufu, flattery will get you everywhere so please continue."

"I'll smooth things over with the client and look for alternative methods. If the mark is aware they are being hunted, then a single shinobi won't be enough. No matter how good they are." Normally a second shinobi would be sent to help the first under the circumstances the target had become aware. Usually it would be enough...but this was a highly unusual situation. "Mie, keep your head down for the rest of the week. I'll continue as normal as to not let the mole know we know of his existence, but I will have Yuzu investigate."

"Haa, so I get stuck with the boring bits. At least let me interrogate someone~"

"We both know you'll do what you want anyways."

"Fufuf, what can I say, I don't like being told what to do." Mie grinned, eagerly finishing up the food.

"If you investigate yourself, just try to keep it subtle."

"Of course, of course. I'm not a child."

"Dismissed, then." Standing up, Mie finished her alcohol before smirking playfully at Qez.

"Tell Yuzu if she wants her money back, she's always welcome to try~" With a laughed, Mie turned on her heels and headed out the back exit, and stepping out into the streets.

---

"One, Two...aha, quite the shiny one, aren't you?" Sitting at a table in front of her wagon, Mie was busy counting a few coins, playfully fingering and running each one across her hands. Shiny gold coins that were all hers, fufu. Money was one of the few things in this world she could say she in fact, cared about somewhat. Not that she was overly attached but damn it she wasn't about to lose any of it if she could help it no matter what the circumstances were.

That said...what was Qez doing? She hadn't heard anything from him since their little meetup a few days ago. Obviously she knew such a delicate subject took time, but she was growing exceedingly bored. She had done some investigating herself, of course and they had managed to relay a few things. A very important fact that made this entire thing even more odd.

None of the other operations had been tampered with. Qez had quickly made certain to check on all the current happenings inside the city, and even relayed the information to higher ups who all returned with the same thing. No other mission had been jeopardized. Which...incidentally made her look incredibly suspicious in this instance.

Flipping a coin into the air and catching it, Mie collected the rest of the money before locking it away and pocketing the rest. Not that it mattered. They weren't likely going to say she had done anything to purposefully jeopardize it just from that alone.

"Haa, counting money always makes me feel better, fufu." Chuckling lightly, Mie for now, would play her role as a merchant.

...perhaps she should visit the Rabbit? She did want to say hello again after all of this, heh!

Velvet white wings spread as far as the young girl could do so before a sharp flap propelled her into the air, high past the tallest of building within the Suttlings Basin. Thanks to the two bows on either side of her head, Eiko didn't have to worry much about the wind ruthlessly sweeping through the chestnut locks. She was dressed to impress, emulating Hoshi the Star Spirit, as she was due to attend a few events around the city; one of which involving a prayer for the odd events that have been taking place the last week or so. There was a schedule, one that Eiko had already memorized, but seeing as most of the day would involve her running around from place to place to bestow her blessings, utilizing any kind of free time was the current goal.

Smiling widely as she arrived just over top the temples and churches she was familiar enough with to call home, the emerald eyed girl dove down so that she was bit closer to the ground. She was immediately greeted by those she passed with a brief gust of wind following her.
"Hi! Hello! Oh, I'll see you in a few hours Miss!" Eiko called, waving politely and practically brimming with light. It was only when she caught sight of a flash of white, purple, and gold that the dove demi-human slowed and came to a stop right in front of it...or rather him. "Charna, long time no see!"

The boy looked down at the smaller girl with a curious glint in his eyes.
"Indeed, I'm just as busy as you tend to be, Eiko." Resting one hand on his hip and the other over the hilt of his weapon, Charna let out a tired sigh, which only made Eiko pout at first. "What?"
"But you're always busy. I haven't seen you in like forever! It must be a new record at this point!" Eiko stressed, her wings spreading a bit more to prove her point.
"Well, unlike some people who can find a job in the city mostly because of their looks, I have no choice but to broaden my horizons. Trust me on this." Charna sighed after his slightly harsh words reaching out to pinch the brunette's nose just before she had a chance to retaliate. The girl flailed and panicked a bit as she tried to get her nose free, but alas, Charna's grip was stronger than ever before. Having given up at this point, Eiko let out a nasally huff before shooting the other a curious glance.

"Then what are you doing here? Did you end up getting stationed here or something?" She questioned, taking a deep breath once her nose was freed. the silverette nodded in response.
"Yep, I was actually heading back to our rendezvous point before you came along."
"O-Oh, I'm keeping you up? Sorry, you should have said something sooner, Char. We could always talk later." This seemed to bring a smile to the boy's lips.
"No, it's quite alright. I'd rather talk with you then sit around and listen to boring lectures for the next hour. But I do need to go before they decide to lower my pay or something like that. Since I'll be in town for a while, how about we meet up again and have and actual conversation, sound good?"
"Of course, that sounds awesome! Whenever you're free just come to the the usual place, okay?"
"Sure, consider it a date." He grinned before patted the shorter girl's head and continuing down the direction he was originally walking in. "Until then, Star Spirit Hoshi." Charna mocked before fully taking his leave.

"He's such a weirdo..." She giggled before getting a running start and taking off to the skies once again, her destination now being the Golden Quarter.

Resets: 5

Deaths: 4

---

The girl gasped for air with the first sudden boot kick to her ribs, her eyes shooting open as some adrenaline was dumped into her body. She hastily looked up at the...oddly dressed and mad sounding individual who had kicked her. That and a campfire that was long cold and put out. It was far from Joy's warm bed and lusty company, but at the same time she'd expected something to happen eventually like this. Well...ok, not this specific situation whatsoever, but merely waking up to find herself in another location. Perhaps by the graces of a certain "Lord Talus" as it were, which is where she placed her guesses.

As the elf pulled back for another kick, Aerith instinctively rolled away. At least, before trying to get up off of the forest floor. It took a minute to get herself up and properly steadied, her body reeling from the sudden change in sleeping spot it had become accustomed to for...she couldn't tell how long really. She could recall all her time spent with Joy, just not how long it had even been. Perhaps a side effect of whatever space they had been in? She couldn't tell for sure, but she was glad she had her clothes on right now.

"I sure as hell don't get off on masochism, if that's what you are thinking," the girl said casually, at the same time attempting to catch her breath as she stood tall and observed both her surroundings and this strange new figure.

However, based on her time with Joy and what she'd thought about in the meantime...yeah. She had a few guesses as to what this man meant, and a lot of questions to go along with it. Among the latter were questions such as 'where the hell am i' and 'what kind of witch did you get in bed with to be like this'. More things were along the lines of 'where are Chieko and Hiro' among a few select questions beyond those about her immediate situation. Yet she also needed to think this through, even if for just a moment to gather her words right. She took a second to think back on what Joy had said about where they were, at least after she had first arrived and met her, and what little she knew by this point as well.

Based on his words the nickname of "Lust" wasn't very surprising, however....she had to agree it kinda fit after the last while. She had been sleeping with a witch for heaven knew how long, and admittedly it had been the pleasure trip of her entire lifetime until this point. Not that it had all been "that"...just, er, stuff outside of talking or things not related to that. Admittedly the time had answered some questions, only to open up an overflowing cask of other ones yet to be answered (much less asked). It...ugh, it was all pleasure, power, questions, and like a big blur in regards to any sense of time in that place.

"I'm going to hazard a guess you meaning freeing a witch, but what do you mean by 'the city of water'? Some coastal city? And where are we right now?" Aerith said, following up with the first questions that came to her mind, breathing normally now as she finally focused her gaze more on the man in front of her.

@BrokenPromise

“Huh?” Quill fret her brow. “What do you mean 'why did you ask?' Do you think I have some ulterior motive? Like I'd be interested in a romantic relationship with you? A human?” She snorted. “You're awfully cute, you know that?” She rubbed her nose. “And by cute, I mean small minded! I've seen what humans can do first hand when they see something they like, and I don't want that happening to Chiyo at all.” She looked away. “But you don't want anything like that with Chiyo, so we're fine.”

”Sounds like you're having a lot of fun in here.”

“Tch!”

Elder Sibling had a tendency to just randomly appear places. Not that her appearance was unexpected. She must have just decided to show up after all of Quill's shouting. ”Today is a very important day. It's going to mark the first time we use Chieko's powers to further our plan.” Elder Sibling's robes dragged across the floor as she approached. Two demihumans rushed in front of her and set a table and map of Priestella down before Chieko. Once they were done, they darted off. ”It should be a simple operation with your gift. If your gift does what it's suppose to do, nobody has to die.” She placed a map of the Vertti household down on top of the city map, positioning it in front of Chieko. ”All I need you to do is locate the royal seal and tell me the best way to get it. I'm not sure if this helps, but it should be located in Mistress Vertti's bedroom.”

All eyes were on Chieko now.

---

Grisaia did not receive a response. But he was an excellent servant, and wasn't about to let fear grip his heart. With a gentle twist of the doorknob, he was able to crack the door open and look at her bed. She wan't in it. Grisaia might have opened the door the rest of the way, but he would not have the chance. Aer pulled the door the rest of the way open, practically yanking it out of Grisaia's hands. The adventurer was only wearing a robe and a night cap, but she had two bottles of wine in one hand. One was almost empty, and the other was empty. Her face was beat red, and she seemed to sway side to side like she was standing on a sailing ship.

"Hello cutie!" Aer released the door knob so that she could wave to Grisaia. He hadn't known Aer long, but this was the first time he saw her smile. And it was one of the larger ones he had ever seen. "You know room service around here is pretty good. You tell people you're hungry, and they feed you. Tell them that you're sick, and they give you wine." She giggled like an imp. "I feel like a thousand royal coins right now." She took a step towards Grisaia and reached for his face. But because she only steeped forward with her leading foot, it brought her torso folward and down. "Are you a wizard, Grisaia? Because you get bigger the closer I get to you." Aer held out both bottles. "Did you cast a spell on this bottle? I notice the lighter one has a much weaker flavor now. It doesn't make a sound when you shake it either."

---

Gris raised an eyebrow at flame's flamboyant, if perhaps too honest reply. ”Should I?” He chuckled. ”I think you'll do just fine. Most of the locals know who you are now. They certainly know who I am. I'm not really sure Elque would enjoy being around you. She sort of roams about, and I try not to restrain her too much if I can help it.” He put his hands on his hips. ”Besides, you have a home here! I guess I'm just not that worried about the money. I think you're a nice guy and I can trust you can run a simple errand. You've done really well with my lessons too. You put faith in me letting me train you, and now I'm putting faith in you, letting you handle my money.” The oni grinned. ”Think of it as an independence building exercise! Go see some of the locals who don't hang around here all the time.”

---

”What are you talking about? Hazzard a guess?” He took a step towards Aerith. When she tried to step away from him, her path was obstructed by a stone throne, which she fell into. ”Lust, who could love us but the witch of envy? Her hands outstretched constantly reaching! For us! As we are so close, but so very, very far!” He moved his face closer to Aerith's. ”Just 'a' witch? You disgusting creature. I bet you'd lay with just any witch, wouldn't you? But not I, not Vaux Maximilianus, Divagro von Theodoric und Hieronymous!” He broke out into laughter again. ”It matters not though. I'm not sure what you've been doing up until now, to prepare for the most holiest of days. I suppose I could 'hazzard a guess', but I'd rather not.” He grabbed Aerith by thhe shoulder and yanked her out of the seat. ”Did you roll out of some stranger's carriage? How can you be so ignorant, you imbecile! The city I speak of is Prestella, and the forest is...” He scratched his head. ”I-It's a generic one! Just a pointless destination! A pebble on the path to the city of water!” He pulled her towards the tree line. ”I'm only tolerating you because you're suppose to be useful. And if you turn out to not be, you'll know what my wrath looks like.” He cleared his throat. ”Anyway, here are the other guys. Say hi!”



To call it an army didn't do it justice. There had to be a thousand cultists in black and red hoods in very organized formations. And it wasn't just people either. Some of them were on land dragons, and some of them were pulling siege equipment. The caravan that was transporting everyone had been abandoned, and it seemed some of the cultists were burning what remained of their vehicles. Clearly this was a one way trip, and nobody was returning to where they came from.

”We finish the journey on foot.” Vaux released Aerith's arm. ”Walk with me to the front, it builds morale.”

@Letter Bee

Armed with what relics he could take, a handful of his loyalist soldiers, and the 3 champions that had been as sons to him over many years, Belrigger had toppled rhe gargantuan underground network and set fire to everything else with impunity. Hundreds were displaced by these actions and few took it as roughly as the arena master was, cursing into the heavens as his life was again cast into turnoil by the royalty he had once served so diligently for.

The gods had cursed him to thrive until his ambitions grew too high and swept his glory from the table like mere scraps of food for the hounds barking at its edges. Had it not been for the promise, a pact of non-aggressions against the city and its ruling powers, Belrigger might have been tempted to maim his way to a justice they believed was owed.
Instead they had all fled, long spiraling tunnels built over a dozen years of toiling, until the next safehouse deep in the royals district surrounded them and the tunnels all but obliterated, by magic and engineering alike.

Perched atop the balcony overlooking the horizon, Belrigger turned to the gods with a plea of mercy. To show him, at last, what purpose he served if not for his own glory then truly what? His answer was a shimmer as a boy was whisked into hia midst. Bright white light that heralded an angel or a devil right at his feet.
As true a sign that the gods had a plan than Belrigger could comprehend.

In his mind, thoughts not his own came unbidden, demanded the skills of a Royal guard captain to be passed on. The trials of a gladiator champion must be passed along.
Belrigger didn't prepare to understand, but he would comply. Even someone as untrained in magic as himself could tell the boy, Ashton was his name, held the spark of greater things. True greatness. That inexplainable idea was all he could think on.

"Whoever you are, whatever you are.. You are my chance, aren't you?"

Belrigger didn't bother waiting for a reply, thrusting the sword on his belt into the students hands. Every move they made he would watch with a relentless zeal and critical sense of judgement.

"The gods answer my call and you are their reply. Your training begins now."

His mind made up, the two entered the balcony as master and student, to the bewilderment of every soldier and his own sworn children of the sword. None could understand, but they would trust, and in time.. they would see the truth.

---

The training Belrigger spoke of was brutal even by his own standards. Whatever angelic forces had created or sent this young man to him had imbued their form with a talent beyond comprehension, near as the Master of the Arena could tell it made them a prodigy. A single maneuver that took the Royal Knights hundreds of hours at swordplay to master had been learned in minutes after being demonstrated. Basic swordplay, defensive measures, footwork, every exotic weapon he could think of, mastered in a matter of hours.
In a week of training, Ashton was leagues ahead of the 3 arena champions personally trained over 10 years by Belrigger. Even Blackblood, the fastest of his fighters, simply could not stand on par in single combat anymore.

Banging his hand on the table, the old man felt his stomach shake as he bellowed a laugh. In such short order the young man had risen to a state of perfection that had wildly exceeded anyones expectations, bested every house guard in single and 3 on 1 combat, overpowered every one of Belriggers arena champions, and stood as a proper threat to even Belrigger himself.
In a week!

"A toast!" Seated at the marble table, he poured a generous amount of wine into his cup and raised it in fine spirits to Ashtons name. A name that would become legend someday. "To my greatest student, to the loyalties of every man and woman here, and to our futures!" Everyone gathered in the training room, sporting a high balcony similar to the arena had once hailed over, gave a cheer for the youngest member of the group.

"Ashton Andrews. Your growth is an inspiration to us all. Words fail to express my joy at seeing a prodigy grow in so short a time to be a rival to even my best. I will not claim to know what lays in your heart but I know you can only grow stronger, stronger than my best and stronger than myself. So it falls to me now to arm you with more than the weapon in your hand." A grand sweep of his arm, theatric perhaps, gestured to the training rooms monolithic exit. For a week the boy had not left this place and had been devoted to perfection. "You will leave this place, blessed one, and retrieve the materials needed from the golden quarter. Return to me when you have found the strongest metals you can and we shall forge you a legacy in steel to match your skills."

It was tragic, really. So short a time spent training had failed to leave Belrigger with a lasting impression of this young mans heart. Talented to be sure, but part of him wondered if this was a new curse. That he should be responsible for releasing a monster upon the city trained by his own hand. Shaking his head, he cleared away the unpleasant idea. Every man had the potential to be a monster in their own way but that was this ones path to choose now.

"I wish you the best, Master Andrews." A final toast and the doors began to open, revealing the Royal Districts spreading out ahead of them.

Flame Brooks

Flame smiled widely, "Of course, Sir! Thank you! I'll be going out now."

It seemed as though more than just his wishes would be granted. Perfect. And so Flame went out, the bag of money tucked safely in his pockets, ready to meet potential new allies and sources of information while buying the food he needed and giving extra tips to the Demi-Human storeowners in need. All the while, of course, he listened to whatever rumors there were and made a few queries; none of them about Ashton, but a lot of them about the current disorder in Priestella.

It then occured to him that he was still in tentative contact with Alistair; Alistair was being trained by a neighboring noble household, after all. Perhaps he was out in the market as well? If so, he needed to know if the guy had found more information about their situation...

Ashton Andrews

”But remember what I said. As long as you have faith in yourselves, and can weather what hardships this world throws at you, you will be able to defeat Talus and get what you desire.”

I desire to bring Hiro back, just like what happened multiple times before. This is not just to undo my crimes, but also because he both didn't deserve that fate and said fate was undone multiple times before, Ashton thought as he was whisked away by the light... And promptly seperated from Flame once more.

Deposited in front of an illegal gladiator trainer, Ashton took a while to get his bearings before finally smiling and saying, "You are also my chance, it seems."

---

The training was harsh, yes. But Ashton knew that he could not afford to wuss out. If he was ever to gain what he wanted, he had to be capable of paying a high cost, of working hard enough to get what he wanted. And above all, he should not care about what others thought; not as long as they didn't know the full truth. And the full truth was this: Ashton was innocent of nothing more than getting tricked into believing that killing Hiro would save everyone, that it would only be temporary.

The fact that he couldn't tell anyone this full truth, not without omissions and partial lies and misleading inferences, did not matter at all.

"More!" Ashton had blurted out as he shifted into his new 'Ideal Form' in front of Blackblood, parrying the champion's weapon with only two daggers. He needed to learn to fight, and in his spare time, to read and write Lugnican. He will get the skillset he needed for his confrontation with... No, he'll leave Fritzi to Chieko if the latter was still an ally.

He had other plans - Lord Talus will see his wrath soon.

---

And so when the week of training ended, and Ashton was given money - At least he hoped he was given money - plus an order to get the 'finest metals imaginable' in order to arm him with a new weapon, the young man bowed and said, "Thank you, Mr. Bellrigger. Thank you."

And with that, he went off to the Golden Quarter as well, shifting to his 'Ideal Form' on the way so as not to be recognized as 'the murderer'...

Old Mill Hideout, Suttlings Basin
Death count: 1
Reset Count: 4
@BrokenPromise

---

Yep, this was a perfect example of a Tsun. Chieko couldn't help but to smile lightly, but thankfully her face was hidden by her scarf so she didn't get whacked by Quill. Before she could say anything else however, it seemed their break was going to come to an end. Fritzi made her appearance, popping out of thin air in a mildly unsettling manner as usual. Chieko's mood soured the moment she spoke her next sentence - this wasn't going to be a fun meeting.

A map of the city was in front of her. Over the course of the week here she had learned a few things about the place she was currently living. It's name, a bit about history and the general political climate. What Fritzi didn't seem to realize though, was that no, she was not a clairvoyant. She had tried speaking about it more clearly once or twice, but she never seemed to really get through. Not to mention she was rather terrified of saying she wasn't what they thought. If she was useless to them, well...she was confident in her heroic abilities to not die, but she was still uncertain.

And now they wanted her to find something. A 'Royal Seal'? Well, here goes nothing.

"...fools." Chieko responded quietly, a measure of frustration in her voice. "How many times must I tell you my ability isn't perfect! You already know where it should be, do you not? I don't even know what this object looks like or what it's for." Chieko sighed, frowning lightly. They really weren't making this easy on her, were they? Not only did they seemingly narrow it down to a building, they narrowed it down to a room even. A room she had never seen before! She couldn't reasonably bluff her way through this easily. Maybe this was a test, though? A test to see how accurate and good her abilities were? Unlikely, but she couldn't do anything drastic here regardless of what she did.

"What is this 'Royal Seal?'" Chieko locked eyes with Fritzi. "If I'm looking for something specific, knowing a bit about what I'm looking for helps."


@Tenma Tendo
Golden Quarter
Deaths: N/A

---

"Hmhm~" Who to make a sale to today? She was mostly waiting on a visit from Qez about her assignment, but that didn't mean she couldn't get up to shenanigans on her own. Indeed, she was still a merchant after all, and she still needed to turn a profit when she wasn't busy doing her actual job. Unlike last week, sales had been up a bit and she had already made a nice little profit. She just needed to find another person to make a sale too, and she could say this trip had financially been worth it, even without the money from the contract and loosing Vertti as a client.

It seemed her luck was continuing to hold out, too. Mie saw a target ripe for picking. A little birdie soaring right through the sky in the Golden Quarter.

"...hm. Yep, perfect." Mie's grin spread as she tried to wave down Eiko from the skies. "HEEEEY! CUTE LITTLE BIRDIE! Could you give this fox a moment of your time, hmm? I promise I won't bite or do anything shady towards you~" That was most certainly, a lie on some level.

The boy's ears drooped a bit as the bed was empty. Had she gone somewhere? No, Aer was definitely smarter than that...although maybe that would explain it. Grisaia himself has only been sick probably a handful of times, and he's been told that he did some pretty stupid stuff during that time. But he was jumping to conclusions at this point. Just because her bed was empty doesn't mean she's entirely gone, right? He was about to open up the door all the way, but instead found the door itself swing the rest of the way open. A familiar voice had the blonde stand up straight, crystal eyes staring down the small woman.

"U-Um...hello..?" He mumbled as he waved dumbly back, his mind quickly putting the evidence in front of him together. When the Mistress said she gave Aer a bit of wine, he wasn't expecting...this. He wanted to assume she was a lightweight because she was so small, but the amount of bottles threw him off.

What threw him off even more was her smile. So much so, he almost missed what she had to say.

"Yeah sure, um, about that though...wouldn't medicine be a better option for getting better?" He offered before scratching his cheek with is pinky as the other giggled uncharacteristically. As Aer reached out to touch his face, Grisaia stopped her by grabbing her hand in his gloved one, a heavy sigh escaping his lips afterwards. "A wizard? ...I guess you could call me something like that, but for now...give me those, I'll uh fix them later." Playing along for now, the rabbit took the two bottles from the red adventurer before setting them on the ground next to her bedroom door.

Now grabbing Aer by the the shoulders, Grisaia gave the drunken woman a small smile.
"Might you help me with a spell I've been working on? It requires you to lay down, though. Is that alright?" Despite not getting an answer yet, Grisaia was already pulling the woman back into her room to get her to lay down and possibly fall asleep.

---

Reaching the Golden Quarter a minute or so after bidding goodbye to her friend, Eiko's attention was pulled back to the ground. Someone was calling her, she knew that much, but where was the voice coming from? Now only hovering in the air, the brunette looked in all directions for the source of the voice, her eyes finally landing on a girl waving up at her. She could already tell from here that she didn't know who this person was, but what they wanted from her seemed pretty important. Plus, she was already in the Golden Quarter, so moving by foot wouldn't be that much of a difference, right?

Relaxing her wings so that she could fall from above, Eiko stretched to her wingspan in order to glide the rest of the way down. Landing right in front of the purple fox, Eiko gave her a curious tilt of the head.
"Hello! You were calling out to me, right Miss?" She asked before giving the other a small smile. "Was there anything you needed?"