Sleeping outdoors is rarely a good idea. Doing so in the buff, entangled in the limbs of two others while being within sight of the nearest road and on the border of a hostile country that was, by all account, a failed state in terms of its lawlessness, was anything but a good idea.

But putting aside all of that, they did find the pirate adventure that Rose always wanted. It just so happened they were the pirate treasure and not the buccaneers themselves. Which Kanbaru thought was a shame, as the three of them made for a dashing pair of buxom buddies if they could find some corsets and billowing long coats like Solanne's.

The chains were tight, frustratingly so and not in the fun bdsm kind of way. She could appreciate the company but even the bluenette wasn't in the mood to rub against Solanne when they were doing more then enough of that being bounced in the cage. With only cloaks for modesty they weren't being broiled under direct sunlight for the entire trip, a consolation likely only afforded to them so a grevious case of sun burn didn't turn off buyers.

Between her stint as a Magical Girl and her brief time in the Tower, being captured like this wasn't a familiar position, yet she had an expectation they'd be winding up on some sort of auction block and sold off to some rich fat bastard or violent looking warlord, then it was a simple matter of waiting for the chains to come off and some privacy for her to reveal her powers were far too internally ingrained to be removed just by taking her clothes and Serei cards.

Though I'll need to remember to find these guys and take my stuff back later. At least the clothes are easily summoned back, but the cards aren't that easy. Kanbaru thought, whiling away the time in the cage till things could progress. It wasn't like it would take long to find a buyer when the three of them were more fit and well figured then the average slave in a medieval setting.

Kanbaru would admit that when a buyer did show up, she was far from the bluenette's expectations. A princess with a coldness that would have had her Magical Girl self feeling chills run down her spine and a covetous gaze that conveyed some very perverse intentions for them. Her words only reinforced it with what Kanbaru would hazard to guess was some measure of approval.

I'm suddenly feeling a lot less confident of our ability to escape....but this is our best chance to stay as a group. If nothing else, this is going to be hot. Kanbaru thought, shelving any concerns as she sidled up close to Solanne, her breasts pressing animatedly to the red heads to draw the Princess' attention from Rose.

"I think I can speak for all of us when I say we'd be delighted to be taken by your Majesty. You can understand given how we were found, we would dread to be parted in the chains of slavery. They look better in a set, a complete collection rather then scattered parts."



Lorelai had not been speaking falsely when she alluded to the openness of her relationship with Eleonor. They both had their foibles, and Eleonor did have a legion of maids who would renounce the prospect of ever claiming a spouse just for a single night in their Lady's chambers, so all parties were well sated. In short, it was not the walk of shame that Lorelai had made from Akiko's room after being brought up to speed on the events transpiring in her sleep.

Clad in her armor, she was pleasently surprised to find the bard had recovered the Relic in such a swift manner. For all her efforts the thief had elluded Lorelai, no doubt easily outmanuevering her and her armored entourage, but subtlty was never her area of expertise. It was shaping up to be a fine morning, one near certain to be marked by celebration with the cat eared bard being the recipient of much praise and ear rubs, only for word of a certain doll princess to douse her spirits and put steel to her spine.

Her gauntlet flung open the manor doors with a brutal clatter of wood striking walls, each succesive barrier met with a rising fury that nearly rose to the full use of her powers. Fortunately for her home, she ran out of entryways and emerged onto the front promenade before her fist could begin to leave splinters marring the halls.

The staff were preparing horses for a journey to the border but she waved them off, sending the steeds back to their stables as Durgan hunched upon the grass. Her attention turned to the group travelling to apprehend Emilia and she spoke with the hardened will of a knight rather then the soft spoken spouse or gushing fan of minstrel cats.

"We hunt a black hearted fiend of immense cunning and a casual disregard for the sanctity of the Imperium and its people. Emilia of Warovia has elluded justice for too long, and today we shall show her she is no noble. She is a worm, one I will see receive the full punishment she deserves for her monstrous ways."

Climbing atop the titanic beast, she settled into its custom saddle and offered back a hand for the rest to follow. "Time is of the essence, and while our horses are superb for navigating our Imperium's highways, there is no beast that can surpass Durgan and I riding as one. We shall shackle that fiend before she feels the breeze of our approach strike her false flesh."

It would be easy to say that sleeping in the nude outdoors was a bad idea. Some would say that sleeping in the nude outdoors in the middle of a medieval fantasy world on the border of warring nations was a terrible idea. As they say, hindsight is 20/20. Rose saw no point in dwelling on what could have been or what should have been done, so she instead reveled in the situation she found herself in!

Oh how exciting, to be captured by slavers and pirates like herself, her modesty protected only by the thinnest of cloaks as she was transported to some rich man's house to be sold as a slave. She would have to seduce him with her body, tempting him to take off her bindings so he could have his way with her. And then, once the chains were taken off, she would immediately incapacitate him and take his treasure for herself! Rose was all smiles throughout the journey, even while her companions were dour and moody.

Their prospective buyer had Rose shivering for a variety of reasons. First and foremost being she was actually quite gorgeous, someone she wouldn't mind buying her compared to the ugly fat bastards she had been expecting. But the second was her eyes, that cold and cruel intelligence that lay hidden beneath the surface. This was not someone to be played with, especially if she was the ruler of these lands where strength was everything.

Kanbaru spoke first, marking her as the spokesperson for the group. Rose would play along, only stepping in if Kanbaru looked like she needed backup in the verbal duels that would be taking place. For now, she would play herself off as a quiet beauty, seductively pressing her body into Solanne's. They would be buying time until one of two things happened. Either their captor slips and lets them get their cards back.

Or backup arrives.

---

"Hmm. It would appear as if our plans need to be adjusted." Chen's drawled in a monotone voice, collapsing the telescope of ice he was peering through and storing it in his cloak. "I am happy you have accompanied me on this mission Monkey. Your talents will definitely be needed if we are to rescue Solanne and her two... companions." He says he's happy, but his tone still hasn't shifted from cold golem. The two were seated on a rooftop a few buildings away from the slave house, Chen having taken the time to observe the best route to freeing his cohort with minimal chaos. He now wished he had gone straight in, as the ruler of Exilia itself is purchasing Solanne. Quite unfortunate.

"Monkey, your task will be simple. You are to get the keys to Solanne's restraints off of Exilia's ruler by any means necessary. If you could do so unnoticed that would be optimal, however I can run diversion if you are noticed. After the retrieval of keys, we will have two paths before us." Chen held up two fingers, before lower the second as he continued to speak. "The first path is if you can pull off the theft without being noticed. In this case, all you need to do is get the keys to me." The second finger came back up. "If you are noticed stealing the keys, we will have to take the second path. In this case I will have to run diversions while you free Solanne and her companions. Once Solanne is freed and reunited with her tome, we will stand a much better chance against Emilia. I cannot speak for the combat ability of her companions, if you deem them unfit for battle then please escort them away." Chen looked at the slave house again, his eyes narrowing a tad as he considered how he may fare against Emilia. An inoptimal scenario to be avoided, the Librarium cannot lose the Green Relic under any circumstances.

"Are there any questions or suggestions?"

---

As Caprice burst through the gate, the first thing she would notice is that she was suddenly tripping over something that had rolled into her path, that same something would be breaking her fall as she fell onto it. The second thing she would be noting, was that this something was very soft yet had a certain firmness to it, and the third thing was that it was a blonde child lying down on a very large pillow. If she didn't get up quickly, the final thing she would be noting is that she was getting very sleepy as this pillow was abnormally comfy and made her want to go to sleep like the child in question was doing. Questions one would normally ask such as, "Why is this child sleeping in the middle of a horrifying monster filled world directly in the open?" would quickly fade from her mind because god damn this pillow was comfy.

---

A moment and air of silence, at least for a minute. Something to take her mind off of what had happened so far today. This was... quite the interesting debacle that she had been thrust into. What with the morning with Lorelai, facing Selene head on, acquiring the lost Relic for Eleonor, the elusive Jester's appearance, and now this ordeal that probably involved Rose and Kanbaru. It was odd, the pacifistic bard having to spring a heist to bust two of her ex-allies out of a slave ring, but Akiko admitted that she'd need the help moving forward. As great as Lorelai and Eleonor were, having more than three cards amongst a group was a good idea.

The cat checked her equipment, which was honestly just her shortsword. She hadn't a need to use it yet, save for the shackles that bound her to Selene's table, but she still figured it was best to be prepared. In her hands, though, rested a Lorelai Card and an Eleonor card. Surely the executor of the Imperium and her loyal knight were enough to protect her, or at least, she hoped so. In a way, these cards were like those ghosts from that one show her acquaintance showed her. Stands? Bah, whatever. Point is, she had assets, and they'd no doubt be handy for what's to come.

As soon as she was ready, Akiko drew her cloak over her head and rushed outside to join up with Eleonor and Lorelai. Just as she made it out, Lorelai was sending away the infantry, with her debriefing the cat and Eleonor in separate.

"We hunt a black hearted fiend of immense cunning and a casual disregard for the sanctity of the Imperium and its people. Emilia of Warovia has elluded justice for too long, and today we shall show her she is no noble. She is a worm, one I will see receive the full punishment she deserves for her monstrous ways."

There was a pause in Lorelai's speech as she leapt up onto Durgan, offering a hand down to help Akiko and Eleonor up.

"Time is of the essence, and while our horses are superb for navigating our Imperium's highways, there is no beast that can surpass Durgan and I riding as one. We shall shackle that fiend before she feels the breeze of our approach strike her false flesh."

Akiko ran up and took the hand, allowing herself to be hoisted onto Durgan's saddle and finding her arms hugging around Lorelai just for stability's sake. No doubt it'd be a bumpy ride, and she definitely didn't want to fall off.

"When we get there, I'll go try to find my captured friends. No doubt they'll be handy for subduing Emilia if the need arises." Akiko mentioned, though something bothered her. She didn't... actually have a plan for how she was going to save Rose and Kanbaru. Hell, she didn't even know if that bluenette was a sign that it's Rose and Kanbaru. That being said, it was a hunch, and she knew she had to act on it. Plus, it wasn't like she didn't have time to figure out what to do. She had the whole ride to figure out an idea, after all. Something would come to her.

"Hold on, you two. Black Pentacle's on it's way."

Měihóu Niángniang

"Alright boss! I'm down with the plan. Fair warning, I've never actually successfully fooled anyone important, or even semi-important with my transformations, even when their tome supposedly has nothing to do with information gathering, and my transformations supposedly have no signatures or tells because I genuinely transform into and am exactly what I transform into and nothing more or less. Given my track record, I think I am as good at stealth as an elephant, and I should know I've been one." Monkey seemed to be highly enthusiastic with the plan, raising a cheerful fist pump, nodding along, despite her apparently dismal opinion of her own stealth capabilities. Unleashing her scroll staff, she twirled it about herself to veil her shift.

And so it was, that Měihóu transformed into a Ferruginous hawk, with two implanted thoughts. One was that it would be a good idea to check around that Slave House over there for any good places to build a nest. And the second idea was that it should return over here and tap this brightly colored red thing when it has finished checking or if anything was threatening. She soared over, catching the wind, before attempting to land on the slave building and poke around, hopping and flapping and pecking about, presuming nothing stopped her. If perhaps the building was warded against vermin, Měihóu would feel it just the same as any other bird, and likely return to her staff. Otherwise, she would scout around the building, and upon finishing, return to her staff and transform back into Měihóu, with the memories of what the bird saw and experienced added in, to analyze for weaknesses or entrypoints.



"Waaugh!" Caprice tripped, whatever grace she may or may not have had not helping her against this unexpected trial. Perhaps unfortunately for her, her first thoughts, whatever they were, were not to escape, and she was quickly rendered asleep. "Mmm... I think I'll do Challah in the morning..." These were her last words before fading away and softly snoozing.

The moment Eleonor finished her preparations and got out of the mansion, she was pretty much a different person. In fact, she indeed was none other than Asgard, the wielder of the Crimson Knight, wielder of the Red Relic.

Her cold ways were almost a mirror to Lorelai's exalted excitement. A woman of actions, rather than words.

Once Lorelai finished her speech, Asgard accepted her hand, climbing on Durgan's back as they set their way to the treacherous lands of Exilia, in search of the traitorous Doll Princess.

And, while they did so, said princess was already roped into a much more compelling situation. At least in her eyes.

"There's no need for you to worry about that. No collector would ever take just a part of a set and forsake the rest," Emilia said as she turned her attention to Kanbaru, gazing at the blue-haired girl with a keen intensity.

"I'm sure that the three of you will make excellent additions to my collection. Just like these... extra trinkets that come with pack," Emilia said as she summoned a book and retrieved a set of cards well known to Rose and Kanbaru from inside it, before looking at them with a knowy smirk in her lips.

The White Masks' would find that their adventures in Victoire's Castle may not be as full of intrigue, but they were certainly just as... adventurous as those of their peers, if not more.

Certainly, they were out of a problem and right into the next one.

"That's an... interesting way to put it," Sherry said as she followed behind Caprice, along with Maria and Lin, carefully threading the grounds of the way too fancy rose garden that separated them from the front gates.

"This, doesn't seem like it belongs here," she said one moment after their leader fell into some sort of trap that looked more like an ill-thought prank. "Hey, this is no time to be sleeping. And who in the world are you—Wah!" Sherry screamed after she noticed something crawling from the darkness towards them, while she was trying to wake up Caprice and the weird child beside her.

And, what she saw was nothing other than a gigantic dark-purple snake slithering its way through them. The closer the reptile got, the more clearly it could be see that its size was massive, and that there was a trail of drool streaking from its lips already.

The sun and humidity wasn’t much of a problem for Solanne, not when her natural body temperature was always sky rocketing. But waking up naked and chained wasn’t ideal either way and at once she knew the sort of caravan that had whisked them away. “Great.” Why she had let the two dumb kids talk her into open perversions was beyond her, but the choice was coming back to bite her ass now. Shifting under her meek excuse of clothing, all she could do was wait until they were delivered into a building.

The slave house only hosted one individual she was interested in and she glared dully at the girl who caused trouble wherever she went. “It’s good to see you too Emilia. Not really, but I know you like manners wherever you walk,” Solanne said, rolling her eyes. Unlike the other two, there was an unspoken wave of tension between them and some hushed history that neither was going to elaborate on. What did matter, was that they were stuck here and-

Solanne was tempted to yell at both Kanbaru and Rose. Both saw fit to nuzzle her on either side, pressing the bigger woman between their bodies like a body pillow. As sudden and annoying as it was, the sight no doubt enticed Emilia’s blatant perverted nature. “You already know the choice we all want, including you,” Solanne concurred to Kanbaru’s words. “Might as well buy us all as a set then and get it over with.” She wasn’t quite in the mood for Emilia’s usual taunting.

That was why, when the Doll Maker revealed the Serei Cards she held in her possession, Solanne wasn’t too surprised. But the reddish tome in her hands did get her to sighing. “You spared no expense in fetching those, huh. Let me guess, you had all the fun in the world taking those off our forms too,” said the Crimson Hound, shifting in her chains. It was probably why they did smell slightly, and not just because of their prior activities.

---

Solanne's blatant frustration with this entire scenario, while also being so blaise as to be humorous, did hint at some familiarity between both parties. This also meant Emilia was playing coy just to get some twisted satisfaction from her foreplay, an effort Kanbaru could appreciate more if she weren't meant to be on the receiving end. Those kinds of shenanigans ended less with, 'and then we all collapsed in a pile of tangled limbs, exhausted but so very pleased with ourselves', and more, 'wailing for mercy as a stilleto heel grinds our clits into bloody pits of pain'.

"Ah yes, those would be ours." Kanbaru said as Emilia so helpfully told them she'd thought to purchase their sources of power and not let the slave trader pawn them off where they'd have no hope of finding them again. It would make recovering them a possibility, but if her hunch and that creepy look was anything to go by, the bluenette was less inclined to let Emilia dictate the terms if she had anything to say about it.

Which she didn't, being behind bars as she was with a power that wouldn't destroy the cage if she bothered to out herself as possessing magic beyond the system of tomes. That would end horribly if she didn't escape on the first try, and she'd seen enough hentai to know the mage had the most brutal and/or the most humiliating of bondage set ups to look forward to.

She wanted her Serei Card. She needed that Serei card, the unparalleled edge of the Cheater's Blade thrumming with intoxicating power as it slices through metal and stone without resistence. It was a feeble and petty desire that had her pulling against the chains to reach out for her purloined card-

There was no light. There was no sound. She felt no air in her lungs and no tactile brush against her skin. An instance of oblivion, of sheer and utter nothingness beyond comprehension that drove an ice pick into her skull and-

"Huh?"

Kanbaru was outside the cell, her hand against Emilia's treasures and her body...outside the cell. There was a sense of falling, but she drew a blank as to how she got from one spot to the other, no matter how short the distance. As confused as she was she knew it was an opportunity she couldn't waste, and the Henry card flashed before her.

Hair fading to the white of spider's silk, her adventuring attire sprang into being and she grasped keyblade and Cheater's Blade before her. A gate opened before the doorway and a very selective hammer shot out, folding the slave trader over the head and smashing him into the wall with a crack of shattered red stone.

"Well, you highness, I think the only one being bought is you today. And the price is a steal." Kanbaru said, holding the only sword with an edge to Emilia's neck while the other began to pour water to the floor, spreading across the room and up the bars of the cage against all efforts of gravity. "If you make it easy I'm sure you'll still get what you're looking for, though right now, I could enjoy a tussle after being cramped for the carriage ride."

"Boss! Water Chick is making a move!" Monkey shouted out as soon as she transformed back into a person and didn't have bird for brains, at least, literally. "I'll get you some plants to work with!" Monkey started running for the Slave Building, before powerfully chucking her staff, which shifted to a more aerodynamic shape, into a window slit. It wedged inside tightly, before transforming into a sprawling mass of verdant life for Chen to work with. Close behind, Monkey went for the building herself.

There was always a factor that one failed to consider, a wild card that was played at the last moment that turned the situation. Chen leapt off the rooftop and towards the slave building, the Green Relic in his hand pulsing with energy as he connected with Monkey's staff turned plant life. While he couldn't see what was happening, with the plants inside he could now feel the general situation out. Five humanoids, two standing, two sitting, one unconscious on the floor. Given the mass of the unconscious one, that was the male slave trader, while the two standing were Solanne's companion and Emilia. Solanne and her other companion were still sitting on the floor, trapped within a cell that is rapidly becoming moist. Moisture in the room is rising in general, it would appear that the one who escaped their chains is a water mage of some sort.

Another interesting note was the... hmm, hard to describe using only the perception of the plants. Some sort of confluence of mana in front of the door way. Unknown if created by Emilia or new girl, we'll call her Water Lily for the sake of convenience. Chen moved to the window and peeked through, getting a somewhat better view of things. Water Lily has a blade to Solanne's throat, can't quite see what the confluence of mana in front of the door is, brown haired girl and Solanne are pressed tightly together. Brown haired girl seems rather satisfied by the turn of events, Solanne seems angered. Confirmed hypothesis, slave trader is unconscious with a hammer of some sort lying next to him. After tracing the trajectory Chen could only conclude the hammer came from the direction of the doorway at high speeds given how the wall behind was cracked.

Yes, it's clear that enough information has been gathered. The plants that were Monkey's staff shot out towards Emilia, wrapping around the hand holding the tome and cards to restrain her and prevent counter attack. Chen's free hand reached into his jacket and pulled out a blue tome with decorations of frost and snow adorned on it's cover, snapping it open and releasing a storm of snow from inside all over the surrounding area. Chaos would be needed for the next steps if they were to capture Emilia and extract her from the city with minimal difficulty, snow in the desert is sure to cause a commotion. And as time passed the sudden snowstorm would only grow worse, with only Chen and those who he designated as allies being able to navigate the blizzard.

---

The eternal comfy of the pillow claimed all who fell into it's grasp, dragging them into it's warm embrace as Takara snuggled into the two older sister types who had decided to take a nap with him. Some might see this as pure stupidity because seriously, they're still in the middle of a monster infested world and are in immediate danger at nearly all times. Especially now as a massive snake slithered towards the group with hunger in it's eyes and death in the very near future unless they banded together to defend themselves.

Perhaps it's a blessing that the pillow and Takara with it began to float into the air, both Caprice and Lin falling off of it and onto the ground while the young boy clung to it as tightly as ever. A wave of power burst forth from the boy and his pillow as the snake crashed into him, but an inch away from the pillow as some sort of runic circle extended forth from it like a shield. But this shield was not hard like steel, rather it was just as soft as the pillow which Takara clung so tightly to. A swarm of butterflies then erupted from the pillow and fluttered all over Juno, imparting upon the snake a sense of sleepiness and the desire to take a nap for just five minutes. Maybe more.

Emilia's reaction to the sudden reversal of roles was nothing but a knowing smirk. The fact that Kanbaru didn't decide to take revenge then and there said a lot about her intentions. Even as they were right now, the trio before her was like an open book to Dollmaker.

Furthermore, this power that Kanbaru demonstrated right now. Could it be what Emilia has been looking for her whole life? The implications certainly were interesting.

"Oh, and what is it that I have been looking for, I wonder?" Emilia said as she brought both hands behind her back and reclined forward on her toe tips, like a playful child. "Could it be that you are using me as a proxy for your own interests, miss?"

"However, if a bit of rough entertainment is what you are looking for. You will be glad to know that this Blood Ring of mine can offer more than enough to sate your lust," the Princess said as a smile found its way to her doll-like face.

"Sadly, it seems that our little interlude is about to be interrupted by some rather petulant insects," Emilia said as she seemingly noticed the presences of the other two intruders. However, either she didn't do so in time to react, or she chose not to since she was easily captured by the vines while everything around them was blanketed in a white flurry.

Even so, the dark grin never left Emilia's lips. After all, there was a reason why the Dollmaker was known to be a hard catch by both the Imperium and the Librarians...

Meanwhile, the situation would keep on getting stickier for the White Masks. Even without the trap in their way, it seemed like Caprice and Lin wouldn't be able to react to the looming threat of the giant serpent approaching them, leaving only Maria and Sherry deal with it.

With the former being captured by the creature after her bullets failed to leave even a scratch at the serpent's scales.

"That-that's not what I expected to face when I came to this place. I guess that you'll have to find a way to deal with this on your own, kiddo. At least until I'm out of this bind," the Huntress said to Sherry as she struggled against the serpent's coils, only ever being able to pull an arm out long enough to shoot at a seemingly random place in the floor.

However, as it would turn out said the place wasn't as random as it seemed...

"Wha!?" Was all that Sherry could say before the floor under Caprice, Lin, and herself opened up, throwing them down a second trap, leading to god-knows-where in the deep, dark dungeons of Victoire's castle.

"Hey, guuuys! Maybe this would be a good time for you two to wake up?" Sherry shouted as they fell before finally landing in a deep, dark pool—or maybe it was an underground lake—at the bowels of the castle.

"Holy heck, this water is cold! And, what's that over ther—" Sherry tried to say something while pointing to a faint light in the distance, only to be dragged underwater along with the others, by what seemed to be a group of demonic fishmen who probably inhabited the lake.

---

Lin was no stranger to random black outs accompanied by memory loss. In addition every rude awakening from her unplanned slumber seemed to be unique as well, so it was no surprise that she was very calmly able to recover after the shock of the icy waters brought her back to consciousness while completely unaware of the events that had lead her there.

"I'm up! Sorry! Must have had dozed off with how boring those blood necks were. Am I right?” Lins’s sarcastic excuse went mostly unnoticed as Sherry’s warning and subsequent forced submerging took everyone’s attention. “SHER-” Lin began to shout before she too was dragged under by the aquatic creatures.

The monk tried to scream for the creature to let her go, but all that came out were inaudible gurgles. Holding in the remaining air she had, Lin began to assess the situation. Her capture had on hold on both her legs so she couldn’t just kick free, and the small amount of light bleeding into this room was all but extinguished below the surface. Her best bet was to get as close as she could to fish person and hope her punches still had power under here. Bending over she began to feel around for the monster’s head, once located she would throw swing after swing until there was no more face left to punch.

"Nnnmm?" Caprice was just beginning to wake up, but was still more or less useless, from Sherry's attempts to wake her. "What's this boy and all this doing he--aaaugh!" But then she was dumped on the ground which brought her around slightly more quickly.

"I've got an idea! I'll could make the snake a cake to eat! It'll be-aaaaugh not again!" Caprice excitedly bounced up and set to posing her hands dramatically in various measuring-like gestures. To make a proper edible cake, and not sugar frosting flavored sponge, apparently took Caprice a little bit of time, more time than she would in fact have to spend before plummeting downwards.

Whipping a hand blindly at where she hoped was ceiling, she summoned a strand of candy vines. They quickly strained under her weight and their unstable securing, strands snapping swiftly. But they still managed to get her at least right side up as she plunged into the water. That did little to aid her against the grasping clutches of the fishmen however. With little else for it, she decided to start pumping out as much slimy oil as she could. She figured that if it didn't play well with fish, perhaps it wouldn't play well with fishmen, and at the very least it might make her slick and hard to hold as she struggled blindly.

Měihóu Niángniang

Měihóu continued running at the building.

Capture successful. Now for exfiltration. Chen walked through the snowstorm, quietly opening a path through for Monkey to arrive at the door the same time as he. He opened the door and stepped in, the room's temperature plummeting as snow blew in from behind him. "Forgive my lateness Solanne. I do hope you weren't too inconvenienced by your trip through the desert, I know how prone you are to sunburn." It was impossible to tell if that was a joke or genuine, his voice remained as glacial as ever. Chen swung the door closed, a burst of frost and juniper plants engulfing the entrance to make sure they were not somehow interrupted.

"Lady Emilia. The Librarian has cordially invited you to their domain to speak with them on matters regarding the Imperium and how the Librarium and Exilia can cooperate to ensure lasting peace in the lands. Seeing as how you have nothing more pressing to attend to at the moment, I do hope you'll accept." The way he looked at Emilia while talking to her, it was almost like he was reading from a script he had read dozens of times over. He probably was. Regardless of how she answered, he continued on.

"Thank you for accepting the Librarian's invitation, I promise you that we of the Librarium offer only the finest transport and escort services. I do hope you enjoy the ride." And with that, the vines binding Emilia surged to life once more, completely restricting any and all movement while simultaneously muffling any protest. Kanbaru's water had likely covered the bars of the cage by now and there was plenty more water to work with as snow pushed through the slit windows of the slave house and dusted the floor with the touch of winter.



While Takara couldn't simply fly away from the trap that drew them into the sewers, his otherworldy powers did allow him to unconsciously escape from the same danger that threatened to pull everyone else under. Where everyone else fell into the dark sewers of Victoire's castle, the young boy instead gently floated down towards the shore, his pillow landing on the ground first with him falling onto it shortly after. It was at this exact moment, that he finally stretched his arms out wide, let out a big yawn, and opened his eyes.

"What a great nap." He rubbed his eyes and blinked blearily, looking around the dark cavern with no small measure of confusion. "Huh. This isn't the inside of a castle. Where the heck am I now?" He smacked his lips together, he was feeling pretty thirsty after such a long nap, could use some water. There was a lake nearby, but mom always said that he should never eat food he just found on the street. That same logic probably applied to water too right?

"It sure is very charming of you to come all the way to this den of depravity just to seek me," Emilia said as Chen came "out of nowhere" like the bug he's. "However, as you can see, I already have an appointment for the immediate future," she said while turning her eyes Kanbaru.

As it turns out, she wouldn't be able to follow up with any other remarks after being rendered speechless in the most literal way. Nevertheless, she still threw a knowing gaze towards Chen as he repeated himself.

Almost as if, despite everything that happened, she was still the one in control. Or, at the very least, the only one who could keep her wits in check.

Sherry kicked the slimy hand of the fishman who grabbed her with all the strength she could while being underwater. Thankfully, it was enough to free herself from the creature's grip just and get back to the surface.

"For a moment, I thought I was a goner," she said after taking a long breath. Now, she had to find a way to try to help the others and get out of this water before they were overwhelmed by the twisted abominations, or... something even worse and possibly tentacle-y came after them. "Ok, here goes nothing!" she said as she unleashed a magic missile—which was thankfully uninhibited by the water's resistance—hitting the three fishmen.

Sherry hoped that would be enough to help the other's escape. However, before she could shoot a second volley, two more fishmen came to attack her. This time, they were armed with rudimentary-looking spears trying to stab her as she dodged left and right. And then, out of nowhere one of them spit a fireball at her, right after Sherry hit it with another magic blast.

"What the hell!? Ever since when do fishes spit fire?" she complained as she continued to fend off the slimy critters.


On the other side of the underground lake...

"Mhmm, mhmm~" those would be the first sounds—other than those of the struggle of the White Masks nearby—a certain young boy would be able to hear as he arrived at the lake's shore, besides what looked to be some kind of pier with a couple of torches illuminating it.

There was no boat, or oarsman, to be seen. The only other things worth of attention in the vicinity being a few ruins of what looked like some kind of storehouses, and crumbling, wooden watchtower, as well as some flickering lights in a tunnel up ahead which Takara would probably be able to recognize as the butterflies he sent out earlier—if he remembered doing that at all, of course.

The reason for the magic butterflies to be disappearing was none other than the fact that they were being snipped out of the air, or rather, being eaten by a mysterious woman dressed in a purple armored dress, almost as if they were candy drops thrown in the air.

"Ahh, mhmm~" she gobbled one more of the flighty beings before finally turning around and noticing the golden-haired boy sitting on a pillow by the lakeside.

"Ohh, oh, I didn't see that there was anyone else here," she said as she approached Takara. "Hey, who are you? Are you lost or something like this? Do you need a big sister, or a mommy, to take care of you?" the woman who probably liked purple a little too much for her own good asked as she squat down to look the young boy in the eyes.

To the guards upon Exilia's border, mercenary troops paid for from the Warovian coffers who grumbled under the harsh heat but kept a ruthless vigil for the first signs of Imperial duplicity, they saw what looked to be a sandstorm hurtling inland on a cloudless day. That it came from the direction of the Imperium? Even more suspect.

One raised his hand to the sky, feeling none of the wind he'd come to expect with a rapidly approaching storm as it, indeed, was approaching by leaps and bounds. Literal leaps and bounds, they soon discovered in the grimmest of fashions as it ate up the distance from the horizen and swept passed them. A crater of compacted sand was all that was left of the outpost as the loose silicate blossomed to the heavens, with Durgan racing onwards before they could even land upon his pelt.

"Ora! Ora! Another bastion of wickedness smited from the world!" Lorelai whooped from his back, her face the spitting image of righteous elation in the slaughter of the Imperium's foes. The words were incomprehensible even to her own ears as the constant crack of concussive blasts wrang each time a paw of the great beast's struck the sand, propelling them beyond the speeds a terrestial animal should ever know. Being astride something cracking the sound barrier and snuffing out evil as callously as one steps upon an ant had the knight radiating a warped pleasure so very much like her adored Asgard, there wasn't even a trace of the mild mannered maid who begged to feed a kitten days prior.

She knew Asgard could endure any pressure thrown her way, and if Akiko truly struggled she would need only use either of those cards in her possession to use the Ladies' powers for her own survival. Deaf and frenzied Lorelai hadn't the attention to spare, guiding Durgan onwards to the city of blood soaked stone that filled her gut with a hideous wrath.

How I would love to see this city lost to the sands. I'd tear the last brick from the last home and see it crushed beneath an Imperial heel. Her mind sang with the need to punish the wicked Exilians, a nation of brigands without a redeemable soul to be found. But before the crusade could be unleashed Durgan halted atop the arched gateway to the city, snout pointed towards an...odd weather occurence. A measure of her knightly accumen told her that a blizzard here of all places was certainly magic, and one disrupting the natural flow of the city certainly couldn't be anythin normal.

"Into the storm, Durgan. If nothing else we'll punish the sinners there first. Perhaps they'll even point us to the head fiend herself." The Knight said, pushing her magic through Durgan one last time to jump across the city and crash amidst the whirling snow, pulverising the building across from the store Emilia had found herself trapped within. Taking in the wild growth of plant life, Lorelai barked triumphantly. "Is this your friends work, Akiko? They seem to be good company if this is how they greet Exilian dogs."

The shaking of the earth beneath them, accompanied by the sound of a building crumbling across the street was Chen's signal to depart. "It would appear as if the Imperium has arrived to collect Emilia. It is not an exaggeration to say that we are the most wanted people in the country at the moment, so it would not do to loiter any longer." Chen's Relic glowed as he continued to generate more and more plant life from Monkey's staff, creating thick roots that surrounded the group in an orb of sorts. "I suggest you breathe lightly. We will not be surfacing for some time." And with that being said, the roots plunged into the ground beneath them like a drill, tunneling into the earth and away from Exilia.

Rose snapped on her glove with a grin, looking over at Kanbaru while Chen focused on their getaway. "Quite the breakout you orchestrated Kanbaru! I gotta ask how you just- ow!" A stray root flicked Rose in the middle of her question, interrupting her as she rubbed her now sore forehead. Chen did not cow under her vicious glance, continuing to look forward as he dug through the sands of Exilia.

"Your yelling is consuming too much oxygen. Refrain from speaking until you are on the surface." Rose looked like she wanted to argue, but she wasn't going to yell at the guy who could leave her buried underground at any given time. Time passed, sand became dirt and they were soon back in Rivenwood, albeit a much larger group than they had started with. The rumbling of their vehicle suddenly stopped as Chen looked up, almost as if contemplating something.

"...thanking someone for saving their own skin is illogical. However I will thank you for making the capture of Emilia as easy as possible." He looked back at Kanbaru as he said this, a simple nod of gratitude accompanying his ever dead stare. A hole in the root ceiling above them opened, the distant light of the sun shining down on Kanbaru and Rose as Chen prepared to set them free.

"Please do your best to brace when you hit the ground." Any questions they had would be ignored as the floor beneath them suddenly grabbed the duo violently, before launching them out of the hole and into the sky above. The roots above Chen closed, leaving him alone with Solanne, Monkey, and Emilia. "Now then. Which way will we be going Solanne."

Rose found her own way to fall safely, using her Chen card to have a tree grab her out of the air before she splattered all over the ground. Kanbaru however would have to find her own way to save herself, as the duo had been separated in the midst of Chen's poorly aimed throw.

---

Takara idly wondered why this lady was eating butterflies when clearly butterflies weren't edible. Then again, this was a super mystery world where anything could be possible, so maybe they were edible. Should he eat butterflies? It was thoughts like these that dominated his mind as the young woman approached, not a single thought that maybe this strange purple woman could be dangerous. She was too pretty to be dangerous after all, pretty ladies like her were nice. If a little weird.

Takara yawned after she asked her questions, rubbing his eyes a bit as he thought it over. "I'm Takara, I came here looking for my mommy." He scrunched up his face unconsciously as he thought about her other questions. Oh no, he is lost! That sudden realization shocked the ten year old boy, being lost in a scary cave is super bad! Takara started to tear up as he nodded, burying his face into Juno's stomach as he hugged her with all his ten year old strength.

---

"I-I don't remember Rose or Kanbaru having this level of power!" Akiko shouted amidst the blizzard. Her arms covered her face to keep the biting cold out of her eyes. This was quite a brutal storm, so that ruled out either of her 'party members' from doing this, save if either of them got a card that'd let them do it. Akiko slid off Durgan's back once he had safely landed, patting the beast affectionately, albeit quickly, before looking back to Lorelai and Asgard.

"I'm going on ahead! If you don't find me, I'm probably gone!" Akiko raised her arms back to her face as she turned around, staring the prison down behind pale arms. It was going to be a tough fight to get through, absolutely, and Akiko had to admit, she was terrified. Complete fear. Though, she considered that. Fear was just her showing that she was reluctant to do something. If she wanted to get her posse of great knights at her side, she'd have to brave up eventually to be the queen they stood under.

She trudged forward, boots crunching against the snow softly. She waved her hand in front of her, drawing forth Asgard's card and revealing the Red Relic in her hands. Despite the blistering cold, she could feel a sort of warmth emanating off it. She gently placed the relic around her neck, feeling the bloody power coursing through her arms. She didn't know what she could really do, although she was fairly certain she'd know soon.

"Alright, you little shits. Where the hell are you...?"

Through efforts probably not their own, the majority of Black Pentacle played a part in arresting the criminal known as the Dollmaker. But there was hardly any glory and earnings to really show for it. Even now, it was Chen who ultimately took the Dollmaker and the Crimson Hound with him to bring to the Librarian herself. No doubt Emilia would prove to be a valuable asset to use against the Imperium. For Kanbaru and Rose, all that was left to show for their efforts was the Solanne Card held by Rose. Appropriately, Chen had dumped the two strangers that caused him really nothing but grief-ignoring their small part in Emilia's capture-in a forest not too dissimilar to the one they winded up in the first place. The leaves fell with a sense of change and as the two recovered from their hasty fall, they found themselves separated by a good distance away in the forest. Not enough to be completely lost to each other of course, but far enough for an amused voice to draw Kanbaru in further away from her guild mate.

"Hmm?" The bluenette turned, peering into the trees as a vaguely familiar voice beckoned to her, prying at her attention and drawing her away from Rose as curiosity got the better of her. With her weapon in hand she was confident, knowing she was only captured for being asleep when it happened, and a part of her hoped to find that mysterious Bella woman once again to get another card out of this world like everyone else seemed to have. "Hello there~? Care to come out, I don't bite."

Kanbaru's call would be answered by the sound of crunching leaves as the mysterious presence would make itself, or rather herself, known to the blue-haired girl.

"Very impressive, that was very impressive indeed. I usually don't let my 'dolls' be captured so easily, but I had to make an exception this time," said none other than Emilia in a very amused voice as she came out of the shadows. "I imagine that the others are already well on their way to the Imperium or the Librarian's workshop, but if I may ask where will you be going now? I'm sure I can of assistance, if you are willing to strike a deal."

There was certainly a blonde noblewoman hiding amidst the trees but not the black cloaked one she'd be holding out for. Oddly enough it was the Warovian Princess she saw detained before their flight from Exilia. Emilia had struck her as a woman with too many contingencies to be caught so easily if it wasn't what she wanted, but that curious in and of itself. "Well if the Princess isn't fleeing the castle. Not that I'm judging when it looked pretty dilapidated when we left. "

"I suppose you'd have figured we have a...foreign magic, of our own. You can say we're outsiders to your world, and know that we've had our adventure, we're off to another." Kanbaru said gamely, planting the head of her blade in the grass and leaning upon the hilt like a cane. "Though if you're looking to book passage with us, I'm not sure what you have to offer. Certainly not riches, unless that dress is lined with precious stones and metal."

A knowing smile found its way to Emilia's lips as she listened to Kanbaru's explanation. "Oh? You're not even trying to hide anything, or play some trick on this poor old 'data' as you would call it?" she said, revealing that she was more into the loop than she looked to be. "But that makes things easier for me. If you want an offering, or rather a partnership deal, I think that what I can do for you and your 'friends' is worth more than any gold. Oh well, not exactly more worthy than any gold but I suppose you can understand what I mean, right?"

"At any rate, I'll cut right to the chase and say that, if you are willing to lend me a little help to get out of this hovel, I'll help you and your friends with my skills. In a manner that none of these cards you wield can compare to. For a fee, of course. However, if you do help me, I'll go ahead and give you all a discount on any services. We need to have a good relationship as business partners, right?" Emilia said, elaborating her proposal in a way that looked very convenient, and not too different from what Cait did back in the Tower. Almost suspiciously so.

Drumming her fingers along the keyblade, Kanbaru nodded along with Emilia's proposal, trying to play it cool and failing quite reasonably as her greed latched onto the offer to go beyond what the Serei cards already offered. Accursedly self-aware Princess making this so much harder then it should have been when Kanbaru should have had the negotiating power here. "Hmm, is it really a discount when it's the first and only rate we see? I'd think for ferrying you away from pursuit and persecution you could offer a sample of what's on tap. You know, a taste to have us coming back for more."

"And for the record, why would I hide it from you? If I wasn't bringing you along, no one you tell could do anything with the knowledge, even if they believed you. It costs me nothing, so why not be honest where I can~?" Kanbaru said, shrugging off any concern as she dispelled her weapon and offered her arm as one does to a lady at a ball. "To a good partnership, then?"

At the moment of acceptance came the ticket of their departure. The world's requirements had been met as reality bent inwards towards the few individuals who pervaded its borders by foreign matters. Each member of the Black Pentacle, and perhaps those who came from outside the world lines, would find their cards to glow and emit a light. It happened all the same for Kanbaru, who'd find the light to encompass herself, ready to deposit her outside the world. Not one to lose her chance, it was no surprise Emilia kept her grip on Kanbaru's arm harshly to ensure she'd be given safe passage too. The light show eventually dyed down, revealing all of Black Pentacle gathered again in the Dangeki Cafe....along with some new additions, Emilia included.

---

Caprice found the hands grasping at her falling away, thanks to Sherry's efforts. She was able to surface, summoning a buoy of nougat, with lots of air pockets to give it as much bouyance as Caprice could summon from candy. She was left bobbing on the surface in what looked like an oil spill. "Ugh, we've got to save Mary, but first we need to figure out how to save ourselves.." Caprice looked around grimly, not certain how she was going to handle the fishmen.

Fortunately, that was not a question she would have to answer, as she was instead transported to Cait's bar. She arrived somehow immaculate, simply popping out onto a barstool like nothing had happened. She blinked once or twice, subtly taking in the situation from beneath her mask before making a move. Finding herself among strangers, she felt it appropriate to say nothing to them for the moment.

"Well, that was quite the adventure." She said to Cait, while summoning up a patron pineapple for herself. A simple drink requiring no thought.

---

Nothing loosens someone's grip like repeated punching followed by a magic missile. Freed from the aquatic foe, Lin immediately started swimming back to the surface. Without the luxury of a sugary flotation device it took her a little longer to breach the water. However, the moment the monk came up for air, she found she was no longer treading water, but instead sitting next to Caprice at none other than the Dangeki Cafe.

“What the fuck?” Lin yelled out as she looked back and forth for any remnants of where they just were. “What just happened? Why are we back here? Where’s Maria?”

Completely bewildered, Lin turned to Caprice who had seemingly shrugged everything off and made herself a drink. Not a bad plan at all. Turning to the bar, the monk rested her head on one hand and held out the other with two fingers out to flag down Cait.

“Ugh. Cait, get me some scotch. This place is giving me a migraine.”

“Welcome back everyone! I hope you had a fun adventure~” Cait’s enthusiasm filled the Dangeki Café’s atmosphere with a warm radiance; a sign her drunken stupor from before was passing. For those who just got done treading in murky fishmen water, it was probably a blessing, although the White Masks would find their clothes were dry once again anyway. “Hey, hey, you’re gonna put me out of business if you do that,” Cait teased to Caprice, noting the drink she summoned herself free of charge. “Or you could get a side gig working for me~”

She didn’t follow up on those words, not when Lin was flagging her down for a drink of her own. As she tended to the fist fighter, Caprice would find a subtle weight hanging in one of her pockets. Reaching in would reveal a doughnut whose blood red frosting somehow wasn’t smeared by being stuffed in her pocket. Where it came from was a mystery probably only known to her. In any case, Cait swiftly poured Lin a cup of her desired scotch, putting the bottle back on the shelf with her tail.

“Complete a floor and maybe I’ll let you have the whole bottle,” she said with a wink to Lin. “Oh! It’s a first to have you all in the same room together. Last time you were a bit hasty so allow me to introduce you, Black Pentacle.” Cait flagged down the spread-out members of the first guild towards the bar, though Emilia only shrugged and walked to the side towards one of the empty booths. Why she was even here was a question only Kanbaru could answer.

“I’d like to introduce you to the second team of the hour. The White Masks! They journeyed off a little after you lot did so play nice with them~” Cait noted Emilia’s position with a wave of her tail and a slight thumbs up. In no short amount of time, the Dollmaker set up shop where once was an empty booth and looked smug about it too. “Now, who’s ready to relax and buy some items? Oh, well, I suppose you kiddos would be interested in Serei Cards too. Head to the lovely lady to the left for all your needs~” the cat yawned, already wanting a nap.

---